CPM Concept-2

Total Float: The total amount of time that a schedule activity may be delayed from its early start date without delaying the project finish date, or violating a schedule constraint.

Free Float: The amount of time that a schedule activity can be delayed without delaying the early start date of any immediately following schedule activities.

 Free float can only occur when two or more activities share a common successor, or in other words, when activities converge on a Network Diagram.

Q.        Who owns total float & free float?
Ans.     Total Float belongs to the project, whereas Free Float belongs to individual activities. If the project is being done under a contract, it's debatable whether Float belongs to the buyer or seller.
In either case, 'Float' is a project resource. It should be used judiciously, mainly to cover the risks or other unforeseen issues on the project
Free Float shows you how much flexibility you have in terms of both time (spread between early and late date S curve horizontally) and in terms of resources (the spread vertically between the early data and late date S curves).

 Q.   How free flot's partisan take place?
Ans.    From a claims (legal precedent) perspective, unless otherwise stated in the contract, float is generally considered to be owned 50% by the owner and 50% by the prime contractor. However, the 50% owned by the prime contractor is also split between his/her subs and vendors.

The Process of Real Estate Investment

Making an investment of any kind doesn’t just mean handing over an extra set of hundred Rs. . With every large investment, there are specific rules and processes that are defined in order to ensure that your money will be going to the right place. If you are investing in real estate, you will want to know what initial investments will be.

If you have found a home and are beginning a process for buying the home, you will begin to make some initial investments soon after the first contract is signed. Most real estate investments will require a down payment, which includes a set amount of money towards the person that is selling the home. This will then be put on your credit towards the investment that you are making. If you have extra money set aside, you will want to put it in the down payment, as this will make a difference in your investment later on and can help with final approvals for the loan that you are receiving.

Another set of investments that you will be making is for any extra costs from the team that you have built. For example, a home inspection will usually cost a small amount of money. There may also be extra fees linked to the lenders paperwork and other things that are related to things such as the contract. Every person that is working with you will receive a commission or part of the investment that you are making in the beginning.

Before you begin house hunting, make sure that you know about the initial investments and how it will affect your bank account. Setting aside a specific amount of money for your first home, or knowing how much to include in a down payment after buying a second home will help you to make the right investments from the beginning. You will want to make sure that you walk into your dream home with enough money to get you completely in the door.

Real estate appraisal

Real estate appraisal – is that the real one?

Real estate appraisal or property valuation is the process of determining the value of the property on the basis of the highest and the best use of real property (which basically translates into determining the fair market value of the property). The person who performs this real estate appraisal exercise is called the real estate appraiser or property valuation surveyor. The value as determined by real estate appraisal is the fair market value. The real estate appraisal is done using various methods and the real estate appraisal values the property as different for difference purposes e.g. the real estate appraisal might assign 2 different values to the same property (Improved value and vacant value) and again the same/similar property might be assigned different values in a residential zone and a commercial zone. However, the value assigned as a result of real estate appraisal might not be the value that a real estate investor would consider when evaluating the property for investment. In fact, a real estate investor might completely ignore the value that comes out of real estate appraisal process.

A good real estate investor would evaluate the property on the basis of the developments going on in the region. So real estate appraisal as done by a real estate investor would come up with the value that the real estate investor can get out of the property by buying it at a low price and selling it at a much higher price (as in the present). Similarly, real estate investor could do his own real estate appraisal for the expected value of the property in, say 2 years time or in 5 years time. Again, a real estate investor might conduct his real estate appraisal based on what value he/she can create by investing some amount of money in the property i.e. a real estate investor might decide on buying a dirty/scary kind of property (which no one likes) and get some minor repairs, painting etc done in order to increase the value of the property (the value that the real estate investor would get by selling it in the market). So, here the meaning of real estate appraisal changes completely (and can be very different from the value that real estate appraiser would come out with if the real estate appraiser conducted a real estate appraisal exercise on the property).

A real estate investor will generally base his investment decision on this real estate appraisal that he does by himself (or gets done through someone). So, can we then term real estate appraisal as a really real ‘real estate appraisal’?

How to convert solar energy into power

What is solar energy

Solar energy is radiant energy that is produced by the sun. Every day the sun radiates, or sends out, an enormous amount of energy. The sun radiates more energy in one second than people have used since the beginning of time! Where does the energy come from that constantly radiates from the sun? It comes from within the sun itself. Like other stars, the sun is a big ball of gases––mostly hydrogen and helium atoms.

The hydrogen atoms in the sun’s core combine to form helium and generate energy in a process called nuclear fusion. During nuclear fusion, the sun’s extremely high pressure and temperature cause hydrogen atoms to come apart and their nuclei (the central cores of the atoms) to fuse or combine. Four hydrogen nuclei fuse to become one helium atom. But the helium atom contains less mass than the four hydrogen atoms that fused. Some matter is lost during nuclear fusion. The lost matter is emitted into space as radiant energy. It takes millions of years for the energy in the sun’s core to make its way to the solar surface, and then just a little over eight minutes to travel the 93 million miles to earth. The solar energy travels to the earth at a speed of 186,000 miles per second, the speed of light.

