Intelligent Buildings: Access Kenya unveils fibre solution for Kenyan construction industry


Access Kenya has unveiled a determined Fibre to the Premise (FTTP) Solution targeted at builders, real estate agents and investors in the Kenyan construction industry.


Dubbed ‘Intelligent Buildings’, the technology for use in commercial, industrial, institutional and domestic buildings, including energy management systems and building controls, will support Building Management Systems (BMS).


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Access Kenya said the FTTP concept will enable builders to construct buildings that will be ‘fibre optic ready’ and hence be able to layer on other services using the utility, in the same way as water and electricity. "FTTP will support the BMS which is central to 'Intelligent Buildings' concepts and its purpose is to control, monitor and optimize building services including lighting, heating, security, CCTV and alarm systems, access control, audio-visual and entertainment systems."

The company’s chief executive Jonathan Somen told stakeholders at a  recent construction industry forum that the firm is on the forefront of deploying technology aided development such as BMS, adding to its already Internet service provision.



He added that Access Kenya was committed to using technology to improve management of resources in the country.
The FTTP has enormous potential and it will add considerable value to the local building and construction industry while further enhancing technology integration to complement Kenya’s effort in achieving  vision 2030,” Group CEO Jonathan Somen said during the launch.


Mr. Somen said; “We believe that the potential of FTTP in the Building and Construction industry is enormous, drawing from the fast - changing needs and the subsequent developments in our respective living and working environments.“


He added that the firm’s fibre network is another opportunity for technological development.


We have over 300 kilometres of fibre in Nairobi and Mombasa complemented by a robust wireless network spread across major towns in Kenya. Our entire network is I.P based and this means that it can accommodate a wide range of technology applications,” he said.


The system, according to AccessKenya Group retail manager Diana Mulili, will be  built in partnership with TKM Maestro, a turnkey solutions provider for telecommunication and infrastructure projects.


TKM Maestro has demonstrated the zeal in deploying this solution in Kenya and has good experience,” said Mulili.


TKM Maestro has been keen on providing integrated solutions for planning, design and construction in Kenya for the past 10 years.


What do you think? Do you have any positive feeling or reservations in this move?


source: Access Kenya

Life's challenges: There is Hope-God is greater than all of challenges that we may experience.

Our life can be filled with memorable moments of peace, joy n happiness but at otha times we worry about our love ones, our health, n our financial needs - just 2 name a few.
We often find ourselves asking questions n wondering why we experience the things we do. But thea is hope!
Despite the circumstances we find ourselves in, God is the same yesterday, 2day n 4eva. God is greater than all of challenges that we may experience. The wonderful truth is that the answers 2 watever we are facing can be found in the scriptures and holy books, the QuRan and the Bible.
However we often struggle to find just the right scriptures 2 reference n stand on at that time even when we know all the answers are thea.
. . . .
The most powerful way God speaks 2 u is thru His word. Thea r so many times we go 2 friends n family 2 find answers. However our loved ones may not give us the wisdom, direction n guidance that we seek, leaving us more confused n frustrated. It is at those times we want the powerful word of God 2 speak 2 us when we need it the most. However we struggle 2 find just the right scripture 2 reference n stand on at that time even when we know all the answers are thea.
The word of God is the seed that we need to sow into our lives n when we combine it with prayer (the rain that waters the seed) we hav a surefire simple but powerful recipe for living a wonderful fulfilling life.
We are not quite ready 2 face the enemy or even daily life until we hav taken up the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.
In daily life we will be tested - mo often than we ever wanted 2 be - as 2 whether or not we count God. God's Word stands to prove us, thru n thru, testing every thought n deed. Scripture says that God's Word is sharper than any two-edged sword, dividing right down 2 the very heart of the matter:
"For the word of God is living n powerful, n sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul n spirit, n of joints n marrow, n is a discerner of the thoughts n intents of the heart." (Hebrews 4:12,)


Let's begin 2 apply key scriptures 2 memory. Write the scriptures 2 ur heart. When u keep God's Word in ur hearts, when u bcome a diligent student of His Wisdom, when u study 2 show urselves approved, He will prosper u n give u success!
. . . . . . . . . .
May the truth n beauty of God's word be a light 2 ur feet n a lamp 2 ur path!
I pray that in all respects U may prosper n be in good health, just as ur soul prospers (3 John 1:2).


_
"God is greater than all of challenges that we may experience."

4 what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal

Death is not a frightening tragic event but the first step into eternal life.
_
God's word reveals that Jesus has conquered death. Because of Jesus there is an open door that is there to usher us into God's magnificent presence.

. . . .


(John 14:1-2)
"Let not ur heart be troubled; u believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told u. I go to prepare a place 4 u.


. . . .


Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. We live by faith, not by sight. We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.
(2 corinthians 4:16-15:8)


May the truth and beauty of God's word be a lamp to ur feet and a light 2 ur path!

Coincidences: Clues in ur life


"Coincidences are not accidents but signals from the universe which can guide us 2ward our true destiny."




