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Item Open Access Classification of soils on slopes of varying orientations in Umuahia area of Abia State, South Eastern Nigeria(Federal University of Technology, Owerri, 2018-10) Aliba, Vero O.Slope aspect affects soil properties. The study characterized and classified soils on slopes of varying orientations in Umudike (East-lying Topo sequence) and Itu (West-lying Topo sequence), both in Olokoro Umuahia, southeastern Nigeria. Transect soil sampling technique was employed in locating three distinct positions, namely summit, midslope and foot slope along each of the topo sequences at the East and West-lying orientations. A profile pit was dug at the most representative points of the topo sequences in each of the two locations and the soil profiles were described in situ, following the FAO guidelines. Soil samples were collected from each pedon based on the horizon differentiations and subjected to routine laboratory analyses. The soils were classified using the USDA Soil Taxonomy and correlated with the FAO World Reference Base. Data obtained were subjected to statistical analysis (coefficient of variability and correlation) using the Genstat computer package. Results showed that soils of the East-lying slope were edominantly sandy-clay loam at the summit but sandy clay at the mid and foot slopes, while in the West-lying slope, the texture was dominantly sandy-clay loam at both the summit and mid slope but prominently sandy loam at the foot slope. Soils of East-lying slope had very dark grayish brown (10YR3/2) moist to strong brown (7.5YR5/8)moist, dark brown (7.5R3/2) to strong brown (7.5YR5/8) moist, dark gray (5YR4/1) to reddish yellow(7.5R6/8) moist colours at the summit, mid slope and foot slope respectively, while that of the West-lying topo sequence varied from brown (7.5YR4/2) moist to yellowish colour (5YR5/6), very dark grey (7.5YR3/1) moist to yellowish red (5YR5/8),very dark grayish brown (10YR3/2) moist to reddish yellow (5YR6/6) moist colours at the summit, midslope and foot slope, respectively. The weathering intensity of the soils varied from moderate to high with silt-clay ratios ranging from 0.04-0.93, 0.04-1.26 and 0.04-0.66 at the summit, mid slope and foot slope respectively, in the East-lying topo sequence and from 0.04-070, 0.27-1.59 and 0.14-1.08 at the summit, mid slope and foot slope respectively, i n the West-lying topo sequence. Bulk densities of soils increased with depth with mean values of 1.36 gcm-3, 1.32 g cm-3, and 1.34 g cm-3 recorded at the summit, slope and foot slope respectively, in the East-lying topo sequence and 1.37 g cm-3 , 1.33 g cm 3 and 1.32 g cm-3 at the summit, mid slope and foot slope respectively, in the West lying topo sequence. High variation (CV>35%) was noted in Ksat in the profiles of the top sequence, with values of Ksat ranging from 0.3-1.11 cm hr-1, 0.19-1.96 cm hr-1and 0.15-1.47 cm hr-1 at the summit, midslope and foot slope, respectively in the West-lying topo sequence whereas in the xiast-lying topo sequence, the values ranged from 0.18-2 cm hr-1 , 0.11-1.97 cm hr-1and 0.12-1.48 hr-1 at the summit, mid slope and foot slope, respectively. Soil pH was very strongly acidic (4.58-4.78) in the East-lying topo sequence but varied from very strongly acidic to strongly acidic (4.52-5.30), in the west lying topo sequence. Organic matter concentration was generally higher at the epipedons and ranged from (26.44to 23.36) gkg-1 and (30.64to 18.9) gkg-1 in soils of the East-lying and West-lying slopes, respectively. Effective cation exchange capacity varied from (8.63- 13.79) cmolkg-1 in the East-lying topo sequence and (10.42- 16.31) cmolkg-1 in the West –lying topo sequence. Soils of East-lying topo sequence were classified as Grossarenic Paleudalfs, Typic Paleudalfs and Arenic Hapludalfs Typic (USDA) at the summit, midslope and footslope, respectively and correlated with Mollic Luvisols of the World Reference Base (WRB) whereas the soils of West-lying slope were classified as Arenic Glossudalfs, Typic Paleudalfs and Typic Ferrudalfs (USDA) at the summit, midslope and footslope, respectively which correlate to Haplic Albeluvisols of the WRB (FAO) legendItem Open Access Factors affecting quality assurance of road construction project delivery in South-Eastern Nigeria(Federal University of Technology, Owerri, 2023-02) Ajoku, Chidiebere Onu ChisomagaThis study focused on factors affecting quality assurance in road construction projects in South-eastern Nigeria. The objectives are to ascertain whether there is any significant deviation between actual quality of road construction projects and quality plan, to identify and analyze the collective and individual effects of the factors affecting of quality assurance in the construction of road projects, to determine the extent to which actual quality assurance of road construction projects correlate with economic development. