Insight - Civil Engineering

Construction of road shoulder reinforcements—Rules, regulations and types of execution

Kerim Hrapović — 2025-01-15

Materials for road shoulder reinforcement must fulfill two essential requirements. Firstly, for road safety reasons, they must have a permanently high bearing capacity so that vehicles that leave the carriageway do not sink in and cause accidents. This bearing capacity and stability of the surfaces is mainly ensured by the gravel content. Secondly, they must have a high retention and binding capacity for pollutants, as road surface water seeps into the verge area. This protects the subsoil and groundwater and is achieved by the sand and fines content of the soils. There are many different ways in which verge reinforcement can be constructed.

Durability, sustainability and cost analysis of the effect of SNF superplasticizers on locally produced concrete in Ghana

Joseph Ignatius Teye Buertey — 2025-01-23

Using conventional methods of concrete production to achieve expected results is challenging, hence the use of chemical admixtures which is also little researched in Ghana. The study conducted a concrete mix design for project construction, following significant challenges encountered in attaining the desired strength of 30MPa at a slump of S3 (100-150mm). To address the challenge, a concrete mix design was produced according to EN 206 standard mix design at the laboratory of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)-Building and Road Research Institute (BRRI)-Ghana. A chemical admixture consisting of high-range water-lowering sulfonated naphthalene formaldehyde (SNF) was used in the design. Once the laboratory mix design was completed, the concrete mix proportions were adopted for field application. When employing 385kg/m³ of Portland cement, a water-to-cement ratio of 0.49, a water content of roughly 189kg/m³, and an admixture content of 3.28kg/m³, the laboratory mix design yielded a 28-day compressive strength of 37 MPa (5366 psi). After 28 days of curing, both the laboratory (37MPa) and field-prepared (31MPa) concretes met the minimum strength of 30MPa with the laboratory-controlled concrete exhibiting compressive strength results that were approximately 16% greater than those of the field-prepared concretes. The report revealed that the use of SNF resulted in 18% savings in cement thereby reducing carbon emissions and 5% savings in cost, urging a case for the use of chemical admixtures for structural and non-structural concrete components of the project for the sake of durability, sustainability and cost.

Project construction management using building information modeling and principles of integrated project delivery

Wei Yan — 2025-03-11

In an era where Building Information Modelling (BIM) is increasingly recognized as a potent tool for enhancing construction project management globally, including in China, this study presents a case of a scientific research building constructed in Beijing using BIM and guided by Integrated Project Delivery principles (IPD-ish). The research focuses on addressing the challenges faced by construction management teams and exploring the application of BIM and IPD-ish within a construction context. The growing complexity and scale of construction projects necessitate innovative management approaches to ensure efficiency and cost-effectiveness. However, there is a gap in literature regarding the integration of BIM and IPD-ish in practical construction scenarios. This study aims to investigate the value of BIM and IPD-ish in construction project management. It seeks to fill the existing gap by examining their combined impact on project outcomes. The research employs a case study methodology, leveraging BIM as a comprehensive data platform. Through this platform, all project variables are integrated, allowing for effective pre-construction control of design changes that could potentially increase overall costs. The study also involves close collaboration among project participants, adhering to IPD-ish principles. The implementation of BIM and IPD-ish led to significant improvements in project delivery, including reduced construction costs, shorter timelines, enhanced quality, and increased productivity. The findings of this study underscore the importance of BIM and IPD-ish in construction project management, particularly for improving efficiency and cost-effectiveness. The proposed framework offers practical insights for project managers and stakeholders, guiding them towards more successful project outcomes. Furthermore, the research inspires future studies to further explore the potential of BIM and IPD-ish in diverse construction contexts.

Optimization of mechanical properties of corn stalk ash and fiber reinforced cement mortar

Bo Peng — 2025-03-26

Corn stalk ash and fibers, as agricultural waste materials, offer significant potential for sustainable applications in cementitious composites. This study investigates the effects of corn stalk ash content, fiber content, and water-to-cement ratio on the mechanical properties of cement mortar. A Box-Behnken design (BBD) within the Response Surface Methodology (RSM) framework was employed to evaluate the impact of these factors and their interactions on flexural and compressive strengths. The results indicate that the water-to-cement ratio is the most influential factor, followed by fiber content, while ash content has a relatively minor impact. Notably, the interaction between fiber content and water-to-cement ratio exhibited a strong synergistic effect. The optimized mix design—comprising 10% corn stalk ash, 0.4% fiber content, and a water-to-cement ratio of 0.45–0.5—achieved flexural and compressive strengths of 8.7 MPa and 54 MPa, respectively. Experimental validation demonstrated high model accuracy, with relative errors below 1%. This study underscores the feasibility of utilizing agricultural waste in cement-based materials, contributing to the advancement of sustainable construction practices.