Ruben Paul Borg | University of Malta (original) (raw)
Papers by Ruben Paul Borg
The seismic risk is Malta is perceived to be low, and no significant events have been recorded in... more The seismic risk is Malta is perceived to be low, and no significant events have been recorded in recent years. In 1693, a major earthquake struck about 170 kilometres from Malta, devastating south-eastern Sicily, and causing serious damage in buildings in Malta with historical records of significant damage in Mdina but also in Valletta, Rabat and elsewhere.Research suggests that a similar earthquake on the same fault could occur every few hundred years. The present study is part of a wider research initiative in Malta focusing on the vulnerability of buildings to seismic activity including the vulnerability of unreinforced masonry buildings, their characteristics contributing to seismic vulnerability and their effect on the adjacent structures. [excerpt]peer-reviewe
Significant waste is generated by the construction industry. 34.7% of all EU28 waste is generated... more Significant waste is generated by the construction industry. 34.7% of all EU28 waste is generated by the construction sector leading to ca 28% of all CO2 emissions. Construction and Demolition Waste (CDW) varies depending on the type of project, for example civil engineering works and infrastructure as against buildings. It includes materials such as masonry blocks, concrete, tiles and ceramics.N/
The correlation between vulnerability and environmental threats in islands, depends on the geogra... more The correlation between vulnerability and environmental threats in islands, depends on the geographical conditions of specific islands rather than on general assumptions. It is therefore assumed that different island communities may develop different socio-environmental dynamics depending on the ordinary context they live up to everyday, which would determine their resilience to real and perceived risks.peer-reviewe
The marble production industry generates a considerable amount of waste materials in Libya. Waste... more The marble production industry generates a considerable amount of waste materials in Libya. Waste is generated in the mining, processing and polishing stages. The processing wastes are dumped, with a negative impact on the environment. However there is potential in the reuse of marble waste, particularly in the manufacture of concrete products. This study was conducted to investigate the influence of marble powder (MP), as a partial cement replacement in self-compacting concrete (SCC). Several SCC mixes were prepared with varying replacement of cement with MP. The properties of fresh SCC were determined through the slump flow, + T50 time, V-funnel, J-ring and L-box tests. In addition, hardened concrete properties including compressive strength, density, Young's modulus, stress-strain curve and Poison's ratio after 28 and 90-days were assessed. Results show that the fresh properties of SCC with MP cement replacement of up to 50% were in good agreement with specifications. As ...
CABARET (Capacity Building in Asia for Resilience EducaTion) is a co-funded by an EU Erasmus+ pro... more CABARET (Capacity Building in Asia for Resilience EducaTion) is a co-funded by an EU Erasmus+ programme project run for three years and led by the University of Huddersfield’s Global Disaster Resilience Centre, based in the UK. They are joined by a group of experts from a consortium of 14 European and Asian higher education institutions from Bulgaria, Indonesia, Latvia, the Maldives, Malta, Myanmar, the Philippines, Spain, Sri Lanka, and the United Kingdom. The Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (IOC-UNESCO), the Asian Disaster Preparedness Centre and the Federation of Sri Lankan Local Government Authorities are Associate Partners helping to promote the benefits across Asia and beyond. http://cabaret.buildresilience.org/images/CABARET_flyer.pdf CABARET emphasises the role of Higher Education in supporting global priorities and targets on disaster risk reduction. The project provides capacity development to support regional cooperation on multi-hazard early warning ...
Considering that coastal hazards are trans-boundary in nature, the underlying objective of CABARE... more Considering that coastal hazards are trans-boundary in nature, the underlying objective of CABARET Project (CApacity Building in Asia for Resilience EducaTion) is to foster regional cooperation for more effective multi-hazard early warning (MHEW) as a mitigation measure and to increase disaster resilience among coastal communities.peer-reviewe
Events such as the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami highlighted the trans-boundary nature of some coasta... more Events such as the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami highlighted the trans-boundary nature of some coastal hazards and the importance of regional cooperation. Inter and Intra regional cooperation were addressed within the CABARET project Work Package 5, with the aim of addressing capacity building in the region. The main objective was to develop a capacity building road-map based on inter and intra regional cooperation as a means to improve multi-hazard early warning systems and disaster resilience (MHEW) among coastal communities in South-East Asia.peer-reviewe
University of Malta. Junior College, 2020
The development of concrete in the 19 th & 20 th centuries led to new possibilities and advanceme... more The development of concrete in the 19 th & 20 th centuries led to new possibilities and advancement in construction. Concrete was exploited to address the postwar needs for economical and faster construction. Significant reinforced concrete structures are recognized as cultural heritage. Long term durability problems present conservation challenges and the understanding of failure mechanisms is fundamental for restoration. The diagnosis of historic structures, materials investigation, monitoring and assessment are important steps towards the understanding of deterioration and appraisal of concrete heritage. Long-term effects of conservation and repair also need to be considered. The assessment of concrete heritage is addressed through military and industrial heritage concrete structures in Malta, including coastal structures in aggressive environments. A methodology for appraisal is proposed taking into consideration materials and structural performance and degradation mechanisms.
