Abd Halid Abdullah

Technical Competency of Construction Manager in Malaysian Construction Industry

Primarily due to contractors’ faults, construction industries in Malaysia have been facing problems such as delays, wastages, cost overruns and others. Inability of construction manager (CM) to efficiently manage construction projects is the major contribution to projects’ failure, and the lack of terms of reference on the technical competency for CM are believed to be the major setback. This paper reports the results of a preliminary study which was carried out to identify the technical competencies of CM. Exploratory mixed research methods were selected by employing qualitative and quantitative approaches. Multi-layered thematic analysis was embedded into literature analysis to maintain reliability and then validate through structured interviews. It was found that CM requires several technical competencies including managing staff, materials, labours, plants, sub-contractors, safety, money, quality, time, environment, administration, pre-construction, closeout and handover, responsibility to other parties, computer literacy, and administration of construction contract. Hence, the technical competencies for CM are believed to be exhaustive and holistic in singling out the appropriate technical knowledge and skills, and bring about numerous advantageous towards technically competent CM.

Utilization of sugarcane bagasse ash in concrete as partial replacement of cement

This research addresses the suitability of sugarcane bagasse ash (SCBA) in concrete used as partial cement replacement. Two grades of concrete M15 and M20 were used for the experimental analysis. The cement was partially replaced by SCBA at 0%, 5%, and 10%, by weight in normal strength concrete (NSC). The innovative part of this study is to consider two grades of concrete mixes to evaluate the performance of concrete while cement is replaced by sugarcane bagasse ash. The cylindrical specimens having size 150 mm × 300 mm were used and tested after curing period of 7, 14 and 28 days. It was observed through the experimental work that the compressive strength increases with incorporating SCBA in concrete. Results indicated that the use of SCBA in concrete (M20) at 5% increased the average amount of compressive strength by 12% as compared to the normal strength concrete. The outcome of this work indicates that maximum strength of concrete could be attained at 5% replacement of cement with SCBA. Furthermore, the SCBA also gives compatible slump values which increase the workability of concrete.

Reuse of Greywater for Irrigation Purpose

Reuse of greywater for the irrigation is an alternative water source in the new water management strategy of the countries that face a severe deficiency of water resources such as the Middle East Countries. Several studies have been evaluated the effects of greywater on the soil structure and plants. Greywater with a high level of nitrogen and phosphorus as well as macro-elements induce the plant’s growth. However, the reuse of these effluents at excessive rates might produce detrimental effects on soil and crops. Some of the heavy metals in the greywater are toxic to plants, while others have toxicity for human and animals. The main consideration in the reuse of greywater in the irrigation lies in the transfer of pathogenic microorganisms to humans directly or indirectly. In developed countries, the utilisation of greywater for the irrigation subject for strict regulation which lies in the method of irrigation as surface or subsurface. In contrast, the surface irrigation is the common practice in the developing countries. In this chapter, the benefits of the greywater for the soil and plants as well as the adverse effects are reviewed. Based on the literature review in this chapter, it can be concluded that the criteria required to reuse greywater in the irrigation include aesthetics, hygienic safety, environmental tolerance, and technical and economic feasibility.

A review of potential factors contributing to epidemic cholera in Yemen

The menace of cholera epidemic occurrence in Yemen was reported in early 2017. Recent reports revealed that an estimated 500,000 people are infected with cholera whereas 2,000 deaths have been reported in Yemen. Cholera is transmitted through contaminated water and food. Yemen is the least developed country among the Middle East countries in terms of wastewater and solid waste management. The population of Yemen is about 24.5 million and generates about 70-100 million m3 of sewage. An estimated 7% of the population has sewerage systems. It has been revealed that 31.2 million m3 of untreated sewage is used for irrigation purposes especially for vegetables and Khat trees. In addition, more than 70% of the population in Yemen has no potable water. They depend on water wells as a water source which are located close to sewage disposal sites. The present review focuses on the current status of water, wastewater as well as solid waste management in Yemen and their roles in the outbreak of cholera. Future prospects for waste management have been proposed.

Categorization of potential project cost overrun factors in construction industry

Cost overrun has been severely hit down the economy and reputations for many construction industry around the world. Many project management tools developed to control the budget of a project. However, the cost management is still considered poor as there are many cost overrun issues occurred in the construction industry. Thus, this paper aims to identify and cluster the potential construction project cost overrun factors according to their originating groups using the thematic approach. Basically, through literature review, all the potential factors that may cause cost overrun were screened thoroughly before they were clustered into seven (7) groups of the originating factors, namely project, contract, client, contractor, consultant, labour and external. Each potential factor was explained clearly with some examples based on the Malaysian case studies to illustrate the cost overrun scenario. These findings may aid in the future to highlight on how to mitigate the critical potential factors of cost overrun to reduce or overcome its impact on all the stakeholders involved.

