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.
To decrease the impact on the environment of building waste, the recycled aggregate may be used in various sustainable engineering applications, such as roller compacted concrete pavement (RCCP). This research examined how using recycled aggregate as a partial replacement for natural aggregate as coarse or fine affected the mechanical properties of roller-compacted concrete pavement. The recycled aggregate was crushed and sieved to coarse and fine aggregate before being used in the roller-compacted concrete pavement. Compressive strength, splitting tensile strength, and flexural strength were all evaluated after the samples were prepared at 28 and 90 days of curing. According to the study's findings, the partial replacem
... Show MoreCurrent design codes and specifications allow for part of the bonded flexure tension reinforcement to be distributed over an effective flange width when the T-beams' flanges are in tension. This study presents an experimental and numerical investigation on the reinforced concrete flanged section's flexural behavior when reinforcement in the tension flange is laterally distributed. To achieve the goals of the study, numerical analysis using the finite element method was conducted on discretized flanged beam models validated via experimentally tested T-beam specimen. Parametric study was performed to investigate the effect of different parameters on the T-beams flexural behavior. The study revealed that a significant reduction in the
... Show MoreThe objective of this research work is to evaluate the quality of central concrete plant of Al-Rasheed Company by using Six Sigma approach which is a measure of quality that strives for near elimination of defects using the statistical methods to improve outputs that are critical to customers. The fundamental objective of Six Sigma methodology is the implementation of a measurement-based strategy that focuses on process improvement and variation reduction to reach delighting customers, and then suggesting an improvement system to improve the production of concrete in Al-Rasheed State Contracting Construction Company.
A field survey includes two parts (open and close questionnaire) that aimed to get the data and information required f
Tests were performed on Marshall samples and were implemented for permanent deformation and resilient modulus (Mr) under indirect tensile repeated loading (ITRL), with constant stress level. Two types of liquid asphalt (cutback and emulsion) were tried as recycling agents, aged materials that were reclaimed from field (100% RAP), samples were prepared from the aged mixture, and two types of liquid asphalt (cutback and emulsion) with a weight content of 0.5% were utilized to prepare a recycled mixture. A group of twelve samples was prepared for each mixture; six samples were tested directly for ITRL test (three samples at 25˚C and three samples at 40˚C), an average value for ITRL for every three samples was calculated (
... Show MoreFor more than a decade, externally bonded carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites successfully utilized in retrofitting reinforced concrete structural elements. The function of CFRP reinforcement in increasing the ductility of reinforced concrete (RC) beam is essential in such members. Flexural and shear behaviors, ductility, and confinement were the main studied properties that used the CFRP as a strengthening material. However, limited attention has been paid to investigate the energy absorption of torsion strengthening of concrete members, especially two-span concrete beams. Hence, the target of this work is to investigate the effectiveness of CFRP-strengthening technique with regard to energy absorption of two-span RC
... Show MoreThe durability of asphalt concrete is highly dependent on the geometry and mineralogy of coarse aggregates, yet their combined influence on mechanical and moisture resistance properties is still not fully understood. This study evaluates the effects of coarse aggregate geometry, specifically flat and elongated particle ratios and angularity, as well as mineral composition (quartz versus calcite), on asphalt mixture durability. The durability of mixtures was evaluated through Marshall properties as well as moisture susceptibility indicators, including the tensile strength ratio (TSR) and index of retained strength (IRS). Statistical analyses (ANOVA and t-tests) were also conducted to confirm the significance of the observed effects.
... Show MoreEnhancing fatigue resistance in asphalt binders and mixtures is crucial for prolonging pavement lifespan and improving road performance. Recent advancements in nanotechnology have introduced various nanomaterials such as alumina (NA), carbon nanotubes (CNTs), and silica (NS) as potential asphalt modifiers. These materials possess unique properties that address challenges related to asphalt fatigue. However, their effectiveness depends on proper dispersion and mixing techniques. This review examines the mixing methods used for each nanomaterial to ensure uniform distribution within the asphalt matrix and maximize performance benefits. Recent research findings are synthesized to elucidate how these nanomaterials and their mixing proce
... Show MoreReactive Powder Concrete (RPC) could be considered as the furthermost significant modern high compressive strength concrete. In this study, an experimental investigation on the impact of micro steel fiber volume fraction ratio and gamma ray irradiation duration influence upon the compressive strength of RPC is presented. Three volume fraction ratios (0.0, 1.0 and 1.5) % was implemented. For each percentage of the adopted fiber ratios, six different irradiation duration was considered; these are (1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6) days. Gamma source (Cs-137) of energy (0.662) MeV and activity (6) mci was used. In a case of zero volume fraction ratio, the experimental results showed that gamma ray had a significant influence on the reducing of the
... Show MoreRutting has a significant impact on the pavements' performance. Rutting depth is often used as a parameter to assess the quality of pavements. The Asphalt Institute (AI) design method prescribes a maximum allowable rutting depth of 13mm, whereas the AASHTO design method stipulates a critical serviceability index of 2.5 which is equivalent to an average rutting depth of 15mm. In this research, static and repeated compression tests were performed to evaluate the permanent strain based on (1) the relationship between mix properties (asphalt content and type), and (2) testing temperature. The results indicated that the accumulated plastic strain was higher during the repeated load test than that during the static load tests. Notably, temperatur
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