Sondu-Miriu hydropower （SMHP） project experienced delay for about five years and one of the contributing factors was delayed payment of the contractor, with ripples effect extending down the contractual hierarchy. T...Sondu-Miriu hydropower （SMHP） project experienced delay for about five years and one of the contributing factors was delayed payment of the contractor, with ripples effect extending down the contractual hierarchy. This study assessed the effects of delayed payment of the contractor on the completion of SMHP project in Kisumu County, Kenya. More specifically, the study addressed two research questions： What is the relative importance of delayed payment of the contractor compared to other forms of contractual delays？ What is the perceived effect of delayed payment of the contractor on the project＇s completion？ A causal-comparative design was adopted and primary data sourced in May 2011 from 39 senior management staff of contractual parties. Relative importance index （RII） was used to determine the relative importance of perceived effects of delayed payment of the contractor on the project＇s completion; while Kendell＇s coefficient of concordance was applied to determine the degree of agreement among participants regarding their perceived effects of delayed payment. The study found that delayed payment of the contractor affected the project by causing： loss of productivity and efficiency （71.8%）; increase in time-related costs （71.8%）; re-scheduling and re-sequencing of works （69.2%）; extension of time and acceleration （69.2%）; as well as prevention of early completion （53.8%）. The study concludes that timely payment of contractors is crucial for ensuring the continuity of works and completion of infrastructural projects within time, budget, and quality specifications. The study recommends the need for appropriate mitigative measures against potential risks, such as delayed disbursement of funds by external financiers, delayed approval of contractors＇ payment requests, as well as community participation and involvement of civil society to influence accountability in the management of project funds and expedite disbursement of funds for subsequent project phases.展开更多
Financial pressure of multifactorial etiology promises to create new obstacles for academic anesthesia departments. Integrating the priorities of the academic and clinical mission of the anesthesia department, the med...Financial pressure of multifactorial etiology promises to create new obstacles for academic anesthesia departments. Integrating the priorities of the academic and clinical mission of the anesthesia department, the medical school, and the university hospital will require that anesthesia departments operate with maximal operational efficiency. Maintenance or expansion of institutional infrastructural support of the university anesthesia department will be necessary to achieve operational efficiencies, and to ensure that the safety of our patients is in no way compromised by financial concerns. Previous studies have documented increasing need for monetary institutional supports of academic anesthesia departments [1]. The purpose of this study is to delineate non-monetary institutional support afforded to academic anesthesia departments by their University Hospitals. After IRB approval, we electronically solicited the response to a 63 question survey (43 of which were used for the present study) from all 133 chairpersons of academic anesthesia departments in the United States. The remaining 20 questions were unrelated to the topics presented in this manuscript. 62 responded electronically, for an overall response rate of 46.6%. This study establishes the current state of infrastructural support afforded to academic anesthesia departments in the United States.展开更多
A number of studies conducted in Kenya </span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">and </span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">internationally indicate</span>...A number of studies conducted in Kenya </span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">and </span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">internationally indicate</span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">d</span><span style="font-family:""><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> that most of the construction firms and contractors do not seem to strictly observe safety administration in construction industry, hence compromised performance at implementation stage of projects and even later in the post implementation or post-delivery stage. The study aimed to examine the influence of contractors’ safety record on road performance. This is to create better understanding of how the safety record of contractors could either positively or negatively influence performance of roads during post-delivery stage. The study used both descriptive survey research design and correlation design based on a pragmatic mixed method approach. Through stratified sampling and proportionate sampling, a sample of 210 was drawn from a population of 460 comprising of registered contractors and Public Service Vehicles (PSV) drivers within Nairobi County in Kenya. Questionnaires were distributed using simple random sampling. The questionnaires returned were 153 in total representing 72.8% of all questionnaires distributed to the respondents. Data was descriptively analyzed using percentages, frequencies, means and standard deviations for measuring central tendency and variability. Inferential analysis was done by use of correlation and regression. The descriptive analysis revealed that safety policy management system, insurance policy, and adequacy of standards in addressing safety outcome are to some extent practiced and adhered to. However, compliance behavior to safety procedures is still weak and requires improvement. The null hypothesis was tested and the results obtained from a simple linear regression indicated that, R = 0.657, R</span><sup><span style="font-size:12px;font-family:Verdana;">2</span></sup><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> = 0.431, B = 0.359, t = 10.703, F (1,151) = 114.558, p = 0.000 < 0.05. This means that contractors’ safety record has a strong positive and significant relationship with road performance and that 43.1% of variation in performance is explained by safety record. This study recommends that contractors’ safety record should be part</span></span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">,</span><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> and parcel of the evaluation criteria used in selection of a suitable road contractor to ensure road performance is achieved even after construction is completed. The study is significant in that it contributes to the body of knowledge by providing empirical data on the need for safety procedures in urban road construction and beyond.展开更多
