Wall Reinforcement Research Articles

PERENCANAAN DINDING PENAHAN TANAH TIPE KANTILEVER PADA GEDUNG PERKANTORAN X DI KOTA DEPOK

An office is a building that is the center of all activities of a company. Offices can be built on a variety of land including unstable land or slopes and cliffs. Development on slopes can be easily disrupted by various things. Office buildings built on slopes require cantilever type retaining walls where cantilever type retaining walls are commonly used in soil conditions such as slopes or cliffs. The purpose of the study was to design a retaining wall and calculate the costs involved in the construction of the retaining wall. The research was conducted on an 8-story office building located on a slope or cliff by planning a cantilever type retaining wall. The cantilever type retaining wall planning method uses AutoCad and Microsoft Excel using the SNI 8460-2017 reference standard. The cantilever type retaining wall designed has dimensions of 6,00 m high and 4,20 meters wide in order to withstand the soil around the office building. The results showed that the safety factor on the slope using the Fellinius method obtained a value of 1,77 by having a retaining wall dimension area of 17,76 m2. The stability obtained in the form of shear stability of 1,51, rolling stability of 2,38 and stability of soil bearing capacity using the Terzaghi equation was found to be 5,64. The total settlement that occurred in the soil amounted to 15,56 mm. The reinforcement required on the retaining wall is D19-200, D19-166 and D19-142 on the vertical wall reinforcement while the reinforcement on the footplateis D19-142.Theresultsof the calculationofthe costbudgetplan whichincludes excavation of soil, wall formwork, reinforcement, ready mix concrete and landfill are estimated for the planning of cantilever type retaining walls amounting to Rp. 2.114.518.361.

The Impact of Urbanization on Tree Growth and Xylem Anatomical Characteristics.

In the context of the intensification of global urbanization, how urbanization (urban heat island effect and air pollution) affects urban tree growth is not fully understood. In this paper, the radial growth and xylem anatomical characteristics of three different tree species (Quercus mongolica, Fraxinus mandshurica, and Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica) in urban and rural areas of Harbin were compared by means of tree-ring anatomy. The results showed that there were significant differences in the growth of both broadleaf trees and conifers between urban and rural areas. The vessel number, cumulative area of vessels, and theoretical hydraulic conductivity of all tree species in rural areas were higher than those in urban areas, indicating that urbanization may have the effect of slowing down growth. However, broadleaf trees in urban areas had higher vessel density and a greater percentage of a conductive area within xylem and theoretical xylem-specific hydraulic conductivity. The thickness of cell walls and cell wall reinforcement index of P. sylvestris var. mongolica were strongly reduced by air pollution, implying that it may be more sensitive to urbanization. Compared to Q. mongolica, F. mandshurica showed less sensitivity to urbanization. Warming and drying climate in Harbin may be an important factor affecting tree growth.

Transcriptome and metabolome analyses revealed the response mechanism of pepper roots to Phytophthora capsici infection

BackgroundPhytophthora root rot caused by the oomycete Phytophthora capsici is the most devastating disease in pepper production worldwide, and current management strategies have not been effective in preventing this disease. Therefore, the use of resistant varieties was regarded as an important part of disease management of P. capsici. However, our knowledge of the molecular mechanisms underlying the defense response of pepper roots to P. capsici infection is limited.MethodsA comprehensive transcriptome and metabolome approaches were used to dissect the molecular response of pepper to P. capsici infection in the resistant genotype A204 and the susceptible genotype A198 at 0, 24 and 48 hours post-inoculation (hpi).ResultsMore genes and metabolites were induced at 24 hpi in A204 than A198, suggesting the prompt activation of defense responses in the resistant genotype, which can attribute two proteases, subtilisin-like protease and xylem cysteine proteinase 1, involved in pathogen recognition and signal transduction in A204. Further analysis indicated that the resistant genotype responded to P. capsici with fine regulation by the Ca2+- and salicylic acid-mediated signaling pathways, and then activation of downstream defense responses, including cell wall reinforcement and defense-related genes expression and metabolites accumulation. Among them, differentially expressed genes and differentially accumulated metabolites involved in the flavonoid biosynthesis pathways were uniquely activated in the resistant genotype A204 at 24 hpi, indicating a significant role of the flavonoid biosynthesis pathways in pepper resistance to P. capsici.ConclusionThe candidate transcripts may provide genetic resources that may be useful in the improvement of Phytophthora root rot-resistant characters of pepper. In addition, the model proposed in this study provides new insight into the defense response against P. capsici in pepper, and enhance our current understanding of the interaction of pepper–P. capsici.

