Ahmad Abd Karim

Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia | uthm · Department of Water and Environmental Engineering (JKAP)

The Konawe Selatan District region is characterized by Karst hills, various soil types, and steep slopes. Functional classification considers the physical and non-physical characteristics of the location to determine its many uses. The map developed by the Regulation of the Agriculture Minister of Indonesia should be checked with the actual conditi...

The public concern over sediment contamination brought on by mining operations, excessive use of chemical fertilisers or pesticides, industrial, agricultural, and municipal effluent, is increasing. Dredging is a more expensive treatment option than in situ capping of polluted sediment for immobilising pollutants in sediments on site. In order to st...

Farming development in the agricultural sector in Kolaka District has challenges in markets, supply, and production. This study aimed to analyze seasonal cropland phenomena' scaling and distribution principles, focusing on vegetable and fruit crops. This type of research is descriptive and quantitative. The research location is in Kolaka District,...

Concentrations of Dimethyl Phthalate (DMP), Diethyl Phthalate (DEP), Dibutyl Phthlate (DBP), and Benzyl Butyl Phthalate (BBP) analysis proved present in Sembrong river sediment. These findings occurred during a certain extent of time depending on the properties of sediment and phthalates esters compound. Therefore, adsorption isotherm conducted usi...

Lambolemo Village is geomorphologically dominated by hilly slopes morphology. Lithology in the form of metamorphic rocks are mica schists and chlorite schists. The present research aimed to determine the facies and metamorphism types of metamorphic rocks in Lambolemo Village. The research methods engaged were field observation and laboratory observ...

Kendari is the capital of the Indonesian province of Southeast Sulawesi. It is located on mainly the karst hills region with high rainfall and there were numerous human activities on the karst hills. Many landslides have occurred in these areas. Natural and human factors may contribute to the landslide. The purpose of this study was to determine wh...

There is a growing public concern over the issue of sediment contamination resulting from industrial and municipal waste discharge, mining activities, and improper use of chemical fertilizer, pesticides, and wastewater irrigation. However, there is a need to reduce the continuous contamination of the water column and biota by the pollutants in the...

The effectiveness of replacing cement with rice husk ash (RHA) on the leachability of copper from stabilized sediment was studied. RHA was added at 5, 10 15 and 20% and also cement was added at 10% throughout to the total dry weight of mixture, after which curing was undertaken at room atmosphere for 7, 14 and 28 days. The immobilization efficiency...

The anaerobic digestibility of a targeted substrate, measured as methane yield is conducted via biochemical methane potential (BMP). In this study, the batch BMP test was conducted using Automatic Methane Potential Test System (AMPTS II) for 25 days and focused on the methane production from the digestion of food waste (FW, in the form of raw and d...

Biochemical methane potential (BMP) is a standard test to assess the biogas (including methane) production from the anaerobic digestion of any organic waste. In many anaerobic digestions of sewage sludge, the inoculum to substrate ratio and mixing were variable to take into consideration for efficient performance. However, the organic content in se...

Sewage sludge, normally in form of mixed sewage sludge is treated using anaerobic digester worldwide. In Malaysia, sewage sludge was categorized as domestic sewage sludge since sewage treatment plant treats only domestic sewage. The complex organic compounds in form of carbohydrates and proteins are transformed to methane during anaerobic digestion...

Solidification/Stabilization (S/S) treatment was used in this study to immobilise copper (Cu) in contaminated river sediment. The sediment was artificially contaminated by spiking the solution of Copper sulphate (CuSO4.5H2O) to so as to get an average of 1000 ppm target concentration. Portland composite cement and Rice husk ash (RHA) were used as S...

The effect of replacing cement with rice husk ash (RHA) on compressive strength and leachability of Chromium stabilised sediments was investigated. Artificially contaminated sediment was prepared by spiking sediment with solution of Potassium dichromate (K2Cr2O7) to achieve an average of 1000 ppm target concentration. Cement was added at 10% and ri...

