Innovative Infrastructure Solutions 

About: Innovative Infrastructure Solutions is an academic journal published by Springer Science+Business Media. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): Compressive strength & Engineering. It has an ISSN identifier of 2364-4184. Over the lifetime, 1144 publications have been published receiving 5940 citations.

Emergency remote teaching during Coronavirus pandemic: the current trend and future directive at Middle East College Oman

Abstract: Due to COVID-19 outbreaks worldwide, the academic institutions have been enforced to entirely cancel face-to-face teaching including laboratories and other learning experiences as a mitigation step against the risk posed by the Coronavirus. Accordingly, various measures by the higher education providers have been initiated to implement social isolation strategies, and online teaching is followed with rapid curriculum transformation. The online delivery is more convenient, as it can provide vibrant and dynamic teaching and learning environment. However, due to time constraint, the curriculum transformation is anticipated to occur rapidly without sufficient preparation. Therefore, in this study, the concept of the emergency remote teaching (ERT) including its application and evaluation is thoroughly discussed. The application of the ERT in the Middle East College Oman has been considered as case study. This study draws on CIPP evaluation model to assess the effectiveness of the adopted model, and qualitative data were collected online taking random samples of students and educators. Besides, interview and questionnaire responses, experiences, beliefs, and challenges encountered by the educators and students on the emergency remote teaching were used and analyzed. In addition, students’ weekly attendance segregated with session modes, levels and module nature were considered to evaluate the students’ participation to the online classes. The collected information were analyzed, and based on the analysis outcomes, recommendations were forwarded to serve as an input for future strategies and policies and to improve the performance of teaching learning activities during similar circumstances.

Common structural and construction deficiencies of Nepalese buildings

Abstract: This paper outlines the common observed failure patterns in the buildings of Nepal after MW 7.8 Gorkha (Nepal) earthquake. Several types of damage patterns were observed for reinforced concrete buildings, as well as for unreinforced masonry and adobe houses during the reconnaissance survey performed immediately after the earthquake of 25 April 2015. Several field visits in the affected districts were conducted and associated failure/damage patterns have been identified and analyzed. This paper also covers damage patterns in non-engineered buildings, middle and high-rise buildings, commercial complexes, administrative buildings, schools and other critical facilities from Kathmandu valley as well as other affected districts. The construction and structural deficiencies are identified as the major causes of failure, however local soil amplification, foundation problems, liquefaction associated damages and local settlement related damages are also significantly observed during this earthquake and reported in the present paper. In the end, the lessons learned from the field survey are resumed in order to give some guidelines for future construction practices.

Study on concrete with rice husk ash

Abstract: Rice husk ash (RHA) possesses high pozzolanic activities and very suitable as partial replacement of cement in concrete. This paper presents a comparative study on use of RHA as partial replacement of cement in concrete specimens. Review of the researches on physical, mechanical and structural properties of concrete containing RHA as partial replacement of ordinary Portland cement was included in this paper. Simultaneously, concrete specimens were tested with different percentages of RHA as replacement of cement content and with different w/c ratio. Compressive strength, flexural strength, tensile strength and slump test were carried out to evaluate the appropriateness of using RHA in concrete. The replacement of cement by RHA in structural concrete represents a good alternative in as economical as strength consideration of concrete, even without any kind of processing and found environmental benefits related to the disposal of waste. Review of researches shows that RHA-used concrete can resist chloride penetration more than normal ordinary Portland cement concrete.

Estimation of rainfall thresholds for landslide occurrences in Kalimpong, India

Abstract: The Indian Himalayan locale has been essentially influenced by the increase in the frequency of landslide events. Out of 0.42 million km2 of India’s landmass prone to landslides, 42% falls in the North East Himalaya, especially Darjeeling and Sikkim. The harm due to landslides is massive, causing loss of life, property and agricultural land, thus initiating a dire need for formulating strategies to minimize its impact. There have been many attempts to establish rainfall thresholds on global, regional and local scales which compare analysis at various levels. Rainfall thresholds anticipate landslide occurrence and help in issuing a warning to civil authorities and the general population. However, empirical relations defining the relationship between landslide occurrences and rainfall events in Kalimpong remain unattended. In this paper, rainfall thresholds for landslide occurrence have been ascertained for Kalimpong area of Darjeeling Himalayas, in the Indian province of West Bengal. A threshold for landslide occurrences which describes intensity–duration threshold was estimated using the power law equation. The relationship for the study area is I = 3.52 D−0.41 (I is rainfall intensity (mm/h) and D is duration (h)). Results show that events with a rainfall intensity of 0.95 mm/h with a duration of 24 h have a high risk of slide initiation in this region. It also demonstrates that for 10- and 20-day antecedent rainfall, an intensity of 88.37 and 133.5 mm is required for landslide occurrence in this region. Such data would help in implementing early warning systems that focus on rainfall thresholds and forecasting rainfall measurements. Rainfall thresholds for landslide initiation in Kalimpong can be enhanced with more precipitation and landslide data as and when available.

Tall building foundations: design methods and applications

Abstract: This paper will review some of the challenges faced by designers of foundations for very tall buildings, primarily from a geotechnical viewpoint. Some characteristic features of such buildings will be reviewed and then the options for foundation systems will be discussed. A three-stage process of foundation design and verification will be described, and the importance of proper ground characterization and assessment of geotechnical parameters will be emphasised. The application of the foundation design principles will be illustrated via four projects, each of which has presented a different challenge to the designers: