Wet Mix and Dry Mix Concrete: Cost and Quality

Wet Mix and Dry Mix Concrete: Cost and Quality This is a conceptual proposal in which the main objective is to determine the cost and quality effectiveness on the application of modular wet mix and dry mix concrete batching plant. Based on the data collected over the pass years, a detail study was being conducted to determine the various cost factors arising from the setting up of concrete batching plant, production operations, quality control, inventory and delivery of the products to the customers. As this study covers the entire overall operations of a commercial concrete batching plant, the complexity of the various processes and functionalities has to be identified to provide a full understanding on the limitations on the speed, cost, quality, flexibility and dependability. This proposal is also inline with the company long term strategy of increasing the marketing share by twenty percent annual growth. Therefore, to achieve this goal, various steps have to be taken into consideration such as the speed, cost, quality, flexibility and dependability. Existing Dry Mix Concrete Batch Plant Plant Component The basic components of dry mix concrete batch plant and its related facilities are as tabulated below:- Item Descriptions Remarks 1 Ground Hopper For feeding of raw material, coarse and fine aggregates 2 Movable Inclined Conveyor To convey the coarse and fine aggregate to the designated storage compartment 3 Aggregate Storage Bin For storage on top of the aggregate weighing bin 4 Aggregate Weighing Bin For weighing of the coarse and fine aggregates 5 Shooting Conveyor To convey the coarse and fine aggregates at high speed which shoot directly into the mixer drum of the mixer truck 6 Cement Storage Silos For storage of cement OPC, PFA and Slag Cement 7 Cement Weighing Bin For weighing of various cement 8 Water Weighing Bin For weighing of water 9 Admixtures Weighing Bin For weighing of admixtures 10 Control Room To provide staff on the control of the production 11 Water Storage Tank For water storage 12 Aggregate Stockpile For storage of coarse and fine aggregates 13 Slump Check Platform For concrete slump check 14 Wheel Loader For material handling from aggregate stockpiles to ground hopper 15 Mixer Truck For mixing of concrete and delivery of finished products to customers 16 QC Laboratory For quality control and testing 17 Power Supply To provide power supply to the plants and other facilities either by TNB or generator set 18 Waste Material Storage To collect all waste material and disposed to designated area Figure 1 in the Appendix shows a typical dry mix concrete batch plant layout. The ideal size for setting up is plant is 2,950m2, this set up will include a laboratory for quality control, a site office for staff and other facilities such as workshop and weighbridge on material control. Process Flow of Dry Mix Plant The process flow of the entire dry mix plant operation per 8 m3 load is as illustrated below:- Cycle Time per Load = Batching + Mixing Slump Check + Delivery + Discharging + Return + Queuing = 5 min + 15 min + 30 min + 45 min + 30 min + 10 min = 135 min From the process flow mapping, it is clearly shown that the complete process cycle time for 8 m3 load is 135 minutes. As the plant capacity is 80m3/hour, if the efficiency of the plant is 80%, therefore the plant is capable of producing 8 loads of 8m3-load but all the rest of the processes are done by the mixer trucks from mixing to discharging at site. In order to have a smooth operation flow, the number of mixer truck required by this dry mix plant is calculated as below: Number of Mixer Truck = 135/60X8 = 18 From the calculation above, 18 units of mixer truck is required for the smooth operation. Quality of the Product In dry mix plant, all the pre-determined materials are charged into the mixer drum of the mixer truck, then the mixing and quality check are carried out by the individual mixer truck operator accordingly. The product quality is not consistent as this is done by the 18 mixer truck operators and therefore, quality is becoming a major issue in this type of plant as the requirement of the quality is increasing with the advancement in construction technology. This quality will also hinder the further penetration of market share and jeopardise in achieving the long term strategic goal. Cost This operating cost is only covering all the facilities except the raw material cost as this remains consistent either dry mix or wet mix plant. But there are other costs that everyone is aware of such as the maintenance cost of the mixer truck. In this case, the operating cost of the plant is cheap but the mixer truck is much higher as there are 18 units of mixer drums which are having high wear and tear parts as they are used for mixing the concrete. These costs will be tabulated in the comparison and the overall operating cost will be identified. Flexibility In term of flexibility, this dry mix plant will have a limitation in producing high grade concrete as the mixing is done by mixer truck. The mixer truck will not be able to mix consistently and thoroughly inside the mixer drum of the mixer truck as the mixing is only dependent on the ploughing and dropping action of the mixer blade on the side wall of the mixer drum. Other than this, it is the same as in other type of plants. Dependability The availability, reliability and maintainability of this plant is actually quite similar to the other types of plant available in the market but duration for each maintenance will be a little bit shorter than wet mix plant because the components is less and the mixing is transferred to the mixer truck, therefore the availability is better. The reason for this is, there are 18 units of mixer instead of 1 unit of mixer. Proposed Modular Wet Mix Plant Basic Plant Components The basic components of dry mix concrete batch plant and its related facilities are as tabulated