This study investigates the thermal conductivity of lightweight solid bricks made from waste mixtures and evaluates their impact on building energy efficiency. The waste materials used in the brick mixtures include plastic, paper, rice husks, wood shavings, and coconut fibers, with cement and sand as primary components. Seven variations of these mixtures were analyzed, and thermal conductivity measurements were conducted using a Quick Thermal Conductivity Meter, supplemented by theoretical calculations based on the general heat transfer equation. The study also applied the Overall Thermal Transfer Value (OTTV) method to assess the bricks' contribution to energy efficiency, incorporating them into cube-shaped and office building models. The results reveal that the thermal conductivity of the bricks ranges from 0.48 to 0.82 W/m°C, with porosity values between 12% and 26%. Compared to conventional bricks, those incorporating waste materials demonstrate a modest improvement in energy efficiency, reducing the OTTV by 5% to 13% in cube-shaped models and by 0.2% to 0.69% in office buildings. These findings suggest that while the bricks made from waste mixtures provide some benefits in terms of energy efficiency, further optimization of the material composition is necessary to achieve more substantial improvements.

Traditional methods of construction monitoring rely heavily on manual data entry and 2D drawings, leading to significant inaccuracies and inefficiencies. These challenges include difficulties in tracking progress, potential human errors, and limited alignment with earned value analysis (EVA). Building Information Modeling (BIM) is expected to address these issues. This paper proposes a BIM-based Earned Value Analysis System (BEVAS) which comprises three modules: 1) BIM Model Requirement module specifies that the 3D model should be validated using clash detection and contain parameters for progress input; 2) Progress Data Entry module describes how progress data is inputted, while 3) Earned Value Analysis and Report module details the process of transferring from the 3D model to project control databases and analyzing it using earned value analysis, generating visual and quantitative reports. BEVAS is validated through a case study of a 3-story building, demonstrating its capability in both progress monitoring and earned value analysis. This system has shown significant improvements in monitoring accuracy and ease by providing a reliable earned value analysis. It contributes valuable insights for better decision-making in construction projects.

Step-by-step guidance for new practitioners is essential for understanding the general engineering principles adopted for slope stability analysis within the Malaysian context. In view of this, this paper presents the basic geotechnical assessment conducted for a new residential development on hilly terrain in Kulim. Three objectives were outlined, including desk study based on the secondary data of related maps and reports, designing soil parameters, and assessing the slope stability analysis through numerical modelling for ensuring compliance with the long-term slope stability safety guidelines provided by the Malaysian Public Works Department (JKR). Practical sustainable stabilisation methods were identified, and a feasible foundation design for the development was proposed for the development, considering both cost-effectiveness and minimal environmental impact.

In general, the primary issues related to the present design are primarily the high temperature range, which is generating enormous thermal loads to the machinery, and the inability of achieving even temperature distribution in the workpiece. The new approach in this paper mitigates these issues for the aluminum alloy extrusion process using a screw extruder equipped with a Double Wave Screw (DWS). The extrusion screw is typically divided into three regions: the feeding region, the compression region, and the metering region. The DWS component is designed for the compression and metering regions to achieve maximum shear rate in extrusion, to create globular microstructure. Furthermore, our work aims to predict significant process parameters such as viscosity, shear rate, and material flow velocity to determine the feasibility of 3D printing. In order to validate the effectiveness of the material extrusion process in the 3D printing process, the model has been simulated through the finite element method (FEM) by employing the power-law model, which describes the non-Newtonian behavior of the composite semi-liquid aluminum needle. Simulation has demonstrated that control of the material outlet temperature can generate a semi-liquid state of aluminum. Besides, the DWS configuration enhances the shear rate and homogeneity of the molten metal, ultimately leading to enhanced mechanical properties of the product extruded.

Road maintenance works need to be carried out regularly to maintain pavement conditions and ensure road user safety. However, road maintenance management is becoming more complex due to large numbers of ageing roads and limited funds for maintenance. Finance is among the crucial components of road maintenance operations. Ineffective financial management leads to the inefficient use of funds and delay of maintenance work. It has been demonstrated that strategic management practices have contributed to increasing the effectiveness of financial management due to the practices that centre on methods towards achieving maintenance goals. Therefore, this paper conducts a review to identify the financial management factors that will impact the effectiveness of road maintenance financial management. Data were sourced from electronic databases with specific searched keywords related to financial management. Factor searching focused on prevalent domains such as financial goals, financial planning, financial organizing, financial leading, and financial monitoring. A total of seventy-two (72) papers have undergone review, unveiling fifty-two (52) distinct factors. Financial goals contribute about seven (7) factors, financial planning to twenty-one (21) factors, financial organizing about seven (7) factors, financial leading to nine (9) factors, and financial monitoring to eight (8) factors. The review conducted in this paper sheds light on the multitude of factors influencing financial management effectiveness in road maintenance. Identifying key areas can develop targeted strategies to enhance financial efficiency and optimize maintenance efforts. The findings also underscore the necessity for continued research in this field to address the complexities of road maintenance and ensure the long-term sustainability of transportation infrastructure.

Construction delay is one of the cost-related issues in the construction industry. Introducing Building Information Modelling (BIM) aided in the cost management of the construction project through early clash detection. Thus, BIM reduces the chances of construction delay and becomes a significant solution for cost issues in the construction industry. Therefore, this paper focuses on the cost management between the BIM and the non-BIM construction projects in Malaysia. The objectives of this paper are: (i) to study the issues of cost management and (ii) to analyse and compare the cost management between the BIM and non-BIM projects in the Malaysian construction industry. A qualitative method was adopted in this study. A semi-structured interview was conducted among the Grade 6 and 7 contractors involved in both BIM and non-BIM projects in Kuala Lumpur and Johor Bahru. The result revealed that the main cost-related issue the construction industry faces is the project's delay. With the implementation of the BIM, it contributes to the reduction of the actual cost by 10% - 30%. However, the implementation of BIM in Malaysia's construction industry is still in the infant stage, and it requires collaboration from the government sector to boost BIM implementation.

