case study meaning in construction

A checklist for architectural case studies

A case study is a process of researching into a project and documenting through writings, sketches , diagrams, and photos. To understand the various aspects of designing and constructing a building one must consider learning from other people’s mistakes. As Albert Einstein quoted, “Learn from yesterday, live for today, and hope for tomorrow. The important thing is not to stop questioning.” 

A case study can be a starting point of any project or it can also serve as a link or reference which can help in explaining the project with ease. It is not necessary that the building we choose for our case study should be the true representation of our project. The main purpose is to research and understand the concepts that an architect has used while designing that project and how it worked, and our aim should be to learn from its perfections as well as from its mistakes too while adding our creativity.

• Primarily, talk to people and never stop questioning, read books, and dedicate your time to researching famous projects . Try to gather information on all famous projects because it is essential for a successful case study and easily available too. Also before starting the case study do a complete literature study on a particular subject, it gives a vague idea about the requirements of the project.
• Study different case studies that other people have done earlier on the projects which you would choose for your own just to get a vague idea about the project, before actually diving into it.
• Do case studies of similar projects with different requirements. For example, while doing a case study of a residential building, you should choose 3 residential buildings, one with the minimum, average, and maximum amenities. It helps in comparing between different design approaches.
• If possible, visit the building and do a live case study, a lot of information can be gathered by looking at the building first hand and you will get a much deeper insight and meaningful understanding of the subject and will also be able to feel the emotion which the building radiates.
• While doing the case study if you come across certain requirements that are missing but went through it while doing the literature study, they should try to implement those requirements in the design.

Certain points should be kept in mind while preparing the questionnaire, they are as follows,

Style of architecture

• The regional context is prevalent in the design or not.
• Special features.

Linkage / Connectivity diagrams

• From all the plans gather the linkage diagram.

Site plan analysis

• Size of the site.
• Site and building ratio.
• The orientation of the building.
• Geology, soil typology, vegetation, hydrography

Construction technologies and materials

• Related to the project.
• Materials easily available in that region and mostly used.
• Technologies used in that region. Search for local technologies that are known among the local laborers.

Environment and micro-climate

• Try to document a building situated in a region that is somewhat similar to the region in which the project will be designed.
• Important climatic factors- sun path, rainfall, and wind direction.

Requirements and used behaviors

• Areas required that will suffice the efficiency of the work to be done in that space.
• Keeping in mind the requirements, age-group, gender, and other factors while designing.

Form and function

• The form is incomplete without function. To define a large space or form it is necessary to follow the function.
• To analyze the reason behind the formation of a certain building and how it merges with the surroundings or why it stands out and does not merge with the surroundings.
• Why the architect of the building adopted either of the philosophies, “form follows function” or “function follows form”.

Circulation- Horizontal and Vertical

• Size and area of corridor and lobbies.
• Placement of staircases, ramps, elevators, etc.

Structure- Column, beam, etc.

• Analyzing the structure detail.
• Types of beams, columns, and trusses used, for example, I- section beam, C- section beam.

Building services or systems

• Analyzing the space requirement of HVAC, fire alarm system, water supply system, etc.

Consideration of Barrier-free environment in design detailing

• Designing keeping the requirements of disabled people, children, pregnant women, etc. in mind.

Access and approach

• Entry and exit locations into the site as well as into the building.
• Several entries and exit points.

Doing a case study and documenting information gives you various ideas and lets you peek into the minds of various architects who used their years of experience and dedicated their time to creating such fine structures. It is also fun as you get to meet different people, do lots of traveling, and have fun. 

She is a budding architect hailing from the city of joy, Kolkata. With dreams in her eyes and determination in her will, she is all set to tell stories about buildings, cultures, and people through her point of view. She hopes you all enjoy her writings. Much love.

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Methodology

• What Is a Case Study? | Definition, Examples & Methods

What Is a Case Study? | Definition, Examples & Methods

Published on May 8, 2019 by Shona McCombes . Revised on November 20, 2023.

A case study is a detailed study of a specific subject, such as a person, group, place, event, organization, or phenomenon. Case studies are commonly used in social, educational, clinical, and business research.

A case study research design usually involves qualitative methods , but quantitative methods are sometimes also used. Case studies are good for describing , comparing, evaluating and understanding different aspects of a research problem .

Table of contents

When to do a case study, step 1: select a case, step 2: build a theoretical framework, step 3: collect your data, step 4: describe and analyze the case, other interesting articles.

