Civil and Environmental Engineering

Since the establishment of the first minimum retroreflectivity levels in 1993, agencies and researchers have focused on determining the service life of different sheeting type and color combinations. While deterioration curves and measured retroreflectivity are viable methods for maintaining retroreflectivity compliance, they do not ensure the ability of the traffic sign to convey its intended message. Retroreflectivity efficiency only ensures visibility but does not properly describe the legibility of the sign. Therefore, while agencies across the nation are developing and implementing traffic sign maintenance plans, the emphasis should not be solely placed on visibility. In order to evaluate the performance of UDOT's traffic signs, a sample sign population was collected across all four of UDOT's maintenance regions. Analysis on this sample set not only determined the current rate of compliance, but it also identified several issues seen throughout the population. Signs under UDOT's jurisdiction are four times more likely to have substantial damage to the sign face than to fail to meet the

A-Wall systems are a combination of deep foundations and, in some cases, tiebacks used to provide lateral support to an unstable ground mass. Determination of the lateral and vertical forces acting on an A-Wall system can be a complex endeavor. As the unstable soil mass tends to move past and through the A-Wall system, forces are generated between the A-Wall elements and the soil. These forces provide support to the ground mass. If the A-Wall is correctly designed, the forces will increase as the soil moves until a maximum is attained at which ground movement ceases and the system reaches equilibrium. Design of an A-Wall thus requires Soil-Structure Interaction (SSI) analyses that provide a solution that meets force and moment equilibrium as well as compatibility of displacements. The individual elements of the A-Wall are designed based on a structural analysis utilizing the estimated forces. This paper describes the philosophy of design of A-Walls. It also contains a detailed description of design steps based on the use of a commercially available computer program that allows determination of soil forces against a deep foundation element installed through a mass of moving soil. An iterative method is presented to find a solution to the A-Wall problem that meets equilibrium and compatibility and considers material nonlinearity of soils and A-Wall components, as well as geometric nonlinearity of the deep foundation elements. Two case histories are presented.

With the increasing availability of thermal proximity sensors, UAV-borne cameras, and eddy covariance radiometers there may be an assumption that information produced by these sensors is interchangeable or compatible. This assumption is often held for estimation of agricultural parameters such as canopy and soil temperature, energy balance components, and evapotranspiration. Nevertheless, environmental conditions, calibration, and ground settings may affect the relationship between measurements from each of these thermal sensors. This work presents a comparison between proximity infrared radiometer (IRT) sensors, microbolometer thermal cameras used in UAVs, and thermal radiometers used in eddy covariance towers in an agricultural setting. The information was collected in the 2015 and 2016 irrigation seasons at a commercial vineyard located in California for the USDA Agricultural Research Service Grape Remote Sensing Atmospheric Profile and Evapotranspiration Experiment (GRAPEX) Program. Information was captured at different times during diurnal cycles, and IRT and radiometer footprint areas were calculated for comparison with UAV thermal raster information. Issues such as sensor accuracy, the location of IRT sensors, diurnal temperature changes, and surface characterizations are presented.

The paper examined the types of sawdust suitable as partial replacements of fine aggregate in concrete. Two different types of sawdust sourced from Afara and Doka wood species were used for the experiment. DoE Method was used to design and produce three sets of concrete cube samples, i.e. Control concrete, Doka sawdust concrete and Afara sawdust concrete, each of grade 20. The cubes were subjected to compressive strength and water absorption tests. The result showed that, the control concrete, Doka and Afara sawdust concretes gained a compressive strength of 22.6 N/mm 2 , 19.6 N/mm 2 and 17.6 N/mm 2 , respectively. The control and Doka sawdust concretes exhibited low water absorption when compared with Afara sawdust concrete. This revealed Doka sawdust as more suitable than Afara sawdust for partial replacement of fine aggregate in concrete. Keywords: Concrete, Sawdust, waste recycling

This Research paper is a live study on the above mentioned title "Recycling of Concrete" This paper consist the introduction of recycled concrete aggregate with its uses and properties. Various test results on Recycled concrete aggregate also described. It also consist the difference between RCA and natural aggregate. The future recommendations are also discussed in addition. Keywords-Recycled Coarse Aggregate (RCA), Concrete Mix Design(CMD), Natural Aggregate(NA) I.

