Masonry arch bridges have been used throughout the world. Many thousands exist in Europe. The number of arch bridges in the United Kingdom has been estimated at 75,000 with approximately equal numbers occurring within the road and railway networks. The arch is very pleasing to the eye. Many arch bridges are listed structures so that replacement schemes are not options. In 1880 Baker was commissioned to report on the deterioration of Telford's Bridge at Over. Baker wrote, "The abutments had gradually gone over, and had been continuing to go over for sixty years. The result was that certain barbarians were actually urging the magistrates to take down the bridge...". He continued, "... cracks in the spandrels were big enough to walk through quite comfortably. It would be a disgrace to the country if they pulled down Telford's historical work and substituted a hideous iron latticebridge", (Heyman & Threlfall, 1973). Masonry arch bridges were built to carry a road, a railway or sometimes a waterway over an obstacle. A right arch bridge was used where the crossing could be perpendicular to the obstacle. In contrast, a skewed arch was built wherever the obstacle and over-road intersected at any angle other than 90°. Thus, a right arch is a special case of the more general class of skewed arch. The extent of existing knowledge of the behaviour of arch bridges is limited to the right arch in which many effects have either been omitted or have been simplified. These effects include the spandrel walls, the backfill, irregular geometry, and eccentric loading. Clearly, there is scope for an advancement of knowledge so that these effects may be considered and ultimately the behaviour of the skewed arch bridge can be described. The construction of arch bridges in Great Britain reached its zenith at around the beginning of the Nineteenth century. At this time, if conditions prevailed, there was a general desire for each new bridge to exceed the span of any that had gone before (Ruddock, 1979). However, Sejourne (1913) could only find eight structures in the United Kingdom that had at least one span with a clear opening of more than 40.0 m.

Due to increased globalisation of markets and liberalisation of local economies, businesses all over the world are developing increasingly competitive strategies. Management development is central to the success of these strategies. Therefore there is an increasing interest in management development and human resources development in Libya. The hope being that these forms of development can improve, and upgrade, the performance of Libyan human resources to achieve the required level of effectiveness, and to attain competitiveness in the world economy. The main objectives of this research are to develop the framework to implement management development programmes and to analyse the current management development practices in Libyan organisations and explore the extent to which transference of Western management development practices, if such transference is possible, has in fact occurred. The study carried out was essentially an evaluation to assess the value of management development; the specific focus of this evaluation was on two comparative cases in the Libyan oil Industry. The research project was carried out in the oil sector which has a particular importance to Libya’s economic prosperity and should be the first place that management development takes place, but equally would be the best place for the transfer of Western management practice to occur. A case study design was used which involved an empirical investigation of a particular contemporary phenomenon within its real life context using multiple sources of evidence. The main data collection tool was a questionnaire which meant that all the completed responses could be collected within a short period of time and any initial doubts that the respondents might have on any question were clarified on the spot. This also allowed the introduction of the research topic and meant the respondents could be motivated to offer their frank answers. Telephone interviews were used in retrospectively to gather specific information regarding management development within the companies which allowed triangulation. Reliability analyses using Cronbach’s alpha as well as univariate analysis were carried out as were multivariate analyses such as factor analysis (FA) and multiple logistic regression. The non parametric Mann-Whitney test was used to evaluate the association between the instruments (scale). The results of this study show that there is no priority given to manager development at a strategic level in either of the companies. There is no senior endorsement of management development via a written management development policy and no systematic mechanisms for accurately diagnosing group/individual training needs nor any evaluation processes to ensure training remains high quality and business-focused in place at Waha or Repsol either. The Libyan environment and Arab culture have negative effects on perceptions of training in general, and management development in particular, which leads to no serious attention being given to the implementation of management development activities.

