The major paradox in research in marketing: Can the researcher construct models that capture firm heterogeneities and achieve accurate prediction of outcomes for individual cases that also are generalizable across all the cases in the sample? This study presents a way forward for solving the major paradox. The study identifies research advances in theory and analytics that contribute successfully to the primary need to fill to achieve scientific legitimacy: Configurations that include accurate description, explanation, and prediction (i.e., predicting outcomes accurately of cases in samples separate from the samples of cases used to construct models having high fit validity.) The solution here includes philosophical, theoretical, and operational shifts away from variable-based modeling and null hypothesis statistical testing (NHST) to case-based modeling and somewhat precise outcome testing (SPOT). The study here provides examples of research contributing to knowledge and theory that advance prediction and control in business-to-business contexts. Shifting beyond linear model construction and symmetric tests (i.e., multiple regression analysis (MRA) and structural equation modeling (SEM)) and embracing complexity theory and asymmetric tests (i.e., constructing and testing algorithms by “computing with words,” Zadeh, (1996, 2010)) includes taking necessary steps away from examining “net effects” of variables to useful screening modeling of case configurations. Researchers embracing this shift in marketing benefit from recognizing that the current dominant logic of performing null hypothesis testing (NHST via MRA and SEM) is “corrupt research” (Hubbard, 2015) and from recognizing that predicting by algorithms via somewhat precise outcome testing (SPOT) advances business-to-business research toward achieving scientific legitimacy.

The research on country of origin effect (COO) has been oriented lately towards the characteristics of the consumer. As a result, in recent years there has been a growing number of publications dealing with consumer dispositions in the consumption of local or global brands (ethnocentrism, nationalism, patriotism, cosmopolitanism, xenocentrism). To contribute to the research, we conceptualize the Self-Country Connection (SCC) construct, based on the extended self theory, considering the country as one more possession that can be added to the individual’s self. We developed the scale generating items based on literature review and qualitative research. Specialists in marketing and international consumer behavior refined the items. Followed the exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, analysis of discriminant, nomological and predictive validities, which obtained satisfactory results, in addition to the two-month interval testretest. The scale has two versions and can be used both to access the consumer's selfconnection with the home country and with foreign countries. The SCC scale can be used with other established scales, such as CETSCALE, COS, among others, to understand better the consumer behavior and improving market segmentation.