An international scientific conference organised by the Seismic Monitoring and Research Unit, Dep... more An international scientific conference organised by the Seismic Monitoring and Research Unit, Department of Geoscience, Faculty of Science, Department of Civil and Structural Engineering and Department of Construction and Property Management, Faculty of the Built Environment, University of Malta.
The built environment has evolved to frame and facilitate nearly all human activities. Simultaneo... more The built environment has evolved to frame and facilitate nearly all human activities. Simultaneously, its constant expansion has become more and more harmful to the natural environment. In order to turn the global trends toward the optimistic transition scenario of the sustainable development, the built environment needs to be rethought. The construction and building sector play a key role in creating a better future. This publication is the Proceedings of the Final Conference of the COST Action C25. The Action C25 'Sustainability of Constructions - Integrated Approach to Life-time Structural Engineering' was established to promote science- and research-based approaches for life-cycle building technologies.
The potential for passive cooling of roof slabs incorporating an air cavity is important with res... more The potential for passive cooling of roof slabs incorporating an air cavity is important with respect to thermal comfort. Roof systems in traditional buildings, incorporated a ventilated roof or an air cavity. The concept has been proposed again in contemporary buildings in the construction of roof slabs, using a modular formwork system, where the cast in situ concrete slab is isolated from the screed with the introduction of a ventilated air space. The cavity is primarily intended to curtail the conduction and inward radiation of heat from the intense solar insolation on the concrete roof. An experimental investigation was conducted for summer and winter conditions, where a traditional monolithic slab and a slab incorporating a cavity were analysed. Results indicated that during the cold season, a ventilated cavity looses more heat to the outdoor environment, and is ideally unventilated. It was revealed that in summer the ventilated cavity reduces heat transfer in the flat roofs, i...
IABSE Symposium, Guimarães 2019: Towards a Resilient Built Environment Risk and Asset Management, 2019
In the framework of H2020, the European Commission recently funded the project ReSHEALience (www.... more In the framework of H2020, the European Commission recently funded the project ReSHEALience (www.uhdc.eu). The main idea behind the project is that the long-term behaviour of structures under extremely aggressive exposure conditions can highly benefit from the use of high performance materials, in the framework of durability-based design approaches. The project consortium, coordinated by Politecnico di Milano, features 14 partners from 8 different countries, including 6 academic/research institutions and 8 industrial partners, covering the whole value chain from producers of concrete constituents to construction companies to stake-holders and end-users. The main goals of the project are the development (a) of an Ultra High Durability Concrete (UHDC) and (b) a Durability Assessment-based Design (DAD) methodology to improve structure durability and predict long-term performance under Extremely Aggressive Exposures (EAE). The project will tailor the composition of UHDC, by upgrading th...
IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering, 2018
2016 16th International Conference on Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR), 2016
International Journal of Sustainable Materials and Structural Systems, 2016
High level of total cholesterol, more importantly low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, is t... more High level of total cholesterol, more importantly low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, is the major risk factors in coronary heart disease. Clinical trials have demonstrated that the increase in plasma LDL levels and oxygen derived free radicals have been implicated in the early development and progression of atherosclerosis. Vegetable oils are used for cooking foods by many ethnic groups. A fear and controversies have been created in the public that consumption of certain vegetable oils causes atherogenesis. Hence, the present study is designed to evaluate the effect of vegetable oils such as coconut, sunflower, palm, olive oil and vanaspati on lipid profile and antioxidant status using rat model. Reference dose of different vegetable oils were administered once daily for 90 days. Results indicate that, in all the vegetable oil treated groups, a decline of antioxidant status associated with an increase in lipid peroxidation was observed. Furthermore, total cholesterol was found to be elevated in all groups. Among the vegetable oils treated groups, coconut oil was found be comparatively better. This conclusion was made based on the non-significant mild elevation of peroxidation and the benefit of increase in high density lipoprotein (HDL).
