A novel demountable shear connector is proposed to link a concrete slab to steel sections in a way that resulting steel-concrete composite floor is demountable, i.e. it can be easily dismantled at the end of its service life. The proposed connectors consist of two parts: the first part is a hollow steel tube with internal threads at its lower end. The second part is a compatible partially threaded bolted stud. After linking the stud to the steel section, the hollow steel tube can be fastened over the threaded stud, which create a complete demountable shear connector. The connector is suitable for use in both composite bridges and buildings, and using cast in-situ slabs, precast solid slabs, or hollow-core precast slabs. A series of push-off tests with different parameters including wall thickness of steel tube, compressive strength of concrete slab and infilled grout were carried out to study shear strength, shear stiffness, failure modes and relative slip characteristics of demountable shear connectors. Experimental results indicated that the shear connector has a high strength and initial stiffness, also the slip capacity that is higher than the requirements of the current codes of practice. Finally, it is suggested that under applied loading, concrete slabs do not crack or crush, demountable connectors can yield into plastic state, therefore, concrete slabs and steel beams can be easily replaced, repaired or reused.
Background: Radiopacity is one of the prerequisites for dental materials, especially for composite restorations. It's essential for easy detection of secondary dental caries as well as observation of the radiographic interface between the materials and tooth structure. The aim of this study to assess the difference in radiopacity of different resin composites using a digital x-ray system. Materials and methods: Ten specimens (6mm diameter and 1mm thickness) of three types of composite resins (Evetric, Estelite Sigma Quick,and G-aenial) were fabricated using Teflon mold. The radiopacity was assessed using dental radiography equipment in combination with a phosphor plate digital system and a grey scale value aluminum step wedge with thickness
... Show MoreBackground: Radiopacity is one of the prerequisites for dental materials, especially for composite restorations. It's essential for easy detection of secondary dental caries as well as observation of the radiographic interface between the materials and tooth structure. The aim of this study to assess the difference in radiopacity of different resin composites using a digital x-ray system. Materials and methods: Ten specimens (6mm diameter and 1mm thickness) of three types of composite resins (Evetric, Estelite Sigma Quick,and G-aenial) were fabricated using Teflon mold. The radiopacity was assessed using dental radiography equipment in combination with a phosphor plate digital system and a grey scale value aluminum step wedge with thickness
... Show MoreIn this research, the use of natural materials like wool and cannabis as intermediate reinforcement for prosthetic limbs due to their comfort, affordability, and local availability was discussed. As part of this study on below-the-knee (BK) prosthetic sockets, two sets of samples were made using a vacuum method. These sets were made of natural fiber-reinforced polymer composites with lamination 80:20: group (Y) had 4 perlon, 1 wool 4 perlon, and group (G) had 4 perlon, 1 cannabis 4 perlon. The two groups were compared with a socket made of polypropylene. Tensile testing was used to determine the mechanical characteristics of the socket materials. The Y group has a yield stress of 17 MPs, an ultimate strength of 18.75 MPa, and an elastic
... Show MoreThe discourse surrounding lingual sovereignty within the African postcolonial context is profoundly intertwined with the fabric of cultural identity and self-determination. Language serves not merely as a conduit for communication but as a repository for a people's collective consciousness, encapsulating their traditions, thoughts, and perspectives. In the realm of postcolonial literature, this dialogue often grapples with the paradox of expressing indigenous narratives through the linguistic tools of former colonizers. Chinua Achebe's seminal work, "Things Fall Apart," exemplifies this conundrum, artfully weaving the orature and culture of Umuofia within the English language. Achebe's choice to write in English—a language imposed upon hi
... Show MoreIn recent days, the escalating need to seamlessly transfer data traffic without discontinuities across the Internet network has exerted immense pressure on the capacity of these networks. Consequently, this surge in demand has resulted in the disruption of traffic flow continuity. Despite the emergence of intelligent networking technologies such as software-defined networking, network cloudification, and network function virtualization, they still need to improve their performance. Our proposal provides a novel solution to tackle traffic flow continuity by controlling the selected packet header bits (Differentiated Services Code Point (DSCP)) that govern the traffic flow priority. By setting the DSCP bits, we can determine the appropriate p
... Show MoreCybersecurity involves protecting computer networks, systems, and data from unauthorized access and disruptions using advanced technologies. The purpose of this research is to establish a novel cyber security framework for strengthening cloud data protection. In this paper, we propose a novel Dung Beetle optimization-redefined Intelligent Random Forest (DB-IRF) for accurate detection of intrusions in a cloud environment. We obtained a dataset that includes cloud system logs and network traffic data, including normal and malicious activities, to train our proposed model. We utilized z-score normalization to pre-process the gathered raw data. Our suggested model enhances classification accuracy by integrating DB optimization with the
... Show MoreThe rheological and fusion behavior of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) compounds plays a dominant role in
the processing operations and in the development of physical properties in the processed material. A
comprehensive study was made in this work to evaluate the effect of shear and thermal history on stability, mechanical and rheological properties of rigid PVC compounds. Different samples of Rigid Poly vinyl chloride including dry blend powder, granules, and bottles molded from both were examined. A study was also made on recycled RPVC where 25% of reclaimed material was continuously blended with fresh dry blend and processed for 15 cycles. Results showed that compaction of the PVC material took place in the brabender plastograph at co
This paper studies the behavior of axially loaded RC columns which are confined with carbon fiber reinforced polymers’ sheet (CFRP) and steel jackets (SJ). The study is based on twelve axially loaded RC columns tested up to failure. It is divided into three schemes based on its strengthening type; each scheme has four columns. The main parameters in this study were the compressive strength of the concrete and steel reinforcement ratio. Furthermore, the results of the experimental test showed a substantial enhancement in the column's load-carrying capacity. When compared to the original columns, the CFRP sheet had a significant effect on improving the ductility of the column by increasing the axial deformation by about 59.2 to 95.7
... Show MoreTo decrease the dependency of producing high octane number gasoline on the catalytic processes in petroleum refineries and to increase the gasoline pool, the effect of adding a suggested formula of composite blending octane number enhancer to motor gasoline composed of a mixture of oxygenated materials (ethanol and ether) and aromatic materials (toluene and xylene) was investigated by design of experiments made by Mini Tab 15 statistical software. The original gasoline before addition of the octane number blending enhancer has a value of (79) research octane number (RON). The design of experiments which study the optimum volumetric percentages of the four variables, ethanol, toluene, and ether and xylene materials leads
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