A case study is an appropriate research design when you want to gain concrete, contextual, in-depth knowledge about a specific real-world subject. It allows you to explore the key characteristics, meanings, and implications of the case.

Case studies are often a good choice in a thesis or dissertation . They keep your project focused and manageable when you don’t have the time or resources to do large-scale research.

You might use just one complex case study where you explore a single subject in depth, or conduct multiple case studies to compare and illuminate different aspects of your research problem.

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Once you have developed your problem statement and research questions , you should be ready to choose the specific case that you want to focus on. A good case study should have the potential to:

• Provide new or unexpected insights into the subject
• Challenge or complicate existing assumptions and theories
• Propose practical courses of action to resolve a problem
• Open up new directions for future research

TipIf your research is more practical in nature and aims to simultaneously investigate an issue as you solve it, consider conducting action research instead.

Unlike quantitative or experimental research , a strong case study does not require a random or representative sample. In fact, case studies often deliberately focus on unusual, neglected, or outlying cases which may shed new light on the research problem.

Example of an outlying case studyIn the 1960s the town of Roseto, Pennsylvania was discovered to have extremely low rates of heart disease compared to the US average. It became an important case study for understanding previously neglected causes of heart disease.

However, you can also choose a more common or representative case to exemplify a particular category, experience or phenomenon.

Example of a representative case studyIn the 1920s, two sociologists used Muncie, Indiana as a case study of a typical American city that supposedly exemplified the changing culture of the US at the time.

While case studies focus more on concrete details than general theories, they should usually have some connection with theory in the field. This way the case study is not just an isolated description, but is integrated into existing knowledge about the topic. It might aim to:

• Exemplify a theory by showing how it explains the case under investigation
• Expand on a theory by uncovering new concepts and ideas that need to be incorporated
• Challenge a theory by exploring an outlier case that doesn’t fit with established assumptions

To ensure that your analysis of the case has a solid academic grounding, you should conduct a literature review of sources related to the topic and develop a theoretical framework . This means identifying key concepts and theories to guide your analysis and interpretation.

There are many different research methods you can use to collect data on your subject. Case studies tend to focus on qualitative data using methods such as interviews , observations , and analysis of primary and secondary sources (e.g., newspaper articles, photographs, official records). Sometimes a case study will also collect quantitative data.

Example of a mixed methods case studyFor a case study of a wind farm development in a rural area, you could collect quantitative data on employment rates and business revenue, collect qualitative data on local people’s perceptions and experiences, and analyze local and national media coverage of the development.

The aim is to gain as thorough an understanding as possible of the case and its context.

In writing up the case study, you need to bring together all the relevant aspects to give as complete a picture as possible of the subject.

How you report your findings depends on the type of research you are doing. Some case studies are structured like a standard scientific paper or thesis , with separate sections or chapters for the methods , results and discussion .

Others are written in a more narrative style, aiming to explore the case from various angles and analyze its meanings and implications (for example, by using textual analysis or discourse analysis ).

In all cases, though, make sure to give contextual details about the case, connect it back to the literature and theory, and discuss how it fits into wider patterns or debates.

If you want to know more about statistics , methodology , or research bias , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.

• Normal distribution
• Degrees of freedom
• Null hypothesis
• Discourse analysis
• Control groups
• Mixed methods research
• Non-probability sampling
• Quantitative research
• Ecological validity

Research bias

• Rosenthal effect
• Implicit bias
• Cognitive bias
• Selection bias
• Negativity bias
• Status quo bias

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Construction marketing blog, 5 sure-fire ways to create an effective construction case study.

May 24, 2018   |  no comments  |  Posted by James Necek  |  Construction Marketing , Content Marketing

*Updated post 24.05.18*

Creating a construction case study to share with your target personas is a crucial way of building trust and credibility, to ultimately generate quality leads to your website. This is why they should form a crucial role in your overall construction marketing plan.

However, getting them wrong could result in wasted hours with no return…

So without further ado, here’s our 5 top tips for creating successful case studies that support your overall construction marketing strategy.

1. Mastering the structure

In a case study your reader needs to recognise the challenge that was faced, the solution that was found and the benefits received.

Architects would want to know how a particular challenge was dealt with and so while the structure of a construction case study can be fluid, bear in mind the main points to help you nail what’s most important. Chances are that they have experienced a similar problem that they have struggled to overcome, and you are providing them with a possible answer.

