Safety management implementation drivers for construction projects: a structural equation modelling approach.

The construction industry is one of the hazardous fields due to its exceptional environment. Therefore, this work aimed to assess the essential drivers needed for employing safety management in the Palestinian construction industry. The drivers for safety management were recognized from earlier literature, where the questionnaires were dispersed to professionals from construction projects. The exploratory factor analysis (EFA) technique was then performed to contextually adjust the identified drivers. The results showed that safety management drivers could be categorized into three constructs: management, awareness and policy. In addition, partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) was performed to generate the safety management driver's model. The results indicated that management drivers were vital drivers for adopting safety management. The study's findings would act as a reference for construction stakeholders to decrease danger and enhance the construction project's success via implementing safety management drivers.

Factors affecting the management of Riyadh's construction sector in the light of COVID-19.

Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, is significantly influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic. While countries have begun to ease restrictions and lockdowns, factors influencing the construction sector should be examined in light of COVID-19. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to identify and evaluate the factors that impact Riyadh's construction sector in the context of the COVID-19 outbreak. A systematic review of previous publications was conducted to develop a questionnaire to achieve the research goal, 67 valid copies of the questionnaire were received. The data were analyzed using reliability analysis and RII. Results factors were classified into four main groups (Managerial factors - Economic factors - Social and Cultural factors - Environmental Factors). The top factors affecting Riyadh's construction sector were Abandonment of talent and expertise by business owners during the pandemic period (Managerial group); Conflict in bidding prices by contractors due to the lack of projects offered due to the pandemic (Economic group); Customs, traditions and social relations in the areas in which the projects are implemented (Social and Cultural group); and The process of requesting raw materials, whether local or imported from abroad and its effects (Environmental group).

Numerical Investigation on Progressive Collapse Mitigation of Steel Beam-Column Joint Using Steel Plates.

This research employed extensive numerical analyses to locate the weak areas and determine the structural issues critical to preventing the spread of collapse. As a result, three specimens were tested using scaled models of strengthened and unstrengthened steel beam-column joint assemblies. The data were utilized to verify numerical models. One simple shear joint from the three experimental assemblies was used as the control specimen (unstrengthened joint). The second was a bolted steel beam-column joint utilized as a reference specimen to reflect the ideal beam-column joint generally employed in intermediate moment-resisting frames in seismic zones worldwide. Similar to the control, the third specimen (strengthened joint) had two side plates welded together to strengthen the connection site. Numerical finite element models were developed using ABAQUS (2020) software to extensively investigate the behavior of steel frame assemblies before and after upgrading. The FEM matrix comprised 17 specimens with varying parameters, including plate thickness, steel grade, a joint between the beam flange-strengthening plates, and a column that was either welded or not welded. The effectiveness of the strengthening techniques was established by comparing the mode of failure and load-displacement characteristics of the investigated specimens. The results indicate that the average increase in peak load due to a change in plate thickness for grades A36 and A572 is approximately 22% and 8%, respectively. Plates made of A572 steel increase peak load by 30%. All strengthened specimens attained catenary action, mitigating the possibility of progressive collapse.

Occupational health and safety practice in infrastructure projects.

Objectives. This research intends to investigate the responsibilities of the parties engaged in the implementation phase of the infrastructure projects in occupational health and safety, i.e., the consultant and contractor. Methods. A questionnaire was developed through the selection and modification of the responsibilities from the literature review. Results. The statistical analysis results show that the consultants and contractors both ranked the item 'The owner requires the contractor to implement the occupational safety standards within the bid' first in the owner responsibilities, having 0.67 relative importance index (RII). In the responsibilities of the consultant, the first ranked item was 'The consultant has a role in adopting occupational safety plans and contingency plans', having 0.66 RII. In the responsibilities of the contractor, the first ranked item was 'The contractor shall provide the insurance cover for all project crews', having 0.71 RII. In the responsibilities of the workers, the first ranked item was 'Workers know the handling of tools and equipment within the project', having 0.59 RII. Conclusion. Overall, there was general agreement between consultants and contractors to classify and arrange items because both face the same conditions and have the same working environment.

Assessment of seismic hazards in Yemen.

The seismic hazard analyses for Yemen have attracted the attention of researchers during the last two decades. However, the studies are limited and mainly use deterministic or approximate conventional probabilistic approaches. The conclusions drawn from these studies do not fit with current seismic design codes (International Building Code). This article presented the method and findings of a probabilistic seismic hazard assessment for Yemen in accordance with current seismic design building regulations. All the data sources, available nationally and internationally, were utilized in compiling earthquake database by covering the recent records and the seismic activity maps of the study region. The study area was regionalized to 11 seismotectonic area sources on the basis of the seismicity maps and available tectonic maps. On the analytical side, the earthquake recurrence analysis was evaluated for each source, and logic tree concept was used to model the seismic sources that may have significant effect on seismic hazard evaluation of Yemen as a combination of area and line sources. A probabilistic forecasting model was formulated, appropriate ground motion attenuation relationships were used, and seismic hazard contour maps were developed for the entire Yemen area. The maps present dense contours of peak ground accelerations and short and long period spectral accelerations for different return periods. The highest predicted seismic hazard is found in Dhamar City. This study provides basic and essential requirements that will be valuable in developing advanced seismic design criteria for Yemen.