Theoretical and finite element studies of interfacial stresses in reinforced concrete beams strengthened by externally FRP laminates plate

The paper presents the results of an analytical and numerical solution for interfacial stresses in carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP)–reinforced concrete (RC) hybrid beams studied by the finite element method. The analytical analysis is based on the deformation compatibility approach where both the shear and normal stresses are assumed to be invariant across the adhesive layer thickness. The adherend shear deformations are taken into account by assuming a parabolic shear stress through the thickness of both the concrete beam and the bonded plate. In numerical analysis, the mesh sensitivity test shows that the finite element results for interfacial stresses are not sensitive to the finite element mesh. The finite element analysis then is used to calculate the interfacial stress distribution and evaluate the effect of the structural parameters on the interfacial behavior. It is shown that both the normal and shear stresses at the interface are influenced by the material and geometry parameters of the composite beam. Numerical results from the present analysis are presented both to demonstrate the advantages of the present solution over existing ones and to illustrate the main characteristics of interfacial stress distributions. We can conclude that this research is helpful for the understanding the mechanical behavior of the interface and design of the FRP–RC hybrid structures.     

A new parallel block aggregated algorithm for solving Markov chains

In this paper, we propose a new scalable parallel block aggregated iterative method (PBA) for computing the stationary distribution of a Markov chain. The PBA technique is based on aggregation of groups (block) of Markov chain states. Scalability of the PBA algorithm depends on varying the number of blocks and their size, assigned to each processor. PBA solves the aggregated blocks very efficiently using a modified LU factorization technique. Some Markov chains have been tested to compare the performance of PBA algorithm with other block techniques such as parallel block Jacobi and block Gauss–Seidel. In all the tested models PBA outperforms the other parallel block methods.     

Locations Effects on the Quality of Chemlal and Azeradj Olives Grown in Algeria

This work aimed to investigate the combined effect of harvest time and crop altitude on the fruit and oil quality of two autochthonous Algerian olive cultivars, Chemlal and Azeradj. Fruit morphological characteristics, oil quality parameters, fatty acids and triacylglycerols composition, pigments, tocopherols and oxidative stability were determined. Olives were harvested at four different ripening stages in orchards located at 110, 320 and 490 m altitude, in the olive-growing region of Kabylia, northern Algeria. Results showed a good discrimination between varieties, which were characterized by specific triacylglycerols and fatty acids profile. Different chemometric analyses carried out on the oil data highlighted the strong influence of variety in relation to the factors studied. Moreover, Principal Component Analysis performed on both fatty acids and triacylglycerols profile allowed correlating the distinct composition with the different varietal sensitivities to changes in crop attitude and ripening stage. Tocopherols showed a remarkable decrease with the ripening progress. Oxidative stability was positively correlated with variations in tocopherols and monounsaturated fatty acids during maturation and altitude changes.     

An effective and distributed particle swarm optimization algorithm for flexible job-shop scheduling problem

Flexible job-shop scheduling problem (FJSP) is very important in many research fields such as production management and combinatorial optimization. The FJSP problems cover two difficulties namely machine assignment problem and operation sequencing problem. In this paper, we apply particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm to solve this FJSP problem aiming to minimize the maximum completion time criterion. Various benchmark data taken from literature, varying from Partial FJSP and Total FJSP, are tested. Experimental results proved that the developed PSO is enough effective and efficient to solve the FJSP. Our other objective in this paper, is to study the distribution of the PSO-solving method for future implementation on embedded systems that can make decisions in real time according to the state of resources and any unplanned or unforeseen events. For this aim, two multi-agent based approaches are proposed and compared using different benchmark instances.     

A new parallel algorithm for solving large-scale Markov chains

In this paper, we propose a new parallel sparse iterative method (PPSIA) for computing the stationary distribution of large-scale Markov chains. The PPSIA method is based on Markov chain state isolation and aggregation techniques. The parallel method conserves as much as possible the benefits of aggregation, and Gauss–Seidel effects contained in the sequential algorithm (SIA) using a pipelined technique. Both SIA and PPSIA exploit sparse matrix representation in order to solve large-scale Markov chains. Some Markov chains have been tested to compare the performance of SIA, PPSIA algorithms with other techniques such as the power method, and the generalized minimal residual GMRES method. In all the tested models, PPSIA outperforms the other methods and shows a super-linear speed-up.     

Urban landscape structure anatomy: Structure patterns and typology identification in the space-time of Setif City,Algeria

The definition of urban form and its elements raises a wide debate in urban morphology. This study presents a proposal to understand the structuring of the urban landscape of Setif City over 170 years (1848-2018) by abstracting its main elements into permanent structure (PS_UL). It corresponds to the street network, more static to the change of the town plan, and flexible structure (FS_UL), more resilient to change and explains the superimpositions of morphological components (plot, building, and land use). This work aims to identify typological patterns of structures suggested in space-time through the inspection of the growth of the street network and the filling of morphological layers framed by the concept of urbanity. The methodology is based on syntactic (diachronic) morphogenetic analysis, with statistical analyses as unsupervised classification. Results indicate that PS_UL presents an accumulation of microincrements produced with a similar degree of coherence in different urban fabrics, which explain the local patterns of street network structuring. The typology of FS_UL patterns indicates an unbalanced growth by the arrangement between morphological elements, resulting in a variation in the degree of urbanity.     

Performance analysis of an extended grid based broadcast algorithm in mobile ad-hoc networks

Wireless Networks - In this paper we proposed a new extended grid-based broadcasting algorithm (EGBB) in mobile ad-hoc networks (MANETs) which reduces considerably the broadcast storm problem. EGBB...