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Go to Editorial ManagerConcrete is considered the most important and widely used building material in the world of construction and building due to its durability, high efficiency in shaping, and relatively reasonable cost. The main component of concrete is cement, and one of the most important problems related to cement is the environmental problems associated with cement manufacturing, as the cement manufacturing process releases a large amount of carbon dioxide. Despite the essential role of concrete in construction, we cannot ignore its environmental impact. Some claim that exploring alternative materials or innovative building techniques would reduce the carbon footprint and enhance sustainability in the industry. Partial cement replacement with pozzolanic materials like zeolite is a key technique to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Zeolite, which reduces permeability, is a typical concrete ingredient that strengthens and lasts. Recently, natural zeolite has become a prominent concrete pozzolanic component. For environmental preservation and sustainable development, various experiments were done on concrete with pozzolanic components partially substituting cement and compared to ordinary concrete. A partial replacement of cement with zeolite improves the properties of concrete up to a certain age and mixing ratio. More than 44 relevant articles from 2004–2024 were selected from 762 papers evaluated for this paper. This paper reviews natural zeolite research in real applications. Additionally, it provided a cutting-edge review of natural zeolite literature through a critical analysis of various previous investigations. It also helped to understand how zeolite influences concrete mixture workability, strength, and durability. Since zeolite is a major concrete ingredient, it should be promoted as a sustainable resource.
Soil reinforcement techniques have been successfully used to improve the shear properties of weak soils in recent years. To improve the utilization of waste resources and promote sustainable development of infrastructure amid rapid urbanization, one potential option for reinforcement materials is human hair fibers (HHF). Because it is a natural fiber, there are risks to human and environmental health associated with the improper disposal of human hair fiber, an occurring waste product that does not decompose completely. This fabric is abundant, has a high reusability rate, and is ideal for use as a reinforcement to address waste management issues and make the most of inefficient or unnecessary manufacturing websites for long-term sustainability. The CBR test was executed on several samples with diverse fiber possibilities to evaluate the engineering properties of the randomly placed HHF in clayey soil samples using fibers whose average length was 50 mm and whose diameter ranged from 60 to 80 microns and compared the outcomes to those of unreinforced soil. The soil sample was treated with different percentages of Human Hair fiber (0%, 0.75%, 1.5%, 1.75% and 2.25%). The results showed that the value of CBR of the soil sample decrease at 0.75% of HHF and then increased up to 2.25% of HHF.
The axial capacity and pile transference of loads under static loading have both been well reported, but further research is needed to understand the dynamic lateral responses. The pile load imposed during an earthquake may increase, but the soil’s ability to support it may fall as a side effect of the vibration leading to more settlement. The key objective of this work is to identify what led to the substantial lateral destruction of the piles during the seismic event due to the kinematic effects. These failures were related to discontinuities in the subsoil as a result of sudden changes in soil strength due to shaking. The kinematic stresses exerted in a single pipe pile constructed in two sand layers under two different situations (dry and saturated states) are investigated in this study using numerical modeling. The bending moments were higher in the saturated sand soil than in the dry one which may be attributed to liquefaction. Generally, the acceleration increased through the loose layer (from bottom to top), and then significantly settled within the dense layer. It could be shown that using this modeling, one can estimate how a pile foundation will behave under "kinematic" loading driven by earthquakes. Therefore, the design and installation of drilled aluminum or steel piles in sand soil could make use of these present observations.
In term of sustainable practices, recycling plays a crucial role, particularly in the construction industry where the disposal of old structures generates significant waste. Recycling old concrete not only reduces the need for new natural resources but also eliminate waste accumulation. Numerous research study the behaviors of recycled aggregate concretes, practically focusing on the long term behaviours. A large number of studies have demonstrated that concrete made from recycled aggregate exhibits poorer long-term characteristics in comparison to aggregate from nature concrete. The long-term behaviour can be affected by three factor which is creep, shrinkage and tension stiffening. Greater management of these variables can enhance the RAC's long-term properties. The review will specifically focus on the influence of time dependent parameters i.e., creep, shrinkage, and loss of tension stiffening with time. Furthermore, it will explore the long-term deflection predicted from code used for deflection prediction, considering three codes: ACI, EC2, and the CSA code. The purpose of this paper is to enhance the understanding of long-term deflection of recycled aggregate concrete beam and evaluate the effectiveness of various factors that impact their structural performance.
Plastic pollution represents a significant global environmental challenge, with millions of tons of plastic waste accumulated annually in landfills and natural ecosystems. The COVID-19 pandemic intensified this issue due to the widespread use of single-use personal protective equipment. As a response to this problem, this study examines the use of recycled polyethylene terephthalate and single-use face masks as additives in porous asphalt mixtures to improve the mixtures’ properties and promote sustainability in pavement engineering. The research aimed to evaluate the combined effect of incorporating recycled polymers into a hybrid system, rather than separately modified mixtures of polyethylene terephthalate and single-use face mask fibers. Laboratory tests indicated that the hybrid mixture exhibited optimal performance, achieving a 34% increase in Marshall stability, a 19% decrease in flow, and a 20% reduction in air-void content. Additionally, permeability decreased by 36%, while remaining within the accepted limit, improving moisture susceptibility, and cantabro abrasion losses decreased by up to 11%, suggesting improvements in cohesion, structure, and durability. The findings demonstrate that hybrid polymer modification offers an environmentally sustainable and high-performance approach for future porous asphalt pavements.
Openings in reinforced concrete (RC) slabs are usually created as a result of variations in construction function, architectural or mechanical necessities. Heavy equipment loads resulting from mechanical system of any building are often carried by RC slabs. Even the static analysis and design of RC slabs with opening is not clearly stated in the available international Codes, dynamic analytical solution for such structure is complex._x000D_ In this paper, numerical analysis based on finite element approach is utilized to implement the modal analysis of RC slabs. Opening size and position was parametrically studied. Slab natural frequency or periods in addition to, the mode shape were registered. The results showed that the opening size and position involved in RC slab had a significant change in the value of natural frequency and period for the high level modes. The material nonlinearity affect on free vibration analysis of RC opening slab with different levels of stiffness modifiers was taken into account. The dynamic characteristics of RC opening slab as a function of stiffness modifier degree was numerically measured for six mode shapes. The paper found that a reduction in stiffness modifier value greatly reduce the .natural frequency of RC opening slab.
The behaviour of slabs under impact loading differs significantly from that observed under short-term or long-term static loading conditions. Such dynamic loading scenarios typically arise from vehicular collisions, explosive events, or other forms of sudden impact. This paper aims to synthesise and critically evaluate the extant literature concerning the response of slabs subjected to impact loading. The investigation encompasses an analysis of the salient factors influencing slab behaviour, elucidation of failure mechanisms, examination of methodologies for simulating impact loading, and a critical appraisal of pertinent design code recommendations. Through this comprehensive review, it has been ascertained that reinforcement configuration plays a pivotal role in augmenting the resistance of slabs to impact loading. Furthermore, the predominant mode of failure observed in such scenarios is punching shear. This finding underscores the necessity for meticulous consideration of shear capacity in the design of impact-resistant slab structures.
A rapidly expanding global population has heightened the need for engineering technologies aimed to enhancing the mechanical properties of weak soil, raising concerns about the sustainability of engineering practices that depend on energy-intensive materials and methods from earlier times. Traditional ground improvement techniques like compaction, preloading, vibration, and chemical grouting are typically costly and frequently have very high energy and CO2 footprints. Soil stabilization employing bio-enzymes has been viewed as a resilient and ecologically beneficial method for modifying the soil characteristics. Calcite-induced precipitation methods have recently become potential techniques in geotechnical engineering for improving the shear strength of soils. One of the most promising methods among them is enzyme-induced calcite precipitation (EICP). Enzyme induced calcite precipitation (EICP) is a bio-inspired technique based on the precipitation of calcium carbonate for enhancing the geo-mechanical properties of soils. In this technique, calcium carbonate acts as a cementitious agent that binds the soil particles together at the points of contact hence, increasing the strength and stiffness of treated soils, while relatively reducing the soil permeability and porosity. The achieved enhancements make EICP useful for applications such as ground improvement, construction materials, and erosion control over traditional binders. It is an environmental friendly technique that has generated great interest to geotechnical engineers. EICP particularly, has proven to be more effective since its application to all soils coarse and fine which have small pore size. This review thoroughly assesses the use of the EICP approach as a soil stabilization strategy conducted by various researchers. This review article studies urease and its implication on the characteristics of treated soil such as shear strength, permeability and micro-structural changes.
An overview of electro-osmosis (EO) and electrokinetic (EK) soil treatment methods is provided in this paper, along with their impact on pile capacity, installation, and foundation shear strength after improving the geotechnical properties of weak soils, particularly soft clays. As a result of their low shear strength, high compressibility, and poor drainage characteristics, soft clayey soils pose significant challenges in civil engineering. With EO and EK, pore water and ions are moved through the soil matrix under an applied electric field, resulting in consolidation, increased shear strength, and reduced plasticity. This review explores the fundamental principles of EO and EK, including the mechanisms of water transport, ion migration, and electrochemical reactions. It examines various electrode configurations, treatment parameters, and their influence on soil improvement. Furthermore, the paper analyzes the effects of EO treatment on pile capacity, considering both the increase in soil strength and the reduction in pore water pressure during installation. The impact on pile installation methods, such as reducing driving resistance and improving grout penetration, is also discussed. Finally, the review investigates the enhancement of foundation shear strength through improved soil properties achieved by EO/EK treatment. By synthesizing existing research, this paper aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the potential benefits and limitations of EO and EK methods for ground improvement in soft clayey soils, offering valuable insights for future research and practical applications in geotechnical engineering.
