INFLUENCE OF LOW-COST BUILDING MATERIALS ON HOUSING PROJECT IN REDUCTION OF HOUSING DEFICIT IN NAIROBI CITY COUNTY, KENYA

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 23-37
Author(s):  
Kamau Maina ◽  
Dr. Samson Nyang’au Paul
Keyword(s):  
Transformational Leadership ◽  
Real Estate ◽  
Building Materials ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
New Technology ◽  
Labour Productivity ◽  
Reliability And Validity ◽  
Value Theory ◽  
Modern Technology ◽  
Primary Data

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to explore the influence of low cost building materials on reduction of housing deficit in Nairobi County, Kenya.Methodology: The study adopted four theories: open innovations theory, the value theory, transformational leadership theory, and institutional theory. Methodologically, the study adopted a descriptive research design, while the population of this study was all the real estate firms registered by Kenya Property Developers Association (KPDA). Census technique was employed to collect data from all 69 real estate firms using questionnaires. Questionnaires were applied to collect primary data, where the researcher trained research assistants to aid the data collection procedure. A pilot-test was conducted as an approach to establishing both the reliability and validity assessments of the questionnaire. Statistical packages for social sciences (SPSS) was used to undertake both descriptive and inferential statistical computations.Results: The findings of the study established that the use of technology enhances the capability and capacity of construction firms to use an array of building materials. The study found that use of modern technology defined skilled labour because most organizations are leveraging technology as a basis of realizing competitive advantage. It also established that real estate firms utilize competent based human resource management firms to hire qualified personnel. In addition, it was evident that personality traits influenced adoption of new technology in the construction of low cost housing, whereas knowledge and attitudes, and skills were significantly attributed to adoption of new technology.Unique contribution to theory, practice and policy: In light of the research findings, the study recommends that organizations should leverage modern technology as a basis of realizing efficiency, effectiveness, and sustainability of projects. The study likewise recommends that organizations should build capacities to enhance labour productivity. In addition, the study recommends that organizations should adopt transformational leadership approaches as a basis of enhancing performance. The study recommends the need to revise the legal framework with a view to ensure that it reflects the changing needs of the project requirements.

scholarly journals CONSTRUCTION COST AND THE GROWTH IN SUPPLY OF REAL ESTATE HOUSING IN KENYA

2016 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 56
Author(s):  
Samuel Mungai Ngugi ◽  
Dr. Lucy Wamugo
Keyword(s):  
Real Estate ◽  
Interest Rates ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Building Materials ◽  
Construction Cost ◽  
Real Estate Market ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
High Interest Rate ◽  
The Real ◽  
The Real Estate

Purpose: The main purpose of this study was to establish the effects of construction cost on the growth in supply of real estate housing in Kenya. Methodology: The study adopted a descriptive research design. The target population was 78 registered real estate companies in Kenya. The sample size was therefore 39 registered real estate companies in Kenya. Primary data was collected through the administration of the questionnairesResults: The study found that finance cost, cost of building materials, cost of land and tax cost have a statistical and negative influence on the growth of supply of real estate housing. The study also concludes that increase in growth of real estate market despite the high interest rate could owe to the price inelastic demand for housing owing to economic disparity in the country. While low income earners, who are majority, are pushed away to less glossy and crowded homes where survival supersedes luxury, the upper middle income purchase of housing units is on the upward spiral.Unique contribution to theory, practice and policy: The study recommended that the government should lower interest expenses so as to encourage the increase in supply of affordable real estate housing. The bank should also lower their interest rates so that the real estate firms can be able to increase the supply of housing. The study also recommends that investors should consider investing in the real estate market despite the erratic interest rates.

scholarly journals Effect of Architectural Design Characteristics Affecting Design Simplicity on Affordability Improvement of Core Housing Schemes