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), Multiple Regression and Correlation analytical techniques were used to analyze the data collected from 223 respondents through questionnaire administration. The ANOVA result show that there is a significant deviation between the actual quality of road projects and quality plan. The multiple regression result show that political interference is the most significant factor that negatively affect quality assurance in delivery of road projects in Imo State. Contractors’ attitude towards quality standard and bad climatic conditions were not significant factors. However, the correlation analysis shows high level of association between road projects and economic development. Based on this, the study recommends positive political interference geared towards ensuring honesty and transparency in contract awards, proper funding of road projects and policy formulation that will criminalize poor quality performance of projects, especially road construction.Item Open Access Effect of project managers' leadership skills and styles of construction project performance(Federal University of Technology, Owerri, 2023-05) Ahaneku, ChiamakaThis study investigated effect of project managers’ leadership skills and styles on the performance of construction projects in Imo State. The objective was to identify and evaluate the leadership skills and styles that affected the performance of the construction projects in the state with a view to examining their level of significance so as to make a meaningful decision. Primary and secondary data were gathered for the study. Primary data was collected from stakeholders in the construction subsector through the use of a well-structured questionnaire while secondary data were collected from projects files, internet and the library. 225 copies of questionnaire were distributed, where 144 copies were returned and subsequently used for analysis. Regression analysis, Relative Importance Index and correlation analysis were carried out on the data. Upon the analysis, the study revealed that transformational leadership style had the most significant effect with a regression coefficient of 0.775 on the performance of those projects evaluated in our study. This was closely followed by participative leadership with regression coefficient of 0.735 and transactional leadership with regression coefficient of 0.654 respectively. Similarly, the revealed that problem solving skills, effective communication skills and professional expertise skills were all significant in affecting performance of construction projects evaluated in Imo State. In line with the findings from the study, it is concluded that there is a strong positive correlation between project managers’ leadership skills and styles and construction project performance in our study population. Drawing from the conclusion, the study recommends that stakeholders in the construction industry should as a matter of urgency ensure that effective project managers’ leadership skills and styles are adopted by project managers in order to achieve good project performance.Item Open Access Study on the use of indigenous plants parts for food preservation among farmers in Ivo LGA, Ebonyi State(Federal University of Technology, Owerri, 2023-07) Adiruo, Akunna StephanieThis research work focused on “Study on the use of indigenous plants’ parts for food preservation among farmers in Ivo LGA, Ebonyi State”. The study employed a cross sectional descriptive survey design. The sample size comprised three hundred and six (396) farmers selected through multi-stage sampling technique. The researcher’s structured questionnaire was the instrument used for data collection, data generated were analyzed using frequency, mean and standard deviation as well as inferential statistics of ANOVA at 0.05 level of significance at appropriate degree of freedom. Analysis of data was done with the SPSS version 23. The result revealed that majority were knowledgeable of the alternate preservation of food with indigenous plants, 65.1% positively perceived the use of indigenous plants for food preservation while 93.2% used indigenous plants for food preservation. Results also revealed that more than half of the respondents were knowledgeable that chilli pepper can be used to preserve dried form of rice (57.1%), beans (78.8%), maize (71.5%) and melon (57.3%) for more than 6 months duration. More than half of the respondents (66.3%) attested to bitter leaf efficacy in preserving some food items like fresh form of cassava for duration of 8 days to 1 month. The study also revealed that there was significant difference in utilization of the indigenous plants among sexes, different age groups, levels of education, years of farming experience, type of farming practiced and level of income. Based on the findings, the study recommended among others that these indigenous plants parts should be processed to obtain forms and products that will substitute the chemical preservatives in the market because most consumers would show higher preference for products preserved with natural products. Neglecting this can lead to a negative setback for the farmers and local people which could result in decreasing interest on the use of these natural food preservatives. Future research should focus on the promotion of indigenous plants so that they can know their importance in addressing food and nutrition security.Item Open Access Constituent budget and pollution models of Njaba River and its sediments, SouthEastern Nigeria(Federal University of Technology, Owerri, 2021-12) Abiahu, Chidimma Maria GorattiThe physical, microbial, and geochemical properties of the Njaba River and its sediments were analyzed using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (AAS), digital meters, and Total Plate Counts. A total of ten (10) surface water samples, five (5) soil samples, and five (5) sediment samples were obtained at five gauge stations (S1 to S5) designated at equal intervals of 2 km along the stretch of the river. The results of the water showed a slightly acidic to alkaline composition (6.44-6.77). This trend was