Damage Assessment and Ductility Evaluation of Post Tensioned Beams with Hybrid FRP Tendons

The study presented in this article concentrated on investigating the ductility and characterization of damage in concrete beams post tensioned with hybrid carbon-glass fiber-reinforced polymer (HFRP) composites. The investigation included an approach for design of flexural members with HFRP tendons and characterization of damage, load deformation response, ultimate strength, and failure modes. Direct tensile tests of hybrid FRP rods in a previous study had indicated elastoplastic response, enhanced ductility, and increased strain capacity. In this context, the current study focused on design and fabrication of post tensioned beams using glass or steel rebars for partial prestressing. All the beams were tested in flexure under four-point bending configuration. Results of the study are presented in terms of ductility index and enhanced load-deflection response in comparison with the conventional FRP materials. Damage characterization involved evaluating the specific features of the acoustic emissions for detecting the elastoplastic transition in the hybrid tendons. The method involved use of a high-resolution fiber-optic interferometer for detection and separation of acoustic emissions. By using the time domain response, it was possible to spatially localize the damage at various stages of the loading. Spectral energy of the acoustic emissions facilitated separation of carbon and glass fiber fractures.     

Characterization of solid and liquid sorbent materials for biogas purification by using a new volumetric screening instrument

With the increasing utilization of biogas as an energy source the need for new materials and methods to purify and clean the corresponding gas mixtures is rising. In this regard, the application of ad- or absorptive gas purification methods has increased significantly over the last years. For fast and economic evaluation of the potential of different sorbent materials, a new volumetric screening instrument has been developed. First the measuring method and the new instrument design will be described. This instrument allows ad- and absorption, as well as desorption measurements in a technically relevant, wide pressure, and temperature range. It was used for the characterization of common sorbent materials such as activated carbons and zeolite molecular sieves. Additionally, new substances like metal-organic frameworks and ionic liquids were analyzed. Thereby the sorption of CO(2), CH(4), N(2), and H(2) was measured. The obtained data allow the direct comparison of the sorption properties of the different materials, the results of which will be presented in the second part of the paper.     

Constitutive Relationships for Steel Fibre Reinforced Concrete at Elevated Temperatures

Steel fibre reinforced concrete (SFRC) is an advanced cementitious composite where fibres can act as a profitable replacement for diffused reinforcement, like welded steel mesh, especially for thin cross sections. In this case fire becomes a very important condition in the design. Previous experimental research has shown the benefits in fire resistance of steel fibres, when structural elements are bent. The proper understanding of the effects of elevated temperatures on the properties of SFRC is necessary. In this study, constitutive relationships are developed for high-strength FRSC subjected to fire, with the purpose of given that capable modelling and to specify the fire-performance criteria for concrete structures. They are developed for unconfined FRSC specimens that include compressive and tensile strengths, modulus of elasticity, modulus of rupture, strain at peak stress, and compressive stress–strain relationships at elevated temperatures. The proposed relationships at elevated temperature are compared with experimental results. These results are used to establish compressive stress–strain relationships. Further experimental results for tension and the other main parameters at elevated temperature are needed in order to establish well-founded models and to improve the proposed constitutive relationships, which are general, rational, and fit well with the experimental results.     

High Strength Polypropylene Fibre Reinforcement Concrete at High Temperature

Concrete is an inherently brittle material with a relatively low tensile strength compared to compressive strength. Reinforcement with randomly distributed short fibres presents an effective approach to the stabilization of the crack and improving the ductility and tensile strength of concrete. A variety of fibre types, including steel, synthetics, and natural fibres, have been applied to concrete. Polypropylene (PP) fibre reinforcement is considered to be an effective method for improving the shrinkage cracking characteristics, toughness, and impact resistance of concrete materials. Also, the use of PP fibre has been recommended by all of the researchers to reduce and eliminate the risk of the explosive spalling in high strength concrete at elevated temperatures. In this study, constitutive relationships are developed for normal and high-strength PP fibre reinforcement concrete (PPFRC) subjected to high temperatures to provide efficient modelling and specify the fire-performance criteria for concrete structures. They are developed for unconfined PPFRC specimens that include compressive and tensile strengths, elastic modulus, modulus of rupture, strain at peak stress as well as compressive stress–strain relationships at elevated temperatures. The proposed relationships at elevated temperature are compared with experimental results. These results are used to establish more accurate and general compressive stress–strain relationships prediction. Further experimental results for tension and the other main parameters at elevated temperature are needed in order to establish well-founded models and to improve the proposed constitutive relationships, which are general, rational, and fit well with the experimental results.     