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 26-34
Author(s):  
N.B.C.D. Okoye ◽  
I. Onyegiri ◽  
M. Okafor
Keyword(s):  
Architectural Design ◽  
Building Materials ◽  
Rank Order ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Housing Affordability ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
P Value ◽  
Design Strategies ◽  
Design Characteristics ◽  
Design Simplicity

Studies identify that architectural design characteristics affecting design simplicity enhance core housing affordability. Effect of this attribute for affordability improvement, crucial in establishing design strategies for affordable low-cost urban homes, is lacking. Study examined this effect in Anambra State of Nigeria, using mixed method approach (primary data sourced from personal interviews, and questionnaire on 242 sampled residents from a 540 population. Using Kruskal-Wallis test and Spearman’s Rank-Order correlation for analysis, all prototypes were found non-affordable, with p-value of 0.000 for significant variation for affordability. Significant relationship, strong and positive (p-value, 0.000; correlation coefficient 0.778), was established between architectural design characteristics affecting design simplicity and affordability. Recommendations for improving core housing affordability include: minimal floor area for initial unit (studio apartments for households earning below N161, 000 monthly, 1-bedroom and 2-bedroom prototypes for those earning between N161, 000 and N200, 000); simple geometric plans; and local building materials for roof covering.

FACTORS AFFECTING ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE THROUGH PARTICIPATION OF ZAKAT RECIPIENT IN DEVELOPING BUSINESS

2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 243-250
Author(s):  
Estiningsih ◽  
Sundari
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Economic Performance ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
High Reliability ◽  
Hypothesis Test ◽  
Reliability And Validity ◽  
Community Empowerment ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Empowerment Program

Community empowerment is a form of development which directly involves the community. In community empowerment program, the position of the community is as program consumer but as program producer instead. Community empowerment aims to achieve community independence and welfare. Zakat is a subsystem which can support community empowerment program. It’s consistent with the objective of zakat, which is material and spiritual wellbeing. To encourage the success of the program, there should be support from various parties, including companion and social capital supports.The purpose of the present study was determining the direct effects of companion and social capital on participant of zakat recipient and its impact of economic performance of zakat-receiving micro businessman. The present study used primary data by involving 72 zakat-receiving micro businesspeople (mustahik businesspeople) in Wonosari Sub-district, Gunung Kidul Regency, Special Region of Yogyakarta. The research instrument was questionnaire with likert-5 scale which has high reliability and validity based on Cronbah Alpha and Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin values. The empirical model was analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM).The result of hypothesis test shows that companion and social capital affected the participation of zakat recipient, and the participation of zakat recipient affected the economic performance of zakat-receiving micro businessman.

scholarly journals Towards a Glass New World: The Role of Ion-Exchange in Modern Technology

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 4610
Author(s):  
Simone Berneschi ◽  
Giancarlo C. Righini ◽  
Stefano Pelli
Keyword(s):  
Ion Exchange ◽  
Communication Networks ◽  
High Speed ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Modern Technology ◽  
Historical Background ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Happy Marriage

Glasses, in their different forms and compositions, have special properties that are not found in other materials. The combination of transparency and hardness at room temperature, combined with a suitable mechanical strength and excellent chemical durability, makes this material indispensable for many applications in different technological fields (as, for instance, the optical fibres which constitute the physical carrier for high-speed communication networks as well as the transducer for a wide range of high-performance sensors). For its part, ion-exchange from molten salts is a well-established, low-cost technology capable of modifying the chemical-physical properties of glass. The synergy between ion-exchange and glass has always been a happy marriage, from its ancient historical background for the realisation of wonderful artefacts, to the discovery of novel and fascinating solutions for modern technology (e.g., integrated optics). Getting inspiration from some hot topics related to the application context of this technique, the goal of this critical review is to show how ion-exchange in glass, far from being an obsolete process, can still have an important impact in everyday life, both at a merely commercial level as well as at that of frontier research.

