Det övergripande transportpolitiska målet i Sverige har sedan 1998 varit att säkerställa en samhällsekonomiskt effektiv och långsiktigt hållbar transportförsörjning för medborgarna och näringslivet i hela landet. Under perioden fram till 2010 har samhällsekonomiska underlag fått en allt tyngre roll i den formulerade transportpolitiken och den statliga styrningen av den långsiktiga planeringen som ett verktyg för att prioritera mellan investeringar i nya vägar och järnvägslänkar. I studien utforskades den samhällsekonomiska analysens roll i den formulerade transportpolitiken och dess styrning av den regionala infrastrukturplaneringen. Studien utgår ifrån ett konstruktivistiskt angreppssätt och en syn på relationen mellan vetenskap/expertis och politik som samproducerad. Det empiriska material som ligger till grund för analysen består av dokument och intervjutranskriptioner. De dokument som har analyserats är publikationer om den samhällsekonomiska analysmetoden, utgivna av myndigheten Statens institut för kommunikationsanalys (SIKA) och dels olika typer av transportpolitiska dokument. Intervjuerna genomfördes med tretton regionala beslutsfattare och en tjänsteman, vilka varit delaktiga i upprättandet av en regional infrastrukturplan i Västra Götaland. Studien visar att samhällsekonomisk analys är en värderingsmetod med stort inflytande i den formulerade transportpolitiken. Trots att den framställs som ett objektivt sätt att utvärdera den samhällsekonomiska effektiviteten hos väg- och järnvägsobjekt, och i förlängningen deras bidrag till det övergripande målet, utgör metodens grunder till stor del en svart låda i den transportpolitiska diskussionen. Detta gäller även hos de intervjuade beslutsfattarna, men de konstruerar den enskilde politikerns omdöme som den viktigaste grunden för beslut. / The study deals with applied cost-benefit analysis (CBA) and the significant role this method has acquired in transport policy in Sweden since 1998. It is a study of a valuation method at the intersection between neoclassical economics, expertise, Swedish transport policy, long term planning and regional decision makers. Specifically, it focuses on the co-production of expertise and politics and how boundaries are drawn between them in relation to valuation. Departing from a constructionist approach to science and expertise, the study is concerned with how CBA and valuation is depicted in various contexts. The empirical foundation of the study concists of documents dealing with CBA, several kinds of transport policy documents and interview transcripts resulting from interviews with thirteen regional decision makers and one regional official. The analysis shows the significant influence of CBA on transport policy. While this valuation method is depicted as an objective valuation tool in planning, its conceptual foundation tends to be black-boxed outside the domain of expertise. This applies also to the interviewed regional decision makers. However, they delimit the space for CBA as a sufficient decision support. In addition, they construct judgment as the most important basis for decisions on infrastructure. Still, it is argued, the black-boxing of CBA in transport policy affect the political landscape negatively: it entails a risk that important political issues are made more inaccessible for public debate.

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Orientadores: Ariovaldo Denis Granja, Núbia Bernardi / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Engenharia Agrícola / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-17T23:33:39Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Ruiz_JoycedeAndrade_M.pdf: 5293185 bytes, checksum: a8da6d2436860055c75eb52e1292b8a0 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011 / Resumo: Proposta: A Engenharia de Valor (EV) é uma abordagem sistemática que busca o melhor balanço funcional entre custo, confiabilidade e desempenho de um produto. Ela concentra os esforços na análise das funções, gerações de ideias e busca por alternativas de forma a proporcionar reduções de custos e garantia da entrega do valor, funcionalidade e qualidade desejados para o produto. A EV insere-se na abordagem proativa do custeio-meta uma vez que busca sua operacionalização para alcance do custo-meta, durante o processo de desenvolvimento de produto (PDP), especialmente nas fases de concepção e de projeto. Um programa característico de EV utiliza além de ferramentas, como a Análise de Função e do diagrama FAST, o instrumento do plano de trabalho que visa organizar e orientar as etapas do estudo com foco nos resultados. De uma forma geral, um plano de trabalho de EV contempla as etapas preparatória, informativa, analítica, criativa, avaliativa, de escolha, implementação, apresentação e acompanhamento. Com base no exposto a presente pesquisa traz a proposição de uma sequência para aplicação da EV em produtos de edificações da construção civil. Método de pesquisa/Abordagens: O método de pesquisa utilizado foi a simulação de aplicações em estudos de casos específicos da construção civil. Foram realizadas duas simulações, a primeira num caso chamado de "piloto", que analisou a construção de um banheiro acessível com dois objetivos em sua execução, o de validar a sequência proposta e o de gerar reduções de custos com garantia da entrega de valor aos clientes e usuários. A segunda num caso chamado de "principal" que focou na análise de um Empreendimento Habitacional de Interesse Social (EHIS), com o objetivo de viabilizar oportunidades de intervenção no projeto sugeridas por pesquisas anteriores no mesmo EHIS. Resultados: O resultado da pesquisa consiste na proposição de uma sequência para aplicação da EV em produtos da construção civil. Para isso foi elaborado o fluxo lógico do processo a ser seguido que contém os principais elementos da EV como o plano de trabalho e as ferramentas para exercício das funções de cada