bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Are men the missing piece from your well-being jigsaw?
Authors: De Mascia Sharon
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– Questions whether organizational well-being strategies always recognize the differences between men and women when it comes to mental health.

Design/methodology/approach

– Shows why men’s mental health is an area of concern and reveals how to ensure that an organization’s well-being strategy looks after men, as well as women.

Findings

– Describes how the limited research that exists regarding the mental health of men paints a picture of men experiencing mental ill health in a different way from women. This makes it less likely that it will be identified, recognized or addressed using the current “female model” of mental health.

Research limitations/implications

– Advises organizations to: train their managers to recognize the different symptoms of reduced mental health that men present with, so that they can identify when male staff are experiencing mental ill health; raise awareness of the fact that men experience mental ill health and that it is alright to talk about feelings; and remember that men may be very reluctant to talk to someone in the workplace about how they feel and may not want to talk to their doctor for the same reasons.

Practical implications

– Advises organizations to: train their managers to recognize the different symptoms of reduced mental health that men present with, so that they can identify when male staff are experiencing mental ill health; raise awareness of the fact that men experience mental ill health and that it is alright to talk about feelings; and remember that men may be very reluctant to talk to someone in the workplace about how they feel and may not want to talk to their doctor for the same reasons.

Social implications

– Considers that there has been a wealth of research into the mental health of women but still relatively little into the mental health of men.

Originality/value

– Provides a set of practical recommendations for organizations to ensure that they are taking account of the mental health of their male employees.
Measuring team learning behaviours through observing verbal team interaction
Authors: Raes Elisabeth , Boon Anne , Kyndt Eva , Dochy Filip
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– This study aims to explore, as an answer to the observed lack of knowledge about actual team learning behaviours, the characteristics of the actual observed basic team learning behaviours and facilitating team learning behaviours more in-depth of three project teams. Over time, team learning in an organisational context has been investigated more and more. In these studies, there is a dominant focus on team members’ perception of team learning behaviours.

Design/methodology/approach

– A coding schema is created to observe actual team learning behaviours in interaction between team members in two steps: verbal contributions by individual team members are coded to identify the type of sharing behaviour and, when applicable, these individual verbal behaviours are build up to basic and facilitating team learning behaviours. Based on these observations, an analysis of team learning behaviours is conducted to identify the specific characteristics of these behaviours.

Findings

– An important conclusion of this study is the lack of clarity about the line of demarcation between individual contributions and learning behaviours and team learning behaviours. Additionally, it is clear that the conceptualisations of team learning behaviour in previous research neglect to a large extend the nuances and depth of team learning behaviours.

Originality/value

– Due to the innovative approach to study team learning behaviours, this study is of great value to the research field of teamwork for two reasons: the creation of a coding schema to analyse team learning behaviours and the findings that resulted from this approach.
Theoretical framework for performance evaluation of university libraries in India
Authors: Jeevan V K J
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– This paper aims to suggest performance evaluation of university libraries in India using qualitative and quantitative parameters provided by librarians to be collected, analysed and disseminated by a national agency apart from LibQual user surveys.

Design/methodology/approach

– The status about the university libraries in India provided by the Association of Indian Universities publication Universities Handbook would help to assess the quantity and quality of collection and services offered by these libraries. The framework for performance evaluation of university libraries is presented in three heads: parameters, players and procedures. Parameters cover the various qualitative and quantitative data to be collected for the purpose of evaluation. Players include a vast network of institutions involved in this exercise. Among these, the first and foremost is the individual libraries. There should be a national agency to be identified for collecting, analysing and disseminating the consolidated evaluation reports on a national scale. There may also be international agencies or services involved to support and guide user survey such as LibQual. Procedures involve the processes, actions and activities undertaken by the various players to achieve the basic objective of performance evaluation of these university libraries.

Findings

– The performance framework suggested when implemented every year by university libraries present the qualitative and quantitative outcome of their functioning and reveal their worth in the university landscape. This may also aid in planned and organised development of university libraries in the country. The results provided by this exercise should influence judicious collection development decisions and pragmatic information service planning.

Originality/value

– India, perhaps, has the largest number of higher education institutions in the developing world. The national directory Universities Handbook only presents information about library of a university without any attempt to analyse the statistics collected to arrive at national trends or patterns. This may be the first attempt to provide a holistic picture to assess the performance of a varied spectrum of libraries as far as infrastructure, resources and services are concerned.
Electronic and paper based data collection methods in library and information science research
Authors: Tella Adeyinka
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– This study aims to examine a comparative analysis of electronic- and paper-based data collection methods.

Design/methodology/approach

– Survey research approach was adopted to conduct the study. A total of 500 library and information science (LIS) researcher/information professionals selected randomly from seven states in Nigeria represent the sample for the study. A self-designed questionnaire was used to gather data from the respondents. Six objectives were developed to guide the study.

