Engineering Commons^™

Redesign Of Product Packaging With Kansei Engineering: Empirical Study On Small-Medium Enterprises In Indonesia, Amalia Suzianti, A. Aldianto

Makara Journal of Technology

Small-medium enterprises (SMEs) in Indonesia have been proven to be one of the important pillars of the national economy. Unfortunately, some problems hinder their development, and one of the critical problems is the quality of product packaging. The packages of SME products are considered poor, dirty, and unattractive. Packaging problem is one of the factors why consumers are less interested in buying and why SME products always lose in the competition with other products. This study discusses how to employ Kansei engineering to design better SME product packaging with a focus on psychological (affective) aspects. This research concludes that there …

Effect Of Pvdf-Ca Ratio On Electrospun Membrane For Water–Oil Filtration Application, Mohamad Haziq Alias, Izan Izwan Misnon, Rajan Jose

Makara Journal of Technology

Oil spillage and generation of industrial water–oil wastewater mixture ignite a focus on filtration technology. Electrospinning technique provides a versatile route in producing tunable diameter and pores in nanofiber filtration membrane development. In this work, polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF) and cellulose acetate (CA) electrospun membrane at different concentration ratios were synthesized for water–oil filtration application. The polymeric solutions were characterized using viscometer and conductivity testing, whereas the membranes were analyzed using contact angle, tensile test, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and filtration testing of oil (dichloromethane). Conductivity test showed a decreased conductivity along with decrement of CA ratio in the polymeric solution. …

Performance-Shaping Factors Of Personnel Performing Evacuation And Escape On Offshore Installations In Tropical, Norafneeza Norazahar, Nur Azizah Arryanie Morshidi, Arshad Ahmad, Wijayanuddin Mohd Ali

Makara Journal of Technology

Performance-shaping factors (PSFs) are used to address the strengths and weaknesses of workers performing escape and evacuation activities. These PSFs are time, environmental factors as stressors, complexity of activities, experiences and training, interaction between workers and emergency equipment, workers’ physical conditions, and procedures. This paper presents a survey work on fitness for the duty of workers performing basic offshore survival and emergency response training. The training provides credible scenarios of escape and evacuation in case of an emergency of offshore installations in tropical waters. The survey is conducted among participants of the tropical basic offshore safety induction & emergency training …

Determination Of Construction Site Elevations Using Drone Technology, Yuhan Jiang, Yong Bai

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Image-based 3D-reconstruction techniques, such as drone photogrammetry, have been adopted to various construction operations. The challenge is determining the construction site elevation, which is the vertical distance from the ground to the camera, in real-time. This paper presents the research results of using two frame drone-based ortho-images to estimate the elevation of a construction site. This idea is derived from the stereo vision model for measuring distance of indoor scenes. The spatial resolution of the stereo vision is a positive correlation with its baseline, the distance between two cameras. However, a large baseline stereo cameras system is impossible for a …

Comparative Transport Of Legionella And E. Coli Through Saturated Porous Media In A Two-Dimensional Tank, Indrayudh Mondal, Jazlyn Acosta, Absar Alum, Brooke K. Mayer, Paul Dahlen, Morteza Abbaszadegan

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

This study investigated bacterial transport in a two-dimensional (2-D) tank to evaluate the bacterial behavior of Legionella pneumophila as compared to Escherichia coli under saturated flow to simulate aquifer conditions. The experiments were performed in a 2-D tank packed with 3700 in³ (60,632 cm³) of commercially available bagged play sand under saturated conditions. The tank was disinfected by backwashing with 10% chlorine solution and subsequently neutralized by backwashing with tap water containing sodium thiosulphate (Na₂S₂O₃) to ensure no chlorine residual. Bacterial transport was measured using samples collected from ports located at …

Determining Ground Elevations Covered By Vegetation On Construction Sites Using Drone-Based Orthoimage And Convolutional Neural Network, Yuhan Jiang, Yong Bai, Sisi Han

