Sunday, September 15, 2019
Healthcare and Poverty in America
The Dire Need for Universal Health Care The United States is considered by many to be the greatest country in the world. However, when it comes to health care the US is ranked behind 36 other countries, according to the World Health Organization. If one was to do any research at all, they would find that an overwhelming 34 of these 36 countries all have one thing in common. They all use a universal health care system. This is not just a mere coincidence.The problems and outrageous cost within the US healthcare system causes over 700,000 Americans to go bankrupt every year. This staggering problem simply does not occur in any other industrialized countries. Accounting for these facts the United States needs to move quickly to embrace the ideas and adopt the policies of a universal healthcare system. Not only will this help improve the quality of care but will also improve the life of its estimated 16. 3% or 50 million citizens without any healthcare insurance at all.An almost overwhel ming problem caused by the United Statesââ¬â¢ current health care system is that those with low incomes can't afford the necessary health care and thus already rely on occupations or government programs to receive coverage. This is evident if not by merely recognizing that 50 million citizens donââ¬â¢t have any health insurance, but also because the statistics clearly show that it is very uncommon for health insurance to be purchased directly by the individual. Using statistics taken by the US Census Bureau in 2010, we can conclude that of the 83. % of people with health insurance, the majority 55. 3% had it through employment ââ¬âbased benefits and 31. 0% were able to receive it through government funding. This compares to the measly 9. 8% of people that purchased their insurance directly from a provider. After examining this, it is evident that the vast majority of people rely on their employers or the government funding to keep health insurance. This fact clearly causes some problems when someone might be laid off or just simply makes a career change. Entire families can lose their health coverage due to the breadwinner being released from their job.The National Center for Health Statistics claims that over 50% of individuals lacking health insurance directly blame cost. Roughly 24% of uninsured people claim reasons related to a lost job or a change in employment. It is interesting to note that around 8% of people claim ineligibility for family insurance coverage due to age or leaving school. The primary reason for lacking insurance is money, and it could also be argued that money is directly or indirectly involved in almost every circumstance causing a family to lack the necessary health insurance to provide care.Several years ago in 2005 the NCHS began a study that found well over 40 million adults claiming that they were in need of but did not receive one or more of the health services that follow: medical care, prescription medicines, mental h ealth care, dental care, or eyeglasses. The best reason these 40 million citizens didnââ¬â¢t receive such basic forms of healthcare was simply that they could not afford it. The United States is the only industrialized country that does not provide some type of universal health care to its citizens. Furthermore, they have one of the highest rates for health care expenditures in the world.As a matter of fact, health care expenditures in the United States are by far the highest of any developed country. According to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development the United States health care expenditures is at 15. 3% of GDP. Next highest in spending is Switzerland, at only 11. 6% of their national GDP. This leads one to believe that the United States does not spend health care money very efficiently. Even according to the Congressional Budget Office in 2006 there were an estimated one-third of health care expenditures that did not help improve health outcomes.Thatââ¬â ¢s roughly 700 billion dollars, and represents nearly 5% of the United States entire GDP. The best solution that is currently being made to the United States healthcare system is what people informally call ââ¬Å"Obamacare. â⬠The actual name for the bill is the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (abbreviated to PPACA or ACA). The PPACA has implemented a large amount of new rules and regulations regarding health care, with the purpose of making health care more affordable for everyone. There are some that stand in opposition of the PPACA.They argue that they believe these new rules and regulations take away too many freedoms and force people (both individuals and