Review of Water Network Analysis and Validation of SCALER Hydraulic Simulator

The article intends to present the validation stage of a software to model and simulate hydraulic networks for water distribution, the SCALER, through its application to a real system, with many branches, with a model previously developed and verified using the EPANET software. SCALER was developed in 2020 and 2021 and, until then, had only been applied to networks with a relatively small number of branches. After discussing topics related to hydraulic modeling of distribution networks, techniques and applications, a brief review of the fundamentals of SCALER is carried out, passing on to its application to the case at hand, which is the Vila Joaniza community, in the municipality of Rio de Janeiro. Data from image, scheme and table are used to assist in the description of the local situation and respective distribution network, with the objective of assessing whether the nodal pressures obtained by SCALER are sufficiently similar to those obtained by EPANET, in order to ensure the proper functioning of the software. After this step, and the calculations have been made by the program, an operation screen, the generated graph of the local situation and a table with the comparison of absolute and percentage deviations between the nodal pressures resulting from the SCALER and those obtained with the EPANET are inserted, confirming that the deviation values are quite small, which validates SCALER as a software also applicable to networks with many branches.

Land Suitability Analysis for Identifying Industrial Zones in Duhok District, Kurdistan Region of Iraq

This process of industrial zones site selection requires to fulfill requirements and standards, simultaneously reducing environmental and public health costs and maximizing technical and economic benefits. A geographic information system was used in this study to evaluate land suitability to propose suitable sites for industrial zones in Duhok district, Kurdistan Region of Iraq. The defined parameters were classified into two groups, specifically, environmental and socioeconomic criteria. The information layers were prepared and were standardized into Boolean logic. The parameters maps were combined using the Boolean logic technique, and the suitability map was achieved on two classes including unsuitable and suitable. The results showed that only about 10% (104 Km2) of the study area was evaluated as suitable areas for industrial zones, which are mainly found in the north, northwest, and central parts of the study area. The results also illustrated that most of the industries within the study area have been located in inappropriate sites which have had a severe impact on the air quality of Duhok city. This paper would present a solution for industrial site selection in Duhok and it is helpful for regional planning of the country.

An Assessment of Labour Productivity Influencing Factors in the Construction Industry: A Case study of Zaria, Nigeria

In this research, factors affecting construction labour productivity in Zaria, Kaduna state was assessed. The research seeks to identify the factors affecting labour productivity in the research area. It is believed that this information will aid site managers and the construction professionals on decisions to take in-order to limit these controlling factors thereby leading to an improved level of efficiency in labour force, increase product labour productivity and reduce cost and time over runs on construction projects. The research adopted a quantitative research approach with the use of questionnaires as an instrument for data collection from site managers at construction sites in Zaria. Sixty-seven questionnaires were administered on construction sites within Zaria and Forty-one were returned giving a sixty-one percent response. The Questionnaire sought to assess the perception of site managers on factors affecting construction labour productivity. Data was analysed using descriptive statistics analysis to obtain frequencies, mean and Relative Importance Index (RII). RII was used to rank the factors. Thirty-Nine out of the Forty-One factors researched indicated high severity with the RII ranging between 0.60 RII < 0.80. The research revealed that external forces tend to affect construction labour productivity more than Site factors and Human Labour Factors. This can be attributed to the fact that site factors and Human Labour factors can be controlled by the site engineers while the external factors cannot be really controlled by the site engineers. The survey also revealed that Rain, Conflict with project stakeholders, Skill of labour, and Financial Crisis had a very high severity in affecting construction labour productivity on the construction sites in Zaria, Kaduna State.

Time Dependent Properties of Concrete: A State of the Art Review

This work summarizes the prediction models for creep strain that taken place in concrete under compression as well as under tension and shear. In literature, many researchers have carried out experimental studies on creep, RILEM has gathered these experimental results within a computerized data bank. This work briefly reviews the most widely used models and can predict observations up to 5000 days assessed by ACI209R-1992 Model, B3 Model, CEB C99 Model, GL 2000 Model, BS 8110 (1985), and AS3600 (1988). Since creep is one of the most important time-dependent properties of concrete as it increases cracking and harmfully distresses the function, durability, and structural appearances. The objective of this work is to understand the behavior of concrete when creep strain takes place at different ages by incorporating spreadsheets which simplify the calculations for engineers when estimating the creep strain for the design purpose. Based on the RILEM data bank, most of the studies confirm that the GL2000 Model is the closest to the experimental results.

