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Stakeholder Management on Construction Projects: A Key Indicator for Project Success
Joseph Ignatius Teye Buertey,
Daniel Amofa,
Felix Atsrim
Issue:
Volume 4, Issue 4, July 2016
Pages:
117-126
Received:
27 April 2016
Accepted:
9 May 2016
Published:
27 May 2016
Abstract: Participation is now an international agenda for ensuring full representation of people in terms of their ideas, feeling and decision on matters concerning their development. It has been observed that most projects fail after implementation not due to poor execution but rather due poor stakeholder consultation and engagement. The purpose of this study was to determine the barriers to stakeholder involvement in developmental projects at the grassroots level and examine the impact of stakeholder involvement on the success of projects implemented. Data was gathered through structured questionnaires distributed to ordinary citizens, community leaders and local authority staff in selected district assemblies in Ghana. Analysis of structured questionnaires revealed that there was inadequate explanation of the background, technical and material justification for the project to the stakeholders prior to project initiation. Stakeholders held that they had difficulty in participating in technical discussions and there was the perceived unwillingness of project implementers to involve them during decision making, to this end, the impact of stakeholders towards project success was significant. To overcome the challenge of stakeholder involvement and meaningful impact to projects, stakeholders must develop capacities to contribute meaningfully in discussions or delegate their concerns to professional representatives. To this end, projects implementers must acknowledge the value of stakeholders and embark on stakeholder outreach to solicit their involvement for enhanced project success.
Abstract: Participation is now an international agenda for ensuring full representation of people in terms of their ideas, feeling and decision on matters concerning their development. It has been observed that most projects fail after implementation not due to poor execution but rather due poor stakeholder consultation and engagement. The purpose of this st...
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Procurement of Developmental Projects in Ghana: A Literature Review of the Designer-Led System Verses the Producer-Led Systems
Joseph Ignatius Teye Buertey,
Emmanuel Dadadzogbor,
Felix Atsrim
Issue:
Volume 4, Issue 4, July 2016
Pages:
127-142
Received:
21 April 2016
Accepted:
3 May 2016
Published:
1 June 2016
Abstract: Procurement is a very important aspect of the chain link process of infrastructural delivery. Through procurement choices in terms of project delivery and construction technology is agreed by key stakeholders. Irrespective of the concomitant challenges of the traditional Design Bid Build (DBB) method of project delivery commonly employed in Ghana, which has been noted for schedule delay, corruption, cost overrun and low quality; project stakeholders still employ this method in the delivery of over 90% of infrastructural project. The purpose of this review is to advance the reasons for the continuous use of the traditional method of procurement, factors hindering the adoption of other procurement methods and explore the possibility of stakeholders embracing other producer-led procurements. As a qualitative based study, the work was based on extensive desktop literature review from journal, periodicals, articles and previous related works. Findings from the study pointed out that the use of the DBB was basically due to familiarity by stakeholders, the small scale of projects executed in Ghana, the competence and capacity characteristics of the local contractor and the form of contract used in the delivery of construction projects. The study concludes that the construction industry in Ghana is not fully ready for a switch to producer-led system as an alternative to DBB since less than 10% of local contractors have the capacity. Again, most of the high profile firms ready for the adoption of DB are foreign-based firms; a switch would disadvantage the local contractor who lacks the necessary capacity. In conclusion, the Ghanaian contractor needs to build capacity in terms of human and technical skills to help position on the right pedestal.
Abstract: Procurement is a very important aspect of the chain link process of infrastructural delivery. Through procurement choices in terms of project delivery and construction technology is agreed by key stakeholders. Irrespective of the concomitant challenges of the traditional Design Bid Build (DBB) method of project delivery commonly employed in Ghana, ...
