Category Archives: International Journal of Engineering and Emerging Scientific Discovery 2017

CONTENTS

Selection of Candidate Wells for Polymer Water Shut-off

Bourdelon Umeleuma Marcus¹, Dulu Appah² &Wilfred Chinedu Okologume³………1

Assessment of Portland Cement and Pozzolana Cement: Which Cement? Where? and How in Civil Engineering Construction Applications?

Gana A. J. &. Okoye S. S. C……………………………………………..……………..18

The Imperative of Teamwork in Achieving Value for Money in Construction Projects

¹Kasimu M. A. & ²Ahmed Yahaya…………………….………………………………26

Work Skills Requirement for Building Construction Students in Technical Colleges in Benue State

Livinus L. Ater & Peter Tyoku……………………………………….………………39

Characterisation of Sawdust Combustion in an Experimental Model Bubbling Fluidized Bed Combustor (BFBC)

Iseru, Ebike & Emifoniye Early Ufuoma…………..………….……………………..50

Use of Local Stabilizers for Earth Bricks Production for Low-Cost Housing: A Review

Elijah Akaakase Hime…………………………………………………………………62

Pedestrians Analysis and Design for Taiwo Road Ilorin, kwara State, Nigeria

Braimoh O. S. & Gana A. J………………..…………………………………………..76

Ultimate Limit State (ULS) to Serviceability Limit State (SLS) Load Conversion Factors for Building Foundation Design

Akolo Peter Enjugu¹_, Yohanna D. Izam² & Audu Isa Ibrahim Dakas³…………115

Automatic Recognition of Nigerian Licensed Vehicle Plate Number using Matlab

Lasisi, H., Abdulmajeed, M.K., Obiyemi, O.O, Olasege, I.O.Oladepo, O…….127

Selection of Candidate Wells for Polymer Water Shut-off

Bourdelon Umeleuma Marcus¹, Dulu Appah² &Wilfred Chinedu Okologume³

^1,2Department of Petroleum and Gas Engineering, University of Port Harcourt, Port Harcourt, Rivers State

³Department of Petroleum Engineering, Federal University of Petroleum Resources, Effurun, Delta State

Email:marcusbourdelon@gmail.com,dulu.appah@uniport.edu.ng,okologume.wilfred@fupre.edu.ng

Corresponding Author: Wilfred Chinedu Okologume

ABSTRACT

Water production challenges arise when water produced from an oil well is in excess, resulting to productivity decline and uneconomical oil production. This research focuses on the development of a pseudo-steady state model that will improve the selection of candidate wells with high water – oil ratio (WOR) for polymer water shut off treatment. This model is tested using production history data from five (5) wells (Well 1, Well 2, Well 3, Well 4 and Well 5) producing with a very high WOR and validated by comparing our results with conventional WOR and its derivative diagnostic plots. From the results obtained, Well 1 showed bottom water coning with late time channelling up to 1200 days after the first production started. Well 2 water problem was due to bottom water coning up to its 1000 days of production. Well 3 was significant with bottom water coning with late time channelling from the 900th day to 1530th day of its first production. Well 4 showed a water problem that is due to channelling. The excessive water production problem for Well 5 was as a result of bottom water coning which started from the 700th day to the1400th day after the first production. However, Well 1, Well 3 and Well 4 is candidate wells for polymer water shut off, as their channelling problems can be resolved by the selective use of coiled tubing to apply flowing gel (polymer) that can offer a relative permeability that is favourable to oil than water at the point of water entry. While Well 2, Well 5 are not candidate wells for polymer water shut off because their excess water production is due to producing too close to the water – oil contact (WOC) or above the critical rate. However, this study aimed at ranking wells with high water production problems and evaluating which well(s) are suitable for the application of polymer to mitigate the excessive water production problems.

Keywords: Coning, Channelling, Production, Pseudo-steady, Polymer

Assessment of Portland Cement and Pozzolana Cement: Which Cement? Where? and How in Civil Engineering Construction Applications?

Gana A. J. &. Okoye S. S. C.

Department of Civil Engineering, Landmark University, Omu-Aran, Kwara state

Department Civil Engineering, Federal polytechnic Bida, PMB 55 Bida, Niger State

Email: Doctorgana@yahoo.com, Phildebo123@gmail.com

Corresponding Author: Gana A. J.

ABSTRACT

A critical study in this paper is made into the chemistry and manufacture of ordinary Portland and pozzolana cements; so as to be able to understand that basics similarities and differences. It is true that both cements have their own noted benefits; they also have their own short comings. Which cement type to use for a particular civil Engineering Construction projects, where and how is fully assessed in this paper. It is also noted that the type of structure under a particular consideration, the environment under which the structure is build and the urgency and requirements of the works specified play a major role in cement selection. This study proffered adequate recommendation and conclusion which are of importance for this paper.

