Assessing Safety and Health Factors Influencing Performance of Malaysian Low-Cost Housing

The Malaysian Government through its various Malaysia Plans is committed to provide adequate, affordable, and quality low-cost housing in fulfilling nation’s housing need. Therefore, the housing policy should provide the public to own affordable housing that should improve the safety and health of a building’s final occupants. To achieve this aim, the information concerning the safety and health performance of buildings must always be readily available. The research first identified the critical factors through a literature review of current safety and health practices from journals, thesis and articles books in order to interpret the factors from a global perspective. The literature review identified 32 variables of factors contributing to safety and health performance of low cost housing in Malaysia. The findings of this study can form a basis that can be considered as primary elements for the development of practical assessment scheme to evaluate the safety and health of low-cost housing in Malaysia. Keywords: Safety and health, framework, low-cost housing, case stud

Differences level of injury severity for male and female drivers in traffic crashes in Sabah

Road traffic crash has become a big issue around the world because it has recorded a higher number of fatalities each year. Previous research has found many factors influencing injury severity between male and female drivers. However, these factors might be different in complex driving condition like mountainous areas and different vehicle composition. The main objective of this study is to examine the differences between male and female driver’s injury severity in a passenger car, four-wheel drive vehicle and van. In order to investigate the effect of topography and vehicle composition, Sabah has been selected as the study area. Separate logistics regression model for injury severity of male and female drivers were examined using traffic crash data from 2008 to 2012. The results showed that the crashes at night times and wet season were more severe than crashes on day time and dry season for male drivers only. Crashes on cross junction were more severe for female drivers. Dangerous turning behaviours that cause the crashes also contributed to the increasing severity level of female drivers. Factors which have the same effect on male and female drivers were collision type, road type, road geometry, driver age, driver errors and type of vehicle. This study gives an insightful understanding about the different factors influencing injury severity level, which involved male and female drivers in crashes in areas that are mountainous and the effect of different vehicle composition on the road

Railway development and the impact to Malaysian economy

The development of railway system in Malaysia is no longer seen to fit a needs of land transportation system only. The development currently is more to be a method to improve the existing service, making public transportation system more widespread and effective. It is also an alternative method to solving traffic congestion in the city. In recent decade, development of rail system in Malaysia is not only focused to the city center, but also the provision and construction of several routes connecting the Kuala Lumpur city center to the surrounding areas which allow residents of outside the city working in Kuala Lumpur without having to live in the city. In addition, a construction of two-way rail system to replace an existing one-way rail made aggressively across the country as an effort to make the rail transportation system more efficient and faster for services. Therefore, the system will becoming a preferred mode of transport in the near future compared to the road transport system. In the recent years, the Government is giving more attention to the rail transportation system and has approved another two new projects to build a new route from Klang Valley to Tumpat, Kelantan and also the construction of the Kuala Lumpur – Singapore high speed train network. The transport sector is currently an important infrastructure in enhancing the economic development of Malaysia at the global level. Advanced pullback of a country can be seen and measured by its public transport system. These two new projects, upgrading the existing rail routes and added by the rapid development of rail transportation system in Klang Valley are believed to give an impact to the economy of the country as a whole

A study of travel patterns in Surabaya metropolitan area

The Surabaya Metropolitan Area (SMA) in East Java Province is the second most important economic zone in Indonesia. It is composed of five Regencies, Sidoarjo, Mojokerto, Lamongan, Gresik, Bangkalan, and two Cities, Mojokerto, and Surabaya. There are not less than nine million people in the SMA region. The boundaries of the Surabaya Metropolitan Area are based on several factors namely the travel time and the distance from the center of Surabaya, the natural conditions and the urbanization patterns. The travel time to the city center of Surabaya is estimated to be 1 hour away with a distance of about 20 km. This condition has certainly changed since the operation of the Suramadu Bridge connecting the city of Surabaya and Bangkalan, therefore it will greatly affect the travel patterns of the population and the movement of people

Indikator pelajar cemerlang: satu kajian di Sekolah Menengah Teknik Batu Pahat

Laporan projek saijana ini mempersembahkan hasil kajian yang bertajuk "Indikator Pelajar Cemerlang: Satu Kajian di Sekolah Menengah Teknik Batu Pahat. Kajian ini bertujuan untuk mengenalpasti sejauhmana pelajar-pelajar Sekolah Menengah Teknik Batu Pahat yang diwakili oleh pelajar-pelajar aliran kejuruteraan awam cemerlang, mengenalpasti sejauhmana indikator yang dihasilkan sesuai menggambarkan kecemerlangan pelajar aliran kejuruteraan awam sekolah ini serta untuk mengetahui halangan-halangan yang wujud dalam meningkatkan kecemerlangan pelajar dan cara mengatasinya. Responden adalah terdiri daripada guru, staf sokongan sekolah dan 80 orang pelajar tingkatan empat dan lima aliran kejuruteraan awam Sekolah Menengah Teknik Batu Pahat. Indikator yang dihasilkan dapat dijadikan sebagai satu piawaian yang dapat menjadi panduan samaada pelajar-pelajar Sekolah Menengah Teknik Batu Pahat yang diwakili oleh pelajar-pelajar aliran kejuruteraan Awam itu cemerlang atau tidak. Borang soal selidik diedarkan untuk mendapatkan maklumat dan program SPSS 11.0 for windows (Statistical Package for the social Science Version 11.0) digunakan untuk menganalisfs data yang diperolehi. Data dianalisis dan dikemukakan dalam bentuk analisis statistik secara deskriptif iaitu taburan skor min dan peratusan. Dapatan menunjukkan hampir keseluruhan responden menyatakan pelajar-pelajar aliran kejuruteraan awam Sekolah Menengah Teknik Batu Pahat cemerlang dan indikator yang dihasilkan sesuai digunakan. Responden pelajar telah memilih masalah displin pelajar yang kurang memuaskan sebagai halangan utama dalam meningkatkan kecemerlangan pelajar sementara guru dan staf sokongan pula memilih faktor guru yang selalu menangguhkan kelas kerana terlalu sibuk dengan aktiviti di peringkat sekolah dan daerah sebagi halangan utama dalam meningkatkan kecemerlangan pelajar di Sekolah Menengah Teknik Batu Pahat