Always – as you are writing, question whether you are providing solutions for your target audience.

See a construction case study example below by FACE , who have segregated their case study into digestible chunks for their target audience.

2. Becoming Tech-Savvy experts

Technical information is a no-brainer for a construction specification audience.

Architects will love additional technical information that they can take away and potentially learn from.

Go the extra mile and provide technical drawings for further insight, add videos to show the entire creation, include building standards that the project adhered to. Check out Glazing Vision’s video below embedded into their case study to demonstrate their rooflight product in operation, as well as a technical drawing to better showcase project plans.

3. Quiz the Architect

Part of providing extra technical information includes interviewing the architect.

Regardless of whether there’s a tonne of information online, getting your individual take on the piece will enable you to produce good quality, engaging content.

Ask as many questions as they can handle, from how the project progressed to their thoughts on the end result.

Most importantly, generate from it a range of engaging points that could inspire other architects.

Patrick Walls from SOUP architects discusses his own project in this two minute clip.

4. Pictures to Prospects

It’s all about images.

Visual content, after all, is rapidly overpowering the digital world in terms of capturing attention and striking engagement.

You only have to look at the range of social media networks out there and see how the most successful are led – Instagram and Pinterest are perfect examples of this.

The better quality images you can provide, the more your piece will drive engagement and strike up an interest with construction industry publications.

Either commission the photography or source the photographs as part of the case study research.

5. Tell the Whole Story

Editors will be put out by continuous references to your building product. Go for a subtle approach and discuss it where necessary, but remember to discuss the project in its entirety.

Remember, you’re telling a story, you’re keeping readers interested.

Construction industry publications want a gripping story, not an overkill of one of your products. Don’t set yourself up for rejection from the start.

Then Hold Your Breath and Wait…

Sourced from phrasecollection.blogspot.co.uk

Send your press release to the media, step back and see the results.

The first measure of success is to analyse how much quality traffic is coming into your construction website via the case study, with the support of social media promotion and press inclusion. How much of that traffic is leading to conversions, and how much free coverage did you gain? How many calls or sales enquiries were achieved from an architect reading about a previous project of yours?

Then with all the information gained, it’s time to review your success and refine.

How could the case study have been improved? What were the flaws? How can I re-engage the target market?

Rack your brain for answers.

Discuss these with the team.

Go create a killer construction case study.

For further help and advice on creating construction case studies as part of your content marketing strategy, download our eBook for free here. Or sign up to our blog.

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About James Necek

Passionate about the power of the written word, James has spent many years honing his skills and talent to deliver creative and technical content for various clients in the construction and automotive industries. Having recently joined the Pauley Creative team this year, it’s James’ role to ensure content is managed for our clients on a daily basis.

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The Power of Continuous Improvement in Construction

The company.

The origins of the company date back to the end of the XIX century, with the construction of chimneys for factories in the Textile Industry. In the 90s, the company invested in the design area and started to develop projects from “A to Z”, taking on large projects for national and multinational companies. It specializes in the Design & Build of industrial, logistic, commercial, and residential buildings. It offers an integrated service that, depending on the needs, can go from the choice of a location to the construction, including the design, ensuring a result on spec, time, and budget. 

The challenge

This company faced a decrease in net income and the consequent awareness of the decrease in the organization’s efficiency. It was necessary to rethink the entire strategy, from people to processes, and define a growth strategy with solid foundations to leverage operational results. 

In an external context of increased investment and possible attraction of new customers and projects, it was necessary to increase efficiency and identify everything considered waste, directing the focus to optimize processes. In parallel, external difficulties emerged due to labor shortages and the demands posed by customers for increasingly shorter deadlines in an increasingly competitive market. 

The project’s primary goals were to ensure the agility and quality of the execution of processes in the support areas, minimizing rework; improve the quality of execution and management on site; adopt visual management processes and increase productivity on site; review the procurement process; improve productivity in project execution (Multi-Projects) release resources for value-added activities (more projects) and design and implementation of a strategic planning process to increase profitability to continue to invest and sustain growth based on operational indicators – Increase in business volume in non-core areas, on-time delivery of projects, margin per project. 

The approach

The implementation process entailed two cycles. 

During the 1st cycle, the focus was to build base teams and identify core areas that needed improvement. Then, the 2nd cycle, after the operational improvements, was about defining a strategic improvement process to grow and consolidate the 1st cycle improvements, together with identifying new opportunities. 

