RESUMO
This research endeavors to examine the intricate relationship between human resource management and communication management in Iraqi construction projects, exploring their impact on project productivity. Beyond its primary objectives, the study aims to identify key challenges and limitations in implementing effective communication and human resource management practices in the Iraqi construction sector. Understanding these challenges provides valuable insights for practitioners and policymakers, informing strategies to overcome obstacles and enhance project productivity. The research methodology involves an initial survey using a main questionnaire, focusing on three key areas: internet communication in human resource management, the influence of internet quality on construction project management, and factors affecting work productivity. The sample size, determined using Morgan's Table, requires a minimum of 248 participants. The questionnaire is distributed to engineers, managers, and technicians, with the number of respondents meeting the required sample size. Data analysis utilizes the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), conducting Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) for each variable to identify underlying factors. A first-order confirmatory factor analysis is performed using the Analysis of Moment Structures (AMOS) program, creating a structural model incorporating three variables and their associated factors. Out of the initial 64 factors, 21 are included in the final model, refined based on modification indices (M.I) output to improve fit. Results indicate a significant positive effect (0.92) of internet communication quality on labor productivity, while the impact of labor resource management is relatively negligible (-0.07). The size effect of variables on human resource management is 0.05, suggesting a small but non-zero effect. Overall, the findings underscore the importance of internet communication quality in enhancing labor productivity in construction projects and emphasize the need for effective human resource management practices in the industry. This study contributes valuable insights for project managers and practitioners in construction sector.
RESUMO
Graphene oxide (GO) is a promising candidate for reinforcing cement composites due to its prominent mechanical properties and good dispersibility in water. However, the severe agglomeration of GO nanosheets in the Ca2+ ion loaded environment of a freshly mixed cement composite is the main obstacle against the mentioned goal. Recent studies, based on the SEM images, have shown that the incorporation of pozzolans can ameliorate the GO agglomeration in cement matrix. Considering the fact that, for identifying the GO dispersion in cement matrix, SEM characterization is not preferred due to the hydrated cement matrix complexity and presence of small dosages of GO, this research has investigated the potential of Metakaolin (MK) as a highly reactive pozzolan against GO agglomeration in the non-hydrated environment of simulated cement pore solution (SCPS) for different MK/GO weight ratios. Additionally, the interaction between MK and GO in water is evaluated through different characterization methods. Visual investigation and UV-vis spectroscopy revealed that there should be a probable interaction between MK particles and GO nanosheets in water which was interpreted by Lewis acid-base interaction and further examined by FTIR spectroscopy. Moreover, the zeta potential measurements indicated that the increase in MK/GO weight ratio could lead to higher adsorption of GO on the surface of MK particles which was confirmed by the particle size analysis. Almost all of the conducted experiments on the MK-GO hybrid in simulated cement pore solution showed that different dosages of MK particles were incapable of preventing GO agglomeration; thus, despite the proposed mechanisms in previous studies, MK cannot effectively restrict the unfavorable effects of Ca2+ ions on GO dispersion in SCPS and analogously in the hydrating cement matrix.
