Moisture-induced damage is one of the primary causes of premature distress in asphalt pavements, leading to reduced service life and increased maintenance costs. Although nanomaterials have shown potential in enhancing asphalt performance, the underlying composite interaction mechanisms among nanomaterials, asphalt binder, and aggregate phases under moisture exposure are still not fully understood. In addition, comparative evaluations under consistent experimental conditions remain limited. This study investigates the influence of five nanomaterials: nano-silica (NS), nano-alumina (NA), nano-titanium dioxide (NT), nano-zinc oxide (NZ), and carbon nanotubes (CNT) on the physical and mechanical properties of asphalt binders and mixtures, with particular emphasis on moisture damage resistance. The nanomaterials were incorporated at dosages of 1.5%, 3.0%, 4.5%, and 6.0% by binder weight. Binder performance was evaluated using conventional and performance grading (PG) tests, while mixture performance was assessed through Marshall properties and moisture susceptibility indicators, including the tensile strength ratio (TSR) and the index of retained strength (IRS). Fluorescence microscopy (FM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) were employed to investigate nanomaterial dispersion characteristics, microstructural morphology, and physicochemical interactions within the asphalt composite system. The results indicate that nanomaterial modification reduced penetration and increased softening point and Marshall stability, reflecting enhanced stiffness and thermal resistance, although ductility decreased at higher dosages. Significant improvements in moisture resistance were observed, particularly under conditioned states. The TSR increased from 81.2% for the control mixture to 92.4% for NS and 91.7% for NA, while the IRS improved from 72.7% to 88.5% for NS. Statistical analysis indicated that both nanomaterial type and dosage significantly affected TSR and IRS performance, with dosage exhibiting comparatively greater influence on moisture resistance improvement. FM and SEM analyses revealed comparatively better dispersion and lower agglomeration tendency for NS and NA, which corresponded to their superior moisture resistance performance. FTIR analysis indicated that the modification process was predominantly physical, with no major formation of new chemical functional groups. Among the investigated nano materials, NS at 6% dosage exhibited the most pronounced improvement, followed by NA at similar dosage levels. Overall, the findings suggest that nanomaterial modification can considerably improve the moisture resistance and mechanical performance of asphalt mixtures under laboratory conditions. However, higher nanomaterial dosages may adversely affect binder workability due to increased viscosity, particularly in CNT-modified binders.
The limitations of conventional cement mortar as a widely used construction material include low tensile capacity, high permeability, and susceptibility to chemical degradation. The increasing demand for durable and sustainable construction materials has led to increased attention in modifying cementitious materials through nanotechnology. This study investigates the influence of nano-silica (NS) and nano-alumina (NA) on the physical, strength-related, and durability characteristics of cement mortar to determine the optimum nanomaterial type and dosage for performance enhancement. Six mortar mixes, in addition to a reference mix, were designed and prepared by adding 1%, 1.5%, and 2% of the cement weight with NS and NA separately, an
... Show MoreA novel demountable shear connector for precast steel‐concrete composite bridges is presented. The connector uses high‐strength steel bolts, which are fastened to the top flange of the steel beam with the aid of a special locking nut configuration that prevents slip of bolts within their holes. Moreover, the connector promotes accelerated construction and overcomes typical construction tolerances issues of precast structures. Most importantly, the connector allows bridge disassembly, and therefore, can address different bridge deterioration scenarios with minimum disturbance to traffic flow, i.e. (i) precast deck panels can be rapidly uplifted and replaced; (ii) connectors can be rapidly removed and replaced; and (iii) steel beams can b
... Show MoreThis study aims to enhance the RC5 algorithm to improve encryption and decryption speeds in devices with limited power and memory resources. These resource-constrained applications, which range in size from wearables and smart cards to microscopic sensors, frequently function in settings where traditional cryptographic techniques because of their high computational overhead and memory requirements are impracticable. The Enhanced RC5 (ERC5) algorithm integrates the PKCS#7 padding method to effectively adapt to various data sizes. Empirical investigation reveals significant improvements in encryption speed with ERC5, ranging from 50.90% to 64.18% for audio files and 46.97% to 56.84% for image files, depending on file size. A substanti