Introduction Today, many luxury brands use social media channels such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or YouTube to communicate with their target consumers worldwide. Previous research has shown that engaging consumers in social media can lead to increase commitment and loyalty (e.g., Hudson, Huang, Roth, & Madden, 2016; Wirtz et al., 2013), purchase intentions (e.g., Beukeboom, Kerkhof, & de Vries, 2015; Kim & Ko, 2010) and sales (e.g., Kumar et al., 2016). Although researchers have investigated the role of social media marketing for luxury brands at an aggregate level (e.g., Godey et al., 2016; Kim & Ko, 2012), little is known about the success drivers of luxury brand communication at a more granular level. Therefore, our study aims to identify the characteristics of luxury brand posts that elicit positive consumer affect. Specifically, we examine the effect of different luxury appeals (e.g., conspiciousness, uniqueness, quality), alongside other brand post characteristics (e.g., vividness, call-to-action, informative/entertaining content) on consumers‟ affective reactions (“Love”) towards a luxury brand post. For this purpose, we draw on field data from Facebook that comprises 2,343 individidual brand posts published by 18 leading luxury brands between 1st January 2017 and 30th June 2017. Our study contributes to literature on luxury brand communication in at least three ways: First, from a theoretical perspective, we are shedding the first light on the relevance of different luxury appeals for generating consumer engagement in social media. Methodologically, we further introduce a novel measure of consumer engagement termed Love-Ratio (short, LoveR), which is based on Facebook‟s new “reactions”-feature that was introduced in 2016. Finally, from a managerial point of view, our insights that help managers of luxury brands to „engineer“ emotionally engaging social media content that contributes to strong consumer-brand relationships. Literature Review Conceptual BackgroundLiterature provides initial empirical evidence for the general advantageousness of social media activities for luxury brands (Godey et al., 2016; Kim & Ko 2010, 2012). Importantly, these studies commonly examine consumers‟ overall assessment of a brand‟s social media activities, i.e. whether a brand‟s (entire) social media presence “enables information sharing with others” (interaction) or “offers customized information search” (customization; Kim & Ko, 2012, p. 1483). Therefore, it constitutes an aggregate measure of a brand‟s social media presence as a whole, and is not concerned with the specifics of the individual interactions between a brand and consumers (post as the unit of analysis). Recent research, however, clearly indicates that the extent to which consumers interact with a brand in social media (e.g., liking, sharing, or commenting) depends on the characteristics of a given brand post (e.g., De Vries, Gensler, & Leeflang, 2012; Sabate, Berbegal-Mirabent, Canabate, & Lebherz, 2014; Schultz, 2017). Most studies in this regard examined correlations between certain characteristics (e.g., use of photos, videos, and/or links, post length and timing) and different measures of consumer engagement or post popularity (i.e., number of likes, comments, or shares).5) These studies provide useful insights into several “hard” criteria that determine consumer interactions with brand posts. However, due to the tremendous coding efforts required, only few studies have also considered “soft” criteria, such as the appeal – i.e., “the overall theme of a post” (Wagner, Baccarella, & Voigt, 2017, p. 2) – that is communicated within a post. To extend knowledge in the field of luxury brand communication in social media, we are adopting a similar approach by (1) proposing a comprehensive set of luxury-specific appeals that may be communicated within brand posts and (2) empirically investigating their effectiveness in evoking positive consumer affect. Conceptual Background Based on a synthesis of prior work (e.g., Vigneron & Johnson, 2004) we propose a set of six distinct luxury appeals that can be communicated via social media posts: 1. Conspicuousness: Conspicuous consumption refers to the consumption of goods or services with the intention of social status improvement and communication to others (Eastman, Goldsmith, & Flynn, 1999). It involves high levels of self-monitoring and a status-signaling mentality (Wilcox, Kim, & Sen, 2009), aimed at presenting oneself by means of a product that is recognized and highly regarded by others. The general aim is to express a brand„s capability to enable a person to become the center of attention and stand out of the crowd by conveying a high social status (Phau & Prendergast, 2000). 2. Uniqueness: Uniqueness refers to the quality of being particularly special due to sheer rarity or remarkable characteristics. Brands express their uniqueness by highlighting their products‟ (a) excellent craftmanship, (b) innovativeness, or (c) their exclusiveness in terms of consumption. Examples for uniqueness through craftmanship include creative product designs, the use of rare materials or ingredients (e.g., diamonds in the context of jewelry), or even tailor-made/personalized products (e.g., configuration of a car; inscription of personal initials onto fashion items). The general aim is to distinguish a product from others, rendering it extraordinary and remarkable. The same can be accomplished through innovation, since a pioneering product is by definition unique in that it has certain features that distinguish it from any other existing competing product. Furthermore, uniqueness can be achieved through exclusiveness of consumption. One method to create contrived rarity is a limitation of the quantity of products manufactured (e.g., limited editions; Vigneron & Johnson, 2004). 3. Quality: Luxury brands are generally expected to deliver high quality products and services (Vigneron & Johnson, 2004). Indicators that can be used in the communication of quality include specific materials (e.g., cashmere, gemstones) or performance data (e.g., power, top speed) that convey a high standard of (instrinsic) quality. 4. Hedonism: In general, the term hedonism refers to the pursuit of pleasure in the sense of sensual self-indulgence. Luxury brands commonly offer emotional and sensual benefits that can be experienced by and transferred to consumers in a consumption situation (Moore & Lee, 2012). Communication aimed at conveying hedonism commonly neglects utilitarian (i.e., functional) aspects of the product of interest and, instead, emphasizes the emotional experience associated with the consumption of that product or service (Vigneron & Johnson, 2004), e.g., pleasure, joy, self-reward, love, passion, or excitement (Holbrook & Hirschman, 1982). 5. Extended Self: The term extended self describes the definition of a person‟s selfconcept by his/her personal possessions. In other words, consumers use products (or services) to define who they are. For example, wearing luxury fashion items enables a person to associate himself/herself with characteristics of the brand, and vice versa (Vigneron & Johnson, 2004). Brand communication reflecting this appeal attempts to suggest that the consumption of a product or service helps them to establish, reinforce, and express an aspired personality trait, such as elegance, confidence, success, or power. 6. Heritage: Many luxury brands have a long history and rich tradition. Communication efforts that intend to convey a brand‟s rich heritage either showcase a brand‟s founder as a person, elaborate on the founder‟s or company‟s history, or highlight a traditional, iconic product which has made the brand what it is today. Data and Method To investigate the effectiveness of these luxury appeals in evoking positive consumer affect, we conducted an empirical analysis using field data from Facebook. We compiled a set of 18 luxury brands from different categories, including fashion, cars, cosmetics, and champagne. For this set of brands, we extracted all brand posts (mostly photos and videos) that were published between 1st January and 30th June 2017, yielding 2,343 individual posts that constitute our unit of analysis. We enriched the raw data by manually coding all brand posts in terms of the luxury appeals of interest, following a two step-procedure. First, we developed a detailed codebook that defines each luxury appeal, provides a list of relevant indicators, and further illustrates each luxury appeal with the help of exemplary brand posts. Using the codebook we instructed two independent coders to code the absence (0) or presence (1) of each luxury appeal within a given post. The inter-rater reliabilities were satisfactory for all luxury appeals, ranging from .79 to .91. We further requested the coders to capture other content characteristics and controls that potentially affect consumer interactions with brand posts, e.g., Vividness, Calls-to-Action, Entertaining vs. Informative Content, Visibility of the Brand, and Type of Endorser. Instead of examining conventional measures of consumer engagement, such as likes, comments, or shares, we introduce a new measure of consumer affect that we label “Love-Ratio” or, short, LoveR. This measure is based on Facebook‟s new class of user reactions that enable users to indicate their feelings about certain posts, such as “Love” or “Anger”. LoveR represents the amount of “Love”-reactions relative to all reactions toward a given brand post. Thus, it reflects an aggregate measure of users‟ positive affect towards a brand post. We consider LoveR an important extension of commonly investigated outcomes such as Likes or Shares, which are considered “fairly low-level form[s] of engagement” (Stephen, Sciandra, & Inman, 2015, p. 20). Consumer affect, by contrast, is generally considered a “chief motivator of behavior” (O‟Cass & Frost, 2002, p. 73) and a “mediating factor in the purchase process” (Schiffman, Bendall, Watson, & Kanuk, 1997, p. 361), therefore representing a useful proxy of consumer attitudes. Model estimation Given the nested structure of the data (i.e., posts are nested within brand pages), we use hierarchical linear modeling (Raudenbush & Bryk, 2002) with random intercepts to analyze the data. We specify the proposed luxury appeals (Conspiciousness, Uniqueness, Quality, Hedonism, Extended Self, and Heritage) alongside additional content characteristics, and brand dummies as predictors of LoveR. After estimating the direct effects, we stepwise include interaction terms to test potential moderating effects of Vividness and Entertainment. The results suggest that three of the six luxury appeals evoke positive consumer affect. The strongest driver of LoveR is Quality (β = .978, p < .001), followed by Hedonism (β = .479, p < .05) and Heritage (β = .451, p < .01). Conspiciousness and Uniqueness, by contrast, are not significantly related to consumers‟ affective reactions towards brand posts. Furthermore, the use of an appeal that communicates Extended Self even decreases LoveR (β = -.530, p < .10), although the effect is only marginally significant. To further contextualize these main effects, we included additional interaction terms involving Vividness and Entertainment. We find (a) that the effect of Hedonism on LoveR is further enhanced by the use of videos (relative to photos and other less vivid types of media; interaction effect: β = 1.023, p < .05, conditional effect of Hedonism for vivid content β = .934, p < .01,) and (b) that the effect of Heritage on LoveR tends to be larger when it is communicated in an entertaining rather than informative style (interaction effect: β = .753, p = .001; conditional effect of Heritage for entertaining style: β = .660, p < .001). Conclusions Our study sheds light onto the effectiveness of luxury brands‟ communication in social media in terms of generating positive consumer affect. Our results based on an analysis of 2,343 individual luxury brand posts in Facebook show that only certain luxury appeals can trigger consumers‟ “Love”-reactions towards a brand post. Specifically, we find that brand posts that convey Quality, Hedonism, and Heritage appeals increase the likelihood of a brand post being “loved“, whereas Conspiciousness and Uniqueness exert no influence at all. Posts which communicate an Extended Self may even decrease favorable affective reactions by users. The effects of Hedonism and Heritage are further enhanced by the use of videos or entertaining content, respectively. These findings have direct implications for the marketing communications of luxury brands. From a content perspective, marketers should develop and run media content that (a) emphasizes hedonic consumption motives (as reflected by Hedonism) rather than status-signaling motives (as reflected by Conspiciousness), preferably using rich media such as videos; (b) educates consumers about the history and values of a brand, preferably in an informative rather than entertaining way; and (c) reinforces a brand‟s quality claim.

