American Standards Research Articles

USE OF HIGH SULFATE FLY ASH IN PUMICE BLOCKS

In order to reduce cement consumption, which is one of the significant factors in man-made carbon dioxide emissions, studies are being conducted on issues such as alternative building materials. Replacing cement with fly ash is at the forefront of cement reduction studies. However, the use of fly ash with a high sulfate content in structural elements is limited by European and American standards. Here the production of pumice stones used as wall material is discussed. Pumice blocks were made by replacing the cement in pumice blocks with high sulfate fly ash. High sulfate fly ash increased the late strength of pumice blocks by about 13%. In addition, as a result of a brief economic analysis for Türkiye, it turned out that wall costs could be reduced by up to 8% thanks to the replacement of fly ash. The mechanical and physical tests performed on the blocks produced concluded that the cement could be replaced with fly ash with a high sulfate content of up to 30%.

The Quest for Self-Expression: Anzia Yezierska’s Portrayal of America as a Fake Golden Country

The aim of this study is to show how the experience of Eastern European Jewish women in America challenged the discourse of the American Dream that they had previously fabricated in their homelands at the turn of the twentieth century. As portrayed by the Polish-born American writer Anzia Yezierska, whose family migrated to New York at the time, these women initially aim their efforts towards achieving happiness through their belief that America provides equal opportunities for upward mobility. However, they eventually question their prospects of improvement and progress by creating their own Jewish American experience. In two of her short stories, “How I Found America” and “The Miracle,” Yezierska reproduces the hopelessness of her Jewish characters after they have faced the burdens of social exclusion and the classist policies of philanthropic programs of integration. Rather than completely assimilating American standards, the protagonists seek to build their own American experience while maintaining their Jewish cultural background, which paradoxically finds expression through institutional courses designed for newcomers.

Naar een architectuur van vereenvoudiging?

The Belgian architect Victor Horta (1861-1947) spent most of the First World War in the United States. Over the course of three years, from December 1915 to January 1919, he explored how the American skyscrapers, standardized dwellings and ingenious urban planning might serve as a model for a modern, post-war Belgium.
 Yet Horta’s memoirs had very little to say about his discussion of American architecture or any influence his travels might have had on his post-war work. This article consequently breaks new ground in examining the various talks on the subject that Horta gave in the 1920s. Horta’s lectures actually provide a good picture of how he started to see American architecture as a model for the future. In American architectural practice, serial production, standardization and economies of scale facilitated a simplification of the design – a solution Horta also proposed for war-torn Belgium.
 By way of illustration, the article describes the affinity between Horta’s more classical formal language of the 1920s, as in his 1925 pavilion for the Exposition international des Arts décoratifs et industriels modernes, and the architecture of the United States. It also shows that Horta was an important proponent of American architecture in Belgium, and also played a pioneering role in the introduction of some of its defining features, such as high-rise construction.

Mechanical Properties of Wood: A Review

The use of wood in construction requires knowledge of the mechanical properties and the particularities that wood presents in comparison with other materials used for structural purposes such as steel, concrete, brick, or stone. The introduction mentions the environmental advantages that justify the use of wood today. The orthotropy of wood is one of the differentiating characteristics that must be taken into account when studying its behaviour. The determination of the properties of wood is then addressed from a historical perspective and the differentiation is made between the properties of small clear wood (defect-free timber) and structural timber. The timber grading systems (visual and mechanical grading) and the non-destructive techniques that currently prevail are explained. Finally, the factors that influence the mechanical properties, such as duration of the load, moisture content, quality, temperature, and the effect of size are explained. The objective of this work is to provide an overview of the current knowledge on the mechanical properties of wood, based mainly on published articles and European and North American standards, including historical references to the beginnings and current trends in this field.

I Don’t Apologize

In this poem, the author describes her deep commitment to accept who she is as a beautiful Black woman. She wants the world to know she will not apologize for who she is and what she looks like. She understands wholeheartedly that her beauty may not meet the criteria of the American standard of beauty. Yet, she refuses to apologize for who she is. This poem is designed to encourage Black women to accept their beauty and to embrace that are fearfully and wonderfully made.

