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 durability of asphalt concrete is highly dependent on the geometry and mineralogy of coarse aggregates, yet their combined influence on mechanical and moisture resistance properties is still not fully understood. This study evaluates the effects of coarse aggregate geometry, specifically flat and elongated particle ratios and angularity, as well as mineral composition (quartz versus calcite), on asphalt mixture durability. The durability of mixtures was evaluated through Marshall properties as well as moisture susceptibility indicators, including the tensile strength ratio (TSR) and index of retained strength (IRS). Statistical analyses (ANOVA and t-tests) were also conducted to confirm the significance of the observed effects.
... Show MoreFailure in asphalt mixture and distress in pavement are major issues to roads infrastructure. Selecting an appropriate chemical composition of asphalt cement is a key component in avoiding these issues. This work aimed to investigate the effect of the chemical composition of different polar fractions on the rheological and physical properties of asphalt cement. Four types of asphalt cement with penetration grades of 20/30, 40/50, 60/70 and 85/100 were divided into four fractions. Complex shear modules, rutting resistance and rotational viscosity of the asphalt cement were determined by using a Dynamic Shear Rheometer and a Rotation Viscometer, respectively. The results show that an increase in the asphaltene content and Gastel index resulte
... Show MoreThe main objectives of this study were investigating the effects of the maximum size of coarse Attapulgite aggregate and micro steel fiber content on fresh and some mechanical properties of steel fibers reinforced lightweight self-compacting concrete (SFLWSCC). Two series of mixes were used depending on maximum aggregate size (12.5 and 19) mm, for each series three different steel fibers content were used (0.5 %, 1%, and 1.5%). To evaluate the fresh properties, tests of slump flow, T500 mm, V funnel time, and J ring were carried out. Tests of compressive strength, splitting tensile strength, flexural tensile strength, and calculated equilibrium density were done to evaluate mechanical properties. For reference mixes, the
... Show MoreFlexure members such as reinforced concrete (RC) simply supported beams subjected to two-point loading were analyzed numerically. The Extended Finite Element Method (XFEM) was employed for the treatment the non-smooth h behaviour such as discontinuities and singularities. This method is a powerful technique used for the analysis of the fracture process and crack propagation in concrete. Concrete is a heterogeneous material that consists of coarse aggregate, cement mortar and air voids distributed in the cement paste. Numerical modeling of concrete comprises a two-scale model, using mesoscale and macroscale numerical models. The effectiveness and validity of the Meso-Scale Approach (MSA) in modeling of the reinforced concrete beams w
... Show MoreThis paper presents an analytical study on the serviceability of reinforced concrete gable roof beams with openings of different sizes, based on an experimental study which includes 13 concrete gable roof beams with openings under static loading. For deflection and crack widths under static loading at service stage, a developed unified calculation procedure has been submitted, which includes prismatic beams with one opening subjected to flexure concentrated force. The deflection has been calculated with two methods: the first method calculated deflections via relevant equations and the second was Direct Stiffness Method in which the beam is treated as a structural member with several segments constituting the portions with solid sec
... Show MoreRisk identification and assessment can be analysed using many risk management tools. Fishbone diagram is one of these techniques which can be employed, for the identification of the causes behind the construction failure, which has become a phenomenon that often gets repeated in several projects. If these failures are not understood and handled scientifically, it may lead to disputes between the project parties. Additionally, the construction failure also leads to an increase in the project budget, which in turn causes a delay in the completion of the projects. Punching shear in reinforcement slab may be one of the reasons for construction failures. However, there are many doubts about other causes that lead to this failure as w
... Show MoreThis paper introduces experimental results of eighteen simply supported reinforced concrete beams of cross sections ( ) and length 3000 mm to study the effect of lacing reinforcement on the performance of such beams under static and fatigue loads. Twelve reinforced concrete beams (two of them are casted with vertical shear reinforcement used as control beams) are tested under four points bending loading with displacement control technique and six laced reinforced concrete beams were exposed to high frequency (10 Hz) by fixing the fatigue load in each cycle. Three parameters are used in the designed beams, which are: lacing bar diameter (4mm, 6mm, and 8mm), lacing bar inclination angle to horizontal , and lacing steel rat
... Show MoreThe aim of our study is to reveal the effect of steel reinforcement details,tensile steel reinforcement ratio, compressed reinforcing steel ratio,reinforcing steel size, corner joint shape on the strength of reinforcedconcrete Fc' and delve into it for the most accurate details and concreteconnections about the behavior and resistance of the corner joint ofreinforced concrete, Depending on the available studies and sources inaddition to our study, we concluded that each of these effects had a clearrole in the behavior and resistance of the corner joint of reinforced concreteunder the influence of the negative moment and yield stress. A studyof the types of faults that can be reinforced angle joints obtains detailsand conditions of c
... Show More