We investigate the effect of individuals’ thinking style on their evaluation of a company that engages in a corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative with varying degrees of a company-cause fit. A substantial body of research suggests that consumers’ evaluation of CSR depend on the degree of a fit between a company and a social cause that the company aims to support. Although a high fit CSR initiative has been associated with more favorable consumer evaluation than a low fit CSR initiative, we suggest that this is true only for analytic thinkers. In two experimental studies, we show that analytic thinkers tend to react more sensitively to the degree of CSR fit than do holistic thinkers. Specifically, analytic thinkers perceive a high fit CSR to be more public serving than a low fit CSR, leading to more favorable reactions to it. Holistic thinkers tend to believe both high and low fit CSR initiatives to be equally public serving, leading to favorable reactions to both. In addition, compared to analytic thinkers, holistic thinkers tend to perceive a low fit CSR initiative to be more public serving and subsequently exhibit more positive reactions to it. Our work contributes to the CSR literature by adding individuals’ thinking styles as a determinant of their sensitivity to the degree of a company-cause fit. We also demonstrate the perception of public serving CSR motive is the underlying process of the hypothesized effect. Thus, our findings shed new light on the role of fit, showing that depending on thinking style, having a high fit initiative may not be as critical as previously thought. Instead, a low fit CSR initiative can generate consumers’ positive reactions.

