Babatunde Abiodun Salami

Cardiff Metropolitan University | cardiffmet · Cardiff School of Management

This paper investigates and presents a study on the comparative effects of added water and naphthalene-based superplasticizer (SP) on the compressive strength and microstructure of the developedpalm oil fuel ash engineered geopolymer composites (POFA-EGC). Three differently prepared50 mm50 mm50 mm specimens (with 10% water, with 10% SP and with 5%...

The chemical constituents of precursor materials, the composition and concentration of alkaline activators, volume of free water, and curing conditions are some of the mix design variables that influence the fresh and hardened properties of alkali-activated binders (AABs). To achieve desirable engineering properties and long-term performance of an...

The construction industry is one of the most dangerous industries worldwide due to deadly fatalities and accidents recorded yearly. Though many countries have established and implemented safety programs, the situation does not seem to have been mitigated. This study aims at developing a risk assessment approach that can be used to enhance the safet...

Purpose-The construction industry in emerging economies have suffered from productivity issues related to poor resource management as a result of theft. Therefore, this study aims to carry out an exploratory factor analysis of the key causes of theft in the construction industry in Nigeria. Design/methodology/approach-The methodology entailed a rev...

Reliable energy demand estimation and optimal sizing of a stand-alone photovoltaic/wind/battery hybrid energy system are critical for achieving sustainable development goals. This study presents a hybridized design of an off-grid multi-region energy system to reduce the total annual cost of the system based on a genetic algorithm. A stand-alone ker...

Several obstacles impede renewable energy penetration into the global energy sector. Amongst the apparent challenges which require credible research attention, is the selection of appropriate energy storage technologies in the context of intermittent renewable resources and frequent grid outages. Given these, the present study investigated the tech...

This study explores the enhanced performance and sustainability of polymer enhanced concrete, focusing on polymer concrete (PC) by incorporating synthetic polymers, including polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, and polyvinyl chloride. Distinguished by synthetic polymeric binders, PC demonstrates superior attributes, such as improved strength-...

The primary concern for the durability of ordinary Portland cement concrete is the breakdown of calcium silicate hydrate (C-S-H) formed during hydration when exposed to sulfate environments. The disintegration mechanisms of the binder structure in alkali-activated concrete (AAC) derived from aluminosiliceous precursors may vary, owing to the distin...

This study introduces a novel methodology for enhancing the compressive strength of self-compacting concrete (SCC) via the use of the Explainable Boosting Machine (EBM), a sophisticated and interpretable machine learning algorithm. It presents a data-driven model that aims to accurately predict the strength of SCC by considering the intricate inter...

Large Language Models (LLMs) trained on large data sets came into prominence in 2018 after Google introduced BERT. Subsequently, different LLMs such as GPT models from OpenAI have been released. These models perform well on diverse tasks and have been gaining widespread applications in fields such as business and education. However, little is known...

Abstract The construction industry is a vital sector of the global economy, but it faces many productivity challenges in various processes, such as design, planning, procurement, inspection, and maintenance. Generative artificial intelligence (AI), which can create novel and realistic data or content, such as text, image, video, or code, based on...

Computer aid models such as machine learning (ML) are massively observed to be successfully applied in different engineering-related domains. The current research was designed to predict the thermo-economic performances of hybrid organic Rankine plants. The XGBoost optimization algorithm was used to select the influencing parameters for the plant's...

MXenes, the largest and most diverse group of emerging two-dimensional materials, have potentials across multiple applications. The increasing attention is driven by the fascinating tunable surface properties, and synergetic chemistry facilitated by the presence of multiple chemical bonds dominated by covalent and metallic bonds between transition...

The study presents a sophisticated hybrid machine learning methodology tailored for predicting energy loads in occupied buildings. Leveraging eight pivotal input features-building compactness, surface area, wall area, roof area, overall height, orientation, glazing area, and glazing area distribution-we elucidate the intricate relationships between...

This paper presents the challenges and options for reducing GHG emissions in the cement sector in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and analyses short- and long-run causal relationships between emissions from cement production and their key factors through developing a Vector Error Correction Model (VECM). The cement industry in the KSA has been ex...

