Finnish Construction Research Articles

Discontinuous constituents or independent constructions?

In many formal theories of grammar, pairs of expressions such as the active and the passive are treated as variants of each other — the passive typically being a secondary construction derived from the active by operations that change the syntactic structure. Recent accounts based on Cognitive Grammar and Construction Grammar have questioned the validity of such an analysis, arguing that these “variants” are actually independent constructions with their own usage conditions and meaning. An important piece of evidence comes from so-called split constituents, discussed by Croft (2001: 191), who argues that expressions like A guy who I hadn’t seen since high school came in vs. A guy came in who I hadn’t seen since high school differ in their grammatical structure and usage. In this paper we discuss the Finnish split genitive construction where the assumed genitive modifier is separated from its head by intervening material, typically the finite verb. In many respects, the split genitive resembles constructions of external possession, but its range of usage is relatively limited, and in the grammatical system of Finnish it can be seen in an intermediate position between adnominal genitive constructions, on the one hand, and productive external possessor constructions based on local cases, on the other hand. Traditionally, the split genitive has been taken to be a discontinuous variant of a contiguous NP where the genitive is positioned next to its head. However, this study shows that the two constructions differ in pragmatic, semantic and grammatical terms. The split genitive construction is more limited in its usage, and it serves more specific semantic functions such as the topicalization of the genitive-marked element that carries the role of an experiencer. As in many external possessor constructions cross-linguistically, these constraints restrict the types of genitive modifiers that are available in the split genitive construction.

The internationalization of Finnish companies: the Russian connection

This article examines the developments in trade and direct investments between two northern economies, Finland and Russia. On the basis of a review of annual reports of 10 major Finnish companies, belonging to the electronic, construction, foodstuff, and forest industries, this article argues that Finnish-Russian economic integration can be characterized as ‘asymmetric.’ On the one hand, Finnish construction firms and food producers have become vitally dependent on performance of their Russian subsidiaries. They also demonstrate geographical expansion of their operations within Russia. On the other hand, Finnish electronic and forestry firms have abstained from making major investment commitments in Russia. For them, Russia was important either as an export market or as a source of raw materials. This article also investigates internationalization patterns of Finnish companies in 2000–2010, and comes to the conclusion that for them Russia has been relatively less attractive in comparison to such countries as Estonia, Poland, Hungary, China, India, Mexico, and Brazil.

The role of design management in the sustainable building process

Sustainable building (SB) aims at the required building performance with minimum adverse environmental impact, while encouraging improvements in economic, social and cultural circumstances. The role of design is essential in interpreting and solving these complicated multilevel requirements. This article analyses current design management practices in Finnish construction projects. The aim was to define the challenges that SB brings to the role of the chief designer (stated in the Finnish building code) and to understand how a chief designer contributes towards SB. Study found that the role is defined and practiced mostly as a technical supervisor. The general shared definition of a more fundamental meaning of the role is shallow. The means and mechanisms of performing the task, however, rely on social interaction, influencing and leadership. A lot more power and effect could be got out of design management if these would be consciously involved. SB does not necessarily create more tasks but it affects several existing tasks by bringing new substance to be considered in the design decisions. The key impact that the chief designer can make is created through successful leadership of human creative competence.

SERPINE2 haplotype as a risk factor for panlobular type of emphysema

BackgroundSERPINE2 (serpin peptidase inhibitor, clade E, member 2) has previously been identified as a positional candidate gene for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and has subsequently been associated to COPD and emphysema in several populations. We aimed to further examine the role of SERPINE2 polymorphisms in the development of pulmonary emphysema and different emphysema subtypes.MethodsFour single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in SERPINE2 were analyzed from 951 clinically and radiologically examined Finnish construction workers. The genotype and haplotype data was compared to different emphysematous signs confirmed with high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT), forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), diffusing capacity (DLCO), and specific diffusing capacity (DLCO/VA).ResultsThree of the studied SERPINE2 SNPs (rs729631, rs975278, and rs6748795) were found to be in tight linkage disequilibrium. Therefore, only one of these SNPs (rs729631) was included in the subsequent analyses, in addition to the rs840088 SNP which was in moderate linkage with the other three studied SNPs. The rs729631 SNP showed a significant association with panlobular emphysema (p = 0.003). In further analysis, the variant allele of the rs729631 SNP was found to pose over two-fold risk (OR 2.22, 95% CI 1.05-4.72) for overall panlobular changes and over four-fold risk (OR 4.37, 95% CI 1.61-11.86) for pathological panlobular changes. A haplotype consisting of variant alleles of both rs729631 and rs840088 SNPs was found to pose an almost four-fold risk for overall panlobular (OR 3.72, 95% CI 1.56-8.90) and subnormal (OR 3.98, 95% CI 1.55-10.20) emphysema.ConclusionsOur results support the previously found association between SERPINE2 polymorphisms and pulmonary emphysema. As a novel finding, our study suggests that the SERPINE2 gene may in particular be involved in the development of panlobular changes, i.e., the same type of changes that are involved in alpha-1-antitrypsin (AAT) -deficiency.

