Today's Engineering Research Articles

Identifying Infill Wall Failures in Kahramanmaraş Earthquakes and Strategies for Performance Improvement

Non-structural walls play a very important role in buildings, as they are used to create partitions and provide aesthetic appeal. However, their failures during earthquakes have been a recurring issue. Damage to the infill walls that occurred due to the Kahramanmaraş earthquake on February 6, 2023, was observed in residential and industrial buildings and especially in transformer structures that provide vital electricity distribution. This article presents the findings of field surveys conducted in Kahramanmaraş after recent earthquakes, focusing on non-structural wall collapses that obstructed mainly residential building entrances-exits and structures of particular importance. Within the scope of this study, deficiencies in the certification process in the field of infill walls were seen as the root of workmanship defects. Recommendations were made for the deficiencies in the certification process and for improving the process for the future. Infill walls shouldn’t exhibit out-of-plane behavior, causing loss of life and property and for escape routes to be blocked due to falling walls. With today's technology and engineering, it is possible to positively improve the energy consumption capacity and out-of-plane behavior of infill walls. In this context, a detailed literature review was conducted, and the different techniques used were explained in the article. In addition, explanations were given regarding the force of regulation in Türkiye. Within the scope of the study, the compatibility of regulations and national qualifications in the direction from the design to the production of infill walls is revealed.

Technology Application in Enhancing Visualization Skills in Learning Engineering Drawing: A Systematic Review

In today's dynamic engineering landscape, where design and innovation are at the forefront, effectively communicating and translating complex ideas through precise engineering drawings is an indispensable skill. However, students often encounter challenges in learning engineering drawing due to the complexity of visualizing and translating three-dimensional objects as well as the need for precise technical communication and spatial reasoning skills. The integration of technology application in engineering drawing shows positive impact in empowers students to visualize and understand complex spatial structures through interactive digital tools. such as Computer-Aided Design (CAD) software and 3D modelling. Therefore, the study aims to review how technology-based approaches able to enhance students' visualization skills in learning engineering drawing. This study employs a systematic literature review that adheres to PRISMA to find the primary data based on a few keywords such as "visualization skill and engineering drawing". Based on advanced searching on SCOPUS and Web of Science found (n=26). Expert Scholar decided to develop four themes, which are (1) Augmented Reality in Engineering Education, (2) Teaching Methods and Pedagogical Approaches, (3) Spatial Abilities and Visualization in Engineering Education and (4) Skill Development and Improvement in Engineering Drawing. The findings of this comprehensive analysis indicate that while most studies report positive outcomes in students' visualization skills through targeted interventions, there remains a dearth of longitudinal assessments and standardized measures for evaluating progress. In conclusion, this systematic review underscores the importance of continued research and innovation in the realm of engineering drawing education, advocating for a holistic approach that integrates both traditional and technology-driven methods to enhance visualization skills.

The Catalytic Effect of Low Molecular Weight Acids on the Physicochemical and Dielectric Properties of Oil-Paper Insulation Systems.

In most industrialized countries, power transformers built several decades ago are approaching the end of their operational lifespan. The ongoing energy transition, focused on developing 100% renewable energy sources and accelerating global transportation electrification, further exacerbates these assets. Combined with rising electricity demand, there is an increasing risk of critical transformers' degradation acceleration. In this context, understanding the aging mechanisms of the insulation system inside these essential assets, which form the core of every energy network, becomes paramount for today's managers and engineers responsible for their operations. The acids generated through oil oxidation can be classified into two categories: low molecular weight acids (LMAs), which are inherently more hydrophilic and consequently have a greater impact on the degradation rate of solid insulation through hydrolysis, and high molecular weight acids (HMAs), which do not significantly contribute to the degradation of paper insulation. This study specifically addresses the impact of acids generated through oil oxidation-focusing on LMAs. New oil samples were infused with different ratios of LMAs before impregnation. The impregnated paper samples underwent thermal aging at 115 °C. Different physicochemical and dielectric properties were investigated. The investigations revealed that oils blended with formic acid exhibited more adverse effects on the insulation system compared to other LMAs. This information is essential for industry professionals seeking to mitigate the risks associated with transformer degradation and extend the lifespan of these critical assets during the energy transition.

