Investigation of mechanical factor of soil reinforced with four types of fibers: An integrated experimental and extreme learning machine approach

ABSTRACT

This study investigates and compares mechanical factor (a dimensionless parameter and defined as the ratio of the compressive strength of fiber reinforced soil to that of unreinforced soil) for soils reinforced with four different fibers (three natural fibers and one synthetic fiber). An integrated methodology was utilized, including 351 laboratory experiments for obtaining data and Extreme Learning Machine (ELM) technique for developing functional relationships between mechanical factor and soil and fiber parameters. Soils reinforced with synthetic fiber (Polypropylene) and with natural fibers exhibited different characteristics when subjected to the same variation in soil parameters. This phenomenon can be attributed to the differences in surface morphology and water absorption capability of Polypropylene comparative to other natural fibers. Polypropylene–soil composite shows the maximum sensitivity to the soil moisture. It also shows the least sensitivity toward soil density and fiber content among all tested fiber–soil composites.     

Development of an Innovative Bituminized Jute Paving Fabric (BJPF) Along with its Commercial Field Trials for Potential Application in the Field of Geotechnical Construction with an Eye Towards Global Concern

In the last quarter of the twentieth century, a new class of materials, Geosynthetics, emerged prospectively leading significant innovation in the design of geotechnical and geoenvironmental systems. Geotextiles have proven to be among the most versatile and techno-economically viable ground modification materials playing a significant role in modern pavement design and maintenance techniques. With the growing environmental concern across the globe, technologists, researchers have inclined towards the natural geotextile where Jute Geotextile (JGT) is one of the potential candidates. But, JGT has been restricted mainly as underlay in road construction. Hence, there is an urgent need to design and develop a precise innovative fabric as overlay on existing pavements and other emerging civil works to stay technically and economically competitive in the global market. Such a fabric will not only prove techno-economically viable but will also reduce the carbon foot-print generation to a large extent. This paper delineates the development of Grey Jute Paving Fabric (GJPF) followed by its bituminization with suitable type and grade of bitumen to develop Bituminized Jute Paving Fabric (BJPF). The BJPF will enhance the life of the overlay thereby reducing the cost of maintenance as well as serving as a partial substitute of bitumen mastic.     

Darcy–Forchheimer electromagnetic flow of entropy optimized microrotating Casson–Carreau nanomaterials

It is apparent that non-Newtonian nanofluids (especially, Casson and Carreau) find their ubiquitous utilization in diverse industrial processes. The magnetohydrodynamics concept is significantly implemented in the engineering design process. Darcy–Forchheimer's effect characterized by inertia and boundary effects ameliorates the rate of heat transportation outstandingly in association with the flow of nanofluids. Entropy optimization analysis is accentuated as its minimization is the best measure to enhance the efficiency of thermal systems. In view of this, the present article is intended to investigate electromagnetic flow and thermal characteristics of Casson and Carreau nanofluids over the exponential stretched surface. Microrotation facets are entailed. Arrhenius pre-exponential factor law and Robin's condition are implemented. The nondimensional governing equations are solved by the spectral quasi-linearization method. The major outcomes of this study are that axial and transverse flow velocities and heat transfer rate get controlled due to strengthening Casson and microinertia density parameters. More thermal stratification augments the rate of heat transportation efficaciously. Amplification of the Weissenberg parameter intensifies the axial and transverse flow velocities and the associated boundary layer widths. Axial and transverse surface viscous drag enervate due to the rise in porosity, inertia, and magnetic parameters. The entropy generation rate is regulated by the varied Reynolds number.     

Analytical and numerical solution of the longitudinal porous fin with multiple power-law-dependent thermal properties and magnetic effects

The present study is concentrated on the application of electric and magnetic fields on the longitudinal porous fin with power-law-dependent heat transfer coefficient, surface emissivity, and heat generation. The porosity parameter controls the amount of empty spaces or voids in the porous fin and its practical value lies in the range $0\angle \varphi \angle 1$. In industrial application, the heat transfer coefficient is governed by a power law and its specific value defines a certain heat transfer process. The heat generation and surface emissivity of the longitudinal porous fin are assumed to be varied according to the power law and the whole fin is under the influence of an external electric field. The resulting nonlinear equation is solved by the classical Adimian decomposition method (ADM) and the obtained solutions are verified further by the finite difference method (FDM). It has been found that both ADM and FDM are in good agreement for lower values of thermophysical parameters. The effects of power index of heat generation, surface emissivity, and heat transfer coefficient parameter on the temperature distribution, heat flux, and efficiency are analyzed at different values of the porosity parameter comprehensively.     

Identification of Fouling Mechanism During Ultrafiltration of Stevia Extract

Stevioside is one of the naturally occurring sweetener, which can be widely applied in food, drinks, medicine, and daily chemicals. Membrane separation has potential application in clarification of stevioside from pretreated stevia extract by ultrafiltration. In the present study, namely 5-, 10-, 30-, and 100-kDa molecular weight cutoff membranes have been used. Quantification of membrane fouling during ultrafiltration is essential for improving the efficiency of such filtration systems. A systematic analysis was carried out to identify the prevailing mechanism of membrane fouling using a batch unstirred filtration cell. It was observed that the flux decline phenomenon was governed by cake filtration in almost all the membranes. For 100 kDa membrane, both internal pore blocking and cake filtration are equally important. Resistance in series analysis shows that the cake resistance is several orders of magnitude higher than the membrane resistance. The cake resistance is almost independent of transmembrane pressure drop, which indicates the incompressible nature of the cake. A response surface analysis was carried out to quantify the development of cake resistance with time during ultrafiltration of various membranes. Quality parameters show that the 30-kDa membrane is better suited for clarification purposes. Identification of the fouling mechanism would aid in the process of design and scaling up of such clarification setup in future.