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Full-Text Articles in Civil and Environmental Engineering

A Review Of Life Cycle Assessment Method For Building Industry May 2015

A Review Of Life Cycle Assessment Method For Building Industry

Faculty of Engineering University of Malaya

A recent study suggested that buildings globally consume up to 40% of energy and responsible for half of world greenhouse gas emission. Introducing life cycle assessment (LCA) to the building industry is important because it can measure every environmental impact involved in every process from cradle to grave systematically. Within the last decade, research on LCA has increased covering from construction process to manufacturing of building materials. The methods to assess buildings are diverse as buildings have different functions, materials, sizes and locations. The aim of this article is to review the LCA methods and to distinguish phases and materials …


Synergistic Sonoelectrochemical Removal Of Substituted Phenols: Implications Of Ultrasonic Parameters And Physicochemical Properties May 2015

Synergistic Sonoelectrochemical Removal Of Substituted Phenols: Implications Of Ultrasonic Parameters And Physicochemical Properties

Faculty of Engineering University of Malaya

The effects of ultrasonic conditions and physicochemical properties on the synergistic degradation in synthetic solution were investigated. A wide range of ultrasound frequencies, including 35, 170, 300, 500 and 700 kHz, and ultrasonic power densities, including 11.3, 22.5 and 31.5 W/L were used. It was revealed that the physical effect of ultrasound plays a major role in synergistic mechanism and 35 kHz was found to be the most effective frequency due to its more vigorous physical effect induced by high implosive energy released from collapse of cavitation bubbles. The highest ultrasonic power density (31.5 W/L) showed the highest synergy index …


Prediction Of Unconfined Compressive Strength Of Pulverized Fuel Ash-Cement-Sand Mixture Apr 2015

Prediction Of Unconfined Compressive Strength Of Pulverized Fuel Ash-Cement-Sand Mixture

Faculty of Engineering University of Malaya

Recently, ground improvement has become much more feasible. Chemical stabilization is a quick and affordable approach to enhancing soil characteristics. An important avenue of research is discovering alternative materials for use in soil enhancement. Pulverized fuel ash (PFA), which is a waste byproduct of coal power plants, has been shown to reduce the environmental risks and costs involved in construction. In this study, a series of unconfined compressive tests were performed for various mixtures of cement, PFA, and sand; the tests considered both the curing period and the optimum moisture content (OMC). In addition, multiple variable linear regression was used …


Eggshells: A Novel Bio-Filler For Intumescent Flame-Retardant Coatings Apr 2015

Eggshells: A Novel Bio-Filler For Intumescent Flame-Retardant Coatings

Faculty of Engineering University of Malaya

The aim of this study was to develop intumescent flame-retardant coatings that incorporate chicken eggshell (CES) waste as a novel eco-friendly bio-filler. Three flame-retardant additives, namely, ammonium polyphosphate phase II, pentaerythritol and melamine were mixed with flame-retardant fillers and acrylic binder to synthesize the intumescent coatings. The fire performance of the coatings was evaluated in accordance with 'BS 476: Part 6-Fire Propagation' and 'BS 476: Part 7-Surface Spread of Flame' test standards. It was found that 4 out of 5 of the coated specimens (B, C, D and E) neither showed surface spread of flame nor any afterglow combustion upon …


Flexural Behaviour Of Rc Beams Strengthened With Wire Mesh-Epoxy Composite Mar 2015

Flexural Behaviour Of Rc Beams Strengthened With Wire Mesh-Epoxy Composite

Faculty of Engineering University of Malaya

In this research work, the flexural behaviour of reinforced concrete (RC) beams strengthened with a new type of strengthening material, namely wire mesh-epoxy composite, was investigated. The flexural behaviour of RC beams strengthened using this new material was compared with RC beams strengthened with carbon fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP) sheet. In addition, the structural performance of a beam strengthened using a hybrid of wire mesh-epoxy and CFRP sheet was investigated. The results showed that the use of wire mesh-epoxy composite provides considerable enhancement in the performance of strengthened beams. Compared to CFRP, the wire mesh-epoxy strengthened beams showed more improvement …