The enlargementof government’sinvestmentinto infrastructural construction is both a help medicinecuring economiccontraction and an effective measureto accumulatelong-termeconomicgrowth..How-ever,the investmentby fina...The enlargementof government’sinvestmentinto infrastructural construction is both a help medicinecuring economiccontraction and an effective measureto accumulatelong-termeconomicgrowth..How-ever,the investmentby finance into infrastructure also has a problemof optimization and reasonable selec-tion.In view of marketeconomicrequirements,the policy direction of financial investmentinto infrastruc-tural industries must be doing somethingat the expense of some other things.In the process of the adjust-mentand optimizationof economicstructure,state financial investmentinto infrastructural facilities has to first of all solve the problemof delimitating the best fields and selecting trades.As to the infrastructure facilities producingand selling pure public products,the developmentmust be madeby financial investment;As to the productionfields of subpublicproducts,finance should ensure reasonable investment;As to the in-frastructural facilities of pure privite production,finance should completely,in principle,pull out and let marketsupply.Onthis basis,selections should be madeon best capital soureces and investmentways.The capital sources should be mainly from tax and regulational incomeand direct investmentmay be made.As to the productionfields of most subpublicproduction,the best capital sources are national debt incomeand in-direct investmentmaybe made.In addition,the optimization of financial investmentinto infrastructural fa-cilities must reform the managerialsystem of infrastructural facilities and raise investmentefficiency.On-ly by scientifically selecting and arranging the financing ways and managerialsystem in investmentfields,can the maximumeconomicefficiency and social welfare results be realized in carrying out financial invest-mentinto infrastructural facilities. [展开更多
Cloud infrastructural resource optimization is the process of precisely selecting the allocating the correct resources either to a workload or application.When workload execution,accuracy,and cost are accurately stabi...Cloud infrastructural resource optimization is the process of precisely selecting the allocating the correct resources either to a workload or application.When workload execution,accuracy,and cost are accurately stabilized in opposition to the best possible framework in real-time,efficiency is attained.In addition,every workload or application required for the framework is characteristic and these essentials change over time.But,the existing method was failed to ensure the high Quality of Service(QoS).In order to address this issue,a Tricube Weighted Linear Regression-based Inter Quartile(TWLR-IQ)for Cloud Infrastructural Resource Optimization is introduced.A Tricube Weighted Linear Regression is presented in the proposed method to estimate the resources(i.e.,CPU,RAM,and network bandwidth utilization)based on the usage history in each cloud server.Then,Inter Quartile Range is applied to efficiently predict the overload hosts for ensuring a smooth migration.Experimental results show that our proposed method is better than the approach in Cloudsim under various performance metrics.The results clearly showed that the proposed method can reduce the energy consumption and provide a high level of commitment with ensuring the minimum number of Virtual Machine(VM)Migrations as compared to the state-of-the-art methods.展开更多
Infrastructure development in Nigeria has attracted the attention of researchers in view of the attitudes of contractors and government lead-lag role playing. These attitudes led to the enactment of Fiscal Responsibil...Infrastructure development in Nigeria has attracted the attention of researchers in view of the attitudes of contractors and government lead-lag role playing. These attitudes led to the enactment of Fiscal Responsibility Act 2007 and Public Procurement Act 2007 to reduce internal control system deficiencies and budget indiscipline in the Nigerian public sector fiscal matters and procurement process. Ironically, despite these efforts, infrastructure development is still a problem affecting the lives of Nigerians as their poverty level is on the increase. This paper tests the effects of internal control system deficiency on contractors＇ capability in infrastructure development in the Nigerian public sector. Data drawn from a sample of 228 infrastructures were used for analysis. Two research questions on contractors＇ fiduciary obligation to government and capacity were analysed. Kendall＇s Tau-br correlation of coefficient and Chi-square X^2 statistics were employed for data analysis. Findings show that deficient internal control system strongly and directly breeds deficiency in the contractors＇ capability for infrastructure development. The paper recommends that oath of bribery should complement oath of secrecy to ensure that contractors and government agencies that are responsible for execution of infrastructure play to the rules of the ＂games＂, especially the provisions of Public Procurement Act 2007 and Fiscal Responsibility Act 2007. Public-private-partnership-initiative, such as build-operate and transfer method of contracting, should be encouraged to improve on contractors＇ capability and stewardship.展开更多
This paper explores a fuzzy analytic network process(FANP)approach in identifying the content of manufacturing strategy infrastructural decisions that integrates sustainability and classical manufacturing strategy fra...This paper explores a fuzzy analytic network process(FANP)approach in identifying the content of manufacturing strategy infrastructural decisions that integrates sustainability and classical manufacturing strategy framework with firm size component.The findings are as follows:(1)firms must ensure highquality product requirements with a make-to-order production system;(2)large firms must prioritize decentralization of functional areas but they must also provide higher systems integration of all production-related information to mobilize better communication channels;(3)large firms must employ highly skilled human resources in order to provide strong support on functional areas;and(4)small and medium enterprises must focus on product introduction to the market as a strategy priority area.The main contribution of this paper is the decision-making framework under uncertainty that holistically identifies the decisions that comprise a sustainable manufacturing strategy which may serve as guidelines in improving existing sustainable manufacturing practices or in creating new ones.展开更多
In view of the present situation thatthe construction of urban drainage facili-ties lags behind urban development,Chinais determined to quicken the constructionof water drainage facilities.According tostatistics,by th...In view of the present situation thatthe construction of urban drainage facili-ties lags behind urban development,Chinais determined to quicken the constructionof water drainage facilities.According tostatistics,by the end of 1990,467 citiesacross the country had a total of 58,000km-long sewage/pipe network。展开更多
While China pioneers a revolutionary model of ecological civilization,some Western nations,faltering under fragmented policies and infrastructural inertia,should catch up,reconciling prosperity with planetary survival.
