This degree projekt deals with Skanska´s safety at the construction site with focus on personal safety equipment. The purpose of this dissertation is to examine how the rules of personal safety equipment are applied and experienced at Skanska´s construction sites. In October 2004 Skanska started a projekt to make the construction sites more safe. With use of a questionnaire we have made a survey at different construction sites. 80 questionaires have been handed out to Skanska´s employees in the southeast region. While they were handed out we conrolled if the employees at Skanska´s construction sites used head protection, easy visible clothing, safety shoes and identification cards. The result of the survey shows how the rules are applied. Differences can be seen in employees of different ages, types of labour and positions. The report also includes a list of all answers from the questionnaire. The result showed that over 90 % of the emplyees used head protection, easy visible clothing, safety shoes and identification cards always or almost all the time. Our visits to the construction sites confirm that result. Our visits and surveys also show that the employees are careless with eye-, ear-, and muuth protection. It also showed a lack of use of visitors identification cards and information to the visitors. The conclusion of this report is that Skanska´s information to the employees about how to use personal safety equipment is insufficient. To inform the emplyees about what the consequences will be if handling careless with personal safety equipment, could encourage them to always use it. / Detta examensarbete behandlar Skanskas säkerhet på deras arbetsplatser med tyngdpunkten på personlig utrustning. Syftet med examensarbetet är att undersöka hur regler om användande av personlig skyddsutrustning följs och upplevs på Skanskas arbetsplatser. Skanska har i oktober 2004 infört ett program för säkrare arbetsplatser som vi i examensarbetet granskar. Vi har med hjälp av en enkät som vi tagit fram för detta ändamål gjort undersökningar på olika arbetsplatser. 80 enkäter har delats ut bland Skanskas anställda i region sydost. I samband med att enkäterna delats ut har användandet av huvudskydd, varselkläder, skyddsskor och företagskort kontrollerats bland de som befinner sig på arbetsplatsen. Undersökningen har berört Skanskas Väg och anläggnings-, Husbyggnads- och byggservice verksamhet. Resultatet av enkätundersökningen visar hur svaren skiljer sig mellan de olika verksamheterna inom företaget, mellan olika åldersgrupper, mellan arbetsledning och yrkesarbetare. Rapporten innehåller dessutom en sammanställning av samtliga svar på enkäten. Av resultatet på enkätundersökningen framkommer att användandet av huvudskydd, varselkläder och skyddsskor är bra vilket även bekräftats av våra besök på arbetsplatserna. Både av enkäterna och av våra kontroller på arbetsplatserna framgår att respondenterna däremot är mindre noggranna med användningen av personlig skyddsutrustning så som ögonskydd och andningsskydd. Samtidigt visar kontrollerna att Skanskas underentreprenörer är sämre på användning av huvudskydd och varselklädsel än Skanskas egna anställda. Besöken visar även att det förekommer slarv med besökskvittenser och säkerhetsinformation på företagets arbetsplatser. Slutsatsen av denna rapport är att Skanskas information till sina anställda gällande när och hur olika former av personlig utrustning ska användas uppfattas bristfällig. Att undervisa de anställda om de konsekvenser som slarv med personlig utrustning leder till skulle vara ett sätt att motivera dem till flitigare användning av den personliga utrustningen.

Förstudien är det första steget i projekteringsfasen, där det ges förslag på åtgärder. I Vägverkets arbete med åtgärder tas det fram förstudier, för att se vilka problemen är och vilka åtgärder som kan tänkas vara möjliga. Den här rapporten kommer att granska arbetet med förstudier. Under arbetets gång har vi använt oss av litteraturstudier, intervjuer samt en enkät. Arbetet inleds med att beskriva vad en förstudie är samt hur arbetet går till i teorin. Sedan följer en empirisk del, där berättas det om de intervjuer som gjorts och där presenteras även resultatet av enkäten. Efter det analyseras resultaten från den empiriska delen, och i de sista kapitlen diskuteras problem och förändringar. Först kommer en beskrivning kring hur arbetet med förstudier fungerar idag, och sedan ges förslag på hur arbetet kan förändras. Som ett exempel kan nämnas ett av de problem som finns idag. Det är hur de behandlar ekonomin, i många fall är redovisningen bristfällig. De som läser förstudien får inte veta hur kostnaderna har räknats fram. Den förändring vi kom fram till är att problemet kan lösas om det finns mer dokumentation kring arbetet som görs innan en förstudie påbörjas. Detta skulle öka tydligheten och ge en ökad förståelse.

