Improving the essential characteristics of Lake Chad diatomaceous earth for the ecological construction.

In the Lake Chad region, diatomaceous earth is the type of soil that is easily accessible, but its use for construction presents challenges due to its specific characteristics.  This study aims to characterize the physico-chemical and mechanical properties of these soils after adaptive treatment, consisting to add a small amount of lime.  The X-ray diffraction reveals a composition of 73% quartz, 2.3% kyanite, 21% carbon and 1.58% of other minerals.  The measured pH is 8.3, indicating this diatomite soil can be stabilize.  Stabilized and Compressed Earth Blocks (SCEBs) were molded using six formulations (0% of lime added, 2%, 4%, 6%, 8% and 10%) and cured in three groups (groups of 7, 14 days and 30 days). The measure of their compressive strength denotes the SCEBs without lime, after 30 days of curing, show strength of 2 MPa and the SCEBs with 10% of lime exhibit a high compressive strength of 4.27 MPa, according to several standards of Compressed Earth Blocks. Thus, the addition of lime allow for the production of quality SCEB for construction. Regarding thermal properties, experiments on SCEBs show that thermal conductivity decrease with the addition of lime, from 0.194 W/m.°C to 0.370W/m.°K, and remain widely above 0.065 W/m.°K which is good value for thermal insulation. Finally, above 4% of lime, the mass loss (0.24%) is negligible

Smart expressways in Vietnam: An architectural proposal

Smart expressways represent an emerging direction in modern transportation, where digital technologies are embedded into road infrastructure to improve mobility, safety, and sustainability. By integrating advanced communication, sensing, and automation systems, they aim to meet the rising demands of urbanization and future mobility trends. Vietnam’s expressway network, though expanding, remains conventional and continues to face congestion, safety concerns, and limited readiness for digital transformation. This study evaluates how smart expressway concepts can be adapted and implemented within the nation’s socio-economic context. The research combines a review of Vietnam’s current infrastructure with an assessment of digitalization initiatives in the transport sector. It also draws on international case studies, adapting relevant lessons to identify technological opportunities—such as IoT, AI, V2X communication, and ITS—while acknowledging challenges in financing, governance, and institutional capacity. The results emphasize both the benefits of smart expressway adoption, including greater efficiency, reduced environmental impacts, and enhanced safety, and the barriers that must be addressed. The study concludes by proposing a practical roadmap and architectural framework suited to Vietnam’s developmental stage, providing strategic guidance for sustainable and future-ready mobility

Investigation of Bending Response in Hollow Core Beams: Experimental and Analytical Insights

The idea of using hollow cores in bridges is quite common, but it can be effectively applied to reinforced concrete beams in RCC buildings. The major advantage of use hollow cores is the reduction in the overall self-weight of the beam. This leads to a lower dead load on columns and foundations, which may help to cut down the amount of concrete and steel needed—making the structure more economical. While many researchers have investigated the structural behavior of hollow core beams under flexure, shear, and torsion, but there has not been much focus on beams where the hollow core is typically placed below the neutral layer of beam. The flexural performance of three hollow core beam specimens was examined in this study and compared with that of a conventional solid beam. The hollow cores were passed longitudinally below the neutral layer of those three specimens with 5%, 10% and 15 % core replacement of cross section The flexure test was conducted over simply supported beam specimens using two-point loading. Flexural stiffness, maximum deflections, crack pattern, ultimate load capacity, and deflection variations with load were all thoroughly investigated. To support the test outcomes, nonlinear finite element analysis was also performed on the same specimens. Both experimental and analytical results indicate that hollow core beams demonstrate flexural behaviour in terms of load-carrying capacity, deflection, stiffness, and failure patterns comparable to that of solid beams

Influence of Silicon Nitride on the Electrochemical Corrosion Features of Functionally Graded Aluminium Composite

Functionally Graded Composites (FGCs) represent an evolving category of engineering materials distinguished by their property variations along a designated direction, specifically designed to fulfill targeted applications. This study involved the fabrication of Al (Aluminium) A356 alloy strengthened with Silicon Nitride (Si₃N₄) FGC using a vertical centrifugal casting technique. The optical microscope, X-ray Diffraction (XRD), and Vicker’s microhardness evaluator examined the gradient dissemination of Si₃N₄ ceramic particles. An electrochemical corrosion study was conducted on various regions of the FGC utilizing a potentiostat, examining the heat-treated situation in comparison to the as-cast situation. Under heat-treated situations, the ceramic concentrated zone exhibited the smallest Corrosion Rate (CR) of 0.0109 mmpy, representing a reduction of 75% compared to the 0.0439 mmpy observed in the matrix concentrated zone under as-cast conditions. Additionally, the Si₃N₄ particles functioned as a protective barrier within the ceramic concentrated zone, decreasing CRs compared to further regions

جماليات السرد في القرآن الكريم والحديث الشريف: دراسة تحليلية في البنية والوظيفة والدلالة

