Construction projects are complicated in nature and require many considerations in contractor selection. One of the complicated interactions is that between performance with the project size, and contractor financial status, and size of projects contracted. At the prequalification stage, the financial requirements restrict the contractors to meet minimum limits in financial criteria such as net worth, working capital and annual turnover, etc. In construction projects, however, there are cases when contractors meet these requirements but show low performance in practice. The model used in the study predicts the performance by training of a neural network. The data used in the study are 72 of the most recent roadwork projects in Bahrain. The results are shown in terms of the sensitivity of changing one variable on the performance of all the 72 projects. These results can reflect on the methods currently used on contractors’ assessments in the tendering stage and support decision-makers in assessing contractors and selecting the best bidders.
The effect of using grinded rocks of (quartzite and porcelanite) as powder of (10 and 20) % replacement by weight of cement for self-compacting concrete slabs was investigated in this study. Five slabs with 15 concrete cubes were tested experimentally at 28 days to study the compressive strength, ultimate load, ultimate deflection, ductility, crack load and steel strain. The test results show that, the compressive strength improvement when replacement of local rock powder reached to (7.3, 4.22) % for (10 and 20) % quartzite powder and (11.3, 16.1) % for (10 and 20) % porcelanite powder, respectively compared to the reference specimen. The ultimate load percentage increase for slabs with (10 and 20) % rep
... Show MoreThis research estimates the effect of independent factors like filler (3%, 6%, 9%, 11% weight fraction), normal load (5N, 10N, 15N), and time sliding (5,7 , 9 minutes) on wear behavior of unsaturated polyester resin reinforced with jute fiber and waste eggshell and, rice husk powder composites by utilizing a statistical approach. The specimens polymeric composite prepared from resin unsaturated polyester filled with (4% weight fraction) jute fiber, and (3%, 6%, 9%, 11% weight fraction) eggshell, and rice husk by utilizing (hand lay-up) molding. Dry sliding wear experiments were carried utilizing a standard (pin on disc test setup) following a well designed empirical schedule that depends on Taguchi’s experimental design L9 (MINIT
... Show MoreThe importance of this research in studying the actor life existence on the stage through the performance art;where as all the literary theatrical dimensions didn't ignore the importance of the actor's performance.
So, it is shed a light on the nature of the scenery in the actor's performance and what its representations in the temporary directions ……..
The research set off from the imitation as a human instinct to the performance of the actor in post-modernity theater; so the researcher found that there is a question must be answered which is :Is the actor live a regression state in his theatrical performance ,or that the performance of the actor connect with collective conscience of human being which is repeated in certain
A cantilevered piezoelectric beam with a tip mass at its free end is a common energy harvester configuration. This paper introduces a new principle of designing such a harvester which increases the generated voltage without changing the natural frequency of the harvester: The attraction force between two permanent magnets is used to add stiffness to the system. This magnetic stiffening counters the effect of the tip mass on the natural frequency. Three setups incorporating piezoelectric bimorph cantilevers of the same type in different mechanical configurations are compared theoretically and experimentally to investigate the feasibility of this principle. Theoretical and experimental results show that magnetically stiffe
... Show MoreIn this study, industrial fiber and polymer mixtures were used for high-speed impact (ballistic) applications where the effects of polymer (epoxy), polymeric
mixture (epoxy + unsaturated polyester), synthetic rubber (polyurethane), Kevlar fiber, polyethylene fiber (ultra High molecular weight) and carbon fiber.
Four successive systems of samples were prepared. the first system component made of (epoxy and 2% graphene and 20 layer of fiber), then ballistic test was
applied, the sample was successful in the test from a distance of 7 m. or more than, by using a pistol personally Glock, Caliber of 9 * 19 mm. The second
system was consisting of (epoxy, 2% graphene, 36 layers of fiber and one layer of hard rubber), it was succeeded
Abstract
The research aims to study the role of e-government in enhancing institutional performance. The dimensions of e-government are: (support and commitment of senior management, technical structures, organization and human resources, knowledge and information, work procedures, attention to citizens' satisfaction, and client parties),while the dimensions of institutional performance are: (Service improvement, innovation, efficiency and effectiveness).
The research used electronic questionnaire as a main tool for data collection, The questionnaire included all the employees in the e-government project in Department of Government Coordinate and Citizen Affairs at the General Secretariat of the C
... Show MoreThis research aimed at studying the role of calculated knowledge an its efficiency in improving the performance especially most of the organizations are living within knowledge era which concentrate on new technology investment in different fields of modern live . Under the scientific trends towards the economy of calculated knowledge which depend basically on new computer program in order to utilize the knowledge to raise the level of work performance exploiting different resources in the best way that helps the organizations to achieve their objectives because the information technology and computer programs became a means of survival and indispensible instrument within the developed world which depend on prosperity . progress
... Show MoreMobile Ad hoc Networks (MANETs) is a wireless technology that plays an important role in several modern applications which include military, civil, health and real-time applications. Providing Quality of Service (QoS) for this application with network characterized by node mobility, infrastructure-less, limitation resource is a critical issue and takes greater attention. However, transport protocols effected influential on the performance of MANET application. This study provides an analysis and evaluation of the performance for TFRC, UDP and TCP transport protocols in MANET environment. In order to achieve high accuracy results, the three transport protocols are implemented and simulated with four different network topology which are 5, 10
... Show MoreArtificial roughness applied to a Solar Air Heater (SAH) absorber plate is a popular technique for increasing its total thermal efficiency (ηt−th). In this paper, the influence of geometrical parameters of V-down ribs attached below the corrugated absorbing plate of a SAH on the ηt−th was examined. The impacts of key roughness parameters, including relative pitch p/e (6–12), relative height e/D (0.019–0.043), angles of attack α (30–75°), and Re (1000–20,000), were examined under real weather conditions. The SAH ηt−th roughened by V-down ribs was predicted using an in-house developed conjugate heat-transfer numerical model. The maximum SAH ηt−th was shown to be 78.8% as predicted under the steady-state condition
... Show MoreAn experiment was carried out evaluate the performance of RAU combined equipment under three levels of practical speed, (V1) 4.06 km. h-1, (V2) 4.43 km. hr-1 and (V3) 5.76 km. hr-1, and three levels of depth with 10,20and 30 cm. It is denoted by D1, D2, D3 respectively. A split plot design was used within the RCBD design with three replications. The experiment results showed that the first practical speed 4.06 km.hr-1 achieved the lowest slippage percentage from 9.61%, lowest traction power 14.65hp, lowest soil penetration resistance to1.34 kg.cm-2, and the highest total operating