bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Feasibility analysis of rooftop solar photovoltaic for non-academic building in an educational institution in Malaysia
Authors: Zublie M F M , Hasanuzzaman M , Rahim N A
Published: February 2021

An educational institution is one of the sectors that consume a high amount of energy. An identify the energy consumption gives information to forecast the energy saving. The research aims to utilize rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) at non-academic buildings in Malaysia’s educational institution. A detailed energy audit has been conducted at Politeknik Sultan Azlan Shah (PSAS) involving three non-academic buildings to identify the buildings’ energy usage. The three different building involved is the Islamic Centre (Mosque), Sports Centre, and Multipurpose Hall. The energy audit analysis is divided into four end-load groups comprising lighting, fans, air conditioning, and other equipment to identify each type of load’s energy consumption. Which equipment consumes the highest amount of energy in non-academic buildings in PSAS is determine. The results show that the highest energy consumption at the Islamic Centre and Multipurpose Hall is an air conditioner for a while Sports Centre is lighting equipment. Annual power generation and energy bill savings are calculated based on rooftop solar PV installation for self-consumption. From the feasibility analysis, the forecast of energy-saving for at-least 5% per year has been estimated. It significantly reduces the amount of carbon emission release to the environment.
Analysis of Flow Patterns in 55 Kilometers of Gas Transmission Pipelines due to Changes in Gas Supply Flow Rate
Authors: Ibrahim M H , Saputra A H
Published: February 2021

Pressure drop will cause a decrease in the temperature of natural gas in the pipe. This causes a two-phase flow to form along the pipe. The prediction of the two-phase gas-liquid flow pattern is needed in the oil and gas industry. The changes in gas supply will affect the flow pattern in the pipeline. The flow pattern in the pipe will be analyzed by Unisim software. The flow pattern result shows that there are instabilities of flow patterns along the pipe due to changing topographic conditions. When the pipe elevation drops to zero, as in kilometers 40-55, the flow pattern formed is constantly stratified flow. The results of stratified flow patterns indicate that the flow patterns do not cause sudden changes in liquid flow rate on the Receiving Facility (RF) equipment.
The Correlation between Enclosure and Customer’s Response
Authors: Fayadiva  , Gamal A
Published: February 2021

There is a change in store design that is widely used by brands to sell their products. Brands that use temporary store is no longer integrating any boundaries to separate the store from the environment around them. The existence of boundaries relates to the spatial quality of the store, which ultimately has a relation to the response of customers. The new trend of retail shows that enclosure is no longer needed to accommodate shopping experience. Unfortunately, there is still limited literature that studies the enclosure of the store as a spatial quality in a store environment. The purpose of this research is to examine the relationship between the enclosure of a store environment and the customer’s shopping experience. This paper also extends the research related to the store’s spatial quality and its relation to the customers. A literature review was conducted to further investigate the relationship between enclosure as the store’s spatial quality, product engagement, and customer responses. This study features three store simulation videos with three different types of enclosure (4 walls, 2 walls, 0 wall) and two sets of questionnaires to study the customer’s behavior. We interviewed 163 respondents from the age range of 19-35 in this study. The results indicate that the store with no enclosure encourages the customer to stay longer compared to the store with an enclosure. These findings can later be used as consideration for retail designers to develop their stores.
Private sector involvement in public space management and its varying degree of publicness
Authors: Piyaputri M , Gamal A
Published: February 2021

This paper aims to get a better understanding on the subject of private sector involvement in the management of public space and the degree of publicness of the space. While public space is one of urban’s essential infrastructure, private sector involvement in public spaces is said to have an effect to the lowering of the spaces’ degree of publicness. With private sectors being involved, certain groups of the public lost their rights to access these public spaces as private sectors often take advantages of the public’s rights for their own financial benefits. This study discusses the importance of a public space in a democratic society and the creation of new types of public spaces with varying degrees of publicness along with the emergence of private sector involvement. This paper will also discuss the dimensions of a space’s degree of publicness and previously made indices to evaluate public spaces in terms of their publicness.
How to realize a river-based smart city? (lesson learned from Banjarmasin)
Authors: Sartika I
Published: February 2021

The city of Banjarmasin, which is above the flow of hundreds of rivers, has the biggest challenge in implementing a smart city. Banjarmasin City Government must focus and choose whether to focus on the river or land-based smart cities. To realize river-based smart cities, there are consequences that all facilities must be good as well as water quality and water transportation, while current conditions are still inadequate. This study aims to analyze the factors that can accelerate the realization of river-based smart cities. The research method used is qualitative with data sources derived from the results of in-depth interviews with informants. Informants in the study were determined using the Penta helix principle, which consisted of: academics, businessmen, community, local government, and media. The total informants were 15 people. Data processing using the program, NVIVO 12 PLUS. The results showed that to realize a river-based smart city in Banjarmasin, it is necessary to identify supporting factors that are appropriate to the characteristics of the area and the culture of the surrounding community. The results showed that five aspects must be considered, namely: community, environment, transportation, business, and government. A river-based smart city is a concept that has not been widely discussed scientifically, even though it is very useful to be applied in cities that have enormous river potential, such as Banjarmasin.
Electromagnetic Waves Absorption Experiment on A Human Body with 2.45 GHz Directional Antenna
Authors: Muin Fathul , Apriono Catur
Published: February 2021