Predicting Change Prone Classes in Open Source Software

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 1-23 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deepa Godara ◽  
Amit Choudhary ◽  
Rakesh Kumar Singh
Keyword(s):  
Prediction Model ◽  
Open Source ◽  
Open Source Software ◽  
Prediction Models ◽  
New Technology ◽  
Modern Technology ◽  
Time Frequency ◽  
Rigorous Testing ◽  
Technology Changes ◽  
Sensitivity Specificity

In today's world, the heart of modern technology is software. In order to compete with pace of new technology, changes in software are inevitable. This article aims at the association between changes and object-oriented metrics using different versions of open source software. Change prediction models can detect the probability of change in a class earlier in the software life cycle which would result in better effort allocation, more rigorous testing and easier maintenance of any software. Earlier, researchers have used various techniques such as statistical methods for the prediction of change-prone classes. In this article, some new metrics such as execution time, frequency, run time information, popularity and class dependency are proposed which can help in prediction of change prone classes. For evaluating the performance of the prediction model, the authors used Sensitivity, Specificity, and ROC Curve. Higher values of AUC indicate the prediction model gives significant accurate results. The proposed metrics contribute to the accurate prediction of change-prone classes.

The Forties and Brimmond Fields, Blocks 21/10, 22/6a, UK North Sea

2003 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 557-561 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Carter ◽  
J. Heale
Keyword(s):  
North Sea ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
New Technology ◽  
Horizontal Wells ◽  
Oil Price ◽  
3D Seismic ◽  
Rotary Drilling ◽  
Geological Society ◽  
Recoverable Reserves ◽  
Infill Drilling

AbstractThis paper updates the earlier account of the Forties Field detailed in Geological Society Memoir 14 (Wills 1991), and gives a brief description of the Brimmond Field, a small Eocene accumulation overlying Forties (Fig. 1).The Forties Field is located 180 km ENE of Aberdeen. It was discovered in 1970 by well 21/10-1 which encountered 119 m of oil bearing Paleocene sands at a depth of 2131 m sub-sea. A five well appraisal programme confirmed the presence of a major discovery including an extension into Block 22/6 to the southeast. Oil-in-place was estimated to be 4600 MMSTB with recoverable reserves of 1800 MM STB. The field was brought onto production in September 1975. Plateau production of 500 MBOD was reached in 1978, declining from 1981 to 77 MBOD in 1999.In September 1992 a programme of infill drilling commenced, which continues today. The earlier infill targets were identified using 3D seismic acquired in 1988. Acquisition of a further 3D survey in 1996 has allowed the infill drilling programme to continue with new seismic imaging of lithology, fluids and saturation changes. The performance of the 1997 drilling showed that high step-out and new technology wells, including multi-lateral and horizontal wells, did not deliver significantly better targets than drilling in previous years.In line with smaller targets, and in the current oil price environment, low cost technology is being developed through the 1999 drilling programme. Through Tubing Rotary Drilling (TTRD) is currently seen as the most promising way of achieving a step

Perceptions of an ageing agricultural workforce and farmers’ productivity strategies: Evidence from Prachinburi Province, Thailand

2021 ◽  
pp. 003072702110250
Author(s):  
Sylvia Szabo ◽  
Chidchanok Apipoonanon ◽  
Malay Pramanik ◽  
Kevin Leeson ◽  
Devendra Raj Singh
Keyword(s):  
Agricultural Sector ◽  
Labour Force ◽  
New Technology ◽  
Negative Influence ◽  
Farm Size ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Intergenerational Support ◽  
Ageing Workforce ◽  
The Family ◽  
The Government

Thailand’s agriculture is facing an ageing workforce, which could negatively influence agricultural production. Yet, there is still limited evidence regarding the perception of the ageing agricultural labour force in the country and a lack of insights into farmers’ strategies to improve agricultural output. To fill this gap, we analysed primary data from questionnaire-based surveys of 365 households in Prachinburi Province, Thailand. The results show that household poverty, farm experience, retirement, health concerns, and farm accidents are positively associated with the farmers’ perception on the ageing workforce, whereas education level, having an ageing farmer in the family, farm size, mentoring and access to new technology have a negative influence on the perception of the ageing workforce. Given the anticipated implications of the population ageing in Thailand, the government should consider establishing policy options to encourage younger entrants into the agricultural sector and prioritising policies related to intergenerational support.