Eight RC circular hollow columns (external diameter = 220 mm, internal diameter = 100 mm, length = 1000 mm and the hollow part = 700mm) casted and strengthened with ferrocement fibers composites to illustrate the behavior of these columns under concentric and eccentric axial compression force. Two columns where used as reference columns, which were repaired after failure to be tested as retrofitted columns. Six specimens were strengthened with one and two WWM layers as required. The variables considered included number of the WWM layers (N), the loading configuration and the eccentricity value (e) of loading. The ferrocement thickness was constant at 20 mm in all retrofitted and strengthened specimens.The test results revealed that the maximum increase in the ultimate concentric loads were 67% by strengthening the reference column with two layers of WWM, and the maximum increase in the ultimate eccentric load of columns was 78% by increasing of the WWM from one to two layers. For a constant number of WWM layers, the change from concentric to eccentric force caused a decrease in the ultimate load value attaining 73.5% for one- layer WWM strengthened columns. The failure of columns occurred by yielding of steel reinforcement followed by concrete crushing (i.e. tension failure).
Road transport undeniably constitutes the predominant mechanism for facilitating the transportation of both goods and individuals on a global scale, serving as an essential backbone for economic and social interactions across diverse regions and cultures. The noticeable decrease in the flow of vehicles, which can be attributed to a plethora of internal and external factors, with a particular emphasis on the phenomenon of congestion, has profound implications that significantly influence fuel consumption rates, contribute to pollution associated with emissions, adversely affect the health and well-being of bystanders, and culminate in a considerable loss of time for individuals navigating these congested environments. In light of their elevated population densities coupled with their classification as emerging economies, South Asian countries find themselves necessitated to implement automated systems for the critical processes of predicting, identifying, and effectively addressing the challenges posed by road traffic congestion in order to enhance urban mobility and overall transport efficiency. This thorough research carefully explores the various techniques that have been utilized to recognize traffic congestion, presenting an extensive assessment of their individual strengths and weaknesses, thus offering insightful observations about the existing situation in this field of study. The examination of the diverse approaches and advanced technologies that have been utilized for the operation of lane-less roadways have been conducted, revealing substantial potential for further innovations that could greatly assist future researchers in their endeavors to enhance traffic management and improve roadway safety and efficiency.
Driven piles have often been used in many civil structures to provide structural loading support. However, the unavoidable vibrations induced by pile driving processes may cause varying degrees of damage to adjacent structures. This research presents experimental studies to investigate the transmitted vibrations induced by impact of pile driving on vicinity piles. In the experimental work, a small scale model was tested in a sand box (steel container 1 × 1.5 × 0.8 m) with pile driving hammer device to install the impact pile in sand soil by dropping weights (1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 kg) for different heights of falling (4, 8, 12, 16 and 20 cm). The peak particle velocity was measured at a head of the vicinity piles by vibration meter device. In this study, several piles on different distances away from the vibration source were studied. The experimental results indicate that the peak particle velocity for vibrations emitted with impact pile driving is increased with increasing the energy and the penetration depth of pile driving for all vicinity piles and it can be decreased without change in the driving energy by decreasing the weight of hammer and increasing the height of falling hammer. Vibration intensities are attenuated with increasing surface distance from the pile driving and the peak particle velocity decreased uniformly with surface distance from the pile driving for piles. Also, through laboratory model representation and evaluation of the results obtained in the laboratory, the empirical relations which were determined based on the scaled-distance concept, are appropriate and give results very close and can be relied upon to represent the transmission of vibration resulting from the impact of pile driving to nearby piles.
This experimental investigation evaluates the structural behavior of reinforced concrete slab-column connections incorporating columns with square and circular cross-sectional geometries under gravity and lateral cyclic loading. Four interior slab-column specimens were designed, fabricated, and tested, with identical slab dimensions of 1050×1050×80 mm and a column height of 500 mm. The circular columns were intended to have an equivalent second moment of inertia to the square column, ensuring a fair comparison of geometric effects. One specimen identified as SC-G, incorporating a square column, was tested under a progressively increasing vertical load to determine its maximum gravity load-bearing capacity. The remaining three specimens SC-2 with a square tied column, SC-9 with a circular spirally-reinforced column, and SC-10 with a circular column incorporating a column capital were tested under a constant gravity load equivalent to 60% of SC-G’s ultimate capacity (75 kN), combined with a lateral displacement protocol conforming to ACI 374 guidelines. Results indicated that the shape of the column (circular) and reinforcement (spiral) in SC-9 produces a comparatively higher ultimate load, stiffness, and ductility than SC-2 of the square column and tied reinforcement. The ultimate lateral load increase was +13.3%, -26.1%. Circular spiral columns with column capital in slab-column connections led to a noticeable rise in ultimate lateral load by about +62%, -80%. It was also shown that incorporating a column capital in SC-10 significantly enhanced the punching shear resistance and energy dissipation capacity. Circular columns demonstrated more stable hysteretic behavior and improved ductility compared to the square column specimen.
This paper present glass waste material reusing in concrete as partial replacement of cement. Some hardened properties like compressive and flexural strengths, modulus of elasticity and % absorption was made. The effect of glass powder on these properties was examined compared to reference specimens without glass powder. Five percentage was tested: 0%(reference), 10%, 15%, 20% and 25%. From tests results one can conclude that replacing cement partially by glass powder enhanced strengths of concrete (compression and flexural) up to 20% replacing level Using glass powder as partial replacement of cement improved strengths and modulus of elasticity of concrete. The %absorption decrease with increasing of glass powder content. The results show that utilization of waste glass as powder in concrete can reduce amount of cement which save cost besides its environmental benefits.
Structural elements. This means the structural behavior can be quantified by considering the behavior of each structural element in each load path. Concrete is a material known for its great strength. Regardless, there are a few weaknesses, which must be taken in consideration in the design of concrete structural elements. Basically, concrete is made of three main ingredients: Portland cement, water, and aggregates (sand and stone).In order to improve tensile strength and ductility (capacity to stretch and deform prior to failure) in concrete, so this paper discus some types of concrete and record the effect on beams. Reactive powder concrete (RPC) is an actual concrete mixture, it is a special type of concrete because mix concrete (coarse and fine aggregate ) replaced by fine sand size (150-400)µm. In the experimental comparison the mechanical properties( compressive , splitting tensile and flexural )strength of plain RPC and high and normal strength concrete. Each set consisted of (4) cubes of (100×100×100_mm, (8) cylinder of (150×300mm) and (4) prism of (100x100x500) mm and consisted of (4) beam of (1000×100×400)mm. The results shown that the maximum compressive strength is 107 MPa and the maximum splitting tensile 9 MPa of RPC comparison high and normal strength concrete. The result of the second part shown increased RPC reinforced concrete the firstcrack288 MPa and ultimate crack 380MPa comparison high and normal strength concrete and the mode of failure of RPC (flexural-shear).
This paper presents experimental investigations to study the behavior of High Strength Reinforced Concrete (HSRC) deep beams with web openings under monotonic and static repeated loading conditions. The experimental work procedure consisted of testing eighteen simply supported HSRC deep beams both with and without web openings. The numerical work procedure consisted of testing ten simply supported HSRC deep beams both with web openings. All beams had the same dimensions and flexural reinforcement. They had an overall length of 1400 mm, a width of 150 mm and a height of 400 mm. The investigated test parameters were concrete compressive strength, shape and size of openings, vertical and horizontal reinforcement ratios, shear span to effective depth ratio (a/d ratio) and loading history. The experimental results reveal that the ultimate load capacities for specimens tested under four different repeated loading regimes decrease in the range between 2% and 19% in regards to the control specimens which were tested under monotonic loading regime. The results indicated that the increase in the severity of loading history leads to a decrease in the ultimate shear strength of the deep beams and causes increases in their ductility ratio. The ultimate loads of HSRC deep beams with square web openings size of (50*50mm, 60*60mm and 70*70mm) tested under the repeated loading history (HS-1) which consisting of five phases decreased by (11.4 %, 24.1% and 26.3 %, respectively) compared to that of identical solid deep beam. The ultimate load of HSCR deep beam with circular web openings shape tested under repeated loading history (HS-1) increases by 8.6 % compared to the equivalent square web openings shape. For numerically analyzed beams under repeated loading history (HS-1), the ultimate load increases by 16% when using area of 2500mm2 of circular web openings shape (equal in area to square web opening size 50mm*50mm) and by 13.5% when using rhombus web openings shape of the dimensions 50*50mm in comparison with the case of 60-mm size square web openings.
In this vast world after an earthquake lessons are learned; many strategies have been considered in order to achieve a proper seismic strength capacity.The aim of this paper is studying the seismic behavior of a typical reinforced concrete bridge pier in Iraq and implementing a proper technique of strengthening in order to fix any damage that had happened.Structure of a full scale three-dimensional finite element model was used in order to simulate a reinforced concrete pier via the computer software ABAQUS/CAE 2017 using concrete plasticity damage model (CDP).Under the action of Halabja earthquake, which was recorded at city of Halabja in Iraq on 12 November 2017, the behavior of model was traced, analyzed and the resulted damages were managed.The finite element analysis results indicated that the proposed configuration of carbon fiber reinforced polymers laminates substantially increases the lateral load strength and deformation capacity of the bridge pier
Chemical additives and polymeric materials, selected for their compatibility and ability to improve asphalt's performance in demanding environments. Key additives, including Polyphosphoric Acid (PPA), Polyvinyl Acetate (PVAC) beads, Maleic Anhydride (MA), and Ethylene Vinyl Acetate (EVA) resin, were mixed in precise ratios with the asphalt binder. These additives were chosen to evaluate their effects on crucial performance indicators, such as the Penetration Index (PI) and activation energy, which measure the material’s thermal stability, flexibility, and resistance to deformation. Results demonstrated that the addition of these materials significantly increased the asphalt’s activation energy by up to 45.44%, enhancing its resistance to temperature fluctuations and providing better stability under various environmental stresses. The Penetration Index (PI) also improved notably, indicating that modified asphalt exhibits greater durability and reduced susceptibility to cracking or deformation under thermal changes. These enhancements contribute to lower road maintenance requirements and support greater energy efficiency in asphalt production and application processes. Compared to neat asphalt, the modified asphalt exhibited superior thermal stability, mechanical resilience, and overall performance, making it suitable for use in diverse climatic conditions. This study provides valuable insights into sustainable asphalt modification techniques, emphasizing the role of polymer and chemical additives in extending pavement lifespan and reducing environmental impact through improved material properties.