Micro-doppler radar is a technique that is also possible for medical applications, such as breath and heartbeat detection. These potential applications are coming from wave detection, which is reflected by an object under test. In an ideal environment like in an anechoic chamber room, the emitted radiation suffers from some losses, including path loss and object absorption. These losses reduce the detected power and later influence the accepted signal quality and accurate prediction. Among various loss factors, this paper presents human body radiation absorption by emitting electromagnetic waves at a frequency of 2.45 GHz of a directional horn antenna. In every experiment uses one type of antenna for transmitting and receiving radiation. The antenna is connected to a USRP software-defined radio module and then connected to a computer to obtain experimental data. The result shows that the absorption level of a human body detected by using the horn antenna is 11.07 dB. This information is useful to predict a reasonable power and distance that can be covered by a detection system by applying the micro doppler radar principle.
Surface composition towards space pattern of street vendors in urban context
Authors: Khair A U , Fuad A H
Published: February 2021

This study aims to reveal the role and shift in the use of interior elements in shaping urban spaces by looking at the patterns of the street vendors ’ spaces. The street vendor is an actor that brings diversity and color to the face of urban spaces in Indonesia’s cities. The research is conducted by observing street vendors in Jalan Sultan Alauddin in Makassar. This paper uses qualitative methods, collecting data through direct observation, literature study, and the case study method to analyze the data. To investigate the role of the interior elements, we utilize the visual merchandising approach, commonly used in interior design. According to this approach, certain rules are applied to the arrangement of street vendors’ merchandise in urban space. Examining the compositions that are formed from the vertical and horizontal surfaces in the street vendors’ trading space unravels the relationship of urban space as the background for the street vendors’ trading space. This paper reveals the role of street vendors in forming urban space through its spatial mechanisms of layout, composition, and interior elements.
Spatial negotiation: understanding the inside and outside of temporary space
Authors: Lucas O A , Nuraeny E
Published: February 2021

The meaning of interior space has expanded beyond the architectural borders. Once existing within the domestic boundaries, interior space can now be experienced in the urban context through temporary space as it repurposes unused land. A common phenomenon of temporary space within the urban context is a street vendor selling foods. In this era, some street vendors’ presence correlates with the internet and social media to elevate their products. This action makes human’s activity more effective and efficient. However, how about the realization in the urban context? In this case, we will focus on one kind of street vendors in Indonesia. Angkringan Mbah Ino in Depok, West Java, is an example of a temporary space that exists and operates in the city. The presence of the angkringan creates a new interior space that is adaptable and changeable, adjusting to its site, activities, and time. This paper will explore spatial negotiation between inside and outside that occurs in food vendors. An adjustment will be negotiated with the environment and the people around it. The analysis started with field observation and an in-depth interview with the seller and then was continued to map the ever-changing spatial programming of angkringan to the sidewalk. By observing and comparing government’s regulations on street vendors, this paper investigates how affordances work to support the socio-economic needs and transform the intended use of public space. This paper serves as a trigger for a new law beneficial to street vendors and pedestrians in the future, especially for Depok City.
Strategy and innovation of home based enterprises for local development in the 4.0 era: a bibliographic study
Authors: Tyas W P , Hutama J K P
Published: February 2021

A promotion in entrepreneurship at the household level through efforts in using space at home can lead to Local economic development. By using the house as a place of business, it only needs a limited budget. This type of business contributes to increasing income for households, even in times of crisis. Many studies of Home-Based Enterprises (HBEs) proves that this can contribute to improving household welfare, even on a broader scale that is contributing to local and regional development. HBEs are very adaptive and start using technology. The ability to adapt is inseparable from the strategy and innovation carried out both in terms of ‘software’, namely human resources, or ‘hardware’ readiness, namely technology and or tools that support development including in the Industrial Revolution 4.0 era. The purpose of this paper is to identify the framework of strategy and innovation of HBEs’ development in the Industrial Revolution 4.0 era based on book or articles published in international journals. The importance of the study is in mapping patterns of strategies, and successful innovations produce a strategy model and entrepreneurial innovation. It aims to deconstruct concepts, strategies and innovations related to the development of HBE that contribute to local development in the 4.0 era based on creativity and innovation, and related technology and tools used for development. The results is HBEs can develop through innovations in technology adoption consists of the using of Webite, Social Media, E-Commerce, Mobile Application, and ICT, and the strategies need multi stakeholders namely University and Large Firms to transfer knowledge and technologies; Government to provide supporting laws and regulation, policies and programmes; and the actor of HBEs in increase capacity to adopt new technologies. HBEs will benefit from doing the right strategy and innovation. From these benefits, HBEs will simultaneously improve its local economy, as well as successfully face the challenges of the industrial revolution 4.0.
Performance of nano metaclay on chloride diffusion for ultra- high performance concrete
Authors: Jaafar M F Md , Mohd Saman H , Muhd Sidek M N , Muthusamy K , Ismail N
Published: February 2021

