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Analysis: What to Consider in Cantilever Design
Brief Julie Mark Cohen offers a review of enclosed cantilever construction, how it's used today, how well it performs and key issues that are often overlooked. Some of those issues include bracing compression flanges of beams, directly exposing cladding to outside...
Study Aims to Mitigate Weak Interlayer Zones in Concrete
Brief A study of the interlayer fracture behavior of functionally layered concrete found multi-mix fracture behavior depended on the placement delay and the mix combination. Results also showed that an uplift of fracture properties for functionally graded specimens...
Do you Speak up When You See Unethical Practices?
Brief A strong sense of ethics and values is necessary for leaders, especially when they may be the only ones courageous enough to call out unethical behavior or other questionable practices in a company, write Bob Vanourek and Gregg Vanourek. "To be prepared to be a...
This “Magical Question Triangle” can Spur Curiosity
Brief Asking questions can help leaders gather information, solve problems more effectively and create a sense of connection with those around them, writes Pia Lauritzen, co-founder of Qvest. Lauritzen outlines the six components of "the magical question triangle,"...
Feeling Negative? Reframe Challenges as Opportunities
Brief Your team may perceive you as negative if you're constantly pointing out the obstacles to new ideas, so be sure to offer affirmation and reframe challenges as opportunities, writes David Dye. Also, keep an eye on your own energy, Dye writes, recommending that...
Why Leaders Should Speak Last and Listen More
Brief Leaders can make it safe for their team to bring concerns to them by regularly soliciting feedback, listening deeply even if they disagree and speaking last in meetings to allow others to be heard, writes Dina Smith, president of Cognitas. "Speaking last...
Can Using a Porous Aggregate Improve Foam Concrete?
Brief Ibtisam Abbasi examines the pros and cons of incorporating a porous aggregate into the 3D printing of lightweight foam concrete. While foam concrete offers benefits such as improved insulation, being cost effective and able to be used in various applications,...
Want Happy Employees? Stop Treating Them Like Fleas
Brief One tale told about flea circus owners in the 1800s is that they trained fleas to limit their jumping height by keeping them in a jar for extended periods of time, writes Jim Haudan, but leaders need to help employees realize "that they can jump as high as they...
3 Ways to Help Your Team Evade the Trap of Arrogance
Brief Be aware when your direct reports are overconfident in themselves because they can't account for uncertainty, they overestimate their talent or they underestimate the skills of the people around them, writes University of Texas at Austin professor Art Markman....