Case study on the design of a contemporary Civil Engineering project Essay

Case study on the design of a contemporary Civil Engineering project - Essay Example The Strait of Messina Bridge Project The project overview The Strait of Messina bridge project was started in the year 2006 and was designed to end in 2008. Due to problems to do with finance and project budget terminated as suggested by Porter and Prince (2009). However with the election Silvio Berlusconi as the prime minister in 2008, the project was revived the same year. Once Messina bridge project is completed, it will become one of the longest suspension bridges to have been built in the world. The Messina Bridge will be sixty meters wide with twelve traffic lanes and two middle lanes for trains. It will therefore allow about one hundred and forty thousand vehicles and two hundred trains to use the bridge in a day. However there has been a debate of whether the bridge will stand earthquakes and also about its impacts to the environment. The project is still on construction and it has been designed to complete by 2012. The context of the project The historical context of the Str ait of Messina Bridge has been covered with several events. In 1969, different concepts of the bridge construction were offered for competition and among them was the cable-stayed design which later brought the issue of this project. Around 1979, a committee was set up and came up with a study for the crossing bridge as suggested by Lane (2010). Five years later a company by the name Stretto di Messina was established which came up with three ways to construct the bridge. The different ways were, one the suspension bridge, second the floating tunnel and finally the bored tunnel. Evidence was gathered from different experts who dismissed the ideas of the tunnel and advocated for the suspension bridge. The decision on the construction of the bridge raised a lot politically heated debates in Italy. Those supporting the decision argued that it created employment and boosted tourism. Those against it argued that it was unnecessary and the government would first focus on the roads more ef ficient. Some geological concerns were about the history of earthquakes in area would be a challenge to the project. Seismic-tectonic and wind conditions context has also been focused on. The ability of the bridge to overcome seismic effects and wind has been an issue of concern. The bridge once completed will be open fulltime without any traffic interruption due to strong winds. It will use special wind protection barriers capable of maintaining normal traffic movement even in the case of strong wind. The bridge has aerodynamic properties that give it the ability to withstand wind of any speed. In as far as seismic activities are concerned; the bridge has a natural insulation. This natural insulation makes the bridge insensitive to earthquakes. The structure is insulated against physical possibilities such as vibration. According to Simonis (2010), the Messina Bridge is designed to overcome an extreme earthquake which has a magnitude of about 7.1 being focused at about fifteen kilo meters from the site of the bridge. The environmental aspects of the Messina Bridge have caused resentment on the local people and a lot of protest. These aspects include the construction’s impact on the local wildlife and the traditional and poor structure of the region. Some measures have been taken to reduce the environmental impact of the project activities. These include using the tunnel’

Cultural Mosaic on the Buddhist Culture Research Paper

Cultural Mosaic on the Buddhist Culture - Research Paper Example But the Buddhist view of education is a lot more open-ended and fluid. Also, while there are fundamental tenets upon which Buddhist education system rests, they only serve as an aid to the student in discovering truths for himself. In other words, while the Western educational model has at its core the principle of ascertaining truth through rational inquiry and systematic experimentation, the Buddhist model espouses the principle that introspection through meditation will lead to the ultimate truth. (Haskett, 2005, p.192) Moreover, it is integral to Buddhist culture to put the ‘collective’ good ahead of ‘individual’ excellence. Notwithstanding these basic differences, one could still incorporate certain norms, customs and cultural aspects of Buddhist education into American schools. This essay will show that not only is this exercise feasible but also rewarding for the educators and students involved. A key feature of the Buddhist education system is its sp iritual dimension. In fact, the seeking of spiritual truth is a cornerstone of Buddhist culture. The Buddhist system attempts to prepare students to transcend the scientific realm and into the spiritual realm. School administrators in America might find it challenging to encourage students on spiritual quest alongside the emphasis on scientific inquiry. Moreover, in the spiritual realm, objectives tend to be vague and instructions difficult to comprehend. But a simple means by which the esoteric sounding spiritual quest can be incorporated in the American classroom is by breaking it down into common social principles such as co-operation and compassion. In other words, school curricula in the United States could give grade points for students for their social skills and their willingness to help fellow students. The Buddhist system sees education as a component of a student’s social life, as opposed to being distinct to it. (Tat Chia, 2009, p.122) In this scenario, ‘edu cation as competition’ would be replaced by ‘education through sharing of knowledge and experience’. A similar point is made even by some Western scholars like Daniel Goleman, who underscore the importance of Emotional Quotient (EQ) alongside the development of Intelligence Quotient (IQ) for overall healthy personality development. The spate of campus shootouts in recent years in America clearly indicates some fundamental flaws in the schooling system. By embracing the Buddhist principle of ‘non-violence’ and inculcating it in students will mitigate the occurrence of such shoot-outs. Non-violence aligns closely with virtues of co-operation and compassion. (Shin, 2010, p.33) American schools can include biographical sketches of world leaders renowned for the message of non-violence. These would include Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King Jr., etc. A study of their life examples is an effective method for instilling the value of non-viol ence in American students. The Buddhist education system emphasizes reverence for the mentor/teacher. Conventionally, having evolved in a monastic setting, the chief monk would be regarded by students as an enlightened soul whose guidance is sought after at each stage of learning. It would also serve the interests of students in America if they make it the norm to pay more respect to their teachers. The most prominent of contemporary Buddhist teachers, His Holiness The 14th Dalai