BEHAVIOUR OF HIGH STRENGTH CONCRETE COMPOSITE SLABS WITH DIFFERENT END ANCHORAGES

This study is performed to investigate experimentally the behaviour of steel deck composite slabs with different end anchorages. End anchorage as a type of shear connection for composite slabs plays an important role to prevent relative slip between concrete and steel deck. The presented composite slab specimens are made of high strength concrete and loaded at a specific shear span. Objectives of this study is to evaluate experimentally load carrying capacity, end slip, mode of failure, shear bond capacity, and the end anchorage contribution to the whole composite slab behaviour. Research also presents a comparison between the experimental results and the theoretical results derived according to m-k and partial shear connection methods included in these standards (BS 5950-4:1994, CSSBI S3-2003, and EC4 EN 1994-1-1:2004)

Bond Strength of Concrete Containing Different Recycled Coarse Aggregates

Some of the remnants of construction demolition wastes could be used after recycling as coarse aggregate in concrete industry. Among these wastes are ceramics, shale bricks and hardened concrete. This research was carried out to determine the effect of using such recycled aggregate (RA) as total or partial replacement of the natural dolomite coarse aggregate in concrete mixes on their compressive and bond strength with steel bars. Two types of concrete were investigated in this research which included normal concrete and self-compacted concrete. The main variables taken into consideration wee, the type of concrete, the type and percentage of the recycled aggregate and the age of testing. The consistency of the normal fresh concrete was measured by the slump test. However, the workability and flowability of the self-compacted fresh concrete were measured using slump test, V-funnel test. Out of the experimental test results, equations were predicted which correlated between the concrete compressive strength and bond strength of both the recycled aggregate ordinary concrete and the recycled aggregate self-compacted concrete. These equations were completely different than that of the steel-concrete bond equation of concrete with natural aggregate. Out of this research results, the recycled aggregate concrete could be used in both non structural applications and in some structural applications with special precautions

Feasibility of using self-compacting concrete in civil engineering applications

This research aimed to investigate the feasibility of using self-compacting concrete in civil engineering applications as a producing a precast hollow unit. The behavior of the hollow sections cast with self-compacted concrete beneath line-load was evaluated. An experimental work was carried out and a finite element model with ANSYS (version 15) was adopted. A total of fourteen hollow beams were cast and tested. The most variables taken into thought were; the types of reinforcement (reinforced steel bar and steel wire meshes), the types of steel wire meshes (expanded and welded steel wire mesh), number of layers of steel meshes (one layer and two layers), cross section thickness of concrete (40 mm and 60mm), concrete cover thickness (15mm and 20 mm) and also the shapes of cross section (square or circular). Special attention to initial cracking load, ultimate load, deflection, cracking pattern, energy absorption and ductility index were investigated. Good agreement was found compared with the experimental results. Out of this research; this paper presents applications of self-compacted concrete for casting skinny structural hollow members. These members can be used as precast units within the construction of the tunnel to decrease the problems in highway roads due to the difficulty of using crossing bridges particularly for kids and old people which are very useful for developing countries with great economic advantages

Behavior improvement of self-compacting concrete in hot weather

The main aim of this research is studying the effect of hot weather on the properties of self-compacting concrete and conventional concrete in both fresh and hardened state. Also, this research extends to improve the behavior of self-compacting concrete in hot weather. The main parameters were surrounding weather temperature (5°C, 20°C and 35°C), concrete materials temperatures’ (25°C, 50°C), curing temperatures (25°C and 50°C) and admixtures (using a retarder). Two stages were carried out to achieve the research aim. The behavior of self-compacting concrete compared to conventional concrete was evaluated in the first stage. Based on the first stage, attempts to enhance the concrete properties were evaluated in the second stage. Precautions on mixing and placing concrete in these climates are considered. Results are a drive in terms of; workability tests, compressive strength, splitting tensile strength, and flexural strength. Test results showed that self-compacting concrete behavior and strengths were better than conventional concrete. Slump test, J-ring and V-funnel test were used to evaluate the fresh properties of the self-compacting concrete. Drying shrinkage of self-compacting concrete in hot weather were also evaluated

Participation levels of physical activity programs for community-dwelling older adults: A systematic review