Novel insights into the mechanism(s) of silicon-induced drought stress tolerance in lentil plants revealed by RNA sequencing analysis

BackgroundLentil is an essential cool-season food legume that offers several benefits in human nutrition and cropping systems. Drought stress is the major environmental constraint affecting lentil plants’ growth and productivity by altering various morphological, physiological, and biochemical traits. Our previous research provided physiological and biochemical evidence showing the role of silicon (Si) in alleviating drought stress in lentil plants, while the molecular mechanisms are still unidentified. Understanding the molecular mechanisms of Si-mediated drought stress tolerance can provide fundamental information to enhance our knowledge of essential gene functions and pathways modulated by Si during drought stress in plants. Thus, the present study compared the transcriptomic characteristics of two lentil genotypes (drought tolerant-ILL6002; drought sensitive-ILL7537) under drought stress and investigated the gene expression in response to Si supplementation using high-throughput RNA sequencing.ResultsThis study identified 7164 and 5576 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) from drought-stressed lentil genotypes (ILL 6002 and ILL 7537, respectively), with Si treatment. RNA sequencing results showed that Si supplementation could alter the expression of genes related to photosynthesis, osmoprotection, antioxidant systems and signal transduction in both genotypes under drought stress. Furthermore, these DEGs from both genotypes were found to be associated with the metabolism of carbohydrates, lipids and proteins. The identified DEGs were also linked to cell wall biosynthesis and vasculature development. Results suggested that Si modulated the dynamics of biosynthesis of alkaloids and flavonoids and their metabolism in drought-stressed lentil genotypes. Drought-recovery-related DEGs identified from both genotypes validated the role of Si as a drought stress alleviator. This study identified different possible defense-related responses mediated by Si in response to drought stress in lentil plants including cellular redox homeostasis by reactive oxygen species (ROS), cell wall reinforcement by the deposition of cellulose, lignin, xyloglucan, chitin and xylan, secondary metabolites production, osmotic adjustment and stomatal closure.ConclusionOverall, the results suggested that a coordinated interplay between various metabolic pathways is required for Si to induce drought tolerance. This study identified potential genes and different defence mechanisms involved in Si-induced drought stress tolerance in lentil plants. Si supplementation altered various metabolic functions like photosynthesis, antioxidant defence system, osmotic balance, hormonal biosynthesis, signalling, amino acid biosynthesis and metabolism of carbohydrates and lipids under drought stress. These novel findings validated the role of Si in drought stress mitigation and have also provided an opportunity to enhance our understanding at the genomic level of Si’s role in alleviating drought stress in plants.

