Search results for: durability

Authors: Oleg Redkin, Olga Bernikova

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It is commonly accepted that every language is both pure linguistic phenomenon as well as socially significant communicative system, which exists on the basis of certain society - its collective 'native speaker'. Therefore the language evolution and features besides its own linguistic rules and regulations are also defined by the influence of a number of extra-linguistic factors. The above mentioned statement may be illustrated by the example of the Arabic language which may be characterized by the following peculiarities: - the inner logic of the Arabic language - the 'algebraicity' of its morphological paradigms and grammar rules; - association of the Arabic language with the sacred texts of Islam, its close ties with the pre-Islamic and Islamic cultural heritage - the pre-Islamic poetry and Islamic literature and science; - territorial distribution, which in recent years went far beyond the boundaries of its traditional realm due to the development of new technologies and the spread of mass media, and what is more important, migration processes; - association of the Arabic language with the so called 'Renaissance of Islam'. These peculiarities should be remembered while considering the status of the Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) language or the Classical Arabic (CA) language as well as the Modern Arabic (MA) dialects in synchrony or from the diachronic point of view. Continuity of any system in diachrony on the one hand depends on the level of its ability to adapt itself to changing environment and by its internal ties on the other. Structural durability of language is characterized by its inner logic, hierarchy of paradigms and its grammar rules, as well as continuity of their implementation in acts of everyday communication. Since the Arabic language is both linguistic and social phenomenon the process of the Arabic language acquisition and study should not be focused only on the knowledge about linguistic features or development of communicative skills alone, but must be supplied with the information related to culture, history and religion of peoples of certain region that will expand and enrich competences of the target audience.

Keywords: Arabic, culture, Islam, language

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Authors: Eirini Arvanitaki

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Romance has incrementally grown in popularity over the last century. The first Mills & Boon romance novel was published in 1909 and since then romance has not only survived but it has become a long standing genre. There are several reasons behind its durability and success. First, its ability to please and appeal to a mass audience. Romance novels are products of commercial success situated in large scale production, especially if one takes into account the high volume of romance novels published, translated and distributed all around the world every month. Second, what has also contributed to keeping the romance genre alive is the content of the books and their effect on the reader. These are stories of two heterosexual individuals who meet, fall in love, face obstacles and successfully overcome them. Through the love plots, the books address anxieties, concerns and everyday troubles that the average reader can identify with. Additionally, the romance novel is a means of escapism from everyday life and responsibilities as well as a short-lived opportunity to enjoy personal time/space and focus on one’s self. Third, the genre’s ability to adapt to the periods and societies in which it is published has also assisted in prolonging its longevity. This paper discusses the ways in which popular romance authors write and engage with the body. Despite the claim that popular romance narratives adjust their contents in accordance with different time periods and social phenomena, the paper highlights the dissimilarities between writing the female and male body and suggests that women romance writers are yet to break free from phallogocentric law. The examination of the projections of the body and the language used to describe it indicates that these narratives are flexible enough to adjust to twenty-first century but only within the limits of their own conventionality.

Keywords: body, gender, language, literary representations, popular romance narratives, taboo

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Authors: Subhasisa Nath, David Waugh, Graham Ormondroyd, Morwenna Spear, Andy Pitman, Paul Mason

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Wood is one of the most sustainable and environmentally favourable materials and is chemically treated in timber industries to maximise durability. To increase the chemical preservative uptake and retention by the wood, current limiting incision technologies are commonly used. This work reports the effects of single pulse CO2 laser-incision and frequency tripled Nd:YAG percussion laser-incision on the characteristics of laser-incised holes in the Radiata Pine. The laser-incision studies were based on changing laser wavelengths, energies and focal planes to conclude on an optimised combination for the laser-incision of Radiata Pine. The laser pulse duration had a dominant effect over laser power in controlling hole aspect ratio in CO2 laser-incision. A maximum depth of ~ 30 mm was measured with a laser power output of 170 W and a pulse duration of 80 ms. However, increased laser power led to increased carbonisation of holes. The carbonisation effect was reduced during laser-incision in the ultra-violet (UV) regime. Deposition of a foamy phase on the laser-incised hole wall was evident irrespective of laser radiation wavelength and energy. A maximum hole depth of ~20 mm was measured in the percussion laser-incision in the UV regime (355 nm) with a pulse energy of 320 mJ. The radial and tangential faces had a significant effect on laser-incision efficiency for all laser wavelengths. The laser-incised hole shapes and circularities were affected by the wood anatomy (earlywoods and latewoods in the structure). Subsequently, the mechanism of laser-incision is proposed by analysing the internal structure of laser-incised holes.

Keywords: CO2 Laser, Nd: YAG laser, incision, drilling, wood, hole characteristics

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Authors: Henar Martín-Sanz García, Eleni Chatzi, Eugen Brühwiler

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Located on the shore of Geneva Lake, in Switzerland, the Chillon Viaducts are two parallel structures consisted of post-tensioned concrete box girders, with a total length of 2 kilometers and 100m spans. Built in 1969, the bridges currently accommodate a traffic load of 50.000 vehicles per day, thereby holding a key role both in terms of historic value as well as socio-economic significance. Although several improvements have been carried out in the past two decades, recent inspections demonstrate an Alkali-Aggregate reaction in the concrete deck and piers reducing the concrete strength. In order to prevent further expansion of this issue, a layer of 40 mm of Ultra High Performance Fiber Reinforced cement-based Composite (UHPFRC) (incorporating rebars) was casted over the slabs, acting as a waterproof membrane and providing significant increase in resistance of the bridge structure by composite UHPFRC – RC composite action in particular of the deck slab. After completing the rehabilitation works, a Structural Monitoring campaign was installed on the deck slab in one representative span, based on accelerometers, strain gauges, thermal and humidity sensors. This campaign seeks to reveal information on the behavior of UHPFRC-concrete composite systems, such as increase in stiffness, fatigue strength, durability and long-term performance. Consequently, the structural monitoring is expected to last for at least three years. A first insight of the analyzed results from the initial months of measurements is presented herein, along with future improvements or necessary changes on the deployment.