produto. Contribuições/Originalidade: A pesquisa contribui com a iniciativa de trabalhar as funções de produtos de edificações da construção civil para proporcionar a análise das mesmas relacionadas aos atributos de valor dentro do contexto em que está inserido. Com isso, foi possível gerar reduções de custos sem prejudicar a entrega de valor, até mesmo majorando-a com a incorporação de novos itens nos produtos, custeados pelas economias obtidas anteriormente / Abstract: The Value Engineering (VE) is a systematic approach that aims the best functional balance between cost, reliability and performance of a product. The VE's study concentrate efforts on the function analysis, generation of ideas and search for alternatives with the objective to provide cost reductions and to ensure the value delivery, functionality and quality desired for the product in study. The EV is part of the proactive approach of target costing being the operational tool that provides the achievement of the target cost at a product development process (PDP), especially in the design and project phases. A typical EV application program contains the required tools such as Function Analysis and FAST diagram, among other, and the instrument of the work plan that aims to organize and guide the steps of the study to guarantee the focus on the results. A general work plan includes the follow steps: preparatory, informative, analytical, creative, evaluative, choice / decision, implementation, monitoring and presentation. The present research brings to propose a sequence for VE implementation in construction products. The research method used was the strategy of case study. Were performed two case studies, the first named as "pilot study", to examine the construction of a handicap bathroom with two goals in its execution, to validate the proposed sequence for VE application and to generate cost savings with the guarantee of delivering value to customers and users. The second case study, named "principal study", focused on the analysis of a social housing enterprise (EHIS), in which the sequence proposed was applied in order to feasible the opportunities for intervention in the project design suggested by a previous research in the same enterprise. The mainly research result consists in the proposal of a sequence with guidelines for VE implementation in construction products. To provide it was developed a logical flow of the process to be followed which contains the main elements of the EV as the work plan and the tools to analyze the functions. This research contributes to the initiative of working the functions of construction products providing a cross analysis related to the attributes of value within the context in which it is inserted. Based on the case studies with the application of the proposed sequence was possible to generate cost reductions without jeopardize the delivery of value, even subsequently adding it to the incorporation of new items in the products, funded by the saves obtained before / Mestrado / Arquitetura e Construção / Mestre em Engenharia Civil

The study of randomly excited nonlinear dynamical systems forms the focus of this thesis. We discuss two classes of problems: first, the characterization of nonlinear random response of the system before it comes into existence and, the second, assimilation of measured responses into the mathematical model of the system after the system comes into existence. The first class of problems constitutes forward problems while the latter belongs to the class of inverse problems. An outstanding feature of these problems is that they are almost always not amenable for exact solutions. We tackle in the present study these two classes of problems using Monte Carlo simulation tools in conjunction with Markov process theory, Bayesian model updating strategies, and particle filtering based dynamic state estimation methods. It is well recognized in literature that any successful application of Monte Carlo simulation methods to practical problems requires the simulation methods to be reinforced with effective means of controlling sampling variance. This can be achieved by incorporating any problem specific qualitative and (or) quantitative information that one might have about system behavior in formulating estimators for response quantities of interest. In the present thesis we outline two such approaches for variance reduction. The first of these approaches employs a substructuring scheme, which partitions the system states into two sets such that the probability distribution of the states in one of the sets conditioned on the other set become amenable for exact analytical solution. In the second approach, results from data based asymptotic extreme value analysis are employed to tackle problems of time variant reliability analysis and updating of this reliability. We exemplify in this thesis the proposed approaches for response estimation and model updating by considering wide ranging problems of interest in structural engineering, namely, nonlinear response and reliability analyses under stationary and (or) nonstationary random excitations, response sensitivity model updating, force identification, residual displacement analysis in instrumented inelastic structures under transient excitations, problems of dynamic state estimation in systems with local nonlinearities, and time variant reliability analysis and reliability model updating. We have organized the thesis into eight chapters and three appendices. A resume of contents of these chapters and appendices follows. In the first chapter we aim to provide an overview of mathematical tools which form the basis for investigations reported in the thesis. The starting point of the study is taken to be a set of coupled stochastic differential equations, which are obtained after discretizing spatial variables, typically, based on application of finite element methods. Accordingly, we provide a summary of the