Byggbranschen har flertalet gånger blivit kritiserad för att inte uppnå samma utveckling och produktivitet som andra sektorer. Visionen om ett effektivt samhällsbyggande är ändå positiv och en av de stora nämnarna för framgång är BIM, Building Information Modeling. Arbetsmetoden, som handlar om att effektivt tillhandahålla information, tillämpas redan i relativt stor utsträckning på hussidan. Samtidigt ligger bro- och anläggningssidan i startgroparna för att följa efter husbyggnad i utvecklingen. NCC Montagebro är en prefabricerad betongbro som utvecklades på 80-talet och som återigen lyfts fram för utveckling. De tidigare standardmåtten har avskaffats för att i högre grad möta kundens önskemål om längd och bredd. Problemet med de fritt valbara måtten är att det inte finns något underlag att utgå ifrån vid prissättning i ett anbud. Syftet med detta arbete var därför att undersöka möjligheten med att upprätta en parameterstyrd BIM-modell att använda för mängdavtagning. Genom att belysa hinder och möjligheter var målet att resultatet skulle kunna användas för fortsatt utveckling av produkten. Studien utfördes med hjälp av intervjuer med verksamma personer i branschen och en praktisk fallstudie. Resultaten från dessa diskuterades utifrån de uppställda frågeställningarna och den tidigare redovisade litteraturstudien. En viktig aspekt som framkommit under studien är att möjligheten att effektivisera och standardisera prissättningen går hand i hand med graden av standardisering för brokonceptet som helhet. För att kunna göra en generell och anpassningsbar modell måste det utredas vilka mått och parametrar som ska vara standard och vilka som kan justeras fritt för varje nytt projekt. Detta och alla övriga erfarenhetsdokument borde samlas i en egen tekniska plattform för NCC Montagebron. Studiens slutsats är att det går att effektivisera prissättningen av NCC Montagebro med hjälp av BIM men det är inte ett tillräckligt argument för att skapa en BIM-modell. Förslagsvis bör modellen uppdateras med mer information så att den kan utnyttjas i fler delprocessen för annars går en stor del av syftet med BIM förlorat. / The Construction Industry has been criticized several times for their slow development and for not being as productive as other industries. In orderto achieve an efficient Architecture, Engineering & Construction (AEC) Industry, Building Information Modeling, BIM, is one of the most debatedtopics in the field. The work process, which is about to efficiently provide information about a project, is already applied in the building construction. On the other hand, bridge and civil construction are just about to start the implementation of BIM. NCC Montagebro is a prefabricated concrete bridge which was developed in the 1980s and is once again up-to-date for product development. Theprevious standard dimensions have been removed in order to meet the customers’ requirements for length and width. A problem that occurs when allowing the customers to choose the dimensions is that there is no corresponding documentation to base the pricing on. The aim of this work was to investigate the possibility of establishing a parametric BIM model to use for quantity take off. A goal was to facilitate the continuing improvement of the product by highlighting obstacles and opportunities. The study was carried out through interviews and a practical case study. The results of these were discussed from the stated research questions andthe previously reported literature review. An important aspect emerging from the study is that the ability to rationalize and standardize the pricing depends on the degree of standardizationof the whole bridge concept. To make a general and flexible model it is necessary to examine which dimensions and parameters that should be set to default and which can be freely adjusted for each new project. These decisions and all other documents of experience should be gathered in a special technical platform for the NCC Montagebro. The study concludes that it is possible to rationalize the pricing of NCC Montagebro by using BIM but the arguments may not be enough to design a BIM model. The model should be provided with additional information so that it can be used in several sub-processes because otherwise, a large part of the purpose of BIM is lost.

This thesis aims to investigate which elements of the design process in production that have key features for successful progress of production and how these are regulated in the developed production model, the NCC Project planning, NCC Construction Sweden AB. A study of NCC Project planning used in construction output in the department of Mälardalen has been carried out and proposals for implementation of the model has been proposed. The work is carried out through interviews and archival analysis of NCC's business system.  NCC Project planning is a production model based on LEAN Construction's governance model pull-planning and 5S principle. By means of the production model desired involvement in the work and control over the work process increase. In the current situation is not production model to the extent that the company wishes and therefore the reasons why mapped and solutions to the problem have been proposed.  One of the biggest reasons that the NCC Project planning is not used in practice is the lack of commitment from supervisors, managers and production managers. As a solution to the problem suggested mentors, field trips and custom training for production management model.