Keywords: composite materials, rehabilitation, structural health monitoring, UHPFRC

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Authors: Thuy Phuong Nhat Tran, Ashutosh Thakur, Toshiaki Taniike

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Recently, covalently linked graphene oxide frameworks (GOFs) have attracted considerable attention in gas absorbance and water purification as well-defined microporous materials. In spite of their potential advantages such as a controllable pore dimension, adjustable hydrophobicity, and structural stability, these materials have been scarcely employed in heterogeneous catalysis. Here we demonstrate a novel and facile method to synthesize Pd nanoparticles (NPs) confined in a GOF (Pd@GOF). The GOF with uniform interlayer space was obtained by the intercalation of diboronic acid between graphene oxide layers. It was found that Pd NPs were generated inside the graphitic gallery spaces of the GOF, and thus, formed Pd NPs were well-dispersed with a narrow particle size distribution. The synthesized Pd@GOF emerged as an efficient nanocatalyst based on its superior performance (product yield and recyclability) toward Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reaction in both polar and apolar solvents, which has been hardly observed for previously reported graphene-based Pd nanocatalysts. Furthermore, the rational comparison of the catalytic performance between two kinds of Pd@GOF (Pd NPs encapsulated in a diboronic ester-intercalated GOF and in a monoboronic ester-intercalated GOF) firmly confirmed the essential role of a rigid framework design in the stabilization of Pd NPs. Based on these results, the covalently assembled GOF was proposed as a promising scaffold for hosting noble metal NPs to construct desired metal@GOF nanocatalysts with improved activity and durability.

Keywords: graphene oxide framework, palladium nanocatalyst, pore confinement, Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reaction

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Authors: E. P. Bhowmik, R. Singh

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Certain materials casually thrown away as by-product household waste, such as used tea leaves, used coffee remnants, eggshells, peanut husks, coconut coir, unwanted paper, and pencil shavings- have scope in the hidden properties that they offer as recyclable raw ingredients. This paper aims to explore and experiment with the sustainable potential of such disposed wastes, obtained from domestic and commercial backgrounds, that could otherwise contribute to the field of interior design if mass-collected and repurposed. Research has been conducted on available recorded methods of mass-collection, storage, and processing of such materials by certain brands, designers, and researchers, as well as the various application and angles possible with regards to re-usage. A questionnaire survey was carried out to understand the willingness of the demographics for efforts of the mass collection and their openness to such unconventional materials for interiors. An experiment was also conducted where the selected waste ingredients were used to create small samples that could be used as decorative panels. Comparisons were made for properties like color, smell, texture, relative durability, and weight- and accordingly, applications were suggested. The experiment, therefore, helped to propose to recycle of the common household as a potential surface finish for floors, walls, and ceilings, and even founding material for furniture and decor accessories such as pottery and lamp shades; for non-structural application in both residential and commercial interiors. Common by-product wastes often see their ends at landfills- laymen unaware of their sustainable possibilities dispose of them. However, processing these waste materials and repurposing them by incorporating them into interiors would serve as a sustainable alternative to ethical dilemmas in the construction of interior design/architecture elements.

Keywords: interior materials, mass-collection, sustainable, waste recycle

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Authors: Asal Pournaghshband, Mohammed A. Zaki

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This paper presents a detailed numerical investigation into the structural performance of splay anchor configurations for strengthening concrete beams with Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) sheets. CFRP is widely used in retrofitting concrete structures to improve flexural strength and extend service life. However, premature debonding limits the tensile capacity of CFRP sheets, reducing the effectiveness of these applications. This study addresses this limitation by exploring the potential of splay anchors as an emerging anchorage technique that mitigates debonding issues through improved load transfer mechanisms. Building on existing experimental studies, the research uses ABAQUS software to validate different splay anchor configurations and simulate real-world performance. The parametric study examines key anchor parameters, including diameter, spacing, and embedment depth, to evaluate their effects on bond strength, load distribution, and the flexural capacity of strengthened beams. Systematic analysis of these parameters allows for identifying configurations that enhance debonding resistance and increase the load-carrying capacity of CFRP-strengthened beams. Improved debonding resistance contributes to greater structural durability, reduced maintenance costs, and extended service life for retrofitted structures, particularly relevant for aging infrastructure like bridges and buildings. This approach not only advances sustainable retrofitting practices but also provides practical solutions tailored to infrastructure demands.

Keywords: CFRP strengthening, splay anchors, concrete beams, structural retrofitting, numerical analysis

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Authors: Bicky Agarwal, Ambika Behl, Rajiv Kumar, Ashish Dhamaniya

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India ranks second for having the largest road network in the world after the United States (U.S.). According to the National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA), the U.S. produced about 94.6 million tons of Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement (RAP) in 2021. Despite the benefits of RAP usage, it is not widely adopted in many countries, including India. Rising asphalt binder costs and environmental concerns have spurred interest in using RAP material in asphalt mixtures. However, increasing RAP content may have adverse effects on certain characteristics of asphalt mixtures, such as cracking resistance. Cracking is a common pavement issue that affects the lifespan and durability of hot-mix asphalt pavements. Assessing cracking resistance is crucial in pavement design. Various laboratory tests and performance indicators are utilized to evaluate cracking resistance. This study aims to use the Texas Overlay Tester (TOT) to assess the impact of reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) on the cracking resistance of Bituminous Concrete (BC-II) mixes. Following the Marshall Mix Design method, asphalt mixes with RAP contents of 0% (Control), 30%, 40%, 50%, and 60% were prepared and tested at their Optimum Binder Content (OBC). The ITS results showed that the control mix had an ITS value of 1.2 MPa, with slight decreases observed in mixes containing up to 60% RAP, although these changes were not statistically significant (p=0.538>0.05). The TSR tests indicated that all mixes exceeded the minimum requirement of 80%. The Texas Overlay Test (TOT) was used to evaluate cracking performance and revealed that higher RAP contents had a negative impact on fatigue resistance. The 50% RAP mix exhibited the highest CFE, indicating that it has the best resistance to crack propagation despite having a lower number of cycles to failure. All mixes were categorized as falling into the Soft-crack-resistant quadrant, indicating their ability to resist crack propagation while being more susceptible to crack initiation.

