Studies on the flexural behavior of post-tensioned beams subjected to strand damage and strengthened with near-surface mounted (NSM) technique using carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) are limited and fail to examine the effect of CFRP laminates on strand strain and strengthening efficiency systematically. Furthermore, a design approach for UPC structures in existing design guidelines for FRP strengthening techniques is lacking. Hence, the behavior of post-tensioned beams strengthened with NSM-CFRP laminates after partial strand damage is investigated in this study. The testing program consists of seven post-tensioned beams strengthened by NSM-CFRP laminates with three partial strand damage ratios (14.3% symmetrical damage, 14.3% asymmetric damage, and 28.6% symmetrical damage). The experimental results showed that the use of CFRP laminates significantly increases the flexural capacity by up to 17.4 to 20.4%, corresponding to a strand damage ratio of 14.3 and 28.6%, respectively, enhances the stiffness, and reduces strand strain by up to 15.8 to 22.2%. However, the flexural stiffness of strengthened beams during serviceability phases is critical as strand damage ratios increase. Additionally, semi-empirical equations were proposed to predict the actual strain of unbonded strands whilst considering the effects of CFRP laminates. The suggested equations provide accurate predictions with little variance. Doi: 10.28991/CEJ-2022-08-07-013 Full Text: PDF
As human societies grow, the problem of waste management becomes one of the pressing issues that need to be addressed. Recycling and reuse of waste are effective waste management measures that prevent pollution and conserve natural resources. In this study, the possibility of using glass waste as an alternative was used as a partial weight substitute for fine aggregates with replacement ratios of 10, 20, 30, and 40% by the weight, and formed into test models (15 cm * 15 cm ) cube and (15 cm * 30 cm) cylinder, then matured and tested their strength compression and tensile strength at the age of 7 and 28 days and compared with a reference or conventional concrete with a mixing ratio (1: 1.5: 3) as well as testing its worka
... Show MoreThe incorporation of recycled concrete aggregate (RCA) into asphalt concrete supports circular economy goals by reducing reliance on virgin materials and minimizing construction waste. However, RCA’s inherent limitations, such as high porosity, microcracking, and poor interfacial bonding, compromise the structural integrity and durability of asphalt mixtures. This study introduces sugarcane molasses (SCM), a naturally derived, carbohydrate-rich byproduct of sugarcane refining, as a novel and eco-friendly surface treatment for RCA aimed at enhancing its compatibility with asphalt binders. SCM was applied at 5-6% by weight of RCA replacing coarse aggregate at varying levels (0-100%) to assess its effect on asphalt mixture performance. A com
... Show MoreRutting is a crucial concern impacting asphalt concrete pavements’ stability and long-term performance, negatively affecting vehicle drivers’ comfort and safety. This research aims to evaluate the permanent deformation of pavement under different traffic and environmental conditions using an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) prediction model. The model was built based on the outcomes of an experimental uniaxial repeated loading test of 306 cylindrical specimens. Twelve independent variables representing the materials’ properties, mix design parameters, loading settings, and environmental conditions were implemented in the model, resulting in a total of 3214 data points. The network accomplished high prediction accuracy with an R
... Show MoreThis research study the effect of surface modification and copper (Cu) plating carbon fiber (CF) surface on the thermal stability and wettability of carbon fiber (CF)/epoxy (EP) composites. The TGA result indicates that the thermal-stability of carbon fiber may be enhanced after Cu coating CF. TGA curve showed that the treatment temperature was enhanced thermal stability of Ep/CF, this is due to the oxidation during heating. The Cu plating increased the thermal conductivity, this increase might be due to reduce in contact resistance at the interface due to chemical modification and copper plating and tunneling resistance.
The increase of surface polarity after coating cause decreas
... Show MoreThe current work is concerned with preparing cobalt manganese ferrite (Co1-xMnxFe2O4) with different concentrations of cobalt and manganese (x=0.2, 0.4, and 0.6) and decorating it with polyaniline (PAni) for use in supercapacitive applications. The results of the X-ray diffraction (XRD) manifested a broad peak of PAni and a cubic structure of cobalt manganese ferrite having crystal size between 60 nm and 138 nm, which decreases with increasing concentration of Mn. The field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) images evidenced that the PAni has nanofiber (NF) structures, according to the method of preparation, where the hydrothermal method was used. The magnetic properties of the prepared ferrite, as well as the prepared PAni/Co1-x
... Show MorePVA:PEG/MnCl2 composites have been prepared by adding (MnCl2) to the mixture of the poly vinyl alcohol (PVA) and poly ethylene glycol (PEG) with different weight percentages (0, 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10) wt.% by using casting method. The type of charge carriers, concentration (nH) and Hall mobility (μH) have been estimated from Hall measurements and show that the films of all concentration have a negative Hall coefficient. In D.C measurement increase temperature leads to decrease the electrical resistance. The D.C conductivity of the composites increases with the increasing of the concentration of additive particles and temperature. The activation energy decreases for all composites with increasing the concentration of the additive particles.
... Show MoreThe Dielectric properties of EP/TiO2 and MgO nanocomposite at
a frequency range of (102-106 Hz) were studied. The composite were
prepared with the state volume ratio (0, 0.05, 0.1) for EP/TiO2 and
MgO respectively. The impedance, dielectric constant and dielectric
loss were found decrease with frequency increase.
Overlapped have been prepared from epoxy resin material added to carbon Nanotube and percentages weight (0.1, 0.05, 0.01) % Studied the mechanical properties of the composite (bending, tensile an d hardness) has been found that the Flexural and tensile modulus of the composites were higher than the pure epoxy resin this may be due to the high mechanical strength of carbon nano tube (CNT). The hardness of the epoxy carbon Nanotube composites increased and the reason is due to increased overlap and stacking between the additives and material basis, which reduces the movement of polymer molecules leading to increased resistance to scratching material and cutting, will become more resistance to plastic deformation.
The rate of births delivered by cesarean section (CS) has gone up substantially all over the world. Post-cesarean surgical site infection (SSI) is a common cause of maternal morbidity and mortality that results in prolonged period of hospitalization with increased cost and direct health implications, especially in low socioeconomic population, resource- restricted settings, and war- related conditions with internal forced movement. This study was aimed to find incidence of post cesarean section surgical site infection withthe accompanying risk factors.Pregnant ladies admitted to department of obstetrics and gynecology at Medical City Hospital in Baghdad who had undergone CSs were followed up prospectively from first of January 2017 till end
... Show MoreThe study examines the root causes of delays that the project manager is unable to resolve or how the decision-maker can identify the best opportunities to get over these obstacles by considering the project constraints defined as the project triangle (cost, time, and quality) in post-disaster reconstruction projects to review the real challenges to overcome these obstacles. The methodology relied on the exploratory description and qualitative data examined. 43 valid questionnaires were distributed to qualified experienced engineers. A list of 49 factors causes was collected from previous international and local studies. A Relative Important Index (RII) is adapted to determine the level of importance of each sub-criterion in the fou
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