businesses) to do things they shouldn't have to. However, politicians have concluded that the positive effects of the PPACA far outweigh any negatives. The positive effects that will come about from the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act are so numerable it would take hundreds of pages to discuss. One important change will come about by lifting the patent protections on prescription drugs.The bill allows the Food and Drug Administration to approve more generic drugs, thus causing competition in the market to drive the prices downward. This in itself would lower the United States drug prices from being an astounding 35% to 55% higher than other countries to actually being competitive at a fair market value. The PPACA has also made new regulations that place a limit on just how much of a percentage of the money an insurer makes can be profit, to make sure they're not price-gouging customers. Obamacareâ⬠uses the philosophy that strictly regulating insurance companies profit margins will help prevent the health insurance price-gouging that has been running awry all over the United States. Helpless customers that desperately need to be insured have formerly had little to no control over the greedy insurance providers. The PPACA stepping in and regulating should be viewed more a s a protection for the consumer that a hindrance to the insurance suppliers. The PPACA also places new regulations on what new health plans have to offer.For example, insurance providers are now required to provide preventive care without requiring any sort of charge at all. Before this new regulation was put in place many health providers did not cover cost or still charged fees for things such as mammograms, colonoscopies, and many other forms of screening that would be unaffordable to many in the lower class. Requiring preventive care coverage should better the quality of health care provided in the US, especially to those at or below the poverty line.In conclusion, upon seeing the problems the current United States healthcare system creates for citizens struggling in or right above the poverty line, upon taking a glance at other countries healthcare systems that seem to be more efficient and less expensive, and upon already experiencing the positive changes that have come from i mplementing rules and regulations that create a universal healthcare system, Americans should begin to finally agree that healthcare reform should be at the forefront of our minds.Not only to help all those stricken with poverty to receive care, but to improve the quality of healthcare for all Americans. Word Count: 1197 words
Saturday, September 14, 2019
How does society shape peopleââ¬â¢s lives? Essay
The aim of this essay is to explore how society shapes peopleââ¬â¢s lives. The meaning of the word ââ¬Å"shapingâ⬠in this context means to ââ¬Å"influence or affectâ⬠(The Open University, 2013, YO32 p 29). This essay will focus on Childhood: Body image and stress related eating disorders, from Block 4, Unit 3 and Psychology: Social influence, happiness and natural and synthetic happiness from Unit 5. Society has shaped us to embrace a rather different body image to that of 100 years ago to the point where being slim is now considered the norm (The Open University, 2013 Unit 3, 3.2). There has been a shift from the plumper body image seen in paintings dating back to the 19th century, to the ultra slim catwalk models of today. As there has been a shift in body image, there has also been a shift in eating habits (The Open University, 2013, Unit 3, 3.2). It is now less likely for families to sit down together and eat the more traditional three meals a day, with young people now more likely to favour energy dense fast food diets (NSHD) (n.d.). The National Survey of Health and Development (NSHD) (n.d.) recommends that young people should take regular exercise and have a minimum of 3 thirty minute sessions of exercise per week and drink a minimum of 2 litres of water per day. The pressure society places on young people to conform to the ideal body image has led to many adolescents developing stress-related eating disorders (The Open University, 2013, Unit 3, 3.4). There are three main eating disorders: Anorexia Nervosa (AN), Bulimia Nervosa (BN) and binge eating (The Open University, 2013, Unit 3, 3.6). Disordered eating is a mental illness in which the patient severely restricts their calorie intake. Although girls are mainly affected by anorexia a significant number of boys are also affected (the Open University, 2013). AN is quite different from BN giving sufferers of BN cause to overeat and then purge to make themselves sick, thereby controlling their weight (The Open University, 