Keywords: RAP, BC-II, HMA, TOT

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Authors: Yassets Egaña, Patricio Núñez, Juan C. Rios, Ivan Balic, Alex Manquez, Yarela Flores, Maria C. Gatica, Sergio Diez De Medina, Rocio Tijaro-Rojas

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Globally, humans produce millions of tons of waste per year. An important percentage of this waste is plastic, which frequently ends up in landfills and oceans. During the last decades, the greatest plastics production in history have been made, a few amount of this plastic is recycled, the rest ending up as plastic pollution in soils and seas. Plastic pollution is disastrous for the environment, affecting essential species, quality of consumption water, and some economic activities such as tourism, in different parts of the world. Due to its durability and decomposition on micro-plastics, animals and humans are accumulating a variety of plastic components without having clear their effects on human health, economy, and wildlife. In dry regions as the Atacama Desert, up to 95% of the water consumption comes from underground reservoirs, therefore preventing the soil pollution is an urgent need. This contribution focused on isolating, genotyping and optimizing microorganisms that use plastic waste as the only source of food to construct a batch-type bioreactor able to degrade in a faster way the plastic waste before it gets the desert soils and groundwater consumed by people living in this areas. Preliminary results, under laboratory conditions, has shown an improved degradation of polyethylene when three species of bacteria and three of fungi act on a selected plastic material. These microorganisms have been inoculated in dry soils, initially lacking organic matter, under environmental conditions in the laboratory. Our team designed and constructed a prototype using the natural conditions of the region and the best experimental results.

Keywords: biological breakdown, plastic bags, prototype, desert regions

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Authors: Fortune Chibuike Onyia, Femi Ogundeji Ayodele

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The design of a drainage system at the permanent site of Federal Polytechnic Oko in Anambra State is critical for mitigating flooding, managing surface runoff, and ensuring environmental sustainability. The design process employed a comprehensive analysis involving topographical surveys, hydraulic modeling, and the assessment of local soil types to ensure stability and efficient water conveyance. Proper slope gradients were considered to maintain adequate flow velocities and avoid sediment deposition, which could hinder long-term performance. From the result, the channel size estimated was 0.199m by 0.0199m and 0.0199m². This study proposed a channel size of 1.4m depth by 0.5m width and 0.7m², optimized to accommodate the anticipated peak flow resulting from heavy rainfall and storm-water events. This sizing is based on hydrological data, which takes into account rainfall intensity, runoff coefficients, and catchment area characteristics. The objective is to effectively convey storm-water while preventing overflow, erosion, and subsequent damage to infrastructure and properties. This sustainable approach incorporates provisions for maintenance and aligns with urban drainage standards to enhance durability and reliability. Implementing this drainage system will mitigate flood risks, safeguard campus facilities, improve overall water management, and contribute to the development of resilient infrastructure at Federal Polytechnic Oko.

Keywords: flood mitigation, drainage system, sustainable design, environmental management

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Authors: Si-Geun Choi, Hoon-Jae Park, Jung-Woo Cho, Jin-Ho Lim, Jin-Young Park, Joo-Young Oh, Jae-Il Jeong Seock-Sam Kim, Young Tae Cho, Chan Gyu Kim, Jong-Hyoung Kim

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The tilting pad bearing is a kind of the fluid film bearing and it can contribute to the high speed and the high load performance compared to other bearings including the rolling element bearing. Furthermore, the tilting bearing has many advantages such as high stability at high-speed performance, long life, high damping, high impact resistance and low noise. Therefore, it mostly used in mid to large size turbomachines, despite the high price disadvantage. Recently, manufacture and process employing laser techniques advancing at a fast-growing rate in mechanical industry, the dissimilar metal weld process employing laser techniques is actively studied. Moreover, also, Industry fields try to apply for welding the white metal and the back metal using laser cladding method for high durability. Furthermore, it has followed that laser cladding method has a lot better bond strength, toughness, anti-abrasion and environment-friendly than centrifugal casting method through preceding research. Therefore, the laser cladding method has a lot better quality, cost reduction, eco-friendliness and permanence of technology than the centrifugal casting method or the gravity casting method. In this study, we compare the mechanical properties of different bearing materials by evaluating the behavior of laser cladding layer with various materials (i.e. SS400, SCM440, S20C) under the same parameters. Furthermore, we analyze the porosity of various tilting pad bearing materials which white metal treated on samples. SEM, EDS analysis and hardness tests of three materials are shown to understand the mechanical properties and tribological behavior. W/D ratio, surface roughness results with various materials are performed in this study.

Keywords: laser cladding, tilting pad bearing, white metal, mechanical properties

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Authors: Ayush Satija, Ritu Raj

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Escalating demand for elevated structures as a remedy for traffic congestion has led to a surge in the construction of viaducts and bridges predominantly employing prestressed beams. However, post-tensioned I-girder superstructures are gaining traction for their attributes like structural efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and easy construction. Recently, Ultra-high-performance fiber-reinforced concrete (UHPFRC) has emerged as a revolutionary material in reshaping conventional infrastructure engineering. UHPFRC offers exceptional properties including high compressive and tensile strength, alongside enhanced durability. Its adoption in bridges yields benefits, notably a remarkable strength-to-weight ratio enabling the design of lighter and slender structural elements, enhancing functionality and sustainability. Despite its myriad advantages, integration of UHPFRC in construction is still evolving, hindered by factors like cost, material availability, and design standardization. Consequently, there's a need to assess the feasibility of substituting ordinary concrete (OC) with UHPFRC in bridges, focusing on economic considerations. This research undertakes an efficacy study between post-tensioned I-girders fabricated from UHPFRC and OC, evaluating cost parameters associated with concrete production, reinforcement, and erection. The study reveals that UHPFRC becomes economically viable for spans exceeding 40.0m. This shift in cost-effectiveness is attributed to factors like reduced girder depth, elimination of un-tensioned steel, diminished need for shear reinforcement and decreased erection costs.