Review Investigation in Discovering the Human-Related Role to Shape a Company Competence

The development in globalization helped several states to consider China as a very highly improved country in its expertise, substructure, industrial, and production of belongings and facilities. Despite these signs of progress, there is still an area for investigating the undertaking of an irregular spreading of revenue which has produced party-political and socio-economic problems in the state. The aim of the specified research of determining the character of human resources organization aptitude in carrying growth in initiative competencies to stand in the market. This study concentrated on the qualitative analysis of researches concentrated on strategic and humanoid resource management. An investigation review discovered that these human-correlated managers are a vital obligation in shaping company competencies. Though, as the company saves rising, the performance and progress of workers want to save up the covering global market. Writing some guidance, training, and exercise might be one of the good savings in emerging the competencies. Client allegiance is a powerful issue in company performance.

Material Constitutive Models for Engineered Cementitious Composites

The necessity for realistic constitutive models that represent ECC's behavior under load grows as research in ECC progresses from material creation to structural applications. Constitutive models of ECC can be used to simulate structural responses when paired with the finite element approach. These simulations are helpful in gaining a better understanding of how ECC's unique features, such as tensile ductility and fracture width controlling, may be translated into enhanced structural performance. In this work, phenomenological models for 1D are presented which includes the constitutive models for plain ECC under tension compression, as well as reinforced beams behavior under bending. The models given lay the groundwork for more growth in this subject, which is desperately needed. as result, monotonic loading applications for specific structures showed their variety, weaknesses were also found. These include the tendency to predict a tougher and stronger structural reaction than experimental findings. This is because the multiple cracks can only deform in the opening mode, but not in the sliding mode.

Investigating and analyzing the most important delay causes in Kurdistan Building Construction Projects

The most controversial trouble that happened in the construction projects is Delay. So, the specified research took part to investigate the basic causes in delaying the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. The study gathered information from the insight of contractors, consultants, and owners. A wide literature review has been discussed. The delay causes are recognized built on the identified literature review. These features are characterized into owner-related, consultant-related, contractor-related, material-related, labour and equipment-related, and external-related groups. Twenty- six experienced persons participated in doing the questionnaire surveys to control the relative importance of every cause. The work discovered that the highest five reasons for postponement in building projects are financial difficulties by contractors, variation in prices, postponement in making and appreciative shop diagrams, lack of labour, and mistakes in soil study. Lastly, the probable approaches of dropping plan postponements are suggested. This work helps as a helpful tool for construction experts and academics to prevent reasons for postponement in constructing schemes in Kurdistan.

Landfill Site Selection Using Fuzzy Logic & AHP & WLC (Case study: Razan city - Iran)

The landfill has the potential impacts of environmental pollution if not properly selected, which can be irreparable because the environment and health components are human and other creatures. The ultimate goal Locating the most appropriate place to achieve the fewest adverse effects to the environment and natural resources and economically the most cost and engineering perspective to have the best features. This study aims to locate a place for a landfill in the city of Razan. The ARC GIS 9.3 software and the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) are used. The data layers such as elevation, slope, aspect, soil, climate, and vegetation were determined and collected. Then by using the analytical hierarchy process (AHP), weight parameters were given. Then parameters were standard in the GIS environment. The layers obtained the value by multiplying the analytic hierarchy process and data layers together with (WLC) method, and this is the final layer that can be extracted. The final plan was presented to construct a landfill.

Performance Investigation of refrigerant R-407C as a Replacement to refrigerant R22 in Window Air Conditioner Unit

The present work deal with the experimental study to retrofit the refrigerant R407c with the refrigerant R22 in the air conditioning unit at an ambient temperature range between 30-45°C. The main component of the experimental rig includes a window air conditioner with a refrigeration capacity of 2 Ton refrigeration that used refrigerant R22 as a working fluid in the experimental work. The refrigerant R22 is replaced with refrigerant R407C due to similar operation properties for the two refrigerants. The experimental results displayed the refrigeration effect and coefficient of performance COP of the R22 system are high as with those of the R407C system. The falls in the evaporator and condenser for the R407C system is lower than that of the R22 system. The temperature of discharge in the compressor for the system of refrigerant R22 is greater than that of the R407C system. Moreover, condensation temperature along the tube of the condenser is decreased with the increase of the distance for both refrigerants. The refrigerant R407C may be selected as a good alternate for R22 with an agreement difference in the two refrigerants’ performance. The system did not require replacement for any part of the AC unit.

Determination of the Neck Size between Powders during Sintering Process Using Finite Element Methods

Today, sintering considers one of the significant processes that can be used in powder technology to produce a new solid product from powders using thermal energy. Many parameters can be successfully controlled by this process such as temperature, Particle size, process time, structure geometry, powder density, and powder composition. Study and analysis of the behavior of powder during the sintering process was carried out using finite element methods. The simulation provides two styles of discrete method and Qusi-static method. This research contributes to two types of processes in order to simulate the copper powder during the sintering process and to determine the variation by using contact and shrinkage ratios of powder behaviors. Finally, a comparison between the two styles of discrete element method explains how the selected parameters were impacted on the sintering process.