2013, Unit 3, 3.4). It could be argued that the mediaââ¬â¢s portrayal of the ideal body shape may lead to young people developing eating disorders. The evidence suggests the Press may be partly to blame, and that society is ignoring a cry for help. Quoted in the Daily Telegraph (Jardine, 2013), Kate Moss said ââ¬Å"nothing tastes as good as skinny feelsâ⬠ââ¬â comments like this add fuel to the argument. Worries about physical appearance lead to low self-esteem and a need to control weight, which may lead into a cycle of depression and a further loss of confidence (NIMH) (n.d.). Eating habits have changed significantly in the post war period (Youngââ¬â¢s, 2004). Youngââ¬â¢s points out that these changes in eating habits and the abundance of food now available, in part due to the role played by supermarkets, fast food outlets and the growth in international travel, could also be having a detrimental effect on body image. The World Health Organisation (WHO, 2004) reports 10% of children are overweight lending support to the argument that body image in the media may influence the young. Eating disorders such as AN and BN are attempts by young people to be in control of the way they look and are portrayed by society , which may influence their happiness. The influence of our social roles within society, whether in our work or home lives, will affect our happiness in our individual roles (The Open University, 2013 p47). Influences on happiness and unhappiness may include factors such as being in employment, strong family support, a good network of friends and a sense of belonging (The Open University, 2013 p48). Being active and keeping oneââ¬â¢s mind active is also an important part of being happy and having as many different sources of interest as possible may contribute to this. People who are less active and have fewer contacts may be unhappier than those who donââ¬â¢t (Layard, 2005). How one perceives happiness may vary with the socio-cultural environment in which they were brought up, with people in Western society being generally happier (White, 2006). The influence of happiness on our everyday lives contributes greatly to the way we feel about ourselves. As a species we have evolved a mechanism by which we can make up almost anything. Gilbert describes a mechanism he defines as an ââ¬Å"experience simulatorâ⬠, which means we have the ability to imagine a situation before it actually happens (The Open University, 2013 p51). Another term introduced by Gilbert is ââ¬Å"impact biasâ⬠, which broadly means that within 6-12 months following an apparently life-changing event,à one will be as happy after the event as before. Gilbert explains ââ¬Å"real happiness is what we get when we get what we want, as opposed to synthetic happiness which is what we get when we donââ¬â¢t get what we really wantâ⬠(The Open University, 2013 pp50-51). It could be argued that if we play a certain role we can synthesise a greater sense of happiness. The evidence suggests that whatever our role in society is, we have an ability to find the best in every situation. Layard (2005) points out that our societal roles play a major part in perceived happiness. Gilbert (The Open University, 2013) points to scientific data that would seem to confirm Layardââ¬â¢s view that a personââ¬â¢s sense of happiness can be influenced by how we live our lives. Gilbert presents two sets of experimental data as evidence that happiness can be synthesised. These sets of data were from only a small sample size and the results may not be representative of society, so further research should be undertaken. Oneââ¬â¢s individual sense of happiness, whether synthetic or real, will reflect on how society in general operates. In the authorââ¬â¢s opinion, having a happy society can only be good in creating a happier world. Conclusion Society has shaped us to believe that body image is all too important, as we are constantly bombarded with a view of the perceived ideal. Looking good would appear to make us happy, possibly more so during our youth, but there are obviously many other factors that can contribute to happiness. References (All these references have been visited) Jardine, C. (2010) ââ¬ËEating disorders in the youngââ¬â¢, The Telegraph, 29 September 2010 [Online]. Available at http://www.telegraph.co.uk/ health/ children shealth/8030962/ Eating-disorders-in-the-young.html (Accessed 16 May 2014). Layard, R. (2005) Happiness: Lessons from a New Science, New York, Penguin. National Institute for Mental Health (NIMH) (n.d.) [Online]. Available at http://www.nimh.nih.gov/ health/ publications/ eating-disorders/ index.shtml (Accessed 14 May 2014). National Survey of Health and Development (NSHD) (n.d.) [Online]. Available at http://www.nshd.mrc.ac.uk/(Accessed 21 May 2014). The Open University (2013). Block 4, Unit 3, Childhood: society, food and children. 