Road infrastructures play an important role in the economic improvement of the community in the surrounding area. The better speed, flexibility, and accessibility to reach virtually all points are the distinct features that road infrastructure offers compared with other transport systems. In major disasters, road transportation infrastructure is one of the largest sectors which frequently suffer the most damage and losses. Road transport disruptions are also suggested as the critical constraints to providing effective and efficient responses in an emergency, and that the limited access results in high transport costs and procurement lead times. Accordingly, the reconstruction of the road infrastructure is among the highest post-disaster reconstruction priorities and is expected to help accelerate the overall disaster-recovery process. To achieve the maximum benefit of the investment made in the reconstruction, the road infrastructure requires adequate maintenance. Road maintenance offers significant benefits to the road users through the provision of better access, comfort, and lower vehicle operating costs. Road maintenance neglect may therefore result in increased vehicle costs, accelerated deterioration due to the heavier and more frequent traffic, and severe damages requiring early reconstruction of road. In the case of the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami in Aceh, Indonesia, the pledges made to Aceh exceeded the required amount to restore the affected areas to their original conditions. Accordingly, more than 3600 km of roads were reconstructed whilst initially around 2700 km of roads were destroyed by the disaster. Most of the local roads were reconstructed either by the national government or a donor agency, which were transferred back to the local governments for the operational and maintenance needs. As nearly 80% of the road networks in Indonesia are district roads, the overall quality and sustainability of the road infrastructure are significantly dependent on the capacity of the local governments in road maintenance. Accordingly, this study aimed to evaluate the capacity of the local governments in the maintenance of the road infrastructure assets within the context of the post-disaster reconstruction process. In order to achieve the aim and objectives of the research, this study implemented a pure qualitative method. Multiple case study was selected as the research strategy. Three districts xix were included as the case studies, the district of Aceh Besar, Aceh Jaya and Aceh Barat Daya. Semi-structured interviews with high-level officials, policy makers, and the stakeholders of post-disaster road infrastructure reconstruction at the national, provincial, and the local level were conducted as the primary data collection methods. The data was analysed using the content analysis technique, with the aid of NVivo version 10 software. The findings of the research were validated by the means of the literature review and expert interviews. The findings suggest that the road infrastructure was generally neglected from maintenance. The local governments of the case studies lacked the preventive maintenance culture, and their general responses to preserve the road infrastructure were to postpone the maintenance need by using the more expensive high standard pavement types (HMA) and to repair the roads when they have broken. This condition was affected by a number of internal and external factors. The local political condition, the socio-economic condition, the conflict of authorities between government agencies involved in road maintenance, and the poor financial capacity of the districts, were exacerbated by the poor capacity of the road authorities’ personnel. A framework for the reconstruction and maintenance of road infrastructure assets was also suggested indicating the different phases of road infrastructure life cycle in a post-disaster context.

The purpose of this research is to develop an assessment framework in the TQM perspective for a blended learning environment in the higher education sector. Blended learning is a specialized field in learning, i.e., combination of face to face learning and e-learning. This research is an attempt to bring a logical approach in assessing the quality feature of the blended learning environment. The quality of the BLE can be easily enhanced if the implementation of important parameters of quality in the blended learning environment is undertaken at all levels of the institution: individual level, organizational level, and at external stakeholders (employers, government, parents, etc.) level. The six major factors are deduced that affect the quality of the blended learning environment in the HES through exploratory factor analysis. To check the intertwining effects of the derived factors/underlying criteria, the DEMATEL technique is applied. This technique has resulted in the formation of the cause group and effect group out of the derived factors/underlying criteria. This group formation has led to high quality in the BLE. The criterion, Qualification and experience of the tutor of the cause group, influences the other criteria in the most significant way and is the master influencer. The criterion, appropriate use of delivery methods, is identified as the most related criterion. Furthermore, the ranking of alternatives (by applying the MOORA method) to improve the quality of the cause criteria has resulted in the formation of effective quality implementation strategy in the higher education sector. The use of the EFQM model on cause criteria is once again a step to bring effectiveness in assessment related activities of the BLE and eventually leading to high quality in the HES. This research involves a mixed method approach to deal with quantitative and qualitative data. The human perceptions and expectations are dealt with by the use of mathematical techniques. A combination of subjectivism and objectivism is seen in the development of this framework. The result of this study has offered a framework to attain superior quality learning environment in the HES.

The government of Abu Dhabi made a decision to change the focus of the government from executer of the project to manager of projects in 2008. More and more work was sub-contracted and government departments just project managed the operations. Due to this change in focus the demand for project managers increased. Most of these project managers were not specially trained or educated in project management competencies. They primarily were employees from older operations who were reassigned for project management purposes. What has been realised now is that it is important to have a look at the competencies of these employees and make sure they are suitable to be project managers. In addition to them being suitable for project management positions, it is also important that there is a specific progression path and well defined expectations to be promoted to the next level. Therefore, there is a need to clearly identify the career path of a project manager from the inception of their careers until they retire. The path has to have identifiable objective points which could be used to decide if the project manager is ready to move to the next level. A framework is needed that can facilitate the progression of a project manager in their career paths in the Abu Dhabi government departments; and therefore, is the main aim of this thesis. In order to accomplish the aim, a mixed methods approach was taken. The Use of initial interviews established the context for Abu Dhabi. Use of statistical techniques such as multiple regression and mathematical technique of DEMATEL helped identify the career path from an entry level project coordinator position to a programme director position through the end of the career. The major findings of this research in addition to the development of the framework are: 1) the career path of a project manager is quite linear; 2) it is not an add-on role but a career in itself; 3) At the entry level of a project an individual should have high level of behavioural competencies; 4) There is a relationship between project success criteria and programme success factors; Since project success leads to programme success, this relationship could be used to establish the transition between a project manager and a programme manager’s role. 5) The technical and contextual competencies of a project manager should be used to promote them during their time as project managers; and 7) Within the programme management there are some competencies that can be regarded as the cause group of competencies and others that could be regarded as the effect group of competencies. There are several major implications of this work. First of all, the framework developed will act as a good starting point for all the government departments to establish their own project management progression framework which could be modified with their own discipline specific information. This research also establishes the importance of behavioural competencies for project management at the outset of the career itself. The framework also provides an objective way of assessing when an individual is ready to move to the next level of responsibilities within the organisation. This framework will further make the promotion process more transparent and the job of evaluating a promotion application easier.

