The aim for this research is to investigate the effect of inclusion of crack incidence into the 2D numerical model of the masonry units and bonding mortar on the behavior of unreinforced masonry walls supporting a loaded reinforced concrete slab. The finite element method was implemented for the modeling and analysis of unreinforced masonry walls. In this paper, ABAQUS, FE software with implicit solver was used to model and analyze unreinforced masonry walls which are subjected to a vertical load. Detailed Micro Modeling technique was used to model the masonry units, mortar and unit-mortar interface separately. It was found that considering potential pure tensional cracks located vertically in the middle of the mortar and units show

A design for a photovoltaic-thermal (PVT) assembly with a water-cooled heat sink was planned, constructed, and experimentally evaluated in the climatic conditions of the southern region of Iraq during the summertime. The water-cooled heat sink was applied to thermally manage the PV cells, in order to boost the electrical output of the PVT system. A set of temperature sensors was installed to monitor the water intake, exit, and cell temperatures. The climatic parameters including the wind velocity, atmospheric pressure, and solar irradiation were also monitored on a daily basis. The effects of solar irradiation on the average PV temperature, electrical power, and overall electrical-thermal efficiency were investigated. The findings i

Cantilever beams are used in many crucial applications in machinery and construction. For example, the airplane wing, the microscopic probe for atomic force measurement, the tower crane overhang and twin overhang folding bridge are typical examples of cantilever beams. The current research aims to develop an analytical solution for the free vibration problem of cantilever beams. The dynamic response of AISI 304 beam represented by the natural frequencies was determined under different working surrounding temperatures ((-100 ℃ to 400 ℃)). A Matlab code was developed to achieve the analytical solution results, considering the effect of some beam geometrical dimensions. The developed analytical solution has been verified successful

Everywhere carriers incur a measure of liability for the safety of the goods. Carriers are liable for any damage or for the loss of the goods that are in their possession as carriers unless they prove that the damage or loss is attributable to certain excepted causes. Damaged and lost items can unfortunately be a common problem when shipping freight. Legal responsibilities arise due to loss or damage during transit while cargo is in their care. This study intends to investigate the nature of the liability of the maritime carrier when this liability is realized, and the extent to which it can be paid or disposed of given the risks realized from the transportation process, which may result in damage or loss of the goods, and the damag

Shear lag is the phenomenon that occurs when a supported slender member undergoes deformation from lateral loading, causing in-plane non-uniform distribution of stresses that results in reducing the member’s minimum strength capacity. This paper investigates the behaviour of shear distribution in steel I-section and box girders when subjected to both static and impact loadings. Three-dimensional finite element analysis models were prepared in Strand7 and validated against experimental results providing a basis for further comparison research into shear lagging effects. A parametric study was conducted comparing the effects of impact loading through certain specified velocities at the midspan of restrained ends. It provided new ins

Rutting is a crucial element of the mechanical performance characteristics of asphalt mixtures, which was the primary target of this study. The task involved substituting various portions of virgin coarse aggregate with recycled concrete aggregate materials that had been treated or left untreated at rates ranging from 25 to 100%, with a constant increase of 25%. The treatment process of recycled concrete aggregate involved soaking in acetic acid, followed by a mechanical process for a short time inside a Los Angeles machine without the balls. This research utilized two primary tests: the standard Marshall test to identify the optimal asphalt contents and the volumetric characteristics of asphalt mixtures. The other one w

Biaxial hollow slab is a reinforced concrete slab system with a grid of internal spherical voids included to reduce the self-weight. This paper presents an experimental study of behavior of one-way prestressed concrete bubbled slabs. Twelve full-scale one-way concrete slabs of (3000mm) length with rectangular cross-sectional area of (460mm) width and (150mm) depth. Different parameters like type of specimen (solid or bubbled slabs), type of reinforcement (normal or prestress), range of PPR and diameter of plastic spheres (100 or 120mm) are considered. Due to the using of prestressing force in bubbled slabs (with ratio of plastic sphere diameter D to slab thickness H, D/H=0.67), the specimens showed an increase in ultimat

Experimental model was done for pile model of L / D = 25 installed into a laminar shear box contains different saturation soil densities (loose and dense sand) to evaluate the variation of pore water pressure before and after apply seismic loading. Two pore water pressure transducers placed at position near the middle and bottom of pile model to evaluate the pore water pressure during pullout tests. Seismic loading applied by uniaxial shaking table device, while the pullout tests were conducted through pullout device. The results of changing pore water pressure showed that the variation of pore water pressure near the bottom of pile is more than variation near the middle of pile in all tests. The variation of pore water