WATCH: The History and Construction of The Burma Railway (Video)

Construction

Forced labour was used for the construction with the labourers comprising of mostly prisoners of war (POWs) and Asians from sorrounding countries.  It is estimated that more than 16,000 prisoners died during the construction of the railway roughly about 38 prisoners for every km of railway built.  Given the lack of adequate food and medical services, most labourers died out of sickness, malnutrition and exhaustion.

The most famous portion of the railway is Bridge 277, ‘the bridge over the River Kwai‘, which was built over a stretch of river which was then known as part of the Mae Klong.

Movies bases on the Burma Railway

The Bridge on the River Kwai is an epic story about British prisoners of war during World War II who are ordered to build a bridge to accommodate the Burma-Siam railway. Their instinct is to sabotage the bridge but, under the leadership of Colonel Nicholson, they are persuaded that the bridge should be constructed as a symbol of British morale, spirit and dignity in adverse circumstances. At first, the prisoners admire Nicholson when he bravely endures torture rather than compromise his principles for the benefit of the Japanese commandant Saito.

Video

The History and Construction of The Burma Railway (Video)

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Starting April 22, 2010 the EPA’s new law aimed at lead safe work practices was put into effect. The owner of a home improvement or remodeling company will have to take a class and pass a test in order to be lead certified. Lead installers must also pass a certification test. Home buildings and child care facilities built before 1978 are at risk of containing lead paint. Lead based paint was used in more than 38 million homes until banned for residential use in 1978.

The problem with lead

Lead can affect children’s brains and developing nervous systems causing reduced IQ, learning disabilities, and behavioral problems. Lead also harms adults.

Dust is the most common culprit for human exposure to lead. People can also get lead in their bodies from lead in soil or paint chips. Lead dust is often invisible.

Projects that disturb lead based paint can create dust and endanger you. The law has specific practices to prevent the risk of lead exposure.

Dust is the main problem the way exposure to lead is found. Lead dust comes from deteriorating lead based paint and lead contaminated soil that is tracked into a home. Home renovation creates dust. Common renovations like sanding, cutting and demolition can create hazardous lead dust and chips .

Recommendations for Home Remodelers

1. Pass the EPA Lead Safe Cerfitifcation Test.
2. Contain the work area so dust and debris do not escape; cover floors and furniture that cannot be moved.
3. Seal off doors and heating and cooling system vents.
4. Try to minimize dust by using water to mist areas before sanding, scraping, or scoring paint. Separate components and make sure to pry and pull apart components instead of breaking them. It will generate less dust than the alternatives.
5. Do not operate an open flame ( burning or torching, sanding, grinding, planning, needle gunning, or blasting ) without a shroud and HEPA vacuum attachment.
6. Do not use a heat gun at temperatures greater than 1100F, as it creates greater dust and debris.
7. The law specifies cleaning up with very special methods. The work area must be cleaned daily using a HEPA vacuum to rid the dust followed by wet mopping with plenty of rinse water.
8. At the conclusion of the job. a dust swipe is needed to determine using an EPA kit to determine if the lead is gone.

Follow these steps to ensure the safety of your home improvement clients and to avoid steep fines for breaking the law.

Alco Products Co serves the Washington DC Area and has offices in Bethesda and McLean, VA.

Contact zkreisman@aol.com with any additional questions regarding lead renovation and repairing.

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Managing change requires that any change be documented in a timely manner, openly discussed, reviewed, and approved in a timely manner before implementation. Changes can be intentional or unintentional. Changes can originate from many parties, not just the customer. Changes can have both negative or positive impacts to cost and schedule.

When writing a change order, the originator must think in terms of scope, cost, and schedule. Contract requirements, customer procedures, and internal policies must be followed. The cost of the change including appropriate supporting documents need to be compiled. Being honest about the change may require a full disclosure of the all costs including overhead and profit.

The customer has a right to change their mind. The supplier (contractor, engineer, whoever) has a right to get paid for the work delivered. Bridging this gap requires appropriate change management.

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Well who is laughing now? Many firms have downsized, the economy has impacted some firms more than others.  Staff levels decrease and many employees have taken a reduction in salary.  Everyone is fighting to stay alive in the current economic situation.

My competitor has not been exempt from this by any means, but they are certainly in a different situation than most firms.  Several years ago, while utilizing the capabilities of the outsourcing firm, or “subcontracting” firm, they were able to focus on building relationships.  The shift in the work dynamic allowed them to increase their focus on their clients, the review agencies and the community at large.  This focus has certainly placed them in an advantageous position in the current economic climate.  They have also been subject to downsizing; the largest downsizing has been the elimination of the connection with the outsourcing firm.  While this is certainly a strain, I’m sure it has been more palatable to the remaining staff, than a reduction of a coworker in the next cubicle.

