Civil Engineering Construction Research Articles

Gender Discourses in Civil Engineering TVET College programs: Marginalized Female Voices in the Learning of Engineering Concepts

Collectively, the Engineering sector is still the most male-dominated field and most TVET College graduates are males. Why is this even a case when the fourth industrial revolution pushes all livelihood boundaries and ensures that males and females are exposed to similar opportunities in the sector? Of course, there can never be a comprehensive response to this patriarchal question. Hence, this study delved into this societal issue through classroom discourse in a Civil Engineering and Building Construction course at a TVET college in Limpopo Province. This study was premised on the fact that lecturers in the college use “male” examples more than those of women which affects how women perceived the Civil Engineering field. Moreover, this study laid bare the preferences of female students and how they want to be involved in discourses without making reference to gender roles. This study used a qualitative research approach for a case of eleven (11) female students. Data was collected through focused group interviews. The study employed the Social Identity Theory as its framework. The study found that indeed unconscious biases are happening during classroom discourses and that the lecturers seem to be unaware of this. As a recommendation, reskilling, and upskilling of TVET college lecturers is needed as a matter of urgency with a focus on their scholarship of teaching and learning. Universities as close partners to TVET colleges can facilitate these professional development programs. This study contributes to the global discourse on female inclusion in the engineering sector and the pedagogical practices of an engineering educator in a TVET college. Keywords: Classroom discourse, Civil Engineering, Female students, TVET colleges

Development of Z number-based fuzzy inference system to predict bearing capacity of circular foundations

Precise bearing capacity prediction of circular foundations is essential in civil engineering design and construction. The bearing capacity is affected by factors such as depth, density of soil, internal angle of friction, cohesion of soil, and foundation radius. In this paper, an innovative perspective on a fuzzy inference system (FIS) was proposed to predict bearing capacity. The uncertainty of fuzzy rules is eliminated by using Z-number theory. The effective parameters, i.e., depth, density of soil, internal angle of friction, cohesion of soil, and foundation radius were considered as inputs to the proposed model. To compare regression and FIS model with Z-based FIS, statistical indices such as the coefficient of determination (R2), root mean square error (RMSE), and variance account for (VAF) were employed. For training and testing Z-FIS, the R2 was (0.977 and 0.971), the RMSE was (1.645 and 1.745), and the VAF was (98.549% and 98.138), whereas for the FIS method, the values were (0.912 and 0.904), (5.962 and 6.76), and (90.12% and 88.49%). It should be mentioned that Z theory decreased the computational time by 89.28% (174.04 s to 18.65 s). The comparison of the statistical indicators of the presented models revealed the superiority of the Z-FIS model over the FIS. Notably, sensitivity analysis revealed that the most effective parameters on bearing capacity are internal angle of friction, depth, and soil density.

Green Concrete - Study of a Sustainable Construction Material

Abstract: Green concrete represents a ground breaking advancement within the concrete industry. This article focuses on the research and development of an environmentally friendly and sustainable material known as "Green Concrete," which utilizes locally sourced industrial and agricultural waste such as fly ash, slag, and sawdust. It's widely acknowledged that cement and steel, among civil engineering materials, are highly energy-intensive and contribute significantly to CO2 emissions during manufacturing. By incorporating various readily available industrial and agricultural waste materials, Green Concrete is created through partial cement replacement, offering numerous applications in civil engineering constructions

Guidelines for data collection on energy performance of higher-education buildings in Egypt: a case study

ABSTRACT Reliable energy analysis of buildings relies heavily on high-quality data leading to proper indicators. Previous studies have highlighted the importance of data quality in analyzing energy usage in residential and non-residential buildings in order to transform declarations to actions, optimise energy efficiency policies and monitor progress and failures in countries. Collected data must adhere to national and international standards for energy performance in buildings. This study aims to provide practical guidelines for effectively collecting and preparing data suitable for evaluating energy performance in Egyptian higher-education (HE) buildings. The guidelines are developed based on a comprehensive case study, considering data availability in typical educational facilities. Architectural and civil engineering drawings, construction specifications, and occupancy details are accessible. However, actual monthly electrical and natural gas consumption data for individual buildings are lacking. To address this, the study proposes the creation of detailed datasheets for each building, encompassing all energy sources and their electrical and power specifications, such as equipment, machinery, and HVAC systems. These datasheets were utilized to calculate energy consumption and energy usage indicators (EUI). The findings demonstrate that the datasheets enable adequate assessment of energy usage in various spaces within educational buildings, including staff rooms, lecture halls, and laboratories. This facilitates the identification of areas in need of targeted energy efficiency improvements. Notably, the study reveals that electricity consumption in the Faculty of Engineering building is significantly influenced by PCs, laboratories, lighting, and air conditioning.

