CHRISTMAS MESSAGE DECEMBER 2011

 Christmas message December 2011

 We celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, the son of God in Bethlehem of Palestine in Israel 2011 years ago. It is the feast of the birth of messiah and saviour of humanity. It is the feast of God entering our human world to fill it with his loving presence and lead us out of darkness to the light of divine. The evangelist Mathew in his gospel writes that the birth of Jesus in the following words ,

“Now the birth of Jesus the messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph being a righteous men and unwillingly to expose her to the public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly .but just when he had resolved to do so, an angel of the lord appeared to him in a dream and said Joseph son of David, do not afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her womb, is from the holy spirit, she will bear a son and you are to name him jesus, for he will save your people from their sins. All this took place to fulfil what had been spoken by lord through prophets look the virgin shall conceive and bear a son and they shall name him Emmanuel which means god is with us. When Joseph awoke from the sleep he did as the angel of the lord commanded him, he took her as his wife but had no marital relations with her until she had born a son and he named him Jesus”

 Jesus birth took place in Bethlehem when Joseph had come from Nazareth with his wife Mary to register his name in his own city in the census ordered by roman emperor Augustus. The gospel says the birth of Jesus took place in a manger that is in a stable where the shepherds were resting with their animals. Jesus was born in a cave because there was no space for him in the inn.

The evangelist look writes “In the region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping and watching over their flock by night. Then an angle of the lord stood before them and the glory of the lord shone around them and they were terrified. But the angel of the lord said unto them does not be afraid, for see l a m bringing you good news of joys for all people. To you is born a child this day in the city of David, a saviour who is the messiah, the lord.

The birth of Jesus in a stable shows a paradox of life, the creator of the world had no decent place to be born; hence he was born as an outcaste, away from inhabited boundary of human world

It is God’s love for us that he sent Jesus into the world .the st.John the evangelist in his gospel writes again ‘for god so loved the world that he gave his only son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. Indeed god deed not send son in the world to condemn the world, but so that the world can be saved through him. Out of love and compassion for humanity became human to save us from sin and show us the way to eternal life.

Christmas comes once a year, but its message of joy, love and peace should not be reduced to the day of Christmas alone. The message of Christmas is for all and for the whole year. The birth of Jesus Christ becomes reality in our lies when we are moved by faith, hope and love and welcome Jesus into our lives

Charismas is best known for its merry making aspects such as cake,gifts,parties,and illumination and not for its spiritual mening.sometimes we conveniently forget the reasons for Christmas is Jesus. As human beings we need both, some moments of festivity and also periodical spiritual renewal. Unfortunately we end up on exterior celebration and forget spiritual renewal

At the birth of Jesus the angels appeared to shepherd and gave them good news of the birth of messiah. Then they saw a multitude of angels singing glory to god in the highest and earth peace to all in whom god delights. Gods glory is being revealed in the birth of Jesus Christ and he comes with the message of peace, and good will from god to all people of goodwill.christmas is therefore invites us all to be people of good will, people ready to share, ready to forgive and forget offences done against us. 

WAYS TO PROTECT PEOPLE DURING EARTHQUAKE

 The “Drop, Cover and Hold” methods  are the best ways to protect yourself during an earthquake.

 If you are inside during an earthquake, pick out a sturdy table or desk nearest to you and hold on to it until the shaking stops. If you are in a lecture hall, put your head near your knees and protect your head and neck. Stay away from any windows, hanging objects, tall furniture or cabinets. If you are in bed when an earthquake occurs, stay in your bed and cover your head with a pillow until the shaking stops. Before getting out of bed, look for broken glass or anything that may be hazardous to your feet.  

‘If you find yourself outside, move to an open area clear of power lines, trees, buildings or anything that could possibly become a hazard. If you are near the coast and an earthquake lasts for more than 20 seconds, evacuate inland at least two miles from the coast or to higher ground at least 100 feet high.

Once the shaking has stopped, check to see if you or your roommates, co-workers or families are all okay. If you are trapped by fallen objects or are stuck underneath debris, cover your mouth, nose and eyes from dust. Signal for help by using a cell phone, whistle or tapping on objects as emergency crews will be listening. Check for damage in your apartment, office or dorm, and put out any small fires that may occur. If there is any electrical damage in your building, power may be cut off, so avoid using elevators or other electronic equipment. 

If an earthquake happens and there is no possibility of escaping by getting out the door or window, it is advised to lie down and curl up in the fetal position next to a sofa, or table. If you are in bed during the night and an earthquake occurs, simply roll off the bed, a safe void will exist around the bed.

During earthquake, it is very dangerous to stay under or near doorway, a doorway and the doorjamb can fall forward or backward and a person can easily get crushed by the ceiling above and if the door jamb falls sideways then a person will be cut in half by the doorway. So nobody should stay near the near.

