Evaluating the Levels of Performance of the Small Scale Contractors in Nigeria

This study is aimed at evaluating the performance levels of small scale contractors (SSC) in Nigeria. Previous studies focused most attention on benchmarking the performance of contractors which were mostly conceptual rather than from any empirical findings, this continuous to pose a challenge to the sustainable development of construction industries particularly in developing countries like Nigeria. There is need to identify the performance levels of these contractors that is the journey so far achieved in the establishment of strong and viable industry for rapid development of socio-economic standards of these countries. The overall performance of small scale contractor (OPC) comprises of financial, technical and managerial performances and the performance of each contractor was evaluated using five point likert scale to obtain the mean performance level in respect to those three classes of performances. Questionnaire survey were administered to the major stakeholders in the Nigerian construction industry comprises of clients, contractors and consultants selected using proportionate stratified random sampling and the results indicated that financial performance had a mean value of 3.58, technical performance was 3.56 and the managerial performance 3.84 means. The three classes of performances fall into the categories of average performing contractors. The study concluded that small scale contractors in Nigerian construction industry (SSC) were average performing contractors and there were significant differences between the contractors’ levels of performances. The study recommended the introduction of project clients’ support with advance to mediate between the major factors affecting cost and the levels of contractors’ performances; this would enhance the rapid development of small scale construction business in Nigeria

Solving delay differential equations by the five-point one-step block method using Neville's interpolation

A five-point one-step block method based on the Newton backward divided difference formulae for the solution of first-order delay differential equations is derived. The proposed block method will approximate the solutions of initial value problems at five points simultaneously using variable step size. The approximation of the delay term is calculated using Neville's interpolation. The block method will be formulated in terms of linear multistep method, but the method is equivalent to one-step method. The order of the block method will be discussed. The P-stability and Q-stability regions of the block method using Neville's interpolation for the delay term are presented for a fixed step size. Numerical results are given to show the efficiency of the proposed method and compared with the existing method

Four step implicit block method of Runge-Kutta type for solving first order ordinary differential equations

In this paper, a four step implicit block method for solving first order ordinary differential equations (ODEs) is proposed. The method approximates the solutions of initial value problems at four-point mesh simultaneously using variable step size. This four step implicit method is of the multistep type but it is implemented as the Runge-Kutta type. The stability regions of the method are also studied. Numerical results are presented to show the efficiency of the proposed block method

Contributing factors of steel formwork usage in Malaysian construction industry: Housing scheme

Construction is one of an important industry in Malaysian economic towards the realization of developed and industrialized country.Urgent needs housing units for low-income groups is exacerbated by loss of interest in the local workforce to work because of the industry's 3-D syndrome namely difficult, dirty and dangerous. In line with this, Industrialized Building Systems has been given a new life to promote systematic construction housing process and to reduce the dependency of foreign workers. The objective of this paper is to identify the contributing factors of selecting concrete steel form-work system in housing construction industry.A quantitative research approach has been adopted for this study requiring the development of a questionnaire survey.From the result analysis, it confirmed that the most significant are speed of construction, available of company capital, building height, scale of project, building shape and type of building

Determining The House Buyers Requirements For Green Homes In Malaysia

Rumah hijau mengandungi enam elemen utama, iaitu rekabentuk dan perancangan masyarakat, keberkesanan terhadap pengunaan sumber, mengunakan sumber alternatif, sistem semulajadi, perlindungan dan keselamatan, pendekatan dalam guna semula dan kitar semula. Green homes consist of six main elements, namely community design and planning, efficient usage of resources, use of alternative resources, natural system, protection and safety, and reusing and recycling approach

Protein produced by Bacillus subtilis ATCC21332 in the presence of Cymbopogon flexuosus essential oil