Findings

– The findings reveal that there is preference for paper-based than the electronic-based data collection methods, and similarly, respondents indicated they cannot use any other data collection methods other than paper-based. Electronic data collection method is beneficial in terms of gathering a representative sample within a short period compared to the paper-based method. The researcher has control over access to the survey in the paper-based method compared to the electronic method, and there is opportunity to monitor the progress of the research and clarify ambiguity by the researcher. The electronic method is limited in terms of collecting data from only the respondents who are computer-literate with good Web skills, while the paper-based method is limited by higher attrition rate, money and time consumption.

Research limitations/implications

– The study did not consider the time needed to gather data with each method or the amount of time needed for data entry, cleaning and coding. It is possible that a time-motion study would reveal clear superiority of either one method or the other. The total sample of participants in the study is also limited, considering the total number of LIS researcher/information professionals in Nigeria.

Practical implications

– The study has underlined the value of electronic/Web-based collection as a cost- and time-saving instrument in modern LIS research. Regardless of method and trial, electronic data collection could fulfill in all examined parameters, its promises, realizing cost savings of up to a 50 per cent in comparison with the paper-based data collection method.

Originality/value

– The paper is solely the idea of the author.
Simulation Study on Electrical Resistance Tomography using Metal Wall for Bubble Detection
Authors: Ridzuan Aw Suzanna , Abdul Rahim Ruzairi , Fazalul Rahiman Mohd Hafiz , Mohamad Elmy Johana , Mohd Yunus Fazlul Rahman , Abdul Wahab Yasmin , Fadzil Naizatul Shima , Jamaludin Juliza
Published: September 2015

Industrial process pipelines are mostly known to be constructed from metal which is a conducting material. Bubbles or gas detection are crucial in facilitating the bubble columns performance. By employing the Electrical Resistance Tomography (ERT) technique, a simulation study using COMSOL has been conducted to investigate the effect of excitation strategy, bubble sizes and locations towards the metal wall system. As for the current excitation strategy, conducting boundary protocol has to be applied when it comes to metallic vessel to overcome the grounding effect.  Bubbles with a greater size than 2 mm and especially the one that is located near the wall boundary are much easier to detect. Further potential improvements to the current design and image reconstruction of the ERT system are desirable to improve the detection of small and centred bubble.
Compatible Study on Utilizing Frequency for Non-Invasive Electrical Resistance Tomography Using COMSOL Multiphysics
Authors: Abdul Wahab Yasmin , Abdul Rahim Ruzairi , Fazalul Rahiman Mohd Hafiz , Pei Ling Leow , Ridzuan Aw Suzanna , Mohd Yunus Fazlul Rahman , Abdul Rahim Herlina , Wahid Herman , Sahlan Shafishuhaza , Md. Yunus Mohd Amri , Abdul Wahab Norhaliza , Abd Aziz@Ahmad Azian
Published: September 2015

Non-invasive techniques are widely applied in process plants compared to other sensing techniques. Due to advantages such as preventing corrosion to the sensor and lengthening the sensor lifespan, this technique is also applied in process tomography such as in non-invasive ERT system. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the compatibility of utilizing frequency for non-invasive ERT systems. Based on quasi-static electric fields, one pair of electrodes is used to simulate the optimum frequency for the system. It was firstly derived using a mathematical equation followed by simulation using finite element model software (COMSOL Multiphysics). Results showed that by simulating several frequencies to the system, a minimum frequency that should be applied is 2 MHz to ensure that the real part of the total impedance is dominant and also to neglect the reactance part of the total impedance for the non-invasive ERT system. Thus, the non-invasive ERT system is an alternative way for the industry in monitoring the performance of process plant.
Mobile Inspection Robot for Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) Ducting Systems
Authors: Badrul Hisham Amirah ‘Aisha , Liang Xuan Wong , Ishak Mohamad Hafis Izran , Idris Nurul Hawani , Mohd Nawi Abdullah
Published: September 2015

Indoor air quality is an issue often neglected by the public. One of the main issues is due to the unawareness of importance of scheduled maintenance of Heating, Ventilation and Air Condition (HVAC) ducting systems. A contaminated ventilation duct is able to spread biological and non-biological pollutants throughout the building and result in Sick Building Syndrome (SBS). Accumulated dust can be the spreading medium for contaminants. Moreover, the size of ducts is often small and difficult to be examined. In this paper, a mobile inspection robot solution is developed to overcome the problem. It is equipped with a camera to provide forward vision and a mechanical gripper to take samples of suspected harmful or contagious substances. It is also able to brush off the dust in the duct if necessary. Due to the long distance needed to be travelled by the tethered cable, a User Datagram Protocol (UDP) is used to ensure the command signal. The robot is expected to be able to maneuver in the ducts and capture live video for the operator.
Fixed-point Sensitivity Maps for Image Reconstruction in Tomography
Authors: Amirulah Rahman , Mohd Muji Siti Zarina , Jabbar Mohamad Hairol , Abdul Syaib M. Fadzli , Abdul Rahim Ruzairi , Mahmood Mohd Nasir
Published: September 2015

