Computerized Inventory System

II. PROJECT DESCRIPTION ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­In this chapter, the students who are the developer of the system are going to tackle about the company’s main problem in its existing system and are also going to discuss the specific problem that causes the host company’s loss and incompetency to the market. The propose system that the students come up with will be discuss to maximize the competency of the host company along with the details, the scope and limitations, and the methodology used for the study.2.1.2 Problem Statement In this chapter the proponent will specify the general and specific problems of their company that has encounter through interview or observation.2.1.1 Major StatementHow to create a Computerized Sales and Inventory System for Alta School & Office Supply that will solve the major and minor problems of the store? Alta School & Office Supply using the manual system for the operation of the inventory and the cashier operator transacts all purchases using a cash register. The proponents decided then to develop a computer-based sales and inventory system that the store can use to be able to solve major and minor problems encountered when using a manual system in doing these operation.2.1.2 Minor StatementsHow to develop a module that will make the user easily find and validate returned products? Product returned include damage items when a product is returned, it should be accompanied with the receipt of the purchased product. Since only the product category and its price are indicated in the receipt, it would be hard for the manager to easily find and validate the product and the receipt so as to accept the return transaction.How to create a module that is enable to generate updated report such as the sales report and inventory report, as well as fast moving and slow moving products reports that is available anytime is needed? The store does not have an actual inventory report and their sales report are made and calculated just throug h the receipt from the cash register. The general manager cannot identify which products are fast moving and which are slow moving because the general manager cannot identify what specific products are commonly bought and what are not. Information for fast moving and slow moving items is essential so as to be aware of the products that need more attention in terms of the reordering of these products.How to create a module that is able to implement security with regards to the information and files so as to keep data integrity? Important documents can be altered since anyone can gain access to these documents. Another problem is regarding to cashier operators. Since there is no security with regards to who can use the cash registers unauthorized sales transactions may occur, thus resulting to loss of data integrity and reliability.II.1 Proposed Research ProjectII.1.1 General ObjectivesThe general objective of the study is to make a Computerized Sales and Inventory System for Alta Sch ool and Office Supply that will solve, improve the some features that can help of the store. The proponents will design and develop a Computer-based Sales and Inventory System for Alta School and Office Supply that will solve major and minor problems encountered in the current system used. This will eventually help the host company speed-up the process of the whole system. II.1.2 Specific ObjectivesTo develop a module that will organize the record of all the information about the system. In this statement the proponents need to organize the record of all the information about the system so that we can easily see all the information we need to see if it is necessary. Without organization the system will have corrupted files and revision would be impossible in the database.To develop a module that will compute the sales and record transaction for the amount product purchased, and the number available in the store. The proponents can improve the manual system for this module, computati on and recording to be faster and more accurate that will lessen human error and is  more reliable than the existing process.To create a module that will build a security that will protect the company’s confidential file. The proponents will develop a security to protect the feature where the data files and information will be secured from the unauthorized person and to avoid any of alteration of data files. The system cannot be used without any users, because it is required in the system.II.1.3 Scope and LimitationsThe Study is conducted to develop computerized sales and inventory system for Alta School & Office Supply. This computerized sales and inventory will ease the work of the persons involved in this system to minimize their tasks as well as to keep up with the technology nowadays. System proposed system is conducted to develop computerized sales and inventory system for Alta School & Office Supply.The computerized system will help minimize the problem encountered i n the existing manual system of the company as well as to keep up with technology nowadays. The proposed system will feature file maintenance module that allows editing, adding, and maintaining of information pertaining to the products, product’s category, suppliers, and system users. Returned product/s due to damage which is accepted for return or exchange can be easily validated through a reliable receipt that will indicate the store’s name, product name, product price and the date that purchased or date of transaction will be adjusted in a returns form.LimitationsThe system cannot provide a payment using credit cards. Obviously it is more profitable to have an online ordering but probably it cannot apply them online orders. The transaction or method cannot be converted in to a computerized system and can only be done manually such as evaluating the reports or suggesting an alternate product or any decision related problem.II.1.4 MethodologyThe proponent’s met hod in making the system is the Systems Development Life Cycle or simply SDLC is the methodology that we used in our system. It is the development cycle designed to give much faster. To be able to accomplish  the requirements of the proposed system, the proponents decided to use the System Development Life Cycle or simply SDLC and divided the cycle into five phases. The SDLC is a phased approach to analysis and design that hold that systems are best developed through the use of a specific cycle of analyst and user activities. Although each phase is presented discretely, the proponents did not intentionally make them as separate steps instead, several activities may occur concurrently, and activities may be repeated, because SDLC is more useful if it is applied as phases rather than in separate steps.Planning Priorities for system and projects; an architectures for data, networks, and selection hardware, and IS management are the result of associated systems; Detailed steps, or wor k plan, for project:Specification of system scope and planning and high level system requirements or features; Assignment of team members and other resources; System justification or business case.Analysis Description of current system and where problems or opportunities are with a general recommendation on how to fix, enhance, or replace current system; Explain of alterative systems and justification for chosen alterativeDesign Functional, detailed specifications of all system elements (data, processes, inputs, and outputs); Technical, detailed specification of all system elements (programs, files, network, system, software, etc.).Implementation Code, documentation, training procedures, and support capabilities.Maintenance New version or releases of software with associated updates to documentation, training, and support.