Proteins levels produced by bacteria may be increased in stressful surroundings, such as in the presence of antibiotics. It appears that many antimicrobial agents or antibiotics, when used at low concentrations, have in common the ability to activate or repress gene transcription, which is distinct from their inhibitory effect. There have been comparatively few studies on the potential of antibiotics or natural compounds in nature as a specific chemical signal that can trigger a variety of biological functions. Therefore, this study was focusing on the effect of essential oil from Cymbopogon flexuosus in regulating proteins production by Bacillus subtilis ATCC21332. The Minimum Inhibition Concentration (MIC) of the C. flexuosus essential oil on B. subtilis was determined by using microdilution assay, resulting 1.76mg/ml. The bacteria cells were further exposed to the C. flexuosus essential oil at concentration of 0.01 MIC for 72 h. The proteins were then isolated and analyzed by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). Proteins profile showed that a band with approximate size of 30 kDa was appeared for the treated bacteria with C. flexuosus essential oil. Thus, B. subtilis ATCC21332 in stressful condition with the presence of C. flexuosus essential oils at low concentration could induce the protein production. The isolated protein also showed antimicrobial activity against selected Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria

Critical Factors and Mitigating Measures of Construction Delays of Pakistani Building Construction Projects

 The construction industry is a significant contributor to a country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP). However, construction projects often face many issues especially delay. It is a key contributor to project failure, leading to cost overruns and a decline in quality standards. This study aims to identify the critical factors of delay in building construction projects in Pakistan, and its controlling measures of the critical delay factors. A literature review identified 48 common factors of delay in the construction industry worldwide. Based on a structured questionnaire and the average index method, 11 critical factors of delays in building construction projects in Pakistan were identified. Furthermore, a semi-structured questionnaire was used to determine 44 possible mitigation measures which were extracted from literature review with the 11 critical delay factors.  The results of this study will be useful for stakeholders in building construction projects in Pakistan. By incorporating the recommended mitigation measures, they can identify and control the most critical factors that can cause delays in building construction projects. This study contributes to the existing literature by providing a better understanding of the factors causing delays in building construction projects in Pakistan and proposing effective measures to mitigate these factors.

Assessing Play Equality in Malaysian Public Playground through Universal Design Principle

The outdoor play setting is often ignored as a viable place to accommodate children with disabilities, limiting or completely excluding them from playing like other ordinary children. Thus, this study aims to determine the integration of Universal Design (UD) qualities and the applicability of Malaysian Standard (MS 966; 2017) in Malaysia's public playground. The physical site observation process has been conducted at three (3) public playgrounds for children with disabilities in Malaysia. The findings showed that there are 8 components of the UD principle, and MS966:2017 has been violated in the playground design

Morphological study of synthesized RGO/ Pt nanocomposites via facile chemical reduction method

Reduced graphene oxide nanosheet (RGO)/Pt nanocomposite have been successfully prepared through a facile chemical reduction method. The reduction of Pt precursor was carried out using sodium borohydride as the efficient chemical reductant. The morphology of RGO/Pt nanocomposite was investigated using high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). HRTEM analysis showed that platinum nanoparticles were homogenously distributed onto the surface of RGO. The electrochemical study proved that Pt nanoparticles were successfully incorporated onto RGO. Therefore, it can be concluded that the proposed method could provide well-dispersed of Pt nanoparticles onto RGO to form RGO/ Pt nanocomposite

Ergonomics Concept in Inclusive Public Playground Targeting on Children with Disabilities

Nowadays, playgrounds are underused to improve the physical and social development of young children with special needs. Therefore, this study aims to identify the key criteria of ergonomic inclusive public children playground aim for children with disabilities (CWDs). The study explored the process of universal design and the ergonomics function of play equipment that focuses on CWDs through physical site observation and interview protocol done among caregivers, parents of children with disabilities, and all stakeholders involved in the development of the public playground in Malaysia. The result presents three major themes as a guideline to create an ergonomic inclusive playground. Keywords: Ergonomics; Universal Design; Public Playground; Children with disabilities. eISSN: 2398-4287© 2020. The Authors. Published for AMER ABRA cE-Bs by e-International Publishing House, Ltd., UK. This is an open-access article under the CC BY NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Peer-review under responsibility of AMER (Association of Malaysian Environment-Behaviour Researchers), ABRA (Association of Behavioural Researchers on Asians) and cE-Bs (Centre for Environment-Behaviour Studies), Faculty of Architecture, Planning & Surveying, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia. DOI: 10.21834/ebpj.v5i15.249