Background: The majority of the occupational accidents and work-related diseases at Swedish workplaces occur due to poor ergonomics during lifts and transportation of objects. The most common consequence of poor ergonomic conditions is low back pain (LBP) and the risk of developing LBP increases as the mechanical loading on the intervertebral disks grows. This study has investigated the biomechanical loading in the low back during two different types of patient lifts. The first lift (lift A) is developed by Modern Arbetsteknik (MA) and the second lift (lift B) is a common lifting technique among care workers. Objectives: The aim of the study was to identify any advantages or disadvantages with MA?s lift, regarding shear and compression forces in the L5/S1 disc.

This thesis of 15 hp has been implemented at Halmstad University, incollaboration with Saab Dynamics in Linköping. Saab Dynamics is a companyoperating in the defence industry where competition is tough. This necessitatesnew ways to increase efficiency in the company, which is the basis for this thesis.Saab Dynamics wants to introduce simulation driven design. Since SaabDynamics engineers have little experience of simulation, required a usermethodology with clear guidelines. Due to lack of time, they chose to assign thetask to students, which resulted in this thesis.The aim of the thesis is to develop a methodology in mechanical design, wherethe designer uses the FE analysis early in the design process to develop thestructures' mechanical properties.

During my studies to become a guitar builder at Carl Malmsten CTD, I have found an interest in the construction of the classical guitar. I am fascinated by the simplicity of its construction. A simplicity that becomes more complex when you start to study it in detail.In my final thesis I will not try to explain this complexity. The subject is to investigate two different principles regarding its construction. I would like to find out if the sayings concerning one of the principles will yield a guitar with greater ability to produce volume and projection.At a close distance the difference between the guitar?s volumes is not to speak of, but a significant difference can be seen regarding one of the guitars ability to project its sound.

Abstract This degree project examines how much carbon dioxide that emits during the construction phase of a road project. This is to make it possible to compare how the amount of carbon dioxide differentiates between traditional road construction and Swepave construction, which is PEAB?s alternative way to design roads. To make the comparison a calculation tool has been produced. To compare the amount of carbon dioxide emissions a reference project was needed.

When constructing a road the risk of emission of substances from the used materials to the surrounding environment has to be evaluated. The aim of this study is to present a proposal for how to evaluate the risk of contamination as a result of emission from the materials in a road construction. The study is based on literature studies, an inventory and a questionnaire that examines how experts in governmental agencies, industries and universities evaluate the risk of contamination. The inventory indicates that guidelines for evaluating the risk of emission from secondary materials in a road construction do not exist. The conclusions from the questionnaire are: that there is no common way to evaluate the risk of contamination as a result of emission from materials in the road construction, there is no uniform interpretation of the terms "minor" and "significant" risk of contamination and that the evaluation is subjective.

This study aims to look at female executives? view of their leadership in the male-dominated construction industry. The study is  qualitative and focuses on the respondents' subjective perceptions. We have conducted six interviews with women in different companies whose positions within each company varied. Using theories of subjectivity, emotions, impression management and organizational structures, to support the analysis conducted, this study shows that there are obstacles for women in the industry, but it also shows that it  seems to be facing a brighter future.

The aim of this study was to get a deeper understanding of how employees at NCC Construction Sverige AB experience health promotion activities. The purpose was to identify and uncover the process of meaning constitution concerning health promotion within each subjective individual. To achieve this deeper understanding the participants were asked to answer a carefully formulated phenomenological question in a self-report. The received reports where analysed according to the method of Meaning Constitution Analysis. The result showed that both office workers and construction workers exclusively refer health promotion to bodily functions even though there where some differences in type of activity they focused.

The construction industry has been heavily criticized in the past few years for its development of productivity compared to the manufacturing industry. In 2009 the Social Care Center developed a report that treated och criticized different errors within the construction industry. For instance competence, construction errors and performance had showned bad results which had to be improved. A common sentence within the building industry is that ?every project is unique?. Today it?s common for a construction company to have costs for material and services which exceeds two-thirds of the total cost.

This report deals with issues related to construction waste. Building material that has not been built into the project is defined as construction waste. Cost of construction waste amounts to 4-12 % of the total cost of the project. Moreover, cost of construction waste is 1-3 % of the production cost. The aim of this study is to increase knowledge about the main causes of waste within the construction industry.

This report deals with activities that from a CSR perspective are considered to create a shared value for a medium-sized construction company in Sweden. The CSR definition used in the report is the European Commission?s since it reflects the valuecreating aspects of CSR, in contrast to the traditional philanthropic aspect of CSR.Companies in the building construction industry have difficulties identifying activities that create value in society and in the company. The aim with the project is to, from a CSR perspective, identify and evaluate value creating activities in a building construction company. The activities will be evaluated with respect to competitiveness and how they can be implemented into an organization.

This degree projekt deals with Skanska´s safety at the construction site with focus on personal safety equipment. The purpose of this dissertation is to examine how the rules of personal safety equipment are applied and experienced at Skanska´s construction sites.In October 2004 Skanska started a projekt to make the construction sites more safe. With use of a questionnaire we have made a survey at different construction sites. 80 questionaires have been handed out to Skanska´s employees in the southeast region. While they were handed out we conrolled if the employees at Skanska´s construction sites used head protection, easy visible clothing, safety shoes and identification cards.The result of the survey shows how the rules are applied.

Our starting point has been to examine how a project manager without knowledge of the industry is able to plan a project. And also which difficulties that may arise. A qualitative study was conducted at project managers who worked in the construction industry and events industry. Seven interviews were conducted, four in the construction sector and three in the events industry. Respondents are active as project manager in Värmland and Närkes counties.

This report deals with activities that from a CSR perspective are considered to create a shared value for a medium-sized construction company in Sweden. The CSR definition used in the report is the European Commission?s since it reflects the valuecreating aspects of CSR, in contrast to the traditional philanthropic aspect of CSR.Companies in the building construction industry have difficulties identifying activities that create value in society and in the company. The aim with the project is to, from a CSR perspective, identify and evaluate value creating activities in a building construction company. The activities will be evaluated with respect to competitiveness and how they can be implemented into an organization.

The construction industry has not undergone the same logistical development as the manufacturing industry; this, in combination with increased material price, leads to the fact that the construction industry must be improved. This master thesis is a part of the research cooperation Brains & Bricks goal of reducing production costs for the construction sector by 25 percent. Brains & Bricks is a cooperation between Linköping University, Peab and Katrineholms municipality. The master thesis aims to identify improvements in the flow of material, the Supply chain operation reference, SCOR, model has been used and the work has been carried out on one of Peab?s construction sites. At present the business is characterized by bad communication both between the construction site and the office as well as between the construction site and suppliers.

In this report a new gear concept is evaluated using the magnetic finite element method (FEM)software MagNet and Ansys as well as the mechanical FEM software Abaqus. The gear conceptis evaluated in terms of maximum torque capability, torsional stiffness, gear ratio and efficiency.ABB Corporate Research has proposed a new gear concept which should be less expensive thangearboxes used today. The new concept is called aMagnetic Harmonic Traction Drive and usesthe principles of a harmonic drive gear to achieve a high reduction ratio. The gear conceptreplaces the wave generator used in traditional harmonic drives with magnets and uses tractioninstead of gear teeth to transfer the torque. The main components in the gearbox are the magnets,the flexspline, the magnetic portion and the circular spline.