bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Server Infrastructure Virtualization for Data Centers
Authors: Mochalov Valeriy , Linets Gennadiy , Palkanov Ilya
Published: March 2021

This paper considers cluster systems of data centers containing a definite set of application servers, file servers, data storage systems, and an input-output system that are interconnected by a switching system and communication channels. The goal of research is to increase the efficiency of virtualized cluster systems using a new rational method to distribute virtual machines among the physical elements of data centers. This method is based on an iterative greedy algorithm and a limited enumeration procedure, which improve the performance of a virtualized system due to rational data management. A simulation model for the operation of a virtualized system is developed, and its experimental study is carried out. The approaches presented below determine the required number of cluster nodes in a virtualized system under an unpredictable load rate and an unpredictable level of resources requested by virtual machines.
Improving the reliability and safety of cargo delivery for the Arctic through the creation of transport and logistics centers for multimodal transportation management
Authors: Filippova Nadezhda , Bogumil Veniamin , Vlasov Vladimir
Published: March 2021

For the development of the Northern regions of the Russian Federation, new opportunities are created for the application of logistics methods in all areas of activity: transport management, warehouse management, stocks, etc. Taking into account the development of the situation in the economy of the Northern regions of the Russian Federation and the strengthening of market relations, as well as world experience, it is safe to say that the search for optimal transport schemes for the transportation of goods to consumers and the distribution of freight flows in the regions will be dealt with at the first stage by freight forwarding services, and then these functions will be concentrated in special terminal and logistics centers (TLC).
Biodegradation of acetyl cellulose etrols
Authors: Shkuro A E , Glukhikh V V , Krivonogov P S , Kudryavtsev A D
Published: March 2021

This work aimed to study the biodegradation dynamics of plasticized cellulose acetate samples (etrols) with different content of plasticizers. Isophthalic acid dimethyl ester and orthophosphoric acid tributyl ester were used as plasticizers. The targets of the study also included assessing the effect of the plasticizers’ content on the degradation rate. The biodegradability of plasticized cellulose acetate samples was assessed by measuring the weight loss after exposure to active soil. For the experiment, an active soil of the following composition was prepared: garden soil - 89 vol. %, distilled water - 10 vol. %, microbiological preparation “Tamir” - 1 vol. %. All etrols samples showed a tendency to decomposition in active soil. The rate of sample degradation varied significantly. The highest degradation rate in active soil was shown by a sample containing 16 wt. % tributyl phosphate and 22 wt. % dimethyl isophthalate, as good as ertols sample containing 8 wt. % tributyl phosphate and 14 wt. % dimethyl isophthalate. The expected decomposition time of these samples in the active soil for 90% is 599 and 732 days, respectively. Changing of dimethyl isophthalate content did not affect the degradation rate. Withal the content of tributyl phosphate in the etrols induced a significant effect on the samples’ weight loss. The consequence of the plasticizers’ content on the weight loss rate for 145 days of exposure in the active soil is described by the equation y=-4.76+1.25·Z1+1.49·Z2-0.04·Z12-0.086·Z22+0.000141 where Z1 is the content of dimethyl isophthalate, Z2is the content of tributyl phosphate.
The impact of the Covid-19 crisis on the economies of the Russian Arctic regions
Authors: Skufina Tatiana , Baranov Sergey
Published: March 2021

The article examines the influence of the crisis caused by the Covid-19 on the economies of the Russian Arctic regions. In it, the authors demonstrate that even within one country, different economic conditions of the territories give rise to different forces and different characteristics of the manifestation of crisis phenomena, identifying the specifics of their manifestations in the regions of the Russian Arctic in comparison with the overall Russian situation, based on the analysis of statistical indicators. The approach of a comparative assessment of the impact of the crisis on the regions of the Russian Arctic used in the article gives visual and easily interpreted results. This analysis of the dynamics of indicators that characterize the situation in the labor market, in industrial production and retail trade in Russia as a whole and in the regions of the Russian Arctic indicated that the economy of the regions of the Russian Arctic demonstrates a specific reaction to the crisis caused by the Covid-19.
Prestressed bridge deck responses to blast loads
Authors: Hassan Jaafar F , Rahman Ammar A Abdul , Al-Tarafany Dhiaa M
Published: March 2021