This study evaluates the performance of cement mortar incorporating micro silica (MS) and thermally treated date seed ash (DS) as sustainable partial cement replacements, in line with the demand for improved construction materials that utilize available resources. In the absence of an understanding of the behavior resulting from combining MS and DS within a hybrid replacement system particularly regarding how different blending ratios influence mortar performance and mix integrity. To achieve this, five mixtures were prepared with a total replacement level of 20% including three hybrid blends and were assessed through flowability, compressive strength, sorptivity, dry density, water absorption, and Ultrasonic Pulse Velocity (UPV) tests. Predictive models have also been developed to estimate chloride and sulfate penetration based on physical and non-destructive indicators. The results showed that the hybrid mixture MS15–DS5 demonstrated the most notable enhancement compared to the control mix, achieving a 6% increase in compressive strength a 42% reduction in sorptivity and clear increases in dry density and pulse velocity indicating a more compact internal structure. The MS10–DS10 mixture also exhibited improved behavior, though to a lesser degree. In contrast, increasing the DS content led to performance deterioration, where MS5–DS15 showed reduced strength and higher sorptivity and DS20 presented the weakest response, with an 8% reduction in compressive strength and a 32% increase in sorptivity. The predictive models also demonstrated high accuracy achieving R2 of 0.989 and 0.983 for chloride and sulfate penetration, respectively, supporting their ability to estimate future behavior based on physical properties. These results provide a clearer understanding of how combining MS and DS influences mortar behavior and mix integrity, and they contribute to the development of sustainable cementitious mixtures with improved performance when appropriate replacement levels are selected.
Expansive soil poses significant challenges for civil engineers worldwide since it seriously affects the structures built upon it. This soil has a very active group of minerals called montmorillonite, which is responsible for the significant volume change it exhibits. For a number of years, chemical additives have been utilized to stabilize soil, with various levels of success. Soil stabilization has involved the use of a variety of additives, including cement, lime, polymers, salts, and combinations of these. However, lime is very often used for expansive soil stabilization as it improves the soil's mechanical properties. The effects of adding three percentages of lime (3%, 6%, and 9%) to expansive soil to improve its engineering properties are investigated through several tests. The laboratory tests consist of standard compaction, sieve analysis, atterberg limits, hydrometer, California bearing ratio, consolidation test, swelling potential, and specific gravity. The test results displayed that the plasticity index, liquid limit, swelling potential, and maximum dry density, specific gravity decreased using (3%, 6%, and 9%) lime. In contrast, the plastic limit, and optimum moisture content increased using (3%, 6%, and 9%) lime. The California bearing ratio is increased from (12.13% to 14.65%) by adding (9% L). The swelling index and compression index are decreased from (0.070 to 0.030) and from (0.581 to 0.193) respectively by adding (9% L). The swelling percentage is reduced from (18.77% to 6.03%) by adding (9% L).
Double skin composite (DSC) construction or Steel/concrete/steel sandwich construction (SCSS) is an innovative and relatively new form of composite construction that can be used in submerged tube tunnels, bridges deck, nuclear structures, liquid and gas containment structures, offshore and onshore structures, military shelters, and shear walls in buildings. The system consists of a plain concrete core sandwiched between two steel plates interconnected together by various types of mechanical shear connectors. The DSC construction perceives advantages that the external steel plates act as both formwork and primary reinforcement, and also as impermeable, blast and impact resistant membranes. The major duty of the shear connectors is to withstand longitudinal shear force and beam/slab separation, while in the bi-steel type where shear connectors are friction welded at both their two ends to two parallel steel plates, the longitudinal and transverse shear force, as well as plate buckling are resisted. The present paper highlights the previous prime researches concerning the subjects of SCSS composite construction, specifically on the conducted tests (push-out tests, tensile, direct shear tests, and bending tests) in which the components of partial interaction (uplift and slip forces) are resisted by various types of shear connectors.
Reflective cracking is a serious issue that Adversely influences the performance and longevity of asphalt overlays over deteriorated pavements. This review Looks for the Technologies which used to reduce the reflection cracks propagation by insert a new Strategies and different design materials. This research dealt with many treatments such as: increasing the layer thickness of Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA), creating modified asphalt by adding polymers to asphalt, rubberizing asphalt, carbon black, sulfur and other different materials. Geosynthetic materials were studied and analyzed to evaluate their ability to increase the layer tensile strength and minimize the effect of reflection cracks such as geotextiles, geogrids, and Stress Absorbing Membrane Interlayers (SAMI). The research shows that the increasing of overlay asphalt layer thickness leads to durability development. On the other hand, using developed materials like Polymer-Modified Asphalt and Stress Absorbing Membrane Interlayers (SAMI) Strategies leads to increasing the service life of the repaired pavement. The conclusion indicated that the development of overlay asphalt layer thickness and layer reinforcement and applying advanced environmental systems can be improving the pavement performance. These Strategies can produce a perfect solution to prevent or reduce the reflection cracks in rigid and flexible pavement.
This paper presents a numerical investigation to study the effect of variations in displacement history sequence and magnitude on cyclic response of RC tapered (haunched) beams (RCHBs).Five simply supported RCHBs (four haunched and one prismatic) were selected from experimental work carried out by Aranda et al. The selected variables included were five loading history types. The first part of this study focused to verify the finite element analysis with selected experimental work and the second part of this study focused too studying the effect of varying in loading history to the response of RCHBs. The finite element code Abaqus was used in the modeling. The adopted cyclic simulation performance of the selected beams using the plastic- damage model for concrete developed by Lubliner and Lee & Fenves. The constitutive model of plain concrete describing the uniaxial compression response under cyclic loading proposed by Thorenfeldt, and the uniaxial tension response follows the softening law proposed by Hordijk was used in the modeling. Menegotto-Pinto model was used to simulate the steel response. Model verification has shown A good agreement to the selected experimental work. The variations in loading history will decrease the ultimate load and corresponding deflection with increase in the number of cycles at ultimate load.
This research studies the physical and mechanical properties of mortar composed of PVC plastic waste particles used as fine aggregate replacement material. PVC particles in quantities of 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25%, and 30% by volume were used for sand fraction substitution. This quantity of PVC was used to formulate seven mixes with a cement content of 525 kg/m3 and a water-to-cement ratio (w/c) of 0.45. At 7 and 28 days, the compressive and splitting tensile strengths of the mortar's mechanical characteristics were evaluated. Additionally, the physical characteristics of density and absorption were investigated. The findings demonstrated that the mechanical properties and density of mortar containing PVC powder were minimized.
Flexible and rigid pavements are commonly built for airport pavements to support the moving loads of aircraft during the pavement design life. Airport pavements represent a cornerstone of the aviation world. Their condition profoundly impacts safety, operational efficiency, airport capacity, and financial well-being. These meticulously engineered surfaces must withstand the immense stresses generated by aircraft during takeoff, landing, and taxiing. At the planning stage, the pavement structure, materials, aircraft loads, environmental conditions, and pavement damage models should be evaluated. Comparing with road pavement design, airport pavement structural design is unique in terms of the traffic loads supported by pavements with high load magnitude, significant tire pressure, and dynamic traffic conditions. Over time, deterioration stemming from environmental exposure, aircraft loading, and other factors becomes inevitable. This study aims to explore the various factors influencing airport pavement performance, review the existing methodologies for pavement design and maintenance, and propose enhancements to current practices to ensure long-term durability and safety of airport pavements. This study aims to explore the various factors influencing airport pavement performance, review the existing methodologies for pavement design and maintenance, and propose enhancements to current practices to ensure long-term durability and safety of airport pavements.
A tack coat is a minimal coating of asphalt cement, cut-back asphalt, or asphalt emulsion to an existing pavement surface between layers to guarantee proper bonding between the two layers and longitudinal and transverse joints. Numerous researchers have assessed interlayer adhesion employing failure-mode behavior tests, such as pull-off, direct shear, and torsion testing. This study aims to quantify the best tensile resistance obtained using three types of cutback asphalt (RC70, RC800 modified with polymer 4.5% & MC70). All are applied on concrete surfaces at a rate of 0.5 L/m². The Proceq DYNA Z16 pull–off tester is used to measure the tensile strength at a rate of 0.25 kN/s. It is found that the average tensile strength of the tack coat materials is (0.319, 0.138, 0.028) MPa, respectively. It is concluded that RC70 has the maximum tensile strength. Also, the different types of solvent affect adhesion strengths; RC70 was Prepared using gasoline, while MC70 used petroleum. Gasoline has greater volatility and thus increased adhesion. Failure strength modes of interior bonding varied between cohesive failure adhesive and adhesive failure.
In this work, waste glass powder from broken windows and plastic fibers from waste polyethylene terephthalate bottles are utilized to produce an economical self-compact concrete. Fresh properties (slump flow diameter, slump Flow T50, V. Funnel, L–Box), mechanical properties (Compressive strength and Flexural strength) and impact resistance of self-compact concrete are investigated. 15% waste glass powder as a partial replacement of cement with five percentages of polyethylene terephthalate plastic waste were adopted: 0% (reference), 0.5%, 0.75%, 1%, 1.25% and 1.5% by volume. It seems that the flow ability of self-compact concrete decreases with the increasing of the amount of plastic fibers. The compressive strength was increased slightly with plastic fiber content up to (0.75%), about 4.6% For more than (0.75%) plastic fiber. The compressive strength began to decrease about 15.2%. The results showed an improvement in flexural strength and an impact on the resistance in all tested specimens’ content of the plastic fibers, especially at (1.5%) fibers.
Searching for an optimal alternative to normal cement concrete (NCC) is an urgent need nowadays in order to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, reduce energy, and reduce waste materials. Therefore, this research aims to examine zero cement concrete (ZCC) slabs under monotonic loads with several paramedic studies including slab thickness (60mm, 80mm, 100 mm), bar spacing (75mm, 150mm, and 225mm), and molarity concentration (6M, 8M, and 10M). The results showed the behavior of reinforced ZCC slabs is similar to or slightly lower than that of normal cement concrete. Increasing slab thickness from 60 mm to 80 mm and 100 mm enhanced the slab stiffness, increased the applied loads, and reduced the vertical mid-span deflection. Decreasing bar spacing by 33.33% and 66.67% relative to 225 mm reduced also the deflection. The energy absorption was increased due to increasing the slab thickness and bar spacing. When the load increased, the slabs eventually failed by a typically visible punching cone (punching shear).
