Advancing the multi-scale performance of asphalt pavements requires innovative binder modifications that address limitations in rutting resistance, fatigue resistance, and durability across the binder, mixture, and structural levels. This study evaluates the performance of asphalt cement, mixtures, and pavement systems modified with a combination of polyethylene (PE) and carbon nanotubes (CNTs). The binder was modified using 4% PE and varying CNT contents (0.5%, 1%, 1.5%, and 2% by weight of the modified binder). Binder performance was assessed through conventional and rheological tests, including penetration, softening point, viscosity, performance grade (PG) evaluation, and master curve analysis. Mixture-level performance was eval

Hard-grade asphalt binders, such as AC 20–30, offer excellent resistance to permanent deformation but are inherently brittle, making them highly susceptible to fatigue and low-temperature cracking. While polymer modification addresses these issues, virgin polymers remain expensive. Despite the growing interest in recycled plastics, the rheological impact of complex waste streams, specifically polyvinyl chloride (PVC) derived from flex banners containing plasticizers, on excessively stiff binders within the complete Superpave Performance Grading (PG) framework remains critically underexplored. This study introduces a novel valorization approach by utilizing solvent-extracted flex banner waste (WPVC) as a dual-action modifier. It leverages

In the 1980s, the French Administration Roads LCPC developed high modulus mixtures (EME) by using hard binder. This type of mixture presented good resistance to moisture damage and improved mechanical properties for asphalt mixtures including high modulus, good fatigue behaviour and excellent resistance to rutting. In Iraq, this type of mixture has not been used yet. The main objective of this research is to evaluate the performance of high modulus mixtures and comparing them with the conventional mixture, to achieve this objective, asphalt concrete mixes were prepared and then tested to evaluate their engineering properties which include moisture damage, resilient modulus, permanent deformation and fatigue characteristics. These pro

An experimental program was conducted to determine the residual of composite Steel Beams-Reinforced Concrete (SB-RC) deck floors fabricated from a rolled steel beam topped with a reinforced concrete slab, exposed to high temperatures (fire flame) of 300, 500, and 700ºC for 1 hour, and then allowed to cool down by leaving them in the lab condition to return to the ambient temperature. The burning results showed that, by exposing them to a fire flame of up to 300ºC, no serious permanent deflection occurred. It was also noticed that the specimen recovered 93% of 19.2 mm of the deflection caused by burning. The recovered deflection of burned composite SB-RC deck floor at 500ºC was 40% of 77.9 mm of the deflection caused by burning with a res

In the 1980s, the French Administration Roads LCPC developed high modulus mixtures (EME) by using hard binder. This type of mixture presented good resistance to moisture damage and improved . mechanical properties for asphalt mixtures including high modulus, good fatigue behaviour and excellent resistance to rutting. In Iraq, this type of mixture has not been used yet. The main objective of this research is to evaluate the performance of high modulus mixtures and comparing them with the conventional mixture, to achieve this objective, asphalt concrete mixes were prepared and then tested to evaluate their engineering properties which include moisture damage, resilient modulus, permanent deformation and fatigue characteristics. These prope

Background Respiratory distress syndrome is one of the most common problems of newborns. Respiratory distress syndrome occurs when there is no enough surfactant in the lungs. Heavy metals are naturally occurring elements that have a high atomic weight and a density at least 5 times greater than that of water. Lead is a heavy metal, it is important environmental toxicant; the toxic effects of lead include many systems in the body like central and peripheral nervous system. Cadmium is heavy metal that exerts toxic effects on the kidney, the skeletal and the respiratory systems, and is classified as a human carcinogen. Nicotine, the main alkaloid of tobacco. It is readily absorbed from tobacco smoke, and its concentration rises over 6-8 hours

The main intention of this study was to investigate the development of a new optimization technique based on the differential evolution (DE) algorithm, for the purpose of linear frequency modulation radar signal de-noising. As the standard DE algorithm is a fixed length optimizer, it is not suitable for solving signal de-noising problems that call for variability. A modified crossover scheme called rand-length crossover was designed to fit the proposed variable-length DE, and the new DE algorithm is referred to as the random variable-length crossover differential evolution (rvlx-DE) algorithm. The measurement results demonstrate a highly efficient capability for target detection in terms of frequency response and peak forming that was isola

We describe the use of on-chip buckled-dome Fabry–Perot microcavities as pressure sensing elements. These cavities, fabricated by a controlled thin-film buckling process, are inherently sealed and support stable optical modes (finesse  > 10 3 ), which are well-suited to coupling by single-mode fibers. Changes in external pressure deflect