Bridges are critical to most transportation systems, especially in times of crisis; however, as highly visible and accessible structures, they are also potential targets for terrorist attacks. An understanding of the performance of bridges subjected to blast loads is of critical importance to prevent progressive collapse of such structures that could lead to a catastrophic loss of life. The current research focuses on investigating the behaviour of bridge decks under blast loads from various explosions. The bridge in this investigation is the Sheikh Saad Bridge in Wassit Province, Iraq, whose deck is made of simply supported spans with two types of prestressed concrete girders. Both spans were accurately modelled using the finite element software Abaqus/Explicit, and both concrete and steel mechanical material properties were modified to match the properties under high strain rate conditions of the blast analysis. The latest element deletion technique of the built-in Concrete Damaged Plasticity (CDP) model (available since Abaqus 2019) was used to provide a realistic simulation of concrete damage and spalling. The model was separately subjected to various explosive charges placed at different locations above or below the bridge deck in order to determine the influence of size and location of blast on the bridge superstructure, detailed results and the relevant conclusions are thus presented. Overall, the modelling managed to successfully simulate the blast load response and the cracking propagation within the damaged deck components.
Punching shear strength of flat slab strengthened with reinforced concrete column capital under bi-axial loading
Authors: Neamah Zainab A , Al-Ramahee Munaf A
Published: March 2021

The punching shear strength of reinforced concrete (RC) flat slab is the main concern in the structural behavior. This study presents a strengthening technique for improving punching shear resistance in RC two-way flat slabs using RC column capital. Two sizes of column capital were used (600 × 600 and 800 × 800 mm), and the influence of column capital on the behaviours of two-way solid slabs under concentric and biaxial loading thus investigated. Six specimens were tested, with two slabs as reference specimens with concentric and biaxial loading, and four slabs with added column capital. The dimensions of the slabs were 1,600 × 1,600 × 100 mm, while the column dimensions were 200 × 200 mm. The eccentricity of the biaxially loaded slab was set to 150 mm in both directions. The results showed a considerable increase in punching shear capacity for flat slabs using column capital; further, as the column capital increased, the punching strength of the slab also increased.
Ecological Applications of Polyethylene Terephthalate Plastic in Producing Modified Subbase Soil
Authors: Jaber Noor H , Radhi Mushtaq Sadiq , Alsaad Aymen J
Published: March 2021

Plastic materials can now be intelligently and creatively utilised in civil engineering applications such as the creation of soil improvement materials to accomplish economic goals while diminishing the environmental impact of plastic waste. In this study, the influence of adding recycled polyethylene terephthalate granules (PET)) to the strength properties of subbase soil was investigated. The adopted fractions of waste plastic granules ranged between 2.5% and 12.5% by volume, and optimum moisture content (OMC) and maximum dry density (MDD) were measured in modified subbase soil with these various waste plastic contents. The California bearing ratio test (CBR) was then implemented for each alternative. The outcomes illustrated that the modified subbase properties were significantly enhanced by the addition of waste plastic granules and that, for best results, the optimal percentage of recycled polyethylene terephthalate granules to be added was 10% by the volume of the subbase material. The increment in the California bearing ratio value for modified subbase as compared with the subbase without waste plastic reached as high as 36%, suggesting that this method can provide a potential practical use for waste plastic as well as achieving enhancement of subbase soil layers for flexible pavement.
Investigation of external sulphate attacks and moisture effects on roller-compacted concrete pavement mixes containing micro silica sand powder
Authors: Khan Zahraa Alaa M.A. Ali , Abbas Zena K.
Published: March 2021

External sulphate attacks (ESA) and water movement tend to produce the most deleterious effects on concrete. This study therefore aimed to investigate the durability of a roller compacted concrete (RCC) mix created with better engineering properties to be suitable for road paving. This RCC concrete has a dry consistency and low cementitious materials (cms) content. Slabs were prepared in dimensions of 380 × 380 × 100 mm by taking sulphate resistant Portland cement and replacing various proportions with silica sand powder (SSP) (5%, 10%, and 20%) on a weight-to-weight basis. Additionally, crushed stone, M-sand, filler, and water were added in appropriate proportions. The slabs were subjected to normal curing for 28 days, then sawed into prisms of 380 × 100 × 100 mm and cubes of 100 × 100 × 100 mm. Cyclic wetting at 23 ± 2°C once in 5% MgSO4 solution and then in water, followed by drying at 60°C for 30 and 60 cycles was then used to investigate the durability of the RCC specimens. Mixes with 5% SSP achieved the best results with increases of 5.46% and 35.24% for compressive (f’c) and flexural (fr) strengths, respectively, while absorption and volume of voids was decreased by 57.3% & 52.29%, respectively, after 60 cycles of MgSO4 wetting and drying, as compared to the control mix.
The Use of Treated Waste Water for Irrigation Purposes in the Administrative District of Kerbala, Iraq
Authors: Dzhumagulova N T , Abdulameer L S
Published: March 2021

The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility of reusing urban treated wastewater for agricultural irrigation in the administrative district of Kerbala in Iraq. Water scarcity in this region has a negative effect on agriculture, especially irrigated agriculture, and the resulting reduction of arable land in the region is predicted to lead to problems with food production. One of the few guaranteed alternative sources of water under the current conditions is treated municipal wastewater. The study thus made a quantitative and qualitative analysis of existing water sources for the city of Kerbala for the period 2014 to 2019, as well as examining water consumption by the population during that period. The period-wide water shortage for irrigation of agricultural land was also determined, and a comprehensive assessment of the possibility of using treated wastewater from the treatment facilities of the town of Kerbala for irrigation purposes was thus developed.
Smart Cementitious Composites for Road Traffic Monitoring and Weighing in Motion
Authors: Ghadhban Dhurgham A. , Joni Hasan H. , Al-Dahawi Ali M.
Published: March 2021

