Formulation and Environmental Impact Evaluation of Walnut and Soya Bean Oil Based Drilling Fluid

One of the oil and gas hazard that associated with drilling operation is oil based drilling fluid and its associated cutting disposition. It is highly imperative for policy maker to propagate the use of environmental friendly oil based mud for drilling operation. This paper formulated environmentally friendly oil based mud (using walnut and soya bean plant oil) that can carry out the same function as convectional oil based drilling fluid and equally meeting up with the HSE (Health, safety and environment) standard. Mud laboratory tests were carried out at standard condition on plant oil samples so as to ascertain the rheological properties of the drilling fluid formulations. The synthetic oil based was obtained from drilling company in Nigeria and was used as control experiment. At the end of the experiment, the properties of the walnut and soya beans based mud wascompared with industry oil based mud (synthetic oil based mud). All the results were shown to be similar to that of commercial synthetic oil based drilling mud which was gotten from the industry.From the results it can be seen that walnut and soya beans based mud actually gives a less toxic,better rheological properties, requires less waste disposal costs, hence making them more economically and technically viable for oil and gas drilling operation

Effect of waste aluminium shavings on the bond characteristics of laterized concrete

The utilization of fibre in concrete production not only solves the problem of disposing this solid waste but helps conserve natural resources. This study investigated the effect of waste aluminum shavings on bond strength of laterized concrete. Laterized concrete spliced beams of 150×250×2150mm150×250×2150mm and 175×275×2300mm175×275×2300mm were prepared. Fifteen specimens with 16 mm and 20 mm were cast with the addition of aluminium shavings at varying percentages of 1vol%, 1.5vol% and 2vol%; another ten specimens with 16 mm and 20 mm diameter bars at 0% of aluminium shavings were cast as control. Concrete cubes of number were prepared, three taken for each set of various percentages of aluminium shavings were used to determine the concrete strength. It was observed from the analysis that the compressive strength decreased as the percentage of aluminium shavings increased, while the aluminium shavings increased the bond between concrete and steel. However, for normal concrete there was an increase in bond resistance with increase in aluminium shavings. The bond resistance of 16 mm was found to be higher than that of 20 mm in all the specimens tested

Reinforced concrete deterioration caused by contaminated construction water: An overview

Over the years, there were cases of building failures in most developing countries of the world that have led to the loss of lives and property. Yet, most investigations conducted on the causes of building failures have suggested poor design, inadequate supervision, and the use of inferior materials as the factors responsible for the failures. However, not so much emphasis has been placed on concrete mixing water as a contributing factor to the failures. Therefore, this review summarizes the effect of the type and composition of mixing water on the properties of concrete. Different sources of water that can be used to mix concrete were explored, alongside with the effect on fresh and hardened properties of concrete. The fresh properties of concrete, such as setting time and slump, were examined, while the hardened properties focused on the strength and durability of the concrete. A brief statement on the available regulation and standards for mixing water was also reported. This review shows the viability of using water from different sources, such as wastewater, to mix concrete successfully. However, the treatment of some types of water might be required to ensure that excellent strength and durability properties are achieved while preventing any threat to human life and the environment. Area for future research was also suggested, which, among other procedures, could help proffer solutions to the challenge of building failures in developing countries

Green concrete: A review of recent developments

So much innovations have ensued in the concrete industry in the last decade, especially in terms of ensuring concrete sustainability and its green initiatives. A call for sustainability is imminent in the industry as the production of ordinary Portland cement (OPC) which is the main binder of concrete contributes about 8% to the world’s human-induced carbon dioxide emission. In addition, the production of concrete has posed a huge threat on natural deposits of raw materials. With billions of tons of concrete expected to be produced in the coming years to meet our infrastructure demand, it is critical for other alternatives to be considered for concrete production. Such alternatives mostly fit as partial or total replacement of OPC and aggregates. This paper explored the sustainable advantage of alkali-activated binders, supplementary cementitious materials, and recycled materials as raw materials in concrete. This short review has shown that it is possible to achieve a greener concrete with enhanced properties compared to the conventional concrete with the use of new materials. Also, on the ground of economic importance, the new materials were found to have better performance than the conventional ones