Mission Control Room

The implementation of the Mission Control Room marked the beginning of the project. The Mission Control Room is a visual control room for project management , which presents the project’s main indicators, a summary A3 for the follow-up of ongoing initiatives, and includes a routine of meetings for presentation and follow-up of the project.

Project Management

Another aspect addressed was project management with the definition of the meeting cascade, implementation of a sales funnel, definition and analysis of load-capacity per project and creation of the project manager role, and creation of structured meetings to pass information between the commercial and the multi-projects team.

Daily KAIZEN™

Simultaneously, a Daily KAIZEN management and development model provided visibility to each team’s work plan, definition and analysis of each team’s process indicators, and timely reaction to deviations.

This team alignment and development model allows for greater involvement and participation of all team members in the processes and their improvement.

Improving the teams’ work involves mapping and identifying the main processes to simplify and eliminate associated waste. The mapping of the critical processes of each team generated a series of points to standardize: the creation of an indicator of execution hours and the standardization of models.

Visual management

The construction site was also the focus of improvement implementation. All construction sites worked on visual management. Each construction site included a control room with visual management, allowing for monitoring of the main elements for project management. Some of these elements were the construction planning, the map of needs, and tools such as the last planner and pull planning for managing the entire project.

The project also implemented some actions to physically organize the construction sites, resulting in gains in productivity and safety.

Such actions counted on coaching and a lot of behavior reinforcement to succeed. The process has been rolled out across all teams and works in progress. Frequent audits accompanied all this.

Purchasing process

The second implementation cycle focused on improving the purchasing process, with its standardization and request for supplier consultation and evaluation and defining a supply chain control process.

Man-hours on site

Another area of work in this second cycle was the reduction of man-hours on site with the development of solutions to increase work performance and reduce waste hours.

Strategic Plan

Finally, we worked on the strategic plan defining disruptive objectives in Growth, Quality, Cost, and Service. We defined the key processes to improve by assigning metrics and resources needed for implementation.

This transformation journey has profoundly impacted the growth and success of the business, setting a benchmark for excellence in the marketplace. The company achieved solid and sustainable financial results with increased net income and turnover through a focused approach to resource management and identifying savings opportunities. 

One of the standouts was the 42% improvement in on-time delivery. This achievement reflects the company’s commitment to meeting strict deadlines and ensuring customer satisfaction. It directly results from teamwork, adopting best practices, and optimizing planning and execution processes. 

In addition, the company achieved a 25% reduction in purchasing time, optimizing and streamlining the materials acquisition process. This reduction in purchasing time allowed the company to respond quickly to market requests, ensuring the availability of essential resources. 

The success of this project was mainly due to the involvement of more than 800 employees, internal and external. Commitment, dedication, and collaborative efforts were vital to implementing the changes and fostering a culture of continuous improvement throughout the organization . 

The outstanding results and positive impact generated in the construction industry are a reason for celebration. This case exemplifies how a continuous improvement project can empower operations, ensure efficiency, and reinforce the company’s commitment to outstanding service.  

# construction # teammanagement

See more on agile construction.

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Bridging the gap: understanding bridge design and construction.

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Bridges are an essential part of many communities worldwide, and understanding the process of designing and constructing them is key to building safe and stable structures. The design and construction of bridges is a complex endeavor that requires a thorough knowledge of building materials, engineering principles, and the environment.

When it comes to bridge design, engineers must consider the purpose of the bridge, the environment it will be built in, the loads it will need to bear, and the potential environmental impacts of construction. The purpose of a bridge is to span a gap and provide safe passage for vehicles, pedestrians, and other forms of transportation. The environment and geography of the area where the bridge is being built must also be considered, as different materials and construction techniques are necessary for different climates, terrain, and water levels. The load capacity of a bridge is a critical factor in its design and must be accurately calculated to ensure the bridge can support the necessary weight without buckling.

In bridge construction, engineers must select the type most suitable for the location, using either a beam bridge, arch bridge, cable-stayed bridge, suspension bridge, or truss bridge. Each of these bridge types has its advantages and disadvantages, and the type of bridge design must be carefully selected to ensure the bridge is structurally sound and can carry the necessary loads. The steps of bridge construction include surveying the area, preparing a foundation, erecting the superstructure, installing the deck, and connecting the approaches.