Keywords: Ordinary Portland Cement, Pozzolana Cement

The Imperative of Teamwork in Achieving Value for Money in Construction Projects

¹Kasimu M. A. & ²Ahmed Yahaya

¹Department of Quantity Surveying, Federal Polytechnic, Bida, Niger State

²Department of Architecture, Federal Polytechnic, Bida, Niger State

Email: kasimumohammed@yahoo.com.

Corresponding Author: Kasimu M. A.

ABSTRACT

Construction Industry is highly vulnerable to be benefited from teams as the construction products are delivered by a collection of diverse professionals. Therefore, the paper aimed at establishing the influences of teamwork in achieving value for money in the construction projects. The theoretical research approach was adopted by appraised the previous research on the teamwork in the construction industry and value for money. The findings show the benefits derived from the teamwork in achieving the value for money are: high Productivity, high quality decision making, assurance of good quality performance, conflict resolution, information and knowledge are properly shared, assurance of job satisfaction, improved working relationships and reduce rivalry among the professionals etc. Therefore, the paper suggests that there should be an advocacy by the professional bodies like QSRBN, CORBON, and COREN to sanitize their members on the needs to establish effective teamwork in any construction projects in order to achieve the value for money. In addition, the professionals and other stakeholders in the construction organizations should always work as a team in order to reduce conflicts and achieve quality project delivery within the predetermine sum at the time frame.Keyword: Team, Teamwork, Value, Project Delivery, Construction Industry

Work Skills Requirement for Building Construction Students in Technical Colleges in Benue State

Livinus L. Ater & Peter Tyoku

Department of Building Technology 

Akawe Torkula College of Advanced and Professional Studies, Makurdi, Benue State

Email: liamkondoater@gmail.com

Corresponding Author: Livinus L. Ater

ABSTRACT

This study was carried out to determine the work skill requirement for students of building construction in Technical Colleges in Benue state. A survey research design was adopted for the study. A population of nine Building Construction teachers in six technical colleges in Benue State was used. Mean and standard deviations were used in analyzing the research questions. Any item with mean rating up to 3.50 was considered agree. It was found out that six skills were required to improve the work skill requirement of students offering Building Construction in technical colleges in Benue state. The study also revealed that equipment, tools and materials for practical projects are not available in Technical Colleges in Benue State. This scenario led to the absence of regular practical work for students. It was recommended that government should make available tools and good laboratories for students of Technical colleges in Benue State. Teachers also should adopt appropriate teaching methods.

Characterisation of Sawdust Combustion in an Experimental Model Bubbling Fluidized Bed Combustor (BFBC

Iseru, Ebike & Emifoniye Early Ufuoma

Department of Mechanical Engineering

Abdulsalami Abubakar College of Engineering, Igbinedion University Okada

Email: pelez2e@yahoo.co.uk  

Corresponding Author: Iseru, Ebike

ABSTRACT­

The need to explore alternative energy sources in meeting global energy demands is becoming more significant as a result of the twin problems of fossil fuel depletion and global warming. Biomass constitutes a readily available alternative source of energy. However, there are inherent difficulties in burning biomass due to its high moisture content. Among the available technologies that can be used for biomass combustion, the fluidized bed combustor is emerging as one of the best due to its flexibility and high efficiency. This study investigates the combustion characteristics of sawdust in a bubbling fluidized bed combustor. The experimentation was carried out in the locally fabricated BFBC under two biomass feed rates of 2.6kg/h and 3.5kg/h, and varying excess air (EA) values. The effects of fuel feed rate and excess air on the concentration of major gaseous emissions (CO and CO₂) in flue gas, combustion efficiency, and the thermal profile along the combustor height were studied. The combustion efficiency of the fluidized bed combustor was calculated for the sawdust fired under different operating conditions, based on the CO concentration in the flue gas. A maximum efficiency of about 99 % was obtained with acceptable CO emission.

Keywords: Biomass, Combustion efficiency, Feed rate, Excess air, Temperature

Use of Local Stabilizers for Earth Bricks Production for Low-Cost Housing: A Review

Elijah Akaakase Hime

Department of Vocational and Technical Education

Benue State University Makurdi

Email: akaakase63@gmail.com

ABSTRACT

Housing stock in Nigeria is grossly inadequate with low-income group mostly affected. The paper reviewed the status of efforts made by researchers to indentify. Local stabilizers for earth bricks productions which are cost effective to help bridge the gap between demand and supply in housing profile. Local stabilizers such as groundnut husk ash, termite mound, earthworm cast, Rice husk ash, sawdust, achahusk ash among others have potentials to improve the compressive strength, total water absorption and other durability properties of earth bricks. It was recommended that efforts should be made to transfer laboratory result to industries or land by undertaking pilot low-cost housing as basis for improvement and development.