Additive Manufacturing (AM), or 3D printing, revolutionises modern manufacturing by reducing material waste and enabling the creation of complex geometries through layer-by-layer construction from digital files. Its environmental efficiency and versatility, particularly with materials like biodegradable Polylactic Acid (PLA), align with global sustainability goals and cater to diverse industries, from healthcare to aerospace. As ongoing research enhances PLA's properties and sustainability, AM's adoption across various sectors is poised to expand, solidifying its role as a transformative technology. This investigation examined the impact of nozzle temperature on the tensile strength of PLA specimens produced by a 3D printer, considering different bed temperatures and printing speeds. The experiment involved varying the nozzle temperature (190°C, 200°C, 210°C), bed temperature (35°C, 45°C, 55°C, 65°C), and printing speed (50 mm/s, 60 mm/s, 70 mm/s, 80 mm/s), while maintaining all other variables constant. The specimens were printed using a raster angle of (90°, 0°, 0°) and a grid infill pattern. The tensile strength of the specimens was assessed using a tensile testing machine. The recorded tensile strength values of the PLA samples produced through 3D printing exhibited a decrease with increasing nozzle temperature, bed temperature, and printing speed. However, the measured tensile strength values remained approximately consistent. There was an elevation in tensile strength at a nozzle temperature of 200°C, bed temperature of 45°C, and printing speed of 60 mm/s. It may be deduced that the examined parameters do not exert a substantial influence on the tensile strength of the specimens. Consequently, it is advisable to undertake further investigation to scrutinise the implications of these parameters on other aspects of the material properties.

This study explores the feasibility and benefits of using a mix of 70% concrete broken chips and 30% salvage materials for subbase construction in Bangladesh, offering an innovative alternative to exclusively using virgin resources. Key findings include the salvage materials mix-design achieving lower Los Angeles Abrasion values and higher California Bearing Ratio than virgin materials, indicating superior durability and strength. Additionally, optimal compaction characteristics were observed, with higher maximum dry density and lower optimum moisture content, contributing to environmental sustainability through reduced water consumption. The mix-design's compliance with required gradation standards post-compaction and favorable pavement performance in terms of vertical displacement and shear stress, as per KENPAVE simulations, further validates its effectiveness. This research underscores the potential of incorporating salvaged materials in pavement construction, aligning with sustainable development goals and demonstrating cost-efficiency and reduced landfill usage, while maintaining industry standards.

The number of motor vehicle accidents keeps increasing from year to year. Based on Badan Pusat Statistik Indonesia in 2022, there are twenty-eight thousand people who died due to accidents. The number of accidents keeps increasing around 6.26% every year, which is most likely due to the escalation in the number of vehicles. The number of inter-city buses is growing around 2.23% every year. According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), most common type of accident that often occur on buses is frontal collisions. This accident can cause serious injuries or death because of impact on the passanger’s head. The severity of head injury can be calculated using Head Injury Criterion (HIC) which has several categories of injury consequences. The research is focused on sled test simulation by finite element method which uses acceleration data from Mihradi. The simulations are divided into three categories: chair with cushion, chair without cushion, and without front chair’s cushion. Each category has three subcategory of seatbelt system, namely lap seatbelt, lap and shoulder seatbelt, and without seatbelt. There are several conclusions from simulation’s result. First, the use of cushion can reduce HIC15 around 5.6% in comparison to no cushion case. Second, shoulder seatbelt is the safest type of seatbelt that can be used in bus. Third, the use of cushion changes the whole model dimension and change the dummy’s movement in front collision, which resulted in different value of HIC15 in comparison to case without cushion. Thus, cushion must be modelled in order to get accurate HIC15 values.

Changes in the behavior of small fish have recently been commonly used in assessing the impact of water pollutants, especially those of the group of endocrine disruptors. Behavioral studies mostly use visual observations, which can introduce bias and inconsistency in observational results. Recent studies have developed computer vision tools for tracking fish movements that allow automatic detection of small fish movements with high accuracy and consistency. In addition, computer vision combined with machine learning can help analyze, identify, and predict changes in fish behavior, easily integrated into environmental and ecological monitoring systems. This study uses YOLO (You Only Look One) algorithm models to detect fish in video data. Comparing the effectiveness of YOLO versions with the training data set shows that the YOLOv8s model has the highest efficiency and is selected for detecting and analyzing fish behavior in the environmental impact assessment model. The amount of image data for training the YOLOv8s model is also determined to be approximately 800 images. The training results show that YOLOv8s has high detection efficiency with a high frequency of detecting 11 fish in video frames. Results from detecting and analyzing fish positions in video data using the trained YOLOv8s model showed that the males of both mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis) and medaka (Oryzias latipes) species were affected following a two-day acute exposure to the estrogenic stressor, 17a-ethinylestradiol, in the aquatic environment at a concentration of 5 ng/L. While male mosquitofish when not exposed to estrogen tended to pay more attention towards the tank compartment containing female medaka, when exposed to estrogen, they increased their tendency towards the compartment containing male medaka. Additional research is needed to increase the accuracy and effectiveness of the YOLO algorithms in fish detection for behavior evaluation in an environmental impact assessment model.