NDT methods applicable to concrete bridges are reviewed. The methodology, advantages and disadvantages along with up to date research on NDT methods are presented. Different damage levels, having less dependence on inspector judgment, are suggested. Moreover, a flow chart based on damage level along with NDT methods and potential remedial measures are proposed for periodic health monitoring of structures. NDT methods are also suggested to address specific problems related to structures. Finally, the relation between some of the well-known NDT methods and most common problems encountered by the field engineers is proposed. Hence, the importance of structural health monitoring is highlighted. Original language EnglishPages (from-to) 58-86

PurposeThis paper aimed to identify critical success factors (CSFs) of building information modeling (BIM) implementation among architectural, engineering and construction (AEC) firms in Malaysia using quantitative statistical methods.Design/methodology/approachA questionnaire survey was conducted on the population of all AEC firms in Malaysia to rank the relative importance of 15 success factors (SFs) for BIM implementation in the firm on a 5-point Likert scale. The sampling frame consisted of all members registered with the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) from which 184 responses were received. The distinction between SFs and CSFs was achieved by a normalized mean cutoff value. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to determine the relative groupings of the CSFs and structural equation modeling (SEM) were used to examine the underlying relationships between the CSF groupings.FindingsResults of this study validated 11 previously identified CSFs for successful implementation of BIM among Malaysian AEC firms. Non-technical factors such as management, leadership and coordination were found to have higher relevance compared to technical factors such as software and hardware. Ranking analysis of the CSFs found internal coordination factors to have more importance compared to external coordination factors. PCA revealed 4 principal components (PCs) from the 11 CSFs. Together, these four PCs explain 74.3% of the variance in the data. Also, six hypothesized relationships between these groupings were supported using PLS-SEM.Research limitations/implicationsThis study found an interaction between internal and external coordination factors for the implementation of BIM. Future research could explore the dynamics of both intra- and inter-firm coordination, which may create an environment suitable for BIM implementation.Practical implicationsThis study provides Malaysian AEC firms with a general strategy on how to approach the implementation of BIM within the firm. In addition, government initiatives should focus on increasing BIM competency of graduates entering the workforce. This can be achieved through the development of a national BIM curriculum. Apart from that, the implementation of BIM requires a radical shift in the traditional building delivery process, not just simply acquiring new software and hardware.Originality/valueThis study revealed that the interactions between different firms at the industry level can influence successful implementation of BIM at the firm level. CSFs for BIM implementation at the firm level have been extensively studied. However, few studies exist which explore the inter-firm collaborations at the industry level that facilitate successful BIM implementation.

Abstract:The rheological properties of fresh cement paste with different content of graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs), different shear rate cycles and resting time was investigated. The rheological data were fitted by the Bingham model, Modified Bingham model, Herschel-Bulkley model and Casson model to estimate the yield stress and plastic viscosity, and to see trend of the flow curves. The effectiveness of these rheological models was expressed by the standard error. Test results showed that yield stress and plastic viscosity increased with the increase in the content of graphene in the cement based composite and resting time while the values of these parameters decreased for higher shear rate cycle. In comparison to control sample, the GNP cement based composite showed 30% increase in load carrying capacity and 73% increase in overall failure strain. Piezo-resistive characteristics of GNP were employed to evaluate the self-sensing composite material. It was found that, at maximum compressive load, the electrical resistivity value reduced by 42% and hence GNP cement based composite can be used to detect the damages in concrete. Finally, the practical application of this composite material was evaluated by testing full length reinforced concrete beam. It was found that graphene-cement composite specimen successfully predicted the response against cracks propagation and hence can be used as self-sensing composite material.

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