Thursday 7 June 2012

Child Labour in India

Child Labour in India
India continues to host the largest number of child labourers in the world today.
According to the Census 2001, there were 12.7 million economically active children in
the age-group of 5-14 years. The number was 11. 3 million during 1991 (Population
Census) thus showing an increase in the number of child labourers. Workers in general
are classified into main and marginal workers1 by the population census. Census data
shows that there is a decline in the absolute number as well the percentage of children
(5-14) to total population in that age group, classified as main workers from 4.3 percent
in 1991 to 2.3 percent in 2001. But there was a substantial increase in marginal workers
in every category of worker irrespective of sex and residence. As a result, despite the
number of main workers declining from 9.08 million in 1991 to 5.78 million in 2001, the
total number of children in the work force increased. A large part of the increase was
accounted for by the increase in marginal workers, which increased from 2.2 million in
1991 to 6.89 million in 2001. The trends between 1991 and 2001 of declining main child
workers along with increasing marginal workers may indicate the changing nature of
work done by children. This is also to be seen in the context of decelerating employment
growth in general in the economy during the last decade.
According to NSSO estimates WPR for children in the 5-9 age group is negligible and for
children in the age group of 10-14, it still continues to be significant though declining.



Magnitude of Child Labour across States
There is across the board decline in the incidence of child labour in the Southern and
Western Indian States and UTs between 1991 and 2001. However, there has been an
increasing trend in the Eastern and North Indian States and UTs. While the Kerala and
Tamil Nadu stories are well known, it is heartening to see that the state of Andhra
Pradesh, that had a dubious distinction of having the largest child labour force in the
country, shows very remarkable reduction in work-force participation, along with a
dramatic increase in the enrollment of children in school.
Surprising is the case of Himachal Pradesh, which has shown significant increases in
school attendance and in literacy levels.2 However, there is a dramatic increase in the
percentage of children in the age-group 5-14 years who are classified as workers, both
main and marginal



EXISTING PROGRAMMES FOR REHABILITATION OF CHILD LABOUR
1 Legal Framework
As per Article 24 of the Constitution, no child below the age of 14 years is to be
employed in any factory, mine or any hazardous employment. Further, Article 39
requires the States to direct its policy towards ensuring that the tender age of children is
not abused and that they are not forced by economic necessity to enter avocations
unsuited to their age or strength. Recently, with the insertion of Article 21A, the State
has been entrusted with the task of providing free and compulsory education to all the
children in the age group of 6-14 years. Consistent with the Constitutional provisions,
Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act was enacted in 1986, which seeks to
prohibit employment of children below 14 years in hazardous occupations and processes
and regulates the working conditions in other employments. In the last 5 years, the
number of hazardous processes listed in the schedule of the Act has increased from 18 to
57 and occupations from 7 to 13.
2 National Child Labour Programme
A National Policy on Child Labour was announced in 1987 which emphasised the need
for strict enforcement measures in areas of high child labour concentration. In order to
translate the above policy into action, the Government of India initiated the National
Child Labour Project Scheme in 1988 to rehabilitate the working children starting with
12 child labour endemic districts of the country. Under the Scheme, working children are
identified through child labour survey, withdrawn from work and put into the special
schools, so as to provide them with enabling environment to join mainstream education
system. In these Special Schools, besides formal education, they are provided stipend @
Rs.100/- per month, nutrition, vocational training and regular health check ups. In
addition, efforts are also made to target the families of these children so as to cover them
under various developmental and income/employment generation programmes of the
Government. The Scheme also envisages awareness generation campaigns against the
evils of child labour and enforcement of child labour laws.
It is seen that the level of enforcement in the States of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh,
Maharashtra & West Bengal is encouraging, whereas that in UP, Rajasthan, Madhya
Pradesh & Orissa it is very low.
However, so far only 3,74,255 children have been mainstreamed under the Scheme.
3 ILO-International Programme for Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC)
ILO launched IPEC Programme in 1991 to contribute to the effective abolition of child
labour in the world. India was the first country to sign MOU in 1992. The INDUS Project
envisages direct interventions in the identified 21 districts spread across five states for
identification and rehabilitation of child labour. The strategy under the project is to
complement and build up on the existing government initiatives.



RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ABOLITION OF CHILD LABOUR
1 INCLUSIVE DEFINITION OF CHILD LABOUR
2 AMENDMENT TO THE CHILD LABOUR (PROHIBITION AND
REGULATION) ACT 1986

3 A NEW NATIONAL CHILD LABOUR ERADICATION POLICY
4 REVISED NATIONAL CHILD LABOUR PROGRAMME (NCLP)
4.1. Transitional Education Centres

4.2 Migrant children
4.3. NCLP Project Society at District level
4.4. Social Mobilisation
4.5. Social Mobilisers
4.6 Survey of child labour


5 .SYNERGY BETWEEN ALL CONCERNED DEPARTMENTS
5.1. Department of Labour
5.2. Department of Education
5.3. Department of Home/Police
5.4. Department of Youth Affairs
5.5. Department of Panchayat Raj
5.6. Department of Women and Child Development
5.7. Involvement of Judiciary
5.8. Role of Gram Panchayats
5.9 Vocational Training for children in 15-18 years age group

6. TRAININGS
Youth volunteers, gram panchayats, school teachers, officers of labour department
and so on must all be given training about child labour and their respective roles in
abolition of child labour. Training modules are to be prepared on the issue of child
labour and education. All the participants must have a legal literacy and have a full
knowledge of children’s rights and their entitlements, the role of various
departments, and awareness of the schemes and programs meant for children.



