Should Marijuana Be Banned Essay - 1274 Words

It is only recently that hemp was made out to be the demon that it is not. People are told inaccuracies about cannabis and are believing them without sufficient evidence. It has been known to aid in pain management, nausea, epileptic seizures, mental illnesses and addiction. â€Å"Recent animal studies have shown that marijuana extracts may help kill certain cancer cells and reduce the size of others† (NIDA). Though there is not extensive research that has been done, what has been shown is that it can contribute to the medical field, clothing industries, paper mills, food, and many others. Even if there was a small chance to contribute to the betterment of mankind, it would be worth the research to definitively say one way or the other. Five thousand years of history should prove its worth in humanity, however, due to the greed of some and the racism of the era, marijuana has a way to go before its reputation can be as it once was. What of tobacco and alcohol? What uses do the y hold? Alcohol constricts blood vessels, causes more accidents to erase entire family lines, causes alcohol poisoning and creates such a dependence on an alcoholic that if one should become sober for even a moment, one would die. Yes, it was used as an antiseptic in its earlier days and yes a small glass of wine a day is good for your heart, however, the way it is used today, it causes nothing but destruction. Tobacco, a holy plant in Native American culture, has been so cultivated and genetically alteredShow MoreRelatedMarijuana Should Not Be Banned Essay1560 Words   |  7 PagesWithin today’s society, Cannabis is seen as a harmful substance of such negative controversy. Marijuana is a very prominent and controversial issue in society today. Despite many malicious allegations have been made regarding marijuana today, the truth of what marijuana’s real dangers are are beginning to come about again. Sadly, these facts have been held under considerable judgement becau se of what people stereotype a pot smoker as. This has been brought under heavy criticism due to the stereotypicalRead MoreMarijuana Should Be Banned Marijuana1667 Words   |  7 PagesCannabis, otherwise known as marijuana, is a way of preparing the marijuana plant so that it can be used as medicine or a psychoactive drug. It is the most extensively banned drug in Britain. However, many local societies and organizations advocate a reform of its validity. These include NORML UK, UKCSC Drug Equality Alliance, as well as Cannabis Law Reform. Other societies such as the Centre for Social Justice and Skunk Sense argue in favour of cannabis remaining illegal (UK Government, 2014). ThereRead MoreMarijuana Should Be Banned Marijuana944 Words   |  4 PagesThroughout the history of agriculture, the marijuana plant, also known as cannabis or hemp has been extensively used as a source of medicine, fiber, and intoxicant. In the ancient folklore and writings of China and India, the earliest known descriptions of cannabis are evident. According to historians, marijuana was mostly used a ritual intoxicant and later on, it found significance in folk medicine. The practice of smoking of marijuana has only appeared recently. There has been a lot of literatureRead MoreMarijuana Should Not Be Banned Marijuana1282 Words   |  6 PagesCannabis, also known as marijuana, is largely known for its use as a psychoactive drug and medicine. It’s become a controversial issue as many people are against legalizing it because they believe it is a gateway drug (a drug that isn’t necessarily addictive, but can lead the user to use more addictive drugs) or for other reaso ns. Others, such as Daniel J. Pfeifer, support the legalization of marijuana for recreational and/or medicinal use. As a law student, Pfeifer argues the federal government’sRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Banned? Essay1267 Words   |  6 PagesTo begin with marijuana is a natural plant grown in countries outside of the US. However, marijuana known to naturally grow from the earth, which its natural state is a dry leafy flower stem or in medical terms labeled hemp plant or Cannabis Sativa. Next, the active ingredient in marijuana contains mind altering chemicals called THC (9-tetrahydrocannabinol) and other related compounds made, from the cannabis plant. Not to mention, marijuana is the most widespread illegal drug used, in addition toRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Banned?854 Words   |  4 Pagesalone, tobacco was to blame for an overwhelming 435,000 deaths. In the whole past of humanity, marijuana has never been documented as a reason of death. Not one person in noted history has died due to the consumption of cannabis. (Annual Cause of Death in the United States.). However, marijuana has been connected to short term memory loss and to a faintly condensed lung volume when habitually inhaled. Marijuana also impairs judgment and motor skills, but its effects are nowhere near as severe as thoseRead MoreMarijuana Should Be Banned Marijuana1449 Words   |  6 PagesMarijuana has been used throughout history since before the 1600s and the timeline has continue to today. But it did not become an issue until the 1900s through 1920s after the Mexican Revolution. During this time many Mexicans immigrants arrived in overwhelming amounts into the United States introducing marijuana as a recreational drug to Americans and its culture. As a result, many Mexican immigrants became associated with marijuana and the terror and preconception that they all used marijuanaRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Banned Marijuana?1796 Words   |  8 Pagesseveral ways a person can con sume marijuana. The first and most popular way is by smoking it. Cannabis can be rolled into a joint, or smoked through a pipe. The next is by vaporizing. Vaporizing the marijuana heats it up to the point it becomes a vapor. Vaporizing is a safer alternative to smoking marijuana. Vaporizing the marijuana reduces the amount of harmful smoke that will affect the throat and lungs. Another way is by using topical agents. This means the marijuana is applied directly to the skinRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Banned?951 Words   |  4 Pagesrate of drug consumed. Most times the easy way seems like the best way out, the use of drugs, especially steroids for boosting up performance anywhere should not be encouraged, but when people demand for the best from everything, what choice is given? Legalizing Steroids the United States would have a huge effect on everyone, just like marijuana. There are different articles, and documentary of several cases of steroids; their types, their effects and result, the thought of researching, and presentingRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Banned? Essay909 Words   |  4 Pages Marijuana is now partially decriminalized in 24 states including DC and legal for recreational use in 4 states. Due to new medical studies, and the consequences on those convicted from use of the most common illicit drug in the world, the United States is being forced to rethink its stance on the matter. The fundamental argument about Marijuana in this country is: should Marijuana continue to be prohibited to citizens based on its health effects and/or medicinal values? Marijuana is the most commonly

Managing Conflict On The Workplace Essay - 891 Words

Keller Graduate School of Management Managing Conflict in the Workplace Collaborative Case Analysis: Scenario 1 team 3 Professor George Watson By Ali Azam Rasel Conflict Issue: Conflict raise when one party makes dis agreement with other party or make reply with negative impact. One party thinks he or she is right while other party thinks absolutely wrong. For this particular case analysis I can say Joe was working as an Assistant Manager which is management level job position. To performing this kind of job leadership role is required. Joe had significantly personal issues such as his school and family time due to his wife pregnancy. There was management pressure from Jim how to improve customer service, hiring new people to fill-ups. From Jim side he wanted to more productivity and expectations was too high. From Joe’s side he was in conflict how he can ask for time off while Jim was giving more work. Joe was hesitated to ask Jim about the time off. So Joe’s mind was upset and he was thinking about his family and his study. His behavior was not good with other coworker because his depressions. Lack of understanding was another issue. The problem was for the Jose he never try to talk with Jim openly he was thinking Jim may be not happy if he ask for time off for his wife and school. He was thinking Jim may not listen or trust him about his situation. Depression: For this case Joe was not able to tell his boss about this personal problem about his wifeShow MoreRelatedM3.14 Managing Conflict in the Workplace Essay1875 Words   |  8 PagesREFLECTIVE REVIEW - M3.14 MANAGING CONFLICT IN THE WORKPLACE |Centre Number |Centre Name | |Candidate Registration No |Candidate Name | |Please use the headings shown below |Assessment Criteria | | Read MoreHuman Resource Management: Managing Conflict in the Workplace in Britain and Russia2262 Words   |  10 Pagesorganisational conflict 3. Conflict resolution: a theoretical framework 3.1 Techniques HR managers use for conflict management 3.2 Types of collisions they manage 3.3 Role of trade unions in regulating employee disputes 4. Conflict resolution: a comparative case study of UK and Russia 4.1 British approach to the employee relations 4.2 Employee relations in Russia 5. Conclusion 6. List of references | 1 2 2 2 3 3 4 5 7 8 | | 1. Introduction Managing human resourcesRead MoreOrganizational Behavior: Managing Conflict within the Workplace This essay explains the need and importance of managing conflict inside of organizations.1440 Words   |  6 PagesRunning head: MANAGING CONFLICT MANAGING CONFLICT Organizational Behavior: Managing Conflict within the Workplace ï ¿ ½ Abstract Our team has decided to write our research paper on conflict management. We felt that this topic would be a good choice because we feel that many of todays companies have problems dealing with conflict. If managers are trained and aware of conflict management, conflict can bring out creativity and different points of view. The positive outcomes from conflict managementRead MoreConflict Is Essential For Organisational Success . In This1135 Words   |  5 PagesConflict is essential for organisational success In this current era of modernization and development, there is a serious economic war between firms of different sizes. Many firms have capabilities to success in the market and maintain their position for a very long period of time. Such firms that keep the hold of the market deals with the organisational conflicts effectively and efficiently (1). It is obvious that one can find different nature of people in a workplace and thus causing conflictsRead MoreConflict Between Interpersonal, Intra Groups And Intra Group Levels1503 Words   |  7 PagesIn the contention of viewing conflict as whether undesirable phenomenon or not, it has been widely accepted that the presence of conflict in the workplace is inevitable. According to Rahim (2002, p. 207), conflict could be define as â€Å"an interactive process manifested in incompatibility, disagreement, or dissonance within or between social entities.† As this conflict occurs in the workplace, the existence of conflict is not only limited between people in an organisation, but it is also occurred betweenRead MoreThe Australian Workplace Is A Evolving Environment1483 Words   |  6 Pages The Australian workplace is a constantly evolving environment. When we look at the structure of the Australian workplace environment, we can infer that Australia’s multicultural society has broken down the barriers of uniformity. This both contextual and individual concept is refereed to as diversity. Contrary to popular belief, diversity does not jus relate to gender, race cultural identity. Diversity is categorized into four main categories: organisational, internal, external and personalityRead MoreManaging Diversity Within The Workplace1605 Words   |  7 PagesAbstract- Managing Diversity in the workplace requires a lot of focus, training, and time. This paper gives an insight into the world of management and how diversity plays a big part. It explores the key benefits to putting emphasis on diversity and also how not putting emphasis on diversity could hurt your business. This paper also gives examples on how to go about managing diversity in the workplace. With prope r focus on managing diversity, your organization can be at a big advantage. I. INTRODUCTIONRead MoreEmployment Relationship Is Critical Within The Workplace1056 Words   |  5 PagesThe Employment relationship is critical within the workplace as it plays a central role in the quality of the workers’ lives and in the performance of the organisation. Employment relationship is defined as simply the relationship between the employee and the employer. Having a strong employment relationship positively impacts the organisation as a whole, influencing the job satisfaction, skill use and development, workplace morale, and the worker absenteeism (Lowe, G. Schellenberg, G. 2001). HoweverRead MoreEssay on Diversity in the Workplace1258 Words   |  6 Pages Diversity in the workplace is a subject that has gained increased attention in the workplace over the past few years. After all, the impact of affirmative action and equal employment opportunity programs on the nations work force is undeniable. Women and minorities were the first to dramatically alter the face of the economic mainstream, while gays, persons with disabilities and senior citizens followed not far behind. The result is a diverse American labor force representing a microcosm of ourRead MoreMindfulness And Its Impact On The Workplace Essay1649 Words   |  7 Pagesoutcomes to organization. Conventional stigma of how people see process of managing can only be developed by experiences diminished slowly because mindfulness could be learned with training. Nevertheless, Bruce (Cited in David and Hayes 2011) doubt that mindfulness has significant impact to employee’s task, goals and bond in the workplace. The author believes that mindfulness needs measurement to prove it works on the workplace. The reason behind his statement is mindfulness recognized only as self-reported