This Research paper is a live study on the above mentioned title “Recycling of Concrete” This paper consist the introduction of recycled concrete aggregate with its uses and properties. Various test results on Recycled concrete aggregate also described. It also consist the difference between RCA and natural aggregate. The future recommendations are also discussed in addition. Keywords—Recycled Coarse Aggregate (RCA), Concrete Mix Design(CMD), Natural Aggregate(NA)

The usage of self-compacting concrete has expanded after its discovery in 1989, because of its high performance fresh properties and flowability, where it can be casted in places where congested reinforcement without causing honey-combing. The objective of this study is to examine the impact of using recycled aggregate on the fresh and hardened mechanical properties of self-compacting concrete (SCC). As a first step a development of a suitable mix for SCC using recycled aggregate that satisfy the EFNARC [1] requirements was carried out. Then the fresh properties of the mix, slump flow test, V-funnel test and L-box test, were tested. Finally the mechanical properties of hardened concrete, compressive strength, tensile strength and flexure strength were evaluated. In this study 12 trial mixes divided into two phases were conducted, the first phase is to find the optimal percentage of coarse recycled aggregate (R.A.) by changing its percentage with a step of 20% for each trial. Five mi...

During the last decade new technologies and digitization have begun to dramatically impact conventional process industries involving liquids such as water and wastewater transport and treatment. As these exciting applications have become more plausible and available, ABB’s dedicated research teams have worked to ensure customers receive the best and most cost-effective tools to improve their competitive edge. Digital twin technology can do just that by enabling the detection of physical issues early on and predicting outcomes accurately. Looking to the future, ABB has seized the opportunity to apply digital twin technology to improve its flowmeter products to meet process challenges, deliver value faster than ever before and fulfill the ever-increasing customer expectations. Subhashish Dasgupta ABB Corporate Research Bangalore, India

Floods are natural disasters with more consequences in Albania. The most risked areas, from river floods, lie mainly in the western lowlands of the country. These areas, which are mainly areas with agricultural development, are very important in the economic development of Albania. Historically, the hydrological forecast in Albania has been based on observations of the upstream of rivers. These methods do not provide the time needed for flood management because floods rutting time to the flood plain is relatively short, due to the large slope and short rivers. Only in the last decade, more advanced techniques have been used to forecast floods, including hydrological modelling. Analysis of the present status and existing methods, in flood forecasting, is necessary to determine where the forecasting system should be improved. Determination, if there will be flooding, is related to the flood hydrograph forecast in the river sections, which are of interest. Increased flood forecasting t...

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk (1) Merancang kembali Gedung PTK menggunakan Analisis program komputer SAP2000, dan (2) Mengetahui Apakah Beton terak dengan prosentase penggantian terak 60% terhadap agregat kasar dengan berat jenis 2454 kg/m 3 dan fc' 20 MPa dapat digunakan pada perencanaan bangunan tahan gempa. Dalam perencanaan ini, analisa dan perhitungannya mengacu pada SNI 03-2847-2002 dan SNI 03-1726-2002 untuk perhitungan gempanya, sedangkan software yang digunakan adalah SAP 2000v14. Sistem struktur yang digunakan adalah sistem Open Frame, bangunan dirancang berdiri pada wilayah gempa 3 dan diasumsikan berada diatas tanah keras, menurut SNI 03-1726-2002. Analisa yang dilakukan adalah statik ekuivalen, dimana pengaruh gempa rencana terhadap struktur gedung dianggap sebagai beban statik yang menangkap pada pusat massa. Hasil penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa ReDesain Gedung PTK didapatkan dimensi kolom 60 cm x 60 cm dengan 21 baja tulangan yang berdiameter 29 mm pada setiap titik kolom untuk tulangan longitudinal dan baja tulangan berdiameter 12 mm pada setiap jarak 80 mm untuk tulangan gesernya, dan dimensi balok 40 cm x 60 cm dengan 8 baja tulangan untuk tulangan longitudinal tumpuan dan 6 baja tulangan untuk tulangan longitudinal lapangan, dengan tulangan geser pada setiap jarak 100 mm. Hal ini membuat perilaku struktur lebih kuat untuk menahan gaya gempa. Sehingga dapat disimpulkan bahwa beton terak dapat digunakan untuk merancang bangunan tahan gempa dengan ReDesain gedung PTK FKIP UNS dilihat dari berat jenisnya karena memenuhi persyaratan sesuai dengan SNI 03-1726-2002.

