Search

The construction industry has seen innovations in concrete using materials like chemical admixtures, mineral admixtures, and eco-friendly binders to improve quality. Self-compacting and self-curing concrete (SCSCC) is crucial for better strength, durability, and surface finish, especially in reinforced structures where traditional compaction methods are laborintensive and time-consuming. This study explores SCSCC using Light Expanded Clay Aggregate (LECA) and Fly Ash Aggregate (FAA) as self-curing agents, replacing fine aggregate in 0-25% intervals. The workability and mechanical properties of SCSCC were tested, showing that mixes with up to 15% LECA and FAA met EFNARC standards for selfcompacting concrete. The SCSCC mixes outperformed conventional mixes in terms of compressive strength, split tensile strength, modulus of elasticity, and durability (e.g., resistance to chloride, corrosion, and acid). The best-performing mix was F15 (15% FAA), followed by L15 (15% LECA) and F15L5. The enhanced pozzolanic reaction between fly ash and cement contributed to improved mechanical and durability characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Concrete, a globally used construction material, lacks tensile strength without reinforcement. Researchers explore novel materials to enhance reliability and sustainability. Notably, concrete contains significant carbon due to cement use. Recent research indicates jute fiber's (JF) potential to enhance concrete's mechanical strength and reduce carbon emissions. This study analyzes JF's application in mechanical properties and environmental impact, addressing a literature gap. Experiments added JF at varying percentages (0%, 0.10%, 0.25%, 0.50%, 0.75%) and conducted tests in fresh and hardened states (slump, CS, STS, FS, WA). Embodied carbon (EC) ratios were computed. Results show JF reduces environmental impact, with optimal proportions (e.g., 0.10% JF) enhancing CS, STS, and FS. Response Surface Methodology (RSM) created a model for JF effects. The study identifies potential benefits for advancing concrete through JF utilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Frequency based topology optimisation of continuum structures is a topic of keen interest. The main focus of this study is to propose a new method to optimise the frequency of continuum structures and perform topology optimization. A new second order approach for principal stress based sensitivity analysis using Taylor series is proposed in this study. The design objective is achieved using the Solid Isotropic Material with Penalization and Evolutionary algorithm which is used to assign the optimised relative density. The coding is done using C++ and the optimal distribution is analysed using Matlab for fundamental eigen frequency and mode shapes. The variation of normalised fundamental frequency with each iteration is studied. A few standard problems from the literature are solved and the results are compared and presented. The results show that the proposed principal stress based sensitivity analysis is quite efficient and effective compared to other methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]