Lab the Bacteria Around You Free Essays

Lab: The Bacteria Around You James Brunet Ms Owen October 14th, 2012 Part 1 Purpose To culture and observe the various types of bacteria found around Canterbury High School. Materials and Methods Refer to pages 422-425 of Biology 11 McGraw-Hill Ryerson and the handout â€Å"Gram Staining Procedure†. Observations Table 1: Locations of Bacteria Samples Quadrant| Location of Sample Obtained| 1| Floor| 2| Water fountain head| 3| Auditorium Chair| 4| Inside of Boys’ Bathroom Door Handle| Table 2: Growth of Bacteria from Various Locations Around CHS after 48h in Incubator Quadrant| Total Number of Colonies| Description of Colonies| Number of Colonies| 1| 1| Irregular, flat, and lobate. We will write a custom essay sample on Lab: the Bacteria Around You or any similar topic only for you Order Now Occupies entire quadrant. | 1 | 2| About 8| Milky-white coloured, punctiform, and entire. | 6| | | Milky-white coloured, punctiform, and curled. | 2| 3| 10| Milky, punctiform, and entire. | 8| | | Yellow, punctiform, and entire. | 2| 4| 8| Milky, irregular, lobate, and raised. | 1| | | Milky, punctiform, and entire. | 4| | Milky, punctiform, and curled. | 2| | | Clear, flat, circular, and undulate. | 1| Discussion What areas around the school appeared to have the most bacteria? The least? Suggest reasons for these findings. The area around the school that appeared to have the most bacteria was the inside of the boy’s bathroom door handle. Not only did it have the most diverse range of bacteria (four different types), it also had the 2nd highest number of colonies! The area around the school with the least bacteria was, in my opinion, the floor. Although the single colony there grew very large, this was probably due to lack of competition, as there were no other colonies present. This seems to indicate that there is actually less diversity of bacteria on the floor than on a door handle. I think that the door handle appears to have more bacteria for two main reasons. Firstly, the door handle is gripped by students exiting the bathroom. Some of these students may not have washed their hands, leading to bacteria being transferred from person to handle constantly. Secondly, these handles are rarely, if ever cleaned, while the floors are cleaned on a daily basis. Describe the conditions necessary for bacterial growth. Bacteria need food, moisture, warmth, and time to grow. The agar plate provides the food and some moisture, the incubator provides growth, and if it is an expensive unit, moisture as well, and you as the student provides the time. Describe two factors that may limit bacterial growth. A lack of moisture may limit bacterial growth. Instead of multiplying, the bacteria may die. As well, a less than optimal temperature may limit, and perhaps completely stop, bacterial growth. Temperatures outside of the range of 4 °C-60 °C (The bacterial â€Å"danger zone†) will stop most bacterial reproduction and kill many species of bacteria. However, some bacteria can survive with very little moisture for extended periods of time and thrive outside these temperature ranges. Did this experiment have a control? If not, suggest what control you could set up and why? This experiment did not have a control. If I was to set up a control for this experiment, I would leave one of the quadrants clear of any specimen, and use it as a control quadrant. If I did that, I could tell if bacteria was already present in the agar if the control quadrant grew colonies. Discuss some aspect relating to your samples or the procedure. I would like to retest the floor sample, because the single colony left me thinking that the data was incomplete. I just don’t think there is only one type of bacteria living on the floor. I think I would like to change the procedure, as a control quadrant is vital to the integrity of the experiment! As well, I am definitely not going to open the boy’s bathroom door and then proceed to touch my eyes immediately after. Conclusion In conclusion, the bacteria from the floor, water fountain, chair, and door handle flourished because of the warmth of the incubator, the food/moisture present in the agar, and the time we gave it. We identified multiple colonies of bacteria by their colours, sizes, shapes, and thicknesses, and also by staining them with Crystal Violet and Safranin. All of these things combined gave our group insight into the conditions necessary for bacterial growth, how to identify colonies, and where bacteria grow most. Part 2 Purpose To test the effectiveness of various disinfectants and antibiotics on limiting bacterial growth. Materials and Methods Refer to pages 428-429 of Biology 11 McGraw-Hill Ryerson. Observations Quadrant| Type of antibiotic/disinfectant| Size of zone of inhibition| 1| Soap| Huge zone-extends into quadrant 3. | 2| Organic disinfectant| Midsize zone| 3| Bleach+Comet| None| 4| Hand sanitizer| None| Discussion How was the effectiveness of each antibiotic/disinfectant measured? The effectiveness of each antibiotic/disinfectant was measured by looking at the zone of inhibition, the size of the area immediately surrounding the antibiotic that is colony-free. Which inhibitor was the most effective? Explain. The soap was by far the most effective inhibitor. Its zone of inhibition extended so far that it even reached into a neighbouring quadrant! This means that the soap was extremely effective at stopping bacterial growth. Rank the inhibitors you used by their effectiveness. Explain your reasoning. I found soap to be the most effective inhibitor, and the organic disinfectant to be the second most effective inhibitor, with respect to their zones of inhibition. I ranked hand sanitizer and bleach+comet as a tie for last place, because they did literally nothing to stop the growth of bacteria. I ranked these inhibitors in this order because I believe that effectiveness can easily be measured by the size of the zone of inhibition. Why is it important for a physician to know the exact identity of the bacteria involved in an infection? It is important for a physician to know the exact identity of the bacteria involved in an infection because different inhibitors work for different bacteria. If the physician incorrectly identified the bacteria, his prescribed antibiotics may do nothing against the bacterial infection, and the patient’s sickness would actually worsen. This is easily shown by our zone of inhibition experiment, where of the four chosen antibiotics, two of them did absolutely nothing against the bacteria. Conclusion In conclusion, it is important to know how to both identify bacteria using morphological clues as well as it is important to know how to treat said bacteria. Not all bacteria are the same, and not all antibiotics are on the same footing either. How to cite Lab: the Bacteria Around You, Essay examples

International Economics and Finance Paper free essay sample

Economy and Foundations of Modern Trade Theories Multiple Choice Questions 1. A primary reason why nations conduct international trade is because: a)some nations prefer to produce one thing while others produce other things. b)resources are not equally distributed among all trading nations. c)trade enhances opportunities to accumulate profits. d)interest rates are not identical in all trading nations. 2. Free traders maintain that an open economy is advantageous in that it provides all of the following except a)increased competition for world producers. )a wider selection of products for consumers. c)the utilization of the most efficient production methods. d)relatively high wage levels for all domestic workers. 3. International trade in goods and services tends to a)increase all domestic costs and prices. b)keep all domestic costs and prices at the same level. c)lessen the amount of competition facing home manufacturers. We will write a custom essay sample on International Economics and Finance Paper or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page d)increase the amount of competition facing home manufacturers. 4. Technological improvements are similar to international trade since they both a)provide benefits for all producers and consumers. b)increase the nations aggregate income. )reduce unemployment for all domestic workers. d)ensure that industries can operate at less than full capacity. 5. A sudden shift from import tariffs to free trade may induce short-term unemployment in: a)import-competing industries. b)industries that are only exporters. c)industries that sell domestically as well as export. d)industries that neither import nor export. 6. International trade tends to cause welfare losses to at least some groups in the country: a)The less mobile the countrys resources. b)The more mobile the countrys resources. c)The lower the countrys initial living standard. ) The higher the countrys initial living standard. 7. As a result of international trade, specialization in production tends to be: a)complete with constant costs complete with increasing costs. b)complete with constant costs incomplete with increasing costs. c)incomplete with constant costs complete with increasing costs. d)incomplete with constant costs incomplete with increasing costs. 8. If the international terms of trade settle at a level that is between each countrys opportunity cost: a)there is no basis for gainful trade for either country. b)both countries gain from trade. )only one country gains from trade. d)one country gains and the other country losses from trade. 9. When a nation is in autarky and maximizes its living standards, its consumption and production points are: a)along the transformation curve. b)above the transformation curve. c)beneath the transformation curve. d)any of the above. Introduction to International Economics Foundations of Modern Trade Theory Discussion Questions 1. If you are consulted by a dictatorial president of a closed economy, who is considering opening up the country, how would you advise the president. 2. Maximum amount of steel or aluminum that Canada and France can produce if they fully use all the factors of production at their disposal with the best technology available to them is shown (hypothetically) in the table below. | |Canada |France | |Steel |300 |800 | |Aluminum |1200 |1600 | Assume that production occurs under constant-cost conditions. In the absence of trade, assume Canada produces and consumers 400t of aluminum and 200t of steel, while France produces and consumes 600t of aluminum and 500t of steel. a) Determine the MRT of steel into aluminum for each country. a. According to the principle of comparative advantage, should the 2 countries specialize? b. If so, which product will each country produce? c. Will the extent of specialization be partial or complete? d. Compared to the output of steel and aluminum that occurs under autarky, does specialization yield increase in total output? If so, by how much? b) Within what limits will the terms of trade lies if specialization and trade occur? Suppose Canada and France agree to the terms of trade ratio 1:1. Assuming also 500t of steel is traded for 500t of aluminum, a. Are Canadian consumers better off as a result of the trade? If so, by how much? b. Are French consumers better off too? If so, by how much? c. Will the two countries trade?

