ATBU Journal of Environmental Technology

Detection and Delineation of Soil and Groundwater Contamination Zones using Geophysical and Geochemical Methods around Oke-Eleke Dumpsite, Ilorin, Southwestern Nigeria

A. K Olawuyi, K. Abraham — Wed, 18 Oct 2023 00:00:00 +0000

A combined geophysical and geochemical investigation was carried out at Oke-elele waste dumpsite in Ilorin, Kwara state, Nigeria. The aim is to determine the geoelectrical characteristics and groundwater chemistry to delineate the subsurface lithologies and assess the degree of soil and groundwater contamination. Nine (9) Vertical Electrical Sounding (VES) stations and four (4) Dipole-Dipole profiling (One as control traverse) were occupied for the geophysical investigation, while the hydrochemical investigation involved the chemical and physical analyses of the groundwater samples from the wells within the study area. The geo-electric sections, correlated with borehole data show that the study area is underlain by a maximum of six subsurface layers which include: topsoil (20 - 113 Ωm, 0.4-1.2 m); laterite (67-102 Ωm, 0.5-1.6m); Clay and plume infected layers have resistivity and thicknesses (8 - 20 Ωm, 1.1 – 4.7m); weathered/Partly weathered Basement (11 -211 Ωm, 1.5 – 17.2m); fractured basement (10 - 23 Ωm, 5-10m); and fresh bedrock (375- 99982 Ωm, infinity). Significantly low resistivity values (2.4-11.6 Ωm) were observed within the upper 25 m at regions suspected to be fractures or highly infected within the waste boundaries, showing that pollution plumes from the dumpsite have infiltrated the subsoil. In comparison, the resistivity values of > 20 Ωm were observed beneath the unimpacted subsoil. The hydrochemical analyses of the water samples from wells have shown that the anions (HCO₃^-, Cl^-, SO₄^2-, NO₃^-, and PO₄^3-) and cations (Ca²⁺, Na⁺, and K⁺) of the sampled water fell within the 4 3 4 World Health Organization (2006) and Nigeria Industrial Standard (2007) thresholds for potable water. However, the values of EC (1375-2000 μS/cm), turbidity (8.45-8.90), TDS (625-1025 mg/l), total hardness (238-406 mg/lCaCO₃), pH (6.25-6.33), manganese (6.58-7.82 mg/l), aluminium (5.45-6.46 mg/l), lead (0.02 mg/l), and cadmium were higher than the standard thresholds, an indication of groundwater pollution. Due to the increase in urbanization, it is recommended that erosion channels be improved upon, and the dumpsite and its environs should be regularly assessed.

Developing Machine Learning Prediction Models for Construction Material Prices in Nigeria

H. A. Ahmadu, Y. M. Ibrahim, R. S. Abdulrahman, U. S. Jibril, M. A. Yamusa — Wed, 18 Oct 2023 00:00:00 +0000

This study aims to develop machine learning prediction models for construction materials susceptible to price fluctuations in Nigeria. Data relating to construction material price influencing factors and construction material prices were obtained from Nigerian Bureau of Statistics (NBS), Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), and vendors. Making use of Python programming language on Spyder version 3.6 software, a combination of Back Propagation Neural Network (BPNN) and Autoencoder was utilised for data training/model development. The developed models' predictive performance was validated by comparing predicted and actual prices of building material prices using mean-square error (MSE). Results revealed that the developed Autoencoder-BPNN model had an accuracy ranging from 82.04% to 96.92% and was found to be the best for reinforcement. While the BPNN only model, on the other hand, had accuracy ranging from 92.87% to 98.69% and was found to be the best for steel and cement. The models are expected to assist both client quantity surveyors and contractors in coming up with more accurate estimates of construction material prices for efficient cash flow management of construction projects in Nigeria. The developed models put forward a new course for predicting future prices of construction materials most susceptible to price fluctuations in Nigeria.

