In this study, the response of ten composite post-tensioned concrete beams topped by a reinforced concrete deck with adequate reinforcing shear connectors is investigated. Depending on the concrete compressive strength of the deck slab (20, 30, and 40 MPa), beams are grouped into three categories. Seven of these beams are exposed to a fire attack of 700 and 800 °C temperature simultaneously with or without the presence of a uniformly distributed sustained static loading. After cooling back to ambient temperature, these composite beams are loaded up to failure, using a force control module, by monotonic static loading in a four-point-bending setup with two symmetrical concentrated loads applied in the middle third of the effective span. The objectives of this study include investigating the behavior of the composite prestressed concrete beams under and after the exposure to a direct fire flame, as well as finding their residual load-carrying capacity. Tests demonstrate significant deteriorations caused by exposure to high temperatures associated with the increase of the member’s camber. The increase of the midspan camber after heating exposure reached approximately 200%. On the other hand, the 1-h steady-state exposure of test specimens to temperatures of 700 and 800 °C led to reduce the load-carrying capacity of the heat-deteriorated beams up to 45% and 54%, respectively.
This paper presents a brief study undertaken for improving the performance of information and communication management of construction projects through investing in information and communication technologies (ICT). The work aims at first to investigate and diagnose the problems, challenges, weaknesses, and inefficiencies related to information and communication management in projects in the construction industry of Iraq. Studying the diagnosed matters and the different solutions of ICT to improve project management performance is following the investigation process. The research presents a technological system suggested to process a lot of the diagnosed problems, challenges, weakness, and inefficiencies of the construction projects and t
... Show MoreMany studies of the relationship between COVID-19 and different factors have been conducted since the beginning of the corona pandemic. The relationship between COVID-19 and different biomarkers including ABO blood groups, D-dimer, Ferritin and CRP, was examined. Six hundred (600) patients, were included in this trial among them, 324 (56%) females and the rest 276 (46%) were males. The frequencies of blood types A, B, AB, and O were 25.33, 38.00, 31.33, and 5.33%, respectively, in the case group. Association analysis between the ABO blood group and D-dimer, Ferritin and CRP of COVID-19 patients indicated that there was a statistically significant difference for Ferritin (P≤0.01), but no-significant differences for both D-dimer and CRP.
... Show MoreThis work presents the modeling of the electrical response of monocrystalline photovoltaic module by using five parameters model based on manufacture data-sheet of a solar module that measured in stander test conditions (STC) at radiation 1000W/m² and cell temperature 25 . The model takes into account the series and parallel (shunt) resistance of the module. This paper considers the details of Matlab modeling of the solar module by a developed Simulink model using the basic equations, the first approach was to estimate the parameters: photocurrent Iph, saturation current Is, shunt resistance Rsh, series resistance Rs, ideality factor A at stander test condition (STC) by an ite
... Show MoreBackground: Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is inflammation of the sacroiliac joints and spine, associated with clinical symptoms such as pain and stiffness in the vertebral column, after which, in a considerable number of individuals, new bone growth occurs. Objective: The current research study attempted to find out whether the presence of SNPs in TNF receptor [TNFRSF1A (rs767455), TNFRSF1B (rs1061622)] encoding genes could influence patients' outcomes to etanercept in a specimen of Iraqi AS patients. Patients and methods: Sixty patients with established AS receiving only etanercept were selected to be enrolled in this research with a mean age of 40.75 ± 8.67 years, 51 patients of them were males and only 9 patients were females. Patients we
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