Genetic polymorphisms of xenobiotic-metabolizing enzymes influence the risk of pulmonary emphysema

Pulmonary emphysema is a smoking-induced condition of the lung. Genetically determined differences in the activities of enzymes that metabolize oxidative agents are suspected to modify individual susceptibility to emphysema, as well as other smoking-related pulmonary disorders. We investigated whether polymorphisms in selected xenobiotic-metabolizing enzyme genes predispose to emphysematous changes and airflow limitation among Finnish Caucasian construction workers. PCR-based methods were used to analyze nine common polymorphisms in EPHX1, GSTM1, GSTM3, GSTP1, GSTT1, and NAT2 genes among 988 Finnish construction workers. The genotype data were compared with different emphysematous signs confirmed with high-resolution computed tomography and with forced vital capacity and forced expiratory volume in 1 s. For this, linear and logistic regression analyses, adjusted for the potential confounders, were used. The EPHX1 Tyr113His polymorphism was associated with emphysematous changes (P=0.007), including paraceptal (P=0.039), panlobular (P=0.013), and bullae (P=0.003) type changes. The GSTM3 promoter polymorphism was associated with forced expiratory volume in 1 s/forced vital capacity ratio (P=0.010), and the GSTT1 genotype with emphysematous signs (P=0.008), including paraceptal (P=0.015), panlobular (P=0.031), and bullae-type (P=0.045) changes. In further analysis, the GSTT1 deletion was found to pose a two-fold overall risk for having emphysematous changes (odds ratio: 2.01; 95% confidence interval: 1.33-3.03), and almost a four-fold risk for having severe emphysematous changes (odds ratio: 3.70; 95% confidence interval: 2.15-6.36). The results indicate a significant modifying role for GSTT1 gene polymorphism in the individual risk and severity of emphysematous changes.

Economic crimes in the construction industry: case of Finland

PurposeThe paper aims to analyse economic crimes in the construction industry with special reference to dealing in receipts. First, its purpose is to obtain knowledge on the extent of economic crimes as well as dealing in receipts in the construction industry. Second, it seeks to find more detailed information about cases, suspects and companies involved with these crimes. Finally, it aims to assess financial losses to society.Design/methodology/approachThis analysis is based on economic crime suspicions, which were recorded in the national police information system in 2007, and whose pre‐trial investigation was concluded before the end of March 2009. Open source information was utilized as well.FindingsIn 2007, there were 1,590 economic crime suspicions and one‐seventh was related to the construction industry. Results indicated that almost three‐quarters of the economic crimes in the construction industry were related to dealing in receipts. Aggravated forms of crimes were most common.Originality/valueThis is the first register‐based study analysing economic crimes in the Finnish construction industry. Also, internationally there are only a few studies focusing on the construction industry, even if it is one of the core areas of grey economy due to the high level of subcontracting.

A new-generation safety contest in the construction industry – A long-term evaluation of a real-life intervention

A new-generation safety campaign has been taking place in southern Finland since 1997. The Finnish Construction Employer’s Association together with trade unions, safety inspectorates, and other institutions have been organising a safety contest based on the standardised TR-observation method. Safety inspectors conduct evaluation visits without previous notice to the sites, and best performing companies and sites are rewarded at annually held public seminars. Even though participation is voluntary, more than 70% of the total number of construction sites in the target area have participated in the contest, and the results have been successful. Deficiencies in protection against falling have decreased by 63%, in order and tidiness by 69%, and in working habits by 51%. The effectiveness is also evident in the accident figures. An estimated 4000 accidents and three fatalities are prevented each year, while other parts of the country during the same period show no improvement in accident risk. A key success factor may be the adoption among firms of a new, standardised safety monitoring method which has been used effectively by senior management teams. The method employs a combination of penalties and incentives in order to set and enforce new safety targets. Another success factor is the close co-operation between the construction industry, labour organisations and safety authorities.

