As the load increases, most composite beams generally experience failure in both shear and flexural behavior. This outcome highlights the critical challenges of achieving sufficient strength and ...structural integrity in such beams. The proposed study has used the cold-formed behavior of an Enhanced C-channel (EC) shear connectors and Light Weight Concrete (LWC) to examine the new Steel-Lightweight Concrete-Steel sandwich Beams (SLCSB). The ECs have provided significant shear resistance at the faceplate-LWC interfacial interface and the tension separation resistance for faceplates (cold form steel) from the LWC core. Cold Form Steel (CFS) is the most often used substitute because of its high productivity and practicality in the field. Four different composite beams are examined in the proposed research with different ECs spacing. The beams’ top and bottom face plates are covered using CFS (1.6 mm). In addition to that, two different types of shear connectors are used. Two unique longitudinal spacing of 100 mm and 150 mm are also used for one with lipped ECs and without lipped ECs. Importantly, self-tapping screws are used to secure ECs in place between the top and bottom of the face plates. The effectiveness of the composite beams with various shear connector spacing subjected to a two-point load test is assessed through a series of experiments.
This research focuses on enhancing water quality for concrete construction by utilizing treated wastewater from wetlands. The study employs a dual-stage treatment process involving charcoal and ...aggregate layers for primary treatment, followed by water hyacinths for secondary treatment. Investigating water hyacinths’ ability to absorb nutrients and contaminants from wastewater is a unique aspect of the study, offering a potential solution for soil and water remediation. Water hyacinths, especially stems and leaves, act as natural filters, effectively indicating heavy-metal pollution in tropical regions. The primary goal is heavy-metal removal from wastewater, allowing treated-water use in concrete production at varying proportions (20 %, 40 %, 60 %, 80 %, and 100 %). Silica fume at 15 % concentration is incorporated to enhance the concrete’s durability. Concrete specimens undergo thorough preparation and mechanical property evaluations, compared to conventional M20-grade concrete. The results reveal improvements in mechanical properties, particularly with 80 % treated wastewater in the mix. The dual-stage treatment process removes heavy metals, and the inclusion of silica fume enhances the concrete’s durability and resistance.
The use of concrete reinforced with natural fibres is globally considered a sustainable approach to infrastructure development. This study investigated the salient features of concrete paver blocks ...fabricated using fly ash, coal ash, superplasticiser, and banana fibres as fibre reinforcements. Banana fibres (15 mm in length) were prepared, followed by the fabrication and characterisation of concrete paver blocks. In the current study, banana fibre (0.5 %, 1 %, 1.5 %, 2 %, and 2.5 %) and admixture (0.5 % constantly) were used in different mix proportions in the fabrication of paver block to analyse the physicomechanical properties. The results demonstrated that the paver blocks containing 2 % modified banana fiber (with respect to weight of fly ash) show higher compressive strength (7.45 % for I-dumble and 17.12 % for zigzag paver blocks), flexural strength (14.99 % for I-dumble and 8.67 % for zigzag) and split tensile strength (12.182 % for I-dumble and 9.971 % for zigzag paver blocks), compared to other mix proportions. The use of modified banana fibres as reinforcement was found to be very effective in improving the mechanical properties and life span of paver blocks, which may lead to minimizing the preparation.
This research emphasizes the critical role of water quality in concrete construction, with a specific emphasis on utilizing treated wastewater from wetlands. The study employs a dual-stage treatment ...process involving charcoal and aggregate layers for primary treatment and water hyacinths for secondary treatment. The unique aspect of the study lies in investigating water hyacinths' capacity to absorb nutrients and contaminants from wastewater, providing a potential solution for soil and water remediation. Water hyacinths, particularly their stems and leaves, have proven effective as indicators of heavy metal pollution in tropical regions, acting as a natural filter to extract pollutants from wastewater. The primary objective of this investigation is the removal of heavy metals from wastewater, enabling the use of treated water in concrete production at varying proportions: 20%, 40%, 60%, 80%, and 100%. Additionally, the study incorporates silica fume at a concentration of 15% to enhance the concrete's durability and resistance. Concrete specimens were meticulously prepared and subjected to mechanical property evaluations, with a comparison to conventional M20 grade concrete. The results indicate a notable enhancement in the mechanical properties of the concrete, particularly when utilizing 80% of the treated wastewater in the concrete mix. The dual-stage treatment process, involving charcoal, aggregate layers, and water hyacinths, effectively removed heavy metals from the wastewater. The incorporation of silica fume at 15% concentration contributed to the concrete's improved durability and resistance.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a significant increase in the production of single-use face masks and saline tubes, leading to a considerable rise in biomedical waste pollution and its ...adverse effects on the environment. To address this issue, the utilization of shredded face masks and saline tubes as additives in asphalt mixtures was proposed in this study, aiming to reduce the pollution caused by excessive biological waste. The effects of incorporating shredded face masks and saline tubes into the asphalt mixture were investigated. Different percentages of single-use face masks (1%, 1.25%, 1.50%, 1.75%, and 2%) and waste saline tubes (0.5%, 1%, 1.5%, 2%, and 2.5%) were used to partially replace coarse aggregate and asphalt. Additionally, filler materials such as Metakaolin and M-sand were employed. Preliminary tests were conducted on bitumen, fine aggregate, and coarse aggregate. The dispersion of waste face masks and saline tubes within the asphalt mixture was examined using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The influence of the face mask and saline tube content on the asphalt mixture was evaluated through a Marshall stability test. Various combinations were analyzed, and their results were compared to those of the existing mixture. Based on the tested ratios, the mix proportion of 1.25% shredded face masks and 1% waste saline tubes (1.25FM1ST) produced the optimum results in terms of stability and performance. The utilization of shredded face masks and saline tubes as additives in asphalt mixtures offered a promising solution for reducing pollution caused by the growing biomedical waste associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. Further research and implementation of this approach could contribute to sustainable waste management practices while maintaining the performance and durability of asphalt pavements.
Primjena betona ojačanog prirodnim vlaknima općenito se smatra održivim pristupom razvoju infrastrukture. Ovaj je rad istraživao glavne karakteristike betonskih opločnika proizvedenih primjenom ...letećeg pepela, pepela od ugljena, superplastifikatora i vlakana banane kao ojačanja vlakana. Pripremljena su vlakna banane (dužine 15 mm), nakon čega je uslijedila izrada i karakterizacija betonskih opločnika. U ovome istraživanju utjecaj vlakna banane (0,5 %, 1 %, 1,5 %, 2 % i 2,5 %) i dodataka (0,5 % stalno) upotrijebljeni su u različitim omjerima mješavina za izradu blokova za popločavanje kako bi se analizirala fizikalno-mehanička svojstva. Prikazano je da opločnici koji imaju udio od 2 % modificiranih vlakana banane (u odnosu na težinu letećeg pepela) pokazuju veću tlačnu čvrstoću (7,45 % za dupli vezani opločnik i 17,12 % za cik-cak opločnike), savojnu čvrstoću (14,99 % za dupli vezani opločnik i 8,67 % za cik-cak) i vlačnu čvrstoću dobivenu cijepanjem (12,182 % za dupli vezani opločnik i 9,971 % za cik-cak opločnike) u usporedbi s ostalim omjerima smjese. Uporaba modificiranih vlakana banane kao vlakana za armiranje pokazala se vrlo učinkovitom u poboljšanju mehaničkih svojstava i životnog vijeka opločnika, što može dovesti do smanjenja izrade.