Production and Physiochemical Characterization of Biodiesel from Nile cabbage grown in Pager River, Kitgum Municipality, Northern-Uganda

Nile cabbage (Pistia stratiotes) represents a promising source of biodiesel which has been garnered due to good biomass yield. This study aims to determine the possibility for biodiesel production from Nile cabbage plants collected from a seasonal Pager River. The bio-oil extraction from Nile cabbage leaves was done using soxhlet apparatus. The biodiesel was produced by transesterification of lipids and characterized by GC-FID and the physio-chemical parameters of the produced biodiesel were also performed. The obtained results indicate that, Nile cabbage sample showed a yield of biodiesel (30.30±0.01) %. The biodiesel obtained possess the following fuel properties: density (880.00±0.00)Kg/m3, pH (5.70±0.00), saponification value (137.10±0.09) mg KOH/g, acid value (1.00±0.00) mg KOH/g, iodine value (63.41±0.01) mg I2/100g, flash point (120±0.00)℃, pour point (-6.20±0.03) ℃, colour (brown), moisture content (50.00±0.00)%, and ash content (0.003±0.00)%, and cetane number (49.53±0.05). The GC-FID analysis of the obtained biodiesel showed the presence of C16:0, C18:0, C18:1 and C18:2 as the major constituents of fatty acids (FAs) detected. Therefore, all physiochemical parameters were within the allowable limits, accept only acid value which was slightly higher than the standard limits issued by the American and European (ASTM D 6571:12 and EN 14214:2012) standards. Aquatic weeds are considered a global threat in the aquatic ecosystem, which invoked a lot of attention from the general public and the scientific community. Our findings showed that Nile cabbage biomass could give a significant yield of biodiesel, with desired fuel properties which will initiates a cleaner energy.

Preparation and characterization of biodiesel from waste cooking oils using heterogeneous Catalyst(Cat.TS-7) based on natural zeolite

Biodiesel is known as renewable biodegradable and less polluting material. It is produced by transesterification of triglycerides found in vegetable oil or animal fats. Many studies have been conducted on biodiesel production using homogeneous catalysts, but they are very expensive and not environmentally friendly. On the other hand, heterogeneous catalysts are cost-effective from the production process and ecofriendly. In this study, zeolite ore was used as a solid heterogeneous catalyst for the production of biodiesel by the transesterification reaction of waste cooking oils and studying the possibility of reusing it for several cycles under optimal reaction conditions. The catalyst was characterized by different techniques, such as TG-DTA, FTIR, XRD and TPD methods. High-quality biodiesel with 93% yield was obtained under optimal reaction conditions with the ratio of oil to methanol (1:9) mol, amount of catalyst (1.5% by weight of oil), at temperature (60 °C), and reaction time of 2 h. Biodiesel has been characterized using infrared spectroscopy, GC/MS, its physical and chemical specifications have been studied and compared with the American (ASTM) and European (EN) standards.

Accounting for deferred taxes in the initial recognition of assets and liabilities. Part 2

Subject. This article discusses the methodological particularities of recording deferred taxes arising from the initial recognition of assets and liabilities. Objectives. The article aims to analyze the approaches of the developers of American and International Standards in terms of accounting for deferred taxes in the initial recognition of assets and liabilities, as well as characterize the problems of the Initial Recognition Exemption – IRE rule, and propose areas for their elimination. Methods. The research is speculative. For the study, I used the dialectical method of scientific knowledge, the method of collecting theoretical and regulatory information, the method of formalization, as well as analysis, synthesis, observation, and comparison. Results. The article summarizes the foreign experience of accounting for deferred taxes at the initial recognition of an asset. It describes the key situations for applying the simultaneous equation method in accordance with American practices, and justifies the economic benefits of using this approach. Conclusions and Relevance. The IRE rule does not provide an opportunity to reliably disclose information about the impact of taxation on the financial position of the company at the initial recognition of assets and liabilities. The method of simultaneous equations eliminates this problem, but there are contradictions associated with the understanding of fair value, which is adjusted for deferred taxes. It is necessary to use the American experience in improving standards and conduct additional theoretical research to develop methodological approaches to accounting for deferred taxes at the initial recognition of assets and liabilities. The results of the study can be useful to practitioners in the field of deferred tax accounting, as well as analysts and researchers whose activities are focused on accounting, taxation, and other persons concerned who study the theoretical and financial aspects of deferred taxes.

