Advantages and Disadvantages of Direct Selling Essay Example

Advantages and Disadvantages of Direct Selling Paper Advantages and Disadvantages of Direct Selling: Perspectives of Both Tourism Operators and Tourists The growth of the internet has made direct selling easier and faster for both tour operators and tourists. According to Frost (2004) the fascination with new technology has changed the way tourism providers interact and trade with their customers. The primary focus for this essay is to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of direct selling for travel and tour management. In this essay, the perspectives of both tourism operators and tourists will be considered. This essay will be presented in four sections. The first section will outline direct selling and identify the users of direct selling. The second section will discuss the advantages and disadvantages for a tourist using direct selling. The third section will discuss the advantages and disadvantages for a tourism provider using direct selling. Finally, the essay will be concluded summarising the key advantages and disadvantages for direct selling. In the past, travel agents have been an intermediary for tourists and tourism sellers. Travel agents have been used by tourists to access a wide range of tourism service providers; likewise tourism providers have used travel agents to gain access to numerous customers (Frost, 2004). Due to the extreme competition in the tourism industry, tourism providers are looking to cut costs in order to win over customers with lower prices. This is currently being done by cutting down on the commission costs payed to intermediary such as travel agents and introducing direct selling. In recent years the rapid growth and vast accessibility of the internet has allowed the transition to direct selling to take over. The internet creates availability and accessibility for tourists and tourism providers to do business while providing equivalent information at a lower cost than a travel agent can (Bennett Lai, 2005). We will write a custom essay sample on Advantages and Disadvantages of Direct Selling specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Advantages and Disadvantages of Direct Selling specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Advantages and Disadvantages of Direct Selling specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Moreover, Frost (2004) identifies four methods of direct selling other than the internet where tourism businesses are able to get in contact and do business with tourists, these include: use of the telephone, increased use of credit cards, the development of call centres and the development of customer loyalty programs. Each of these function have the ability to facilitate direct selling and put the tourism seller directly in touch with the purchaser. However, for many tourism businesses, airlines in particular, the internet has become the primary method for direct selling (Law Leung, 000, as cited in Frost, 2004) Tourism businesses are generally able to easily create their own websites on the internet to attract, interact and make transactions with potential tourists without using an agent. According to Bennett and Lai (2005) the internet has given tourism providers such as hotels the opportunity to cut out intermediaries by providing facilities for direct booking via their websites. Hotels and airlines are service providers who make notable use of direct selling over the internet. According to Howard and Harris (2001) travel products are one of the most popular products and services available on the internet as they do not require the customer to feel, smell, try on or test before purchasing and the product does not need to be sent to the buyer. Many tourism businesses provide the opportunity to purchase tourism products or services directly via their websites. A study by Dolnicar and Laesser (2007) revealed that 64. 4% Swiss tourists purchase tickets for scheduled flights departing from local airports directly from suppliers in comparison to 35. % who purchase from travel agents, similarly only 33. 2% of Swiss tourists purchase tickets for ships and cruises from travel agents. This data shows that many tourists are moving away from the traditional use of travel agents and further towards direct purchasing. Webber and Wesley (1999) found that the types of tourists most likely to be using the internet to purchase directly form tourism sellers are usually between the ages of 26 and 55, have high incomes, are employed in management, professional or computer related positions and have more experience on the internet. However it is important to note here that this research was conducted in 1999 and results today may differ. A tourist will experience advantages when purchasing tourism products and services directly from the seller. The most apparent advantage that a tourist encounters is lower cost. As the seller is not required pay commissions to an intermediary, products and services become cheaper and the tourist will benefit from the lower cost. The availability of cheaper tourism products is a certain advantages for tourists. As the purchase is often a high involvement purchase, tourists tend to shop around for the best available offers. The introduction of direct selling has forced prices in the tourism industry down therefore creating more competition for sellers but better prices for buyers. Direct selling has also allowed the industry of low cost airlines to evolve and create greater savings and advantages for tourist. Dolnicar and Laesser (2007) found that direct selling over the internet also allows tourists to communicate with suppliers regarding information about the product or service and allows them to make transactions at any time and any place. For many tourists the convenience of direct selling online is a key advantage. The ability to purchase at all hours of the day and night and from any where in the world is one of the significant attractions to online direct selling. Many tourists work long hours and are not able to get to a travel agent during open hours; this feature of convenience is a huge incentive to book directly with supplier. There are also disadvantages tourists experience when using the internet to purchase directly from sellers. According to Frost (2004) the internet is considered by some to be: impersonal, inflexible, frustrating, not always convenient, not always available and risky. Frost (2004) explains that many people would prefer to talk to a real person when planning travel rather than a computer screen, as people value the reassurance of personal advice. Many tourists appreciate the independence of an intermediary who does not work for the supplier and will give true, unbiased advice. Intermediaries such as travel agents are able to make tourists feel comfortable when purchasing tourism products as they are able to offer lots of different options from many suppliers. Frost (2004) also identifies that for some people the internet can be difficult to use as some websites do not allow certain people to access it and