Never go to the stairs during the earthquake. The stairs swing separately from the main part of the building and continuously bump into each other until structural failure of the stairs takes place. Therefore people can easily chopped up by the stair treads. The stairs are a likely part of the building to be damaged. Even if the stairs are not collapsed by the earthquake, they may collapse later when overloaded by fleeing people. Stairs should always be checked for safety, even when the rest of the building is not damaged. 

If you’re inside your vehicle, urgently get out of it. People inside of their vehicles are crushed when the road above falls in an earthquake and crushes their vehicles; people could easily be survived by getting out and lying in the fetal position next to their vehicles.  

METHODS OF EARTHQUAKES SAFETY IN BUILDINGS

Short and rigid buildings below 10 stories are damaged easily in earthquakes because they shake very fast. 10 story buildings have a period of oscillation of about 1 second the same as the earthquake pulse, which is very dangerous.

However Tall and flexible buildings can withstand an earthquake because they can sway. If the building is too rigid it will snap and if it is too flexible the people on the 100th floor would be throwing all over the place.  

Earthquakes safety considerations and , knowing how to build can help reduce injury, loss of life, and property damage during an earthquake. 

There are ways of reducing earthquake produced seismic forces acting on to the building

Such as special structural features of Interior support walls called shear walls, made of reinforced concrete, strengthen the structure and help resist rocking forces. Shear walls in the center of a building form a shear core. Cross-bracing reinforces walls with diagonal steel beams. Base isolators act as shock absorbers, and a moat allows a building to sway.

There are three ways of reducing earthquake produced seismic forces acting on to the building. 

Base isolation: rubber pads or rollers. are used so the base does not feel the full shake or jump off foundations.

base isolation

 Shock absorbers or dampers are added to the structure to dissipate the seismic shock

shock absorbers

 Active tuned mass dampers use a computer controlled counter moving weight to actively move against the building sway.

active mass dampers

Rocking frames: The system dissipates energy through the movement of steel frames that are situated around the building's core or along exterior walls. The frames can be part of a building's initial design or could be incorporated into an existing building undergoing seismic retrofitting. 

rocking frames

TAIPEI 101-TAIWAN BUILDING

evening view-Taipei 101

Taipei 101:2^nd tallest building in the world

Location ;Taipei city-Taiwan

Completed: 2004

Height:508m

Stories :101 above the grounds and 5 below 

Architect :C.Y.Lee 

site area:2.2 mil.sf  

  

taipei 101                        
The design concept 

facade details

 The design of Taipei 101 is inspired by Chinese culture where by pagoda form and the shape of bamboo flowers influenced both internal and external form of the building. The building is designed to open upwards, representing a blossoming flower that signifies financial richness, as well as everlasting vitality in the Chinese culture. Repeated references to the number 8 also reflect local culture, which means blooming or success,  

Building functions

shopping mall atrium

The tower is having 198,347 m2 (2,336,000 sq. ft.) of office space, and 77,033 m2 (796,000 sq. ft.) of retail space, with 83,000 m2 (893,000 sq. ft.) of parking space for more than 1,800 vehicles. Located on floors 89 and 91, are the observation decks include the highest restaurant in Taiwan. Two high-speed elevators reach a maximum speed of 1,010 meters/minute (55 ft./second) when travelling to the 89th floor., 


Structural and construction details

section and plan detail

Since Taiwan is subject to typhoons and earthquakes, the tower is designed to counter movement, a tuned mass damper- The suspended sphere acts as a pendulum to absorb movements from typhoons and earthquakes system has been incorporated into the structure. The 800-metric ton (1,764,000 lbs.), spherical steel mass is located on level 88 and is visible from the restaurant and observation decks. The system transfers the energy from the building to the swinging sphere, providing a stabilizing force. There is a setback above each 8-story module, the tower ’waist’

natural forces resisting

SEWAGE AND WASTE DISPOSAL

Wastes are

“substances or objects which are disposed off or are required to be disposed off by the provisions of the law.  

Disposal is   “any operation which may lead to resource recovery, recycling, reclamation, direct re-use or alternative uses   

 CLASSIFICATION OF WASTES 

Wastes in Liquid Form

(Sewage)

Example: domestic washing, chemicals, oils, waste water from ponds, manufacturing industries and other sources

Solid Wastes

Domestic, Commercial & Industrial wastes

Example: plastics, styrofoam containers, bottles, cans, papers, scrap iron and other trash

Bio-degradable 

Can naturally degrade 

Paper, wood, fruits and others

Non-biodegradable

Cannot be degraded 

Plastics, bottles, old machines,cans, styrofoam containers, etc  

THREE BASIC APPROACHES TO TREATMENT

•Dilute and Disperse

• Concentrate and Contain

• Reduce, Recycle and Reuse 

WASTEWATER TREATMENT

Mimics natural processes in wetlands

• Remove solids

• Digest organic matter through

•Aerobic bacteria

•Anaerobic bacteria

• Wetland plants trap and concentrate pollutants

• Sediment provides natural filters

• Also provides a habitat

PRIMARY WASTEWATER TREATMENT

Removes about 30-40% of

pollutants

• Screening

Removes grit

(stones, sand, large particles)