A Scoping Review of Black American Beauty Studies From 1995 to 2022

Existing reviews focus on issues affecting Black Americans or beauty standards, respectively. In comparison, this scoping review identifies studies that address both topics. The 39 selected publications revealed that hair, beauty standards, and body image were the most studied areas within Black American beauty. Studies were synthesized into three themes: (a) relationship to Eurocentric beauty standards, (b) community influence, and (c) intersectional approaches. While Black American beauty standards exist, Black women’s relationship to their intracultural beauty standard is fluid and dependent on multiple factors. The search criteria differentiated the types of methods included in the review but also reduced the number of empirical studies included. Future research should focus on the relationship between beauty rituals, Black American beauty ideals, and their relationship to skincare, haircare, or cosmetics.

Wind loading on a stepped roof building: Comparison of field measurements, wind tunnel data, and standard provisions

This study investigates wind loads on stepped roof buildings measured in the field and in an atmospheric boundary layer wind tunnel to verify the suitability of the North American codes and standards for the design of stepped roofs. Good agreement has been generally found between field and wind tunnel results. The field measurements and wind tunnel results were compared with the NBCC 2020 and ASCE/SEI 7–22 (2022) provisions. It was found that the Edge provisions of NBCC 2020 are currently underestimated and need to be increased. The study suggests merging the Corner and Edge zones into a single “Perimeter” zone in NBCC 2020 as this would resolve the current underestimation of the NBCC Edge wind loads and add simplicity to the Code provisions. Peaks of ASCE/SEI 7–22 (2022) were found conservative, except for the zone near the step wall on the lower roof; ASCE/SEI 7–22 (2022) positive peaks seem to be underestimated.

Fabrication and analysis of micro carbon fiber filled nylon filament reinforced with Kevlar, Fiberglass, and HSHT Fiberglass using dual extrusion system

The optimal composition of Fiberglass, Kevlar, and high speed high temperature fiberglass (HSHT) in micro carbon fiber filled nylon polymer enhances properties like strength, wear resistance, and surface finish. Thus, the polymer composite fabricated by mixing Fiberglass, Kevlar, and HSHT in micro carbon fiber filled nylon filament designed to create strong, high-quality unrivalled parts will be extensively used in aerospace, automotive industry, and various engineering applications. In this work, continuous layers of Fiberglass, Kevlar, and HSHT have been reinforced in micro carbon fiber filled nylon filament to fabricate the composite at variable process parameters like fiberfill type, the thickness of the fiber layer, and the nature of the reinforcement. The tensile strength, wear strength, and surface roughness have been investigated for each test specimen using Universal Testing Machine, Pin on disc, and surfcom roughness tester as per American standards of testing (ASTM) ASTM D638 Type IV and ASTM G99 standard. Response surface methodology (RSM) has been implemented using a central composite design (CCD) approach for the modelling between input parameters and output responses. It is observed that fiber layer thickness of 1.071 mm, fiberglass and isotropic fill pattern provide the maximum tensile strength of 139 MPa, the minimum surface roughness of 3.087 µm, and wear rate of 0.4262 mm3/m. Further, the MOGA-ANN approach is used to optimize the multi response objectives. It is observed that 0.744 mm of fiber layer thickness, fiberglass reinforcement, and isotropic infill pattern provide the maximum tensile strength of 152.80 MPa and minimum surface roughness of 2.83 µm, 0.11709 mm3/m wear rate in MOGA-ANN. The balance and optimal response are accomplished in MOGA-ANN evolutionary hybrid algorithm, and the same has been validated experimentally. Data availability statementData used for this research paper is available upon request from the corresponding author. Data are provided in detail for all methods, results, and conclusions drawn throughout the paper.

