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PublicationBridging the gap between health and safety performance and owner’s satisfaction in construction projects adopting pro-environmental construction practices: role of economic performance(Springer, 2023)The satisfaction of clients/owners, though very important as a determinant of construction project performance, has often been given very little attention in pro-environmental-related studies. To this end, this study’s aim is to determine how owner’s satisfaction (OS) can be realized via health and safety performance (HSP) and economic performance (EP) on construction projects that adopt pro-environmental construction practices (PCP) in Nigeria and to determine how the impact of HSP on OS can vary contingent on the level of EP. This study’s aim was realized through data obtained from a survey of 249 construction projects and analyzed by adopting the partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) technique. The results of this study signify that HSP has a significant positive effect on OS; the nexus between HSP and OS is partially mediated by EP, while EP moderates the HSP–OS link with high EP producing the stronger effect. The practical contributions of this research emanate from the fact that its findings show that the existing gap between the level of HSP and OS is partly due to EP. Also, projects with high EP have a greater influence on the HSP–OS relationship. Therefore, to bridge the gap between HSP and OS in construction projects that adopt PCP, due attention should be given to EP.
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PublicationVariability of PM10 level with gaseous pollutants and meteorological parameters during episodic haze event in Malaysia: domestic or solely transboundary factor?(Elsevier, 2023)Haze has become a seasonal phenomenon affecting Southeast Asia, including Malaysia, and has occurred almost every year within the last few decades. Air pollutants, specifically particulate matter, have drawn a lot of attention due to their adverse impact on human health. In this study, the spatial and temporal variability of the PM10 concentration at Kelang, Melaka, Pasir Gudang, and Petaling Jaya during historic haze events were analysed. An hourly dataset consisting of PM10, gaseous pollutants and weather parameters were obtained from Department of Environment Malaysia. The mean PM10 concentrations exceeded the stipulated Recommended Malaysia Ambient Air Quality Guideline for the yearly average of 150 μg/m3 except for Pasir Gudang in 1997 and 2005, and Petaling Jaya in 2013. The PM10 concentrations exhibit greater variability in the southwest monsoon and inter-monsoon periods at the studied year. The air masses are found to be originating from the region of Sumatra during the haze episodes. Strong to moderate correlation of PM10 concentrations was found between CO during the years that recorded episodic haze, meanwhile, the relationship of PM10 level with SO2 was found to be significant in 2013 with significant negatively correlated relative humidity. Weak correlation of PM10-NOx was measured in all study areas probably due to less contribution of domestic anthropogenic sources towards haze events in Malaysia.
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PublicationIntegrating Maintenance Management System in IBS building projects: a qualitative study(Qazvin Islamic Azad University, 2023)The IBS building plays a significant role in human life by providing safe, reliable, cost-effective services, which are environmental and drive economic growth. Significant decisions are taken at maintenance stage of IBS building projects which need effective tools to avoid rework and save time, cost, and increase work efficiency. Indeed, the continuous upgrading of this sector is needed to respond to technological advances, environmental change, and increased customer demands. Integrating Maintenance Management Systems (MMS) is promising since the scope of MMS usually does not extend beyond the footprint of the “defect”; it does not provide defect diagnosis data. Therefore, integrating MMS provides a complete picture of the project. However, this integration is challenging especially in IBS building projects as they are amongst the most complicated projects and numerous parties are involved in making important decisions. This paper reviews the case study regarding integrating MMS systematically, with the aim of analysing the need for this integration and its benefits. The paper highlights a lack of a clear solution for collaboration in the IBS building project lifecycle and indicates the need for research to focus on this issue as well as the possibility of applying integrated MMS as a potential solution to improve collaboration for better decision among project participants.
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PublicationThe role of sodium surface species on electrochemical promotion of catalysis in a Pt/YSZ system: The case of ethylene oxidation( 2013-04-23)The role of sodium addition as foreign (impurity) species on the electrochemical promotion of ethylene oxidation in a Pt/YSZ system was investigated. It was found that the presence of sodium surface species on the catalyst surface can significantly affect its catalytic and electrocatalytic properties, but there is no clear evidence at this stage that such species are necessary for the observation of EPOC. Under negative polarisation, low coverage sodium was found to have a pronounced effect on the electrochemical promotion of ethylene oxidation as an electronic promoter. The reaction changed behaviour from electrophilic at low sodium coverage (0.11%) and low to intermediate oxygen partial pressure (pO2 ⩽ 3.0 kPa) to electrophobic at high sodium coverage (65%) and under high oxygen partial pressures (pO2 = 8.0 kPa). In between the two sets of conditions, the reaction showed volcano-type behaviour depending on the coverage of sodium and gas-phase oxygen partial pressure.
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PublicationA State-of-the-Art review on innovative geopolymer composites designed for water and wastewater treatment( 2021)There is nothing more fundamental than clean potable water for living beings next to air. On the other hand, wastewater management is cropping up as a challenging task day-by-day due to lots of new additions of novel pollutants as well as the development of infrastructures and regulations that could not maintain its pace with the burgeoning escalation of populace and urbanizations. Therefore, momentous approaches must be sought-after to reclaim fresh water from wastewaters in order to address this great societal challenge. One of the routes is to clean wastewater through treatment processes using diverse adsorbents. However, most of them are unsustainable and quite costly e.g. activated carbon adsorbents, etc. Quite recently, innovative, sustainable, durable, affordable, user and eco-benevolent Geopolymer composites have been brought into play to serve the purpose as a pretty novel subject matter since they can be manufactured by a simple process of Geopolymerization at low temperature, lower energy with mitigated carbon footprints and marvellously, exhibit outstanding properties of physical and chemical stability, ion-exchange, dielectric characteristics, etc., with a porous structure and of course lucrative too because of the incorporation of wastes with them, which is in harmony with the goal to transit from linear to circular economy, i.e., “one’s waste is the treasure for another”. For these reasons, nowadays, this ground-breaking inorganic class of amorphous alumina-silicate materials are drawing the attention of the world researchers for designing them as adsorbents for water and wastewater treatment where the chemical nature and structure of the materials have a great impact on their adsorption competence. The aim of the current most recent state-of-the-art and scientometric review is to comprehend and assess thoroughly the advancements in geo-synthesis, properties and applications of geopolymer composites designed for the elimination of hazardous contaminants viz., heavy metal ions, dyes, etc. The adsorption mechanisms and effects of various environmental conditions on adsorption efficiency are also taken into account for review of the importance of Geopolymers as most recent adsorbents to get rid of the death-defying and toxic pollutants from wastewater with a view to obtaining reclaimed potable and sparkling water for reuse offering to trim down the massive crisis of scarcity of water promoting sustainable water and wastewater treatment for greener environments. The appraisal is made on the performance estimation of Geopolymers for water and wastewater treatment along with the three-dimensional printed components are characterized for mechanical, physical and chemical attributes, permeability and Ammonium (NH4+) ion removal competence of Geopolymer composites as alternative adsorbents for sequestration of an assortment of contaminants during wastewater treatment.