People-centred management for improving construction workers' productivity in Zimbabwe

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 350-368
Author(s):  
Tirivavi Moyo ◽  
Gerrit Crafford ◽  
Fidelis Emuze
Keyword(s):  
Labour Productivity ◽  
Construction Workers ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Related Factors ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Construction Companies ◽  
The People ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
High Concern ◽  
The Impact

PurposeWhile operational factors reduce construction workers' productivity in Zimbabwe, the impact of the people-centred management aspects has not been empirically interrogated as a remedy. This article reports on a study that sought to determine significant people-centred management aspects that lead to improved labour productivity and assesses the existence of statistically significant differences due to the demographic variables of respondents. Demographic-specific strategies that enhance construction “workers” productivity were revealed.Design/methodology/approachThe survey research design using a self-administered questionnaire was deployed to collect the primary data. The design followed a positivist paradigm to evaluate objectively how people-centred management affects construction workers' productivity. The statistical data were descriptively and inferentially analysed.FindingsPeople-centred management was determined to be significant in improving construction workers' productivity, with the most significant aspect being the building of employee confidence in related approaches. Designations and educational levels mostly indicated a statistically significant difference in several aspects that included the adoption of a functional reward culture for workers and training on people-centred principles. Training on-site management and construction workers in people-centred management and its application are crucial to improving construction workers' productivity.Research limitations/implicationsConstruction companies should drastically improve their concern for people while they sustain a high concern for production within their construction sites. Although several factors affect construction workers' productivity, this study determined that management-related factors and people-centred management were significant towards influencing low productivity in Zimbabwe.Originality/valueThe study determined people-centred management and demographic-specific interventions as being able to improve construction workers' productivity in Zimbabwe.

Interfacial interactions between urea formaldehyde and cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) of varying chemical composition and their impact on particle boards manufacture (PBs)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria C. Iglesias ◽  
Philip S. McMichael ◽  
Osei A. Asafu-Adjaye ◽  
Brian K. Via ◽  
Maria S. Peresin
Keyword(s):  
Chemical Composition ◽  
Building Materials ◽  
Colloidal Stability ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Urea Formaldehyde ◽  
Cellulose Nanofibrils ◽  
Global Market ◽  
Modulus Of Rupture ◽  
Superior Performance ◽  
Interfacial Interactions

Abstract Wood-based panels are commonly used as building materials for interior and exterior purposes. Their production and utilization have increased over the past decades due to the useful properties they present. Adhesive-bonded products make up to 80% of the wood alternatives on the global market, and of that, urea-formaldehyde (UF) makes up approximately 81% of the resins used. Formaldehyde-based resins are used due to their effectiveness and low cost, as well as their ease of application and lack of color. Nevertheless, their main disadvantages are the lack of tackiness and the emission of formaldehyde over time. To improve UF performance, the utilization of microfibrillated cellulose, has been demonstrated to be effective. However, more understanding on the mechanisms of the interactions is of relevant importance. In this work, we studied interfacial interactions between UF with bleached (BCNF) and unbleached (LCNF) cellulose nanofibrils using Quartz Crystal Microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D) technique observing the superior performance of lignin-containing CNF. Additionally, the surface free energies were investigated using Contact Angle Measurements (CA) showing a decrease of the values mainly when utilizing LCNF, which was later correlated with the wettability properties of the particle boards (PBs). PBs with different adhesive/CNF formulations were produced showing larger improvements when adding LCNF in terms of modulus of elasticity (MOE), modulus of rupture (MOR), and internal bonding (IB). To gain a better understanding on the interactions between CNF and UF, CNF was fully characterized in terms of morphology, chemical composition, charge density, as well as thermal and colloidal stability.

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