Use of Warranties on Highway Projects: A Real Option Perspective

Since the introduction of warranty provisions in federal highway jobs, more and more state departments of transportation (DOTs) have considered the use of such provisions to protect their initial investment. This paper describes the pros and cons of warranty contracting in highway construction based on a survey of warranty practices in the United States. In particular, the need for state DOTs to buy a warranty for a well-built project is questioned. As an alternative, this paper introduces the warranty option, which gives the DOT the right to buy a warranty only if it becomes necessary at the end of construction. This option is exercised if the performance on site warrants it. This paper describes the mechanics of the warranty option and its advantages over the conventional warranty. A bid evaluation model is also developed for the warranty option approach.     

Low surface energy films based on partially fluorinated isocyanates: the effects of curing temperature

Self-stratification strategy can be used to prepare films in which both bulk and surface properties can be optimized. By using this approach, only a very small quantity of fluorinated species is needed to generate a surface with low surface energy. When cross-linking is involved during film formation, we are dealing with a competition behavior between the diffusion of fluorinated species and the formation of cross-linked network. In this study low surface energy polymeric films were prepared on the basis of partially fluorinated polyisocyanates, in combination with hydroxyl-end-capped three-armed solventless liquid oligoesters and modified hyperbranched polyesters. At a fluorine concentration of only 0.5 wt.%, contact angles of water and hexadecane can reach 120° and 80°, respectively. A surface energy as low as 10–15 mN/m can be obtained upon the addition of less than 1 wt.% of fluorine in the films. It was shown, from real time ATR-FTIR and contact angle measurements, that the curing temperatures demonstrated significant effects on the cross-linking rate as well as on the wettability of the films.     

TCA785移相控制芯片应用方法的改进

TCA785是德国西门子公司生产的一种性能优秀的移相控制芯片 ,该器件具有温度适应范围宽 ,对过零点的识别更加可靠 ,输出脉冲的整齐度更好 ,移相范围更宽等优点 ,此外 ,由于TCA785的输出脉冲宽度可以手动自由调节 ,因此 ,该器件可广泛应用在晶闸管控制系统中。文章根据TCA785芯片的使用特点以及在逆变器实际运用中可能出现的一些问题 ,提出了一种改进的设计方法     

导流能力测试系统的研制

压裂后裂缝的导流能力直接关系着压裂缝的渗流能力，是客观评价压裂效果的重要指标之一。文章介绍了基于AT89C52单片机的导流能力测试系统的系统要求、测试原理以及其设计方案，阐述了各个测控通道，给出了测控系统电路方框图。     

曹店灌区渠道防渗衬砌技术研究

详细介绍了引黄灌区干渠衬砌试验段的设计原则、方案以及冻胀观测技术 ,根据试验结果对不同防渗材料、不同结构形式的渠道衬砌方案的使用效果及经济指标进行了分析。     

Promise is Debt, Threat Another Matter: The Effect of Credibility on the Interpretation of Conditional Promises and Threats.

Evidence from reasoning tasks shows that promises and threats both tend to receive biconditional interpretations. They also both display high speaker control. On the face of it, the only difference seems to be the positive or negative signing of the consequent. In a promise, the speaker tries to persuade the hearer to do something by holding out the prospect of a particular reward; in a threat, the speaker tries to refrain the hearer from doing something by holding out the prospect of a particular punishment. This paper investigates the respects in which conditional promises and threats differ further by means of an inference task. The credibility of the consequent was manipulated in order to examine whether the acceptability ratings of inferences based on promises and on threats would be equally affected. The results of the inference task and an analysis of the reasons people give for their answers suggest that the credibility of promises is less affected by the use of excessive consequents than the credibility of threats. In other words, promise remains debt, whereas threat is another matter. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

可编程控制器在捆扎机自动控制中的应用

介绍了一种用可编程控制器（PLC）实现捆扎机自动控制的设计方案，详细地介绍了设计过程，给出了完整的程序流程图和部分控制程序。     

Simulation of Economic Dynamics under Ecological Balance Conditions

A model of economic dynamics under stable ecological balance conditions is proposed. A methodology of construction of an optimal growth path is constructed for this model.     

Contractor-Performed Quality Control: Is the Fox Guarding the Henhouse?

At the same time that state departments of transportation are allowing contractor-performed quality control, they are also concerned about using the contractor-reported data for acceptance and payment purposes. The question is, are we putting the fox in charge of guarding the chickens? To address this concern, a large number of asphalt and concrete projects in Kentucky were examined. The statistical analyses showed that for the most part there is no significant difference between the contractor-performed acceptance data and concomitant highway agency-performed verification data. This is obviously a very encouraging finding that is expected to enhance the level of trust between the contractors and highway agencies.     

INCORPORATING PRACTICAL AND SYNTHESIS CONTENTS IN UNDERGRADUATE CONTROL EDUCATION

This paper revisits the effort over the last decade in making undergraduate control education more useful and attractive to both the control engineers and the engineers at large. With the help of further coverage in new textbooks, more practical and synthesis contents in the control courses have been incorporated. Gaps still exist, particularly in the areas of PID control and auto‐tuning, fuzzy control, overall control strategy, control structure and systems thinking, and these will be elaborated. A major challenge is in the coverage of more practical and synthesis contents in the introductory common control course for all engineers. How this may be resolved is discussed. Finally, the need for new teaching approaches such as the use of interesting case studies and the use of problem‐based learning will be outlined.