Correlation between Chemical and Index Properties of Soils of Hyderabad Region

Each soil has unique nature of the characteristics and its properties are beyond the control of the designer. Since the soil parameters varies from site to site or location to location, thus selecting the reliable properties of soil is always a challenge for the Geotechnical Engineers. One of the option is intense soil investigations. However, there are various soil properties whose determination is time consuming and expansive. Geotechnical Engineer usually tries to develop mathematical equations specific to a particular soil type. However, a mathematical formula that is more reliable for the type of soil in which the link is genuine. In the light of above discussion, index and chemical properties were not investigated in most of the areas of Hyderabad region. Also correlation between chemical and index properties were not investigated. Correlation between chemical and index properties were not well understood. Thus it is important to develop the appropriate mathematical equations to be able to access the local area. The aim of this study is to determine index and chemical properties of soil selected from different locations of Hyderabad Region and also develop correlation between chemical and index properties of soils of Hyderabad region. Regression analysis have been carried out between Index and chemical properties. Such correlations may be of use to geotechnical engineers, in preliminary estimates of index and chemical properties of soils Hyderabad region and perhaps reduce testing requirements. The data obtained from independent laboratory tests on soils sourced from several locations in Hyderabad region were subjected to regression analysis after the samples had been grouped in A-4, A-6, and A-7-6 using AASHTO classification system. The derived Regression equations can be used to estimate the index and chemical properties of soils in Hyderabad region

The frequency of vibrio cholera 01 EL TOR (Inaba And Ogawa) and its Resistance Pattern in Karachi.

Introduction: Cholera is an acute infectious disease of small intestine, caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. More than 200 serogroups of V. cholerae have been identified. In Iran, Inaba strains were 75% resistant against trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole in 2011, while during 2012-13 it was 100%. Ogawa strains showed 96% resistance against trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole in 2011, whereas 100% resistant in 2012, while no resistance was seen in 2013 against the same antibiotic.   Objective: To determine the frequency of vibrio cholera 01 EL TOR (Inaba And Ogawa) and its resistance pattern in Karachi. Methodology: Samples were collected from patients with acute diarrhea with rice-water stool from Medical Unit, JPMC and NICH, Karachi between October 2015 to August 2016. These samples were then transported to Microbiology Department, Basic Medical Sciences Institute, JPMC, Karachi and processed according to standard protocol. Results: No growth was noticed in 147 (66.81%) samples while a total of 28 (12.7%) were V. cholerae species, and 45 (20.45%) were other organisms. The distribution of V. cholerae serotypes, out of 28 V. cholerae species, 13 (46.4%) were of Inaba serotypes, 09 (32.1%) were of Ogawa serotypes while 06 (21.4%) were of Non-01 serotypes. Conclusion: The susceptibility results of tetracycline and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole are not very favorable. Involvement of multidrug resistant V. cholerae O1 serotypes in the community is a very serious public health concern. Such patients were observed to be very difficult to treat in the community. &nbsp

Numerical Analysis of Settlement of a Piled Raft Foundation on Coastal Soil

There is a growing demand for multi-story buildings for residence and commercial purposes in coastal areas of Sindh, Pakistan. Such types of soils are generally considered more compressible with high groundwater levels, which may cause lower shear strength and higher settlement. The computation of the settlement of foundations requires the use of advanced constitutive models, which are not commonly used due to a lack of field or experimental data. This study is carried out to illustrate the use of an advanced soil model, i.e., Hardening Soil Model for the computation of settlement. For this purpose, numerical modeling was carried out using Finite Element Program PLAXIS 2D. Initially, the MC Model was utilized for the calculation of the settlement of a 10-story building in the coastal soil. In addition, parametric analyses for the effects of modulus of elasticity, permeability, and dilatancy angle were carried out. The results mainly suggest that the settlement of the building constructed on a piled raft foundation, predicted with the MC model, was 40% higher than that of the HS model. For prediction of settlement of the piled raft foundation, the results suggest that the HS model can be given preference as compared to the MC model. Doi: 10.28991/CEJ-2023-09-02-05 Full Text: PD

Impact of lime on compaction characteristics of Jamshoro shale

The most complex problem for any civil engineering work is when the structure which is laying on the soil is weak. Jamshoro shale is an example of such problematic soil, which gets expanded as soon as it is exposed to moisture and shrinks back once it dries. Such phenomenon is very critical for the structures and road networks built on shale forming settlements and cracks. Such kinds of soil must be stabilized by chemical or mechanical techniques to make them strong enough to carry the loads and resist settlements and cracking. The stabilization of the ground by utilizing or adding any chemical agent is a sustainable approach; it strengthens the soil properties without replacing or wasting the soil present. In this research, the treatment of lime with shale is been performed to observe the modification of the geotechnical characteristics of the soil. The different proportions of Hydrated Lime 0%, 7%, 8%, and 9% were mixed by the dry weight of soil to investigate the effect of lime on the compaction and plasticity characteristics of the shale. Various tests such as the modified proctor test, liquid limit test, and plastic limit test performed in the laboratory. From the results, it was observed that the properties of Jamshoro shale such as plasticity index, optimum moisture content, and maximum dry density were improved. The plasticity index of shale dropped to 2% from 24%. That suggests lime can be used as an economical and eco-friendly stabilizing agent

Effect of length of steel fibers of waste tires on splitting tensile strength of concrete