Based upon the assumption that emotional responses lead to behaviors, authors have focused on the antecedents of emotions and very limited research has been conducted to identify the conditions under which emotions lead to generosity (Chédotal et al., 2017). Manipulating the emotional valence and the proximity between donors and beneficiaries, we show that whereas guilt leads to more generosity, positive emotions have the opposite effects. We also detail the moderating role of empathic tendencies and proximity. As a cover story for our experiments, people had to answer questions about their TV habits. Participants were financially rewarded and given the opportunity to keep or to donate the endowment to a fictitious charity. To manipulate the emotional valence, participants were given time to describe an event in which they had done something negative or positive to someone important to them (Xu et al., 2014). To manipulate the perceived proximity with the victims, participants could give to a charity operating in a geographically close area or in a remote area. Study 1 (n = 127;Mage = 22.69;st.dev = 1.73 ) investigated the impact of guilt feelings and confirmed that their positive impact on generosity is moderated by empathic tendencies an perceived proximity with the victims. Study 2 (n = 134;Mage = 22.83;st.dev = 1.35 ) investigated the impact of positive feelings and confirmed their negative impact on generosity. Finally, Study 3 (n=183;Mage=21.05;st.dev = 1.37 ) generalized results from Study 1 and Study 2 to anticipated feelings. This research helps to better understand the role of emotions that people experience after engaging in good or bad behaviors on charitable giving. Although the positive (negative) impact of negative (positive) feelings on prosocial behaviors have been suggested in prior studies (Sachdeva et al., 2009; Renner et al., 2013), we identify the conditions under which such effects take place.

