One of the most severe problems with flexible asphalt pavements is permanent deformation in the form of rutting. Accordingly, the practice of adding fiber elements to asphalt mix to improve performance under dynamic loading has grown significantly in order to prevent rutting distress and ensure a safe and long-lasting road surface. This paper explores the effects of a combination of ceramic fiber (CF), a low-cost, easily available mineral fiber, and thermal insulator fiber reinforced to enhance the Marshall properties and increase the rutting resistance of asphalt mixes at high temperatures. Asphalt mixtures with 0%, 0.75%, 1.5%, and 2.25% CF content were prepared, and Marshall stability and wheel tracking tests were employed to study the effect of added CF on asphalt mixture performance. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) were also used to investigate the morphologies of CF and reinforced asphalt mixtures and to identify the mechanism of improvement .According to the study results, the ideal ceramic fiber content was 1.5%, which yielded an improve in Marshall stability and reduced rut depth by 22.05% and 27.71% at temperatures of 50°C and 60°C, respectively, when compared to asphalt mixtures without CF. Microscopic analyses clearly revealed the surface properties, particle diameter size, and fiber distribution of the reinforced mixture, including the network structure and strength mechanism, which improved the performance of the asphalt mixture by forming a three-dimensional network.
The Moisture damage is considered as one of the main challenge for the experts in the field of asphalt pavement design. The aims of the present study is to modify moisture resistance of the asphalt concrete by utilizing ceramic fibers as a type of reinforcement incorporated with hydrated lime. For this purpose, a penetration grade of the asphalt cement (40-50) was utilized as a binder with an aggregate of the maximum nominal size of 12.5mm and mineral filler limestone dust. A series of specimens has been fabricated by utilizing 0.50, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 percentages of ceramic fibers. For each of these contents, another subsequent group of specimens with hydrated lime with 0.0, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 percentages were moulded. For the additi
... Show MoreFor design purposes, it`s necessary to know the compression rate of soil layers which might be happened when it`s subjected to effective stresses. Also, it`s essential to know the rate of flow through soil mass specially for the design of marine structures or earth embankment. These two important behavior could be predicted from the coefficient of consolidation (Cv) and the coefficient of permeability (k). This study shows the effect of cutback asphalt stabilization on Cv and k and other compressibility factors, the investigation was done for silty clay samples, specimens were prepared by mixing the soil with different percentage of asphalt from (0-10)% and subjected to one-dimensional consolidation test of 50mm diameter and 20mm height wer
... Show MoreAttention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), a neurodevelopmental disorder affecting millions of people globally, is defined by symptoms of hyperactivity, impulsivity, and inattention that can significantly affect an individual's daily life. The diagnostic process for ADHD is complex, requiring a combination of clinical assessments and subjective evaluations. However, recent advances in artificial intelligence (AI) techniques have shown promise in predicting ADHD and providing an early diagnosis. In this study, we will explore the application of two AI techniques, K-Nearest Neighbors (KNN) and Adaptive Boosting (AdaBoost), in predicting ADHD using the Python programming language. The classification accuracies obtained w
... Show MoreThis study conducted an analytical investigation on the behavior of concrete beams with openings reinforced by glass-fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) bars. In this study, five proposed beams reinforced by GFRP bars as flexural and shear reinforcement with openings were numerically examined. The variables were the opening orientation (vertical and horizontal) and the number of openings. These openings were located within the flexural zone of the proposed beams. The result shows that the vertical openings had a significant effect over the horizontal openings on reducing the ultimate load and increasing the mid-span deflection compared with the control beam. Moreover, the results showed t
This study conducted an analytical investigation on the behavior of concrete beams with openings reinforced by glass-fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) bars. In this study, five proposed beams reinforced by GFRP bars as flexural and shear reinforcement with openings were numerically examined. The variables were the opening orientation (vertical and horizontal) and the number of openings. These openings were located within the flexural zone of the proposed beams. The result shows that the vertical openings had a significant effect over the horizontal openings on reducing the ultimate load and increasing the mid-span deflection compared with the control beam. Moreover, the results showed t
In this work, a CW CO2 laser was used for cutting samples of the fiber-reinforced
plastics (FRP) of three different types of reinforcing material; aramide, glass and carbon.
Cutting process was investigated throughout the variation of some parameters of cutting
process and their effects on cutting quality as well as the effect of an inert gas exist in the
interaction region and finally using a mechanical chopper in order to enhance the cutting
quality. Results obtained explained the possibility to perform laser cutting with high
quality in these materials by good control of the parameters and conditions of the process.
This paper presents an IoT smart building platform with fog and cloud computing capable of performing near real-time predictive analytics in fog nodes. The researchers explained thoroughly the internet of things in smart buildings, the big data analytics, and the fog and cloud computing technologies. They then presented the smart platform, its requirements, and its components. The datasets on which the analytics will be run will be displayed. The linear regression and the support vector regression data mining techniques are presented. Those two machine learning models are implemented with the appropriate techniques, starting by cleaning and preparing the data visualization and uncovering hidden information about the behavior of
... Show MorePandemic COVID-19 is a contagious disease affecting more than 200 countries, territories, and regions. Recently, Iraq is one of the countries that have immensely suffered from this outbreak. The Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) is also prone to the disease. Until now, more than 23,000 confirmed cases have been recorded in the region. Since the onset of the COVID-19 in Wuhan, based on epidemiological modelling, researchers have used various models to predict the future of the epidemic and the time of peak, yielding diverse numbers in different countries. This study aims to estimate the basic reproductive number [R0] for COVID-19 in KRI, using the standard SIR (Susceptible-Infected-Removed) epidemic model. A system of non
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