may lack the information required to complete bookings. Some websites of tourism suppliers are confusing to use as they may use technical language and have too much information. People who do not use the internet as frequently as others often have difficulties with making bookings online. Therefore, tourists often prefer to use a travel agent or intermediaries as they are able to perform all of the difficult and time consuming tasks that the tourist can not. According to Frost (2004) some tourists acting as their own travel agent risk losing the accuracy, knowledge and speed that an agent offers. Travel agents are specially trained in understanding the industry and are available for tourists to use to gain information from. The final disadvantage experienced by tourists to be discussed is the risk of fraud. According to Frost (2001) many tourists have concerns when purchasing online and giving out personal information such as credit card details. It is a well known fact that some people do experience fraudulent behaviour when spending money online. This can be a high risk that a tourist takes when purchasing from an unknown supplier. This disadvantage of purchasing directly from a supplier may prevent some tourists from utilising this facility and choosing to use a trusted agent. When tourism suppliers sell directly to the tourist, the seller will also experience advantages and disadvantages. The foremost advantage experienced by a supplier selling to a tourist involves lower costs. These lower costs are often experienced due to the reduction in costs of commissions and distribution costs. Dolnicar and Laesser (2007) complement these advantages by including higher revenues and a larger potential market to the advantages of a supplier selling via a webpage or directly to the tourist. Bennett and Lai (2005) found that suppliers reduce costs by cutting out the ‘middleman’ or intermediaries such as travel agents. As previously discussed, travel agents and intermediaries work based on the commission paid to them by the seller for selling to tourists on their behalf. By cutting out the intermediary and selling directly to the tourist, large savings can be made by the tourism supplier. These cost reduction will not only increase revenues, but allow the tourism supplier to be more competitive within the industry. Further advantages of supplying online include the little to no capital investment required and the effectiveness of promotion and distribution through video clips, virtual tours and images (Bennett and Lai, 2005). Websites make communicating with tourists cost and time effective with online contact facilities such as online bookings email responses. Sellers are also able to provide all required information on the web page including frequently asked questions so that the buyer does not have to contact the supplier. The use of images and videos provide more depth to what the tourist is purchasing and allows the tourist to interpret the information. According to Bennett and Lai (2005) some suppliers, airlines in particular, benefit from direct selling as the internet reduces the cost of producing tickets. As tickets booked online are all created electronically, the supplier saves in the costs of printing the ticket and distributing the ticket. Further research has found that suppliers are choosing to improve their service by creating customer loyalty programs that allows the business to keep record of past users (Bennett Lai, 2005). These customer loyalty programs not only benefit tourist, but they allow the supplier to keep a close eye on where and when the customer is travelling. Once the tourism busiesses knows who the customer is they are able to target them with promotions for future travel. This shows that if the seller was not directly in touch with the tourist, their customer knowledge would be limited and future promotion would be more difficult. Common customer loyalty programs in the tourism industry include frequent flyer programs and hotel rewards clubs. These loyalty programs usually reward customers for repeat business with discounts, perks and upgrades therefore encourages the customer to continue to use the business. The disadvantages of suppliers selling directly to tourists have also been considered. These disadvantages include the costs of maintaining websites and support facilities whilst trying to keep the tourism business running. Many tourism busiesses, particularly smaller businesses find it easier to leave the sales and customer service duties to experienced agents so that they are free to do what they do best. Although most large tourism organisations such as airlines have developed departments especially for direct selling, smaller businesses such as tour operators may not have the capacity or facilities to conduct direct business with tourists. Dolnicar and Laesser (2007) found that the costs in maintaining websites, the use of information technology support and the usage of internet channels often becomes costly to some tourism businesses. It is important for the tourism supplier to ensure that websites are constantly up dated and all applications and purchasing functions are working properly and easy for the tourist to use. In addition, the tourism supplier must ensure that the business is advertised in the best possible media outlet to guarantee high customer coverage. In conclusion, this essay has revealed that the growth of the internet is allowing communication between tourists and tourism sellers to be much easier and widely available. Key advantages for tourist purchasing tourism products through directly include lower purchasing costs and the convenience of purchasing from any where at any time. However the disadvantages of purchasing directly include the lack of personalisation and trust, the inconvenience of time wastage and the risk of fraud. Key advantages of tourism businesses selling directly to busiesses involve the reduction of costs paid to intermediaries and an increase in customer loyalty. However disadvantages to tourism businesses include higher competition and the costs of maintaining websites. This essay has shown that although direct selling and the internet and is steering customers away from the use of intermediaries such as travel agents, there are still many advantages and disadvantages to both suppliers and tourists when doing business together. References: Bennett, M. M. Lai. C. K. (2005). The impact of the internet on travel agencies in Taiwan. Tourism and Hospitality Research, 6(1), 8-23. Frost, W. (2004). Travel and tour management, Melbourne: Hospitality Press. Howard, J. Harris, R. (2001). The Australian travel agency (3rd Ed. ). Roseville, N. S. W: McGraw-Hill Book Company Australia. Dolnicar, S. Laesser, C. (2007). Travel agency marketing strategy: insights from Switzerland. Journal of Travel Research, 46, 133-146. DOI:10. 1177/0047287507299573 Webber, K. Wesley, R. (1999). Profiling people searching for and purchasing travel products on the World Wide Web. Journal of Travel Research, 37, 291-298.

Grammar Tips Using the Past Tense - Get Proofed!

