Study on the Effects of Printing Process and Reinforcement Materials on the Performance of 3D-Printed Glass Bead Insulation Mortar

Based on 3D printing technology, this paper investigates the effects of the printing process and reinforcement materials on the performance of 3D-printed glass bead insulation mortar. In order to improve and enhance the performance of the mortar, two sets of tests were designed for research and analysis. Firstly, by changing the direction of the interlayer printing strips, the anisotropy of the specimens in different paths was analyzed, and then the effect of different dosages of different fibers on the performance of 3D-printed glass bead insulation mortar was investigated by adding reinforcing materials. The results show that the path a specimen in the X direction’s compressive strength is the best; in the Y direction, flexural strength is the best; the path b specimen in the Y direction’s compressive strength is the best; in the Z direction, flexural strength is the best, but the compressive and flexural strengths are lower than the strength of the specimen without 3D printing (cast-in-place specimen); and adding reinforcing materials mortar not only has high strength but also has good printability and excellent thermal insulation. This paper provides a theoretical basis and reference value for the popularization and application of 3D printing thermal insulation mortar technology

Predicting Emotional Experiences through Eye-Tracking: A Study of Tourists’ Responses to Traditional Village Landscapes

This study investigates the relationship between eye-tracking metrics and emotional experiences in the context of cultural landscapes and tourism-related visual stimuli. Fifty-three participants were involved in two experiments: forty-three in the data collection phase and ten in the model validation phase. Eye movements were recorded and the data were analyzed to identify correlations between four eye-tracking metrics—average number of saccades (ANS), total dwell fixation (TDF), fixation count (FC), and average pupil dilation (APD)—and 19 distinct emotional experiences, which were subsequently grouped into three categories: positive, neutral, and negative. The study examined the variations in eye-tracking metrics across architectural, historic, economic, and life landscapes, as well as the three primary phases of a tour: entry, core, and departure. Findings revealed that architectural and historic landscapes demanded higher levels of visual and cognitive engagement, especially during the core phase. Stepwise regression analysis identified four key eye-tracking predictors for emotional experiences, enabling the development of a prediction model. This research underscores the effectiveness of eye-tracking technology in capturing and predicting emotional responses to different landscape types, offering valuable insights for optimizing rural tourism environments and enhancing visitors’ emotional experiences

A Tri-Layer Structural Film Containing Nickel Nanocoating for Electromagnetic Transmittance and Joule Heating

In the realm of military applications, the effective management of ice accumulation on strategic equipment without compromising the integrity of the electromagnetic signal transmission is a perennial challenge. To confront this issue, a revolutionary trilayered material composite known as MPE (metal-polyimide-electric heating layer) has been developed, demonstrating a sophisticated balance between deicing functionality and electromagnetic transparency. The MPE composite is ingeniously architected in a trilayer configuration, comprising a frequency-selective wave-transmissive stratum, an interjacent insulating dielectric interlayer, and an electric heating layer. The former is the result of a pioneering surface grafting modality of keratin, subsequently metallized with a nickel (Ni) coat via a chemical plating technique, which concurrently imparts the composite with a temperature-sensitivity range between −10 and 80 °C. The latter is formulated from a cyanate ester (CE) resin with organic conductive fillers, endowing the material with a high thermal threshold of up to 220 °C. Experimental evaluations of the MPE material have yielded a remarkable 88% transmissivity at the designated resonant frequency, a significant improvement over traditional graphene heating layer. This high level of performance, combined with the material’s inherent deicing properties and the capacity for remote control via integrated sensing technology, positions the MPE as a substantial breakthrough for military operations

Study on the Deformation Law of the Embankment with Alluvial Fill in the Lower Yellow River

In the dredging of the Yellow River, a common practice involves extracting alluvial fill from the river and depositing it on the rear side of the embankment, serving the dual purpose of river dredging and reinforcing the embankment. Nevertheless, there are few studies on the consolidation of alluvial fill extracted from the Yellow River. In this paper, laboratory experiments were conducted to examine the change in hydraulic conductivity during the consolidation process of the alluvial fill. Besides, a numerical model was established to investigate the dissipation law of excess pore water pressure and the settlement law of layered consolidation of alluvial fill. According to the research, the main conclusions can be drawn as follows: (1) During the consolidation process of the alluvial fill, the hydraulic conductivity exhibited a linear decline as the consolidation pressure increased. (2) The consolidation speed under the variable hydraulic conductivity case is lower than that on the condition when the hydraulic conductivity is constant. (3) In layered construction, the consolidation rate of alluvial fill decelerates with the augmentation of layers. Additionally, the dissipation rate of pore water pressure at the top of the alluvial fill surpasses that at the bottom. (4) Setting a geotextile mat can accelerate the consolidation speed and shorten the consolidation time of alluvial fill by 8.3%–30%

Critical Hydraulic Gradient of Internal Erosion at the Soil–Structure Interface

Internal erosion at soil–structure interfaces is a dangerous failure pattern in earth-fill water-retaining structures. However, existing studies concentrate on the investigations of internal erosion by assuming homogeneous materials, while ignoring the vulnerable soil–structure-interface internal erosion in realistic cases. Therefore, orthogonal and single-factor tests are carried out with a newly designed apparatus to investigate the critical hydraulic gradient of internal erosion on soil–structure interfaces. The main conclusions can be draw as follows: (1) the impact order of the three factors is: degree of compaction > roughness > clay content; (2) the critical hydraulic gradient increases as the degree of compaction and clay content increases. This effect is found to be more obvious in the higher range of the degree of soil compaction and clay content. However, there exists an optimum interface roughness making the antiseepage strength at the interface reach a maximum; (3) the evolution of the interface internal erosion develops from inside to outside along the interface, and the soil particles at the interface flow as a whole; and (4) the critical hydraulic gradient of interface internal erosion is related to the shear strength at the interface and the severity and porosity of the soil