The major cause for corrosion of steel reinforcement embedded in concrete due to chloride penetration has been the great research effort. The use of nano metaclay in UHPC increase the strength and helps the formation of micro pores by acting as a filler thus improve the chloride penetration resistance characteristic. The aim of this study is to evaluate the chloride diffusion of UHPC using RCPT and chloride penetration depth. Four (4) series of UHPC comprised of plain UHPC and a series of nanoUHPC incorporating 1%, 3% and 5% of nano metaclay were produced. It is reported that the compressive strength of nano UHPCl exhibits higher strength up to 10% compared to plain UHPC. The results showed that UHPC containing nano metaclay also significantly affect the chloride diffusion coefficient. As regards to the results, inclusion of 1% nano metaclay in UHPC led to noticeable benefit towards strength and chloride resistance.
Review of Industrialized Buildings Experience in Malaysia: An Example of a Developing Country
Authors: Al-Aidrous Al-Hussein M H , Rahmawati Y , Wan Yusof K , Omar Baarimah A , Alawag A M
Published: February 2021

Building industry is currently under pressing need to move towards a sustainable and productive practice. The demand in residential projects keeps on rising, especially in developing countries. The Industrialized Building System (IBS) is deemed to be more sustainable compared to the traditional construction that uses bricks and mortar. However, there is limited uptake for IBS, especially in the housing sector. The lack of incentives and small-scale projects among main factors impede the increase of implementing IBS in residential projects. Around 5 million housing units have been built in Malaysia by both private and public sector since the first IBS housing project is commenced in 1966. Yet, the gap between supply and demand is around 43% (shortage) with small share for IBS in the housing sector. This study Examined IBS projects growth in term of scale, type and classification development in Malaysian context. Then, analysed reasons, impacts and expected results when employing IBS in Malaysia. The findings illustrate the timeline of IBS establishment and development of IBS housing and building projects in Malaysia. This study tracked the development of IBS with greater focus on housing. Moreover, this study reviewed and analysed the way forward to uplift IBS implementation to a higher level. Finally, this study will guide future research and draw the line for other developing countries to follow the path and learn from such experience.
Evaluation of occupational safety and health at construction site in state of Perlis
Authors: Ayob A , Ibrahim A M , Mokhtar H , Syamsyiah N R , Din A Z M , Zahid M Z A M , Rahim M A , Zakaria M H
Published: February 2021

This current study evaluates occupational safety and health (OSH) practices for 35 medium-and high-grade contractors in the state of Perlis by using structured questionnaires and interviews. Among the 70% of valid participants, majority (Scale Interval Index = 4.16) agreed that “failure to comply with OSH Act” is the main challenge to safety. They strongly believed that complying with OSH standards is beneficial to “the elimination of injury and death” and that “providing the necessary safety gears” at the construction site is among the effective methods to promote efficient OSH among the workers. Companies with adequate OSH management systems have a better record in terms of safety and performance than those that do not have such systems.
Leaving Problematic Assets Behind: Lessons from Post-tsunami Reconstruction in Aceh
Authors: Adamy A
Published: February 2021

Tsunami shaken the Indian Ocean in 2004 as the fourth-largest earthquake in a century erupted underwater off the Indonesian province of Aceh. Killing 227.898 people across 14 countries, with Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, and Thailand the hardest hit. Aceh was struggling under more than 30 years of armed conflict whilst facing one of the deadliest natural disasters in modern history. As a blessing in disguise, the post-tsunami reconstruction has opened many opportunities for Aceh: ending the long civil war and receiving aid predicted as much as US$ 6.1 billion. The Indonesia government claimed to have built more than 120.000 homes, 3.500 kilometers of roads, 266 bridges, 20 ports, 12 airports, 954 health facilities, 1.450 school buildings, and 979 public offices. This paper’s objective is to discuss the problem found in those assets to have complete lessons learned perspective. Secondary data was analyzed from the final report of Transition Unit - a temporary body assisting the Aceh Provincial Government during the transition period before reconstruction is officially closed in 2009. This study focused on public buildings under the Aceh Provincial Government that received the highest number of assets. Major problem found: the local government is not prepared to manage large public assets; lack of mutual understanding between local governments and central government; and many assets does not fulfill administration requirement by the Indonesia construction regulations. Types of problematic assets left are: no official documents, unclear ownership, unclear maintenance budget, already damaged, not utilize, and some assets still not finish. These findings may impact the sustainability of the public buildings and may increase the vulnerability factor in facing disaster in the future.
Effect of Inadequate Lap Splice Length on the Seismic Fragility of Ground Soft-story Reinforced Concrete Frames
Authors: Koon F S , Vafaei M , Alih S C
Published: February 2021