following topics: (a) Markov vector approach for characterizing time evolution of transition probability density functions, which includes the forward and backward Kolmogorov equations, (b) the equations governing the time evolution of response moments and first passage times, (c) numerical discretization of governing stochastic differential equation using Ito-Taylor’s expansion, (d) the partial differential equation governing the time evolution of transition probability density functions conditioned on measurements for the study of existing instrumented structures, (e) the time evolution of response moments conditioned on measurements based on governing equations in (d), and (f) functional recursions for evolution of multidimensional posterior probability density function and posterior filtering density function, when the time variable is also discretized. The objective of the description here is to provide an outline of the theoretical formulations within which the problems of response estimation and model updating are formulated in the subsequent chapters of the present thesis. We briefly state the class of problems, which are amenable for exact solutions. We also list in this chapter major text books, research monographs, and review papers relevant to the topics of nonlinear random vibration analysis and dynamic state estimation. In Chapter 2 we provide a review of literature on solutions of problems of response analysis and model updating in nonlinear dynamical systems. The main focus of the review is on Monte Carlo simulation based methods for tackling these problems. The review accordingly covers numerical methods for approximate solutions of Kolmogorov equations and associated moment equations, variance reduction in simulation based analysis of Markovian systems, dynamic state estimation methods based on Kalman filter and its variants, particle filtering, and variance reduction based on Rao-Blackwellization. In this review we chiefly cover papers that have contributed to the growth of the methodology. We also cover briefly, the efforts made in applying the ideas to structural engineering problems. Based on this review, we identify the problems of variance reduction using substructuring schemes and data based extreme value analysis and, their incorporation into response estimation and model updating strategies, as problems requiring further research attention. We also identify a range of problems where these tools could be applied. We consider the development of a sequential Monte Carlo scheme, which incorporates a substructuring strategy, for the analysis of nonlinear dynamical systems under random excitations in Chapter 3. The proposed substructuring ensures that a part of the system states conditioned on the remaining states becomes Gaussian distributed and is amenable for an exact analytical solution. The use of Monte Carlo simulations is subsequently limited for the analysis of the remaining system states. This clearly results in reduction in sampling variance since a part of the problem is tackled analytically in an exact manner. The successful performance of the proposed approach is illustrated by considering response analysis of a single degree of freedom nonlinear oscillator under random excitations. Arguments based on variance decomposition result and Rao-Blackwell theorems are presented to demonstrate that the proposed variance reduction indeed is effective. In Chapter 4, we modify the sequential Monte Carlo simulation strategy outlined in the preceding chapter to incorporate questions of dynamic state estimation when data on measured responses become available. Here too, the system states are partitioned into two groups such that the states in one group become Gaussian distributed when conditioned on the states in the other group. The conditioned Gaussian states are subsequently analyzed exactly using the Kalman filter and, this is interfaced with the analysis of the remaining states using sequential importance sampling based filtering strategy. The development of this combined Kalman and sequential importance sampling filtering method constitutes one of the novel elements of this study. The proposed strategy is validated by considering the problem of dynamic state estimation in linear single and multi-degree of freedom systems for which exact analytical solutions exist. In Chapter 5, we consider the application of the tools developed in Chapter 4 for a class of wide ranging problems in nonlinear random vibrations of existing systems. The nonlinear systems considered include single and multi-degree of freedom systems, systems with memoryless and hereditary nonlinearities, and stationary and nonstationary random excitations. The specific applications considered include nonlinear dynamic state estimation in systems with local nonlinearities, estimation of residual displacement in instrumented inelastic dynamical system under transient random excitations, response sensitivity model updating, and identification of transient seismic base motions based on measured responses in inelastic systems. Comparisons of solutions from the proposed substructuring scheme with corresponding results from direct application of particle filtering are made and a satisfactory mutual agreement is demonstrated. We consider next questions on time variant reliability analysis and corresponding model updating in Chapters 6 and 7, respectively. The research effort in these studies is focused on exploring the application of data based asymptotic extreme value analysis for problems on hand. Accordingly, we investigate reliability of nonlinear vibrating systems under stochastic excitations in Chapter 6 using a two-stage Monte Carlo simulation strategy. For systems with white noise excitation, the governing equations of motion are interpreted as a set of Ito stochastic differential equations. It is assumed that the probability distribution of the maximum over a specified