Automation is intended to improve overall building performance. Building Automation Systems (BAS) are attractive and popular due to their promise of increased operational effectiveness. BAS can be optimized and a well-designed and well-implemented BAS is expected to increase a buildings overall appeal and value as a result of improvement to its performance. In order to improve the level of automation in buildings, a measurement tool in the form of a performance index is needed. The goal of this research is to quantify a buildings level of automation-performance. The specific objective is to develop an Automation Performance Index (API) model for evaluating the extent of a buildings automation-performance. A methodology is outlined with ten tasks to accomplish the goals of this research and a criterion for each task is described. An extensive literature research and expert survey are performed to identify the key parameters that influence the performance of BAS. Seminars related to the building automation and commissioning fields were also attended to obtain the views of practitioners, manufacturers experts, as well as scholars in the field of building automation and performance commissioning. A Delphi method of research approach is conducted through a series of interviews and surveys of industry and academia experts. The feedback from experts and the research from literature, industry and academic resources are combined, classified and categorized for identification of significant parameters around which Automation Performance Index (API) model can be defined.

Globally, concern for natural resource depletion is growing. The healthcare industry is looking to improve healthcare environments by improving design and using better resources. The U.S. Green Building Council has created the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standard that gives suggestions on how to best use energy, water, land, materials and provide a comfortable indoor environment. Many health centers have used this standard to build new health facilities. It is important that the LEED standards benefit the environment as well as healthcare staff. This study presents four case studies of LEED health centers whose medical staff and administrators evaluate the perceivable green building features applied to their facility. All facilities were given the Occupant Evaluation of LEED Certified Health Centers Survey. The Patrick Dollard Discovery Health Center, the Richard J. Lacks Cancer Center, the Angel Harvey Infant Welfare of Chicago, and the Pearland Pediatric centers received overall satisfactory scores from the occupants. Within the case studies variations in satisfaction occurred where LEED points were not received. There is no evidence that perceivable features used in the design and construction of LEED certified health centers decrease occupant satisfaction.

Advances in technologies and the idea of incorporating technological solutions into buildings have made it possible to provide more comfortable and secure spaces for living or working. The term &ldquo / intelligent building&rdquo / is becoming very popular in terms of attaching prestige to a project and improving its desirability. However too many buildings are claimed to be intelligent and adaptive to change but, without an appropriate understanding of intelligent building concept and also capabilities of assessing an intelligent building, it is not possible to judge such claims. In view of the fact that truly intelligent buildings provide their occupants with efficient facilities and comfortable space, many experts and researchers have discussed the characteristics of intelligent buildings and come up with different definitions and assessment systems, but none agree with each other completely. The aim of this study was to evaluate intelligence in intelligent buildings and provide responsiveness clues in terms of system efficiency and user convenience to find out whether buildings claimed to be intelligent meet the intelligence requirements or not. v After conducting a literature survey to identify main intelligence characteristics, two buildings both claimed to be intelligent and able to provide occupants with healthy, secure and comfortable space, were selected as the case studies. The intelligent building principals and specific design considerations together with efficient system integration and system requirements were examined in the case studies. It was concluded that, even though case studies were admired in terms of holding commercial value and applying new technologies but there existed a lack in either employing or incorporating that technologies to meet desired responsiveness and dynamism which, are main attributes of intelligent buildings.

Since Taiwan¡¦s building industry started declining in 1994, the government tried several times to save the industry by laws or policies, but the effect was not obvious. There have been hundreds of relative firms closing or downsizing by now. Under this severe recession, how the firms of building industry in Taiwan run business for continuous operation is just the topic of our research. This thesis studies the strategies by theories and industrial-cases collection. After analyzing the building industry in Taiwan (life-cycle, value-chain, and development trend), we develop theoretical strategies for the industry, and then we collect industrial cases to compare. We find that the real strategies of the firms match the theoretical ones we develop very well. Basically, the strategies of the firms of building industry in Taiwan can classify into four types: 1.Market-penetration strategy 2.Product-development strategy 3.Market-development strategy 4.Diversification strategy. Besides, we provide the experience of Tonyan building Ltd. Co.for case study. By studying its target-marketing and win-win system, we share the precious experience with everyone. As a member of Taiwan¡¦s building industry, we hope to contribute ourselves to the continuous survival of Taiwan¡¦s building industry by theory and practical experience.