High-support Mould Construction and Risk Assessment in Civil Engineering Works

With the rapid development of the construction industry, advanced construction technology and new building materials continue to emerge. High-supporting mould technology, with the advantages of large bearing capacity, convenient erection and strong applicability, has been widely used in the field of construction engineering. However, due to the high height, large span, many rods, complex and variable force and other characteristics of the highly supported mould frame, there is a risk of tilting or collapsing in the process of building construction, which has a very high risk. This paper from the high supporting mould technology, frame erection technology key points, safety monitoring and evaluation of the detailed description, and targeted to put forward the corresponding reasonable suggestions, in order to be able to protect the smooth progress of construction.

Study on Problems and Countermeasures of Civil Engineering Construction Management

Construction organization is the core of civil engineering, which directly determines the success of the whole project, the economic benefits of the whole project, and the long-term development and sustainable development. However, at present, the construction management of civil engineering construction enterprises is still not perfect, entering a new era, we should pay more attention to the management of civil engineering construction, face up to the existing problems and fully understand its role. Through the study of civil engineering construction in China, the problems and deficiencies in its development are analyzed, and the corresponding countermeasures are formulated.

Leadership and the Dynamics of Projects: Ray Levitt’s insights on project leadership

Projects operate in dynamic settings, with changing technologies, and they are themselves evolving forms of organizing. This paper contains insights from Ray Levitt, an operating partner at Blackhorn Ventures and an Emeritus Professor at Stanford, where he led the Global Project Center. It is an extracted and edited version of conversation on a panel discussion at the inaugural Project Leadership in a Changing World Symposium in 2021. The main parts unpack how leaders of complex projects, such as those found in civil engineering construction, face challenges in innovating, particularly in incorporating new technologies that are being developed by start-ups; and how the nature of leadership changes across different project stages and relates to notions of agile leadership. The conversation with Ray Levitt provides contributions to the debate on project leadership in a changing world, on 1) the convergence of technologies affecting project leadership; 2) the importance of success criteria; 3) the changing nature of project leadership through the lifecycle; 4) agile leadership, and 5) the political skills and sensitivities to get project started. These insights can be built on by used by project scholars interested in project leadership in a changing world. In the final section we discuss how they might provoke new research on the leadership and digital innovation in an age of AI and on temporal understandings of project leadership and its discontents in a changing world.

The Effect of Oil Pollution on the Engineering Properties of Construction Soils in Some Selected Oil Region of Nigeria: A Case Study of Four Oil Towns in Rivers and Delta States

The nature of subgrade as well as basic information of soils for construction purposes is important for engineers, especially civil engineers and the general public. The primary aim of this research work is therefore to access the effect of oil spillage on the engineering properties of soils around the oil producing states of Nigeria. Four communities in two state of the Niger- Delta region of Nigeria were selected for investigation. These communities include Alesa (as sample A) and Aleto (as sample B) in Rivers state and Elume (as sample C) and Mereje (as sample D) in Delta state of the Niger- Delta region of Nigeria. Soil samples from these communities were collected at the subgrade depth of the oil spilled soils and was later subjected to laboratory examination. Important soil properties that were evaluated through laboratory investigation include soil shear strength test using triaxial test where the shear strength parameters were determined to enable evaluation of soil bearing capacity using Terzaghi’s equations. Others include soil strength (CBR) test, soil permeability test, and soil classification test as well as soil compressibility tests or one dimensional consolidation test. The results show that the oil pollution/ spillage have affected the engineering properties of construction soils in the four towns investigated to some degrees. The California Bearing Ratio (CBR) value of the subgrade, the Coefficient of Volume Compressibility,Mv, the Safe Bearing Capacity and the Coefficient of Permeability, K of the investigated soil , all fall below the accepted standard limit for soils to be used for construction purposes. This result will hopefully add to the existing knowledge as well as equipping the government and other relevant agencies for policy and regulatory development for the oil and gas, and construction industries for the sustenance of economic development in Nigeria. Therefore, before any meaningful civil engineering construction works can be done in these communities, the soils within the area will have to be subjected to series of engineering soil tests so as to equip the government and other interesting stakeholders with the requisite knowledge on how to apply appropriate soil remediation and soil stabilization techniques.