The properties related to Synthetic fibers such as significant strength, ductility, and durability lead the fibers to be adequate in enhancing the mechanical properties of asphalt concrete mixtures and that indicated by several studies. This paper aims to deliver an overview about the reinforcing influence of synthetic fibers on the mechanical and performance properties of asphalt concrete mixture. This paper surveys the literature on synthetic fibers and their applications in enhancing the mechanical features of asphaltic mixtures. It could serve as a reference for prospective modification and development of asphalt pavement by synthetic fibres. The characteristics of prevalent synthetic fibers are introduced, and their usage in asphalt mixtures is evaluated. A review of fiber surface treatment techniques demonstrates that they can enhance the performance of synthetic fibers in asphalt concrete mixtures, especially on the chemical surface. The article debates how synthetic fibre inclusion influences asphalt concrete mechanical performance, including rutting resistance, tensile strength, water susceptibility, and cracking resistance. The review indicates that using fibers such as aramid, glass, polyester, polyamide, and carbon improves asphalt pavement resistance to permanent deformation.
Open graded asphalt mixture is becoming more widespread where it is applied for various purposes, e.g. drainage of rainwater effectivity, traffic safety (high skid resistance), and controlling pollution noise. However, it has many other disadvantages, of which low stability, high stripping, and moisture sensitivity. The research aims to study the effect of styrene butadiene styrene SBS addition on the volumetric and mechanical properties of open graded mixture. In this research one type of aggregate with gradation (12.5 mm NMAS), asphalt of penetration grade (40/50), and cement as filler were used. Optimum asphalt content was selected based on the criteria of air voids content, asphalt drain down, permeability, and abrasion resistance (for aged and un-aged) samples. Other properties of open-graded mixtures, such as indirect tensile strength (ITS), moisture susceptibility, Marshall stability and flow were evaluated. The results show that addition of polymer (SBS) leads to an enhancement in the properties of the modified mixtures. There is an improvement in Marshall parameters. Also, a slight decreasing is noticed for permeability and air voids. For Cantabro abrasion loss (aging and un-aging condition), the abrasion resistance is increased, the drain down of asphalt is decreased from original mixture by addition of SBS. Finally, the moisture sensitivity is improved indicating that modified mixes becomes more resistant to water damage.
There is very close relation between the pile capacity and surrounding soil conditions . In cohesionless soil the pile effected on surround soil by compact loose ,cohesionless deposits through a combination of pile volume displacement and driving vibrations .the pile foundation usually designed to exceed the weak soil to the firm deposit .in this study we shall try to improve the weak soil surround the pile and observe the effect of improvement on pile capacity for driven pile._x000D_ The improvement suggested in this study is compacting for surrounding soil . for this purpose we prepare testing program by selection two types of sand soil one as the origin soil and the other as improving soil (soil will be compacted and replace surround pile model) . pile model prepared for this purpose is consist of reinforcement steel bar covered with cement mortar , 50 kN automatic electromechanical compression machine was used for testing load- settlement test on pile model. The Testing procedure includes changing the diameter of soil compacted around pile model and execute the load settlement test and compare the results.
Rigid pavement slabs are erected on a prepared subgrade or foundation layer, providing a hard and continuous surface. Transverse joints made of dowel bars connect them, and longitudinal joints made of tie bars join them longitudinally. This study is an investigation of the impact of soil strength and concrete parameters on the effectiveness of dowel bars in rigid pavements. Moreover, three parameters were examined; California Bearing Ratio (CBR), concrete compressive strength and slab thickness. The analysis was conducted using the Ever FE program and focused on several axle configurations applied to the joint. The results indicate inverse association between the pavement slab thickness and the concrete strength, under the assumption of consistent soil strength. Moreover, an assortment of reduced shear forces on the dowel bars is seen when the soil strength values increase. It indicates that soil strength has a greater impact on the shear load of dowel bars compared to the qualities of concrete. Additionally, the type of axles used and the magnitude of soil strength were shown to have a significant effect on the shear load.
Shallow foundation suffers from considerable settlement, displacement and tilting under earthquakes. This is particularly due to the shaking associated with earthquakes that lead to the generation of horizontal seismic load transferred through the soil to the foundation. Also, liquefaction could take place during the earthquake in the saturated loose sand. To alleviate the detrimental effect of earthquakes, ground improvement is required. This study examines the response of the shallow square foundation rested on loose sand soil reinforced with geogrid reinforcement when subjected to 2023 Turkey earthquake by using a shaking table system. Different number of geogrid layers are installed; (one, two, three and four), also various geogrid configurations were examined which are (straight, trapezoidal and reverse trapezoidal). The acceleration response, settlement, horizontal displacement, rotation and pore water pressure developed in the sand soil and the shallow foundation during 2023 Turkey earthquake has been examined. The settlement and the horizontal displacement, foundation rotation, acceleration and pore water pressure were measured using rope displacement transducers, tilt sensors, accelerometers and pore water transducers respectively. The results showed that the acceleration amplifies when passing through loose sand. The results also indicated that the shallow foundation experienced noticeable settlement, horizontal displacement and rotation when subjected to the seismic loads. On the other hand, the installation of geogrid proved to be effective in controlling the problems associated with earthquakes. The optimum geogrid reinforcement is occurred when three layers of geogrid placed in reverse trapezoidal configuration (3RT) since it gave the best reduction in the acceleration amplification and the highest decrease in the foundation settlement, displacement and tilting which is about (60-66) %. Nevertheless, the effectiveness of geogrid minimizes when the sand soil becomes saturated. In addition, liquefaction occurs during earthquakes especially at the shallower depths because of the decrease in the shear strength of saturated soil.
This study explores the impact of adding high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and Novolac polymers to gypseous soil from Tikrit City, Iraq, to enhance its geotechnical properties. The soil contained 38% gypsum, and the polymers were added in varying proportions (1%, 3%, 6%). Both polymers improved maximum dry density, optimum moisture content, and reduced collapse potential (Ic). The collapse potential was reduced by 64%, 77.7%, and 83.2% at 1%, 3%, and 6% HDPE content, respectively. The collapse potential was reduced by 82.3%, 74.8%, and 51.9% at 1%, 3%, and 6% Novolac polymer content, respectively. In the dry conditions, the internal friction angle increased by about 22.9% and 5.7% as the HDPE content was increased by 3% and 6% respectively. Adding Novolac polymer also increased the internal friction angle by about 5.7% by the addition of 3% Novolac polymer. In soaked conditions, the best increase in internal friction angle (?) was 30% with the addition of 3% HDPE polymer. the internal friction angle increased by about 26.7% by adding 1% and 3% of Novolac polymer. The study concludes that adding HDPE and Novolac polymers can improve geotechnical properties, but their effect on CBR is complex and depends on the polymer percentage added and soil moisture state.
A dam failure results in losses in terms of economy and infrastructure, in addition to the loss of many lives and assets. Inadequate seepage control procedures are typically the cause of seepage failure in earth-fill dams. For an earthen dam to be waterproof and to minimize seepage, non-homogeneous dams with a clay core are one kind of embankment dam used. As water moves through the dam's core, friction causes it to lose a lot of energy. Both vertical and inclined cores can be used in the design and construction of zoned embankment dams. As a result, choosing the proper materials and dimensions for the earth dam's core is critical. The main objective of this study is to investigate different seepage control strategies for an earth dam (HORAN DAM) using the Finite Element Method (FEM). We modeled and analyzed nine cases of various seepage control techniques that have been modeled and analyzed using SEEP/W, a FEM-based software. The modeling results show using chimney filters reduces pore water pressure more effectively than using toe rock and horizontal filters. Regarding seepage, trapezoidal cores perform better than inclined cores, and the milder slope is preferred over steeper core slopes. The results show when the core permeability decreases, the seepage quantity also decreases. Toe rock decreases seepage more than horizontal filters and chimney filters. Additionally, it has been shown that using a toe rock filter together with a trapezoidal core with a mild slope performs better than using a different filter and a different internal clay core shape.
The hydraulic characteristics of dams can be predicted with high precision and reliability of physical and numerical models depending on accurate hydraulic data. The model is operated and simulated to get a more efficient, optimized utilization of the dam. This research included a comprehensive overview and literature examination of the Makhool Dam which is considered one of the most important dams under construction in Iraq. Previous studies of the dam focused on different topics in the operation of the dam and analyses of its properties, part of which focused on the dam ability to manage flood and how it works best with other dams in critical times, and another part studied the properties of the stilling basin, velocity in the dam reservoir, pressure, seepage and other characteristics that affect the operating the dam. Despite this research and the variety of topics discussed, there is no well-established research on the operation of the bottom and emergency spillway of the dam by using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation software. CFD is considered an essential tech because it has an important influence in determining the hydraulic properties of a spillway and studying its effectiveness under different operating conditions. Because the spillway is an important element in the dam body, the research highlighted the necessity of performing a simulation using appropriate CFD software for this part. This research has also reviewed previous research on CFD software and their ability to simulate previously constructed or under-construction dams to analysis of its hydraulic properties.
This research reviews existing literature on RC beams strengthened techniques for shear. Research indicates that fiber-reinforced polymers (FRP) are best utilized and effective materials to enhance RC beams. These materials have corrosion resistance and exceptional strength. The strengthening of reinforced beams by FRP depends on the nature of fiber, arrangement, materials, and manner of strengthening. The current article analyzes the properties, advantages, and applications the FRP composites. In addition to the mechanisms of failure, properties, and behaviors of FRP-strengthened reinforced beams undergoing shear with various strengthening techniques such as EB, NSM, and ETS.