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A New Approach to Teach Mechanics of Material Through Touching Experience
Yao George C.,
Kuo Keng-Chang,
Hsueh Cheng-Luen,
Tang Yao
Issue:
Volume 4, Issue 4, July 2016
Pages:
143-148
Received:
1 June 2016
Published:
2 June 2016
Abstract: Recent advancement in building structural analysis by computer has changed the structural analysis work in the building professional. Nowadays, professionals can read output from the computers and will need a good structural concept to judge the validity of the analysis and to verify the calculated result. This change of structural analysis work sequence prompted us to reconsider the pedagogy in the Strength of Material class taught in the Architecture schools at the university level. This paper presents a new pedagogy in teaching Strength of Material class in the Department of Architecture at National Cheng Kung University in Taiwan. This new pedagogy is experiment-oriented in teaching different units of the Strength of Material in contrast to the math-oriented approach popularly used in most of the Engineering schools. New experiments emphasize on visually observable mechanical behavior so that students can visually inspect the deformation of members when subjected to different types of loadings. Three modules, they are lecture, experiment, and public presentation, are designed into the weekly class to enhance learning efficiency.
Abstract: Recent advancement in building structural analysis by computer has changed the structural analysis work in the building professional. Nowadays, professionals can read output from the computers and will need a good structural concept to judge the validity of the analysis and to verify the calculated result. This change of structural analysis work se...
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Research on Pore Water Pressure of Saturated Muck Soil Under Traffic Loading of Low Frequency
Luo Qiyang,
Liu Yongjian,
Zhou Yaoyao,
Wu Jiansheng,
Xie Zhikun
Issue:
Volume 4, Issue 4, July 2016
Pages:
149-158
Received:
1 June 2016
Published:
2 June 2016
Abstract: In order to study the pore water pressure of saturated muck soil under traffic loading of low frequency in Pearl River Delta, the influence of loading frequency, cyclic stress and consolidation on pore water pressure are analyzed. The results show that the final pore water pressure is increased as the frequency decreases, but the increasing rate of pore water pressure is periodical. Moreover, isotropic consolidation can improve the effective stress of soil and slow down the development of pore water pressure, but it is not the key factor. The key factor of influencing the pore water pressure is the cyclic stress, the following is loading frequency, and the consolidation is the last one. In the end, considering cyclic stress, loading frequency and consolidation, a model of pore water pressure based on a math model is built up.
Abstract: In order to study the pore water pressure of saturated muck soil under traffic loading of low frequency in Pearl River Delta, the influence of loading frequency, cyclic stress and consolidation on pore water pressure are analyzed. The results show that the final pore water pressure is increased as the frequency decreases, but the increasing rate of...
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Effect of Drying-Wetting Cycles on Saturated Shear Strength of Undisturbed Residual Soils
Sayem Hossain Md,
Kong Ling-wei,
Yin Song
Issue:
Volume 4, Issue 4, July 2016
Pages:
159-166
Received:
1 June 2016
Published:
2 June 2016
Abstract: Due to world-wide distributions and extensively used as construction materials, geotechnical engineers are interested in understanding the mechanical behavior of residual soils which are sometimes referred in the literature as problematic soils. The climatic zones where residual soils occur are often experienced by many drying-wetting cycles due to seasonal variations. This seasonal variation in the water content termed as drying-wetting cycle is regarded as the most destructive environmental factor that may cause many foundation diseases. Considering these, the purpose of this study is to understand the effects of drying-wetting cycles on saturated shear strength characteristics of undisturbed residual soil. A series of consolidated drained (CD) triaxial tests are conducted on multiple drying-wetting soil specimens to analyze the saturated shear strength. The test results indicate that the stress-strain relationships appear to be strain-hardening. The deviatory stress and initial stiffness of saturated soils increase and the volume of soils becomes contractive as the net normal stress increases but decrease with increasing drying-wetting cycle numbers. The cohesion (cd) and internal friction angle (φd) decrease with increasing cycle number (N) but the attenuation rate of φd is less than cd. The variations of cd and φd with respect to drying-wetting cycles can be expressed by exponential function. The saturated shear strength and it’s attenuation rate due to drying-wetting cycles are analyzed. The effect is more significant for the first cycle and decreases with subsequent cycles and finally reaches to a constant state after 4 cycles. Furthermore, a mathematical function is proposed in this paper which can describe the saturated shear strength attenuation rate of drying-wetting cycle samples. Such studies are useful to understand the possible changes in shear strength behavior of residual soils below the engineering structures that are subject to periodic drying and wetting from climatic variations.