In-depth Investigation into Supervised and Unsupervised Models within Artificial Neural Networks

An Artificial Neural Network (ANN) is an information-handling worldview that is jazzed up by exactly how natural nerves, like the mind, procedure details. The essential element of this particular worldview is the initial Building of the information dealing with the unit. A neural network is a difficult development that comprises a gathering of interconnected nerve cells, which offers a remarkably electrifying possibility unlike complicated essential reasoning and also various other treatments which may think a notable component in today's software engineering industry, thus professionals from different fields are organizing the synthetic neural networks to tackle the concerns of trend awareness, prophecy, optimization, associative moment and command. It is constructed of an enormous lot of specially connected taking care of elements (neurons) functioning as one to address explicit issues. ANNs, identical to individuals, innovation as an aesthetic presentation. An ANN is developed for a specific app, for example, pattern recognition or records classification, using developing knowledge. Discovering in biological units features modifications following the synaptic associations between neurons.

Enhancing Core Competencies of Engineering Cost Students Through Subject Competitions

This study examines the impact of subject competitions on the core competencies of engineering cost students. Traditional education often fails to develop a broad range of skills required for today's engineers. By incorporating subject competitions, this research highlights their effectiveness in enhancing technical skills, creativity, ethical awareness, and teamwork. Through a mixed-methods approach, including case studies and interviews, the study demonstrates that these competitions significantly contribute to student development, preparing them for real-world challenges in engineering. The findings offer valuable insights for educational institutions aiming to improve their curricula.

Influence of Thermoplastic Polyurethane on the Properties of Asphalt Cement and the Elastic Behavior of Asphalt Mixtures

The useful life of pavements determines the design of asphalt mixtures. However, premature structural failures and low durability are one of the main problems in pavement engineering today. The action of loads produced by traffic, exposure to environmental factors and the inadequacy of conventional designs of asphalt pavements are some of the main problems associated with the durability of the pavement. The modification of asphalt binders is an alternative that has been used for some years to improve the properties of bituminous material. Among the modifying materials are elastomers, a class of polymers with elastic properties that can be heat-treated. In this study, the asphalt was modified by wet means by adding 5, 10 and 15% of Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU) by weight of the binder. Subsequently, standard samples were prepared with the characterized constituents and mixtures with the modified asphalt cement. Consequently, tests were carried out to obtain the optimal mixture that improves the properties of conventional pavement. The results show that the optimal TPU addition content is 5%. With this percentage, the modified binder presented a greater elastic recovery of up to 5.60% and a reduction of up to 42.6% in penetration compared to conventional asphalt. In addition, using the Marshall method, it was determined that the stability of the modified mixtures was much higher than that of standard mixtures for light, medium and heavy traffic; so, they will have a higher resistance to deformation and better fatigue behavior.

Flow prediction of heterogeneous nanoporous media based on physical information neural network

The simulation and prediction of fluid flow in porous media play a profoundly significant role in today's scientific and engineering domains, particularly in gaining a deeper understanding of phenomena such as the migration and fluid flow in underground rock formations and the enhancement of oil recovery rates. The flow of fluids in nanoscale porous media requires consideration of the effects of microscale phenomena, which are challenging to accurately describe using traditional physical models. Currently, research in deep learning for porous media predominantly focuses on conventional porous media, and there is an urgent need for investigations into heterogeneous nanoporous media. Simultaneously, there is a necessity to overcome the limitations of traditional data-driven models lacking physical prior knowledge. Therefore, the integration of physics-informed neural networks, which combine deep learning with physical principles, becomes essential for inferring relatively accurate results from sparse data. In this work, based on the heterogeneity of porous media in shale, we have introduced a deep learning model that couples physical information to predict the flow in heterogeneous nanoscale porous media. In the Physical Information Neural Network model, we utilize point clouds and couple them with deep residual networks. Discrete sampling points are used as inputs, and a multi-level residual connection, along with dimension concatenation, is employed to fuse feature information. The network, through backpropagation, takes into account the Navier-Stokes equations and wall conditions in heterogeneous nanoscale porous media. The results indicate that the apparent permeability and pressure field accuracy are over 90% and 95%, respectively. The Physical Information Neural Network demonstrates promising prospects for predicting flow in nanoscale porous media. Future work will extend to the multiphase complex flow in three-dimensional porous media.