Apparent altruism in non-human animals Essays

Apparent altruism in non-human animals Essays Apparent altruism in non-human animals Essay Apparent altruism in non-human animals Essay Altruism can be described as an act or behavior in which is advantageous to another but at a cost to the organism carrying it out. Apparent altruism is the concept that although a behavior may seem to be fully altruistic or selfless, there is actually a benefit gained by the individual implementing the act. Charles Darwin, he who initially presented the Theory of Evolution in 1859, was bewildered about the reasons in why altruism occurs between animals. Part of his problem was that he did not have any knowledge concerning genetics. He believed that all characteristics in living organisms were solely passed on by a process of blending. He also believed that individuals lived to reproduce. Hence, if a parent, say a mother bear, were to protect her cubbased on his theory it would not benefit her in any way, as it would not increase her ability to reproduce later on. After Darwin passed away, however, many theories emerged and became the many explanations in why altruism takes place in n on-human animals. One of the great problems of Darwins theory of evolution was its incapability to justify the development of the queen bee and sterile worker bees. How could such a group evolve if its members could leave no offspring to breed the sterile worker traits? In 1963, Hamilton resolved Darwins paradox by presenting the Kin Selection Theory. His theory states that any individual that pass on genes to the future generations is performed, not only by means of their own reproductive success, but also by improving the reproductive potential of their relatives. Hamilton (1963) established the term inclusive fitness to describe the degree to which apparent altruism is shown depending on the genetic relatedness between individuals. The relatedness between a parent and a child is 1/2 (as the child will inherit half of each parents gene); siblings relatedness is 1/2, also regarded as offspring equivalents; a grandparent and a grandchild, 1/4, and so on. According to this theory, the closer the inclus ive fitness, the greater the cooperation and altruism. Kin Selection explains situations such as the reproductive altruism in social insects. Female worker bees forgo their reproduction ability to nurse queens young. By doing so, they increase their inclusive fitness by more than 1/4 (however always less than 1/2, as it would never reach to the mother-daughter point). This would seem more reasonable than if any female worker bees decided to leave the hive, reproduce on her own and in the end, losing all of her inclusive fitness to zero as a result of losing all protection, warmth and food from her hive. In 1981, Sherman observed Kin altruism between Beldings ground squirrels. It was such that close-related squirrels (such as mother-daughter, sister-sister relationships) did not show any aggressive behavior towards each other; it was even observed that they often helped each other in defending their young ones and sign alarm calls at the sight of predators, while unrelated females were observed to be highly aggressive. In North Mexico, female nurse prairie dogs feed offspring belonging to her siblings. The female prairie dogs give up resources belonging to them and provide it their siblings offspring because as they keep them fed and fit, she increases her inclusive fitness. The male prairie dogs, in the meanwhile, sit on the burrow rim and give warning barks to help others escape from predators. He, by giving these alarm signals, would not only increase his inclusive fitness (helping the females and offspring be alarmed and escape), but may also receive a reciprocal favor by others later in the future. This can be explained by another theory found by Trivers (1971) known as Reciprocal Altruism. Reciprocal altruism is the process by which an individual will perform an altruistic act towards another in exchange for the second individual returning the altruistic favor some time in the future. The end result of this exchange leaves both individuals with an increased personal fitness. Wilkinson (1984) observed altruism performed between Vampire bats. They regurgitated food for one another in hoping to build up a relationship based on mutual exchanges of favor. If ever a bat would not return a favor, the cost of being denied a meal having once cheated is very high. Trivers was aware of the possibilities, hence he indicated that reciprocal altruism would only evolve in species where individuals could recognize each other and apply punishments to those who refuse to reciprocate. The tit for tat strategy (Axelrod and Hamilton, 1981) works by each animal responding so that a cooperative behavior is followed by a cooperative behavior, and a defection is followed equally by mutual defection, as happens among bats. Sentry meerkats risks attack by giving alarm calls to others. This act will cost danger in his part, perhaps even death; however, it is assumed that the act will be reciprocated in the future. Young male baboons without mates will work together to steal a dominant males mate (Packer 1977): one baboon distracting the dominant male while the other mates. The cost to the baboon (the risk of being injured by the dominant male) is far outweighed by the genetic benefit gained by the baboon mating. However, later on, when the male, which carried out the previous altruistic act, is ready, the second baboon will return the favor by being the distraction. Mutualism, or return effects, occurs where individuals will cooperate and help one another because as a team, they can achieve more than working alone. Caraco and Wolf (1975) observed a mutual effect between lionesses; they hunt together to bring down wildebeests. Induced altruism- also referred to manipulation or social parasitism-is the act of asking for help from others and utilize it as a tactic aimed at cheating. Brood Parasitism, the laying of eggs in another birds nest, is an example of induced altruism performed by cuckoos and a number of other species (Davies and Brooke 1991). Beetle grub begs for food from the passing ant and then preys on them. Aspidontus, a fish whose appearance resembles the cleaner fish Labroides, instead of cleaning the host fish, approaches and bites into its flesh. Charles Darwin was aware that his theory of evolution contained flaws; he did not manage to understand the reasons why altruism occurred; why an individual would carry out a certain act or behavior to help others while, in the meantime, disadvantaging themselves. However, with the help from Hamilton, Trivers, Wilkinson and other researchers, we can now apply the knowledge of genetics that we possess today, and, to a certain extent, explain and justify the reasons of altruism. Research has indicated that for apparent altruism to occur, there must be something in return; compensations such as a genetic reward (increasing their inclusive fitness, key: Kin Altruism), or a long-term reward for the individual involved (personal fitness or self-interest, key: Reciprocal Altruism). But do animals always require something in return in order for them to act out a good deed? Well, there are instances in which true altruism occurs, but it is merely on a non-voluntary or mistaken basis due to som e kind of deception or manipulation (Induced Altruism) but other than that, we can pretty much assume that animals are down right selfish.

Free Essays on Inclusion

INCLUSION (PROS AND CONS) As I get further in my education to become a teacher, I find that there are many issues that I will have to answer to accommodate my students and myself. One particular issue being full inclusion. Full inclusion is an ongoing issue within education. Question like should all students, even students with disabilities be included in a regular education class. Teacher’s must ask themselves the pros and cons of full inclusion in the classroom. As a future teacher examined the pros and cons of full inclusion and my position on full inclusion of all disabled children. Some of the positive things about full inclusion of all students include that children with special needs get to socialize with normal developing children, and hence is learning skills needed for life. The other students (non-disabled) learn about disabilities and how to get past their fears about disabilities and find out about the person inside. If inclusion is done at an early age, â€Å"normal† students develop empathy at an early age. Students with disabilities develop confidence when included in a regular classroom, they also develop contacts, and friendships through different ages. The students with special needs are included with their peers in their age group as part of a group, if they are separated from the peer group they become one of the kids in THAT class. Teachers can learn new strategies when working with special needs students and they also experience the joy of working with special needs children. There are also negative outcomes of full inclusion of all special needs students such as other kids in the class are unsure how to engage the child with special needs, and tend to just leave them alone. There is not enough time to do all the regular class work with the non-disabled children and give enough attention to the child with special needs. It also very hard to coordinate with all the specialist and services that special ne... Free Essays on Inclusion Free Essays on Inclusion Full Inclusion: Are the Schools Ready? In 1955, the story of a brave and tired woman named, Rosa Parks was put in front of this country's awareness (What is Inclusion). This woman had gotten historically "tired" of being denied equality. She wanted to be included in society in a full way, something which was denied to people labeled as "black". Therefore, Rosa Parks sat down on a bus in a section reserved for "white" people. When Rosa was told to go to "her place" at the back of the bus, she refused to move, was arrested, and history was challenged and changed. All of this happened because Rosa Parks was tired, historically tired, of being excluded. She had sat down and thereby stood up for inclusion. Another cry for inclusion is being heard today. This cry is being raised by people with disabilities. In the past, it was quite common for children with disabilities to be institutionalized or home schooled (Kavale, 279). Then, in the early twentieth century, many compulsory attendance laws were passed that enabled some of the children with disabilities to attend public schools. However, in 1919, the Supreme Court declared, in Beattie v. Board of Education, that a school could exclude a child who had a condition that caused him to drool, have face contortions, and slurred speech. This ruling enabled schools to exclude some handicapped children. Later, in 1975, congress passed the Education for All Handicapped Children Act, which was the beginning of free and appropriate public education to all school age children, regardless of disability (Kavale, 282). This act led to special education programs in public schools. These special education programs essentially segregated disabled students from the general classrooms in public schools, but did provide more individualized attentio n along with different educational standards. This law was amended in 1990 and was renamed the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and th... Free Essays on Inclusion INCLUSION (PROS AND CONS) As I get further in my education to become a teacher, I find that there are many issues that I will have to answer to accommodate my students and myself. One particular issue being full inclusion. Full inclusion is an ongoing issue within education. Question like should all students, even students with disabilities be included in a regular education class. Teacher’s must ask themselves the pros and cons of full inclusion in the classroom. As a future teacher examined the pros and cons of full inclusion and my position on full inclusion of all disabled children. Some of the positive things about full inclusion of all students include that children with special needs get to socialize with normal developing children, and hence is learning skills needed for life. The other students (non-disabled) learn about disabilities and how to get past their fears about disabilities and find out about the person inside. If inclusion is done at an early age, â€Å"normal† students develop empathy at an early age. Students with disabilities develop confidence when included in a regular classroom, they also develop contacts, and friendships through different ages. The students with special needs are included with their peers in their age group as part of a group, if they are separated from the peer group they become one of the kids in THAT class. Teachers can learn new strategies when working with special needs students and they also experience the joy of working with special needs children. There are also negative outcomes of full inclusion of all special needs students such as other kids in the class are unsure how to engage the child with special needs, and tend to just leave them alone. There is not enough time to do all the regular class work with the non-disabled children and give enough attention to the child with special needs. It also very hard to coordinate with all the specialist and services that special ne... Free Essays on Inclusion Inclusion Inclusive education means that all students in a school, regardless of their strengths or weaknesses in any area, become part of the school community. They are included in the feeling of belonging among other students, teachers, and support staff. The federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and its 1997 amendments make it clear that schools have a duty to educate children with disabilities in general education classrooms. The law adopted nearly a quarter-century ago guaranteed a free, appropriate education for all students with disabilities. From then on, schools began to experiment with "mainstreaming" by placing disabled students in the same classrooms and facilities as their nondisabled peers. Later, mainstreaming evolved into "inclusion," which holds that students not only should be placed in regular classrooms whenever possible but also that they should be engaged there, as well, in the same curriculum and activities as their classmates. The most current language of the federal mandate concerning inclusive education comes from the 1997 Amendments to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). These federal regulations include rulings that guide the regulation. The IDEA requires that children with disabilities be educated in regular education classrooms unless "the nature and severity of the disability is such that education in the regular classes with the use of supplementary aids and services cannot be achieved satisfactorily." This means that schools have a duty to try to include students with disabilities in the regular general education classes. Several recent studies have found that inclusion is more effective than either integration or mainstreaming. A seven month investigation in which a classroom of first graders viewed and interacted with a student with moderate disabilities who was mainstreamed only on a part-time basis revealed that the part-time student was considered an ...