This study proposes new fixed-point sensitivity maps for image reconstruction in optical tomography systems by using a linear back projection (LBP) algorithm. The projection selected is based on fan beam orientation with 16 pairs of transmitters and receivers. Many optical tomography systems previously published, focused on microcontroller implementations, which have limited processing speed for real time systems to be used in critical applications such as underwater gas transmission pipeline. To gain benefits from parallel processing in digital hardware implementations such as using FPGA or ASIC, slight modification must be done in the reconstructed images mechanism. The normalized sensitivity maps for image reconstruction are recreated without using floating numbers to optimize the digital design implementations. By multiplying the sensitivity maps matrix with 128, the new sensitivity maps matrices are developed and rounding processes are performed to eliminate floating numbers. The error was determined using Normalized Mean Square Error (NMSE) and the results show that the new fixed-point sensitivity maps produced comparable image reconstruction quality for optical tomography systems with NMSE values of 1.88 × 10-7 and 0.02 for phantoms (a) and (b) respectively.
Simulation of Single Channel Magnetic Induction Spectroscopy for Fetal Hypoxia Detection
Authors: Zakaria Zulkarnay , Sarkawi Shazwani , Abdul Jalil Jurimah , Balkhis Ibrahim , Abd Rahim Mohamad Aliff , Mustafa Nazahah , Abdul Rahim Ruzairi , Rahiman Mohd Hafiz Fazalul
Published: September 2015

Conventional fetal scalp blood sampling (FBS) need an invasive measurement to detect fetal hypoxia in fetus. This paper describe non-invasive technique employing single channel magnetic induction technique. The simulation was done to determine the best range of frequency value to detect biological tissue and tested with different value of conductivity value.
Fundamental Sensor Development in Electrical Resistance Tomography
Authors: En Hong Ling , Hj. Abdul Rahim Ruzairi , Ahmad Anita , Md. Yunus Mohd Amri , Aba Khairul Hamimah , Pei Ling Leow , Wahid Herman , Ahmad Nasarudin , Abd Shaib Mohd Fadzli , Abdul Wahab Yasmin , Aw Suzanna Ridzuan , Rahiman Hafiz Fazalul , Zakaria Zulkarnay
Published: September 2015

This paper will provide a fundamental understanding of one of the most commonly used tomography, Electrical Resistance Tomography (ERT). Unlike the other tomography systems, ERT displayed conductivity distribution in the Region of Interest (ROI) and commonly associated to Sensitivity Theorem in their image reconstruction. The fundamental construction of ERT includes a sensor array spaced equally around the imaged object periphery, a Data Acquisition (DAQ), image reconstruction and display system. Four ERT data collection strategies that will be discussed are Adjacent Strategy, Opposite Strategy, Diagonal Strategy and Conducting Boundary Strategy. We will also explain briefly on some of the possible Data Acquisition System (DAQ), forward and inverse problems, different arrangements for conducting and non-conducting pipes and factors that influence sensor arrays selections.
An Experimental Study on Prototype Lightweight Brake Disc for Regenerative Braking
Authors: Sarip Shamsul , J. Day Andrew,
Published: September 2015

Regenerative braking (RB) will minimize duty levels on the brakes, giving advantages including extended brake rotor and friction material life and, more significantly, reduced brake mass and minimised brake pad wear. Thermal performance was a key factor which was studied to measure disc surface temperature using chassis dynamometer in a drag braking with constant speed. The experimental work presented here to find friction coefficient and heat transfer coefficient, and evaluate temperatures for a ventilated brake disc and for a prototype lightweight disc using a Rototest chassis dynamometer. Heat transfer coefficient and friction coefficient of friction material can be determined from cooling analysis.  The results from experiments on a prototype lightweight brake disc were shown to illustrate the effects of RBS/friction combination in terms of weight reduction. The design requirement, including reducing the thickness, would affect the temperature distribution and increase stress at the critical area. Based on the relationship obtained between rotor weight, and thickness, criteria have been established for designing lightweight brake discs in a vehicle with regenerative braking.
A Rectification Strategy In Genetic Algorithms for Academic Timetabling Problem
Authors: Teoh Chong-Keat, , Salihin Ngadiman, , Antoni Wibowo,
Published: September 2015

The university course timetabling problem is both an NP-hard and NP-complete scheduling problem. The nature of the problem concerns with the assignment of lecturers-courses to available teaching space in an academic institution and may take on the form of high school timetabling, examination timetabling or university course timetabling. In this paper, the authors attempt to construct a feasible timetable for a faculty department in a local university in Malaysia which at the present moment; the scheduling task is performed manually by an academic registrar. The feasible timetable is constructed by means of Genetic Algorithm, embedded with a rectification strategy which transforms infeasible timetables into feasible timetables.
Industrial Supplier-Manufacturer Relationship and Environmental Dynamism on Strategic Outsourcing Success: A Conceptual Study
Authors: Hassan Mohamad Ghozali , Rizal Razali Mohammed , Abdul Talib Asmat Nizam
Published: September 2015