Grammar Tips Using the Past Tense - Get Proofed! Grammar Tips: Using the Past Tense The past includes everything that has ever happened. And with every second that passes, the past gets bigger and bigger! As such, there’s plenty of stuff in the past we might want to write about. Lucky for us, then, we have the past tense to talk about things in the past. But to make sure your work is error free, you need to know how to use the different forms of this tense. We explain all here (with a little help from Isaac Newton). Isaac Newton: A man from the past. Simple Past Tense The most basic form is the simple past tense. We use this to discuss something that both began and ended in the past: Isaac Newton invented the cat flap. Here, for example, we use the simple past tense verb â€Å"invented† to show that the act of invention occurred entirely in the past. Most simple past tense verbs are, like â€Å"invented,† formed by adding â€Å"-ed† to the end of a base verb (e.g., invent → invented). However, you need to watch out for irregular verbs that don’t fit this pattern, such as â€Å"swim† (simple past tense = swam). Past Continuous Tense As the name suggests, the past continuous tense is used to refer to an ongoing action in the past: Newton was sitting under a tree. The key phrase here is â€Å"was sitting,† which combines the simple past tense â€Å"was† with the present participle â€Å"sitting.† This gives us a sense of a continuous action (â€Å"sitting†) occurring in the past. That apple looks a little loose to us, Isaac. The past continuous tense can also be used to frame another action: Newton was sitting under a tree when an apple fell to the ground. The past continuous â€Å"was sitting† here describes an action that is then interrupted by something else. We can therefore see the difference between the ongoing â€Å"was sitting† and the sudden fall of the apple, which is described using the past simple verb â€Å"fell.† Past Perfect Tense We use the past perfect tense to describe something that happened before, up until, or since something else. It is formed by combining the word â€Å"had† with a past participle: Newton had studied many subjects by the time he graduated. The key here is a sense of completion: the past perfect phrase â€Å"had studied† implies that the action had finished by the point the second part of the sentence occurred. Past Perfect Continuous Tense The past perfect continuous tense combines the past perfect and past continuous tenses. It is therefore most commonly used to describe an ongoing action that occurred before something else. We form the past perfect continuous tense by combining â€Å"had been† and a present participle: Newton had been acting as Master of the Royal Mint for five years when he was knighted. Here, we get the sense of a continuous action from the present participle â€Å"acting.† But the â€Å"had been† gives it a sense of completion similar to the perfect tense. The result is that â€Å"had been acting† frames the later action of being â€Å"knighted.†

Art People Gallery Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Art People Gallery - Essay Example The variety of artwork includes oil on canvas, impressionism, Acrylic, Mixed Painting, Sculpture, traditional, modern multimedia, Water-based, Surrealism, Water ColPaintinglism, mixed drawings, Figurative art, Pencil colored and Realism. Such a tremendous variety catches the attention of many people as they visit the art gallery is n huge numbers. The mission of the art gallery is to revitalize the education of artwork to use interesting combinations of technologies instead of using the same abstract work. Creativity is the key to modern artwork and many artists realize this fact (Galenson, 76). They have developed skills to use software techniques with crafty handwork and versatile combination of colors to induce tremendous attraction for art lovers. The artwork is not limited to the images only; instead, modern software tools have increased the competition in creating unique videos multimedia images (Malchiodi, 28). Competitions are arranged on regular basis to see the amazing pieces of art from crafty people who work hard to make interesting images and videos. The art pieces displayed in the gallery are placed for selling to people. Half of the price is paid to the artist and another half for the commission. Plenty of artists are working for displaying their talents in the areas of artwork. They are around a hundred in the number who display their tremendous pieces of art here. The gallery features pictures from a variety of international artists. The most famous of them is Meamar Ali, who is famous in mixed painting and abstract work. His stylistic work is praised a great deal in the art gallery.

The Subordinate Role of Reason in Hume's Moral Philosophy Essay

The Subordinate Role of Reason in Hume's Moral Philosophy - Essay Example Hume thought that what we perceive become images, and these images or pictures of reality are manipulated by reason. But, there is no manipulating these perceptions without the prior perceptions or sensations first: â€Å"I shall endeavor to prove first, that reason alone can never be a motive to an action of the will; and secondly, that it can never oppose passion in the direction of the will† [Cahn and Markie, Ed., 244]. What Hume is arguing, can be described as presenting a very sharp or definite distinction between â€Å"reason† which he calls â€Å"utterly impotent† when contrasted with the â€Å"passions† [Cahn and Markie, Ed., 247]. And, unlike the images that can be manipulated by reason, the relationship between the â€Å"passions† and â€Å"actions† is a direct one or as he phrases it: â€Å"morals excite passions, and produce and prevent actions ... the rules of morality, therefore, are not conclusions of our reason† [Cahn a nd Markie, Ed., 247]. Most might maintain that reason and the senses have a more connected or inter-twined relationship. It is important to stress that reason is only connected to 'necessary' types of truths like mathematical equations. That is, truths that are valid regardless of sense experience. Or, truths that are valid because of the rules themselves: â€Å"reason is the faculty judges of truth and falsehood† [Cahn and Markie, Ed., 687]. One of the effects or consequences of this model is that there are actually no irrational actions. If the actions or the relationship between passions and actions are separate or only interact with each-other rather than reason, then this interaction cannot be said to be one that has any rationality. As is summarized by Cahn and Markie: â€Å"If the only possibility Hume means to be putting forward here, is the possibility of action based on false belief about causes and effects, we get a curious result ... people never act irrationally † [Cahn and Markie, Ed., 687]. They cannot act irrationally, precisely because 'action' in-itself is not a rational thing either in its manifestation as an actual sensible activity or event, and not rational in the sense that it was motivated by an 'impulse' or a 'sensation'. It is the reaction to a sensation. 'General Statement' of the Role of Reason as subordinate to the Senses: Thus, for Hume, morality is inseparable from the sentiments or a form of sentimentality. The â€Å"only possible source of motivation† for Hume, is to â€Å"satisfy† a â€Å"passion† [Cahn and Markie, Ed., 685]. The role of reason is to evaluate only the rules that are abstracted from sense experience, which means that all human motivation and all human action is one driven by passions. Thus, Hume resolves that problem in his discussion of benevolence and justice by establishing a theory of sentiments at the core of moral decisions. Sentiments are measured in terms of the greater pleasure or conversely, the greater harm that results. And, therefore, a just society is one that functions in harmony with the avoidance of the sensation of pain and the increase of pleasure. Again, it is important to stress that this connection with justice is one that is grounded in 'sense experience' but also the reasoning about it to – as is the nature of laws. Finally, it is possible to put forward a straight forward example to illustrate the notion of 'benevolence' and 'justice'. Just as a sensation can cause an increase in pleasure, so too with

Integrated Marketing Communications Essay Example for Free

