bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Study on the Structural Failure Mechanism and Reserve Strength Ratio of Tarpon Monopods
Authors: Eik Lee Hsiu , Liew Mohd Shahir
Published: June 2014

This paper addresses the structural response and characteristics of a Tarpon platform, presented as an in depth sensitivity study of its structural system from the perspective of its reserve strength ratio and mode of failure. The Tarpon platform is one of many marginal field minimal platform concepts in use worldwide. PETRONAS currently owns and operates several Tarpons in Malaysian waters. A single platform of which its data is most complete and available is chosen to represent the fleet of Tarpon Monopods in Malaysian waters. The platform, heretofore named Platform A, situated offshore Terengganu, is modeled and simulated in SACS v5.3 to reflect it’s as built condition. The SACS Collapse module was utilized to simulate the Tarpon’s ultimate strength which serves as a benchmark for the comparison of the static in place analysis to obtain the Reserve Strength Ratio (RSR). The initiating mode of failure was determined to be at the anchor piles. The results point out that the Tarpon Monopod has a low structural redundancy, especially where there is a loss of wire rope.
A Study on Mooring Systems of an Offshore Floating Platform for Different Configurations
Authors: Yenduri Anurag , Ahmed Montasir Osman , Kurian V. John
Published: June 2014

Moored systemsof floating platforms typically have mooring lines in groups,attached to hull of the platform in different configurations.Study on therestoring behaviour of these systemsfor variousparameters of mooring lines gives an insight to decide on the preliminary design of platforms.This paper includesparametric study on the behaviour of mooring systems for various symmetric, asymmetric configurations of the lines. To compute the restoring forces of the mooring system,quasi-static analysis has been adopted and a MATLAB code named QSAML has been developed, validated with experimental tests and used for the parametric study.It has been observed that, the restoring capability of mooring system reduces whenthe lines are placed away from the wave heading.For any wave heading, the variation in restoring behaviour of mooring system with symmetric configurations is insignificant up to relatively small excursions of the platform.
Behaviour of Mooring Systems for Different Line Pretensions
Authors: Ahmed Montasir Osman , Yenduri Anurag , Kurian V. John
Published: June 2014

Mooring lines are the most commonly used station-keeping systems for floating platforms as they are easy to install and relocate. The mooring lines are usually pre-tensioned so as to use their energy absorption to reduce the platform motions and thereby, to lower the forces in the lines. To decide on the preliminary design of the platforms, it is necessary to investigate the restoring behaviour of the mooring systems for various parameters. In this study, two different mooring configurations with and without mooring line in wave heading direction are considered for determining its behaviour for various pretensions in the lines. A MATLAB code named QSAML has been developed using quasi-static approach to compute the restoring forces of the mooring system. The code is validated with experimental tests and used in this study. It has been observed that with increase in pretension of the mooring line, restoring performance of the mooring system can be improved. The maximum permissible excursions by mooring system in the wave heading direction are found to be more for relatively lower pretension values.
Effect of Anodes on Hydrodynamic Coefficients of Tubular Cylinders - Model Tests
Authors: Kurian V. John , Al-Yacouby A. M. , Sebastian A.A. , Liew M.S. , Idichandy V.G.
Published: June 2014

This paper examines the hydrodynamic behavior of a tubular vertical cylinder with anode fittings subjected to regular waves. The model experiments were carried out in the wave basin of Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS. The model was made from galvanized steel, with outer diameter Do= 0.034 m and total length l = 1.23 m, fixed vertically to the soffit of the wave tank bridge, and the free end was immersed in the wave tank to form a cantilevered beam with wetted length of 0.85 m. Overall, seven anodes were welded to the wetted length of the tubular cylinder, at a center to center spacing of 0.12 m. The model was subjected to regular wave with Hmax varying from 0.1 m to 0.2 m, with wave height increment of 0.05 m, and the time period varying from T = 1 s to 3 s. The tests were conducted for Keulegan-Carpenter number ranging from 3.9 to 23.3. The hydrodynamic forces and the corresponding hydrodynamic coefficients of the smooth cylinder were compared with the force responses of a tubular cylinder with the same outer diameter, fitted with anodes. A scale factor of 1:55 was adopted in this experimental study based on the limitations of the maximum water depth in the wave tank, and the scaled up force responses of the full scale prototype were analyzed and discussed. The results show that, installation of anodes has increased the drag coefficients by up to 20% depending on the wave frequencies at which the model was tested.
Reliability Assessment Model for Aging Jacket Structures in Malaysian Waters
Authors: Kurian V. John , Goh Shuen Shyan , Abdul Wahab Mohamed Mubarak , Liew Mohd Shahir
Published: June 2014