In this study, numerical analysis was used to derive seismic fragility curves for 3-, 6- and 9-story reinforced concrete (RC) frame with inadequate lap splice length and ground soft-story condition. The structural models were subjected to 15 far-field natural earthquake records. The peak ground acceleration (PGA) of the selected records was scaled in the range of 0.05g to 0.50g with an increment of 0.05g. Incremental dynamic analysis was employed to determine their inter-story drift demand and capacities. The obtained results indicated that the probability of severe damage to the RC frames increased as the number of stories decreased. It was also observed that the RC frames with inadequate lap splice length exhibited significantly higher probability of collapse when compared with RC frames with adequate lap splice length.
Seismic Performance of Low Ductile RC Frame Designed in Accordance with Malaysia National Annex to Eurocode 8
Authors: Chong J H , Alih S C , Vafaei M , Wong W K
Published: February 2021

Malaysia national annex to Eurocode 8 was released in 2017 and now buildings in Malaysia should be designed in accordance with specifications given in this annex. Unlike Eurocode 8 in which the inter-story drift control is compulsory for all types of structures, the drift control in the Malaysia national annex has been limited to very important buildings. This study was carried out to investigate to what extent limiting the inter-story drifts to the given values by the code will affect the seismic response of reinforced concrete (RC) structures. For this purpose, 4, 7 and 10-storey low-ductile RC buildings constructed on soft and stiff soils were designed for seismic actions. In the seismic design of buildings two different conditions were considered. First group of buildings were designed considering the limitation of interstory drift as suggested by the Eurocode 8. However, in the design of the second group of buildings the limitations of the inter-story drifts were not included. Both group of buildings were subjected to pushover analysis and their performance points were calculated using the capacity spectrum method. The obtained results indicated that the consideration of inter-story drift limits had insignificant effect on the damage intensity to beams and columns. However, buildings that their inter-story drifts were limited exhibited relatively lower damage intensity to infill walls.
Comparison of Methods to Estimate Missing Rainfall Data for Short Term Period at UMP Gambang
Authors: Nadiatul Adilah A A G , Hannani H
Published: February 2021

Hydrological analysis is crucial for planning or designing engineering structures and water resources system as stated by World Meteorological Organization (WMO). A long and complete data set of rainfall is required in order to carry out the hydrological study successfully. However, the most common problem that always come up in data collection is the lacking of data due to some occurrence involving the equipment installed that may cause the error to occur. For this study, another problem that has been a concern is the availability of the rainfall data is insufficient as the studied area is newly developed so the limitation of the existing data may affect to the relevance of this study. Therefore, this study is mainly conducted to compare three existing methods from previous scholars which are Arithmetic Mean Method, Normal Ratio Method and Inverse Distance Weighting Method to prove whether these methods are capable to fill the gaps of rainfall data for short term period of study. The existing data collected at the target station are then compared with the three methods whether the results gained are similar or otherwise. Analysis shows that the study for short term period is irrelevant due to the insufficiency of data collection.
The effect of static mixer on the properties and performance of aerobic granules under different organic loading rates in treating synthetic textile wastewater
Authors: Suryati S , Abdul Syukor AR , Azmi A , Khalida M
Published: February 2021

Biogranulation is considered a promising technology in biological wastewater treatment due to its high effluent treatment quality, strong ability to withstand organic loading, strong microbial structure and high capability to remove organics, nitrogen and phosphate. Organic loading rate (OLR) is known as one of the significant factors in biogranulation process. Aerobic granules can be developed under different OLR conditions. Microorganisms are starved at low OLR while microbial growth accelerates at high OLR. The main objective of this study was to investigate the effect of various OLRs on the physical characteristics and treatment performance of aerobic granules in treating synthetic textile wastewater. Two reactors named as R4Y and R4N were used, where R4Y was a reactor with static mixer and R4N was without the static mixer. The OLR of 2.0, 2.5 and 3.0 kg/m3.day were examined during the post development study. The study demonstrated that OLR affected the performance of biogranules. The physical characteristics of biogranules and removal efficiencies of the reactor with static mixer seemed to be better as compared to the reactor without static mixer with increasing of OLR. The granules of R4Y had better physical strength with IC of 19.6% and more excellent settling ability with SV of 82.7 m/h and SVI of 24.6 mL/g. The findings proved that static mixer had a positive influence in biogranulation system and therefore, will lower the energy consumption and operational cost.
The Response of Steel Plates Subjected to Close-in Blast Loads
Authors: Razak N S A , Alias A
Published: February 2021