Parvana’s life in Afghanistan Essay

In â€Å"The Breadwinner† Parvana’s rights are being violated. She has the right to go to school and get an education. She has the right to go to court to defend people. She has the right to freedom and many other rights, but nearly all of her rights are being violated by the Taliban. I wonder how Parvana deals with it? This essay will be about some of the rights that are violated in Afghanistan, the right for an education, the right to go to court and the right for freedom. The right for an education is violated. My first quote to help me give evidence that is on pages 10-11 â€Å"it wasn’t her fault she wasn’t in school! She would rather be there too. † This quote represents that the right for an education is violated because she wants to go to school, but the Taliban has forbidden girls to go to school. My second quote is found on page 11 â€Å"when they first took over the capital city of Kabul and forbade girls to go to school, Parvana was terribly unhappy. I think this quote means that the Taliban forbid girls to go to school so they are the smartest so it is easier to take over the whole of Afghanistan. The right for freedom is violated. The first example to show evidence is on page 22 â€Å"the Taliban has said we must stay inside, but that doesn’t mean we have to live in filth. † I think this quote gives a good example because it shows that they are demanded to stay inside. My second piece of evidence is on page 7-8 â€Å"For more than a year now, they had all been stuck inside one room, along with five-year-old Maryam and two-year-old Ali. I think this quote shows that the family’s freedom is violated because they have to stay inside because they are girls. Parvana’s right to go to court is violated. On page 31 a quote helps me give evidence that Parvana’s family can’t go to court. â€Å"Parvana watched hopelessly as two soldiers dragged him down the stairs. † I think this quote shows clear evidence because it shows that they just take him and don’t give information or when he will be released or anything. My second quote is found on page 30 â€Å"two of the soldiers grabbed her father. The other two began searching the apartment, kicking the remains of dinner all over the mat. † This means that the Taliban don’t give any information about when they can go to court to defend their father so he doesn’t need to go to jail, and they just storm in and do whatever they want. The Taliban also like to suppress people. Parvana deals with the rights in many ways. Girls could not go to school or be outside, so she disguised herself as a oy. She could not go to court to defend her father so she went to the prison to get her father back with her mom, but they were beat up. Parvana did not have the right for freedom so she disguised herself as a boy. â€Å"The Breadwinner† was a nice and emotional story about her life in Afghanistan and how she deals with her father being put in jail and the rights being violated. Parvana dealt with some of the rights, such as the right to go to court, the right for an education and the right for freedom.

The Position of the Modern Woman Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Position of the Modern Woman - Essay Example However, the various feminist theories differ, to a large extent, on the sources and types of inequality suffered by women, how to tackle these inequalities and achieve equality or the extent to which gender and sexual identities should be questioned. Obviously, as with every ideology, political movement or philosophy, no single definition or idea would adequately reflect what feminism stands for (Tong, 1989). Â  Nonetheless, despite the various differences within the rank of the feminists’ movements, over the last couple of decades, their analysis and ideas have greatly contributed to society and social theory and thus have greatly improved the lives of women. Several aspects of private life associated with male/female social relationships have experienced changes and many parts of social life have been transformed as a result of the work of feminism. Although some people argue that there is still a long way to go before equality is attained between men and women, everyone agrees to the fact that major changes have been experienced towards such equality in the society (Burt and Dorney, 1993). Â  Somehow, men and women through their social actions and interactions have played a role in the changes experienced in the society, feminist theorist and writers have played the most striking roles in the changes in views and attitudes and other societal changes. Feminist theories have always been very useful in that, they tend to address the practical issues faced by women in their daily living and interaction with the society (Sydie, 1987).

Smart Electronic Devices It Can Save You Money Essay

Smart Electronic Devices It Can Save You Money - Essay Example With all the strengthened campaigns against global warming, all industries seem to be keen on going with the hype. But is it just hype? No it isn’t. It’s as real as can be and the campaign for green electronics is just but timely. It is known that consumer electronics are far from friendly to the environment — they consume lots of energy thereby contributing to global warming. Aside from that, they also leach out toxins when they are discarded in landfills. What exactly goes into the category green electronics and why is it so â€Å"in† right now? In this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Greenpeace International toxics campaigner Casey Harrell said that green electronics are those "free from toxic chemicals and excels in energy efficiency and durability† (â€Å"New Electronic Gadgets†). What is so good about green electronics aside from being environment-friendly is that it will be economical. We are talking in the future tense for this one because the search for a truly green product is still on. What we have now are more or less attempts to greener electronics and since the technology is not yet perfect and cost much to manufacture, they are still generally expensive. In the long run though, greener electronics will save us money especially once it becomes the standard. Let us look at some examples. A thermostat regulates temperature according to what is desired. Old manual thermostats can be replaced with electronic ones to conserve energy, thereby cutting your electric bills and saving you lots of money. This way, being comfortable in your home will not cost you much. How so? These electronic thermostats are programmable. Thus you can have it preset to automatically adjust temperature depending on your needs, like when you’re sleeping at night and during morning when everyone gets up. Some models can even be controlled remotely (Corder). Water is easily wasted in running taps especially when used by children. To

Chinese Artist Gu Kaizhi and some of his artwork mainly Nymph of the Research Paper