also noticed in the soil samples within the river basin (6.24- 6.64) while the river sediment samples revealed pH values ranging between 6.30-6.52. The Odour of the water was unobjectionable while the appearance was slightly brownish. The presence of heavy metals such as Fe, Al, Si, and Zn was within the acceptable limits. On the other hand, the concentration of Hg which ranged between 0.001-0.071 mg/l and Pb with values between 0.060-0.23 mg/l were above acceptable limits of the FME Standard at most of the stations. The microbial assay of the water, soil, and sediments revealed the presence of organisms such as Ecoli bacteria, pseudomonas, fecal coliform, and fungi. The constituent budget of the Njaba River analyzed at Okwudor and Oguta over a period of eight years (2011 – 2019) and seven years (2012 – 2019) respectively revealed an increasing loading rate of the following constituents( Ca2+ 0.013, Mg2+ 0.70, Na+0.013, K+1.68, SO2-4 0.29, NO 3 0.15, Cl- 2.97, and PO-34 0.063 ) within the Njaba River with a decline in the concentration of HCO 3 (-0.63) at Okwudor and a decline of NO 3 (-0.03) at Oguta Lake. Pollution and ecological assessment models like Contamination Factor (CF), Pollution Load Index, Enrichment Factor, and Geoaccumulation Index(Igeo) were used to infer contamination levels of heavy metals in the soil and stream sediments. The CF results revealed Hg (0.46), Pb(2.35E-4 to 0.02), Al(ND), Zn (5.71E-4 to 1.2E-3)which shows low contamination factor in soil, the same trend was also found in the sediments with Hg (0.277), Pb (2.63E-6), Al (ND), Zn (3.64E-4 to 8.14E-4) and Fe(2.10E-6 to 2.63E-6) while the water samples have very high contamination factor for Pb (6.0 to 23), Hg revealed moderately contamination to very high contamination (0.1 to 7.1), Al (ND), Zn (0.192 to 0.403) and Fe (0.1 to 0.93). The I-geo revealed uncontaminated to moderately contaminated in the soil and stream sediment samples with Hg (0.28),>Pb( 1.57E-4 to 0.01),>Zn( 3.83E-4 to 8.04E-4), and Al(ND) for the soil samples while the stream sediments were in order of Hg (0.277),>Pb (1.15E-3 to 1.27E-3),>Zn (3.64E-4 to 8.14E-4) and Al (ND). The EF revealed low to minimal enrichment for the soil and stream sediment samples with Hg (0), Pb (0.303 to 1.000), Si ( 1.000 to 1.053), Zn (0.491 to 1.000) and Al (0) in soil and Hg (0), Pb (0.907 to 1.000), Si (1.000 to 1.282), Zn (0.051 to 0.114), Fe (0.800 to 1.000) and AL (ND) for stream sediments. The river water is however suitable for agricultural purposes based on the calculated SAR values with the dominant hydrogeochemical facies given as Na+K+Cl water type. In conclusion, there is a need for necessary treatment procedures which should be applied to raise the quality of the river water to the FME standards for safe drinking water for example the pH can be corrected (raised) using sodium bicarbonate (soda ash). The heavy metals can be treated using ascorbic or ion exchange methods while the microbial assay can be improved upon subjection to treatment using chlorine.Item Open Access Baseline backgroud radiation in offices within Federal University of Technology, Owerri(Federal University of Technology, Owerri, 2023-02) Abara, Chinaza ComfortThe background radiation of various offices in the various Departments in Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO) was assessed. The study area is located at N5°23.5615’ and E 6°59.175pp8’. The background radiation level was assessed using a well calibrated digital Geiger – Muller Counter GCA – 04W. The indoor background radiation of about five offices in each of the fifty Departments (also the center for energy and power systems research) in FUTO was measured. The average value of the measured background ionizing radiation (BIR) is 0.0052 µSv/h and standard deviation of 0.0035 µSv/h which is much lower than the world average of 0.274 µSv/h. The highest value obtained was observed in the Department of Food Science and Technology as 0.0873±0.0432µSv/h, while the lowest value was recorded in Mathematics Department as 0.0006±0.0001µSv/h. Radiological hazard indices from the BIR measurement was obtained and the highest value of the absorbed dose rate was recorded in the Department of Food Science and Technology as 75.934 nGy/h. The lowest value was recorded as 0.548 nGy/h in Mathematics Department. The highest value is significantly higher than the world average of 59 nGy/h. For the annual effective dose equivalent (AEDE), the average value for all the offices is 22.313±14.092 µSv/y, which is lower than the world average of 410 µSv/y. Also, the lowest value of excess life cancer risk(ELCR) is 0.007×10-3in Mathematics. The highest value is 1.024×10-3in Food Science and Technology Department, which is significantly higher than the world average of 0.29×10-3. In the Departments of Crop Science, Financial Management Technology, and Centre for Energy & Power Systems Research, values of 0.301×10-3, 0.351×10-3 and 0.393×10-3 respectively were recorded and found to be higher than the world average value of 0.29×10-3. The results showed that, of all the Departments, the Department of Food science and Technology might pose the highest radiological risk due to having the highest levels of BIR and resulting hazard indices. Generally, FUTO is relatively safe from the hazards of BIR.Item Open Access Design and simulation of a temperature controller for effective petroleum product storage(Federal University of Technology, Owerri, 2022-11) Ene-Nte, Nsan-Awaji PetersonThe growing demand of petroleum product has