I also find it odd how people react to the thought of “outsourcing” as compared to ‘subcontracting.”  Subcontracting seems to be fine, we do it all the time when we don’t have a particular skill set in house, or to meet a temporarily heavy workload.  Outsourcing is viewed as taking work away from current employees.  I was always taught that work flows in ebbs and tides, and that you should set your staff level for just above the ebb and utilize overtime to meet the high tides.  Right about now staffing levels with a majority of firms are at “critical mass”, and probably staffed utilizing overtime for the ebb and even more overtime for the high tide. This has a huge impact on staff morale, which I’m sure is not on the radar screen while companies are struggling to survive. Outsourcing is a means to staff up for the temporarily high workload, just like subcontracting is. Why should it be viewed differently?

With my apologies to Elisabeth Kuber-Ross, M.D. the way others react to the thought of outsourcing reminds me of the 5 stages of dying from On Death and Dying. I think anything can be explained with this formula, with the possible exception of the detailed plot lines of a “3’s Company” episode (they’re too easy).

• Denial: “We can’t make money with someone else doing the work.”  This is the easiest stage, which is why it’s first.  We can always find what is wrong with something.  The challenge is to take a true analytical look at staffing options, explore the details, see if you can utilize anything and then determine if you can derive benefit from outsourcing.

• Anger: “Farming work out could work, but you should buy American!”  This is a step in the right direction, but falls short of an adequate analysis.  We do jump from there to “no way it will work” to “it will work but it’s still wrong”.  By the way don’t assume that all outsourcing firms are overseas.  There is an ample supply of talent in the good old U.S.A.

• Bargaining: “Outsourcing could work for us if….”  OK now we are getting somewhere.  This is where the mind kicks in and the emotions in the analysis start to fade.

• Depression: “Subcontracting will never work for us.”  The “Eeyore” stage. This seems like one step forward and then one step back, but it is not.  We have thought about some of the reasons why outsourcing will not work for us, now we have to think about why they won’t work for us.

• Acceptance: “Outsourcing could work.” Now that we have explored both the positive and negatives of outsourcing we can finally get our heads out of this box and start to truly look around.  In times like these we all need to think differently. For you Matrix fans, just think, “There is no box.”

• HOPE: “Outsourcing will work!” Here is where the champions step forward to show others, with enthusiasm, the benefits of outsourcing and start to look for opportunities to implement this type of solution.

Outsourcing/subcontracting is a viable option for meeting staffing needs.  It is something that every firm should have in its toolbox to face the economy. Outsourcing has a positive impact on your revenue stream. As you do not have to have full time employees to meet this interim need, you have a reduction in costs, and stress.  The stress and aggravation of “feeding the beast” is lessened. That is the management of staff solely by meeting billable hour goals, instead of meeting the needs of your clients and of the project. Remember you don’t manage a subcontractor by 40 hours per week for 52 weeks a year. You manage them by their performance of a task, within a certain budget and within a certain timeframe. It allows managers to focus more on important relationships.  Technology is no longer a barrier. With cloud servers and web meetings all the old excuses of “It can’t be done” are virtually gone.

So take the time to see if outsourcing can help your current situation. If you are currently experiencing an upswing in work, but are apprehensive about hiring back full time staff, consider outsourcing as an option. Don’t forget to consider outsourcing as an option in the future, when we are back to the days of milk and honey.

CivilEngineeringCentral.com contributor Bryan Burke is the G.P./Owner of Millennium Resource Engineering, LLC.  Bryan has over 25 years experience in the professional services industry.  He has worked on a wide variety of Civil Engineering projects, and in multiple roles and in various locations both domestic and abroad. Millennium Resource Engineering, LLC was established to meet the needs of the land development community by utilizing the power and expertise of the Millennial Generation in an non-traditional setting.  Bryan currently serves as the Chairperson of the ACE Mentoring Program of Frederick Maryland. You may contact him with any questions, feedback or comments at (240) 344-1510 or bburke@MRE-Eng.com or www.MRE-Eng.com

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In these same Marshes so well romanticized by Maxwell, Saddam would unleash an engineering project aimed at eradicating the Marsh Arabs. After the 1991 Gulf War, Saddam devoted huge resources to draining water from these marshes to make them uninhabitable as a way to punish the the residents for  supporting the uprising against his regime after that war.

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In this age of rapid communication where contracts and other business documents can be transfered in a blink of an eye, no one can question the improved efficiency in sharing documents and information across continents. For American companies the opportunity is ripe for pursuing business opportunities outside of the United States. While doing business at home has been very rewarding for a majority of engineering companies here in the United States there is an untapped potential in the international arena that simply cannot be ignored by any serious engineering company. A vast number of international clients eager to tap into American engineering expertise are more than willing to open their wallets to American consulting companies.