Water seepage can cause serious problems in geotechnical engineering especially for construction under the water level. Baghdad metro tunnel is one of the leading vital projects to solve the major problem of crowding roadways in a highly population increase city like Baghdad. In this study, the seepage rate that will flow toward different selected points along the tunnel section across Tigris River was calculated during the excavation process, with the consideration of three different water levels of River at maximum, moderate, and minimum water depths. A three-dimensional model of the study has been modeled using the finite element software (PLAXIS 3D V20). The water seepage was observed for six different locations on each route of the tunnel. The study showed that the change of water depth in the river has no significant effect on the seepage – time curve shape. However, increasing the water level in River from minimum to maximum leads to increase the seepage rate about 15%.
The main objective of this study is to design the asphalt pavement structure for the Alkut-Mayssan highway in Iraq as a case study by using PCASE application to determine the necessary thickness of CR-modified asphaltic layers. Additionally, Marshall tests were used to investigate the effect of the dry process crumb rubber modifier on the thickness of the binder coarse layer based on various variables, such as the crumb rubber modifier with different content (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)% and sizes (0.3mm, 2.36mm , 4.75mm, and mix gradation). The test results show that while pavement thickness reduced as crumb rubber gradation increases, MR values increase. Additionally, as compared to the control mixture, the addition of 1% of CR in various gradations could decrease the thickness of the asphalt binder layer.
Behavior of composite beams with headed stud shear connectors subjected to monotonous and displacement controlled non-reversible repeated loadings has been evaluated through studying influences of the cross-sectional proportioning, the degree of partial interaction, and the level of ductile deformability in the post-yielding stage, in addition to the state of loading (whether monotonous or repeated). Eleven one- third scaled composite beams (with their push-out segments) were manufactured and tested in five pairs (each comprising the two loading cases representing one varying studied parameter) beside the single standard composite beam dedicated to verify accuracy of the test results by comparing them to the prototype ones (three authorized experimental and analytical investigations) where no distinction (other than 7 % difference) between the results of the three authorized refereed investigations (experimental, analytical and Eurocode) and the present one.Regarding the flexural resistance in repeatedly loaded composite beams, it has been found that lowering the neutral axis (by adding bottom steel plate) has significantly increased the beam flexural resistance by an average of 24.7 %. Meanwhile, the intensity of headed studs distribution in stiffened repeatedly loaded composite beams has revealed a vital role in controlling the severity of the post-ultimate flexural weakening, where decreasing number of the headed studs to the half has increased the value of that unfavorite parameter by 160.58%. Furthermore, that specified decrease of headed stud intensity has lowered the advantageous residual cyclic flexural ductility by 19.37 % and 11.48 % without and with stiffening bottom steel plates, respectively. Regarding the effect of the lengthening the headed stud on behaviour of the repeatedly loaded composite beams it has been found that lengthening the medium-length headed studs by 72% has raised the flexural stiffness by 41.1 %, while it has decreased the residual cyclic slippage index by 54.3 %.
This article provides a general up to date review of the investigation on performances and resistances of plain and fiber containing concrete structures under periodical loadings of long endurance up to fatigue failure. Structures are almost, under the frequent influences of repeated loadings such as vibrations of rotary machines, sea /river waves, wind, earthquakes and moving vehicles. Long term application of cyclic loading leads to continually slow rate degradation of the structure rigidity leading to fatigue damage. In spite of the dominant usage of concrete, worldwide, as a building material, its fatigue behavior is not straight forward. In addition, this lack of comparison is confronted for fiber fortified concrete. The article also presently a survey of the available techniques for monitoring and measurement of fatigue impressions in concrete structures founded both their impact within the treatise domain and the non-destructive inspection. Those technical means are classified into, at least, two designations, specifically, the monitoring of fatigue induced cracking and the detection of fatigue charged damage. Those techniques parameters, evaluate the changes in the mechanical and physical materials properties during the fatigue endurance, are distantly reviewed in concern of the mechanism creating the change, shortcomings, constraints, etc. The merits, dependency, feasibility, disadvantages and limitations of each technique are assessed and compared to make an index to select the appropriated e technique for fatigues fracture or failure inspection of the type fibered or not of structural concrete
Reinforced concrete slab with plastic voids (Bubbled Deck system) is a new type of slabs which has two-dimensional arrangement of voids within the slab that is developed to decrease the slab self-weight while maintaining approximately the same load carrying capacity as compared with the solid slabs. Plastic voided slabs have the ability to reduce concrete amount by about 30 percent and this reduction is so important in terms of cost saving and enhancement the structural performance. In this research paper investigation is carried out to study the shear strength behavior of one-way bubble deck slab using self-compacting reinforced concrete. The experimental program consists of testing thirteen one-way slabs with dimensions of (1700 length, 700 width and 150 thick) mm. One of the tested slabs is a solid slab (without balls) is used as a reference, the remaining twelve bubbled slabs with ball diameter (73, 60) mm are divided into five groups according to the parameters of the experimental work, the parameters of the experimental work include: type of slab (bubble and solid slabs), ball diameter (73, 60) mm, shear reinforcement and spacing between balls. The experimental results showed that the bubbled slabs without shear reinforcement have a decrease in the ultimate load as compared to solid slab by about 3.7% to 14.3% and an increase in the deflection at ultimate load by about 10% to 22%, at the same time the first crack load decreases by about 15.3% to 42.4% as compared to solid slab due to decreases of moment of inertia of bubble slab compared to solid slab. Also, the results showed that the bubbled slabs withe shear reinforcement (multi-leg) have an increase in the ultimate load as compared to solid slab by about 35.4% to 57.3% and an increase in the deflection at ultimate load by about 1% to 15%, at the same time the first crack load decreases by about 2.8% to 27.4% as compared to solid slab.
Improving the ability of asphalt pavement to survive the heavily repeated axle loads and weathering challenges in Iraq has been the subject of research for many years. The critical need for such data in the design and construction of more durable flexible pavement in bridge deck material is paramount. One of new possible steps is the epoxy asphalt concrete, which is classified as a superior asphalt concrete in roads and greatly imparts the level of design and construction. This paper describes a study on 40-50 penetration graded asphalt cement mixed with epoxy to produce asphalt concrete mixtures. The tests carried out are the Marshall properties, permanent deformation, flexural fatigue cracking and moisture damage. Epoxy asphalt mixes performed better on resistance to fatigue and permanent deformation. They also performed significantly better on low-temperature properties and resistance to moisture damage. The addition of 30 percent of epoxy (by weight of asphalt cement) resulted in increase of Marshall stability by 39.8 percent, improve the tensile strength ratio by 22.9 percent, lowering both the rate of permanent deformation by 26.8 percent and the fatigue accumulation coefficient by 53.5 percent, in comparison with control HMA. Based on the above findings, it is recommended to use epoxy asphalt mixes as an optimal material for paving bridges deck in Iraq since it showed good prospects for this application due to the valuable performance and durability improvement.
CFDSST Concrete Filled Double-skinned steel tubular columns are composite columns consisting of two concentric circular steel tubes with concrete filler in between. Finite elements method is considered through the use of the computer program ABAQUS to model CFDSST columns numerically under cyclic axial compression. Damage plasticity model was considered to model the concrete while elastic-plastic model used to model the steel tubes. six CFDSST specimens and three ordinary Concrete Filled Steel Tubular (CFST) specimens were analyzed under static axial compression, while three CFDSST specimens were considered for analysis under cyclic axial compression. The numerical results were presented in terms of axial load axial strain displacement curves. It was found that the ultimate axial load carrying capacity calculated numerically in good agreement with that of the experimentally tested specimens. Also it was concluded that Damage plasticity model used for simulating the behavior of concrete and metal plasticity model used for simulating the behavior of steel produced accurate results as compared to the experimental results.
Hot mix asphalt embedded on "Reclaimed asphalt pavement"(RAP) has the advantages of high technology. Moisture damage is a concern in these mixtures at all service temperatures. Therefore, the performance of this mixture against moisture at all service temperatures was considered a target of this research study. In this way, the effects of humidity on the performance of varieties were investigated using experimental methods including tensile strength ratio (TSR). In the framework of this study, Four different ratios of RAP for each of the surface and bonding layers (10%, 15%, 20%, 25%) and (30,40,50,60)% were added to the hot asphalt mix (HMA) for the two layers respectively to study and find the content Optimal RAP for both layers RAP through Marshall stability and hygroscopic resistance of asphalt mixtures through moisture damage is examined. The ratio (TSR) of the mixtures containing the optimal RAP content is compared with the asphalt mixture without RAP for three fillers and for both layers. The results showed a slight decrease in the tensile strength of the (HMA) that does not contain RAP compared to the asphalt control mixtures containing the reclaimed pavement, where it was found that the percentages were slightly higher and still higher than 80%. The results indicate that in general, Although there are old materials in the hot asphalt mix (HMA) produced from RAP, which include aggregates and bitumen binder surrounding the aggregate particles, the performance of these mixtures and integrations against moisture damage. Because it contains this, it can have results with “hot asphalt mixtures” containing RAP for areas with damage without worry in addition to good natural curbs.
Hydraulic structures, including cascade aerators, may be acknowledged as important components in improving aeration efficiency because of the intense turbulent mixing combined with large air bubble entrapment at these structures. The main objective of the present study is to achieve maximum aeration efficiency and enhance the concentration of dissolved oxygen in the water since this is an important factor in improving water quality. The present study aims to determine the most proper geometric and dynamic parameters of a typical square-shaped stepped cascade with a total height of 120 cm, and sex steps. A tread of each step is 10 cm and a rise of each step is 20 cm, where aeration efficiency is maximized. The results of the study revealed that the maximum value of water aeration efficiency, meaning an increase in dissolved oxygen in the water using a stepped cascade aerator happened when flow rates of 15 L/min, 25 L/min, and 35 L/min with aeration efficiencies of 22%, 37%, and 42% respectively. Finally, the optimization of flow rates in aeration systems can lead to improved water quality parameters. The most important feature of the present study is the innovation of a natural method of water treatment that relies on the principle of mixing, coagulation, and flocculation by hydraulic methods, which works to reduce the costs of operation.