Keywords: post tensioned I girder, superstructure, ultra-high-performance fiber reinforced concrete, ordinary concrete

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Authors: Bushra

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This paper explores the historical significance, ecological benefits, and contemporary applications of natural dyes in textile dyeing, aiming to provide a comprehensive overview of their potential to contribute to a sustainable fashion industry while minimizing ecological footprints. This research explores the potential of natural dyes as a sustainable alternative to synthetic dyes in the textile industry, examining their historical context, sources, and environmental benefits. Natural dyes come from plants, animals, and minerals, including roots, leaves, bark, fruits, flowers, insects, and metal salts, used as mordants to fix dyes to fabrics. Natural dyeing involves extraction, mordanting, and dyeing techniques. Optimizing these processes can enhance the performance of natural dyes, making them viable for contemporary textile applications based on experimental research. Natural dyes offer eco-friendly benefits like biodegradability, non-toxicity, and resource renewables, reducing pollution, promoting biodiversity, and reducing reliance on petrochemicals. Natural dyes offer benefits but face challenges in color consistency, scalability, and performance, requiring industrial production to meet modern consumer standards for durability and colorfastness. Contemporary initiatives in the textile industry include fashion brands like Eileen Fisher and Patagonia incorporating natural dyes, artisans like India Flint's Botanical Alchemy promoting traditional dyeing techniques, and research projects like the European Union's Horizon 2020 program. Natural dyes offer a sustainable textile industry solution, reducing environmental impact and promoting harmony with nature. Research and innovation are paving the way for widespread adoption, transforming textile dyeing.

Keywords: historical significance, textile industry, natural dyes, sustainability

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Authors: Adjmal Ghaur, Christoph Peschel, Iris Dienwiebel, Lukas Haneke, Leilei Du , Laurin Profanter, Tobias Placke, Martin Winter

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In recent years, lithium-ion batteries (LIBs)are widely used in electric vehicles (EVs) and mobile energy storage devices (ESDs), which has led to higher requirements for energy density. To fulfill these requirements, tremendous attention has been paid to design advanced LIBs with various siliconactive materials as alternative negative electrodes to replace graphite (372 mAh g⁻¹)due to their high theoretical gravimetric capacity (4200mAh g⁻¹). However, silicon as potential anode material suffers from huge volume changes during charging and discharging and has poor electronicconductivity which negatively impacts the long-term performance and preventshigh silicon contents from practical application. Additionally, an unstable crystalline silicon structure tends to pulverization during the (de)lithiation process. To compensate for the volume changes, alleviate pulverization, and maintain high electronicconductivity, silicon-doped graphite composites with protecting coating layers are a promising approach. In this context, phosphazene compounds are investigated concerning their silicon protecting properties in silicon-doped graphite composites. In detail, electrochemical performance measurements in pouch full-cells(NCM523||SiOx/C), supressing gas formation properties, and post-mortem analyzes were carried out to characterize phosphazene compounds as additive materials. The introduction of the dual-additive approach in state-of-the-art electrolytes leads to synergistic effects between FEC and phosphazene compounds which accelerate the durability of silicon particles and results in enhanced electrochemical performance.

Keywords: silicon, phosphazene, solid electrolyte interphase, electrolyte, gasmeasurements

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Authors: M. S. Sulaiman, N. Hassan, M. A. Aziz, M. S. A. Haron, J. H. A. Halim

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The classic profile of heritage clay roof tiles gives unique characteristics and timeless style to the almost historical building. It is not only designed to meet basic construction needs, offering great performance and durability but also highlights unnoticed stamp impressions, known as ‘insignia imprinted.’ It seems that the insignia imprinted is not significant to all stakeholders, especially in preserving heritage clay roof tiles in Malaysia. They are not even realized the existence and importance of that element, where it represents the cognitive and social character of that particular era. It creates a sense of belongings for the manufacturers regarding their most elementary features, such as a fortress, crown, fauna and etc. This research aims to identify and analyze the late stamp marks on heritage interlocking clay roof tiles in a government heritage building in Malaysia. The methodology used is literature reviews (desktop study), observation on sites, and interviews. Initial findings from the preliminary observation on-site in Peninsular Malaysia show some evidence that the stamp marks appear on the front and back sides of the tile that indicates the year, manufacturer, code numbers, and logos. Almost more than 30 samples of different types of stamp marks were found and collected. Some of which had been described Guichard & Carvin Cie Marsielle St Andre France, Pierre Sacoman St Henry Marsielle, Tuileries Aixoises Les Milles B.D.R France, The Calicut Tile Co Feroke, And B. Pinto & Co Mangalore dated 1865, 1919 and 1936. In view of this abundance of materials, it will lead to the establishment of a comprehensive database consisting of detailed specifications and material performance for future conservation works and maintenance purposes that will sustain for future references.

Keywords: clay roof tiles, insignia imprinted, interlocking, stamp mark

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Authors: Galiya Zhanzakovna Alzhanova, Yelaman Kanatovich Aibuldinov, Zhanar Baktybaevna Iskakova, Gaziz Galymovich Abdiyussupov, Madi Toktasynuly Omirzak, Aizhan Doldashevna Gazizova

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The sustainable use of industrial waste has recently increased due to increased environmental problems in landfills. One of the best ways to utilise waste is as a road base material. Industrial waste is a less costly and more efficient way to strengthen local soils than by introducing new additive materials. This study explored the feasibility of utilising red mud, blast furnace slag, and lime production waste to develop environmentally friendly construction materials for stabilising natural loam. Four different ratios of red mud (20, 30, and 40%), blast furnace slag (25, 30, and 35%), lime production waste (4, 6, and 8%), and varied amounts of natural loam were combined to produce nine different mixtures. The results showed that the sample with 40% red mud, 35% blast furnace slag, and 8% lime production waste had the highest strength. The sample's measured compressive strength for 90 days was 7.38 MPa, its water resistance for the same period was 7.12 MPa, and its frost resistance for the same period was 7.35 MP; low linear expansion met the requirements of the Kazakh regulations for first-class building materials. The study of mineral composition showed that there was no contamination with heavy metals or dangerous substances. Road base materials made of red mud, blast furnace slag, lime production waste, and natural loam mix can be employed because of their durability and environmental performance. The chemical and mineral composition of raw materials was determined using X-ray diffraction, X-ray fluorescence, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, atomic absorption spectroscopy, and axial compressive strength were examined.