Innovative Hybrid Bonding Method For Strengthening Reinforced Concrete Beam In Flexure Mar 2015

Innovative Hybrid Bonding Method For Strengthening Reinforced Concrete Beam In Flexure

Faculty of Engineering University of Malaya

This paper presents the test results of the experimental behavior of reinforced concrete (RC) beams strengthened with the newly proposed hybrid bonding technique, which is the wise combination of plate bonding and near surface mounting (NSM) technique. Many studies have focused on the experimental behavior of RC beams strengthened with externally bonded steel plates. However, the presence of high interfacial shear stresses at the end of the plate may reduce the resistance to failure of the strengthened structure. Recently, to a certain extent, the development of the near surface mounted strengthening technique can reduce the problem of this premature end …


Enhanced Sonocatalytic Treatment Of Ibuprofen By Mechanical Mixing And Reusable Magnetic Core Titanium Dioxide Mar 2015

Enhanced Sonocatalytic Treatment Of Ibuprofen By Mechanical Mixing And Reusable Magnetic Core Titanium Dioxide

Faculty of Engineering University of Malaya

As a reusable sonocatalyst, magnetically separable titanium dioxide (MST) was synthesized by a sol-gel method and was evaluated in the removal of ibuprofen (IBP). MST was carefully characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), N-2 gas isotherms, band-gap energy, magnetization, zeta potential, and particle size distribution. The kinetics of IBP removal by sonolysis or MST-assisted sonocatalysis was systematically evaluated with various operational parameters such as pH, temperature, ultrasound (US) frequency, and mechanical mixing intensity. For the first time, authors found that mechanical mixing had an opposite effect on the oxidation rate constants of IBP removal by sonolysis …


Stiffness Modulus Of Polyethylene Terephthalate Modified Asphalt Mixture: A Statistical Analysis Of The Laboratory Testing Results Mar 2015

Stiffness Modulus Of Polyethylene Terephthalate Modified Asphalt Mixture: A Statistical Analysis Of The Laboratory Testing Results

Faculty of Engineering University of Malaya

Stiffness of asphalt mixture is a fundamental design parameter of flexible pavement. According to literature, stiffness value is very susceptible to environmental and loading conditions. In this paper, effects of applied stress and temperature on the stiffness modulus of unmodified and Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) modified asphalt mixtures were evaluated using Response Surface Methodology (RSM). A quadratic model was successfully fitted to the experimental data. Based on the results achieved in this study, the temperature variation had the highest impact on the mixture's stiffness. Besides, PET content and amount of stress showed to have almost the same effect on the stiffness …


A Review Of Survivability And Remedial Actions Of Tidal Current Turbines Mar 2015

A Review Of Survivability And Remedial Actions Of Tidal Current Turbines

Faculty of Engineering University of Malaya

Tidal current energy is one of the most predictable ocean renewable energies. Survivability of the device used to harness tidal power and its remedial actions are critical to ensure a successful power generation. Marine environment is harsh with the continuous attacks of waves, current saline water and microorganism. Support structures are discussed including gravity base, monopile, tripod/piled jacket and floating structure. Extreme weather increases the wave height and current speed to produce high loading at the turbine. Support structure is designed to sustain the loadings from the extreme weather. Protective seabed unit should be included to prevent the seabed scouring. …


Using Local Stiffness Indicator To Examine The Effect Of Honeycombs On The Flexural Stiffness Of Reinforced Concrete Beams Mar 2015

Using Local Stiffness Indicator To Examine The Effect Of Honeycombs On The Flexural Stiffness Of Reinforced Concrete Beams

Faculty of Engineering University of Malaya

Experimental modal analysis was performed on RC beams with honeycombs. The mode shapes were extracted, and the eigenvectors were used in determining the mode shape equations using nonlinear regression. The equation used in the regression was the generalized solution of transverse vibration of a Bernoulli-Euler prismatic beam. By utilizing the regressed phase variable, the global flexural stiffness was evaluated. It was observed that the global stiffness dropped with increasing volumes of the honeycombs in the beam. The results were compared with values computed using the secant modulus from the load-deflection plot obtained upon loading at each load stage and the …


