Journal of Recent Activities in Infrastructure Science

Evaluation of Nigeria’s Maritime Infrastructure and its Significance in the 21st Century

M. A. Imikan — 2026-03-12

Nigeria, with its extensive coastline along the Gulf of Guinea, possesses significant maritime endowments that position it as a pivotal nation in West African trade. Despite this inherent potential, the country’s economy remains predominantly reliant on oil and gas, underscoring an urgent need for diversification. This research provides a comprehensive analysis of Nigeria’s maritime infrastructure, its strategic importance in fostering economic diversification through the lens of the Blue Economy, and the multifaceted challenges impeding its sustainable growth. The analysis delves into the operational dynamics of major seaports, the impact of port concessioning, and the pervasive issues of maritime insecurity, infrastructural deficits and regulatory weaknesses. Content analysis was a reliable methodology used in the study to gather and synthesizing robust literature in a meaningful manner. It concludes by offering strategic policy implications and recommendations, emphasizing the imperative for integrated investments in modern infrastructure, robust digitalization, enhanced maritime security, targeted blue economy initiatives, and comprehensive governance reforms to unlock Nigeria’s full maritime potential and drive sustainable economic transformation.

Using Waste Materials in Construction: A Practical Approach to Sustainable Infrastructure

Mahadeva M. — 2026-02-03

The construction industry consumes vast natural resources while generating substantial waste, including plastics, fly ash, glass, rubber, and demolition debris, which exacerbate environmental pollution and landfill pressures. This paper reviews research and case studies demonstrating effective incorporation of these wastes into construction materials: fly ash replaces cement in concrete, plastic and rubber enhance asphalt flexibility, recycled concrete aggregates substitute natural stone, and agricultural residues form eco-bricks. Such innovations reduce virgin material demand, lower costs, minimize emissions, and advance circular economy principles while preserving structural performance and durability. Persistent barriers include inconsistent waste quality, lack of standardized guidelines, limited awareness, and durability concerns. Ongoing research, policy frameworks, and industry collaboration offer pathways to widespread adoption for greener, resilient infrastructure.

Dimensionless Analysis and Scaling of Helical Piles Using the Buckingham Pi Theorem

Md.Moktadiur Rahaman Lemon — 2026-01-02

Helical piles are widely used in modern foundation engineering due to their high load-bearing efficiency and suitability across diverse soil conditions. However, due to the complex interaction that exists between the geometries of the pile and soil, scaling the behavior of helical piles from the laboratory model to full-scale applications remains a dominant challenge. This study applies the Buckingham Pi theorem to develop a dimensionless framework for scaling helical piles that enables the consistent replication of prototype behavior in reduced-scale models. Eleven geometric, material, and loading parameters were identified as key parameters and transformed to eight independent dimensionless Π-terms, which control the load–settlement response of helical piles. Using these Π-terms, a theoretical scaling law was established to relate the prototype and laboratory-scale models by geometric, load, and settlement similitude. The proposed methodology was then validated through model preparation and load-scaling analysis for both cohesive and cohesionless soils. The results from the dimensionless approach indicate an accurate preservation of the physical behavior of helical piles across scales, thus ensuring reliable prediction of load capacity and settlement. This research provides a systematic and cost-effective framework for model testing; offering engineers a robust tool for analyzing and optimizing helical pile performance under varying soil conditions.

Imambaras Beyond Capitals: Sacred Memory, Vernacular Patronage, and Ritual Landscapes in Northern and Eastern Bengal

Nasrin Akhter — 2026-03-07

This study examines a network of Shi‘i imambaras across Bengal—Mirzapur (Panchagarh), Shal Bari (Thakurgaon), Murli (Jessore), Sat Rawza (Dhaka), and Husaini Dalan (Dhaka)—as interconnected sacred-memory landscapes that extend beyond royal capitals and elite monumental centers. While scholarship on South Asian Shi‘i architecture has focused primarily on Awadh and major urban complexes, Bengal preserves a dispersed constellation of ritual sites where patronage, governance, and embodied mourning practices sustain long-term communal memory. Drawing on theories of ritual space, cultural memory, and Islamic architectural patronage, this study proposes a triadic framework: ritual repetition, inscription of patronage, and governance continuity. Through comparative analysis, the study demonstrates that the durability of imambara landscapes depends less on architectural scale than on institutional mechanisms that embed ritual within everyday urban and rural life. The northern vernacular imambaras reveal how localized patronage networks maintain Muharram performance across peripheral geographies, while Dhaka’s ceremonial complexes illustrate the urban consolidation of Shi‘i memory in plural religious environments. Taken together, these cases argue for a re-scaling of Shi‘i architectural history in Bengal, foregrounding distributed ritual infrastructures that function as enduring archives of grief, authority, and communal belonging.

Leveraging Smartphone Sensors and GIS for Pavement Condition Assessment: A Case Study of Roads in Kathmandu Valley, Nepal

Smriti Pandeya — 2026-01-02

Rapid urbanization and inadequate maintenance have caused significant deterioration of asphalt concrete roads across Nepal, particularly in the Kathmandu Valley. Conventional road condition assessment techniques such as bump integrators and laser profilers are accurate but often expensive, time consuming and labor-intensive, making them impractical for frequent pavement evaluations under budget constraints. This study evaluates the road condition of selected road sections in the Kathmandu Valley using smartphone-based International Roughness Index (IRI) measurements obtained through the RoadRoid application and estimates the corresponding Pavement Condition Index (PCI). Six selected road sections across the Kathmandu valley covering a total of 52.5 km were surveyed. The geo-referenced IRI data collected from RoadRoid were categorized into standard pavement condition classes (Good, Acceptable, Poor, and Very Poor), and visualized in spatial maps prepared using Quantum Geographic Information System (QGIS) software. PCI values were estimated through a regression model developed in a prior study to compare traditional and smartphone-based assessments. Spatial visualization confirmed strong alignment between IRI-based and PCI-based maps, demonstrating that higher IRI values correspond to lower PCI scores in most of the sections. Moreover, Lane-wise correlation analysis was performed between selected road sections which indicated variability in roughness between lanes and suggested the need for separate lane evaluation. Overall, this study validates that the smartphone-based IRI measurements integrated with Geographic Information Systems (GIS) can be a reliable and affordable approach for pavement status assessment and maintenance prioritization especially in a resource constrained country like Nepal.