Integrated Marketing Communications Essay Answer1: The Vocalpoint program launched by PG was a well sought out mean to market the products by using the word of mouth marketing strategy. Inclusion of the mothers from around the country was a cunning decision made by the managers at PG the reason for this being was that mothers are the ones who usually purchase the products for the household or domestic use so convincing them and then make them work in marketing the new offering so an immaculate move by the management of PG. Another benefit which PG gained by devising this Vocalpoint program was that, housewives are hard to target as they do not use technology that often, rather they spend a big part of their leisure time in gossiping with their friends hence the best possible way to market the offerings to them was by this word of mouth publicity. PG earned pretty much short term and long term benefits by applying this strategy; the most outstanding one was that launching this program helped the firm in increasing the sales by a considerable extent which obviously is the sole aim of launching any marketing campaign. In addition to this external clients of PG also earned huge profits by using this program and so as a result PG got its share in the profits, this amount was as higher as 1 million USD. The job of the RD department got less hectic as it was able to get the desired feedback on the latest products; this was helpful for it in making changes to the existing products and also to the ones which are undergoing the process of development. One of the long term benefits which came to PG’s way as a result of this program was that it got a solid loyal customer base on which it can capitalize in the forthcoming years. The ‘connect and develop† program of PG also got immense support as a result of this program and the marketing intelligence of the company overall increased. Better customer relationship management is also one aspect of the Vocalpoint program which was advantageous for the firm because it helped the managers in comprehending the consumer’s mindset and thus forecasting the consumers’ behavior became easily. The customers on the other hand became increasingly brand loyal to the company as they were getting tailor made products for themselves because PG was able to understand their latent and covert needs in an adept manner like no one else was doing. The overall impact of this project on the position of the firm was immaculate as it was a win-win situation for the company; the managers were getting the ins and outs of the target market in no time whatsoever so the overall time consumed in the processes of product development got reduced. This decrease in the overall product development time acted as a competitive advantage for the managers as they were able to deliver the market with the products it wanted in much lesser time than the competitors. Another addition was that the managers at the firm were getting customer generated feedback on the latest products and that too in negligible time so this enabled them to alter their strategies if needed be; the consumer on the other hand were liking this as they were getting tailor-made products for their usage (Sirgy 1998). Answer2: Analyzing from the business perspective one has to say that the programs such as Vocalpoint and Tremor must go on as they are beneficial for the businesses in the longer run and same is the case with PG. Having said that one has to admit that these projects and programs are certainly not the ones, which are based on the ethical principles and norms laid by the society. In my opinion there are various ethical issues which are present in such kind of WoM programs. The first and the foremost being is that the person to whom the offering is being marketed is unaware of the reality he is perceiving the interaction as a social one but in general the other person is acting as a sales person for a specific firm. My objection regarding this is that if a person is being marketed something then he must have prior knowledge of this. For me there is a thin line between marketing and deceiving and this difference has to be understood by the firms and the marketing managers; if there are ample ethical ways of marketing then what is the point in using the deceptive means? Another issue in my opinion is that by hiring or deploying WoM marketers the managers are making the society increasingly materialistic even the sacred relationships like friendship etc are being used just as an asset and even that without the other person being aware of this all. Objectifying the society is one thing which to me is intolerable and as this eventually ruins the whole basic structure of the civilization which really is denting in terms of the future perspectives. Considering the Tremor program I can firmly state that this was one project on which I have serious reservations; the reason for this being is that PG was using minors (children under 18 years ) to market its products; this is one ridiculous way of marketing. The reason for this is that this is the age where the person learns the most, from its society and surroundings and if the society is indulged in inducing the materialistic thoughts in kids then this will be injurious for the entire social setup; this is the stage at which the children must be taught how to honor and value the relationships but such deceptive marketing projects destroys the whole brought up of a child. One legal issue which too arises as a result of the inclusion of minors in the marketing programs is that these kids are underage legally so they cannot be made a part of any marketing project without the prior consent of their guardians (Malachowski 2001); this is one thing which was completely neglected by the managers at PG and hence they violated the rules and regulations laid by the government. In the Tremor programs the minors were not allowed to tell the reality to the person to which they are interacting this is something which is immoral and to me for this the firm has to be penalized; can we teach our younger generations to indulge into immoral activities just for the sake of money? This is a million dollar question which has to be answered by the managers at PG. The Tremor program targeted the minors too which is also an unethical way of making business the reason for this is that the underage people are immature hence they cannot make decisions for themselves (Malachowski 2001); influencing a buyer’s decision by using rational marketing ploys is a justifiable act but making the kids addict by using deceptive means and backdoor channels has to be abandoned as this certainly is not favorable for the social composition. In sum commercialization of human relationships is one thing which must be stopped by the marketing managers if someone is indulging in WoM marketing of a firm then he should disclose his affiliation as this is beneficial for the society; involving money in the activities of daily life will hurt the society in the longer run. In the Vocalpoint program the managers at PG were looking to select the mothers which are more social; the main reason behind this move was that, as mother is the most sacred and trustworthy relationship in this universe so mothers enjoy a unique position in the society; using their social stature for the marketing purposes was an unreasonable attempt. Answer 3:  The value of WoM is immense in the present global marketing scenario, the primary reason for this is that due to the increase in the globalization the nature of the competition has increased exponentially and so to do business and earn profits a firm has to market it’s offering to the target buyers. With the increase in the intensity of competition and technology the media of marketing have too increased and thus in such an overall marketing environment WoM publicity is something which is of great significance (Bothma 2003). Direct marketing and interactive marketing have always been profitable ways of interacting and influencing the consumers the reason behind this is that first of all these means are less expensive than the other marketing tactics (Tuckwell 2004). In addition to this the marketers get to know more about the ins and outs of the buyer’s black box; as known that these are the two methods which are an integral part of the IMC mix hence applying them together makes it easier for the marketers to timely comprehend the latent and covert needs of the buyers and thus they can make the necessary changes to the offerings and strategies. WoM advocacy is beneficial in the present scenario because it enables the marketers to interact with the customers and hence they can obtain the customer generated feedback regarding their products in addition to this, as there is no such middle channel involved in between the marketer and the buyer (as the WoM marketer is a part of the company) so it becomes easier to get the message of the consumer. The firms once get the timely feedback can make suitable adjustments and alterations in the product designs, strategies etc and in this way eventually WoM publicity acts as a source of competitive advantage for the company in this era of fierce competition. After understanding the consumer psyche if need be, then suitable sales promotions can be launched which are an essential component of the overall IMC mix (Blakeman 2009) The holistic marketing concept has to be applied as per the book because consumer centricity is something plays a vital role in the overall growth of the firm. Establishing long term business relations with the buyers is only possible if the market is provided with what is demanded by it. The nature of the relationship between the firm and its related publics should be exceptional, as this affects the performance of the company in the longer run WoM publicity is one thing which helps in building stronger relationships between the publics and the company (Baker 2001).