Women’s Behavioral Patterns in Domestic Tasks in Western Nigeria: Hazards Forecasting with Neural Network Classifier

Behavioral pattern is the characteristic ways a person acts and has been recognized as a cause of many home accidents (h-accd). This study reviewed the types and prevalence of injuries among women in domestic works and proposes a model using Artificial Neural Network (ANN) function to forecast the safety level of women in domestic duty. The study was conducted in some parts of Western Nigeria among 340 subjects (171 married and 169 unmarried) using questionnaire. SPSS was used for data analysis. The ANN function was developed in MATLAB 2015a using the subjects’ behavioral patterns and the model was used to predict safety in domestic duties (d-duties) among some women. ‘Cuts/laceration’ (40%) and ‘skin contact with hot substance’ (35.6%) were commonly reported. Carelessness (26.5%) and distraction (22.1%) were the main leading factors across the groups. Marital status and h-accd (Chi-square =4.323 and p= .038); ‘hours spent on domestic works’ and ‘the h-accd’ were both significant among other tested groups variables. With the developed ANN function, the results of the MSE was 0.33626 indicating that the function predicted the exact value. The result of the predicted h-accd (safety= -0.5445, hazards= 1.0228) in d-duties of the tested variables with the ANN function, showed a very low level of safety. The article concludes that the developed model is reliable and a recommended ergonomic tool useful in all homes, most especially where women perform most domestic works

Alkali activated binders: Challenges and opportunities

Alkali activated binders (AAB) are gaining huge research attention in recent years, due to their potential to totally be used in a zero-cement composite. Ordinary Portland cement (OPC) is characterized by high energy usage and carbon emission from its production process, which thus shows the need for AAB development. AAB are a sustainable replacement for OPC, as they can be produced from waste materials generated by various industrial processes. This paper explored the properties of different types of waste used as a solitary and binary combination for AAB, alongside their effects on the resulting composites. A general summary of the opportunities of AABs are also discussed. It was concluded that, with more research and developments dedicated to the field of AAB, AAB can be practical replacement of OPC for large-scale applications in the near future

The Culture of Male Supremacy and Emergency Obstetric Care: The Nigerian Experience

The maternal mortality ratio in Nigeria remains one of the highest in the world (WHO, 1990). Many intervention programs in this area have failed to achieve the desired purpose because efforts have been mainly in the area of hospital care or service delivery, without due cognisance being given to the androcentric behaviour which affects maternal roles, especially the dynamics of decision-making when emergency obstetric care service becomes necessary, Using findings from a recently concluded study, the paper looks at the impact of the culture of male gender supremacy on women's reproductive rights and their total well-being. It explores the gender myths about pregnancy, and pregnancy outcomes, and the central role played by men in emergency obstetric conditions. The study. which is an action-oriented study, was carried out in South-western Nigeria, by a multi-disciplinary research group, using a variety of data collection techniques – questionnaire survey, in-depth interview, Focus Group Discussions, direct observation, and exposure to educative materials – posters, talks/discussions, films, drama etc, Study findings showed that androcentric behaviour is a major determinant of pregnancy outcome, since men have almost absolute control over the choice of health care facilities used during pregnancy, the condition under which delivery takes place, diet during pregnancy, and the types of action taken in emergency obstetric conditions. Yet, the study found that most men lacked knowledge of what constitutes emergency obstetric conditions, appropriate actions to be taken, and a shallow knowledge of pregnancy, fertility and family planning. The study instituted an intervention program which was aimed at improving the knowledge of men in what constitutes emergency obstetric care. and also counselling on androcentric behaviours which may be detrimental to pregnancy outcomes, and the social dynamics of what constitutes a healthy family. (The African Anthropologist: 2002 9 (2): 157-182

The effect of an educational intervention programme on reproductive health: decision-making among couples in south west Nigeria