Chinese Artist Gu Kaizhi and some of his artwork mainly Nymph of the Luo River - Research Paper Example One such popular artist was Gu Kaizhi who  was born in c. 344 at Wuxi, Jiangsu province in China and died in the year c. 406. As a native of Jiangsu, Wuxi province, Gu whose origin was from an Eastern dynasty elite family grew up and became a fantastic painter and writer. From his bibliography, it is clear that during the jin shu (Jin) history, Gu paintings were successful (Suzuki 6). He is noted to have paid high attention to identifying the figures’ eyes so as to obtain the spiritual communion effect. His successive dynasties’ famous paintings imply that Gu’s explored his talent while using his brush and when the painting was complete the actual conception had been embroidered. Some of the books that Gu authored include the introducing famous Jin Dynasties and Wei Paintings, On painting, and Record on the Yuntai mountain painting. It has been noted that theories that were documented in these books still affect the Chinese painters generation. He is among the earliest many-faceted China artists who came up with new standards for figure painting. As widely noted, Gu Kaizhi was one of the most popular eccentric courtier commonly known for being a figure subject and a painter of portraits. His art has been known for both paintings and written records and recorded as being one among the many who painted the representation of the Vimalakirti. The hand scroll popularly referred to as the nymph of the Luo River, which illustrates a Daoist poem and his essay often referred to as on the painting the Cloud Terrace Mountain are the two versions of paintings recorded as his painting (Yang 19). The popular hand scroll that bears the title The Admonitions of Court Instructress has his signature although it has not been recorded as his own original painting (Yang 29). However, one thing to content with is that it accurately maintains its Pre-Tang dynasty style with the scroll illustrating a series of scenes often separated by texts of didactic Confucia n poem with a proper character for court ladies. It also has a line carefully controlled with a composition that highlights the selected details which illustrate and expand effectively on the nature of the text. This paper seeks to discuss one of the works of Gu Kaizhi paintings, commonly referred to as The Nymph of the Luo River. Certainly, The Nymph of the Luo River is one of the most likeable Gu Kaizhi’s paintings. The work was painted by Cao Zhi and inspired by Ode. It existed in three copies closely related to the Sing dynasty. One of the copies is held in the Freer Gallery in Washington, D.C. while the other is in the Beijing’s Palace Museum, and the last copy was in Manchuria. This was brought to that place by Pu Yi who was the last emperor. He did this while operating as the Manchukuo’s puppet emperor under the rule of the Japanese. However, after the Japanese surrendered in 1945, the painting disappeared and was brought back after ten years to the provi ncial Museum at Liaoning. Historically, Cao Zhi was a poet in a period of three kingdoms (McCausland 10). The poem narrates a story of love between a woman referred to as Zhen and the poet. The woman later marred the elder brother of Cao Zhi who was known as Cao Pei. The poem describes the romantic encounter at the nymph and the lingering love experience of Cao Pei towards the wife of his brother. It captures the first

Teaching with Tech by Vicky Hallett Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Teaching with Tech by Vicky Hallett - Essay Example According to Hallett, numerous academic institutions in the United States (US), particularly in the tertiary level, strive to employ the latest technological innovations in the classroom setting. For instance, colleges and universities including the John Hopkins University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology among others encourage the use of gadgets like camera phones, Wi-Fi laptops, course websites and other classroom technologies. The application of these new techniques has substantially revolutionized the learning process. In her article, Hallett asserts that the introduction of each new tool in the classroom brings about opportunities to further enhance the education process and results in the development of new learning models. Indicative of the significant contribution of technology to education, the term "e-learning" was coined. This refers to the use of multi-media technology to support learning and teaching. There are numerous instances that illustrate how technology has improved teaching and learning. For example, utilization of e-learning tools such as web-based courses and podcast lectures has made learning and teaching more flexible. Given these tools, students may easily access lectures of modules anytime, even outside the campus, through the internet. These tools enable students to conveniently review lecture notes or recorded lecture provided online if they misses any important point or find a particular lesson difficult. With these features, the education process is improved such that students are able to learn at their own pace ("Laying the foundation for the Future of Digital Learning," 2004). Similarly, technology has rendered support to teachers by providing additional avenues for learning. By using technology, teachers are able to create a relatively more interactive learning environment. Hallett cites the John Hopkins University as an example. In its biology class, all students are provided with thin blue devices which resemble remote controls. These devices make it possible for the professor to track students' participation. As the teacher flashes a question and corresponding choices on the monitor, students use their devices for pointing their answers on the screen. Similar to "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" their responses are then tabulated to gauge their comprehension of the subject matter presented. Aside from the use of Microsoft Powerpoint, Macromedia and other computer programs for presentation, Hallett also mentions the use of gaming concept in teaching. As more and more students become obsessed with Xbox and Playstation, teachers attempt to use these technological tools to promote interactive learning. Games like "The Sims" and "Civilization" have become part of some teachers' lesson plan. These make lessons more fun and sustain students' attention span. In response, software companies have also released new games which are in line with a specific course.An example of this is "Making History" created by Muzzy Lane Software. This video game allows students to play the role of World War II leaders and use critical thinking as well as teamwork to triumph by coming up with sound political and military judgments.