Poor outsourcing performance of a manufacturing industry could be improved through relational-oriented exchanges and its antecedents. Researches that examine the link among relational-oriented exchanges and their antecedents, environmental dynamism, and outsourcing performances in the manufacturing industry are still in its early development stage. Owing to high competition and risks in a manufacturing environment, the present study aims at conceptualizing a framework that examines the link between relational-oriented exchanges, the antecedents of relational-oriented exchanges, environmental dynamism, and outsourcing performances by recommending environmental dynamism as a moderator on the link between relational oriented exchanges and outsourcing performances. The research will be beneficial to the practitioners, as it will identify the utilization of environmental dynamism as the supplier’s ability of adapting to novel conditions and to maximize confidence in their partners’ future activities.
The Impact of Industrial Supplier-Manufacturer Relationship on Strategic Outsourcing Success
Authors: Hassan Mohamad Ghozali , Rizal Razali Mohammed , Abdul Talib Asmat Nizam
Published: September 2015

Outsourcing is generally recognized as a strategy for producing cost savings; however, by simply following a traditional cost-focused approach, industries may be missing opportunities to gain further competitive advantage. Similarly, poor outsourcing performance of manufacturing industry could be improved through relational-oriented exchanges and its antecedents. Researches that examine the link among relational-oriented exchanges and their antecedents; and outsourcing performances in the manufacturing industry is still in its early development stage. Owing to high competition and risks in a manufacturing environment, the present study aims at investigating the link between relational-oriented exchanges, the antecedent of relational-oriented exchanges and outsourcing performances. Data was collected from 224 electrical and electronic industries in Malaysia via a postal survey and analyzed by using statistical package for social science (SPSS) version 19. The result of the findings of the investigation revealed that dependence and communication behavior are significantly related to relational-oriented exchanges while trust is insignificant. And also, relational-oriented exchange is directly significant to outsourcing performances.
Synthesis of Graphene Oxide Nanosheets via Modified Hummers’ Method and Its Physicochemical Properties
Authors: Hanifah Mohamad Fahrul Radzi , Jaafar Juhana , Aziz Madzlan , Ismail Ahmad Fauzi , A. Rahman Mukhlis , Othman Mohd Hafiz Dzarfan
Published: September 2015

The efficient synthesis of exfoliated graphene oxide nanosheets (GO) via modified Hummers’ method was successfully carried out. The physicochemical properties of GO were determined by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), UV-visible spectrophotometry (UV-vis), x-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The graphite was fully oxidized by strong oxidizing agent caused the oxygen-containing functional groups such as C-O-C, C=O, and COOH were introduced into the graphite layers as analyzed by Raman and FTIR.  XRD pattern of GO showed 2θ of 12.0o with interlayer spacing ~ 7.37A which describe non uniform crystal structure with the addition of oxygen containing functional groups. UV-vis spectrum of GO exhibit maximum absorption peak at ~ 234 nm corresponding to the aromatic C=C bond with π-π* transition. The morphology of GO was observed to have flake-like shape and less transparent layers by TEM. The properties of synthesized GO suggest high potential in producing the high quality of graphene which is can be applied as the electrocatalyst support for direct methanol fuel cell application.
Model and Analysis of Wind Speed Profile using Artificial Neural Network - Feasibility Study in Peninsular Malaysia
Authors: Kamarudin Muhammad Nizam , Husain Abdul Rashid , Ahmad Mohamad Noh , Mohamed Zaharuddin
Published: September 2015

Accurate modeling of wind speed profile is crucial as the wind speed dynamics are non-deterministic, having chaotic behavior and highly nonlinear in nature. Therefore, obtaining mathematical model of such wind speed profile is rather difficult and vague. In this brief manuscript, the wind speed distribution in Peninsular Malaysia is modeled via the real-time wind data obtained from the Malaysian Meteorological Services (MMS). Artificial neural network (ANN) has been exploited to train the data such that the exact model of wind speed can be identified. The induced wind speed model worthwhile for control engineers to develop control apparatus for wind turbine systems at the selected area of studies. With the wind speed distribution profile, turbine output power can be analyzed and were discussed thoroughly.
Altitude Controller Design for Quadcopter UAV
Authors: Mustapa Muhammad Zaki
Published: September 2015

