ARID ZONE JOURNAL OF ENGINEERING, TECHNOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENT

Influence of Bamboo Fibre on Engineering Properties of Lateritic Soils as Highway Pavement Materials

T. Ako, K. Obed, P. Ndyabijuka, J Bainomugisha

Lateritic soils commonly used in road pavement construction often exhibit inadequate strength and excessive plasticity, leading to poor performance under traffic and environmental loads. The study investigated bamboo fibre's (BF) ability to stabilize lateritic soils. The natural lateritic soils used were classified as clayey gravel and A-2-6(0) according to Unified Soil Classification System and AASHTO respectively. They were treated with 0 – 1.0 % (at 0.25% increment) of BF by dry weight of the soil. Liquid limit decreases with increase in fibre up to 0.5%, plastic limits decreased with increase in BF content but rises at 1%, while the plasticity index (PI) decreased with increased BF content up to 0.5% and increases at higher BF content. Maximum dry density increases with increased fibre contents to maximum of 2.207 g/cm3 and 2.092 g/cm3 at 0.75% for heavy and light compaction respectively and decreases with further fibre increment. Optimum moisture content decreased continually for all compaction efforts with higher fibre contents. Generally, soaked and unsoaked CBR increases from 15-25% and 20 - 29% (from 0-0.75% fibre) and slightly decrease at 1.0%, while UCS of the treated soil increased from 1130 to 2000 KN/m2 at (0-0.50% fibre contents). The UCS CBR developed relationships were of the second order polynomial form with R² values of 0.89 and 0.97 for soaked and unsoaked conditions respectively. The statistical analysis (Fcal > Fcrit) confirmed significant effects of BF on soil properties. Overall, 0.75% BF provided optimal improvement and is recommended for use in sub-base layers of road pavements. Long-term durability and field performance were not evaluated; therefore, further in-situ validation is required.

A Systematic Review of Value Engineering Practices in Construction Projects in Tanzania

A. Kindole, M. I. Lingwanda, R. S. Tekka — Mon, 01 Dec 2025 10:55:40 +0000

Value engineering (VE) has become a vital component of construction management, improving project outcomes in terms of cost, time, quality, safety, environmental performance, stakeholder satisfaction and social value. This study systematically reviews VE practices to assess their applications, benefits, barriers, and future research directions, with emphasis on Tanzania’s construction industry. A structured search of Google Scholar and Semantic Scholar retrieved peer reviewed publications from 2005 to 2025, yielding about 70 sources, of which 32 highly relevant studies were analyzed in depth. The review shows that VE delivers quantitative benefits such as cost and time reduction, alongside qualitative gains including enhanced construction quality and better management through multidisciplinary teamwork. However, its adoption in Tanzania remains limited due to inadequate awareness, cost-driven procurement systems, and a shortage of trained VE professionals. This study further identifies critical success factors (CSFs) across VE phases, including effective project information preparation, cost-based comparison of design alternatives, systematic planning and implementation, and strong stakeholders support. It concludes by recommending the development of localized VE guidelines and increased awareness among clients and top management to enhance decision-making and promote wider VE adoption in Tanzania.

Optimization of Process Parameters on Fatigue and Compressive Strength of AL7075/Coconut Shell Ash Composite

