Civil and Sustainable Urban Engineering

Infiltration Control and Precipitation Management: Panacea for Soil Erosion, Erosion Wadis and Aggradation of Orogodo River in Agbor Metropolis

Augustine Anyiam Oputa — 2026-08-30

Globally, water is the most potent agent of soil erosion. Its potency at room temperature depends on the flow energy. Water induced soil erosion involve breakdown, and transport of broken-down soil aggregates from place of origin to where the displaced particles are deposited, thus stagnant water has very low erosive potentials. Currently, one of the major sources of colossal plagues in Agbor metropolis is soil degradation through soil erosion. Prominence of soil erosion in the metropolis is attributable to high infiltration density, severe rainfalls and long steep topography. This paper examines infiltrations, severe rainfall, topography and urbanization effects on soil erosion, and Orogodo River sustenance in Agbor metropolis. The metropolis mean annual precipitation (1787 mm) was estimated from Delta State annual rainfall data (2005‒2015). Curve number method and Pythagoras theorem apply to estimate the metropolis runoff volume and topography gradient. Newton’s laws of motion apply to estimate runoff acceleration, velocity, force, kinetic energy, and momentum. Volume of sediment deposits in Orogodo River for 28 years (1998−2026) was estimated using the rational method. Research findings reveal Agbor metropolis runoff potentials: flow volume, velocity, acceleration, kinetic energy, force, and momentum is [(779580863.3) m³, (2.5) m/s, (0.026) m/s², (2.43619E+12) J, (20269102449) N and (3.82964E+13) kgms^-1]. Outstanding runoff potentials and unethical waste management aggravate soil erosion, while debris transport downslope is fast sinking Orogodo River. Residents should establish samba and channel courtyard runoffs to it, adopt ethical waste management and provide drainage systems with concrete slab covers to prevent waste deposition into it.

Numerical Evaluation of Axial Capacity and Settlement of a Bored Pile Foundation for a Hospital Building Using Finite Element and AllPile Analyses

Rashiqa Mutia Zahratunisa RH — 2026-10-10

The performance of bored pile foundations for hospital buildings must satisfy both axial capacity and serviceability requirements, as excessive settlement may adversely affect structural and non-structural components, sensitive medical equipment, and overall building functionality. This study evaluated the axial bearing capacity and displacement response of a single bored pile at point P-86 of an Integrated Oncology Hospital Building project by comparing two numerical approaches, finite element method (FEM) analysis and AllPile Vertical Analysis, against field measurements obtained from a Pile Driving Analyzer (PDA) test. The investigated pile had a diameter of 0.80 m, an embedded length of 25 m, and a working load of 918 kN. Subsurface conditions were characterized using borehole BH-2 data, with groundwater encountered at approximately 10.5 m below ground level. The FEM analysis predicted an ultimate axial capacity of 985.98 tons and a displacement of 6.00 mm, whereas AllPile predicted an ultimate capacity of 1,365.21 tons, an allowable compressive capacity of 455.17 tons, and a settlement of 3.119 mm. In comparison, the PDA test indicated an ultimate capacity of 429 tons and a displacement of 7.60 mm. Relative to the PDA results, the FEM and AllPile ultimate capacities were higher by 129.83% and 218.23%, respectively, while the corresponding displacement differences were 21.05% and 58.96%. Thus, FEM provided predictions closer to the PDA results for both axial capacity and displacement, although a substantial discrepancy remained in the predicted ultimate capacity. The pile nevertheless satisfied the adopted working-load and serviceability requirements. These findings demonstrate that numerical predictions require site-specific calibration and validation against field measurements. Moreover, PDA-derived capacity should be interpreted as a dynamic field reference rather than as a direct substitute for conventional static pile load testing.

Comparison of the Performance of Structures With and Without Dilatation Joints at the East Java High Prosecutor's Office Building

Risky Surya Ardiansyah — 2026-09-19

The condition of a building with vertical irregularities can affect the structure’s response to seismic loads; therefore, a performance evaluation is required to ensure the structure’s safety. This study aims to compare the performance of existing buildings without expansion joints with that of structures incorporating expansion joints, and to determine the required expansion joint spacing based on the inter-storey deflection. The analysis was carried out using ETABS v17 with the pushover method based on the criteria set out in FEMA 356 and FEMA 440, whilst the inter-storey drift control was based on SNI 1726:2019. The results of the analysis show that all models comply with the inter-storey drift limits and fall within the ‘Safe’ category. The installation of expansion joints resulted in a reduction in deflection, particularly in Block B, with maximum deflection values of 5.5 mm in the X-direction and 1.7 mm in the Y-direction, compared with 35.9 mm in the X-direction and 10.8 mm in the Y-direction for the existing structure. Based on the performance evaluation, the majority of the models were classified at the Immediate Occupancy (IO) level, with the exception of Block A in the Y-direction, which, according to FEMA 440, was classified at the Life Safety (LS) level. The results of the critical deflection analysis indicate that a minimum expansion joint gap of 4.33 mm is required. Consequently, the installation of expansion joints can improve the control of lateral deformation whilst still ensuring an acceptable level of structural performance under seismic loads.