Fertirrigation with nanofiltration retentate from thermomechanical pulp mill effluents

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the potential for using the retentate from nanofiltration (NF) treatment of thermomechanical pulp (TMP) effluent for fertirrigation. Nanofiltration retentates from tertiary effluent treatment from a Brazilian TMP pulp mill were used. Electrical conductivity (EC) and the concentration of both metals (Mn2+, Mg2+, Fe2+, Ca2+, Na+, K+, Cu2+) and chlorides in the NF retentate were evaluated. The sodium (SAR) and potassium (PAR) adsorption ratios were calculated. The risks of increasing the salinity, effects on the infiltration rate, toxicity and excess nutrients were evaluated according to the American and European standards, and application according to crop and soil were analyzed according to the Brazilian standard. The NF retentate is classified as irrigation water Class I for the risks of reduced water infiltration into the soil, availability of nutrients and the concentration of copper and iron, Class II for the risks of toxicity, pH and concentration of manganese and Class III for the risks of salinity and concentrations of TS, TSS and turbidity, according to American and European standards. The salinity content and the physicochemical characteristics classify the effluent NF retentate, according to the Brazilian standard, as fresh water and Class III for irrigation. The NF retentate from thermomechanical pulp mill effluents, according to both the American and the European standards, cannot be used for fertirrigation, as it is classified as Class III. However, the Brazilian standard allows its use for the irrigation of any tree species, cereals and forages and as a source of nutrients to reduce fertilizer use. The retentate can be applied to highly salt-tolerant plant crops such as Eucalyptus globulus, Eucalyptus camaldulensis and sugarcane, and may be used in soil with a basic pH and high permeability.

Accounting for deferred taxes in the initial recognition of assets and liabilities. Part 1

Subject. This article discusses the methodological particularities of recording deferred taxes arising from the initial recognition of assets and liabilities. Objectives. The article aims to analyze the approaches of the developers of American and International Standards in terms of accounting for deferred taxes in the initial recognition of assets and liabilities, as well as characterize the problems of the Initial Recognition Exemption – IRE rule, and propose areas for their elimination. Methods. The research is speculative. For the study, I used the dialectical method of scientific knowledge, the method of collecting theoretical and regulatory information, the method of formalization, as well as analysis, synthesis, observation, and comparison. Results. The article summarizes the foreign experience of accounting for deferred taxes at the initial recognition of an asset. It describes the key situations for applying the simultaneous equation method in accordance with American practices, and justifies the economic benefits of using this approach. Conclusions and Relevance. The IRE rule does not provide an opportunity to reliably disclose information about the impact of taxation on the financial position of the company at the initial recognition of assets and liabilities. The method of simultaneous equations eliminates this problem, but there are contradictions associated with the understanding of fair value, which is adjusted for deferred taxes. It is necessary to use the American experience in improving standards and conduct additional theoretical research to develop methodological approaches to accounting for deferred taxes at the initial recognition of assets and liabilities. The results of the study can be useful to practitioners in the field of deferred tax accounting, as well as analysts and researchers whose activities are focused on accounting, taxation, and other persons concerned who study the theoretical and financial aspects of deferred taxes.

Experimental and numerical study of laser-welded stainless steel slender I-section beam-columns

This paper reports on an experimental and numerical study on the structural behaviour and resistances of laser-welded stainless steel slender I-section beam-columns under combined compression and minor-axis bending. A testing programme was firstly conducted, including imperfection measurements and sixteen beam-column tests. Following the testing programme, a numerical modelling programme was conducted, where finite-element models were developed and validated. The validated finite-element models were then used to perform parametric studies to derive more numerical data. The obtained test and numerical data were employed to conduct an in-depth design analysis, where the relevant interaction curves in the European and American standards for laser-welded stainless steel slender I-section beam-columns were examined. The design analysis results indicate that the European and American interaction curves lead to significant inaccuracies and scattering of the ultimate load predictions, due to inappropriate bending end points. A new interaction curve is developed, anchored to a more accurate bending end point. The new curve is shown to offer greatly improved design accuracy and consistency over the current European and American curves.