Due to significant increasing in seismic activity in world during the last decades especially in Middle East region; engineers have been giving increasing attention to the design of buildings for earthquake resistance. In this study 3-D seismic behavior of piles is investigated using the finite element program PLAXIS 3D 2013. _x000D_ Piles are one of the most commonly used foundations in seismic areas where the soil is inadequate to carry the load on its own. In these seismic areas, piles often pass through (penetrate) shallow loose and/or soft soil deposits and rests on competent end bearing soils. Thus a model of soil - pile system is simulated in the finite element program._x000D_ The dynamic parameters of soil are used as input dynamic data of PLAXIS 3D program, in addition to the static properties of soil collected from soil investigation works._x000D_ The research showed the susceptibility of PLAXIS 3D program in analyzing piles with different soil conditions under earthquake action. The results also showed the importance of studying seismic behavior of soil-pile system using 3-D analysis rather than 2-D analysis because the problem is truly 3-D and should be analyzed as such.
The stilling basin is a frequently used energy dissipators that converts supercritical flow from a dam's spillway into subcritical flow that is in compatible with the downstream river regime. They serve to prevent scouring, which happens when high-velocity water enters the dam's downstream reach. This scouring not only seriously erodes the downstream area but also damages the dam's foundation. In this research, the behavior of blocks of stilling basin and spillway toe in reducing energy losses and the longitudinal hydraulic jump toe position is evaluated. This research includes two cases ; case1 is a spillway and stilling basin without blocks, and case2 which is a spillway and stilling basin with chute blocks and middle blocks. By increasing the discharge from 0.010 m3/s to 0.020 m3/s, the difference in the dissipation energy for case1 and case2 are (17.6%, 24.7%) respectively, and that the percentage of decrease in the longitudinal hydraulic jump toe position is (83.94%, 85.90%, 86.30%, 87.20%, 88.39%, 87.58%, 80.64%, 77.94%) for the discharges tests from ( 0.010 m3/s to 0.017 m3/s). As a results, The using of blocks in stilling basin and spillway led to a rise in relative energy dissipation and decrease the longitudinal hydraulic jump toe position of stilling basins.
Utilization of additives can be an effective way to improve the durability and performance of HMA, making them more resistant to Moisture and deformation. Plus, they can reduce the need for maintenance and repairs, saving you time and money in the long run. In this study, CKD was used in place of limestone as a filler in the asphalt mixture in proportions of 0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100%, and polymer SBS 4%by weight of asphalt. According to the findings, replacement-content CKD had the highest asphalt content. When the CKD is between 25% and 50%, Stability, Flow, and Indirect Tensile Strength are improved, while the density of the asphalt mixture decreases and the amount of air voids increases at higher ratios. While SBS leads to an increase in the hardness of the adhesives. As a consequence, the stability of the SBS-containing mixes resulted in higher values than the control and additive-containing mixtures (CKD), as well as a decrease in the number of air voids. According to the results, CKD should not constitute more than half of the filler weight in the asphalt mixture.
In this study a numerical examples and solutions has been obtained by using three system of beam resting on elastic foundation (BOEF) which was adopted previously by three different engineering software. The first part of this paper was related to verify the model of (BOEF) by using ETABS2015 by make a comparison with previous results by determination the maximum settlements at the mid of span which show a good agreement between ETABS2015 and other results, where the total differences was vary from 2.13 % to 3.27%. . The second part of this study was highlighted on the settlement of BOEF with different parametric study (beam thickness, soil subgrade reaction(KS) and the load location), case (1) was selected for this goal. In this paper it is found that the differential settlement along the beam are decrease as increasing in the beam stiffness in addition to possibility to obtain uplift (positive settlement ) for some type of changing in the load location specially for higher thick beam . It was noticed that the settlement are increased significantly as reducing in the (KS). Finally this study show a different form of deflection by combination two of parametric study.
Gypsum soil is classified as problematic because it contains gypsum, a soluble substance in the presence of water. Therefore, it is recommended that it be improved before construction. This research examines the effect of clayey soils on enhancing the properties of gypseous soils. Two soil samples, designated as Soil 1 (with a gypsum concentration of 35.4%) and Soil 2 (with a gypsum content of 12.3%), were obtained from Al Najaf City, Iraq, and subjected to laboratory testing. The study investigates the use of cost-effective, locally available clayey soil to improve the engineering characteristics of gypseous soils, thereby mitigating the adverse effects of wetting. The experimental program encompassed a compaction, compressibility, and shear strength test. To assess the impact of clayey additives, gypseous soil was treated with varying percentages of clayey soil content (5% and 10%), and tests were conducted on both treated and untreated gypseous soil samples. The results indicated that using 10% clayey additives could decrease the collapse potential by 55% and 39% for Soil 1 and Soil 2, respectively. Additionally, the clayey additives significantly affected cohesion, with an enhancement percentage of 625% and 1315% under soaking conditions at 10% clayey additives for Soil 1 and Soil 2, respectively.
Quality control of riverbank roads is a vital part of the road construction and maintenance process and aims to ensure infrastructure quality, safety, and sustainability. This requires adherence to technical standards, constant auditing, and regular maintenance to maintain the condition of the roads and avoid potential problems. The first step in the quality control of roads is to test the efficiency of the subgrade soil. A geotechnical investigation of subgrade soil under river bank roads is carried out to evaluate the engineering properties of the soil and determine the soil’s ability to bear the loads resulting from vehicle movement and road traffic. This investigation includes analyzing soil samples and laboratory tests to determine soil properties and determine any improvements the soil needs to bear the loads. Soil samples were collected from Al-Kadhimiya Corniche Street. It was dried and subjected to laboratory tests, the soil in this study is classified as poorly graded sand (SP), GS 2.589, the shear strength parameters an internal friction angle of 33 degrees and cohesion of 0.5 kN/m2, and the results of the compaction test indicated that the optimal moisture content was 8.1%, with a maximum dry density was 18.24 kN/m3, CBR 26.04%, and chemical tests (SO3 0.222, pH 8.55, T.SS 0.891, CL 0.085). Software FAARFIELD was used to check pavement design, the thickness design was executed utilising a subgrade CBR value of 26.04%. The subgrade pavement thickness was determined to be 304mm in total. The results agree with the actual design of Al-Kadhimiya Corniche Street, which was recently maintained during the field investigation in 2023.
In this paper an experimental works conducted to study the behavior of R.C. beam with large web opening at different locations and fortified with reactive powder composite (RPC) at the extreme tension zone (bottom edge of opening) and/or extreme compression zone (Top edge of opening). The experimental study is investigate the behavior of twelve beams and study the ability of using normal strength concrete together with RPC in the same section to exploit the advantages of these two materials in optimal way. The main variables are RPC layers locations in tension zone and/or in compression zone and the locations of openings. The ultimate loads, load mid-span deflection behavior and strain for steel and concrete were discussed. The experimental results showed that the ultimate strength was decreased with increasing number of opening about 4% for beams with two openings located in shear zone and 21% for beams with three openings, thus indicating that the stiffness decreases accordingly. The using RPC layers effectively enhanced performance of hybrid beams when compared with using the normal strength concrete layers only. The using RPC layers in compression and tension zones increased the ultimate load about 47 % for beams with two opening located in shear zone, when using RPC in the tension zone and normal strength concrete in the compression zone the ultimate flexural load and ultimate deflection increase little compared with normal concrete.
Normal concrete is weak against tensile strength, has low ductility and also insignificant resistance to cracking. The addition of diverse types of fibers at specific proportions can enhance the mechanical properties as well as the durability. Discrete fiber, which is commonly used, have many disadvantages such as balling the fiber, random distribution, and limitation of the used Vf ratio. Based on this vision, a new technique was discovered, enhancing concrete by textile-fiber to avoid all the problems mentioned above. This paper presents all important consequence and conclusions obtained from previous studies on how to strengthen concrete with two-dimensional and three-dimensional textile-fibers, and focuses on the flexural behavior of concrete members. The results indicate that there was an improvement in flexural strength, deformation capacity, and toughness with different load conditions when using different types of textile-fiber. It was observed that the effect of textile-fibers would increase when this fiber was coated by epoxy. In TRC system, there is a significant impact on the number of textile-fiber layers used.
Moisture-induced damage in asphalt pavements, is defined by adhesive failure at the binder-aggregate interface and decreased mechanical integrity, severely reduce pavement durability. The research examines the mechanical properties and moisture sensitivity of hot mix asphalt (HMA) enhanced with styrene-butadiene-styrene (SBS) polymer and including reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP). Laboratory assessments, including indirect tensile strength (ITS) and tensile strength ratio (TSR) tests, were performed on conventional HMA, SBS-modified HMA (4% SBS), and SBS-modified HMA contained 20% RAP. The results indicated that SBS modification significantly improved mechanical and moisture resistance properties, where unconditioned ITS specimens increased by 37.1% and TSR value enhanced by 13.5%. The incorporation of RAP decreased ITS value by about 21 % relative to pure SBS-modified HMA; nevertheless, the SBS+RAP combination still show higher ITS and TSR values than conventional HMA.
This paper studies the effect of different design spectral response acceleration parameters as suggested by the uniform building code (UBC), unified facilities criteria (UFC), and Iraqi seismic code(1997) (ISC 97) on the seismic response of reinforced concrete multi-story framed building located in Baghdad city, Iraq. These parameters are: (a) spectral response accelerations Ss, at short periods, and S1 at a 1-second period in accordance with international building code (IBC), (b) seismic zone factor (Z) according to UBC, (c) Seismic hazard zoning coefficient (Z) according to ISC 97. In this paper, first, the elastic seismic responses for significant modes of vibration for chosen building under design response spectrum that obtained from the above mentioned codes are calculated, and then a comparison was made among different design spectral response acceleration parameters. The intent of this study is to review the seismic provisions of the current edition of Iraqi seismic code (1997) to determine whether it provides an equivalent level of safety to that contained in other international codes. Design base shears, lateral seismic forces, inter story drifts, response spectrum modal, effective seismic modification, floors acceleration and story shears are comparatively presented.