This study explores the aesthetics of narrative in the Holy Qur’an and the Prophetic Hadith through a structural, semantic, and functional analysis that reveals the artistic and rhetorical features of Islamic religious discourse. The research traces narrative components such as event, character, time, space, and style, emphasizing their interrelation in shaping a purposeful discourse that blends beauty with message delivery. The study adopts a descriptive-analytical methodology, supported by tools from modern narratology, to unveil the narrative function within sacred texts. Findings indicate that narrative in both the Qur’an and Hadith transcends mere informative function, generating profound theological, ethical, and educational meanings. The narrative technique makes deliberate use of artistic devices such as omission, repetition, shift in pronouns, and suspense. The study highlights how the integration between structure and function creates a narrative with unique epistemological, spiritual, and aesthetic depth

Predicting the Compressive Strength of UHPFRC Using Machine Learning and Soft Computing Models: Optimization of Fiber Content and Additives

Ultra-high-performance fiber-reinforced concrete (UHPFRC) is a relatively new material known for its superior mechanical properties, particularly its compressive strength (CS), making it suitable for advanced structural applications. Traditional experimental methods for predicting CS are time-consuming and costly. In this study, a dataset of 276 samples with 12 input parameters was compiled from existing literature to develop predictive analytical models. The input variables include cement, sand, water, superplasticizer, silica fume, fiber content, water–binder ratio, water–cement ratio, curing age, fiber aspect ratio, temperature, and fiber volume. The reported CS values range from 90 to 186 MPa. Five modeling techniques—Linear Regression (LR), Log Base Regression (LBR), Nonlinear Regression (NLR), M5P-tree, and Artificial Neural Network (ANN)—were employed to predict the compressive strength of UHPFRC. Among these models, ANN demonstrated the highest prediction accuracy across all evaluation criteria, followed by the M5P-tree model. Residual error analysis confirmed that the ANN produced the lowest prediction error. Sensitivity analysis revealed that temperature, curing age, and superplasticizer content significantly influence CS. Optimization results indicated that a fiber content between 2.05% and 2.09% yields maximum compressive strength. These findings provide valuable insights for optimizing UHPFRC mix design using machine learning approaches

The Role of Ai-Supported Models in the Damage Detection Process of Historical Buildings: A Review

The sustainable preservation of historical buildings is of great importance for the future preservation of cultural heritage. The advent of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies in recent years has led to significant advancements in damage detection for historical buildings, resulting in enhanced efficiency and speed. Consequently, there has been a notable proliferation of artificial intelligence-based damage detection models in the extant literature. This study aims to examine the role of artificial intelligence-supported models in the damage detection process of historical buildings. A comprehensive review of the extant literature was conducted, encompassing a total of 97 case studies. The analysis revealed that damages to historic buildings can be categorized into three primary classes: disaster damages, structural damages (including structural health monitoring), and surface damages. The study provides a comprehensive analysis of damage detection methods in historical buildings, offering significant insights into the performance of existing artificial intelligence models in each category. The effectiveness of artificial intelligence-supported models in damage detection for historical buildings has been evaluated, and the strengths and shortcomings in the existing literature have been identified. The study further highlights aspects that require improvement in existing approaches and provides recommendations for future research endeavors. This study emphasizes the significance of artificial intelligence-based damage assessment methods for the conservation of historical buildings, laying the groundwork for future research in this field

La trajectoire de la révolte féminine à travers le protagoniste du roman « Aimer Maria » de Nassira

In this article, we will attempt to present the trajectory of the feminist revolt through the protagonist of the novel Aimer Maria (2018) by Nassira Belloula. To analyze the character's revolutionary situation, we will explore the themes of silence and memory introduced in the character's journey. We will try to uncover the author's intuition and the image of society through her work, as well as examine the repercussions of religious and dogmatic doctrine and the submission of women in the face of androcentrism. For this, psychoanalysis and the approach of social psychology will be useful to support the arguments of our article. We will introduce the theory of socialization and Gestalt theory to demonstrate the types of relationships present in the novel while using existentialist theory to define the reflection of the social and patriarchal space through the fictional experience of the narrative

A Data-Driven Approach for Estimation and Multi-Objective Optimization of Concrete Mix Design

The study focuses on establishing the optimum concrete mix of ratios through a comprehensive analysis of experimental results. For this purpose, 62 numbers of concrete mixtures have been considered by varying the level of key ingredients- cement, water, fine aggregate and coarse aggregate. Using experimental data, Genetic Expression Programming (GEP) has been used to develop predictive equations for compressive strength and slump with cement, water, and coarse aggregates and fine aggregates as inputs. These equations are useful to estimate compressive strength and workability of concrete for particular ingredients. Moreover, mathematical multi objective optimization has been conducted by Genetic Algorithm (GA) using these equations as basic functions and optimum content of cement, water, fine aggregate and coarse aggregate have been determined for obtaining maximum compressive strength, maximum slump at lowest cost. Further, multi objective optimizations of different grades of concrete with slump and cost separately have also been carried out to determine these ingredients. Thus, by implementing the present results a more accurate number of mixed proportions with desired compressive strength, and slump can be obtained at minimum cost