The disscussion of the conceptual framework Essay

The disscussion of the conceptual framework - Essay Example The IASB’s main role is to assist international users to design an international framework for the preparation and presentation of financial report, a role that has over the years faced major criticism due to the weaknesses in the objectives and the concepts that it is based on. The Framework is developed to address the fundamental reason for the presence of the financial statements, which is to provide useful financial information about the reporting entity to all the related parties (investors, lenders, other creditors) for making decisions about providing resources to the entity. The contents of the Framework are central around the five elements from which financial statements are constructed. This paper aims at identifying and discussing the implementation of the IASB’s conceptual framework based on its hands-on objectives mainly that of providing a basis for administrative standard-setting and resolving accounting controversies in deliberation outline to the accoun ting concepts, principles and focus. The paper is organized into three sections; the first section explains the concepts, objectives and focus of the IASB’s conceptual framework, the second section describes the weaknesses and the basis of the criticism facing the IASB framework while the third section is a conclusion, summary and a discussion of the criticism facing the current IASB’s discussion paper. As stated, the IASB’s framework sets concepts that shape how financial statements are prepared and presented for external users. The IASB framework lacks accounting standard status in comparison to the statement of principles derived from the United Kingdom Accounting Standards Board (ASB). The IASB framework contains seven segments that cover areas such as; objectives of financial reporting, the underlying assumptions, Qualitative features of financial information, the fundamental rules of financial

Long Term Care Facilities Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Long Term Care Facilities - Essay Example Food service standards include setting the centralized and decentralized systems, food service stations, and accuracy of each dining procedure. Food service standards must be set for the food safety and sanitation, implementation of patient dining rights and preferences, and dining experience categories (Singh, 2010). Next, management must ensure the dining experience employees understand their benchmarks (Puckett, 2012). The dining employees are allowed to ask clarification questions. The questions will eliminate any gray or vague standards or polices. For example, nurses clarify what to do if the patient has a seizure during the dining experience. Third, management must report the actual performance of each dining employee. Management must collect data on the employees’ performance outcomes. Data includes the patients’ dining experience feedbacks. Data also includes the supervisors’ feedbacks of the subordinate dining employees’ performances. The employees’ meeting benchmark requirements ensure the patients receive quality dining experiences (Daft, 2008). Lastly, management must present the consequences of the concerned dining employees’ actual performances. The effects may include either the stick or carrot method. Under the carrot method, dining employees who meet standards are given rewards, citations and promotions. Under the stick method, the company penalizes dining employees who do not meet standards. Penalties include warnings, fines, suspensions, or terminations (Daft, 2008). Why the value of the dining experience is so important Dining experiences have important values (Singh, 2010). Dining has socializing value. During the dining experience, patients spend time in the company of other patients. Dining offers relaxation value. Special dining comfortable tables allow the use of wheelchairs. Soft music, table skirting, table cloths and folded table napkins brighten the

Security Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Security - Essay Example It is also reflective of how law, crime and morality are perceived by members of the society. The security practices of removing concealments from the sidewalks to protect people who travelled the highways from being attacked by robbers could not work alone. Other attempts to deal with crime at the local level proved futile and so night watches and patrols which were established privately was the means of protection for citizens. Fischer et al (2008) indicate that under the feudal system the society was controlled by kings and feudal barons and so a high level of security was available for both individuals and groups. However, judicial reforms led to the separation of courts and the exercise of the rule of law from the power of the king. Every district was then made accountable for crimes committed within its boundaries and all strangers were required to report to the magistrates on entering a district. Attempts to control crime and other vices were not successful and this also led to the establishment of private night watches and patrols. Steenkamp (2002) indicates that Armed robberies of merchants and other groups such as clergymen and nobles who often carried money and other valuables became commonplace during the period. The safety of those who were affected could only be guaranteed by hiring private security. Six and Kowalski (n.d.) defines risk as the possibility of the occurrence of a harmful or undesirable event. This consists of events including harm, injury or abuse to individuals or groups of people. Risk management is a procedure aimed at protecting individuals or a group of people. Amanda D’Costa (2011) introduced six steps in a risk management program. They are: As a first step risks need to be identified before they can be dealt with. Once they are identified they should be registered so that all parties concerned will have an idea of the risk factors. In

Legislations health and social care Essay Example for Free

Legislations health and social care Essay Health and safety: It’s important for everyone to be in a safe environment so they can do daily tasks without feeling scared and uncomfortable of something will happen to them for certain so that’s why in every health care setting the health and safety at work act 1974 has been introduced so they can safe guard vulnerable patients in their care. Providers in health care settings need to provide some of the following services to ensure that the service users and the employees themselves are safe when working for example: They need to provide and maintain safety when using equipment’s Provide a safe place of employment Ensure equipment is used safely, stored and delivered from one place to another. Provide a safe place to feel safe and welcomed at all times Look after the health and safety of others. Food standard regulation: The food standard regulation is one of the most important legislation in a health care setting because most hospitals, care homes, schools etc all serve food and it needs to be in a good standard for the service users to eat it without becoming violently ill for example poor hygiene can result to abnormality of different foods compared to the others which can make the person ill. For the service uses to eat without becoming ill this legislations helps guide the workers to do some of the following The controls include: Premises are clean and in a good state of repair Good drainage, lighting and ventilation Sufficient waste disposal facilities Toilet facilities for staff Equipment is in good condition and kept clean Also another guideline they should follow would be the temperature of the food needs to be monitored in order for the food to be served without any  complications and here is the temperature guideline for the foods being stored in specific places: It is an offence to allow food to be kept at temperatures that would cause a risk to health, so you must make sure foods that need temperature control are kept at the right temperature. Foods that need to be kept hot should be kept at 63 °C or above Foods that need to be kept cold should be kept at 8 °C or below (preferably at 5 °C or below) Foods that need to be kept frozen should be kept between -18 °C to -24 °C Manual handling regulations Manual handling regulations is a legislation that was introduced in 1992 for the safety of the people who handle equipment for example people who work in an industry will carry equipment’s and for that reason this legislation was introduced so the people can handle equipment safely without injuring themselves. It was found by a survey that 3 out of 5 people suffered a common injury known as musculoskeletal injury which caused many people to hurt themselves badly and some still haven’t recovered from it. This legislation avoids people lifting something that their body is unable to do, also avoids hazardous manual handling. This is what the employees follow: Use equipment safely according to instructions and training, immediately reporting any defects to their line manager/supervisors. Check each item of manual handling equipment is in safe working order before use