This paper aims to assess the structures' seismic response with a system of Single-degree-of-freedom exposed to near-fault earthquakes, taking into account the effect of pulse period, shear wave velocity (VS30), and fault mechanism. Strong ground motion data were taken for different events in different places around the world and the prism software program is used for the analysis of seismic response for structures recognized as single-degree-of-freedom systems. Results show that the ground motion with a higher value of (VS30) provides an acceleration response higher than that of the lower value of (VS30). However, the findings revealed that the peak displacement requirements are observed in a nearby of the pulse period limits. In addition, it is noticed that there is an obvious increase in spectrum demand with longer pulse periods. Finally, results show at short vibration periods (T? 0.6sec) for both types (strike slip and dip slip) comparable results while an increment is observed in the results of the strike-slip for vibration periods more than (0.6sec) of the acceleration response spectrum. Nonetheless, for the velocity response spectrum dip-slip continuous in flocculating with a significant increase.
This paper deals with the elastic stability of a column bolted at its mid-height to a simply supported square plate and subjected to a concentrated load, using energy method. A uniform homogeneous column is assumed to be pinned at both ends. From symmetry considerations, half of the column is modeled by making the plate acting as a torsion spring on the column at its mid-height. The column length and cross-section, plate dimensions and thickness, and the material properties for the column and the plate catch the interest of the author. The problem is solved by using energy method and ultimately, the elastic buckling load is found. The analytical elastic buckling load is compared with a numerical solution obtained from finite element method using SAP2000. The numerical results agree with the analytical solution. The finite element model is refined to catch the actual effect of the bolted plate on the elastic buckling load. It has been found that the elastic buckling load is increased due to the increase in the rotational stiffness provided from the plate.
This paper is intended to study the effect of using upstream and downstream sheet pile in double soil layer on the seepage, uplift pressure exit gradient at toe of hydraulic structure using computer program SEEP/W software._x000D_ Depended on the software program tests were carried out with three different value of each following parameter: upstream sheet pile depth, downstream sheet pile depth, permeability for first and second soil layer, depth of first and second soil layer, with using constant upstream head and distance between the two sheet pile. For each test the quantity of seepage, exit gradient and uplift pressure at toe of hydraulics structure were determined. Based on the results of these runs an empirical equations developed to determine the quantity of seepage, uplift pressure and exit gradient at toe of hydraulic structure by using SPSS software. Also, Verify the SEEP/W results and the suggested equations with artificial neural network (ANN). The verification show difference less than 5% , 2% and 6% for exit gradient, discharge and uplift pressure respectively at toe of hydraulic structure.
The composite opened web steel joist supported floor systems have been common for many years. It is economic and has light weight and can embed the electrical conduit, ductwork and piping, eliminating the need for these to pass under the member, consequently eliminate the height between floors. In order to study the joist strength capacity under the various conditions, it had been fabricated seven joists composed of the steel and concrete slab connected to the top chord by shear connectors (headed studs). These joist have 2820 mm length c/c of the supports and 235 mm overall depth. In the present study, six variable parameters are adopted (Studs distribution, Degree of shear connection, Degree of the web inclination, Shape of the web, Density of concrete for slab and length of the shear connector). The test results exhibited that minimum strength capacity was 160kN for light weight joist and maximum capacity was 225kN for joist of long shear connectors at failure. The results were compared by ultimate flexural model by Azmi.
Moisture damage in terms of stripping; and aging surface in terms of raveling and abrasion are among the primary distresses that lead to the deterioration of asphalt pavement, diminishing the overall quality and functionality of road surfaces. This study investigates the impact of using low-cost and locally available waste aluminum scrape powder (WASP) with a particle size ranging from sieves No.8 to No.200. WASP exhibits a high bulk specific gravity and melting point temperature on HMA mixtures, which could also potentially enhance the density and stiffness of modified mixtures. Five quantities of additives 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, and 2.5% have been used to enhance the mechanical-durability features. The aggregate sources of AlDoz and AlNibaa'e were chosen, and different mixtures were produced utilizing Marshall and Roller compaction methods. The study's findings indicated that WASP enhanced mechanical-durability characteristics and reduced the asphalt mixture's sensitivity to abrasion, moisture damage, and aging. The optimal amount of WASP was determined to be 1.5%. In addition, based on the influence of the aggregate source and compaction technique, it is visible that the AlNibaa'e source and roller compaction mode provide superior outcomes compared to the AlDoz aggregate source and the Marshall method.
Most of the soils suffered from significant geotechnical problems dependent on factors like the type of soil, soil composition and mineralogy. Specifically, the problems related to mechanical and physical properties of soils. Several studies have been used to mitigate the adverse effects of soils through using either additive conventional materials such as cement, lime or these soils blending with produced material and chemical materials. This paper focuses on stabilizing or improving different soils using sustainable materials. These materials provided environmental and economic benefits while mitigating a health hazard, storage problems, and a potential pollution source. They can be classified according to these sources into four groups: industrial waste (by-products), agriculture waste, domestic waste and mineral waste. According to the results of this review, compaction characteristics, California bearing ratio and unconfined compressive strength have been studied and discussed in this paper.
This study concerns utilization of nonlinear finite element method for to evaluate the role of longitudinal soffit-bonded CFRP strips in elevating the shear behavior of RC beams without stirrups. All beams cross-sections were of 150 mm breadth and 200 mm depth, the overall length was 1500 mm with clear span 1300 mm. One beam was provided by minimum web reinforcement according to the ACI 318M-14, while the other five were without web reinforcement but externally strengthened by a variety of CFRP-strip combinations consisting of longitudinal soffit-bonded strips. The predictions of a proposed ANSYS (version 14.5) model for six of the test beams including modeling of concrete, steel rebars, CFRP strips and supports and loading steel plates, by SOLID65, LINK180, SHELL41 and SOLID185 elements, respectively, show high agreements with experimental evidence, which stands as a definite witness to the efficiency and reliability of the present numerical model.
In Iraq some pavements of the newly constructed highway appear precocious distresses with unfavorable implications especially on the safety and the frugality. Cracking and permanent deformation are main types of these failures. The filler is doubtful to be a master contributor to these failures where its content has a significance effect on the mixture stiffness, and thereby affect the HMA pavement performance. The main objective of this research is to appreciate the influence of different contents of filler on the volumetric properties of asphaltic mixtures thus performance of asphalt mixtures through Comparative Evaluation between conventional Marshall Method and Super pave system. The implementation of a detailed experimental work is carried out to achieve the study objectives through the preparation of asphalt concrete samples using aggregate from Al-Nebaie quarry, (40-50) asphalt cement from Dourah refinery and limestone dust filler with four different contents of (0%, 4%, 8%, and 12%) by weight of the total aggregate. The volumetric properties for each mix design method are evaluated using Marshall Test and the Super pave Gyratory Compacter. The influence of filler contents on the rendering of these mixtures was evaluated.
In this study, the analytic model (Azmi Model) had been considered for computation the load capacities of the composite open web steel joists and compared them with those obtained from experimental tests. The capacities of seven joists had been studied, each including one of the following variables (distribution of headed studs, connection degree of the connectors, inclination of the web, shape of the web, density of slab concrete, length of connectors).Theoretically, according to the Analytic model, the referenced joist of (45° web inclination , uniformly distributed ,over connected ,short headed studs) exhibited maximum load capacity of (18.45) ton, while the joist of (45° web inclination, uniformly distributed, under connected, short headed studs) exhibited minimum load capacity of (16.23) ton at yield point of bottom chord. Experimentally, the referenced joist exhibited maximum load capacity of (15.51) ton, while the joist of (34° web inclination, uniformly distributed, over connected, short headed studs) exhibited (12.49) ton load capacity. The load capacities values of the tested joists ranged between (67%-85%) of the predicted values according to the analytic model.
Bio-cement built on microbial induced carbonate precipitation MICP, be able to consolidate the loose grains and can applied for soil reinforcement. In this study, the performing of an ureolytic Sporosarcina Pasteurii for sand stabilization was estimated. The S. Pasteurii Could effectively consolidates sand particles through urea hydrolysis and the successive production of calcite. The bio improved sands had relative great compressive strength after 60 days exposure to bacterial cells injections cycles. The compressive strength of bio stabilized sands was reliant on the utilized cell concentrations and density of urea and CaCl2. High bacteria cell masses decreased the compressive strength. The optimal density of cell, was OD600 0.5, when cost and performance were taken into account. The study shows that bio cementation of sand built on microbial induced carbonate precipitation (MICP) has ability for the reduction of sand permeability through pore clogging with precipitated carbonate.
Glass is an inert material which could be used and recycled many times. Several tons of waste glass (WG) are generated annually worldwide due to the rapid growth of the population and improvement in the standard of living. In this study, the WG was used and supplied with three different particle sizes; 600?m, 2.36 mm and 4.75mm and partially weight replaced of fine aggregate at ratios 10%, 20% and 30%. The effectiveness of that changes on compressive strength and modulus of rupture at ages 28 and 90 days for concrete specimens produced were studied. The results showed that compressive and modulus of rupture at all ages increased along with addition of WG as glass powder (GP). Moreover, the specimens containing 30% of GP replaced has the best results, also it is found at this percentage of GP, more beneficial and capable to increased compressive and flexural strength up to 18.64% and 5.87 % respectively at 28-day compared to reference specimen. Besides, the test results revealed that at a replacement level 10% of 2.36mm fine glass (FG) has slightly improved the strength characteristics. While, the results demonstrated decreasing in that properties for the concrete specimens contained on coarse glass (CG) up to 4.75mm. The maximum negative effect on compressive strength and modulus of rupture recorded at the ratio 30% of CG where was the reduction in compressive strength 28.52% opposite 22.12% for modulus of rupture at age of 28-day. From that results, it can be concluded that the effect of FG was little compared to GP.
