Collapse of a viewing platform

2000 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 421-432
Author(s):  
John C Wilson
Keyword(s):  
Project Management ◽  
Building Code ◽  
Structural Failure ◽  
Code Construction ◽  
Timber Construction ◽  
Load Limit ◽  
Management Procedures ◽  
Legal Position ◽  
Management Issues

In April 1995 a group of young adults were on a school trip to Department of Conservation (DOC) lands on New Zealand's South Island. Moments after 18 of the group had stepped onto a 3 m × 3 m viewing platform it collapsed and fell 30 m. Fourteen people died and the other four were seriously injured. This paper reviews circumstances that contributed to this tragedy. Features of the construction of the timber platform are presented, along with building code requirements that should have been followed but were not. The principal technical reason for the collapse was simple and straightforward; the cantilevered platform was not properly connected to its foundation. More complex however, was the role of non-technical factors that contributed to the collapse. These included failures in project management, provision of qualified engineering input, construction management, compliance with the building code, construction inspection, and posting of load limit signs. The evolution of DOC and project management issues that allowed these failures to occur are examined. Recommendations of the commission of inquiry are presented and resultant changes in DOC's engineering and management procedures are addressed. The issue of accountability and the legal position of DOC present additional interesting twists to this story. The paper concludes with comments by the author that reflect on factors associated with the platform collapse.Key words: platform, collapse, structural failure, building code, timber construction, nailed connections, project management, commission of inquiry, New Zealand.

eLearning for Industry

2013 ◽  
pp. 319-342
Author(s):  
Stephen R. Rodriguez ◽  
Dennis A. Thorp
Keyword(s):  
Project Management ◽  
Corporate Culture ◽  
Project Planning ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Management Processes ◽  
Management Procedures ◽  
Pharmaceutical Industries ◽  
Development Center

This chapter presents a case study of the project planning and management processes—originally employed at a university instructional development center—now utilized in an evolved format at LearnSomething, A Xerox Company (LS). The authors focus upon the overall course development process, which includes the following three matters: project organizational structure, project management processes, the role of corporate culture in the company’s work and its effect on staff. In addition, the authors describe the challenges and pitfalls encountered in simultaneously managing multiple eLearning projects along with lessons learned. The authors’ prime intent is to describe in detailed case study format how eLearning projects are successfully managed and completed at LearnSomething. The writers describe effective project management procedures and strategies, which LS has utilized in successfully planning, designing, developing, evaluating, and delivering multiple eLearning courses for the food and pharmaceutical industries.

scholarly journals Project management in building industry management

2012 ◽  
Vol 60 (7) ◽  
pp. 189-198 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Nový ◽  
Jana Nováková ◽  
Miloš Waldhans
Keyword(s):  
Project Management ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Time Course ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Project Planning ◽  
General Level ◽  
Building Industry ◽  
Management Procedures ◽  
Network Chart

The article deals with contents of the project management on general level first. It mentions the most widespread project management standards, which have historically developed in global scale, their parts and objectives. Further, it describes position of the building industry in national economy, its specific features distinguishing it from the other industrial production, contents of the building industry management and project management of structures. The importance of the role of project manager is documented by characteristics of construction projects, their course, contents of sub-phases, and individual types of managing activities. Attention is devoted to project planning – determination of realization costs, necessary resources, sequence and time course of individual works. The most frequently used graphic methods of schedule presentation – Gantt chart, network chart and frequency bar chart are applied on examples of constructions. These charts can be focused in time sequence on individual types of resources – workforce, finance, materials, energies, and machinery. In conclusion, necessity to manage the project management procedures is emphasized as a part of skills of a construction engineer in the role of preparation manager or construction project realization manager.

“DON VALLEY” WINE-MAKING CLUSTER AS AN ENOGASTROTOURISM DEVELOPMENT SITE: SOCIO-CULTURAL COMPONENT

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Е.V. Pokazannik ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Project Management ◽  
Geographic Location ◽  
Tourist Destination ◽  
Wine Making ◽  
Rostov Region ◽  
Regional Cluster ◽  
Educational Programmes ◽  
Development Site ◽  
Cultural Component

“Don Valley” is more than a historic or geographic location, - it is an official name of a wine-making area, proposed by Rostov Region administration for consolidation of local wine-makers under the single mega-brand. Specialized regional cluster “Don Valley” is “an association of leading scientific, educational, industrial, engineering and innovative organizations and enterprises of the Rostov region, operating in the following areas: wine-making, manufacturing of components for wineries, scientific-research and educational programmes, development of retail infrastructure, promotion of wine-tasting and gastronomic tourism, and viniculture”3. The creators of the cluster official web-site declare “Made on the Don” brand communication as their primary goal, along with promotion of wine in the region. The article reviews the specifics of Don region from a standpoint of its attractiveness as a tourist destination. The mandatory components are named that together with the enogastronomic sphere can contribute to the growth of demand for tourist routes of various content and duration. The key role of cultural and historic component in successful promotion of the Don winemaking in the tourism market is emphasized. It is noted that enogastrotourism can be developed successfully in Don region through socio-cultural project management based on the thorough analysis of specifics of the region as a whole and its individual components affecting the marketing and advertising solutions.

The role of system dynamics in project management

1996 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 213-220 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandre Rodrigues ◽  
John Bowers
Keyword(s):  
Project Management ◽  
System Dynamics

Geluidhinder: decibels of onrechtvaardige procedures?

2007 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Eveline Maris ◽  
Pieter Jan Stallen ◽  
Herman Steensma ◽  
Riël Vermunt
Keyword(s):  
Laboratory Experiments ◽  
Noise Exposure ◽  
Justice Theory ◽  
Psychological Model ◽  
Aviation Noise ◽  
Noise Annoyance ◽  
The Social ◽  
Management Procedures ◽  
Sound Management

Noise Annoyance: Decibels or Unfair Procedures? The contribution of social (in)justice theory to the explanation of noise annoyance Noise Annoyance: Decibels or Unfair Procedures? The contribution of social (in)justice theory to the explanation of noise annoyance E. Maris, P.J.M. Stallen, H. Steensma & R. Vermunt, Gedrag & Organisatie, volume 20, November 2007, nr. 4, pp. 445-460 Noise annoyance is determined by acoustical (e.g., loudness, pitch) and nonacoustical variables (e.g., sensitivity, attitudes towards the source). What is the role of social nonacoustical variables (e.g., the sound management)? Three laboratory experiments (N1 = 90, N2 = 117, N3 = 76 subjects) investigating the effects of fair (i.e., 'voice'), neutral, and 'unfair' (i.e., inconsistent procedure) sound management procedures on annoyance with fifteen minutes of 50 or 70 dB A(Leq.) aircraft sound, are evaluated. Results from each experiment show that systematic differences in procedural fairness yield systematic differences in annoyance. The combined results suggest that: 1) a psychological model of noise annoyance needs to consider the social aspects of noise exposure, 2) the operation of social nonacoustical determinants depends on the perceived harmfulness of the exposure situation, arising either from the situation's acoustics or from its social implications, and 3) aviation noise policies should pay due attention to the fairness of their procedures.

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