The national grid and other life-sustaining critical infrastructures face an unprecedented threat from prolonged blackouts,which could last over a year and pose a severe risk to national security.Whether caused by phy...The national grid and other life-sustaining critical infrastructures face an unprecedented threat from prolonged blackouts,which could last over a year and pose a severe risk to national security.Whether caused by physical attacks,EMP(electromagnetic pulse)events,or cyberattacks,such disruptions could cripple essential services like water supply,healthcare,communication,and transportation.Research indicates that an attack on just nine key substations could result in a coast-to-coast blackout lasting up to 18 months,leading to economic collapse,civil unrest,and a breakdown of public order.This paper explores the key vulnerabilities of the grid,the potential impacts of prolonged blackouts,and the role of AI(artificial intelligence)and ML(machine learning)in mitigating these threats.AI-driven cybersecurity measures,predictive maintenance,automated threat response,and EMP resilience strategies are discussed as essential solutions to bolster grid security.Policy recommendations emphasize the need for hardened infrastructure,enhanced cybersecurity,redundant power systems,and AI-based grid management to ensure national resilience.Without proactive measures,the nation remains exposed to a catastrophic power grid failure that could have dire consequences for society and the economy.展开更多
Scientific and technological advancements are rapidly transforming underground engineering,shifting from labor-intensive,time-consuming methods to automated,real-time systems.This timely and comprehensive review cover...Scientific and technological advancements are rapidly transforming underground engineering,shifting from labor-intensive,time-consuming methods to automated,real-time systems.This timely and comprehensive review covers in-situ testing,intelligent monitoring,and geophysical testing methods,highlighting fundamental principles,testing apparatuses,data processing techniques,and engineering applications.The state-of-the-art summary emphasizes not only cutting-edge innovations for complex and harsh environments but also the transformative role of artificial intelligence and machine learning in data interpretations.The integration of big data and advanced algorithms is particularly impactful,enabling the identification,prediction,and mitigation of potential risks in underground projects.Key aspects of the discussion include detection capabilities,method integration,and data convergence of intelligent technologies to drive enhanced safety,operational efficiency,and predictive reliability.The review also examines future trends in intelligent technologies,emphasizing unified platforms that combine multiple methods,real-time data,and predictive analytics.These advancements are shaping the evolution of underground construction and maintenance,aiming for risk-free,high-efficiency underground engineering.展开更多
In this work,we present a parallel implementation of radiation hydrodynamics coupled with particle transport,utilizing software infrastructure JASMIN(J Adaptive Structured Meshes applications INfrastructure)which enca...In this work,we present a parallel implementation of radiation hydrodynamics coupled with particle transport,utilizing software infrastructure JASMIN(J Adaptive Structured Meshes applications INfrastructure)which encapsulates high-performance technology for the numerical simulation of complex applications.Two serial codes,radiation hydrodynamics RH2D and particle transport Sn2D,have been integrated into RHSn2D on JASMIN infrastructure,which can efficiently use thousands of processors to simulate the complex multi-physics phenomena.Moreover,the non-conforming processors strategy has ensured RHSn2D against the serious load imbalance between radiation hydrodynamics and particle transport for large scale parallel simulations.Numerical results show that RHSn2D achieves a parallel efficiency of 17.1%using 90720 cells on 8192 processors compared with 256 processors in the same problem.展开更多
As African economies continue to expand their trade networks,digital transformation and e-commerce have emerged as key drivers of economic development.Ethiopia has embraced this trend,aiming to modernise its logistics...As African economies continue to expand their trade networks,digital transformation and e-commerce have emerged as key drivers of economic development.Ethiopia has embraced this trend,aiming to modernise its logistics and aviation infrastructure to meet the growing demand.展开更多
The efficient transportation of goods is vital for the economic growth of communities,making developing and maintaining seaport infrastructure an essential component of the marine transportation system.Given their geo...The efficient transportation of goods is vital for the economic growth of communities,making developing and maintaining seaport infrastructure an essential component of the marine transportation system.Given their geographic locations,ports are consistently at risk from natural hazards,making the resilience of port infrastructure an essential goal.Despite considerable progress in resilience research,there remains a gap in methods tailored explicitly to assessing port resilience,particularly under extreme wind events.Current approaches often do not capture the full complexity of port systems,as they tend to focus on isolated aspects,such as structural resilience.This paper introduces the PORT Resilience Framework,addressing these gaps by evaluating resilience through a comprehensive list of indicators gathered from various legitimate sources.The indicators are then organized under four comprehensive resilience dimensions:Physical Infrastructure,ICT(i.e.,Information and Communication Technology)and Equipment;Organization and Business Management;Resources and Economic Development;and Territory,Environment,and Stakeholders.This classification is summarized under the acronym"PORT."This paper also introduces a method for aggregating resilience indicators by considering their performance before and after a specific hazard,transforming the data into a quantifiable Loss of Resilience index.The approach is applied to a case study,assessing the resilience of a real Terminal against wind action using real data sourced from the port management.The case study analysis revealed that human resources and quay operations were the most critical factors affecting recovery,with insufficient staffing leading to prolonged recovery periods.The study further demonstrated that post-disruption activity surges,captured by different serviceability function methodologies,often created operational bottlenecks,challenging the port's overall recovery.展开更多