Keywords: blast furnace slag, lime production waste, natural loam stabilizing, red mud, road base material

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Authors: Patrice L. Weiss, Barbara Mazer, Tal Krasovsky, Naomi Gefen

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Knowledge translation (KT) involves the process of applying the most promising research findings to practical settings, ensuring that new technological discoveries enhance healthcare accessibility, effectiveness, and accountability. This perspective paper aims to discuss and provide examples of how the KT process can be implemented during a time of rapid advancement in rehabilitation technologies, which have the potential to greatly influence pediatric healthcare. The analysis is grounded in a comprehensive systematic review of literature, where key studies from the past 34 years were carefully interpreted by four expert researchers in scientific and clinical fields. This review revealed both theoretical and practical insights into the factors that either facilitate or impede the successful implementation of new rehabilitation technologies. By utilizing the Knowledge-to-Action cycle, which encompasses the knowledge creation funnel and the action cycle, we demonstrated its application in integrating advanced technologies into clinical practice and guiding healthcare policy adjustments. We highlighted three successful technology applications: powered mobility, head support systems, and telerehabilitation. Moreover, we investigated emerging technologies, such as brain-computer interfaces and robotic assistive devices, which face challenges related to cost, durability, and usability. Recommendations include prioritizing early and ongoing design collaborations, transitioning from research to practical implementation, and determining the optimal timing for clinical adoption of new technologies. In conclusion, this paper informs, justifies, and strengthens the knowledge translation process, ensuring it remains relevant, rigorous, and significantly contributes to pediatric rehabilitation and other clinical fields.

Keywords: knowledge translation, rehabilitation technology, pediatrics, barriers, facilitators, stakeholders

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Authors: Ejazulhaq Rahimi

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The development of techniques evaluating deterioration on concrete structures is vital for structural health monitoring (SHM). One of the main reasons for reinforced concrete structure's deterioration is the corroding of embedded rebars. It is a natural process that begins when the rebar starts to rust. It occurs when the protective layer on the rebar is destroyed. The rebar in concrete is usually protected against corrosion by the high pH of the surrounding cement paste. However, there are chemicals that can destroy the protective layer, making it susceptible to corrosion. It is very destructive for the lifespan and durability of the concrete structure. Corrosion products which are 3 to 6 times voluminous than the rebar stress its surrounding concrete and lead to fracture as cracks even peeling off the cover concrete over the rebar. As is clear that concrete shows limit elastic behavior in its stress strain property, so corrosion product stresses can be detected as strains from the concrete surface. It means that surface strains have a relation with the situation and amount of corrosion products and related concrete fractures inside reinforced concrete. In this paper, a comparative study of surface strains due to corrosion products detected by strain gauges and acoustic emission (AE) testing under periodic accelerated corrosion in the salty environment with 3% NaCl is reported. From the results, three different stages of strains were clearly observed based on the type and rate of strains in each corrosion situation and related fracture types. AE parameters which mostly are related to fracture and their shapes, describe the same phases. It is confirmed that there is a great agreement to the result of each other and describes three phases as generation and expansion of corrosion products and initiation and propagation of corrosion-induced cracks, and surface cracks. In addition, the strain on the concrete surface was rapidly increased before the cracks arrived at the surface of the concrete.

Keywords: acoustic emission, monitoring, rebar corrosion, reinforced concrete, strain

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Authors: Mehdi Habibagahi, Shami Nejadi, Ata Aminfar

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A significant degradation factor that impacts the durability of concrete structures is the alkali-silica reaction. Engineers are frequently charged with the challenges of conducting a thorough safety assessment of concrete structures that have been impacted by ASR. The alkali-silica reaction has a major influence on the structural capacities of structures. In most cases, the reduction in compressive strength, tensile strength, and modulus of elasticity is expressed as a function of free expansion and crack widths. Predicting the effect of ASR on flexural strength is also relevant. In this paper, a nonlinear three-dimensional (3D) finite-element model was proposed to describe the flexural strength degradation induced byASR.Initial strains, initial stresses, initial cracks, and deterioration of material characteristics were all considered ASR factors in this model. The effects of ASR on structural performance were evaluated by focusing on initial flexural stiffness, force–deformation curve, and load-carrying capacity. Degradation of concrete mechanical properties was correlated with ASR growth using material test data conducted at Tech Lab, UTS, and implemented into the FEM for various expansions. The finite element study revealed a better understanding of the ASR-affected RC beam's failure mechanism and capacity reduction as a function of ASR expansion. Furthermore, in this study, decreasing of the residual mechanical properties due to ASRisreviewed, using as input data for the FEM model. Finally, analysis techniques and a comparison of the analysis and the experiment results are discussed. Verification is also provided through analyses of reinforced concrete beams with behavior governed by either flexural or shear mechanisms.

Keywords: alkali-silica reaction, analysis, assessment, finite element, nonlinear analysis, reinforced concrete

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Authors: Jen-Yuan Wang, Min-Chuan Wang, Der-Jun Jan

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Polymer electrolytes can be classified into four major categories, solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs), gel polymer electrolytes (GPEs), polyelectrolytes and composite polymer electrolytes. SPEs suffer from low ionic conductivity at room temperature. The main problems for GPEs are the poor thermal stability and mechanical properties. In this study, a GPE containing PMMA and succinonitrile is prepared to solve the problems mentioned above, and applied to the assembly of a quasi-solid-state electrochromic device (ECD). In the polymer electrolyte, poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) is the polymer matrix and propylene carbonate (PC) is used as the plasticizer. To enhance the mechanical properties of this GPE, succinonitrile (SN) is introduced as the additive. For the electrochromic materials, tungsten oxide (WO3) is used as the cathodic coloring film, which is fabricated by pulsed dc magnetron reactive sputtering. For the anodic coloring material, Prussian blue nanoparticles (PBNPs) are synthesized and coated on the transparent Sn-doped indium oxide (ITO) glass. The thickness of ITO, WO3 and PB film is 110, 170 and 200 nm, respectively. The size of the ECD is 5×5 cm2. The effect of the introduction of SN into the GPEs is discussed by observing the electrochromic behaviors of the WO3-PB ECD. Besides, the composition ratio of PC to SN is also investigated by measuring the ionic conductivity. The optimized ratio of PC to SN is 4:1, and the ionic conductivity under this condition is 6.34x10-5 S∙cm-1, which is higher than that of PMMA/PC (1.35x10-6 S∙cm-1) and PMMA/EC/PC (4.52x10-6 S∙cm-1). This quasi-solid-state ECD fabricated with the PMMA/SN based GPE shows an optical contrast of ca. 53% at 690 nm. The optical transmittance of the ECD can be reversibly modulated from 72% (bleached) to 19% (darkened), by applying potentials of 1.5 and -2.2 V, respectively. During the durability test, the optical contrast of this ECD remains 44.5% after 2400 cycles, which is 83% of the original one.

