Lacing reinforcement plays a critical role in the design and performance of reinforced concrete (RC) slabs by distributing the applied loads more evenly across the slab, ensuring that no specific area of the slab is overloaded. In this study, nine slabs, divided into three groups according to the investigated parameters, were meticulously designed and evaluated to study the interplay between the lacing reinforcement and other key parameters. Each slab was crafted for simple support and was subjected to both static and repeated two-point load tests. The lacing reinforcement had an angle of 45° with various tension and lacing steel. The repeated-tested specimens with lacing reinforcement experienced smaller ductility than those of similar static-tested specimens, where the reduction in ductility factor ranged between 8.4% and 22.3% for all specimens. Additionally, the tested slabs were analyzed numerically using the ABAQUS software package. The validated FE test program was used to study the effect of varying the lacing reinforcement ratio, the compressive strength of concrete, and the material types of the tension and lacing reinforcements. The lacing reinforcement becomes more effective in increasing the slab capacity when using the higher compressive strength of concrete.
Background: Adjustment of any premature occlusal contact of any zirconia restoration requires its polishing or glazing in order to restore the smoothness of the restoration. The objective of this in vitro study was to evaluate the effects of different polishing systems and glazing on the surface roughness of full-contour zirconia. Material and methods: Forty disks (diameter: 8 mm, thickness: 6.4 mm) were prepared from pre-sintered full-contoured zirconia block; they were colored and sintered in a high-temperature furnace at 1500ËšC for 8 hours. The specimens were then leveled and finished using grinding and polishing machine and adjusted using diamond disk. The specimens were then randomly divided into four groups (n=10), group I involves
... Show MoreThe objective of this study was tointroduce a recursive least squares (RLS) parameter estimatorenhanced by using a neural network (NN) to facilitate the computing of a bit error rate (BER) (error reduction) during channels estimation of a multiple input-multiple output orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (MIMO-OFDM) system over a Rayleigh multipath fading channel.Recursive least square is an efficient approach to neural network training:first, the neural network estimator learns to adapt to the channel variations then it estimates the channel frequency response. Simulation results show that the proposed method has better performance compared to the conventional methods least square (LS) and the original RLS and it is more robust a
... Show MoreThe impact of management control systems (MCS) on organizations performance empirical research has been the subject of numerous studies during the past decade in developed and emerging economies. In the contemporary competitive, complex and changing global business environment, firms are being challenged to adopt business models that enable them to address the strategic uncertainties and risks they face in their business environments. The main issue of this study is that management accounting researchers argue that one of the ways firms can continually rejuvenate themselves to survive and succeed in these complex and uncertain environments is to understand the role of management control systems in Formulating a b
... Show MoreThe study aims to study the geographical distribution of electricpower plants in Iraq, except the governorates of Kurdistan Region (Dohuk, Erbil, Sulaymaniyah) due to lack of data.
In order to reach the goal of the research was based on some mathematical equations and statistical methods to determine how the geographical distribution of these stations (gas, hydropower, steam, diesel) within the provinces and the concentration of them as well as the possibility of the classification of power plants in Iraq to facilitate understanding of distribution in a scientific manner is characterized by objectively.
The most important results of the research are that there are a number of factors that led to the irregular distribution
... Show MoreThe objectives of the study were to identify the incidence rate and characteristics of adverse drug events (ADEs) in nursing homes (NHs) using the ADE trigger tool and to evaluate the relationships between resident and facility work system factors and incidence of ADEs using the System Engineering Initiative for Patient Safety (SEIPS) model. The study used 2 observational quantitative methods, retrospective resident chart extraction, and surveys. The participating staff included Directors of nursing, registered nurses, certified nurse assistants (CNAs). Data were collected from fall 2016 to spring 2017 from 11 NHs in 9 cities in Iowa. Binary logistic regression with generalized estimated equations was used to measure the association
... Show MorePrevious experimental studies have suggested that hot mixed asphalt (HMA) concrete using hydrated lime (HL) to partially replace the conventional limestone dust filler at 2.5% by the total weight of all aggregates showed an optimum improvement on several key mechanical properties, fatigue life span and moisture susceptibility. However, so far, the knowledge of the thermal response of the modified asphalt concrete and thermal influence on the durability of the pavement constructed are still relatively limited but important to inform pavement design. This paper, at first, reports an experimental study of the tensile fatigue life of HMA concrete mixes designed for wearing layer application. Tests were conducted under three different temperatur
... Show MoreUse of lower squares and restricted boxes
In the estimation of the first-order self-regression parameter
AR (1) (simulation study)
The behavior of externally prestressed composite beams under short term loading has been studied. A computer program developed originally by Oukaili to evaluate curvature is modified to evaluate the deflection of prestressed composite beam under flexural load. The analysis model based on the deformation compatibility of entire structure that allows to determine the full history of strain and stress distribution along cross section depth, deflection and stress increment in the external tendons .
The evaluation of curvatures for the composite beam involves iterations for computing the strains vectors at each node at any loading stage. The stress increment determined using equations depended on the member deflection at points of connecti
In this paper, the probabilistic behavior of plain concrete beams subjected to flexure is studied using a continuous mesoscale model. The model is two-dimensional where aggregate and mortar are treated as separate constituents having their own characteristic properties. The aggregate is represented as ellipses and generated under prescribed grading curves. Ellipses are randomly placed so it requires probabilistic analysis for model using the Monte Carlo simulation with 20 realizations to represent geometry uncertainty. The nonlinear behavior is simulated with an isotropic damage model for the mortar, while the aggregate is assumed to be elastic. The isotropic damage model softening be