Construction manager’s technical competencies in Malaysian construction projects

Problems of Malaysian construction industry have often been associated, in part to incompetent construction manager (CM) when managing the construction projects. Although various education and training provisions have been introduced, critics argue that the provisions have not been effective. Central in the debate on the adequacy of the CM education and training offered is the answer to the question of “what constitutes the technical competency of the CM?” The purpose of this paper is to present the study that identifies the technical competencies required by the CM to address the question.,Multi-layered thematic analysis of literature was first carried out to identify the technical competency elements. Then, interviews were undertaken to confirm the elements of competencies. It was followed with questionnaire surveys to test the validity of the technical competencies against different contractors’ category and grade/size.,The findings suggest that the technical competencies of CM are generic, regardless of the size of construction organisation or the types of projects they undertake. A total of 16 CM technical competencies were identified which include the ability to manage: staff, materials, labour, plant, sub-contractors, safety, money, quality, time, environment, site administration, pre-construction activities, project closeout and handover, third parties, computer literacy, and construction contract.,The findings suggest that generic education and training is possible to develop technically competent CM. It also provides insights to the CM technical competencies which the industry is expecting.

Contractors perspective for critical factors of cost overrun in highway projects of Sindh, Pakistan

Construction industry of Pakistan is creating a number of opportunities in employment as well as plays a role model for economy development of the country. This construction industry has a serious issue of cost overrun in all construction projects especially in construction of highway projects. Cost overrun is a serious and critical issue in construction of highway projects which gives negative impact to construction practitioners because it is not only cross the approved budget but also approved time of the project. The main objective of this study is to find out critical factors causing cost overrun in highway projects of Sindh according to contractors’ perspectives. Deep literature review was carried out and a total of 64 factors of cost overrun were identified. To achieve the objective, a questionnaire was designed and distributed among 16 selected respondents who have more than 20 years of experience in construction of highway projects. The results from analysis found that most critical factors of cost overrun in the order of importance include financial and cash flow difficulties faced by contractor, frequent changes in design, changes in price of materials, poor planning by client, change in scope of project, change in specification of materials and delay in taking decisions. This study will assist contractors to narrow down some of the critical factors that would lead to cost overrun, and therefore be prepared with the ways to mitigate these problems in construction of highway projects of Sindh province.

Bio-removal of Nickel ions by Sporosarcina pasteurii and Bacillus megaterium, A Comparative Study

The aim of this work was to study the potential of Sporosarcina pasteurii 586S and Bacillus megaterium 1295S isolated from sewage treatment plants (STPs) in removing of nickel ions from the aqueous solution. The bacterial cells were used as living and dead cell biomass. The efficiency of bio-removal process was investigated as a response for nickel and biomass concentrations, time, pH and temperature. The bio-removal capacity (Qmax) of both strains were compared. The highest bio-removal percentage was recorded by dead cells in comparison to living cells. Dead cell biomass of B. megaterium 1295S exhibited higher efficiency for bio-removing of Ni2+ than S. pasteurii 586S at196.4 and 200.2 mg Ni2+ g-1, respectively. It can be concluded that both bacterial strains have high potential to be applied in the biotechnology for removing of Ni2+ ions, however, dead cells of B. megaterium 1295S is the most potent.

Critical Success Factors for Lean Thinking in the Application of Industrialised Building System (IBS)

Productivity in the manufacturing process of building components can be increased by optimising each advantage that is available in each activity. Identification of critical success factors (CSFs) for lean thinking in the Industrialised Building System (IBS) will be able to minimise cost and reduce time needed to complete a project. The focus of lean thinking in construction is on the production process and the clients requirement. In developing countries such as Malaysia, the integration of lean thinking in IBS applications is still low and there is a shortage of comprehensive strategies to integrate lean thinking. As key stakeholders, feedback from contractors, manufacturers, developers and the local authority will be able to help the identification of CSFs in integrating lean thinking in IBS applications. The data was collected through a questionnaire survey and analysed quantitatively. There are 31 CSFs for lean thinking in IBS which have been identified in this study. A conceptual model was developed to assist researchers in investigating the influences of CSFs for lean thinking in IBS applications. This study will assist construction players to improvise their manufacturing process in the implementation of IBS to eliminate unnecessary activities and focus instead on significant processes without generating physical and non-physical waste.

The most common problem facing by the maintenance department: A case Study between Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM) and Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM)

From time to time, the maintenance works become more challenging due to construction of new building and also aging of the existing buildings. University buildings without any exception require proper maintenance services to support their function requirements and this can be considered as major responsibilities to be fulfilled by the maintenance department in the universities. Maintenance department specifically will face various kinds of problems in their operation works and thus this might influence the maintenance work operations itself. This study purposely to identify the common problem facing by the maintenance department and also to examine the current status of the maintenance department. In addition, this study would also propose any suitable approach that could be implemented to overcome the problem facing by the maintenance department. To achieve the objectives of this study, a combination of deep literature study and carrying out a survey is necessary. Literature study aimed to obtain deeper information about this study, meanwhile a survey aimed at identifying the common problem facing by the maintenance department and also to provide the information of the maintenance departments organization. Several methods will be used in analyzing the data obtained through the survey, including Microsoft Office Excel and also using mean index formula. This study has identified three categories of problem in the maintenance department, which are management problems, human resource problem, and technical problems. Following the findings, several solutions being proposed which can be implemented as the solution to the problem facing. These suggestions have the potential to improve the maintenance department work efficiency, thus could help to increase the department productivity.