Volume 2 Issue 4
Authors: Chen Wang; Hamzah Abdul-Rahman; Faizul Ali Mohd-Rahim; Nurshuhada Zainon; Wei Wei Cheong
Abstract: The documentation used in the construction industry remains problems such as inadequate detail; confusing, conflicting and voluminous; coordination problems; insufficient information; erroneous information, and conflicting information. This research aims to study the potentials in improving documentation quality through project learning. A postal questionnaire survey was conducted and 279 questionnaires were distributed to the registered quantity surveying firms in Malaysia in order to identify the causes of poor documentation quality and to determine the good project learning practices in improving the documentation quality. Four semi-structured interviews were conducted in the later stage to validate the findings of questionnaires. The findings indicate that the accuracy, clarity and timeliness issues were the most serious problems in documentation quality, and “insufficient time” was the main cause of poor quality in documentation. Good project learning practices such as “inter project evaluation”, “set formal learning goals”, and “intra project evaluation” are recommended to improve the documentation quality. Benefits of implementing project learning in documentation include “increasing staffs' ability to provide better services”, “increasing customer's satisfaction”, and “improving decision making processes”.
Keywords: Project Learning; Quality of Documentation; Engineering Documentation; Construction Documentation
Authors: Huiming Bao; Xuewen Zhao
Abstract: Analysis of the performance of CFG pile composite foundation found that a plastic deformation zone surrounding the CFG pile composite foundation with an area of about one time piles’ distance was formed, and it is the main cause of instability of the whole composite foundation. Comparative analysis of characteristics as stress change, foundation settlement of the composite foundation before and after adding a row of fender piles in the plastic deformation zone, found that foundation performance got obvious change after pile enforcement. In the same conditions, the foundation settlement reduced significantly and the stability improved obviously.
Keywords: CFG Pile Composite Foundation, Fender Pile, Strongly Weathered Soft Rock, Foundation Settlement, Foundation Stability
Authors: Nemkumar Banthia; Vivek Bindiganavile
Abstract: In most cases, Fiber Reinforced Concrete (FRC) contains only one type of fiber. However, the use of two or more types of fibers in a suitable combination may potentially not only improve the overall properties of concrete, but may also result in performance synergy. The process of combining two or more fibers, often called hybridization, is investigated in this paper under quasi-static flexure and impact flexure conditions. Besides a reference plain mix, single-fiber and two-fiber hybrid composites were cast using diverse combinations of two types of macro-steel fibers and a micro-cellulose fiber. Quasi-static and impact flexural tests were performed and the results were analyzed to identify synergy, if any, associated with various fiber combinations. The paper identifies fiber combinations that demonstrate maximum synergy under impact.
Keywords: Concrete; Fiber Reinforced Concrete; Toughness; Steel Fiber; Cellulose Fiber; Hybrid Composites; Strength; Energy Absorption; Flexure Impact; Synergy