Cutter Soil Mix-Energywall full-scale test experimental setup

The demand for sustainable heat production is growing worldwide [1]. Classical geothermal borehole installations are costly due to the required boring depth and space demands in the urban environment. Shallow geothermal heat exchangers comprised of thermally-activated geostructures in combination with heat pumps (also known as energy geostructures, EGS) offer an interesting alternative due to a combination of functions [2]. 
 This paper focuses on the thermal properties of the CSM (Cutter-Soil-Mix [3]) Energywall; a novel EGS type in which heat exchanger pipes are installed in a cutter-soil-mix wall to thermally activate it. Therefore, the CSM Energywall serves the dual function of supporting the soil/overlying structure and providing geothermal energy for space heating/cooling. A test site has been setup in Amstelveen, the Netherlands, where this system will be tested for a 1 year period (starting March 2023). A test site picture is shown in Figure 1.The goals of the experiment are to evaluate the thermal efficiency of the system and to assess its thermo-mechanical behaviour by means of numerical models valiated against the data collected from site monitoring. In the first part of the forthcoming paper, test setup and experimental results (both from the field and laboratory tests of the CSM material) will be presented. In the second part, the implementation and validation of the numerical models will be described. Lastly, the paper will focus on the suitability of the CSM-Energywall as a sustainable urban heat source, with particular reference to the Netherlands context.
 The following research questions have been defined for the CSM-Energywall experiments:
 
 What is the heat extraction potential of a CSM-Energywall in sandy and in cohesive soils?
 Does thermal activation affect the mechanical properties of the CSM material?
 What is the long term heat production potential of the CSM-Energywall?
 How accurately can the heat extraction potential be predicted using numerical models?
 
 A test setup at Amstelveen (NL) has been built to answer the above research questions. The test site is located in a building pit of 22 x 13m. CSM-walls were built along the pit perimeter, serving both as a soil retaining structure and as a foundation for the superstructure. The CSM wall has a thickness of 0.55m and is reinforced with IPE steel beams. The bottom of the CSM wall has a level of NAP-18.0m (NAP= Normaal Amsterdamse Peil, vertical reference system of the Netherlands). The bottom of the steel IPE beams is at a level of NAP-15.6m. The ground level at the test site is located at NAP-0.7m and the groundwater table at NAP-1.5m. The building pit has an excavation level of NAP-4.70m. Heat exchanger pipe loops with a diameter of 20mm have been connected to the steel beams representing the CSM wall reinforcement (Figure 1). The loops have a depth of NAP-15.0m or NAP-11.0m. Five main groups of loops are connected to the flow distributer. Each group is then split into six subgroups. Each subgroup consists of two thermoactive steel rebars. The test setup will run for the duration of the building construction. Being able to select the geothermal activation of the shallowest or deepest loops, it will be possible to measure the energy output of both the fine-grained layers (with a bottom depth of NAP-11.0m) and the underlying sandy layers. 
 During the tests the following aspects will be monitored:
 
 Flowrate of fluid through the main loops (FTB4700 Flowmeter)
 Temperature of each main group of loops (PT100 thermowell)
 Flowrate and temperature of heat pump inlet/outlet fluid (Kramstrup Energymeter)
 Temperature of the soil (thermistor strings)
 
 CSM material core samples have been taken for laboratory testing. Cyclic thermal loading, unconfined compression strength (UCS) tests, computerize tomography (CT) scan tests and hot disk tests will be conducted on samples taken from different depths. The goal of the laboratory testing is to evaluate:
 
 The thermal properties of CSM material depending on the original insitu soil composition, needed to assess the thermal efficiency of the system.
 The UCS of the CSM material, and its possible dependency on temperature.
 The macroporisy and density distribution of the CSM material, to gain insight into the material composition.
 The influence of thermal cycling on the material’s mesostructure (e.g. porosity and density distribution).
 
 The full-scale experiment is going to be numerically modelled in 3D using the COMSOL Multiphysics Finite Element software. The model will be validated based on the experimental results of the test after 1 year and calibrated using laboratory measured thermal properties of the CSM material. The model will then be extended to predict the long term efficiency of the CSM- Energywall and its thermo-mechanincal behaviour.