The increase in volume of vehicles ultimately increases the number of waste tires. The proper disposal or reutilization of waste tires is a challenge. This study is aimed to utilize the steel fibers of waste tires as reinforcement in concrete. Concrete cylinders were cast with addition of different percentages of steel fibers (0-2%) and length (10-20 mm). The fresh and hard properties of concrete reinforced with different percentages of steel fibers and lengths were observed. It is seen that splitting tensile strength of concrete increased with increase in the length of fiber and with the increase in the percentage of fiber. The inclusion of the fibers in concrete causes the reduction in the workability of concrete

Numerical modelling of shallow foundation on multi-layer soil with varying stiffness

The load-deformation observation under the footing is essential for foundation design. Either experimental methods or numerical modelling generally determines this phenomenon in engineering practices. This study determined the settlement of shallow foundations on Multi-layer soil profile numerically. The settlement behavior was investigated through numerical modelling with Plaxis 2D. This study site was Jamshoro region, located in province Sindh, Pakistan. From the geotechnical investigation, the soil of Jamshoro region consists of a combination of different soils, mainly shale and limestone. This type of soil shows common challenges for the serviceable and sustainable design and construction of structural foundations. The standard penetration test conducted accompanied by other geotechnical tests on shale and limestone to determine the input parameters for the model and observe the soil profile. The Mohr-Coloumb model used for shale and linear elastic for limestone. The settlement of the foundation is attended by varying the limestone layer’s depth. In this research, the settlement reduced under the footing by increasing the thickness of the limestone layer. The study observed that stiffness of lower layer significantly reduces the settlement of shallow foundation. Therefore, the effect of lower layer should be considered for the designing of foundation on multi-layered soil

Work to Family Enrichment as Mediator between Organizational Support and Employees’ Performance

This study investigates the relationship between work to family organizational support and employees’ performance, mediated by work to family enrichment. It analyses primary data, collected from the various commercial banks, operating in Sindh, Pakistan (N=401). A five point Likert type of survey questionnaire was distributed to respondents. The study applies the structural equation modeling approach (SEM) for data analysis purpose. Mediation analysis has been conducted following the procedure of Preacher and Hayes (2004, 2008) and Rucker, Preacher, Tormala, & Petty (2011). Results show the significant main effect of work to family organizational support and the indirect effect, through work to family enrichment on employees’ performance. Overall, this study establishes work to family enrichment as the missing link in the relationship between work to family organizational support and employees’ performance. The study contributes theoretically by incorporating the role of social exchange theory and work family enrichment theory. Empirical contribution of this study is to confirm the effect of work to family organizational support on employees’ performance and work to family enrichment as the mediator

1-g physical modelling of shallow foundation treated with polypropylene-reinforced soil-cement columns in liquefiable soil

The fibre-reinforced soil-cement columns are used as remediation measure against earthquake induced soil-liquefaction associated large settlements in liquefiable loose surface layer of sand. This loose surface layer of sand was overlying on the non-liquefiable dense bottom layer of sand. 1-g physical modelling of shallow foundation was carried out using shaking table. There were four 1-g physical models constructed for testing and the two types of improvements were used such as adjacent and beneath the structure. First model was 1-g physical model constructed without improvement, and three models were constructed with the provision of polypropylene-reinforced soil-cement columns. In the first treated model the columns were installed in the wooden fixity plate and adjacent to the structure, the second treated model was improved with improvement installed upon the soil-cemented fixity plate and provided adjacent to the structure, and in the third treated model with improvement installed upon the wooden fixity plate and provided beneath the structure. The results obtained in case of untreated 1-g physical model concludes that the penetration of structure inside the soil and settlement of structure, both are up to unacceptable limits. The results of first treated 1-g physical model concludes that the penetration and settlement of structure both are unacceptable. The results of penetration and settlement of structure in the case of second treated 1-g physical model are achieved up-to acceptable limits. The most successful type of improvement against the liquefaction-induced penetration and settlement of structure was achieved in case of third treated 1-g physical model in which the values of settlement and penetration are negligible. It is concluded that the improvement installed upon wooden fixity plate and provided beneath the structure is relatively the most efficient remediation measure against the earthquake induced soil-liquefaction induced settlement of structure

Frequency of Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders in Children with Recurrent Abdominal Pain

Background: Functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs) are common disorders characterized by chronic or recurrent gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms, not related to structural or biochemical abnormalities Objective: To determine the frequency of FGIDs in children with complaints of recurrent abdominal pain. Methods: This cross-sectional study was done at the outpatient department of pediatrics, National Institute of Child Health, Karachi, Pakistan from October 2022 to March 2023. Children of either gender aged 1-12 years with complaints of recurrent abdominal pain were analyzed. Socio-demographic characteristics along with presenting complaints and types of FGIDs were noted. Results: In a total of 188 children, the mean age was 7.22±1.96 years while 107 (56.9%) children were boys. The mean duration of symptoms was 2.7±1.8 months. The most frequent presenting complaints were pain during bowel movement, nausea, and epigastric pain reported by 88 (46.8%), 75 (39.9%), and 64 (34.0%) children respectively. Frequency distribution of functional GI disorders revealed that functional abdominal pain was the commonest noted in 72 (38.3%) children while irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and functional dyspepsia were found among 38 (20.2%) and 37 (19.7%) children respectively. Stratification of functional GI disorders showed a statistically significant relationship (p<0.001) concerning presenting complaints. Conclusion: Among children with FGIDs, the most frequent presenting complaints were pain during bowel movement, nausea, and epigastric pain. Functional abdominal pain, IBS, and functional dyspepsia were the most frequent types of FGID