A. V. Gambo, C. O. Njoku, Y. Bello — Mon, 01 Dec 2025 11:12:00 +0000

The study investigates the effect of coconut shell ash particulate (CSAp) on the fatigue and compressive strength of Aluminium (Al) 7075 metal matrix composite; and optimized by Taguchi Grey Relational Analysis (GRA). The composites were prepared by conventional double stir casting method with varying coconut shell ash content (5wt%, 10wt%, 15wt% and 20wt%). Five factors, four levels Taguchi experimental design were used to optimize the number of experiments. The factors considered were reinforcement fraction, processing temperature, stirring speed, stirring time and particle size of Al/CSAp reinforcement in the matrix. Taguchi L16 orthogonal array was employed in fabricating different samples of the composite. The significant effect of the experimental design parameters on the responses was investigated using analysis of Variance (ANOVA). The results for the fatigue strength of the Aluminium/CSAp composite showed that processing temperature with a contribution of 57.55% has the highest influence on the fatigue; followed by reinforcement fraction with 11.49%, particle size with 14.25%, stirring speed with 8.93%, and stirring time with 1.11% in addition, the ANOVA for compressive strength of the composite showed that stirring speed with a contribution of 70.38% has the highest influence on the compressive strength; followed by particle size, with 24.22%, processing temperature, with 0.55%, reinforcement fraction, with 0.11%, and stirring time, with 0.06%. The optimal combination for the Taguchi grey relational analysis was coconut shell ash particles at 10wt%, stirring speed at 600rpm, processing temperature at 850oC, stirring time at 120secs, and particle size at 25µm. Stirring speed and processing temperature were considered significant contributors to the change in grey relational grade (GRG) of the composite. Confirmatory experiments carried out using the optimal parameters (CSAp2SS4PT3ST2PS1) showed an improvement in the fatigue and compressive strength of the optimized composite of 36.4% and 30.7% over the initial settings.

Studies on Starch Characteristics of Flour Produced from Six Varieties of Musa SPP. Fruits Grown in Southwestern Nigeria

W. A. Adebayo, B. S. Ogunsina, I. Otemuyiwa, K. A. Taiwo — Mon, 01 Dec 2025 11:41:20 +0000

This research work investigated starch characteristics of flour produced from six varieties of Musa spp. fruits with the view of promoting its usage as base composition in food development and innovation. There is dearth of information on prediction of glycemic response of different varieties of Musa spp. flour in literatures. This research work therefore investigated glycemic responses of six Musa spp. flour using standard procedures. The descriptive and inferential statistical analysis of measured data was done using Turkey’s post test procedures of GraphPad Prism version 4.00 for Windows. The results showed that the carbohydrate, total starch, slowly digested starch (SDS) and resistant starch (RS) composition of the samples ranged from 90.32 to 93.93%; 473.97 to 488.30mg/g; 33.02 to 36.38% and 21.16 to 27.54, respectively. Furthermore, amylose, amylopectin and predicted glycemic index (pGI) were ranged from 25.10 to 29.02%; 70.93 to 74.90% and 51.11 to 53.31%, respectively. Thus, the results of this study showed that Musa spp. varieties affected glycemic responses of the flour. Therefore, it is concluded that all the six varieties of Musa spp. have low
glycemic index and appreciable levels of resistant starch. The data obtained will bridge the information gap for formulation and development of functional foods using Musa spp. flour as a baseline composition.

Numerical Analysis of a Seamless Mild Steel Pole for Low and Medium-Tension Power Transmission Line in Borno State Nigeria

M. Shuwa, U. Muktar, I Mu'azu, M. I. Ishaq, F. M. Kajiama — Mon, 01 Dec 2025 13:16:49 +0000

This work presents a computational method of evaluating structural performance of a seamless mild steel pipe material under various load conditions for supporting low and medium-tension power transmission lines. The low and medium tension power transmission line seamless mild steel (LMTPTL-SMS) pole material was specifically analyzed for reliability and resilience considering the environmental and operational conditions of Borno State, Nigeria. Borno State’s power infrastructure is subjected to significant challenges, one of which is stochastic wind loads due to harsh environmental factors. This threat has led to poles failure resulting in vandalism and power outages. To ensure the reliability and resilience of the power network, a robust pole structural design is critical. In this work a 9.7536m seamless mild steel pole material ASME SA-106 Grade B was selected based on availability and cost for analysis. COMSOL Multi-physics 5.2 numerical code was used to develop and analyze the behavior of the pole material based on predefined loading conditions and on the assumptions of Euler-Bernoulli’s beam-column theory. Using the code’s solid mechanics interface displacement and stress distribution response on the pole when subjected to static, dynamic and aerodynamic loads simultaneously were computed and analyzed at an excitation frequency of 110 GHz. The result shows a frequency response of the transfer function in terms of electric field norm of 3.7 ???? 10−79????????−1 under the predefined loading conditions, which was greater than 8.5 ???? 10−78????????−1 the response
established by the manufacturers of the mild steel pipe material. The maximum stress recorded was 8.82????107 ????/???? which is less than the 8????108 ????/???? yield strength of the selected pole material. It was observed that the displacement is from 0???? at the root to maximum value of 0.11???? at the top. The maximum displacement recorded was 0.39m. This value is 22% less than the determined critical displacement of the pole material, which was 0.50m... Thus, the displacement was within the elastic limit of the pole material based on the defined geometry and boundary condition. Furthermore, the F-Test statistical tool used to validate these results with an experimental one carried out shows that there is no significant difference between the two results. Therefore, the analysis established that the selected pole material was reliable under the predefined simultaneously applied extreme loads, thus, the LMTPTL-SMS pole will be suitable for use in Borno State, Nigeria, thus objective of the work was achieved.