Effect of Water to Cement Ratio on Concrete

Effect of Water to Cement Ratio on Concrete Introduction In construction projects, concrete, along with steel, wood, glass, etc, is one of the most essential materials that are needed for a successful manufacture of a structure. It one of the most common materials on a construction site and accounts for billions of pounds everywhere across the world. Due to ever-increasing machinery and technological advancements concrete can now be made of a mixture of compound materials, nevertheless the necessary components of concrete are course or fine aggregates, Portland Cement and water. In the current times, concrete structures are manufactured every day and to sustain a safe environment for people, so it is vital that that the structures that are built are sturdy, durable and do not cause any hazards to people. It is therefore a huge task for construction companies to guarantee that the structures that are built are done so to meet all the specific safety codes, British Standards or the Euro Code Standards. The properties of concrete are very vit al as they provide the necessary stability that structures are dependent on to maintain their sturdiness. As a result it is essential to research and be aware of the distinctive components of concrete and its properties, and how in this experiment these might affect the way that concrete performs when changing some variables.  (Richardson, 2002). The workability of a concrete mix gives a measure of the ease with which fresh concrete can be placed and compacted. The concrete should flow readily into the form and go around and cover the reinforcement, the mix should retain its consistency and the aggregates should not segregate. There are four factors that can affect the workability are: Consistency: The degree of consistency is depended on the nature of works and type of compaction. Water/cement Ratio or Water Control of a concrete: Water/cement ratio is the ratio of water in a mix to the weight of cement. The quality of water that required for a mix is depended on the mix proportions, types and grading of aggregate. Grading of Aggregate: The smooth and rounded aggregate will produce a more workable concrete than the sharp angular aggregate. Cement Content: The greater workability can be obtained with the higher cement content. Aims The aim of this experiment was to establish the effects of water to cement ratio on the  fresh properties of concrete (workability), and its effect on the hardened properties  of concrete (strength). Furthermore to increase the understanding in making a concrete mixture and working out the water content that needs to be added to the mixtures. And last to expand on the understanding of the importance of fresh and hard properties of concrete. Objectives The objectives of the experiment were to make three concrete mixtures by altering their water/cement ratios (0.47, 0.55 0.65) and to find out the water content to use for the three mixtures. To do a variety of tests such as the slump test, compacting factor test on fresh concrete and to carry out compressive and flexural strength tests of hardened concrete. Then finally to discuss how features such as variation in the water/cement ratio affects the workability  and strength of concrete. Theory Concrete Production, concrete is a mixture that is made up of three components, cement, water and aggregate. The water and cement are mixed together to produce a thick paste, to which then measured out aggregates are added to. The aggregates that are added are mainly composed of usual materials such as sand, gravel and crushed rocks, however due to the latest advanced technology; it has been known that other materials such as car tyres and crushed glass to be also used as aggregates. The cement is produced by blending limestone and clay, and burning it in a rotary kiln, this results in the formation of a clinker, to which gypsum is added. The mix is then ground down to fine powder cement, in which the most common is called Portland Cement. The cement/water slurry solidifies through a chemical reaction called hydration, the reaction produces immense heat so fresh concrete must by no means be handled with unprotected bare hands. During the winter season, temperatures drop below 2Âà ‚ °C, so the chemical hydration reaction may be very slow as heat is needed as a catalyst to speed up the collision of the particles. Therefore concrete pours during these seasons are not suitable as the concrete will not set. Initially this reaction is slow to start with, so this allows for the concrete to be transported and poured before it is hardened, and the theory states that complete 100% hydration takes place after 28 days. Properties of Concrete: There are four key properties that are desired in fresh concrete i.e.  good workability, compactability, mobility and stability. The most desired properties for  hardened concrete are strength and durability. The concrete should have compressive strength  (resist squeezing), tensile strength (resist stretching) and flexural strength (resist bending). All these strengths are highly dependent on the water/cement ratio and aggregate used in the  mixture, the degree of compaction and the age of the concrete. Curing concrete under water  over time allows hydration to continue hence giving it strength. The concrete used in this experiment was a C30 concrete grade and according to B.S. 5328  the compressive strength for this grade at 28 days is 30.0 N/ sq mm which can also be written  as 30 MPa which is adequate for use in beams, however this is only an estimation as there  are other factors (mentioned above) that affect concrete strength. In this experiment the slump  test and the compacting factor test were used to assess the workability and uniformity of  concrete. The deflection/ flexural strength test was carried out to evaluate the strength of the  concrete beam (mini beam sample) and find the failure load of the mini beam (100mm by  100mm by 500mm). The compressive strength was carried out to determine the maximum  failure load of the cube samples (150mm by 150mm) and the cylinder samples (150mm by  300mm) (Barnes 1992). MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT Casting Equipment Concrete mixer Bucket (average size) Measuring Cylinder Shovel Wheel Borough Scale Figure 2: Shows Compaction Factor Apparatus. (used to determine workability of concrete  mixture) Figure 3: Slump