This research investigates the effects of daylighting in an existing elementary school in College Station, Texas. The conclusions are generalizable to similar school designs in hot and humid climates. This study focuses on the trends observed in the building??s heating, cooling, and lighting energy consumption due to daylighting, and the overall effect on total energy consumption. Skylights with 1% to 10% glazing surface to floor area and clerestories from 2 ft to 8 ft glazing height were analyzed to formulate balanced daylighting designs that could provide for decreased electricity and gas energy consumption and increased daylight illuminance levels and energy cost savings. Classroom and Library areas inside the case study school building were analyzed using walk-throughs and daylight factor measurements to understand existing lighting conditions and the potential for daylighting. Physical scale models of the study spaces with and without daylighting alternatives were built for daylight factor and daylight penetration analysis. Computer simulation models were created for the base case and all proposed daylighting designs for building energy performance evaluation using the DOE-2 building energy simulation program. Daylight factors from the actual spaces, physical model measurements, and computer simulation outputs were studied for trendsin interior daylight illuminance levels. Annual energy consumption analyses were performed using DOE-2 and involved heating, cooling, and electrical energy use comparisons of all proposed designs with the base case. One design each from the skylight and clerestory cases, and an overall design based upon the performance criteria are proposed for the existing school building. The building energy analyses suggested that a considerable reduction in artificial lighting and total electricity use could be achieved through proper sizing of skylights and clerestories. Heating energy use stayed almost constant in all cases. Considering all different trends in energy use, all the proposed cases perform better than the base case in terms of total energy savings. The spaces analyzed constituted 15% of total school area, and projected savings would be much higher if daylighting could be applied to the entire school building.

This record of study summarizes the work accomplished during the internship at the Energy Systems Laboratory of the Texas Engineering Experiment Station. The internship project was to develop a tool to optimize the building parameters so that the overall building energy cost is minimized. A metaheuristic: genetic algorithm was identified as the solution algorithm and was implemented in the problem under study. Through two case studies, the impacts of the three genetic algorithm parameters, namely population size, crossover and mutation rates, on the algorithm's overall performance are also studied through statistical tests. Through these statistical tests, the optimum combination of above the mentioned parameters is also identified and applied. Finally, a performance analysis based on the case studies show that the tool achieved satisfactory results.

Taiwan carries out the new underwriting rules since 2005, it is very important to the reformation of financial system, and its purpose is mainly for responding to the reformation of underwriting rules so as to promote the quality of listed companies. At present, the underwriting method of Taiwan¡¦s major Initial Public Offerings (IPO) stock uses the mix and collocation of two systems, public subscription by lot drawing and book building, as the underwriting method, the previous studies emphasized that the underwriter had higher right to decide the amount of placing, which can increase the responsibility and sensibility for the underwriting price, and then the result of promoting placing efficiency can be reached. This study compares the markets in Mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan that have carried out book building system. This study mainly finds out, because the underwriters in Taiwan can provide higher stock weight of the placing of book building and the underwriters have higher right to decide the amount of placing, thus, it is more possible that when placing IPO stock, the company would regard its customers as the core, and this act is entirely different with the conception of the initial reformation, and unfavorable influence would be produced to the issue company or individual investor at the same time. This study sums up the previous literatures and questionnaire statistical analyses, and then proposes the influence that degree of rigor of laws and regulations, anticipated result of placing, institutional function of book building and decisive factors of placing have towards the actual results of placing of underwriters. The questionnaires are distributed to the personnel who actually are responsible for the IPO placing strategy of underwriters that have hosted actual placing results in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Mainland China. After the comparison using single factor variance, one can find that the underwriters from Mainland China significantly think that the laws and regulations are stricter, and IPO stock has more good prospects of gain. However, the underwriters from Taiwan significantly think that the decisive factors of placing are stronger. When placing IPO stock, the underwriters from Mainland China prefer placing according to the system, while the underwriters from Taiwan prefer placing according to relationship. This study uses regression analysis to discuss the factors that influence the underwriters to carry out placing according to system or relationship. This study finds out if the degree of rigor for the two factors in laws and regulations, objective & fair and book building standard, is higher, then the underwriters will tend to carry out placing according to system more. And also, the system-oriented and price-oriented factors in decisive factors of placing also promote the underwriters carry out placing according to system. On the other hand, if the degree of rigor for the objective & fair factor in laws and regulations is higher, then the underwriters tend not to carry out placing according to relationship. When the factors such as considering underwriter¡¦s benefits, anticipated profit, and relationship-oriented are higher, then the underwriters tend to carry out placing according to relationship. In view of the above, this study has proposed many suggestions to improve the problems that might happen when underwriters in Taiwan placing IPO stock at present, including report beforehand, exposing the principles, ratio of book building placing, classifying the investors and placing in proportion, regulations of holding term, strengthening the supervision on notary public during the placing process, and canceling the use of person as the basic unit when purchasing but the use of purchasing capital¡¦s scale as the drawing unit. This study also hopes that the relevant departments in governments and underwriters could consult this study thesis and take this study as the reference for the follow-up reformation direction of IPO system.