Design of an Automated Poultry Scalding and De-Feathering Machine

A. John, D. Atadious, E. E. Abubakar — Mon, 01 Dec 2025 13:32:40 +0000

The automated poultry bird de-feathering machine is a machine which aids feather removal from birds, it helps to reduce manual labour and time spent in de-feathering process. To ensure good functionality, the boiler, scalding as well as the de-feathering compartments, were fabricated using stainless steel materials. The machine has a reservoir capacity to accommodate about 210 liters of water, a boiler compartment with 85-liter capacity. The machine uses a belt and pulley mechanism on the de-feathering compartment and a chain and sprocket mechanism on the scalding compartment. An electric motor with 3.0hp rating with 500mm and 80mm pulley on driver and driven pulley respectively were used on the de-feathering compartment, on the scalding compartment, a motor of 0.5hp with 102 teeth and 17 teeth on driver and driven sprocket were used respectively. The machine has a water pump of 1 hp which helps circulate water to the boiler, reservoir and de-feathering sprinkler hose with the help of pipes. Poultry chickens (old layer – Isa brown specie) were used to test the performance of the machine. The automated de-feathering machine has a maximum throughput capacity of 37g/s, an efficiency of 95.30%, and a de-feathering time of 32 seconds per cycle for a 10 birds capacity drum, and the processing of approximately 110 birds per hour can be achieved.

Analyzing the Spatial and Temporal Dynamics of Rainfall and Drought in The Vall River Basin, South Africa

I. R. Bodunrin, E. K. Onyari — Mon, 01 Dec 2025 13:47:35 +0000

Climate change continues to have devastating effects worldwide, particularly through drought, impacting billions of people. A recent study focused on the Vaal area in South Africa, a semi-arid region reliant on the Vaal River, a vital water resource. Researchers utilized the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) and Standardized Precipitation and Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) to assess rainfall variability, evapotranspiration, drought, and trends over four decades. The results show some characteristics of Rainfall Patterns; such as Peak precipitation occurs during the January to March summer months while Drought Years: 2016 was identified as a hydrologically driest year for the Vaal River based on SPI and SPEI analysis at 12- and 24-month scales. Similarly, Agricultural Drought: Years like 1983, 1999, 2016, and 2019 exhibited agricultural drought, particularly evident in SPEI/SPI -3 and SPEI/SPI -6, crucial for local irrigation and agricultural production. Furthermore, for Temporal Consistency: SPI and SPEI demonstrated increasing temporal consistency with longer timescales until 2019, except for SPEI/SPI-1 and SPEI/SPI-48, which did not accurately represent drought in the Vaal River basin. Interestingly, the study highlights the escalating impact of climate change-induced drought in the Vaal area and underscores the importance of SPEI in assessing drought severity. Therefore, as climate conditions worsen globally, such analyses are vital for informed decision-making and effective water resource management.

