Concrete structures are exposed to aggressive environmental conditions that lead to corrosion of the embedded reinforcement and pre-stressing steel. Consequently, the safety of concrete structures may be compromised, and this requires a significant budgets to repair and maintain critical infrastructure. Prediction of structural safety can lead to significant reductions in maintenance costs by maximizing the impact of investments. The aim of this paper is to establish a framework to assess the reliability of existing post-tensioned concrete bridges. A time-dependent reliability analysis of an existing post-tensioned involving the assessment of Ynys-y-Gwas bridge has been presented in this study. The main cause of failure of this bridge was corrosion of tendons, making it a relevant case study to evaluate the effect of corrosion on bridge safety. Uncertainties associated with material properties, geometry, loads and corrosion parameters are taken into account. The probabilistic models of the uncertainties are combined with a non-linear finite element analysis to study the effect of tendons pitting corrosion on the post-tensioned concrete bridge. The limit state function considered is flexural strength. The Monte-Carlo simulation (MCS) method is used to compute the statistical parameters of the resisting bending moment through a MATLAB code running ABAQUS. It was found that the reliability index for the first year of bridge service life is below the minimum value acceptable for structures. The study confirmed that this bridge was a high risk structure due to its design and location. The proposed framework can be used by engineers and researchers as a tool to support decision for segmental post-tensioned (PT) bridges maintenance since they need for a regular inspection due to their risk to corrosion.
Warfarin dosing is challenging due to a multitude of factors affecting its pharmacokinetics (PK) and pharmacodynamics (PD). A novel personalised dosing algorithm predicated on a warfarin PK/PD model and incorporating CYP2C9 and VKORC1 genotype information has been developed for children. The present prospective, observational study aimed to compare the model with conventional weight-based dosing. The study involved two groups of children post-cardiac surgery: Group 1 were warfarin naïve, in whom loading and maintenance doses were estimated using the model over a 6-month duration and compared to historical case-matched controls. Group 2 were already established on maintenance therapy a
High-rise structures are a significant indication in contemporary urban improvement, mainly in areas characterized by accelerated urban growth and dense population. This type of building should be designed to withstand severe load conditions. Therefore, using composite structural elements in such structures is required for stronger and durable elements. This paper introduces a finite element analysis model for Concrete Filled Stainless Steel Tubular Columns (CFSST) of (100x100) mm cross-section and (1250) mm length to inspect the impact of concrete compressive strength on the response of (CFSST). The generated model was first evaluated through a comprehensive comparison with experimental research. Then, after the model was used to s
... Show MoreMost reinforced concrete (RC) structures are constructed with square/rectangular columns. The cross-section size of these types of columns is much larger than the thickness of their partitions. Therefore, parts of these columns are protruded out of the partitions. The emergence of columns edges out of the walls has some disadvantages. This limitation is difficult to be overcome with square or rectangular columns. To solve this problem, new types of RC columns called specially shaped reinforced concrete (SSRC) columns have been used as hidden columns. Besides, the use of SSRC columns provides many structural and architectural advantages as compared with rectangular columns. Therefore, this study was conducted to explain the structura
... Show MoreResumen
El presente trabajo nace de una inquietud por la enseñanza del español en Irak a nivel universitario especialmente ante las dificultades que los alumnos árabes en general, e iraquíes en particular, encuentran en su proceso de aprendizaje. Nuestra primera inclinación fue, pues, prestar una atención directa y cercana al alumno como sujeto del aprendizaje, así como a lo que el alumno produce como resultado del mismo. En el presente trabajo pretendemos dotar al estudiante de los conocimientos lingüísticos necesarios para poder interaccionar en una variedad de situaciones y enfrentarse a problemas cotidianos, de manera que desarrolle las destrezas comunicativas que le permitan establecer una co
... Show MoreThe m-consecutive-k-out-of-n: F linear and circular system consists of n sequentially connected components; the components are ordered on a line or a circle; it fails if there are at least m non-overlapping runs of consecutive-k failed components. This paper proposes the reliability and failure probability functions for both linearly and circularly m-consecutive-k-out-of-n: F systems. More precisely, the failure states of the system components are separated into two collections (the working and the failure collections); where each one is defined as a collection of finite mutual disjoint classes of the system states. Illustrative example is provided.
The aim of this research is to identify the level of health services provided in the health centers operating in the family medicine system in Baghdad, and to determine the extent to which these health centers are applied to the internationally recognized standards , "Defining the quality of service gap between health care centers operating in the family medicine system and the standards adopted by the corresponding international centers (Al-Shabab Model Family Medicine Center, Al-Jahad Family Health Center, Al-Adhamiya Family Health Center, Al-Zawiya Family Health Center), and in view of what our health institutions are facing. The family of primary health care centers has difficulties, obstacles and challenges such as the diffi
... Show MoreInfographics have the capability to organize and display information in a way that is easy for viewers to retrieve and make observations. While infographics have been successful in various fields, their potential benefits in composition writing have not been explored. The primary objective of this study is to investigate the perspectives of Iraqi EFL students who used infographics as an educational technology tool in composition writing, and to identify how gender influences students’ performance when using infographics in EFL writing classes. The significance of this study lies in its integration of infographics as an educational technology tool for teaching writing, aligning with the current trend of technology integration in ed
... Show More