below:- Item Descriptions Remarks 1 Ground Hopper For feeding of raw material, coarse and fine aggregates 2 Aggregate Weighing Bin For weighing of various types of aggregates 3 Horizontal Conveyor To convey the weighed coarse and fine aggregates to Inclined Conveyor 4 Inclined Conveyor To convey the weighed coarse and fine aggregates to the aggregate transfer bin 5 Aggregate Transfer Bin For storage on top of the Mixer 6 Mixer For mixing of concrete 7 Concrete Holding Hopper For holding of finished product before discharging into mixer truck 8 Cement Storage Silos For storage of cement OPC, PFA and Slag Cement 9 Cement Weighing Bin For weighing of various cement 10 Water Weighing Bin For weighing of water 11 Admixtures Weighing Bin For weighing of admixtures 12 Control Room To provide staff on the control of the production 13 Water Storage Tank For water storage 14 Aggregate Stockpile For storage of coarse and fine aggregates 15 Wheel Loader For material handling from aggregate stockpiles to ground hopper 16 Mixer Truck For mixing of concrete and delivery of finished products to customers 17 QC Laboratory For quality control and testing 18 Power Supply To provide power supply to the plants and other facilities either by TNB or generator set 19 Waste Material Storage To collect all waste material and disposed to designated area Figure 2 in the Appendix shows a typical modular wet mix concrete batch plant layout. The ideal size for setting up is also plant is 2,950m2, this set up will include a laboratory for quality control, a site office for staff and other facilities such as workshop and weighbridge on material control. Process Flow of Modular Wet Mix Plant The process flow of the entire modular wet mix plant operation per 8 m3 load is as illustrated below:- Cycle Time per 8 m3Load = Batching + Delivery + Discharging + Return + Queuing = 5 min + 30 min + 45 min + 30 min + 10 min = 120 min From the process flow mapping, it is clearly shown that the complete process cycle time for 8 m3 load is 120 minutes. As the plant capacity is 80m3/hour, if the efficiency of the plant is 80%, therefore the plant is capable of producing 8 loads of 8m3-load in just 5 minutes as the process of mixing is done by the mixer and mixer truck is only used for delivery and discharging at site. In order to have a smooth operation flow, the number of mixer truck required by this dry mix plant is calculated as below: Number of Mixer Truck = 120/60X8 = 16 From the calculation above, 16 units of mixer truck is required for the smooth operation. Comparison of Process Flow Item Descriptions Dry Mix Plant Wet Mix Plant 1 Batching 5 minutes 5 minutes (Mixing by Mixer) 2 Mixing 15 minutes (By Mixer Truck) 3 Delivery to Site 30 minutes 30 minutes 4 Discharging at Site 45 minutes 45 minutes 5 Return to Plant 30 minutes 30 minutes 6 Queuing at Plant 10 minutes 10 minutes 7 Total Cycle Time per Load 135 minutes 120 minutes 8 Mixer Truck Required 18 16 By looking at the table above, it is clearly shown that the cycle time per load is reduced by 15 minutes or 11%. The number of mixer truck required to complete the work in progress is also reduced by 2 units, there will be a significant improvement in the whole process flow and this will be reflected in the investment cost and operating cost later. Quality of the Product In wet mix plant, all the weighed materials are charged into the mixer of the mixer for mixing and quality check are controlled by the batching operator accordingly of which the product quality is consistent therefore, quality issues can be minimized in this type of plant as the requirement of the quality can be assured to fulfil the modern construction technology. This quality assurance will also help increase the image and market recognition thus, to further penetrate into the untapped market share and also in achieving the long term strategic goal. Cost This operating cost is only covering all the facilities except the raw material cost as this remains consistent either dry mix or wet mix plant. Tabulated on the next page is the comparison of the overall operating cost of the whole process flow. It can be shown that the overall operating cost is reduced by RM1.26/m3 or 7.2% and it is very significant and substantial as the annual production is huge. For example, an annual production of 1 million cubic meters will mean a saving of RM1.26 million and so on and so forth, thus increasing the profitability of the sales and competency in the market place. Comparison on Wet and Dry Mix Plant Operational Cost excluding Raw Material Flexibility In term of flexibility, the wet mix plant will have less limitation in producing high grade concrete as the mixing is done by mixer. The mixer will be able to mix consistently and thoroughly inside the mixer as the mixer is specially design for this specific purpose. It can also produce different types of design mix as required by customers. Another advantage is that the supply radius can be increased by 5 km, thus the coverage area. Dependability The availability, reliability and maintainability of this plant is actually quite similar to the other types of plant available in the market and the duration for each maintenance will be a little bit longer than dry mix plant because the components is more, therefore the availability is slightly less but this can be eliminated by pre-planned preventive maintenance. Conclusion With the study and experience that had been merged and input, it is strongly advisable to convert all the dry mix plant into the modular wet mix plant for the following reasons:- Cheaper operating cost as justified on the operating cost Better flexibility for high grade concrete Less mixer truck requirement Quality consistency and assurance All the above implementations will be justifiable to achieve the company long term strategy to provide the highest quality, service at the lowest cost and to increase the market share in the next 10 year.