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Three-dimensional (3D) surveying of a construction site using an image-based method may produce incorrect ground elevation results at vegetation-covered regions, because the light rays are reflected on the surface of vegetation in front of the “truth” ground. This paper presents a convolutional neural network (CNN) method to identify and locate static vegetation using drone-based high-resolution orthoimages. The developed CNN-based image classification models are supplemented with an overlapping disassembling algorithm to generate , , , or small-patches as model inputs. The training datasets are 10 pairs of orthoimage and label-image dataset. Experimental results show that cropping a high-resolution image into 9,025 …

Bs News November/December

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

Bond Behavior Of Fabric Reinforced Geopolymeric Matrix-Concrete Joints, Feras Farid Tawfiq Abu Obaida

Civil and Environmental Theses

This research aimed to examine the potential use of a geopolymeric matrix as a sustainable alternative to commercial mortars in carbon fabric-reinforced matrix composites. Single-lap shear tests were conducted to examine the bond behavior at the fabric-matrix interface. Test parameters included the type of matrix (geopolymeric and cementitious matrices), the type of fabric (unidirectional and bidirectional) and the bonded length (50 to 300 mm). The geopolymeric matrix was a blend of fly ash/ground granulated blast furnace slag activated by an alkaline solution of sodium silicate and sodium hydroxide. The bond behavior of the geopolymeric-matrix specimens was characterized and compared to …

Level Of Science Achievement: Basis For The Production Of Strategic Intervention Materials (Sims), Febbie C. Verano, Sheena Mae T. Comighud

UBT International Conference

This research used the descriptive method to determine the level of Science Achievement of Grade VI Pupils: Basis for Production of Strategic Intervention Materials in Bayawan City East Central School, Bayawan City Division during the SY 2019-2020. The quantitative data were gathered from 134 pupils of Bayawan City East Central School, Bayawan City Division during the SY 2019-2020. Also, the researcher conducted a survey questionnaire. Descriptive method was used in this study. The statistical tools used in the analysis of the data were percentage, frequency, mean, weighted mean, and z-test. The study found out that the level of Science Achievement …

Seismic Activity And Essential Seismological Characteristics Of The Kosovo Territory, Shemsi Mustafa, Visar Krelani, Lulzim Beqiri, Besian Sinani

UBT International Conference

In this scientific work presented are Seismic basic characteristics. Reliable seismic hazard assessment depends mainly on the level of consistency, quality and amount of data in earthquake catalogues. The lack of good seismic activity data may often affect the quality of the assessment. This short review of the seismic activity affecting the territory of Kosovo throughout the time, points out that this region should be considered having high seismic hazard potential. Having in mind that in the last two decades, the region is undergoing very fast urbanization characterized with extensive infrastructure development and building modern high rise structures with different …

Pros And Cons For The Incineration Of Solid Waste, Kostandin Kristo

UBT International Conference

According to the latest calculations , the world is currently producing about 1.3 billion tons of garbage every year .Putting that in perspective , if we took all the human beings on the planet and placed them on an impossibly gigantic scale ,their combined weight would only be one –quarter of that amount . Unfortunately –or perhaps ominously is the better word –about 60 percent of this garbage will end up in landfills , which are multiplying globally as a pace that neraly matches the reproduction rate of the rat populations that live in them . Dumping and burying everything …

Awareness And Implementation Of Solid Waste Management (Swm) Practices, Emerson N. Lalamonan, Sheena Mae T. Comighud

UBT International Conference

This research used the descriptive-correlational method to determine the level of respondents’ awareness and extent of implementation of Solid Waste Management (SWM) Practices in District 2, Bayawan City Division, Negros Oriental, Philippines for SY 2018-2019 in terms of the areas of segregation, reduce, reuse, recycle, and disposal. The quantitative data were gathered from 81 teachers and 189 students. Also, a survey questionnaire was utilized by the researcher. The statistical tools used in the analysis of the data were weighted mean, mean, and spearman rank correlation. The results revealed that the level of respondents’ awareness on SWM Practices as both perceived …

