CERTIFICATION OF PRACTICING CIVIL ENGINEERS IN SAUDI ARABIA: AN OPINION SURVEY

As the demographic composition of the engineering body in Saudi Arabia comprises a multinational work force who have different academic backgrounds and professional preparedness and who can practice their professions without a license or certificate, it focuses a need for adopting a policy on certification of professional engineers working in Saudi Arabia. With the realism that the issue of certification has national interest and impact, a broad-based survey was conducted as part of a funded project to gauge the opinion of the Civil Engineers working in Saudi Arabia with regard to issues related to certification. The survey results emphatically show that there is almost an unanimous support for certification among all Civil Engineers, Saudis and non-Saudis, who felt that the certification is very important for the profession. The majority of the respondents has indicated that a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering would be acceptable as the minimum academic qualification and that the minimum practical experience required after graduation should not be less than two years. The majority also do not support a mandatory examination for certification for all engineers. With regard to who should administer certification, the majority consensus points to the Engineering Committee in Saudi Arabia as the recommended administrative body for certification

CERTIFICATION OF PRACTICING CIVIL ENGINEERS IN SAUDI ARABIA: AN OPINION SURVEY

As the demographic composition of the engineering body in Saudi Arabia comprises a multinational work force who have different academic backgrounds and professional preparedness and who can practice their professions without a license or certificate, it focuses a need for adopting a policy on certification of professional engineers working in Saudi Arabia. With the realism that the issue of certification has national interest and impact, a broad-based survey was conducted as part of a funded project to gauge the opinion of the Civil Engineers working in Saudi Arabia with regard to issues related to certification. The survey results emphatically show that there is almost an unanimous support for certification among all Civil Engineers, Saudis and non-Saudis, who felt that the certification is very important for the profession. The majority of the respondents has indicated that a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering would be acceptable as the minimum academic qualification and that the minimum practical experience required after graduation should not be less than two years. The majority also do not support a mandatory examination for certification for all engineers. With regard to who should administer certification, the majority consensus points to the Engineering Committee in Saudi Arabia as the recommended administrative body for certification

Coesão e resistência ao cisalhamento relacionadas a atributos físicos e químicos de um Latossolo Amarelo de tabuleiro costeiro Cohesion and shear strength as related to physical and chemical properties of a Yellow Latosol of coastal plain

Os solos coesos de tabuleiros costeiros têm como característica peculiar horizontes minerais subsuperficiais, que apresentam consistência friável quando úmidos, porém, quando secos, têm consistência dura, muito dura ou extremamente dura. Este trabalho teve o objetivo de estudar o comportamento mecânico de horizontes coesos e não-coesos de um Latossolo Amarelo de tabuleiro costeiro por meio de características de cisalhamento relacionadas com propriedades físicas, químicas e teor de água do solo. Os resultados mostraram que a coesão do solo e a resistência ao cisalhamento aumentaram expressivamente com a redução do teor de água no horizonte coeso. Este horizonte apresentou os maiores valores de densidade do solo, microporosidade e óxidos de Fe, Si e Al, resultando em maiores valores de coesão do solo e resistência ao cisalhamento, em relação aos horizontes não-coesos. Os maiores valores de coesão do solo resultaram em maiores valores de resistência à penetração no horizonte coeso, em relação aos não-coesos. As características de cisalhamento (coesão do solo, ângulo de atrito interno e resistência ao cisalhamento) mostraram-se sensíveis à identificação de horizontes coesos em solos de tabuleiros costeiros.<br>The cohesive soils of Brazilian coastal plain have subsurface horizon with a peculiar characteristic - when wet the consistency is friablet, but of hard, very hard or extremely hard consistency when dry. The objective of this study was to evaluate the mechanical characteristics of cohesive and non-cohesive horizons of a Yellow Latosol of coastal tableland based on shear parameters related with soil physical and chemical properties and moisture. The results showed that soil cohesion and shear strength increased substantially with the reduction of the water content in the cohesive horizon. The cohesive horizon presented the highest values of bulk density, microporosity and Fe, Si and Al oxides, resulting in higher values of soil cohesion and shear strength as compared to the non-cohesive horizons. The highest values of soil cohesion resulted in greater resistance to penetration in the cohesive horizon in comparison to the non-cohesive horizons. The shear parameters (soil cohesion, internal friction angle and shear strength) proved sensitive for the identification of cohesive horizons in soils of coastal plains

Influência de diferentes sistemas de uso e manejo na coesão, resistência ao cisalhamento e óxidos de Fe, Si E Al em solo de tabuleiro costeiro de Alagoas Influence of different use and management systems on cohesion, shear strength and Fe, Si and Al oxides in coastal tableland soils of Alagoas state, Brazil

A tensão de cisalhamento e a coesão do solo constituem importantes propriedades físicas do solo, podendo ser influenciadas pelo sistema de manejo e óxidos de Fe, Si e Al do solo. Os efeitos de diferentes sistemas de manejo de solo cultivado com cana-de-açúcar na tensão de cisalhamento, ângulo de atrito interno, coesão do solo e nos teores de óxidos de Fe, Si e Al de um Argissolo Amarelo Coeso foram estudados em quatro áreas da Usina Triunfo, no Estado de Alagoas. Os tratamentos abrangeram: uma área irrigada, uma área não irrigada, uma com aplicação de vinhaça e uma sob floresta nativa, como condição original. Amostras foram tiradas de cada área a 0,2-0,4 m e 0,4-0,8 m de profundidade. Os sistemas sequeiro e irrigado promoveram os maiores aumentos na coesão, ângulo de atrito interno e resistência ao cisalhamento do solo. Os teores de água e de óxidos no solo influíram nos valores de coesão do solo, tendo sido os maiores valores deste atributo obtidos em solos com teores de água mais baixos e solos com maiores teores de óxidos.<br>The shear tension and soil cohesion are important soil physical properties. They are affected by management systems and the content of Fe, Si and Al oxides in the soil. The effects of different sugarcane management systems on the shear tension, angle of internal friction, soil cohesion, and the contents of Fe, Si and Al oxides in a Cohesive Yellow Argisol were studied in four areas of the Triunfo mill in Alagoas State, Brazil. The treatments consisted of an area cultivated with irrigation and another without irrigation, a site with vinasse application. A native forest area was included as reference for the original conditions. Samples were collected from each site at depths of 0.2-0.4 m and 0.4-0.8 m. The areas cultivated with and without irrigation promoted the greatest increase in soil cohesion, angle of internal friction and soil shear strength. The water and oxide contents affected the soil cohesion; the highest soil cohesion values were obtained in soils with the lowest water and the highest oxide contents