The chirp function (a unit amplitude quadratic phase-only function with linear frequency modulation) is well known and is used in a wide range of applications including radar, digital communications, information coding and hiding and many other forms of signal and image processing. This is because the chirp provides an optimal solution to the problem of retrieving information from low energy signals with a low Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR). The chirp function also occurs in the solution to many mathematical models used to describe the propagation and scattering of waves (in the Fresnel zone), in quantum mechanics (the quantum shutter problem) and optical fiber communications to name but a few. In a 'systems and signals' context, the chirp function is accepted to be unique in that no other function has properties which yield such an optimal solution to the problem of extracting information from noise. In this context, we revisit the chirp function, consider a theorem and conjecture that attempt to quantify its unique properties through an analysis of its Fourier transform and re-establish the principles associated with the chirplet transform for functions of compact support. We then consider the principles of chirplet modulation for the transmission and reconstruction of bit-streams from signals with a low SNRs and show how this approach can be used to secure chirplet modulated signals using the prime number factorisation of a semi-prime derived from the value of the bandwidth of a communications channel.

This project includes a design for the rehabilitation of a small dam and incorporated fish passage. It also investigates this design processes and elements that must come together for the design of a small dam with a fish passage channel. Requiring analysis in the disciplines of hydraulics, hydrology and structural engineering, the focus of this project was to create a design that specifically suited the site located at the outflow of Lake Sabbatia, on the Mill River in Taunton, Massachusetts

Green roofs, also referred to as vegetated roofs, have increased in popularity in recent years in North America. Traditionally their use had been more prominent in European countries, such as Germany, however the North American design community have recently adopted them, thanks in part to programs such as LEED and the City of Toronto’s Green Roof Bylaw. Toronto’s Green Roof Bylaw mandates “green roofs on new commercial, institutional and residential development with a minimum Gross Floor Area of 2,000m as of January 31, 2010”. Also contained within the aforementioned Green Roof Bylaw is a requirement that the submitted green roof design explicitly state the uplift wind pressures that it has been designed for, and how the design addresses the stated pressures. This report needs to be stamped by a Professional Engineer. This requirement has led to many questions regarding the wind resistance of a green roof, which is a unique building material in many ways it is organic, living, poro...

Due to growing population and less availability of land, multistoried buildings are constructed which can serve many people in less area. Main aim of this project is to analyse and design a (G+16) multistory building using E-TABS. Aims to give proper awareness regarding right design and details of the building. Planning is done using AutoCAD. Design involves load calculations manually and the structure is analyzed using E-TABS. Codes refer for this project are NBC IS (456-2000). Concrete mix use is M30. The steel strength for all members are of grade Fe-415. For analyzing the structure, the loads are very important which are calculated using IS (875). The LIMIT STATE METHOD is the method which has been adopted. The manual design is a difficult process and consumes more time. The project purpose is to give the complete experience in the field of design and to gain the knowledge in a practical way.

The patterns of sporadic structure development have quickly expanded because of tasteful and restricted accessibility of land. Past examinations have indicated that the structures with design abnormality are harmed under solid ground movement. Auxiliary inconsistencies are significant elements which decline the seismic exhibition of the structures. Structures having basic anomalies bring about the lopsided circulation of the story float, exorbitant twist, etc. The irregularity discussed here are about plan irregularity which is available in re-participant corners and torsional anomaly which is caused by abrupt changes in firmness and twist enhancement factor in building. This study is to propose a feasible solution to build this kind of structure in seismically active areas using analytical methods with the assistance of ETABS software. The analysis shall be done through a comparable static horizontal power technique and reaction range examination (dynamic investigation). The basic ...

