Search results

Industrial heritage is considered an essential part of cultural heritage in the world. This heritage suffers from continued marginalisation in the Arab world, particularly in Jordan, where many industrial heritage sites have not been protected or studied well due to the lack of a clear definition of cultural heritage. Most of these sites, built in the 20th century, are gradually disappearing or scheduled for demolition. This paper explores the de-industrialisation discourse and the loss of modern industrial heritage in the Arab world, especially in Jordan.

This research investigates the modern industrial heritage in Jordan as a case study in the Arab world. A comprehensive understanding of the industrial heritage has been obtained by adopting a case study approach and using a reconnaissance survey of potential industrial heritage sites in Jordan.

Seven categories were used in the analysis of the de-industrialisation phenomenon of heritage sites: ownership, location, design and types; structure, significance, deterioration and physical condition and conservation attempts and alterations. Three main approaches to industrial heritage were identified: demolition, occasional maintenance and rare examples of conservation and adaptive reuse.

This study sheds light on the ownership issue of industrial structures in Jordan and invites policymakers, relevant authorities, private organisations and the public to consider the challenges and impact of de-industrialisation of such sites.

This research raises awareness of the de-industrialisation discourse, and highlights the value of industrial architecture dating back to the modernity period, which was short-lived in Jordan. It also calls for serious consideration of these sites to support sustainable development in the Arab World.

The purpose of this paper is to describe sustainability of hollow and solid blocks in sub-Saharan Africa.

Indicators of stakeholder value are proposed for measuring block sustainability based on comparisons of user building value price and carbon emissions. Block manufacturing processes in Tanzania and Uganda are described and assessed in this context.

The results from Uganda indicate that there are economic and environmental advantages in using hollow blocks as long as they are produced to statutory compliance levels. However, where blocks are not produced to standard requirements, the results indicate that it is better to use solid blocks. This surprising result seems to indicate that blocks prepared using low additions of cement might have sufficient functional quality for simple residential building applications even though they might not meet current standard strength requirements and have low cement productivity. These results also indicate that the improvement potential indicated previously cannot be realised when hollow blocks are used for simple construction needs.

Clear benchmarks for the best practical level of cement block sustainability seem to be missing. The first reasons is that the lowest acceptable compressive strength has not been defined since standard requirements might not be relevant in the studied context. The second one is that the lowest possible practically achievable cement content with acceptable cement productivity has not been established.

Understanding sustainability can be very difficult and substantial work needs to be done to introduce operational sustainability indicators.

The results contribute to the discussion of understanding, defining and measuring sustainability.

Designing a sustainable bituminous concrete with long-term performance is a challenging problem. In addition, strength of the subgrade has a crucial impact on pavement design. This paper aims to concentrate on subgrade soil stabilization with granite dust powder (GDP) and crumb rubber powder (CRP) to improve the engineering properties of the soil. Further design of bituminous concrete pavement with cement-treated layers in base and subbase course layers was carried out with life cycle cost analysis and life cycle assessment for 1 km of a four-lane national highway.

Subgrade soil stabilized with GDP and CRP is characterized as per Indian Standards (IS)-2720 to determine the optimum dosage. Further, the mechanistic-empirical pavement design was carried out using Indian Road Congress-37 (2018), analyzed using IITPAVE software and validated with ANSYS software. The life cycle cost analysis is carried out using the net present value method, and the life cycle assessment is performed according to the cradle-to-grave approach.

A soil mix comprising 10% GDP and 2.5% CRP yielded a soaked California bearing ratio value of 6.58%. In addition, the design of bituminous concrete pavement with cement-treated granular layers showed a 26.9% reduction in life cycle cost and 59.4% reduction in total carbon footprint per kilometer compared to the pavement with traditional aggregate layers.

The research on subgrade stabilization with sustainable materials like GDP and CRP incorporating mechanistic empirical pavement design, life cycle cost analysis and life cycle assessment is limited. Overall, the study recommends the use of GDP and CRP to stabilize soil for subgrade application and incorporate cement-treated granular layers, which offer economic and environmental benefits compared to traditional pavement construction.