Over the past few years,major investments have been directed toward building new railway lines and upgrading existing ones.Many of these lines include critical infrastructure where operational and safety conditions mu...Over the past few years,major investments have been directed toward building new railway lines and upgrading existing ones.Many of these lines include critical infrastructure where operational and safety conditions must be carefully considered throughout their life cycle.Recent advancements in science and technology have enabled more effective structural monitoring of railway systems,largely driven by the adoption of intelligent strategies for inspection,maintenance,monitoring,and risk management.Research continues to expand and deepen the knowledge in this area;however,it remains a challenging field due to factors such as the complexity of railway systems,the high cost of implementation,and the need for reliable long-term data.展开更多
Rural tourism has emerged as a key strategy for sustainable development in underdeveloped regions,offering vital opportunities for economic and social revitalization.This study examines the impact and prospects of rur...Rural tourism has emerged as a key strategy for sustainable development in underdeveloped regions,offering vital opportunities for economic and social revitalization.This study examines the impact and prospects of rural tourism in Jezerc village,Kosovo,using a mixed-methods approach that integrates both quantitative and qualitative data.Quantitative analysis of survey responses from 120 residents and 72 tourists reveals that 57% of residents believe tourism increases household income,while 62% see it as a means of preserving local traditions.However,only 21% report sufficient institutional support,and 74% call for stronger promotion efforts.The findings also show that tourists are primarily drawn to the natural environment(72%)and to peace and relaxation(61%),but express dissatisfaction with infrastructure,particularly signage and roads.A Chi-square test confirmed significant differences in stakeholder views on tourism development strategies(p<0.001),underscoring the need for inclusive planning.While rural tourism’s general benefits,such as job creation,income diversification,and infrastructure improvement,are well known,this study provides new insights by highlighting the disconnect between community potential and institutional support,and by revealing specific demographic and perceptual trends among domestic tourists.The research concludes by advocating for policy frameworks that prioritize local engagement,targeted investment,and strategic promotion to ensure the sustainable and inclusive development of rural tourism in Kosovo.展开更多
Structural health monitoring technology uses advanced sensors to collect structural state data in real time,evaluate its integrity and residual life,and make maintenance decisions accordingly.The key of structural hea...Structural health monitoring technology uses advanced sensors to collect structural state data in real time,evaluate its integrity and residual life,and make maintenance decisions accordingly.The key of structural health monitoring is to obtain structural data accurately.With the development of new sensor technology,sensors and data acquisition devices for structural health monitoring are constantly emerging,and the performance of these devices is developing rapidly.The latest developments of fiber optic sensors,piezoelectric material sensors and self-diagnostic sensors for structural health monitoring are summarized.The basic working principle of each sensor and its application in structural health monitoring are introduced,and the challenges and opportunities faced by sensors in structural health monitoring are prospected.展开更多
The negative impacts of natural hazards on communities at all scales have been increasing.Floods comprise one such natural hazard that has emerged as one of the most destructive in the US and worldwide.While a lot of ...The negative impacts of natural hazards on communities at all scales have been increasing.Floods comprise one such natural hazard that has emerged as one of the most destructive in the US and worldwide.While a lot of damage is estimated in terms of the cost of rebuilding infrastructure and direct loss of economy,the negative impacts of such disruptions go beyond the physical infrastructure.The impact on(and of)the social and institutional framework is rarely examined in conjunction with the physical and technical aspects.This paper examines flood vulnerability and risk of a community at an intersection of social,ecological,technical,and intuitional perspectives,and presents a framework for a holistic flood vulnerability and risk assessment that has a strong foundation in all four aspects of a resilient community.The study builds on the existing risk,vulnerability,and hazard assessment approaches,and refines them with a holistic perspective.The study uses a mixed method approach with qualitative and quantitative methodologies to assess flood occurrence probabilities,vulnerability,and risk from the social,ecological,technical,and institutional perspectives.A case study of the City of Atlanta is conducted using the framework to assess the overall vulnerability and risk of the city.The results of this analysis show that the regions that have the highest probability of flood hazard occurrence also appear to have the highest social,ecological,and technical vulnerabilities in the Atlanta area.While the results are intuitive,the applications support a focus on holistic resilience building across these four criteria.This study is potentially useful to practitioners,researchers,government agencies,and community organizations working to mitigate flood risk particularly as this risk continues to evolve with the changing climate.展开更多
The City of Calgary’s Nose Creek Sanitary Sewer Trunk Phase B project has been constructed over several years to accommodate future population growth and open more developable lands in northern Calgary.The project wa...The City of Calgary’s Nose Creek Sanitary Sewer Trunk Phase B project has been constructed over several years to accommodate future population growth and open more developable lands in northern Calgary.The project was divided into three phases,Phase A,B,and C,with each phase delivered by a separate consultant.Phase A was the downstream section of this project and was undertaken by Stantec Consulting.Phase B was the upstream section designed by CH2MHILL(now Jacobs)and further divided into different contracts(1 through 5).Phase C was a separate sewer called the Saddleridge Trunk sewer and this was designed by Associated Engineering.This paper covers Phase B,Contract 4,which had several unique challenges and included many innovative design and procurement solutions.One procurement strategy included a two-phase qualification package,with the initial phase to select a tunnelling contractor with the experience to deliver technical installations under rail and creeks,and the second phase,a RFP(request for proposal),to select a general contractor,with broader experience in open-cut and stormwater drainage,which were other aspects included within the project.This approach ensured that The City had the most qualified team available to complete the project.Technical challenges discussed in this paper include an oblique CPKC(Canadian Pacific Kansas City)rail and Nose Creek crossing that required independent review,and CFD(computational fluid dynamics)and hydrogen sulfide modelling to confirm conditions within the trunk sewer.展开更多