Special Issue on ICoE Taipei Integrated Research on Disaster Risk

Established in 2010 as an integrated research program for disaster risk reduction, the IRDR ICoE Taipei is co-sponsored by the International Science Council (ISC) and the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR). In the past decade, the IRDR ICoE Taipei has received hundreds of participants around the world to the more than a dozen international training workshops (AI, Advanced Institute) it has organized. These workshops focused mostly on the capacity building program for disaster risk reduction. Bearing this in mind, one important motivation for this Special Issue was to encourage the participants of each Advanced Institute, in particular those who were awarded Seed Grants to conduct one-year projects following each workshop, to publish the results of their studies on the topics related to disaster risk reduction. In this Special Issue, the first paper provides a brief review of the capacity building program of the IRDR ICoE Taipei, followed by three research articles. Viola van Onselen and her co-workers in Taiwan present a methodology of strategies of ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction, with several case studies in coastal environments of Taiwan. Shyamli Singh of India proposes an integrated system for sustainable rice economics linking from farm to market, a case study on one of the largest rice production fields on the Indo-Gangetic plain. From the engineering perspective, Wen-Yi Huang and his colleagues in Taiwan and Australia present a paper dealing with the reinforcement of soil walls to prevent geohazards on the roads. This is the first special issue produced as a collaboration between the IRDR ICoE Taipei and the JDR, with great support from the National Science and Technology Center for Disaster Reduction (NCDR) and Academia Sinica of Taiwan. We hope there will be more Special Issues to come in the next few years.

Slope Stability Analysis of Sekayu-Mangun Jaya Road STA 127+350 Reinforced with Retaining Walls

Economic growth that increases the traffic load on national roads requires these roads to have decent, safe and comfortable services. Landslide was occurred on the Sekayu-Mangun Jaya STA 127+350 road section which disrupted traffic activity. This occurrence caused the major road to shift sideways and deteriorate, rendering the route's service capacity insufficient. The road section has been repaired and is planned to use soil retaining wall reinforcement as a countermeasure. This study aims to determine the slope stability of the Sekayu-Mangun Jaya road before and after reinforcement is carried out. Slope stability analysis was performed by empirical methods using infinite slope theory and the finite element method using the Plaxis program. The calculation results show that the safety factor of the slope before the retaining wall is installed at BH-01 is 0.9. This value falls under the category of unstable slope. The safety factor at the BH-02 location was obtained at 1.3 in the moderate stability category. Slope stability after strengthening with the installation of embankments and retaining walls shows an increase in the safety factor at BH-01 to 2.59. After the slope reinforcement was carried out, the slope deformation decreased significantly to 1.5 m. The results implicated that with slope reinforcement, slope stability increases and the possibility of landslides decreases.

The Influence of Ground Water Level Conditions on the Stability of Road Slopes with Retaining Walls

This research was carried out using the P laxis 8.0 finite element method and manual calculations as well as by evaluating the safety factor value. Slope stability analysis using the P laxis program aims to determine the safe value of the slope before and after reinforcement using a cantilever - type retaining wall. Based on the analysis of the P laxis program before the installation of the cantilever retaining wall, in general the condition of the retaining wall on Jalan Ahmad Yani Gg. Batu Mas, Singkawang City experienced a landslide due to the condition of the soil which was classified as having low soil mechanical properties. Slopes with designed cantilever wall reinforcement are considered safer because they have the smallest displacement and settlement values, and meet all slope stability requirements, ie, shear stability is 1.251 > 1.5 (Safe), stability against overturning is 2.415 > 2 (Safe) , and bearing capacity is 0.555 < 0.583. The cantilever retaining wall structure uses D16-100 principal reinforcement and D10-100 shrinkage reinforcement, the base plate uses D16-150 principal reinforcement and D10-100 shrinkage reinforcement.

Exploring the extensin gene family: an updated genome-wide survey in plants and algae.