The addition of electrically conductive materials at micro scale, such as carbon fibres (CF) or steel fibres (SF), to conventional cementitious materials makes piezo-resistive behaviours possible in terms of changes in electrical resistivity due to applied stresses. Smart cementitious composites (SCCs) may thus be able to detect traffic density and sense weight in motion thanks to such piezo-resistive property. Three types of cement-based sensors, with CF, SF, or a hybrid of CF and SF, were experimentally evaluated by applying quasi-static and dynamic load cycles after seven days of curing in different load directions reflecting the electrodes and different circuit type connections of the specimens. The performance of each type of sensor was assessed based on measuring the changes in electrical resistivity (ER) under compressive and flexure stresses, with test results revealing that the use of CF in these composites was the best choice because this generated more sensitivity to applied loads in terms of the change in ER compared with other types. These results were achieved when the applied load was parallel to the electrode direction. The findings also indicated arrangement of specimens as an electric series circuit type was the best setup configuration for traffic monitoring and weight in motion measurement.
The effects of using magnetized water in reactive powder concrete with different curing methods
Authors: Khreef Sabah M. , Abbas Zena K.
Published: March 2021

The effects of using magnetized water in reactive powder concrete (RPC) under various curing procedures was investigated. The RPC samples were separated into four groups, cured with three different curing methods compared to normal curing (lab conditions) as a reference procedure, these methods were; autogenous curing, submersion in warm water (35 °C) and curing by applying high temperature (70 °C) cycles. A magnetic water device was used to produce magnetic water for use in the RPC mix. Where, the intended water was moving with flow rate equal to 0.1 m3/hr. passing through a magnetic field with an intensity of 0.9 Tesla. This circulation process was used for 60 minutes to produce the magnetized water utilised in this study. Test results showed some improvements in the compressive, flexural and splitting tensile strength for RPCs cured with different curing methods The percentage increases for compressive strength for RPC mixes containing magnetic water. Where, the enhancing percentage reached 7.66, 8.43, 8.86, and 9.15% for normal curing, autogenous curing, warm-water, and high temperature curing respectively at 28 days. The high temperature curing method showed the maximum improvement in compressive strength, with up to 34.4, 30.6, and 28.52% increases at 7, 28, and 90 days, respectively.
Irrigation canal assessment using geomatics techniques
Authors: Al-Hameedawi Amjed Naser Mohsin , Shihab Tay H.
Published: March 2021

Water is one of the most important resources supporting life on Earth, yet this seemingly ubiquitous resource has become the source of multiple different emergencies rising significant concerns at international and national levels. This research examines the water crisis faced by Iraq as a consequence of a large portion of its water originating from outside of its boundaries, including sources in Iran, Turkey and Syria; more specifically, it studies the issue of the water shortage in the Wend River by evaluating the placement of the Blajo canal using a GIS based TOPSIS method. The approach taken evaluates existing canal dependency using TOPSIS as one of the MCDM techniques to consider the distance between every option from both the positive perfect point and from the negative perfect point. This was done to ensure that the best option had optimal distance from both the positive point and the from the negative point. The results showed that the best spatial location for the Blajo canal was in alternative a4, which was ranked 3 within the TOPSIS method. This rating reflects the site is near to arable areas and satisfies some criteria but is not the best location with respect to other factors.
Evaluation of the scheduling of an existing drip irrigation network: Fadak Farm, Karbala, Iraq
Authors: Abdulhadi Juhaina S , Alwan Husam H
Published: March 2021

Iraq has a subtropical semi-arid climate; it was previously considered to be rich in water, but for several reasons, including climate change and dam construction by neighbouring countries, a shortage of water resources has developed in recent years. Using the drip irrigation method is one of the most efficient ways to rationalise water consumption and avoid losses. This study was conducted in order to assess the scheduling of the drip irrigation system used on the Fadak farm in the holy city of Karbala in Iraq, in order to investigate irrigation scheduling there and to compare this with established irrigation scheduling parameters. This required the study of the physical properties of the soil and water consumption calculations for the palm trees being irrigated using the CROPWAT 8.0 simulation program. The results indicated that the volume of water actually supplied to each plot of around dunum( 2,500 m2) is 1,533.5 m3annually, while the volume of water that should be supplied to the farm is 1,388 m3, suggesting that there is wastage of 145.5 m3, or 10.7%, annually. The monthly losses show that the irrigation scheduling system currently used on the farm exposes the plants to excess irrigation over many months, resulting in a loss of water, while causing plants to be exposed to a decrease in irrigation water, which causes stress, in other months. Using surface irrigation, the volume of water needed per dunum is 12,617 m3, however, causing water waste to the volume 11,229 m3. This study thus confirms the general efficiency of the drip irrigation system, as well as highlighting that the CROPWAT 8.0 program is useful for calculating water consumption.
Improving the bearing resistance of subgrade sandy soil using hydrated lime
Authors: Fathi Ali Qasim , Shaban Alaa M , Al-Busaltan Shakir
Published: March 2021