The materials used to construct a bridge also play an important role in its design. Steel and concrete are the most commonly used materials. Still, they must be chosen based on their ability to withstand the extreme temperatures, wind, seismic activity, corrosion, and other environmental factors of the bridge's location. Additionally, bridge construction must follow certain safety regulations and standards, such as those set by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, to ensure the bridge can withstand the load it needs to carry.

Finally, bridges must be maintained and repaired over time to ensure their integrity and safety. Regular maintenance tasks such as cleaning, inspecting, and painting the bridge can help prevent damage and costly repairs. If repairs are needed, engineers must assess the cause of the damage and repair the bridge using the appropriate techniques.

This article will examine the bridge design and construction process, exploring the importance of proper design, materials, and maintenance.

Designing and Constructing a Bridge

Designing and constructing a bridge is an incredibly complex process requiring much technical knowledge and expertise. Engineers must carefully plan and design the bridge before any construction can begin to ensure its safety and structural integrity. The process begins with understanding the purpose of the bridge, the environment in which it will be built, and the load capacity it needs to withstand.

One of the most important aspects of bridge design is understanding the types of bridges available. Each type of bridge has requirements and specifications that must be considered to ensure safety and reliability. Common types of bridges include beam, truss, arch, cable-stayed, and suspension bridges. Each type of bridge has pros and cons, and choosing the type that best meets the project's needs is important.

Once the type of bridge has been selected, the engineers must then design the bridge. This includes creating a detailed plan of the bridge, accounting for the material types and construction methods used, and calculating the loads it will need to bear. Engineers also need to consider any environmental factors that could affect the bridge – for example, strong winds or earthquakes.

Once the design is complete, construction can begin. This involves assembling the bridge components at the construction site and securing them. This can be a labor-intensive process, as it often requires a team of workers to lift and position large and heavy pieces of steel, concrete, and other materials. The construction process must be carefully monitored to ensure the bridge is built correctly and by all regulations and safety standards.

Finally, once the bridge is complete, it requires regular maintenance and repair to ensure it remains in good condition and is safe to use. This includes routine inspections, replacing damaged materials and components, and adjusting the bridge to withstand changing environmental conditions.

Designing and constructing a bridge is no small feat – it requires a team of highly skilled professionals with expertise in both engineering and construction. By understanding the purpose of the bridge, the types of bridges available, and the steps required to design and construct one, engineers can ensure the bridge is safe, reliable, and built to the highest standards.

Materials and Standards

Regarding bridge design and construction, one of the most important considerations is the materials and standards used. The types of materials used to build bridges vary depending on the application and the environment they will be exposed to. For example, if the bridge is to be built in an area that experiences frequent flooding, steel, and concrete may be used to make the bridge more resistant to the effects of water. On the other hand, bridges built in mountainous regions may require stronger materials, such as aluminum or titanium.

Various regulations and standards have been established to ensure the safety of bridges. These regulations help to ensure that bridges are built to a certain level of strength and stability and are properly maintained over time. For example, in the United States, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) is responsible for creating and implementing bridge design and construction standards. These standards include the use of certain materials and the bridge's load capacity and structural integrity.

In addition to regulations and standards, it is also important to calculate the load capacity of a bridge. This is the amount of load the bridge can safely support, and the material properties and design determine it. For example, suppose the material used to build the bridge must be stronger to support the expected load. In that case, the bridge may fail, leading to serious structural damage or even collapse.

To ensure the safety of a bridge, engineers must consider all of these factors when designing and constructing a bridge. By considering the materials used, regulations and standards, and load capacity, engineers can ensure that a bridge is built to last and will not fail under the expected load. Ensuring bridges are designed and constructed to the highest standards, using only the best materials available, is important.

Environmental Impact

Building bridges can greatly impact the environment, both during the construction phase and in the long term. Many materials used in bridge design and construction, such as concrete and steel, require significant energy to manufacture, transport, and install. This process can also produce dust, noise, and carbon dioxide, contributing to global climate change.

The proper design and construction of bridges can help reduce these environmental impacts. Green bridge design and construction strategies use materials that require less energy, such as recycled steel or timber, and use renewable energy sources to power construction.

Using green materials and renewable energy sources can also help reduce the environmental impact of bridge maintenance and repairs. For example, recycled materials can replace worn or damaged bridge components, reducing the need to re-manufacture and transport new materials. Similarly, solar energy can power bridge lighting and other electrical systems, eliminating the need for constant energy consumption.