Most of us go thru life a little afraid, a little nervous, a little excited. We are like children playing hide n seek, wanting 2 be found, yet hoping we won’t be, biting our nails with anticipation. We worry when opportunity approaches a little too closely, n hide deeper in the shadows when fear overcomes us. This is no way 2 go thru life. People who understand the true nature of reality, those whom some traditions call enlightened, lose all sense of fear or concern. All worry disappears. Once u understand the way life really works—the flow of energy, information, n intelligence that directs every moment—then u begin 2 c the amazing potential in that moment. Mundane things just don’t bother u anymore. u bcome lighthearted n full of joy. u also begin to encounter mo n mo coincidences in ur life.


When u live ur life with an appreciation of coincidences n their meanings, u connect with the underlying field of infinite possibilities. This is when the magic begins. This is a state called 'synchrodestiny', in which it bcomes possible 2 achieve the spontaneous fulfillment of our every desire. Synchrodestiny requires gaining access 2 a place deep within urself, while at the same time awakening to the intricate dance of coincidences out in the physical world.


When a coincidence arises, don’t ignore it.
Ask urself, What is the message here?
What is the significance of this?
u don’t need 2go digging for the answers.
Ask the question, n the answers will emerge.


They may arrive as a sudden insight, a spontaneous creative experience, or they may b something very different. Perhaps u will meet a person who is somehow related to the coincidence that occurred. An encounter, a relationship, a chance meeting, a situation, a circumstance will immediately give u a clue to its meaning.


“Oh, so that’s what it was all about!”


The key is to pay attention n inquire.
Anatha thing u can do 2 nurture coincidence is 2 keep a diary or journal of coincidences in ur life. Afta years of note-taking, coincidences are classified as tiny, medium, whoppers, n double-whoppers. u can do this in any way that is easy 4 u. For some people, it is easiest to maintain a daily journal n underline or highlight words or phrases or names of things that show up as coincidences. Otha people keep a special coincidence diary. They start a new page 4 each significant coincidence, then jot down any otha connections 2 that event on its page.


For people who want to delve deeply in2 coincidence, one of the processes recommended is recapitulation. This is a way of putting urself in the position of observer of ur life, and of ur dreams, so that connections n themes n images n coincidences bcome clearer. coz our connection 2 the universal soul is much mo obvious when we r dreaming, this process allows u 2 access a whole new level of coincidences.


When u go 2 bed at night, b4 u fall asleep, sit up 4 a few minutes n imagine that u are witnessing on the screen of ur consciousness everything that happened during the day. See ur day as a movie. Watch urself waking up in the morning, brushing ur teeth, having breakfast, getting to work, conducting ur days business, coming home, eating dinner—everything in ur day right up 2 bedtime. Thea is no need 2 analyze what u see, or evaluate, or judge... just watch the movie. See it all. u may even notice things that did not strike u as important at the time. u may notice that the color of the hair of the woman behind the kiosk counter was the same as ur mother’s when u wea young. Or u might pay special attention 2 a little child who was crying as his mother was dragging him down a supermarket aisle.


It’s amazing the things that show up in the movie of ur day that u may not hav consciously noted during the day itself.


As u watch ur day go by in the movie, take this opportunity 2 view urself objectively. u may find urself doing something that u’re particularly proud of, or at times u may notice urself doing things that r embarrassing. Again, the goal is not 2 evaluate, but 2 get little insights in2 the protagonist’s behavior—this character that is urself. When the recapitulation is over—which can take as little as five minutes or as long as a half hour—say 2 urself,




“Everything that I’ve witnessed, this movie of a day in my life, is now safely stored away. I can summon those images on the screen of my consciousness but as soon as I let them go, they disappear.”



The movie is over.
Then, as u go 2 sleep, say 2 urself,


“Just as I now recapitulated the day, I am giving instructions 2 my soul, my spirit, my subconscious 2 witness my dreams.”


Initially u may not notice much of a change. But if u practice this every night 4 a few weeks, u will start 2 hav a very clear experience that the dream is the scenery, n u are the person watching it all.


2bC...
ONE OF THE MOST AMAZING COINCIDENCE IN HISTORY WAS THAT OF

A. Lincoln and J.F. Kennedy


Their Life


  • Both presidents had 7 letters in their last name.



  • Both were over 6' feet tall.



  • Both men studied law.



  • Both seemed to have lazy eye muscles, which would sometimes cause one to deviate.



  • Both suffered from genetic diseases. It is suspected that Lincoln had Marfan's disease, and Kennedy suffered from Addison's disease.



  • Both served in the military. Lincoln was a scout captain in the Black Hawk War, and Kennedy served as a navy lieutenant in World War II.



  • Both were boat captains. Lincoln was a skipper for the Talisman, a Mississippi River boat, and Kennedy was skipper of the PT 109.



  • Both had no fear of their mortality and disdained bodyguards.



  • Both often stated how easy it would be to shoot the president. Lincoln supposedly said, "If somebody wants to take my life, there is nothing I can do to prevent it." Kennedy supposedly said "If somebody wants to shoot me from a window with a rifle, nobody can stop it." Note that both these quotes are each 16 words long. Their Death

  • Both presidents were shot in the head, on a Friday.