Lessons Learned from Nathaniel Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter Essay

Lessons Learned from The Scarlet Letter      Ã‚  Ã‚   The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne is considered by many to be a classic novel. In The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne provides his audience with a real sense of the consequences of unconfessed sin, isolation from society, and the presence of evil everywhere. Through his portrayal of the main characters, his choice of setting, and his implied moral lessons, he teaches lessons that must be learned for humans to continue living in harmony with one another.    The setting of The Scarlet Letter provides a powerful connection between fact and fiction. Events such as the Salem witch trials, which occurred not long after the events of The Scarlet Letter, establish credibility for Hawthorne in that recounting historical details such as fear of witches makes him seem like he actually knows what he is talking about. Hawthorne's writing style has made him "one of the most widely read nineteenth century authors" (Jacobson 4). He upholds Puritan values and concepts while employing the classic allegorical characters of romanticism. One such Puritan value is that the devil resides in the forest. Anytime characters in The Scarlet Letter enter the forest, it is certain that something terrible just happened, is happening, or will happen soon. One such example is when the governor's sister, who is suspected of witchcraft, enters the forest and invites Hester to go with her. It is this woman who represents the idea that evil exists everywhere, especially among those who refuse to acknowledge its existence. Salem is a particularly intriguing setting because of its witch infamy. The occurrence of the witch trials in Salem creates an atmosphere where the evil and the right... ... Hawthorne's allegorical approach at real life situations provides his readers with a sense of accomplishment: a sense that if they learn lessons from others, then they will not have to learn from first hand experience. Although on the surface it may seem like another tale of Puritanistic virtue, The Scarlet Letter is the embodiment of life itself. After reading this novel, one may find that many events in real life today can relate directly to events in The Scarlet Letter.    Works Cited and Consulted:    Chase, Richard (1996). "The Lessons of the Scarlet Letter." Readings on Nathaniel Hawthorne (pp. 145-152). San Diego: Greenhaven.      Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter. New York: St. Martins, 1991.      Jacobson, Gary. The Critical Response to Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter. New York: Greenwood, 1992.   

Soil Mechanics by Jerry Vandevelde

SOIL MECHANICS (version Fall 2008) Presented by: Jerry Vandevelde, P. E. Chief Engineer GEM Engineering, Inc. 1762 Watterson Trail Louisville, Kentucky (502) 493-7100 1 National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying http://www. ncees. org/ 2 STUDY REFERENCES †¢ Foundation Engineering; Peck Hanson & Thornburn †¢Introductory Soil Mechanics and Foundations; Sowers †¢NAVFAC Design Manuals DM-7. 1 & 7. 2 †¢Foundation Analysis and Design; Bowles †¢Practical Foundation Engineering Handbook; Brown 3 Soil Classification Systems * Unified Soil Classification System * AASHTO Need: Particle Sizes and Atterberg Limits 4Particle Sizes (Sieve Analysis) (Well Graded) (Poorly Graded) 0. 1 5 Atterberg Limits Liquid, Plastic & Shrinkage Limits Plasticity Index (PI) PI = Liquid Limit – Plastic Limit (range of moisture content over which soil is plastic or malleable) 6 UNIFIED SOIL CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM ASTM D-2487 7 8 Ref: Peck Hanson & Thornburn 2nd Ed. Effe ctive Size = D10 10 percent of the sample is finer than this size D60 = 1. 6mm D30 = 0. 2mm D10 = 0. 03mm 0. 1 0. 1 9 Uniformity Coefficient (Cu) = D60/D10 Coefficient of Curvature (Cz) = (D30)2/(D10xD60) D60 = 1. 