Challenges of communication between the client and contractor during construction projects: the Nigerian perspective

Communication today has become the crucial element of every organization. In the construction industry, during a construction project, information needs to be accurately and timely communicated among project stakeholders in order to realize the project objectives. Poor communication between clients and contractors during the construction project is one of the major factors that affect project delivery. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to investigate the causes and effects of poor communication between clients and contractors. This was achieved by identifying the causes and effects of poor communication between clients and contractors in the Nigerian construction industry through a statistical analysis. It is hypothesized that poor communication between clients and contractors, significantly affects construction projects. The population of the respondents is 150, and survey method of data collection was used. One hundred and twenty (120) questionnaires were distributed to clients and contractors in the construction industry with 80% of respondents’ rate. Several analyses such as frequency mean, ranking and Regression were used to analyze the data. The results show that, lack of cooperation and selfish interest was the most causes of poor communication between the client and contractor. Identifying barriers to communication among stakeholders in construction industry contribute in perfecting communication that result in enhancing project delivery

Development of Wall-Pressed in-Pipe Robot for Cleaning and Inspection Tasks

The aim of the project is to design a pipe cleaning and inspection robot for industrial applications. This is going to use very simple mechanism for cleaning the internal area of the pipe with changing diameters. The design is focusing on developing a bevel gear mechanism which can able to clean and translate the robot body into the pipe effectively. Here we are going to use only single DC motor for both cleaning and locomotion in the pipe. The inspection of the pipe is by using the ultrasonic sensor. The ultrasonic sensor is going to give the distance between the obstacle and the robot. According to the distance measured we are going to know about the bends and joints. The ultrasonic sensor is also going to give information regarding the waste materials accumulated in the pip

Design and development of an autonomous duct inspection and mapping robot

Just a few years ago, the idea of having robots in factories and households was science fiction. But, as robotic technology develops, this is becoming reality. Nowadays, robots not only perform simple household chores, but are used in most production lines and are even employed by the army. Visual inspection robots are very common and are used in many industries, including inspecting the interior of duct systems. Duct systems are in place in almost all large buildings and require ongoing maintenance and cleaning. Systems that are not properly maintained can pose a health risk as dust and mold form and are then blown throughout the building. In some cases, access holes have to be cut to allow access for inspection to occur. A robotic system, small enough to enter a duct through any existing access panel, would be advantageous. An autonomous robot would be even more useful as no operator would be needed thus reducing operating costs. To this end, a robot was developed that could autonomously navigate through a duct system, recoding video images and mapping the internal profile. The development of which is discussed in this thesis, included the design of the robotic platform, the inclusion of appropriate sensors and accompanying circuitry, generation of a simulation to test the control algorithm and implementing embedded software to control the robot. From the testing of the entire system the following conclusions were drawn. The robot as a whole performed well and navigated autonomously through the duct with a success rate of 90%. The system tests were repeatable and the odometry data closely matched the actual paths for straight line travel. The sonar data closely corresponded to the duct walls but was hard to interpret when the odometry and actual paths diverged. These paths diverged from each other due to wheel slip caused as the robot turned. The simulation developed showed that the control algorithm would ensure that the robot recursively inspected any duct system and provided information about the system as a whole. Further work should concentrate on improving the correlation between the odometry path and the actual path, perhaps by adding in a bearing measurement system. Sensors with greater range and accuracy should be implemented and the entire system re-tested. The embedded controller allowed for expansion should additional requirements be needed and was more then adequate for the task

NASA patent abstracts bibliography: A continuing bibliography. Section 1: Abstracts (supplement 43)

Abstracts are provided for 128 patents and patent applications entered into the NASA scientific and technical information system during the period Jan. 1993 through Jun. 1993. Each entry consists of a citation, an abstract, and in most cases, a key illustration selected from the patent or patent application

NASA Tech Briefs, March 1992

Topics include: New Product Ideas; Electronic Components and Circuits; Electronic Systems; Physical Sciences; Materials; Computer Programs; Mechanics; Machinery; Fabrication Technology; Mathematics and Information Sciences; Life Sciences

Proceedings of the International Micro Air Vehicles Conference and Flight Competition 2017 (IMAV 2017)

The IMAV 2017 conference has been held at ISAE-SUPAERO, Toulouse, France from Sept. 18 to Sept. 21, 2017. More than 250 participants coming from 30 different countries worldwide have presented their latest research activities in the field of drones. 38 papers have been presented during the conference including various topics such as Aerodynamics, Aeroacoustics, Propulsion, Autopilots, Sensors, Communication systems, Mission planning techniques, Artificial Intelligence, Human-machine cooperation as applied to drones

A design guide for energy-efficient research laboratories

This document--A Design Guide for Energy-Efficient Research Laboratories--provides a detailed and holistic framework to assist designers and energy managers in identifying and applying advanced energy-efficiency features in laboratory-type environments. The Guide fills an important void in the general literature and compliments existing in-depth technical manuals. Considerable information is available pertaining to overall laboratory design issues, but no single document focuses comprehensively on energy issues in these highly specialized environments. Furthermore, practitioners may utilize many antiquated rules of thumb, which often inadvertently cause energy inefficiency. The Guide helps its user to: introduce energy decision-making into the earliest phases of the design process, access the literature of pertinent issues, and become aware of debates and issues on related topics. The Guide does focus on individual technologies, as well as control systems, and important operational factors such as building commissioning. However, most importantly, the Guide is intended to foster a systems perspective (e.g. right sizing) and to present current leading-edge, energy-efficient design practices and principles