Solidification/Stabilization is an effective, yet economic remediation technology to immobilize heavy metals in contaminated soils, sediments and sludges. The main objective of this research was to study the effect of replacing cement with rice husk ash (RHA) on compressive strength and leachability of Pb from the stabilised sediments. Cement and R...

In practice, primary and secondary sludge are fed into anaerobic digestion. However, the microbial cell exists in secondary sludge are an unfavorable substrate for biodegradation. Thermal pretreatment is proved to increase the bioavailability of organic and improve the biodegradation subsequently. During low thermal pretreatment, both intracellular...

Methanogens are anaerobic microorganisms that are able to process organic matter to methane via two pathways; aceticlastic and hydrogenotrophic. This microorganism is easily found in digested sludge from anaerobic digester. In practice, digested sludge is commonly used as inoculum for a new anaerobic digester. The quality of the inoculum is measure...

River sediment contamination is a cause of decline in water quality which brings a detrimental effect on aquatic ecosystems and human life. The purpose of this study is to determine the existence and pollution level of PAEs compound in the Sembrong River sediments. Sembrong River was chosen because the river has been found to contain heavy metals a...

Chemical stabilizers especially calcium based stabilizer, namely lime and cement had been widely used to modify and stabilize the soil. Extensive studies were carried out by researchers to improve the effectiveness and cost-benefit of stabilizers by introducing various types of blended lime and cement. Unconfined compressive test (UCT), one of the...

Thermal pretreatment is a method for sludge disintegration in order to improve the hydrolysis process before it proceeds to the anaerobic digestion. This method improved the organic and solid solubilisation and increased the bioavailability subsequently. This study aims to investigate the impacts of low thermal pretreatment on domestic sewage sludg...

The soil-contaminated areas can be cleaned-up by the emerging science and technology of bioremediation. This study aims to investigate the survival of Pseudomonas putida (P. putida) as biodegradable agent in soil contaminated with biodiesel/diesel blends (B5). The spillage simulation of B5 was conducted at laboratory scale for 24 days of treatment....

Controlling time and cost overrun of construction projects is very crucial in achieving successful completion of any projects. Unfortunately, construction industry today is facing a major risk in achieving completion of project within estimated time and cost. This risk is caused by various factors. Aiming to treat this problem, this study presents...

Lime is widely used as chemical stabilizer in soft soil stabilization. However, lime is reported to be less effective when dealing with organic soil. It is believed that the organic matter in the soil will retard the pozzolanic reaction which is responsible for strength enhancement. The heterogeneity nature of the organic matter in the soil makes t...

There have been so many ongoing disputes on different approaches to teaching grammar. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of teaching grammar using Gass comprehended Input technique (GCI) (1997) (implicit) and to explore the undergraduates' perception on the GCI technique. The respondents consisted of 30 undergraduates' who are currently...

Soil contamination has become a major problem because of the large amounts of man made pollutants and chemicals that have been put into the environment. This study aims to determine the growth rate of Pseudomonas putida to treat soil that has been contaminated with pure biodiesel, B100. The effectiveness on bioremediation have been conducted by exa...

This paper outlined the important role played by public transport to meet the demand of business and social life. The paper reviewed the type of bus services, quality of service in the bus operation that influences the passenger decision and also the role of bus provider and bus driver. An improved understanding of the bus operation is important fo...

The commercialization of biodiesel/diesel blends on the market can cause environmental damages due to spills. This study aims to investigate the effectiveness of Pseudomonas putida as oil-biodegradable agent in soil contaminated with biodiesel/diesel blend (B20). The effectiveness on bioremediation have been conducted by examined several physico-ch...

Soils are increasingly threatened by spillage of petroleum products such as petrol, diesel fuel, gasoline at oil refineries, underground storage tanks and pump stations pipelines. This study aims to investigate the effectiveness of Pseudomonas putida as oil-biodegradable agent in soil contaminated with diesel (D100). The effectiveness on bioremedia...

This paper focused on examining the effect of various factors on budget overrun in construction projects undertaken using management procurement method in Malaysia. It adopted a quantitative method for data collection using structured questionnaire survey amongst contractors, consultant and clients. A total of 118 samples were collected against 200...

