Refereed Journals

The global awareness and utilization of superplasticizers (SPs) in concrete have significantly contributed to developing resilient and sustainable infrastructure. Despite this, many developing nations face limited adoption of SPs in construction practices due to a lack of knowledge. This study provides a concise overview of concrete’s mechanical and durability properties, comparing formulations with and without superplasticizers. The focus is on compressive and flexural strengths, modulus of elasticity, water sorptivity, and chloride penetration. The results underscore the considerable improvement in both mechanical and durability properties when SPs are incorporated. The study recommends the widespread use of SPs, particularly in developing countries, to enhance the longevity of concrete structures

The recent rise in the size of the informal sector in developing economies, particularly in the Global South, is increasingly recognized as an obstacle to sustainable development. The sector remains the primary source of employment and serves as an engine of economic growth in developing countries. Despite their significant contribution, they also threaten the urban environment. The research uses major road transportation networks to investigate the impacts of informal economic activities on mobility and the environment in cities. A section of the National Highway Six (N6) Road in Oforikrom Municipality, Ghana, was used as a case study. The study findings suggest that informal economic activities along major transportation corridors lead to road accidents, traffic congestion, poor sanitation, and reduced aesthetic quality of the city centre. The analysis of variance shows that informal economic activities negatively impact traffic congestion, F (4, 19.15) = 7.57, P < .0001, η² = 1.48 and sanitation, F (4, 22.35) = 5.55, P = .003, η² = .06. 21.8% of reported accident cases involved informal economic actors. The study recommends policies geared towards cross-institutional partnership, strict law enforcement, and infrastructural renewal where provisions would be made for informal economic operations with the necessary safety measures. The Ministry of Sanitation and the Department of Urban Roads should come together to reach agreements with traders through formal regulations to control indiscriminate waste disposal along the highways. Further research and innovation are needed to integrate such infrastructures into the traditional transport modelling system.

Existing studies indicate that the construction sector is critical to the integration of sustainable public-works procurement towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals 12.7 (SDGs). However, significant impediments to effective and efficient compliance with sustainable public-works procurement exist. The focus of this study is to identify the specific barriers to compliance with Sustainable Public-works Procurement. Through a scientific literature review and questionnaire survey, seventeen (17) barriers were identified and analyzed using the Principal Component Analysis (PCA) variant of factor analysis to assess the significant barriers to sustainable public-works procurement. Four clusters of factors were concluded as critical barriers to compliance with sustainable public-works procurement at the tender evaluation stage. (1) sustainable adaptability cluster; (2) managerial challenges cluster; (3) knowledge incapacity cluster; and (4) legal, policy, and evaluation cluster. The study presents a basis for experts along with researchers to appreciate the barriers to compliance and the need to improve compliance with sustainable public-works procurement in Ghana. The study adds to the pool of knowledge and provides the first survey on the specific barriers that inhibit compliance with sustainable public works procurement at the tender evaluation stage in Ghana.

Ground vibrations produced by mine blasting negatively impact nearby structures. In Ghana, there have been allegations of blast induced ground vibrations resulting in building cracking in communities around mining pits. A pre-mining building condition survey was undertaken in selected mining communities in Ghana, a total number of 1904 buildings were surveyed in five mining areas. The results show majority of the building are not engineered and the thickness of the foundations are less than 450 mm. The age distribution of the building is between 1 and 100 years. Sandcrete blocks are the main wall cladding with a percentage of 60%, landcrete wall cladding are about 24%, cement rendered landcrete blocks are 11% and wood cladding are 5%. The commonest defects identified with structures includes the crocodile skin crack, surface cracks, horizontal cracks, vertical cracks, through cracks and diagonal cracks, and spalling-off of the mortar from the walls due to improper bonding. The study showed that, most of the structures are not designed to withstand the mine blast induced ground vibrations. It is recommended that blast designs should take into consideration the conditions of buildings within mine pit environs and comply strictly with blasting regulations to avert confrontations with local communities.

The dependence of groundwater quality on borehole depth is usually debatable in groundwater studies, especially in complex geological formations where aquifer characteristics vary spatially with depth. This study therefore seeks to investigate the relationship between borehole depth and groundwater quality across the granitoid aquifers within the Birimian Supergroup in the Ashanti Region. Physicochemical analysis records of groundwater quality data were collected from 23 boreholes of public and private institutions in the Ashanti Region of Ghana, and the parametric values of iron, fluoride, total hardness, pH, nitrate, and nitrite were used to study the groundwater quality-depth relationship. The results showed that the depth-to-groundwater quality indicated a marginal increase in water quality in the range of 30 to 50 m, which is mathematically represented by the low-value correlation coefficient (r² = 0.026). A relatively significant increase occurs in the depth range of 50 to 80 m, which is given by a correlation coefficient of r² = 0.298. The mean percent parameter compatibility was 74%, 82%, 89%, and 97% at 50, 60, 70, and 80 m depths, respectively. The variations in groundwater quality per depth ratio ranged from 1.48, 1.37, 1.27, and 1.21 for 50, 60, 70, and 80 m depth, respectively. The recommended minimum borehole depth for excellent groundwater quality is suggested with a compatibility per meter depth ratio of 1.37. This results in a range between 50 and 70 m as the most desirable drilling depth for excellent groundwater quality within the granitoids of the Birimian Supergroup of the Ashanti Region in Ghana.