Grain Refinement of Casting Aluminum Alloys of the Al–Mg–Si System by Processing the Liquid Phase Using Nanosecond Electromagnetic Pulses

Russian Journal of Non-Ferrous Metals - In this paper, using the AA 511 alloy of the Al–Mg–Si system as an example, it is shown that the irradiation of aluminum melts with nanosecond...     

Production of Powdered α-Fe2O3 with Multilevel Gradient Porosity

Russian Journal of Non-Ferrous Metals - This article discusses methods for producing a material with gradient multilevel porosity by sintering layer-by-layer distributed α-Fe2O3 nanopowders...     

Developing a procurement path determination chart SEM-based approach

The choice of an appropriate procurement system is crucial to construction project success. Procurement selection is largely based on path determination charts, with at least eight key criteria needing to be weighted by decision-makers. Including certain criteria whilst ignoring client-borne transaction costs (TCs) resulting from environmental uncertainties simplifies this process. TCs are ‘unseen’ costs associated with pre- and post-contract work. The effects of uncertainties in the transaction environment and procurement systems on TCs are investigated, comparing the traditional and design-build procurement systems. A cross-sectional sample approach was deployed, involving survey questionnaire and results verification through ‘real-world’ cases. Data was sought from construction professionals in management, design and operation of construction projects. The research participants evaluate their time spent on procurement activities using a five-point Likert scale. Hypotheses of the relations between environmental uncertainties, procurement systems, and pre- and post-contract TCs are tested using a structural equation modelling (SEM) approach. The study found that TCs account for about 46.75% and 42.88% of the daily time spent by project managers in traditional and design-build procurement systems in New Zealand respectively. The study concludes that the TC concept is a useful framework for determining objective instead of subjective opinions for procurement decisions.     

Problems with the Moscow office

When the new Office Building for the United States Embassy in Moscow was in the final construction stage, visible defects caused work on the building to be suspended; a detailed structural analysis was then carried out by the NBS Center for Building Technology. Its report highlights the problems that can arise both with a structural design — such as guarding against buckling and progressive collapse — and with the detailed execution of that design.     

OPTIMAL MAINTENANCE SCHEDULING FOR WATER DISTRIBUTION SYSTEMS

The scheduling of maintenance for water distribution systems is a complex task encompassing a wide range of alternatives. The methodology presented in this paper can consider the major piping alternatives of replacing and cleaning, and relining. It also considers the potential of pumping improvements while accounting for the costs of maintenance, failure and operations for a multiple-period planning horizon. To solve the problem a nonlinear optimization model is linked with a network simulation model. The application showed that the procedure can determine solutions in reasonable times.     

Legislation and the motor car

Vehicle legislation for safety and emission control is led by the USA where half the world's cars and one‐third of the world's road deaths are found. The 1975/6 standards will cause confrontations between industry and government in the U.S.A. and have costly implications for the American people. The rest of the world is affected by what happens in the U.S.A. but for language and other reasons fragmented laws are normal with conflicting requirements for manufacturers who supply the many markets. The greatest force for harmonization of legislation may be the enlarged Common Market including, as it does, the four major European Car manufacturing countries. The Common Market Commission may displace WP 29 of the United Nations as the leading law‐making body. Type approval is the compliance system used in Europe, but the growth in scope of safety and other legislation is bringing into focus a weakness of the system which is reducing production efficiency to an alarming degree. American style self‐certification is not acceptable to European governments.     

Effect of dietary and synthetic chelating agents on the intestinal absorption of lead

The effect of a number of dietary and synthetic chelating agents on the intestinal absorption of lead has been examined using the everted sac preparation and the tracer isotope ²⁰³Pb. All the agents examined increased lead transport into the serosal compartment. An explanation of the way in which these agents modify the model to describe lead transport is proposed.     

Soil and water quality assessment along the Red Sea coast,Egypt

The paper reports an assessment of the soil and water in the coastal strip between Marsa Alam and Shalateen at the southern part of the Red Sea coast of Egypt. There is limited potential for agricultural development. There is a need for water re-use and some potential for tourism.     

Hydrocarbon stress response of four tropical plants in weathered crude oil contaminated soil in microcosms

Responses to hydrocarbon stress of four tropical plants Panicum maximum, Zea mays, Centrosema sp. and Pueraria sp. grown in crude oil contaminated soils (1%, 5% and 10% w/w) were evaluated in a green house. Plants’ percentage survival, shoot heights, biomass development, and phytotoxicity susceptibility were used as indicators of growth, stress response and hydrocarbon tolerance. Relative to control, shoot heights and biomass of plants reduced with increasing hydrocarbon concentration, but 1% w/w oil-in-soil, stimulated shoot heights (5.9% and 6.4%) and weights (21.9% and 2.3%) in P. maximum and Centrosema sp. respectively. P. maximum tolerated the contaminant stress with biomass yields of 113% and 57% of control respectively in 1% and 10% w/w oil-in-soil. All the plants had 100% survival in 1% w/w, but considerably reduced survival in 10% w/w oil-in-soil. These results show that P. maximum has great potential for phytoremediation of petroleum contaminated soil.