Buildings become more complex and society is constantly evolving. More and more specialized operators join the construction industry, which increases the need for effective interaction between them. Focus should be on communication and an intersectoral cooperation must be taken into use. New ways of working together that promotes interaction in order to streamline the construction process should be developed. The municipality plays an important and central role in order to push forward the social development. The aim of the study is to investigate how an VDCinspired approach can develop the municipal process in the urban development process, in order to make the planning process in early stages until the design phase more efficient. To achieve the goal, interviews with employees within the construction company NCC and the municipalities of Norrköping, Linköping and Örebro has been done. Once the empirical data was collected from the interviews it was analyzed together with this thesis theoretical framework. Today, BIM is not used in the municipalities the same extent as NCC. The municipalities do not have the same need for information and coordination of their digital models. The 3D models they work with usually consist of 3D volumes, where volume relationships and correlations are the most important information conveyed. However, it is clear that the municipality work in project teams that can be developed and made more efficient. Today, the municipalities already work in teams, where they benefit from the collective expertise. To implement project studio as a VDC inspired approach may ultimately create a closer collaboration and help reduce communication problems internally. In order for the municipality to work VDC-inspired they must first find out what type of information in a BIM model they consider relevant and interesting. Furthermore, a high level of technical expertise is required among the employees to allow an implementation of VDC. The thesis has investigated a VDC application in the early stages until project design stage. Furthermore, the study was limited to the municipality's urban planning office. Data collection has only occurred through interviews. / I takt med att byggnader blir mer komplexa och samhället ständigt utvecklas får byggbranschen allt fler specialinriktade aktörer, vilket ytterligare ökar behovet av fungerande samspel mellan aktörerna. Kommunikationen behöver stå i fokus och ett branschöverskridande samarbete måste tas i bruk. Nya arbetssätt som främjar samverkan bör tas fram för att effektivisera byggprocessen mera. Där spelar kommunen en viktig och central roll för att driva på samhällsutvecklingen. Målet med examensarbetet är att undersöka hur ett VDC-inspirerat arbetssätt kan utveckla kommunens process i stadsbyggnadsprocessen för att effektivisera planprocessens tidiga skeden fram till projektering. För att uppnå målet har intervjuer med tjänstemän från NCC och kommunerna Norrköping, Linköping och Örebro genomförts. Det empiriska data som insamlats har sedan analyserats tillsammans med examensarbetets teoretiska ramverk. Resultatet visar på att kommunerna i dagsläget inte arbetar med BIM i samma omfattning som NCC. Kommunerna har inte samma behov av informationshantering och samordning av digitala modeller. Kommunernas 3D-modeller består oftast av 3Dvolymer, där volymförhållanden och samband är den viktigaste informationen som förmedlas. Däremot konstateras att kommunens arbetssätt i projektgrupper går att utveckla och göras mer effektiv. Idag arbetar kommunerna redan i team där de drar nytta av den kollektiva kompetensen. Att implementera projektstudio som ett VDCinspirerat arbetssätt kan i förlängningen skapa ett tätare samarbete och bidra till att minska kommunikationsproblem internt. För att kommunen ska kunna arbeta VDC-inspirerat bör först en kartläggning av vilken typ av information i en BIM-modell som kommunen anser relevant och intressant för dem. Vidare krävs också en hög teknisk kompetens bland tjänstemännen för att möjliggöra en implementering av VDC. Examensarbetet har undersökt en VDC tillämpning i tidiga skeden fram till projektering. Vidare har arbetet avgränsats sig till kommunens stadsbyggnadskontor. Datainsamlingen har endast skett genom besöksintervjuer.