文摘Sondu-Miriu hydropower （SMHP） project experienced delay for about five years and one of the contributing factors was delayed payment of the contractor, with ripples effect extending down the contractual hierarchy. This study assessed the effects of delayed payment of the contractor on the completion of SMHP project in Kisumu County, Kenya. More specifically, the study addressed two research questions： What is the relative importance of delayed payment of the contractor compared to other forms of contractual delays？ What is the perceived effect of delayed payment of the contractor on the project＇s completion？ A causal-comparative design was adopted and primary data sourced in May 2011 from 39 senior management staff of contractual parties. Relative importance index （RII） was used to determine the relative importance of perceived effects of delayed payment of the contractor on the project＇s completion; while Kendell＇s coefficient of concordance was applied to determine the degree of agreement among participants regarding their perceived effects of delayed payment. The study found that delayed payment of the contractor affected the project by causing： loss of productivity and efficiency （71.8%）; increase in time-related costs （71.8%）; re-scheduling and re-sequencing of works （69.2%）; extension of time and acceleration （69.2%）; as well as prevention of early completion （53.8%）. The study concludes that timely payment of contractors is crucial for ensuring the continuity of works and completion of infrastructural projects within time, budget, and quality specifications. The study recommends the need for appropriate mitigative measures against potential risks, such as delayed disbursement of funds by external financiers, delayed approval of contractors＇ payment requests, as well as community participation and involvement of civil society to influence accountability in the management of project funds and expedite disbursement of funds for subsequent project phases.
文摘Financial pressure of multifactorial etiology promises to create new obstacles for academic anesthesia departments. Integrating the priorities of the academic and clinical mission of the anesthesia department, the medical school, and the university hospital will require that anesthesia departments operate with maximal operational efficiency. Maintenance or expansion of institutional infrastructural support of the university anesthesia department will be necessary to achieve operational efficiencies, and to ensure that the safety of our patients is in no way compromised by financial concerns. Previous studies have documented increasing need for monetary institutional supports of academic anesthesia departments [1]. The purpose of this study is to delineate non-monetary institutional support afforded to academic anesthesia departments by their University Hospitals. After IRB approval, we electronically solicited the response to a 63 question survey (43 of which were used for the present study) from all 133 chairpersons of academic anesthesia departments in the United States. The remaining 20 questions were unrelated to the topics presented in this manuscript. 62 responded electronically, for an overall response rate of 46.6%. This study establishes the current state of infrastructural support afforded to academic anesthesia departments in the United States.
文摘A number of studies conducted in Kenya </span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">and </span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">internationally indicate</span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">d</span><span style="font-family:""><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> that most of the construction firms and contractors do not seem to strictly observe safety administration in construction industry, hence compromised performance at implementation stage of projects and even later in the post implementation or post-delivery stage. The study aimed to examine the influence of contractors’ safety record on road performance. This is to create better understanding of how the safety record of contractors could either positively or negatively influence performance of roads during post-delivery stage. The study used both descriptive survey research design and correlation design based on a pragmatic mixed method approach. Through stratified sampling and proportionate sampling, a sample of 210 was drawn from a population of 460 comprising of registered contractors and Public Service Vehicles (PSV) drivers within Nairobi County in Kenya. Questionnaires were distributed using simple random sampling. The questionnaires returned were 153 in total representing 72.8% of all questionnaires distributed to the respondents. Data was descriptively analyzed using percentages, frequencies, means and standard deviations for measuring central tendency and variability. Inferential analysis was done by use of correlation and regression. The descriptive analysis revealed that safety policy management system, insurance policy, and adequacy of standards in addressing safety outcome are to some extent practiced and adhered to. However, compliance behavior to safety procedures is still weak and requires improvement. The null hypothesis was tested and the results obtained from a simple linear regression indicated that, R = 0.657, R</span><sup><span style="font-size:12px;font-family:Verdana;">2</span></sup><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> = 0.431, B = 0.359, t = 10.703, F (1,151) = 114.558, p = 0.000 < 0.05. This means that contractors’ safety record has a strong positive and significant relationship with road performance and that 43.1% of variation in performance is explained by safety record. This study recommends that contractors’ safety record should be part</span></span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">,</span><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> and parcel of the evaluation criteria used in selection of a suitable road contractor to ensure road performance is achieved even after construction is completed. The study is significant in that it contributes to the body of knowledge by providing empirical data on the need for safety procedures in urban road construction and beyond.