Differential settlement analysis of different approach slab design concept for road bridges

Settlement has been an issue when construction on soft soils is concerned. Many types of soils are classified as soft soils such as peat soils, soft clays and organic soils. On the held, these types of soils may also create a situation classified as difficult ground condition. Thus, construction may cause many uncertainties and problems. In this research, deferential settlement between bridges and pavements was studied to understand the behaviour of soils and bridge structures. The introductions of approach slabs by many engineers have reduced some of the problems at the interface sections but only for a short period of time. This research includes, simulation using PUXAS computer software and field geotechnical forensic studies which later lead to the development of a proposed new interface road bridge test-bed at RECESS Malaysia, UTHM by the researcher acronymed IRB Test Bed. Some laboratory tests and small modelling analysis were also conducted in order to investigate the effect of several shapes and methods of connection between roads and bridges. From the research, it was found that problems of differential settlement are basically due to the difference nature in medium between roads and bridges. The introduction of an approach slabs were able to reduce the sudden effect due to differential settlement but, could not solve the problems, absolutely, However, the researchers have started to construct an IRB test bed at RECESS Malaysia, UTHM in order to conduct further research on a full scale research. It is hoped that this research can contribute towards better understanding of road and bridge interface problems and reduce maintenance cost. The existence of differential settlements are considered as hazards to road users playing the roads and bridges especially built on difficult ground conditions such as soft clays

The Use of Plastic Fiber for Minimizing Stripping Potential of Bituminous Mixture

One of the effects of water in bituminous pavement is the stripping of aggregates from the mixture causing severe distresses such as potholes. In this study, fiber was produced using recycle plastics and it was used as reinforcement in bituminous mixture against moisture damage. The reinforcements were 0.3%, 0.5% 0.7% and 1.0% of the total weight of bituminous mixture with a view to determine the effective fiber dosage. The stripping potential of control and fiber reinforced mixtures were determined using moisture susceptibility test. From the test results, highest tensile strength ratio (TSR) was obtained in mixtures containing 0.5% recycle plastic fiber. The result also indicated higher indirect tensile strength for both dry and saturated at 0.5% plastic fiber reinforcement. For 0.7% and 1.0% recycle plastic fiber reinforced bituminous mixture, both tensile strength and tensile strength ratio were low compared to that of control mixture. From this study, reinforcing bituminous mixture using 0.5% recycle plastic proved to be effective in improving stripping resistance

Research Article Factors Contributing to Safety and Health Performance of Malaysian Low-cost Housing: Partial Least Squares Approach

Abstract: Sustainable development is fast emerging as one of the main priorities of construction industry in Malaysia. Malaysians of all income levels, particularly the low-income group, would have accessibility to adequate, affordable and quality shelter. As a result, safety and health performance in the low-cost housing has become a rising concern. This study attempts to explore the influence of architecture, building services, external environment, operation and maintenance and management approaches on the building safety and health performance among the construction practitioners in Malaysia and their subsequent personal responsibility. The study used the Partial Least Squares (PLS) and Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) tool to test the hypotheses generated. Findings from the Partial Least Squares analysis revealed that architecture, building services, external environment, operation and maintenance and management approaches are vital determinants contributing to safety and health performance of low-cost housing in the Malaysian context. In turn, this determinant that is formed will largely determine whether the construction practitioners engage in influencing personal responsibility towards building safety and health performance. Implications, limitations as well as suggestions for future research are accordingly discussed in this study

Assessing safety and health factors influencing performance of Malaysian low-cost housing

The Malaysian Government through its various Malaysia Plans is committed to provide adequate, affordable, and quality low-cost housing in fulfilling nation’s housing need. Therefore, the housing policy should provide the public to own affordable housing that should improve the safety and health of a building’s final occupants. To achieve this aim, the information concerning the safety and health performance of buildings must always be readily available. The research first identified the critical factors through a literature review of current safety and health practices from journals, thesis and articles books in order to interpret the factors from a global perspective. The literature review identified 32 variables of factors contributing to safety and health performance of low cost housing in Malaysia. The findings of this study can form a basis that can be considered as primary elements for the development of practical assessment scheme to evaluate the safety and health of low-cost housing in Malaysia