The free vibration analysis of rotating multi-layered cylindrical shell is investigated based on the first order shear deformation theory (FSDT) of shell. Cylindrical shell consists of three layers; outer and inner layers are isotropic material and the middle layer is a functionally graded material (FGM). The material properties for middle layer are assumed to be graded in the thickness direction. Based on Hamilton’s principle, the equilibrium equations and the equations of motion are derived and then solved by using the differential quadrature method (DQM) as a numerical tool. MATLAB software was adopted for programming the equations and the related boundary condition. The effect of (FGM) layer thickness, angular speed, index power law, circumferential wave number on the natural frequency of the clamped-clamped rotating cylindrical shell were examined. The numerical results showed that a reasonable agreement between the present study and analytical data available in the literature.
Fourier series and finite element analysis are utilized to obtain the solution of simply supported beams resting on elastic foundations with different loadings in order to arrive at a free vibration. The equation of the free vibration of beam on elastic foundation is derived and solved. Good agreement has been obtained between the results of the present study Fourier and finite element analysis and other previous solutions. The effect of modulus of subgrade reaction, axial tension force (foundation modulus) and beam depth on the behavior is studied.
This paper focused on evaluating the effect of aggregate gradation and polymer modification on indirect tensile strength (ITS) and the static stiffness for hot asphalt mixtures. In particular, data from ITS tests have been processed to obtain stiffness measurements through the application of Hondros theory. The results showed that fine mixtures had a better tensile strength by 26.3% than the coarse mixtures. The effect of compaction also was examined, the results showed that samples compacted with the Superpave gyratory compactor (SGC) had an enhancement in ITS by 36.58 and 23.1% in comparison with Marshall and roller compactor respectively. Polymer modifiers were used to estimate their effect on tensile strength, adding 4, 6, and 8% of Styrene-Butadiene-Styrene (SBS), which can rise the ITS by 3.2,6.14 and 13.3% of the non-modified asphalt mixture. Furthermore, using 4, 6, and 8 percent of SBS could increase static stiffness by 53.9, 209.6, and 302.4% respectively for roller compacted fine mixes and 58, 220, and 379.3% for SGC compacted mixes. Furthermore, SBS raised the stiffness modulus by 52.3, 188, and 295% for Marshall compacted mixes. Using hybrid modifier can improve the stiffness of the asphalt mixture. However, The results indicate that using 1, 2 and 3% polyvinyl chloride (PVC) can magnify the stiffness of mixtures by 41.2, 199.8% and 262.6 for roller compacted mixtures and 133.4, 212.1 and 354% for SGC compacted mixtures, whereas there is a stringent increasing by 133.4, 189.2 and 354% for Marshall compacted mixes. Otherwise, polymer-modification can decrease the fracturing index for coarse and fine mixtures.
This paper presents a simple strut and tie model to calculate the shear strength of reinforced concrete deep beams. The proposed model assumes that the shear strength is the algebraic sum of three strength components: concrete diagonal strut, vertical stirrups, and horizontal web reinforcements. The contribution of each strength components was calibrated with the test results of 305 deep beams compiled from previous studies with wide range of geometrical and material properties. The predictions of the proposed model were compared with those of the current codes of practice (ACI-318-14 and ASHTOO 2014) and those of existing model in the literature. Comparisons revealed that the proposed model provided better predictions than other models. The mean of predicted strength to test of the proposed model, the ACI-318-14 model, the ASHTOO 2014 model were 0.98, 0.79, and 0.75, respectively. The corresponding standard deviations were 0.17, 0.28, and 0.49, respectively.
Real-life strategies are applied to assess pavement functionality, high-quality performance, and durability throughout its service life. Estimating pavement maintenance and sustainability is difficult. High-performance continuous reinforced concrete pavement (CRCP) structural design and Jordanian natural zeolite (JNZ) as a sustainable supplementary cementitious material (SCM) and unique mixed cement for green manufacturing are researched in this paper. The results obtained from this study showed that replacing cement with JNZ powder at 0%, 10%, 15%, and 20% improved concrete performance. Natural zeolite-mixed cement preserved concrete quality and reduced the need for ordinary Portland cement (OPC) and sulfate-resistant cement (SRC) clinker. After that, slab universal testing equipment and Jordanian zeolite-blended cement-reinforced concrete slabs were developed for CRCP performance. Therefore, fresh concrete was tested for partial cement substitution and standard mixture workability. Compressive, tensile, and flexural strength tests on 7 and 28 days and durability test (water absorption) were utilized to assess concrete strength and natural zeolite's potential to reduce resource consumption and carbon footprint while maintaining structural integrity using Open LCA. Sustainable CRCP structure development improved performance, resource conservation, and carbon footprint over the prior mix, according to EIA (Environmental Impact Assessment) software and chemical tests. This research improves materials and supports global sustainability goals.
In this study, previous researches were reviewed in relation to the seismic evaluation and retrofitting of an existing building. In recent years, a considerable number of researches has been undertaken to determine the performance of buildings during the seismic events. Performance based seismic design is a modern approach to earthquake resistant design of reinforcement concrete buildings. Performance based design of building structures requires rigorous non-linear static analysis. In general, nonlinear static analysis or pushover analysis was conducted as an efficient instrument for performance-based design. Pushover analysis came into practice after 1970 year. During the seismic event, a nonlinear static analysis or pushover analysis is used to analyze building under gravity loads and monotonically increasing lateral forces. These building were evaluated until a target displacement reached. Pushover analysis provides a better understanding of buildings seismic performance, also it traces the progression of damage and failure of structural components of buildings.
In Republic of Iraq, ready-mix concrete production plants have been adversely affected by the lack of modern and advanced technology to assess their performance in line with technological advancements. Current evaluation methods rely on traditional approaches and financial measures, yielding unrealistic performance results. To address this problem, there is a need to utilize modern models and methods for performance evaluation. The study's main objective This was achieved by employing a literature survey methodology and utilizing digital databases such as the Iraqi Scientific Journals website, virtual libraries, and scientific platforms like ScienceDirect, Springer, Google Scholar, and Gate Research between 2015 and 2023. The research study provided a comprehensive overview of performance evaluation, including its definitions, importance, and an introduction to modern models and evaluation methods. The study found that no previous studies have been conducted in Iraq to evaluate ready-mix concrete production plants. However, four studies were found in Egypt, Sudan, and India. The previous similar relevant studies discussed various topics and related studies. Firstly, they discussed the classification, advantages, and disadvantages of concrete mixing plants. Additionally, the previous studies analyzed the factors that most influence the performance of concrete production plants, including laboratory manager efficiency, work team efficiency, communication and relationships within work teams, plant operator, material transportation method, and time and courses. Furthermore, the previous research studies present a comprehensive analysis of all variable data simultaneously using the statistical package for Social Science (SPSS) input stage. The evaluation also extends to the evaluation of laboratories, encompassing plant arrangement, internal quality control systems, and final product quality. The overall evaluation results of previous studies. Indicate that 75% of the concrete production plants failed to meet the required criteria, while only 25% demonstrated satisfactory performance. The study proposed improvements to enhance the performance rate of ready-mix concrete production plants by leveraging the most influential variables, which will be considered in the study.
The present investigation looked at whether the Bailey approach to aggregate gradation could be used to construct Superpave HMA blends. It also looked at how this approach influenced the rutting performance associated with these mixes and compared it to mixes of asphalt created by Superpave gradations. The current research included four aggregate gradations: both fine and coarse gradations for the Superpave and Bailey gradation procedures. The repeated loading test was utilized to assess the rutting performance. The findings indicated that temperature, stress level, and aggregate gradation all had a significant impact on rutting performance. In contrast to the other three gradations, the third mixture gradation exhibited the least amount of non-reversible deformation. It translates to pavement that is more resistant to rutting and less susceptible to it.
Providing a clean and high quality drinking water to both rural as well as urban areas is a great challenge by itself, adding to it the large volume requirements of such water at high population areas means a very high cost for such industry because mainly of the cost of expensive commercially available adsorbent used in this process. This led inhabitants of the remote and/or rural areas to use less quality water with all its risks and health challenges. In this study, a locally collected rice husk is tested to be used as an alternative adsorbent to the expensive common commercial ones. Parameters like adsorbent dosage, initial concentration of turbidity, and pH level were tested to investigate their effects on the process. Treatment of synthetic turbid water was done after changing these parameters to measure the effect of each parameter alone and the results showed a set of parameters that can be used to achieve high efficiency of turbidity removal. The study concluded that rice husk can be used as a well cheap alternative adsorbent to reduce the river water turbidity due to its availability and low cost with a decent removal efficiency approaching 95%.
In recent decades, Iraq has witnessed several military operations. This has led to huge damages to the infrastructure of some main cities. The traditional construction methods seem not to be able to fulfill the rapid reconstruction works needed, while prefabricated building systems seem to be promising. This paper aims at evaluating the possibilities of using prefabrication systems for schools building as a pilot study for wider adoption. An extensive literature review was carried out to identify the features of construction prefabrication and its requirements. Then a thorough investigation of the possibilities of adopting this approach in Iraq and the major expected obstacles was carried out. A questionnaire survey has been conducted with (96) stakeholders who have experience in prefabricated building projects. The results showed that the highest rating of benefits went to time and productivity, while the highest rating of obstacles went to lack of government support. Therefore the top proposed action included the adoption of a clear governmental strategy for change. Finally, the respondents agreed that school building is the most suitable type of projects to start with.
In this study, behavior of steel hollow short columns fabricated from steel square section under axial load is investigated with and without CFRP strengthening, five specimens of SHSC without strengthening are tested by applying concentric axial force; and the obtained results are compared with fifteen SHSC strengthened with CFRP wrapping with different five percentage from the total length of the specimens as follows (20%, 40%, 60%, 80%, and 100%) and each strengthening length consist from three different layers (one, two and three) layers. The curves of load-displacement are plotted for the specimens with maximum strength load. The results show that the most effective type of CFRP wrap strengthening is the full length of the specimens and especially with two and three layers. The increase in the load carrying capacity is 34.5% from 126.37 kN for SHSC-C to 170.02 kN for SHSC-100-3L, and the increase for ductility index is 23.6 % from 1.39 for SHSC-C to 1.72 for SHSC-100-2L. The pattern of failure for the specimens; non strengthened or strengthened with less than full length is local buckling, while the failure is CFRP rupture with local buckling for specimens strengthened with full length specimen.