A bolted–welded hybrid demountable shear connector for use in deconstructable steel–concrete composite buildings and bridges was proposed. The hybrid connector consisted of a partially threaded stud, which was welded on the flange of a steel section, and a machined steel tube with compatible geometry, which was bolted on the stud. Four standard pushout tests according to Eurocode 4 were carried out to assess the shear performance of the hybrid connector. The experimental results show that the initial stiffness, shear resistance, and slip capacity of the proposed connector were higher than those of traditional welded studs. The hybrid connector was a ductile connector, according to Eurocode 4, with slip capacity higher than 6 mm. A nonlinear finite-element model was calibrated against the pushout tests and found capable of reproducing the experimental behavior with good agreement. The verified finite-element model was then used to conduct a series of parametric studies in order to assess the effect of infilled grout, concrete slab strength, stud diameter, stud tensile strength, tube thickness, and tube tensile strength on the shear resistance and stiffness of the hybrid connector. Based on the experimental and numerical results, a design equation is proposed for the prediction of the shear resistance of the novel connector.
This paper focuses on choosing a spatial mixture model with implicitly includes the time to represent the relative risks of COVID-19 pandemic using an appropriate model selection criterion. For this purpose, a more recent criterion so-called the widely Akaike information criterion (WAIC) is used which we believe that its use so limitedly in the context of relative risk modelling. In addition, a graphical method is adopted that is based on a spatial-temporal predictive posterior distribution to select the best model yielding the best predictive accuracy. By applying this model selection criterion, we seek to identify the levels of relative risk, which implicitly represents the determination of the number of the model components o
... Show MoreIn this research, we propose to use two local search methods (LSM's); Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) and the Bees Algorithm (BA) to solve Multi-Criteria Travelling Salesman Problem (MCTSP) to obtain the best efficient solutions. The generating process of the population of the proposed LSM's may be randomly obtained or by adding some initial solutions obtained from some efficient heuristic methods. The obtained solutions of the PSO and BA are compared with the solutions of the exact methods (complete enumeration and branch and bound methods) and some heuristic methods. The results proved the efficiency of PSO and BA methods for a large number of nodes ( ). The proposed LSM's give the best efficient solutions for the MCTSP for
... Show MorePortland Cement is manufactured by adding 3% gypsum to clinker which is produced by grinding, pulverizing, mixing, and then burning a raw mix of silica, and calcium carbonate. Limestone is the main source of carbonates, while clay collected from arable land is the main source of silica. The marl in the Euphrates Formation was studied as an alternative to arable lands. Nine boreholes drilled and penetrated the marl layer in selected locations at the Kufa cement quarry. Forty-one samples of marl from boreholes and four samples of limestone from the closed area were collected. The chemical content of the major oxides and the hardness of the marl layer was very encouraging as a raw material for Portland Cement as they are SiO2 (17.60),
... Show MoreFour subsurface sections and electrical, porosity logs, and gamma-ray logs of the Khasib Formation (age Late Turonian-Lower Coniacian) were studied to identify reservoir characteristics and to evaluate the reservoir properties of the Khasib reservoir units in the East Baghdad oilfield. The lithology of the formation is limestone throughout the whole sequence in all studied wells EB-83, EB-87, EB-92, and EB94. It is bounded conformably from the top by Tanuma Formation and has a conformable lower contact with Kifl Formation. The lower and upper boundaries of the formation were determined using well log analysis, and the formation was divided into three main rock units (Kh1, Kh2, and Kh3), depending on the porosity logs. The porosi
... Show MoreThis research aims at forecasting the public budget of Iraq (surplus or deficit) for 2017 & 2018 through using two methods to forecast. First: forecast budget surplus or deficit by using IMF estimations average oil price per barrel adopted in the public federal budget amounted to USD 44 in 2017 & USD 46 in 2018; Second: forecast budget surplus or deficit by using MOO actual average oil price in global markets amounted to USD 66 in 2018 through applying Dynamic Model & Static Model. Then analyze the models to reach the best one. The research concluded that those estimations of dynamic forecasting model of budget surplus or deficit for 2017 & 2018 gives good reliable results for future periods when using the a
... Show MoreThe research was aimed to identify fruits morphological characteristics of 33 taxa belonging to the Lepidieae tribe from Brassicaceae. The characteristics of the fruit's general shape, apex shape, dimensions, colors, surface ornamentation, and beak were determined, the results indicated the importance of each of those characters in isolated species, In general, all the tribe's fruits were open capsule and short silicula. According to the dimensions of fruit, three species can be distinguished as a group with dimensions greater than 20mm, as in Brossardia, Coluteocarpus, and Didymophysa, and depending on the shape, it was possible to differentiate the species within this group, while the other species were less than 20 mm. in dimensi
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