Only a small portion of the energy radiated by the sun into space strikes the earth, one part in two billion. Yet this amount of energy is enormous. Every day enough energy strikes the United States to supply the nation’s energy needs for one and a half years! Where does all this energy go? About 15 percent of the sun’s energy that hits the earth is reflected back into space. Another 30 percent is used to evaporate water, which, lifted into the atmosphere, produces rainfall. Solar energy also is absorbed by plants, the land, and the oceans. The rest could be used to supply our energy needs.
How to convert solar energy into power

Energy from the sun can be converted into solar power in two ways. The first way involves the use of solar thermal applications. Solar thermal applications use the sun’s energy to provide direct heat to air or liquid (like Thermosyphon solar water heater) Solar thermal panels can be used for both residential and larger-scale applications.

The second way of obtaining solar power involves the use of photoelectric applications. Photoelectric applications use photovoltaic cells in converting energy from the sun into electricity. Photovoltaic cells are considered low maintenance and well suited to remote applications. They use semiconductors like silicon to convert energy from the sun into electricity.

How to deal with unsuccessful projects

More projects fail than succeed. 44% of all projects were late, over budget, and/or with less than the required features and functions, 24% of all projects were cancelled prior to completion or delivered and never used (*).

When a project fails, or is already failing before it is completed, it’s critical that lessons are learnt from the experience, to better avoid project failure in the future. To do this, you should consider project success or failure under four headings: People, Process, Culture, Context.

• People – what factors relating to the human elements must be influenced to achieve success?

• Process – what programme and project management infrastructure must be in place for success?

• Culture – how does the culture of an organisation influence programmes and projects?

• Context – does the environment in which programmes and projects are being delivered matter? How does this differ between sectors?

One of the most important of these is process. Make sure you have a consistent approach to programme and project management. Ensure that you’re using a recognised project management methodology – for example PRINCE2. Ensure that your people are effectively trained – for example they have a PRINCE2 qualification.

You also need to ensure that your organisation has the right cultural approach to project management. So, consider whether programme and project management is recognised as a dedicated career path, whether the attributes of programme and project managers recognised as professional skills and are people supported to achieve PRINCE2 qualification. Are programmes and projects being undertaken by resources ‘on top of their day jobs’ and do you provide the opportunities to ‘improve’ programme and project management?

The key to achieving consistent project success is adoptinga process – such as PRINCE2 – and using it consistently:

• Remember that programmes and projects involve people –engage with them rather than attempting to manage them

• Recognise programme and project management as a professional skill –not everyone has the attributes to be a good programme and/or project manager

• Understand the organisation’s cultural ‘norms’ and context –operate within these expectations

• Provide support -from all levels of the organisation

(*) Source: Standish Group, CHAOS summary 2011

What You Need To Learn About DIY Landscaping

For many people the easiest way to go is choosing to do their own landscaping. You’ll spend less on the cost of hiring a professional by doing it yourself, and get to spend some time outdoors. Not merely can you pass an enjoyable afternoon while doing landscape designs, you’ll also get exercise benefits at the same time. Any individual who wants to be a successful do-it-yourself landscaper really needs a number of tools, ranging from basic to hi-tech.

While doing your very own landscaping, these tools will be essential. When you’re developing the layout of your lawn and garden, it is important to have a good software program for landscaping. A system that comes recommended is in fact one by Punch, called Master Landscape & Home Design. The program is still being used effectively, despite it having been bought as far back as 2003. The 3 dimensional Photoview technology lets you use digital pictures you have of your property and garden, and on the computer monitor you can preview anything you want to do before implementing it. You’ll find plants, by using the PlantFinder, that fit the conditions in your geographical area, being appropriate to the soil and climate. You may also find the best places to buy the plants, when using the calculator to find estimated costs.

This method is most likely the most high-tech that you might need to get. An essential element of your landscape would be to mow the lawn, so when you do the landscaping yourself, you will need a good lawn mower. Watch out when buying a mower, because it is easy to acquire something with abilities way beyond your needs. However, you can also simply order your spanking new mower from a catalogue, or buy a good-condition used mower at a second-hand store. If your property is big, you may want to look at a lawn mower you can ride, which will save you time as well as muscle-ache.

It does not matter where your home is or what your lawn looks like, you’ll want to have a weed wacker. It can do a great job on the spots that the mower can’t reach, such as around fruit trees, near fences, beside patios, and many other places. Should you buy one of the better wackers, you’ll also get attachments for many functions, such as cutting really tough weeds. Particularly if you have let things go for some time, and these weeds have become long, as well as tough. To stand up to all of these, you will certainly need some heavy-duty plastic, not the regular string-and-coil wacker.

There are several tools that are relatively low tech that you will likewise need, such as different shovels, rakes, pruning instruments, and definitely a good pair of gloves. A little understanding might be needed about things such as hydroponics, carpentry and electricity, but that will depend on the sophistication of your design and what you have planted.