Music and Religion in African-American Slave Culture

The buying, selling, and trading of human beings for personal labor, slavery, Is often thought to be singlehandedly the most atrocious thing that mankind as a whole has created. The horrors these innocent men, women, and children faced on a day to day basis was parallelled perhaps only by the soldiers fighting the war over their freedom. Though slavery was full of negatives, it also blossomed with positives as a means to cope.African-American slaves used several aspects of their native African ulture to cope, two primary components being music and religion. Slaves worked under constant watch by their owners, constantly fearing punishment for a slip-up. Enslaved African-Americans obviously resented the way they were being treated, end devised ways to rebel against their owners right under their noses.Reaching back to their African roots, slaves sang seemingly harmless songs to one another as they worked under the sweltering sum Little did their owners know that the slaves had eaved in tricate secret messages into their lyrical pieces, such as metaphors intended to ridicule their masters or to send signals to other slaves. Their music was a mix of tribal African rhythms and American religious music, as they relied heavily on their religion to cope from day to day.Even though their outlook was bleak, Slaves stayed positive in the face of sheer adversity through their faith. The most common faith emong slaves was that of christlanlty. he christlan doctrine being passed down from fathers to sons and so on, Initially, some slaves were not chrlstlan. and held fast to their old polytheistic beliefs from their home, Africa. Asslmllatlon was inevitable however, and nearly all negro slaves were converted Their native religion did not cease to exist, but rather lived on through a stylized take on christianity.They incorporated several aspects of the African religion with christianity, such as rituals and vocalization. Sometimes both religion and music came hand in hand to t he slaves, who praised their Lord through song and dance. Slaves kept their heads high in hopes of being freed someday. Even today, the Influences of slave music and religion can be seen In modern religion, gospel music, hip-hop, rap. and the like. Even though slavery Is a memory many try to forget, It can still be remembered positively through the culture that emerged through the confinement

Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9

The Symphony No. 9 is the last complete symphony by the great Ludwig van Beethoven, composed while he was completely deaf. Considered as one of Beethoven's greatest masterpieces, Symphony No. 9 is perhaps the best known compositions of romantic music.It is scored for strings, 2 oboes, 2 flutes, 2 clarinets in B-flat and C, piccolo (fourth movement only), 2 bassoons, contrabassoon (fourth movement only), timpani, triangle (fourth movement only), bass drum (fourth movement only), cymbals (fourth movement only), 3 trombones (alto, tenor, and bass, second and fourth movements only), 2 horns (3 and 4) in B-flat (bass), 2 horns (1 and 2) in D and B-flat, and 2 trumpets in D and B-flat. Symphony No. 9 also has vocal parts, consisting of baritone solo, soprano solo, tenor solo, alto solo, and a choir in four parts – bass, alto, soprano, and tenor (which is divided briefly into Tenor I and Tenor II).Beethoven shows in Symphony No. 9, as in his other symphonies, an exceptional gift for communication. Here, he radiated a supreme directness that makes the symphony totally accessible. The absolute emotional power in this symphony is readily understood and the revolutionary compositional ideas that make up the symphony are easily appreciated.It is revolutionary on many levels: rhythmic, melodic, harmonic, formal, emotional, and self-expressive. It is interesting in that it breaks with time-honored distinctions and conventions and to give precedence to Beethoven’s expressive desires and needs and desires. The ethereal, monumental, and triumphant emotion reflected in the Ninth Symphony is surprising given the energetic humor of Symphony No. 1, the worrying â€Å"fate knocking on the door† opening of Symphony No. 5, the pastoral reflection in Symphony No. 6.Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 is truly is among the greatest achievements of the human spirit. Symphony No. 9 is in four movements: the first movement is marked as allegro ma non troppo, un poco maes toso; the second movement as molto vivace, the third movement is marked as adagio molto e cantabile; and the fourth movement as presto/recitative. Beethoven’s arrangement adopts a somewhat unusual Classical pattern, with the scherzo movement in second position, instead of the normal third position.The symphony’s first movement is in sonata form, which follows a formal model that had guided the artist throughout his career. In general, the mood is stormy and bleak. A striking moment here is the commencement of the recapitulation section, which as opposed to literally repeating the pianissimo opening bars in D minor, it shifts to fortissimo D major, a key change which surprises many listeners, ironically, as expressing awe or terror. A scherzo, the second movement is in D minor.The theme in the opening echoes the theme of the first movement. The second movement is noteworthy for its timpani solos and propulsive rhythm. The third movement has the deeply felt and lyrical s low movement, in B-flat major. His movement is written in a loose variation form, with each of the two variations dividing the basic beat to produce a more elaborate melodic configuration than what went before – the first is in 4/4 time and the second is in 12/8 time.A virtuosic horn solo assigned to the fourth player is also notable in the third movement. Symphony No. 9 is famous for its choral finale, which has awed many listeners as somewhat rambling. Within the fourth movement are four movements. However, this final movement in the symphony is different from an independent symphony due to its thematic unity. Every part is based on either the main theme, the â€Å"Seid umschlungen† theme, or some combination of the two themes.

Organ Transplant - 2291 Words

An organ transplant is a surgical operation conducted to replace an organ unable to function properly with a new one. An organ, in turn, is an accumulation of cells and tissues gathered to perform the functions of body. Therefore, any part of the body which acts as a performer of specific function is called an organ. There are two possible ways of how the organ donation (OD) can take place. The first is the donation of cadaveric organs (organs from recently deceased people). The decision to donate in this way requires the consent of a person in the form of an indication on the driver license, like in the USA (Gruessner, Benedetti, 2008, 54) or health care document as an organ donor card, in Netherlands, Sweden, Ireland, for example†¦show more content†¦Generally, Buddhism considers OD to be a positive act of human. Buddhists say that when a person dies, he should be treated with a care, but there is no essential focus on physical integrity, i.e. body is not necessary to be k ept integral (Oliver et al, 2010, 4). From this one might come up with a thought that buddhists’ focus on spiritual development and individual consciousness is given much attention in the religion, while preservation of physical body might not be crucial. Consequently, giving an organ to another person would not be perceived as inappropriate act, but rather as an expression of generosity and altruism. From the evidences presented above it may be concluded that none of the major religions forbids OD to be done by a person. Basically, they encourage people to make self-sacrificial, compassionate and benevolent to the humanity acts, such as donations. Likewise, some religions leave a space for people to identify whether they suppose OD to be an act of charity or mistreatment of individual’s self-esteem by themselves. 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