6mm D30 = 0. 2mm D10 = 0. 03mm 0. 1 10 Well Graded – Requirements 50% coarser than No. 00 sieve Uniformity Coefficient (Cu) D60/D10 >4 for Gravel > 6 for Sand Coefficient of Curvature (Cz) = (D30)2/(D10xD60) = 1 to 3 11 Is the better graded material a gravel? 81% Passing No. 4 18% Finer No. 200 0. 1 0. 1 12 Gravel if > 50 Percent Coarse Fraction retained on No. 4 sieve % Retained on No. 200 = 82% 1/2 = 41% 19% (100-81) retained on No. 4 sieve (gravel) 19< 41 half of coarse fraction 81% Passing No. 4 18% Finer No. 200 ? sand 0. 1 (â€Å"S†) 13 Well Graded Sand? Uniformity Coefficient (Cu) > 6 = D60/D10 Coefficient of Curvature (Cz) = 1 to 3 = (D30)2/(D10xD60) 14 D60 = 1. 6mm D30 = 0. 2mm D10 = 0. 3mm 0. 1 Well Graded Sand? Uniformity Coefficient (Cu) D60/D10 = 1. 6/. 03 = 53 > 6 D60 = 1. 6mm D30 = 0. 2mm D10 = 0. 03mm Coefficient of Curvature (Cz) = (D30)2/(D10xD60) = 0. 22/(. 03Ãâ€"1. 6) = 0. 83 12% Passing No. 200 sieve: GM, GC, SM, SC 0. 1 >12% passing No. 200 sieve Since = â€Å"S† ? SC or SM 16 What Unified Classification if LL= 45 & PI = 25? From sieve data SC or SM 0. 1 A) â€Å"SC† B) â€Å"SM† C) â€Å"CL† or D) â€Å"SC & SM† 17 Unified Classification Answer is â€Å"A† ? SC 18 AASHTO (American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials) 19 What is the AASHTO Classification? 65% Passing No. 10 40% Passing No. 0 18% Finer No. 200 1) 18 % passing No. 200 sieve 2) 65% passing No. 10 sieve 3) 40% passing No. 40 sieve 4) assume LL = 45 & PI = 25 20 18 percent passing No. 200 sieve; 65 percent passing No. 10 sieve 40 percent passing No. 40 sieve; assume LL = 45 & PI = 25 21 AASHTO Classification 1 2 3 4 4 1) 18 % passing No. 200 sieve 2) 65% passing No. 10 sieve 3) 40% passing No. 40 sieve 4) assume LL = 45 & PI = 25 22 AASHTO Group Index 23 Mass-Volume (Phase Diagram) †¢ Unit volume of soil contains: Total Volume Va Air Total Vt Vv Vw Vs Water Ww Ws Weight Wt Soil – Air (gases) – Water (fluid) – Solid Particles 24 Moisture Content = ? eight of water/ weight of dry soil ? = Ww/Wd water loss/(moist soil weight – water loss) ? = Ww/(Wm-Ww) and ? =(Wm-Wd)/Wd 25 Mass – Volume Relationships Density or Unit Weight = Moist Unit Weight = ? m ? ?m = Wm/Vt = ? d + ? ?d ? = (? m – ? d )/ ? d ? ?d + ? d = ? m ? m= (1+ ? ) ? d ? d = ?m/(1+ ? ) b 26 Total Volume = ? Volume (solid + water + air) = Vs+Vw+Va ? Va = Vt – Vs- Vw Total Volume Va Air Total Vt Vv Vw Vs Water Ww Ws Weight Wt Soil 27 Relationship Between Mass & Volume Volume = Mass/(Specific Gravity x Unit Weight of Water) = Ws/(SGxWw) Va Total Volume Air Total Vt Vv Vw Vs Water Ww Ws Weight Wt Soil 28Specific Gravity = weight of material/ weight of same vol ume of water Soil Specific Gravity Typical Range 2. 65 to 2. 70 Specific Gravity of Water = 1 29 Saturation = S expressed as percent S = volume of water/ volume of voids x 100 Total Volume Va Air Total S = Vw/Vv x 100 Ww Ws Weight Vt Vv Vw Vs Water Wt Soil Always ? 100 30 Porosity n = volume of voids/ total volume n = Vv/Vt Void Ratio e = volume of voids/ volume of solids e = Vv/Vs Total Volume Va Air Total Vt Vv Vw Vs Water Ww Ws Weight Wt Soil 31 What is the degree of saturation for a soil with: SG = 2. 68, ? m = 127. 2 pcf & ? = 18. 6 percent A) 88. 4 Total Volume VaAir Total Vt Vv Vw Vs Water Ww Ws Weight B) 100. 0 Wt Soil C) 89. 1 32 What are the porosity and degree of saturation for a soil with: SG = 2. 68, ? m = 127. 2 pcf & ? = 18. 6 percent = 107. 3pcf ?d = ? m/(1+ ? ) = 127. 2/(1. 186) Total Volume Va Air Total Vt Vv Vw Vs Water Soil Ww Weight Wt Ws Ww = ? m- ? d = 19. 9 pcf Vw = Ww/62. 4 = 0. 319 cf Vs = ? d /(SGx62. 4) = 0. 642 cf Va = Vt – Vw – Vs = 1- 0. 319 – 0. 642 = 0. 039 cf Vv = Vw + Va = 0. 358 cf 33 What are the porosity and degree of saturation for a soil with: SG = 2. 68, ? m = 127. 2 pcf & ? = 18. 6 percent Vw = 0. 319 cf, Vs = 0. 642 cf, Vv = 0. 358 cf Total VolumeVa Air Total Degree of Saturation = Vw/Vv x 100 Ww Weight Wt Ws Vt Vv Vw Vs Water = 0. 319/0. 358 x 100 = 89. 