Extensins (EXTs), a class of hydroxyproline-rich glycoprotein with multiple Ser-Pro3-5 motifs, are known to play roles in cell wall reinforcement and environmental responses. EXTs with repetitive Tyr-X-Tyr (YXY) motifs for crosslinking are referred as crosslinking EXTs. Our comprehensive study spanned 194 algal and plant species, categorizing EXTs into seven subfamilies: classical extensins (EXT I and II), arabinogalactan-protein extensins (AGP-EXTs), proline-rich extensin-like receptor kinases (PERKs), leucine-rich repeat extensins (LRX I and II), formin homology (FH) domain-containing extensins (FH-EXTs), proline-rich, arabinogalactan proteins, conserved cysteines (PAC) domain-containing extensins (PAC I and II), and eight-cysteine motif (8CM)-containing extensins (8CM-EXTs). In the examined dataset, EXTs were detected ubiquitously in plants but infrequently in algae, except for one Coccomyxa and four Chlamydomonadales species. No crosslinking EXTs were found in Poales or certain Zingiberales species. Notably, the previously uncharacterized EXT II, PAC II, and liverwort-specific 8CM-EXTs were found to be crosslinking EXTs. EXT II, featuring repetitive YY motifs instead of the conventional YXY motif, was exclusively identified in Solanaceae. Furthermore, tandem genes encoding distinctive 8CM-EXTs specifically expressed in the germinating spores of Marchantia polymorpha. This updated classification of EXT types allows us to propose a plausible evolutionary history of EXT genes during the course of plant evolution.

Hydraulic traits and photosynthesis are coordinated with trunk sapwood capacitance in tropical tree species.

Water stored in trunk sapwood is vital for the canopy to maintain its physiological function under high transpiration demands. Little is known regarding the anatomical properties that contribute to the hydraulic capacitance of tree trunks and whether trunk capacitance is correlated with the hydraulic and gas exchange traits of canopy branches. We examined sapwood capacitance, xylem anatomical characteristics of tree trunks, embolism resistance, the minimal xylem water potential of canopy branches, leaf photosynthesis and stomatal conductance in 22 species from a tropical seasonal rainforest and savanna. The results showed that the mean trunk sapwood capacitance did not differ between the two biomes. Capacitance was closely related to the fiber lumen fraction and fiber wall reinforcement and not to the axial and ray parenchyma fractions. Additionally, it was positively correlated with the theoretical hydraulic conductivity of a trunk and the specific hydraulic conductivity of branches, and showed a trade-off with branch embolism resistance. Species with a high trunk sapwood capacitance maintained less negative canopy water potentials in the dry season, but higher leaf photosynthetic rates and stomatal conductance in the wet season. This study provides a functional link among trunk sapwood capacitance, xylem anatomy, canopy hydraulics and photosynthesis in tropical trees.

ORGANIZATIONAL AND TECHNOLOGICAL SOLUTIONS FOR THE REPAIR AND RESTORATION OF SEWAGE TUNNELS IN THE PLACES ADJACENT TO EXPLORATION MINES