3.6 different eating disorders [Online]. Available at http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Anorexia-nervosa/Pages/Introduction.aspx (accessed 23 May 2014) The Open University (2013). Block 4, Unit 3, Childhood: society, food and children. 3.2 healthy eating [Online]. Available at https://learn2.open.ac.uk/mod/oucontent/view.php?id=441400#downloads (accessed 23 May 2014). The Open University, 2013. YO32-13J. Block 4, Unit 3 Childhood: society, food and children. 3.2 healthy eating [Online]. Available at https://learn2.open.ac.uk/mod/oucontent/view.php?id=441400#downloads (Accessed 30 April 2014). The Open University, 2013. ââ¬Å"Block 4 society, Unit 5â⬠. Psychology, society, selves and happiness, p47. Milton Keynes, The Ope n University. The Open University, 2013. ââ¬Å"Block 4 society, Unit 5â⬠. Psychology: society, selves and happiness, p48. Milton Keynes, The Open University. The Open University, 2013. YO32 People, work and society access module. Assessment guidelines, p29. Milton Keynes, The Open University. White, A. (2006) ââ¬Å"University of Leicester produces the first ever world map of happinessâ⬠[Online]. Available at http://www.le.ac.uk/ebulletin-archive/ ebulletin/news/press-releases/2000-2009/2006/07/nparticle.2006-07-28.html (Accessed 24 April 2014). World Health Organisation (WHO) (2004) ââ¬ËFight childhood obesity to help prevent diabetes, says WHO & IDFââ¬â¢, WHO, 11 November 2004 [Online]. Available at http://www.who.int./ mediacentre/ news/ releases/ 2004/ pr81/ en/ (Accessed 20 May 2014). Youngs, I. (2004) ââ¬ËMy wartime menuââ¬â¢, BBC News Online, 30 June 2004 [Online]. Available at http://news.bbc.co.uk/ 1/ hi/ magazine/ 3847041.stm (Accessed 23 April 2014 ).
If human nature does alter Essay
What is human nature? According to an interesting article I have read, humanity can be interpreted in three ways: mechanistic, mysterian and materialist views of humanity. A mechanistic view sees human beings largely as objects through which nature acts. A mysterian view suggests that there are aspects of human existence not knowable to mere mortals. A materialist view sees humans as exceptional because humans, unlike any other beings, possess consciousness and agency. In Judaism, human nature is the ability to make our own choice and we will all be held responsible for our actions. From a scientific perspective, human nature is the behavior of human being physically, socially and mentally. There are many different interpretations of human nature and it will never have a specific definition. From my point of view, human nature is how human beings interpret themselves as. Therefore, human nature does alter when we begin to look at ourselves in a new way. In this essay, I have chosen one play from ââ¬Å"The Three Theban Playsâ⬠by Sophocles; ââ¬Å"Oedipus the Kingâ⬠and ââ¬Å"Death and the Maidenâ⬠by Ariel Dorfman. Looking at the two tragedies, I am going to illustrate how the writers make us ââ¬Å"look at ourselves in a new wayâ⬠. Searching for the truth is a human nature; because everyone has curiosity. For example, babies feel curious when seeing new items and try to figure out what it is. However, searching for truth is not always beneficial. Sophocles certainly did prove his point through his play, ââ¬Å"Oedipus the Kingâ⬠. Oedipus basically assassinated his father, Laius, acquire his crown and ironically his wife, Oedipus mother, Jocasta. However, Oedipus didnââ¬â¢t have any knowledge of this. To save the city from the plague, he was desperate to track down the murderer of Laius, not knowing that he was the murderer. Throughout the play, Sophocles employs the repetition of blindness to associate with the spiritual blindness of Oedipus to the truth. He was not only blinded to the truth, but also the consequences of discovering the truth. Moreover, the repetition of blindness foreshadows that Oedipus will blind himself at the end of the play when he recognize the truth and what he had done. He is sightless to the advice of people attempting to stop him going down the road of destruction. At the beginning of the play, I have already noticed the wide use of blindness in the dialogue: ââ¬Å"Oedipus: I would be blind to misery not to pity my people kneeling at my feetâ⬠(Pg. 159 L14-15) ââ¬Å"Oedipus: Youââ¬â¢ve lost your power, stone-blind, stone-deaf ââ¬â senses, eyes blind as stone! â⬠(Pg. 181 L421-422) From the quotes mentioned, I could see that the word ââ¬Å"blindâ⬠often appears in the dialogues of Oedipus. He told his people of Thebes he wouldnââ¬â¢t be ââ¬Å"blind to miseryâ⬠and