As the world is progressing towards deeper water technology, jacket platform still remains as an important production structure for oil and gas in Malaysian shallow water regions. Besides the discovery of new oil and gas, enhanced oil recovery (EOR) allows more oil to be extracted from the old fields. As a result, service life of existing fixed jacket platforms need to be extended. The overall reliability of aged platform has to be reevaluated in order to monitor the integrity of the structure, and to prevent unexpected failures. Reserve Strength Ratio (RSR) is a widely adopted measure to quantify the ultimate strength of a structure. However, structural strength alone is inadequate to express a structure's reliability. Reliability is best defined as the probability that the extreme load will not exceed the ultimate strength of a structure. It can be expressed either in probability of failure or reliability index, which is the inverse normalized form of probability of failure. This paper presents the study of existing jacket platforms in Malaysia's three oil and gas operating regions. Relationship between probability of failure, reliability index and RSR has been formed to provide a simple reliability assessment model of jacket structure in Malaysia water regions.
Resonant Motion of Liquid Confined between Floating Structures
Authors: Nasma Noor N.V. , Shashikala A.P.
Published: June 2014

Many applications occur in the field of marine hydrodynamics where two or more vessels are in sufficiently close proximity to experience significant wave action. The motion of such floating bodies in waves is frequency dependent. In the case of multiple floating bodies, when resonance occurs, the effect of confined liquid between the bodies has some serious implications on the safety and operation of the offloading system. The main objective of the work is to determine the hydrodynamic behaviour of two bodies freely floating in water. A frequency domain method is adopted for the prediction of the resonant frequency. 3D linear diffraction radiation analysis is used to solve the problem. Structures are modelled in ANSYS AQWA and analysed in selected range of frequency with different spacing. As the spacing increases the resonant frequency in roll is found to be decreasing for both ship and tugboat and the frequency shift between the two is increasing. The wave elevation pattern within the spacing has been observed and the result has been shown for different spacings.
Deformation Monitoring of Offshore Platform Using the Persistent Scatterer Interferometry Technique
Authors: Matori Abdul Nasir , Ab Latip Amir Sharifuddin , Harahap Indra Sati Hamonangan , Perissin Daniele
Published: June 2014

One of the problems that occur during the exploitation of oil and gas is offshore platform deformation. It could occur due to the environments load as well as the extraction of oil and gas itself under the seabed that caused reservoir compaction. Offshore platform deformation may affect the platform structural integrity and cause loss of production, thus it is very important to monitor its occurrences. Offshore platform deformation monitoring has been carried out using the satellite-based Global Positioning System (GPS) technique until recently. Even though the technique has proven its worth for the job, it has however some limitations, the most prominent is it could only monitor selected portion of the offshore platform. Thus, this study presents an attempt of detecting and monitoring the deformation phenomenon of an offshore platform using the Persistent Scatterer Interferometry (PSI) technique. This technique would overcome some of the limitations of the previous (GPS) deformation monitoring technique. A total of 11 high resolution TerraSAR-X images (i.e., 3 m in StripMap mode) were acquired from Aug, 2012 to Apr, 2013 for this purpose, while one of the offshore platforms in South China Sea is being used as monitored platform. Preliminary results showed that detail and sensitive deformations could be detected by this technique. In addition, analysis results in the form of mean deformation velocity map and displacement time series would allow us to further understand the behaviour of offshore platform deformation.
Effect of Calcined Kaolin on the Mechanical Properties of High-Strength Concrete as Cement Replacing Material
Authors: Nuruddin Muhd Fadhil , Khan Sadaqat Ullah , Shafiq Nasir
Published: June 2014

Locally available kaolin has been calcined and used as cement replacing material (CRM) in High-strength concrete (HSC). Total five (05) mixes of concrete have been examined using calcined kaolin (CK) of 0, 5, 10, 15 and 20% by weight of cement. For each mix, compressive strength, splitting tensile strength and flexural strength have been determined by preparing three specimens. The effect ofCKon the mechanical properties of HSC has been investigated at age of 7, 28, 56 and 90 days. Multiple linear regressions through least square error have been used to develop the expression and to predict the compressive, splitting tensile strengths and flexural strength ofHSC. It has been found thatCKasCRMincreases the strength significantly. The models may predict the strengths closely match the measurements and optimum replacement of cement byCK.
Effect of Chopped Basalt Fiber on the Fresh and Hardened Properties of Fly Ash High Strength Concrete
Authors: Shafiq Nasir , Nuruddin Muhd Fadhil , Elshekh Ali Elheber Ahmed , Salih Ahmed Fathi Mohamed
Published: June 2014

In order to improve the mechanical properties of high strength concrete, HSC, several studies have been conducted using fly ash, FA. Researchers have made it possible to achieve 100-150MPa high strength concrete. Despite the popularity of this FAHSC, there is a major shortcoming in that it becomes more brittle, resulting in less than 0.1% tensile strain. The main objective of this work was to evaluate the fresh and hardened properties of FAHSC utilizing chopped basalt fiber stands, CBFS, as an internal strengthening addition material. This was achieved through a series of experimental works using a 20% replacement of cement by FA together with various contents of CBFS. Test results of concrete mixes in the fresh state showed no segregation, homogeneousness during the mixing period and workability ranging from 60 to 110 mm. Early and long terms of compressive strength did not show any improvement by using CBFS; in fact, it decreased. This was partially substituted by the effect of FA. Whereas, the split and flexural strengths of FASHC were significantly improved with increasing the content of CBFS as well as the percentage of the split and flexural tensile strength to the compressive strength. Also, test results showed a progressive increase in the areas under the stress-strain curves of the FAHSC strains after the CBFS addition. Therefore, the brittleness and toughness of the FAHSC were enhanced and the pattern of failure moved from brittle failure to ductile collapse using CBFS. It can be considered that the CBFS is a suitable strengthening material to produce ductile FAHSC.
Effects of Geopolymer Concrete Fly Ash Based on Alkali Silica Reaction (ASR)
Authors: Nuruddin Muhd Fadhil , Abd. Razak Siti Nooriza
Published: June 2014