The potential of phase change materials (PCM) as a thermal energy storage medium in buildings has been widely discussed. However, the possible leakage of melted PCM into construction material matrix could have deleterious effects on some of the intrinsic properties of these materials. To prevent this, PCM is microencapsulated in micron size shells...

In this first of a two-part review, this review discusses the potential of graphene to be utilized as a reinforcing filler in cementitious composite to enhance their functional performance. The incorporation of graphene into concrete can address issues such as brittleness, low tensile strength, and permeability. Graphene offers great potential as a...

In this innovative research, we've utilized advanced machine learning techniques to predict the Compressive Strength (CS) of blended concrete, considering its composition and curing age. Our study examines several models including XGBoost, Decision Trees (DT), Deep Neural Networks (DNN), and Linear Regression (LR). 🥇 Among the studied models, XGBo...

The most crucial mechanical property of concrete is compression strength (CS). Insufficient compressive strength can therefore result in severe failure, which can be beyond repair. Therefore, predicting concrete strength accurately and early is a key challenge for researchers and concrete designers. High-strength concrete (HSC) is an extremely comp...

Large Language Models(LLMs) trained on large data sets came into prominence in 2018 after Google introduced BERT. Subsequently, different LLMs such as GPT models from OpenAI have been released. These models perform well on diverse tasks and have been gaining widespread applications in fields such as business and education. However, little is known...

Due to the significant energy and economic losses brought on by the global oil spill, there has been an increased interest in oil-water separation. This study presents strong non-linear machine learning models (support vector regression (SVR) and Gaussian process regression (GPR)) with the Response surface method (RSM) to predict the oil flux and o...

A concrete composition that includes (i) a treated palm oil fuel ash, wherein the treated palm oil fuel ash is the only binder present, (ii) a fine aggregate, (iii) a coarse aggregate, and (iv) an alkali activator containing an aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide and sodium silicate. A cured concrete made from the concrete composition is also disc...

A concrete composition that includes (i) a treated palm oil fuel ash, wherein the treated palm oil fuel ash is the only binder present, (ii) a fine aggregate, (iii) a coarse aggregate, and (iv) an alkali activator containing an aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide and sodium silicate. A cured concrete made from the concrete composition is also disc...

A mortar composition, which includes (i) a treated palm oil fuel ash, wherein the treated palm oil fuel ash is the only binder present, (ii) a fine aggregate, (iii) an alkali activator containing an aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide and sodium silicate, and (iv) aluminum hydroxide as a strength enhancer. A cured mortar made from the mortar compo...

A concrete composition that includes (i) a treated palm oil fuel ash, wherein the treated palm oil fuel ash is the only binder present, (ii) a fine aggregate, (iii) a coarse aggregate, and (iv) an alkali activator containing an aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide and sodium silicate. A cured concrete made from the concrete composition is also disc...

A concrete composition that includes (i) a treated palm oil fuel ash, wherein the treated palm oil fuel ash is the only binder present, (ii) a fine aggregate, (iii) a coarse aggregate, and (iv) an alkali activator containing an aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide and sodium silicate. A cured concrete made from the concrete composition is also disc...

In this article, detailed trials were undertaken to study the variation in genetic parameters in order to formulate more robust predictive models using gene expression programming (GEP) and multigene expression programming (MEP) for computing the swelling pressure of expansive soils (P s-ES). A total of 200 datasets with ten input parameters (i.e.,...

The present application is a Continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 16/533,014, having a filing date of Aug. 6, 2019, now U.S. Pat. No. 11,174,202, the entire contents of which is incorporated herein by reference.

Utilization of recycled aggregate (RA) and recycled concrete powder (RCP) from the construction and demolition waste (CDW) has multiple advantages including; preservation of sources of natural aggregates, conserve acres of land currently being used as landfills and contribute towards sustainably built environment. Especially, partially replacing ce...

Industrial symbiosis (IS) involves sharing waste, by-products, heat, and logistics streams. Participating entities are benefitted by reducing resource utilization and waste disposal cost, improving reuse, and creating job opportunities. Hence, countries have used it to ensure clean and sustainable economic growth. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA)...

The present application is a Continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 16/522,200, pending, having a filing date of Jul. 25, 2019, now U.S. Pat. No. 11,168,027.