Organic content in soil is believed to inhibit formation of reaction products in lime stabilization which resulted in low gain of strength when dealing with organic soils. Zeolite, a kind of pozzolan with high CEC capacity is proposed to be use in this study in order to improve lime stabilization of organic soil. The effectiveness of blended lime z...

Lime, a traditional calcium based stabilizer, had been widely used in chemical stabilization to improve the strength of soil. Past researches had shown that the major reaction product of lime and soil such as Calcium Silicate Hydrate (CSH) was formed abundantly under the observation of microscopic studies. However, sometimes it will be quite diffic...

This study investigates the deflection of reinforced concrete half-slab. The main objective of this study is to design grade 40 self compacting concrete (SCC40) and study the deflection on the half-slab specimen. Another objective is to compare the deflection with Standard Code of Practice. Silica fume and steel fibre were used to enhance the stren...

This paper summarizes the achievements of a long term research programme focused on the exploitation of solid wastes in construction. The objective of the research programme is to develop an environmental-friendly and economical process for the exploitation of solid wastes in construction. The solid wastes experimented include fly ash, timber indus...

Organic soil is always known as problematic soil because of its engineering properties are inferior from other soft soils and/or because its behaviour may deviate from traditional rules of soil behaviour which makes it difficult to predict and design. Considerable research has been carried out over the years on organic soils, particularly peat soil...

The increasing demand for specialised instruction or lexis for Non-Native English Speakers (NNES) in various disciplines has brought about extensive research of specialized vocabulary in academic texts which help learners to make acquainted with their discourse communities. The word list which consists of the most essential words or known as "build...

Poor cost performance in construction project is a common problem worldwide resulting in significant amount of cost overrun. This led us to explore the major contributors of cost overrun and propose mitigation measures to control cost overrun factors. Since, there were very few studies on cost issues in construction projects in Malaysia, hence this...

Once a construction projects fails in achieving effective cost performance, it will result to cost overrun. These overruns are caused from several factors which are very important to uncover for improving the cost performance. In Malaysia, not many research works have been carried out on studying cost performance factors. Hence, this study was cond...

Johore, the southern part of west peninsular Malaysia is found to be rich in peat soil, especially at the Pontian & Batu Pahat district. The physico-chemical properties of the peat soil at the region had been extensively studied by various researches but limited studies were based on the interface layer of peat soil and non organic soil. The behavi...

Organic soil is always known as problematic soil because of its engineering properties are inferior from other soft soils and/or because its behaviour may deviate from traditional rules of soil behaviour which makes it difficult to predict and design. Considerable research has been carried out over the years on organic soils, particularly peat soil...

The success of any construction project highly depends on how proper and effective the management of construction resources flow. Studies show that various resources factors affected cost management and have resulted to significant amount of cost overrun worldwide. However, a few investigations had been carried out in Malaysia regarding the effect...

Construction resources are fundamental requirement for any construction project for achieving project completion within estimated budget. Construction resources comprise of material, manpower, machinery and money or finance resources. These resources have significant effect to construction cost performance and if not well managed will lead to cost...

Code-switching phenomenon can be said to be successful in bringing out the unique Malaysian communicative strategy in "Sepet", a locally produced motion picture written and directed by the late Yasmin Ahmad. The strategy used throughout the entire film is to put meaning across in a natural way and at the same time to maintain the cultural setting i...

13 14 Malaysia produces approximately 1.5 million cubic meters of rubber wood medium 15 density fiberboards (MDF) annually. During the manufacture of the fiberboards, the 16 floem (outer skin) of the rubber logs would be debarked and burnt. The ashes would 17 usually be disposed in landfills. The chemical constituents of the ashes would leach 18 an...

This is a research/review paper, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 Unported License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/), permitting all non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Abstract -Is writing an inborn or learned...

The demand for successful teaching depends on collective knowledge and richness of diverse perspectives which requires the need for collaboration and teamwork in all parts of organization. Hence, there has been a conscious movement towards building effective teams as a strategic vehicle for accomplishing work. This study explores the team norms in...

