Variation in anisotropic shrinkage of plantation-grown Tectona grandis (Linn) Wood

This study investigated anisotropic shrinkage of 15-year-old Tectona grandis wood to assess axial and radial variation. Four trees with clear bole and similar diameter were purposefully selected and felled from the plantation of Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria and used for this study. Wood samples were systematically collected from the outer, middle and inner wood sections of the radial direction and axially at base (25%), middle (50%) and top (75%) of the merchantable height. The mean value of wood weight was 29.77% while the mean values for longitudinal shrinkage, radial shrinkage, tangential shrinkage and volumetric shrinkage were 3.56%, 3.25%, 3.01% and 9.82% respectively. Variations in both axial and radial directions were statistically significant (p≤0.05) for all the properties evaluated except tangential shrinkage. This study showed that within tree and within species variation existed in the shrinkage properties of 15-year-old Tectona grandis. The variations have implications on dimensional stability of the species and therefore on the utilisation potentials.Keywords: Tectona grandis wood, Axial and radial directions, Radial shrinkage, tangential shrinkage, volumetric shrinkag

Safety, Quality Control, And Sustainability In Construction: Exploring The Nexus - A Review

This comprehensive review elucidates the intertwined relationship between safety, quality control, and sustainability within the construction sector, highlighting the critical need for integrating these elements to promote optimal project outcomes and long-term industry advancement. The study commences with an in-depth exploration of existing literature, focusing on diverse methodologies, strategies, and frameworks employed to enhance safety and enforce stringent quality control, thus contributing to the overall sustainability of construction projects. Safety is identified as a paramount concern in construction, significantly influencing both quality and sustainability. The lack of safety not only jeopardizes human lives but also results in cost overruns and project delays, undermining the overall quality and sustainability. Quality control, herein, is discussed in relation to its pivotal role in minimizing errors and rework, ensuring adherence to standards, and facilitating the attainment of sustainability goals through resource efficiency and waste reduction. Sustainability in construction is dissected through its three foundational pillars: economic viability, social equity, and environmental integrity. This review details how the integration of safety and quality control significantly impacts these pillars, highlighting the synergy between construction practices, resource optimization, stakeholder well-being, and ecological preservation. Empirical studies, theoretical frameworks, and case studies form the basis of this review, providing a multifaceted understanding of the interdependence between safety, quality control, and sustainability in construction. The assessment reveals that the construction industry is progressively acknowledging the inherent connection between these components, with contemporary practices and policies increasingly reflecting an integrated approach. The article concludes by underscoring the imperative for continuous research and development, innovations, and policy interventions to strengthen the nexus between safety, quality control, and sustainability in construction. It also advocates for a holistic approach that unifies these elements to drive industry resilience, promote sustainable development, and ensure the well-being and prosperity of communities and the environment

Enterprise Combination in Livestock Sector in Southwestern, Nigeria

Abstract: This study examined the optimal combination of enterprises in livestock industry in South-West Nigeria. Stratified random sampling technique was employed in collecting data from 360 livestock farmers. Descriptive statistics, budgetary technique and linear programming model were employed for data analysis. Six livestock enterprises, non-integrated poultry, piggery and fishery and horizontally integrated poultry/fishery, poultry/piggery and poultry/piggery/fishery were identified. Livestock farmers in the area are aged with low level of education and large household size do not operate at optimal level based on the available resources. The budgetary analysis shows that the most profitable enterprise combination is integrated poultry and piggery while the enterprise that yielded the least net farm income is non-integrated poultry enterprise. The profitability of integrated and non-integrated livestock enterprises is limited by high cost of production in which the feed cost constitutes the lion’s share. The optimal enterprise combinations are the integrated poultry and fishery and integrated poultry/piggery enterprise with poultry/piggery combination being the most efficient. The policy implication from this study requires that both farmers and government must team up to find a means of reducing feed cost by financing livestock research centers and state agricultural development programmes to develop genetically improved breeds of livestock which efficiently converts feed. Labour as a resource was the most limited in the area, there is therefore the need for research to focus critically on indigenously automated livestock equipment that can perform tasks like feeding, vaccination, etc. Farmers in South-West Nigeria and by extension, Nigeria as a whole should concentrate and intensify their livestock combination practices especially that of poultry/piggery, which is the optimal combination enterprise and that of poultry/fishery enterprise combination because of their high profitability levels. Keywords: Livestock, Optimal, Enterprise, Combination, Linear Programmin