Alkali Silica Reaction (ASR) is a chemical reaction which affects both strength and durability of concrete. ASR occurs due to a chemical reaction between alkali oxides presents in the cement paste and reactive silica in aggregate. This reaction could lead to the volume expansion, cracking, loss of strength and potential failure of the concrete. This research aimed to investigate the potential alkali silica reactivity on geopolymer concrete. Specimens were prepared using Class F fly ash as binder while sodium hydroxide and sodium silicate as alkaline activators. ASTM C1260 was adopted to determine potential alkali silica reactivity by measuring the length change of mortar bar as well as the decrease in compressive strength test. Results show that fly ash based geopolymer concrete is less vulnerable to ASR as the expansion of mortar bar is below the threshold of ASTM standard limit which is 0.10% of expansion. In term of strength, the geopolymer concrete did not reduced instead it increased. From the results, it has indicated that both tests ensure that the durability of geopolymer concrete is excellent and can withstand a long life span.
Mechanical Properties of Engineered Cementitious Composites Mixture
Authors: Mohammed Bashar S. , Baharun Muhammad Hafiz , Nuruddin Muhd Fadhil , Erikol Odu Paul Duku , Murshed Nadhir Abdulwahab
Published: June 2014

The aim of the research is to develop engineered cementitious composite mixtures satisfying the self-compacting concrete requirements and to evaluate the hardened properties of self-compacted ECC mixtures. To enhance the concrete performance, PVA is used. The PVA improved some characteristics and properties of the concrete. Ten mixes with different Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA) fiber contents (0.0%, 1.0%, 1.5%, 2.0%, 2.5%, 3.0%, 3.5%, 4.0%, 4.5% and 5.0%) have been prepared. Three cubes (100mm x 100mm x 100mm), three beams (100mm x 100mm x 500mm) and three cylinders (150mm diameter and 300mm height) have been cast for each mix and tested at the age of 7 and 28 days for compressive strength and at age of 28 days for splitting and flexural strength. The V-funnel, L-box and slump test also have been conducted to access the fresh properties like workability and flowability of the concrete. The results indicated the increase in the strength of the concrete and the formulas for predicting the compressive, splitting and flexural strength from PVA (%) has been developed.
Microwave Incinerated Rice Husk Ash (MIRHA) and Used Engine Oil (UEO): Towards Sustainable Concrete Production
Authors: Kamal Nur Liyana Mohd , Beddu Salmia , Nuruddin Muhd Fadhil , Shafiq Nasir , Muda Zakaria Che
Published: June 2014

Rice is a primary source of food for billions of people and covers 1% of the earth’s surface. On average 20% of the rice paddy is husk, giving an annual total production of 120 million tones. Nowadays, there are two common methods used to dispose the rice husk which is either it is being dump or burnt. Rice husk ash (RHA) which is produced by burning paddy husk led to the issue of ozone layer depletion. It also causes damage to the land and the surrounding area where it is being dumped. Previous studies have pointed out that RHA produced contains more than 80% pure silica and if properly prepared, it is in an active form which behaves very much like cement. Same goes with used engine oil (UEO). Many people are aware that UEO shouldn’t be dumped, but recycled. It is incredibly toxic stuff and a gallon can contaminate one million gallons of water. Pouring it on land doesn’t reduce the risk either as it can seep down into the water table.The objective of this research is to obtain an optimum percentage of inclusion of microwave incinerated rice husk ash (MIRHA) as a cement replacement and UEO in order to produce a better concrete in terms of compressive strength compared to normal OPC concrete. The test results showed MIRHA concrete performed better than normal OPC concrete and the incorporation of UEO and MIRHA in concrete showed the compressive strength give better performance.
Electrochemical Disintegration of Activated Sludge Using Ti/RuO2 Anode
Authors: Heng Gan Chin , Isa Mohamed Hasnain
Published: June 2014

Electrochemical process is one of the most effective methods to enhance sludge disintegration. In this study, Ti/RuO2 anodes were prepared by Pechini’s method and the electrode surface morphology was characterized by FESEM and EDAX. The effects of various operating conditions were investigated including initial pH value of sludge, sludge concentration, electrolysis time and current density. The study showed that the removal efficiencies of TS, VS, TSS and VSS increased with the increase of pH in the alkaline range, electrolysis time and current density but decreased with the increase of initial sludge concentration. The application of electrochemical process using Ti/RuO2 electrodes enhanced the sludge disintegration for possible subsequent biological treatment.
Precast Concrete Sheetpile for the Stabilization of Road Embankment on Soft Ground Adjacent to River
Authors: Fadilah Nur , Chong Yong Ong
Published: June 2014