Small and Micro sized construction contracting organisations (SCCOs) has a significant contribution to the overall wellbeing of the Construction Industry. Although micro and small sized enterprises have little impact individually they are collectively a significant contributor within the Construction Industry and indeed the UK economy. Despite their influence, SCCOs work independently of each other and take an insubordinate role within the supply chain and without having an authoritative support structure ensures they remain fragmented within the industry. This offers a fascinating dichotomy of influence versus representation and offers a theme to analyse how best to conceptualise a framework to aid critical success factors for SCCOs. In order to accomplish the framework the aim and objectives have been identified. The aim of this study is to identify the main factors affecting the development of micro and small sized contracting organisations in the construction industry, together with the critical success factors affecting their survival, and to develop an appropriate framework for their improved success. A qualitative research was conducted with thirty one small and micro sized Chartered Building Companies and this was further supported by a quantitative based research carried out with forty Chartered Building Companies to give a more robust accord to the research findings. A case study of five organisations validated the resulting conceptual framework. The contributions to knowledge offered from this research are: (i) academia; a basis that can be used for further and future research in this field of work. (ii) Business management forums: as a reference to support SCCOs. (iii) As an aid for small companies; established success factors that can be referenced by other SCCOs and (iv) to further develop formal and informal taught programmes.

In the 21st century, quality has become one of the most pressing issues in the world of business. Indeed, service quality management is a primary need for business survival. Quality management has been recognized as a comprehensive management philosophy for improving organisational performance and competitiveness. The effective adoption of an appropriate service quality management system in an organisation can facilitate the achievement of excellence in service quality. Furthermore, service excellence is a crucial factor in the achievement of a high level of customer satisfaction in service organisations like banks. Therefore, the main aim of this research is to investigate the factors affecting the excellence of service quality in the developing banking sector in Syria. The fundamental concepts of excellence of the EFQM Excellence Model have been borrowed from the literature as a theoretical framework through which to investigate the Syrian Banking Sector (SBS). To achieve the research aim, an interpretevist philosophy has been adopted as the means of understanding in depth, the factors influencing excellence in three case study organisations, which are selected to be representative of the state-owned banks (CSOA), private banks (CSOB), and Islamic private banks (CSOC). Different sources of data collection – semi-structured interviews, direct observation, archival records, and documentation - are used to achieve triangulation of the results. The main contribution to knowledge of this research can be summarised fundamentally as: firstly designing a theoretical framework embracing the factors affecting the excellence of service quality in the Syrian banking sector. Secondly, conducting a comparative reserch approach between the three (CSOs) investigating the factors affecting the readiness to implement EFQM excellence model in each case study. The main findings have revealed that CSOC is more likely to achieve excellence than the other two banks, since CSOC has demonstrated consistent progress towards that aim. In respect of CSOA and CSOB, it is clear that certain negative managerial practices need to be remedied before the EFQM Excellence Model can seriously be pursued. In addition, some unique factors have emerged, such as the intensive intervention of guardian authorities for the state-owned bank, the negative effect of religion and culture on employee performance in the state-owned bank, and the lack of banking culture in Syria in general. Furthermore, the research enriches the literature through the comparative dimension highlighted in the three case studies (state-owned, private, and private Islamic banks) since there are limitations in the literature regarding the readiness to implement the EFQM excellence model in the service sector, and particularly in banks in the developing countries.