Safety Determination of Structural Components Made With Metakaolin

Wed, 18 Oct 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Structural safety estimation is a task of paramount importance, especially in recent situations where adding additives to improve the properties of concrete has become the order of the day. In this paper, the stochastic variables were identified; the variables obtained were obtained under laboratory experiments and assumed to be stochastic. Python programming language was used in Jupyter Notebook (code translator), and math was imported as a Python library for the evaluation of safety indices and failure probabilities of reinforced concrete beams produced with metakaolin. The obtained geometric indices were found to be 3.2967, 3.6428, 3.219, and 3.0176, and the failure probabilities corresponding to the estimated geometric indices were 1.65E-3, 1.83E-3, 1.62E-3, and 1.51E-3 for reinforced concrete beams produced with 0%, 10%, 20%, and 30% replacements of cement with metakaolin, respectively. The values are less than the target safety index of 4.7 for beams in bending or flexure and 3.7 for beams in shear, with tolerable risk levels (10–3) for structural elements. The results showed that the structural elements are unsafe and can lead to a severe accident compared to the prediction of structural performance according to the specifications of the Joint Committee on Structural Safety (JCSS) (2001).

Densification of First-Order Geodetic Controls within the University of Benin, Nigeria

R. Ehigiator-Irughe, S. O. Oladosu — Fri, 29 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

This study focused on the densification of first-order controls within the University of Benin Ugbowo campus, using CORS_Geosystems as the virtual reference station. The evolving developmental project within the campus necessitated the establishment of more control points. Eight newly designated control points were designated for coordination. In addition, one previously established control point with the ID Raph_UB_02 was re-coordinated to validate the accuracy of the positional data collected compared to the pre-existing record. The rover receivers' occupation time at each control point lasted at least one hour. The downloaded data was processed and adjusted using Trimble Business Centre 2.70. The maximum 2D and 3D precisions obtained were 1:6,038,657 and 1:6,035,931 along the CORS_Geo and Raph GNSS_05 baselines, while the minimum 2D and 3D precisions obtained were 1:4,255,886 and 1:4,256,390 along the CORS_Geo and RAPH GNSS_11 baselines. All the calculated values for the allowable limit in the Class "A" survey for control densification had a 3D maximum standard error of 0.011 m. These results are more accurate than the recommended standard by the Surveyors Council of Nigeria. Thus, this study provided a piece of verifiable evidence about the CORS_Geosystems' efficacy in providing quality positioning solutions at higher accuracy and the suitability of the established control points on campus for various applications. These controls are therefore recommended for precise engineering projects and other developmental applications.

Application of Strategic Safety Practices in Construction Industry of Lafiya, Nasarawa State

Maiwada Adamu, Inuwa Yusuf, Nuruddeen Usman, Bala Ishiyaku — Wed, 18 Oct 2023 00:00:00 +0000

This study aims to assess the application of strategic safety practices in the construction industry of Lafiya, Nasarawa state, to explore the benefits behind the strategic practice of safety and reduce the level of accidents in the construction industry. The construction industry in any country is associated with vital contributions to national economic development through strategic planning, design, and construction in transforming various production processes into constructed facilities. The study adopted a quantitative design, and data were collected through a questionnaire survey from randomly drawn professionals. Seventy-seven structured questionnaires were distributed to the professionals, the study adopted a simple random sampling technique, SPSS software version 22 was used for data analysis, and the results were presented in tables. The study reveals safety performance in Lafiya's construction industry, with major safety areas being design preparations, construction processes, meetings, and site safety. Major planning and control strategic safety practices include structure design, site investigations, plant operations, and construction work. The least controlled practices include site layout plans and risk identification. The least controlled practice is temporary structure stability control. This study also revealed that the independent variable strategic safety practices explained 31.0% medium effect size in safety performance, with significance at p<0.001. Therefore, the study also revealed that the beta coefficient showed that the planning, control and operation are the significant determinants of safety performance as indicated by the standardised beta coefficient of 0.278, 0.364 and 0.156 and t-statistics of 2.754, 3.611 and 1.584 which are significant at 0.007 and 0.001 significance level and insignificant at 0.117.respectively. The independent variable strategic safety practices explained 31.0% medium effect size in safety performance, with significance at p<0.001. The study concluded that the beta coefficient showed that the planning, control and operation are the significant determinants of safety performance as indicated by the standardised beta coefficient of 0.278, 0.364 and 0.156 and a t-statistics of 2.754, 3.611 and 1.584, which are significant at 0.007 and 0.001 significance level and insignificant at 0.117.respectively. It is recommended that the construction firms ensure that the safety of the workers must be given attention. This will lead to an increase in the workers' productivity. It is recommended that the contractors give attention to the maintenance of equipment or plant, which leads to the peration of strategic safety practices on the construction site. However, correct and sufficient safety warnings or precautions for workers on the construction site should be taken into consideration.

