Natural Aggregates at Makkah Governate, Western Saudi Arabia

 Natural coarse and fine aggregates which accumulated along six selected wadis in the region of Makkah were assessed both qualitatively and quantitatively. The six wadis were Numan, Al-Yamanyah, Al-Shamyah, Hwarah, Alaf and Faydah. More than 440 aggregate samples were collected and their physical, mechanical and chemical properties determined. Petrographic studies on the gravel samples were undertaken to characterise the aggregate types. The results were compared with ASTM and British Standard specifications. The aggregates were generally within the acceptable limits for use in concrete although there were the relatively high values of chloride, sulphate and total dissolved salts in the fine aggregates in Wadis Alaf, Hwarah and Faydah. Nine fine aggregate samples representing upstream, midstream and downstream deposits from these saline wadis were washed in distilled waters after which the aggregates were within the acceptable limits for structural concrete. There were indications of material which could cause alkali-silica in the coarse aggregate at Wadi Faydah. The study proved reserves of 12.5 million m³ of coarse aggregate and 23 million m³ of fine aggregate. Received: 27 May 1998 · Accepted: 18 February 1999     

Effects of microfissures on the engineering properties of the marble at Wadi Lisb,Saudi Arabia

The marble at Wadi Lisb was investigated in detail in order to assess its engineering properties and to examine the effect of the microfissures on these properties. The marble is white with some dark bands containing the microfissures and parallel to the regional foliation direction. The samples that are cut parallel to these dark bands have better physical and mechanical properties than those cut perpendicular to them. The general effect of the microfissures on Wadi Lisb marble is similar to their effect on Al Madrakah marble indicating a regional phenomenon. During the quarrying operation, it is recommended to take the direction of the microfissures in consideration and to correct for any deviation during the slapping process.     

Landscape architecture in Saudi Arabia

This article falls into four broad sections.

1. A background to the physical, political, social and cultural attributes of Saudi Arabia.
2. Problems encountered by designers, such as communications, contractors, plant and construction materials, irrigation water.
3. An attempt to establish some design principles, particularly pertinent to working in an arid Islamic environment.
4. Concludes with some recent projects carried out in the Kingdom, which follow some of these principles.

     

沙特南北铁路项目中高温环境下混凝土施工的质量控制

沙特阿拉伯王国大部分地区属热带沙漠气候,夏季炎热干燥,最高气温可达50℃以上,现浇混凝土因气温高、水分蒸发快易产生收缩裂缝。介绍沙特南北铁路在夏季高温条件下如何确保现浇混凝土施工质量的控制措施,通过有效控制原材料温度、设备温度及环境温度,达到延缓混凝土凝结时间、确保混凝土泵送和浇筑质量的目的。     

世界大理石建筑装饰奖(五) 全世界穆斯林的朝圣之地——沙特阿拉伯麦加清真寺的石材装修巡礼

石材是全世界各民族都十分钟爱的一种装修材料.它不受民族、文化、宗教、信仰、风俗的影响,有其广泛的应用面.只不过一些民族在颜色的使用上有所忌讳罢了.     

Air monitoring network program in Saudi Arabia

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has initiated a program to install air quality network stations throughout the country in order to measure concentration of the ambient air pollutants. The site selection of these stations is an important objective to be accomplished and must be done based on scientific and rational work. To accomplish this objective, a modified version of atmospheric transport and dispersion model, known as air resources laboratories - atmospheric transport and dispersion (ARLATAD) model, is used to evaluate long range transport and diffusion of air pollutants from major pollution causing sources such as refineries, open-air burning of associated gases of oil fields and major industries.Hourly meteorological data for a period of three years (from 1977 to 1979) on wind speed, wind direction, pressure, and temperature from 20 synoptic stations in Saudi Arabia is processed and used as model input. In addition to these, meteorological data from three upper air stations is also processed in order to determine base and top of critical inversion heights.Various pollution causing sources are identified within the study area. Air trajectories are drawn with sources as the origins of the trajectories and the dispersion characteristics is studied with distance and time. Based on long term meteorological records, the adversely affected zones are statistically identified for potential station sites.     