There are also many benefits to be gained from incorporating green designs into the construction of bridges. For example, green bridges often require less land and material to construct, reducing costs and construction time. Additionally, green bridges are more aesthetically pleasing, which helps to improve the overall look and feel of an area.

Finally, green bridge design and construction can help to reduce environmental impacts in the long term. Bridges built with renewable materials, such as timber or recycled steel, can last for decades and require minimal maintenance. This reduces the need for frequent repairs and replacements, a major source of environmental pollution. Additionally, green bridges often require less materials and energy than traditional bridges, reducing overall environmental impact.

In conclusion, building bridges in a green, sustainable way is an important part of reducing the environmental impact of bridge design and construction. Using renewable materials, employing renewable energy sources, and incorporating green designs into bridge construction can help ensure that bridges last for decades and require minimal maintenance. This can help reduce the global environmental impacts of bridge construction and reduce the costs and time associated with bridge maintenance and repairs.

Maintenance and Repairs

Keeping a bridge in good condition over its lifetime is essential to ensure that it is safe and reliable. Bridge maintenance and repairs provide an opportunity to improve performance and extend the structure's lifespan.

Regarding bridge maintenance, the primary focus is to prevent any potential issues that could lead to structural failure. This includes regular inspections and monitoring of the physical condition of the bridge, as well as testing for corrosion and ensuring that all components are functioning correctly. Regular maintenance will also help detect any bridge problems before they become too serious.

Repairs are necessary when a bridge has suffered damage that requires immediate attention. The most common reasons for needing repairs include corrosion, structural damage, and damage from natural disasters. Depending on the type of damage, a repair might involve replacing certain parts of the bridge, reinforcing the structure, or simply repairing the surface.

When it comes to the execution of repairs, it is important to use the right materials and techniques. It is also essential to consider the bridge's load capacity when performing repairs. By ensuring that the bridge can safely take the expected load, it is possible to avoid any potential future problems.

Routine maintenance tasks for bridges should include regular inspections, cleaning, and repairs. The inspection should cover the structure's condition, the bridge's deck and surface, and the guardrails. It is also important to check for any loose or deteriorated components, inspect the bridge for corrosion, and ensure that all mechanical components are functioning as intended.

In addition to regular inspections, bridges should be cleaned to ensure they remain structurally sound. This includes removing any dirt, debris, or vegetation that could lead to damage and corrosion. Regular cleaning also helps to keep the bridge visually appealing and can be a good way to reduce maintenance costs.

Regular maintenance and repairs make it possible to maintain a bridge's safety and reliability for many years. Furthermore, routine maintenance and repairs can help extend the structure's lifespan and reduce the costs associated with unexpected and costly repairs.

In conclusion, bridge design and construction is an intricate process that requires careful consideration of multiple factors. To ensure the safety of bridges and the people that use them, the design must be sound, and the construction process must adhere to the highest standards. Additionally, the environmental impact of bridges must be taken into account, and measures must be taken to reduce that impact. By understanding the principles of bridge design and construction, bridges can be built to serve us safely and reliably for generations to come.

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THE ROLE OF CONTEXT IN WORD MEANING CONSTRUCTION: A CASE STUDY

2007, International Journal of English Studies

The role of context in the interpretation of a linguistic unit has long been considered, even if from different perspectives: from the view that regards context as an extralinguistic feature, to the position that meaning is only meaning in use and therefore, pragmatics and semantics are inseparable. Still, context, both linguistic and situational, is often considered as an a posteriori factor in linguistic analysis. However, when language is studied in use, context always comes first, directing the process of meaning construction from the very beginning. In the present paper, a case study will provide evidence for these claims

Related Papers

International Journal of English Studies

International Journal of English Studies (IJES)

This article addresses the caused-motion construction from the theoretical perspective of the Lexical Constructional Model (LCM). Within the LCM, the way in which lexical templates fuse with constructional templates is coerced by internal and external constraints. Internal constraints specify the conditions under which allow predicates to take part in a construction. External constraints take the form of high-level metaphoric and metonymic operations that affect lexical-constructional subsumption. This proposal makes use of the theoretical tools of the LCM with a view to exploring instantiations of the construction with verbs of perception. Apart from internal constraints, high-level metaphor will be found to play a prominent role in the construal of the examples under scrutiny. The study will suffice to point out that the semantics of the caused-motion construction needs to be understood with reference to the underlying metaphoric mappings.