The motivation of this paper is to assist SMEs (mainly micro and informal enterprises) in developing economies to find the required resources to establish, or develop, their business. We introduce the concept of 'Venture Communities' to provide direct peer-to-peer connections between individuals and SMEs in all parts of the global market. We draw on the well-established concepts of networking, crowdfunding, living labs and value co-creation. The contribution we make lies in the introduction of a novel ecosystem, constructed by multiple actors, through dynamic and interconnected networks, accumulating resources for the benefit of all stakeholders of this community. Our model presents a challenge to the conventional conceptualizations of dyadic relationships between developed economies and emerging economies. Alternatively, we suggest anti-essentialist communities that are temporary constellation of social elements from all parts of the global market to create "hybridized and nomadic" (Laclau and Mouffe 1995) market arrangements.

We carry out a study of Sub-Millimeter Galaxies (SMGs) in the AKARI NEP-Deep field using the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope (JCMT) SCUBA-2 850 μm source catalog, released as part of the SCUBA-2 Cosmology Legacy Survey (S2CLS) program. The SCUBA-2 850 μm map has a root mean square (rms) noise of 1.2 mJy beam−1 and covers an area of 0.60 degree2. We find four SMGs which have counterparts to Herschel sources with spectroscopic redshifts in the literature. In addition, three dust obscured galaxies (DOGs) detected in Herschel bands are selected as a comparison sample. We derive IR luminosities of SMGs using the CIGALE code, which are similar to those of high redshift SMGs from previous studies. The contribution of AGN to the total IR luminosity in SMGs (2%–11%) is smaller than the lower limit for the one in DOGs (19%–35%), which is consistent with the expectation from the evolutionary scenario of massive galaxies. We search for SMGs in overdense regions as protocluster candidates and investigate four regions, including candidates around three DOGs. Finally, we argue that follow-up spectroscopic observation for the NEP-Deep field will provide crucial information to understand the role of SMGs in the evolution of massive galaxies.

In order to cope with the steady increase in social demand, the establishment of forest welfare facilities is being considered not only by the national or local governments but also in the private sector. However, just as there are varying types of facilities, there are varying regulations overseeing these facilities, as well as complex processes involving negotiations between related government agencies, designation, approvals for establishment plans, registration, and feasibility assessments. Forest welfare facilities are created through heavy investment, thus requiring a prudent approach. Therefore, this study has compared the procedures of forest welfare facilities, identified points of improvement in the planning procedures, and provided basic data on forest welfare facilities plans. This study has reviewed the existing literature relating to the concept of forest welfare facilities and site selection and identified related laws and regulations on which new establishments are based. Further, it has examined the procedure of establishment of forest welfare facilities specified in the relevant laws and regulations, finally arriving at implications that consider similarities in establishment procedures in forest welfare facilities. There have been ongoing studies to evaluate and determine appropriate sites for forest welfare facilities. In addition to common elements such as landscapes and natural (forest) environments, previous studies have suggested methods for selecting appropriate sites based on specific evaluation factors, according to the characteristics of individual facilities. Some research results have been legislated and are being utilized subsequently. In addition, in the case of woodland burial grounds, which are suffering from various civil complaints during the establishment process due to psychological rejection unlike other forest welfare facilities, this study found that there were no indications of procedures such as public hearings, feasibility assessments, and committee reviews.