A Fast Instance Segmentation Technique for Log End Faces Based on Metric Learning

The diameter of the logs on a vehicle is a critical part of the logistics and transportation of logs. However, the manual size-checking method is inefficient and affects the efficiency of log transportation. The example segmentation methods can generate masks for each log end face, which helps automate the check gauge of logs and improve efficiency. The example segmentation model uses rectangle detection to identify each end face and then traverses the rectangular boxes for mask extraction. The traversal of rectangular boxes increases the time consumption of the model and lacks separate handling of the overlapping areas between rectangular boxes, which causes a decline in mask extraction accuracy. To address the above problems, we propose a fast instance segmentation method for further improving the efficiency and accuracy of log-checking diameter. The method uses a convolutional neural network to extract the mask image, rectangular frame prediction image, and embed the vector image from the input image. The mask image is used to extract the log end face region, and the rectangular frame prediction image generates an enveloping rectangular frame for each log, which in turn divides the log end face region into instances. For the overlapping regions of rectangular boxes, a metric learning paradigm is used to increase the embedding vector distance between pixels located in different logs and decrease the embedding vector distance between pixels of the same log, and finally the mask pixels of the overlapping regions of rectangular boxes are instantiated according to the pixel embedding vectors. This method avoids repeated calls to the contour extraction algorithm for each rectangular box and enables fine delineation of pixels in the overlapping rectangular box region. To verify the efficiency of the proposed algorithm, the log working pile is photographed in different scenes using a smartphone to obtain the end face recognition database and divide the training set, validation set, and test set according to 8:1:1. Secondly, the proposed model is used to obtain log end face masks, and the log end face ruler diameter is determined by an edge-fitting algorithm combined with a ruler. Finally, the practicality of the algorithm is evaluated by calculating the check-rule diameter error, running speed, and the error of wood volume calculation under different national standards. The proposed method has 91.2% and 50.2 FPS of mask extraction accuracy and running speed, respectively, which are faster and more accurate than the mainstream instance segmentation model. The relative error of the proposed method is −4.62% for the check-rule diameter and −4.25%, −5.02%, −6.32%, and −5.73% for the wood volume measurement under the Chinese, Russian, American, and Japanese raw wood volume calculation standards, respectively. Among them, the error of the calculated timber volume according to our standard is the smallest, which indicates that the model in this paper is more suitable for application in domestic log production operations.

Fabrication and mechanical characterisation of composite sandwich structure having kevlar honeycomb core

ABSTRACT Composite sandwich structures are predominantly used in aerospace, civil engineering works, and automotive industries for load-bearing and lightweight structures. Recently, the core structures have been getting modified, due to the lack of strength, stiffness, and weight ratio. Very few past researches have shown research data on testing and mechanical properties of sandwich structures with commercial Kevlar honeycomb as a core. To overcome the above-said issues, an innovative composite sandwich structure is designed with carbon fibre resin-based sheets and a Kevlar honeycomb core. Carbon fibre face sheets with a thickness of 0.8 mm also an Aerospace Grade Kevlar honeycomb core with a cell size of 3.2 mm, a density of 48 kg/mm3 and a height of 12.7 mm are used to build the proposed sandwich structure. The fabricated sandwich plate was then subjected to various tests by American Standards for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standards to determine the various mechanical properties, such as stiffness, pressure, and stresses. Also, water absorption and soil degradation experiments were conducted on a sandwich plate to describe the additional properties of this sandwich structure. As a result, the specimen produced by the proposed method has low weight with high load withstanding capability as the shear is restricted with the help of carbon fibre also it has low deflection at critical load and high strength.