Steel plates are commonly used for civil infrastructures and military vehicles. Since public awareness on the risk of explosion increase, extensive research is performed to improve the blast resistance of structures such as steel plates. This paper presents numerical investigations of the response of unstiffened and stiffened square steel plates subjected to close-in blast loads at different plate orientations. The numerical investigations were performed using finite element software ABAQUS. The target plates were subjected to blast loads produced by Plastic Explosive No.4 (PE4) with the mass range from 10 g to 20 g. The plates were stiffened with two stiffener configurations and in each configuration, the plate was tilted at three different angles of orientation, namely 0°, 15° and 45°. The results were compared against unstiffened square plates. The response of the plate was quantified in terms of the maximum central displacement of the plate. The results suggest tilted steel plates with the presence of stiffeners improves the blast resistance of the steel plates
Numerical Investigation of Steel Reinforcement Arrangement in Reinforced Concrete Wall Subjected to Blast
Authors: Seman M A , Syed Mohsin S M , Zaidi A M A , Jaini Z M
Published: February 2021

Three-dimensional (3D) numerical modelling of inverted-T shape reinforced concrete (RC) wall subjected to blast load is study in this paper. The walls have the same moment resistance with different steel reinforcement arrangements. It is subjected to 13.61 kg Trinitrotoluene (TNT) explosive at 1.21 m standoff distance from the centre. The Arbitrary Lagrange Euler (ALE) solvers coupling approach is employed for the interface analysis between air and structure to simulate the damage mechanism in AUTODYN numerical commercial software. The numerical damage indicator indicated, with mesh dependency assessment, the damage pattern vs experimental appeared precisely on the steel reinforcement grid due to the smaller element size compared to the coarse element used.
Nano-Silica modifier asphalt concrete under rutting resistance and shape memory component
Authors: Mohammed A A , Mwangi P M , Anwar M P , Leong L T , Jayaprakash J , Ramadhansyah P J , Mohamed Jaafar Z F , Mashros N
Published: February 2021

Permanent deformation is pavement distress that has been the root cause of failure of roads globally. With the formation of a rut, follows cracking which inevitably damages the asphalt and sub-base layers. To curb the rutting distress, this study investigates the use of nanosilica, miniaturized silica particles to the power of 10-9 to modify the binder of the asphalt concrete. The nano-silica was added at 4%, 6% and 15% by weight of bitumen into the asphalt mixture. Marshall Mix design method was used to prepare the forty-eight samples used in the study. Repeated Load Permanent Deformation (RLPD) test and Shape Memory (SM) were performed at two temperatures (25°C and 40°C). It was found that the rutting resistance and shape memory had the best performance with the addition of 15% nano-silica at 40°C. Addition of nano-silica at 15% by weight of bitumen had the best amelioration of not only permanent deformation resistance but also shape retention thus enhancing pavement performance.
An Overview of Pavement Maintenance Management Strategies in Malaysia
Authors: Ismail A , Razelan I S M , Yusof L M , Zulkiple A , Masri K A
Published: February 2021

Pavement damages are always associated with its optimum function and considered among the main contributing factors to fatal accident. With significance growth of vehicular road traffic and of accompanying problems of overloading vehicles in Malaysia will indirectly contributed to worsen the condition. Unceasingly, road pavement will experience failures more rapidly than expected hence lead to negative socioeconomic effects. A proper and timely maintenance by road authorities must be made in order to sustain and maintain the roadway condition to keep them serviceable so that it will benefit not only safety but also improve economic growth and social development. Hence, this study was carried out to explore current practise of pavement maintenance strategies in Malaysia. To achieve that objective, a qualitative data of questionnaires distribution to industry practitioners that are involved in managing roads are analyzed to indicate the viability and practicability of pavement maintenance strategies in Malaysia. Other than that, specifics issue pertinent to pavement management also identified. The findings of this study are valuable in developing the realistic performance criteria for seamless road pavement maintenance strategies.
Factors affecting the enforcement of environmental regulation: the case of erosion and sediment control plan
Authors: Ng C C , Rahman R A , Ahmad S W
Published: February 2021