Bibliometric Analysis to Reveal Research Evolution and Educational Technology Trends in Civil Engineering Education

Civil engineering education is a discipline that endeavors to find the best way through various pedagogical methods to teach civil engineering to prospective civil engineers. Civil engineering education is in the spotlight along with developments in construction technology and its application in learning. Thus, civil engineering education offers a broad field of research in the context of education and construction sciences. Therefore, investigating the evolution of educational research and technology trends in civil engineering education is of interest. In this context, we performed a bibliometric analysis of 545 Scopus and Web of Science (WoS) global publications in the field of civil engineering education published during the period 1967 to 2022. A comprehensive bibliometric analysis was conducted using the R language-based software Biblioshiny. The research results show that, first, research trends in civil engineering education in the 55-year period were divided into 6 themes, namely: engineering education, civil engineering education or construction education, fields of civil engineering, technology in engineering education, global and social aspects, and other. Second, the United States is a leader in civil engineering education research, as most authors and journals are from this country. Third, the evolution of educational technology in civil engineering education can be described in five eras: 1) simple software era (1976–1990); 2) geographic information systems (GIS) and virtual reality (VR) era (1991–2000); 3) multimedia and e-learning era (2001–2010); 4) building information modeling (BIM) era (2011–2022); and 5) the forthcoming era (2023−future). Using computers as analysis and visualization tools became increasingly accurate and real, such as the integration of VR technology and incorporation of BIM technology. These findings might help researchers regarding the future direction of research and educational technology in civil engineering.

Exploring the Potential of Machine Learning in Stochastic Reliability Modelling for Reinforced Soil Foundations

This study introduces a novel application of gene expression programming (GEP) for the reliability analysis (RA) of reinforced soil foundations (RSFs) based on settlement criteria, addressing a critical gap in sustainable construction practices. Based on the principles of probability and statistics, the soil uncertainties were mapped using the first-order second-moment (FOSM) approach. The historical data generated via a parametric study on a validated finite element numerical model were used to train and validate the GEP models. Among the ten developed GEP frameworks, the best-performing model, abbreviated as GEP-M9 (R2 = 0.961 and RMSE = 0.049), in the testing phase was used to perform the RA of an RSF. This model’s effectiveness in RA was affirmed through a comprehensive evaluation, including parametric sensitivity analysis and validation against two independent case studies. The reliability index (β) and probability of failure (Pf) were determined across various coefficient of variation (COV) configurations, underscoring the model’s potential in civil engineering risk analysis. The newly developed GEP model has shown considerable potential for analyzing civil engineering construction risk, as shown by the experimental results of varying settlement values.

Mechanical Properties of Virgin and Recycled Polymer for Construction Pile Application

Annual polymer waste generated in Malaysia has increased significantly to more than 1 million tonnes. The prolonged degradation periods required by diverse industrial polymer waste streams are a matter of significant concern, with some taking up to 1000 years to fully degrade. Pursuing a similar environmental concern, the use of bakau piles as supports for lightweight structures in Sarawak, including drainage systems, roads, sewerage, and other water-related structures, has become a matter of concern due to the deforestation of mangrove forests. Both bakau deforestation and polymer waste issues are significant environmental and global concerns. The idea of mitigating mangrove degradation and the non-biodegradable nature of polymer waste has led to the conceptualization of an alternative solution whereby recyclable thermoplastic polymer piles are utilized to supplant bakau piles in providing support for lightweight structures during civil engineering construction projects. Therefore, the study of polymer piles is conducted to examine their mechanical properties in the form of virgin (V) and recycled (R) thermoplastic polymers. In this study, high-density polyethylene (HDPE), polypropylene (PP), and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) are considered, and the possibility of being utilized in pile application has been discussed. Based on the results, all virgin types of thermoplastic polymers (HDPE, PP, and PVC), 50%V:50%R for PP, PP(R), and PVC(R), respectively, exceed the bakau ultimate tensile strength. Thermoplastic polymer piles showed great potential to be the substitution for bakau piles to serve in the construction industry, with the recorded experimental tensile and compressive strength tests.