promised to save Thebes. However, he is blind to the truth and his identity instead. He insulted Tiresiasââ¬â¢ blindness for revealing the prophecy and the truth about Oedipusââ¬â¢ identity which he doubted vigorously. Oedipusââ¬â¢ abuse to Tiresias has a huge contradiction to his own blindness to the outcome of the discovery. Although Tiresias is physically blind, he wasnââ¬â¢t blind to the truth and the effect of revealing it; whereas Oedipus wasnââ¬â¢t blind, but he couldnââ¬â¢t notice the purpose of Tiresiasââ¬â¢ actions and ignore his warnings. The repetition of blindness draws attention of the audience every time the characters say the word. This emphasizes the idea of humans are often blind to themselves, the others and also the truth behind things. When they seek to search for the truth, the outcome can be catastrophic: ââ¬Å"Messenger: He rips off her brooches, the long gold pins holding her robes ââ¬â â⬠¦Ã¢â¬ ¦ he digs them down the sockets of his eyes,â⬠(Pg. 237 L1402-1405) ââ¬Å"Messenger: And there we saw the woman hanging by the neck, â⬠¦Ã¢â¬ ¦ spinning, swinging back and forth. â⬠(Pg.237 L1395-1397) In the exodus of the play, the ending is a disaster, Jocasta hanged herself and Oedipus blinded himself. Truth can be harmful sometimes, therefore it is better to stay the same and be ignorant. At least we could be better off and happier because truth sometimes doesnââ¬â¢t give us any satisfaction at all. This made us to have a whole new perception about the exploration of truth. After studying the play, I would be more objective about my actions and be humble to the othersââ¬â¢ advice, to prevent anything destructive happening. But on the other hand, Oedipus is a man of great quality, he had the courage to seek for the truth even though people persuaded him not to because the truth was dangerous. If we are satisfy about the current state and choose to be ââ¬Å"blindâ⬠to many truths on the world, there would be no improvement and development at all. There is certainly no an ultimate answer to the question whether or not we should seek for the truth. In ââ¬Å"Death and the Maidenâ⬠, truth is also an important issue. The scene was set in Chile, which had just received democracy after years and years of dictatorship. Gerardo was appointed to be the Head of the Investigating Commission. The purpose of the commission establishes certain truths in a public way, to become part of official history. However, it only deals with the dead, not people suffered but still alive. Paulina, Gerardoââ¬â¢s wife, was one of them, she was put into torture and raped. Ariel Dorfman portrayed Paulina as a desperate person to find out the truth. Paulina is going to search for the truth by all means since she suffered so much pain and was haunted by the past. The only way to relieve her pain is to attain the truth. She had gained power by holding the gun and transformed into a totally different person. We can identify this by looking at the text: ââ¬Å"Paulina: Besides you that if the police do show their noses her Iââ¬â¢ll put a bullet through his manââ¬â¢s head. â⬠¦Ã¢â¬ ¦ And then Iââ¬â¢ll put the gun in my mouth and pull the trigger. â⬠(Pg. 18) ââ¬Å"Gerardo: My God, Paulina! â⬠¦Ã¢â¬ ¦ she has never spoken like this in her life. â⬠According to the quotes above, the gun has given power to Paulina and she had dominance over the man. Paulina had turned into another person, even the way she speaks, that Gerardo didnââ¬â¢t recognize anymore. This indicates what truth can do; it can drive somebody mad and turns them into a different person. Paulina was so obsessed about the truth that she is willing to sacrifice anything: ââ¬Å"If heââ¬â¢s innocent? Then heââ¬â¢s really screwed. â⬠(Pg. 29) In order to know the truth, she is willing to give up her morals. Even though she wasnââ¬â¢t sure if Doctor Miranda was really one of the people who tortured her, she had already assumed he is guilty and enforced him to confess by threatening to kill him. Paulina didnââ¬â¢t even care if he is innocent or not, she just wanted a confession no matter what, because this is the only way she could reconcile her pain. Perhaps Miranda is guilty, the truth is so thrilling that even me as an audience wanted to know it so badly. In the end, nobody knows if justice has been achieved by Paulinaââ¬â¢s outrageous actions. The play also exemplify the idea of too much truth may be dangerous. On the way of searching the truth, Paulina didnââ¬â¢t realize that she is destroying many things, their relationships, and Gerardoââ¬â¢s trust to her etc. Gerardo had already warned her not to continue her pursuit of truth: ââ¬Å"Gerardo: People can die from an excessive dose of the truth, you know. â⬠(Pg. 36) Gerardo