Soil stabilisation refers to any process by which the strength, stiffness and bearing capacity of road foundations are improved by mechanical, chemical, electrical, or thermal means. The main aim of this research was to estimate the optimum lime content (OLC) required to stabilise a loose sandy soil, and to achieve this aim, experimental work was carried out to evaluate the characteristics of lime-treated sand based on determining maximum dry density (MDD), optimum moisture content (OMC), and soil bearing resistance (CBR) at 1, 3, and 7 days’ curing. The hydrated lime was used in proportions of 0, 4, 6, 8, and 10% by dry weight of the soil. The results indicated that the MDD increases as the lime proportion increased from 0 to 8%; however, a slight reduction in the soil density was observed at 10% lime inclusion. Additionally, the results revealed that the soil bearing resistance under both socked and unsocked conditions were improved significantly with increasing lime content. Overall, addition of 8% lime with 7 days’ curing duration, improved the stability and strength of subgrade sand soils. The findings of this work thus confirm the benefit of adding lime in field application stabilisation schemes for geotechnical and pavement engineers.
Improving the mechanical properties of lightweight foamed concrete using various types of fibres
Authors: Abed Suhad M , Hadi Rafal A , Khaliefa Hutheifa J
Published: March 2021

Lightweight foamed concrete has recently been adopted as a more sustainable construction material due to various features such as reduction in member size, better thermal insulation, and cost savings. This work examines an attempt to improve the brittle nature of foam concrete with the addition of different types of fibres. Five types of fibres were used: steel fibres (hooked-ends), micro steel fibres (straight ends), carbon, glass, and polypropylene fibres. The effect of fibre type on the fresh (density and flowability) and hardened (compressive strength, splitting tensile strength, flexural strength, and static modulus of elasticity) properties of lightweight foamed concrete were thus investigated. The results collected from the experimental work revealed that steel fibres significantly improve the performance of lightweight foamed concrete in terms most properties while other types of fibres (carbon, glass and polypropylene fibres) improved properties at different levels to the steel fibres. Using 0.45 hooked-ends steel fibres gave the most significant improvement in splitting, flexural strength, modulus of elasticity and compressive strength at 162.5%, 83.78%, 72.41%, and 63.63%, respectively.
Integration of Intermodal Transport Stations as a Tool for Urban Renewal in the City of Baghdad
Authors: Hasan Alaa Naeem , Al-Khafaji Dr Saba J.
Published: March 2021

The recent population growth, urban expansion, and high standard of living witnessed by most cities, including Baghdad, have made the provision of integrated urban transport systems a major challenge for those in the transport sector. To address the central issues related to urban renewal, growth and land use in cities, and the importance and impact of integrated intermodal transport systems on the design and urban renewal of cities, it is thus important to investigate the role of integrated stations in achieving the urban development and renewal of the city and to determine the most important comprehensive indicators in the field of integration of such systems in order to develop tools for urban renewal and growth.

This paper offers an analytical and evaluation method to assess the potential for redevelopment of major intermodal transport stations and the opportunities for space and urban renewal that might follow such redevelopment. The methodology was implemented in the redevelopment of Berlin Central Station and the comprehensive plan for road transport for the Emirate of Abu Dhabi 2030, and may thus offer a basis for assessing and evaluating the city of Baghdad in terms of transport and developing future plans in this area. However, it required the development of correct scientific frameworks for the integration of multi-modal urban transport stations (systems) as development tools and attractions, and to have a positive impact for the city. This led to the research problem of investigating the “lack of sufficient perception of the impact of the complementarity of intermodal transport stations and their role as a tool in the urban renewal of the citybased on the assumption that integrated intermodal transport stations are large and multi-functional facilities, consisting of several integrated smaller systems, operating in a single overarching system such as a city at a scale that allows them to act as a tool in the process of urban renewal by promoting positive interaction with the surrounding environment.
Printed house as a model for future housing
Authors: Mahdi R M
Published: March 2021

The printed house is one of the latest and most important global attempts to solve the housing crisis, based on its speed of delivery and reasonable cost; new versions of such houses are also generally able to meet the requirements of individual families far better than previous standard models, allowing them to be adopted as a model for future housing. The research problem for the current work was thus the existence of a knowledge gap with regard to the applications of printed houses in terms of such adoption, and the research objective was to build a theoretical framework around current and potential applications of printed houses in such a way as to allow this to be adopted as a model for future housing. The hypothesis was the importance of printed house applications depends on the types of future houses supported by market forces. The study found that printed houses offer a solution for temporary housing needs due to their small footprints that correspond to the demographic nature of many modern families. Other positive features, such as affordability, flexibility, eco-friendliness, style, and support of healthy lifestyles mean that they also represent the future of housing by meeting the requirements of individual families more effectively, allowing better customisation and a move away from mass production.
The development of a generalised equation for the annual water savings through rainwater tanks under different climatic conditions for southwest Brisbane (Australia)
Authors: Khan M S , Imteaz M A
Published: March 2021