Ocean transportation is not only the cheapest and the best mode of bulk transport but also the most polluting form of transportation. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has set strict targets to cut down carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions, following which several initiatives have been taken by the shipping industry to embrace new technologies that can make the industry greener. Significant investments have been made into research and development (R&D) to develop alternative marine fuels. This chapter explores the feasibility of setting up a Biomass Recycling Facility (BRF) in the Tirupur–Tuticorin region in Tamil Nadu. The region was chosen because Tirupur being a textile valley generates tonnes of textile wastes every year. It can become good feedstock for biofuel generation, and it is also near Tuticorin Port, which is one of the major ports in Tamil Nadu. On an average, every year 1,000 vessels of medium and large size call at this port. There is a high probability that a BRF established in the vicinity can generate and supply bioethanol for the ships calling at Tuticorin Port. It is apparent from the findings of the study that the feedstock generated by textile industry alone may not be sufficient to meet the huge volumes of biofuel requirements of vessels, more over considerable investments into infrastructure and technology are required. But the study points out that still it could become a viable option because of the government support and favourable Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) policies. The growing demand for biofuel and the increasing price in the world market can become an added advantage.

The advent of Internet of Things, cloud computing and advanced computing has endowed smart manufacturing environments with resilience, reconfigurability and intelligence, resulting in the emergence of novel capabilities. These capabilities have significantly reshaped the manufacturing ecosystem, enabling it to effectively navigate uncertainties. The purpose of this study is to assess the operational transformations resulting from the implementation of smart manufacturing, which distinguish it from conventional systems.

A list of qualitative and quantitative smart manufacturing performance metrics (SMPMs) are initially suggested and categorized into strategic, tactical and operational levels. The SMPMs resemble the capabilities of smart manufacturing systems to manage disruptions due to uncertainties. Then, industry and academia experts validate the SMPMs through the utilization of the Delphi method, enabling the ranking of the SMPMs.

The proposition of the SMPMs serves as a metric to assess the digital transformation capabilities of smart manufacturing systems. In addition, the ranking of the proposed SMPMs shows a degree of relevance of the measures in smart manufacturing deployment and managing the disruptions caused due to the COVID-19 pandemic

The findings benefit managers, consultants, policymakers and researchers in making appropriate decisions for deploying and operationalizing smart manufacturing systems by focusing on critical SMPMs.

The research provides a metric to assess the operational transformations during the deployment of smart manufacturing systems. Also, it states the role of the metric in managing the potential disruptions that can alter the performance of the business due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The purpose of this study is to formulate a new class of vehicle routing problem with an objective to minimise the total cost of raw material collection and derive a new approach to solve optimization problems. This study can help to select the optimum number of suppliers based on cost.

To model the raw material vehicle routing problem, a mixed integer linear programming (MILP) problem is formulated. An interesting phenomenon added to the proposed problem is that there is no compulsion to visit all suppliers. To guarantee the demand of semiconductor industry, all visited suppliers should reach a given raw material capacity requirement. To solve the proposed model, the authors developed a novel hybrid approach that is a combination of block and edge recombination approaches. To avoid bias, the authors compare the results of the proposed methodology with other known approaches, such as genetic algorithms (GAs) and ant colony optimisation (ACO).

The findings indicate that the proposed model can be useful in industries, where multiple suppliers are used. The proposed hybrid approach provides a better sequence of suppliers compared to other heuristic techniques.

The data used in the proposed model is generated based on previous literature. The problem derives from the assumption that semiconductor industries use a variety of raw materials.

This study provides a new model and approach that can help practitioners and policymakers select suppliers based on their logistics costs.

This study provides two important contributions in the context of the supply chain. First, it provides a new variant of the vehicle routing problem in consideration of raw material collection; and second, it provides a new approach to solving optimisation problems.

According to extant Supply Chain Risk Management (SCRM) literature, manufacturing firms must align their choice of SC bridging or buffering strategies with their operating environment to achieve high plant performance and minimize SC disruption impacts. However, very few empirical studies have examined the relative performance of these strategies in dynamic industry environments. This study aims to address this research gap. This study also seeks to supplement the limited empirical research that has examined the empirical relationships between a firm’s Supply Base Complexity (SBC), the likelihood of SC disruptions, and plant performance.

This study uses data from a cross-sectional survey of 202 manufacturing firms in India. The data is analyzed, and the study hypotheses are tested using PLS path modeling and SPSS PROCESS Macro.

The study shows that increased SBC leads to an increased frequency of SC disruptions with a negative impact on plant performance. The study also finds that the firm’s implementation of SC bridging or buffering strategies effectively moderates this performance impact. However, the study results do not support the hypothesis that industry dynamism moderates the relative effectiveness of SC bridging or buffering strategies in mitigating the negative impact of SC disruptions.

