Reflection cracking in asphalt concrete (AC) overlays is a common form of pavement deterioration that occurs when underlying cracks and joints in the pavement structure propagate through an overlay due to thermal and traffic-induced movement, ultimately degrading the pavement’s lifespan and performance. This study aims to determine how alterations in overlay thickness and temperature conditions, the incorporation of chopped fibers, and the use of geotextiles influence the overlay’s capacity to postpone the occurrence of reflection cracking. To achieve the above objective, a total of 36 prism specimens were prepared and tested using an overlay testing machine (OTM). The variables considered in this study were the thickness of the overlay (40, 50, and 60 mm), temperature (20, 30, and 40 °C), mix type (reference mix and mix modified with 10% chopped fibers by weight of asphalt cement), and the inclusion of geotextile fabric at two positions (one-third of the depth from the base and at the bottom). The research outcomes revealed that a decreased temperature and thicker overlay led to a higher resistance to crack initiation and full propagation, as indicated by the values of critical fracture energy (Gc) and crack progression rate (CPR). Furthermore, the study observed the enhanced crack resistance of overlays in the presence of geotextiles, whether at the bottom or one-third of the depth from the bottom, with superior performance of the former. Despite a slight enhancement in certain properties, the incorporation of chopped fibers in the overlays did not substantially improve the overall performance compared to the reference specimens. Overall, the study provides valuable insights into the variables that influence the ability of AC overlays to mitigate reflection cracking. These findings will aid engineers and designers in making informed decisions regarding overlay design and construction.
The goal of this investigation is to prepare zinc oxide (ZnO) nano-thin films by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique through Q-switching double frequency Nd:YAG laser (532 nm) wavelength, pulse frequency 6 Hz, and 300 mJ energy under vacuum conditions (10-3 torr) at room temperature. (ZnO) nano-thin films were deposited on glass substrates with different thickness of 300, 600 and 900 nm. ZnO films, were then annealed in air at a temperature of 500 °C for one hour. The results were compared with the researchers' previous theoretical study. The XRD analysis of ZnO nano-thin films indicated a hexagonal multi-crystalline wurtzite structure with preferential growth lines (100), (002), (101) for ZnO nano-thin films with different thi
... Show MoreThis research aimed to predict the permanent deformation (rutting) in conventional and rubberized asphalt mixes under repeated load conditions using the Finite Element Method (FEM). A three-dimensional (3D) model was developed to simulate the Wheel Track Testing (WTT) loading. The study was conducted using the Abaqus/Standard finite element software. The pavement slab was simulated using a nonlinear creep (time-hardening) model at 40°C. The responses of the viscoplastic model under the influence of the trapezoidal amplitude of moving wheel loadings were determined for different speeds and numbers of cycles. The results indicated that a wheel speed increase from 0.5Km/h to 1.0Km/h decreased the rut depth by about 22% and 24% in conv
... Show MoreThe growing demand for sustainable and high-performance asphalt binders has prompted the exploration of waste-derived modifiers. This study investigates the performance enhancement of Natural Asphalt (NA) using Sugarcane Molasses (SM) and Waste Engine Oil (WEO). The modified blends were prepared by partially replacing 50 % NA with varying proportions of SM and WEO ranging from 10 % to 40 % of the total weight of NA. Comprehensive testing was conducted, including penetration, softening point, ductility, viscosity, Bending Beam Rheometer (BBR), Multiple Stress Creep Recovery (MSCR), Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDX), Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The results demonstrated that
... Show MoreA significant influence of temperature width found on the vanadium oxide properties, it plays a major role in highlighting the thermal limits of the three phases (metallic, semiconductor, and dielectric). Two values of the temperature width , and , had taken and studied their effect on both the dielectric constant and its two parts; refractive index, and extinction coefficient, and. It found that: as the temperature width is greater, the more the properties of the three phases for . In addition to increasing the thermal range for phases which can be reached to when , while it's at . Our results have achieved great compatibility with the published results globally. In addition to the effect of both ultraviolet, visible, and infrared
... Show MoreZinc Oxide (ZnO) thin films of different thickness were prepared
on ultrasonically cleaned corning glass substrate, by pulsed laser
deposition technique (PLD) at room temperature. Since most
application of ZnO thin film are certainly related to its optical
properties, so the optical properties of ZnO thin film in the
wavelength range (300-1100) nm were studied, it was observed that
all ZnO films have high transmittance (˃ 80 %) in the wavelength
region (400-1100) nm and it increase as the film thickness increase,
using the optical transmittance to calculate optical energy gap (Eg
opt)
show that (Eg
opt) of a direct allowed transition and its value nearly
constant (~ 3.2 eV) for all film thickness (150
Thin films of CdTe were prepared with thickness (500, 1000) nm on the glass substrate by vacuum evaporation technique at room temperature then treated different annealing temperatures (373,473,and 573)K for one hour. Results of the Hall Effect and the electrical conductivity of (I-V) characteristics were measured in darkness and light.at different annealing temperature results show that the thin films have ability to manufacture solar cells, and found that the efficient equal to (2.18%) for structure solar cell (Algrid / CdS / CdTe /glass/ Al) and the efficient equal to (1.12%) for structure solar cell (Algrid / CdS / CdTe /Si/ Al) with thick ness of (1000) nm with CdTe thin films at RT.
Industrial development has recently increased, including that of plastic industries. Since plastic has a very long analytical life, it will cause environmental pollution, so studies have resorted to reusing recycled waste plastic (sustainable plastic) to produce environmentally friendly concrete (green concrete). In this research, producing environmentally friendly load-bearing concrete masonry units (blocks) was considered where five concrete mixtures were compressed at the blocks producing machine. The cement content reduced from 400 kg/m3 (B-400) to 300 kg/m3 (B-300) then to 200 kg/m3 (B-200). While (B-380) was produced using 380 kg/m3 cement and 20 kg/m3 nano-sil
... Show MoreThe research deals with a new type of high-performance concrete with improved physical properties, which was prepared by using metal additives minutes (Metakaolin) and by studing their impact on the properties of mortar and concrete high-performance through destructive and non destructive tests. This type of concrete is used broadly in public buildings and in other structures . The research involved a number of experiments such as finding the activity index of burned at a temperature of 750 º C according to the standard ( ASTM C-311/03), as well as casting models for the cubic mortar mixtures and concrete containers at different rates of metakaolin ranging between (5% - 20%) as an added part to the cement mix to get a high- compressive
... Show MoreBendable concrete, also known as Engineered Cementitious Composite (ECC) is a type of ultra-ductile cementitious composites reinforced with fibres to control the width of cracks. It has the ability to enhance concrete flexibility by withstanding strains of 3% and higher. The properties of bendable concrete mixes (compressive strength, flexural strength, and drying shrinkage) are here assessed after the incorporation of supplementary cementitious materials, silica fume, polymer fibres, and the use of ordinary Portland cement (O.P.C) and Portland limestone cement (IL). Mixes with Portland limestone cement show lower drying shrinkage and lower compressive and flexural strength than mixes with ordinary Portland cement, due to the ratio o
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