Designing sustainable landfill for Jeddah City, Saudi Arabia

 For the last 12 years the solid waste of Jeddah City has been placed in Wadi Nakhil, to the east of the city. This facility is now 80% full. No geotechnical site characterisation was undertaken prior to opening this municipal landfill site in 1982 and, being so close to the city, it now poses risks to the health of nearby residents as well as ecological dangers. The paper considers the requirements of a new site and discusses the most appropriate method of closing the existing site to ensure its long-term safety. Received: 28 August 1998 · Accepted: 30 August 1999     

Risks associated with trenching works in Saudi Arabia

Risks are present in every task we perform regardless of whether it is simple and straightforward or highly complex. Trenching excavations for public utilities involve difficult and dangerous conditions which can lead to injury and/or additional expense. The objectives of this paper are to explain the different types of potential risk that face contractors in carrying out trenching work in Saudi Arabia and to present the safety perception of contractors working in trenching excavation in Saudi Arabia. Data are gathered by surveying contractors involved with public utilities projects in Saudi Arabia. Finally, the paper discusses the safety measures that should be applied in trenching works.     

沙特扎瓦尔港码头堆场吹填区地基加固

介绍了强夯及振冲两种施工工艺在沙特扎瓦尔港码头堆场吹填区地基加固的处理效果及适用性,并对两种工艺从不同工程目的、经济适用性、功效等方面进行了比较     

Value engineering in public construction projects in Saudi Arabia

It was found that value engineering was in limited use since it has been introduced in 1981. The main reason for the lack of adoption being unfamiliarity with the concept among public sector organizations, as well as local architectural/engineering firms in the Kingdom.     

Assessing safety measures in residential buildings in Saudi Arabia

The incidence rate of fire in residential buildings in Saudi Arabia accounts for 69% of all building fires. A field assessment of current safety issues for residential buildings in Saudi Arabia is used to identify common safety deficiencies. The survey showed that most residents are ignorant many safety aspects in their homes. A safety audit checklist for assessing the effectiveness of safety measures in existing residential buildings is also presented. Based on these findings, a number of strategies for designers, local authorities, building owners and residents is suggested.     

HVAC system strategies for energy conservation in commercial buildings in Saudi Arabia

In recent years, there has been a dramatic increase in energy consumption in Saudi Arabia. The building sector being the largest consumer of electric energy represents a major potential contributor for reducing energy consumption. Due to their functional and operational characteristics, commercial buildings relatively consume more energy (per unit area) than other types of buildings. The heating, ventilating and air-conditioning system (HVAC) is one of the largest end-users of energy in these buildings, particularly in harsh climates. Energy efficient design and operation of HVAC systems in commercial buildings can offer major opportunities for reduced energy consumption and contribute to sustainable development. However, improper utilization of energy conservation measures can result in reduced environmental quality. This in turn exposes the occupants to thermal discomfort and health risks, and consequently diminishes the economic value of the facility. Therefore, a well assessed and balanced energy conservation strategy is required to achieve energy efficiency while maintaining desired level of thermal comfort. In this study, major design and operational parameters for different types of HVAC systems influencing energy consumption are investigated utilizing the Visual-DOE program. Results indicate that energy savings of up to 30% can be obtained while maintaining acceptable level of thermal comfort when HVAC systems are properly selected and operated.     

Safety management in the construction industry in Saudi Arabia

Safety programmes of sixteen construction companies in the Eastern Province were evaluated and it was found that larger firms had more formal safety training which resulted in higher standards of overall safety.     

Safety design practices in residential buildings in Saudi Arabia

A survey of current safety practices in the design of residential buildings in Saudi Arabia identified deficiencies in governance and design procedures. A systematic safety compliance checklist was developed to address these deficiencies incorporating existing local safety instructions and international safety codes and standards. Checklist use is intended to ensure compliance with minimal safety requirements in the design of residential buildings.     

