A steel-concrete composite structure (1) is described. The steel-concrete composite structure comprises a steel member (2) having an upper surface (5) and a plurality of shear connector elements (6) upstanding from the upper surface and a concrete slab (4) having upper and lower surfaces (7, 8). The slab is supported on its lower surface by the upper surface of the steel member. The slab comprises a plurality of through holes (9) between the upper and lower surfaces, each through hole tapering towards the lower surface so as to form an inverted frustally-shaped seating surface (10). The concrete slab is configured and positioned with respect to the steel member such that at least one shear connector element projects into each through hole. The steel-concrete composite structure comprises a plurality of removable inverted frustoconical plugs (15), each plug having top and bottom surfaces (18, 19; Fig. 6) and an inverted frustoconically-shaped plugging surface (20; Fig. 6). Each plug has at least one through hole (16) between the top and bottom surfaces. At least one plug (15) is seated in a corresponding through hole (9) of the concrete slab. Each plug is configured such that at least one of the least one shear connector elements (6) projecting into the corresponding through hole (9) is received by a corresponding though hole (16) of the plug. The structure also comprises a plurality of fasteners (17, 29), each fastener coupled to a corresponding shear connector element and arranged to discourage removal of a plug (15) from a through hole (9) of the concrete slab.
Rapid worldwide urbanization and drastic population growth have increased the demand for new road construction, which will cause a substantial amount of natural resources such as aggregates to be consumed. The use of recycled concrete aggregate could be one of the possible ways to offset the aggregate shortage problem and reduce environmental pollution. This paper reports an experimental study of unbound granular material using recycled concrete aggregate for pavement subbase construction. Five percentages of recycled concrete aggregate obtained from two different sources with an originally designed compressive strength of 20–30 MPa as well as 31–40 MPa at three particle size levels, i.e., coarse, fine, and extra fine, were test
... Show MoreThis study investigates the impact of varying glass fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) stirrup spacing on the performance of doubly GFRP-reinforced concrete beams. The research focuses on assessing the behavior of GFRP-reinforced concrete beams, including load-carrying capacity, cracking, and deformability. It explores the feasibility and effectiveness of GFRP bars as an alternative to traditional steel reinforcement in concrete structures. Six concrete beams with a cross-section of 300 mm (wide) × 250 mm (deep), simply supported on a 2100 mm span, were tested. The beams underwent four-point bending with two concentrated loads applied symmetrically at one-third of the span length, resulting in a shear span (a)-to-depth (h) ratio of 2.
... Show MoreA long-span Prestressed Concrete Hunched Beam with Multi-Opening has been developed as an alternative to steel structural elements. The commercial finite element package ABAQUS/CAE version 2019 has been utilized. This article has presented the results of three-dimensional numerical simulations investigating the flexural behaviour of existing experimental work of supported Prestressed Concrete Hunched Beams with multiple openings of varying shapes under static monotonic loads. Insertion openings in such a beam lead to concentrate stresses at the corners of these openings; as a result, extensive cracking would appear. Correlation between numerical models and empirical work has also been discussed regarding load displacemen
... Show MoreBackground: Restoration of the gingival margin of Class II cavities with composite resin continues to be problematic, especially where no enamel exists for bonding to the gingival margin. The aim of study is to evaluate the marginal leakage at enamel and cementum margin of class II MOD cavities using amalgam restoration and modern composite restorations Filtek™ P90, Filtek™ Z250 XT (Nano Hybrid Universal Restorative) and SDR bulk fill with different restoratives techniques. Materials and method: Eighty sound maxillary first premolar teeth were collected and divided into two main groups, enamel group and cementum group (40 teeth) for each group. The enamel group was prepared with standardized Class II MOD cavity with gingival margin (1 m
... Show MoreDenture bases are fabricated routinely using Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) acrylic resin. Yet, it is commonly known for its major drawbacks such as insufficient strength and ductility. The purpose of this study was to improve the performance of PMMA acrylic resin as a denture base material by reinforcement with surface treated lithium disilicate glass ceramic powder. The ceramic powder was prepared by grinding and sieving IPS e.max CAD MT blocks. Then, the powder was surface treated with an organosilane coupling agent (TMSPM) and added to PMMA in amount of 1%, 3%, 5% and 7% by weight. Characterizations of the powder was done by particle size analysis, XRD and FTIR. Transverse strength, Impact strength, Shore D hardness and surface roughn
... Show MoreIn this study the effect of fiber volume fraction of the glass fiber on the thermal conductivity of the polymer composite material was studied. Different fiber volume fraction of glass fibers were used (3%, 6%, 9%, 12%, and 15%). Specimens were made from polyester which reinforced with glass fibers .The fibers had two arrangements according to the direction of the thermal flow. In the first arrangement the fibers were parallel to the direction of the thermal flow, while the second arrangement was perpendicular; Lee's disk method was used for testing the specimens. The experimental results proved that the values of the thermal conductivity of the specimens was higher when the fibers arranged in parallel direction than that when the fibers
... Show MoreExperimental investigations had been done in this study to demonstrate the effect of natural particles used as a reinforcement material to unsaturated polyester resin. The tensile test and water absorption were investigated according to (ASTM D638) and (ASTM D570), respectively. The influence of sunflower husk and pomegranate husk particles, used as a reinforcement material, on the tensile strength, Young's modulus and water absorption with different weight fraction (3%, 7% and 10%) and particle grain size (50µm, 100 µm and 150 µm), has been investigated. The water absorption of polymer composites was studied by measuring the specimen weight before and after immersion in water for one hundred days. In the experiments of tensile test,
... Show MoreIn this research prepared two composite materials , the first prepared from unsaturated polyester resin (UP) , which is a matrix , and aluminum oxide (Al2O3) , and the second prepared from unsaturated polyester resin and aluminum oxide and copper oxide (CuO) , the two composites materials (Alone and Hybrid) of percentage weight (5,10,15)% . All samples were prepared by hand layup process, and study the electrical and thermal conductivity. The results showed decrease electrical conductivity from (10 - 2.39) ×10-15 for (Up+ Al2O3) and from (10 - 2.06)×10-15 for (Up+ Al2O3+ CuO) .But increase thermal conductivity from( 0.17 - 0.505) for (Up+ Al2O3) and from (0.17 - 0.489) for (Up+ Al2O3+ CuO).
In this study , Iraqi Bentonite clay was used as a filler for polyvinyl chloride polymer. Bentonite clay was prepared as a powder for some certain particle size ,followed by calcinations process at (300,700,900) OC ,then milled and sieved. The selected sizes were D ~75 µm and D ~150. After that polyvinyl Al-Cohool solution prepared and used as a coated layer covered the Bentonite powder before applied as a filler ,followed by drying , milling and sieving for limited recommend sizes. polyvinyl chloride solutions were prepared and adding of modified Bentonite power at certain quantities were followed .Sheet of these variables on the mechanical and thermal properties of the prepared reinforced particular polyvinyl chloride composite
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