Summary report of the cooperative activities of the Cost Action C25 : Sustainability of construct... more Summary report of the cooperative activities of the Cost Action C25 : Sustainability of constructions. Integrated approach towards sustainable constructions
International Journal of Architectural Heritage, 2013
The Abruzzo earthquake hit the city of L'Aqui... more The Abruzzo earthquake hit the city of L'Aquila and its surroundings on the 6 April 2009. The aim of this paper is to analyze the technical features of UnReinforced Masonry (URM) buildings and assess their seismic behaviour during the Abruzzo 2009 seismic event. The damage induced in the URM constructions of L'Aquila and the suburbs was severe and several such
Applied Mechanics and Materials, 2011
The main objective of the international research project (COST C26 Action, Chairman F.M. Mazzolan... more The main objective of the international research project (COST C26 Action, Chairman F.M. Mazzolani) dealing with “Urban Habitat Constructions under Catastrophic Events” (2006 – 2010) was to increase the knowledge on the behaviour of constructions located in urban habitat and subjected to both natural and/or man-made catastrophic events, such as earthquakes, fire, wind storms, heavy snow loading, gas explosions, accidental impact from vehicles out of control and occasionally due to bomb blasts during terrorist attacks. In this view, it has been planned to define suitable tools for predicting the ultimate response of such constructions under extreme conditions, occurring when both loading and structural resistance are combined in such a way to reduce the safety level below acceptable values. In addition, the preparation of ad-hoc guidelines for damage prevention as well as for repairing of constructions hit by the above situations is planned. Twenty-three European Countries are partic...
The paper discusses the utilisation of a by-product specifically a fly ash sourced from a landfil... more The paper discusses the utilisation of a by-product specifically a fly ash sourced from a landfill where it had been dumped over a period of several years. The fly ash had been produced from a coal burning power plant in Malta and landfilled in disused quarries in Bengħisa. The landfilled fly ash deposit dumped in the quarries is considered as an environmental hazard. The research addresses the potential use of the fly ash for recycling in the production of cement based materials particularly repair mortars. The paper presents the design and testing of repair mortars in which the fly ash is used as a partial replacement of cement. In order to improve the environmental resistance, the performance of the material with the addition of a crystalline admixture was assessed. The stabilisation of the fly ash in the mixture was verified through the assessment of physical-mechanical properties and through a microscopic examination of the microstructure of the mortar.peer-reviewe
The seismic risk is Malta is perceived to be low, and no significant events have been recorded in... more The seismic risk is Malta is perceived to be low, and no significant events have been recorded in recent years. In 1693, a major earthquake struck about 170 kilometres from Malta, devastating south-eastern Sicily, and causing serious damage in buildings in Malta with historical records of significant damage in Mdina but also in Valletta, Rabat and elsewhere.Research suggests that a similar earthquake on the same fault could occur every few hundred years. The present study is part of a wider research initiative in Malta focusing on the vulnerability of buildings to seismic activity including the vulnerability of unreinforced masonry buildings, their characteristics contributing to seismic vulnerability and their effect on the adjacent structures. [excerpt]peer-reviewe
Significant waste is generated by the construction industry. 34.7% of all EU28 waste is generated... more Significant waste is generated by the construction industry. 34.7% of all EU28 waste is generated by the construction sector leading to ca 28% of all CO2 emissions. Construction and Demolition Waste (CDW) varies depending on the type of project, for example civil engineering works and infrastructure as against buildings. It includes materials such as masonry blocks, concrete, tiles and ceramics.N/
The correlation between vulnerability and environmental threats in islands, depends on the geogra... more The correlation between vulnerability and environmental threats in islands, depends on the geographical conditions of specific islands rather than on general assumptions. It is therefore assumed that different island communities may develop different socio-environmental dynamics depending on the ordinary context they live up to everyday, which would determine their resilience to real and perceived risks.peer-reviewe
The marble production industry generates a considerable amount of waste materials in Libya. Waste... more The marble production industry generates a considerable amount of waste materials in Libya. Waste is generated in the mining, processing and polishing stages. The processing wastes are dumped, with a negative impact on the environment. However there is potential in the reuse of marble waste, particularly in the manufacture of concrete products. This study was conducted to investigate the influence of marble powder (MP), as a partial cement replacement in self-compacting concrete (SCC). Several SCC mixes were prepared with varying replacement of cement with MP. The properties of fresh SCC were determined through the slump flow, + T50 time, V-funnel, J-ring and L-box tests. In addition, hardened concrete properties including compressive strength, density, Young's modulus, stress-strain curve and Poison's ratio after 28 and 90-days were assessed. Results show that the fresh properties of SCC with MP cement replacement of up to 50% were in good agreement with specifications. As ...