Fictive dynamicity, nominal aspect, and the Finnish copulative construction

Fictive dynamicity, nominal aspect, and the Finnish copulative construction

Carbon reservoirs in wood products-in-use in Finland: current sinks and scenarios until 2050

This study addresses the question of how much carbon will be sequestered in wood products during the coming decades in Finland. Using sawnwood and other wood material consumption data since the 1950s and inventory data of carbon reservoirs of wood products in the Finnish construction and civil engineering sector, we first derive estimates for the carbon reservoirs in wood products-in-use in that sector. We then extend the estimate to include all wood products-in-use. We find that the carbon pool of wood products in the Finnish construction and civil engineering sector grew by about 12% since an inventory for 2000, and that the overall estimate for carbon reservoirs of Finnish wood products in 2004 was 26.6 million tons of carbon. In building the scenarios until 2050, econometric time series models accounting for the relationship between wood material consumption and the development of GDP were used. The results indicate that the range of carbon reservoirs of wood products in Finland will be 39.6–64.2 million tons of carbon in the year 2050. The impacts of different forms of the decay function on the time-path of a carbon sink and its value in wood products were also studied. When a logistic decay pattern is used, the discounted value of the predicted carbon sink of wood products in Finland is between EUR850 and EUR1380 million – at the price level of EUR15/CO ton – as opposed to 440–900 million euros, if a geometric decay pattern is used.2

Minimisation of life cycle cost of a detached house using combined simulation and optimisation

In the current study, minimisation of life cycle cost (LCC) for a single family detached house is achieved by combined simulation and optimisation. The house has a typical Finnish construction with initial U-values in accordance with the Finnish National Building Code C3 of 2003. The implemented approach is coupling the IDA ICE 3.0 building performance simulation program with the GenOpt 2.0 generic optimisation program to find optimised values of five selected design variables in the building construction and HVAC system. These variables are three continuous variables (insulation thickness of the external wall, roof and floor) and two discrete variables ( U-value of the windows and type of heat recovery). This investigation shows the advantages gained from the implemented approach of combining simulation and optimisation. The solution suggests lowering the U- values for the external wall, roof, floor and the window from their initial values. The exact values of the optimised design variables depend on the set up of the LCC data for each case. Reduction of 23–49% in the space heating energy for the optimised house is obtained compared with the reference case. Verification of the GenOpt results is made by comparison with results from a brute-force search method, which indicates that GenOpt has found, or has come very close to, the global minimum in the current study.

Translation Universals: Do They Exist? (review)

Reviewed by: Translation universals: Do they exist? ed. by Anna Mauranen and Pekka Kujamäki Lea Cyrus Translation universals: Do they exist? Ed. by Anna Mauranen and Pekka Kujamäki. (Benjamins translation library 48.) Amsterdam: John Benjamins, 2004. Pp. vi, 224. ISBN 1588114686. $114 (Hb). This collection contains a selection of twelve papers that were presented at a conference of the same title in Savonlinna in 2001. There is an introductory chapter by the editors, an author index, and, conveniently, a subject index. The majority of the studies presented are empirical and mostly corpus-based. As for the languages under investigation, there is a clear focus on Finnish. The first three articles approach the subject from a theoretical perspective. Gideon Toury (15–32) propagates a probability-based approach to translation universals (he prefers to call them ‘laws’) which takes into account the heterogenous factors that influence the outcome of each translation process. Andrew Chesterman (33–49) describes the pros and cons of three approaches to translation studies: prescriptive, pejorative, and descriptive. He also makes a valuable terminological distinction between s(ource)- and t(arget)-universals, the first focusing on differences between source and target, the second between translated and original texts. Silvia Bernardini and Federico Zanettin (51–62) critically point out some methodological problems of corpusbased translation studies. Five of the empirical studies are based on the Corpus of Translated Finnish, a comparable corpus containing Finnish originals as well as texts translated into Finnish from a variety of languages. Anna Mauranen (65–82) investigates interference by comparing frequency-based wordlists drawn from three subcorpora. Sari Eskola (83–99) shows that the over- or underrepresentation of specific Finnish constructions depends on whether there exist equivalent constructions in the source languages. This is supported by Sonja Tirkkonen-Condit (177–84), who looks into items that lack a straightforward equivalent in other languages and finds that they are underrepresented in translated language. She attributes this to the missing stimulus in the source languages. Neither Jarmo Harri Jantunen’s study on the atypical patterning of three synonymous degree modifiers (101–26), nor Tiina Puurtinen’s work on clause connectives as explicit markers of clausal relations (165–76) reveals clear indications of translation universals. Here, too, the impact of the source language is seen as one of the most likely explanations for the differences encountered. The two studies that deal with languages other than Finnish both rely on corpora that are parallel as well as comparable, that is, the actual source texts (English in both cases) are also taken into account. Perola Nilsson (129–41) looks into the collocational patterns involving the Swedish function word av (‘of/by’), which is overrepresented in translations, and Vilma Pápai (142–64), who examines explicitation strategies in Hungarian original and translated texts, confirms the hypothesis according to which translations tend to be more explicit. The last two papers stand out from the rest in that they take a more applied perspective: both Pekka Kujamäki (187–204) and Riita Jääskeläinen (205–14) report on experiments that show how students can profit from a sound background in translation theory. There is no straightforward answer to the question posed in the volume’s title. While it is undisputed that differences between original and translated texts do exist, opinions diverge on whether these are a sign of or the result of translation universals. This difference of opinion may be due to terminological uncertainty—in fact, many of the authors seem to [End Page 688] feel somewhat uneasy with the term translation universal and suggest less exclusive alternatives, such as ‘law’, ‘regularity’, or ‘tendency’. This in no way diminishes the value of this collection, which offers an interesting and rewarding insight into this young discipline. Lea Cyrus Münster University Copyright © 2006 Linguistic Society of America