Recently, Oil spill incidents from maritime activities and port operation have been causing the serious ocean environment pollution, these problems are said to be the negative effects on the natural environment, social economy, marine species, and human health. Due to the high costs of treating oil spills and oil slick in comparison with a low-income country like Vietnam, many incidents related to the oil spill and oil slick have not been thoroughly processed. Cellulose components from Vietnamese agricultural residues used to produce the absorbent materials are one of the most urgent issues and this is the research object of this work. In this study, two types of structural lengths of cellulose added into PU matrix foam are used to measure how much crude oil, fuel oil, diesel oil and kerosene can be absorbed. The absorbent materials are designed after adding cellulose with 5%, 15%, 25% of mass, respectively. The achieved results show that the oil absorption capacity of PU-cellulose implemented 5% cellulose with 500μm of cellulose structure length and 25% cellulose with 3000μm of cellulose structure length are highest for crude oil. These study results from this work provide a reasonable price for the protection of the marine environment in the strategies of recovery and treatment of oil spill and oil slick on the seawater surface.

As a fuel for ship propulsion, liquefied natural gas (LNG) is currently considered a proven and reasonable solution for meeting the IMO emission regulations, with gas engines for the LNG-fueled ship covering a broad range of power outputs. For an LNG-fueled ship, the LNG bunkering process is different from the HFO bunkering process, in the sense that the cryogenic liquid transfer generates a considerable amount of boil-off gas (BOG). This study investigated the effect of the temperature difference on boil-off gas (BOG) production during ship-to-ship (STS) LNG bunkering to the receiving tank of the LNG-fueled ship. A concept design was resumed for the cargo/fuel tanks in the LNG bunkering vessel and the receiving vessel, as well as for LNG handling systems. Subsequently, the storage tank capacities of the LNG were 4,500 m3 for the bunkering vessel and 700 m3 for the receiving vessel. Process dynamic simulations by Aspen HYSYS were performed under several bunkering scenarios, which demonstrated that the boil-off gas and resulting pressure buildup in the receiving vessel were mainly determined by the temperature difference between bunkering and the receiving tank, pressure of the receiving tank, and amount of remaining LNG.

The proportion of collision in the total marine accidents is high. The main causes of collisions are navigation rule violation, safety speed violation, neglected watch-keeping and improper collision avoidance action. There are two main ways of avoiding collision situations during maritime navigation: the method of altering course and reducing ship’s speed. The purpose of this study is to analyze the result of the collision avoidance action of the reserve officer in case of encountering a multiple number of ships using the ship handling simulator. Full-mission ship handling simulator was used to experiment the situation scenarios that encountered multiple ships. After the experiment, the questionnaire about the experiment was investigated. A total of 50 subjects were participated in the experiment. Experimental results showed that the number of the experimenters who used the engine was 11 and the number of the experimenters who did not use the engine was 39. In the case of using the engine, there were 0 collision accident, 1 grounding accident, and 10 no accidents. However, when the engine was not used, there were 28 collision accidents, 2 grounding accidents, and 9 no accidents. The causes of these results can be found in the survey results. 74 % of the non used engine participants said they were hesitate to use the engine. As can be seen from these results, the reserve officer are hesitant to use the engine and need a way to get correct of it. Maritime course subject can emphasize the importance of using ship’s engines and case study also can be it. So, It is considered that various case study scenario will need to developed by various tools in the future.

On February 26, 2016, PRC Law on the Exploration and Development of Resources in Deep Seabed Areas was adopted. As a landmark marine legislation, this law was formulated in line with the UNCLOS, the Rules of the International Seabed Authority, and the PRC Constitution. It opened a brand new era of marine development and utilization for China under the strategic background of maritime power. Facing the limitation and challenges about the ecosystem and risk prevention brought about by the UNCLOS and the Convention on Biological Diversity 1992, the maritime powers around the world, including China, have been making domestic legislation on the exploitation and protection of seabed resources beyond national jurisdiction. This paper introduces China’s policy for the exploitation and development of the ‘Areas’ in accordance with the UNCLOS, and makes a further interpretation on China’s related domestic legislations and practice.