brought a significant increase in risk to human and its environment. Temperature controller of a petroleum product storage tank are specifically designed for the purpose of controlling the enormous temperature characteristics of the petroleum product during weather variations in critical industries such as the oil and gas, process, and other related smaller industries. In this work, a temperature controller and a cooling system for the petroleum product storage tank was designed using proportional derivative, proportional integral and proportional integral derivative controllers to obtain the response of the product temperature on the atmospheric variations. The simulation results were carried out on uncontrolled temperature deviation from set point, controlled temperature error deviation, pressure effect on temperature error deviation, gasoline, kerosene, diesel temperature error deviation using the proportional derivative, proportional integral and proportional integral derivative controller to ensure excellent control measure in the stability of the temperature characteristics of the storage tank. The temperature stability with the Proportional Integral Derivative controller provides an insight into the control performance of the Proportional Integral Derivative controller, whose essence is to ensure that error correction takes place without time delay.Item Open Access Investigating the factors militating against successful building construction project develivery in Imo State(Federal University of Technology, Owerri, 2023-06) Emereibe, Seth ChibuzoIn this study we were able to investigate the factors militating against successful delivery of building construction projects in Imo State, with these we determined the level of correlation between these factors and building construction projects delivery, however survey design was deployed on a cross section of the five factors as determined. These included the following (i) Cost of securing government approval (ii) imposed development fees (iii) government policies (iv) price fluctuation and (v) funding gap. Primary data was collected from stakeholders in the construction subsector through the use of a well-structured questionnaire. 157 copies of questionnaire were distributed while 113 copies were returned. Multiple Regression Analysis technique was used after data collection. Upon the analysis, the study revealed a significant correlation between building construction project delivery (with cost and schedule criteria as proxies) and the identified factors (with Funding gap (X1: 0.393), Cost of securing government approval (X2: 0.340), Imposed development fees (X3: 0.283)Government policies (X4: 0.458), Price fluctuation (X5: 0.464) as proxies). In line with findings from the study, it was concluded that these factors were significant for the successful delivery of building construction projects in Imo State. In conclusion, the study recommends that for there to be effective building construction project delivery in Imo State, adequate efforts should be made to reduce the influence on price fluctuation of building materials.Item Open Access Development of optimal gas-to-liquids (GTL) plant using steam/Co2 reforming for synthesis gas production(Federal University of Technology, Owerri, 2022-02) Ekwueme, Stanley ToochukwuThis research work is on method for optimisation of GTL plant using Steam/CO2 reforming for syngas generation. Extensive modeling of GTL plant has been done. Two cases were considered during the simulation of the GTL plant. The first case being the base case was the use of oxygen gas as the feed reactant gas using an auto-thermal reformer for the production of synthesis gas. The alternative case which is the proposed method in this work uses CO2 in lieu of oxygen for the production of synthesis gas. CO2 method was chosen because of its cheap availability and the ability to be recycled from purge gas and reused reducing pollution. Honeywell’s Unisim software was used for the simulation and the Peng-Robinson equation of state was chosen as the fluid property package. The simulation was done unit by unit and integration of all units was made. The synthesis gas unit was simulated in Unisim as a conversion type reactor using two separate reactors while three equilibrium reactors were used to control the water gas shift reaction to maintain favourable H2/CO ratio. The FT reactor was modeled as a multi-tubular bed reactor and simulated as a plug flow reactor (PFR) in Unisim using heterogeneous catalytic reaction type. Technical and economic performances were analyzed for both methods. The technical analyses revealed that the proposed steam/CO2 method gave a H2/CO ratio of 2.17 compared to 2.21 obtained for the autothermal reformer (ATR). Furthermore the carbon efficiency of the two methods revealed 77.68% and 92.17% for base case and the proposed method respectively making the proposed method more efficient. The liquid yield shows that the proposed method has a liquid yield of 5730b/d over the 5430b/d obtained from the base case representing an increase in product yield of 5.5%. The economic analyses show a quicker pay-out time of 4.9 years from the proposed model as against 5.9 years from the base case. Using the proposed method gave an annual cashflow increase of 20.9% and NPV increase of 59.7% at 10% discount rates. Thus the proposed method is more profitable in terms of NPV. This project will be suitable for application in the Niger Delta stranded and remote gas locations which are known for gas flaring