Journal of Engineering

In this research, Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) technique was applied in an attempt to predict the water levels and some of the water quality parameters at Tigris River in Wasit Government for five different sites. These predictions are useful in the planning, management, evaluation of the water resources in the area. Spatial data along a river system or area at different locations in a catchment area usually have missing measurements, hence an accurate prediction. model to fill these missing values is essential.
The selected sites for water quality data prediction were Sewera, Numania , Kut u/s, Kut d/s, Garaf observation sites. In these five sites models were built for prediction of the water level and water quality parameters. the following (Biological Oxygen Demand( ), Phosphate,( ) Sulfate(), Nitrate( ), Calcium(Ca), Magnesium(Mg), Total Hardness(TH), Potassium(K), Sodium (Na), Chloride (CL), Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), Electric conductivity (EC), Alkalinity(ALK)). The ANN models tried herein were the Multisite- Multivariate ANN models (5-sites, 14 variables), five models were built, one for each of the five stations as the missing data station. The linear
ANN (traditional) models fail to make the prediction of all variables with high correlation coefficient simultaneously. Hence a non- linear input ANN model was developed herein and believed to be a new modification in ANN modeling. It was found that the ANNs have the ability to predict water level and water quality parameters at all the sites with a good degree of accuracy, the range of correlation coefficients obtained are (12.9%-97.2%) for linear models, while for this model with Non-linear terms, The range of correlation coefficients obtained is (71.8%-99.6%).

Roller-Compacted Concrete (RCC) is a zero-slump concrete, with no forms, no reinforcing steel, no finishing and is wet enough to support compaction by vibratory rollers. Because the effectiveness of curing on properties and durability, the primary scope of this research is to study the effect of various curing methods (air curing, emulsified asphalt(flan coat) curing, 7 days water curing and permanent water curing) and different porcelanite (local material used as an Internal Curing agent) replacement percentages (volumetric replacement) of fine aggregate on some properties of RCC and to explore the possibility of introducing more practical RCC for road pavement with minimum requirement of curing. Cubes specimens were sawed from the slabs of (38*38*10) cm for determination of compressive strength. The results show that using (5) % porcelanite improved the compressive strength of RCC (with air curing) as compared with reference RCC (with permanent curing) by percentage ranging from(-2.9 to 6)%.

The possibility of using zero-valent iron as permeable reactive barrier in removing lead from a contaminated groundwater was investigated. In the batch tests, the effects of many parameters such as contact time between adsorbate and adsorbent (0-240 min), initial pH of the solution (4-8), sorbent dosage (1-12 g/100 mL), initial metal concentration (50-250 mg/L), and agitation speed
(0-250 rpm) were studied. The results proved that the best values of these parameters achieve the maximum removal efficiency of Pb+2 (=97%) were 2 hr, 5, 5 g/100 mL, 50 mg/L and 200 rpm respectively. The sorption data of Pb+2 ions on the zero-valent iron have been performed well by Langmuir isotherm model in compared with Freundlich model under the studied conditions. Finite difference method and computer solutions (COMSOL) multiphysics 3.5a software based on finite element method were used to simulate the one-dimensional equilibrium transport of lead through sand aquifer with and without presence of barrier. The predicted and experimental results proved that the reactive barrier plays a potential role in the restriction of the contaminant plume migration and a reasonable agreement between these results was recognized.

The present work includes design, construction and operates of a prototype solar absorption refrigeration system, using methanol as a refrigerant to avoid any refrigerant that cause global warming and greenhouse effect. Flat plate collector was used because it’s easy, ninexpensive and efficient. Many test runs (more than 50) were carried out on the system from May to October, 2013; the main results were taken between the period of July 15, 2013 to August 15, 2013 to find the maximum C.O.P, cooling, temperature and pressure of the system. The system demonstrates a maximum generator temperature of 93.5 oC, on July 18, 2013 at 2:30 pm, and the average mean generator temperature Tgavr was 74.7 °C, for this period. The maximum pressure Pg obtained was 2.25 bar on July 19, 2013 at 2:00 pm. The current system shows cooling capacity of 0.15 ton with coefficient of performance of 0.48, and minimum evaporator temperature obtained was 14.2oC. A comparison of the present with previous works, showed that most of the previous work used ammonia as the main refrigerant, and even that used methanol it was as aqua methanol, or to be part of pair refrigerant, while the present work use the methanol as the main and the only refrigerant in the system. The results and the factors that provided by the current work, give a good understanding for using the methanol as a refrigerant with the solar absorption system. And the system can work in continuous operation cycle. This work gave fundamental understanding for designing solar refrigeration system, by using the results of present study to design air-conditioning unit, with one ton capacity, using the solar energy, and the methanol as a refrigerant.

A winglet is devices attached at the wing tips, used to improve aircraft wing efficiency by reduction influence wing tips vortices and induct drag, increasing lift force at the wing tips and effective aspect ratio without adding greatly to the structural stress and weight in the wing structure. This paper is presented three-dimensional numerical analysis to proposed modification swept back wing by adding Raked winglets devices at the main wing tips belong the two seat trainer aircraft type Aermacchi Siai S211 by using Fluent ANSYS 13 software. CFD numerical analysis process was performed at the same flight boundary conditions indifferent wing angle of attacks with constant air flow velocity V∞ =50 (m/sec), ambient pressure Po=101325 (Pa), ambient temperature To=288.14 (K), and at air density ρo=1.225 (kg\m3) to both proposed wing model and the main aircraft wing model. The results are shown an improvement in aerodynamic parameters including increment lift coefficient to (0.22%-5.95%), reduction drag coefficient to (0.34% - 3.60%), increment wing load efficiency ratio to (2.62% - 7.30%), reduction induct drag coefficient CDi to (7.65% - 13.11%) compared with the main aircraft wing model and achieved an improvement in aircraft flight maneuver abilities and stability controls especially during descent, approach, landing and takeoff with lower speed with shortage runway.