Test Apparatus B.S. Slump cone (300mm high, tapering from a 100mm diameter top to a 200mm  diameter bottom) Slump rod (or steel tamping rod) (16 mm diameter, 600mm long, with rounded ends) Flat metal base plate (600 sq mm) (K0837225) Page 5 9. Metal Rule (300mm long) 10. Metal Scoop 11. Levelling Trowel 12. Waste rag 13. Vibrating Table 14. Moulds 6 no. Cube Moulds (150mm by 150mm) 3 no. Cylinder Moulds (150mm by 300mm) 3 no. Mini beam Moulds (100mm by 100mm by 500mm) 15. Materials Course Aggregates (Stones) Fine Aggregates (Sand) Cement Water (Tap) *Note: Aggregate used was natural aggregate used was from London. Therefore no need for  determining aggregate moisture content as aggregate is assumed to be laboratory dry to  SSD. Hence no considerable effect on water-cemet ratio. Striking Equipment 1. Pressure pipe (for striking cubes and cylinders) 2. Brushes (Soft and Hard metal brushes) 3. Oil, oil brush and rugs (for cleaning moulds before storing) 4. Crayon (for labelling concrete samples) 5. Curing room Testing Equipment 1. Compressive test machinery Figure 4: Shows the Compressive test machine used to apply loads on cubes and cylinder  samples 2. Deflection test machinery (Picture shown in figure 3. Load reader/display 4. Concrete samples 5. Digital Camera *Personal Protective Clothing was worn on all days of the experiment (Safety boots and Coats, individuals handling concrete wore protective gloves). METHODOLOGY Concrete Production: 1. Aggregates were readily weighed and placed into buckets. Quantities (constants) used in  all Concrete Mixes are shown below: Material Quantitative Weight (Kg) Cement (CEM1) 6.50 Fine Aggregate (Sand) 16.55 Natural Course Aggregate (Stones) 26.00 2. The amount of water required was determined by using the formulae shown below. Water content = (water/cement ratio) x cement weight. 3. Water was measured into a bucket using measuring cylinders. 4. The water/cement ratio was set as the variable between 3 Concrete Mixes (to determine  the effect of water/cement ratio on the strength and workability of the concrete). Water  content quantities used are shown on table 1. Table 1: Water/Cement Ratio (variable) for Concrete Mixes 1, 2 3 Concrete Mix Water/Cement Ratio Water Content (litres) 1 0.47 3 2 0.55 3.6 3 0.65 4.25 *See Appendix 1 for Actual Calculations Carried Out. 5. The concrete mixer paddles and pan were lightly dampened before aggregates were  placed in the mixer. 6. Course and fine aggregates were placed into the mixer and mixed for 30seconds. 7. Half the water required for the mix was added to the mixture and the contents were  further mixed for 1 minute. 8. The contents were covered and left for 8 minutes, to allow aggregates to absorb water,  (because aggregates are porous therefore they should soak in water into voids to get a good  mix and bonding with cementious (water/cement) paste). 9. Cement was spread evenly over the aggregates and mixed for 1 minute. 10. The remaining water was added and the contents were mixed for 2 minutes ensuring  homogeneity of the mix. 11. Workability tests were then carried out, in the order shown below. *Note; immediately after each test the used concrete was returned into the mixer and the contents were remixed for 30 seconds. FRESH CONCRETE TESTS Compacting Factor Test: 1. Trap doors of all hoppers were shut prior to beginning the test. 2. Sample of freshly mixed concrete was scooped from the mixer into the upper hopper, the  concrete sample was filled up to the brim of the upper hopper. 3. The trap-door of upper hopper was opened, to enable concrete to fall into the lower  hopper. 4. After all concrete had been collected onto lower hopper, the trap-door of the lower hopper  was then opened and the concrete allowed to fall into the cylinder. 5. Excess concrete remaining above the top level of the cylinder was then cut off using a  plane blade. 6. The concrete collected in the cylinder was then weighed. (This weight is known as the  weight of partially compacted concrete). 7. The concrete filled cylinder was vibrated to obtain full compaction, and more concrete  was added to the cylinder as required to ensure the vibrated/compacted concrete was  filled to the brim of the cylinder. 8. The now fully compacted concrete in the cylinder was weighed. 9. The compacting factor was then obtained using the formulae shown below. Compacting factor = (Weight of partially compacted concrete)/(Weight of fully  compacted concrete) Figure 5: Shows steps followed during the compacting factor test. 1) Compacting factor equipment. 2) Partially compacted weight is taken on a scale, 3) The concrete is vibrated/compacted  on a vibrating table and then the contents are toped up and vibrated to the rim container and the  partially compacted weight was taken. Slump Test: Concrete was thoroughly mixed in the concrete mixer. The slump cone was dampened to prevent concrete sticking to it. The slump cone/mould was placed on the centre of the metal plate and one individual was  asked to stand on the foot pieces on both sides of the mould. The mould was filled in 3 equal depth layers and each layer was rod 25 times using the  steel slump rod (ensuring even spread of blows covering over the whole area). Concrete was heaped over the top of the cone and with a rolling motion of the rod over  top of the mold the concrete was levelled thus removing the excess concrete. The spillage was carefully removed from the sides of the mould and the base plate   The mould/cone was carefully and slowly lifted vertically upwards. The slump cone was turned upside down and placed next to the molded concrete and the  rod was laid across the slump cone and the distance (slump) between the underside of the  rod and the highest point of the moulded concrete were read using a metal rule. There are different kinds of slump a collapsed slump, sheared slump and a true slump. The first two slump types indicate bad workability and a true slump indicates good  workability. Concrete Beam Casting Curing: Concrete was scooped out of the mixer into oiled moulds on the vibrating table (ensuring  even spread). Concrete was vibrated throughout the pour to eliminate voids and to enable compaction  of concrete by switching on the vibrating table. The vibrating motion also levelled the concrete. The concrete was left to set on the mould for 24 hours After which concrete was struck and placed in the curing room over 14 days. HARDENED CONCRETE TESTS