The Development of Sustainable Polyethylene Terephthalate Glycol-Based (PETG) Blends for Additive Manufacturing Processing-The Use of Multilayered Foil Waste as the Blend Component.

The polymer foil industry is one of the leading producers of plastic waste. The development of new recycling methods for packaging products is one of the biggest demands in today's engineering. The subject of this research was the melt processing of multilayered PET-based foil waste with PETG copolymer. The resulting blends were intended for additive manufacturing processing using the fused deposition modeling (FDM) method. In order to improve the properties of the developed materials, the blends compounding procedure was conducted with the addition of a reactive chain extender (CE) and elastomeric copolymer used as an impact modifier (IM). The samples were manufactured using the 3D printing technique and, for comparison, using the traditional injection molding method. The obtained samples were subjected to a detailed characterization procedure, including mechanical performance evaluation, thermal analysis, and rheological measurements. This research confirms that PET-based film waste can be successfully used for the production of filament, and for most samples, the FDM printing process can be conducted without any difficulties. Unfortunately, the unmodified blends are characterized by brittleness, which makes it necessary to use an elastomer additive (IM). The presence of a semicrystalline PET phase improves the thermal resistance of the prepared blends; however, an annealing procedure is required for this purpose.

State of the practice on energy-based liquefaction evaluation and research significance

<p>Since the 1964 Niigata and Alaskan earthquakes, which incurred severe liquefaction damage, liquefaction-related design for infrastructures and buildings has been developed exclusively on the principle of force equilibrium. However, the energy concept is increasingly recognized as superior for simplified and robust liquefaction designs because of the uniqueness of energy capacity in soil failures regardless of the differences in earthquake loads. The energy-based liquefaction evaluation method (EBM) has been pursued by many investigators where dissipated energy for liquefaction is focused in place of liquefaction strength defined in the conventional stress-based method (SBM). Furthermore, the EBM enables sound liquefaction-related designs without resorting to sophisticated but highly variable/tricky numerical analyses and contributes as a scale to measure the reliability of those numerical tools. Thus, the EBM, though short of practical use in today's engineering works, should be able to serve as a simplified liquefaction evaluation tool besides the SBM. We reviewed the basic idea as well as the recent developments of the EBM together with the supporting data. We also discussed how to simplify and approximate the energy-based liquefaction behavior to implement robust evaluations in practical problems. The EBM liquefaction evaluation steps were delineated and exemplified by case studies for practicing engineers compared to the SBM.</p>

СЕЙСМИЧЕСКАЯ ЗАЩИТА ЗДАНИЙ И СООРУЖЕНИЙ С ПРИМЕНЕНИЕМ МЕТАМАТЕРИАЛОВ: ТЕКУЩЕЕ СОСТОЯНИЕ И ПЕРСПЕКТИВЫ РАЗВИТИЯ

Due to the compaction of urban development and increase in its number of floors, the number of studies in the field of protection of buildings and structures from seismic waves is growing in the world, as the wave seismic front in the soil mass can lead to enormous destruction and mass casualties. The most common methods of seismic protection of buildings and structures in civil engineering today are constructive and territorial methods. The first method includes a set of structural measures, among of them an important place is occupied by the use of seismic isolators – special devices inserted into the foundation and reducing inertial seismic effects on building structures. The second way is the use of various barriers in the path of seismic wave propagation. In recent years, there has been a clear trend towards finding new approaches to territorial seismic protection. The analysis of academic databases revealed a large number of studies (mostly foreign) devoted to the development of ways to protect buildings and structures from wave action using various kinds of composite structures – metamaterials. Some researchers conditionally divide these methods into two groups: the first performs the tasks of masking, when the wave front deviates and wraps around the protected object, and the second creates an artificial shadow zone where seismic waves are damped without significantly affecting buildings and structures. Since the development of seismic metamaterials is still a new but certainly promising area of research for Russian science, the purpose of this review was to systematise the available data on the methods of effective protection of buildings and structures from wave impacts.