Optimisation of rainwater tank outcomes has been a challenge for the users, as the water savings and reliability depend on many factors such as rainfall amount, rainfall distribution, tank size, roof area and rainwater demand. Among the analysis methods, daily water balance modelling is the most reasonable and acceptable approach. However, general end-users can hardly interpret/grasp the outcomes of such analyses. To overcome this hurdle, this paper presents the development of a generalised equation for calculating expected water savings through rainwater tanks with major contributing factors like rainfall, rainwater demand, tank size and roof area for southwest Brisbane (Australia). Daily rainfall data was collected for the station, Oxley which is in southwest Brisbane from the Australian Bureau of Meteorology website. The expected annual water savings for different combinations of rainfall, tank size, roof area and demand are presented in the form of charts that were converted to a generalized equation having independent variables of rainfall, tank size, roof area and demand. Results from the developed equation were seen matching with the model (eTank) simulated results. Such an equation can be easily incorporated into mobile apps or computer programs to help quick calculations for expected water savings.
An experimental and numerical model for performance evaluation of the new galley design filter bucket for storm networks
Authors: Nile B K , Hassan W H , Mohsen K A
Published: March 2021

Storm networks are a major item of civil infrastructure and a significant element of community life. One of the most significant problems facing storm networks is the blockage of pipes, frequently caused by sediments in the sewage system. This study was undertaken to offer a performance evaluation of a new design of gravel filter bucket for storm networks that offers the separation of sediments at different intensities of rainfall and street slopes based on the development of an experimental model. Stormwater with different sediment loads was simulated and samples of filtrate examined with regard to removal efficiency for these particles. A flow-3D numerical model was also developed to investigate the removal efficiency of the gravel filter. The predicted removal efficiency was then validated using experimental data. Assuming proper model validation, numerical models of this type can yield evaluation data with respect to filter removal efficiency for other dimensions and particle sizes of sediment. The results in this case indicated that the efficiency of the gravel filter increased with increases in slope, intensity, and duration. The gravel filter efficiency was 61% at a low intensity of rainfall and 90% at a high intensity of rainfall, while the results also showed 88% and 63% efficiency for the maximum and minimum diameter sediments, respectively. In terms of validation, the numerical model was compared with a statistical equation to calculate the filter efficiency (Ef
), with the use of an SPSS model to estimate the R2 value, which was 0.88.
Experimental and numerical investigation of the effect of cross-section shape on damaged self-compacting concrete columns
Authors: Hemzah Sadjad A. , Alyhya Wajde S. , Hassan Basel A.
Published: March 2021

This paper experimentally and numerically (using the finite element analysis) examines cross-section shape effects on damaged SCC short columns enhanced with CFRP sheet wrapping. The impact of various strengthening techniques on the structural behaviour of columns was investigated, with the convergence between the experimental and numerical results verified numerically in ABAQUS. The experimental strengthening process included partial or full wrapping in CFRP sheets, with specimens in the first group enhanced with three or five CFRP sheets of 100 mm width and those in the latter group enveloped in CFRP sheet to the full column height. The numerical results agreed well with the experimental results and demonstrated that the square cross-section SCC short column exhibited higher strength capacity than other shapes.
A comparative study of catalyst projects in urban centres: Imam Square in Hamedan
Authors: Shemirani Seyed Majid Mofidi , Alalhesabi Mehran , Zolfigol Sajjad
Published: March 2021

City centres are the vital social, economic, and cultural nuclei of urban spaces, and, as such, revitalisation of city centres’ economic, social, and environmental aspects can significantly improve citizens’ quality of life. Imam Square, as the most pivotal space in the historic and culturally important city of Hamedan in the west of Iran, is one such centre, playing a key role in all nearby urban functions and activities, and affecting both residents’ social lives and local economic features. The “Urban Catalyst” approach is one of the most realistic approaches to improving urban environmental qualities, and this can be used for regeneration programmes to support new urban development policies that seek to recover multiple types of public domain and which acknowledge the primacy of peripheral areas. The purpose of this paper was thus to investigate the urban catalyst project carried out in Imam Square and to compare the resulting situation with the preceding conditions with particular reference to the area’s former central role as a traffic nucleus. This allowed an assessment of the changes following urban catalytic response, another goal of this research. The methodology was based on mixed, with space syntax used to consider the urban configuration and related quantitative aspects and qualitative analysis, developed based on field observations and interviews. The results demonstrated that after pedestrianisation of the central core and the refurnishing of Imam Square, the degree of integration and connectivity of the square and surrounding areas was significantly improved, which has led to an increase in the quality of public spaces and the number of people present.
Microbial fuel cells (MFC) in the treatment of dairy wastewater
Authors: Al-saned Afaf J Obaid , Kitafa Baidaa A , Badday Ali S
Published: March 2021