Optimal Crop Water Allocation Based On Constraint-State Method And Nonnormal Stochastic Variable Mar 2015

Optimal Crop Water Allocation Based On Constraint-State Method And Nonnormal Stochastic Variable

Faculty of Engineering University of Malaya

Integrated and holistic approach of water resources management is important for sustainability. Since the optimum use of water resources needs taking into account different environmental issues. Accordingly, the use of supportive models in decision making as an effective tool is significantly important. To addressing uncertainty in crop water allocation, several methodologies have been proposed. The most of these models consider rainfall as a stochastic variable affecting soil moisture. Applying a new methodology/model while considering the stochastic variable in nonnormal state and uncertainties for both irrigation depth and soil moisture looks more realistic. In this research, a mathematical model was developed …


Application Of A Novel Catalyst In The Esterification Of Mixed Industrial Palm Oil For Biodiesel Production Mar 2015

Application Of A Novel Catalyst In The Esterification Of Mixed Industrial Palm Oil For Biodiesel Production

Faculty of Engineering University of Malaya

Mixed industrial palm oil (MIPO) is proposed in this study as a renewable and agro-industrial raw material to produce biodiesel fuel. MIPO was obtained by mixing of acidic crude palm oil with sludge palm oil. Due to the high level of free fatty acid (FFA) in MIPO (8.5 %), esterification is needed to remove the acidity to the minimum level before biodiesel production. This is the first time 1-propanesulphonic acid (1-PSA) has been introduced as a catalyst for the pretreatment of MIPO. Using optimum conditions, the FFA content was successfully reduced from 8.5 % to less than 1 %. The …


Feasibility Study Of High Volume Slag As Cement Replacement For Sustainable Structural Lightweight Oil Palm Shell Concrete Mar 2015

Feasibility Study Of High Volume Slag As Cement Replacement For Sustainable Structural Lightweight Oil Palm Shell Concrete

Faculty of Engineering University of Malaya

This paper presents a study on the use of high volume slag as a cement replacement material, and waste oil palm shell (OPS) as a lightweight aggregate to produce a sustainable lightweight concrete (LWC). In order to establish the feasibility of such concrete for structural purposes, the first part of the paper deals with the investigation of the mechanical and bond properties of OPS concrete (OPSC) with varying slag content. The results showed that even though an increase in the slag content led to the reduction in the strength, the OPSC with slag as a 60% cement replacement material exhibited …


Feasibility Study Of High Volume Slag As Cement Replacement For Sustainable Structural Lightweight Oil Palm Shell Concrete Mar 2015

Feasibility Study Of High Volume Slag As Cement Replacement For Sustainable Structural Lightweight Oil Palm Shell Concrete

Faculty of Engineering University of Malaya

This paper presents a study on the use of high volume slag as a cement replacement material, and waste oil palm shell (OPS) as a lightweight aggregate to produce a sustainable lightweight concrete (LWC). In order to establish the feasibility of such concrete for structural purposes, the first part of the paper deals with the investigation of the mechanical and bond properties of OPS concrete (OPSC) with varying slag content. The results showed that even though an increase in the slag content led to the reduction in the strength, the OPSC with slag as a 60% cement replacement material exhibited …


The Impacts Of Climate Change Policies On The Transportation Sector Mar 2015

The Impacts Of Climate Change Policies On The Transportation Sector

Faculty of Engineering University of Malaya

This study examines the impact of carbon tax and its alternative, energy tax, on both the Malaysian economy and the transport sector, using a CGE (Computable General Equilibrium) framework. In order to achieve government revenue neutrality, two schemes for revenue recycling, namely lump-sum transfer and labour tax recycling, are employed. The simulation's results show that the carbon tax policy is more effective than the energy tax policy in reducing carbon emissions; because it is less expensive. The negative impact of the carbon tax, on real GDP (Gross Domestic Product) and investment, is less than the energy tax in both recycling …


Kinetics Of Superoxide Ion In Dimethyl Sulfoxide Containing Ionic Liquids Mar 2015