The Contractor

Most commonly, the term ‘contractor‘ is used to describe an expert in the construction industry who hires skilled and unskilled workers to actually construct a financed project. A contractor must be licensed by an examining board before he or she can bid on the project. This bid is based on the estimated cost of the building materials, the wages of subcontractors and laborers and the contractor’s fee for coordinating the project.
Although a contractor’s main concern is hiring qualified subcontractors (specialized craftsmen paid by the contractor), he or she may also perform some of the construction work as well. Most contractors develop good working relationships with other construction specialists, so they often hire the same specialized companies and workers for each contracted project. The contractor is ultimately responsible for the quality of the work performed by subcontractors, so it doesn’t always pay to hire unknown entities to cut down on expenses.
A professional contractor should also have an understanding of his or her limitations. The client works with an architect and financier long before the first shovel of dirt is removed by a contractor. During the bidding process, a contractor may have to work with the building’s architect to discuss potential problems with a design element. If the complexity of the building’s design or the potential cost overruns threaten to overwhelm a contractor’s skills, he or she needs to step back and allow other contractors to win the bid. A good contractor understands that the success of the project depends on his or her ability to hire the right independent subcontractors and follow the wishes of the client.
In a different sense, a contractor could also be anyone who agrees to perform work for a fee. This occurs frequently in businesses which cannot afford to assign or hire a new employee to perform a specific job. The job itself may not be long-term enough to justify the expenses of a new hire, or the wages may not be sufficient for established employees. Companies in this situation often hire ‘independent contractors’ to perform the job without a formal employment agreement. The pay rate is discussed with each independent contractor and a legal agreement may be produced. After completing the job, an independent contractor receives the entire amount of pay without tax deductions or other withholdings. At the end of the tax year, the company issues a federal 1099 form showing the independent contractor’s miscellaneous income earned.

Testing Concrete Aggregates ( From field to Site)

Here after is the specification for concrete aggregate testing in a hi-rise building construction.

General

Samples of the fine and coarse aggregates approved by the Engineer shall be kept on the Site and shall give a fair indication of the approved quality of the aggregate for comparison with the aggregate delivered during the course of the works.

Should a sample fail to comply with any of tests, the Engineer may at his own discretion reject the batch from which sample was taken, or order it to be washed and/or screened, or permit such to be used with variations in the proportions of the concrete mixes specified, all a the Contractor’s expense. Any batch of aggregate rejected by the Engineer shall be removed from the site forthwith and replaced entirely at the Contractor’s expense.

All sample and testing of aggregates shall be carried out in accordance with ASTM C33.

Preliminary Aggregate Tests

As soon as the source of supply of aggregate have been approved, the Contractor shall instruct  the testing agency to carry out the following tests for compliance with “Specification of Concrete Aggregates” (ASTM C33).

1. Sieve analysis
2. Tests for clay, silt and dust content
3. Tests for organic impurities
4. Tests for salt content (chloride and sulfate ions)

The results of these tests shall be submitted for approval as soon as available. Test (1) and (2) with tests for the moisture content of each aggregate shall be carried out on the sample used for each trial mix.

Testing sampling of Aggregates

The contractors shall carry out such tests on aggregate samples as are necessary for the production of the specified concrete. The minimum incremental frequency of tests on each type of concrete used for the works shall be:

1. Sieve analysis: at least once weekly
2. Moisture content: at least once weekly
3. Tests for clay, silt and dust content: at least once fortnightlu
4. Tests for organic impurities: at least once monthly
5. Tests for salt content (chloride and sulfate ions): for every 500 cubic meters of concrete placed.

If for any reason the Engineer is not satisfied with the works concrete, he may instruct the Contractor to further increase the rate of sampling. Conversely, the rate of sampling may be reduce by the Engineer when consistent high quality been well established.

The Administration of Highway Projects ( In England & US )

The administration of highway projects differs from one country to another, depending upon social, political and economic factors. The design, construction and maintenance of major national primary routes such as motorways or dual carriageways are generally the responsibility of a designated government department or an agency of it, with funding, in the main, coming from central government. Those of secondary importance, feeding into the national routes, together with local roads, tend to be the responsibility of local authorities. Central government or an agency of it will usually take responsibility for the development of national standards.

The Highways Agency is an executive organisation charged within England with responsibility for the maintenance and improvement of the motorway/trunk road network. (In Ireland, the National Roads Authority has a similar function.) It operates on behalf of the relevant government minister who still retains responsibility for overall policy, determines the framework within which the Agency is permitted to operate and establishes its goals and objectives and the time frame within which these should take place.

In the United States, the US Federal Highways Agency has responsibility at federal level for formulating national transportation policy and for funding major projects that are subsequently constructed, operated and maintained at state level. It is one of nine primary organisational units within the US Department of Transportation (USDOT). The Secretary of Transportation, a member of the President’s cabinet, is the USDOT’s principal.

Each state government has a department of transportation that occupies a pivotal position in the development of road projects. Each has responsibility for the planning, design, construction, maintenance and operation of its federally funded highway system. In most states, its highway agency has responsibility for developing routes within the state-designated system. These involve roads of both primary and secondary state-wide importance. The state department also allocates funds to local government. At city/county level, the local government in question sets design standards for local roadways as well as having responsibility for maintaining and operating them.