leading to environmental pollution.Item Open Access Development of a predictive model for crime investigation and emergency response system(Federal University of Technology, Owerri, 2024-05) Robert, Buki OladeleEnsuring public safety through efficient crime investigation and emergency response is crucial in today's complex world. This study presents a predictive model for an integrated Crime Investigation and Emergency Response System, leveraging data-driven analysis, advanced machine learning algorithms, and modern Information Technology (IT). The research aims to enhance law enforcement and emergency response protocols, recognizing the critical role of IT in managing critical incidents. The study addresses challenges in crime investigation, particularly violent offenses, by employing machine learning strategies incorporating regression and classification techniques. The primary objective is to uncover patterns and insights to predict perpetrator characteristics such as age, gender, and their relationship with the victim. Through comprehensive data analysis of a dataset containing 638,454 crime records from 1980 to 2014, the research identified 190,282 unsolved crimes, with approximately 100,000 involving handguns. The Municipal Police agency reported the highest number of unsolved crimes, highlighting the need for improved investigative tools. The predictive model's performance was evaluated using the Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve, demonstrating a remarkable accuracy with an Area Under the ROC Curve (AUC) of 95%. The model exhibited high accuracy rates in predicting the perpetrator's gender (96%) and relationship with the victim (97%), significantly outperforming an existing model. These results underscore the potential of the developed predictive model to enhance law enforcement capabilities and emergency response procedures. The study recommends further integration of data-centric approaches in public safety operations to improve efficiency and outcomes. .Item Open Access Effects of building materials price instability on successful housing projects delivery in Owerri, Imo State(Federal University of Technology, Owerri, 2023-12) Nwachukwu, Matthias Nnabuihehe study examined the Effects of Building Material Price Instability on Successful housing Project Delivery in Owerri Imo State. This was carried out to investigate the impact of unstable building material price situations on the successful housing project completion; in terms of cost, duration and quality of construction projects by Rast Engineering ltd., Ebuzo Construction Services Ltd., and Bodos Contractor, all in Owerri, Imo State. After the background of the study and statement of the problem, three research objectives as well as research questions and two subsequent hypotheses were formulated. The research design used in this report is descriptive design, utilizing questionnaire method to obtain information from the respondents for this thesis. A total of seventy three (73) respondents were used for this study to represent the entire population of the study and a sample size of sixty two (62) was derived using the Yaro Yameni formula for sample size determination from a finite population. Primary data were collected from the primary source which questionnaire was used as an instrument of data collection while secondary data were sourced from journal, internet, textbook, etc. Data were presented in tables and analysed using the Microsoft Excel and IBM Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) Statistics. The findings from this study will provide solutions to the problems of building materials price instability in relation to successful housing projects delivery in Imo State. The result of this study can assist construction industry practitioners to focus attention on the identified determinants so as to control the prices of building material. This research will expand the knowledge of researchers on the nature of building material price instability and its adverse effect on successful housing project delivery and the economy of Nigeria. The study recommends that every organization should have strategies role out and agendas to ensure that the causes of building material price instability are solved to mitigate the lagging effect of price variations on project delivery. It was also recommended that the Government should formulate a standing policy that will discourage the use of imported building materials and also engage professionals in research and fabrication. PItem Open Access Phytochemical analysis and biocidal effects of orange peel and garlic extract on contaminated grains(Federal University of Technology, Owerri, 2024-05) Olaitan, Micheal OluwaseunThis study aimed to determine the phytochemical composition and antifungal effects of orange-peel and garlic extract on contaminated grains. Standard phytochemical methods were used to test for the presence of bioactive compounds in the extracts. The results of the preliminary phytochemical screening showed that the orange-peel and garlic extract contained various metabolites; polyphenols, flavonoids, alkaloids, saponins, phenols, steroids, antinutrients at varied quantities. In vitro antioxidant and free radical scavenging potential of orange-peel and garlic extracts were determined on the basis of their scavenging activity of the DPPH, hydroxyl, hydrogen peroxide, superoxide, nitric oxide free radical, total antioxidant capacity and ferric reducing antioxidant property. The radical scavenging activities exhibited