Exploring causes of ineffective material management and impact on successful project deliverables in civil engineering construction projects in Sri Lanka

Purpose Construction material management plays a significant role in achieving successful project delivery of a construction project. However, ineffective material management is a critical issue in the construction industry, especially in developing economies, of which Sri Lanka is not an exception. Therefore, this study aims to focus on exploring the causes of ineffective material management practices in civil engineering construction projects in Sri Lanka and their impact on successful project delivery. Design/methodology/approach Furthermore, the literature findings were validated through the preliminary survey. Subsequently, a quantitative research approach was adopted to pursue the research aim. Questionnaire responses were obtained from 215 construction professionals in civil engineering projects who were selected using the judgemental and snowball sampling techniques. Collected data were analysed through Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) V26 and Microsoft Excel 2016. Findings Moreover, the study revealed that material price fluctuation, shortage of material in the market, delay in material procurement, inadequate planning and delays in material delivery are the most frequent causes of ineffective material management in civil engineering projects. In addition, it was evidenced that most ineffective material management practices cause both time and cost overruns in civil engineering construction projects. Most respondents emphasized inadequate planning, inadequate qualified and experienced staff, lack of supervision and lack of leadership as the causes for both time and cost overruns. Originality/value The study was concluded by proposing strategies for effective material management. Education/training/enlightenment of staff in charge of materials management, use of software like Microsoft Project, Primavera and similar software to eliminate manual errors in material management, and providing clear specifications to suppliers were the most agreed strategies for effective material management in civil engineering construction projects.

Shear strength of prestressed concrete beams with short shear span: Full‐scale experiments and evaluation of design methods

AbstractPrestressed concrete (PC) is increasingly used in civil engineering construction. Notably, research on shear resistance in PC beams with short shear span remains relatively limited, necessitating further comprehensive exploration. In the study, tests were conducted on bonded post‐tensioned PC T‐beams with short shear span (a/h = 1.0), subjecting them to monotonic loading destructive tests. These beams measured 24.9 m in length, 1.605 m in height, and had a top flange width of 2.0 m. They featured a uniform cross‐section with a 0.22 m web thickness. Given the size of the full‐scale test beams and space constraints for loading, an innovative loading scheme was devised to minimize the counterweight. Test results demonstrate the safety and feasibility of the loading scheme. The tests were conducted five times and the main test variables were the draped tendons and the quantity of horizontal web reinforcement. The tests revealed that horizontal web reinforcement significantly influenced crack propagation but had a minimal effect on shear strength. For the parameter values taken for the test beams, the prestressing level has less effect on the shear strength of the beam. Simultaneously, an investigation was conducted involving a total of 119 PC beams. This investigation aimed to evaluate the degree of conservatism and accuracy in shear design code provisions and shear strength equations derived from various standards, including the strut‐and‐tie model (STM) of ACI, AASHTO, and Tan, as well as the critical crack model of Yuan and the truss model of Laskar. Comparative analysis indicates that, the design method provided by Yuan exhibit relatively superior predictive capabilities.

Civil Engineering Construction Quality and Safety Management

Civil Engineering Construction Quality and Safety Management

An Introduction to Civil Engineering Construction Technology in Civil Engineering Construction

The commercial demand and urbanization demand brought about by economic development have increased the quantity and quality requirements of construction projects. Civil engineering in the construction process needs to be supported by a number of technologies, such as foundation technology, steel structure technology, concrete technology, etc., the only way to promote the sustainable development of China's construction industry is to accurately master these technologies. With the continuous improvement of China's economic development, people's living standards have also been improved, and therefore also more aspiring to a better life experience, so for the living environment and conditions put forward higher requirements. As the main place for people to live and reside, the quality of the building and its environment have a greater impact on people's living experience, so the quality of the building is given more attention. As the main participant in the implementation of the building, the construction industry in the construction of housing, it is necessary to pay more attention to the quality, while ensuring the quality of construction, but also need to pay attention to the economic benefits. Along with the rapid development of the country, the scale of urban infrastructure is getting bigger and bigger. The breakthrough and innovation of construction technology in civil engineering construction can not only bring more profits for construction enterprises, but also provide a strong guarantee for the smooth progress of construction projects. In order to realize the quality of civil engineering construction projects, building construction units need to be careful and detailed planning for construction details, standardize the corresponding construction technology. Therefore, this paper discusses the construction technology related to civil engineering construction projects, analyzes the relevant problems and puts forward innovative solutions.