Concrete Sample Testing: Compressive Strength Tests; were carried out on cube and cylinder samples. Flexural Strength Tests; were carried out in the mini beams. The machines where loaded with concrete sample and load applied was set to zero  before running the test. Base and top plates (spacers) were used to determine to provide platforms for the  concrete specimens and to also help provide even distribution of load. The load was applied by the machine till maximum failure load was reached. This reading was taken and the machine cleaned off concrete debris before running tests  for other samples. *Note the loading Pace Rates varied for different sample shape as shown below: Cylinders loading Pace Rate was set at 5.30 KN/s Cubes loading Pace Rate was set at 6.80 KN/s Mini Beams loading Pace Rate was set at 0.200 KN/s RESULTS 1. FRESH CONCRETE PROPERTIES TEST RESULTS Compacting Factor Test Results: Mix 1 Observations: The Concrete Mix appeared to be dry and did not pass through when the trap  door of the upper hopper was opened. The concrete mix was helped through the trap door to  the lower hopper by pushing it with a metal rod through the first trap door. The same was  done in order to get it through the second trap door into the container. This showed that it  was a bad mix with bad flowability, mobility and workability properties due to low water  content. Mix 2 Observations: The concrete mix was passed through the hopers with better ease than mix 1,  however only  ¼ of the contents went through, the rest was forced through both trap doors  with a metal rod. Therefore the flow ability and workability properties of this mix were bad,  but better than mix1, owing it to the increased water content in mix 2. Mix 3 Observations: The obtained concrete mix was a wet mix (a bit too wet) with what would  appear to be good flowability properties as all contents went through the hopers and trap  doors with one sweep and much ease. Therefore the flowability and workability properties  were the best observed for all 3 mixes, but too much water content is not good either. The compacting factor test was worked out for all the 3 Concrete Mixes and results are  shown in table 2 below. *The calculations were carried out on Microsoft Excel using the formula shown below. Compacting factor = (Weight of partially compacted concrete)/(Weight of fully  compacted concrete) BS 1881: Part 103 states that concrete is deemed unsuitable if its compacting factor is  below 0.70 or above 0.98. For normal concretes the compacting factor normally lies  between 0.80 and 0.92 (Jackson Dhir 1996). Apparent workability shown below was determined by using Compacting factor table in There was no slump as  the mix was too dry  therefore indicating  poor mobility,  flowability and  workability Collapsed slump was  obtained and the slump  exceeded the allowable  tolerance stated in BS  5328. The slump cone  was 300mm high and  the concrete mix  slumped by half that  value to 150mm. This  indicates that the mix  was too wet and this  affected its cohesive  properties. Very high *Apparent workability shown above was determined by using Slump Results Table shown  in Appendix 2 (Kew 2009). (K0837225) Page 12 Mix 1 Dry Mix/ Zero Slump Mix 2 Wet mix /13mm True Slump Mix3 Mix too wet/ collapsed slump Figure 7: Shows the Slump Results Obtained for concrete mixes with varying water  cement ratios. (Mix 1 w/c ratio 0.45, Mix 2 w/c ratio 0.55 and Mix 3 w/c ratio 0.65). 2. HARDENEDED CONCRETE PROPERTIES TEST RESULTS Figure 8: Shows the cube specimen being loaded into the compressing machine and on the right,  the classical cube hour glass failure mode on one of the cube specimen. Figure 9: Shows the cylinder specimen being loaded into the compressing machine and on the  right, the failure mode on 3 of the cylinder specimens. Figure 10: Shows a mini beam failing when subjected to Flexural Loads. This is the classical failure  mode of beams. The beam undergoes tensile and flexural strain resulting in bending and snapping of  the beam. Concrete is generally brittle and this makes it weak in tension. Hence the need for  reinforcement of concrete, steel is good in tension so it lends that quality to concrete, resulting in  better stronger structures. The results above are indicative of the effects of w/c ratio on the strength of concrete. At  0.45 w/c ratio the strength was 630.4 (Influence of test conditions. Table above show that specimen shape and size is also  influential on the compressive strength. Therefore measured strength of concrete is also  affected by height diameter ratio. This is to just show that test conditions can also affect the  determination of concrete strength. In BS 1881: Part 116 specifies that 150mm cube test are  only used for quality control purposes. Whereas BS 1881: Part 120 indicates that cylinder  test specimens are used to carry out compressive strength tests for in situ concrete and  precast members. A correction factories usually applied to the cylinder strength to obtain an  equivalent cube strength, it takes into account the specimen height /diameter ratio (i.e.  300mm/150mm = 2.). This explains the high compressive strength results obtained in  cylinder specimens than in cube specimens despite the being made off the same batch of  concrete. It should also be considered that the loading Pace Rates for c ubes (and cylinders  were varied. The trend obtained from the results shown above indicates that increasing w/c ratio increases  flexural strength. Af hydration strengthens the bonding between the cementious material and  the aggregates. However like all other factors, too much of anything is not good. If the mix  has excess water it will result in reduced flexural strength and results in bleeding of concrete  thus a weakened structure with pours in them. Again the normal distribution curve can me  expected with extremes. DISCUSSION One type of test is not enough to indicate the workability of the concrete as a whole. Use of  various tests bring out various properties that determine workability, for example, the  compacting factor can indicate how workable in the concrete will be in terms of how easily  can the concrete be vibrated and compacted. It is also a good indicator of the mobility and  flowability of concrete. It Shows how easily the concrete can be pumped from a concrete  skip into shutters, how easily the concrete will pass through the skip trap door when on  