Precast concrete sheetpile designed to restore and protect a road embankment, undergoing continuous settlement in soft ground condition in Jerlun and Kuala Sanglang in the state of Kedah, Malaysia is presented. The road built on soft ground has been in service for several years with some anticipated settlements. Major defects in the form of uneven settlements were spotted after few years of service. A survey was conducted and 5 spots along a 30m to 40m long stretch experiencing about 100mm settlements relative to the centerline of the road. Several attempts have been made to backfill and re-surface the affected areas but the road conditions did not last, posing danger to motorists. Investigations have revealed slip circles did occur at the affected areas with signs of lateral movements of earths towards the river. Precast concrete sheetpiles were designed to stabilize the road embankment to prevent further lateral movements of earth due to vehicular loads on the road. Analysis and design of the sheetpile system are presented. Construction aspects related to handling, installing and finishing works at site are highlighted.
Prediction the Shear Strength for FRP Shear Strengthened RC Beams Based on Optimised Truss Models
Authors: Yin Hor , Wee Teo
Published: June 2014

This paper presents the analytical optimised truss model based on the principle of the minimum total strain energy theorem. The model was validated against 90 experimental data collected from the literature. The predicted shear strength in the analysis showed a very satisfactory correlation with the test results, with the average experimental/analytical failure load ratio of 1.09 and the coefficient of variation (C.O.V) of 14.1%. Furthermore, a comparison between the accuracy of the proposed model and the current design guidelines was also demonstrated in this study. It was observed that the optimised truss model led to be more viable than the standard 45-deg truss model in the design guidelines. A large dispersion of the results was found in ACI 440 with the C.O.V as far as 31.4%; whilst the TR 55 and fib 14 showed no significant difference with the C.O.V of 29.3% and 21.5%, respectively.
Predictive Stress-Strain Models for High Strength Concrete Subjected to Uniaxial Compression
Authors: Shafiq Nasir , Ayub Tehmina , Nuruddin Muhd Fadhil
Published: June 2014

To date, various predictive models for high strength concrete (HSC) have been proposed that are capable of generating complete stress-strain curves. These models were validated for HSC prepared with and without silica fume. In this paper, an investigation on these predictive models has been presented by applying them on two different series of HSC. The first series of HSC was prepared by utilizing 100% cement content, while second series was prepared by utilizing 90% cement and 10% Metakaolin. The compressive strength of the concrete was ranged from 71-87 MPa. For each series of HSC, total four cylinders of the size 100×200mm were cast to obtain the stress-strain curves at 28 days.It has been found that the pattern of the stress-strain curve of each cylinder among four cylinders of each series was different from other, in spite of preparing from the similar batch. When predictive models were applied to these cylinders using their test data then it was found that all models more or less deficient to accurately predict the stress-strain behavior.
Shear Capacity of RC Beams with Web Openings Strengthened with Multi Layers of CFRP
Authors: Mohammed Bashar S. , Alanni Omar
Published: June 2014

In some cases a cut-out web opening in a reinforced concrete (RC) beam is required to facilitate the passage of electrical and mechanical pipes and ducting from one side to another. The presence of cut-out web openings will lead to decreasing in the load carrying capacity of these RC beams. Therefore, strengthening the vicinity of these openings by using Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) will represent the best practical solution. In this study, thirteen RC beams with different sizes of cut-out web openings and with different layers of CFRP strengthening and also one solid RC beam (control) were prepared and tested to failure. The outcome of this experimental and analytical study showed that the modified Eurocode 2 model can reasonably be used in computing the shear forces of RC beams having the vicinity of their cut-out web openings strengthened with single/multi layers of CFRP. In addition, for safe design purposes, a reduction factor has been suggested as well.
Strength Development of Concrete Incorporating Metakaolin and PVA Fibres
Authors: Khan Sadaqat Ullah , Nuruddin Muhd Fadhil , Shafiq Nasir
Published: June 2014

Study has been conducted to investigate the effect of aspect ratio and volume fraction of PVA fibres on the mechanical properties of concrete. Total eighteen (18) mixes of concrete have been examined using metakaolin up to 5% and PVA fibres of aspect ratio 45, 60, 90 and 120 with volume fraction 1 to 2%. Compressive strength, splitting tensile strength and flexural strength at 7 days and 28 days have been determined to check the effect of volume fraction and the aspect ratio of PVA fibres. It has been found that 2% volume fraction is better than 1% and there is increasing trend up to a certain value of aspect ratio in the strengths of concrete.
The Laminated Composite Thermosetting Pipe
Authors: Albarody Thar M. Badri , Zahiraniza Mustaffa Bt
Published: June 2014

The thermosetting pipes are eligible to be used in oil transportation where resistance to crude oil, paraffin build-up as well as ability to withstand relatively high pressures is required. Lamination design of such system could provide better strength and stability for internal and external loadings in both the circumferential and longitudinal directions. To this aim, a straightforward design and modeling of thermosetting pipe is developed via using first order shell theories. Apart from possessing an accurate operational condition, on account of its simplicity the proposed simulation seems also very suitable for further developing and prototyping purposes. Finally, it has been shown that the proposed thermosetting pipe, which partially attains some classical characteristic of both offshore and onshore pipeline by a different line of reasoning, is may serve as a reference in designing thermosetting pipe.
Implementation of Dam Safety Management Program in Malaysia: From Theory to Practice
Authors: Mohd Sidek Lariyah , Basri Hidayah , Thiruchelvam Sivadass , Rahsidi Sabri Muda , Azwin Zailti Abdul Razad , Zuraidah Ali
Published: June 2014