Keywords: electrochromism, tungsten oxide, prussian blue, poly(methyl methacrylate), succinonitrile

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Authors: Samane Maroufi, Rasoul Khayyam Nekouei, Sajjad Mofarah

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Fabrication of the state-of-the-art portable pseudocapacitors with the desired transparency, mechanical flexibility, capacitance, and durability is challenging. In most cases, the fabrication of such devices requires critical elements which are either under the crisis of depletion or their extraction from virgin mineral ores have sever environmental impacts. This urges the use of secondary resources instead of virgin resources in fabrication of advanced devices. In this research, ultrathin films of defect-rich Mn1−x−y(CexLay)O2−δ with controllable thicknesses in the range between 5 nm to 627 nm and transmittance (≈29–100%) have been fabricated via an electrochemical chronoamperometric deposition technique using an aqueous precursor derived during the selective purification of rare earth oxide (REOs) isolated from end-of-life nickel-metal hydride (Ni-MH) batteries. Intercalation/de-intercalation of anionic O2− through the atomic tunnels of the stratified Mn1−x−y(CexLay)O2−δ crystallites was found to be responsible for outstanding areal capacitance of 3.4 mF cm−2 of films with 86% transmittance. The intervalence charge transfer among interstitial Ce/La cations and Mn oxidation states within the Mn1−x−y(CexLay)O2−δ structure resulted in excellent capacitance retention of ≈90% after 16 000 cycles. The synthesised transparent flexible Mn1−x−y(CexLay)O2−δ full-cell pseudocapacitor device possessed the energy and power densities of 0.088 μWh cm⁻² and 843 µW cm⁻², respectively. These values show insignificant changes under vigorous twisting and bending to 45–180° confirming these value-added materials are intriguing alternatives for size-sensitive energy storage devices. This research confirms the feasibility of utilisation of secondary waste resources for the fabrication of high-quality pseudocapacitors with engineered defects with the desired flexibility, transparency, and cycling stability suitable for size-sensitive portable electronic devices.

Keywords: pseudocapacitors, energy storage devices, flexible and transparent, sustainability

Procedia PDF Downloads 87

Authors: Francisco Javier Montes Ruiz-Cabello, Guillermo Guerrero-Vacas, Sara Bermudez-Romero, Miguel Cabrerizo Vilchez, Miguel Angel Rodriguez-Valverde

Abstract:

Galvanized steel is one of the widespread metallic materials used in industry. It consists on a iron-based alloy (steel) coated with a layer of zinc with variable thickness. The zinc is aimed to prevent the inner steel from corrosion and staining. Its production is cheaper than the stainless steel and this is the reason why it is employed in the construction of materials with large dimensions in aeronautics, urban/ industrial edification or ski-resorts. In all these applications, turning the natural hydrophilicity of the metal surface into superhydrophobicity is particularly interesting and would open a wide variety of additional functionalities. However, producing a superhydrophobic surface on galvanized steel may be a very difficult task. Superhydrophobic surfaces are characterized by a specific surface texture which is reached either by coating the surface with a material that incorporates such texture, or by conducting several roughening methods. Since galvanized steel is already a coated material, the incorporation of a second coating may be undesired. On the other hand, the methods that are recurrently used to incorporate the surface texture leading to superhydrophobicity in metals are aggressive and may damage their surface. In this work, we used a novel strategy which goal is to produce superhydrophobic galvanized steel by a two-step non-aggressive process. The first process is aimed to create a hierarchical structure by incorporating zinc nanoparticles sintered on the surface at a temperature slightly lower than the zinc’s melting point. The second one is a hydrophobization by a thick fluoropolymer layer deposition. The wettability of the samples is characterized in terms of tilting plate and bouncing drop experiments, while the roughness is analyzed by confocal microscopy. The durability of the produced surfaces was also explored.

Keywords: galvanaized steel, superhydrophobic surfaces, sintering nanoparticles, zinc nanopowder

Procedia PDF Downloads 150

Authors: Oumaima Khlifati, Khadija Baba

Abstract:

Pavement distress is the main factor responsible for the deterioration of road structure durability, damage vehicles, and driver comfort. Transportation agencies spend a high proportion of their funds on pavement monitoring and maintenance. The auscultation of pavement distress was based on the manual survey, which was extremely time consuming, labor intensive, and required domain expertise. Therefore, the automatic distress detection is needed to reduce the cost of manual inspection and avoid more serious damage by implementing the appropriate remediation actions at the right time. Inspired by recent deep learning applications, this paper proposes an algorithm for automatic road distress detection and classification using on the Deep Convolutional Neural Network (DCNN). In this study, the types of pavement distress are classified as transverse or longitudinal cracking, alligator, pothole, and intact pavement. The dataset used in this work is composed of public asphalt pavement images. In order to learn the structure of the different type of distress, the DCNN models are trained and tested as a multi-label classification task. In addition, to get the highest accuracy for our model, we adjust the structural optimization hyper parameters such as the number of convolutions and max pooling, filers, size of filters, loss functions, activation functions, and optimizer and fine-tuning hyper parameters that conclude batch size and learning rate. The optimization of the model is executed by checking all feasible combinations and selecting the best performing one. The model, after being optimized, performance metrics is calculated, which describe the training and validation accuracies, precision, recall, and F1 score.