The analysis of the occurrence of typical accidents of water drainage networks indicates a number of reasons for their failure, namely: a 2-3 times decrease in the amount of sewage over the last 20 years; increase in aggressiveness of wastewater, decrease in flow rate and increase in rainfall. During operation beyond the regulatory term, the reinforced concrete vault of the tunnel is almost completely destroyed as a result of biogenic corrosion. The listed reasons for the destruction of sewage tunnels built more than 50 years ago are generally similar in nature. From the above, it follows that the specifics of the operation of sewer tunnels can be highlighted - the cross-section diameter is more than 1500 mm and the laying depth is more than 5-7 m. It should be noted that the sections of the tunnels at the points of connection with inspection shafts, as well as the structure of inspection shafts, experience the greatest corrosion. A significant role in the repair and restoration of water drainage structures is played by the selection of materials and structures capable of counteracting the aggressive effects of hydrogen sulfide and other gases. In Ukraine and abroad, considerable experience has been accumulated in the repair and restoration of drainage network structures using materials and structures with high acid and alkali resistance. Conducted research has shown that products based on basalt have a number of advantages: high strength, fairly low weight, reliability during operation in a wide temperature range, they are not prone to corrosion and have high chemical resistance. The experience of working with pneumatic formwork gives them special importance, because they ensure the following requirements:quick installation and dismantling of the formwork; the possibility of using it for curved spatial surfaces forms, even with large spans;multiple reversibility of the formwork. The technology for the construction of the vaulted part of the sewer tunnel with internal finishing with stone casting tiles involves the following stages:dismantling of emergency sections of the tunnel (vaults, walls);clearing the tray part of the tunnel;restoration of the section of the tunnel part of the tunnel (if the tunnel is destroyed);cleaning of the existing fittings to ensure the joint operation of the tray and the protective coating of the vault being erected;installation of pneumatic formwork for the construction of the tunnel vault with internal finishing with stone casting tiles;laying stone casting tiles;installation of the necessary fittings for the protective lining of the vault made of monolithic reinforced concrete;creation of inventory formwork;laying the concrete mixture of the monolithic part of the vault;dismantling of pneumatic and inventory formwork after gaining strength of concrete;backfilling of the trench with compaction. The main period of restoration of the observation shaft with the help of lining the walls with stone-cast basalt tiles: dismantling of floor slabs; cleaning of walls from corrosion products; injection of anti-corrosion concrete on a small filler of space at the junctions of the tunnel; reinforcement of the mine walls (in case of deep corrosion of the walls); facing the walls of the observation shaft with stone-cast basalt tiles; treatment of the inner surface of operational areas and stairs with anti-corrosion epoxy polyurethane compound "AQUAKHIM". To justify the feasibility of using the proposed technology, two options for restoring the destroyed tunnel were considered: the method using stone casting tiles; the method of replacing destroyed pipes with polyethylene ones (an open method of restoration with dismantling of the destroyed tunnel). The option of restoring the sewer tunnel using stone casting tiles is almost 3 times more economical and expedient in terms of the cost of materials compared to the use of SPIRO PE pipe. The advantage of restoring sewage tunnels in this way is the durability and resistance of this material to aggressive effects, a sufficient amount of natural material in the country, and low cost. Keywords: sewage tunnel, inspection shaft, basalt, pneumatic formwork, technological solutions, open method.

The influence of nonuniform movement of rubble foundation on bearing capacity of brick walls of a historic building

Purpose: The aim of the work is to determine the bearing capacity of walls and columns of the building during significant movement of its natural-stone foundation on unstable soil.Methodology: The finite-element model of stress-strain state is developed by using Ing+2021 MicroFe software package.Research findings: During 168 years of the long-term service since 1854, the negative effect from soil frost-thawing, frost heave of the rubble foundation, and geotechnical influence of the Tom river, provided a significant fluctuation of the water level during low-water and flood periods. The foundation was considerably settled, that disturbed the spatial rigidity of the historic building.Practical implications: The obtained results can be used to develop recommendations for ensuring necessary spatial rigidity of the brick building via the reinforcement of exterior walls with tensioned steel ties on inter-floor and attic ceilings.

Masonry Wall Reinforcement

Unreinforced masonry has been used as a construction material for thousands of years. Whilesome of these structures survive to this day, these tend to have massive walls and would be unpractical formodern use. Unreinforced masonry can be reinforced with proper masonry techniques. As a result,reinforced and confined types of masonry were developed to exploit the strength potential of masonry andto solve its lack of tensile strength, significantly improving not only resistance, but also ductility andenergy dissipation capacity.Fiber reinforced polymer composites have emerged as an effective means of reinforcing masonrystructures due to their high mechanical characteristics, low weight and durability. The role of FRPmaterials is to act as a tensile reinforcement which can be used to improve the ability of a wall against inplane shear and/or out-of-plane bending.This contribution, based on experimentation and numerical modelling, aims at a better understanding ofthe behaviour of structures in masonry. Multiple reinforcement techniques and methods are illustrated inthis summary, such as the reinforcement of masonry walls by composite materials like CFRP (CarbonFiber Reinforced Polymer) and glass fibre reinforced polymer (GFPR), also there are Near surfacemounted (NSM), carbon fibers reinforced polymer (CFRP) and other techniques are cited in this work.