Dam plays vital roles to mankind since the beginning of civilization. It serves the purpose for water supply, irrigation, hydropower and flood control. Despite the benefits of dam served over a decade, dams also poses high risk especially to the people downstream, as it may fail due to several failure modes, such as flood loading, earthquake and piping failure. History proved that dam failure has caused catastrophic impact to the people and environment. The dam owner is responsible to ensure that their dam is safe to the public and environment. In Malaysia, the key utility company, Tenaga Nasional Berhad has proactively played its role as the owner of the largest hydropower scheme by spearheading the effort of developing its own dam safety program. This paper revolves around the journey of TNB in developing an Emergency Response Plan (ERP) as part of their dam safety program.
Risk Ranking of Malaysian Public Private Partnership Projects
Authors: Sarvari Hadi , Valipour Alireza , Yahaya Nordin , Norhazilan Md Noor
Published: June 2014

In the past two decades, public private partnership (PPP) has been one of the prevailing ways for the development of infrastructure in Malaysia. However, it involves many risks and uncertainties due to large investments and a long concession period. It is very important to recognize and find out ways to cope with the critical risks that are related to the investments made in PPP projects by foreign investors. The aim of this article is to risk ranking associated with PPP projects using a risk matrix. The papers carries out literature review, consultation and questionnaire survey (among a panel of experts) to identify common risks in PPP projects. The risks identified from the literature were classified according to the type of risk. Finally, the results show that third party tort liability, interest rate volatility, construction cost overruns, and changes in law are critical risks.
The Effects of Orientations on the Room's Thermal Performance in the Tropics
Authors: Chung Leng Pau , Ahmad Mohd Hamdan , Ossen Dilshan Remaz , Hamid Malsiah Binti , Baharvand Mohammad
Published: June 2014

Thermal performance of terrace house in Malaysia very much depends on the spatial design due to limited responsive environment factors. Building orientation is one of the important responsive factors under design consideration. The main concerns of the opening’s orientation are solar radiation and wind. In Malaysia, the maximum amount of solar radiation directly affects the thermal performance and thus the orientation of the window should be designed in the way to minimize solar gain and maximize natural ventilation. This paper investigates the effect of building orientation on the thermal performance of the residential room with solar chimney. The case study house facing north was located at Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia. The field measurement was conducted in the case study house compound on 16 may 2012 to obtain the boundaries condition for CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamic) simulation. Four cardinal orientations were selected to investigate the thermal performance via CFD in DesignBuilder. The results show that the south facing window could maintain the lowest air temperature in the indoor environment with mean air temperature of 31.78°C and air mean velocity 0.023m/s with 35°C extreme outdoor temperature and zero wind velocity.
The Importance of Lightweight Concrete Technology Development for IBS Industry in Malaysia Based on Cost Comparison between Concrete Slab and Hollow Core Slab: A Case Study of LRT Car Park Project
Authors: Ramli Mohd Zakwan , Mahayudin Harlina Mohd , Hayder G. , Hafiz Z.M. , Daud M. , Salleh A.M.
Published: June 2014

There are several issues related to the implementation of new Industrialised Building System (IBS) technology in Malaysia which some of them are the awareness among industry players, and lack of development on the new technology in the industry. The main constraint that has always been discussed by the IBS players is time and cost. To have more reliable product or technology in terms of cost and time, it is important to craft and develop new idea as well as technology in our own country. The objective of this study was to highlight the cost comparison between cast in-situ concrete slab and hollow core slab (lightweight) which it can be a starting point for future research on the development of new lightweight IBS technology in Malaysia to get the most reliable cost with latest technology by using local resources. Informations on costs and work durations are collected and analysed between two floors using two different construction methods (hollow core slab and conventional concrete slab). Hollow core slab (lightweight IBS) has similar or less cost with shorter construction period (30% shorter) for the project.
Analytic Network Process Approach to Risk Allocation of EPC Projects Case Study: Gas Refinery EPC Projects in Iran
Authors: Valipour Alireza , Sarvari Hadi , Yahaya Nordin , Norhazilan Md Noor , Khoshnava Seyed Meysam
Published: June 2014

Risk allocation is the most significant factor in risk management. Earlier research has shown that risk allocation is essential to achieve success in construction projects. Risk allocation may fail to be achieved due to lack of a mechanism for joint risk management. Successful optimal risk allocation requires one to identify and evaluate the risk allocation criteria, which interact and overlap with each other and can lead to significant variation in the decision outcome in risk allocation. This study aims to allocate the risks in EPC projects using the analytic network process (ANP) method. The ANP approach is preferable in identifying the problems of interdependence and feedback among various criteria factors. The method utilizes data that are collected through a literature review, interviews, and a questionnaire distributed to EPC project experts. The results have shown that 12 risks are allocated to the developer, 9 risks are shared between developer and contractor, and 12 risks are allocated to the contractor. In conclusion, ANP is found to be suitable in analyzing the feedback and interdependencies among risk allocation criteria.
Distribution of Stress on Stone Column-Reinforced Soft Soil under Cylindrical Storage Tank
Authors: Deb Kousik , Das Amit Kumar
Published: June 2014

