Alkali Aggregate Reaction Essay -- essays research papers

ASR is one example of a more general problem known as Alkali Aggregate Reaction [AAR]. ASR is a chemical process in which alkalis, usually predominantly from the cement, combine with certain types of silica in the aggregate when moisture is present. This reaction produces an alkali-silica gel that can absorb water and expand to cause cracking and disruption of the concrete. For damaging reaction to take place the following need to be present in sufficient quantities. High alkali cement Reactive aggregate [e.g. crushed greywacke type sandstone] Moisture Structures most at risk are bridges, hydraulic structures, exposed frames [e.g. open multistorey car parks] and foundations. In relation to total construction volume, the incidence of significant damage due to ASR in the UK is small. ASR was discovered in the USA in the 1940s; no case was found in the UK until 1971 [in a concrete dam in Jersey]. The problem is known to exist in at least 35 countries. Affected concrete often exhibits map cracking of the surface, known colloquially as Isle of Man cracking after that island`s three legged emblem. In heavily loaded sections the cracking will probably follow the line of the main reinforcement. An excellent overview of the phenomenon can be found in BRE Digest 330. Since the early 1980s recommendations have been produced and refined to the stage where ASR is unlikely if these are adopted. Principal methods include.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Controlling the level of available ...

Ethics Game & Reflective Journal Essay

This journal contains the reflection of the Ethics Game simulation assignment. The purpose of this paper is to describe the steps and process that I used to answer the ethical questions involved in two simulation games: The case of the troubled Teen and Policies and Politics. In addition I will also discuss how these concepts relate to my workplace. The case of the Troubled Teen: This case describes the case of an unmarried, 16 year old pregnant patient (RB) admitted to the labor and delivery, accompanied by her parents. Parents chose to limit medication citing personal reasons. The primary nurse (YN) is concerned that the situation may become critical for the patient and unborn baby. The nursing staff is also concerned that the parents may not understand the consequences of their action. The ethical issue in this case is how to ensure safe delivery of the baby and to provide adequate medical care to both mother and baby. The case of Policy and Politics: This case describes one of the ICU patients AT, who is unconscious for few days, was brought to the hospital by his domestic partner. YM, his partner was beside him in the ER but he was not allowed to be with the patient after transferring to ICU. The day supervisor CB prevented Yves from visiting AT. Her actions violated current hospital same sex domestic partner policy. The question her is if the rights of the patient and the significant others have been violated here. Decision making steps I used an organized process to make this ethical decision called the Baird Method, which consists of four steps. Step 1: Identify the issue in the ethical dilemma, and evaluate the evidence. I need to be attentive as to gather all data to determine which issue has to be resolved. Step 2: Identify the primary stakeholders. I have to be intelligent and identify the real issue in the case. Step 3: Use my knowledge, be reasonable, fair, and understand my duty, which focus on the equal rights and remember my role on the impact on stakeholders. Step 4: Develop a situation that has balance and meets the needs of all stakeholders and communicate the decision to everyone involved. Applying these steps to issue of the Troubled teen I gathered all the information from the patient’s chart, went over the care  plan, medical plan and received the bedside verbal report from the outgoing nurse. She was not given adequate pain medicine nor seen by the physician on call because she/he was attending an emergency elsewhere. The stakeholders in this situation are as follows: †¢RB, the patient †¢LB, RB’s unborn child †¢RB’s parents †¢Shift supervisor †¢YN, RN caring for RB †¢The Shareholders Applying these steps to the issue of Policy and Politics: First of all here, I have to identify the problem. There are two issues here. One is allowing the domestic partner to visit the patient and the second one is to make sure that the hospital staffs follow the policy of the hospital. The stakeholders are †¢AT, the ICU patient †¢YM, the domestic partner †¢Staff nurse, M †¢CB, the shift supervisor †¢AF, the director of nursing †¢The Shareholders Ethical Lens used that influenced decisions Lens used in Troubled Teen case: Using the rights and responsibility lens, I could identify my duties as to assure that the care of the pregnant teen is not compromised and for those who cannot speak for themselves. I want to ensure that there is a safe delivery of the mother and the baby is safe. Result lens considers focus on the results we want in our community and how it contributes to the greater good in our community and to greater number of people. I used the action that tilted towards sensibility because I honored the need in this situation to consider parental wishes and aftercare of mother and baby. In the first situation the rights and responsibility lens was first and foremost in my mind. My duty made me to assure that the care of the patient and her unborn baby was not in danger nor the care was compromised especially when someone can’t speak for themselves. I used the result lens to make the care plans and involve the parents in the care of  their child and grandchild with the help of chaplain. In the second situation, it focused on the system and allowed me to incorporate what is best for the system and community, however protecting the rights of both. Lens used in the Policies and Politics case: In this case the use of relationship lens and reputation lens was used. The relationship lens focuses on the processes that systems need an ethical organization. The ethical lens tries to protect the basic liberties of everyone and this situation the domestic partner is to be treated like any other person. However, the reputation lens focuses on assuring that the hospital protocols are consistently followed and in this situation the partner should be allowed to visit his other partner. How concepts relate to the workplace In my workplace I face difficult ethical decisions associated with patient care and the policies set forth by the care agencies. This simulation helped me to recognize my own personal values, such as equality, fairness, compassion, which influences my decision in various decisions. This game helped me to examine the decision making process when faced with the difficult situations and how to make the right decision during any dilemma. The process set up in our workplace might not be ethical one for that particular situation but in this scenarios they were not followed blindly, but the best option was picked to solve them. Identifying my personal values and gaining knowledge of the ethical lenses allowed me to minimize necessary conflict at work and deal directly with the situation. CONCLUSION Ethical issues at work place associated with the patient care can add stress and increased burden on the nurses. The ethical game simulation allowed me to identify the issues and guided me through a systematic approach to solve the dilemma. This exercise helped me to prepare for a situation which will help me to reduce stress and make a sound judgment. The lenses allowed me to gain knowledge and insight to solve the problems.