Construction activities significantly increase the amount of sediment loss from sites due to erosion. Hence, governments are implementing environmental regulations, including the Erosion and Sediment Control Plan (ESCP), to reduce the construction industry’s impact on the environment. Prior studies suggest that effective enforcement by government bodies is crucial to ensure proper ESCP implementation. Therefore, this study aims to identify the success factors and challenges of enforcing ESCP in practice. To achieve that objective, this study employs a qualitative research technique that compares ESCP guidelines between countries. The significant results include: (a) the challenges are in the aspect of the hierarchy of authorities, lack of information in the guidelines, and enforcement that are lenient; and (b) the success factors include the elements of having detailed information in guidelines, a suitable period is given to all parties, and frequent inspections. These findings can assist researchers and government bodies to develop strategies to enforce ESCP better. The development of better strategies would help improve the success of ESCP implementation. This paper contributes to the body of knowledge in analyzing enforcement strategies in existing guidelines and standards for ESCP.
Mechanisms for addressing the impact of COVID-19 on infrastructure projects
Authors: King S S , Rahman R A , Fauzi M A , Haron A T
Published: February 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the overall economy and the construction industry badly. The Movement Control Order (MCO) caused the suspension of the construction sector, including infrastructure projects. Contractors are suffering losses and facing many problems caused by the pandemic, even with the on-going government financial aids. By identifying the right approaches to improve existing government policies and strategies, contractors could better manage the problems. Thus, this research aims to explore mechanisms for reducing COVID-19’s negative impact on the infrastructure construction industry. To achieve that objective, this study involves collecting and analyzing interview data with industry practitioners. The significant findings from the analysis are: (1) COVID-19 affects the infrastructure construction industry by causing financial and productivity problems; and (2) mechanisms to address those problems include legal, financial, productivity, and environmental support. This paper’s finding is valuable for the government in determining the right actions in assisting contractors in this critical period.
Effect of COVID-19 on building construction projects: Impact and response mechanisms
Authors: Zamani S H , Rahman R A , Fauzi M A , Yusof L M
Published: February 2021

The construction industry plays significant roles in the country’s economic development and growth. There would be a domino impact on the economy if any construction projects are being delayed. As the pandemic of COVID-19 had arisen into our global that had affected the construction industry, including building projects. Identifying the underlying problems caused by COVID-19 can provide the best solution to reduce the pandemic’s impact. Consequently, emphasizing the impact of COVID-19 and the strategies to address those problems in the building construction industry becomes vital. Thus, this research objective is to identify problems caused by COVID-19 in the building construction industry and mechanisms to reduce COVID-19’s negative impact. The data collection involved individual interviews with 20 contractor companies that are engaged in building construction projects. Then, the data is analyzed using the thematic analysis approach. The findings show that COVID-19 is causing operational and financial issues, while financial aids and complete information is needed to overcome those impacts. These findings will help policymakers improve existing strategic plans and create new policies to cope with the circumstances caused by COVID-19 among building construction organizations.
Durability Performance of Concrete Debris and Bottom Ash as an Alternative Track Ballast Material
Authors: Youventharan D , Ramandhansyah P J , Jeevithan K M , Rokiah O , Mohd Arif S , Yaacob H
Published: February 2021

Concrete debris and bottom ash has been identified as the potential materials to be used in construction industry. This would certainly reduce wastage produced from construction and demolition (C&D) activities and bottom ash from the power plant. However, the concrete debris waste and the bottom ash are been neither tested nor proven to be feasible in the construction of railway track. This paper will discuss the potential usage of concrete debris collected from destruction site and also the bottom ash waste from Coal Energy Power Plant. Currently, neither concrete debris nor bottom ash is used in railway construction. The main objective of this study is to analyse the engineering properties of bottom ash and concrete debris along with the conventional ballast to verify whether the traditional material can be replaced or otherwise. Experiments such as the sieve analysis test, Los Angeles abrasion test, aggregate impact value test and the aggregate crushing value test were conducted to measure the properties. The engineering properties tested in this research are the hardness, toughness and resistance towards impact and crushing of ballast. In terms of gradation, particle size distribution curve was plotted and compared in this research. It was found that the mixture of concrete debris and track ballast in the proportion of 50:50 each has brought some improvement to the properties and tend to behave close to the existing track ballast. The mixture of concrete debris and track ballast also shows that its crushing resistance is better than the existing track ballast. In conclusion, both the waste materials used in this research is highly potential to partially complement traditional material of track ballast.
Stress and Strain Characteristic of Stone Mastic Asphalt Incorporating Eggshell Powder
Authors: Masri K A , Ganesan E , Ramadhansyah P J , Doh S I , Nur Syafiqah S M Z , Mohamed Jaafar Z F , Mashros N
Published: February 2021

Stone mastic asphalt (SMA) is a type of gap graded asphalt mixture. Due to large difference between the gap of large and small size aggregate, this type of mixture suffers a few drawbacks such as low resistance towards permanent deformation. Thus, the usage of ecofriendly and sustainable additive is crucial in enhancing the performance of SMA. Thus, this study is utilizing various amount of eggshell powder as asphalt modifier. Among the tests involve to evaluate the stress-strain characteristic of modified SMA are Resilient Modulus Test and Dynamic Creep Test. From the test, it shows that the addition of 4% eggshell powder produces the highest value of resilient modulus and lowest value of dynamic creep for SMA. In conclusion, this study proves that the eggshell powder is capable in enhancing the performance of SMA especially in terms of permanent deformation resistance.
Performance of asphaltic concrete modified with recycled crushed bricks
Authors: Kharuddin F S , Wan Azahar W N A , Ramadhansyah P J , Hainin M R , Mohamed Jaafar Z F
Published: February 2021