Higher induction of defense enzymes and cell wall reinforcement in maize by root associated bacteria for better protection against Aspergillus niger

Higher induction of defense enzymes and cell wall reinforcement in maize by root associated bacteria for better protection against Aspergillus niger

Dendroanatomy of xylem hydraulics in two pine species: Efficiency prevails on safety for basal area growth in drought-prone conditions

Xylem structure optimizes water conductivity while preventing hydraulic failure via embolism resistance, but how this process is modulated by climate variability and how it affects secondary growth in mature trees is still not fully understood, particularly in water-limited environments. Using quantitative wood anatomy techniques, we estimated xylem anatomical proxies for hydraulic efficiency (xylem specific conductivity, Ks) and safety (cell wall reinforcement, wrein) in two western US conifers, Pinus flexilis and Pinus longaeva, at a montane and subalpine location respectively. We built two large datasets (570 rings for P. flexilis, 635 rings for P. longaeva) to investigate 1) the variability of anatomical parameters (i.e lumen diameter, cell wall thickness) and hydraulic proxies along the stem in the five outermost rings (2009–2013); 2) the response of hydraulic proxies to daily climate over a period of 24 years (1990–2013); and 3) the relationship between xylem hydraulic architecture and basal area increment (BAI). Lumen diameter scaled along the stem following a power function, but the scaling patterns of cell wall thickness and hydraulic proxies differed significantly between species. From 1990–2013, Ks decreased in both species, whereas wrein increased only in P. longaeva, while no trends were observed in BAI. Climate sensitivity of Ks peaked over a longer period (84–102 days) compared to wrein (20–55 days), responding to increasing minimum temperature. In both species, Ks was a better predictor of BAI than wrein, indicating that, even under severely water-limited conditions, radial growth is linked to hydraulic efficiency rather than safety. Based on the variability of cell density along the stem, the trade-off between hydraulic efficiency and safety in P. longaeva appeared to be controlled by a strategy of space occupation. Characterizing the mechanistic relationship between xylem anatomy, plant hydraulic functioning, and stem growth is necessary to better understand climate-growth relationships in the western US and species’ growth plasticity under future climate change scenarios.

Stiffness reduction effect of vertically divided reinforced concrete structural walls

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of vertical division of reinforced concrete shear walls on wall stiffness and strength. Six full-scale specimens were fabricated and reversed cyclic load tests were performed. The study found that both strength and stiffness decreased due to vertical division, with the rate of stiffness reduction being higher than the rate of strength reduction. The flexural stiffness decreased by 30–50% due to vertical division. It is expected that safety can be ensured by reducing the load acting on the wall due to the redistribution of the load caused by the vertical division. Structural analysis was performed for an actual building, and it was confirmed that the applied moment decreased as the wall flexural stiffness decreased. In future studies, it will be necessary to evaluate additional variables such as wall aspect ratio, reinforcement ratio, and axial force, and to conduct analytical studies on various walls using finite element analysis.

Experimental assessment of crack prediction methods in international design codes for edge restrained walls