Spatial Assessment of Aquifer Vulnerability Using Dar Zarrouck Parameters in Idunmwowina, Edo State, Nigeria

K. Ojeaga, A. O. Ehinlaiye — Mon, 01 Dec 2025 15:55:21 +0000

Rapid urbanization and unregulated sand mining in many semi-urban areas of Edo State have heightened concerns about aquifer vulnerability and groundwater contamination. This study evaluated the spatial variability of aquifer vulnerability in Idunmwowina, Ovia North-East Local Government Area, Edo State, using Dar Zarrouk parameters derived from vertical electrical sounding (VES). Five VES were conducted with the Schlumberger configuration at a maximum current electrode spacing of AB/2 = 200 m. Data interpretation was carried out using the partial curve matching technique in Surfer software, while kriging interpolation was applied for spatial mapping. The geoelectric curves identified include KHK (40%),
HAA (20%), HAK (20%), and AAK (20 %), indicating predominantly semi-confined aquifers. The results of Dar Zarrouk parameters revealed hydraulic conductivity values ranging from 0.73–1.46 m/day, transmissivity between 2.72–7.67 m²/day, transverse resistance from 26,621–221,682 Ωm², and longitudinal conductance (S) values between 0.004–0.335 Ω⁻¹ (mean = 0.0752 Ω⁻¹). Additionally, the Spatial distribution maps showed higher transmissivity and hydraulic conductivity in the southwestern part of the study area, while longitudinal conductance values were generally low, suggesting weak aquifer protective capacity. Therefore, the results indicate that the aquifer system is vulnerable to contamination from
leachates generated by nearby dumpsites. It It highlights the need for effective land use management and sustainable waste disposal practices to safeguard groundwater resources in the area.

Analysis of the Properties of Spark Plasma Sintered Ti6al4v Matrix Composites Enhanced with Nitride Nanoparticles

J. O. Abe, O. M. Popoola, A. P. I. Popoola — Mon, 01 Dec 2025 16:05:41 +0000

Ti6Al4V alloy serves as an optimal lightweight structural material. However, its restricted hardness adversely impacts its abrasion resistance under high performance structural conditions, thereby hindering its extensive use in the aerospace industry. This study employed spark plasma sintering (SPS) to develop Ti6Al4V matrix composites reinforced with 1, 3, and 5 wt. % of three refractory nitride nanoparticles of h-BN, TiN, and AlN. The developed composites were analyzed for microstructure, phase composition, densification, microhardness, and potentiodynamic polarization using field-emission gun scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, the Archimedes' method, microindentation, and linear polarization investigations. The microstructure and phase analyses revealed marginal porosity and cracks, with no indications of detrimental intermetallic phases. It was observed that as reinforcement content increased, composite densities decreased from 98.4 to 97.4 %, 98.62 to 97.63 %, and 98.64 to 95.14
% for h-BN, TiN, AlN reinforcements, respectively. The microindentation test indicated that, relative to the unreinforced alloy (331.79 HV), hardness increased proportionally with reinforcement content. Interestingly, h-BN exhibits a range of 672.05 to 740.43 HV, TiN ranges from 427.18 to 491.06 HV, and AlN shows values from 441.25 to 504.68 HV. The composite with 3 wt. % AlN presented the best potentiodynamic polarization behaviour with a superior polarization resistance of 5246.2 Ω and a lowered corrosion rate of 0.14321 mm/year. Meanwhile, 5 wt. % AlN-reinforced composite showed the worst densification and potentiodynamic polarization behaviour with a relatively decreased polarization resistance of 219.13 Ω and a higher corrosion rate of 3.6935 mm/year. Additionally, among the developed composites, the 3 wt. % h-BN-reinforced composite exhibited optimal properties, showcasing a microhardness of 716.80 HV, a markedly improved polarisation resistance of 4011.2 Ω, and a considerably reduced corrosion rate of 0.21444 mm/year. Therefore, Improved mechanical and corrosion performance of Ti6Al4V matrix composites tends to reduce the weight of aerospace structures, improve fuel efficiency, and thereby enable the advancement of sustainable and benign aerospace technologies.

