The utilization and incorporation of glass fiber-reinforced plastics (GFRP) in structural applications and architectural constructions are progressively gaining prominence. Therefore, this paper experimentally and numerically investigates the use of GFRP I-beams in conjunction with concrete slabs to form composite beams. The experimental design incorporated 2600 mm long GFRP I-beams which were connected compositely to concrete slabs with a 500 mm width and 80 mm thickness. The concrete slabs are categorized into two groups: concrete slabs cast using normal-strength concrete (NSC), and concrete slabs prepared using high-strength concrete (HSC). Various parameters like the type of concrete (normal and high-strength concrete), type of stiffeners bonded to the composite section (bolt–epoxy or bolt only), and inclusion of corrugated metal sheets were investigated. To obtain the full shear connection between the GFRP I-sections and concrete slabs, two rows of shear connectors in the form of bolts were utilized. These shear connectors were erected to the top flange of the GFRP I-sections to compositely connect between the GFRP I-beams and the concrete slabs as well as the corrugated metal sheets. The strengthening of the shear webs of GFRP I-beams with GFRP T-section stiffeners resulted in an enhancement in the flexural and shear strength. The failure loads in the case of the bolt–epoxy connection for the stiffeners were 8.2% and 10.0% higher than those in the case of bolt only when the concrete compressive strengths were 20.1 MPa and 52.3 MPa, respectively. Moreover, the effect of the concrete compressive strength was vital where the failure loads increased by 79.9% and 77.1% when HSC was used instead of NSC for the cases of bolt–epoxy and bolt only, respectively. The epoxy adhesive used in conjunction with mechanical connectors, specifically bolts, resulted in sufficient composite action and delayed shear failure within the web of the GFRP beam. For the specimens with bolt–epoxy connection, strain levels in the concrete slabs were consistently higher than in the other specimens with bolts alone at the same loading level. The concrete slabs integrated with HSC registered strain levels that were 20.0% and 21.8% greater for bolt–epoxy and bolt-only connections, respectively, when compared to those using normal-strength concrete (NSC). This discrepancy can likely be credited to the enhanced composite interaction between the concrete slabs and the GFRP I-beams. In addition, ABAQUS software (version 6.2) was used to develop FE models to analyze the tested composite beams and provide a parametric study using the verified models.
We are, today, facing a torrent of information, ideas, images and videos due to advances of communication technology and electronic publishing. In addition to the proliferation of social networking sites that allow individuals to use them and participate in their channels without any restrictions limiting their freedom in publishing. Due to these sites many terms have emerged like alternative media which use internet and its various techniques to serve its objectives notably the freedom of expression without restrictions. This research studies the phenomenon of interactive media i.e. alternative media through Facebook along with the freedom that makes it spreading in the society and the relation of individual freedom with social diversit
... Show MoreSb2S3 thin films have been prepared by chemical bath deposition on a glas sub Absorbance and transmittance spectra were recorded in the wavelength range (30-900) nm. The effects of thickness on absorption coefficient, reflectance, refractive index, extinction coefficient, real and imaginary parts of dielectric constant were estimated. It was found that the reflectivity, absorption coefficient , extinction coefficient, real part of dielectric constant and refractive index, all these parameters decrease as the thickness increased, while the imaginary part of the dielectric constant increase as the thickness incre
... Show MoreLow grade crude palm oil (LGCPO) presents as an attractive option as feedstock for biodiesel production due to its low cost and non-competition with food resources. Typically, LGCPO contains high contents of free fatty acids (FFA), rendering it impossible in direct trans-esterification processes due to the saponification reaction. Esterification is the typical pre-treatment process to reduce the FFA content and to produce fatty acid methyl ester (FAME). The pre-treatment of LGCPO using two different acid catalysts, such as titanium oxysulphate sulphuric acid complex hydrate (TiOSH) and 5-sulfosalicylic acid dihydrate (5-SOCAH) was investigated for the first time in this study. The optimum conditions for the homogenous catalyst (5-SOCAH) wer
... Show MoreMany studies dealt with the consequences of SARS CoV-2 (which cause COVID-19 infection) on the nervous system especially sensory nerves where the virus causes loss of taste and smell as it’s known, and may affect auditory nerves and be the expected cause of some hearing problems. A case-control analytic study was performed on a connivance sample of society of university students from a medical faculty. Each participant filled out a questionnaire contains demographic data and general, auditory and respiratory health condition, in addition to vaccination status. In the other side, the audio- examinations were performed on the study sample including Pure Tone Audiometry (PTA) and tympanometry. Two statistical methods; chi-square and t
... Show MoreThe present study is considered the first on this sector of the Tigris River after 2003. It is designed for two aims, the first is to demonstrate the seasonal variations in physicochemical parameters of Tharthar-Tigris Canal and Tigris River; the second is to explain the possible effects of canal on some environmental properties in the Tigris River. Water samples were being collected monthly. Six sampling sites were selected, two on Tharthar Canal and four along the Tigris River, one before the confluence as a control site and the others downstream the confluence with the canal. For a period from January to December 2020, nineteen physicochemical parameters were investigated including air and water temperature, turbidity, electrical cond
... Show MoreThe specifications of lubricating oil are fundamentally the final product of materials that have been added for producing the desired properties. In this research, spherical nanoparticles copper oxide (CuO) and titanium oxides (TiO2) are added to SAE 15W40 engine oil to study the thermal conductivity, stability, viscosity of nano-lubricants, which are prepared at different concentrations of 0.1%, 0.2%, 0.5%, and 1% by weight, and also their pour point, and flash point as five quality parameters. The obtained results show that CuO nanoparticles in all cases, give the best functionality and effect on engine oil with respect to TiO2. With 0.1 wt. % concentration, the thermal conductivity of CuO/oil and TiO2/
... Show MoreThis study aims to explore the potential mediation role of person-centeredness between the effects of the work environment and nurse reported quality and patient safety. A quantitative cross-sectional survey collected data from 1055 nurses, working in medical and surgical units, in twelve Malaysian private hospitals. The data collection used structured questionnaires. The Hayes macro explored the mediation effect of person-centeredness between the associations of work environment dimensions and care outcomes, controlling nurses’ demographics and practice characteristics. A total of 652 nurses responded completely to the survey (61.8% response rate). About 47.7% of nurses worked 7-h shifts, and 37.0% were assigned more than 15 pati
... Show MoreStatistical methods of forecasting have applied with the intention of constructing a model to predict the number of the old aged people in retirement homes in Iraq. They were based on the monthly data of old aged people in Baghdad and the governorates except for the Kurdistan region from 2016 to 2019. Using Box-Jenkins methodology, the stationarity of the series was examined. The appropriate model order was determined, the parameters were estimated, the significance was tested, adequacy of the model was checked, and then the best model of prediction was used. The best model for forecasting according to criteria of (Normalized BIC, MAPE, RMSE) is ARIMA (0, 1, 2).