Iraqi Journal of Civil Engineering

This study presents an investigation of the mechanical properties of normal concrete reinforced with discarded steel fibers (DSFs) resulting from tire manufacturing. DSFs were added to concrete in two different volume fractions of (0.25 %, and 0.5 %), and these fibers have dimensions of (40 mm length×0.92 mm diameter). The results showed that the compressive strength of the concrete was enhanced by (8.8%, and 3.3%) by adding of DSFs. However, the workability of concrete decreased at all added ratios. While the density is slightly changed. Also, the results indicate that the modulus of elasticity shows slight increases by (3.06%, and 2.25%). Additionally, the incorporation of DSFs improves the splitting tensile strength and modulus of rupture significantly. For concrete mixes having volume fractions of 0.25% and 0.5%, the splitting tensile increased by (7.89%, and 23.68%), and the modulus of rupture increased by (6.67% and 25.58%), respectively. It was concluded that using this type of discarded fibers can improve the mechanical properties of concrete as an alternative type for other types of industrial fibers.

Hospitals pose a significant risk to human health due to the contamination of their environment with chemical elements. Exposure to these elements can have adverse health effects, such as neurological and developmental problems, cancer, and endocrine disruptors. To prevent and mitigate the risks associated with contamination, it is important to identify and control the sources of contamination. This study intends to investigate how chemical elements are contaminating hospitals, including the sources of contamination, possible health impacts of exposure, and preventative and remedial actions that may be done to lessen the dangers. To reach the aims of this study, water samples from three different spots at two different seasons (winter and summer) of the water flow through the hospitals (Hospital water on its first entry inside, Wastewater after use inside and around the hospital and Wastewater after passing through the treatment unit inside the hospital) have been collected. Suspended total solid (TS), Total dissolved solids (T.D.S), Electrical Conductivity, and Turbidity tests have been done On the collected water samples. Additionally, heavy materials have been detected in the collected samples. The results showed that the pH function increased slightly and insignificantly for the alkaline after using the water, while the water conductivity, alkalinity, hardness, and percentage of Total suspended solids (T.S.S) and total dissolved solids (TDS) reached the highest in wastewater. From the results of this study, we can conclude that the stages of treatment are slow and inefficient.

This study was conducted to examine the impact of plastic fibers (WPFs) in an effort to improve some of the features of self-compacting concrete (SCC) using Iraqi raw materials. Waste polyethylene terephthalate fibers (waste PET fibers) from used beverage bottles were added. Some tests were carried out to determine the effects of adding WPFs on the fresh properties of new concrete, while additional tests examined the mechanical properties of hardened concrete. Because of this, self-compacting concrete blends were created with a constant water-to-binder ratio of 0.32 and a binder content of 525 kg/m3. The designated plastic fiber percentages contents were 0%, 0.5%, 0.75%, and 1% of mix volume. Self-compacting concrete mixtures' fresh characteristics were assessed for slump flow diameter, T50 slump flow concurrently, V-funnel flow concurrently, and L-box height ratio. The 28-day density, compressive strengths and flexural strength of self-compacting concretes were also measured. The use of plastic waste fibers had a slight effect on reducing the density of the produced concrete and a negative effect on the fresh properties. The compressive strengths were improved by using WPFs, with the maximum improvement equal to (11.065%) when compared to those made from the reference mix

In this study, the structural behaviour of RC-deep beams of glass fibre-reinforced polymer (GFRP) rubberized concrete is investigated. Rubberized concrete is manufactured by replacing fine sand aggregate with rubber crumbs in volumetric replacement ratios. The main variables were the crumb rubber content (0%, 10%, and 20%) and the main reinforcement ratio. Tested Six samples of deep beams with different dimensions (b = 150, h = 300 mm, L = 1400 mm) were under a four-point load until failure. The parameters under investigation were the mechanical properties of mixtures, load-midspan deflection curves, toughness, and the load-strain relationship. The results indicate that the increment in crumb rubber content led to a decrement in the mechanical properties of rubberized concrete mixtures. It was found that the behaviour of all samples of rubberized concrete affected the deflection load curve, the ultimate load, and the increase in deflection. The sample R2-10% Rub showed the highest toughness among the tested samples, with an increase of 301.6% compared to the reference