文摘The enlargementof government’sinvestmentinto infrastructural construction is both a help medicinecuring economiccontraction and an effective measureto accumulatelong-termeconomicgrowth..How-ever,the investmentby finance into infrastructure also has a problemof optimization and reasonable selec-tion.In view of marketeconomicrequirements,the policy direction of financial investmentinto infrastruc-tural industries must be doing somethingat the expense of some other things.In the process of the adjust-mentand optimizationof economicstructure,state financial investmentinto infrastructural facilities has to first of all solve the problemof delimitating the best fields and selecting trades.As to the infrastructure facilities producingand selling pure public products,the developmentmust be madeby financial investment;As to the productionfields of subpublicproducts,finance should ensure reasonable investment;As to the in-frastructural facilities of pure privite production,finance should completely,in principle,pull out and let marketsupply.Onthis basis,selections should be madeon best capital soureces and investmentways.The capital sources should be mainly from tax and regulational incomeand direct investmentmay be made.As to the productionfields of most subpublicproduction,the best capital sources are national debt incomeand in-direct investmentmaybe made.In addition,the optimization of financial investmentinto infrastructural fa-cilities must reform the managerialsystem of infrastructural facilities and raise investmentefficiency.On-ly by scientifically selecting and arranging the financing ways and managerialsystem in investmentfields,can the maximumeconomicefficiency and social welfare results be realized in carrying out financial invest-mentinto infrastructural facilities. [
文摘Cloud infrastructural resource optimization is the process of precisely selecting the allocating the correct resources either to a workload or application.When workload execution,accuracy,and cost are accurately stabilized in opposition to the best possible framework in real-time,efficiency is attained.In addition,every workload or application required for the framework is characteristic and these essentials change over time.But,the existing method was failed to ensure the high Quality of Service(QoS).In order to address this issue,a Tricube Weighted Linear Regression-based Inter Quartile(TWLR-IQ)for Cloud Infrastructural Resource Optimization is introduced.A Tricube Weighted Linear Regression is presented in the proposed method to estimate the resources(i.e.,CPU,RAM,and network bandwidth utilization)based on the usage history in each cloud server.Then,Inter Quartile Range is applied to efficiently predict the overload hosts for ensuring a smooth migration.Experimental results show that our proposed method is better than the approach in Cloudsim under various performance metrics.The results clearly showed that the proposed method can reduce the energy consumption and provide a high level of commitment with ensuring the minimum number of Virtual Machine(VM)Migrations as compared to the state-of-the-art methods.
文摘Infrastructure development in Nigeria has attracted the attention of researchers in view of the attitudes of contractors and government lead-lag role playing. These attitudes led to the enactment of Fiscal Responsibility Act 2007 and Public Procurement Act 2007 to reduce internal control system deficiencies and budget indiscipline in the Nigerian public sector fiscal matters and procurement process. Ironically, despite these efforts, infrastructure development is still a problem affecting the lives of Nigerians as their poverty level is on the increase. This paper tests the effects of internal control system deficiency on contractors＇ capability in infrastructure development in the Nigerian public sector. Data drawn from a sample of 228 infrastructures were used for analysis. Two research questions on contractors＇ fiduciary obligation to government and capacity were analysed. Kendall＇s Tau-br correlation of coefficient and Chi-square X^2 statistics were employed for data analysis. Findings show that deficient internal control system strongly and directly breeds deficiency in the contractors＇ capability for infrastructure development. The paper recommends that oath of bribery should complement oath of secrecy to ensure that contractors and government agencies that are responsible for execution of infrastructure play to the rules of the ＂games＂, especially the provisions of Public Procurement Act 2007 and Fiscal Responsibility Act 2007. Public-private-partnership-initiative, such as build-operate and transfer method of contracting, should be encouraged to improve on contractors＇ capability and stewardship.
基金The support provided by the University of San Carlos in terms of resource use is also recognized.
文摘This paper explores a fuzzy analytic network process(FANP)approach in identifying the content of manufacturing strategy infrastructural decisions that integrates sustainability and classical manufacturing strategy framework with firm size component.The findings are as follows:(1)firms must ensure highquality product requirements with a make-to-order production system;(2)large firms must prioritize decentralization of functional areas but they must also provide higher systems integration of all production-related information to mobilize better communication channels;(3)large firms must employ highly skilled human resources in order to provide strong support on functional areas;and(4)small and medium enterprises must focus on product introduction to the market as a strategy priority area.The main contribution of this paper is the decision-making framework under uncertainty that holistically identifies the decisions that comprise a sustainable manufacturing strategy which may serve as guidelines in improving existing sustainable manufacturing practices or in creating new ones.