Art and culture in China Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Art and culture in China - Assignment Example 6. In western countries, children are brought up to be self-dependent capable and are motivated to be egocentric. On the other hand, the Asian raise their children to do what is expected of them and the children are taught to be modest and obedient to rule. In other words, Westerners teach their children to be action-oriented (noun) while Asian teaches their children to the receptor-oriented (verb). 7. Asian refuse to see things staying the same, they believe in change. For instance, the can name one thing using different names like a mountain, just to satisfy the curiosity that things the â€Å"being† is changing. 8. Westerners believe in seeing and believing while Asians believe that seeing is a result of the object showing up. In other words, the marble appears blue because one has seen and believed it is blue and the marble appears blue because that is how it wants to appear. 10. The word â€Å"atom† came as a result of analyzing matter up to the point it could not be divided any longer, in the process the word â€Å"analyze† came into existence. This Greek word was used to mean splitting up something into parts that could easily be understood. In order to gain better understanding of someone’s character, one must analyze them until the point they can’t be analyzed (Leung, 6). Westerners ask someone what they should do for them, this differ with what Asian do. Asian goes to the extent of going further and doing what they think others want for instance being kind to others. 11. According to Western approaches, the different contexts have no great impact so long as the pot rat is of a similar thing. However, to the Asian, who value change, they see the different contexts as an opportunity for revealing new traits of the portrait. 1. Ego-centric projection when learning languages like English is a problem because the observer and the object must be one for them to understand. In the case of a

Tesco report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Tesco report - Essay Example Indeed, Porter’s five forces model becomes highly relevant part of that dynamic strategic initiative which helps the companies to meet the challenges of changing times. Five force analysis In the contemporary business, the creative input and innovative approach greatly facilitates in providing the goods and services with unique differentiating elements so as to gain leverage in the industry. Tesco’s five forces analysis become crucial elements of competitive advantage and can be broadly described as: industry rivalry; bargaining power of suppliers; bargaining power of buyers; competition from substitute; and threat of entry (Porter, 1980). The industry rivalry amongst the supermarket chain is important criteria for introducing cutting edge differentiating element in the products to gain leverage. Tesco’s major rivals in the industry are Sainsbury, Morrison, Wal-Mart, Asda etc. in UK. Grant (2007) asserts that identification and analysis of changing preferences of the people is important factor for firms to maintain their market position. Tesco’s major strategic win has been its people centric policies. It continuously strives to customize its products as per the changing requirements of the people. At the same time, the various outlets have also introduced local products to cater to the local demand. Thus, Tesco has become the first food chain that has adopted global values in its operation and values. Tesco has greatly expanded its business formats and product line and provides quality and customized products at relatively low cost. It therefore, has been able to bargain with its customers. The quality and creative input within the product gives huge advantage to the suppliers and puts one in a bargaining position. The bargaining power of buyers is also reduced when there is short supply of quality goods which have great demand. In the case of Tesco, the buyers increasingly prefer them because of their quality products which are dis tinctly differentiated from their rival through variety, customization and personalized customer service. In the age of technology, the competition from substitute become highly likely and the company needs to adopt innovative approach to its marketing. Tesco has judiciously exploited technology to initiate e-commerce activities and home delivery system. It has also adapted dynamic strategies which facilitate customized products and services. It also thrives in introducing elements of surprise within the products as well within the marketing of the products and services. Interestingly the threat from new entrants is one of the most significant factors which necessitate flexibility in strategic decisions and innovation. Globalization has hugely facilitated openings for new entrants. The entry of foreign supermarket chain like Lidl of Germany in UK, has further stiffened the competition and gives more power to the customers. Thus, speed and flexibility in introducing new products beco me highly essential for the existing firms and must be incorporated within their core strategy. Tesco’s strategy is focused on the needs and requirements of the people and makes continuous efforts to update its products line with that of the changing public demands. The threat is also considerably reduced because it is able to satisfy its customers by having different types of stores like Express, Metro etc which cater to different customer segment and provide huge product line

Sturken and Cartwright's Account of Ideological Considerations Essay

Sturken and Cartwright's Account of Ideological Considerations - Essay Example Though films and television programs still use similar techniques as those from the OJ Simpson era, News Media at least must have gotten better, right? The question is both yes and no. In the recent Trayvon Martin scandal, than man that admitted to killing him, George Zimmerman, had many of his own pictures portrayed throughout the media. While media did not make the explicitly editorial decisions they made in the OJ Simpson case. This essay will not discuss the particulars of the horrible tragedy that occurred on the night that Trayvon Martin was killed, but rather the editorial choices that occurred in the portrayal of George Zimmerman. The choice of photographs used on television or news portrayals of the man, however, were chosen specifically to underline his supposed guilt or innocence. The most commonly used image of George Zimmerman, especially immediately after the tragedy, was a mug shot for an unrelated incident some days before, presented below. The choice to use this imag e immediately was somewhat understandable: mug shots are quite accessible to news media, and this would have been one of the only pictures available in the opening hours of the tragedy. Quickly, however, some other images began becoming available, including the one presented left. Both pictures represent George Zimmerman`s likeness fairly well, and they even have somewhat similar framing. Upon the second, and many other photo`s wide use in news media, however, the mug shot image continued to be used quite frequently. The choice of which photos to used represented an ideological slant on the case in fairly clear ways. The initial photograph of George Zimmerman is clearly identifiable as a mug shot taken by police during an investigation. There are very few other cases in which a subject would be framed so narrowly (as for an identification) on a white background with a flat, unsmiling face. Furthermore, and unofortunately for Zimmerman, he was wearing a particularly brightly colored orange shirt on the day that the photograph was taken. Orange is constantly used throughout American prisons as a way to identify prisoners should they escape, make them readily viewable from a distance if the correctional officer needs to see the, and so forth. An unsmiling face, as is used in a mug-shot, also frequently makes people look cold or mean, because there is a social more that people in photographs smile. Finally, the last aspect is the color of Zimmerman`s skin. Zimmerman, a white Hispanic, had parts of his skin look much darker because of the contrast from the glare on his cheeks, which also highlighted his black hair. As ironic as it is to racially profile a person accused of killing through racial profiling, many viewers probably connected Zimmerman`s ethnic heritage, especially in the context of a mug shot, with criminality, deviancy, violence or other social ills. Zimmerman`s second and other subsequent photos differ greatly. He is smiling, for one, and the frame o f the photo is slightly wider, making it look more like a year book photo or something else. He is also much more nicely dressed, in a suit, and has a much more uniform skin tone, making it look less dark than in the mug shot. Gone is the probably villainous person who certainly got arrested and generally looks ``no good,``