Kinetics Of Superoxide Ion In Dimethyl Sulfoxide Containing Ionic Liquids

Faculty of Engineering University of Malaya

The chemical generation of superoxide ion (O-2 (aEuro cent a')) by dissolving potassium superoxide was investigated. The chemically generated O-2 (aEuro cent a') was then used to study the long-term stability of O-2 (aEuro cent a') in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) containing ionic liquids (ILs) and determine the rate constants based on pseudo 1st- and 2nd-order reactions between the IL and O-2 (aEuro cent a') generated in DMSO. O-2 (aEuro cent a') was unstable in DMSO containing [S-222][TFSI], [DMIm][MS], [BDMIm][TfO], [EMIm][TFSI], [EMIm][MS], [P-14,P-666][TPTP], [P-14,P-666][TFSI], and all pyridinium-based ILs. In contrast, O-2 (aEuro cent a') was very stable in DMSO containing [MOPMPip][TFSI], …


Soft Computing Methodologies For Estimation Of Bridge Girder Forces With Perforations Under Tsunami Wave Loading Mar 2015

Soft Computing Methodologies For Estimation Of Bridge Girder Forces With Perforations Under Tsunami Wave Loading

Faculty of Engineering University of Malaya

Tsunamis pose a great threat to coastal infrastructures. Bridges without adequate provisions for earthquake and tsunami loading generally are vulnerable when a tsunami occurs. During the last two disastrous tsunami events (i.e., the tsunami in the Indian Ocean and the tsunami that struck Japan), many bridges were damaged by the waves created by the tsunamis. In this paper, in order to address this crucial problem, we used soft computing techniques to design and develop a process that simulates the effects of perforations in the girders of bridges on reducing the forces applied on the bridge when a tsunami occurs. Soft …


Stiffness Performance Of Polyethylene Terephthalate Modified Asphalt Mixtures Estimation Using Support Vector Machine-Firefly Algorithm Feb 2015

Stiffness Performance Of Polyethylene Terephthalate Modified Asphalt Mixtures Estimation Using Support Vector Machine-Firefly Algorithm

Faculty of Engineering University of Malaya

Predicting asphalt pavement performance is an important matter which can save cost and energy. To ensure an accurate estimation of performance of the mixtures, new soft computing techniques can be used. In this study, in order to estimate the stiffness property of Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) modified asphalt mixture, different soft computing methods were developed, namely: support vector machine-firefly algorithm (SVM-FFA), genetic programming (GP), artificial neural network (ANN) and support vector machine. The support vector machine-firefly algorithm (SVM-FFA) is a metaheuristic search algorithm developed according to the socially dashing manners of fireflies in nature. To develop the models, experiments were performed. …


Engineering And Sustainability Performance Of Self-Compacting Palm Oil Mill Incinerated Waste Concrete Feb 2015

Engineering And Sustainability Performance Of Self-Compacting Palm Oil Mill Incinerated Waste Concrete

Faculty of Engineering University of Malaya

The different stages in the processing of palm oil generate various types of waste by-products, which have to be disposed of appropriately for a cleaner environment and to reduce pollution. In this study, palm oil clinker (POC), one of the by-products of the palm oil mill, was utilized in the production of self-compacting concrete (SCC). SCC has diverse types of structural application due to its own enhanced self-consolidating behaviour. The proportioning of the mixes was based on particle packing, which integrates both aggregate packing and void volume for a mix of aggregates. Combinations of POC and natural aggregate were studied …


Assessment Of Ghg Emission Reduction Potential From Source-Separated Organic Waste (Sow) Management: Case Study In A Higher Educational Institution In Malaysia Feb 2015

Assessment Of Ghg Emission Reduction Potential From Source-Separated Organic Waste (Sow) Management: Case Study In A Higher Educational Institution In Malaysia

Faculty of Engineering University of Malaya

In Malaysia, the greenhouse gases (GHGs) emissions reduction via composting of source-separated organic waste (SOW) in municipal solid waste (MSW) has not been assessed. Assessment of GHG emissions reduction via composting of SOW is important as environmental impacts from waste management are waste-specific and local-specific. The study presents the case study for potential carbon reduction via composting of SOW in University of Malaya (UM). In this study, a series of calculations were used to evaluate the GHG emission of different SOW management scenarios. The calculations based on IPCC calculation methods (AM0025) include GHGs emissions from landfilling, fuel consumption in transportation …