沙特阿拉伯资助在希伯伦为巴勒斯坦人建立新的家园

沙特阿拉伯巴勒斯坦人民救助委员会近期表示，委员会将资助630万美元，用于在西岸城市希伯伦修建100所住房。     

Safety factors considered by industrial contractors in Saudi Arabia

This paper presents the results of a questionnaire survey, which was distributed among industrial contractors in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia, and formal interviews with the contractors’ officials responsible for construction safety. The intent of the survey was to gather data on those significant factors that influence the safety performance of industrial contractors. The sample survey consists of 28 companies that are involved with large volume of industrial construction activities in the Eastern Province. The paper identifies 20 main factors and 85 sub-factors and determines their level of importance based on the survey results and the analysis.     

Promoting public space governance in Jeddah,Saudi Arabia

Undermanagement of the considerable range of areas reserved for public spaces within modern residential areas in Jeddah has not only reduced socialization for inhabitants, but has become a public burden that continues to prove a drain on urban life. This, in turn, has stimulated the development of regulatory and organizational reforms. The reforms have inexorably drawn all departments and agencies involved in public space management into a new field of responsibility. As they came into operation, new actors appeared in the field of public space management. Although the aim of the reforms was to resolve inter-municipal regulatory conflicts and to place a renewed emphasis on local and private actions as alternative sources of managerial control, the new public space governance arrangements are riddled with tension as a result of the multiplicity of actors and the absence of a well-defined institutional framework; this in turn led to greater confusion about responsibilities. This article attempts to understand the complexities of the ongoing management of public spaces in Jeddah in the light of recent theories of governance, with the aim of developing a conceptual framework that may suggest innovatory approaches through which to address these complexities. Broadly speaking, the investigation – which is based on extensive documentary analysis, a qualitative survey and systematic field observation – notes that, in order to tackle management issues such as non-responsiveness, bureaucratic rigidity, the fragmentation of responsibilities and so on, it is imperative to give further consideration to the role of legislation within an appropriate institutional framework.     

Feasibility study of wind energy utilization in Saudi Arabia

The wind map of Saudi Arabia indicates that the Kingdom is characterized by the existence of two vast windy regions along the Arabian Gulf and the Red Sea coastal areas. The mean annual wind speed in these two windy regions exceeds 9 knots (16.7 kmph) and ranges from about 14 to 22 kmph and 16 to 19 kmph over the Arabian Gulf and Red Sea coastal areas, respectively. The main characteristic features of the wind field of these regions are presented.Four sample sites are selected for possible installation of both small and large wind energy conversion systems. These sites are: Yenbo and Al-Wajh on the Red Sea coast, Dhahran on the Arabian Gulf coast and Quaisumah in the north east of the Kingdom. The manufacturers pre-mass production unit capital costs ($/kW) are used to estimate the cost of electricity produced, in cents/kW h. The estimated costs of electricity produced by WEC systems of various rated powers when installed at the four sites are presented. A further reduction in the manufacturers unit capital cost is still required to enable wind energy to compete with other conventional energy sources. For oil-producing countries, it may be a few decades before wind energy can become cost-competitive with other energy sources.     

Professional architectural/engineering consultancy practices in Saudi Arabia

The local architectural engineering firm in Saudi Arabia is handling projects up to 175m SR a year on average. It will have been in practice 13 years, employing 91 people, most holding a B.Sc. degree. Practices are mainly selected by competitive bidding and paid under a fixed fee arrangement. The authors found that the public authorities are the major employers of local A/E design services.     

Public owners' satisfaction with consultancy practices in Saudi Arabia

Between 1970 and 1985 the public expenditure on three development plans in Saudi Arabia amounted to 1940 billion Saudi Riyals. This paper addresses the professional relationship between the public owners and the local architectural and engineering practices which has been measured in the form of overall satisfaction under a five-point scale ranging from excellent to poor, a second aspect identified satisfaction related to the design service and finally, a measure of satisfaction was gained from owners' response to their professional relationship with the practices.