文摘In view of the present situation thatthe construction of urban drainage facili-ties lags behind urban development,Chinais determined to quicken the constructionof water drainage facilities.According tostatistics,by the end of 1990,467 citiesacross the country had a total of 58,000km-long sewage/pipe network。
文摘While China pioneers a revolutionary model of ecological civilization,some Western nations,faltering under fragmented policies and infrastructural inertia,should catch up,reconciling prosperity with planetary survival.
文摘The national grid and other life-sustaining critical infrastructures face an unprecedented threat from prolonged blackouts,which could last over a year and pose a severe risk to national security.Whether caused by physical attacks,EMP(electromagnetic pulse)events,or cyberattacks,such disruptions could cripple essential services like water supply,healthcare,communication,and transportation.Research indicates that an attack on just nine key substations could result in a coast-to-coast blackout lasting up to 18 months,leading to economic collapse,civil unrest,and a breakdown of public order.This paper explores the key vulnerabilities of the grid,the potential impacts of prolonged blackouts,and the role of AI(artificial intelligence)and ML(machine learning)in mitigating these threats.AI-driven cybersecurity measures,predictive maintenance,automated threat response,and EMP resilience strategies are discussed as essential solutions to bolster grid security.Policy recommendations emphasize the need for hardened infrastructure,enhanced cybersecurity,redundant power systems,and AI-based grid management to ensure national resilience.Without proactive measures,the nation remains exposed to a catastrophic power grid failure that could have dire consequences for society and the economy.
基金supported by Ministry of Education of Singapore,under Academic Research Fund Tier 1(Grant Number RG143/23).
文摘Scientific and technological advancements are rapidly transforming underground engineering,shifting from labor-intensive,time-consuming methods to automated,real-time systems.This timely and comprehensive review covers in-situ testing,intelligent monitoring,and geophysical testing methods,highlighting fundamental principles,testing apparatuses,data processing techniques,and engineering applications.The state-of-the-art summary emphasizes not only cutting-edge innovations for complex and harsh environments but also the transformative role of artificial intelligence and machine learning in data interpretations.The integration of big data and advanced algorithms is particularly impactful,enabling the identification,prediction,and mitigation of potential risks in underground projects.Key aspects of the discussion include detection capabilities,method integration,and data convergence of intelligent technologies to drive enhanced safety,operational efficiency,and predictive reliability.The review also examines future trends in intelligent technologies,emphasizing unified platforms that combine multiple methods,real-time data,and predictive analytics.These advancements are shaping the evolution of underground construction and maintenance,aiming for risk-free,high-efficiency underground engineering.
基金National Natural Science Foundation of China(12471367)。
文摘In this work,we present a parallel implementation of radiation hydrodynamics coupled with particle transport,utilizing software infrastructure JASMIN(J Adaptive Structured Meshes applications INfrastructure)which encapsulates high-performance technology for the numerical simulation of complex applications.Two serial codes,radiation hydrodynamics RH2D and particle transport Sn2D,have been integrated into RHSn2D on JASMIN infrastructure,which can efficiently use thousands of processors to simulate the complex multi-physics phenomena.Moreover,the non-conforming processors strategy has ensured RHSn2D against the serious load imbalance between radiation hydrodynamics and particle transport for large scale parallel simulations.Numerical results show that RHSn2D achieves a parallel efficiency of 17.1%using 90720 cells on 8192 processors compared with 256 processors in the same problem.
文摘As African economies continue to expand their trade networks,digital transformation and e-commerce have emerged as key drivers of economic development.Ethiopia has embraced this trend,aiming to modernise its logistics and aviation infrastructure to meet the growing demand.
文摘The efficient transportation of goods is vital for the economic growth of communities,making developing and maintaining seaport infrastructure an essential component of the marine transportation system.Given their geographic locations,ports are consistently at risk from natural hazards,making the resilience of port infrastructure an essential goal.Despite considerable progress in resilience research,there remains a gap in methods tailored explicitly to assessing port resilience,particularly under extreme wind events.Current approaches often do not capture the full complexity of port systems,as they tend to focus on isolated aspects,such as structural resilience.This paper introduces the PORT Resilience Framework,addressing these gaps by evaluating resilience through a comprehensive list of indicators gathered from various legitimate sources.The indicators are then organized under four comprehensive resilience dimensions:Physical Infrastructure,ICT(i.e.,Information and Communication Technology)and Equipment;Organization and Business Management;Resources and Economic Development;and Territory,Environment,and Stakeholders.This classification is summarized under the acronym"PORT."This paper also introduces a method for aggregating resilience indicators by considering their performance before and after a specific hazard,transforming the data into a quantifiable Loss of Resilience index.The approach is applied to a case study,assessing the resilience of a real Terminal against wind action using real data sourced from the port management.The case study analysis revealed that human resources and quay operations were the most critical factors affecting recovery,with insufficient staffing leading to prolonged recovery periods.The study further demonstrated that post-disruption activity surges,captured by different serviceability function methodologies,often created operational bottlenecks,challenging the port's overall recovery.