7. STRUCTURES AND PROCESSES FOR MONITORING RESCUE, RELEASE
AND MAINSTREAMING OF CHILDREN
7.1 Formation of Task Force at Block/District level
7.2Constitution of State Monitoring Committee to review problems and issue specific
guidelines and circulars.
7.3National Committee to Review Program
7.4 Inter ministerial committee














Faux Questions

 Faux Questions

What is wrong with YOU that you would….?!

Don’t fall prey to this. Being defensive and offering explanations will weaken you. Only answer questions that show a genuine desire to understand your views or actions. Many difficult people make the mistake of being critical and asking a question at the same time. The question always gets lost in the verbal volley that is triggered. Several examples of ways to coolly counteract (CC) these faux questions are offered below with (AAAH) EXPLANATIONS of what makes the responses effective:
Act-as-if- it’s-all-good—admit, agree, compliment, gratitude.
Asks questions—curious or hidden.
Actively listens—rephrase, name feelings or behavior, sympathizing, validate.
Hide suggestions—truism, false choice, underlying assumptions, reverse psychology, power words, random or unclear responses. Hidden suggestions are set off by ellipses and underscored.

Example #1:

CC1: So are you trying to say I’m defective or do you really… want to understand why I …?

Bully: Of course I want to understand!

CC2: Are you sure… you truly want to know my reasons for ….

EXPLANATION: The first CC asks a question that highlights the attempt to offend and offers a choice to admit that the bully’s aim is to insult or to actually make an effort to understand. It should be made with a tone of sincere curiosity. Even difficult people will take the high road, rather than owning up to being blatantly nasty. This multiple choice questions also hides the suggestion to want to understand. The power word, try, is used to imply that the attempt to point out flaws isn’t working.

If the bully’s tone of voice still sounds angry, a second question is posed to build impatience and focus attention. This creates an opportunity to hide another suggestion to understand and gives the person time to switch gears from debate to dialogue.

Example #2:

CC: Aw…You sound so frustrated, but thanks for … wanting to understand why I….

EXPLANATION: This CC actively listens by naming the person’s feeling. This type of empathy focuses on the vulnerable feeling underlying the more reactive anger. But is a power word that discounts everything that came before it and creates yet another opportunity to hide a suggestion to understand.

Example #3:

CC: Could you please be just a tad more harsh.

EXPLANATION: Reverse psychology in this CC politely encourages bullies to continue undesirable behavior, which puts the target in a no-lose position: bullies either cease uninvited behavior or the person’s true request is granted. Active listening puts the spotlight on the bully’s harsh tone, increasing self awareness, rather than focusing on others.

~ ~ ~

The cruel comment, What is wrong with YOU? is often made by family and spouses. Sincere questions, empathy, and light-hearted reverse psychology are the ticket with the intimate insults.

For more information, please check out some books listed: HOW TO HANDLE BULLIES TEASERS AND OTHER MEANIES; MAKING HOSTILE WORDS HARMLESS, and EMPOWERING DIALOGUES WITHIN (for the bullies in your brain).

IAS officer Sagayam makes assets public

IAS officer makes assets public:
Namakkal collector creates history, voluntarily declares property worth Rs 9 lakh

Seeking to “walk the talk” on upholding probity in administration, a Tamil Nadu cadre IAS officer has put up his asset details on a state website.


U Sagayam, Collector of Namakkal district, has created history of sorts by being the first IAS officer in the state to upload details of his assets on the district website, taking fellow officers by pleasant surprise.

Taking recourse to the “purely voluntary disclosure” provision under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, the 47-year-old officer, during the RTI Week observed in Namakkal district last month, had announced that he would make known his property and bank balance details on the website.

Walk the talk

Fulfilling his intent, Sagayam declared on the Namakkal district website recently that he has a house property worth Rs 9 lakh in Madurai, jointly owned by his wife Vimala and himself, besides a bank balance of a mere Rs 7,172 in his account with the State Bank of India.

As per the All India Service Rules, people entering IAS not only have to furnish details of their personal assets at the time of joining service, but should also submit their property statement to the government every year. Does this make the bold IAS officer’s move a wee bit superfluous?

Sagayam, speaking to Deccan Herald from Namakkal on Wednesday, said though the asset details of IAS cadre officers were already with the government and in the public domain at that level, he still felt impelled to take it to a larger domain of public visibility.

Leading by example

“The collector, as one leading the district administration, instead of just telling his subordinates to be honest, should lead by personal example,” he said.

“It will create confidence in the people and also motivate the administration at large as the impression of public servants in the eyes of the people is at low ebb,” Sagayam reasoned.

He hoped that his action would convey that “there are people serious about upholding integrity in public administration.” It should also help to strengthen the democratic process in the country.

Some IAS officers feel that there is no necessity to disclose their assets on the website as they are already with the government. Yet, Sagayam seems to have made a point to ponder.