This paper discusses on attitude control of a quadcopter unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) in real time application. Newton-Euler equation is used to derive the model of system and the model characteristic is analyzed. The paper describes the controller design method for the hovering control of UAV automatic vertical take-off system. In order to take-off the quadcopter and stable the altitude, PID controller has been designed. The scope of study is to develop an altitude controller of the vertical take-off as realistic as possible. The quadcopter flight system has nonlinear characteristics. A simulation is conducted to test and analyze the control performance of the quadcopter model. The simulation was conducted by using Mat-lab Simulink. On the other hand, for the real time application, the PCI-1711 data acquisition card is used as an interface for controller design which routes from Simulink to hardware. This study showed the controller designs are implemented and tuned to the real system using Real Time Windows Target approach by Mat-Lab Simulink.
An Overview of the Management Commitment to Safety Elements for Mitigating Accidents in the Construction Industry
Authors: Abdul Hamid Hamdi , Abdullah @ Mohd Asmoni Mat Naim , Lokman Muhamad Amir Afiq , Shaari Nursyamimi
Published: September 2015

Due to the importance of management commitment to safety for influencing workplace safety performance, this paper aims to investigate the current literatures, prepare a compilation and gap related to the demonstrated management commitment to safety and its elements that mitigate workplace accident in the construction industry through a clearly structural methodological approach. Hundreds of articles were explored using article keyword identified from the literature reviews. The articles abstract were reviewed repeatedly resulted in 61 relevant articles for compilation of management safety commitment including related articles from other industry. The elements of management commitment to safety were identified using content analysis and inductive coding technique. Apart from that, critical analysis was conducted to identify gaps in the literatures. From the content analysis, a total of 19 elements reflected the management commitments to safety were identified. Additionally, it was found that lots of studies have been done on safety commitment in specific aspect but more comprehensive research regarding cause and effect of actual safety commitment is suggested.
A Preliminary Assessment of Energy Consumption Behaviour Pattern and Factors Influence Among Malaysian Higher Education Institutions Students
Authors: Ishak Mohd Hafizal , Sipan Ibrahim , Mar Iman Abdul Hamid , Sapri Maimunah
Published: September 2015

Towards sustainable campus of higher education institutions (HEIs), energy consumption behaviour is one of the several matters that require attention by the facilities manager. Information on energy consumption behaviour helps on developing a good strategy for energy management. The purpose of this study is to assess energy consumption behaviour among Malaysian HEIs student. This study has an objective to determine energy consumption patterns and analyse the factors that influence the pattern. The 'energy culture' framework consolidated with 'centrographic' approach and econometric analysis used to strengthen the findings. A self-administrated survey carried out involving 158 respondents in Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Johor. There are three types of energy use among students in HEIs namely, 'high', 'low', and 'conserve'. The 'device', 'activities' and 'building regulation' are the influence factors on the pattern of energy use.
Local and Global Messages for Prompting Energy Conservation Behaviour: An Experimental Study in University
Authors: Siaw Chui Wee , Weng Wai Choong , Ahmad Rahmalan
Published: September 2015

To create a cost effective environment during the management of building facilities, energy conservation is important among building users as it can help to conserve energy and reduce energy cost. To promote energy conservation, the behavior of user should be focused where their behavior should be improved to reduce energy wastage. Prompt is among the simplest and inexpensive behavioural interventions to improve energy conservation behavior. The prompt has been used wisely in healthcare sectors to promote healthy lifestyles, but no recent study on energy conservation behavior. The aim of this research was to investigate the effectiveness of prompt in prompting energy conservation behavior among the building users in university. An experiment was designed and carried out to examine the effectiveness of local and global types prompt messages for prompting efficiency use of energy. This research findings show that there was no significant difference between local and global types prompt messages, however, the findings indicate that both prompt messages were able to prompt the behavior change among the energy users and local type prompt message was more able to prompt the users than global types prompt messages. This finding could provide the useful information to society nowadays on using prompt to manage the energy efficiently.
Critical Success Factors of Project Quality Management System for Malaysian Construction Industry
Authors: Abdullah @ Mohd Asmoni Mat Naim , Mohammed Abdul Hakim , Lee Yim Mei Janice , Sheau Ting Low
Published: September 2015

This study aims to explore the current implementation of Project Quality Management System and identify critical success factors of project quality management system associated with the indicators for each critical success factor identified. Hundreds of articles searched using keyword of “success factor”, “quality” and “construction” were gathered and analyzed using content analysis method. This research provides a comprehensive compilation of all previous study on the Critical Success Factors for Project Quality Management System implementation, through a clearly structured methodological approach. A total of six critical success factors for project quality management system in construction industry were identified. Each of the critical success factors is associated with three indicators that present evidences of implementation. The findings of this study provide guidance to the organization in implementing project quality management system effectively and efficiently.
Analytical Study of End-Plate Connection on Cruciform Column Section
Authors: Cheik Tan Boon , Ngian Shek Poi , Md Tahir Mahmood , Shin Mu Ker
Published: September 2015