Essential Business: The Flu, the War, and the Economy

AbstractDuring the First World War, the term “essential business” was used initially in military procurement, and then in disease control when pandemic influenza struck. Essential businesses were exempt from restrictions imposed in the interest of national defense or public health, so debates about essential business concerned the necessity of various goods and services to the consumer. Ultimately, the concept of essential business depended on a shared understanding of the American consumer’s rights and duties as a citizen. On the one hand, consumers furthered the state’s interests by complying with, interpreting, implementing, and enforcing public-health restrictions. On the other, what contemporaries called “the American standard of living” entitled citizens to maintain relatively large expenditures. This relationship between citizenship and consumption explains the economy’s surprising stability in 1918. The flu did not cause a depression because social norms authorized most consumer expenditures as legitimate and appropriate, even during the wartime epidemic. “Essential” work is theorized using the Marxist concept of socially necessary labor, which relates productivity and purchasing power to norms of consumption.

Numerical analysis of circular-steel-tube with anchor-plates embedded in concrete-columns under uplift load

The concrete columns reinforced by circular steel tube (CRCST) with anchor-plates is the main component of steel tube plug-in foundation, which is widely used in the design of transmission tower foundation with large lateral load. However, the research of the uplift behavior of circular-steel-tube with anchor plates in CRCST is rarely reported. This paper presents the numerical modeling and analysis of circular-steel-tube with anchor-plates embedded in concrete-columns on uplift-load. A finite element (FE) model considering non-linear properties of concrete, strain hardening of steel and non-linear adhesive friction between concrete and steel tube is developed and validated through comparing with the results obtained from the indoor experimental study. Based on the validated FE model, the parameter study is undertaken by analyzing the uplift-load displacement response, stress distribution of a series CRCST models with different thickness and diameter of steel tube, concrete compressive strength, cross-section shape and size of anchor plates, to investigate the effect of geomatic and material properties on the uplift load-carrying capacity of circular-steel-tube with anchor plates in CRCST. A comparison between ultimate uplift resistance obtained from experimental study and calculating method deduced by Japanese standard (JEC-127) and American standard (ASCE/SEI 10-15) is presented. It is demonstrated that the FE model developed predicts the uplift load-carrying capacity well, and the prediction accuracy of Japanese standard is poor, while that of American standard is better.

Properties of Pinus sp. pellets prepared after in-line pre-compaction with torrefaction

Pelletizing and torrefaction increase biomass energy density, generating a more homogeneous fuel with lower moisture, enabling it to burn in equipment with high energy efficiency. This work evaluated the quality of pellets made from wood particles that had been densified and torrefied in an extruder-type system. Particles of the Pinus sp. wood were torrefied at 200, 250, and 300 °C for six minutes and then compacted to produce pellets. The physical, chemical, and mechanical properties of these pellets were evaluated and compared with standard ones. Torrefaction modified the pellets properties by increasing ash, fixed carbon, higher heating value, and the energy density, while reducing the volatile matter and equilibrium moisture content. The mechanical durability of the pellets was lower than that defined by the European, German, and American standards. The torrefaction pre-compaction route with torrefied particles at a temperature of 300 °C was the most efficient for energetic use, compared to the in natura biomass. The latter has negative aspects such as great variation in size (length and diameter) and density besides high moisture content.

Comparative assessment of the efficiency of some car drives

The fundamental basis for the scientific progress is the cheaper technology. Systems analysis and engineering, decision-making systems are based on data completeness and their validation. The study aims to provide the following grounds for a systematic comparison of economic and environmental performance of vehicles with different fuel drives. The issue of logistical attractiveness and compatibility for Ukraine is especially relevant today. Thus, specific fuel consumption is calculated by determining the cost of electricity that goes to charge the traction battery from the mains and is equivalently converted into the cost of fuel. The paper presents a method of calculating the equivalent fuel consumption for electric vehicles according to European (l per 100 km) and American standards (miles per 1 gallon). According to the results of fuel efficiency studies, it is established that the equivalent fuel consumption on the territory of Ukraine of the studied electric vehicles is 8-10 times lower than the fuel consumption of cars of the same class with internal combustion engines.