Tuesday 5 June 2012

Rubber Cement Poisoning

Rubber Cement Poisoning

Overview
Poisonous Ingredient
Where Found
Symptoms
Home Care
Before Calling Emergency
Poison Control
What to Expect at the Emergency Room
Outlook (Prognosis)
References


Rubber cement is a common household glue. Breathing in large amounts of rubber cement fumes or swallowing any amount can be extremely dangerous, especially for a small child.

This is for information only and not for use in the treatment or management of an actual poison exposure. If you have an exposure, you should call your local emergency number (such as 911) or the National Poison Control Center at 1-800-222-1222.
Reference from A.D.A.M.

Poisonous Ingredient
Acetone
Heptane
Isopropyl alcohol
Paradichlorobenzene
Trichloroethane

Where Found
Various rubber cements (often used for arts and crafts projects). Elmer's rubber glue is one brand.
Note: This list may not be all-inclusive.

Symptoms

Most symptoms occur in people who repeatedly sniff rubber cement to get "high."
Airways and lungs
Breathing difficulty (from inhalation)
Throat swelling (which may also cause breathing difficulty)
Eyes, ears, nose, and throat
Burning in the nose, lips, throat, or eyes
Vision loss
Heart and blood
Change in the acid balance of the blood, which can lead to organ damage
Collapse
Low blood pressure
Intestinal tract
Abdominal pain
Nausea
Vomiting
Nervous system
Convulsions
Dizziness
Headache
Muscle spasms
Nerve problems
Unconsciousness
Unstable walk
Skin
Irritation

Home Care

Do NOT make a person throw up unless told to do so by poison control or a health care professional. Seek immediate medical help.

If the chemical is on the skin or in the eyes, flush with lots of water for at least 15 minutes.

If the chemical was swallowed, immediately give the person water or milk, unless instructed otherwise by a health care provider. Do NOT give water or milk if the patient is having symptoms (such as vomiting, convulsions, or a decreased level of alertness) that make it hard to swallow.

If the person breathed in the poison, immediately move him or her to fresh air.

Before Calling Emergency

Determine the following information:
Patient's age, weight, and condition
Name of the product (ingredients and strengths, if known)
Time it was swallowed
Amount swallowed

Poison Control

The National Poison Control Center (1-800-222-1222) can be called from anywhere in the United States. This national hotline number will let you talk to experts in poisoning. They will give you further instructions.

This is a free and confidential service. All local poison control centers in the United States use this national number. You should call if you have any questions about poisoning or poison prevention. It does NOT need to be an emergency. You can call for any reason, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Take the container with you to the hospital, if possible.

See: Poison control center - emergency number

What to Expect at the Emergency Room

The health care provider will measure and monitor the patient's vital signs, including temperature, pulse, breathing rate, and blood pressure. Symptoms will be treated as appropriate. The patient may receive:
Breathing tube
Bronchoscopy - a camera down the throat to see burns in the airways and lungs
Fluids through a vein (IV)
Oxygen
Tube through the mouth into the stomach to wash out the stomach (gastric lavage)
Washing of the skin (irrigation) -- perhaps every few hours for several days

Outlook (Prognosis)

How well a patient does depends on the amount of poison swallowed and how quickly treatment is received. The faster a patient gets medical help, the better the chance for recovery.

Swallowing or putting small amounts of rubber cement in your mouth is usually harmless. However, intentionally eating large amounts can cause damage to your brain, liver, and kidneys. Severe damage to your brain, lungs, and kidneys can occur over time from repeatedly "sniffing" rubber cement.

References

Mirkin DB. Benzene and related aromatic hydrocarbons. In: Shannon MW, Borron SW, Burns MJ, eds. Haddad and Winchester's Clinical Management of Poisoning and Drug Overdose . 4th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2007:chap 94.

Rubber cement

Rubber cement is a versatile adhesive made from latex polymers mixed in acetone or other solvents. Paul Van Cleef invented the adhesive for use in the Van Cleef Brothers factory in Chicago, Illinois in the early 1900s.

Most brands of rubber cement available for purchase today have the same basic formula, although many manufacturers made slight adjustments after learning that the benzene in rubber cement could be linked to the development of certain cancers. Today, n-hexane and n-heptane are commonly used as less toxic alternatives to benzene.

Rubber cement is inexpensive and easy to use. A permanent bond can be created by applying rubber cement to both the top and bottom papers, while a repositionable bond is created by applying the adhesive to only one surface. In addition, excess rubber cement can be peeled or rubbed off without wrinkling or damaging the paper. This makes rubber cement the perfect choice for card making and collage crafts.

At one time, rubber cement was commonly used in scrapbooking. However, today’s crafters have mostly abandoned this practice due to concerns that the acidity of the adhesive may damage photos and memorabilia. If you are interested in creating a scrapbook, use an acid-free archival quality glue stick instead of rubber cement.
denatonium benzoate www.gulec.de
high-performance denaturants high-purity, powder form www.gulec.de
Adhesives Hot melt glues Adhesives Dealers & Distributors Economical & Best Quality in www.procure-one.com
india www.procure-one.com
Degreasing Equipment www.Serec-corp.com
Airless Vacuum Vapor Degreasing Industrial Cleaning Equipment www.Serec-corp.com
HighTemperature Materials www.aremco.com
adhesives, coatings, sealants and potting compounds www.aremco.com
glue gun www.plastic-material.net
China glue gun manufacturer, high power for wood, plastic, foam… www.plastic-material.net



Rubber cement may stain some fabrics and upholstery. However, you can remove rubber cement stains by sponging the spot with a small amount of dry cleaning solvent followed by a mixture of lukewarm water and a mild pH balanced detergent. Flush the area with clean water and allow to air dry.

