Compaction Behaviour of Lateritic Soils Stabilized with Blends of Groundnut Shell Ash and Metakaolin

The study investigates the potential of groundnut shell ash (GSA) - Metakaolin (MK) blend for stabilization of lateritic soil, with a view to improving the properties of lateritic soils for road construction. In flexible pavements lateritic soil are used as materials for sub-grade and sub-base construction. In some cases lateritic soils pose serious challenges when encountered as road construction materials due to the presence of clay. The soil was classified as A-2-6(0) and CL according to the American Association of State Highway and Transport Officials (AASHTO) and Unified Soil Classification System (USCS) Classifications. Chemical analysis revealed that the soil is lateritic soil due to the Silica - sesquioxide ratio which falls within the ranged 1.33 to 2.00 as defined by Bell (1993). The soil was stabilized with increment of 2-10% GSA and 5-25%MK by weight of the dry soil. The laboratory tests were carried out using three energy levels such as British Standard light (BSL), British Standard heavy (BSH) and West African Standard (WAS). California bearing ratio (CBR), Unconfined Compressive strength (UCS), and Compaction test were also carried out. The result obtained showed a decrease in plasticity index (PI), Liquid limit (LL), plastic limit (PL), and water absorption. There was an increase in Maximum dry density (MDD) with increase in GSA and MK contents in the mix proportions used. There was also improvement in the CBR which resulted to an optimum of 36%, 154% and 81% using BSL, BSH and WAS compactive effort respectively; which met the acceptable requirement for sub-grade, sub-base and base course of highly trafficked roads in Nigeria. The UCS values at 7 days cured of 402, 731 and 530kN/m2 fell short of 1710kN/m2 and 1034.25kN/m2 evaluated in the criteria recommended by TRRL road Note: 31 and Nigerian General Specification for Road and Bridges. The durability of specimen met 80% resistant to loss in strength. Keywords: Metakaolin, Subgrade, Sesquioxide, California bearing ratio, Unconfined compressive strengt

SWOT analysis of land area-based and value-based property rating

The property rating can be on Value-based rating Assessment (VbRA) or Area-based Rating Assessment (AbRA). This study examined the suitable assessment of Bauchi metropolis, Nigeria. The materials used were published books and journal articles, and SWOT technique was applied to analyse the identified variables, then the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats were sorted out. The facts from the SWOT matrix were assimilated into existing local scenario to strategically decide the appropriate assessment procedure for raising the local revenue for financing the provision and maintenance of municipal infrastructure and facilities. The study found Area-based Rating Assessment (AbRA) as the most appropriate rating assessment procedure for the study area

Premium arrangement in the contemporary real estate transaction in Bauchi

The premium arrangement in the real estate enables lessors to receive a lump sum of money and forfeit a part of rental income, while the lessee enjoys some profit rents. This transaction was not operational in the study area. This study investigated the position of the lessor on the awareness and practice of premium arrangement on the real estate transaction in Bauchi metropolis, using multiple regression and structural equation modelling with AMOS graphics. The analyses (both) multiple regression and structural equation modelling with AMOS revealed that the awareness and practice of premium arrangement in Bauchi metropolis have been a factor that can significantly influence the real estate transactions with corresponding benefits to both lessors and lessees in the study area. It was therefore recommended that the parties’ privy in the premium transaction to acknowledge the benefits to the lessor appeared to out-weigh the benefits to the lessee, thus the parties should be enjoined to comply with the existing rules and covenants of their leas

Analyzing area-based rating assessment implementation in Bauchi Metropolis, Nigeria, testing SWOT variables

The Area-based Rating Assessment (AbRA) entails assessing the real property for rating purposes on the basis of the land area only. This study analyzed the implementation of AbRA in Bauchi metropolis, experimentally by testing the helpful factors under both internal and external variables; and subsequently, by testing the harmful factors under the internal and external variables all derived from SWOT analysis, and measuring their effects on the endogenous variable (AbRA). The study derived major themes from SWOT analyses, whose variables under each theme were used as measurement items or sub-themes for the primary data collection. Structural Equation Modelling was used to analyze the impact of the variables on the implementation of AbRA in the study area. It was found that the area assessment required the limited data to conduct the rating assessment, and did not necessarily require periodic revaluation to update the valuation list with the volatilities in value, thus, making AbRA to demand less cost of administration. It was also found that, information on land area can be collected remotely without entry into the individual properties, the process did not defy the residents’ privacy, also, the remote data collection could be done using tools like Google Earth/Map which allowed the ease of reconnaissance and faster inspections and measurements, hence, this study recommended the area-based rating assessment (AbRA) for Bauchi metropolis of Nigeria