Determining the traffic safety management criteria in highway maintenance works from road users' perspective / Suhaila Ali, Nur'ain Ismail and Norakmarwati Ishak

Road traffic injuries are a major public health problem and a leading cause of death, injury and disability around the world. Each year nearly 1.2 million people die and millions more are injured or disabled as a result of road crashes, mostly in the urban areas of developing countries. Better plans, transparent process, and public support are some of the benefits that road managers can obtain by educating and involving the general public. This research examines the perception of highway users towards the installation of the traffic safety equipments during the road maintenance works. Besides that, the research will also determine the traffic safety management criteria in ensuring the traffic control signs and equipments are meeting the highway users' needs. The respondents are consisting of highway users from Ipoh to Kuala Lumpur. A survey will be conducted by researcher on the installation of traffic safety equipment applicable on highway maintenance work towards the perception of highway user according to homogeneity factors that classified also into two categories which are 'age and gender of the drivers' and 'type of vehicle'. Questionnaire was produce to identify the overall perception of highway user towards the installation of traffic safety equipment that used during maintenance work progress. In addition, the traffic safety management criteria will be determined in ensuring the traffic control signs and equipments are meeting the highway users' needs. The researcher found that the overall perceptions of the respondents stated the installation of the traffic safety equipments during the road maintenance works progress is at below average level. In term of traffic safety management criteria it must have criteria like all the traffic safety equipment should be more brighter and easy to see from long distance, will instruct drivers to follow a path away from where work is being done and concessionaire should aware their equipment in good condition and should do routine maintenance. From the analysis have been carried out, the result shows that the management should improves the safety in work zones from the perception of respondents were analysed and discussed

Ethane feeder pipeline corrosion rate prediction analysis

Carbon dioxide CO2 is one of the major gases of concern in ethane feeder pipeline since it presence will induce corrosion which then damage the pipeline. The purpose of this study is to determine the corrosion rate using NORSOK M-506 commercial software prior to comparing corrosion rate with international standard, identify optimum level to control corrosion rate, and analyse the relationship of moisture content towards H2CO3 impact and its pH level for variety of CO2 concentration, temperature, pH and moisture content in the ethane feeder pipeline. Evaluation impact was done for CO2, temperature and pH value using average value and is categorised as moderate between 0.025 to 0.12 mm/year as per an International Standard – National Association of Corrosion Engineer (NACE). Corrosion rate for CO2 is 0.055 mm/year while for temperature and pH are 0.054 mm/year and 0.055 mm/year respectively. Based on the average corrosion rate of 0.05 mm/year, the simulation results produce the optimum corrosion control level when CO2 concentration is 1.40 mole percent at temperature of 21.5 °C and pH of 4.7. Since NORSOK M-506 software has the limitation of pH coverage within 3.5 – 6.5, moisture effect is analysed using chemistry equation approach. It was found that the concentration of H2CO3 increases with moisture content. More H2CO3 formation in pipeline will definitely promote a more serious internal corrosion

Performance bond and an injunction

Claims under performance bonds have been a subject of considerable litigation in Malaysia and other jurisdictions. Performance bonds, either conditional or on-demand, are provided by contractors in favour of employers to ensure their complete performance of the contracts. When the contracrors breach the contracts, this will entitle the employers to make calls on the bonds. However, injunctions have been used by contractors to defeat the main purpose of the bonds. Injunction is an equitable remedy and is within the dsicetionary power to the judge. Judges have granted and rejected contractors applications for injunction to restrain the call on the bonds. The main issue is relating the principles used by judges in granting or rejecting an injunction. The objective of the study is to identify legal principles used by the courts in granting or rejecting an application for injunction against bondsmen from making payment or against employer from receiving the the bonds. The research methodology used in achieving this objective, was by analysis of reported and unreported court decisions of the relevant leading cases in Malaysia and other commonwealth countries. The analysis showed that: there three principles in refusing and two principles in granting an application for an injunction. The two principles for granting an injunction are fraud or unconscionably conducts regarding the making of the call or payment. The three principles for refusing are one, when there are serious issues to be tried; two, when fraud is involved; and here, when there is unconscionably conduct by contractors. However, if the court identified that there is an adequate remedy the injunction will not be granted. As conclusion, injunction to restrain the calling and obstructing the payment is not an appropriate method in solving disputes that arise between two parties. It is better to identify other alternative adequate remedies recovering the financial loss and damages

Arcing fault detection for a double busbar metal enclosed switchgear

Arcing fault issues have increased concern and awareness of many people in different background. The effect it causes leads to the development of arc fault detectors. Arc fault detector is associated with overcurrent relay in older switchgear system to improve speed performance of switchgear protection system. In this paper, a new design of arc fault detector for double busbar metal-enclosed medium voltage switchgear is introduced to develop a better arc fault detection in terms of selectivity. A position sensor is associated concurrently with light and current detector in providing a tripping signal to the corresponding circuit breaker. The circuit is designed using Boolean algebra approached and simulated in MATLAB Simulink. Simulation results are observed to verify the performance of the arc fault detector in terms of solving false tripping problems