concentration-dependent responses, with garlic and orange-peel extracts demonstrating significant scavenging potentials for various radicals. However, their activities generally plateaued at higher concentrations, suggesting a limit to their scavenging capacities. The extracts exhibited lower scavenging activities compared to ascorbic acid and BHT. Orange-peel extract had the highest FRAP activity at 5 mg/ml, while garlic extract showed a steadier increase in FRAP activity with increasing concentration. Both extracts demonstrated lower TAC concentrations than ascorbic acid. Extracts were assessed for their effectiveness against two fungal species (Aspergillus flavus and Penicillium notatum). Garlic extract exhibited potent antifungal properties, inhibiting the growth of both fungi, while orange-peel extract showed copious growth inhibition. The combined effect of the extracts showed scanty growth. The findings from the study suggest that each of these extracts possess antioxidant properties and also highlights their potential as natural agents for fungal control in stored grains.Item Open Access Strategies for managing project constraints for successful implementation of Niger Delta Development Commission rural development projects(Federal University of Technology, Owerri, 2024-02) Onyema, Ofuruiche Val-ObiajuluThe study explored the strategies for managing project constraints in the implementation of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) Rural Development Projects (RDP) in Abia State. Coping with constraints in the implementation of NDDC projects in the rural communities of Abia State will proffer avenue for improved standards of living and enhanced quality of life for the rural dwellers. The field survey research design and judgmental sampling techniques were used. The primary data used for the study were obtained from target respondents who are the experts and professionals from NDDC; and other stakeholders among the rural dwellers. The instrument used for data collection and measurements were well structured questionnaire modeled in likert five point’s scale. The methods of data analysis were relative severity index, (RSI) Earned Value Analysis (EVA) and Multiple Regression Analysis (MRA). The results of RSI uncovered that environmental and socio-economic constraints are the severest and most significant hindrance to implementation of NDDC RDP in Abia State. The EVA result discovered that almost all NDDC projects were not realized within their budgeted time and cost due to non-application of systematic strategies for management of project constraints. RDP suffered cost and time overruns at every stage of completion status. The results and findings from MRA and hypotheses testing infer that transparent collaboration, application of project management best practices, risk management and scope change management are the most decisive strategies that will enhance management of constraints in the implementation of NDDC RDP in Abia State. The study recommends seamless communication among stakeholders, transparency and collaboration, and economic empowerment of the rural populace, through the provision of formal education and skills acquisition at the grass root level.Item Open Access Optimization of screw production using deep convolutional neural network (DCNN)(Federal University of Technology, Owerri, 2024-03) Ndukwe, Chidiogo DanielThis research proposed a deep convolutional neural network (DCNN) based technique for the detection of micro defects on metal screw surfaces. Defects considered include surface damage, surface dirt, and stripped screws. Images of metal screws with different types of defects were collected using industrial cameras, which were then employed to train the designed deep CNN. To enable efficient detection, I first located screw surfaces in the pictures captured by the cameras, so that the images of screw surfaces could be extracted, which were then inputted into the CNN-based defect detector. Experiment results showed that the proposed technique could achieve a detection accuracy of 97%; the average detection time per picture is 1.2 seconds. Comparisons with traditional machine vision techniques, e.g., template matching-based techniques, demonstrate the superiority of the proposed deep CNN-based one. Furthermore, it could be seen that the accuracy of the proposed DCNN was much higher than the traditional LeNet-5 at the beginning of the network training and the accuracy of the training was to 100% with 550 iterations and about 100% accuracy was achieved with 800 iterations.Item Open Access Analysis of the contributing factors to construction schedule overrun in selected public sector projects in Imo State(Federal University of Technology, Owerri, 2023-10) Opara, Godswill NgoziThis work seeks to analyze the Contributing Factors to Construction Schedule Overrun in Selected Public Sector Projects in Imo State. The objectives are to: determine and analyze the factors responsible for project schedule overrun in construction projects in Imo State; examine possible individual and collective significant effects of the factors on successful project delivery; examine the impact of schedule overrun on construction projects and; identify the causes of schedule overrun in construction projects and proffer workable solution to them. Questionnaire was developed using the 5-point Likert scale for the collection of primary data. Multiple regression analysis was adopted for the analysis of the collected data. The result obtained shows that government