Effect of Moisture Content and Oil Palm Varieties on The Coefficient of Sliding Friction of Kernel and Shell on Fibre Material (Rug Canvas)

V. O. Adepoju, A. A. Aderinlewo, O. U. Dairo, O. R. Adetunji — Mon, 01 Dec 2025 16:16:01 +0000

The effect of moisture content of two varieties of palm kernel and shell on the coefficient of sliding friction of the two faces (face A and face B) of a fibre material was determined. Standard procedures were used to determine the moisture content for both kernel and shell of tenera and dura varieties. The results show that the moisture content of dura and tenera varieties were 17.4 and 18.2% which were individually adjusted to 9, 13 and 17% by adding 76.3, 39.8 and 3.3 g; and 82.3, 46.4 and 10.6 g distilled water respectively. The angle of repose apparatus was used to determine the coefficient of sliding friction of palm kernel and shell of dura and tenera varieties on the two faces of fibre material. It was observed that the average values of dura palm kernel and palm shell coefficient of sliding friction on the two faces of fibre material ranged from 0.458-0.777 for 9% moisture
content; 0.510-0.690 for 13% moisture content and 0.532-0.777 for 17% moisture content. Additionally, the average values of tenera kernel and shell
coefficient of sliding friction on the two faces of fibre material ranged from 0.546 - 0.864 for 9% moisture content; 0.506-0.953 for 13% moisture content; and 0.537-0.927 for 17% moisture content. Therefore, we observed that the moisture content of either dura palm kernel or dura palm shell had significant effect (p<0.05) on the coefficient of sliding friction on face A and face B of the fibre while the moisture content of either tenera palm kernel or tenera palm shell had insignificant effect (p>0.05) on the coefficient of sliding friction on face A and face B of the fibre. The coefficient of sliding friction on fibre was affected by the moisture content of dura variety but not of that tenera variety.

An Enhanced Aquila Optimizer-Based Distributed Generation Framework for Harmonic Mitigation

I. M. Adeyinka, I. Abubakar, N. B. Kadandani, M. M. Sa'ad — Mon, 01 Dec 2025 16:26:22 +0000

This research work presents an improved Aquila optimizer-based distributed generation system for solving power quality problems. This is particularly important for mitigating the harmonics presence in a radial distribution system (RDS). The radial distribution network (RDN) was modeled in the presence of the nonlinear load (NLLD) and nonlinear distributed generation (NLDG). RDN provides a simple, cost-effective structure with a single power source that can be analyzed with a simplified forward/backward sweep load flow algorithm, making it easier to determine the optimal size and location of active power filters to mitigate harmonics and improve voltage quality. An improved Aquila optimization algorithm
was then used to optimally size and place active power filters (APFs) in the adaptive RDN to control the harmonics, ensuring that the harmonics present in the system do not exceed IEEE-519 of 1992 standard limits. The results obtained from the developed scheme were presented and compared with the results obtained when Adaptive Grey Wolf Optimizer (AGWO) and Aquila Algorithm (AO) were used. THD and fitness function were used as the performance metrics. All simulations were carried out in the MATLAB/Simulink environment R2022b. The THD values obtained during various periods of the day were presented and it was observed that high distortions were recorded between hours 11 to 13, with the
highest distortion occurring at hour 12. To further analyze the efficacy of the developed approach after placement of the APF in the IEEE 69-bus network, the result of the THD obtained when the improved Aquila algorithm was used for the placement of the APFs were presented. It was observed that the THD values obtained for the entire 69-bus network were well within the IEEE standard limit. Further, the results obtained from the developed scheme were compared with those obtained when AGWO and AO were used for harmonic mitigation in the distribution system. It was observed that the THD values obtained by the developed scheme outperformed those obtained from the AGWO technique by 5.96%, 4.71%, 3.47%, 32.79%, 3.62%, 11.68%, and 30.25%, respectively, for the bus numbers that have higher distortion values, while it also outperformed the Aquila algorithm by 3.07%, 2.41%, 1.88%, 31.97%, 1.84%, 16.88%, and 25.98%, respectively. The developed approach provides a practical and computationally efficient solution for harmonic mitigation and can be extended to larger and more complex power systems for improved grid performance.