Keywords: distress pavement, hyperparameters, automatic classification, deep learning

Procedia PDF Downloads 93

Authors: Alireza Taghdiri, Sara Ghanbarzade Ghomi

Abstract:

Existing buildings are permanently subjected to change, continuously renovated and repaired in their long service life. Old buildings are destroyed and their material and components are recycled or reused for constructing new ones. In this process, importance of sustainability principles for building construction is obviously known and great significance must be attached to consumption of resources, resulting effects on the environment and economic costs. Utilization strategies for extending buildings service life and delay in destroying have positive effect on environment protection. In addition, simpler alterability or expandability of buildings’ structures and reducing energy and natural resources consumption have benefits for users, producers and environment. To solve these problems, by applying theories of open building, structural components of some conventional building systems have been analyzed and then, a new geometry adaptive building system is developed which can transform and support different imposed loads. In order to achieve this goal, various research methods and tools such as professional and scientific literatures review, comparative analysis, case study and computer simulation were applied and data interpretation was implemented using descriptive statistics and logical arguments. Therefore, hypothesis and proposed strategies were evaluated and an adaptable and reusable 2-dimensional building system was presented which can respond appropriately to dwellers and end-users needs and provide reusability of structural components of building system in new construction or function. Investigations showed that this incremental building system can be successfully applied in achieving the architectural design objectives and by small modifications on components and joints, it is easy to obtain different and adaptable load-optimized component alternatives for flexible spaces.

Keywords: adaptability, durability, open building, service life, structural building system

Procedia PDF Downloads 579

Authors: M. A. Bayona, E. M. Cordoba, V. R. Guiza

Abstract:

Highly porous carbon-based foams are used in a wide range of industrial applications, which include absorption, catalyst supports, thermal insulation, and biomaterials, among others. Particularly, silicon carbide (SiC) based foams have shown exceptional potential for catalyst support applications, due to their chemical inertness, large frontal area, low resistance to flow, low-pressure drop, as well as high resistance to temperature and corrosion. These properties allow the use of SiC foams in harsh environments with high durability. Commonly, SiC foams are fabricated from polysiloxane, SiC powders and phenolic resins, which can be costly or highly toxic to the environment. In this work, we propose a low-cost method for the fabrication of highly porous, three-dimensional SiC foams via template replica, using recycled polymeric sponges as sacrificial templates. A sucrose-based resin combined with a Si-containing pre-ceramic polymer was used as the precursor. Polymeric templates were impregnated with the precursor solution, followed by thermal treatment at 1500 °C under an inert atmosphere. Several synthesis parameters, such as viscosity and composition of the precursor solution (Si: Sucrose molar ratio), and the porosity of the template, were evaluated in terms of their effect on the morphology, composition and mechanical resistance of the resulting SiC foams. The synthesized composite foams exhibited a highly porous (50-90%) and interconnected structure, containing 30-90% SiC with a mechanical compressive strength between 0.01-0.1 MPa. The methodology employed here allowed the fabrication of foams with a varied concentration of SiC and with morphological and mechanical properties that contribute to the development of materials of high relevance in the industry, while using low-cost, renewable sources such as table sugar, and providing a recycling alternative for polymeric sponges.

Keywords: catalyst support, polymer replica technique, reticulated porous ceramics, silicon carbide

Procedia PDF Downloads 123

Authors: Alireza Taghdiri, Sara Ghanbarzade Ghomi

Abstract:

Existing buildings are permanently subjected to change, continuously renovated and repaired in their long service life. Old buildings are destroyed and their material and components are recycled or reused for constructing new ones. In this process, importance of sustainability principles for building construction is obviously known and great significance must be attached to consumption of resources, resulting effects on the environment and economic costs. Utilization strategies for extending buildings service life and delay in destroying have positive effect on environment protection. In addition, simpler alterability or expandability of buildings’ structures and reducing energy and natural resources consumption have benefits for users, producers and environment. To solve these problems, by applying theories of open building, structural components of some conventional building systems have been analyzed and then, a new geometry adaptive building system is developed which can transform and support different imposed loads. In order to achieve this goal, various research methods and tools such as professional and scientific literatures review, comparative analysis, case study and computer simulation were applied and data interpretation was implemented using descriptive statistics and logical arguments. Therefore, hypothesis and proposed strategies were evaluated and an adaptable and reusable 2-dimensional building system was presented which can respond appropriately to dwellers and end-users needs and provide reusability of structural components of building system in new construction or function. Investigations showed that this incremental building system can be successfully applied in achieving the architectural design objectives and by small modifications on components and joints, it is easy to obtain different and adaptable load-optimized component alternatives for flexible spaces.

Keywords: adaptability, durability, open building, service life, structural building system

Procedia PDF Downloads 364

Authors: B. Chen, F. Kuznik, M. Horgnies, K. Johannes, V. Morin, E. Gengembre

Abstract:

More attention on renewable energy has been done after the achievement of Paris Agreement against climate change. Solar-based technology is supposed to be one of the most promising green energy technologies for residential buildings since its widely thermal usage for hot water and heating. However, the seasonal mismatch between its production and consumption makes buildings need an energy storage system to improve the efficiency of renewable energy use. Indeed, there exist already different kinds of energy storage systems using sensible or latent heat. With the consideration of energy dissipation during storage and low energy density for above two methods, thermochemical energy storage is then recommended. Recently, ettringite (3CaO∙Al₂O₃∙3CaSO₄∙32H₂O) based materials have been reported as potential thermochemical storage materials because of high energy density (~500 kWh/m³), low material cost (700 €/m³) and low storage temperature (~60-70°C), compared to reported salt hydrates like SrBr₂·6H₂O (42 k€/m³, ~80°C), LaCl₃·7H₂O (38 k€/m³, ~100°C) and MgSO₄·7H₂O (5 k€/m³, ~150°C). Therefore, they have the possibility to be largely used in building sector with being coupled to normal solar panel systems. On the other side, the lack in terms of extensive examination leads to poor knowledge on their thermal properties and limit maturity of this technology. The aim of this work is to develop a modular reactor adapting to thermal characterizations of ettringite-based material particles of different sizes. The filled materials in the reactor can be self-compacted vertically to ensure hot air or humid air goes through homogenously. Additionally, quick assembly and modification of reactor, like LEGO™ plastic blocks, make it suitable to distinct thermochemical energy storage material samples with different weights (from some grams to several kilograms). In our case, quantity of stored and released energy, best work conditions and even chemical durability of ettringite-based materials have been investigated.