Respiratory symptoms and diseases among construction painters

To study the self-reported prevalence of respiratory symptoms and diseases among construction painters and estimate the potential risk for this group compared with a representative group of carpenters sharing the construction work environment but without significant exposure to paint. A questionnaire study was conducted on 1,000 male Finnish construction painters and 1,000 carpenters (mean response rate 60.5%). Symptoms and diseases of the respiratory tract were studied, by logistic regression modelling, in relation to occupation and duration of painting experience. Age, atopy and smoking habits were taken into account. The painters reported more asthma-like, rhinitis, laryngeal and eye symptoms than the carpenters [odds ratio (OR) 1.4-1.8]. The difference in the prevalence of asthma between the occupations was not statistically significant, but the painters with 1-10 years of painting experience had a threefold risk of asthma compared with the carpenters. Chronic bronchitis was linked to painting occupation [OR 1.9, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.2-3.0] and to the duration of exposure; OR (CI) for over 30 years of painting was 2.2 (1.2-4.0). Occupation was not associated with allergic rhinitis or conjunctivitis. The results indicate a higher risk for respiratory symptoms and chronic bronchitis among construction painters than among carpenters.

Solvent‐related health effects among construction painters with decreasing exposure

The prevalence of solvent-related symptoms among construction painters is unclear due to their declining exposure. A questionnaire study was conducted on 1000 male Finnish construction painters and 1000 carpenters. Symptom questions were combined with exposure parameters, medical history, and health behavior. Highly significant associations were found between cumulative intensity of long-term solvent exposure (CE-LT) and symptoms of memory and concentration, and mood. CE-LT was a better measure of solvent exposure than the number of years as a painter. Exposure was also associated with diagnosed psychiatric disorders, hypertension and arrhythmia. Recent exposure in the 1990s had no major effect on symptoms. The results strengthen the dose-response relationship of exposure and long-term neurotoxic effects. No clear association was found between recent exposure and symptoms. Cardiovascular effects in solvent-exposed construction painters is further suggested.

What is a passive? The case of Finnish

Abstract. Several previous authors have argued that Finnish lacks a true passive construction, and relabel the form ‘‘indefinite,’’‘‘impersonal’’ or ‘‘suppressive’.’ In this paper, we first devise a set of criteria for passives cross‐linguistically; we then present syntactic and morphological evidence to show that the Finnish construction displays all the key features we would expect from a passive.

Emphysema findings associated with heavy asbestos-exposure in high resolution computed tomography of finnish construction workers.

Asbestos fibers are known to cause lung fibrosis, but their role in emphysema is unclear. We wanted to evaluate the relationship between asbestos exposure and emphysema by using high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT). Conventional and high resolution CT was performed on 600 smoking construction workers with an asbestos-related occupational disease. Emphysema subtypes (centrilobular, paraseptal, panlobular emphysema and bullae) were separately scored on a semiquantitative scale from 0 to 5, which scores were added up to yield the total emphysema score. Occupation, exposure duration, age, pack years and asbestosis diagnosis were analyzed in general linear models for possible associations with emphysema. The inter- (quadratic weighted kappa, kappa(qw)=0.46-0.72) and intraobserver (kappa(qw)=0.78-0.94) agreements for the subtype-scores and the reliability of the total score (Cronbach's alpha=0.87) were good. Insulators had a significantly higher paraseptal, panlobular and total score than the other occupational groups when adjusted for age and smoking. An asbestosis diagnosis was also a significant independent predictor of a higher total score. Emphysema was more common when workers had asbestosis or were heavily exposed to asbestos (insulators), but due to confounding factors the causative role of asbestos in emphysema needs further study.