CABARET (Capacity Building in Asia for Resilience EducaTion) is a co-funded by an EU Erasmus+ pro... more CABARET (Capacity Building in Asia for Resilience EducaTion) is a co-funded by an EU Erasmus+ programme project run for three years and led by the University of Huddersfield’s Global Disaster Resilience Centre, based in the UK. They are joined by a group of experts from a consortium of 14 European and Asian higher education institutions from Bulgaria, Indonesia, Latvia, the Maldives, Malta, Myanmar, the Philippines, Spain, Sri Lanka, and the United Kingdom. The Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (IOC-UNESCO), the Asian Disaster Preparedness Centre and the Federation of Sri Lankan Local Government Authorities are Associate Partners helping to promote the benefits across Asia and beyond. http://cabaret.buildresilience.org/images/CABARET_flyer.pdf CABARET emphasises the role of Higher Education in supporting global priorities and targets on disaster risk reduction. The project provides capacity development to support regional cooperation on multi-hazard early warning ...
Considering that coastal hazards are trans-boundary in nature, the underlying objective of CABARE... more Considering that coastal hazards are trans-boundary in nature, the underlying objective of CABARET Project (CApacity Building in Asia for Resilience EducaTion) is to foster regional cooperation for more effective multi-hazard early warning (MHEW) as a mitigation measure and to increase disaster resilience among coastal communities.peer-reviewe
Events such as the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami highlighted the trans-boundary nature of some coasta... more Events such as the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami highlighted the trans-boundary nature of some coastal hazards and the importance of regional cooperation. Inter and Intra regional cooperation were addressed within the CABARET project Work Package 5, with the aim of addressing capacity building in the region. The main objective was to develop a capacity building road-map based on inter and intra regional cooperation as a means to improve multi-hazard early warning systems and disaster resilience (MHEW) among coastal communities in South-East Asia.peer-reviewe
University of Malta. Junior College, 2020
The development of concrete in the 19 th & 20 th centuries led to new possibilities and advanceme... more The development of concrete in the 19 th & 20 th centuries led to new possibilities and advancement in construction. Concrete was exploited to address the postwar needs for economical and faster construction. Significant reinforced concrete structures are recognized as cultural heritage. Long term durability problems present conservation challenges and the understanding of failure mechanisms is fundamental for restoration. The diagnosis of historic structures, materials investigation, monitoring and assessment are important steps towards the understanding of deterioration and appraisal of concrete heritage. Long-term effects of conservation and repair also need to be considered. The assessment of concrete heritage is addressed through military and industrial heritage concrete structures in Malta, including coastal structures in aggressive environments. A methodology for appraisal is proposed taking into consideration materials and structural performance and degradation mechanisms.
An international scientific conference organised by the Seismic Monitoring and Research Unit, Dep... more An international scientific conference organised by the Seismic Monitoring and Research Unit, Department of Geoscience, Faculty of Science, Department of Civil and Structural Engineering and Department of Construction and Property Management, Faculty of the Built Environment, University of Malta.
The built environment has evolved to frame and facilitate nearly all human activities. Simultaneo... more The built environment has evolved to frame and facilitate nearly all human activities. Simultaneously, its constant expansion has become more and more harmful to the natural environment. In order to turn the global trends toward the optimistic transition scenario of the sustainable development, the built environment needs to be rethought. The construction and building sector play a key role in creating a better future. This publication is the Proceedings of the Final Conference of the COST Action C25. The Action C25 'Sustainability of Constructions - Integrated Approach to Life-time Structural Engineering' was established to promote science- and research-based approaches for life-cycle building technologies.
The potential for passive cooling of roof slabs incorporating an air cavity is important with res... more The potential for passive cooling of roof slabs incorporating an air cavity is important with respect to thermal comfort. Roof systems in traditional buildings, incorporated a ventilated roof or an air cavity. The concept has been proposed again in contemporary buildings in the construction of roof slabs, using a modular formwork system, where the cast in situ concrete slab is isolated from the screed with the introduction of a ventilated air space. The cavity is primarily intended to curtail the conduction and inward radiation of heat from the intense solar insolation on the concrete roof. An experimental investigation was conducted for summer and winter conditions, where a traditional monolithic slab and a slab incorporating a cavity were analysed. Results indicated that during the cold season, a ventilated cavity looses more heat to the outdoor environment, and is ideally unventilated. It was revealed that in summer the ventilated cavity reduces heat transfer in the flat roofs, i...