The present paper adopts a cognitive linguistic point of view from which it advocates a nonparticularist perspective on the semantics of fixed expressions. It is shown, accordingly, that the semantic structure of fixed expressions can be analysed in terms of the various cognitive mechanisms of construal, which can be observed throughout al1 kinds of language use. In line with the cognitive linguistic tenet that meaning is essentially dynamic conceptualisation, generated in the constructivist act of the interacting subject, both analysability and motivation are discussed as two basic notions of phraseological semantics. The application of Langacker's 'Current Discourse Space' implies the consequent inclusion of discourse elenients as an essential component of an integrated, usage-based account of (phraseological) semantics. Finally, the paper offers an empirical perspective in the description of the creative variation of fixed expressions in two different types of (mini)texts: newspaper headlines and conversational humour.

Javier Valenzuela

Iria Bello Viruega

Nominalizations are well-known features of scientific writing. Scholars have been intrigued by their form and by their functions. While these features have been widely studied, the cognitive side of nominalizations in scientific texts still needs further attention. Nominalizations contribute to the advancement of discourse and at the same time add abstraction to the processes they convey and make them become more reified in the eyes of the reader. They are not mere verbal transformations as they change completely the cognitive configuration of the process they express. With examples retrieved from the astronomy subcorpus (CETA, 2012) of the Coruña Corpus the aim is to study nominalizations in the interface between cognition and language. The ultimate goal is to complement all the theoretical-descriptive studies on the topic by approaching the cognitive dimension and build a bridge for studies on the production and understanding of English scientific register.

In this paper, we propose a cognitive, non-reductionist analysis of English stress as it pertains to interlexical relations, based on the usage-based model as proposed by cognitive grammar and on the connectionist interactive activation model. We claim that interlexical relations involved in English stress can felicitously be accounted for by employing actually-occurring expressions as constraints and that precise explication of these relations requires consideration of not only phonological but also semantic factors. In the course of making these claims, we attempt to demonstrate that cognitive grammar, being a usage-based, non-reductionist framework, can accommodate actually-occurring expressions as constraints in a coherent manner and further that the theory can naturally bring semantic factors to bear on phonological analyses, being a non-modular, unificational framework

Aneider Iza Erviti , International Journal of English Studies (IJES)

This paper examines the essential features of a group of constructions that belong to the family of complementary alternation discourse constructions in English. In this group of constructions, X and Y are two situations such that Y is less likely (or more likely) to happen than X. Each member of this group (X Let Alone Y, X Much Less Y, X Never Mind Y, X Not To Mention Y, Not X Nor Y, X Still Less Y, Not X Not Even Y, and X To Say Nothing of Y) introduces subtle changes in focal structure, resulting in changes on the overall coherence of the text. Based on these theoretical explanations, the paper specifies the conditions for the use of one connector with preference over the others. Finally, the paper argues that in these constructions we find two types of cognitive operations at work: simple cognitive operations (negative addition and/or re-association) and operation amalgams, which combine different cognitive operations.

Tamara Guliashvili

The usage-based conception of language is a major tenet in Cognitive Linguistics, but cognitive phonology has not yet been developed sufficiently in this direction. Often, phonemic analysis is carried out at the high level of abstraction of `a language´, disregarding rich patterns of languageinternal variation. This paper first argues that cognitive phonology must aim at a higher degree of descriptive refinement, especially in the direction of social variation. Then it goes on to examine the implications of a usage-based and multi-faceted model for a theoretical discussion of the phoneme as a prototype category.

Javier Valenzuela , Antonio Barcelona

International Journal of English Studies (IJES) , Aquilino Sánchez

One of the genuine contributions of theoretical linguistics to the interdisciplinary field of applied linguistics is to elucidate the nature of what should be taught and how it should be taught. Traditionally, the input supplied in vocabulary teaching has consisted either of word lists (most often) or of words-in-context (more recently). In the first case, words are treated as self-contained receptacles of meaning, and in the second case, they are considered as nodes of semantic relationships. However, recent directions in corpus-driven lexicology are exploring the gulf between the concept of a “word” and that of a “semantic unit”. The main purpose of this paper is to update some implications of this discussion for one of the applied disciplines, namely FL/L2 vocabulary teaching and learning.

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