SWOT and PEST Analysis of Infrastructure Project

SWOT and PEST Analysis of Infrastructure Project ECONOMIC AND INDUSTRY OUTLOOK Indian Construction Industry was almost similar to the construction industry evolution in other countries: founded by Government and slowly taken over by enterprises. After independence the need for industrial and infrastructural developments in India laid the foundation stone of construction, architectural and engineering services. The objective of such an imposition was to develop local design capabilities parallel with the inflow of imported technology and skills. This measure encouraged international construction and consultancy organizations to set upjoint venturesand register their presence in India. In India Construction has accounted for around 40 per cent of the development investment during the past 50 years. Around 16 per cent of the nations working population depends on construction for its livelihood. The Indian construction industry employs over 3 crore people and creates assets worth over20,000 crore. Total sales of construction industry have reached 42,885.38 crores in 2004 05 from21,451.9 crores in 2000-01. The Indian construction industry comprises 200 firms in the corporate sector. In addition to these firms, there are about 1, 20,000 class A contractors registered with various government construction bodies. There are thousands of small contractors, which compete for small jobs or work as sub-contractors of prime or other contractors. PEST ANALYSIS POLITICAL FACTORS SEZ Act to Boost Infrastructural Development: SEZ is the new destination for real estate investors. Currently 150 SEZs are approved out of which 85 SEZs are in the IT/ITES area and 10-15 SEZs in the electronics area.130 SEZs are developed by real estate developers which constitute  of about 50% of the total SEZ area. IT SEZ should be developed and made operational within the period of six months from the date of notification. Thus, 130 approved SEZs would result in investment of US$10 bn to US$ 12 bn immediately. Cement Prices Reduced for State Infrastructure Projects The continued thrust on infrastructure development will provide impetus to the healthy growth in demand, protecting the bottomline of cement companies to an extent. The reduction in the CST and in freight rates on diesel and limestone will be marginally positive for some companies. FDI Liberalization to Augment Industry Growth Recent amendments by the government have made accessibility to the required capital much easier. Opening of FDI in construction and allowing developers to raise capital in international markets has led to developments of larger projects benchmarked against international standard REITs to Positively Affect Real Estate Business The proposed introduction of REMF (Real Estate Mutual Fund) and REIT (Real estate Investment Trust) will boost real estate investments from the small investors point of view. This will allow small investors to enter real estate market with contribution as less than Rs 10,000. The concept of REIT is on the verge of entering India and would be structured as a company dedicated to owning and in most cases operating income producing real estate such as apartments, shopping centers, offices warehouses. ECONOMIC FACTORS Growth in Construction Activity Stimulating GDP Growth India is witnessing tremendous growth expansion of construction activities and construction is largest component of GDP. It has been growing at a rate over 10% in the past few years when GDP growth is around 8%.Within construction; sectors such as roads, railways, housing and power have been keen drivers. Rate Hikes Unlikely To Slow Down Growth It has been analyzed that residential prices have increased by about 15- 20% on average in the last one year. There has been strong growth in demand supported by rising disposable incomes, low interest rates, and fiscal incentives on both interest and principal payments and increasing urbanization. SOCIAL FACTORS Shifting Consumption Pattern to Fuel Industry Growth The consumption pattern of Indian households is undergoing a gradual, but steady change. The share of food and beverages, which used to constitute almost 50% of household spend until 2003 is expected to fall to 45% by FY08. We expect the share of discretionary items to consistently rise given the rising affordability and changing aspiration levels. Increased exposure to western lifestyles (through media as well as overseas travels) has altered the consumption pattern of Indian people. Rising Urbanization to Boost Industrial Growth Urban infrastructure consists of drinking water, sanitation, sewage systems, electricity and gas distribution, urban transport, primary health services, and environmental regulation. Many of these services are in the nature of ‘local public goods with the benefits from improved urban infrastructure. The urban population in India will grow by 85 million over the next 10 years. Green buildings in India The green building movement has gained tremendous momentum during 3 to 4 years, ever since the Green Business Centre embarked on achieving the prestigious LEED rating for their own centre at Hyderabad. The Platinum rating for green building has sensitized the stakeholders of construction industry. There is tremendous potential for construction of green buildings in India. The estimated market potential for green building will be about $ 400 million in 2010.There will be favorable policies of the government would provide the right impetus for advancing the green building movement in India. TECHNOLOGICAL FACTORS Low Technology Adoption to Hinder Growth The poor state of technology adopted by the construction sector adversely affects its performance. Upgrading of technology is required both in the manufacturing of construction material and in construction activities. As a large number of construction materials are manufactured in the unorganized sector, effective monitoring and regulation of the production of these materials to ensure proper quality becomes difficult. Use of low-grade technology in the construction sector leads to low value addition and low productivity, apart from poor or substandard quality of construction and time overruns in projects. The non-availability of quality construction tools is the main reason for this. Besides, the construction sector also lacks information about new technology. Construction as per Indian Requirements The construction needs to be done as per Indian standards and requirements which will demand considerable changes form the international requirements. The infrastructure requirements of India are much different as the population spread, increasing urbanization, increasing slums, the small space for roads, the water problems are more. Ready-Mix-Concrete Being Experimented With The Ready mix concrete business in India is in its infancy. For example, 70% of cement produced in a developed country like Japan is used by Ready Mix concrete business there. Here in India, Ready Mix concrete business uses around 2% of total cement production. Much of construction done in India is very slow paced. The concrete making process at site takes much time with variation in quality. The increasing use of ready mix not only saves on time but allows the better quality. It will also eliminate the storage space at site, eliminate Procurement / Hiring of plant and machinery, reduce wastages of basic material, noise and dust at site will be reduced. Also organization at site will be streamlined. This will improve the rate at which infrastructure can be built in India. ABOUT THECOMPANY Lanco is one of the fastest growing Integrated Infrastructure Enterprises of India, operating across a synergistic chain of Strategic Business Units (SBUs) comprising Power, EPC, Construction, Renewable, Resources, Non-Power Infrastructure, Property development and CSR. Lanco Infratech Ltds current market capitalization is approximately Rs. 15,000 Crores (USD 3.33 billion). Out of the total Share Capital, the promoters holding is about 68 %. The gross revenue of Lanco as on March 2010 was over Rs. 8200 Crores (USD 1.8 billion). Lanco is fast emerging as one of the top three private sector power developers in India with 2092 MW under operation, 7153 MW under construction, and 11070 MW of projects under development. In a strategic move that provides increased fuel security for its current power generating assets and its future power portfolio expansions, Lanco through its step down Australian subsidiary, Lanco Resources Australia, has acquired Griffin Coal Mining Company and Carpenter Mine Management. Griffin coal, based out of Collie in Western Australia, owns the largest operational thermal coal mines in Western Australia, producing over 4 mtpa of coal which can be ramped up to over 15 mtpa in the near term, post development of evacuation infrastructure. Lanco has strategic global partnerships with top-notch companies which include: Genting, Harbin, GE, Dongfang, Doosan etc. Today, Lanco is one of Indias largest Power Traders in the private sector. A people driven organization, Lanco operates from 20 States in India and has international operations in Australia, China, Indonesia, Nepal, Singapore, United Kingdom and USA with a human resource base of about 6500 people. Lanco has an Order book of Rs 25,425 Crores as of September 2010. Lanco is also a privileged member to the World Economic Forum and it has been acknowledged as an elite member of the top two hundred â€Å"Global Growth Companies†. As part of its business strategy, the company has chalked out an ambitious growth plan Lancos Vision 2015: to build a High Performance Organization with an operating capacity of 15000 MW in Power. Lanco also envisages aggressive growth plans for EPC with a strong Order book growth. VISION OF LANCO An India without poverty, where the internationally agreed millennium development goals are met and people with dignity and respect, using their full potential to access the opportunities and exercise choices for their own development -a society that constantly moves to inspire people. MISSION OF LANCO To work towards developing rural and urben communities in order to reduce poverty and contribute effectively towards reduction in loss of environment resources. To improve human development indices through projects and programs at the local, state and national level. Mission†¦. Development of society through enterpreneurship Vision†¦. Most admired integrated infrastructure enterprise VALUES OF LANCO Integrity We choose to be honest in all our Business Interactions and Transactions and remain steadfast even when challenged. We strive for consistency between what we think, what we Say and what we do. Humility Respect We are consistently humble in our approach to and interactions with people. We treat every person with respect at all times, unconditionally. AWARDS EPC-World Awards 2010 for â€Å"Outstanding contribution in Power Energy sector (Generation)†. 8 th Construction World- Annual Awards 2010 for Fastest Growing Construction Company (Large Category)- 1stRank 7thConstruction World- Annual Awards 2009 for Fastest Growing Construction Company (Large Category)- 3rdRank Aban Power Company Ltd TERI Corporate Award for Environmental Excellence and Corporate Social Responsibility June 2009. IKU II IEEMA award for Excellence in Fast Track Commissioning of Small Hydro Projects February 2009 PRSI Confers Golden Jubilee Award for the â€Å"Most Impressive Public Relations Initiatives† August 2008 Clarion Power Corporation Ltd FAPCCI Award for Excellence in Renewable Energy 2007. Construction World NICMAR Awards 2007 for the Second Fastest Growing Construction Company (Medium Category) in India. LANCO Institute of General Humanitarian Trust (LIGHT) TERI Award 2006-07 for Excellence in Corporate Social Responsibility. PRSI National Award for House Journal (English) First Prize PRSI Confers Golden Jubilee Award for the â€Å"Most Impressive Public Relations Initiatives† Award for Excellence in Bridge Engineering 1999 from the Indian Institute of Bridge Engineers. SWOT ANALYSIS STRENGTHS Employment and training opportunities in the field of construction. Private sector housing boom and commercial building demands Construction of the multi building projects on the feasible locations in the country. Good structured national network facilitates the boom of construction industry. Low cost well- educated and skilled labour force is now widely available across the country. Sufficient availability of raw material and natural resources in the country is supportive for the industry. Real estate development is on high and it is attracting the focus of the industry towards construction. WEAKNESS Distance between construction projects reduces business efficiency. Training itself has become a challenge. Changing skills requirements and an ageing workforce may emphasize the skills gap. Improvement in long-term career prospects is highly required to encourage staff retention and new entrants. External allocation of large contracts becomes difficult. Lack of clearly defined processes and procedures for construction and its management. Huge amount of money needs to be invested in this industry. OPPORTUNITIES Continuous private sector housing boom will create more construction opportunities. Public sector projects through Public Private Partnerships will bring further opportunities. Developing supply chain through involvement in large projects is likely to enhance the chances in construction. Renewable energy projects will offer opportunities to develop skills and capacity in new markets. More flexible training delivery techniques are now available. Financial supports like loan and insurance and growth in income of people is in support of construction industry. THREATS Long term market instability and uncertainty may damage the opportunities and prevent the expansion of training and development facilities. Current economic situation may have an adverse impact on construction