The development of sustainable, environmentally friendly alkali-activated binder has emerged as an alternative to ordinary Portland cement. The engineering and durability properties of alkali-activated binder using various precursor combinations have been investigated; however, no study has focused on the impact of high-volume natural pozzolan (NP)...

The corrosion of steel reinforcement necessitates regular maintenance and repair of a variety of reinforced concrete structures. Retrofitting of beams, joints, columns, and slabs frequently involves the use of fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) laminates. In order to develop simple prediction models for calculating the interfacial bond strength (IBS) o...

Alkali-activated concrete (AAC) or binders (AABs) have emerged as a substitute to conventional ordinary Portland cement (OPC)–based concrete owing to their techno-ecological merits. Saudi Arabia has vast resources of natural pozzolan whose impact on some fresh and hardened properties was encouraging; however, the long-term shrinkage behavior of AAB...

Palm oil fuel ash (POFA) is a noxious agricultural waste with considerable disposal challenges. Being a pozzolanic material, the bulk of generated POFA materials is used in the construction industry. Recently, its utilization in wastewater treatment is receiving increased attention. POFA is a silica-rich material with poor surface property. Its val...

The depletion of natural resources of river sand and its availability issues as a construction material compelled the researchers to use manufactured sand. This study investigates the compressive strength of concrete made of manufactured sand as a partial replacement of normal sand. The prediction model, i.e., gene expression programming (GEP), was...

Foamed concrete is special not only in terms of its unique properties, but also in terms of its challenging compositional mixture design, which necessitates multiple experimental trials before obtaining the desired property like compressive strength. Regardless of design challenges, artificial intelligence techniques have shown to be useful in reli...

Stabilized aggregate bases are vital for the long-term service life of pavements. Their stiffness is comparatively higher; therefore, the inclusion of stabilized materials in the construction of bases prevents the cracking of the asphalt layer. The effect of wet–dry cycles (WDCs) on the resilient modulus (Mr) of subgrade materials stabilized with C...

Coal mining waste in the form of coal gangue (CG) was established recently as a potential fill material in earthworks. To ascertain this potential, this study forecasts the strength and California Bearing Ratio (CBR) characteristics of chemically stabilized CG by deploying two widely used artificial intelligence approaches, i.e., artificial neural...

An accurate calculation of the flexural capacity of flexural members is vital for the safe and economical design of FRP reinforced structures. The existing empirical models are not accurately calculating the flexural capacity of beams and columns. This study investigated the estimation of the flexural capacity of beams using non-linear capabilities...

Water and wastewater treatment applications stand to benefit immensely from the design and development of new materials based on silica nanoparticles and their derivatives. Nanosilica possesses unique properties, including low toxicity, chemical inertness, and excellent biocompatibility, and can be developed from a variety of sustainable precursor...

Rebars made of fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP) might be the future reinforcing material, replacing mild steel rebars, which are prone to corrosion. The bond characteristics of FRP rebars differ from those of mild steel rebars due to their different stress-strain behavior than mild steel. As a result, determining the bond strength (BS) qualities of F...

Cement production is one of the major sources of decomposition of carbonates leading to the emission of carbon dioxide. Researchers have proven that incorporating industrial wastes is of paramount significance for producing green concrete due to the benefits of reducing cement production. The compressive strength of concrete is an imperative parame...

The construction industry is one of the most hazardous industries globally. Falls at height due to scaffolding accidents has consistently ranked as one of the most prevalent accidents in the industry. Though safety programs to mitigate these hazards have been implemented in many countries, this is not the case in developing countries like Nigeria....

Lithium batteries are increasingly used to store energy, but are limited by high cost, safety concerns, leaking of electrolytes, and low capacity. Recently, cement-based batteries have emerged as a viable alternative to lithium batteries. Indeed, the porous structure of cement and cement microcracks provide routes for ionic solutions to pass throug...

Globally, there has been a lack of sustained efforts by different industries to decarbonize the environment. Research on building materials has focused on the synthesis of alternative cement-free binders utilizing industrial by-products and natural materials to reduce greenhouse gases generated from cement production. Alkali-activated binder (AAB)...