文摘Over the past few years,major investments have been directed toward building new railway lines and upgrading existing ones.Many of these lines include critical infrastructure where operational and safety conditions must be carefully considered throughout their life cycle.Recent advancements in science and technology have enabled more effective structural monitoring of railway systems,largely driven by the adoption of intelligent strategies for inspection,maintenance,monitoring,and risk management.Research continues to expand and deepen the knowledge in this area;however,it remains a challenging field due to factors such as the complexity of railway systems,the high cost of implementation,and the need for reliable long-term data.
文摘Rural tourism has emerged as a key strategy for sustainable development in underdeveloped regions,offering vital opportunities for economic and social revitalization.This study examines the impact and prospects of rural tourism in Jezerc village,Kosovo,using a mixed-methods approach that integrates both quantitative and qualitative data.Quantitative analysis of survey responses from 120 residents and 72 tourists reveals that 57% of residents believe tourism increases household income,while 62% see it as a means of preserving local traditions.However,only 21% report sufficient institutional support,and 74% call for stronger promotion efforts.The findings also show that tourists are primarily drawn to the natural environment(72%)and to peace and relaxation(61%),but express dissatisfaction with infrastructure,particularly signage and roads.A Chi-square test confirmed significant differences in stakeholder views on tourism development strategies(p<0.001),underscoring the need for inclusive planning.While rural tourism’s general benefits,such as job creation,income diversification,and infrastructure improvement,are well known,this study provides new insights by highlighting the disconnect between community potential and institutional support,and by revealing specific demographic and perceptual trends among domestic tourists.The research concludes by advocating for policy frameworks that prioritize local engagement,targeted investment,and strategic promotion to ensure the sustainable and inclusive development of rural tourism in Kosovo.
文摘Structural health monitoring technology uses advanced sensors to collect structural state data in real time,evaluate its integrity and residual life,and make maintenance decisions accordingly.The key of structural health monitoring is to obtain structural data accurately.With the development of new sensor technology,sensors and data acquisition devices for structural health monitoring are constantly emerging,and the performance of these devices is developing rapidly.The latest developments of fiber optic sensors,piezoelectric material sensors and self-diagnostic sensors for structural health monitoring are summarized.The basic working principle of each sensor and its application in structural health monitoring are introduced,and the challenges and opportunities faced by sensors in structural health monitoring are prospected.
文摘The negative impacts of natural hazards on communities at all scales have been increasing.Floods comprise one such natural hazard that has emerged as one of the most destructive in the US and worldwide.While a lot of damage is estimated in terms of the cost of rebuilding infrastructure and direct loss of economy,the negative impacts of such disruptions go beyond the physical infrastructure.The impact on(and of)the social and institutional framework is rarely examined in conjunction with the physical and technical aspects.This paper examines flood vulnerability and risk of a community at an intersection of social,ecological,technical,and intuitional perspectives,and presents a framework for a holistic flood vulnerability and risk assessment that has a strong foundation in all four aspects of a resilient community.The study builds on the existing risk,vulnerability,and hazard assessment approaches,and refines them with a holistic perspective.The study uses a mixed method approach with qualitative and quantitative methodologies to assess flood occurrence probabilities,vulnerability,and risk from the social,ecological,technical,and institutional perspectives.A case study of the City of Atlanta is conducted using the framework to assess the overall vulnerability and risk of the city.The results of this analysis show that the regions that have the highest probability of flood hazard occurrence also appear to have the highest social,ecological,and technical vulnerabilities in the Atlanta area.While the results are intuitive,the applications support a focus on holistic resilience building across these four criteria.This study is potentially useful to practitioners,researchers,government agencies,and community organizations working to mitigate flood risk particularly as this risk continues to evolve with the changing climate.
文摘The City of Calgary’s Nose Creek Sanitary Sewer Trunk Phase B project has been constructed over several years to accommodate future population growth and open more developable lands in northern Calgary.The project was divided into three phases,Phase A,B,and C,with each phase delivered by a separate consultant.Phase A was the downstream section of this project and was undertaken by Stantec Consulting.Phase B was the upstream section designed by CH2MHILL(now Jacobs)and further divided into different contracts(1 through 5).Phase C was a separate sewer called the Saddleridge Trunk sewer and this was designed by Associated Engineering.This paper covers Phase B,Contract 4,which had several unique challenges and included many innovative design and procurement solutions.One procurement strategy included a two-phase qualification package,with the initial phase to select a tunnelling contractor with the experience to deliver technical installations under rail and creeks,and the second phase,a RFP(request for proposal),to select a general contractor,with broader experience in open-cut and stormwater drainage,which were other aspects included within the project.This approach ensured that The City had the most qualified team available to complete the project.Technical challenges discussed in this paper include an oblique CPKC(Canadian Pacific Kansas City)rail and Nose Creek crossing that required independent review,and CFD(computational fluid dynamics)and hydrogen sulfide modelling to confirm conditions within the trunk sewer.