Microbial Fuel Cells (MFC) appear to offer a feasible alternative to conventional wastewater treatment techniques; thus, constructing and testing MFCs for this purpose was accomplished in this research. The experiments were carried out in two stage; In first stage, synthetic dairy wastewater was used as substrate in an anode chamber using Saccharomyces cerevisiae at different pH values (5, 6, 7, and 8) and different operational temperatures (25, 30, 34 °C in order to evaluate the performance of MFC in term of COD reduction and electricity generation, while in the second stage, the MFC testing was conducted using real dairy wastewater with an initial concentration of COD equal to 2,610 mg/L, inoculated with Saccharomyces cerevisiae in an anaerobic anode chamber under optimum operation conditions. The results revealed that increasing operation temperature had a significant effect on COD reduction and operation time. The optimum pH and temperature were 6 and 34 °C, respectively. After treatment of the dairy wastewater, the COD, TSS, TDS, EC, SO4, and NO3 removal efficiencies of the MFC were found to be 92%, 79.3%, 62.5%, 38.6%, and 60%, respectively. These removal ratios confirm ability of living microorganisms to digest the organic matter present in dairy wastewater to produce electrical power, with maximum values of 850 mV and 28 μA produced for voltage and current, respectively. Microbial Fuel Cell technology thus offers an efficient approach to both dairy wastewater treatment and energy recovery.
The effects of reed fly ash modified bitumen on the volumetric and mechanical properties of open grade friction course mixtures
Authors: Al-Yasari Rand , Al-Busaltan Shakir
Published: March 2021

The global use of open grade friction course (OGFC) asphalt pavements began in 1950, though this practice has gained further interest over time, especially for high-speed high-volume roads, due to the material’s excellent characteristics in terms of skid resistance, drainage control, and noise reduction. Unfortunately, the porous structure of this type of mixture results in other problems related to mechanical and durability properties, despite extensive studies being conducted to overcome such problems using virgin modifiers such as polymers or fibres. Recently, the concept of using recycled and by-product materials as stabilising additives for asphalt binders and mixtures has became more popular, both in order to reduce the construction costs and to increase pavement service life, as well as preserving natural resources and reducing the environmental impact of construction. This study investigates the effect of using one such by-product material, reed fly ash (RFA), as a modifier for asphalt binder and to examine the performance of the resulting OGFC asphalt mixture. The effect of RFA on the OGFC mixture performance is examined in terms of volumetric (bulk density, air voids, porosity and permeability) and mechanical (indirect tensile strength (ITS), skid resistance, and Cantabro abrasion loss (CL)) properties. The results indicate that adding RFA to asphalt binder has a positive influence on mixture performance. In terms of volumetric measures, it leads to increases in air voids, porosity, and permeability of about 17%, 37%, and 102%, respectively at 18% RFA, while the bulk density is reduced as RFA dosage increases. Simultaneously, mechanical properties are increased, with ITS and skid resistance increased by about 10% and >25%; respectively at 18% RFA. However, the resistance to abrasion was enhanced only at lower dosages of RFA (6% RFA), by about 36%. Nevertheless, the use of RFA at optimal percentages appears to offer a sustainable approach to stabilising asphalt binder for OGFC mixtures.
Durability Evaluation: Sustainable Semi-flexible Pavement Mixtures
Authors: Hlail Saif Hameed , Al-Busaltan Shakir , Shaban Alaa M
Published: March 2021

The modern paving industry requires the production of high-performance pavement using more sustainable approaches. Semi-flexible pavement (SFP), prepared by filling an open-graded asphalt skeleton with cement-based grouting material, has been shown to offer high performance for heavily loaded highway and airport pavement applications. The major aim of this study was therefore to evaluate SFP durability based on more sustainable preparation techniques and materials. In this research, a half warm bitumen emulsion semi-flexible mixture (HWBESFM) was designed using local materials and low energy heating technique; the contribution of various sustainable cementitious grout materials on the durability properties of the mix was then evaluated. The developed grouts were prepared using paper sludge ash (PSA) and silica fume (SF) as supplementary cementitious materials (SCM), and the durability of the HWBESFM was assessed with regard to ageing and water sensitivity. The results showed improvements in water sensitivity of HWBESFM containing OPC+PSA and OPC+SF to 66.62% and 65.73%, respectively, compared with the control mix, which demonstrated sensitivity of roughly 55%. Additionally, slight improvements were noticed in ageing resistance on incorporating SCM, those these results remained uncompetitive to traditional SFP mixtures. Overall, this initial investigation of a sustainable approach could, with some improvement, encourage further development and studies in this area.
Python Interactive Cost Control System for Major Contractors
Authors: Ali L T , Khaled Z S M , Ali R S A
Published: March 2021