The development of self-compacting alkali-activated concrete (SCAAC) has become a hot topic in the scientific community; however, most of the existing literature focuses on the utilization of fly ash (FA), ground blast furnace slag (GBFS), silica fume (SF), and rice husk ash (RHA) as the binder. In this study, both the experimental and theoretical...

In recent years, bacteria-based self-healing concrete has been widely exploited to improve the compressive strength of concrete using different bacterial species. However, both the identification of the optimal involved reaction parameters and theoretical framework information are still limited. In the present study, both experimentally and numeric...

Concrete produced with ordinary Portland cement (OPC) along with insertion of supplementary materials increases the level of nonlinearity. Due to this increased non-linearity and difficulty in modeling numerically, the focus has increased on the exploration of computational intelligent models like artificial neural network (ANN) to estimate differe...

Although the synthesis and properties of natural pozzolan (NP)-based alkali-activated binder (AAB) have been investigated, to the best of our knowledge, no study has focused on and assessed the performance of such concrete when exposed to acid attack. In addition, there is a lack of information regarding the optimisation of reaction parameters. The...

This study explores the measures that construction businesses are putting in place to mitigate the risks of litigation associated with potential contract breaches due to COVID-19. Field study and survey research was used to accumulate data for the preliminary study phase, whose results were used in the construction of the research questionnaire to...

Ternary-blend concrete is a complex composite material, and the nonlinearity in its compressive strength behavior is unquestionable. Entirely many models have been developed to accurately predict the ternary-blend concrete compressive strength, such as ANN, SVM, random forest, decision tree, to mention but a few. This study underscores the better p...

We consider a swelling porous-elastic system with viscoelastic damping and delay feedbacks acting on the fluid equation. Using the multiplier method and under the well-known assumption on the weight of delay term, we unexpectedly establish a general decay result without imposing the usual condition of equal wave speeds of the system, unlike the cas...

The impact of microbial calcium carbonate on concrete strength has been extensively evaluated in the literature. However, there is no predicted equation for the compressive strength of concrete incorporating ureolytic bacteria. Therefore, in the present study, 69 experimental tests were taken into account to introduce a new predicted mathematical f...

Purpose: The outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic has tested the resilience of the construction industry, putting the safety of workers and overall businesses at risk. This study explores the different strategies adopted by construction companies to protect the health and wellbeing of employees, security of the construction sites and projects, and keep th...

Bio-inspired self-healing of concrete cracks has been widely exploited to improve concrete properties and thus increase concrete life span using different bacterial species in recent years. The most common bacterial species found in the present literature are B. sphaericus, Sporosarcina pasteurii, Spore-forming alkali-resistant bacteria, B. megater...

The paper reports the outcome of the research work on mechanical and microstructural changes to palm oil fuel ash engineered alkali-activated cementitious composite (POFA-EACC) mortar exposed to different levels elevated temperatures (300-900°C) for 2 h. POFA-EACC mortar utilised in the study was prepared from POFA activated with liquid sodium sili...

A concrete composition that includes (i) a treated palm oil fuel ash, wherein the treated palm oil fuel ash is the only binder present, (ii) a fine aggregate, (iii) a coarse aggregate, and (iv) an alkali activator containing an aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide and sodium silicate. A cured concrete made from the concrete composition is also disc...

Novel use of palm oil fuel ash (POFA), a waste from palm oil mills in the development of mortar for structural applications. Strength enhancer, Al(OH)3 was added to increase its strength.

A method of demulsifying an emulsion of oil and water whereby palm oil fuel ash, which is a low cost waster product obtained from oil palm processing, is added to the emulsion and the resulting mixture is agitated, thereby breaking the emulsion into an aqueous phase and an oil phase. Solid particles of palm oil fuel ash settle to the bottom of the...

Corrosion initiation time of embedded steel is an important service life parameter, which depends on concrete material make-up, exposure environment, and duration of exposure. Early and accurate determination of corrosion initiation time will aid in designing durable reinforced concrete, saves cost and time. This study leveraged on the power of ens...

The petroleum industry is greatly in need of smart and cheap demulsifiers to break heavy crude oil emulsions. This study investigates the performance of palm oil fuel ash (POFA) as a demulsifier of crude oil emulsions produced during hydrocarbon exploration. Highly stable water-in-oil (W/O) emulsions having water:oil ratio of 7:3 were prepared unde...