 The influence of topography on wind pressures acting on structures has been of interest to the civil engineering community for some time; however, because of the complexity of the problem, only few cases have been solved. The evaluation of pressures in tanks located in hills is one of those complex problems and has not been addressed in the literature. This paper presents a computational fluid dynamics simulation of the problem, in which the domain including the hill and the tank is discretized using finite elements. The results show that the actual location of the tank with respect to a hill has a significant influence on the pressures, so that tanks located at the top of a hill undergo severe increases in pressure coefficients and also changes in pressure distributions around the tank. Keywords CFD, finite elements, tanks, topographic effects, wind pressures

Trapezoidal labyrinth weirs offer significant flow magnification for the available width of approach channel and that of the downstream chute. These types of weirs may find great utility and hence will have to be designed and provided for river linking projects. There are many factors such as head to crest height ratio, angle of side walls, vertical aspect ratio, apex width and approach and conveyance channel conditions that influence the capacity of weir and hence the hydraulic design of labyrinth weir. In this paper, a mathematical model for optimum C for labyrinth is proposed and a methodology has been suggested for the optimal d hydraulic design of trapezoidal labyrinth weir.

Florida has filled me with the utmost pride to be a part of. I give special thanks to Dr. Bernard Batson and Dr. James Mihelcic for their assistance in providing countless opportunities for me to advance myself as a graduate student and young researcher. I also give special thanks to my committee members Dr. Albert Robert Rubin and Dr. Piet Lens for their patience, encouragement, and unwavering support. Lastly, a very special and lasting thanks to the individuals who have worked alongside me in Dr.

The escalating environmental challenges posed by waste rubber tyres (WRTs) necessitate innovative solutions to address their detrimental effects on the geoenvironment. Thus, the knowledge about the recent advancements in material recovery from WRTs, emphasising their utilisation within the framework of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the circular economy principles, is the need of the hour. Keeping this in mind, various techniques generally used for material recovery, viz., ambient, cryogenic, waterjet, and so on, which unveil innovative approaches to reclaiming valuable resources (viz., recycled rubber, textiles, steel wires, etc.) from WRTs and various devulcanisation techniques (viz., physical, chemical, and microbial) are elaborated in this paper. In parallel, the paper explores the utilisation of the WRTs and recovered materials, highlighting their application in geotechnical and geoenvironmental engineering development projects while addressing the necessary environmental precautions and associated environmental risks/concerns. This paper incorporates circular economy principles into WRTs utilisation and focuses on achieving SDGs by promoting resource efficiency and minimising their environmental impact.

Truck queuing at marine container terminal gates is one of the main sources of delay at terminals and is an area of concern because delays increase the logistical cost of transporting a container. Previous studies on terminal gates focused on the performance of strategies such as the appointment system and extended gate hours. However, no study has yet evaluated the performance of pooling trucks into a single queue at the gates. Previous studies on pooling offered mixed opinions on whether pooling was beneficial, but none of those studies attempted to model the movements of the entities in the queue. In a human system (no vehicles), the movements are not as important because the time to move up one space in the queue is negligible; however, because of the size and weight of the trucks at the gates, the time to move is significant and should be considered. A study was conducted with agent-based simulation to model the terminal gate system with two queuing strategies, a pooled queue a...