could foresee the disastrous outcome of the whole event and tried to stop Paulina continue to look for the truth. It is because Gerardo sensed that too much truth wonââ¬â¢t do good to all of them. The idea of too much truth is dangerous in ââ¬Å"Death and the Maidenâ⬠links back to the idea of the catastrophic consequences of obtaining the truth from ââ¬Å"Oedipus the Kingâ⬠. Paulina and Oedipus are very similar, they strife for the truth which they donââ¬â¢t know is destructive. Paulina destroyed the relationship between Gerardo and herself; whereas Oedipus devastated his kingdom, his family and most significantly, he blinded himself. Both tragedies raised our caution to the pursuit of truth, acknowledge us that truth is double-edged, it can favour but also destroy someone. Human canââ¬â¢t be too ignorant and also canââ¬â¢t know too much truth. ââ¬Å"It is better to settle for half. â⬠as Alfieri puts it in the play ââ¬Å"A View from the Bridgeâ⬠.
Friday, September 13, 2019
Wreiter choice Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words
Wreiter choice - Research Paper Example The effects of media are felt differently in various parameters but there are common effects that will be critically analyzed in this article. The evaluation will therefore incorporate more knowledge into the reader of the article on the absolute effects of media in the society. This article will highlight appropriate issues that an individual should know in the matter of effects of mass media to the society. The influence of media in our lives thus the society as a whole is greatly related to the degree in which an individual interacts with the elements of media on a daily basis. Books are always highly influential because they came first before articles such as magazines, newspapers, and radio. In the 20th century, the television and radio were very influential as they were used in advertisements, marketing and many more. By the 21st century the great influence was from the internet through the worldwide website inform of blogs, social networks, and wikis. First, there should be a distinction between the effects and effectiveness of the mass media. In the capacity to achieve certain objectives whether attracting large audiences or influencing opinion and behavior of individuals. Both of these matters are paramount though there are a different set of consideration relating to each other. The second issue is whether individuals are concerned with the future or past thus this will facilitate their interaction with media to be often due to the search of particular important information. The last point is to know if the effects occur on an individual, group, culture, institution, or the society. In this case the major focus is on the effects and influence on the society (Perse & Elizabeth, 51). The effects of media on the society are always difficult to recognize because they take long to happen and they are always evolving on a daily
Thursday, September 12, 2019
Character analysis on hamlet Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words
Character analysis on hamlet - Essay Example ." (Eliot, p. 32). This essay is a character analysis of Prince Hamlet. In examining Hamlet one of the most pervasive understandings is that his character changes throughout the play. Still, there is a general degree of despondency that is clear from the beginning. Consider Claudius when he asks Hamlet, ââ¬Å"How is it that the clouds still hang on you?â⬠(Act I, scene ii). This statement indicates Hamletââ¬â¢s general despondency even before he discovers that his father has been murdered. As the play advances Hamlet is revealed to have further character dimensions including great intelligence and wit. Perhaps the most complex consideration in these regards is the extent that Hamlet is truly insane or faking his insanity. In these regards, it appears that in specific circumstances Hamlet has used his intelligence as a means of concealing his true character. One considers his interaction with Polonius as a strong indicator of this perspective. Still, in other instances, such as his violent outbursts, Hamlet appears to be clearly insane. Another central aspect to Hamletââ¬â¢s character is the nature of his unwillingness to act. While early on in the play Hamlet vows to kill Claudius and avenge his fatherââ¬â¢s death he perpetually refuses to carry out this action. One insight into Hamletââ¬â¢s character is the argument that he is subject to Oedipal repression. Itââ¬â¢s argued, ââ¬Å"The call of duty to slay his uncle cannot be obeyed because it links itself with the call of his nature to slay his mothers husband, whether this is the first or the second; the latter call is strongly "repressed," and therefore necessarily the former alsoâ⬠(Jones, p. 74). In these regards, Hamlet is motivated out of love for his mother, yet has psychoanalytically repressed this love so is unwilling to kill Claudius. In other instances, Hamlet appears to be motivated out of a general rational desire to determine Claudius