The study adds to the limited empirical research examining the SC disruption risk associated with SBC and the resulting performance impact. It addresses a gap in extant research by evaluating the efficacy of SC bridging and buffering strategies in mitigating this performance impact in dynamic industry environments.

Traditional risk prioritization methods in Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) rely on precise data, which is often not available in real-world contexts. This study addresses the need for a robust model that can handle uncertain and imprecise information for more accurate risk assessment.

We propose a group decision-making approach using fuzzy numbers to represent risk attributes and preferences. These are converted into fuzzy risk scores through defuzzification, providing a reliable method for risk ranking.

The proposed fuzzy risk prioritization framework improves decision-making and risk awareness in businesses. It offers a more accurate and robust ranking of enterprise risks, enhancing control and performance in supply chain operations by effectively representing uncertainty and accommodating multiple decision-makers.

The adoption of this fuzzy risk prioritization framework can lead to significant improvements in enterprise risk management across various industries. By accommodating uncertainty and multiple decision-makers, organizations can achieve more reliable risk assessments, ultimately enhancing operational efficiency and strategic decision-making. This model serves as a guide for firms seeking to refine their risk management processes under conditions of imprecise information.

This study introduces a novel weighted fuzzy Risk Priority Number method validated in the risk management process of an integrated steel plant. It is the first to apply this fuzzy approach in the steel industry, demonstrating its practical effectiveness under imprecise information. The results contribute significantly to risk assessment literature and provide a benchmarking tool for improving ERM practices.

This study aims to evaluate the suitability of Ferrock as a green construction material by analysing its engineering properties, environmental impact, economic viability and adoption challenges. It also aims to bridge knowledge gaps and provide guidance for integrating Ferrock into mainstream construction to support the decarbonisation of the built environment.

It presents a systematic and holistic review of existing literature on Ferrock, comprehensively analysing its mechanical properties, environmental and socio-economic impact and adoption challenges. The approach includes evaluating both quantitative and qualitative data to assess Ferrock’s potential in the construction sector.

Key findings highlight Ferrock’s superior mechanical properties, such as higher compressive and tensile strength, and enhanced durability compared to traditional Portland cement. Ferrock offers significant environmental benefits by capturing more CO₂ during curing than it emits, contributing to carbon sequestration and reducing energy consumption due to the absence of high-temperature processing. However, the material faces economic and technical challenges, including higher initial costs, scalability issues, lack of industry standards and variability in production quality.

This review provides a comprehensive and up-to-date analysis of Ferrock. Despite being discussed for a decade, Ferrock research has been overlooked, with existing studies often limited and published in poor-quality sources. By synthesising current research and identifying future study areas, the paper enhances understanding of Ferrock’s potential benefits and challenges. The originality lies in the holistic evaluation of Ferrock’s properties and its implications for the construction industry, offering insights that could drive collaborative research and policy support to facilitate its integration into mainstream use.

Ergonomics usually reciprocate the study about people fitness toward working environment. In addition, financial distress refers a condition of organizations incompetency in generating sufficient revenues or incomes, which thereby refrain them to pay their financial obligations. This study aims to evaluate two independent organizational fields named as ergonomics in first phase and financial distress in manufacturing organization behavior in the second phase. The study presented a resiliency framework for operations and strategic management in the third phase based on various facts received from the distress organizations.

A questionnaire survey based on plant-visit is presented. The study embedded two segments to explicate its novelty. In the first segment, the plant-visit case study is presented and in the second segment, an exploratory data related to financial distress is presented. The study tried to communicate observations related to multiple decision-making fields in single umbrella, where multiple concepts like ergonomics and financial distress of organizations as well as employees are presented. DEMATEL-ANP integrated approach is used to represent the critical financial distress dimensions of employees and their ranking.

The study provided insights toward connecting two independent fields named as ergonomics and financial distress in single umbrella. The study can benefit practitioners in designing policies and procedures in their planning model to effectively achieve organizational goals. The study presented 14 financial distress drivers of employees and advocated the aggregation of ergonomics and financial distress toward developing a holistic framework for attaining organization goals for sustainability.

The study presented a comprehensive understanding about multiple organization decision-making fields toward developing a holistic approach from different aspects for attaining organizational sustainability. The study can be fruitful in stimulating cross-pollination of ideas between researchers and provides a good understandability of ergonomics and financial distress in single roof.