industry. Political and security conditions in the region and Late legislative enforcement measures are always threats to any industry in India. Infrastructure safety is a challenging task in construction industry. Lack of political willingness and support on promoting new strategies. Natural abnormal casualties such as earth quake and floods are uncertain and can prevent the construction boom. Inefficient accessibility in planning and concerning the infrastructure. Competitors are emerging in the industry by leaps and bounds. METHODOLOGY To Start with, the historical growth of vehicles is examined based on the traffic surveys conducted in the past along the study corridor. Having examined the accuracy and reliability of data, we further analyze the motor vehicle registration statistics at the state level to establish a relationship between the economic variables and the registration data, as a proxy for the traffic growth. The relationship provides the elasticity values by vehicle type, which are then compared with the results of other studies of similar nature carried out in the recent past. The comparative picture provides us the required validation and modification of the estimated elasticity values. Finally, based on the future economic growth prospects in terms of income growth, per capita growth and population growth are considered for estimating the future traffic growth rate by vehicle type. Traffic Studies are carried out: To obtain the knowledge of the type and volume of traffic at present and to estimate future traffic that the road is expected to carry. To determine the facilities provided on the roads such as traffic regulation and control, intersections, so that improvement on the basis of traffic density may be carried out. To design the geometric features and pavement thickness on the basis of traffic surveys. Traffic survey and studies are done as a part of the study to assess the base year traffic pattern. Different traffic studies : A comprehensive 7 day traffic volume count at toll plaza locations. Origin-destination (OD) survey at 2 suitable locations. A comprehensive 1 day number plate registration survey at toll plaza locations. Comprehensive surveys between the alternate routes covering both existing and future responsibilities. Calculation of: Average daily traffic (ADT). Annual average daily traffic (AADT) considering the seasonality variation. A comprehensive 7 day traffic volume count at toll plaza locations: The main objective of classified traffic volume count was to access the traffic characteristics on project road section in terms of hourly variation, peak hour traffic, average daily traffic, traffic composition and directional distribution. The survey was carried out by vehicle counting and classifying the vehicle passing the survey station. The counts were made separately for motorized and non motorized vehicles. In addition toll exempted vehicles i.e. government, ambulance, fire vehicles etc. were classified separately. Traffic Volume is the number of vehicles crossing a section of road per unit time at any selected period. The commonly used units are vehicles per day and vehicles per hour. The various methods available are: Manual methods Combination of manual and mechanical method Automatic devices Moving observer devices Photographic methods Generally manual method is used. This method employs a field team to record traffic volume on the prescribed record sheets. In this method the fluctuations of traffic volume during the hours of the day and the daily variations are observed. Origin-destination (OD) survey at 2 suitable locations: Origin and Destination survey for road section was obtained by carrying out by police assistance. Data of origin and destination of the trip was collected in the survey; a zoning system was order to analyze the origin destination data. Origin destination data was used to identify the zones that contribute to the traffic on the road. Growth of traffic on the road will depend upon the economic developments in the influence areas of the road. TheOrigin -Destination survey was carried out with the primary objective of studying the travel pattern of passenger and goods traffic along the study corridor. The results of this survey forms a useful input for estimating the growth rates for traffic projections, identification of toll plaza location and planning for toll collection system. The various applications of OD survey may be summed up as follows: To locate expressway or major routes along the desire lines. To judge the adequacy of parking facilities and to plan for future. To locate intermediate stops of public transport. To establish preferential routes for various categories of vehicle including by pass. Methods for collecting the OD survey data: Road-side interview method License plate method Return post card method Tag-on-car method Generally road-side interview method is used in which vehicles are stopped at previously decided interview stations by a group of persons with the help of police assistance and the answers to prescribed questionnaire are collected on the spot. A comprehensive 1 day number plate registration survey at toll plaza locations: Registration plate survey is carried out at all toll plaza locations to know that how much traffic is influenced by the local traffic. Because if the person is staying inside the radius of 20 kms from the toll plaza location then he has to pay only 50 percent of the toll tax according to the government policy. Comprehensive surveys between the alternate routes: The main objective of this survey is to analyze the alternative routes and leakage of traffic on the project road because it will directly affect your toll revenue. Average daily traffic (ADT): Average daily trafficorADT is the average number ofvehiclestwo-way passing a specific point in a 24-hour period, normally measured throughout a year. ADT is not as highly referred to as the engineering standard ofAADTwhich is the standard measurement for vehicle traffic load on a section of road, and the basis for most decisions regardingtransport planning, or to the environmental hazards of pollution related to road transport. Annual average daily traffic (AADT): Annual average daily traffic or AADT is a measure used primarily intransportation planningandtransportation engineering. It is the total volume of vehicle traffic of ahighwayorroad for a year divided by 365 days. AADT is a useful and simple measurement of how busy the road is. It is also sometimes reported as average annual daily traffic. One of the most important uses of AADT is for determining funding for the maintenance and improvement of Highways. AADT is calculated by multiplying Seasonal variation factor in ADT. Formula for calculating Annual average daily traffic (AADT) from ADT is as under: Annual average daily traffic (AADT) = Factor * Average daily traffic Seasonal Variation of traffic (correction factor) The flow of traffic on the road varies significantly during different months of the year. As monthly flow data is not available, petrol and diesel sales are collected from petrol stations along the highway to calculate the correction factor. This data is analyzed compared to the month of ADT the annual average variation factor valuated to arrive at AADT from ADT as recorded. REASEARCH AND FINDINGS For completion of the project â€Å"Strategies involved in opting an infrastructure project (highway) through traffic study† The aim of the project is to analyze and interpret the traffic study reports based on which highway projects are bid. Interpretation of the report is very critical as it helps in assessing the revenue generation for the entire concession period, based on which a bid is made. In order to complete my project, I was asked to thoroughly analyze the report on â€Å"Kota-Jhalawar road section on NH-12 and Aligarh-Kanpur road section on NH-91† KOTA-JHALAWAR ROAD SECTION ON NH-12 TRAFFIC SURVEYS Proposed number and locations of traffic survey stations have been identified after detail reconnaissance. The Traffic Engineer has trained the post-in-charges and monitors the training of surveyors by them. Survey and count sheets have been spot checked on a regular basis and data registered in the field office. Data to be collected from includes: The type of traffic surveys and the minimum number of survey stations were as under:- CLASSIFIED VOLUME COUNT The classified traffic volume count surveys have been carried out for 7 days (continuous, direction-wise) at the selected survey stations indicated below. Keeping in view the vehicle classification system given in IRC codes (IRC 9 1972, IRC SP: 19 2001) the following generalized classification system have been used in recording the classified volume count. Motorized Traffic Non-Motorized Traffic: 2-Wheeler Bi-Cycle 3-Wheeler Cycle-Rickshaw Passenger Car Animal Drawn Vehicle (ADV) Utility Vehicle (Jeep, Van etc.) Hand Cart Other Non-Motorized Vehicle Bus LCV Truck MCV: 2-Axle Rigid Chassis MCV: 3-Axle Rigid Chassis MAV Semi Articulated (For Procedure of Traffic Analysis refer Annexure I ) ORIGIN-DESTINATION SURVEYS: We have carried out O-D and Commodity Movement Surveys at locations given below in accordance with IRC: 9-1972. The roadside interviews were on random sample basis as per TOR. The trip matrices were worked out for each vehicle type information on weight for trucks was summed up by commodity type and the results tabulated, giving total weight and average weight per truck for the various commodity types. The sample size for each vehicle type was indicated on the table and also in the graphical representations. The data derived from surveys has also been analyzed to bring out the lead and load characteristics and desire line diagrams. Three Locations identified for O-D surveys are as under:- Near Kebal Nagar Village(Both Direction) †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.265.000 Near Devarighata (Both Direction) †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..320.000 Near Chandrabhaga river Toll Plaza†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..337+500 TURNING MOVEMENT SURVEYS The turning movement surveys for estimation of peak hour traffic for the design of major intersections were carried out for the Study. The details regarding composition and directional movement of traffic have been compiled. The methodology for the surveys was in accordance with IRC: SP: 41-1994. The data derived from the survey was used to analyze and to identify requirements of suitable remedial measures, such as construction of underpasses, flyovers, interchanges, and grade-separated intersections along the project road alignment. Intersections with high traffic volume requiring special treatments either presently or in future were identified. Locations comprising major intersections have been identified during detail reconnaissance. Data for turning movement survey is vital in identifying the section for operation as toll road. Details are presented in Annexure to chapter 6. Identified Location of Turning Movement Count (TMC) stations are as: Sangod Kanwas Junction †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.291.000 Chechat Rawat Bhata Road †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.304.600 Link Road of SH 9A Ram Ganj Mandi †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦315.500 Bagher Mandawar Junction †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.67+683 Mandawar Teendhar Junction †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦346+539 AXLE LOAD SURVEYS The axle load surveys have been done using load cell. The axle load data was collected axle configuration-wise. The number of equivalent standard axles per truck was calculated on the basis of results obtained. The results of the survey have been used for VDF. Furthermore, the data from axle load surveys was analyzed to bring out the Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) and Single Axle Load (SAL) Distributions by truck type (axle configuration). SPEED-DELAY SURVEYS Appropriate field studies such as moving car survey to determine running speed and journey speed. The data was analyzed to identify sections with typical traffic flow problems and congestion. Recommendation was made for suitable measures for segregation of local traffic, smooth flow of through traffic and traffic safety. These measures have included the provision of bypasses, under-passes, flyovers, grade separated intersections and service roads. Speed delay survey was done for whole project highway. TRUCK TERMINAL SURVEYS The data derived from the O-D, speed-delay, and other surveys was analyzed to assess requirements for present and future development of truck terminals at suitable locations en-route. ROAD INVENTORY SURVEYS Detailed road inventory surveys have been carried out to collect details of all existing road pavement features along the existing road sections. The data collected through road inventory surveys was sufficient to meet the requirements. The data are presented in the format given as â€Å"Road Inventory Data Sheet† (IRC-SP- 19-2001). The headings are given below. Terrain (flat, rolling, mountainous) Land Use (agricultural, commercial, forest, residential etc) @ every kilometer; Name of Village Carriageway width, surfacing type and condition @ every 500m and every change of feature whichever is earlier; Shoulder surfacing type and width and condition @ every 500m and every change of feature whichever is earlier; Height of embankment or depth of cut @ every 200m and every change of feature whichever is earlier. Submergence Details of cross road The data have been collected in sufficient detail, compiled presented in tabular form. The data have been stored in computer files using utility packages, such as EXCEL etc. SUBGRADE CHARACTERISTIC STRENGTH The testing of soils for classification mechanical characteristics has been as per terms of reference. â€Å"Testing of three sub-grade soil samples for each design section or three