... Show MoreInsurance Companies perform a prominent role in providing services and bolstering national economy, and they contribute in achieving the aims of the economic development plans in addition to many other social and economic benefits. So it is necessary to evaluate the activity of these companies continuously to define performance level and its nature. Financial analysis is one of the important instruments that helps in analyzing and explanation of data in such a way that enable administration to define performance level and diagnosing strength and weakness points. This study tackles the state of affairs of the Iraqi Insurance Company which is considered as one of the active national institutions, due to its distinguished role in collecting
... Show MoreThe Main Outfall drain pumping station in Nassiriyah is an important part in operation system of the Main Outfall Drain (MOD) where it reduces the water levels in the U/S area of its and converted through Syphon freely under the Euphrates, its consists of several parts: U/S Basin, Station Building which contains 12 pumps, and Head Basin with Syphon, This station suffers from high levels especially in D/S area due to the current situation which is represented by establishing of dyke with pipes on MOD which located at 24 km from D/S of pumping station and Al-Khamisiyah Canal which located at 2.3 km from the U/S of dyke which feeds(Al Hammar Marsh) during drought season, several scenarios were adopted in order to expl
... Show MoreObjective(s): To evaluate students’ communication skills and their academic performance; to compare between the students relative to communication skills and their academic performance in the University of Baghdad and to identify the relationship between students’ communication skills, academic performance and their socio-demographic characteristics of age, gender, grade and socioeconomic status. Methodology: A descriptive design, using the evaluation approach, is carried through the present study to evaluate colleges’ students’ communication skills and their academic performance in the University of Baghdad for the period of January 7th 2019 to August 28th 2019. A non-probability, purposive sample, of (80) university students, i
... Show MoreDue to the easily access to the satellite images, Google Earth (GE) images have become more popular than other online virtual globes. However, the popularity of GE is not an indication of its accuracy. A considerable amount of literature has been published on evaluating the positional accuracy of GE data; however there are few studies which have investigated the subject of improving the GE accuracy. In this paper, a practical method for enhancing the horizontal positional accuracy of GE is suggested by establishing ten reference points, in University of Baghdad main campus, using different Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) observation techniques: Rapid Static, Post-Processing Kinematic, and Network. Then, the GE image for the study
... Show Morethirty adult NewZealand rabbits used in this study, they were divided in to two groups (control and treaded with Helium — Neon laser). A square skin flap done on the medial aspect of the auricle of both sides, a square piece of cartilage incised, pealed out from each auricle and fixed in the site of the other, then the flaps sutured .The site of the operation in the rabbits of the treated group were irradiated using a Helium —Neon laser with (5mw) power for (10 days) began after the operation directly, (3 rabbits) from each group used for collection of specimens for histopathological examination at the weeks (1,2,3,4, & 6) weeks post the operation .The results revealed Early invasion of the matrix with elastic fibers which continue to t
... Show MoreTo enhance the structural performance of concrete-filled steel tube (CFST) columns, various strengthening techniques have been proposed, including the use of internal steel stiffeners, external wrapping with carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) sheets, and embedded steel elements. However, the behavior of concrete-filled stainless-steel tube (CFSST) columns remains insufficiently explored. This study numerically investigates the axial performance of square CFSST columns internally strengthened with embedded I-section steel profiles under biaxial eccentric loading. Finite element (FE) simulations were conducted using ABAQUS v. 6.2, and the developed models were validated against experimental results from the literature. A comprehen
... Show MoreThe control of water represents the safe key for fair and optimal use to protect water resources due to human activities, including untreated wastewater, which is considered a carrier of a large number of antibiotic-resistant bacterial species. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of antibiotic-resistance to E. coli in Tigris River by the presence of resistance genes for aminoglycoside(qepA( ,quinolone (gyrA), and sulfa drugs( dfr1 ,dfr17) due to the frequent use of antibiotics and their release into wastewater of hospitals. Samples were collected from three sites on Tigris River: S1( station wastewater in Adhamiya), S2 (station wastewater in Baghdad Medical city hospital), S3 (station wastew
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