As a safety precaution, rubber cement should always be used in a well-ventilated area. Avoid contact with open flames and never allow children to use rubber cement without adult supervision. If the glue accidentally comes in contact with your eyes, flush with water for at least 15 minutes. If you suspect the chemical has been swallowed, call Poison Control immediately. Do not attempt to induce vomiting without first seeking medical advice.

In recent years, teenagers have discovered that rubber cement has the potential for abuse as an inhalant. When the fumes from rubber cement are inhaled on a regular basis, they produce effects that are similar to the result of alcohol consumption. However, the effects of huffing or sniffing this glue can include brain damage, cardiac arrest, dizziness, hallucinations, and serious heart or lung problems. Rubber cement also contains a variety of poisonous ingredients, including paradichlorobenzene, trichloroethane, acetone, heptane, and isopropyl alcohol.
denatonium benzoate www.gulec.de
high-performance denaturants high-purity, powder form www.gulec.de
Adhesives Hot melt glues Adhesives Dealers & Distributors Economical & Best Quality in www.procure-one.com
india www.procure-one.com
Degreasing Equipment www.Serec-corp.com
Airless Vacuum Vapor Degreasing Industrial Cleaning Equipment www.Serec-corp.com
HighTemperature Materials www.aremco.com

Smart Grid, Meet Smart Buildings

The Networked Grid: Smart Grid, Meet Smart Buildings:

How will intelligent building technologies interface with the smart grid? Here are some examples.
Jeff St. John: March 1, 2012

The smart grid will need smart buildings to talk to, if it’s to fulfill its promise of connecting utilities to their customers. But the vast majority of today’s smart grid projects pretty much end with the smart meter. Meanwhile, building energy efficiency technology remains, for the most part, concerned with what’s happening within its four walls, not on the grid at large.

Still, we’re seeing the first real-world examples of a new stage in the smart grid-smart building nexus. In some cases, we’re seeing utilities reaching into customers’ homes and buildings via new pricing schemes, demand response signals or direct load control switches.

In other cases, advanced building energy management systems, distributed generation sources and even campus-wide microgrids and virtual power plants are hooking up buildings in ways that make them more responsive to grid operators’ needs.

Most of today’s buildings aren’t nearly this smart, though, and we’re a long way from anything resembling a seamless integration of grids and buildings. Still, the potential rewards of that integration are pretty enticing, and that’s made the smart building-smart grid nexus a target of software startups, energy equipment and services giants, and government-funded pilot projects, all with their own approaches to bridging the divide.

We’ll be covering developments in the space at Greentech Media’s The Networked Grid Conference, to be held at the Washington Duke Inn in Durham, NC on April 4-5, 2012, but here’s a preview of the ground to cover. Let’s approach from the building side first. Everyone’s seen the dire statistics on how much energy the commercial building sector wastes -- up to one-third of a typical building’s power use, according to most estimates.

The first step in any building energy management project must be identifying and fixing these obvious sources of waste, which involves the typical low-tech steps of replacing old fluorescent lights with newer, more efficient models, or upgrading an HVAC system with the latest variable-speed fans and high-efficiency compressors and chillers, and the like.

Beyond that, we’ve got a host of companies looking at applying software, sensors and controls to buildings to squeeze more efficiency out of the system. Startups in the space include SCIenergy, SkyFoundry, Serious Energy, Telkonet, Adura, Daintree Networks and many others. They’re being joined by giants in the space like Schneider Electric, Siemens, General Electric, Johnson Controls, Honeywell and others with software-hardware combinations of their own. The fundamental goal is to make building systems run properly to shave 10 percent to 20 percent off power bills -- but again, that’s not meant to be connected to the grid.

Moving from overall energy savings toward actually shifting energy use to take advantage of demand response programs or variable energy prices isn’t yet a priority for most buildings, though demand response projects from the likes of EnerNOC, Constellation Energy, Viridity Energy, Verisae and BuildingIQ are tackling the challenge.

It isn’t easy to get buildings to respond to real-time prices, peak power signals or direct load control. In fact, it takes a careful balancing of the needs of the utility to get a predictable load drop from a building, and the needs of the building owner and tenants to keep the building’s business running smoothly while shaving energy use.

But get the balance right, and the investment made into running buildings more efficiently can suddenly start yielding additional savings from avoiding high peak power prices, or even bidding energy reductions into energy markets to earn revenues, said Building IQ CEO Mike Zimmerman.

“We’re seeing a multiple of the savings we can verifiably deliver to the customer by doing direct load control, as well as providing the sophistication of self-learning and adaptive behavior,” Zimmerman said in an interview last month. BuildingIQ does things like pre-cool buildings before peak afternoon prices hit, then turn off air conditioning systems and let temperatures gradually drift upward, saving money or bidding the reduction back as “negawatts” for the grid.

Knowing just how much you need to pre-cool to leave the building still comfortable at the end of a peak period is a matter of analyzing the building and its energy systems beforehand, Zimmerman said. That’s the same kind of building energy profiling that SCIenergy, Serious Energy and big energy services companies aim to provide. Hooking it up to the grid takes another layer of sophistication. Right now, BuildingIQ has pilots underway with several Australian utilities, and recently announced a deal with San Francisco-based energy services company Syserco to roll out its product in the United States.

