title: The potential for alternative materials in pavement construction

authors: Rogers, Darcy

abstract: The current materials used in pavement construction were developed in the 1930s but materials development has not kept pace with increasing traffic demands since this time. This report considers the potential for alternative materials that could offer greater performance in a pavement and meet current transport demands. In order to determine if there were opportunities for alternative materials, the performance of the current materials and associated design methodologies were reviewed. This review found that the current materials have extremely variable performance, with life spans ranging from 1 year to over 20 years and often fail due to insufficient strength in the current materials. Considering this, two key failure scenarios responsible for the majority of failures where identified: Scenario 1 – underlying material fails due to poor load spreading of the upper layers and Scenario 2 – where the upper layers fail through lack of strength or flexibility. By applying standard materials selection processes to consider materials that work under both of these scenarios it was found that wood, waste plastics and steel were options that could be considered as alternative pavement materials. It was found that three potential material configurations could be considered under each of these scenarios: homogenous materials, alternative asphalt matrices to bitumen and sandwich panels. The alternative materials outperformed the current pavement materials in terms of strength. Comparisons with the stiffness of the conventional pavement materials showed that the alternative materials were not as favourable in design methods that only consider the load spreading ability of the material (high stiffness). Field trials confirmed that materials with lower stiffness but much higher strength could offer greater performance than the current pavement materials and should be considered as alternative options to the current pavement materials.

text: The potential for alternative materials in pavement construction The current materials used in pavement construction were developed in the 1930s but materials development has not kept pace with increasing traffic demands since this time. This report considers the potential for alternative materials that could offer greater performance in a pavement and meet current transport demands. In order to determine if there were opportunities for alternative materials, the performance of the current materials and associated design methodologies were reviewed. This review found that the current materials have extremely variable performance, with life spans ranging from 1 year to over 20 years and often fail due to insufficient strength in the current materials. Considering this, two key failure scenarios responsible for the majority of failures where identified: Scenario 1 – underlying material fails due to poor load spreading of the upper layers and Scenario 2 – where the upper layers fail through lack of strength or flexibility. By applying standard materials selection processes to consider materials that work under both of these scenarios it was found that wood, waste plastics and steel were options that could be considered as alternative pavement materials. It was found that three potential material configurations could be considered under each of these scenarios: homogenous materials, alternative asphalt matrices to bitumen and sandwich panels. The alternative materials outperformed the current pavement materials in terms of strength. Comparisons with the stiffness of the conventional pavement materials showed that the alternative materials were not as favourable in design methods that only consider the load spreading ability of the material (high stiffness). Field trials confirmed that materials with lower stiffness but much higher strength could offer greater performance than the current pavement materials and should be considered as alternative options to the current pavement materials.

year: 2018

title: Active templates: Manipulating pointers with pictures

authors: Lyons, Paul J.

subjects: computer science

abstract: Active templates are a semi-automatic visual mechanism for generating algorithms for manipulating pointer-based data structures. The programmer creates a picture showing the affected part of a data structure before and after a general-case manipulation. Code for the operation is compiled directly from the picture, which also provides the development environment with enough information to generate, automatically, a series of templates for other similar pictures, each describing a different configuration which the data structure may possess. The programmer completes the algorithm by creating matching after-pictures for each of these cases.
At every stage, most of the picture-generation is automatic. Much of the tedious detail of conventional pointer-based data-structure manipulation, such as maintenance of current pointers, is unnecessary in a system based on active templates.

text: Active templates: Manipulating pointers with pictures Active templates are a semi-automatic visual mechanism for generating algorithms for manipulating pointer-based data structures. The programmer creates a picture showing the affected part of a data structure before and after a general-case manipulation. Code for the operation is compiled directly from the picture, which also provides the development environment with enough information to generate, automatically, a series of templates for other similar pictures, each describing a different configuration which the data structure may possess. The programmer completes the algorithm by creating matching after-pictures for each of these cases.
At every stage, most of the picture-generation is automatic. Much of the tedious detail of conventional pointer-based data-structure manipulation, such as maintenance of current pointers, is unnecessary in a system based on active templates.

year: 1994

title: A walking stick in one hand and a chainsaw in the other: Patients’ perspectives of living with multimorbidity

authors: Signal, Louise

abstract: AIMS: Multimorbidity is common, yet there are major gaps in research, particularly among younger and indigenous populations. This research aimed to understand patients’ perspectives of living with multimorbidity. 

METHODS: A qualitative study of 61 people living with multimorbidity, 27 of whom were Māori and a third aged under 65, from urban and rural regions in New Zealand. Six focus groups and 14 interviews were conducted, recorded, transcribed and analysed. 
RESULTS: For many participants, living with multimorbidity disrupted their ‘normal’ lives, posing challenges in everyday activities such as eating and toileting, working and managing medications. Dealing with the health system posed challenges such as accessing appointments and having enough time in consultations. Cultural competency, good communication and continuity of care from healthcare providers were all valued. Participants had many recommendations to improve management, including a professional single point of contact to coordinate all specialist care. 
CONCLUSIONS: Living with multimorbidity is often challenging requiring people to manage their conditions while continuing to live their lives. This research suggests changes are needed in the health system in New Zealand and elsewhere to better manage multimorbidity thus improving patient’s lives and reducing costs to the health sector and wider society.

text: A walking stick in one hand and a chainsaw in the other: Patients’ perspectives of living with multimorbidity AIMS: Multimorbidity is common, yet there are major gaps in research, particularly among younger and indigenous populations. This research aimed to understand patients’ perspectives of living with multimorbidity. 

METHODS: A qualitative study of 61 people living with multimorbidity, 27 of whom were Māori and a third aged under 65, from urban and rural regions in New Zealand. Six focus groups and 14 interviews were conducted, recorded, transcribed and analysed. 
RESULTS: For many participants, living with multimorbidity disrupted their ‘normal’ lives, posing challenges in everyday activities such as eating and toileting, working and managing medications. Dealing with the health system posed challenges such as accessing appointments and having enough time in consultations. Cultural competency, good communication and continuity of care from healthcare providers were all valued. Participants had many recommendations to improve management, including a professional single point of contact to coordinate all specialist care. 
CONCLUSIONS: Living with multimorbidity is often challenging requiring people to manage their conditions while continuing to live their lives. This research suggests changes are needed in the health system in New Zealand and elsewhere to better manage multimorbidity thus improving patient’s lives and reducing costs to the health sector and wider society.

year: 2017