Definition of Force in Physics

Force is a quantitative description of an interaction that causes a change in an objects motion. An object may speed up, slow down, or change direction in response to a force. Put another way, force is any  action  that tends to maintain or alter the  motion  of a body or to distort it.  Objects are pushed or pulled by forces acting on them. Contact  force  is defined as the force exerted when two physical objects come in direct contact with each other. Other forces, such as gravitation and electromagnetic forces, can exert themselves even across the empty vacuum of space. Key Takeaways: Key Terms Force: A description of an interaction that causes a change in an objects motion. It can also be represented by the symbol F.The Newton: The unit of force within the International system of units (SI). It can also be represented by the symbol N.Contact forces: Forces which take place when objects touch each other. Contact forces can be classified according to six types: tensional, spring, normal reaction, friction, air friction, and weight.Noncontact forces: Forces that take place when two objects do not touch. These forces can be classified according to three types: gravitational, electrical, and magnetic. Units of Force Force is a  vector; it has both direction and magnitude. The SI unit  for  force is the  newton  (N). One newton of force is equal to 1 kg * m/s2 (where the * symbol stands for times). Force is proportional to acceleration, which is defined as the rate of change of velocity. In calculus terms, force is the derivative of momentum with respect to time. Contact vs. Noncontact Force There are two types of forces in the universe: contact and noncontact. Contact forces, as the name implies, take place when objects touch each other, such as kicking a ball: One object (your foot) touches the other object (the ball). Noncontact forces are those where objects do not touch each other. Contact forces can be classified according to six different types: Tensional: such as a string being pulled tightSpring: such as the force exerted when you compress two ends of a springNormal reaction: where one body provides a reaction to a force exerted upon it, such as a ball bouncing on a blacktopFriction: the force exerted when an object moves across another, such as a ball rolling over a blacktopAir friction: the friction that occurs when an object, such as a ball, moves through the airWeight: where a body is pulled toward the center of the Earth due to gravity Noncontact forces can be classified according to three types: Gravitational: which is due to the gravitational attraction between two bodiesElectrical: which is due to the electrical charges present in two bodiesMagnetic: which occurs due to the magnetic properties of two bodies, such as the opposite poles of two magnets being attracted to each other Force and Newtons Laws of Motion The concept of force was originally defined by Sir Isaac Newton in his three laws of motion. He explained gravity as an attractive force between bodies that possessed mass. However, gravity within Einsteins general relativity doesnt require force. Newtons First Law of Motion says that an object will continue to move at a constant velocity unless it is acted upon by an external force. Objects in motion remain in motion until a force acts on them. This is inertia. They wont speed up, slow down, or change direction until something acts on them. For example, if you slide a hockey puck,  it will eventually stop because of friction on the ice. Newtons Second Law of Motion says that force is directly proportional to acceleration (the rate of change of momentum) for a constant mass. Meanwhile, acceleration is inversely proportional to mass. For example, when you throw a ball thrown onto the ground, it exerts a downward force; the ground, in response, exerts an upward force causing the ball to bounce. This law is useful for measuring forces. If you know two of the factors, you can calculate the third. You also know that if an object is accelerating, there must be a force acting on it.   Newtons Third Law of Motion relates to interactions between two objects. It says that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. When a force is applied to one object, it has the same effect on the object that produced the force but in the opposite direction. For example, if you jump off a small boat into the water, the force you use to jump forward into the water will also push the boat backward. The action and reaction forces happen at the same time. Fundamental Forces There are four fundamental forces that govern the interactions of physical systems. Scientists continue to pursue a unified theory of these forces: 1. Gravitation: the force that acts between masses. All particles experience the force of gravity. If you hold a ball up in the air, for example, the mass of the Earth allows the ball to fall due to the force of gravity. Or if a baby bird crawls out of its nest, the gravity from the Earth will pull it to the ground. While the graviton has been proposed as the particle mediating gravity, it has not yet been observed. 2. Electromagnetic: the force that acts between electrical charges. The mediating particle is the photon. For example, a loudspeaker uses the electromagnetic force to propagate the sound, and a banks door locking system uses electromagnetic forces to help shut the vault doors tightly. Power circuits in medical instruments like magnetic resonance imaging use electromagnetic forces, as do the magnetic rapid transit systems in Japan and China—called maglev for magnetic levitation. 3. Strong nuclear: the force that holds the nucleus of the atom together, mediated by gluons acting on quarks, antiquarks, and the gluons themselves. (A gluon is a messenger particle that binds quarks within the protons and neutrons. Quarks are fundamental particles  that combine to form protons and neutrons, while antiquarks are identical to quarks in mass but opposite in electric and magnetic properties.) 4. Weak nuclear: the force that is mediated by exchanging W and Z bosons and is seen in beta decay of neutrons in the nucleus. (A boson is a type of particle that obeys the rules of Bose-Einstein statistics.) At very high temperatures, the weak force and the electromagnetic force are indistinguishable.