Another startup with a lot of building-optimization-to-smart-grid projects underway is Viridity Energy. The Philadelphia-based software vendor analyzes buildings and campuses to identify energy saving potential, and then works with partners to install the demand response capabilities to play the capabilities into the energy market. It just launched a partnership with ConEd Solutions, the energy services and trading arm of big New York utility Consolidated Edison, to create a commercial-scale program serving regions from New England to Texas.

On the other end, Viridity connects and interfaces its “microgrid” projects into the network of IT and legacy systems that allow grid operators, utilities, generators and buyers of power to conduct their daily business. That sector covers everything from old-fashioned emergency demand response from vertically integrated utility sectors to fast-reacting, market-based energy shifting based on wholesale power prices or spot demand for grid balancing power.

Most of these smart building upgrades require some sort of building management system (BMS) to connect to. Most big commercial properties do have building automation systems installed, but many lack energy data. Getting accurate energy measurements can require installing sensors or doing complex analytics to estimate discrete building energy costs against meter readings, for example.

We’re seeing companies take different paths to enable buildings for grid integration. Constellation Energy’s VirtuWatt platform, a customer interface for bidding buildings into energy markets, has been deployed at customers like Marriott where it serves as an ad-hoc BMS for hotels that lacked one, as well as being integrated into pre-existing building systems. Johnson Controls bought customer-facing demand response tech vendor EnergyConnect last year, and has integrated it into its new Panoptix building energy management platform.

Honeywell, which owns the Tridium line of BMS integration systems, also does automated demand response via its Akuacom acquisition, and is linking building controls to demand response signals in Hawaii, California, the U.K. and China. U.S. demand response market leader EnerNOC saw its EfficiencySmart energy efficiency and building management services business grow 77 percent in 2011, with big customers including Southern California Edison.

At the end of the building-grid connection, LIES A dashboard that a building operations manager or real estate portfolio owner can read to get at the numbers they really care about: dollars and cents. That includes what’s being wasted, what can be saved, what can be controlled in close to real time, and what the return on investment may be for all of the available options.

Siemens recently acquired Pace Global Energy Services, a Fairfax, Va.-based company that manages more than $5 billion in global energy spending for clients with about $100 billion in energy assets. Siemens plans to use the acquisition to “extend our reach into the energy market and enhance our current building automation portfolio.” Likewise, Schneider Electric acquired energy procurement company Summit Energy last year, giving it a reach into Summit’s $2 billion business in energy trading that it could connect with its dominant market share in building-side power systems.

Schneider is also working with Cisco, using the networking giant’s EnergyWise protocol to integrate energy data into its new StruxureWare line of building management software. Cisco has apparently abandoned the goal of building servers to control building energy, but its EnergyWise technology could find broader adoption with other BMS vendors.

IBM is another big player in the smart building space, with partnerships with Schneider, Johnson Controls, Honeywell and others to find ways to optimize efficiency. IBM also bought building software startup Tririga last year.

Last but not least, we’ve got the slew of companies aimed at the data center efficiency market. Data centers are, after all, buildings, only with lots of very complex and intelligent power users called servers, rather than assembly lines or office cubicles. Expect much data center expertise from the likes of Microsoft, Cisco, HP and others to seep into the building management world.

Intelligent buildings design and building management systems

Intelligent buildings design and building management systems :
Overview of 'intelligent buildings' and 'intelligent homes' technologies:


The field of Intelligent Buildings, Intelligent Homes, Building Management Systems (BMS) encompasses an enormous variety of technologies, across commercial, industrial, institutional and domestic buildings, including energy management systems and building controls. The function of Building Management Systems is central to 'Intelligent Buildings' concepts; its purpose is to control, monitor and optimise building services, eg., lighting; heating; security, CCTV and alarm systems; access control; audio-visual and entertainment systems; ventilation, filtration and climate control, etc.; even time & attendance control and reporting (notably staff movement and availability). The potential within these concepts and the surrounding technology is vast, and our lives are changing from the effects of Intelligent Buildings developments on our living and working environments. The impact on facilities planning and facilities management is also potentially immense. Any facilities managers considering premises development or site relocation should also consider the opportunities presented by Intelligent Buildings technologies and concepts. This free summary article is contributed by Gary Mills, a leading UK-based expert in the field of Intelligent Buildings, Intelligent Homes, and Building Management Systems.

The origins of Intelligent Buildings and Building Management Systems have roots in the industrial sector in the 1970's, from the systems and controls used to automate production processes and to optimise plant performances. The concepts and applications were then adapted, developed and modularised during the 1980's, enabling transferability of the technology and systems to the residential and commercial sectors.
intelligent buildings - control theory

The essence of Building Management Systems and Intelligent Buildings is in the control technologies, which allow integration, automation, and optimisation of all the services and equipment that provide services and manages the environment of the building concerned.

Programmable Logic Controllers (PLC's) formed the original basis of the control technologies.

Later developments, in commercial and residential applications, were based on 'distributed-intelligence microprocessors'.