Characterizing net ecosystem exchanges (NEE) of CO 2 and sensible and latent heat fluxes in heterogeneous landscapes is difficult, yet critical given expected changes in climate and land use. We report here a measurement and modeling study designed to improve our understanding of surface to atmosphere gas exchanges under very heterogeneous land cover in the mostly agricultural U.S. Southern Great Plains (SGP). We combined three years of site-level, eddy covariance measurements in several of the dominant land cover types with regional-scale climate data from the distributed Mesonet stations and Next Generation Weather Radar precipitation measurements to calibrate a land surface model of trace gas and energy exchanges (isotope-enabled land surface model (ISOLSM)). Yearly variations in vegetation cover distributions were estimated from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer normalized difference vegetation index and compared to regional and subregional vegetation cover type estimates from the U.S. Department of Agriculture census. We first applied ISOLSM at a 250 m spatial scale to account for vegetation cover type and leaf area variations that occur on hundred meter scales. Because of computational constraints, we developed a subsampling scheme within 10 km ''macrocells'' to perform these high-resolution simulations. We estimate that the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Climate Research Facility SGP region net CO 2 exchange with the local atmosphere was À240, À340, and À270 gC m À2 yr À1 (positive toward the atmosphere) in 2003, 2004, and 2005, respectively, with large seasonal variations. We also performed simulations using two scaling approaches at resolutions of 10, 30, 60, and 90 km. The scaling approach applied in current land surface models led to regional NEE biases of up to 50 and 20% in weekly and annual estimates, respectively. An important factor in causing these biases was the complex leaf area index (LAI) distribution within cover types. Biases in predicted weekly average regional latent heat fluxes were smaller than for NEE, but larger than for either ecosystem respiration or assimilation alone. However, spatial and diurnal variations of hundreds of W m À2 in latent heat fluxes were common. We conclude that, in this heterogeneous system, characterizing vegetation cover type and LAI at the scale of spatial variation are necessary for accurate estimates of bottom-up, regional NEE and surface energy fluxes.

This chapter describes the hydrological assessment of an agricultural watershed in Northern Utah as part of Intermountain West region of the United States through the use of a watershed scale hydrologic model. The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model was applied to the Lower Bear River watershed, located in Box Elder County. The inputs to the model were obtained from several sources such as Utah Division of Water Quality and USGS database systems, meteorological input (precipitation and temperature from generated weather engine), and measured streamflow data at the watershed outlet (USGS 10126000 near Corrine), were used in the simulation. Model calibration, facilitated by SWAT-Calibration and Uncertainty Programs (SWAT-CUP) that offered the sensitivity analysis for list of calibrated parameters that are sensitive to stream flow, sediments and total phosphorus, was performed for the period 2002 through 2005, and validation was performed for 2006 through 2010. The model was fo...

Geopolymer concrete (GC) is a synthetic material that combines sustainability and appropriate engineering properties, and it is relatively cost-effective compared to Portland cement-based concrete, its traditional competitor. Most GC studies have analyzed the microstructure and the chemical composition of GC. However, studies on the structural behavior of GC are limited. Thus this research focuses on the shear behavior of fly ashbased GC beams. Four GC beams and one conventional concrete beam were experimentally investigated to determine their shear strengths. The test variables included the shear span-to-effective depth ratio and the transverse reinforcement ratio of the investigated beams. The strength, strains, deformations, and mode of failure of the investigated beams are presented. The shear strengths of the investigated beams are comparable to those of conventional concrete beams.

This study aimed to determine and compare the presence of heavy metals and to assess the physico-chemical properties of vegetable farm soils in Budaiya and Sitra, Kingdom of Bahrain and the results on the physicochemical analysis were compared against the environmental standard composition of farm soil. The physico-chemical analysis on the soil samples were done in the biochemistry laboratory while the analysis of heavy metals and macronutrients was done in an ISO certified laboratory. Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy was done in assessing the amount  of Lead, Cadmium, S0 4 -2 , N0 3 -1 and P0 4 -3 while the spectrophotometer was used to determine the amount of Ca +2 , Mg +2 , K + , and Fe +2 and have been found out through T-test that there is no significant difference on  these components thus, they are comparable to the normal composition though Mg +2 and N0 3 - is quite higher when compared to the normal composition of both sites of vegetable farm soils indicating the soil is slig...