Through cracking resulting from external restraint of early-age thermal and long-term shrinkage strain is a significant issue in the construction industry as it causes leakage in water retaining and resisting structures. Concerningly, a recent field study found restraint induced crack widths to frequently exceed crack widths calculated in accordance with UK design practice (BS EN 1992-3 and CIRIA C766). Due to a lack of pertinent data, the reasons for this are uncertain. This paper compares measured and predicted crack widths in a series of 12 full-scale edge restrained walls constructed in the laboratory. The tests examine the influence on cracking of key parameters including concrete mix design, wall reinforcement ratio, wall aspect ratio and relative wall to base cross-sectional area. The measured and calculated crack widths are compared at first cracking and at the end of monitoring. Two types of behaviour were noted in the tests, dependent on when the first cracks formed. Cracking either occurred at early age, within 24 h of stripping the formwork, or later due to restraint of combined early age thermal contraction and shrinkage. The final crack widths were greatest, by a considerable margin, in walls where cracks formed at early age, despite the initial cracks being very narrow. BS EN 1992-3 gives the best estimates of crack width in the two walls that cracked at early age. Crack widths in these walls were significantly underestimated by C766. In the other 10 walls, which cracked later, C766 tends to give the best estimate of crack width.

Rice-Magnaporthe transcriptomics reveals host defense activation induced by red seaweed-biostimulant in rice plants.

Red seaweed extracts have been shown to trigger the biotic stress tolerance in several crops. However, reports on transcriptional modifications in plants treated with seaweed biostimulant are limited. To understand the specific response of rice to blast disease in seaweed-biostimulant-primed and non-primed plants, transcriptomics of a susceptible rice cultivar IR-64 was carried out at zero and 48h post inoculation with Magnaporthe oryzae (strain MG-01). A total of 3498 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified; 1116 DEGs were explicitly regulated in pathogen-inoculated treatments. Functional analysis showed that most DEGs were involved in metabolism, transport, signaling, and defense. In a glass house, artificial inoculation of MG-01 on seaweed-primed plants resulted in the restricted spread of the pathogen leading to the confined blast disease lesions, primarily attributed to reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation. The DEGs in the primed plants were defense-related transcription factors, kinases, pathogenesis-related genes, peroxidases, and growth-related genes. The beta-D-xylosidase, a putative gene that helps in secondary cell wall reinforcement, was downregulated in non-primed plants, whereas it upregulated in the primed plants indicating its role in the host defense. Additionally, Phenylalanine ammonia-lyase, pathogenesis-related Bet-v-I family protein, chalcone synthase, chitinases, WRKY, AP2/ERF, and MYB families were upregulated in seaweed and challenge inoculated rice plants. Thus, our study shows that priming rice plants with seaweed bio-stimulants resulted in the induction of the defense in rice against blast disease. This phenomenon is contributed to early protection through ROS, protein kinase, accumulation of secondary metabolites, and cell wall strengthening.

T-Line mesh as a safe and effective option for abdominal wall reinforcement with autologous breast reconstruction

T-Line mesh as a safe and effective option for abdominal wall reinforcement with autologous breast reconstruction

Near-surface-mounted retrofitting of adobe walls using different materials: Evaluation of seismic performance

This study focuses on the seismic strengthening of adobe walls using different reinforcement materials and different reinforcement schemes through the near-surface-mounted (NSM) technique. Six adobe wall panels (1900 × 1200 × 200 mm) were quasi-statically tested and comprised one unreinforced wall and five specimens reinforced with reinforced mortar strip, bamboo plywood and wood, respectively. The strengthening procedure involved insertion of the reinforcing materials into the grooves cut symmetrically on both sides of the walls. The results were described in terms of energy dissipation, lateral resistance, ultimate displacement, stiffness degradation, ductility, and tolerate maximum peak ground accelerations. The tolerate maximum peak ground accelerations (PGA) of the specimens were analyzed using the N2 method. The test results indicated that the tensile strength, elastic modulus and scheme of reinforcement materials had a significant impact on the seismic performance and failure mode of specimens. The reinforced mortar strips significantly improved the seismic performance of adobe walls, particularly when using horizontal and vertical reinforcement schemes. The reinforcement of adobe walls with bamboo plywood and wood had achieved satisfactory results in terms of ductility, energy dissipation, and PGA. Finally, the masonry calculation formula was modified to establish the formula for estimating lateral resistance of adobe wall.