Structures with circular foundation (chimney, silo, oil tank) constructed on compressible soft soil, often have to opt for ground improvement like stone columns before construction. In this paper, the stress distribution on stone column-reinforced ground under cylindrical storage tank has been presented. Actual foundation soil reinforced with stone column is assumed as composite ground of soil and hollow cylindrical stone rings keeping the area ratio constant to carry the analysis in axi-symmetric condition. The soft soil, stone columns and granular fill are idealized using mechanical elements. The floor slab of the storage tank is assumed to be flexible enough to satisfy the theory of thin plate. Governing differential equations are derived to determine the vertical settlement and solved with finite difference technique. Contact stress at ground level is calculated from vertical settlement. It is observed that soft soil experiences heavy settlement and contact stress when the tank is full despite of low spacing to diameter ratio (S/dc = 3) and reasonable modular ratio (Ec/Es = 20). It is also observed that stress acting on edge stone column is lower as compared to the stress acting on center stone column even under uniformly loaded condition.
Erosion Assessment of Slope Failure Tragedies; A Case Study in Malaysia
Authors: Ali Mohd Fozi , Makatar Mohd Adzreel , Khalid Khairi , Rahman Nor Faiza Abd
Published: June 2014

Slope Failure is a serious geologic hazard in many countries in the world including Malaysia. In this country, most cases of the tragedies involved a hillside areas and cause of deaths, injuries and property damages. There are many factors of slope failure which is related to erosion such as slope characteristics, erosion and rainfall characteristics, and structure characteristics. The paper was focused on producing a slope hazard category at Sg. Ruil, Cameron Highland and Hidayah Madrasah Al-Taqwa Orphanage, Hulu Langat since both locations were experiencing the slope failures in 2011. The task involved with the collection of the historical data, soil sampling and laboratory testing. The ROM Scale was calculated of 15.62 and 8.23 at Sg. Ruil, Cameron Highland and Hulu Langat, respectively. While, in that order the ROSE Index was calculating to be 329.6 and 317.8 ton.m/ha.hr. The study found that about 54% and 39% of the slope hazard parameters at Sg Ruil, Cameron Highland and Hulu Langat, respectively were categorized under critical condition. This finding is very useful and recommended to be one of a management tools to be considered for future development at the study area.
Generation, Propagation, Run-Up and Impact of Landslide Triggered Tsunami: A Literature Review
Authors: Harahap Indra Sati Hamonangan , Huan Vo Nguyen Phu
Published: June 2014

Submarine landslide is the most serious threat on both local and regional scales. Tsunami phenomenon induced by submarine slide has put us on the challenge in understanding from generation mechanism to propagation and coastal inundation and mitigating the risk from it. Submarine slides can trigger tsunamis with high run-up affecting offshore structures, subsea facilities and human lives along the shoreline. Unfortunately, there are no effective numerical models that could simulate simultaneously all stages of generation, propagation and run-up of tsunamis phenomena. This paper presents a comprehensive review on the landslide tsunami phenomenon.
Human Error Causes in Slope Engineering Practices
Authors: Qasim Sadaf , Harahap Indra Sati Hamonangan , Baharom Syed , Imran Muhammad
Published: June 2014

Landslide/slope failures have been accounted, as the second natural disaster for Malaysia after flood.From the landslides investigations reports, it is shown that landslides in Malaysia were caused mainly by factors like lack of maintenance, less coordination during construction stage and design problem apart from rainfall. The slant of this study facilitated multidisciplinary perceptions regarding human error causes in existing practices to be captured. This approach has the worth to offer the usefulness of progressive actions that are taken to strengthen the slopes. Conducting the surveys with focussed group respondents, could provide benchmarking to gauge any change in influences and resource use as efforts are made to advance the consideration of slope stability in hill site developments.
Modeling Pedestrian Behavior in Rail Transit Terminal
Authors: Zanariah Abd Rahman , Mustafa Masria , Ashaari Yasmin , Sadullah Ahmad Farhan Mohd
Published: June 2014

This paper concerns a review of the existing research in pedestrian behavior in rail transit terminal. A comprehensive review of the existing method and model are looking at the parameters of the pedestrian behavior and flow in relation to the pedestrian interaction and evacuation planning in rail transit terminal. It is shown in the review that a lack of an overall and detailed consideration of pedestrian behavior studies along the area of rail transit terminal in Malaysia. The necessity to integrate transportation engineering and pedestrian model is important where it will be a start to an upcoming research related to a development of safety management system of pedestrian in term of evacuation strategies and performances in rail transit. This can be a reference point for the traffic engineer to design walking infrastructures for many other public transit areas in Malaysia.
The Use of Bitumen Linear Viscoelastic Properties to Assess Rutting Sensitivity
Authors: Zoorob Salah E. , Kamaruddin Ibrahim B. , Madzlan Napiah
Published: June 2014