The web has become a major source of information for many water resources management tasks. With the growing popularity of the Internet, it provides a convenient, accessible way to provide the public with flood-related information. The present study focuses on web dissemination of information on flood risk and vulnerability to different types of users; general public, decision makers, and professionals. By gearing the display and representation of risk to each user, the information can be better understood and facilitate the flood management process. A user-friendly web-based flood information system is developed to provide flood risk, different components of flood vulnerability, exposures and hazards by postal codes. Geographic Information System (GIS) is used to facilitate the data processing, calculations and data management. It also provides spatial distribution of data, and the opportunity to 'map' vulnerability. Vulnerability refers to the susceptibility of an area to damage. Vulnerability, as considered in this study includes physical, economic, infrastructural, and social components. By identifying the areas of high risk and vulnerability, it is possible to make more informed flood management decisions. The present study has introduced an infrastructural component of risk which addresses the vulnerability of roads, railways, road bridges and critical structures (hospitals, schools, fire stations, etc.). All components of vulnerability are standardized and represented using a value between zero and one. The overall vulnerability for different postal code regions is determined by 'averaging' all components of vulnerability. The developed methodology for determining different components of vulnerability and risk is demonstrated for six major damage centers (i.e., London, St.

The web has become a major source of information for many water resources management tasks. With the growing popularity of the Internet, it provides a convenient, accessible way to provide the public with flood-related information. The present study focuses on web dissemination of information on flood risk and vulnerability to different types of users; general public, decision makers, and professionals. By gearing the display and representation of risk to each user, the information can be better understood and facilitate the flood management process. A user-friendly web-based flood information system is developed to provide flood risk, different components of flood vulnerability, exposures and hazards by postal codes. Geographic Information System (GIS) is used to facilitate the data processing, calculations and data management. It also provides spatial distribution of data, and the opportunity to 'map' vulnerability. Vulnerability refers to the susceptibility of an area to damage. Vulnerability, as considered in this study includes physical, economic, infrastructural, and social components. By identifying the areas of high risk and vulnerability, it is possible to make more informed flood management decisions. The present study has introduced an infrastructural component of risk which addresses the vulnerability of roads, railways, road bridges and critical structures (hospitals, schools, fire stations, etc.). All components of vulnerability are standardized and represented using a value between zero and one. The overall vulnerability for different postal code regions is determined by 'averaging' all components of vulnerability. The developed methodology for determining different components of vulnerability and risk is demonstrated for six major damage centers (i.e., London, St.

An exhaustive knowledge of flood risk, vulnerability and exposure in different spatial locations is essential for developing an effective flood mitigation strategy for a watershed. In the present study, a flood risk-vulnerability analysis is performed. All four components of flood vulnerability: (a) physical; (b) economic; (c) infrastructure and (d) social, are evaluated individually using a Geographic Information System (GIS) environment. The proposed methodology estimates the impact on infrastructure vulnerability due to inundation of critical facilities, emergency service stations, and road bridges. The components of vulnerability are combined to determine the overall vulnerability. The patterns of land use and soil type are considered as two major components of flood exposure. Flood hazard maps, overall vulnerability and exposure are used to finally compute the flood risk at different locations in the watershed. The proposed methodology is implemented to six major damage centers in the Upper Thames River watershed, located in south-western Ontario of Canada to assess the flood risk. A web-based information system is developed for systematic presentation of the flood risk, vulnerability and exposures by postal code regions or Forward Sortation Areas (FSAs). The system is designed to provide support for different users, i.e., general public, decision-makers and water management professionals. An interactive analysis tool is developed within the web-based information system to assist in evaluation of the flood risk in response to a change in land use pattern.

Irrigated agriculture is a major economic contributor of the High Plains Region and it primarily relies on the High Plains Aquifer as a source of water. Over time, areas of the High Plains Aquifer have experienced drawdowns limiting its ability to supply sufficient water to sustain fully irrigated crop production. This among other reasons, including variable climatic factors and differences in state water policy, have resulted in some areas adopting and practicing deficit irrigation management. Considerable research has been conducted across the High Plains Aquifer region to identify locally appropriate deficit irrigation strategies. This review summarizes and discusses research conducted in Nebraska, Colorado, Kansas, and Texas as well as highlighting areas for future research. Editor's note: This paper is part of the featured series on Optimizing Ogallala Aquifer Water Use to Sustain Food Systems. See the February 2019 issue for the introduction and background to the series.

