Refereed Journals

Contractors working with the Public sector encounter numerous challenges in financing projects in Ghana. The challenges which have persisted over the years are both financial and managerial. This paper seeks to ascertain the extent to which contractors’ challenges in acquiring funds to execute public sector projects have been solved.

The world is craving for sustainability and thus implementing various measures to achieve this laudable task. For sustainable development to be achieved there is the need for a balance between environmental, economic and social development. Therefore, the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the new Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) encompass all three.

Buildings represent significant investment of developers and, as such, it is important to ensure value for the capital injected into the construction of buildings. Unfortunately, due to neglect of proper construction practices, buildings are facing defects, and one of such defects is rising damp. This study sought to identify some of the construction practices contributing to rising damp in buildings and their effects and suggest some remedial measures for controlling and treatment of rising damps.

Calcined clay pozzolan, the major mineral admixture used in Ghana to partially substitute ordinary Portland cement has gained massive recognition in the local construction industry because of its technical advantages and affordability. The most prominent undesirable property associated with the use of calcined clay pozzolans is slow setting and strength development, especially at early ages. This paper presents a study of the effect of Na2SO4 on the mechanical properties of high volume pozzolan cements. The cements containing 30 wt. %, 40 wt. %, 50 wt. % and 60 wt. % calcined clay pozzolan was activated with 1%, 2%, 3% and 4% Na2SO4. Some physical properties such as Blaine index, specific gravity, water demand and setting times were determined. The chemical compositions of the blended cements were also analyzed. The effect of Na2SO4 on compressive strength of blended cements was determined after 2, 7, 28 and 180 days. Durability studies on activated blended cements in aggressive media were also conducted. Activation with a minimum of 2% Na2SO4 improved the 2 days compressive strength of cement containing 60% calcined clay pozzolan by 66.2% and caused it to behave as Class 32.5N cement, at 28 days. As Na2SO4 dosage increased, compressive strength also increased. The optimum Na2SO4 dosage was 2%. Activated blended cements resisted MgSO4 environment better than unactivated cements.