Building Materials And Environmental Indicators For Urban Planning-Exposure, Afrim Syla

UBT International Conference

Sustainable development is a key component in urban studies. The sustainability of buildings has become a headline topic in recent years. Buildings do not exist in isolation from their environment, however, but are integrated with infrastructure. In defining sustainable buildings, the issue arises how to incorporate the influences of not only user behavior, building design and technologies, but the associated infrastructure that comprises the entire built environment. The built environment considered here includes all buildings and infrastructure, and in this context, comprises approximately 10% of global GDP. The building and construction sector alone is not only the largest consumer of …

Transportation Demand Management Through Physical Improvements: The Case Of Pristina, Seda Hatipoğlu, Beni Kizolli

UBT International Conference

In developing countries, the fact that public transportation services have not exceeded a certain level increases the use of the private vehicle as a type of transportation in urban transportation day by day. Insufficient road and parking problem is a significant obstacle in the solution of traffic problems for years. The institutions responsible for solving traffic problems have often made intractable urban traffic problems with the understanding of the necessity of high-cost investments. In this context, despite the traditional understanding, "Transportation Demand Management" strategies developed within the framework of new approaches, evaluates the problem through the outline of existing infrastructure …

Water Reuse In Collective And Business Buildings, Blertë Retkoceri, Skender Bublaku

UBT International Conference

Kosovo is estimated to have limited surface and subsurface water resources and is classified as such in a group of water stress states. To meet the shortages of these resources but also for environmental and economic reasons, water reuse is now considered as a good opportunity to meet the shortages. Reuse is defined as the reuse of water used by objects, water that can be collected from roofs, other surface and groundwater in and around objects. This paper deals with Object IV on the UBT Campus in Lipjan and analyzes the feasibility of meeting the water requirement from the facility's …

Rehabilitation And Optimization Of The Water Supply Distribution Network Of Durrës, Andrin Kërpaçi, Ilir Abdullahu

UBT International Conference

The condition of the water supply and the actual functioning of the distribution network in Durres area are inadequate to sustain demand at an acceptable level of service for all the billing zones.The distribution network of Durres city is fed at one point (Xhafzotaj junction) for 300-350 l/s with an elevation of about 50 m asl. The planned new transmission line has a diameter of 700 mm and will bring extra 630 l/s.The water distribution systems are one of the vital urban infrastructures and their operationwith a high level of service are of high importance.Many phenomena in water supply systems …

The Effect Of Concrete Sample Size In The Compressive Strength Value Of Concrete, Erion Luga, Erion Periku, Paulin Sheperi

UBT International Conference

Concrete is one of the most widely used construction materials. Compressive strength is one of the most important properties of hardened concrete. Different codes use different standards to define the characteristic strength. Albania nowadays is adapting the EN standards, but previously it used to apply the local code KTP. According to KTP standards the concrete samples were cubic specimens of 200mm side length. This study is an attempt to analyse the relation between sample size and compressive strength values of concrete specimens. For this purpose, 4 concrete classes of C8/10, C16/20, C20/25, C30/37 and 5 different cubic sizes of 50, …

Practicing Professional Ethics In Engineering: How This Field Is Developed And Its Importance, Ragip Behrami, Ilir Hetemi, Arton Qorri

UBT International Conference

Many associations of engineers around the world have worked to develop rules in an effort to regulate the ethical practice of the engineer’s profession. These rules are usually referred as Code of Ethics for Engineers and tries to explain how an engineer must practice his work with professional ethics. The purpose of this paper is to show, in informative form, how this field has developed around the world and to emphasize the importance of implementing these rules during the practice of the profession of engineer.