The use of these technologies allows the optimisation of various site and building services, often yielding significant cost reductions and large energy savings. There are numerous methods by which building services within buildings can be controlled, falling broadly into two method types:
Time based - providing heating or lighting services, etc., only when required, and
Optimiser Parameter based - often utilising a representative aspect of the service, such as temperature for space heating or illuminance for lighting.


heating - time-based control:
Time-based controls can be used to turn on and off the heating system (and/or water heating) at pre-selected periods (of the day, of the week, etc). Optimiser Parameters: whatever the conditions, the controls make sure the building reaches the desired temperature when occupancy starts

.
heating - optimiser parameter-based (temperature) control examples
Temperature control: protection against freezing or frost protection generally involves running heating system pumps and boilers when external temperature reaches a set level (0°C).
Compensated systems: will control flow temperature in the heating circuit relative to external temperature. This will give a rise in the circuit flow temperature when outside temperature drops.
Thermostatic radiator valves: these sense space temperature in a room and throttle the flow accordingly through the radiator or convector to which they are fitted.
Proportional control: involves switching equipment on and off automatically to regulate output.
Other methods can include thermostats, occupancy sensing PIR's (passive infra-red sensors), and manual user control.


lighting control methods: 
Different control systems exist, again time-based control and optimiser parameter-based where a level of illuminance or particular use of lighting is required.
Zones: lights are switched on corresponding to the use and layout of the lit areas, in order to avoid lighting a large area if only a small part of it needs light.
Time control: to switch on and off automatically in each zone to a preset schedule for light use.
Passive Infra-Red (PIR) Occupancy sensing: In areas which are occupied intermittently, occupancy sensors can be used to indicate whether or not anybody is present and switch the light on or off accordingly.
Light level monitoring: this consists of switching or dimming artificial lighting to maintain a light level measured by a photocell.

building management systems and intelligent buildings - energy savings:
Until recent years, energy efficiency has been a relatively low priority and low perceived opportunity to building owners and investors. However, with the dramatic increase and awareness of energy use concerns, and the advances in cost-effective technologies, energy efficiency is fast becoming part of real estate management, facilities management and operations strategy. The concepts are also now making significant inroads into the domestic residential housebuilding sectors.

For lighting, energy savings can be up to 75% of the original circuit load, which represents 5% of the total energy consumption of the residential and commercial sectors.

Energy savings potential from water heating, cooling, or hot water production, can be up to 10%, which represents up to 7% of the total energy consumption of the domestic residential and commercial sectors.

Experiences from studies in Austria suggest potential heating and cooling energy savings are up to 30% in public buildings. Even allowing for the fact that buildings used in the study may have been those with particularly high energy usage, the figure is an impressive one. (Source: EU2 Analysis and Market Survey for European Building Technologies in Central & Eastern European Countries - GOPA)

building management systems and intelligent buildings - environmental and greenhouse gas benefits 
Greenhouse gas emission reductions depend on and correlate to reductions in energy use.

Intelligent Buildings and Building Management Systems technologies contribute directly to the reduction in energy use, in commercial, industrial, institutional and domestic residential sectors.

In short, Intelligent Buildings and suitably applied Building Management Systems are good for the environment.

Legislation and environmental standards; health and safety regulations; and global trends towards improving indoor air quality standards are all significant drivers of - and provide a continuous endorsement of the need for - Building Management Systems and the Intelligent Buildings technologies.

Government Initiatives around the world are also driving the development and adoption of Building Management Systems technologies. For example the UK Carbon Trust allows Enhanced Capital Allowance (ECA) to be offset against taxation on energy efficient systems, which enables savings of around 30% for all energy-related Building Management Systems and Intelligent Buildings equipment, and the associated installation and design costs.

building management systems and intelligent buildings - market trends
Careful interpretation is required. In the UK, adoption of controls technologies into the new build and major refurbishment sectors is relatively high: Estimates a few years ago of the UK market for Building Management Control Systems for new build and major refurbishment, all sectors, suggest market adoption of (as at 1994 - Source UK1 An Appraisal of UK Energy RTD, ETSU -1994):
Heating controls 70%.
Hot water system controls 90%.
Air conditioning controls 80%.

However according to European Commission as many as 90% of all existing buildings have inapplicable or ineffective controls, many of which require complete refurbishment of control systems.

Moreover conventional control systems stop short of automated Intelligent Buildings full capabilities. A significant human element is required for optimal effective operation even if control systems correctly specified and installed.

Given typical installations and equipment there is often a difficulty for building occupants (residential) or managers (commercial) to operate them correctly. Usage and correct operation are vital for effective results.

Education of users; improved systems-design user-friendliness, and the provision of relevant instructions and information are all critical to enable theory to translate into practice, and for potential effectiveness and savings to be realised.

building management systems and intelligent buildings - practical benefits 
Energy-effective systems balance a building's electric light, daylight and mechanical systems for maximum benefit.

Enhanced lighting design is more than an electrical layout. It must consider the needs and schedules of occupants, seasonal and climatic daylight changes, and its impact on the building's mechanical systems.



lighting systems Adding daylight to a building is one way to achieve an energy-effective design. Natural daylight 'harvesting' can make people happier, healthier, and more productive. And with the reduced need for electric light, a great deal of money can be saved on energy. Nearly every commercial building is a potential energy saving project, where the electric lighting systems can be designed to be dimmed with the availability of daylight. Up to 75% of lighting energy consumption can be saved. In addition, by reducing electric lighting and minimizing solar heat gain, controlled lighting can also reduce a building's air conditioning load.


mechanical systems The HVAC system and controls, including the distribution system of air into the workspaces, are the mechanical parts of buildings that affect thermal comfort. These systems must work together to provide building comfort. While not usually a part of the aesthetics of a building, they are critical to its operations and occupant satisfaction.