Pedestrians Analysis and Design for Taiwo Road Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria

Braimoh O. S. & Gana A. J.

Department of Civil Engineering

College of Science and Engineering

Landmark University Omu-Aran, Kwara State

Email: braimoh.solomon.@lmu.edu.ng, Phildebo123@gmail.com

Corresponding Author: Gana A. J.

ABSTRACT

Designing for pedestrians is a research work carried out as a result of the inadequate availability of pedestrian facilities resulting to increased accidents and other environmental and human hazards resulting from intermodal competitions for spaces vis-à-vis Highway capacity. This has helped to consider the possibility of pedestrian facilities for transportation in Taiwo road. The presence of pedestrian in Taiwo road has been investigated and found to be 538 per hour. In this research, Pedestrian facilities were designed for the Ibrahim Taiwo road in Ilorin city which is 3900m distance (from Taiwo salee junction to the end of the road at General Hospital roundabout).The design was done by carrying out pedestrian count on the Sidewalk and Crosswalk for the road in two hours for three days. The Sidewalk designed is 2.0m while the distance between the crosswalk markings is 0.6m and the thickness of the zebra crossing line is 0.6mat 3800m, 3200m 2150m, 650m and 200m from the origin of the road with 3m width, the Island height is 0.15m, the height of the signs above the ground is 2.0m and the Bus shelters are located at 3800m and 650m from the origin. The use of pedestrian facilities is vital to the advancement and development of any locality. By placing emphasis on walking, the problem of acceptance will be over along the Ibrahim Taiwo road of Ilorin. It is recommended that the design of pedestrian facility should no longer be ignored in current transportation planning practices and in formulating, implementing and refining policies. In this light, Taiwo road should be marked with white lines for the sidewalk and other pedestrian facilities provided.

Keywords: Pedestrians, Analysis, Design, Taiwo Road Ilorin

Ultimate Limit State (ULS) to Serviceability Limit State (SLS) Load Conversion Factors for Building Foundation Design

Akolo Peter Enjugu¹_, Yohanna D. Izam² & Audu Isa Ibrahim Dakas³

^1,2,3Department of Building,

Faculty of Environmental Sciences, University of Jos, Nigeria

Email: newlife_06@yahoo.com

Corresponding Author: Akolo Peter Enjugu

ABSTRACT

The need to evolve new concepts for converting aggregated ultimate loads back to service loads has become pertinent. This is due to the existence of shortcomings inherent in existing load conversion factors, the need to ensure speedy and less cumbersome service load computation process and the need for cost effective foundation design. This study thus aims at addressing these shortcomings and evolving suitable and practicable options of computing service loads. Research design adopted for this study was observational studies (particularly modelling and simulation).Reinforced concrete structural models were developed and simulated for differing live load values using Orion 18 software to obtain foundation loads(ultimate (factored) loads and service (unfactored) loads) from which the load conversion factors were computed. New values of load conversion factors were evolved and a relationship between the live load and load conversion factor was also established and detailed. The study concluded that the load conversion factors obtained and the relationship established are suitable and applicable. The application of these new load conversion factors in building foundation design and its inclusion in design codes and standards is recommended. The implication of this is timely delivery of design jobs and a cost effective foundation design.

Keywords: Load conversion factor, ultimate load, service load

Automatic Recognition of Nigerian Licensed Vehicle Plate Number using Matlab

Lasisi, H.¹, Abdulmajeed, M.K.², Obiyemi, O.O³, Olasege, I.O⁴.Oladepo,O.⁵

^{1,3,4, 5}Dept. of Electrical & Electronics Engineering, Osun State University, Osogbo,

²Dept. of Systems Engineering, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia.

Email: lashammed@yahoo.com¹,kbmajeed1²,obiseye.obiyemi@uniosun.edu.ng³, olasegeismail@gmail.com⁴, ooladepo@yahoo.com ⁵

Corresponding Author: Oladepo, O.

ABSTRACT

This paper focuses on the recognition of Nigerian licensed plate numbers using template matching. There are three stages in this work; in the first stage, the image of a licensed plate is loaded in Matlab, converted to grayscale and binarized using ‘Otsu’. It is then filtered, filled and resized. In the Second stage, segmentation was done by identifying blobs, cropping them out using machine vision border-box feature and then resized to  pixels – same as the templates. Finally, Template matching was done using the ‘sum of absolute differences’ technique. The recognized licensed plate characters were displayed in a command window. This system promises to be of high accuracy provided the templates are properly constructed. Finally, the system was tested on five different plate numbers with character recognition accuracy ranging from 75% to 93.75% while a modified algorithm gave accuracies of 93.75% to 100%.

Keywords:Licensed plate recognition, Image Processing, Thresholding, Segmentation, Template Matching, Sum-of-Absolute-Differences.