IABSE Symposium, Guimarães 2019: Towards a Resilient Built Environment Risk and Asset Management, 2019
In the framework of H2020, the European Commission recently funded the project ReSHEALience (www.... more In the framework of H2020, the European Commission recently funded the project ReSHEALience (www.uhdc.eu). The main idea behind the project is that the long-term behaviour of structures under extremely aggressive exposure conditions can highly benefit from the use of high performance materials, in the framework of durability-based design approaches. The project consortium, coordinated by Politecnico di Milano, features 14 partners from 8 different countries, including 6 academic/research institutions and 8 industrial partners, covering the whole value chain from producers of concrete constituents to construction companies to stake-holders and end-users. The main goals of the project are the development (a) of an Ultra High Durability Concrete (UHDC) and (b) a Durability Assessment-based Design (DAD) methodology to improve structure durability and predict long-term performance under Extremely Aggressive Exposures (EAE). The project will tailor the composition of UHDC, by upgrading th...
IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering, 2018
2016 16th International Conference on Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR), 2016
International Journal of Sustainable Materials and Structural Systems, 2016
High level of total cholesterol, more importantly low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, is t... more High level of total cholesterol, more importantly low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, is the major risk factors in coronary heart disease. Clinical trials have demonstrated that the increase in plasma LDL levels and oxygen derived free radicals have been implicated in the early development and progression of atherosclerosis. Vegetable oils are used for cooking foods by many ethnic groups. A fear and controversies have been created in the public that consumption of certain vegetable oils causes atherogenesis. Hence, the present study is designed to evaluate the effect of vegetable oils such as coconut, sunflower, palm, olive oil and vanaspati on lipid profile and antioxidant status using rat model. Reference dose of different vegetable oils were administered once daily for 90 days. Results indicate that, in all the vegetable oil treated groups, a decline of antioxidant status associated with an increase in lipid peroxidation was observed. Furthermore, total cholesterol was found to be elevated in all groups. Among the vegetable oils treated groups, coconut oil was found be comparatively better. This conclusion was made based on the non-significant mild elevation of peroxidation and the benefit of increase in high density lipoprotein (HDL).
Summary report of the cooperative activities of the Cost Action C25 : Sustainability of construct... more Summary report of the cooperative activities of the Cost Action C25 : Sustainability of constructions. Integrated approach towards sustainable constructions
International Journal of Architectural Heritage, 2013
The Abruzzo earthquake hit the city of L'Aqui... more The Abruzzo earthquake hit the city of L'Aquila and its surroundings on the 6 April 2009. The aim of this paper is to analyze the technical features of UnReinforced Masonry (URM) buildings and assess their seismic behaviour during the Abruzzo 2009 seismic event. The damage induced in the URM constructions of L'Aquila and the suburbs was severe and several such
Applied Mechanics and Materials, 2011
The main objective of the international research project (COST C26 Action, Chairman F.M. Mazzolan... more The main objective of the international research project (COST C26 Action, Chairman F.M. Mazzolani) dealing with “Urban Habitat Constructions under Catastrophic Events” (2006 – 2010) was to increase the knowledge on the behaviour of constructions located in urban habitat and subjected to both natural and/or man-made catastrophic events, such as earthquakes, fire, wind storms, heavy snow loading, gas explosions, accidental impact from vehicles out of control and occasionally due to bomb blasts during terrorist attacks. In this view, it has been planned to define suitable tools for predicting the ultimate response of such constructions under extreme conditions, occurring when both loading and structural resistance are combined in such a way to reduce the safety level below acceptable values. In addition, the preparation of ad-hoc guidelines for damage prevention as well as for repairing of constructions hit by the above situations is planned. Twenty-three European Countries are partic...
The paper discusses the utilisation of a by-product specifically a fly ash sourced from a landfil... more The paper discusses the utilisation of a by-product specifically a fly ash sourced from a landfill where it had been dumped over a period of several years. The fly ash had been produced from a coal burning power plant in Malta and landfilled in disused quarries in Bengħisa. The landfilled fly ash deposit dumped in the quarries is considered as an environmental hazard. The research addresses the potential use of the fly ash for recycling in the production of cement based materials particularly repair mortars. The paper presents the design and testing of repair mortars in which the fly ash is used as a partial replacement of cement. In order to improve the environmental resistance, the performance of the material with the addition of a crystalline admixture was assessed. The stabilisation of the fly ash in the mixture was verified through the assessment of physical-mechanical properties and through a microscopic examination of the microstructure of the mortar.peer-reviewe