Increased risk of asthma among Finnish construction workers.

To determine the risk of asthma among 7891 Finnish construction workers in the Pirkanmaa Region of southern Finland. Retrospective cohort study of hospital records of the Tampere University Hospital. A population of Pirkanmaa paper mill workers (n=2686) and the Pirkanmaa working age population (n=252,500) served as reference populations. There were 147 new cases of asthma among the construction workers in 1991-1995. The annual rate was 37 per 10,000 workers and the odds ratio was 2.1 [95% confidence interval (CI)=1.2-3.6] for the women and 1.8 (95% CI=1.5-2.2) for the men when compared with the general working age population. In general, the risk of asthma among the paper mill workers did not differ from the risk of asthma among the general working age population. The construction workers had an increased risk for asthma, although the number of reported cases of occupational asthma was lower for the construction workers than for the paper mill workers or for the working population. Construction work, especially dusty tasks, was associated with an elevated risk of asthma. Thus the effect of exposure to irritant agents may have a role in the development of asthma among construction workers. For the most part, these cases of asthma do not meet the criteria for occupational asthma because the specified causal agent can not be defined. The aetiologic agents and mechanisms of asthma in construction work should be clarified for preventive measures.

Accidents in materials handling at construction sites

The aim of this study is to examine those occupational accidents at construction sites that are related to materials handling as compared with all reportable occupational accidents at construction sites. The main concern is to define the kinds of accidents that occur in materials handling. The data were gathered from two sources: a large Finnish construction company and the database of reports of serious occupational accidents (Sammio). One third of all the reported accidents in the studied construction company occurred during materials transfer and 36% of the absenteeism days resulted from these accidents. Materials handling thus caused more serious accidents than other work activities (t = −2.44, df = 351, p < 0.005). Minor accidents were mostly due to over‐exertion whereas serious accidents were mostly falling from a height and injuries caused by falling and collapsing objects. The manual transfer of materials caused most of the materials transfer accidents in the company and mechanical transfer most of the serious materials handling accidents. Over‐exertion can, therefore, be decreased by reducing manual materials handling. On the other hand, replacing manual transfers with mechanical transfers means that there arises a risk of serious accidents.

Incremental existence: the world according to the Finnish existential sentence

This work is a cognitive semantic study on existential constructions in Finnish, the main argument being that existentials code an idiosyncratic, external perspective on the semantic relationships they designate. Unlike nonexistential (transitive and intransitive) sentences, existentials do not assign the status of the semantic starting point to a single participant (typically the referent of the subject), that then steers our perspective toward the other relations designated in the sentence. In existentials, the perspective on the situation remains external to activities and events that take place in the location or other dimension within which the existential relationship is established. Existentials also suppress individual activities and foreground a holistic viewpoint over the event. It is theoretically important that the central differences between existential and nonexistential sentences are not found in the objective semantic content of the sentence construction but rather in the conceptualizer's subjective way of approaching the situation.

Incidence of asthma among Finnish construction workers.

We wanted to explore the risk of asthma among male workers of the construction industry. All Finnish male construction industry workers and all those employed in administrative work were followed for asthma incidence through a register linkage in 1986 through 1998. Age-adjusted relative risks (RR) were estimated for 24 construction occupations. The risk was increased in nearly all construction occupations studied, but it was highest among welders and flame cutters (RR 2.34), asphalt roofing workers (RR 2.04), plumbers (RR 1.90), and brick layers and tile setters (RR 1.83). Only 45 (2%) of the cases of asthma among construction workers had been recognized as occupational asthma. Construction industry workers have an increased risk of adult-onset persistent asthma and cases of occupational asthma caused by well-established causative agents have only a minor contribution to this overall asthma excess.

Is the phonetic quality of unaccented words unpredictable? An example from spontaneous Finnish

In spontaneous speech, occurrences of the same word form vary phonetically. Words that do not receive sentence accent tend to be less clearly articulated and shorter in duration in comparison to prominent words. If such an unaccented word is isolated from continuous speech, it may not even be identifiable by listeners, but as part of the speech stream, it is usually easily identified and helps the listener to perceive and organize the spoken message as a whole. Thus, the variability of unaccented words is not random but must follow certain patterns determined by context. In this study, we take a closer look at the Finnish unaccented word-like construction niinku in spontaneous conversational speech samples collected from one female Finnish speaker. We provide an analysis of the phonetic variability of the niinku structure found in the data, including such properties as segmental duration, segmental make-up, and phonetic quality. We then show what kind of properties are common to all occurrences of this unaccented construction and discuss the conditions that probably govern its acoustic-phonetic quality.