Abstract: Due to world-wide distributions and extensively used as construction materials, geotechnical engineers are interested in understanding the mechanical behavior of residual soils which are sometimes referred in the literature as problematic soils. The climatic zones where residual soils occur are often experienced by many drying-wetting cycles due to...
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Innovative Application of Dispersed Shear Wall to a Kilometer-High Concrete Skyscraper
Issue:
Volume 4, Issue 4, July 2016
Pages:
167-173
Received:
19 April 2016
Accepted:
23 May 2016
Published:
4 June 2016
Abstract: There are numerous structural lateral systems used in high-rise building design such as shear frames, frames with shear core, framed tubes, tube and tube, super frames etc. Generally, the structural systems of tall buildings are considered to be two types. One is interior and the other one is exterior type. A system is categorized as an interior structure when the major parts of the lateral load resisting system are located within the interior of the building. Likewise, if the major parts of the lateral load resisting system are located at the building perimeter, the system is categorized as an exterior structure. In this study it is intended to model an advanced structural system which can be applied to buildings taller than the existing tallest building in the world. In this innovative concept, several parallel shear walls have been arranged in both directions and connected with beams and R.C. floor slabs. The shear walls are continuous down to the base to which they are rigidly attached to form vertical cantilevers. Their high in plane stiffness and strength make them well suited for bracing buildings up to about 278 stories. Fewer widely spaced gravity columns are arranged in the core area of the building to carry floor loads. Because of the absence of core bracing and of a large number of heavy interior columns, the net leasable area for such a building increases. Static and Dynamic analysis (Time History Analysis) has been carried out. The drift by static analysis is 1884 mm which is below the allowable limit of 2001.6mm (If considered H/500, where H is the height of the structure [9]). Also it is found by research that, when this structural arrangement is applied to around 830 meter tall structure with aspect ratio 9.8:1, no additional structural supporting system (like Outriggers, Perimeter Belts, Cross Bracing, Tuned Mass Dampers etc.) is required. This shear walls arrangement is applicable for the tall buildings of any height to avoid additional supports to resist the lateral forces while taking advantage of the creative approach of this unique concept.
Abstract: There are numerous structural lateral systems used in high-rise building design such as shear frames, frames with shear core, framed tubes, tube and tube, super frames etc. Generally, the structural systems of tall buildings are considered to be two types. One is interior and the other one is exterior type. A system is categorized as an interior st...
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Quantitatively Measuring Transportation Network Resilience under Earthquake Uncertainty and Risks
Manzhen Duan,
Dayong Wu,
Bo Dong,
Lin Zhang
Issue:
Volume 4, Issue 4, July 2016
Pages:
174-184
Received:
14 June 2016
Published:
15 June 2016
Abstract: Transportation network faces the possibility of sudden events that disrupts its normal operation, particularly in earthquake prone areas. As the backbone of critical infrastructure lifelines, it is therefore essential that transportation network retains its resilience after disastrous earthquakes to ensure efficient evacuation of at-risk population to safe zones and timely dispatch of emergency response resources to the impacted area. However, predicting transportation network resilience and planning for emergency situations is an extremely challenging problem, particularly under earthquake uncertainty and risks. This paper aims to propose a model to quantify seismic resilience of transportation network. The focus of this model is on generalizing quantitative resilience measures of transportation network response to earthquake risks rather than specifying characteristics of the corridor selections that lead to patterns of the response of each specific road segment. In the model, traffic capacity is selected as resilience measure and three capacity reduction indices are introduced to address the uncertainty and risks from impacted roads, buildings and bridges, respectively. Finally, the proposed models were validated by the 2008 Sichuan Earthquake data.
Abstract: Transportation network faces the possibility of sudden events that disrupts its normal operation, particularly in earthquake prone areas. As the backbone of critical infrastructure lifelines, it is therefore essential that transportation network retains its resilience after disastrous earthquakes to ensure efficient evacuation of at-risk population...