1% Soil Answer is â€Å"C† 34 Ref: NAVFAC DM-7 35 Borrow Fill Adjustments Borrow Material Properties: ?m = 110 pcf & ? = 10% Placed Fill Properties: ? d = 105 pcf & ? = 20% How much borrow is needed to produce 30,000 cy of fill? How much water must be added or removed from each cf of fill? Total Volume Va Air Total Vt Vv Vw Vs Water Ww Ws Weight Wt Soil 36 Borrow Fill Adjustments Borrow Material Properties: ?m = 110 pcf & ? = 10% ?d = ? m /(1+? ) = 110/(1. 10) =100 pcf; Ww = 110-100=10 lbs Placed Fill Properties: ? = 105 pcf & ? = 20% Ww = ? x ? d = 0. 2x 105 = 21 lbs Total Volume Va Air Total Vt Vv Vw Vs Water Ww Ws Weight Wt Soil 37 Borro w Fill Adjustments Borrow Properties: ? m = 110 pcf, ? d =100 & ? = 10% Placed Fill Properties: ? d = 105 pcf & ? = 20% Since borrow ? d =100pcf & fill ? d =105pcf, 105/100 =1. 05 It takes 1. 05 cf of borrow to make 1. 0 cf of fill For 30,000 cy, 30,000 x 1. 05 = 31,500 cy of borrow Total Volume Va Air Total Vt Vv Vw Vs Water Ww Ws Weight Wt Soil 38 Borrow Fill Adjustments Borrow Material Properties: Ww = 10 lbs Placed Fill Properties: Ww = 21 lbs Water supplied from borrow in each cf of fill = 10 x 1. 5 = 10. 5 lbs; 21 lbs – 10. 5 = 10. 5 lbs short/1. 05 cf 10. 5lbs/1. 05 cy = 10 lbs of water to be added per cf borrow Total Volume Va Air Total Vt Vv Vw Vs Water Ww Ws Weight Wt Soil 39 Proctor: Moisture Density Relationships Establishes the unique relationship of moisture to dry density for each specific soil at a specified compaction energy MOISTURE-DENSITY RELATIONSHIP 108. 0 106. 0 104. 0 D ry D ensity (pcf) 102. 0 100. 0 98. 0 96. 0 94. 0 92. 0 90. 0 88. 0 8. 0 10. 0 12. 0 14. 0 16. 0 18. 0 20. 0 22. 0 24. 0 26. 0 28. 0 Moisture Content (%) 40 Proctor: Moisture Density Relationships †¢ 4† mold 25 blows †¢ 6† mold 56 blows Standard – 5. 5 lb hammer – dropped 12 in – 3 layers Standard: ASTM D-698 AASHTO T-99 Modified: ASTM D-1557 AASHTO T-150 †¢ Modified – 10 lb hammer – dropped 18 in – 5 layers 41 PROCTOR COMPACTION TEST Maximum Dry Density – Highest density for that degree of compactive effort Optimum Moisture Content – Moisture content at which maximum dry density is achieved for 42 that compactive effort Proctor: Moisture Density Relationships MOISTURE-DENSITY RELATIONSHIP 108. 0 106. 0 104. 0 Dry Density (pcf) 102. 0 100. 0 98. 0 96. 0 94. 0 92. 0 90. 0 88. 0 8. 0 10. 0 12. 0 14. 0 16. 0 18. 0 20. 0 22. 0 24. 0 26. 0 28. 0 Moisture Content (%)What density is required for 95% Compaction? What range of moisture would facilitate achieving 95% compaction? 43 Proctor: M oisture Density Relationships MOISTURE-DENSITY RELATIONSHIP 108. 0 106. 0 104. 0 Dry Density (pcf) 102. 0 100. 0 98. 0 96. 0 94. 0 92. 0 90. 0 88. 0 8. 0 10. 0 12. 0 14. 0 16. 0 18. 0 20. 0 22. 0 24. 0 26. 0 28. 0 Moisture Content (%) 104 x . 95 = 98. 8 pcf A 95% B Range of moisture is within the curve A to B (14 to 24 %) 44 Proctor: Zero Air Voids Line Relationship of density to moisture at saturation for constant specific gravity (SG) Can’t achieve fill in zone right of zero air voids line ZMOISTURE-DENSITY RELATIONSHIP 108. 0 106. 0 104. 0 Dry Density (pcf) 102. 0 100. 0 98. 0 96. 0 94. 0 92. 0 90. 0 88. 0 8. 0 10. 0 12. 0 14. 0 16. 0 18. 0 20. 0 22. 0 24. 0 26. 0 28. 0 Moisture Content (%) 45 Proctor: Moisture Density Relationships MOISTURE-DENSITY RELATIONSHIP 108. 0 106. 0 104. 0 Dry Density (pcf) 102. 0 100. 0 98. 0 96. 0 94. 0 92. 0 90. 0 88. 0 8. 0 10. 0 12. 0 14. 0 16. 0 18. 0 20. 0 22. 0 24. 0 26. 0 28. 0 Moisture Content (%) If SG = 2. 65 & moisture content is 24% What dry density achieves 100% saturation? A) 100. 0 pcf B) 101. 1 pcf 46 Proctor: Moisture Density RelationshipsMOISTURE-DENSITY RELATIONSHIP 108. 0 106. 0 104. 0 Dry Density (pcf) 102. 0 100. 0 98. 0 96. 0 94. 0 92. 0 90. 0 88. 0 8. 0 10. 0 12. 0 14. 0 16. 0 18. 0 20. 0 22. 0 24. 0 26. 0 28. 0 Moisture Content (%) X ?d=SG62. 4/(1+? SG/100) ? d=2. 65Ãâ€"62. 4/(1+24Ãâ€"2. 65/100) ? d=101. 