Tribo-dynamics analysis of engine small-end bearing under real temperature boundary conditions by a wireless in-situ measuring technology

Tribo-dynamics analysis of engine small-end bearings can help to find potential schemes to avoid seizure failure that is common in today's engines under heavy loads and high temperatures. The challenge lies in determining real temperature boundary conditions due to the combined effects of frictional heat and environmental sources. This study develops a new in-situ temperature measuring and wireless transmission system, implemented in a full-scale engine under various conditions. Combining simulation and experiment provides a comprehensive understanding of the difficult-to-measure oil temperature and tribo-dynamics behavior. Results show the test bearing upper part reaches 165 °C due to piston heat transfer. Simulated high-temperature oil aggregation on the lower edges corresponds nicely to oil overheating carbonization at the same locations of the test bearing.

AGRO-WASTE NATURAL FIBER SAMPLE PREPARATION TECHNIQUES FOR BIO-COMPOSITES DEVELOPMENT: METHODOLOGICAL INSIGHTS

In today's engineering industries, there is a growing focus on sustainable and eco-friendly products due to their recyclability, abundant availability and property variability. One key aspect of this sustainability effort is the development of eco-friendly materials, particularly bio composites derived from agricultural waste residues. The physical, mechanical and thermal properties as well as suitability of these fibers depend greatly on the methods used for extraction, processing, chemical modification and physical treatments. Understanding these processes comprehensively is essential for obtaining desired natural fibers/fillers from agricultural waste for creating effective bio composites to meet specific application demands. This study aims to provide a comprehensive assessment of the various extraction and modification techniques employed for natural fibers. It offers an in-depth review of diverse extraction processes, ranging from the initial harvesting to the decortication stage. It has been revealed that the choice of extraction methodologies depends on climate, water resources, local traditions, and the desired fiber quality. Additionally, the paper explores chemical and physical treatments, highlighting how each method influences the structure and properties of natural fibers. Overall, this review offers practical insights into the steps taken to transform agro-waste biomass into desired natural fiber and in turn biocomposite material, while enhancing product quality and performance.

Complexity for complexity-How advanced modeling may limit its applicability for decision-makers.

As today's engineering systems have become increasingly sophisticated, assessing the efficacy of their safety-critical systems has become much more challenging. The more classical methods of "failure" analysis by decomposition into components related by logic trees, such as fault and event trees, root cause analysis, and failure mode and effects analysis lead to models that do not necessarily behave like the real systems they are meant to represent. These models need to display similar emergent and unpredictable behaviors to sociotechnical systems in the real world. The question then arises as to whether a return to a simpler whole system model is necessary to understand better the behavior of real systems and to build confidence in the results. This question is more prescient when one considers that the causal chain in many serious accidents is not as deep-rooted as is sometimes claimed. If these more obvious causes are not taken away, why would the more intricate scenarios that emanate from more sophisticated models be acted upon. The paper highlights the advantages of modeling and analyzing these "normal" deviations from ideality, so called weak signals, versus just system failures and near misses as well as catastrophes. In this paper we explore this question.

EVALUATION OF STRENGTH CHARACTERISTICS OF CLAYEY SOIL USING BASALT FIBER AND GROUND GRANULATED BLAST FURNACE SLAG

The fundamental requirement of humanity is met by transportation. Everyone has traveled for food or pleasure since the beginning of time. Because there is a direct link between the caliber of a nation's transportation infrastructure and its level of development, everyone has high expectations for these facilities. Today's civil engineers have significant hurdles in creating transportation systems that are analytically sound, economically sound, environmentally benign, socially believable, sustainable, and practicable. The inadequacy of traditional construction techniques in the contemporary environment is generating interest in technologies like ground improvement. The development of the economies of developing nations like India depends heavily on the availability of an affordable road network. When it comes to highways, a weak subgrade layer of the pavement necessitates a thicker pavement, which raises the cost of building the pavement. Because of their weak shear strength, high potential for swelling, and poor bearing capacity, organic soils are not appropriate for construction work. Methods for stabilization and compaction can be used to address these sorts of soils. The major goal of the study in this work is to improve the geotechnical qualities of soil by the effective usage of stabilization utilizing basalt fiber and ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS) in varied quantities. The study used 2%, 3%, and 4% of basalt fiber and 5%, 10%, and 15% of powdered granulated blast furnace slag in three different amounts. Compaction and an unconfined compressive test (UCS) were performed on the reinforced soil. The findings of the trial indicated that the soil's compressive strength and shear strength had been effectively improved. Key Words: Compaction test, CBR, UCS, Basalt Fiber, GGBS