Context: Decision making process in reproductive health in Sub-Saharan Africa is a complex activity dictated by the customs, religious beliefs, socio-economic factors, and cultural innovations. The central role played by men in this process gives a strong justification for health education intervention with a primary focus on men. Objective: To find out how educational intervention programme will influence reproductive health decision making among couples. Study Design: This is a quasi-experimental study among couples in 3 towns in Osun State (Ode-Omu, Ejigbo and Otan-Ayegbaju) of Nigeria. Ode-Omu and Ejigbo served as the intervention towns while Otan-Ayegbaju served as the control. The study had 3 phases: baseline survey lasting 3 months, intervention phase of 12 months and postintervention period of 3 months. Interventions: Imparting information and educating members of the community on issues related to reproductive health with emphasis on the role of men using posters, handbills, public lectures, workshops and films. Main Outcome Measures: Decision making on and timing of pregnancy, seeking of post-abortion care, and husbands' support of wives during pregnancy. Results: After the intervention, more couples took joint decisions on timing of pregnancies; more husbands supported their wives during pregnancy and seeking of post-abortion care increased significantly in the intervention towns. Conclusion: Enlightenment of men is a faster and effective short-term measure to improve women's utilization of reproductive health resources. Keywords: men's role, reproductive health, decision-making Tropical Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Vol. 22(1) 2005: 4-

Oral health status of pregnant women in Ilorin, Nigeria

Oral diseases have been shown to negatively affect pregnancy outcomes, yet, routine oral health care is not a component of the antenatal care package in Nigeria. This study was designed to describe the pattern of the oral conditions in pregnancy compared to the non-pregnant controls. Two hundred and twenty-five pregnant women and 166 non-pregnant controls were studied from two healthcare facilities in Ilorin. Oral-related complaints were assessed in the pregnant population while both of the groups had an oral cavity examination. The mean age of the respondents was 28.24 years ±4.77 and 80% had at least a secondary school level of education. The prevalence of oral complaints among the pregnant women was 19.1%. Gingivitis was more common among the pregnant women than the non-pregnant women, and more demonstrable on examination. Oral healthcare should be a component of the antenatal care in our environment. Impact statement What is already known on this subject? Women experience oral disorders in pregnancy, which may be worsened by the physiological changes in pregnancy. What do the results of this study add? This study has demonstrated a higher prevalence of gingivitis in the pregnant women than in the non-pregnant women on oral examination. The signs of gingivitis were higher than its related complaints. What are the implications of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? Therefore, dental care and an examination should be part of a routine antenatal care package to prevent the unwanted pregnancy outcomes that are related to oral disorders

Characterization and performance evaluation of laterite based geopolymer binder cured at different temperatures

Abstract This paper presents the results of experimental evaluation of curing conditions on the microstructure and performance of geopolymer binders developed from iron-rich laterite soils. Two calcined iron-rich laterites namely LB600 and LY600 were used as solid precursors in the preparation of geopolymer binders. The geopolymer samples were cured at 20, 60 and 80 °C. FTIR, XRD, EDS and DTA/TG were used to evaluate the microstructural properties of the prepared products. The performance of the binder was evaluated in terms of the compressive strengths, water absorption, porosity, bulk density and thermal conductivity. The findings from this study showed that the dissolution of the calcined laterites in 8 M NaOH increased the dissolution of Al, Si and Fe elements with increasing temperature from 20 to 80 °C. This higher dissolution of the monomers further resulted to an increase in the compressive strength of the binders at 7 and 28 days. It was also found out that curing the geopolymer in the dry state resulted in higher compressive strength at all ages compared to those cured in the wet and wet-dry state. Drying shrinkage evaluation of the geopolymer samples cured between 60 and 80 °C exhibited a lower linear shrinkage due to a high degree of geopolymerization. Microstructural investigation of the geopolymer samples cured at 80 °C showed a heterogeneous compact and dense structure resulting from high polycondensation. This densified microstructure also induced an increase in the thermal conductivity from 0.65 to 0.90 W/mK and 0.75 to 0.91 W/mK for LB600 and LY600, respectively. Nonetheless, both geopolymer binders made of LB600 and LY600 laterite powders performed well in dry, wet and wet-dry conditions, and can be used for various construction applications especially in the precast industry