Lignin has emerged as a promising asphalt binder modifier due to its sustainable and renewable nature, with the potential to improve flexible pavement performance. This study investigates the use of Soda Lignin Powder (SLP), derived from Pinus wood sawdust via alkaline treatment, as an asphalt modifier to enhance mixture durability. SLP was characterized using Fourier Transformation Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), and Scanning Electron Microscopy with Energy Dispersive X-ray Analysis (SEM/EDX), revealing significant changes in its chemical structure post-extraction. These analyses showed the presence of phenolic units, including hydroxyphenyl propane, syringyl, and guaiacyl units. The morphology of SLP was identified as irregular and spherical particles consisting of carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, and sulfur. Experimental evaluations involved three SLP dosages (2%, 4%, and 6% by weight of asphalt binder), with tests for penetration, softening point, ductility and rotational viscosity. Additionally, the asphalt mixtures were tested for their performance in terms of moisture susceptibility, resilient modulus, permanent deformation, and fatigue resistance. Results indicated that SLP effectively reduces the temperature susceptibility of asphalt by increasing its stiffness and rotational viscosity. Furthermore, mixtures with 6% SLP showed enhanced moisture resistance, with a Tensile Strength Ratio (TSR) of 86.98%, a 74.1% reduction in accumulated permanent deformation at 10,000 cycles, and a 38.1% increase in the Cracking Tolerance Index (CT index) compared to the control mix (0% SLP content). These findings confirm that SLP has the potential to be an effective additive in the design of asphalt mixture. Moreover, it allows producing endurable mixtures with higher resistance to distress.
In this study, copper was removed from an aqueous solution through electromembrane extraction (EME), a new approach that utilises a two-chamber electrochemical cell. It consists of two electrodes (stainless steel cathode and graphite anode) and a solid liquid membrane (SLM). SLM is composed of supporting polypropylene membrane impregnated with1-octanol as an organic solvent and bis(2-ethylhexyl) phosphate (DEHP) as a carrier. The effects of process parameters such as applied voltage, pH and copper concentration on the removal of copper were investigated. Response surface methodology (RSM) was applied to optimise these parameters and their interactions. Results indicated that pH has the major effect on the removal of copper, followed
... Show MoreThe splicing design of the existing road and the new road in the expansion project is an important part of the design work. Based on the analysis of the characteristics and the load effect of pavement structure on splicing, this paper points out that tensile crack or shear failure may occur at the splicing under the repeated action of the traffic load on the new/old pavement. According to the current structure design code of asphalt pavement in China, it is proposed that the horizontal tensile stress at the bottom of the splicing layer and the vertical shear stress at other layers of the splicing line should be controlled by adjusting the position and size of the excavated steps in addition to the conventional design ind
... Show MoreThe increase in obesity and the many accompanying diseases is attributed to the increased production and consumption of foods made of non-nutritive sweeteners without regard to the risks of consuming additional calories, and this in turn leads to hormonal imbalance and metabolic disorders and the resulting imbalance and ill health that have spread to all segments of society. During the research, 0.01, 0.02, 0.03, 0.04 and 0.05 % of stevia sweetener was added to the cream instead of the sugar used. Physical and chemical tests were performed for the stevia extract and the microbial content in the cream, as well as the sensory evaluation. It was noted that fortifying the cream with calorie-free stevia sugar led to the production of
... Show MoreThe aim of this study is to propose mathematical expressions for estimation of the flexural strength of plain concrete members from ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV) measurements. More than two hundred pieces of precast concrete kerb units were subjected to a scheduled test program. The tests were divided into two categories; non-destructive ultrasonic and bending or rupture tests. For each precast unit, direct and indirect (surface) ultrasonic pulses were subjected to the concrete media to measure their travel velocities. The results of the tests were monitored in two graphs so that two mathematical relationships can be drawn. Direct pulse velocity versus the flexural strength was given in the first relationship while the second equation des
... Show MoreOver the last few years, there has been a worldwide increase in the use of composite materials for rehabilitation of deficient reinforced concrete structures. One important application of this technology is the use of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) jacket to provide external confinement of reinforced concrete columns. Square concrete column specimens 100×100×1000 mm with concrete
compressive strength of about 30 and 50 MPa, steel fiber volume fraction 0%, 0.5%, 0.75%, and percentage of longitudinal reinforcement 2.01%, 3.14% and 4.52% were tested until failure in previous research. In this research seven tested columns were repaired and rehabilitated using one layer of CFRP flexible wraps and tested to determine their ultim
This study examines the impact of different curing methods on the compressive strength of concrete. It investigates techniques such as air curing, periodic water spraying, full water submersion, and polyethylene encasement. Artificial neural network models were employed to evaluate the compressive strength under each curing condition. A model for calculating compressive strength that considers surrounding conditions was created using an artificial neural network. The current study’s figures were generated using this model. The research thoroughly examined the impact of curing environments and concrete mix components on strength properties, taking into account factors such as tempera