In this study, plain concrete simply supported beams subjected to two points loading were analyzed for the flexure. The numerical model of the beam was constructed in the meso-scale representation of concrete as a two phasic material (aggregate, and mortar). The fracture process of the concrete beams under loading was investigated in the laboratory as well as by the numerical models. The Extended Finite Element Method (XFEM) was employed for the treatment of the discontinuities that appeared during the fracture process in concrete. Finite element method with the feature standard/explicitlywas utilized for the numerical analysis. Aggregate particles were assumedof elliptic shape. Other properties such as grading and sizes of the aggregate particles were taken from standard laboratory tests that conducted on aggregate samples.Two different concrete beamswere experimentally and numerically investigated. The difference between beams was concentrated in the maximum size of aggregate particles. The comparison between experimental and numerical results showed that themeso-scale model gives a good interface for the representing the concrete models in numerical approach. It was concluded that the XFEM is a powerful technique to use for the analysis of the fracture process and crack propagation in concrete.
The alternating direction implicit method (ADI) is a common classical numerical method that was first introduced to solve the heat equation in two or more spatial dimensions and can also be used to solve parabolic and elliptic partial differential equations as well. In this paper, We introduce an improvement to the alternating direction implicit (ADI) method to get an equivalent scheme to Crank-Nicolson differences scheme in two dimensions with the main feature of ADI method. The new scheme can be solved by similar ADI algorithm with some modifications. A numerical example was provided to support the theoretical results in the research.
The process of identifying the region is not an easy process when compared with other operations within the attribute or similarity. It is also not difficult if the process of identifying the region is based on the standard and standard indicators in its calculation. The latter requires the availability of numerical and relative data for the data of each case Any indicator or measure is included in the legal process
Recycling process presents a sustainable pavement by using the old materials that could be milled, mixed with virgin materials and recycling agents to produce recycled mixtures. The objective of this study is to evaluate the impact of water on recycled asphalt concrete mixtures, and the effect of the inclusion of old materials into recycled mixtures on the resistance of water damage. A total of 54 Marshall Specimens and 54 compressive strength specimens of (virgin, recycled, and aged asphalt concrete mixtures) had been prepared, and subjected to Tensile Strength Ratio test, and Index of Retained Strength test. Four types of recycling agents (used oil, oil + crumb rubber, soft grade asphalt cement, and asphalt cement + Su
... Show MoreRecycled asphalt concrete mixture are prepared, artificially aged and processed in the laboratory to maintain the homogeneity of recycled asphalt concrete mixture gradation, and bitumen content. The loose asphalt concrete mix was subjected to cycle of accelerated aging, (short –term aging) and the compacted mix was subjected to (long -term aging) as per Super-pave procedure. Twenty four Specimens were constructed at optimum asphalt content according to Marshall Method. Recycled mixture was prepared from aged asphalt concrete using recycling agent (soft asphalt cement blended with silica fumes) by (1.5%) weight of mixture as recycling agent content. The effect of recycling agent on aging after recycling process behavior
... Show MoreOne of the artificial lightweight aggregates with a wide range of applications is Lightweight Expanded Clay Aggregate. Clay is utilized in the production of light aggregates. Using leftover clay from significant infrastructure development projects to manufacture lightweight aggregates has a favorable environmental impact. This research examines the expanded clay aggregate production process and the impact of processing parameters on its physical and mechanical qualities. It also looks at secondary components that can be used to improve the qualities of concrete with expanded clay aggregates. The effect of the quantity of expanded clay aggregate on the fresh, hardened, and durability qualities of concrete is also studied.
... Show MoreMost of the recent works related to the construction industry in Iraq are focused on investigating the validity of local raw materials as alternatives to the imported materials necessary for some practical applications, especially in thermal and sound insulation. This investigation includes the use of limestone dust as partial substitution of cement in combination with foam agent and silica fume to produce sustainable Lightweight Foam Concrete (LWFC). This study consists of two stages. In the first stage, trial mixes were performed to find the optimum dosage of foam agent. Limestone dust was used as a partial replacement for cement. Chemical analysis and fineness showed great similarity with cement. Many concrete mixes were prepared
... Show MoreThis study investigates the possibility of using waste plastic as one of the components of expired lead-acid batteries to produce lightweight concrete. Different percentages of lead-acid battery plastic were used in the production of lightweight concrete. The replacements were (70, 80 and 100%) by volume of the fine and coarse aggregate. Results demonstrated that a reduction of approximately 23.6% to 35% in the wet density was observed when replacement of 70% to 100% of the natural aggregate by lead-acid battery plastic. Also, the compressive strength decreased slightly with the increase in plastic content at different curing ages of 7, 28, 60, 90, 120 days. The lowest value of compressive strength was (20.7 MPa) for (wa
... Show MoreIn this paper, mesoscale modeling is performed to simulate and understand fracture behavior of two concrete composites: cement and asphalt concrete using disk-shaped compact tension (DCT) tests. Mesoscale models are used as alternative to macroscale models to obtain better realistic behavior of composite and heterogeneous materials such as cement and asphalt concrete. In mesoscale models, aggregate and matrix are represented as distinct materials and each material has its characteristic properties. Disk-shaped compact tension test is used to obtain tensile strength and fracture energy of materials. This test can be used as a better alternative to other tests such as three points bending tests because it is more convenient for both field and
... Show More