casting real structure on site. On the other hand the slump best indicates how workable the  concrete is in terms of its cohesive nature and segregation of its aggregates. It is important to  carry more than one of these tests to indicate various workability factors. These tests can also  be carried out at various stages between concrete production and casting. The common  construction site test (In situ test) is the slump tes t, it serves as the last point of quality check  prior to casting, and all other workability factors are normally carried out on the concrete  production sites. For example, the compactability factor will be most useful on production as  other mobility enhancing admixtures may be added prior to transporting concrete to site,  hence saving time, money and other complications that may arise from delaying site  programmes. From table 2 the results obtained from all mixes had compacting factors  between 0.70 and 0.98 hence indicating that all the tested concrete mixes would be  acceptable under the BS 1881. This certainly does not mean that all mixes had good  workability properties. Jackson Dhir (1996) state that some of the basic assumptions for  the test are not correct and should not be solely relied upon extensively as they can be  misleading. As concrete mixes can have same compacting factor but may not always require  the same amount of work to reach full c ompaction as compaction cannot be justified in the  true sense. From the results in table 2 it shows that changing the water/cement ratio affected  the compacting factor. Increasing the water cement ratio increased the compacting factor  therefore the workability of the concrete. All these tests have limits, for example placing  more water would have resulted in decreasing compactability factor as increasing the water  content will result in lowered compacting factors. (Compacting liquid materials do not result  in changes between partially compacted weight and fully compacted weight, hence if more  excess water is added the mix will have lower differences between partially compacted  weight and fully compacted weight. Hence giving rise to normal distribution curves for the  compressive tests. This also applies to flexural strength and durability of the concrete. CONCLUSION In conclusion it is clear that too little w/c ratio reduces the strength of concrete just as well as  too much w/c ratio will result in porous concrete. Therefore adequate amounts need to be  used to gain the best results. The best way of getting accurate assumptions on concrete is to  consider various factors. Increasing the water content ratio generally increases the strength  but may also result in shrinkage of the concrete hence altering durability and permeability  factors. Q1: Report all the results fresh properties (slump value and the shape of the slump) and  hardened properties (strength) of the concrete and comment on the results. See Results  Section for Answers. Q2: Why the need to measure the fresh and hardened properties of the concrete? Fresh properties are only of much importance in the stages of the concrete mix. These  help concrete producers spot problems early on the stage before structures are cast thus  potentially saving money, time and preventing unstable structures form being built by  spotting and correcting problems with concrete at an early stage. Also this helps prevent  the need to strike down newly built structures due to instability of concrete mixes used. Fresh properties can help indicate how much work labours will have to do on site and  consequently the energy and money that will be required when casting concrete on site. On the other hand hardened concrete properties are important in determining and the life  span of the concrete in the form of s concrete structure. The hardened properties are  important in observing and maintaining the strength of the structure and its durability. Other hardened factors are permeability and shrinkage of the concrete structures after  being built due to harsh weathers and conditions. The latter factors are of much  importance in structures like dams which require high water retaining properties.   Therefore both properties help in the development and maintenance of a good quality  structures and ensuring long life span. Whilst providing adequate safety to the habitats of  those structures. Q3: Concrete is usually tested at 28-Days for its compression strength. Why at 28-Days? The specimens should be cured under water and for normal concrete they should have  reached maximum strength at 28 Days. Concrete hardening process (Hydration) is  thought to reach its final strength in 28 Days as the reaction slows to a halt and adding  more water or curing concrete past that stage will sure minute or no further significant  changes in concrete strength. Q4: As for reinforced concrete beam, describe the need to place reinforced steel in  concrete beam, the purpose of cover/spacing, the diameter of the steel used and why  concrete beams need to be reinforced? Concrete is good in compression meaning it has high resilience to compressive forces but  is very weak in tension. As noted in the results the beams failed at much lower loads than  both cubes and cylinders, although there are other factors that play a role here that is the  general observation. Hence concrete reinforcement is required, it has good tensile  resilience and when concrete and steel are combined they result in components strong in  both tensile and compressive properties. The purpose of concrete cover is to protect steel  from corrosion, due to air reacting with steel and prevent rust formation due to water. Corrosion and rust results in weakened concrete structure as may result in loss of  resilience to tensile forces. So the concrete cove4r provides protection and a neutral  environment for steel. Concrete cover usually ranges around 500mm from the steel bars. Excess cover is not good as it makes the structure more susceptible to chipping and hence  weakens the cover itself and increases chances of steel corrosion taking place. The  diameter of steel used can vary according to the purpose of the structure but over  reinforcement can also bring about imbalances to the structural stability and may result in  a weakened structure. The normal diameter used ranges between 10-30mm, this makes it  easier to bend and alter on site as well as provide ease of manual handling for steel fixers.