  • Both were seated beside their wives when shot. Neither Mrs. Lincoln nor Mrs. Kennedy was injured. Both wives held the bullet-torn heads of their husbands.



  • In each case, the man was injured but not fatally. Major Henry Rathbone was slashed by a knife, and Governor John Connolly was shot.



  • Lincoln sat in Box 7 at Ford's Theatre. Kennedy rode in car 7 in the Dallas motorcade.



  • Lincoln was shot at Ford's Theatre. Kennedy was shot in a Ford product, a Lincoln limousine.



  • Mrs. Kennedy insisted that her husband's funeral mirror Lincoln's as closely as possible. The Assassins

  • Both assassins used three names: John Wilkes Booth and Lee Harvey Oswald. (It should be noted that Lee Harvey Oswald was known as just Lee Oswald prior to the assassination.)



  • There are 15 letters in each assassin's name.



  • Both assassins struck when in their mid-twenties. Booth was born in 1838, and Oswald was born in 1939.



  • Each assassin lacked a strong father figure in his life. Booth's father died when he was 13 years old, and Oswald's father died before he was born.



  • Each assassin had two brothers whose careers he coveted. Booth's two brothers were more successful actors and Oswald envied his brothers' military lives.



  • Both assassins were privates in the military. Booth was a private in the Virginia Militia, and Oswald was a private in the Marine Corps.



  • Both assassins were born in the south.



  • Both assassins were known sympathizers to enemies of the United States. Booth supported the Confederacy and Oswald was a Marxist.



  • Both assassins often used aliases. Booth frequently used "J. Wilkes" and Oswald used the name "Alek J. Hidell."



  • Booth shot Lincoln at a theatre and was cornered in a warehouse. Oswald shot Kennedy from a warehouse and was cornered in a theatre.



  • Each assassin was detained by an officer named Baker. Lt. Luther B. Baker was leader of the cavalry patrol which trapped Booth at Garrett's Barn. Officer Marion L. Baker, a Dallas motorcycle patrolman, briefly detained Oswald on the second floor of the School Book Depository until he learned that he worked there.



  • Both assassins were killed with a single shot from a Colt revolver.



  • Both assassins were shot in a blaze of light-Booth after the barn was set afire, and Oswald in the form of television cameras. Their Family and Friends

  • Both presidents were named after their grandfathers.



  • Both were born second children.



  • Both married while in their thirties. Lincoln married at 33 and Kennedy married at 36.



  • Both married dark-haired, twenty-four-year-old women.



  • Both wives died around the age of 64. Mary Todd Lincoln died in 1882 at age 63 years and 215 days, and Jackie Kennedy died in 1994 at age 64 years 295 days.



  • Both wives were known for their high fashion in clothes.



  • Both wives renovated the White House after many years of neglect.



  • Each couple had four children, two of whom died before becoming a teen.



  • Each couple lost a son while in the White House. Willie Lincoln died at age 12 in 1862, and Kennedy's son Patrick died two days after his birth in 1963. In Politics

  • Both presidents were elected to the House of Representatives in '46.



  • Both were runners-up for the party's nomination for vice-president in '56.



  • Both were elected to the presidency in '60. As Vice-Presidents

  • Southern Democrats named Johnson succeeded both Lincoln and Kennedy (Andrew Johnson and Lyndon Baines Johnson.



  • Andrew Johnson was born in 1808, and Lyndon Johnson was born in 1908.



  • There are six letters in each Johnson's first name.



  • Both Johnsons served in the military. Andrew was a brigadier general in the Civil War and Lyndon was a commander in the U.S. Navy during WW2.



  • Both Johnsons were former southern senators.



  • Both Johnsons had urethral stones, the only presidents to have them.



  • Both Johnsons chose not to run for reelection in '68.


source: Times & Orders

Project Management for Construction


Fundamental Concepts for Owners,Engineers, Architects and Builders





CHAPTERS:

  1. The_Owners'_Perspective

  2. Organizing_For_Project_Management

  3. The_Design_And_Construction_Process

  4. Labor,_Material,_And_Equipment_Utilization

  5. Cost_Estimation

  6. Economic_Evaluation_of_Facility_Investments

  7. Financing_of_Constructed_Facilities

  8. Construction_Pricing_and_Contracting

  9. Construction_Planning

  10. Fundamental_Scheduling_Procedures

  11. Advanced_Scheduling_Techniques

  12. Cost_Control,_Monitoring,_and_Accounting

  13. Quality_Control_and_Safety_During_Construction

  14. Organization_and_Use_of_Project_Information






by Chris Hendrickson, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering,
Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA l52l3 Copyright C.
Hendrickson 1998


First Edition originally printed by Prentice Hall, ISBN 0-13-731266-0, 1989
with co-author Tung Au.

Second Edition prepared for world wide web publication in 2000.

Version 2.2 prepared Summer, 2008.

This book is provided on the worldwide web as a service to the community of
practitioners and students. Reproduction for educational purposes is permitted.

Chris Hendrickson and Tung Au