Background: Although many physical activity (PA) programs have been implemented and tested for effectiveness, high participation levels are needed in order to achieve public health impact. This study aimed to

Epitaxial growth of ultrathin palladium films on Re{0001}

Ultrathin bimetallic layers create unusual magnetic and surface chemical effects through the modification of electronic structure brought on by low dimensionality, polymorphism, reduced screening, and epitaxial strain. Previous studies have related valence and core-level shifts to surface reactivity through the d-band model of Hammer and Nørskov, and in heteroepitaxial films this band position is determined by competing effects of coordination, strain, and hybridization of substrate and overlayer states. In this study we employ the epitaxially matched Pd on Re{0001} system to grow films with no lateral strain. We use a recent advancement in low-energy electron diffraction to expand the data range sufficiently for a reliable determination of the growth sequence and out-of-plane surface relaxation as a function of film thickness. The results are supported by scanning tunneling microscopy and X-ray photoemission spectroscopy, which show that the growth is layer-by-layer with significant core-level shifts due to changes in film structure, morphology, and bonding

Global economic burden of unmet surgical need for appendicitis

Background: There is a substantial gap in provision of adequate surgical care in many low-and middle-income countries. This study aimed to identify the economic burden of unmet surgical need for the common condition of appendicitis. Methods: Data on the incidence of appendicitis from 170 countries and two different approaches were used to estimate numbers of patients who do not receive surgery: as a fixed proportion of the total unmet surgical need per country (approach 1); and based on country income status (approach 2). Indirect costs with current levels of access and local quality, and those if quality were at the standards of high-income countries, were estimated. A human capital approach was applied, focusing on the economic burden resulting from premature death and absenteeism. Results: Excess mortality was 4185 per 100 000 cases of appendicitis using approach 1 and 3448 per 100 000 using approach 2. The economic burden of continuing current levels of access and local quality was US $92 492 million using approach 1 and$73 141 million using approach 2. The economic burden of not providing surgical care to the standards of high-income countries was $95 004 million using approach 1 and$75 666 million using approach 2. The largest share of these costs resulted from premature death (97.7 per cent) and lack of access (97.0 per cent) in contrast to lack of quality. Conclusion: For a comparatively non-complex emergency condition such as appendicitis, increasing access to care should be prioritized. Although improving quality of care should not be neglected, increasing provision of care at current standards could reduce societal costs substantially

Laparoscopy in management of appendicitis in high-, middle-, and low-income countries: a multicenter, prospective, cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Appendicitis is the most common abdominal surgical emergency worldwide. Differences between high- and low-income settings in the availability of laparoscopic appendectomy, alternative management choices, and outcomes are poorly described. The aim was to identify variation in surgical management and outcomes of appendicitis within low-, middle-, and high-Human Development Index (HDI) countries worldwide. METHODS: This is a multicenter, international prospective cohort study. Consecutive sampling of patients undergoing emergency appendectomy over 6 months was conducted. Follow-up lasted 30 days. RESULTS: 4546 patients from 52 countries underwent appendectomy (2499 high-, 1540 middle-, and 507 low-HDI groups). Surgical site infection (SSI) rates were higher in low-HDI (OR 2.57, 95% CI 1.33-4.99, p = 0.005) but not middle-HDI countries (OR 1.38, 95% CI 0.76-2.52, p = 0.291), compared with high-HDI countries after adjustment. A laparoscopic approach was common in high-HDI countries (1693/2499, 67.7%), but infrequent in low-HDI (41/507, 8.1%) and middle-HDI (132/1540, 8.6%) groups. After accounting for case-mix, laparoscopy was still associated with fewer overall complications (OR 0.55, 95% CI 0.42-0.71, p < 0.001) and SSIs (OR 0.22, 95% CI 0.14-0.33, p < 0.001). In propensity-score matched groups within low-/middle-HDI countries, laparoscopy was still associated with fewer overall complications (OR 0.23 95% CI 0.11-0.44) and SSI (OR 0.21 95% CI 0.09-0.45). CONCLUSION: A laparoscopic approach is associated with better outcomes and availability appears to differ by country HDI. Despite the profound clinical, operational, and financial barriers to its widespread introduction, laparoscopy could significantly improve outcomes for patients in low-resource environments. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT02179112