Dysregulation of the sodium-chloride cotransporter (NCC) is believed to significantly impact blood pressure. Recent studies have implicated overactivity of the sympathetic nervous system as a mechanism driving renal NCC dysregulation to evoke the development of salt-sensitive hypertension. It is proposed that the sympathetic nervous system accomplishes this by norepinephrine (NE)-mediated over-activation of the beta2-adrenergic receptors located in the distal tubules of the kidney. Beta2-adrenoreceptor activation is hypothesized to stimulate the protein kinases SPAK and OxSR1 to phosphorylate and thus activate NCC. This beta2-receptor-SPAK/OxSR1-NCC pathway was elucidated in studies that challenged salt-resistant mice with high-salt diets, bilateral adrenalectomies, and NE infusion. To expand the scope of these studies, we investigated the effects of elevated circulating NE on blood pressure, NCC activity, and expression of NCC proteins, SPAK, and OxSR1 in a different salt-resistant animal species (the Sprague-Dawley rat). In this study we implanted male Sprague-Dawley rats with osmotic minipumps delivering a subcutaneous infusion of either saline, NE, a 50:50 solution of DMSO/isotonic saline, a combination of NE and the NCC antagonist hydrochlorothiazide, or a combination of NE and the beta-adrenoreceptor antagonist propranolol. Following implantation of the pumps the rats were randomly assigned to either a standard diet (0.4% NaCl) or a high-salt diet (8% NaCl) for two weeks. After fourteen days all animals underwent acute femoral artery, vein, and bladder cannulation in order to monitor heart rate and blood pressure, administer drugs intravenously, and track renal function, respectively. Following surgical recovery, blood pressure and heart rate were measured continuously, and urine was collected in ten-minute intervals in order to assess peak natriuretic responses to amiloride and hydrochlorothiazide. Following this protocol the rats received an intravenous bolus of hexamethonium (30 mg/kg), and their peak drops in blood pressure were recorded. Afterwards both kidneys were harvested and frozen at -80 °C for measurement of NCC proteins, SPAK, and OxSR1 expression. This study demonstrates that increased circulating NE induces salt-sensitive hypertension in the naturally salt-resistant Sprague-Dawley rat. Chronic infusion of NE raised the blood pressure of the rats, and a high-salt diet exacerbated this effect. Furthermore, NE prevented salt-evoked suppression of NCC activity and NCC, SPAK, and OxSR1 protein expression. Co-infusion of hydrochlorothiazide with NE attenuated NE-mediated hypertension and caused no variance in the blood pressures between the standard salt and high-salt groups. This indicates that chronically antagonizing NCC eliminated the salt-sensitive component of NE-mediated hypertension. Beta-receptor antagonism combined with NE infusion completely eliminated the hypertensive influence of NE and downregulated the expression of NCC proteins, SPAK, and OxSR1. However, NCC activity still remained at a level comparable with that observed in the NE-infused rats, demonstrating dissociation between protein expression and function. These data, the first report in a rat model of an interaction of NE and a high salt intake that impairs NCC function, demonstrate that increased levels of NE in combination with a high dietary salt intake result in NCC dysregulation and the development of NE-mediated salt-sensitive hypertension. To an extent the data also support the proposition that NE activates the beta-adrenergic receptors to influence the activity of NCC and the expression of NCC proteins, SPAK, and OxSR1. Beta-antagonism combined with NE infusion attenuated the effects of NE on blood pressure and the expression of NCC proteins, SPAK, and OxSR1. However, the NE-mediated elevation of NCC activity still remained high. We propose that the beta-receptors are not the only adrenergic receptors that can influence NCC activity. The presence of alpha-adrenergic receptors in the distal tubules suggests that they may be able to keep NCC activity elevated through a pathway independent of the beta-receptors, SPAK, and OxSR1.

<p>Bakgrund: Forskning kring projektkompetenser är ett relativt nytt område, varför studien söker ge ett empiriskt bidrag rörande vilka kompetenser som krävs inför och under ett projekt. Byggindustrin har valts eftersom denna kännetecknas av storskaliga verksamheter med mycket tydliga projektorganisationer samt att projektverksamheten utgör företagens huvudsakliga verksamhet. </p><p>Syfte: Syftet med denna historiska studie är att med hjälp av två fallföretag, NCC och Skanska, identifiera och belysa projektkompetenser över tiden inom projektbaserade organisationer. </p><p>Metod: En komparativ fallstudie till största delen baserad på sekundärmaterial för att beskriva den historiska utvecklingen av fallföretagen. </p><p>Resultat: I denna studie identifieras ett antal projektkompetenser vilka kan härledas till ett projekts olika delprocesser. Under anbudsprocessen är produkt- och marknadsval, finansiering samt riskhantering av stor betydelse. Utförandeprocessen karakteriseras av projektkompetenser såsom projektorganisering, samarbete, projektledarskap och stödteknik. Slutligen lyfts en tredje process fram, lärandeprocessen, där kunskaps- och erfarenhetsöverföring och utveckling av kompetenser är avgörande.</p>

Bakgrund: Forskning kring projektkompetenser är ett relativt nytt område, varför studien söker ge ett empiriskt bidrag rörande vilka kompetenser som krävs inför och under ett projekt. Byggindustrin har valts eftersom denna kännetecknas av storskaliga verksamheter med mycket tydliga projektorganisationer samt att projektverksamheten utgör företagens huvudsakliga verksamhet. Syfte: Syftet med denna historiska studie är att med hjälp av två fallföretag, NCC och Skanska, identifiera och belysa projektkompetenser över tiden inom projektbaserade organisationer. Metod: En komparativ fallstudie till största delen baserad på sekundärmaterial för att beskriva den historiska utvecklingen av fallföretagen. Resultat: I denna studie identifieras ett antal projektkompetenser vilka kan härledas till ett projekts olika delprocesser. Under anbudsprocessen är produkt- och marknadsval, finansiering samt riskhantering av stor betydelse. Utförandeprocessen karakteriseras av projektkompetenser såsom projektorganisering, samarbete, projektledarskap och stödteknik. Slutligen lyfts en tredje process fram, lärandeprocessen, där kunskaps- och erfarenhetsöverföring och utveckling av kompetenser är avgörande.