In this study a computerised management system was developed to aid major contractors in improving cost control performance in construction projects. The system was developed by synthesising all construction cost-related functions into a comprehensive framework, taking into account both cost overrun factors and mitigating measures. These factors and measures were based on the findings of previous studies by the authors, in which 10 cost factors were specified as the most potentially controllable by contractors of an observed 59 influential factors identified in construction projects in Iraq. The system was then developed using Python programming language to incorporate the material, labour, and equipment costs of each construction activity. The system was then compared to in real life implementations in seven types of construction projects undertaken by the State Company for Project Execution of the Ministry of Transport, a major contracting company in Iraq, with the results showing that the system can be successfully utilised by major contractors for cost control during construction.
Degradation of some heavy metals in wastewater using aqua plants
Authors: Janna Hussein
Published: March 2021

The main goal of wastewater treatment is to allow human and industrial effluents to be disposed of without danger to human health or negative impacts to the natural environment. The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of some aquatic plants in terms of the removal of certain chemicals as part of such wastewater treatment. The potential use of the aquatic plant Lemna minor for wastewater purification was thus examined, with Lead, Nickel, Copper, and Cadmium selected as target impurities. The effect of Lemna minor plants on the occurrence of these metals in wastewater for a period of two weeks was thus examined. The results showed that the presence of the plants enhanced the removal of heavy metals: the removal percentage of Lead in the presence of Lemna minor was higher than in the tank with no Lemna minor, with rates of 73% and 47%. In addition, in the presence of Lemna minor, the removal efficiency of Nickel was about 47%, higher than that that without Lemna minor. These results suggest that this plant may decrease the concentrations of some heavy metals and consequently decrease the costs of treating water to remove such metals.
evaluation of seepage under hydraulic structures using gene expression programming
Authors: Khashan Duaa Hadi , Hassan Waqed H.
Published: March 2021

The problem of seepage under concrete dams was studied numerically using finite difference code in MATLAB, after verification with GeoStudio (2018 R2) to determine the lift force under the dams, the head at the third floor of each of the dams, and the exit gradients, which all affect the functionality of these dams. The main goal of this study was to investigate the effects of cutoff locations and depths on the exit gradient and uplift pressure. An empirical equation was thus developed to predict the exit gradient by employing gene expression programming (GEP) and non-linear regression using IBM SPSS based on parameters obtained from the finite difference code. Multiple (327) runs were executed in the finite difference code for a set difference between head upstream and downstream (H=10 m) withvarious cutoffs depth (d/b), with kx/ky = 1 representing isotropic soil. For each d/b value, various cutoffs locations (x/b) were also used, with results indicating that the minimum exit gradient is observed when the cutoff location ratio at the downstream is x1/b=1 with a maximum relative depth of d1/b=0.6, while the minimum uplift pressure is observed when the cutoff location ratio at the upstream is x1/B=0, with a minimum relative depth of d1/B=0.1. The results further indicate that the maximum exit gradient is observed when the ratio of the length of upstream cutoff to the length of downstream cutoff is d1/d2= 1. This exit gradient decrease as the ratio of d1/d2increases. Additionally, the exit gradient decreases with increases in cutoff location and depth, while increasing with uplift pressure. Based on the simulation results, the equation obtained using the genetic expression programming model performed better in terms of predicting the exit gradient than the SPSS model, with a coefficient of determination R2of 0.892 for training and 0.90 for testing. An empirical equation was thus derived to predict the exit gradient based on cutoff 1depth, cutoff1location, cutoff2depth and cutoff2location.
Identifying a Suitable Estimation Method for Evapotranspiration in Wasit Province
Authors: Shamkhi M S , Neamah I F
Published: March 2021

Water is one of the important natural resources due to its applicability to a broad range of contexts, the most important of which are economic and agricultural; indeed, the largest amount of water used by humans is consumed for agricultural purposes. Water resource management is thus very important to managing crises. Referential evapotranspiration constitutes a high percentage of the water consumed in agriculture, making the accurate estimation of ETo values important to determining the quantities of water required for irrigation projects. It also contributes to the planning of water investment and improving management based on predictions about the upcoming hydrological situation. The study area for the current work suffers in particular from a lack of climatic data in the Dujaila region. The focus of this study was thus on possibility of using hydrological methods that require less climatic data as compared to the Penman-Monteith equation to estimate evapotranspiration accurately. The reference evapotranspiration was estimated using the Penman-Monteith (PM-FAO-56), Jensen-Haise, Blaney Criddle, Kharrufa and Hargreaves equations, utilising climate data from the Al Kut Meteorological Station and the Agricultural Meteorological Network for the period 2013 and 2018. The other results then were compared with the reference Penman-Monteith equation in terms of the determination coefficient and mean absolute; overall, the Hargreaves equation was found to be most accurate for predicting the value of ETo, with the values of R2 and MAPE being 0.995 and 6.2%, respectively.
Improving the transportation system in Baghdad city
Authors: Mohamedmeki Mohammed Zuhair , Al-Mumaiz Maha
Published: March 2021