SWOT and PEST Analysis of Infrastructure Project SWOT and PEST Analysis of Infrastructure Project ECONOMIC AND INDUSTRY OUTLOOK Indian Construction Industry was almost similar to the construction industry evolution in other countries: founded by Government and slowly taken over by enterprises. After independence the need for industrial and infrastructural developments in India laid the foundation stone of construction, architectural and engineering services. The objective of such an imposition was to develop local design capabilities parallel with the inflow of imported technology and skills. This measure encouraged international construction and consultancy organizations to set upjoint venturesand register their presence in India. In India Construction has accounted for around 40 per cent of the development investment during the past 50 years. Around 16 per cent of the nations working population depends on construction for its livelihood. The Indian construction industry employs over 3 crore people and creates assets worth over20,000 crore. Total sales of construction industry have reached 42,885.38 crores in 2004 05 from21,451.9 crores in 2000-01. The Indian construction industry comprises 200 firms in the corporate sector. In addition to these firms, there are about 1, 20,000 class A contractors registered with various government construction bodies. There are thousands of small contractors, which compete for small jobs or work as sub-contractors of prime or other contractors. PEST ANALYSIS POLITICAL FACTORS SEZ Act to Boost Infrastructural Development: SEZ is the new destination for real estate investors. Currently 150 SEZs are approved out of which 85 SEZs are in the IT/ITES area and 10-15 SEZs in the electronics area.130 SEZs are developed by real estate developers which constitute  of about 50% of the total SEZ area. IT SEZ should be developed and made operational within the period of six months from the date of notification. Thus, 130 approved SEZs would result in investment of US$10 bn to US$ 12 bn immediately. Cement Prices Reduced for State Infrastructure Projects The continued thrust on infrastructure development will provide impetus to the healthy growth in demand, protecting the bottomline of cement companies to an extent. The reduction in the CST and in freight rates on diesel and limestone will be marginally positive for some companies. FDI Liberalization to Augment Industry Growth Recent amendments by the government have made accessibility to the required capital much easier. Opening of FDI in construction and allowing developers to raise capital in international markets has led to developments of larger projects benchmarked against international standard REITs to Positively Affect Real Estate Business The proposed introduction of REMF (Real Estate Mutual Fund) and REIT (Real estate Investment Trust) will boost real estate investments from the small investors point of view. This will allow small investors to enter real estate market with contribution as less than Rs 10,000. The concept of REIT is on the verge of entering India and would be structured as a company dedicated to owning and in most cases operating income producing real estate such as apartments, shopping centers, offices warehouses. ECONOMIC FACTORS Growth in Construction Activity Stimulating GDP Growth India is witnessing tremendous growth expansion of construction activities and construction is largest component of GDP. It has been growing at a rate over 10% in the past few years when GDP growth is around 8%.Within construction; sectors such as roads, railways, housing and power have been keen drivers. Rate Hikes Unlikely To Slow Down Growth It has been analyzed that residential prices have increased by about 15- 20% on average in the last one year. There has been strong growth in demand supported by rising disposable incomes, low interest rates, and fiscal incentives on both interest and principal payments and increasing urbanization. SOCIAL FACTORS Shifting Consumption Pattern to Fuel Industry Growth The consumption pattern of Indian households is undergoing a gradual, but steady change. The share of food and beverages, which used to constitute almost 50% of household spend until 2003 is expected to fall to 45% by FY08. We expect the share of discretionary items to consistently rise given the rising affordability and changing aspiration levels. Increased exposure to western lifestyles (through media as well as overseas travels) has altered the consumption pattern of Indian people. Rising Urbanization to Boost Industrial Growth Urban infrastructure consists of drinking water, sanitation, sewage systems, electricity and gas distribution, urban transport, primary health services, and environmental regulation. Many of these services are in the nature of ‘local public goods with the benefits from improved urban infrastructure. The urban population in India will grow by 85 million over the next 10 years. Green buildings in India The green building movement has gained tremendous momentum during 3 to 4 years, ever since the Green Business Centre embarked on achieving the prestigious LEED rating for their own centre at Hyderabad. The Platinum rating for green building has sensitized the stakeholders of construction industry. There is tremendous potential for construction of green buildings in India. The estimated market potential for green building will be about $ 400 million in 2010.There will be favorable policies of the government would provide the right impetus for advancing the green building movement in India. TECHNOLOGICAL FACTORS Low Technology Adoption to Hinder Growth The poor state of technology adopted by the construction sector adversely affects its performance. Upgrading of technology is required both in the manufacturing of construction material and in construction activities. As a large number of construction materials are manufactured in the unorganized sector, effective monitoring and regulation of the production of these materials to ensure proper quality becomes difficult. Use of low-grade technology in the construction sector leads to low value addition and low productivity, apart from poor or substandard quality of construction and time overruns in projects. The non-availability of quality construction tools is the main reason for this. Besides, the construction sector also lacks information about new technology. Construction as per Indian Requirements The construction needs to be done as per Indian standards and requirements which will demand considerable changes form the international requirements. The infrastructure requirements of India are much different as the population spread, increasing urbanization, increasing slums, the small space for roads, the water problems are more. Ready-Mix-Concrete Being Experimented With The Ready mix concrete business in India is in its infancy. For example, 70% of cement produced in a developed country like Japan is used by Ready Mix concrete business there. Here in India, Ready Mix concrete business uses around 2% of total cement production. Much of construction done in India is very slow paced. The concrete making process at site takes much time with variation in quality. The increasing use of ready mix not only saves on time but allows the better quality. It will also eliminate the storage space at site, eliminate Procurement / Hiring of plant and machinery, reduce wastages of basic material, noise and dust at site will be reduced. Also organization at site will be streamlined. This will improve the rate at which infrastructure can be built in India. ABOUT THECOMPANY Lanco is one of the fastest growing Integrated Infrastructure Enterprises of India, operating across a synergistic chain of Strategic Business Units (SBUs) comprising Power, EPC, Construction, Renewable, Resources, Non-Power Infrastructure, Property development and CSR. Lanco Infratech Ltds current market capitalization is approximately Rs. 15,000 Crores (USD 3.33 billion). Out of the total Share Capital, the promoters holding is about 68 %. The gross revenue of Lanco as on March 2010 was over Rs. 8200 Crores (USD 1.8 billion). Lanco is fast emerging as one of the top three private sector power developers in India with 2092 MW under operation, 7153 MW under construction, and 11070 MW of projects under development. In a strategic move that provides increased fuel security for its current power generating assets and its future power portfolio expansions, Lanco through its step down Australian subsidiary, Lanco Resources Australia, has acquired Griffin Coal Mining Company and Carpenter Mine Management. Griffin coal, based out of Collie in Western Australia, owns the largest operational thermal coal mines in Western Australia, producing over 4 mtpa of coal which can be ramped up to over 15 mtpa in the near term, post development of evacuation infrastructure. Lanco has strategic global partnerships with top-notch companies which include: Genting, Harbin, GE, Dongfang, Doosan etc. Today, Lanco is one of Indias largest Power Traders in the private sector. A people driven organization, Lanco operates from 20 States in India and has international operations in Australia, China, Indonesia, Nepal, Singapore, United Kingdom and USA with a human resource base of about 6500 people. Lanco has an Order book of Rs 25,425 Crores as of September 2010. Lanco is also a privileged member to the World Economic Forum and it has been acknowledged as an elite member of the top two hundred â€Å"Global Growth Companies†. As part of its business strategy, the company has chalked out an ambitious growth plan Lancos Vision 2015: to build a High Performance Organization with an operating capacity of 15000 MW in Power. Lanco also envisages aggressive growth plans for EPC with a strong Order book growth. VISION OF LANCO An India without poverty, where the internationally agreed millennium development goals are met and people with dignity and respect, using their full potential to access the opportunities and exercise choices for their own development -a society that constantly moves to inspire people. MISSION OF LANCO To work towards developing rural and urben communities in order to reduce poverty and contribute effectively towards reduction in loss of environment resources. To improve human development indices through projects and programs at the local, state and national level. Mission†¦. Development of society through enterpreneurship Vision†¦. Most admired integrated infrastructure enterprise VALUES OF LANCO Integrity We choose to be honest in all our Business Interactions and Transactions and remain steadfast even when challenged. We strive for consistency between what we think, what we Say and what we do. Humility Respect We are consistently humble in our approach to and interactions with people. We treat every person with respect at all times, unconditionally. AWARDS EPC-World Awards 2010 for â€Å"Outstanding contribution in Power Energy sector (Generation)†. 8 th Construction World- Annual Awards 2010 for Fastest Growing Construction Company (Large Category)- 1stRank 7thConstruction World- Annual Awards 2009 for Fastest Growing Construction Company (Large Category)- 3rdRank Aban Power Company Ltd TERI Corporate Award for Environmental Excellence and Corporate Social Responsibility June 2009. IKU II IEEMA award for Excellence in Fast Track Commissioning of Small Hydro Projects February 2009 PRSI Confers Golden Jubilee Award for the â€Å"Most Impressive Public Relations Initiatives† August 2008 Clarion Power Corporation Ltd FAPCCI Award for Excellence in Renewable Energy 2007. Construction World NICMAR Awards 2007 for the Second Fastest Growing Construction Company (Medium Category) in India. LANCO Institute of General Humanitarian Trust (LIGHT) TERI Award 2006-07 for Excellence in Corporate Social Responsibility. PRSI National Award for House Journal (English) First Prize PRSI Confers Golden Jubilee Award for the â€Å"Most Impressive Public Relations Initiatives† Award for Excellence in Bridge Engineering 1999 from the Indian Institute of Bridge Engineers. SWOT ANALYSIS STRENGTHS Employment and training opportunities in the field of construction. Private sector housing boom and commercial building demands Construction of the multi building projects on the feasible locations in the country. Good structured national network facilitates the boom of construction industry. Low cost well- educated and skilled labour force is now widely available across the country. Sufficient availability of raw material and natural resources in the country is supportive for the industry. Real estate development is on high and it is attracting the focus of the industry towards construction. WEAKNESS Distance between construction projects reduces business efficiency. Training itself has become a challenge. Changing skills requirements and an ageing workforce may emphasize the skills gap. Improvement in long-term career prospects is highly required to encourage staff retention and new entrants. External allocation of large contracts becomes difficult. Lack of clearly defined processes and procedures for construction and its management. Huge amount of money needs to be invested in this industry. OPPORTUNITIES Continuous private sector housing boom will create more construction opportunities. Public sector projects through Public Private Partnerships will bring further opportunities. Developing supply chain through involvement in large projects is likely to enhance the chances in construction. Renewable energy projects will offer opportunities to develop skills and capacity in new markets. More flexible training delivery techniques are now available. Financial supports like loan and insurance and growth in income of people is in support of construction industry. THREATS Long term market instability and uncertainty may damage the opportunities and prevent the expansion of training and development facilities. Current economic situation may have an adverse impact on construction