Recent biosensors using glucose oxidase enzyme to detect glucose (“blood sugar”) were made with intrinsic conducting polymers such as poly pyrrole (PPY) to mediate the reaction. PPY coated electrodes were difficult to employ via eletropolymerization because PPY is only soluble in solvents potentially damaging to enzymes. Nano crystalline cellulose – poly pyrrole (NCC-PPY) colloid circumvents this by forming natural, enzyme compatible, and hydrophilic films mechanically bound to electrodes using easy-to-disperse colloids. NCC-PPY was studied as mediator to investigate use in biosensor applications. Using NCC-PPY film casted on microfabricated interdigitated electrodes, a glucose biosensor with sensitivity factor of 20 was achieved. NCC-PPY showed enhanced catalysis with no enzyme inactivation and a total current of 2mA. Enhanced sensitivity was attributed to resistance changes of doped PPY, redox mediation, and compatibility of cellulose with enzyme.

Recent biosensors using glucose oxidase enzyme to detect glucose (“blood sugar”) were made with intrinsic conducting polymers such as poly pyrrole (PPY) to mediate the reaction. PPY coated electrodes were difficult to employ via eletropolymerization because PPY is only soluble in solvents potentially damaging to enzymes. Nano crystalline cellulose – poly pyrrole (NCC-PPY) colloid circumvents this by forming natural, enzyme compatible, and hydrophilic films mechanically bound to electrodes using easy-to-disperse colloids. NCC-PPY was studied as mediator to investigate use in biosensor applications. Using NCC-PPY film casted on microfabricated interdigitated electrodes, a glucose biosensor with sensitivity factor of 20 was achieved. NCC-PPY showed enhanced catalysis with no enzyme inactivation and a total current of 2mA. Enhanced sensitivity was attributed to resistance changes of doped PPY, redox mediation, and compatibility of cellulose with enzyme.

Background: In manufacturing companies purchasing is a great part of the total cost and major suppliers have a decisive role for the company. Therefore it is important to emphasise the selection and relationship with these suppliers to make the organization profitable. Sourcing strategies and supplier relationships are the main elements of supplier management. Purpose: The main goal of this study is to underline the similarities and differences regarding sourcing strategies and supplier relationships among the manufacturers of the two industries in order to identify the best practices and possibilities for knowledge transfer. Methodology: This thesis is a descriptive comparative study that was conducted with a deductive approach. Data was collected by interviews of mainly purchasing managers of our studied companies, annual reports and web pages of the companies. The scientific credibility of this thesis was secured by using many sources and avoiding assumptions. Conclusions: Several similarities and differences have been found between the industries. Furthermore, both industries can learn from each other when it comes to the use of sourcing strategies and supplier relationships.   Suggestions on future research: A more extensive study with more companies in each industry can be made to strengthen our conclusions. Furthermore, scenario simulations can be conducted for the supply of products and see how a manufacturing company can be affected.

<p> </p><p><strong>Background: </strong>In manufacturing companies purchasing is a great part of the total cost and major suppliers have a decisive role for the company. Therefore it is important to emphasise the selection and relationship with these suppliers to make the organization profitable. Sourcing strategies and supplier relationships are the main elements of supplier management.</p><p><strong>Purpose: </strong>The main goal of this study is to underline the similarities and differences regarding sourcing strategies and supplier relationships among the manufacturers of the two industries in order to identify the best practices and possibilities for knowledge transfer.</p><p><strong>Methodology: </strong>This thesis is a descriptive comparative study that was conducted with a deductive approach. Data was collected by interviews of mainly purchasing managers of our studied companies, annual reports and web pages of the companies. The scientific credibility of this thesis was secured by using many sources and avoiding assumptions.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Several similarities and differences have been found between the industries. Furthermore, both industries can learn from each other when it comes to the use of sourcing strategies and supplier relationships.  </p><p><strong>Suggestions on future research: </strong>A more extensive study with more companies in each industry can be made to strengthen our conclusions. Furthermore, scenario simulations can be conducted for the supply of products and see how a manufacturing company can be affected.</p>