The number one office complaint is that the workplace is too hot. Number two is that it's too cold.

Many people cope by adding fans, space heaters, covering up vents, complaining, conducting 'thermostat wars' with their co-workers, or simply leaving the office. Occupants can be driven to distraction trying to adjust the comfort in their space. Improper temperature, humidity, ventilation, and indoor air quality can also have significant impacts on productivity and health. When we are thermally comfortable we work better, shop longer, relax, breathe easier, focus our attention better.

In order to provide a comfortable and healthy indoor environment the building mechanical system must:
Provide an acceptable level of temperature and humidity and safe guard against odours and indoor air pollutants.
Create a sense of habitability through air movement, ventilation and slight temperature variation.
Allow the occupant to control and modify conditions to suit individual preferences.

resistance to building management systems and intelligent buildings technology 
"Our buildings are already energy-efficient." (Is the whole building energy-efficient, or is the landlord limiting his focus to common areas and gross leased spaces?)
"We prefer the equipment with the lowest first cost when fitting out tenant space." (Does the specifier have any idea who will bear the increased operating costs of such a strategy?)
"We need a two-year simple payback or less." (Is this still realistic, given that the percentage return on money markets is literally one-tenth what it was 20 years ago?)
"Tenants pay all energy costs, and will get all the savings." (Do tenants really pay all energy or just the energy over a pre-set base year or expense stop?)
"We're selling the building." (Should we assume then that lowering the operating expenses and reaping the increased asset value are not important?)

intelligent homes 
building management systems for residential applicationsWith the widespread adoption of digital technologies there will be a profound change in how we communicate with others. Even how, in our homes, we shop for goods and services, receive news, manage our finances, learn about the world, and, conduct business, manage resources, find entertainment, and maintain independence and autonomy as we enter old age.

These activities increasingly take place in the home. As our perception of banks, shops, universities, communities, and cities change in response to new technologies, so home building management systems are taking on an extraordinary new importance.

As it exists today the home cannot meet these demands or take advantage of new opportunities created by social and technological changes. Most people live in spaces poorly tailored to their needs.

Until recently, the majority of homes were wired with little more than the main electrical circuits, a few phone lines, and a few TV cables. Times have changed. Electrical and security system contractors routinely install low voltage communication network cables for a wide range of intelligent home or 'smart home' systems.

Services and equipment that utilise these networks include: security; home theatre and entertainment; telephones, door-phones and intercoms; PC and internet networks; surveillance cameras; driveway vehicle sensors; communicating thermostats; motorized window blinds and curtains; entry systems; and irrigation systems.



smart homes 'Smart home' is an alternative term for an intelligent residential building, or an intelligent home. A few years ago these concepts weer considered futuristic and fanciful. Now they are reality. These terms are now commonly used to define a residence that uses a control system to integrate the residence's various automation systems.

Integrating the home systems allows them to communicate with one another through the control system, thereby enabling single button and voice control of the various home systems simultaneously, in pre-programmed scenarios or operating modes.

The development of smart home systems focus on how the home and its related technologies, products, and services should evolve to best meet the opportunities and challenges of the future. The possibilities and permutations are endless. Here are some examples:



smart home example scenario 1 
A scenario such as 'I'm Home' could be triggered by pressing one button on a key-ring remote-control from your vehicle as you approach the driveway. The control system receives the key-ring remote-control's command. This will then trigger a pre-programmed sequence of functions. For example starting by turning on the lighting in the driveway, garage, hallway, and kitchen. It then disarms the security system, opens the garage door, unlocks the interior garage entry door, adjusts the heating to a preset temperature, and turns on the whole-house audio system playing your favourite cd, whilst drawing you a bath.

The control system is programmed to meet specific user requirements, initiating sequential automatic operation of the home systems, in response to 'one button' commands based on the situation and or time.



smart home example scenario 2 At 7:30am and you awake to the sound of your favourite cd playing in the background; the lights in your bedroom switch on; 'fading up' to allow you to wake up in your own time. The downstairs intruder alarm system is de-activated. In the kitchen the coffee machine turns on to make a drink. The ground floor curtains and blinds open; the towel heater in the bathroom warms the towels. And you haven't even got up yet.




This simple example demonstrates how smart home technology will change people's lives. Designing systems that group together and automate everyday simple tasks, improve quality of life and reduce stress levels.

I am grateful to Gary Mills of Fusion Group for providing much of the content in this article. Fusion specialise in the design of intelligent buildings, and living and working environments, which includes design for energy efficiency and climate change considerations. If you are in the UK and interested in receiving a Transparent Building CD-ROM which includes information relating to these subjects please email your enquiry to gary.mills@fusionibs.co.uk, or call: (UK) 08450 204 360.



