In this study, plain concrete simply supported beams subjected to two points loading were analyzed for the flexure. The numerical model of the beam was constructed in the meso-scale representation of concrete as a two phasic material (aggregate, and mortar). The fracture process of the concrete beams under loading was investigated in the laboratory as well as by the numerical models. The Extended Finite Element Method (XFEM) was employed for the treatment of the discontinuities that appeared during the fracture process in concrete. Finite element method with the feature standard/explicitlywas utilized for the numerical analysis. Aggregate particles were assumedof elliptic shape. Other properties such as grading and sizes of the aggr

Over 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 paper presents a numerical analysis using ANSYS finite element program to simulate the reinforced concrete slabs with spherical voids. Six full-scale one way bubbled slabs of (3000mm) length with rectangular cross-sectional area of (460mm) width and (150mm) depth are tested as simply supported under two-concentrated load. The results of the finite element model are presented and compared with the experimental data of the tested slabs. Material nonlinearities due to cracking and crushing of concrete and yielding of reinforcement are considered. The general behavior of the finite element models represented by the load-deflection curves at midspan, crack pattern, ultimate load, load-concrete strain curves and failure m

The objective of this study was to isolate and identify the asparaginase-producing bacteria, then purify and characterize the enzyme in order to investigate their properties in the future. Fifteen local bacterial isolates were isolated from various sites in the city of Baghdad, identified by conventional morphological and biochemical procedures, and confirmed using vitek 2 methods, and submitted to primary screening processes for asparaginase production. For secondary screening, eight isolates with the greatest yellow zone ability on a specific solid medium were chosen. Bacillus sp. was reported to have the highest enzyme production (7.5 U/mg proteins). After 24 hours of incubation, submerged fermentation yielded optimal conditi

Two novel demountable shear connectors for precast steel-concrete composite bridges are presented. The connectors use high-strength steel bolts, which are fastened to the steel beam with the aid of a special locking configuration that prevents slip of bolts within their holes. Moreover, the connectors promote accelerated construction and overcome typical construction tolerances issues of precast structures. Most importantly, the connectors allow bridge disassembly, and therefore, can address different bridge deterioration scenarios with minimum disturbance to traffic flow, i.e. (1) precast deck panels can be rapidly uplifted and replaced; (2) connectors can be rapidly removed and replaced; and (3) steel beams can be replaced, while precast

Current numerical research was devoted to investigating the effect of castellated steel beams without and with strengthening. The composite concrete asymmetrical double hot rolled steel channels bolted back to back to obtain a built-up I-shape form are used in this study. The top half part of the steel is smaller than the bottom half part, and the two parts were connected by bolting and welding. The ABAQUS/2019 program employed the same length and conditions of loading for four models: The first model is the reference without castellated and strengthening; the second model was castellated without strengthened; the third model was castellated and strengthened with reactive powder concrete encased in the

Surface electromyography (sEMG) and accelerometer (Acc) signals play crucial roles in controlling prosthetic and upper limb orthotic devices, as well as in assessing electrical muscle activity for various biomedical engineering and rehabilitation applications. In this study, an advanced discrimination system is proposed for the identification of seven distinct shoulder girdle motions, aimed at improving prosthesis control. Feature extraction from Time-Dependent Power Spectrum Descriptors (TDPSD) is employed to enhance motion recognition. Subsequently, the Spectral Regression (SR) method is utilized to reduce the dimensionality of the extracted features. A comparative analysis is conducted between the Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA) class

This research aims to introduce a new technique-off-site and self-form segmental concrete masonry arches fabrication, without the need of construction formwork or centering. The innovative construction method in the current study encompasses two construction materials forms the self-form masonry arches, wedge-shape plain concrete voussoirs, and carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites. The employment of CFRP fabrics was for two main reasons: bonding the voussoirs and forming the masonry arches. In addition, CFRP proved to be efficient for strengthening the extrados of the arch rings under service loadings. An experimental test was conducted on four sophisticated masonry arch specimens. The research parameters were the Keystone thic

Nanofluids (dispersion of nanoparticles in a base fluid) have been suggested as promising agents in subsurface industries including enhanced oil recovery. Nanoparticles can easily pass through small pore throats in reservoirs formations; however, physicochemical interactions between nanoparticles and between nanoparticles and rocks can cause a significant retention of nanoparticles. This study investigated the transport, attach, and retention of silica nanoparticles in core plugs. The hydrophilic silica nanoparticles were injected into limestone core as nanofluid of different nanoparticles size (5 nm, and 20 nm), concentration (0.005 – 0.1 wt% SiO2), and base fluid salinity (0 – 3 wt% NaCl) at different temperatures (23, and 50 °C). D