This paper presents an analytical study on flush end-plate (FEP) and extended end-plate (EEP) connections connected to cruciform column section using component method. The objective of this study is to predict the moment resistance and initial stiffness of FEP and EEP connections on cruciform column section. A series of FEP and EEP connections are tested in laboratory. The connection tests consist of four FEP and four EEP specimens with different configuration. Component method outlined in the publication of Steel Construction Institute and British Constructional Steelwork Association are based on BS5950 and Eurocode 3 (EC3) are used to predict the moment resistance and initial stiffness of the tested specimens. The experimental results are then used to validate the analytical predictions. As compare to the experimental results, all moment resistance of the connections coincide well with analytical predictions. Analytical prediction for initial stiffness using EC3 does not show good agreement with the experimental results. This study shows that the component method can be used to predict the moment resistance of FEP and EEP connections on cruciform column section. Further study need to be carried out for initial stiffness to obtain accurate analytical representation.
Load-deformation Behaviour of Eccentrically Loaded SSTT-confined High Strength Concrete Columns
Authors: Chau Khun Ma , Awang Abdullah Zawawi , Omar Wahid
Published: September 2015

The application of steel-straps confinement or better known as steel-strapping tensioning technique (SSTT) has been proven to be effective in increasing the strength and ductility of High-Strength Concrete (HSC) column comparable to Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (FRP).Â  However, most of the research of confined HSC column has mainly concentrated on concentric loading. In actual practical condition, most of the columns are subjected to eccentric loading. The scarcity of the experimental data for eccentric loaded confined HSC column has prevented the potential use of this type of structure element. In this paper, five HSC columns were tested. The specimens were SSTT-confined and tested with 25mm and 50 mm eccentric loading. The results show that SSTT confinement can increase the strength and deformability of high-strength concrete column, although the strain gradient reduces the confining efficiency. Therefore, smaller capacity enhancement factor should be used in eccentrically loaded SSTT-confined HSC columns compared to concentrically loaded columns. Furthermore, the non-linear theoretical model established in this study can be used for templates for future work on SSTT-confined HSC columns.
Mechanical Properties Prediction for Cold-formed Steel Angle Connection with Various Flange Cleat Thickness
Authors: Huei Lee Yeong , Siang Tan Cher , Mohammad Shahrin , Ling Lee Yee
Published: September 2015

Connection is an important element in structural steelwork construction. Eurocode does not provide adequate design information for mechanical properties prediction of top-seat flange cleat connection, especially for thin-walled cold-formed steel structures. Adopting hot-rolled design with neglecting thin-walled behaviour could lead to unsafe or uneconomic design. This research aims to provide accurate mechanical properties prediction for bolted top-seat flange cleat connection in cold-formed steel structures. The scope of work focuses on the effect of various thickness of the flange cleat to the rotational stiffness and strength behaviour of a beam-to-column connection. Experimentally verified and validated finite element modelling technique is applied in the parametric investigation. Two categories of flange cleat thickness, ranged from 2 mm to 40 mm are studied. From the developed numerical models, it is observed that Eurocode has overestimated the initial rotational stiffness prediction, calculated with component method. The over-estimation would influence the overall stiffness of structures and force distribution within the components. As a conclusion, a set of newly proposed accurate predictions for initial rotational stiffness and strength of cold-formed steel top-seat flange cleat connection, with the influence of the thickness of flange cleat is presented.
Push-out Tests of Innovative Shear Connectors Between Cold-formed Steel Section Integrated with Ferrocement Jacket
Authors: Alenezi K. , Tahir M. M. , Alhajri T. , Badr M. R. K. , Mirza J. , Lawan M. M. , Hosseinpour E.
Published: September 2015

Traditional construction materials such as steel and concrete exhibit signs of deterioration over the years. This can be attributed either to the inherent nature of the materials or their weak resistance to adverse the environmental conditions and natural disasters, such as, fires, earth quakes, etc. The use of ferrocement as an external jacket to cold-formed column is presented in this study to provide an alternative solution to existing construction materials. Ferrocement is a special form of reinforced concrete, which exhibits a behavior that differs much from conventional reinforced concrete in strength performance and other potential applications. The use of ferrocement with cold-formed steel as composite column is a new approach to enhance the axial load capacity of the later. Hence, the composite action between ferrocement and cold-formed steel section have to be established by means of understanding the behavior of the proposed shear connectors. In this study, push-out test set-up is proposed for eight specimens with various shear connectorsâ€™ configuration. The utilization of high strength self-compacting ferrocement mortar in the design of cold-formed steel integrated with ferrocement jacket as composite column is proposed. It was observed that ferrocement jacket with 12 mm bolt shear connectors showed the best shear capacity when compared to other proposed shear connectors.
Parametric Analysis of Building Elements on Building Energy Use
Authors: Mohammadpour Atefeh , Mottahedi Mohammad , Shams Amiri Shideh , Asadi Somayeh , Riley David , Shafaghat Arezou
Published: September 2015