Knowledge of vocabulary is essential for the learning of a second language, as vocabulary is the building blocks for the language. Mastery of vocabulary is particularly important in the TOEFL tests especially in the reading component as it comprises approximately 25 percent of the entire reading test. Hence, this paper seeks to examine the most fre...

Kaolin is widely used in ceramic, paper, and pharmaceutical industries. The suitability use of kaolin in industries will depend on its physical and chemical properties. The physical and chemical composition of Kaolin is dependent on its geological origin, geographic source and processing. Processed kaolin available in the market is normally graded...

Kaolin is widely used in ceramic, paper, and pharmaceutical industries. The suitability use of kaolin in industries will depend on its physical and chemical properties. The physical and chemical composition of Kaolin is dependent on its geological origin, geographic source and processing. Processed kaolin available in the market is normally graded...

Kaolin is widely used in ceramic, paper, and pharmaceutical industries. The suitability use of kaolin in industries will depend on its physical and chemical properties. The physical and chemical composition of Kaolin is dependent on its geological origin, geographic source and processing. Processed kaolin available in the market is normally graded...

Kaolin is widely used in ceramic, paper, and pharmaceutical industries. The suitability use of kaolin in industries will depend on its physical and chemical properties. The physical and chemical composition of Kaolin is dependent on its geological origin, geographic source and processing. Processed kaolin available in the market is normally graded...

Yearly, the disposal of used tyres is a major environmental problem for countries all over the world. This causes environmental hazards such as uncontrolled fire, consume landfill space, breeding ground for mosquitoes and contaminating the soil and vegetation. Hence, urgent steps were identified to produce new methods of recycling the waste tyres t...

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are ubiquitous in the environment and cause great environmental concern because of their persistent, toxicity, mutagenicity and carcinogenicity. Therefore they are listed by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) as priority pollutants. The principle process for the successful removal and e...

Sampling of the Sembrong River over a 9-month period revealed maximum total aluminium (Al), ferum (Fe) and manganese (Mn) concentrations of 61.0, 33.0 and 1.5 mg/L, respectively, and pH as low as 2.5, making it one of the most metal- and acid-contaminated rivers in Malaysia. The river serves as a fresh water source to water treatment plants located...

This chapter describes the application of phytoremediation in removing heavy metals from contaminated soils. The types of crops used as well as the characteristics and application of sludge in Malaysia are described. The standards and regulations of sludge application are also discussed. The chapter gives a detailed discussion of principles of phyt...

Educational researchers globally have articulated high expectations for the utilization of computer in improving the teaching and learning of mathematics. The teaching and learning of geometry utilizing dynamic geometry softwares have been explicitly indicated in the Malaysian secondary school Mathematics syllabus. Teachers were recommended to util...

Learning mathematics is a major focus of educational institution at all levels. There is plenty of evidence that teaching secondary or college level mathematics with dynamic software can be effective, more efficient and above all it creates more enjoyable teaching and learning environment. Conceptually and pedagogically, technology-assisted learnin...

Arsenic, Lead and Cadmium were commonly found at industrial sites and turn out to be toxic at high concentrations. Two types of soil commonly found in Malaysia, namely meta sedimentary residual soil (RS) and soft soil (SS) were studied as an adsorbent for the removal of As, Pb and Cd. The physico-chemical properties and batch adsorption tests were...

Universiti Tenaga Nasional (UNITEN) is one of the first private universities in Malaysia which was established in 1997. Although relatively new in the education sector, UNITEN is able to perform at par or better in both academic and research. In 2007, UNITEN has developed a clear strategic direction in order to become a premier university in the ar...

Processing of palm oil fruit into palm oil produced high strength wastewater which is known as palm oil mill effluent (POME). POME contains high concentrations of chemical oxygen demand (COD), total solids (TS), and suspended solids (SS). Before POME can be discharged to the environment, it has to be treated to the level conforming to the discharge...

Calculus is most important subject for science and engineering students but phenomenally it is abstract, difficult and highly boring. Underpinning with in constructivism theories, problem-based learning (PBL) is one of student centred and active learning strategies or approach which can be used to improve students' interests and often lead to deep...