Soils that cause effective damages to engineer structures (such as pavement and foundation) are called problematic or difficult soils (include collapsible soil, expansive soil, etc.). These damages occur due to poor or unfavorited engineering properties, such as low shear strength, high compressibility, high volume changes, etc. In the case of expansive soil, the problem of the shrink-swell phenomenon, when the soil reacts with water, is more pronounced. To overcome such problems, soils can be treated or stabilized with many stabilization ways (mechanical, chemical, etc.). Such ways can amend the unfavorited soil properties. In this review, the pozzolanic materials have been selected to be presented and discussed as chemical stabilizers. The selected pozzolanic materials are traditional, industrial, or byproducts, ashes of agricultural wastes, and calcined-clay types. They are lime, cement, blast furnace slag, fly ash, silica fume, rice husk ash, sugarcane straw ash, egg ash, coconut husk ash, and metakaolin. In general, the stabilization of expansive soils with pozzolanic materials has an essential impact on swelling and Atterberg-limits and positively affects compaction and strength parameters. However, there is a wide range for the percentages of pozzolanic materials used as stabilizers. The content (15% to 20%) is the most ratios of the stabilizers used as an optimal percentage, and beyond this ratio, the addition of the pozzolanic materials produces an undesirable effect.
The modern steer-by-wire (SBW) systems represent a revolutionary departure from traditional automotive designs, replacing mechanical linkages with electronic control mechanisms. However, the integration of such cutting-edge technologies is not without its challenges, and one critical aspect that demands thorough consideration is the presence of nonlinear dynamics and communication network time delays. Therefore, to handle the tracking error caused by the challenge of time delays and to overcome the parameter uncertainties and external perturbations, a robust fast finite-time composite controller (FFTCC) is proposed for improving the performance and safety of the SBW systems in the present article. By lumping the uncertainties, parameter var
... Show MoreGlass Fiber Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) beams have gained attention due to their promising mechanical properties and potential for structural applications. Combining GFRP core and encasing materials creates a composite beam with superior mechanical properties. This paper describes the testing encased GFRP beams as composite Reinforced Concrete (RC) beams under low-velocity impact load. Theoretical analysis was used with practical results to simulate the tested beams' behavior and predict the generated energies during the impact loading. The impact response was investigated using repeated drops of 42.5 kg falling mass from various heights. An analysis was performed using accelerometer readings to calculate the generalized inertial load
... Show MoreIn the current study, synthesis and characterization of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) before and after functionalization with ampicillin antibiotic and their application as anti-pathogenic agents towards bacteria were investigated. AgNPs were synthesized by a green method from AgNO3 solution with glucose subjected to microwave radiation. Characterization of the nanoparticles was conducted using UV-Vis spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), zeta potential determination and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. From SEM analysis, the typical silver nanoparticle particle size was found to be 30 nm and Zeta potential measurements gave information about particle stability. Analysis of FTIR patterns and UV-VIS spectroscopy con
... Show MoreUsing an environmentally friendly chemical process, a novel nanocomposite consisting of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and silver(I) oxide (Ag2O) nanoparticles was successfully synthesized in this work, and its optical properties along with photoelectric performance were investigated. Ag2O is a narrow-bandgap p-type semiconductor with strong visible light response but exhibits poor carrier separation and structural instability during exposure to radiation. In order to overcome shortcomings encountered with Ag2O, rGO was used as a conductive support to produce rGO@Ag2O nanocomposites with improved electronic interactions. Various characterization tests, including energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDXS), field emission scanning electron mic
... Show MoreThe purpose of this research is to recognize the relationship between the dimensions of banking service quality and customer's satisfaction , through customer's evaluation of the level of service quality offered to them by Al – Rasheed bank. Also to determine the proportional importance of different dimensions of service quality. In addition to examine the relationship between banking service quality in its dimensions and customer's satisfaction. (150 ) samples were distributed among the bank customers , only (130 ) samples were collected and good for analysis.
The results were analyzed and examined the hypothesis through a group of statistical methods. The most important results is the positive evaluation of the ba
... Show MorePurpose: To evaluate the effect of intravitreal Aflibercept injection on wet AMD both functionally and anatomically after loading doses. The secondary aim is to evaluate the effect of risk factors including (gender, age, smoking, hypertension, and diabetes meatus) on the patient’s response. Study Design: Interventional case series. Place and Duration of Study: Al-Haitham Eyes Teaching Hospital in Baghdad, Iraq, from November 2021 and September 2022. Methods: Fifty eyes of 47 patients with treatment naïve wet AMD were selected through convenient sampling. Data were collected for age, gender, smoking, and chronic disease. Clinical examination, best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), optical coherence tomography angiography
... Show MoreThe impact of undergraduate research experiences on students' academic development and retention in STEM fields is significant. Students' success in STEM fields is based on developing strong research and critical thinking skills that make it essential for students to engage in research activities throughout their academic programs. This work evaluates the effectiveness of undergraduate research experiences with respect to its influence on student retention and academic development. The cases presented are based on years of experience implementing undergraduate research programs in various STEM fields at Colorado State University Pueblo (CSU Pueblo) funded by HSI STEM Grants. The study seeks to establish a correlation between students' reten
... Show MoreChina's economic policy and its huge capabilities operate according to an expansion strategy, especially in investing foreign projects, as the past ten years have witnessed a major development in the elements of comprehensive strength, especially in the economic field, in 2014 China launched the largest initiative in the world, represented by the Belt and Road Project (BRI), which links nearly 70 countries, through this project, a very important region has emerged, which is (the port of cadres) in Pakistan, as China has headed towards that region and given the highest importance that is in its interest in the first place regardless of the great Pakistani interest, This is consistent with its future aspirations, especially after breaking
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