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Use of Limestone Fines to Reduce Permeability of Concrete for Durability Improvement
J. J. Chen,
P. L. Ng,
L. G. Li,
A. K. H. Kwan
Issue:
Volume 4, Issue 4, July 2016
Pages:
185-190
Received:
21 June 2016
Published:
30 June 2016
Abstract: Traditionally, the use of limestone fines (LF) in concrete is to replace either part of the cement or part of the fine aggregate, notwithstanding this, the authors are advocating that the LF should be better used as cement paste replacement, which is expected to improve the durability and sustainability of concrete at the same time. To verify this new strategy of using LF, 9 nos. concrete mixes of the same powder paste volume ratio and variable LF contents and W/C ratios were produced for permeability and strength measurement. The results proved that the strategy of using LF to partially replace cement paste could effectively decrease the permeability and increase the strength at the same W/C ratio. Furthermore, even when the W/C ratio is allowed to slightly increase while keeping the concrete at the same strength, the permeability can also be significantly reduced for better durability by using LF as cement paste replacement.
Abstract: Traditionally, the use of limestone fines (LF) in concrete is to replace either part of the cement or part of the fine aggregate, notwithstanding this, the authors are advocating that the LF should be better used as cement paste replacement, which is expected to improve the durability and sustainability of concrete at the same time. To verify this ...
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Characteristics Analysis of Load Caused by Punching Pile Construction of Highway Bridge Pile Foundation
Issue:
Volume 4, Issue 4, July 2016
Pages:
191-197
Received:
1 July 2016
Published:
11 July 2016
Abstract: The characteristics of impact loads caused by punching pile construction of highway bridge pile foundation and the propagation law of vibration wave in the soil were researched. Combined with site monitoring vibration signal which is generated by the bridge pile foundation construction of Zhang Shi Expressway across the Shaanxi Beijing pipeline, signal waveforms of the punching pile construction and blasting construction were analyzed contrastively. It expounded the characteristics of impact loads, and deduced the mathematical expressions of impact loads. On the basis of the analysis model, through the numerical simulation, the propagation law of vibration wave in the soil caused by the impacting point source excitation was revealed. Thus, it indicates that because of the buried pipeline, the local gradient of vibration wave velocity field increased in the area between the vibration source and the pipeline, but decreased in the far direction.
Abstract: The characteristics of impact loads caused by punching pile construction of highway bridge pile foundation and the propagation law of vibration wave in the soil were researched. Combined with site monitoring vibration signal which is generated by the bridge pile foundation construction of Zhang Shi Expressway across the Shaanxi Beijing pipeline, si...
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Investigation into COD Component in the Wastewater at Sea Reclamation Waste Disposal Site and Its Influence on the Coagulation-Sedimentation and the Activated Carbon Adsorption
Chen Huang,
Seiichi Ishikawa,
Wei Xie,
Mahmoud Abuobiedah,
Syun Tomita,
Kiyoshi Mitsui,
Junji Nakanishi,
Teiji Tanizaki,
Jian Huang
Issue:
Volume 4, Issue 4, July 2016
Pages:
198-204
Received:
10 July 2016
Published:
11 July 2016
Abstract: The relationship between COD component and the Coagulation-Sedimentation or the activated carbon adsorption, which were performed at the existing effluent water treatment facility, was investigated effectively to treat COD of the wastewater at the sea reclamation waste disposal site. COD could decrease by only bubbling because COD except for organic matters was contained in waste and wastewater. It is effective to measure the ion property of organic-COD in some waste and select an adequate coagulant. However, it was not necessary that the ion property was related to COD removal ratio. In the activated carbon adsorption, the batch method was very effective but it is necessary to examine the solid-liquid separation after the treatment. Besides, the classification of disposal site for COD treatment and the introduction of the additional charge system calculated on the effluent treatment cost were considered.
Abstract: The relationship between COD component and the Coagulation-Sedimentation or the activated carbon adsorption, which were performed at the existing effluent water treatment facility, was investigated effectively to treat COD of the wastewater at the sea reclamation waste disposal site. COD could decrease by only bubbling because COD except for organi...
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