Moisture damage is described as a reduction in stiffness and strength durability in asphalt mixtures due to moisture. This study investigated the influence of adding nano silica (NS) to the Asphalt on the moisture susceptibility of hot-mix-asphalt (HMA) mixtures under different aging conditions. NS was mixed with asphalt binder at concentrations of 2%, 4%, and 6% by weight of the binder. To detect the microstructure changes of modified Asphalt and estimate the dispersion of NS within the Asphalt, the field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) was used. To examine the performance of Asphalt mixed with NS at different aging stages (short-term and long-term aging), asphalt mixture tests such as Marshall stability, flow, and Tensile Strength Ratio Test (TSR) were performed. According to the FESEM images, the NS particles in the mixture were sufficiently dispersed. The findings demonstrate that the NS enhances pavement performance by enhancing stability and volumetric characteristics and reducing susceptibility to moisture damage. Furthermore, TSR values of aged specimens show that increasing the NS content significantly reduces susceptibility to moisture and oxidative aging.
A mathematical model was proposed to study the microkinetics of esterification reaction of oleic acid with ethanol over prepared HY zeolite catalyst. The catalyst was prepared from Iraqi kaolin source and its properties were characterized by different techniques. The esterification was done under different temperature (40 to 70˚C) with 6:1 for molar ratio of ethanol to oleic acid and 5 % catalyst loading. The microkinetics study was done over two period of time each period was examined individually to calculate the reaction rate constant and activation energy. The impact of the mass transfer resistance to the reactant was also investigated; two different studies have been accomplished to do this purpose. The e
... Show MoreNewly series of 6,6’-((2-(Aryl)dihydropyrimidine-1,3(2H,4H)-diyl)bis(methylene))bis(2-methoxy phenol) (3a-i) were synthesized from cyclization of 6,6’-((propane-1,3-diylbis (azanediyl)) bis(methylene)) bis(2-methoxyphenol) with several aryl aldehyde in the presence of acetic acid. The newly compounds characterized from their IR, NMR and EIMs spectra. The antioxidant capacity of these compounds screened by utilizing DPPH and FRAP assays. Compounds 3g and 3i exhibited significant antioxidant capability in both assays. Docking study for these compounds as a potential inhibitors of gyrase enzyme were carried out. Compound 3g exhibited significant inhibition with binding free energies (DG) higher than novobiocin. compounds 2, 3a, 3b, 3
... Show MoreA novel welded demountable shear connector for sustainable steel-concrete composite structures is proposed. The proposed connector consists of a grout-filled steel tube bolted to a compatible partially threaded stud, which is welded on a steel section. This connector allows for an easy deconstruction at the end of the service life of a building, promoting the reuse of both the concrete slabs and the steel sections. This paper presents the experimental evaluation of the structural behavior of the proposed connector using a horizontal pushout test arrangement. The effects of various parameters, including the tube thickness, the presence of grout infill, and the concrete slab compressive strength, were assessed. A nonlinear finite element mode
... Show MoreMost available methods for unit hydrographs (SUH) derivation involve manual, subjective fitting of
a hydrograph through a few data points. The use of probability distributions for the derivation of synthetic
hydrographs had received much attention because of its similarity with unit hydrograph properties. In this
paper, the use of two flexible probability distributions is presented. For each distribution the unknown
parameters were derived in terms of the time to peak(tp), and the peak discharge(Qp). A simple Matlab
program is prepared for calculating these parameters and their validity was checked using comparison
with field data. Application to field data shows that the gamma and lognormal distributions had fit well.<
The energy requirements of corn silage harvesters and the application of precision agricultural techniques are essential for efficient and productive agricultural practices. The article aims to review previous studies on the energy requirements needed for different corn silage harvesting machines, and on the other hand, to present methods for measuring corn silage productivity directly in the field and monitoring it based on microcontrollers and artificial intelligence techniques. The process of making corn silage is done by cutting green fodder plants into small pieces, so special harvesters are used for this, called corn silage harvesters. The purpose of harvesting corn silage is to efficiently collect and store as many digestible nutrien
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