Lead Sorption By Carbon Nanofibers Grown On Powdered Activated Carbon - Kinetics And Equilibrium Feb 2015

Lead Sorption By Carbon Nanofibers Grown On Powdered Activated Carbon - Kinetics And Equilibrium

Faculty of Engineering University of Malaya

Carbon nanofibers (CNFs) were synthesized by using a safe and less hazardous method, compared to using floating catalysts in chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process. This process used C2H2 as carbon source and oil palm kernel shell-based powdered activated carbon (PAC) as cheap solid substrate. Use of nickel (Ni2+) impregnated PAC as fixed substrate for the synthesis of CNF is one of the novelties of the research work accomplished by the authors. The PAC CNFs porous nanocomposite product was used for the sorption of lead ions (Pb2+) from synthetic aqueous solution. Kinetics of Pb2+ adsorption and isotherms were investigated by varying …


Flexural Behavior Of Engineered Cementitious Composite (Ecc) Slabs With Polyvinyl Alcohol Fibers Jan 2015

Flexural Behavior Of Engineered Cementitious Composite (Ecc) Slabs With Polyvinyl Alcohol Fibers

Faculty of Engineering University of Malaya

This paper investigates the effects of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) fibers on the toughness, compressive and flexural strength of engineered cementitious composite (ECC) cubes and slabs. The key parameter discussed in this study is the reinforcing index. To evaluate the strain-hardening behavior of ECC with different PVA fiber contents, tests were conducted in direct tension. Flexural toughness was also evaluated following ASTM C 1018 procedure and post-cracking strength technique (PCSm). Results showed that the compressive strength decreases as the reinforcing index increases in a nonlinear trend. By increasing the reinforcing index, the first crack load decreases and ultimate strength slightly increases. …


Supplementary Cementitious Materials Origin From Agricultural Wastes - A Review Jan 2015

Supplementary Cementitious Materials Origin From Agricultural Wastes - A Review

Faculty of Engineering University of Malaya

Concrete is heavily used as a construction material in modern society. With the growth in urbanization and industrialization, the demand for concrete is increasing day by-days. Therefore, raw materials and natural resources are required in large quantities for concrete production worldwide. At the same time, a considerable quantity of agricultural waste and other types of solid material disposal are posing serious environmental issues. To minimize and reduce the negative impact of the concrete industry through the explosive usage of raw materials, the use of agricultural wastes as supplementary cementitious materials, the source of which are both reliable and suitable for …


An Efficient Iterative Scheme Using Family Of Chebyshev's Operations Jan 2015

An Efficient Iterative Scheme Using Family Of Chebyshev's Operations

Faculty of Engineering University of Malaya

This paper presents an efficient iterative method originated from the family of Chebyshev's operations for the solution of nonlinear problems. For this aim, the product operation matrix of integration is presented, and therefore the operation of derivative is developed by using Chebyshev wavelet functions of the first and second kind, initially. Later, Chebyshev's iterative method is improved by approximation of the first and second derivatives. The analysis of convergence demonstrates that the method is at least fourth-order convergent. The effectiveness of the proposed scheme is numerically and practically evaluated. It is concluded that it requires the less number of iterations …


A Comparative Study On Optimal Structural Dynamics Using Wavelet Functions Jan 2015

A Comparative Study On Optimal Structural Dynamics Using Wavelet Functions

Faculty of Engineering University of Malaya

Wavelet solution techniques have become the focus of interest among researchers in different disciplines of science and technology. In this paper, implementation of two different wavelet basis functions has been comparatively considered for dynamic analysis of structures. For this aim, computational technique is developed by using free scale of simple Haar wavelet, initially. Later, complex and continuous Chebyshev wavelet basis functions are presented to improve the time history analysis of structures. Free-scaled Chebyshev coefficient matrix and operation of integration are derived to directly approximate displacements of the corresponding system. In addition, stability of responses has been investigated for the proposed …