Machine Learning Framework for Predictive Maintenance of Distribution Transformers in Resource-Constrained Power Systems

D. J. Koffa, S. O. Oyakhilome — Mon, 01 Dec 2025 16:34:33 +0000

Aging power infrastructure in developing nations faces challenges from increasing demand, renewable integration, and limited replacement capital. Nigeria's grid exemplifies these constraints, with 70% of transformers exceeding design lifetime and 15% annual failure rates causing substantial losses. Traditional time-based maintenance proves unsustainable, while existing predictive frameworks require unaffordable infrastructure. This study developed a lightweight machine learning framework for transformer failure prediction using standard Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition data. Four algorithms- Random Forest, Gradient Boosting, Support Vector Machine, and Long Short-Term Memory networks were compared using 60 months of data from 1247 transformers. Physics-informed feature engineering extracted degradation patterns from voltage, current, temperature, and load measurements. Random Forest achieved optimal performance with 94.7% accuracy, 92.3% precision, and 91.8% recall for 30 to 90 day predictions, representing 62% improvement over threshold methods. The framework identified 87% of critical failures while reducing false alarms by 64%. Economic analysis demonstrates a 260%t return on investment, an 8.3-month payback, and 8.5 billion-naira annual savings. This research proves sophisticated predictive maintenance achieved excellent results in resource-constrained environments without massive investment, offering replicable solutions for developing utilities.

Recent Trends in the Optimal Renewable Power Dispatch Frameworks in Renewable Energy-Reliant Power Systems

Z. Oba-Sulaiman, S. O. Adetona, A. S. Alayande, A. Balogun — Mon, 01 Dec 2025 16:44:31 +0000

This study presents a comprehensive survey of Optimal Renewable Power Dispatch (ORPD) frameworks in grid-rich renewables. The work employs comparative, and trend approaches to analyze optimization methods for ORPD of 61 relevant studies published from 2018 to 2024 by making use seven parameters emerged from the overall studies include voltage stability, carbon footprint, active power, reactive power, power loss, congestion, and energy storage. The results were tabulated using bibliometric tables, trend analysis, charts, and figures. The results show that previous research mainly emphasized minimizing economic cost through active power and loss optimization. However, voltage stability and congestion constraints were rarely integrated into the optimization framework simultaneously. Despite this, most studies remain focused on tackling these issues individually, where voltage stability is usually treated as a minor constraint, loss minimization is framed as a separate objective, and congestion management is approached through standalone mechanisms. While some integrated frameworks exist, they often address a limited scope of objectives, resulting in omissions in the development of comprehensive models. To close this significant research gap, there is need for the development of robust, multi-objective, and computationally efficient frameworks that holistically address these intertwined issues. The findings will
therefore have academic, technical, and practical relevance, offering both theoretical contributions and actionable solutions for future power system planning and operation.

Development of an Automatic Door Access Control System Using Fingerprint and Passcode Verification Technology

D. C. Uguru-Okorie, A. A. Aribisala, A. M. Adebimpe, O. O. Fagbohun, K. Ojaomo — Thu, 04 Dec 2025 13:24:32 +0000

Access control systems are essential in modern security architecture, yet traditional methods such as mechanical locks and single-factor authentication remain vulnerable to duplication, spoofing, and environmental limitations. To address these challenges, this paper presents the development of an automatic door access control system that integrates fingerprint biometrics with passcode verification on an Arduino platform. The major contribution of this work lies in its dual-factor authentication design, which enhances security while maintaining affordability, scalability, and ease of use. The system was implemented using an AS606 fingerprint sensor for biometric enrollment and verification, complemented by a
keypad for passcode input and an intruder alarm for intrusion response. Experimental results demonstrated that the fingerprint scanner reliably captured and matched minutiae with confidence scores ranging from 0 to 255, and that thumbprints provided higher accuracy rates than index fingers, with a maximum accuracy of 70%. The integration of a secondary passcode layer and an intruder alarm further improved the robustness of the system compared to existing single mode solutions. Future work will explore the integration of additional biometric modalities and IoT-based monitoring to expand functionality. Overall, this study demonstrates that dual-factor authentication on an open-source platform offers a
practical, secure, and cost-effective solution for modern access control.