The Significance of Al-Jazari's Four-Bucket Water Lifting Machine in the History of Engineering and Science

The developments in the field of engineering have an eclectic structure. During ancient times, the works carried out at the School of Mechanical Engineering in Alexandria were transmitted to the Islamic world through translations at the House of Wisdom (Bayt al-Hikmah). Following this process, engineering studies became the focus of research in the Islamic world, both from theoretical and practical perspectives. Prominent researchers in this context include the Banu Musa brothers (9th century), Al-Farabi (875-950), Al-Hazini (1100s), and Al-Jazari (13th century). The renowned Turkish philosopher Al-Farabi conducted research on air and vacuum, expressing his views in the treatise "Risale li-Ebi Nasr al-Farabi fi’l-Hala" (On Vacuum). Al-Hazini's book "Mizanu’l Hikme" (The Balance of Wisdom) sheds light on the concept of balance, with Hazini turning the water balance into an extraordinary equilibrium device and creating a balance called "Mizânü'l-Câmî" (The Collector).The Banu Musa brothers presented valuable machine and mechanical system designs in their work "Kitab al-Hiyal" (The Book of Ingenious Devices). Al-Jazari, born in 1153 in Cizre, served as the chief engineer of the Artuklu palace for 32 years. During this time, he designed many mechanical and automation-based systems. Upon examining the designs in Al-Jazari's book "Kitab-ül Cami Beyn-el-İl ve'l-Amel el-Nâfi fi Sınaât el Hiyel," it becomes apparent that he elevated the designs made before him to a completely different level. Some of today's engineering designs can trace their origins to the drawings found in this book. In this study, the design features of Al-Jazari's 4-bucket water-lifting machine are examined, and its value in contemporary engineering is explored. Al-Jazari designed a mechanical timer to ensure the continuity of water flow in his design. This timer allowed each bucket to discharge water one after the other, maintaining a continuous flow of water. He achieved this through a shaft with quarter-toothed gears. This design can be considered the precursor to the eccentric and crankshafts found in modern internal combustion engines. The eccentric shaft controls the mechanical timing of valves in engines, while crankshafts ensure the continuous transmission of the force generated by four pistons in a four-stroke engine over a quarter of the cycle to the flywheel gear.

The Performance and Synthesis of Alkynyl-Functionalized Benzoxazine Containing Phthalide Side Groups and Cyano Groups with Different Molecular Weights.

Benzoxazine resins are widely employed in a variety of applications due to their exceptional heat resistance and treatment properties. However, traditional benzoxazine resins still confront hurdles in today's engineering applications, such as their inability to provide long-term service in high-temperature settings and their inadequate toughness. In this study, four alkyne-functionalized benzoxazines with phthalide side groups and cyano groups of varying molecular weights were produced. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and hydrogen nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-NMR) were used to characterize the resin structure, and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) was used to investigate the thermal curing kinetics at different warming rates. The apparent activation energy was 116.9 kJ/mol. In-situ FT-IR was used to investigate the cure mechanism. Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) was used to evaluate the gelation time of BOZ series resins at various temperatures, and the curing process was designed by combining the results with DSC. The Tg of the composites made using BOZ-1N21 as the matrix was 336 °C, which was much higher than the Tg of the BP-a resin made with aniline, phenolphthalein, and formaldehyde (Tg = 251 °C). As a result, the resin system is expected to be employed in applications requiring high-temperature resistance and toughness.