Imperative and Profound Regulatory Efficacy: Engineering Panacea for Flood Mitigation in Lower Niger Floodplain/Riverine Communities, South-South Nigeria

Augustine Anyiam Oputa — 2026-08-30

The Niger River and its flow channels constitute major cultural, drainage, and socioeconomic resources for riverine communities. However, widespread degradation of river valleys and floodplains in Nigeria has increased flood risks, particularly in the Lower Niger and Niger Delta. This study examined the causes, effects, trends, and control measures associated with flooding in Delta State floodplain communities. It analyzed rainfall patterns in the Niger River Basin, Niger River flow characteristics, population growth and urbanization trends in Nigeria from 1950 to 2023, and waste management practices. The findings revealed high annual rainfall across the Niger River Basin, with river flow and wet-season discharge strongly influenced by rainfall. Population growth, urbanization, infrastructure development, inadequate environmental conservation, and poor waste management have accelerated the degradation of river channels and floodplains. These conditions increase surface flow into adjacent low-lying areas, intensifying annual flooding. Flooding in Delta State was therefore attributed to the combined effects of intense rainfall, degraded river systems, and inadequate implementation and enforcement of environmental protection and urban planning policies. Effective flood mitigation requires restoration of the Niger River system, sustainable waste management, stronger enforcement of environmental regulations, improved administrative controls, and community-based behavioral management strategies.

A BIM-Informed Multi-Objective Work-Zone Scheduling Model for Improving Crew Continuity and Resource Stability in Multi-Story Building Projects

Sultan Alkarawi — 2026-10-10

Construction scheduling methods often lack effective integration of daily resource stability, work-zone sequencing, and specialist crew continuity, particularly in multi-story projects employing bottom-up floor sequencing. This study developed a BIM-informed multi-objective work-zone scheduling model to address these challenges. The model was applied to a five-story office building comprising 15 work zones and six repetitive activities, represented by 90 activity-zone records. The Non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm II (NSGA-II) was employed to minimize work-package duration, cumulative crew idle time, and daily resource variation while satisfying precedence, crew exclusivity, non-preemption, workforce, workspace, concurrency, and bottom-up progression constraints. Ten independent runs were performed with a population size of 100 over 200 generations. The selected solution (168, 380, 219) achieved a work-package duration of 168 working days, cumulative crew idle time of 380 days, and a resource variation value of 219, representing reductions of 58.4%, 78.9%, and 18.6%, respectively, compared with sequential execution. An exhaustive evaluation of all 7,776 feasible sequences reproduced the same two-vector Pareto front, confirming the complete set of non-dominated solutions within the modeled search space. Sensitivity analysis identified crew efficiency and allowable zone concurrency as the primary factors influencing scheduling performance. The proposed model offers a practical decision-support tool for construction planners to balance project duration, crew continuity, and resource stability while maintaining a feasible and operationally interpretable bottom-up construction sequence.

Evaluating the Outputs of the Tourism Village Program Through the 4A Tourism Development Components: Evidence from East Manggarai Regency, Indonesia

Waldenses Rojeri Babut — 2026-08-10

The tourism village program became a key strategy of the Indonesian government to stimulate local economic growth through community-based tourism; however, its implementation in lagging regions was rarely evaluated systematically. This study aimed to evaluate the outputs of the tourism village program in three villages of East Manggarai Regency—Colol, Golo Loni, and Compang Ndejing—based on the four components of tourism destination development (4A): attraction, accessibility, amenity, and ancillary. A mixed-methods approach within a formative evaluation framework was applied. Data were collected through field observations, in-depth interviews, documentation, and questionnaires involving 45 purposively selected informants. Twenty-three sub-variables were assessed against predetermined ordinal indicators (Good, Fair, and Poor) and summarized using percentage-distribution descriptive analysis. The findings showed that the overall program outputs remained suboptimal: only 15.9% of the assessments were categorized as Good, 39.1% as Fair, and 44.9% as Poor. The attraction component performed relatively well (66.7% Fair), whereas accessibility was the weakest (66.7% Poor; 0% Good), with the availability of public transportation and parking areas rated as Poor in all villages. The ancillary component revealed a marked institutional gap between villages, recording the highest proportion of Good ratings (33.3%) alongside a high proportion of Poor ratings (44.4%). These results highlighted that infrastructure improvement and institutional strengthening should be prioritized so that the existing attraction and accommodation potentials could function as operational tourism products in moderately developed rural destinations.