This paper demonstrates an experimental and numerical study aimed to compare the influence of openings of different configurations on the flexural behavior of prestressed concrete rafters. The experimental program consisted of testing six simply supported prestressed concrete rafters; 5 rafters are perforated, and the other one is solid as a reference. All rafters were tested under monotonic midpoint load. The variable which has been investigated in this work was the opening’s configuration (quadrilateral or circular) with the same upper and lower chords depths. The results indicate improvement in the beam flexural behavior using the circular openings compared to the quadrilateral openings, represented by increase the ultimate load capacity and decrease in deflection at the service limit. The experimental results of the tested rafters were confirmed by the non-linear finite element software (ABAQUS13.6.1). Comparisons are offered and the good agreement appears between the experimental results and the predictions of finite element analysis in terms of load-deflection and failure loads relationships.
An experimental study is made here to investigate the discharge coefficient for contracted rectangular Sharp crested weirs. Three Models are used, each with different weir width to flume width ratios (0.333, 0.5, and 0.666). The experimental work is conducted in a standard flume with high-precision head and flow measuring devices. Results are used to find a dimensionless equation for the discharge coefficient variation with geometrical, flow, and fluid properties. These are the ratio of the total head to the weir height, the ratio of the contracted weir width to the flume width, the ratio of the total head to the contracted width, and Reynolds and Weber numbers. Results show that the relationship between the discharge co
... Show MoreThis study includes adding chemicals to gypseous soil to improve its collapse characteristics. The collapse behavior of gypseous soil brought from the north of Iraq (Salah El-Deen governorate) with a gypsum content of 59% was investigated using five types of additions (cement dust, powder sodium meta-silicate, powder activated carbon, sodium silicate solution, and granular activated carbon). The soil was mixed by weight with cement dust (10, 20, and 30%), powder sodium meta-silicate (6%), powder activated carbon (10%), sodium silicate solution (3, 6, and 9%), and granular activated carbon (5, 10, and 15%). The collapse potential is reduced by 86, 71, 43, 37, and 35% when 30% cement dust, 6% powder sodium meta-silicate, 10% powder activated
... Show MoreThis work investigates the effect of earthquakes on the stability of a collective pile subjected to seismic loads in the soil layer. Plaxis 3D 2020 finite element software modeled pile behavior in dry soils with sloping layers. The results showed a remarkable fluctuation between the earthquakes, where the three earthquakes (Halabja, El Centro, and Kobe) and the acceleration peak in the Kobe earthquake had a time of about 11 seconds. Different settlement results were shown, as different values were recorded for the three types of earthquakes. Settlement ratios were increased by increasing the seismic intensity; hence the maximum settlement was observed with the model under the effect of the Kobe earthquake (0.58 g), where
... Show MoreSloped solar chimney system is a solar chimney power plant with a sloped collector. Practically, the sloped collector can function as a chimney, then the chimney height can be reduced and the construction cost would be reduced.The continuity, Naver-stockes, energy and radiation transfer equations have been solved and carried out by Fluent software. The governing equations are solved for incompressible, 3-D, steady, turbulent standard model with Boussiuesq approximation to develop for the sloped solar chimney system in this study and evaluate the performance of solar chimney power plant in Baghdad city of Iraq numerically by Fluent (14) software with orking conditions such as solar radiation intensity (30
... Show MoreThe major cause of destruction during vertical vibration is the failure of the soil structure. The soil may fail due to loss of strength during continues vibration. The saturated sandy soil losses strength due to an increase in pore pressure, this phenomenon is called "liquefaction". Piled foundations are usually adopted as a foundation solution in potentially liquefiable soil under dynamic loading. In this research, 3D finite element model using PLAXIS Software was employed for pile foundation in saturated sandy soil. The results show the acceleration mobilization and velocity on the footing increases with increasing the intensity of dynamic loads and it becomes zero at maximum value of vertical settlement which indicates the end of the ti
... Show MoreThis paper is dealing with an experimental study to show the influence of the geometric characteristics of the vortex generators VG son the thickness of the boundary layer (∂) and drag coefficients (CD) of the flat plate. Vortex generators work effectively on medium and high angles of attack, since they are "hidden" under the boundary layer and practically ineffective at low angles.
The height of VGs relative to the thickness of the boundary layer enables us to study the efficacy of VGs in delaying boundary layer separation. The distance between two VGs also has an effect on the boundary layer if we take into
... Show MorePiled raft is commonly used as foundation for high rise buildings. The design concept of piled raft foundation is to minimize the number of piles, and to utilize the entire bearing capacity. High axial stresses are therefore, concentrated at the region of connection between the piles and raft. Recently, an alternative technique is proposed to disconnect the piles from the raft in a so called unconnected piled raft (UCPR) foundation, in which a compacted soil layer (cushion) beneath the raft, is usually introduced. The piles of the new system are considered as reinforcement members for the subsoil rather than as structural members. In the current study, the behavior of unconnected piled rafts systems has been studie
... Show More