Building energy modeling is essential to estimate energy consumption of buildings. Predicting building energy consumption benefits the owners, designers, and facility managers by enabling them to have an overview of building energy consumption and can help them to determine building energy performance during the design phase. This paper focuses on two different shapes of commercial building, H and rectangle to estimate energy consumption in buildings in three different climate zones, cold, hot-humid, and mixed-humid. To address this, DOE-2 building simulation software was used to build and simulate individual commercial building configurations that were generated using Monte Carlo simulation techniques. Ten thousand simulations for each building shape and climate zone were conducted to develop a comprehensive dataset covering the full range of design parameters.Â
Assessment of Cost Escalation factors for Building and Civil Engineering Projects in Nigerian Construction Industry: a Multiple Regression Approach
Authors: Muhammad Nasiru Zakari , Keyvanfar Ali , Abd Majid Muhd Zaimi , Shafaghat Arezou , Magana Aliyu Muhammad , Lawan Hasan , Balubaid Saeed
Published: September 2015

Estimation of cost for building and civil engineering projects with minimum error at the conceptual stage of project development is crucial for planning. This paper evaluated the most significant cost escalation causing factors in building and civil engineering projects. Questionnaires were administered to clients, consultants and contractors to elicit information regarding their opinions with regard to these factors. Mean score value for each factor was determined. Also level of agreement of ranking of such factors between groups was investigated. The results of the analysis show that the most significant causes were the â€œFluctuation of price of materialâ€ and â€œVariationsâ€ with the highest mean score values of 3.9 and 3.73 respectively. Also there was agreement in the opinions between all the groups with regard to these factors. A linear multiple regression models for the prediction of final cost of construction of building and civil engineering projects were developed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS).
Distributed Optical-fibre Strain Sensing in Reinforced Concrete Structures
Authors: Mohamad Hisham , Hong Kueh Ahmad Beng , A Rashid Ahmad Safuan
Published: September 2015

An innovative technique based on optical fibre sensing that allows continuous strain measurement has recently been introduced in structural health monitoring. Known as Brillouin Optical Time-Domain Reflectometry (BOTDR), this distributed sensing technique allows measurement of strain along the full length (up to 10 km) of a suitably installed optical fibre. The sensors can be wrapped around or embedded in structures, where a single optical fibre potentially replaces a very large number of point sensors. The installation of optical fibres in concrete structures involved several procedures such as pre-tensioning of cables, spot-glued or end-clamped onto steel rebars, and the use different types of commercially available optical cables. Such instrumentation techniques must be validated in terms of their measurement performance, which is the aim of this research. This was done through a series of well-instrumented uniaxial load tests of concrete columns. The loading of the structures were performed within the elastic range and later loaded up to failure. The test results revealed that all sensing cables of various types used in this study measured strains of about the same values (within the BOTDR accuracy of 30 microstrains) and were comparable with other independent instrumentation devices. Strain data from the two methods of attachment (spot-glued or end-clamped), either pre-tension or without pre-strain, generally did not indicate any dissimilarity between them. These findings have enabled the establishment of the best practice of field instrumentation consisting fibre optic sensors in the current exploration the use of end-clamping technique.
Effect of Environmental Factors on Knowledge Sharing in Construction Organization
Authors: M. Idris Katun , N. Ali Kherun , U. Aliagha Godwin , Keyvanfar Ali
Published: September 2015

The processes of environmental factors are milieu-focus, whichÂ  can influence the knowledge sharing in construction organization. This study examines the possible effect of environmental factors in respect to managerial leadership, strategy/planning and culture on the relationship to the knowledge sharing.Â  The study was carried out on project managers in construction organizations in Nigeria using a stratified random sample of 323 ofÂ  different designations. A hypothesized model of knowledge sharing, and environmental factors was tested using structural equation modeling approach, and a proposed model was therefore developed. All the factor loadings were significant, leading to a prudent model achievement. The study serves as a guide to the construction managers for sharing knowledge in the construction organization. The finding indicated that environmental factors demonstrated significant influence on knowledge sharing.Â
Identifying the Optimum Locations for Food Industries in Qaemshahr-Iran, Using GIS and Image Processing Techniques
Authors: Hazini Sharifeh , Hashim Mazlan , Rokni Komeil , Shafaghat Arezou
Published: September 2015

Determining optimum locations for an industry is a critical and complex decision for manufacturers. To select a potential site to establish food industries, various criteria should be considered regarding accessibility, delivery, market, and environmental factors. In this study, the weighted overlay method was employed to develop an up-to-date geodatabase providing the potential areas for establishing food industries to assist urban development in Qaemshahr city, Iran. The required data were acquired through various sources including remote sensing, Global Positioning System (GPS), and Geographical Information System (GIS). To achieve the aim, firstly the criteria of food industries settlement in Qaemshahr city have been measures, and the corresponding maps have been prepared. Using weighted overlay method all weighted maps were aggregated and final suitability map was established. Finally, the suitable sites for food industries in Qaemshahr were determined. The results have been validated by experts practicing Qaemshahr urban development. The results showed that around 172 sites are suitable for establishing the food industries in Qaemshahr. Accuracy assessment analysis proved the effectiveness of the achieved results with the accuracy level of 90%. The study concluded that the geodatabase model prepared in this study could be useful for future food industry development plans in Qaemshahr city, Iran.
Towards Sustainable Polymeric Materials: Zero Waste, Green and Self-Healing
Authors: Zhou Kam Chee , Beng Hong Kueh Ahmad
Published: September 2015

