This study presents experimental and numerical investigations on seven one-way, reinforced concrete (RC) slabs with a new technique of slab weight reduction using polystyrene-embedded arched blocks (PEABs). All slabs had the same dimensions, steel reinforcement, and concrete compressive strength. One of these slabs was a solid slab, which was taken as a control slab, while the other six slabs were cast with PEABs. The main variables were the ratio of the length of the PEABs to the length of the slab (lp/L) and the ratio of the height of the PEABs to the total slab depth (hP/H). The minimum decrease in the ultimate load capacity was about 6% with a minimum reduction in the slab weight of 15%. In contrast, the maximum decrease in the ultimate load capacity was about 24% with a maximum reduction in the slab weight of 40%. Moreover, the mode of failure changed from flexure to shear failure, especially for those slabs with an lP/L ratio equal to one. The geometric and material non-linearity was adopted in the proposed finite element (FE) model to simulate the slabs with PEABs using Abaqus software. Good agreement was obtained between the developed FE and experimental results.
This study aims to suggest a technique for soil properties improvement of AL- Kadhimin shrine Minaret and to support the foundation, which has a tilt of roughly 80 cm from the vertical axis. The shrine of the AL- Kadhimin is made up of four minarets with two domes set in a large courtyard. The four minarets have skewed to varying degrees due to uncontrolled dewatering inside the shrine in recent years. However, the northeast minaret was the most inclined due to its proximity to the well placed inside shrine courtyard. When the well near the minaret is operated, the water level drops, increasing the effective stresses of the soil and causing differential settling of the minaret foundation. To maintain the minaret's foundation from potenti
... Show MoreThe purpose of this study is designate quenching and tempering heat treatment by using Taguchi technique to determine optimal factors of heat treatment (austenitizing temperature, percentage of nanoparticles, type of base media, nanoparticles type and soaking time) for increasing hardness, wear rate and impact energy properties of 420 martensitic stainless steel. An (L18) orthogonal array was chosen for the design of experiment. The optimum process parameters were determined by using signal-to-noise ratio (larger is better) criterion for hardness and impact energy while (Smaller is better) criterion was for the wear rate. The importance levels of process parameters that effect on hardness, wear rate and impact energy propertie
... Show MoreThe experiment was conducted to investigate the predation behavior of crustacean
zooplankton M. albidus for first instar mosquito larvae of Culex quinquefasciatus, which may
be represented as an indicator of the species activity for biological control of mosquito larvae.
Results revealed that females spend 6.30 min. as average to find the mosquito larval and
to catch it, whereas it consumed 7.20 min. in digestion of the prey. On the other hand the
corresponding means for male were 10.29 and 4.00 min. respectively. Differences between
females and males were not significant for the time consumed to catch the prey whereas the
differences were significant (P < 0.05) in regard to the time consumed to digest the p
The ratio of draft tube to reactor diameters is of decisive importance for the operation behavior of air lift loop reactors. The influence of draft tube geometry was investigated with respect to oxygen mass transfer and mixing time. The diameter ratio was varied between 0.33 and 0.80. The measurements were performed in two loop reactors with liquid capacities of 11.775 and 26.49 liters using aqueous with solutions of different coalescence behavior. The results show that there is no single diameter ratio which would produce most favorable conditions for the two process parameters. With respect to the more important requirements of aerobic cultures, i.e high oxygen mass transfer and efficient mixing, a diameter ratio between 0.5 and 0.6 is
... Show MoreIn this paper, three types of epoxy-based coatings (Polyamide, pure Polyamine, and Polyamine reinforced by glass-flake) used as a lining for potable water tanks were studied using experimental and finite element methods. Tensile, impact, and fatigue tests were conducted on uncoated and coated AISI 316 stainless steel. The test results show that the applied epoxy based coating improves the mechanical properties, increases of fatigue crack resistance, and enhance the dynamic fracture toughness. The fatigue crack propagation is influenced by the compositions of epoxy coating, and the glass-flake improves the coating resistance to fatigue crack propagation compared to other types.
Lithium–Manganese ferrites having the chemical formula (Li0.5-0.5x Mnx Fe2.5-0.5x O4), (0 ≤ x ≤ 1) were prepared by double sintering powder processing. The density of the ferrite increased with Mn content while the porosity was noticed to decrease. The dielectric constant was found to increase at high frequencies more rapidly than the low ones. The dielectric constant found to decrease with Mn content. The decrease in loss factor with frequency agreed with Deby’s type relaxation process. A maximum of dielectric loss factor was observed when the hopping frequency is equal to the external electric field frequency. Manganese substitution reduced the dielectric loss in ferrite. The variation of tanδ with frequency shows a similar na
... Show MoreThe correct and sincere process of socialization is working on appropriate social climate in
which this process is the provision, and the climate is achieved in the presence of a positive
environment free of negatives and contradictions, but when there is a socialization processes
inadequate and contradictory was not based on the principles of punishment and reward nor a
balance between methods soft and intensity of treatment and interaction with small and
adolescent does not require intensive social care formulas do not create the conditions
essential items required by the successful and effective socialization, the young and the young
people who are going through in such Altanisah and educational operations will be
This paper presents the results of experimental investigation carried out on concrete model piles to study the behaviour of defective piles. This was achieved by employing non-destructive tests using ultrasonic waves. It was found that the reduction in pile stiffness factor is found to be about (26%) when the defect ratio increased from (5%) to (15%). The modulus of elasticity reduction factor as well as the dynamic modulus of elasticity reduction factor increase with the defect ratio
Reflective cracking is one of the primary forms of deterioration in pavements. It is widespread when Asphalt concrete (AC) overlays are built over a rigid pavement with discontinuities on its surface. Thus, this research work aims to reduce reflection cracks in asphalt concrete overlay on the rigid pavement. Asphalt Concrete (AC) slab specimens were prepared in three thicknesses (4, 5, and 6 cm). All these specimens were by testing machine designed and manufactured at the Engineering Consulting Office of the University of Baghdad to examine for the number of cycles and loads needed to propagate the reflection cracking in the asphalt concert mixture at three temperatures (20, 30, and 30°C). It was noticed that the higher thickness A
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