The 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 comprehensive laboratory testing program was conducted, including microstructural analysis, aggregate impact and crushing strength tests, and performance evaluation using Marshall properties, resilient modulus, wheel tracking, moisture susceptibility, and fatigue resistance. SCM treatment resulted in a significantly denser and smoother interfacial transition zone (ITZ), reduced porosity, and improved cohesion at the aggregate-binder interface. Treated mixtures exhibited notable enhancements across all performance metrics: Marshall stability increased to 14.2 kN at 100% RCA, resilient modulus loss remained under 7%, Tensile strength ratio (TSR) values consistently exceeded the 80% threshold, and fatigue resistance peaked at 50% RCA with the highest asphalt flexibility ratio (AFR) and ductility. The findings demonstrate that SCM effectively mitigates the mechanical and durability shortcomings of untreated RCA. Among all mixes, 50% SCM-treated RCA yielded the most balanced performance. Although SCM treatment was found to be slightly cost-ineffective, the cost-performance index highlights its positive potential, particularly for 50% SCM-treated RCA mixtures. However, these results are material-specific, and field validation is essential to confirm performance across different RCA sources and environmental conditions.
Sustainable pavements are pavements that meet the requirements of present generation without influencing the capability of the future generation to meet their needs. One of the problems of the warm mix asphalt is that it has low resistance to moisture damage; therefore, the aim of this research paper is to study the possibility of producing more durable warm mixes against the moisture damage with the use of recycled concrete aggregate (RCA) which has not been studied before. Six replacement rates (0, 20, 40, 60, 80, and 100%) for the coarse version aggregate (VA) with RCA were studied. The Marshall mix design method was used to determine the optimum asphalt cement content for each replacement rate. Thereafter, specimens with the opt
... Show MoreIndustrial development has recently increased, including that of plastic industries. Since plastic has a very long analytical life, it will cause environmental pollution, so studies have resorted to reusing recycled waste plastic (sustainable plastic) to produce environmentally friendly concrete (green concrete). In this research, producing environmentally friendly load-bearing concrete masonry units (blocks) was considered where five concrete mixtures were compressed at the blocks producing machine. The cement content reduced from 400 kg/m3 (B-400) to 300 kg/m3 (B-300) then to 200 kg/m3 (B-200). While (B-380) was produced using 380 kg/m3 cement and 20 kg/m3 nano-sil
... Show MoreThe construction of highly safe and durable buildings that can bear accident damage risks including fire, earthquake, impact, and more, can be considered to be the most important goal in civil engineering technology. An experimental investigation was prepared to study the influence of adding various percentages 0%, 1.0%, and 1.5% of micro steel fiber volume fraction (Vf) to reactive powder concrete (RPC)—whose properties are compressive strength, splitting tensile strength, flexural strength, and absorbed energy—after the exposure to fire flame of various burning temperatures 300, 400, and 500 °C using gradual-, foam-, and sudden-cooling methods. The outcomes of this research proved that the maximum reduction in mechanical prop
... Show MoreThis study presents an investigation about the effect of fire flame on the punching shear strength of hybrid fiber reinforced concrete flat plates. The main considered parameters are the fiber type (steel or glass) and the burning steady-state temperatures (500 and 600°C). A total of 9 half-scale flat plate specimens of dimensions 1500mm×1500mm×100mm and 1.5% fiber volume fraction were cast and divided into 3 groups. Each group consisted of 3 specimens that were identical to those in the other groups. The specimens of the second and the third groups were subjected to fire flame influence for 1 hour and steady-state temperature of 500 and 600°C respectively. Regarding the cooling process, water sprinkling was applied directly aft
... Show MoreMineral fillers are a fundamental component of asphalt mastic and play a critical role in governing the mechanical performance and durability of flexible pavements. Variations in filler type and dosage can substantially alter mastic stiffness, deformation resistance, fatigue behavior, and adhesion. The objective of this study is to systematically evaluate the influence of mineral filler type and filler-to-asphalt (F/A) ratio on the rheological, fatigue, and adhesive performance of asphalt mastics. Three commonly used fillers; limestone dust, Portland cement, and hydrated lime were investigated at four F/A ratios (0.6, 0.8, 1.0, and 1.2). A comprehensive experimental program was conducted, including conventional binder characterization, Mult
... Show MoreThis research is carried out to investigate the behavior of self-compacting concrete (SCC) two-way slabs with central square opening under uniformly distributed loads. The experimental part of this research is based on casting and testing six SCC simply supported square slabs having the same dimentions and reinforcement. One of these slabs was cast without opening as a control slab. While, the other five slabs having opening ratios (OR) of 2.78%, 6.25%, 11.11%, 17.36% and 25.00%. From the experimental results it is found that the maximum percentage decrease in cracking and ultimate uniform loads were 31.82% and 12.17% compared to control slab for opening ratios (OR
... Show MoreReliability analysis methods are used to evaluate the safety of reinforced concrete structures by evaluating the limit state function 𝑔(𝑋𝑖). For implicit limit state function and nonlinear analysis , an advanced reliability analysis methods are needed. Monte Carlo simulation (MCS) can be used in this case however, as the number of input variables increases, the time required for MCS also increases, making it a time consuming method especially for complex problems with implicit performance functions. In such cases, MCS-based FORM (First Order Reliability Method) and Artificial Neural Network-based FORM (ANN FORM) have been proposed as alternatives. However, it is important to note that both MCS-FORM and ANN-FORM can also be time-con
... Show MorePsoriasis is a chronic inflammatory condition that requires effective treatment. Genetic variability, particularly in the Tumour Necrosis Factor-alpha (TNF-α) gene, may influence patients’ response to biological therapies such as etanercept. This study evaluated the association of four TNF-α gene polymorphisms (rs361525 G/A, rs673 G/A, rs1800629 G/A, and rs1800750 G/A) with serum TNF-α levels and response to etanercept in Iraqi patients with psoriasis. A retrospective study was conducted on 80 patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis who received etanercept for at least six months. Patients were categorised as responders (≥ 75% PASI reduction) or non-responders (≤ 50% PASI reduction). Genotyping was performed using PCR and
... Show More