policies and project funding/finance, are significant factors that contribute to construction projects schedule overrun while project technology, force majeure and corruption are not significant. Funding/finance has the highest ranking, project technology ranks the least. Based on the above findings, it can be concluded that proper planning should be encouraged; government policies and programmes should be made in such a way that favours timely execution of projects. Adequate financial provisions should be made available to contractors by the government. The use of local raw materials should be encouraged in the execution of contracts. The selection of contractors and other major stakeholders should be based on competence and realistic tender quotations. All efforts should be made to reduce or eliminate the occurrence of design modifications during the project execution.Item Open Access Development of microcontroller-based energy management systems for medical facility(Federal University of Technology, Owerri, 2024-05) Ugwu, Kenneth UkachukwuTo conserve energy and to prevent frequent power outages due to overload or partial loss of supply on medical facilities that require uninterrupted power, a microcontroller – based medical facility energy management system is developed. Smart energy management system (EMS) basically monitors and controls loads and energy supplies to connected facilities. In medical facilities, there are critical loads and non – critical loads depending on functionalities required. Critical loads should never be turned off or loose supply while non – critical loads may be turned on or off depending on the power consumption and supply pattern. In practice, various combinations of load management and conservation measures are targeted at energy efficiency such as power factor corrections, rescheduling and combination of energy storage mechanisms. The functionalities implemented for electrical load management in this work are load prioritization, load scheduling, load add, and load shed. In addition, an algorithm for the determination of system loading condition such as normal load, under load and overload as well as automated load adding, and load scheduling schemes based on the operating conditions and customer’s priority are developed. A C++ program is developed to achieve this algorithm. Furthermore, this thesis explores the potential cost savings associated with integrating an Arduino, a current sensor, and an Automatic Transfer System (ATS) into energy management, as seen in Figure 3.3. This is one of the most reliable and economical ways to improve the reliability and quality of the power supply. The University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu was used as a case study. The result of this practical experiment shows that this scheme can improve distributional load management by reducing power change over time, loss of lives and great saving in cost of operation.Item Open Access Work, stress information technology and employee performance of independent national electoral commission (INEC) in Imo State(Federal University of Technology, Owerri, 2024-05) Enamuotor, RussellThe study investigated the relationship between work stress, information technology, and employee performance of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Imo State Nigeria. The study used a correlational survey design and questionnaire as instruments for data collection using a five-point Likert scale. The total population was 342 (Three Hundred and Forty-Two) permanent and ad hoc personnel. The sample size of 184 was obtained using the Taro Yamane formula. Bowley’s allocation formula was used in the distribution of the questionnaire using simple random sampling techniques. Research hypothesis one was tested using a bivariate correlation method with the use of Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20. Research hypotheses two, three, and four were tested and analysed statistically using a simple regression method, Analysis of Variance. The findings of research hypothesis one found that there is a strong (positive) correlation between work content and employee engagement. The findings of research hypothesis two showed that the virtual work environment contributes significantly to employee satisfaction. Findings of research hypothesis three found that personal factors significantly influence employee commitment. The findings of research hypothesis four showed that workplace quality significantly influences employee motivation. It was recommended that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Imo State should conduct regular surveys and feedback sessions with employees to better understand their perception of work content and its impact on their engagement. It was further recommended that INEC should create a culture where employees feel valued and appreciated to reduce employee burnout. INEC is advised to create less work-related stress and more productive employees by having strong onboarding processes and encouraging employees to take time off to maintain a healthy work-life balance.Item Open Access Analysis of factors militating against successful building construction project delivery in South-East Nigeria(Federal University of Technology, Owerri, 2023-11) Ejiogu, Ejike F.The study examined the factors militating against successful building construction project delivery in the Southeast, Nigeria with the objective of identifying and analyzing the militating factors for decision purposes. Six (6) militating factors were