Although polymeric materials are widely adopted in various applications, the sustainability of the materials is often controversial, particularly on the current handling of polymeric wastes and the use of non-renewable resources as raw materials. A brief review is hence given to outline recent efforts that promote sustainable value of the materials. The discussion starts with the recycling activities of polymeric wastes. Next, the concept of ecofriendly composites, which include bio-based and biodegradable, is discussed. Then, a note on inclusion of self-healing functionality in polymeric composite that is seen as another promising methodology in meriting the sustainability of polymeric materials is offered. Furthermore, the feasibility and possible improvement of the aforementioned methodologies (i.e. zero waste and green concept) are highlighted and discussed. In conclusion, more research works on the individual or combination of the improved methodologies and a concise evaluator are needed to extend further the sustainable potential of polymeric materials.
Resistance of Concrete Protective Coatings in Different Chemical Environments
Authors: Bibi Tayyaba , Mirza Jahangir , Khan Saba , Hamid Humna , Fida Zanib , Md Tahir Mahmood
Published: September 2015

The objective of this research study was to introduce concrete protective coatings which provide maximum resistance against chemical attacks. The admixtures-silica fume and fly ash were also used to enhance the impermeability of concrete to a greater extent. Tests conducted at various stages of the curing process allowed us to study the destructive and non-destructive strengths of the specimens. The mortar samples were coated with three different types of epoxy coatings and bitumen. They were then subjected to different chemical environments by immersing them in 10% standard solutions of each ammonium nitrate, sodium chloride and sulphuric acid. Drop in strength as a result of chemical exposure was considered as a measure of chemical attack. This was achieved by measuring the drop in compressive strength after 14 and 28 days of chemical exposure. The compressive strength results following chemical exposure indicated that the samples containing silica fume and fly ash (5% replacement of each by weight of cement) and the protective coating Epoxy-2 (E-2) proved to be more resistant to attacks. The control sample (without admixtures) showed a much greater degree of deterioration. Therefore, the application of E-2 coating in addition to silica fume and fly ash was invariably much more effective in improving the compressive strength as well as the resistance of concrete against chemical attacks. The results also indicated that among all the aggressive attacks, the sulphate environment has the most adverse effect on concrete in terms of lowering its strength.
The Study of Ducted Propeller in Propulsion Performance of a Malaysia Fishing Boat
Authors: K. K. Koh , Y. Omar , E. Azreen , K. Nurhaslinda
Published: September 2015

Through the installation of ducted propeller,fishing vessels are able to operate with more towing power and will be more economic in terms of fuel usage. The application of the shroud or ring to the propeller made the propeller more practical for tugs, pushboat, supply ship and trawler. The study of this paper is focused on the propulsive performance by ducted propeller when operating at tow speed and low rpm. From the research on the ducted propeller, the design characteristics such as length-diameter ratio and thickness-length ratio are determine from the chart provided by previous researcher. The design selection of nozzle is done with the use of CFD program, Javafoil to analyze the flows of the profile and it’s characteristic. Model tests were conducted by using a 26m fishing boat model with and without nozzle.It is foundthat by using ducted propeller to a fishing vessel, thrust can be increase up to 23%.
Dynamic Performance Simulation of Hydraulic Transmission for Low Speed Vertical Axis Marine Current Turbine Using MATLAB Simulink
Authors: Souf-Aljen Atef S. , Maimun Adi , Samad Rahim , Jaswar Jaswar
Published: September 2015

For Malaysia, ocean energy can be the best resource of green marine renewable energy. This is for the reason, the generation of the electricity by burning of fossil fuels produces undesired greenhouse gases and moreover the reserves of fossil fuels are being depleted and there is no accurate way to determine how much still remains. Turbines using hydraulic drive are being used for generating electricity by some manufacturers in the wind industry as an alternative to gearbox drive-trains because of reliability issues. Likewise, in the marine renewable sector, hydraulic-drive is an attractive option in terms of improved system efficiency, reliability and robustness. This paper presents a time domain simulation of hydraulic transmissions for Low Speed Vertical Axis Marine Current Turbines (VACT) using MATLAB Simulink software. These turbines are applied to harness marine current energy because of their relative simplicity and represent a promising technology to exploit low speed currents due to their small plants with reduced installation and maintenance costs.