Tribological behavior of steel-based composite coatings produced by cold spray

This study investigates the microstructure, the mechanical properties, the topography and the tribological behavior of a composite coating obtained by cold spray, as a potential candidate for its use in internal combustion engines in the automotive sector. The coating consists of a 410 L matrix and M2 tool steel reinforcements. For comparison, a single component 410 L cold sprayed coating and a wire arc coating, used in some of today's car engines, are also studied. Post-spraying, the coatings underwent specific surface finishing. Their microstructure and topographies were observed. A lubricated reciprocating sliding test was performed, resulting in an exceptionally low friction coefficient and negligible wear, even in harsh conditions for the composite coating. The analyses revealed that the surface finish creates protuberances due to the presence of hard M2 particles, activating a series of mechanisms bringing to the stabilization of a tribofilm. This can be considered responsible for the exceptional tribological properties observed. This study proposes the application of surface textures with protuberances, in particular, their use in lubricated contacts in presence of fully formulated oils, and how cold spray is a suitable process to easily produce them.

Lessons Learned on Adopting Automated Compliance Checking in the AEC Industry: A Global Study

Over the last decades, numerous automated compliance checking (ACC) systems have been developed. However, ACC is still not broadly used in the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry today; little is known as to how ACC can be better accepted by the end users. This paper reports on a multicase study to learn valuable lessons from recent attempts to adopt ACC systems worldwide. Firstly, 18 semistructured interviews were conducted with 20 experts from eight countries, and supplementary data (e.g., documents, product information, and literature) related to each case were collected. Secondly, the interview and supplementary data were then coded to develop prominent themes. Thirdly, through a cross-case analysis, the 12 most determining variables that could influence the ACC adoption were identified. Three path models that explain the interrelationships between these variables and 10 propositions that can guide future ACC adoption were deduced. The results indicate that the government should play an important role to facilitate ACC adoption through funding, policies, and incentives. This study also provides valuable information to software vendors for delivering ACC systems that meet the needs of the industry, and for innovation managers in the industry to develop appropriate adoption plans for the ACC technology.

Topology Optimization in 3D Printed Piston

Abstract: Piston is the main alternating mass of a single cylinder 4 stroke engine and hence contain most of the inertial forces, also modern advancement in the automotive industry for the sake of pollution control and fuel economy many of the techniques such as Downsizing of engine (turbo charging), advance spark ignition, port injection, VVA and many more are adapted and hence results in high specific loading, including thermal and mechanical loads on the several parts of engine. This paper presents the re-designing of the piston, the topology optimization techniques have been used for increasing strength and decreasing mass of the piston which is our main objective. Traditionally pistons were manufactured by casting of aluminum and grey cast iron, aluminum was used in performance oriented vehicles as it was light in weight and have addition thermal properties and also it was easy to manage the inertial forces, whereas cast iron pistons were used in industrial purpose engine (heavy duty engine) today methods are replaced with 3-D printing, as a topology optimized piston cant be manufactured with traditional methods. The procedures in the paper are done for a generalized case and not for a particular so that the same methodology can be implemented in specific cases. Also it will cover a lot about the Material selection and additive manufacturing process used for this specific application.

Free Shrinkage Strains of Box Girders with Concrete Overlays

The aging of reinforced concrete structures is one of the biggest concerns in civil engineering today since billions of dollars are spent annually on deck repairs and replacements. This study focuses on the rehabilitation of reinforced concrete box girders used in bridge construction. Bridge rehabilitation with a new concrete overlay possesses many challenges that involve cracking and debonding of the overlay caused by the restraining effect of the substrate. This effect leads to the development of tension stresses in the overlay, compression stresses in the substrate, and shear stresses at the interface. In order to mitigate this type of cracking and to ensure a desirable monolithic structural behavior of the rehabilitated bridge, a long-term assessment of the free shrinkage strains acting in the overlay is necessary. This study conducts a two-dimension finite element analysis of a reinforced concrete box girder bridge to evaluate humidity and free shrinkage strain profiles at different times. The humidity gradient between the overlay and the substrate generates differential volume changes between substrate and overlay. The substrate deformations are negligible, while the overlay is subjected to high shrinkage; 78% of the ultimate shrinkage strain is reached after 3 years, indicating a high susceptibility to cracking.