identified. Based on this, five-point Likert’s scale, questionnaire was designed and distributed to 226 respondents for assessment. The multiple regression analysis result show that the average performance achieved in building onstruction delivery is 27.017 which is statistically low. The model developed show that all the factors with the exception of government policies and level of skilled workmanship exhibited negative influence on building project delivery in the Southeast States. The hypotheses test show that non-adherence to standard building codes is most critical to building project delivery. In view of these findings, the study recommends strict adherence to professional building codes, the creation of enabling environment through policies and programmes that will encourage the proper planning and implementation of building construction projects, Government development policies should be strengthened in order to control inflation and avoid constant increase in the cost of materials for building construction projects. Also, skilled workers should be engaged and, the cost and process of obtaining government approval should be made more affordable and simple so as to encourage improved success in the building project delivery and enhancement of socioeconomic wellbeing of the citizens.Item Open Access Effects of fly ash and rice-husk ash on lime stabilization of expansive soils from Lokpaukwu and Awgu, Nigeria(Federal University of Technology, Owerri, 2018-10) Nnabuihe, kingsley IkechukwuSoil stabilization refers to the technique of altering the properties of a soil so as to improve its engineering performance. It aims at using chemical additives such as lime as a lone stabilizer or in combination with industrial residues (fly ash, rice husk ash, etc) to achieve this fit. This work investigates the effects of lime alone, lime fly ash (LFA) and lime-rice husk ash (LRHA) blends in varying percentage mixtures on the engineering properties of expansive soils from Lokpaukwu (Ezeaku Formation) and Awgu (Awgu Formation) in Lower Benue Trough. The soils were stabilized with different percentages of lime (i.e. 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10%) and varying percentage ratio for lime-fly ash and lime-rice husk ash blends (i.e. 2 : 6, 2 : 8, 2.5:7.5, 2.5 : 10, 3 : 9, 3 : 12, 4 : 12, 4 : 16, 5 : 15 and 5:20).Liquid limit, plastic limit, linear shrinkage, compaction characteristics and California Bearing Ratio (CBR) tests were performed on the natural and lime-treated Lokpaukwu and Awgu soil samples while consistency limits and linear shrinkage tests only were performed on the lime-residue treated soil samples. Results of the study indicate that optimum reduction percentage of 24.14% and 30.56% (liquid limits), 72.22% and 74.42% (plasticity indices), 56.14% and 60.12% (linear shrinkages) and maximum percentage increase of 25.60 and 33.70 (Optimum Moisture Content (OMC)), 193.3 and 250 (unsoaked CBR), and 766 and 700 (soaked CBR) for Lokpaukwu and Awgu samples respectively were obtained on stabilizing the soils with 6% lime content. The results from lime-fly ash (LFA) and lime-rice husk ash (LRHA) blends indicate that liquid limits, plasticity indices and Linear Shrinkages decreased from 58 and 72 to 46 and 51, 36 and 43 to 11 and 12, 11.4 and 14.3 to 6.4 and 7.1, and from 58 and 72 to 45 and 51, 36 and 43 to 10 and 11, 11.4 and 14.3 to 6.4 and 7.1 for Lokpaukwu and Awgu samples respectively when treated with Lime-fly ash blend of 3 – 12% and lime-rice husk ash blend of 3 – 9%. It could be concluded that improving the characteristics of expansive soils by lime-fly ash blend or lime-rice husk ash blend is successful and provides immense environmental and economic benefitsItem Open Access Patterns of diarrhoeal diseases in under-five children in Emekuku: A hospital-based study(Federal University of Technology, Owerri, 2014-04) Njoku, Chinonyerem JohnThis study was undertaken to determine the patterns of diarrhoeal diseases in under-5 children and the associated risk factors in Emekuku, Imo State, Nigeria. A matched pair case control study design with strict inclusion and exclusion criteria was adopted. Cases were children with loose watery feces, pathologically diagnosed with diarrhoea by the physician. Each case was captured immediately after diagnosis by the physician and administered with the questionnaire. Controls were children diagnosed of any other disease other than diarrhoea. Both cases and controls were appropriately matched in terms of age, sex, and other determinants and enrolled from the outpatient and children’s wards of the Hospital. A total of 176 under-5 children were enrolled with 88 cases and 88 controls. The results showed that most cases of diarrhoea observed were acute (93.2%), while persistent diarrhoea accounted for 6.8%. Ninety five percent (95%) of diarrhoeal cases were watery, with mean number of stools/child/day being 4.3 times (SD 1.92). Of the 17 exposure variables analyzed, only age (6-11 month); breast feeding (complementary feeding) (P<0.001); birth weight, maternal employment (unemployed women); toilet type (pit toilet); hand washing with water only (P<0.001); use of rain water and crowding index were significantly associated with diarrhoeal disease occurrence observed in this studied. The study shows that diarrhoeal diseases are still prevalent in this area. Interventions on exclusive breast feeding, provision of improved toilet type, and education on appropriate hand washing methods and improved sanitation should be intensified.