Wastewater containing heavy metals has caused many serious problems to land and marine environments. These heavy metal-laden wastewaters containing organic complexing agents are the consequence of using large-scale industrial applications for dissolving metals. Ethylenediaminetetraacetate (EDTA) is a widely used complexing agent in plating, metal finishing and chemical cleaning industries. However, due to the dramatic increase in the solubility of metal ions, EDTA has negative impact on heavy metals removed in wastewaters by conventional precipitation processes. This study aims to find the optimal conditions of combined/hybrid process of advanced oxidation and coagulation to treat metals-EDTA containing Cu, Ni plating wastewater from an electroplating manufacturer in Vietnam. The effects of pH, H 2 O 2 dose, Fe 2+ dose, ozone, reaction time and poly acrylic acid (PAA) dose were investigated. Results indicated that the 3-stage treatment process at the optimal conditions could remove 99.7 % of Ni and 99.72 % of Cu. The effluent of wastewater after the whole treatment process met the Vietnamese national regulation on industrial wastewater (QCVN 40:2011/BTNMT) for NH 4 + , Cu and Ni at column A and COD at column B. In short, the combined advanced oxidation processes and coagulation/flocculation could successfully be applied for plating wastewater treatment.

Photocatalysis is an effective treatment technique for the removal of toxic pollutants present in water and wastewater. In this study, graphene@Fe-Ti binary oxide composites was prepared using a hydrothermal method and characterized by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area analysis. The prepared composite exhibited even distribution of the Fe-Ti binary oxide on the surface of graphene, with an average diameter of 16.4 nm and a surface area of 133.7 m 2 /g. The optical property was evaluated and the band gap was calculated to be 2.867 eV using solid-state UV-vis spectroscopy and the [F(R)hν] 1/2 plot. Lab-scale experiments were performed to evaluate the performance of graphene@Fe-Ti binary oxides to remove methyl blue (i.e. a dye) from wastewater. It was observed that the graphene loading had a significant effect on the photocatalytic activity of the composite and a composite with 20 % graphene showed the highest photocatalytic activity, with 100 % removal of the dye, after 20 min of irradiation time and a degradation rate constant of 0.213 min -1 . Besides, the possible photocatalytic dye degradation mechanism using graphene@Fe-Ti binary oxide composite has also been proposed.

Reinforced Concrete (RC) building frames are most common types of constructions in urban India. These are subjected to several types of forces during their lifetime, such as static forces due to dead and live loads and dynamic forces due to earthquake. This paper presents comparative study of static and dynamic analysis of reinforced concrete building due to earthquake. In present study, computer aided analysis of G+4-storied reinforced concrete building is carried out for static and dynamic analysis by using ETABS (Extended Three dimensional Analysis of Building System) software. Load consideration is based on indian Building Code (is875 part-1,2,3,5). Firstly, the proposed building is analyzed with linear static analysis(Equivalent Static method). Secondly, linear dynamic analysis (response spectrum method is used. In this paper, the results of static and dynamic (response spectrum) analysis such as lateral story loads, displacement, storey shear, storey stiffness, storey moment a...

The microindentation technique was used to determine the interfacial fracture energy of epoxy coatings on soda-lime glass substrates. An analytical model was developed for calculating fracture energy based on indenter load versus debond crack size measurements. Finite-element analysis was used to determine the relative amounts of opening and shear loadings at the debond crack tip. The calculated fracture energies are compared to values determined by the double-cantilever-beam technique and the four-point flexure-beam technique.