The pavement industry relies greatly on this conventional material in constructing the road. However, the shortage of the mined material has led to the need of finding alternative with local materials to partially substitute the asphalt components. The conventional pavement industry also contributed to thermal and greenhouse emission resulting from the mining activities. In addition, throughout the year, the amount of construction and demolition (C&D) waste generated from civil construction activities particularly in Malaysia is increasing in alarming rate. Recycling the C&D waste specifically in bricks is viewed as reasonable potential as aggregate modifier in the impulse for greener and sustainable asphalt pavement production. In this paper, recycled crushed bricks (RCB) is introduced to bituminous wearing course as partial replacement for coarse aggregates. The coarse aggregate is partially replaced with RCB in proportions of 0%, 10%, 20%, 30% and 40% by weight. This study summarizes the results of laboratory evaluation of Los Angeles Abrasion Value, Aggregate Crushing Value and Marshall Test. Results show that asphaltic concrete modified with 10% RCB has the lowest abrasion and crushing values which were 20.2% and 30% respectively. Similarly, the mix has the highest Marshall Stability and lowest flow which 15.61 kN and 3.37 mm respectively. Thus, partial replacement of coarse aggregates with 10% RCB in bituminous mix is suitable to be used in wearing course and can be used as alternative material in bituminous mix to reduce the dependency on natural aggregates and utilize the C&D waste efficiently.
The effects of nano kaolin clay modified bitumen on the softening point and storage stability
Authors: Mohamed Jaafar Z F , Ramadhansyah P J , Masri K A , Mashros N , Mohd Warid M N , Norhidayah A H , Yaacob H
Published: February 2021

Utilisation of nanomaterials in asphalt binder is widely explored to improve the performance of the bitumen. Among the potential of nanomaterials, nanoclay received much attention as a modifier in bitumen modification due to their low cost of production and abundance in nature especially in tropical country. This study focused on investigating the physical properties of bitumen containing nano kaolin clay (NKC). The NKC were added at different percentages (3%, 5%, 7%, and 9%) for the modified bitumen production. The softening point and storage stability test were carried out in order to study the physical properties of bitumen. The results show that the addition of nano kaolin clay positively impacts the physical performance of the asphalt binder. It is enhancing the stiffness in terms of softening and storage stability value.
Performance of nano kaolin clay modified bitumen under aging through the viscosity
Authors: Mohd Warid M N , Al-Saffar Z H , Ramadhansyah P J , Masri K A , Muzamir H , Mudjanarko S W
Published: February 2021

Increasing traffic volumes and rising cost of bitumen making it necessary to improve the performance of binder through bitumen modification. Nano particle have emerged as the potential solution to greatly enhance the properties of binder. This study explores the potential application of nano kaolin clay (NKC) as a modifier to improve the performance of bitumen incorporating different percentages of NKC. The performance of NKC modified bitumen was assessed using a viscosity and ageing test. The average size of NKC used was 57.7 nm. Then, 0% (control), 3%, 5%, 7% and 9% NKC by weight of bitumen PEN 60/70 was added. Generally, the results reveal that bitumen binder including nano kaolin clay is more effective in improvement the viscosity properties of asphalt before and after aged.
Pervious concrete: the art of improving strength properties
Authors: Rostam N E , Ramadhansyah P J , Othman R , Zack L E H , Mohd Haziman W I
Published: February 2021

Urban cities in Malaysia are highly vulnerable to flash floods due to improper drainage system and the impermeable road surface. The Pervious Concrete (PC) Pavement for urban water management indicates the implementation of this system shows promising results to reduce flash flood volume and among the mitigation that can be applied is by adopting the permeable pavement systems. This was based on a case study of Sponge City in China. Since the properties normally consist of coarse aggregate only / or less fine aggregate to fill in the void structure. Regardless of the high advantage of these systems to reduce the flooding impact, this permeable pavement is known for its lower strength. Due to this fact, it is rare and impossible for this permeable pavement to be utilized at the main road and highway. Whereas, currently in Malaysia, the permeable concrete is only accustomed to light traffic loadings such as walkways and car park. This paper was discussing the way to improve the strength properties of PC pavements with a focus on sustainable development.
Converting Biomass into Bio-Asphalt – A Review
Authors: Mahssin Z Y , Abdul Hassan N , Yaacob H , Puteh M H , Ismail C R , Putra Jaya R , Mohammad Zainol M , Mahmud M Z H
Published: February 2021