Adoption of Building Information Modeling (BIM) in Architectural Firms in Ibadan, Southwest Nigeria

Alaje A. Akinola, Funmilayo Mokunfayo Adedire, Oluwole A. Alagbe — Wed, 18 Oct 2023 00:00:00 +0000

The importance of building information modelling (BIM) in the execution of construction and infrastructure projects cannot be overstated as Nigeria progresses technologically. Despite the advantages of BIM for the construction industry, very little is known about how BIM affects Nigerian architectural practices. This study aims to ascertain how BIM has affected architecture firms in Ibadan, Southwest Nigeria. The study looked at the degree of BIM awareness in architectural firms, the most popular BIM software programs, the parts of architectural work supported by BIM, and its advantages in architectural practice, among other things. A qualitative questionnaire survey of 50 architects in Ibadan was used to obtain the data, which descriptive statistics were then used to evaluate. The findings indicate that architectural firms in Ibadan have a high level of understanding of BIM and that the most popular BIM software programs utilised are Autodesk Revit Architecture, AUTOCAD, and Google Sketch-up. However, the respondents utilised these software programs less for analysis and more for creating 2D drawings, 3D visualisation, architectural detailing, and modelling. The outcome showed that the adoption of BIM increased the general productivity of architecture firms in the research area. The report suggests that businesses, professional associations, and the government implement particular programs and policies to increase BIM's benefits in project delivery and encourage its widespread adoption in Nigeria.

Analysing the Spatial Spread of Banditry Activities in Zamfara State Nigeria

Ibrahim Alhaji Mustafa, Cyril Kanayochukwu Ezeamaka — Wed, 18 Oct 2023 00:00:00 +0000

The menace of banditry has become a serious threat to the people of the northwestern part of Nigeria, with Zamfara State experiencing the highest occurrence of incidence. Given this, the study sought to assess the spread of banditry in Zamfara State using the Geographic Information System (GIS) to provide spatial information for effectively monitoring the banditry incidence. Data utilised for the study include both primary and secondary. The primary data involved direct field observations. Secondary data were from the Armed Conflict Location and Events Data (ACLED) 2022 version. The result revealed a clustered pattern of the banditry in part of Zurmi, the eastern part of Maradun. Gusau, Maru, and Zurmi. These places had the highest banditry activities, with more than 24 incidents (2017-2021). The western part of Zurmi and the eastern part of Maradu are seen to be hot spots of banditry activities based on the density of the incidents at a 99% significant level. Hence, there is a need to adopt modern technology that will assist in dictating the location of bandit areas to deploy security personnel in curtailing this deadly menace.

Skills Gap Review: The Role of Architectural Practice Training

Sylvanus Hassan Musa — Fri, 29 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

The architecture skills gap is a lack of knowledge and competency in professional practice activities and processes among graduates. However, Practice-Based Training (PBT) is supposed to bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and professional practice experience. Therefore, this study aims to highlight PBT's role in the architecture skills gap.
The systematic literature review and thematic analysis methodology were used to identify and analyse relevant literature to answer the research questions posed. The study identifies the challenges faced by interns during PBT as contributors to the skills gap. Thus indicating a relationship between the quality of PBT and the skills gap. Also, specific technical skills for architectural practice in Nigeria were identified from the Architects Registration Council of Nigeria (ARCON) PPE syllabus and Architects' conditions of engagement contract document as the indices for skill assessment. Further research opportunities were identified for developing a tool for evaluating the skills that students/interns and graduates lack. In conclusion, the inability of industry supervisors to train interns and the absence of a universally documented framework for PBT can be attributed as a significant contributor to poor-quality PBT. Therefore, a framework is recommended for effective architectural PBT in Nigeria.