This study examines the impact of intra-export on the industrialization in the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) over the period 2000 -2018. The study used a heterogeneous dynamic Autoregressive Distributed-lag (ARDL), namely Pooled Mean Group (PMG) and Mean Group (MG) estimators. The results reveal that intra-export (lnEXT), internet (lnINT), and Human Development Index (lnHDI) have significant positive effects on the industrialization (lnMVA) in the long-run. The financial development Index (FD) exhibits a significant adverse impact on the lnMVA in the long-run, while only the lnINT confirms a significant adverse impact on the lnMVA in the short-run. The results support the established theoretical framework, particularly the endogenous approach, as well as the supply-side and demand-side capacities. These findings may provide some guidance on policies and strategies harmonization to address the supply-side and demand-side capacities, namely, the infrastructure (e.g. INT), human development and to promote industrialization in the region, ceteris paribus. This study is one of very few studies which have investigated the impact of Intratrade on industrialization through including both some major supply-side (i.e. HDI, Internet) and demand-side (i.e. Financial Development) multidimensional-measurements factors. We control individual heterogeneity by using most robust econometric technique i.e. the pooled mean group (PMG).

Cracks are inherent and detrimental elements of building detailed investigation should be carried out regularly to ensure the assessabillity and serviceability of the building. For rehabilitation of cracks it is important to understand the causes and the types of cracks appeared in the structure. This paper shortly describes the causes and types of cracks and their remedial measures. Non destructive testing methods are used to access the strength of the structure at a first instance to know the actual state of the structure whether it will be serviceable/workable or to be demolished. Few case studies were conducted at different public buildings at Gwalior M.P. Political science, economic and archaeological blocks of Jiwaji University. Moti Mahal building.NITM (Nagaji institute of Technology and Management building. Which were reported cracks and they were in suspension to whether it will work or should be demolished. The purpose of this study is to determine the position of structur...

Background: Many bacteria efficiently degrade lignocellulose yet the underpinning genome-wide metabolic and regulatory networks remain elusive. Here we revealed the "cellulose degradome" for the model mesophilic cellulolytic bacterium Clostridium cellulolyticum ATCC 35319, via an integrated analysis of its complete genome, its transcriptomes under glucose, xylose, cellobiose, cellulose, xylan or corn stover and its extracellular proteomes under glucose, cellobiose or cellulose. Results: Proteins for core metabolic functions, environment sensing, gene regulation and polysaccharide metabolism were enriched in the cellulose degradome. Analysis of differentially expressed genes revealed a "core" set of 48 CAZymes required for degrading cellulose-containing substrates as well as an "accessory" set of 76 CAZymes required for specific non-cellulose substrates. Gene co-expression analysis suggested that Carbon Catabolite Repression (CCR) related regulators sense intracellular glycolytic intermediates and control the core CAZymes that mainly include cellulosomal components, whereas 11 sets of Two-Component Systems (TCSs) respond to availability of extracellular soluble sugars and respectively regulate most of the accessory CAZymes and associated transporters. Surprisingly, under glucose alone, the core cellulases were highly expressed at both transcript and protein levels. Furthermore, glucose enhanced cellulolysis in a dose-dependent manner, via inducing cellulase transcription at low concentrations. Conclusion: A molecular model of cellulose degradome in C. cellulolyticum (Ccel) was proposed, which revealed the substrate-specificity of CAZymes and the transcriptional regulation of core cellulases by CCR where the glucose acts as a CCR inhibitor instead of a trigger. These features represent a distinct environment-sensing strategy for competing while collaborating for cellulose utilization, which can be exploited for process and genetic engineering of microbial cellulolysis.

The opportunities for data collection in smart cities and communities provide new approaches for assessing risk of roadway components. This paper presents and compares two different methodological approaches for cycling safety assessment of objective and perceived risk. Objective risk was derived from speed and direction profiles collected with Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) and camera installed on an instrumented bicycle. Safety critical events between cyclists and other road users were identified and linked to five different roadway components. A panel of experts was asked to score the severity of the safety critical events using a Delphi process to reach consensus. To estimate the perceived risk, a web-based survey was provided to the city bicyclist community asking them to score the same five roadway components with a 4-point Likert scale. A comparison between perceived and objective risk classification of the roadway components showed a good agreement when only highe...