Keywords: dehydration, ettringite, hydration, modular reactor, thermochemical energy storage

Procedia PDF Downloads 138

Authors: Biswajit Pal, Amit Mallik, Anil K. Barik

Abstract:

Current years have witnessed a phenomenal growth in the research on the rare earth-doped transparent host materials, the essential components in optoelectronics that meet up the increasing demand for fabrication of high quality optical devices especially in telecommunication system. The combination of low phonon energy (because of fluoride environment) and high chemical durability with superior mechanical stability (due to oxide environment) makes the oxyfluoride glass–ceramics the promising and useful materials in optoelectronics. The present work reports on the undoped and doped (1 mol% Pr2O3) glass ceramics of composition 16.52 Al2O3•1.5AlF3• 12.65LaF3•4.33Na2O•64.85 SiO2 (mol%), prepared by melting technique initially that follows annealation at 450 ºC for 1 h. The glass samples so obtained were heat treated at constant 600 ºC with a variation in heat treatment schedule (10- 80 h). TEM techniques were employed to structurally characterize the glass samples. Pr2O3 affects the phase separation in the glass and delays the onset of crystallization in the glass ceramic. The modified crystallization mechanism is established from the analysis of advanced STEM/EDXS results. The phase separated droplets after annealing turn into 10-20 nm of LaF3 nano crystals those upon scrutiny are found to be dotted with the doped Pr3+ ions within the crystals themselves. The EDXS results also suggest that the inner LaF3 crystal core is swallowed by an Al enriched layer that follows a Si enriched surrounding shell as the outer core. This greatly increases the viscosity in the periphery of the crystals that restricts further crystal growth to account for the formation of nano sized crystals.

Keywords: advanced STEM/EDXS, crystallization mechanism, nano crystals, pr3+ ion doped glass and glass ceramic, structural characterization

Procedia PDF Downloads 185

Authors: Laroussi Chaabane, Amel El Ghali, Emmanuel Beyou, Mohamed Hassen V. Baouab

Abstract:

In this research, the functionalization of graphene oxide sheets by ethylenediamine (EDA) was accomplished and followed by the grafting of bis(2-pyridylmethyl) amino group (BPED) onto the activated graphene oxide sheets in the presence of chloroacetylchloride (CAC) and then combined with magnetic nanoparticles (Fe₃O₄NPs) to produce a magnetic graphene-based composite [(Go-EDA-CAC)@Fe₃O₄NPs-BPED]. The physicochemical properties of [(Go-EDA-CAC)@Fe₃O₄NPs-BPED] composites were investigated by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Additionally, the catalysts can be easily recycled within ten seconds by using an external magnetic field. Moreover, [(Go-EDA-CAC)@Fe₃O₄NPs-BPED] was used for removing Cu(II) ions from aqueous solutions using a batch process. The effect of pH, contact time and temperature on the metal ions adsorption were investigated, however weakly dependent on ionic strength. The maximum adsorption capacity values of Cu(II) on the [(Go-EDA-CAC)@Fe₃O₄NPs-BPED] at the pH of 6 is 3.46 mmol.g⁻¹. To examine the underlying mechanism of the adsorption process, pseudo-first, pseudo-second-order, and intraparticle diffusion models were fitted to experimental kinetic data. Results showed that the pseudo-second-order equation was appropriate to describe the Cu (II) adsorption by [(Go-EDA-CAC)@Fe₃O₄NPs-BPED]. Adsorption data were further analyzed by the Langmuir, Freundlich, and Jossens adsorption approaches. Additionally, the adsorption properties of the [(Go-EDA-CAC)@Fe₃O₄NPs-BPED], their reusability (more than 6 cycles) and durability in the aqueous solutions open the path to removal of Cu(II) from water solution. Based on the results obtained, we report the activity of Cu(II) supported on [(Go-EDA-CAC)@Fe₃O₄NPs-BPED] as a catalyst for the cross-coupling of symmetric alkynes.

Keywords: graphene, magnetic nanoparticles, adsorption kinetics/isotherms, cross coupling

Procedia PDF Downloads 139

Authors: Passant Youssef, Ahmed El-Tair, Amr El-Nemr

Abstract:

Lately, with the environmental changes, enthusiasts trigger to stop the contamination of environment. Thus, various efforts were exerted for innovating environmental friendly concrete to sustain as a ‘Green Building’ material. Green building materials consider the cement industry as one of the most sources of air pollutant with high rate of carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions. Several methods were developed to extensively reduce the influence of cement industry on environment. These methods such as using supplementary cementitious material or improving the cement manufacturing process are still under investigation. However, with the presence of recycled wastes from construction and finishing materials, the use of supplementary cementitious materials seems to provide an economic solution. Furthermore, it improves the mechanical properties of cement paste, in addition to; it modulates the workability and durability of concrete. In this paper, the glass powder was considered to be used as partial replacement of cement. This study provided the mechanical influence for using the glass powder as partial replacement of cement. In addition, it examines the microstructure of cement mortar using scanning electron microscope and X-ray diffraction. The cement in concrete is replaced by waste glass powder in steps of 5%, 10%, 15%, 20% and 25% by weight of cement and its effects on compressive and flexure strength were determined after 7 and 28 days. It was found that the 5% glass powder replacement increased the 7 days compressive strength by 20.5%, however, there was no increase in compressive strength after 28 days; which means that the glass powder did not react in the cement mortar due to its amorphous nature on the long run, and it can act as fine aggregate better that cement replacement. As well as, the 5% and 10% glass powder replacement increased the 28 days flexural strength by 46.9%. SEM micrographs showed very dense matrix for the optimum specimen compared to control specimen as well; some glass particles were clearly observed. High counts of silica were optimized from XRD while amorphous materials such as calcium silicate cannot be directly detected.

Keywords: supplementary materials, glass powder, concrete, cementitious materials

Procedia PDF Downloads 210