This paper presents a brief study undertaken for improving the performance of information and communication management of construction projects through investing in information and communication technologies (ICT). The work aims at first to investigate and diagnose the problems, challenges, weaknesses, and inefficiencies related to information and communication management in projects in the construction industry of Iraq. Studying the diagnosed matters and the different solutions of ICT to improve project management performance is following the investigation process. The research presents a technological system suggested to process a lot of the diagnosed problems, challenges, weakness, and inefficiencies of the construction projects and to improve the current performance of project management and execution. The suggested system principles and fundamentals, benefits, features, classification and types, and the different solutions are described to ease and improve the process of development, adoption, and implementation of the system. The results show that the proposed system can improve the performance of the current state of project management through improving the processes of information and communication management.

In this paper, the behavior of spliced steel girders under static loading is investigated. A group of seven steel I-girders were tested experimentally. Two concentrated loads were applied to each specimen at third points and the load was increased incrementally up to the yield of the specimen. Two types of splices were considered; the bearing type and the friction-grip type splices. For comparison, an analytical study was made for the tested girders in which the finite element analysis program (Abaqus) was used for analysis. It was found that the maximum test load for spliced girders with bearing type splices was in the range of (34%) to (67%) of the maximum test load for the reference girder. For girders spliced by using friction-grip type splices, the maximum test load was in the range of (90%) to (99%) of the maximum test load for the reference girder. The analytical results show a good agreement with the experimental results with a difference in maximum deflection at midspan was not more than (15%) at maximum load for all girders.

Ultrasonic extraction is an inexpensive, simple and efficient alternative to conventional extraction techniques, as compared with other novel extraction techniques such as microwave-assisted extraction & supercritical fluid extraction techniques, the ultrasound apparatus is cheaper and its operation is easier. Ultrasound assisted extraction has risen rapidly in the latest decade, and for most applications it has proven to be effective compared to traditional extraction techniques. In this paper, a method of ultrasonic-assisted extraction was used to extract Inulin from tubers of Jerusalem artichoke, which have been reported to have several medicinal properties and uses. Inulin is a storage carbohydrate found in many plants especially in chicory root, Jerusalem artichoke and dahlia tuber. In this study, the effect of time, temperature, pH and solid to liquid ratio on Inulin extraction from Jerusalem artichoke tubers by using ultrasonic water bath. The highest yield of Inulin were investigated from Jerusalem artichoke tuber was (99.47%) at temperature of 70°C, pH=7, 60 min and ratio of solid to solvent was (10gm/100ml). Then, The UV detector by colorimetric method with vanillin–sulfuric acid was used for the quantification of Inulin.

Friction stir welding (FSW) of Tee-joints is obtained by inserting a specially designed rotating pin into the clamped blanks, through top plate (skin) to bottom plate (stringer), and then moving it along the joint, limiting the contact between the tool shoulder and the skin. The present work aims to investigate the defects occur for Tee-joint of an Aluminum alloy (Al 5456) with dimensions (180mm x 70mm) for the skin plate, (180mm x 30mm) for stringer plate and thickness of (4mm).
The effects of welding parameters such as rotational speed, linear speed, plunging depth, tool tilting, and die radii of welding fixture on the welding quality of Aluminum Alloy will be studied. Weld defects had been summarized and studied, and then the best conditions that led to good welds had been estimated.

talking about the construction industry, they frequently characterized by risk, where most of the construction projects involved in the property being fraught with risks and uncertainty, and this is due to the complexity of the industry and the length of the project, and the large number of parties that have a relationship with them. The risks in the projects is a reality that can not be neglected or ignored or canceled, but must be managed properly and so transferred, distributed or transferred, and in any case be required to avoid the impact (if possible) or reduce the losses caused them to a minimum.
It is noted that the bulk of the claims between the contracting parties arising from those risks where those claims either extension or compensation or extension and compensation together, causing an increase in the cost and duration of the project construction and thus exposed the project manager and architect of the cost problem of building the project within budget and the prescribed period. Recognizes Parties on those claims to be settled through follow-up and resolution takes time and effort "significant" and which may extend for many years after the end of the contract, as well as no one can predict the final outcome of this settlement, although it was in many cases in additional losses to the party who made those Claims believing they زٍؼٛػ for some of the losses incurred by the former, and therefore called for the need to conduct a study of the risks that lead to get these claims and to analyze them in order to identify risks causing compensation claims, as well as causing claims extension and its impact on construction projects and how departments and actions that can be taken to avoid or minimize those risk (in addition to the use of methods and modern techniques to predict the impact of those risks on the cost of the project, which help control and minimize the impact of those claims in construction projects). Results showed that risks causing compensation claims, as well as causing claims ot the most prominent "were errors in guessing, paras created in addition to changes in designs, has also been reached on a number of actions that would lead to avoid or reduce these risks to as little as possible.