Industrial Archeology In The City Of Gjirokastra Seen From A Structural Perspective, Egla Luca

UBT International Conference

The industrial development in Albania arrived late. On the eve of independence, back in the early 1900s, the country was essentially an agricultural economy. The industrialization of the country span a period of almost 150 years starting from the earlier industrial traces to the end of the communist era. The industry helped to form the country's modern image, awareness, and understanding about the role of industrialization; and monuments that it left behind and the communities it has managed to build, and created opportunities to better known themselves/ourselves. (Luca, 2017) This paper is focused on the Industrial Archeology of the City …

Minlp Optimization Of Structures, Stojan Kravanja, Tomaž Žula

UBT International Conference

The paper discusses the mixed-integer non-linear programming (MINLP) approach to the optimization of structures. The MINLP is an optimization technique which is able to solve non-linear and discrete optimization problems. It calculates continuous variables (loads, dimensions, stresses, deflections, costs) and discrete variables (topology, standard sections, material grades). The MINLP optimization model of a structure should be developed. In the model, an objective function is subjected to structural analysis and dimensioning constraints in order to satisfied ultimate and serviceability limit states according to Eurocodes. Appropriate MINLP algorithms and strategies are used to solve the defined MINLP problem. Two numerical examples are …

Differences Of Lateral Behavior Of Buildings With Rc Slabs Without Beams Vs. Rc Slabs With Beams, Ilir Hetemi, Arbnor Hetemi

UBT International Conference

Lateral behavior of RC Buildings is a great importance when it is in question the earthquake happening, so in this paper are presented the differences between buildings which have slabs without beams compared with those that in their slabs have included beams. Analysis is done for low and middle rise building, because these buildings are predominant in our region. The reason why we have analyzed here the lateral behavior of such cases is due to the fact that nowadays around us are used so many building using slabs without beams because they represent a flexible solution in functional organizing the …

Experimental And Numerical Characterization Of Ultralow-Cycle Fatigue Behavior Of Slit Dampers, Ferit Gashi, Fransesco Petrini, Franco Bontempi

UBT International Conference

Slit Damper devices (SDs) have been increasingly studied in last years for they implementation in building constructions to enhance the seismic resistance of structures. SDs are designed as yielding fuses that dissipate energy through large inelastic deformations, while the rest of the structure remains mainly elastic. They are mainly implemented in structural connections at pre-identified locations along the structure and should be able to sustain as much hysteretic cycles as possible before material collapse or fatigue failure in order to prevent local collapses and consequent loss of dissipative capacity. In this paper, finite element (FE) detailed models of single SD …

Design Upgrade For The Hybrid Glulam-Steel Roof Structure Of The Sports Hall For The New High School In Graçanica, Bledian Nela

UBT International Conference

This paper presents the design upgrade of the roof structure for a sports hall which consists of coupled glulam beams with steel substructure. The initial design has foreseen main glulam beams which are coupled with steel trusses and strengthened with rigid steel bars over the entire length. Due to some construction issues and design misinterpretation, the as-built structure did not follow completely the design and reinforcement rebars have been used instead of steel bars intended to be acting as steel ties. A design upgrade was required to preserve the main structure of the roof established with glulam beams, purlins and …

Design Optimization Of Steel Building Using Minlp, Tomaž Žula

UBT International Conference

The paper presents the design optimization of the steel building. The structure consists of the main portal frames, which are mutually connected with the purlins. It is proposed that all structural elements are constructed from standard hot rolled IPE sections. The structural optimization is calculated by the mixed-integer non-linear programming approach, MINLP. The dimensioning of steel members is carried out in accordance with the design specifications of Eurocode 3. The Modified Outer-Approximation/Equality-Relaxation (OA/ER) algorithm, a three-phase MINLP strategy and a special prescreening procedure of discrete alternatives are used for the optimization. In addition to the optimal structural mass, the optimal …