<p>This degree projekt deals with Skanska´s safety at the construction site with focus on personal safety equipment. The purpose of this dissertation is to examine how the rules of personal safety equipment are applied and experienced at Skanska´s construction sites.</p><p>In October 2004 Skanska started a projekt to make the construction sites more safe. With use of a questionnaire we have made a survey at different construction sites. 80 questionaires have been handed out to Skanska´s employees in the southeast region. While they were handed out we conrolled if the employees at Skanska´s construction sites used head protection, easy visible clothing, safety shoes and identification cards.</p><p>The result of the survey shows how the rules are applied. Differences can be seen in employees of different ages, types of labour and positions. The report also includes a list of all answers from the questionnaire. The result showed that over 90 % of the emplyees used head protection, easy visible clothing, safety shoes and identification cards always or almost all the time. Our visits to the construction sites confirm that result. Our visits and surveys also show that the employees are careless with eye-, ear-, and muuth protection. It also showed a lack of use of visitors identification cards and information to the visitors.</p><p>The conclusion of this report is that Skanska´s information to the employees about how to use personal safety equipment is insufficient. To inform the emplyees about what the consequences will be if handling careless with personal safety equipment, could encourage them to always use it.</p> / <p>Detta examensarbete behandlar Skanskas säkerhet på deras arbetsplatser med tyngdpunkten på personlig utrustning. Syftet med examensarbetet är att undersöka hur regler om användande av personlig skyddsutrustning följs och upplevs på Skanskas arbetsplatser. Skanska har i oktober 2004 infört ett program för säkrare arbetsplatser som vi i examensarbetet granskar. Vi har med hjälp av en enkät som vi tagit fram för detta ändamål gjort undersökningar på olika arbetsplatser. 80 enkäter har delats ut bland Skanskas anställda i region sydost. I samband med att enkäterna delats ut har användandet av huvudskydd, varselkläder, skyddsskor och företagskort kontrollerats bland de som befinner sig på arbetsplatsen. Undersökningen har berört Skanskas Väg och anläggnings-, Husbyggnads- och byggservice verksamhet.</p><p>Resultatet av enkätundersökningen visar hur svaren skiljer sig mellan de olika verksamheterna inom företaget, mellan olika åldersgrupper, mellan arbetsledning och yrkesarbetare. Rapporten innehåller dessutom en sammanställning av samtliga svar på enkäten.</p><p>Av resultatet på enkätundersökningen framkommer att användandet av huvudskydd, varselkläder och skyddsskor är bra vilket även bekräftats av våra besök på arbetsplatserna. Både av enkäterna och av våra kontroller på arbetsplatserna framgår att respondenterna däremot är mindre noggranna med användningen av personlig skyddsutrustning så som ögonskydd och andningsskydd. Samtidigt visar kontrollerna att Skanskas underentreprenörer är sämre på användning av huvudskydd och varselklädsel än Skanskas egna anställda. Besöken visar även att det förekommer slarv med besökskvittenser och säkerhetsinformation på företagets arbetsplatser.</p><p>Slutsatsen av denna rapport är att Skanskas information till sina anställda gällande när och hur olika former av personlig utrustning ska användas uppfattas bristfällig. Att undervisa de anställda om de konsekvenser som slarv med personlig utrustning leder till skulle vara ett sätt att motivera dem till flitigare användning av den personliga utrustningen.</p>