Since ISO 9000 was introduced in 1987 there has been a tremendous growth in the number of companies seeking registration to it, both in developed and developing countries. It was found in the literature that few ISO 9000 certificate holders have converted their quality management programme to TQM. Jordan, a developing country, is not an exception. However, this subject has not received enough attention and certainly these studies in developing countries are almost totally lacking. Therefore, the aim of this research is 'to develop a framework to help in the identification of the impediments to the transition from ISO 9000 standard towards TQM among Jordanian ISO 9000 certified manufacturing companies'. The research methodology involved the adoption of a survey as a research strategy and a quantitative approach, utilising a self-administered questionnaire, to arrive at the major findings of the study. The research findings indicate that several impediments have emerged as inhibitors to going beyond ISO 9000 towards TQM in the Jordanian context. Among these are: the prevailing organisational culture/climate, lack of reward and recognition, lack of training and education, lack of employee empowerment and involvement, and infrastructure factors. By integrating the literature review and the study findings, a simple framework aimed at assisting in the identification of the impediments to the transition from ISO 9000 standard towards TQM in Jordanian ISO 9000 certified manufacturing companies was constructed. The thesis seeks to make an original contribution to knowledge in the quality management discipline by discovering the factors that are impediments to going to TQM and by developing a framework to help in the identification of these impediments to the transition from ISO 9000 standard towards TQM in Jordanian ISO 9000 certified manufacturing companies. Such contributions will be beneficial both academically and professionally. Academically, this research aims at gaining academic attention to this neglected domain in the context of this research and professionally, managers will also look at the practical implications of the research and the possibility of implementing the implications of this research in their organisations. Some recommendations for future research have been derived from this research.

This thesis examines the phenomenon of colour as a means of expression of meaning in spatial contexts. The nature of the underpinning project involved paintings and their integration with an architectural setting. Judgements made-in-situ by users of the building and an expert focus group (architects, designers and fine artists) were comparatively analysed for variance in interpretations of meaning, taking into consideration their experience with colour as a medium of expression. Commonalities and differences in the responses of colour amongst and between the various groups were also analysed. To achieve this a combination of questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, and focus group meetings were used as data sources. The researcher used her experience as a painter to create two large paintings (11.5m x 2m each), which were installed in the public space of the Manchester Bridgewater Concert Hall over a period of four months. One painting was predominantly blue and green, the other was predominantly yellow and red. The installation had two phases, in which the respective paintings were each installed separately and accompanied by a corresponding lighting scheme. Colours were separated into two temperature groups - warm and cold. However, previous research findings had indicated that responses to these two groups of colour differ along other dimensions also. What had not been established by previous research, and was examined in this project, was whether these indicative differences would apply when colour is approached as part of an holistic environmental meaning rather than in isolation. The integration of paintings and colour into the architectural setting made it possible for multiple layers of experience to be examined. Meaning was extracted from the relationship between colour and the perception of two dimensions of space - pictorial space depicted in the paintings and the architectural space. The relationship between both was also explored which allowed the confirmation of previous findings and the analysis of the variables which need to be addressed when dealing with colour for paintings in real architectural environments. The thesis describes the author's conceptual model based on a combination of this empirical evidence and theoretical framework developed from the existing interdisciplinary body of knowledge on colour. The thesis also discusses how relationships between the aesthetic and psychological categories were established. It contributes to the field by demonstrating how the subjectivity of the perceptual experience can be translated into the expression of meaning along cognitive and affective dimensions within the context of a real-life application of colour in space. Additional to the written thesis a short audiovisual provided in both video and CD Rom, was created to show both the making of the paintings and their installation at the Bridgewater Concert Hall.

Interest in the use of smart-structure technology for noise and vibration reduction in helicopter applications has been on the rise in recent years. It has been established that significant gains in helicopter performance can be achieved through active rotor blade vibration control. This thesis presents a study of selective structural mode actuation of simple structures by means of surface-bonded piezoelectric actuator patches. The central objective of the study is to establish the potential for the use of piezoelectric actuators in active rotor blade vibration control applications. Theoretical and finite element vibration analyses were carried out, first for a thin flat plate and then for a long, straight, isotropic cantilever box beam. Finally a finite element vibration analysis was carried out for a three-cell hollow helicopter rotor blade structure. In each case, harmonic excitation of the structure by surface-bonded piezoelectric actuator patches is investigated, with the actuator patches in single and multiple configurations. The theoretical models are based on classical elasto-mechanics theory, and include the effect of bonding layer thickness. The finite element analyses were carried out with ANSYS 5.5. All analyses assume the use of readily available PZT4 ceramic piezoelectric actuator patches. The results lead to identification of optimal actuator patch configurations for selective mode excitation of the plate, box beam and helicopter rotor blade structures. Furthermore, the results for the box beam and rotor blade structures indicate that significant attenuation of the first two flapping modes and first two lagging modes can be achieved with practical levels of actuator excitation voltage. However, the results for selective excitation of the twist modes of the structures are inconclusive.