Passive Control Of Structures – The Dynamic Case, F. H. Selmani

UBT International Conference

Lately, powerful earthquakes stroke some parts of the world, while the Balkan peninsula was hit by moderate ones. During a powerful earthquake, a building structure is invaded by an enormous quantity of kinetic energy . From the manner this energy is, first absorbed, then dissipated throughout building structure depends, not only the reaction of structure as a whole, or structural elements in particular, but the nature, the distribution and the quantity of the damages also. As Nikola Tesla once quoted: “If you want to find the secrets of universe, think in terms of energy, frequency and vibration”. In order to …

Damage Observed In Structures Of Different Types During The Inspection After The Durrës Earthquake Of 26.11.2019 And Proposals For Their Repair, Arsim Rapuca, Naim Mushi

UBT International Conference

During the inspection of various construction structures such as: school buildings, houses, multi-storey buildings, etc. of different structural systems after the Durrës earthquake of 26.11.2019, various damages were observed in structural and non-structural elements. Damages were of various natures such as: defects during the implementation of structures, defects in the quality of materials, construction of additional floors on existing ones, use of structures with poor ductility such as massive masonry systems, negligence of supervision or construction without supervision, etc. In reinforced concrete structures, damage to the ground floor columns (mainly in plastic hinge regions), damage to the protective layers of …

Failure Sampling With Optimized Ensemble Approach For The Structural Reliability Analysis Of Complex Problems, Christopher Eamon, Kapil Patki, Ahmad Alsendi

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research Publications

Failure sampling is a structural reliability method based on modified conditional expectation suitable for complex problems for which reliability index-based approaches are inapplicable and simulation is needed. Such problems tend to have non-smooth limit state boundaries or are otherwise highly nonlinear. Previous studies recommended implementation of failure sampling with an extrapolation technique using Johnson's distribution or the generalized lambda distribution. However, what implementation method works best is problem dependent. The uncertainty of which approach provides best results for a particular problem limits the potential effectiveness of the method. In this study, a solution is proposed to this issue that eliminates …

Strength Restoration Of Corrosion Damaged Piles Repaired With Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer Systems, Jethro Clarke

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Of the 12,741 bridges accounted for by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), approximately 50% were built between the 1950s and 1960s. During this period, bridges were typically constructed in coastal environments using pile bents. Now, the main threat to bridges in these environments is corrosion, which occurs in the splash zones of most bridge piles. These zones contain high concentrations of chlorides, oxygen and moisture, the corner stones of a highly corrosive environment. Corrosion compromises steel reinforcement in these areas leading to cracking, spalling and an inevitable loss of capacity.

In recent years, significant strides have been made in …

Retrospective Analysis Of Participatory Decision-Making In A Park's Construction In Lafayette, Indiana, Joshua Randall

Purdue Journal of Service-Learning and International Engagement

The Creative Park project has been an ongoing collaboration between Purdue Engineering Projects in Community Service (EPICS), Faith Community Development Corporation, and the residents of Lincoln Neighborhood in Lafayette, Indiana. It was initiated by Faith in 2017 as an open-ended attempt to increase local children’s interactions with creative and complex thinking as well as decreasing time spent indoors at the Hartford Hub. Through several iterations of designs, an interdisciplinary team with one consistent member has developed a plan to build a treehouse-themed park to be constructed in spring 2020. Throughout this time two major themes have arisen: that the collaboration …

Strategies For Managing The Colorado River In An Uncertain Future, Jian Wang

All ECSTATIC Materials

Colorado River managers face a deeply uncertain future. Projections of declining watershed runoff are likely to necessitate restructuring of the present interpretation of the Law of the River that allocates water supply among Mexico and the seven states of the Basin. Additionally, the magnitude and distribution of consumptive uses of water will change. Outcomes for river and reservoir ecosystems are poorly predicted. How should we make better decisions given these uncertain factors? To help answer this question and expand conversation about the Colorado River management issues, we (1) classify different levels of uncertainty to guide decisions about which modeling tools …