Baghdad has suffered from lack of new major infrastructure in transportation sector for many decades, compounded by a huge increase in the number of roads user. This has led to problems with out-of-date networks causing congested roads and pavement exceeding its design life, increasing travel time with negative effects on users, the economy, and the environment due to increased emission rates and massive fuel consumption. Accordingly, this study seeks to develop a sustainable transportation system to handle a large number of users with minimum effect on the environment to promote economic achievement. Based on the literature, a rail transportation system emerged is the most sustainable system, and such a system is thus proposed for Baghdad, with suggested route and station positions designed to ensure efficient interactions with the current road network. To assess the proposed system, the city was divided into fifteen zones, eight zones on the east side and seven on the west side, and travel times between zones were calculated using GIS software both with and without application of the proposed system. The results revealed that considerable savings in travel time between most zones with the system. Furthermore, the proposed system would change the land use adjacent to access points (stations), boosting investment in housing and encouraging people to leave the overcrowded city centre.
Effects of supply Diffuser Shape on Air Age and Human Comfort in an Office with Displacement Ventilation and Chilled Ceiling System in Hot and Dry climate
Authors: Shbeeb A A , Mahdi A A , Hussein A K
Published: March 2021

In recent years, the need to provide a clean environment in enclosed places has drawn increasing levels of attention due to the spread of epidemics and viruses across the world. Chilled ceilings with displacement ventilation represent promising technology. The combined ventilation system has not yet been used in Iraqi buildings, then it’s a good starting point for study the performance of this system in Iraq-Hilla city climate (hot and dry climate). An office room with a combined ventilation system was simulated using AIRPAK software. Indoor air age, air temperature distribution, CO2 concentration and thermal efficiency were estimated numerically. During the simulation process, the effects of two different supply diffuser shapes (one way rectangular diffuser and semicircle diffuser) were compared to investigated the effect of supply diffuser shape on air age and thermal environment in hot and dry climate (passed on peak summer temperatures in Hilla city). Three tests were performed for each case based on changing the load treated by the chilled ceiling as (25%, 50% and 80%) respect to total cooling load and represented (26, 53, 85W/m2) respectively based on floor area. The temperature of chilled ceiling surface varied as (21.5, 19 and 16°C) and the air supply temperature similarly varied (19, 22, and 24.5 °C) respectively at constant air flowrate of (0.045m3/s). The results of the tests found that the effect of diffuser shape on the local age of air decreased with height, the maximum difference between two cases at the 0.1m level was about 49s while at 2.25m level it was only about 11s. The air exchange efficiency for the CC/DV system using a semicircle diffuser in the predetermined office space was higher by an average of 8.5% as compared with a similar system using a rectangular diffuser; this differential reduced about 3% at each increase in portion of cooling load treated by the chilled ceiling, however.
New spinning technology for producing square section die-less spun parts in the sheet metal forming process
Authors: Saleh A M , Abd A H , Bedan A S
Published: March 2021

Sheet metal spinning is one of the main forming processes, being characterized by flexibility, low cost, reduced manufacturing time, and high formability. Where a flat metal blank is rotated at a high speed and this spun part is formed by pressing a forming tool into the blank, however, this process is limited to axisymmetric parts. This research thus aimed to design and build a simple and flexible mechanism for producing asymmetrical spun parts to allow non-circular forms (polygons) to be formed without interrupting the rotation of the turned blank, being synchronized with the rotation of the special forming tool. The proposed mechanism is based on developing a synchronous spinning machine in which the rotational motion and traditional lathe machine feed are monitored to maintain synchronization with the tool rollers (special forming tool), where the latter controlled by electric motors. The speed of the electric motors is controlled by a variable frequency drive (VFD), pulse-controls and specialized software. The proposed machine can be applied to multiple product shapes by changing the pulse-control in the software code, making the machine much more flexible than other options. Square cross-section parts were formed by cutting aluminum alloy sheets (1050) into a circular shape of 1.5 mm in thickness and 150 mm diameter. The experimental study then examined the effects of various process parameters on the spinning process, spindle speed of the lathe, feed ratio, and forming tool diameter. Three values were adopted for the three parameters, spindle speeds of 48, 68, and 135 RPM, feed ratios of 0.16, 0.22 and 0.32 mm/rev, and forming tool ball diameters of 16, 22, and 25 mm. The results showed that the maximum average in wall thickness reduction was about 27.44 %, and the maximum average error in dimensional accuracy was 6.47 % for spun parts made with a 45 mm mandrel.