time duration in the steady state response belongs to the basin of attraction of one of the classical asymptotic extreme value distributions. The first stage of the solution strategy consists of selection of the form of the extreme value distribution based on hypothesis testing, and, the next stage involves the estimation of parameters of the relevant extreme value distribution. Both these stages are implemented using data from limited Monte Carlo simulations of the system response. The proposed procedure is illustrated with examples of linear/nonlinear systems with single/multiple degrees of freedom driven by random excitations. The predictions from the proposed method are compared with the results from large scale Monte Carlo simulations, and also with the classical analytical results, when available, from the theory of out-crossing statistics. Applications of the proposed method for vibration data obtained from laboratory conditions are also discussed. In Chapter 7 we consider the problem of time variant reliability analysis of existing structures subjected to stationary random dynamic excitations. Here we assume that samples of dynamic response of the structure, under the action of external excitations, have been measured at a set of sparse points on the structure. The utilization of these measurements in updating reliability models, postulated prior to making any measurements, is considered. This is achieved by using dynamic state estimation methods which combine results from Markov process theory and Bayes’ theorem. The uncertainties present in measurements as well as in the postulated model for the structural behaviour are accounted for. The samples of external excitations are taken to emanate from known stochastic models and allowance is made for ability (or lack of it) to measure the applied excitations. The future reliability of the structure is modeled using expected structural response conditioned on all the measurements made. This expected response is shown to have a time varying mean and a random component that can be treated as being weakly stationary. For linear systems, an approximate analytical solution for the problem of reliability model updating is obtained by combining theories of discrete Kalman filter and level crossing statistics. For the case of nonlinear systems, the problem is tackled by combining particle filtering strategies with data based extreme value analysis. The possibility of using conditional simulation strategies, when applied external actions are measured, is also considered. The proposed procedures are exemplified by considering the reliability analysis of a few low dimensional dynamical systems based on synthetically generated measurement data. The performance of the procedures developed is also assessed based on limited amount of pertinent Monte Carlo simulations. A summary of the contributions made and a few suggestions for future work are presented in Chapter 8. The thesis also contains three appendices. Appendix A provides details of the order 1.5 strong Taylor scheme that is extensively employed at several places in the thesis. The formulary pertaining to the bootstrap and sequential importance sampling particle filters is provided in Appendix B. Some of the results on characterizing conditional probability density functions that have been used in the development of the combined Kalman and sequential importance sampling filter in Chapter 4 are elaborated in Appendix C.

Masters of Science / The aim of this study was to develop a Stock Control Assessment Tool for use in the public health care sector and then to apply it to identify problems in the stock control system. This would help authorities to optimize the system. The advantages experienced with such a dynamic Assessment Tool were many: The Tool was quick and easy to apply; it was user friendly; it provided an immediate SWOT analysis of a particular facility; it is in line with the SA NDP directives and it provides an indication of which structures are in place and whether they are functioning properly. Furthermore; it could determine the increase or decrease in performance of a facility (therefore identify trends within the functional status of a system) when data is collected over a period of time; and finally, it could also be used to prioritize drug policy directives. The following steps were established in the development of the Tool: A literature review of pharmaceutical stock control and Drug Supply Management was addressed to provide the background information for the motivation of this study and to identify the various elements that could influence stock control at a facility level. Observational studies were applied at selected private and public facilities to observe the impact of these identified stock control elements. An 'ideal' stock control system was then generated from the literature review and observational assessment. A structured questionnaire was developed and surveyed at these facilities to generate key areas of concern of a stock control system. A study and adaptation of the indicator methods used by the World Health Organization (WHO) to monitor drug use in health facilities resulted in the formulation of a practical Stock Control Assessment Tool based on 11 key indicators and a number of sub-indicators, all of which were objectively defined. The Tool was then applied at selected public facilities and the results were analyzed quantitatively, qualitatively and subjectively. Each of the indicators was then applied and results examined closely with a view to possible refinements of the indicator. The refinements were made and the Tool was re-applied at two selected facilities. These two facilities were randomly selected from the original six facilities included for the testing of the Tool. Final conclusions and specific recommendations were generated to improve the stock control systems at the selected public health care facilities.

