No abstract

The Malaysian government is currently improving the quality of workers temporary accommodation by introducing MS2593:2015 (Code of Practice for Temporary Site Workers Amenities and Accommodation) in 2015. It is in line with the initiative in the Construction Industry Transformation Programme (2016-2020) to increase the quality and well-being of construction workers in Malaysia. Thus, to gauge the current practice of temporary accommodation on complying with the particular guideline, this paper has put forth the observation of such accommodation towards elements in Section 3 within MS2593:2015. A total of seventeen (17) temporary accommodation provided by Grade 6 and Grade 7 contractors in Johor were selected and assessed. The results disclosed that most of the temporary accommodation was not complying with the guideline, where only thirteen (13) out of fifty-eight (58) elements have recorded full compliance (100%), and the lowest compliance percentage (5.9%) are discovered in the Section 3.12 (Signage). In a nutshell, given the significant gap of compliance between current practices of temporary accommodation and MS2593:2015, a holistic initiative need to be in place for the guideline to be worthwhile.

In a cement board (CB) composite, fibres reinforce the board. It is because the length of the fibres significantly impacts the strength of the CB composite. Nonetheless, the physical properties of the CB are also an important aspect when dealing with the quality control of the final product. This study investigates the effects of various fibre lengths in CB fabrication on its physical properties, including the cement-hydration rate, tensile strength, density stability and thickness swelling (TS). Oil palm empty fruit bunch (OPEFB) fibres at different lengths are used based on the mesh retained size of R7M, R14M, and R30M. The OPEFB-CB mixture used in this research is 3:1 (cement: fibre ratio), with a target density of 1,300 kg/m3. The sample is compressed using a 1000 psi cold-compression load to achieve the desired composite thickness of 12 mm. This research revealed that the longest fibres retained on the R7M mesh with an average length of 5 mm resulted in lower density and the highest TS value. Meanwhile, lower dimensional stability was achieved by OPEFB-CB composites using fibre that retained on the R14M and R30M, having an average length of 3 mm and 1 mm, respectively. Based on the results, the optimum fibre length recommended in the fabrication of OPEFB-CB composites is processed fibres retained on the R14M sieve with an average length of 3 mm. This recommendation is made based on the most stable density and lowest TS results achieved by the R14M retained fibres which is in the range of 1,231–1,309.4 kg/m3 and TS of 0.65 %.

Formation of irregularities on the inner surface of pipes is a common phenomenon that leads to corrosion and affects the functionality in the processing industries. Ultrasonic is known as one of the non-destructive means to address the formation of irregularities inside pipes. In this study, an ultrasonic measurement system is developed to detect the presence of internal irregularities in a pipe. An ultrasonic sensor EFC16T/R-2 with a frequency of 40 kHz was mounted outside the test pipe with a circular ring sensor unit. Different conditions of the inner pipe surface had caused fluctuations of the ultrasonic signal. The results show a low output voltage in the range of 2.1333 to 3.1334 V when no irregularities were detected. A higher output voltage was observed in the range of 5.4677 to 8.8667 V when irregularities occurred. The reconstructed images of irregularities had matched the actual condition of the pipe. Some images showed a slight inaccuracy of the position of the irregularities caused by the instability of the ultrasonic signals. Overall, the developed ultrasonic tomography is suitable as a tool for monitoring irregularities in a pipe.

A cement board is a composite material mostly comprised natural fibre and cement. Cement board is mainly used in roofing, raised floors, dropped ceilings, prefabricated structures, office containers, and other building components. Fibres in cement composites from discarded palm oil fruit bunches have been used to increase the quality of construction materials. Therefore, the impact density of the natural fibre cement board is essential to enhance the physical and mechanical properties. However, research on untreated fibre at various densities has not been compressively discussed in previous studies. Therefore, this research used empty fruit bunch (EFB) fibre in manufacturing empty fruit bunch cement boards (EFBCB) with a cement-to-fibre ratio of 3:1 and thickness of 12 mm. Three target density variations, 1100 kg/m3, 1200 kg/m3 and 1300 kg/m3, were applied in this study to obtain their effect on physical and mechanical properties. The results revealed EFBCB sample with a target density of 1300 kg/m3 showed the most promising results. This sample’s average thickness is 12.38 mm after a 28-day curing period. Besides, at 1300 kg/m3 target density, EFBCB achieved the lowest thickness swelling (TS) value at 1.82%, highest internal bonding (IB) at 0.164 N/mm2, highest modulus of elasticity (MOE) and modulus of rupture (MOR) at 1398 N/mm2 and 3.51 N/mm2, respectively. Thus, increasing the cement board density and improving the physical and mechanical properties of EFBCB. This study demonstrates that EFB has the capacity to be one of the potential natural fibres for green building materials.