Effect of dust-neutral collisions on the dust characteristics in a magnetized plasma sheath

The characteristics of dust in a plasma sheath are investigated in the presence of an external magnetic field and taking into account the dust-neutral collision force. The continuity and momentum equations of ions and dust particles are solved numerically with various magnitudes of collision force by using the fluid model. The numerical results have revealed that the collision force reduces the dust gyro radius, changes the positions of the extrema of the dust density and the velocity in the depth direction. It is shown that the collision force reduces the dust kinetic energy which has no fluctuation even in a strong external magnetic field.     

Analysis of Silver Nanoparticles in Engine Oil: Atangana–Baleanu Fractional Model

The present article aims to examine the heat and mass distribution in a free convection flow of electrically conducted, generalized Jeffrey nanofluid in a heated rotatory system. The flow analysis is considered in the presence of thermal radiation and the transverse magnetic field of strength B₀. The medium is porous accepting generalized Darcy’s law. The motion of the fluid is due to the cosine oscillations of the plate. Nanofluid has been formed by the uniform dispersing of the Silver nanoparticles in regular engine oil. The problem has been modeled in the form of classical partial differential equations and then generalized by replacing time derivative with Atangana–Baleanu (AB) time-fractional derivative. Upon taking the Laplace transform technique (LTT) and using physical boundary conditions, exact expressions have been obtained for momentum, energy, and concentration distributions. The impact of a number of parameters on fluid flow is shown graphically. The numerical tables have been computed for variation in the rate of heat and mass transfer with respect to rooted parameters. Finally, the classical solution is recovered by taking the fractional parameter approaching unity. It is worth noting that by adding silver nanoparticles in regular engine oil, its heat transfer rate increased by 14.59%, which will improve the life and workability of the engine.     

ISM analysis of CPFR implementation barriers

Collaborative planning, forecasting and replenishment (CPFR) as an interconnection scheme between organisations have been shown to have significant benefits. Since its inception in the 1990s, its uptake has been lower than originally predicted. This paper identifies the major barriers and their interrelationships in CPFR implementations with a focus on high-tech industries. Interpretive Structural Modelling is used with a group of CPFR experts from industry/academia and Matrice d’Impacts Croisés Multiplication Appliquée àun Classement analysis to identify the driving and dependence powers. The paper identified 45 CPFR barriers and classifies them into four categories based on expert opinion, with only 13 of these determined to be significant. The results indicate that in terms of categories, managerial barriers are a significant root cause for both process and cultural barriers and CPFR implementation difficulties. It also indicates that although the importance of information technology to launch collaborative schemes has been addressed by many scholars, technology alone is not the complete solution for successful CPFR implementation. The paper has significant practical implications for organisations as it identifies the main CPFR barriers and their causal relationships. This will help firms in the process of CPFR strategy development particularly for mitigation strategies for dominant barriers.     

Exact Analysis of Non-Linear Fractionalized Jeffrey Fluid. A Novel Approach of Atangana-Baleanu Fractional Model

It is a very difficult task for the researchers to find the exact solutions to mathematical problems that contain non-linear terms in the equation. Therefore, this article aims to investigate the viscous dissipation (VD) effect on the fractional model of Jeffrey fluid over a heated vertical flat plate that suddenly moves in its own plane. Based on the Atangana-Baleanu operator, the fractional model is developed from the fractional constitutive equations. VD is responsible for the non-linear behavior in the problem. Upon taking the Laplace and Fourier sine transforms, exact expressions have been obtained for momentum and energy equations. The influence of relative parameters on fluid flow and temperature distribution is shown graphically. As special cases, and for the sake of correctness, the corresponding results for second-grade fluid and Newtonian viscous fluid are also obtained. It is interesting to note that fractional parameter α provides more than one line as compared to the classical model. This effect represents the memory effect in the fluid which is not possible to elaborate by the classical model. It is also worth noting that the temperature profile of the generalized Jeffrey fluid rises for higher values of Eckert number which is due to the enthalpy difference of the boundary layer.