Wednesday, September 11, 2019
Discussion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 147
Discussion - Essay Example As much as the Protagoras by Plato fails to identify specific benefits that come with staying within such a community, upholding moral requirements within a community would bring such benefits. The theoryââ¬â¢s major argument is that when individuals engage in moral actions that are mutual, or reciprocated, then all of them are certain to benefit from such a relationship. It is important to note that as much as most communities reciprocate an individualââ¬â¢s moral actions, it is only in communities that are well-functioning and cooperative that such reciprocation is assured. Since communities involve individual efforts towards a single goal of development, this theory provides a perfect framework towards which all members of a community can benefit by each acting not in their own but in the interests of others. The society ought to establish collective rules that would govern the intentions of each independent individual towards the good of each of the members of the society. As such, through the Protagoras theory, justice is portrayed as indispensable and
Tuesday, September 10, 2019
Soil strengthening of age-old-designed railway tracks Research Paper
Soil strengthening of age-old-designed railway tracks - Research Paper Example Superstructure consists of rails, fastening, and sleepers, and sub-structure consists of ballast, sub-ballast, and sub-grade. This research assignment studies the functions of substructure in track operation. Railroad substructure receives dynamic load from train movement and behaves according to the principles and laws of soil mechanics. Soil performance under loading in soil mechanics is governed by two characteristics: strength and deformation (STRATIGRAPHICS n.d.). Strength refers to the shear strength properties, and deformation refers to settlement. The proper functioning of substructure is characterized by the bearing capacity which implies that shear stresses caused by the cyclic loading has to be lower than the soilââ¬â¢s undrained shear strength value, and at the same time settlement will not develop plastic behavior in the soil. After a number of years of operation, instability of both super and sub structures is caused by the shear failure and plastic settlement of sub -grade. There are many factors that may contribute to the loss of soil-strength. Among them, poor drainage, and trapped water in ballast pockets play significant roles. According to Harry Cedergreen, drainage represents a significant issue for railroad construction and maintenance; stability and low maintenance cost can only exist when adequate drainage is provided (Cedergren 1989, p. 364). Sub-grade failure in railroad jargon is called ââ¬Å"soft trackâ⬠(Australian Rail Track Corporation a 2001). Soft track includes ballast failure, top formation failure, shallow sub-grade failure, embankment failure, and landslide failure. Water is one of the several contributors that cause these failures. The scope of this assignment is to study methods... The response to the cyclic loading of rail track is an interaction of superstructure and substructure. Ballast, sub-ballast, and sub-grade relates to substructure. Decades of operation bring structural changes of substructures. The sub-grades of the old existing rail tracks require rehabilitation to satisfy proper functioning and meet current technical operational standards. The scope of this assignment is to find the rehabilitation approach for the existing tracks of Australia. The solution must account that improvement of substructure by dismantling the railways is not an option due to the transport collapse, which is accompanied by financial losses. Rehabilitation of the existing railway is not a sheer issue that relates to Australia only; it is also a significant issue for the European countries, Canada, and USA. CSX Rail Line in Milstead, Alabama, USA faced excessive ballast settlement and soil pumping problems due to the poor sub-grade conditions. Moreover, Tallapoosa River run s parallel to the rail line. The rehabilitation of the track included raising the track, undercutting and removing the existing ballast, and use of filter fabric over the exposed sub-ballast, which was followed by a layer of Geogrid
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)