In this study, a novel method based on ground penetration radar (GPR) is proposed to categorize underground objects by using both B-scan and C-scan images. Three-dimensional GPR data obtained from a multichannel GPR system are reconstructed into a two-dimensional (2D) grid image which consists of several B-scan and C-scan images. Three-dimensional shape information of an underground object can be well represented in 2D grid image. The 2D grid images are then trained using deep convolutional neural networks (CNN) that is a state-of-the-art technique for image classification problem. The proposed method is validated through field applications on urban roads in Seoul, South Korea.

In this paper the authors would like to present and share the measurements of load spectra and their modelling for pavement design purposes in the Mexican road network, which due to the intense level of trade with the United States present a very high percentage of heavy vehicles in the flow of vehicles and with high levels of load. Examples of these measurements are given in the country's main transport corridors. Damage spectra are also presented that are associated to each of the different axle types (i.e., single, dual, tandem, tridem or another one) by computing for instance the Miner damage coefficient in the same load ranges used in the definition of the load spectra. Is this frequency distribution of the Miner damage coefficient that is called damage spectra. The damage spectra seem to be a very useful tool to evaluate the pavement expected damage, i.e., rutting or fatigue cracking, induced for a given axle type. Moreover, it can be showed that there is a direct relationship between the forms in load and damage spectra. Some examples are presented to illustrate the damage spectra computations. The incorporation of these load spectra into mechanistic design methodologies and their implications in the definition of public policies for the preservation of the road network are discussed.

Pavement performance usually depends on the pavement’s material property, traffic and environmental conditions. Current pavement design programs such as the Mechanistic Empirical Pavement Design Guide use these factors in assessing the pavement life and performance in terms of different distresses like rutting and fatigue cracking. Theoretically, the cracking and rutting behaviour of pavements are based on accumulated strains experienced by the pavement which is brought by the weight and loading speed of vehicles. A steady state loading device was used in the field to evaluate pavement deflection’s behaviour in varying loading frequencies. It was observed that the pavement deflection increases as the loading frequency also increases until it approaches a certain frequency wherein the deflection decreases thereafter. In this study, a three-dimensional finite element pavement model was established using ABAQUS wherein the effect of the vehicle’s loading frequencies was analysed. The calculated static deflection and stress from the finite element (FE) model were found to have good correlation with the KENPAVE measured deflection and stress. The deflections of different pavement conditions were further studied and analysed by generating several pavement geometries and strength from the FE model using a frequency sweep response analysis. It was found that the geometric condition and the current modulus of the pavement can amplify the pavement deflection by a factor, β, depending on the loading frequency. The peak deflection was found to be occurring when the loading frequency approaches one of the pavement’s natural frequencies. Based on the finding from this study, the natural frequency is an important factor to be considered in designing pavements. Further study is recommended to understand more on how to minimize the effect of natural frequency to pavement life.

Fly ash is used as alumina-silicate resource material to reaction processing on geopolymer materials. The strength of material is belonging to alkaline liquid, fly ash, activity reaction of fly ash. Geopolymer concrete as non-toxic, bleed free and high strength material can be used for construction on rigid pavement. Study on influence of polypropylene fiber on performance characteristic of geopolymer concrete is considered. In this research, the mix proportion with fly ash and alkaline liquid is used to react on geopolymer concrete. The poly-propylene fiber in range from 0 to 0.5% by volume is added in mixture of geopolymer concrete. The ratio between length and diameter in range of 100-500 is investigated. The results are indicated that workability of fresh concrete is reduced by using poly-propylene fiber. The adding of poly-propylene fiber is significantly affected on characteristic of geopolymer concrete. Poly-propylene fiber can be distributed in fly ash matrix and reduced shrinkage of concrete during activation. After geopolymerization, compressive and the flexural strength of concrete produced with fibers are enhanced up to 10% and 20%, respectively. However, when the length to diameter ratio increases, compressive strength is tended to decrease with mixture using polypropylene fiber.