Experts have given much attention on the use of waste in asphalt paving because of its significance from a sustainability perspective. This paper evaluated the performance properties of asphalt concrete mixes modified with Crumb Rubber (CR) as a partial replacement for two grade sizes of fine aggregate (2.36, and 0.3 mm) at six replacement rates: 0%, 2%, 4%, 6%, 8%, and 10% by weight. Asphalt concrete mixes were prepared at their Optimum Asphalt Content (OAC) and then tested for their engineering properties. Marshall properties, fatigue, rutting, ideal CT index test, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), and Energy-Dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy were deployed to examine the crystalline structure and elemental composition of the CR-modified and unmodified asphalt concrete mixtures. The results showed a difference in Marshall's characteristics. The CT index revealed that the optimum cracking tolerance was achieved with a 2% CR substitution. Wheel track test results indicated that a 4% CR addition improved the rutting resistance of the asphalt mixture. SEM and EDX analyses exhibited significant changes in microstructure and elemental composition with the addition of CR. The main findings reveal that the use of 2% CR as a partial replacement of fine aggregate contributes to the production of more durable asphalt concrete mixtures with better serviceability. However, these results are based on laboratory experiments and require field verification to ensure practical applicability and long-term performance.
This study employs evolutionary optimization and Artificial Intelligence algorithms to determine an individual’s age using a single-faced image as the basis for the identification process. Additionally, we used the WIKI dataset, widely considered the most comprehensive collection of facial images to date, including descriptions of age and gender attributes. However, estimating age from facial images is a recent topic of study, even though much research has been undertaken on establishing chronological age from facial photographs. Retrained artificial neural networks are used for classification after applying reprocessing and optimization techniques to achieve this goal. It is possible that the difficulty of determining age could be reduce
... Show MoreModern civilization increasingly relies on sustainable and eco-friendly data centers as the core hubs of intelligent computing. However, these data centers, while vital, also face heightened vulnerability to hacking due to their role as the convergence points of numerous network connection nodes. Recognizing and addressing this vulnerability, particularly within the confines of green data centers, is a pressing concern. This paper proposes a novel approach to mitigate this threat by leveraging swarm intelligence techniques to detect prospective and hidden compromised devices within the data center environment. The core objective is to ensure sustainable intelligent computing through a colony strategy. The research primarily focusses on the
... Show MoreThe COVID-19 pandemic has had a huge influence on human lives all around the world. The virus spread quickly and impacted millions of individuals, resulting in a large number of hospitalizations and fatalities. The pandemic has also impacted economics, education, and social connections, among other aspects of life. Coronavirus-generated Computed Tomography (CT) scans have Regions of Interest (ROIs). The use of a modified U-Net model structure to categorize the region of interest at the pixel level is a promising strategy that may increase the accuracy of detecting COVID-19-associated anomalies in CT images. The suggested method seeks to detect and isolate ROIs in CT scans that show the existence of ground-glass opacity, which is fre
... Show MoreAssessment of the in service behavior of asphalt stabilized subgrade soil under environmental impact has got little attention by the research workers. However, the sustainability of the roadway depends mainly on the welfare of its subgrade soil condition. In this work, Gypseous soil was stabilized with asphalt emulsion for subgrade usage, the durability of the mixture has been assessed in term of its ability to maintain the compressive strength when practicing the environmental impacts. Specimens of 38 mm in diameter , and 76 mm in height have been prepared with various water-asphalt percentages, and subjected to 30 cycles of (freezing-thawing), (heating-cooling) and (wetting-drying) processes. Specimens have been tested for unconfined comp
... Show MoreThe global rise in temperature and the desert climatic conditions prevalent in Middle Eastern countries have exacerbated rutting distress in heavily trafficked highways. Conventional asphalt binders with a high-temperature performance grade (PG 70) have proven inadequate under such extreme conditions, necessitating the development of modified binders with enhanced high-temperature performance. While polymer modification using styrene-butadiene-styrene (SBS), an elastomeric polymer, and ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA), a plastomeric polymer, has been widely studied, limited research provides a direct comparison of their effectiveness at both the binder and mixture levels under extremely high-temperature conditions. This study addresses this gap
... Show MoreBackground: Lateral sinus augmentation and simultaneous insertion of dental implants is a highlypredictable procedure and associated with high rate of implants success.Aims: To evaluate implant stability changes following maxillary sinus augmentation utilizing deproteinizedbovine bone alone or mixed with platelet-rich fibrin.Materials and Methods: A total of 34 lateral sinus augmentation procedures were performed and 50 dentalimplants simultaneously installed. The lateral sinus augmentation cases were allocated randomly into 3groups: Group A comprised 13 procedures and 21 dental implants utilizing solely deproteinized bovine bone.Group B involved 10 cases and 16 dental implants using deproteinized bovine bone mixed with leukocyteand
... Show MoreABSTRACT Background: According to Branemark’s protocol, the waiting period between tooth extraction and implant placement is 6–8 months; this is the late placement technique. Achieving and maintaining implant stability are prerequisites for a dental implant to be successful. Resonance Frequency Analysis (RFA) is a noninvasive diagnostic method that measures implant stability. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of treatment protocol and implant dimensions on primary implant stability utilizing RFA. Materials and methods: This study included 63 Iraqi patients (37 male, 26 female; ranging 22-66 years). According to treatment protocol, the sample was divided into 2 groups; A (delayed) & B (immediate). Dental im
... Show MoreThe consumption of fossil fuels has caused many challenges, including environmental and climate damage, global warming, and rising energy costs, which has prompted seeking to substitute other alternative sources. The current study explored the microwave pyrolysis of Albizia branches to assess its potential to produce all forms of fuel (solid, liquid, gas), time savings, and effective thermal heat transfer. The impact of the critical parameters on the quantity and quality of the biofuel generation, including time, power levels, biomass weight, and particle size, were investigated. The results revealed that the best bio-oil production was 76% at a power level of 450 W and 20 g of biomass. Additionally, low power levels led to enhanced
... Show MoreDurability of hot mix asphalt (HMA) against moisture damage is mostly related to asphalt-aggregate adhesion. The objective of this work is to find the effect of nanoclay with montmorillonite (MMT) on Marshall properties and moisture susceptibility of asphalt mixture. Two types of asphalt cement, AC(40-50) and AC(60-70) were modified with 2%, 4% and 6% of Iraqi nanoclay with montmorillonite. The Marshall properties, Tensile strength ratio(TSR) and Index of retained strength(ISR) were determined in this work. The total number of specimens was 216 and the optimum asphalt content was 4.91% and 5% for asphalt cement (40-50) and (60-70) respectively. The results showed that the modification of asphalt cement with MMT led to increase Marsh
... Show MoreThe study aimed to prepare a set of qualifying exercises to improve the muscular strength of the muscles surrounding the ankle joint by applying different resistances according to the nature of the movement of this joint, which is one of the second moving joints (flexion, extension and rotation of the right and left) in order to increase the efficiency of all muscles working on this joint according to those movements and identification On the impact of these exercises and assume that there will be statistical differences between the two tests of the research sample. The researcher used the semi-articulated experimental method with a pre- and post-test for one group. The injury was evaluated on the women's national team players durin
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