Exploration of Construction Safety Management of Civil Engineering Civil Construction Project

With the acceleration of urbanization, more and more construction projects are appearing, and the modern building functions are increasing, while the requirements for project management are also getting higher and higher. In the construction of civil engineering construction, it is necessary to make full preparations, rationally deploy materials, equipment and other resources to ensure the full implementation of construction technology, and further enhance the overall effect of engineering construction. The development of the market economy has promoted the reform of the enterprise management system and the bidding and tendering system. Many projects have made new adjustments in the reform system, leading to a new trend in the management mode of construction projects. It has made significant breakthroughs in management concepts, management strategies and management methods. The new model must bring changes in management. In view of this, this paper focuses on the related problems of civil engineering to improve the current management efficiency. If the quality of the project is not reasonably controlled, it will have a great impact on the economic benefits of the whole project and the development of the construction enterprise.

Effect of curing conditions on the alkali-activated blends: Microstructure, performance and economic assessment

To enhance the application of alkali-activated materials in engineering, this study investigates the influence of cast-in-place and prefabrication by steam curing and autoclaved curing on alkali-activated materials with different slag-fly ash mass ratios. The selection of the three curing methods is based on current construction techniques: onsite construction (ambient curing), production of prefabricated cement-based components (steam curing), and production of aerated concrete blocks (autoclaved curing). In this paper, the dissolution ability of CaO, SiO2 and Al2O3 in fly ash and slag was first evaluated. Subsequently, the hydration products of the samples were analyzed using X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, and a scanning electron microscope. Additionally, the degree of hydration of the samples was quantitatively analyzed using the selective dissolution method combined with 29Si NMR. The results showed that compared to ambient curing, autoclaved curing, which provides a high-temperature and high-pressure environment, enhances the reactivity of slag and fly ash. This enhancement is reflected in the increase in their solubility and the degree of reaction from 28.3% to 14.6%–69.9% and 63.7% respectively. The pore structure, compressive strength, and shrinkage of the samples were also evaluated. The results demonstrate that autoclaved curing enhances the formation of hydration products, reduces porosity, and increases compressive strength. Compared to ambient curing, steam curing can reduce the shrinkage rate from 64.8% to 68.4%, while autoclaved curing can decrease it from 87.9% to 95.1%. Based on the economic analysis, autoclaved curing can offset the total costs by reducing the usage of slag and lowering raw material expenses, demonstrating its cost-effectiveness. The obtained results can provide a theoretical foundation for the large-scale application of alkali-activated slag-fly ash materials in civil engineering construction.

On the Current Situation of Safety Management in Civil Engineering Construction

Civil engineering information management is a mature and young subject, mature is civil engineering, civil engineering practice has been carried out for thousands of years, such as Qin Shi Huang built the Great Wall. The youngest is the information management of civil engineering, which ensures that the cost, quality, schedule and safety of the project are fully controlled through information management. Civil engineering information management is an emerging discipline that has only been proposed in recent years with the modernization of project management. Although some results have been received, there are still some problems. In order to solve these problems, it is necessary to clarify the significance of information management, discover problems in a timely manner, solve problems, and realize the informatization of construction project management as much as possible. Therefore, this paper discusses the practice of information construction of engineering project management.

Exploration of Ideological and Political Education Reform in Civil Engineering Construction Organization Course

This article explores the reform of ideological and political education in Civil Engineering Construction Organization (CECO) course. Firstly, the ideas of ideological and political education reform and the integration methods of ideological and political education are introduced. Based on the characteristics of the course and the learning situation, the overall design of ideological and political education in the course is carried out, and the distribution of ideological and political elements is given. Afterwards, the teaching methods and assessment methods of ideological and political education in the course are introduced. Preliminary results have been achieved in teaching practice. The ideological and political objectives of the course have been basically achieved.

Research on Computational Mechanics Construction of Bridge Civil Engineering Construction Based on Computer Big Data Technology

In this paper, a 3D visualization system for bridge construction management is established based on VRP virtual platform. The bridge construction monitoring data management system is designed on the platform of Access database and the object processing technology of VRP. Starting from the basic theory of construction monitoring of cable-stayed bridge, the system realizes the problem of construction error identification in the monitoring process and using the recognition results to compensate and modify the finite element model. The system mainly realizes the functions of data editing, query, data analysis, data visualization, bridge information introduction and so on. It solves the key problem of using relational database to form various reports quickly and intelligently.