A quick research on the Internet will reveal that there are numerous engineering projects going on right now across the globe. From China to Africa to South America, countries are pouring billions of dollars to improve their infrastructure or build new infrastructure. I have compiled a short list of upcoming international projects that I think would prove very lucrative for American engineering companies that decide to pursue them:-

South America

All eyes are now on Brazil. They were recently selected as the host nation of the 2016 Olympics in addition to hosting the FIFA World cup 2014. There is no doubt that there is going to be a huge investment by the government to improve the infrastructure as well as build new infrastructure to support these two world events. There will be numerous stadiums to build, new highways to construct and a slew of other minor related projects.   This will in turn provide more opportunities for businesses, especially engineering firms, to lay claim for a piece of this gigantic cake. Its proximity to the United States is an added bonus to American engineering companies looking for business opportunities in Brazil.  As an emerging market, Brazil already provides ample opportunities for business. To meet the demands required by their rapidly growing status, Brazil will need improved social infrastructure, improved health-care system by building more hospitals, modern highways and communication lines among others.

Africa

Africa also provides numerous engineering opportunities in several different countries.  Despite what is regularly portrayed in the media, many African governments are dedicated to improving infrastructure and bettering the livelihood of their citizens. Paul Kagame, the president of landlocked Rwanda has been trotting the globe looking for partners for his Isaka-Kigali railway line initiative. The proposed railway will link the commercial capital of Rwanda, Kigali with a dry port in central Tanzania, the Isaka dry port.

Kenya, another East African country, is in the planning phase of upgrading its entire rail infrastructure to international standards. According to the government-issued RFP, they plan to build a “high capacity Standard Gauge railway line” between the port of Mombasa and Malaba on the Kenyan-Ugandan border.

Middle East

The Burj Dubai, has been the focal point of a major development in one of the world’s economic hot spots and should be a symbol of the opportunity available to US businesses in the global marketplace. The Burj Dubai is the centerpiece of a 500-acre community developed by Emaar Properties in Dubai, UAE. The 160 story building contains offices, residences, leisure, and entertainment.

UAE is not alone in its success. Nearby Qatar’s population has more than doubled in the last 5 years creating a need for projects totaling more than $120 billion to improve their infrastructure to handle their growth.

What to consider when going international

Any company considering going after international projects should realize that to be successful they will have to:

1. take time to understand the social-cultural aspects of the country;
2. be willing to partner with a deep-rooted company or individuals who understand potential clients;
3. have an international mindset and an established track record working with similar institutions in your home base;
4. be willing to make a medium to long-term commitment/investment to building a physical presence in the country of interest; and
5. be willing to hire locally both in management and technical personnel to work with U.S. locally based executives.

By Kenneth Kabaki, a civil engineer currently living in Florida. He can be reached at kabaki@gmail.com or (770) 771-4911.

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Santiago Calatrava

The project’s architect, Santiago Calatrava who is both the lead architect and engineer for this project is famous for

his ability to create public landmarks on a grand scale. [Calatrava] has one of the most impressive bodies of work ever assembled including the Athens Olympic Sports Complex, the rebuilding of the World Trade Center Transport Hub, plus dozens of the most beautiful buildings in major cities around the world – airports, opera houses, bridges, train stations. Source

Project details

Once completed, the building will be a 2,000-foot tall spiraling tower with 150 floors and will also include an underground 5-floor garage. The completed structure will have a base-to-height ratio approaching one to ten, making The Chicago Spire the most slender super-tall building in the world.

Construction of the Spire

The biggest obstacle to completing this building was the zoning requirements. The parcel of land selected was only zoned for a 540-foot tall building and a 350-foot tall building. However, the developer managed to assuage the city, neighborhood groups, and local open space activists by developing a riverfront plaza with six stories of parking underneath.

When the project is completed some time in 2010, the Chicago sphere will be one of the world’s tallest buildings and freestanding structures. The completed structure will be home to about 1300 residences plus all the amenities to go with such a remarkable structure

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The Persian Empire was one of the most mysterious civilizations in the ancient world. Persia became an empire under the Cyrus the Great, who created a policy of religious and cultural tolerance that became the  hallmark of Persian rule. Engineering feats include an innovative system of water management; a cross-continent paved roadway stretching 1500 miles; a canal linking the Nile to the Red Sea; and the creation of one of the Seven Wonders of the World, the Mausoleum of Maussollos.

The rivalry between Persia and Athens led to a 30-year war known as the Persian Wars, the outcome of which helped create the world we live in today.

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Each “ledge,” measuring 12 ft long and 10 ft tall with floor space of about 4.5 ft by 10.5 ft, fits between existing columns. Structural frames, strategically hidden behind ceiling and drywall, support the boxes, which are being hung from cantilevered steel frames with no structural elements other than fastening clips, “resulting in an unimpeded view of the city of Chicago and the street below your feet,” says Terry McDonnell, principal at Halcrow Yolles, project engineer.

Safety has been a concern for engineers since the inception of the project.  A series of tests were performed on the mock model, involved load-testing for 2.5 times the loads allowed by the code for pedestrian loads. All three sides of each of the glass boxes have redundant laminate to ensure safety.  Each of the boxes can hold up to 5,000 lbs and withstand wind pressures of 125 lb per sq ft.

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