Purpose: The aim of this study was to gain insight into causes of time delays and cost overruns in a selection of thirty case projects in Iraq. Delay factors have been studied in many countries/contexts, but not much data exists from countries under the conditions characterizing Iraq during the last 10-15 years.Design/methodology/approach: A case study approach was adopted, with thirty construction projects selected from the Baghdad region, of different types and sizes. For the case of the study, the participants in the projects provided data about the projects through the data collection tool distributed through the questionnaire directed to them. Statistical data analysis was used to build statistical relationships between time and cost delay ratios and delay factors.Findings: Major delay factors identified were contractor failures resulting in schedule overruns, re-designs, poor planning and frequent change orders, security issues, low bid selection, weather factors, and owner failures.Originality/value: While many studies have looked into factors causing delays and cost overruns, few have studied projects in conditions such as have dominated Iraq the last decade and a half during pandemic as external factors. As such, this study offers unique insights into factors that need to be taken into account when implementing projects in such a context
The effects of nutrients and physical conditions on phytase production were investigated with a recently isolated strain of Aspergillus tubingensis SKA under solid state fermentation on wheat bran. The nutrient factors investigated included carbon source, nitrogen source, phosphate source and concentration, metal ions (salts) and the physical parameters investigated included inoculum size, pH, temperature and fermentation duration. Our investigations revealed that optimal productivity of phytase was achieved using wheat bran supplemented with: 1.5% glucose. 0.5% (NH4)2SO4, 0.1% sodium phytate. Additionally, optimal physical conditions were 1 × 105 spore/g substrate, initial pH of 5.0, temperature of fermentation 30˚C and fermentation dura
... Show MoreAbstract
This study aims to identify the extent to which the criteria of the American Council for Teaching Foreign Languages (ACTFL) are included in the English language books for the fifth and sixth graders. To achieve the objective of the study, a content analysis card was prepared, where the classification of language proficiencies was divided into five main levels (beginner, intermediate, advanced, superior, and distinguished) of the four language skills (listening, speaking, reading, and writing), The content analysis card consisted of (89) indicators distributed at the four levels of language skills as follows: Listening (17), speaking (33), reading (15), and writing (26). The study sample consisted of Engl
... Show MoreThe study involved preparing a new compound by combining Schiff bases generated from compounds for antipyrine, including lanthanide ions (lanthanum, neodymium, erbium, gadolinium, and dysprosium). The preparation of the ligand from condensation reactions (4-antipyrinecarboxaldehyde with ethylene di-amine) at room temperature, and was characterization using spectroscopic and analytical studies ( FT-IR, UV-visible spectra, 1H-NMR, mass spectrometry, (C.H.N.O), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), in addition to the magnetic susceptibility and conductivity measurement of the synthesis complexes, among the results we obtained from the tests, we showed that the ligand behaves with the (triple Valence) lanthanide ions, the multidentate
... Show MoreThis study expands the state of the art in studies that assess torsional retrofit of reinforced concrete (RC) multi-cell box girders with carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) strips. The torsional behavior of non-damaged and pre-damaged RC multi-cell box girder specimens externally retrofitted by CFRP strips was investigated through a series of laboratory experiments. It was found that retrofitting the pre-damaged specimens with CFRP strips increased the ultimate torsional capacity by more than 50% as compared to the un-damaged specimens subjected to equivalent retrofitting. This indicated that the retrofit has been less effective for the girder specimen that did not develop distortion beforehand as a result of pre-loading. From
... Show MoreCombining different treatment strategies successively or simultaneously has become recommended to achieve high purification standards for the treated discharged water. The current work focused on combining electrocoagulation, ion-exchange, and ultrasonication treatment approaches for the simultaneous removal of copper, nickel, and zinc ions from water. The removal of the three studied ions was significantly enhanced by increasing the power density (4–10 mA/cm2) and NaCl salt concentration (0.5–1.5 g/L) at a natural solution pH. The simultaneous removal of these metal ions at 4 mA/cm2 and 1 g NaCl/L was highly improved by introducing 1 g/L of mordenite zeolite as an ion-exchanger. A remarkable removal of heavy metals was reported
... Show MoreThis study uses an environmentally friendly and low-cost synthesis method to manufacture zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) by using zinc sulfate. Eucalyptus leaf extract is an effective chelating and capping agent for synthesizing ZnO NPs. The structure, morphology, thermal behavior, chemical composition, and optical properties of ZnO nanoparticles were studied utilizing FT-IR, FE-SEM, EDAX, AFM, and Zeta potential analysis. The FE-SEM pictures confirmed that the ZnO NPs with a size range of (22-37) nm were crystalline and spherical. Two methods were used to prepare ZnO NPs. The first method involved calcining the resulting ZnO NPs, while the second method did not. The prepared ZnO NPs were used as adsorbents for removing acid black 210
... Show MoreThis article includes designed and synthesized for bent-shaped liquid crystal molecules starting from 5,5-diethylpyrimidine-2,4,6(1H,3H,5H)-trione and two moles of chloroacetylchloride in N, N-dimethyl formamide (DMF) and triethylamine (TEA) to product compound [I] ,then reacted the later compound with two moles of 4-hydroxybenzonitrile to yield nitrile compound [II]. Likewise, reaction 5,5-diethylpyrimidine-2,4,6(1H,3H,5H)-trione and two moles of ethylchloroacetate with fused sodium acetate in ethanol to create an ester compound [III], and then the later compound was reacted with two moles of hydrazine hydrate in ethanol to obtained hydrazide acid compound [IV]. After that, the compound [IV] reacted with two moles of ethyl acetoacetate in
... Show More