The use of viscosity temperature relationships to predict creep performance of road bitumens have been shown to be inadequate in particular with respect to the analysis of polymer modified binders. In this paper we explore the origins of the US Strategic Highway Research Programmebinder performance grading system and detail two examples of more recent developments towards improved creep characterisation.Starting from first principles, an equation to analyse the ratio of dissipated to stored energy during sinusoidal loading of viscoelastic bitumen was derived. The energy equation was contrasted with an empirical relationship proposed by Anderson D.A., and with a second more theoretical derivation proposed by Shenoy A.Using frequency sweep data from a conventional 40/50 pen grade bitumen and a proprietary SBS modified binder, the applicability of the energy equation was subsequently compared to the two aforementioned post-SHRP creep relations. Recommendations are made regarding the suitability of the proposed relations in ranking bitumen creep performance.
Modeling of Contaminant Transport and Groundwater Flow of Tamangapa Landfill in Makassar Indonesia
Authors: Hajrah Hajrah , Arsyad Ardy , Zubair Achmad
Published: June 2014

This paper aims to analyze the groundwater flow direction of Tamangapa landfill and to predict the contaminant in the groundwater over the period of 20 years, accounted for the year of 2000 until 2020. To understand the natural condition of the landfill, geological and hydrogeological survey were undertaken, consisting of geological survey, geomorphology and geo-resistivity surveys. Hydrogeological survey comprises groundwater level measurement, chemical analysis of leachate and groundwater samples which were later used as input data for numerical model. Based on the result of groundwater flow models, the direction of groundwater is found to be flowing from the north to the south. The minimum concentration for manganese (Mn) is 1.519 mg/l and 2.701 mg/l for iron (Fe). Over the period of 2020, Fe concentration increases significantly, reaching the level of 56.427 mg/l, Mn concentration for 299.5594 mg/l. It can be suggested that the groundwater quality of Tamangapa landfill has already exceeded the standard for water quality, leading to potential severe impact to local people around the landfill.
Keywords: Landfill, modflow, groundwater, leachate, contaminant.
Synthesis of Cu2O Nanospheres and Cubes: Their Structural, Optical and Magnetic Properties
Authors: Prabhakaran G. , Murugan Ramaswamy
Published: June 2014

In this work, synthesis strategy of Cu2O nanosphere and cube was elucidated and the structural, optical and magnetic properties were studied. Cu2O nanospheres and cubes were synthesized by wet chemical method through selecting the appropriate amount of isopropyl alcohol (IPA) with distilled water as solvent. 5% of IPA yielded cubic shape Cu2O and 30% of IPA yielded spherical Cu2O. The phase purity was confirmed with powder XRD. The FTIR result exhibit Cu (I)-O vibrational band around 628 cm-1 supports the XRD results. In Raman spectra weak band at 508 cm-1 corresponds to Raman allowed mode. The IR active bands at 110 and 150 cm-1 are observed because of the violation of selection rules which demonstrates the defects present in synthesized Cu2O. Raman peaks at 218 and 415 cm-1 are assigned to multiphonon Raman scattering. The UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectrum was recorded to calculate the band gap value. The band gap value calculated using Kubelka-Munk equation was 2.015 eV and 2.025 eV, respectively, for Cu2O cube and nanosphere.
Structural and Magnetic Properties of Ultrafine Magnesium Ferrite Nanoparticles
Authors: Md Gazzali P.M. , Kanimozhi V. , Priyadharsini P. , Chandrasekaran G.
Published: June 2014

Nanoparticles of MgFe2O4 with average crystallite size of ~ 8 nm have been synthesized employing non-aqueous combustion method. Structural properties of the nanoparticles are analyzed with the help of X-Ray Diffractometry (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Energy dispersive X-Ray analysis (EDX), Fourier Transform Infra-Red spectroscopy (FT-IR). X-Ray Diffraction pattern and FT-IR spectra reveal the formation of spinel structure of MgFe2O4 nanoparticles. The SEM micrographs of the sample show the formation of clusters of spherical particles with pores revealing the history of synthesis as combustion process. The constituent elements and chemical composition are analyzed using EDX spectrum. Magnetic study done using Vibrating Sample Magnetometer (VSM) reveals that the prepared nanoparticles remain unsaturated within the field of 15 kOe and have a very low coercivity of 20 Oe.
Studies on Dual Phase Conducting Polyaniline Magnetic Micro and Nanocomposites
Authors: Srinivas Vikram , Raju Vasanthakumari , Joseph Louie , Syed Javith
Published: June 2014

The conducting polymers are vital sources for fabrication of micro electronics chips, GMR sensors, membranes and flexible electrodes. Polyaniline is widely chosen for such products because of its conductivity range. This paper focuses on the studies of dual phase properties of Polyaniline (PANI) - Magnetic Iron Oxide (MIO) composites wherein MIO micro and nanoparticles were incorporated in polyaniline. This type of MIO-Polyaniline composites can enhance both conductive and magnetic property. Polyaniline was synthesized by redox polymerization technique with MIO both in micro and nanosize by in-situ polymerization. The MIO content was maintained at 0.2 to 0.6 gm with respect to 4.6 gm of aniline in polymerization reaction. The composites were characterized by FTIR, UV, XRD, SEM and VSM and conductivity unit. The saturation magnetization of composites was 0.0057 emu/g for 0.6 MIO micro spheres and 1.5507 emu/g for 0.6 MIO nanospheres. The DC conductivity values for pure PANI are 2.06x10-2 S/cm , 5.13x10-3 S/cm for PANI-0.6 micro MIO and 1.13x10-3 S/cm for PANI-0.6 nanoMIO. Micro tubular structure was observed for PANI composite in SEM . It is evident that the electrical properties are altered significantly on tailoring MIO in microtubes and the magnetic property is altered by tuning the composition of MIO from micro to nanorange. These composites will satisfy the properties for applications such as actuators, supercapacitors, EMI shielding, Fuel cells and Sensors. Key words: Polyaniline, Microtubes, Magnetic iron oxide, DC conductivity
Synthesis of Chitosan Protected Nickel Hexacyanoferrate Modified Titanium Oxide Nanotube and Study its Application on Simultaneous Electrochemical Detection of Paracetamol and Caffeine
Authors: Devi Selvaraj , Pandian Kannaiyan
Published: June 2014

