New Trends in Construction Managements

The current edition of the Journal of Engineering, Project, and Production Management features three papers from the 8 th International Conference on Engineering, Project, and Production Management (EPPM 2017) which was held at AlZaytoonah University of Jordan in the period September 20-22, 2017. EPPM 2017 included two distinguished keynote speakers and about 45 papers from international scholars and researchers who submitted peer reviewed articles dealing with issues related to engineering, project and production management. The other two papers deal with management aspects of large infrastructures and productivity improvements. In all, the selected papers in this issue cover the spectrum of the themes of the Journal. This conference presented examples of attempted engagement between researchers and businesses, a challenge which was highlighted by Ahmad et al. (2016) in “Success Factors of Project and Process Management- Lessons Learned from EPPM 2016.

Pre-Cooling Concrete System in Massive Concrete Production: Energy Analysis and Refrigerant Replacement

Several techniques for cooling mass concrete structures were developed in order to increase structural integrity and reduce the influence of cement hydration, which sometimes causes cracking in concrete structures, negatively affecting their durability. This research focuses on cooling system design, initial investment, and the influence of different refrigerants on cooling system performance aims in producing higher quality massive concrete. Cooling aggregates in massive concrete structures such as desert dams can be performed by employing cooled air from an air conditioning duct system or chilled water. The experimental study illustrates the relationship between the coefficient of performance COP, the evaporator temperature, cooling capacity, and refrigerant mass flow rate as a function of the evaporator temperature, cooling capacity, and refrigerant mass flow rate. The findings of the experiments were utilized to verify a numerical model developed utilizing engineering equation solver (EES) software. The performance of the vapor compression of the cooling systems was compared using alternative refrigerants, including R22, R32, and R410a at different operating conditions. This study revealed that R22 refrigerant has a higher coefficient of performance than R32 and R410A, while R32 has the highest cooling capacity among other refrigerants

COST-BASED ANALYSIS FOR HIGH SEVERITY LOCATIONS OF TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS IN JORDAN

Traffic accidents constitute a serious cause of death and injuries in the entire world. They are also considered as a major cause of financial and physical losses. This causes traffic accidents to have considerable threats and negative impacts on the entire society. In the past few years, a large growth in the mobility of vehicles in Jordan has contributed to an increase in traffic congestion as well as in the number of traffic accidents. Although previous studies have indicated that risky behavioral characteristics of drivers is the main reason behind traffic accidents in Jordan, the number and severity of accidents can be mitigated and road safety can be improved through better design and engineering of road systems. This study aims at investigating and analyzing traffic areas in the Governorate of Madaba in Jordan that can be considered as having low level of safety and so causing major negative impact on people’s health and emotions. Data that shows severity, location and number of people and vehicles involved in each traffic accident in Madaba Governorate for the period from 2011 until 2013 was collected from the databases of the Pubic Security Department (PSD) in Jordan and analyzed. Since the identification of accident location is a critical element in accidents’ analysis, accidents were located on road maps. Sites with large number of accidents were precisely investigated and studied in terms of the severity of accidents, the expected economic loss and the problems causing the accidents in these sites. This study will produce a number of practical solutions aim at improving the traffic safety and reducing the frequency and severity of traffic accidents and the associated economic and social costs in the governorate. This research will constitute a model for further studies that can be conducted in other areas in Jordan and in the world

Pavement Deterioration Rate and Maintenance Cost for Low-Volume Roads

Allocated budgets for maintenance of road networks are normally limited. Therefore, not all roads receive the required attention they deserve in a timely manner. These roads are left to deteriorate until the next maintenance round. The cost associated with delayed maintenance is significantly excessive. A Pavement Maintenance Management System (PMMS) can be a useful tool for evaluation, prioritization of Maintenance and Rehabilitation (M&R) projects, and determination of funding requirements and allocations. The pavement condition is normally indexed using a parameter called Pavement Condition Index (PCI) which represents an overall assessment of surface defects by type, severity and extent. Periodic collections of PCI over time for different sections within the roadway network provide an approach to monitor changes in pavement serviceability over time and can produce useful data to predict and evaluate required maintenance solutions and their associated cost. The researchers intend to use available data collected over the span of a year and a half on sections within the roadway network at the campus of Al-Zaytoonah University of Jordan (ZUJ) to study the relation between the maintenance cost and the pavement deterioration rate. This study may incorporate variables such as pavement age, traffic volumes, maintenance history and pavement condition assessment results. The available records of PCI will be analyzed and the findings will be clearly presented. The practical inclusion of the findings within the current PMMS used at the university will also be detailed

Pavement Deterioration Rate and Maintenance Cost for Low-Volume Roads

Allocated budgets for maintenance of road networks are normally limited. Therefore, not all roads receive the required attention they deserve in a timely manner. These roads are left to deteriorate until the next maintenance round. The cost associated with delayed maintenance is significantly excessive. A Pavement Maintenance Management System (PMMS) can be a useful tool for evaluation, prioritization of Maintenance and Rehabilitation (M&R) projects, and determination of funding requirements and allocations. The pavement condition is normally indexed using a parameter called Pavement Condition Index (PCI) which represents an overall assessment of surface defects by type, severity and extent. Periodic collections of PCI over time for different sections within the roadway network provide an approach to monitor changes in pavement serviceability over time and can produce useful data to predict and evaluate required maintenance solutions and their associated cost. The researchers intend to use available data collected over the span of a year and a half on sections within the roadway network at the campus of Al-Zaytoonah University of Jordan (ZUJ) to study the relation between the maintenance cost and the pavement deterioration rate. This study may incorporate variables such as pavement age, traffic volumes, maintenance history and pavement condition assessment results. The available records of PCI will be analyzed and the findings will be clearly presented. The practical inclusion of the findings within the current PMMS used at the university will also be detailed