industry. Political and security conditions in the region and Late legislative enforcement measures are always threats to any industry in India. Infrastructure safety is a challenging task in construction industry. Lack of political willingness and support on promoting new strategies. Natural abnormal casualties such as earth quake and floods are uncertain and can prevent the construction boom. Inefficient accessibility in planning and concerning the infrastructure. Competitors are emerging in the industry by leaps and bounds. METHODOLOGY To Start with, the historical growth of vehicles is examined based on the traffic surveys conducted in the past along the study corridor. Having examined the accuracy and reliability of data, we further analyze the motor vehicle registration statistics at the state level to establish a relationship between the economic variables and the registration data, as a proxy for the traffic growth. The relationship provides the elasticity values by vehicle type, which are then compared with the results of other studies of similar nature carried out in the recent past. The comparative picture provides us the required validation and modification of the estimated elasticity values. Finally, based on the future economic growth prospects in terms of income growth, per capita growth and population growth are considered for estimating the future traffic growth rate by vehicle type. Traffic Studies are carried out: To obtain the knowledge of the type and volume of traffic at present and to estimate future traffic that the road is expected to carry. To determine the facilities provided on the roads such as traffic regulation and control, intersections, so that improvement on the basis of traffic density may be carried out. To design the geometric features and pavement thickness on the basis of traffic surveys. Traffic survey and studies are done as a part of the study to assess the base year traffic pattern. Different traffic studies : A comprehensive 7 day traffic volume count at toll plaza locations. Origin-destination (OD) survey at 2 suitable locations. A comprehensive 1 day number plate registration survey at toll plaza locations. Comprehensive surveys between the alternate routes covering both existing and future responsibilities. Calculation of: Average daily traffic (ADT). Annual average daily traffic (AADT) considering the seasonality variation. A comprehensive 7 day traffic volume count at toll plaza locations: The main objective of classified traffic volume count was to access the traffic characteristics on project road section in terms of hourly variation, peak hour traffic, average daily traffic, traffic composition and directional distribution. The survey was carried out by vehicle counting and classifying the vehicle passing the survey station. The counts were made separately for motorized and non motorized vehicles. In addition toll exempted vehicles i.e. government, ambulance, fire vehicles etc. were classified separately. Traffic Volume is the number of vehicles crossing a section of road per unit time at any selected period. The commonly used units are vehicles per day and vehicles per hour. The various methods available are: Manual methods Combination of manual and mechanical method Automatic devices Moving observer devices Photographic methods Generally manual method is used. This method employs a field team to record traffic volume on the prescribed record sheets. In this method the fluctuations of traffic volume during the hours of the day and the daily variations are observed. Origin-destination (OD) survey at 2 suitable locations: Origin and Destination survey for road section was obtained by carrying out by police assistance. Data of origin and destination of the trip was collected in the survey; a zoning system was order to analyze the origin destination data. Origin destination data was used to identify the zones that contribute to the traffic on the road. Growth of traffic on the road will depend upon the economic developments in the influence areas of the road. TheOrigin -Destination survey was carried out with the primary objective of studying the travel pattern of passenger and goods traffic along the study corridor. The results of this survey forms a useful input for estimating the growth rates for traffic projections, identification of toll plaza location and planning for toll collection system. The various applications of OD survey may be summed up as follows: To locate expressway or major routes along the desire lines. To judge the adequacy of parking facilities and to plan for future. To locate intermediate stops of public transport. To establish preferential routes for various categories of vehicle including by pass. Methods for collecting the OD survey data: Road-side interview method License plate method Return post card method Tag-on-car method Generally road-side interview method is used in which vehicles are stopped at previously decided interview stations by a group of persons with the help of police assistance and the answers to prescribed questionnaire are collected on the spot. A comprehensive 1 day number plate registration survey at toll plaza locations: Registration plate survey is carried out at all toll plaza locations to know that how much traffic is influenced by the local traffic. Because if the person is staying inside the radius of 20 kms from the toll plaza location then he has to pay only 50 percent of the toll tax according to the government policy. Comprehensive surveys between the alternate routes: The main objective of this survey is to analyze the alternative routes and leakage of traffic on the project road because it will directly affect your toll revenue. Average daily traffic (ADT): Average daily trafficorADT is the average number ofvehiclestwo-way passing a specific point in a 24-hour period, normally measured throughout a year. ADT is not as highly referred to as the engineering standard ofAADTwhich is the standard measurement for vehicle traffic load on a section of road, and the basis for most decisions regardingtransport planning, or to the environmental hazards of pollution related to road transport. Annual average daily traffic (AADT): Annual average daily traffic or AADT is a measure used primarily intransportation planningandtransportation engineering. It is the total volume of vehicle traffic of ahighwayorroad for a year divided by 365 days. AADT is a useful and simple measurement of how busy the road is. It is also sometimes reported as average annual daily traffic. One of the most important uses of AADT is for determining funding for the maintenance and improvement of Highways. AADT is calculated by multiplying Seasonal variation factor in ADT. Formula for calculating Annual average daily traffic (AADT) from ADT is as under: Annual average daily traffic (AADT) = Factor * Average daily traffic Seasonal Variation of traffic (correction factor) The flow of traffic on the road varies significantly during different months of the year. As monthly flow data is not available, petrol and diesel sales are collected from petrol stations along the highway to calculate the correction factor. This data is analyzed compared to the month of ADT the annual average variation factor valuated to arrive at AADT from ADT as recorded. REASEARCH AND FINDINGS For completion of the project â€Å"Strategies involved in opting an infrastructure project (highway) through traffic study† The aim of the project is to analyze and interpret the traffic study reports based on which highway projects are bid. Interpretation of the report is very critical as it helps in assessing the revenue generation for the entire concession period, based on which a bid is made. In order to complete my project, I was asked to thoroughly analyze the report on â€Å"Kota-Jhalawar road section on NH-12 and Aligarh-Kanpur road section on NH-91† KOTA-JHALAWAR ROAD SECTION ON NH-12 TRAFFIC SURVEYS Proposed number and locations of traffic survey stations have been identified after detail reconnaissance. The Traffic Engineer has trained the post-in-charges and monitors the training of surveyors by them. Survey and count sheets have been spot checked on a regular basis and data registered in the field office. Data to be collected from includes: The type of traffic surveys and the minimum number of survey stations were as under:- CLASSIFIED VOLUME COUNT The classified traffic volume count surveys have been carried out for 7 days (continuous, direction-wise) at the selected survey stations indicated below. Keeping in view the vehicle classification system given in IRC codes (IRC 9 1972, IRC SP: 19 2001) the following generalized classification system have been used in recording the classified volume count. Motorized Traffic Non-Motorized Traffic: 2-Wheeler Bi-Cycle 3-Wheeler Cycle-Rickshaw Passenger Car Animal Drawn Vehicle (ADV) Utility Vehicle (Jeep, Van etc.) Hand Cart Other Non-Motorized Vehicle Bus LCV Truck MCV: 2-Axle Rigid Chassis MCV: 3-Axle Rigid Chassis MAV Semi Articulated (For Procedure of Traffic Analysis refer Annexure I ) ORIGIN-DESTINATION SURVEYS: We have carried out O-D and Commodity Movement Surveys at locations given below in accordance with IRC: 9-1972. The roadside interviews were on random sample basis as per TOR. The trip matrices were worked out for each vehicle type information on weight for trucks was summed up by commodity type and the results tabulated, giving total weight and average weight per truck for the various commodity types. The sample size for each vehicle type was indicated on the table and also in the graphical representations. The data derived from surveys has also been analyzed to bring out the lead and load characteristics and desire line diagrams. Three Locations identified for O-D surveys are as under:- Near Kebal Nagar Village(Both Direction) †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.265.000 Near Devarighata (Both Direction) †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..320.000 Near Chandrabhaga river Toll Plaza†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..337+500 TURNING MOVEMENT SURVEYS The turning movement surveys for estimation of peak hour traffic for the design of major intersections were carried out for the Study. The details regarding composition and directional movement of traffic have been compiled. The methodology for the surveys was in accordance with IRC: SP: 41-1994. The data derived from the survey was used to analyze and to identify requirements of suitable remedial measures, such as construction of underpasses, flyovers, interchanges, and grade-separated intersections along the project road alignment. Intersections with high traffic volume requiring special treatments either presently or in future were identified. Locations comprising major intersections have been identified during detail reconnaissance. Data for turning movement survey is vital in identifying the section for operation as toll road. Details are presented in Annexure to chapter 6. Identified Location of Turning Movement Count (TMC) stations are as: Sangod Kanwas Junction †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.291.000 Chechat Rawat Bhata Road †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.304.600 Link Road of SH 9A Ram Ganj Mandi †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦315.500 Bagher Mandawar Junction †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.67+683 Mandawar Teendhar Junction †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦346+539 AXLE LOAD SURVEYS The axle load surveys have been done using load cell. The axle load data was collected axle configuration-wise. The number of equivalent standard axles per truck was calculated on the basis of results obtained. The results of the survey have been used for VDF. Furthermore, the data from axle load surveys was analyzed to bring out the Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) and Single Axle Load (SAL) Distributions by truck type (axle configuration). SPEED-DELAY SURVEYS Appropriate field studies such as moving car survey to determine running speed and journey speed. The data was analyzed to identify sections with typical traffic flow problems and congestion. Recommendation was made for suitable measures for segregation of local traffic, smooth flow of through traffic and traffic safety. These measures have included the provision of bypasses, under-passes, flyovers, grade separated intersections and service roads. Speed delay survey was done for whole project highway. TRUCK TERMINAL SURVEYS The data derived from the O-D, speed-delay, and other surveys was analyzed to assess requirements for present and future development of truck terminals at suitable locations en-route. ROAD INVENTORY SURVEYS Detailed road inventory surveys have been carried out to collect details of all existing road pavement features along the existing road sections. The data collected through road inventory surveys was sufficient to meet the requirements. The data are presented in the format given as â€Å"Road Inventory Data Sheet† (IRC-SP- 19-2001). The headings are given below. Terrain (flat, rolling, mountainous) Land Use (agricultural, commercial, forest, residential etc) @ every kilometer; Name of Village Carriageway width, surfacing type and condition @ every 500m and every change of feature whichever is earlier; Shoulder surfacing type and width and condition @ every 500m and every change of feature whichever is earlier; Height of embankment or depth of cut @ every 200m and every change of feature whichever is earlier. Submergence Details of cross road The data have been collected in sufficient detail, compiled presented in tabular form. The data have been stored in computer files using utility packages, such as EXCEL etc. SUBGRADE CHARACTERISTIC STRENGTH The testing of soils for classification mechanical characteristics has been as per terms of reference. â€Å"Testing of three sub-grade soil samples for each design section or three