The nickel hexacyanoferrate decorated titanium oxide nanotube (NiHCF@TNT) was prepared by ion exchange method by mixing of nickel ion modified titanium oxide nanotube with a known amount of potassium ferricyanide under stirring over a period of 5 h. The resulting product was isolated and then characterized with XRD, FT-IR and SEM. The electrochemical behaviour of NiHCF@TNT was investigated by cyclic voltammetry using chitosan as stabilizing agent. The electrocatalytic property of chitosan protected NiHCF@TNT was carried out on electrochemical oxidation of paracetamol and caffeine simultaneously. The proposed method may be applied for the electrochemical detection of paracetamol in drug samples.
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Impedance Spectroscopic Studies on Natural Rubber-TiO2 Nanocomposite
Authors: Praveen Thappily , Predeep P.
Published: June 2014

In this study, we demonstrate dielectric properties of Natural rubber-TiO2 (NR-TiO2) nanocomposite. We fabricated a device by sandwiching NR-TiO2 nanocomposite between two different work function electrodes aluminium and Indium Tin Oxide (ITO). Capacitance versus voltage analysis showed a nonlinear behavior as that of an organic Schottky diode. Variation of real and imaginary part of dielectric constant with different frequencies was studied by using Electrochemical Impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Validity of the impedance data was evaluated by using theoretical Kramers-Kronig relations and the obtained results showed an acceptable match with high degree of consistency.
Green Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles by Haloarchaeon Halococcus salifodinae BK6
Authors: Srivastava Pallavee , Braganca Judith , Ramanan Sutapa Roy , Kowshik Meenal
Published: June 2014

Nanobiotechnology is a multidisciplinary branch of nanotechnology which includes fabrication of nanosized materials using biological approaches. Highly structured metallic and metal sulfide nanoparticles have been reported to be synthesized by numerous bacteria, fungi, yeasts and viruses. However, biosynthesis of nanoparticles by Haloarchaea (salt-loving archaea) of the third domain of life, Archaea, is in its nascent stages. In this study, we report the intracellular synthesis of stable, mostly spherical silver nanoparticles (SNPs) by the haloarchaeal isolateHalococcus salifodinaeBK6. The isolate adapted to silver nitrate was found to exhibit growth kinetics similar to that of cells unexposed to silver nitrate. The nitrate reductase enzyme assay and the enzyme inhibitor studies showed the involvement of NADH dependent nitrate reductase in silver tolerance, reduction, and synthesis of SNPs. UV visible spectroscopy, XRD, TEM and EDAX were used for characterization of SNPs. The XRD exhibited characteristic Bragg peaks of face centered cubic silver with crystallite domain size of 26 nm and 12 nm for SNPs synthesized in NTYE and halophilic nitrate broth, respectively. TEM analysis exhibited an average particle size of 50.3 nm and 12 nm for SNPs synthesized in NTYE and halophilic nitrate broth (HNB), respectively. The as synthesized SNPs exhibited antimicrobial activity against both Gram positive and Gram negative organisms.
Photodegradation Studies on Orange G and Acid Blue 113: New Doped Rare Earth Nanometal Oxides as Visible Light Active Photo Catalyst
Authors: Suganya Josephine G.A. , Sivasamy Arumugam
Published: June 2014

Dyes are a source of serious pollutants from different industrial outlets and show a major contribution in polluting the environment. In the present study two dyes namely Orange G and Acid Blue 113 were compared for their photodegradation efficiency employing rare earth nanometal oxide as a visible active photocatalyst. The prepared catalyst was nanocrystalline form with particle size 70 nm and the surface of the catalyst was highly porous and rough which facilitates the absorption of the dye further enhance the photo degradation which were confirmed by various characterization techniques. Effect of pH, variation of catalyst dosage, variation of initial dye concentration and kinetic studies were conducted for both the dyes. The reaction followed a pseudo first order kinetics. The activity of the prepared catalyst was higher when compared to a commercially used metal oxide. Reusability studies proved that the catalyst prepared was very active even upto the third cycle. The degradation process was initiated by the attack of the OH radical generated in the in-situ process via visible light irradiation. EPR spin trapping technique was employed to confirm the presence of OH radicals. The prepared catalyst degraded the dye molecules of interest in lesser time duration by absorption of visible light, thereby reducing the cost of photodegradation.