References

www.eca.gov.uk

www.actionenergy.org.uk

www.defra.gov.uk

www.thecarbontrust.co.uk

www.clipsal.com/cis

www.europa.eu.int/comm

Sunday 3 June 2012

BOTTLE WALL CONSTRUCTION

BOTTLE WALL CONSTRUCTION:
A building construction style which usually uses 1l glass bottles (although mason jars, 1/2l glass jugs, ... may be used as well) as masonry units and binds them using adobe, sand, cement, stucco, clay, plaster, mortar or any other joint compound to result in an intriguing stained-glass like wall. An alternative is to make the bottle wall from 1/2l glass jugs filled with ink and set them up by supporting them between 2 windows
Construction materials:


Bottle walls may be made from recycled mason jars, such as this jam jar

Although bottle walls can be constructed in many different ways, they are typically made on a foundation that is set into a trench in the earth to add stability to the wall. The trench is filled with a rubble of pea gravel and then filled in with cement. Rebar can be set into the foundation to add structural integrity. Bottle walls range one bottle to two bottles thick. Primitive mixture, such as cob or adobe can be used as mortar to bind the bottles. It is thickly spread on the previous layer of bottles followed by the next layer which is pressed into the mixture. Typically two fingers of separation are used as a means of spacing although any kind of spacing can be achieved.

Bottles can also be duct taped together to create a window-type effect. Two similar size bottles can be taped together with the openings allowing a light passage way. This also traps air and creates a small amount of insulation. Filling glass with liquid that will be subjected to freezing and thawing is not a good idea, but is useful if the glass is protected from temperature
extremes.

Heat sink:

When the bottles are filled with a (dark) liquid, or other dark material, the wall can function as a thermal mass, absorbing solar radiation during the day and radiating it back into the space at night, thus dampening diurnal temperature swings.

Binding Mixtures:



A typical mortar mix is 3:1 mason sand to a pozzalan (fly ash) cement mix. Other mixtures could be made from mortar and clay, adobe, cob, sand or cement. Bottle walls are extremely versatile and could be bonded with pretty much anything that can endure its given climate.

Bottle Houses Throughout History:

 a Bottle Wall of an Earthship Bathroom ,the exterior bottle walls of 2 earthships

The use of empty vessels in construction dates back at least to ancient Rome, where many structures used empty amphorae embedded in concrete. This was not done for aesthetic reasons, but to lighten the load of upper levels of structures, and also to reduce concrete usage. This technique was used for example in the Circus of Maxentius.

It is believed that the first bottle house was constructed in 1902 by William F. Peck in Tonopah, Nevada. The house was built using 10,000 bottles of beer from Jhostetter's Stomach Bitters which were 90% alcohol and 10% opium. The Peck house was demolished in the early 1980s.

Around 1905, Tom Kelly built his house in Rhyolite, Nevada, using 51,000 beer bottles masoned with adobe. Kelly chose bottles because trees were scarce in the desert. Most of the bottles were Busch beer bottles collected from the 50 bars in this Gold Rush town. Rhyolite became a ghost town by 1920. In 1925, Paramount Pictures discovered the Bottle House and had it restored for use in a movie. It then became a museum, but tourism was slow, causing it to close. From 1936-1954, Lewis Murphy took care of the house and hosted tourists. From 1954-1969, Tommy Thompson occupied the house. He tried to make repairs to the house with concrete which, when mixed with the desert heat, caused many bottles to crack (Kelly had used adobe mud).

Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park, California, has a bottle house, made from over 3,000 whiskey bottles, that it uses as an "Indian Trader" store today. The house is a remake of the Rhyolite Bottle House replicated from photos taken by Walter Knott in the early 1950s.

Another famous bottle house site was built by the self taught senior citizen Tressa "Grandma " Prisbrey. Located in Simi Valley California, Bottle Village is lauded by art scholars, The State of California, The National Register of Historic Places and in exhibitions, as a major artistic achievement. Beginning construction in 1956 at age 60, and working until 1981, Tressa "Grandma" Prisbrey transformed her 1/3 acre lot into Bottle Village, an otherworld of shrines, wishing wells, walkways, random constructions, plus 15 life size structures all made from found objects placed in mortar. The name "Bottle Village" comes from the structures themselves - made of tens of thousands of bottles unearthed via daily visits to the dump.

The Washington Court Bottle House in Ohio was made with 9,963 bottles of all sizes and colors. The builder was a bottle collector and, to display his collection, he had them built into this house which was on display at Meyer's Modern Tourist Court. In Alexandria, Louisiana, there is a bottle-house gift shop that still stands today. The bottle house was constructed by Drew Bridges who used bottles from his drugstore. There are about 3,000 bottles used as masonry units with railroad ties used as the framing structure.

The Kaleva Bottle House in Kaleva, Michigan, was built by John J. Makinen, Sr.(1871-1942) using over 60,000 bottles laid on their sides with the bottoms toward the exterior. The bottles were mostly from his company, The Northwestern Bottling Works. The house was completed in 1941, but he died before he could move in. The building was purchased by the Kaleva Historical Museum in 1981 and is listed on the National Register of Historical Places. Boston Hills Pet Memorial Park in Boston, Massachusetts, has a bottle wall from 1942. It is part of a small building used for storage. The Wimberley Bottle House in Wimberley, Texas, was constructed using over 9,000 soda bottles. It was built in the early 1960s as part of a pioneer town, a simulated Old West town set to be a tourist attraction/theme park. The house was modeled after Knott's Berry Farm bottlehouse in California