Automated Serviceability Prediction Of Nsm Strengthened Structure Using A Fuzzy Logic Expert System Jan 2015

Automated Serviceability Prediction Of Nsm Strengthened Structure Using A Fuzzy Logic Expert System

Faculty of Engineering University of Malaya

This paper presents a simplified model using a fuzzy logic approach for predicting the serviceability of reinforced concrete (RC) beams strengthened with near surface mounted (NSM) reinforcement. Existing analytical models lack proper formulations for the prediction of deflection and crack width in NSM strengthened beams. These existing models are based on the externally bonded reinforcement (EBR) technique with fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) laminates, which presents certain limitations for application in predicting the behavior of NSM strengthened beams. In this study seven NSM strengthened RC beams were statically tested under four point bending load. The test variables were strengthening material (steel …


Determination Of The Significant Anthropometry Dimensions For User-Friendly Designs Of Domestic Furniture And Appliances - Experience From A Study In Malaysia Jan 2015

Determination Of The Significant Anthropometry Dimensions For User-Friendly Designs Of Domestic Furniture And Appliances - Experience From A Study In Malaysia

Faculty of Engineering University of Malaya

Future design for the elderly is undoubtedly important for their survival to live independently in this challenging world. Therefore to realize the mentioned design, an anthropometric database for Malaysian elderly population need to be developed. A total of 107 participants took part in the study which involved 61 females and 46 males with ages ranging between 55 and 70 years. An earlier anthropometric database for Malaysian elderly population has been developed. Sixty body dimensions were measured in the study. It is hoped that from this study, the database can be used as a guideline in designing household facilities for the …


Comparative Swot Analysis For Water Solutions In Asia And Africa Jan 2015

Comparative Swot Analysis For Water Solutions In Asia And Africa

Faculty of Engineering University of Malaya

Various scientific and technological based solutions such as virtual water trading, desalination, groundwater extraction and wastewater reuse have been proposed and implemented in many parts of Asia and Africa to relieve water scarcity. This paper applies SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) analysis to examine the suitability of these alternative water solutions to alleviate water scarcity. SWOT analysis proves to be a useful decision making tool as it provides a qualitative approach to simplify multilayer and interdisciplinary problems. The main input for the SWOT analysis consists of knowledge gathered from seven experts in the field of water and environmental sciences. …


Enhancement Of The Mechanical Properties Of Lightweight Oil Palm Shell Concrete Using Rice Husk Ash And Manufactured Sand Jan 2015

Enhancement Of The Mechanical Properties Of Lightweight Oil Palm Shell Concrete Using Rice Husk Ash And Manufactured Sand

Faculty of Engineering University of Malaya

This study explores the use of rice husk ash (RHA) and manufactured sand (M-sand) as replacements for cement and fine aggregate, respectively, in lightweight oil palm shell concrete (OPSC). In the first stage of this study, the effect of various cement replacement levels, with RHA (5%, 10%, 15%, and 20%) and 100% sand replacement with M-sand and quarry dust (QD), on the compressive strength of OPSC was investigated. The results showed that the highest compressive strength of OPSC of about 51.49 MPa was achieved with the use of 15% RHA and M-sand. In the second stage of the work, the …


Airborne Hyperspectral Discrimination Of Tree Species With Different Ages Using Discrete Wavelet Transform Jan 2015

Airborne Hyperspectral Discrimination Of Tree Species With Different Ages Using Discrete Wavelet Transform

Faculty of Engineering University of Malaya

In this article, the capability of discrete wavelet transform (DWT) to discriminate tree species with different ages using airborne hyperspectral remote sensing is investigated. The performance of DWT is compared against commonly used traditional methods, i.e. original reflectance and first and second derivatives. The hyperspectral data are obtained from Thetford forest of the UK, which contains Corsican and Scots pines with different ages and broadleaved tree species. The discrimination is performed by employing three different spectral measurement techniques (SMTs) including Spectral Angle Mapper (SAM), Spectral Information Divergence (SID), and a combination of SAM and SID. Five different mother wavelets with …