The aim of my thesis Use of value engineering elements for the realization of buildings in the municipality is to compare the evaluation methods of procurement in municipality and evaluation methods using elements of value engineering. A tender for reconstruction Šubertovo square was realized in the city Dobruška. In the thesis is shown way of evaluation of competing offers of the city Dobruška itself in sublimit simplified procedure and evaluation of competing offers by selecting more evaluation criteria and selecting the best offer with the highest degree of effectiveness.

This study originally emanated from the debate on value creation through projects, which has become more prevalent in project management literature in recent times. Earned value analysis, which is widely used to measure and report the performance of project value, does not include the occurrence of value leaks in its calculations and reporting. Although there is a scarcity of literature on the issue of value leaks during project deployment, it is considered to be a big issue which can make or break a project’s value success. This lack of research is more pronounced in network expansion projects in the Ghanaian telecommunication industry, however, considering the level of investment by these network operators, and their contribution to economic growth, the occurrence of value leaks can be suspected. Therefore, the overall aim of the study was to develop a diagnostic model that aids in the easy identification of value leaks, so that they can be controlled, and remedied to minimise the forgone unrealised project value. In view of this, the study adopted an exploratory sequential mixed research design. The qualitative phase employed a multiple-case study approach to explore the concept of value leaks and the extent to which it becomes problematic in delivering overall project value. The quantitative phase, through a survey study, adopted factor analysis to test and validate the findings from the case study, and analyses were also performed to test the conceptual model fit to the retained dataset. The findings culminated in the development of the “Value Leaks-Flashlight”, with an add-on called the “Tolerable Nut” to theorise the concept of value leaks. This practical establishment of the value leak concept cemented the development of the value leaks diagnostic model through the application of the “CIIR” acronym, which fulfils the overall aim of the study. The study contributes to the contemporary literature in the field of project management, as the concept of project value leaks is still gaining prominence, and only a few empirical studies have thus far been conducted. The concept of value leaks enlightens the perspective of project management practitioners in their quest to achieve value through projects. / Business Management / D. Phil. (Management Studies)

Thesis is focused on the use of value analysis in the financing of engineering structures in municipality. The work is divided into two parts. The first is focused on explaining the basic concepts of public contracts and value analysis and describes the methods of value analysis.The second part focuses on finding the best tender submitted for the tender of public contract.

The dissertation deals with the management culture of a construction company in connection with the new roles that are introduced in the Czech Republic (CR), especially after it became a member state of the European Union. In the introduction to the dissertation, two hypotheses are proposed. In the following theoretical part, it deals with the first general definition of corporate culture and ethics linked to the quality of work and new roles. In order to understand these difficult times, which are characterized by various types of crises, an analysis of the construction industry is made. Next, a description of the legislative developments in the CR is made and the influence of computer technology in construction management is marginally mentioned. It’s implementing the new technology that has an increasing impact on the organization and quality of work. The ability to use computer technology has in essence become a measure of the level of development of the management culture in the given construction company. The main theoretical part defines the roles in question, including their historical development, origin and the cause of their occurrence in both the CR and the neighboring countries.

A CONWIP (Constant Work-In-Progress) system is basically a hybrid system with a PUSH-PULL interface at the first machine in the line. This research addresses the most general case of a cyclic CONWIP system by incorporating two additional constraints over earlier studies namely; stochastic processing times and limited intermediate storage. One of the main issues in the design of a CONWIP system is the WIP level 'M', to be maintained. This research proposes an iterative procedure to determine this optimal level. The second main issue is the optimization of the line by determining an appropriate job sequence. This research assumes a 'permutational' scheduling policy and proposes an iterative approach to find the best sequence. The approach utilizes a controlled enumerative approach called the Fast Insertion Heuristic (FIH) coupled with a method to appraise the quality of every enumeration at each iteration. This is done by using a modified version of the Floyd's algorithm, to determine the cycle time (or Flow time) of a partial/full solution. The performance measures considered are the Flow time and the Interdeparture time (inverse of throughput). Finally, both the methods suggested for the two subproblems, are tested through computer implementations to reveal their proficiency. / Master of Science