The partial substitution of bio-binder for petroleum asphalt binder is possible in the pavement application. Biomass commonly employed renewable energy origin is normally a raw substance used for the production of bio-binder, which includes palm oil, microalgae, soybean oil, vegetable oil, engine oil residue, grape remains, swine waste and many others. This review addresses the diverse bio-oils produced from different biomasses, followed by the properties of bio-oils and performance of bio-asphalt. This review also emphasises on the hydrothermal processing of biomass and the parameters affecting the quality and quantity of the yield for the use in asphalt. Notably, hydrothermal processing is a crucial thermochemical converting procedure employed on biomass into materials or biofuel. Following the aimed products, such as bio-gas, bio-oil, or bio-carbon, the variables selected during the operation (pressure, temperature, and time) is very critical. A notable impact has been placed in assessing a wide range of biomass supplies for hydrothermal processing due to the suitability of the operation for any biomass category. Provided that the majority of the biomass supplies are highly moisturised, the hydrothermal operation is the most efficacious method of processing the supplies. On the other hand, the physical, and rheological properties of the biobinders or bio-asphalt were highlighted and discussed. Majority of the bio-oils were found to improve the low-temperature performance, but reduce the resistance against deformation at high temperature of the bio-asphalt. It was also suggested that further studies should emphasise on the interaction between the asphalt matrix and bio-oils added at the microscale.
Evaluating the Performance of Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement Incorporating PelletRAP as a Rejuvenator
Authors: Al-Saffar Z H , Yaacob H , Mohd Satar M K I , Mohd Usak S N , Jaya R P , Hassan N A , Radeef H R , Warid M N M
Published: February 2021

In the recent years, the use of reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) in the pavement has become inevitable for economic and environmental reasons. However, the brittleness property of aged asphalt in the RAP restrict its usage in a high percentage. Nevertheless, the rejuvenators are introduced into the mixtures to reverse the effect of ageing processes, decrease the stiffness and increase the workability of RAP mixture. In the present research, various percentages of PelletRAP rejuvenator were added to 100% of RAP mixtures. The performance characteristics of rejuvenated mixtures were investigated via resilient modulus (MR), dynamic creep, and wheel tracking tests. The results showed that when the PelletRAP was included into the mixture, the MR values and the creep stiffness modulus (CSM) decreased, while the permanent creep, the creep strain slope (CSS) and the rutting depth increased. However, all the rejuvenated mixtures exhibited better results than that of virgin mixture. Such a trend of findings suggested that PelletRAP can be used as a rejuvenator without a negative effect on the high-temperature performance of asphalt mixtures.
Humidity Sensing Performance of V: TiO2 3D Nanostructure-based Humidity Sensor
Authors: Musa M Z , Mamat M H , Vasimalai N , Shameem Banu I B , Parimon N , Hassan H , Malek M F , Rusop M
Published: February 2021

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) three-dimensional (3D) nanostructure has been prepared and doped with vanadium (V) using a solution immersion method. The resultant material exhibited improved performance in the role of the sensing element in resistive-type humidity sensor. The improvement is attributed to the arrangement of the nanorod structure which appears to be more closely packed in the V-doped TiO2 when compared to the undoped TiO2. Another possible reason is due to the increased of defect sites, namely oxygen vacancies of the V-doped sample which enhance the dissociation of the adsorbed water molecules.
Decision support system using PROMETHEE Algorithm
Authors: Simamora Benget , Amril A , Utami Indah Wahyu , Parwati Komang Shanty Muni , Adhitya Wisnu Rayhan , Afriany Joli , Sukri Saipul Al , Silitonga Desi Asima , Aisyah Siti
Published: February 2021

The aim of this study is to analyze contemporary drinks marketing strategy using decision-making support techniques.. Drinks are a product that can quench thirst. Nowadays, many beverage businesses have sprung up (the term contemporary drink). Today’s drinks are one of the business opportunities for millennials because these drinks can be served practically, creatively, and innovatively. The number of brands and variants of contemporary drinks circulating, which makes it difficult for consumers to choose delicious contemporary drinks. In addition, this analysis can be used as information for those who want to find opportunities in the beverage business. Sources of data were obtained by conducting interviews and giving random questionnaires to 440 respondents of all ages in Pematangsiantar city. In this case, the decision support system technique used is the PROMETHEE (Preference Ranking Organization Method for Enrichment Evaluation) method. The assessment criteria used to assess the best alternative based on consumers are Attractiveness (G1), Product Information (G2), Taste (G3), Packaging (G4). Meanwhile, the alternative drinks that are currently used are Manja Cheese Tea (F1), Nam Nam Thai (F2), Ocha (F3), Es Gandeng (F4), and Es Gak Beres (F5). The results of the study indicate that the F1 alternative (Manja Cheese Tea) with Netflow = 0.08 is the first best alternative, and the F5 alternative (Es Gak Beres) with Netflow = 0.03 is the second-best alternative according to consumer interest. It is hoped that the results of the research can provide information and help consumers in determining current drinks and become information for those who want to find opportunities in the beverage business.