• Sedimentation

Remaining particulate matter settles out to form a mud called “sludge”

• Discharge or go on to                             next stage of treatment 

SECONDARY TREATMENT

Removes 90% of pollutants

• Waste water pumped  through an Aeration tank

•Aerobic bacteria digest more organics

• Sedimentation Tank

•More sludge settles out

•Sludge sent to a digester

•Anerobic bacteria digest more organics

•Methane produced

SECONDARY TREATMENT

•Disinfection of wastewater

Chlorine

Ozone

• Discharge into surface waters or disposal wells or on to Advanced Treatment

Note: Secondary Treatment does NOT remove all nutrients, heavy metals, solvents and pesticides

•ADVANCED TREATMENT

• Removes 95% of the pollutants

•Targets nutrients, heavy metals, and synthetic chemicals

•Treated wastewater can be used as reclaimed water

•Techniques vary:

•Filters

•Chemical treatment

•SLUDGE DISPOSAL

•Further treatment required

• Sludges are thickened (dewatered) to reduce the volumes transported off-site for disposal.

• Some cities superheat the wastewater sludge and convert it into small pelletized granules that are high in nitrogen and other organic materials.

•Example: In New York City, several sewage treatment plants have dewatering facilities that use large centrifuges along with the addition of chemicals such as polymer to further remove liquid from the sludge. The removed fluid, called centrate, is typically reintroduced into the wastewater process. The product which is left is called "cake" and that is picked up by companies which turn it into fertilizer pellets. This product is then sold to local farmers and turf farms as a soil amendment or fertilizer, reducing the amount of space required to dispose of sludge in land

SEWAGE TREATMENT IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

In many developing countries the bulk of domestic and industrial wastewater is discharged without any treatment or after primary treatment only.

     Examples:

–In a country such as Iran, Tehran's majority of population has totally untreated sewage injected to the city’s groundwater.

–In Israel, about 50 percent of agricultural water usage (total use was 1 billion cubic meters in 2008) is provided through reclaimed sewer water. Future plans call for increased use of treated sewer water.

–Most of sub-Saharan Africa is without wastewater treatment.

y 

LIVING SKIN WALL TECHNOLOGY

living wall facade

FLAREis a modular system Is the system which can  create a dynamic hull for facades or any building or wall surface. Acting like a living skin, it allows a building to express, communicate and interact with its environment. FLARE turns the building facade into a penetrable kinetic membrane, breaking with all conventions of the building surface as a static skin.   


   FLARE units

 The FLARE system consists of a number of tiltable metal flake bodies supplemented by individually controllable pneumatic cylinders.
 Due to the developed pattern, an infinite array of flakes can be mounted on any building or wall surface in a modular system of multiplied FLARE units. 

flare units

 Each metal flake reflects the bright sky or sunlight when in vertical standby position.

When the flake is tilted downwards by a computer controlled pneumatic piston, its face is shaded from the sky light and this way appears as a dark pixel.  

The system is controlled by a computer to form any kind of surface animation. Sensor systems inside and outside the building communicate the buildings activity directly to the FLARE system which acts as the buildings lateral line. 

By reflecting ambient or direct sunlight, the individual flakes of the FLARE system act like pixels formed by natural light.

MAGNIFICENT MAN MADE ISLAND - THE PALM ISLANDS IN DUBAI

The palm islands in Dubai are three man made islands whose construction started  in year 2001.the 3 man made islands are being built in the figure of a large date palm tree. The Palm Islands will accommodate freehold residential villas, luxurious hotels, piece of art water homes, coast apartments, water theme parks, shopping malls, restaurants, amazing range of sports facilities, spas, diving sites, cinemas, marinas and many, many more.                                    

 The palm islands stand a little more than 13 feet above low tide sea level and sits in 34 feet of water at its deepest point. Sand, covered by an erosion-preventing water-permeable geo-textile, makes up the breakwater's lowest layer. One-ton rocks cover the sand, and two layers of large rocks weighing up to six tons each cap the structure. The designers at Nakheel believe the breakwater will protect the palm island from average gulf weather and even an enormous storm.

                                  

The palm islands themselves are constructed from sand dredged from the sea floor. Palm Jumeirah is made from 3,257,212,970.389 cubic feet of ocean sand vibro-compacted into place .To get the complex shape just right, designers and contractors use Differential Global Positioning Systems (DGPS) to plot the palm and ensure the sand placement within 0.39 of an inch.There are six-lane Sub-Sea Tunnel connects the island to the mainland.