1 pcf Answer is â€Å"B† 47 Ref: Peck Hanson & Thornburn Static Head 48 Calculate effective stress at point x Ref: Peck Hanson & Thornburn Saturated Unit Weight ? sat 5’ ? sat = 125 pcf Moist Unit Weight ? M Dry Unit Weight ? Dry 7’ Submerged (buoyant) Unit Weight = ? sat – 62. 4 x 49 Calculate effective stress at point x Ref: Peck Hanson & ThornburnTotal Stress at X 5’ ? sat = 125 pcf = 5 x 62. 4+ 7x 125= 1187psf Pore Pressure at X 7’ = 12 x 62. 4 = 749 psf Effective Stress at X = 1187-749= 438 psf x or (125-62. 4) x 7=438 psf 50 Ref: Peck Hanson & Thor nburn Downward Flow Gradient 51 Downward Flow Gradient 3’ Total Stress at X = 5 x 62. 4+ 7x 125= 1187psf Pore Pressure at X ? sat = 125 pcf 7’ = (12-3) x 62. 4 = 562 psf Effective Stress at X = 1187-562 = 625 psf 5’ x or 438 + 3 x 62. 4 = 625psf see previous problem 52 Upward Flow Gradient Ref: Peck Hanson & Thornburn 53 One Dimensional Consolidation ?e/pn 54 Primary Phase Settlement (e log p) ? H = (H x ? )/(1+eo) eo ? H H 55 Consolidation Test Pre-consolidation Pressure Cc = slope of e log p virgin curve est. Cc = 0. 009(LL-10%) Skempton Rebound or recompression curves 56 56 e- l o g p Calculate Compression Index; Cc 1. 50 1. 40 1. 30 Void Ratio (e) 1. 20 1. 10 ksf 0. 1 1 4 8 16 32 (e) 1. 404 1. 404 1. 375 1. 227 1. 08 0. 932 1. 00 0. 90 A) 0. 21 B) 0. 49 57 0. 80 0. 1 1 10 100 Pr essur e ( ksf ) Cc is the slope of the virgin e-log p e- l o g p Cc = -(e1-e2)/log (p1/p2) 1. 50 Cc=-(1. 375-1. 227)/log(4/8) Cc = 0. 49 Answer is â€Å"B† ksf 0. 1 1 4 8 16 3 2 (e) 1. 404 1. 404 1. 375 1. 227 1. 08 0. 932 1. 40 Cc Void Ratio (e) . 30 1. 20 1. 10 1. 00 0. 90 0. 80 0. 1 1 10 100 Pr essur e ( ksf ) 58 Permeability Constant Head Conditions †¢ Q=kiAt †¢ Q= k (h/L)At †¢ k=QL/(Ath) 59 If Q =15cc & t = 30 sec what is the permeability k=QL/(Ath) 10cm 5cm A) 0. 01 cm/sec B) 0. 01Ãâ€"10-2 cm/sec 25cm2 C) 0. 1 cm/sec 60 Constant Head Permeability Calculate k Q =15cc & t = 30 sec †¢ k=QL/(Ath) †¢ k= 15(5)/(25(30)10) †¢ k= 0. 01 cm/sec Answer is â€Å"A† 10cm 5cm 25cm2 61 Falling Head Permeability †¢ k=QL/(Ath) (but h varies) †¢ k=2. 3aL/(At) log (h1/h2) †¢ where a = pipette area †¢ h1 = initial head †¢ h2 = final head 62 If t = 30 sec; h1= 30 cm; h2 = 15 cm L= 5 cm; a= 0. cm2; A= 30 cm2; calculate k A) 2. 3Ãâ€"10-3 cm/sec B) 8. 1Ãâ€"10-6 cm/sec C) 7. 7Ãâ€"10-4 cm/sec 63 Falling Head Permeability k=2. 3aL/(At) log (h1/h2) k= 2. 3 (0. 2) 5 /(30Ãâ€"30) log (30/15) k= 7. 7Ãâ€"10-4 cm/sec Answer is â€Å"C† 64 †¢Flow lines & head drop lines must intersect at right angles †¢All areas must be square †¢Draw minimum number of lines †¢Results depend on ratio of Nf/Nd Flow Nets 6ft 2ft 65 Q=kia=kHNf /Nd wt (units = volume/time) w= unit width of section t=time Flow Nets 6ft 66 What flow/day? assume k= 1Ãâ€"10-5 cm/sec =0. 0283 ft/day Q= kH (Nf /Nd) wt Q= 0. 0283x8x(4. 4/8)x1x1 Q= 0. 12 cf/day 2ft Flow Nets ft 67 Check for â€Å"quick conditions† pc =2(120)= 240 psf (total stress) Flow Nets Below water level use saturated unit weight for total stress ?= 2(62. 4) = 124. 8 (static pressure) = 1/8(8)(62. 4)= 62. 4 (flow gradient) = 240-(124. 8+62. 4) 2ft 2ft 6ft p’c = pc -(? + ) p’c = 52. 8 psf >0, soil is not quick ?sat=120 pcf 68 Stress Change Influence (1H:2V) For square footing z=Q/(B+z)2 69 If Q= 20 kips, Calculate the vertical stress increase at 7 feet below the footing bottom 5’ 8’ 7’ 70 If Q= 20 k ips, Calculate the vertical stress increase at 7 feet below the footing bottom 5’ 8’ z = 0000 (8+7)(5+7) 7’ z = 111 psf 71 Westergaard (layered elastic & inelastic material) If B= 6. 3’ in a square footing with 20 kips load, what is the vertical stress increase at 7’ below the footing bottom? 72 Westergaard Q = 20 kips B = 6. 3’ Z = 7’ z = ? 73 Westergaard 7’/6. 3’ = 1. 1B z = 0. 18 x 20000/6. 32 = 90. 7 psf 74 Boussinesq (homogeneous elastic) Q = 20 kips B = 6. 3’ Z = 7’ z = ? 75 Boussinesq Z/B = 1. 1 z = 0. 3 x 20000/6. 32 = 151 psf 76 Thanks for participating in the PE review course on Soil Mechanics! 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