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The purpose of this paper is to study and analyze the effects of fly ash (FA) as a mineral admixture on compressive strength (CS), carbonation resistance and corrosion resistance of reinforced concrete (RC). In addition, the utilization of inexpensive and abundantly available FA as a cement replacement in concrete has several benefits including reduced OPC usage and elimination of the FA disposal problem.

Reinforcement corrosion and carbonation significantly affect the strength and durability of the RC structures. Also, the utilization of FA as green corrosion inhibitors, which are nontoxic and environmentally friendly alternatives. This review discusses the effects of FA on the mechanical characteristics of concrete. Also, this review analyzes the impact of FA as a partial replacement of cement in concrete and its effect on the depth of carbonation in concrete elements and the corrosion rate of embedded steel as well as the chemical composition and microstructure (X-ray diffraction analysis and scanning electron microscopy) of FA concrete were also reviewed.

This review provides a clear analysis of the available study, providing a thorough overview of the current state of knowledge on this topic. Regarding concrete CS, the findings indicate that the incorporation of FA often leads to a loss in early-age strength. However, as the curing period increased, the strength of fly ash concrete (FAC) increased with or even surpassed that of conventional concrete. Analysis of the accelerated carbonation test revealed that incorporating FA into the concrete mix led to a shallower carbonation depth and slower diffusion of carbon dioxide (CO₂) into the concrete. Furthermore, the half-cell potential test shows that the inclusion of FA increases the durability of RC by slowing the rate of steel-reinforcement corrosion.

This systematic review analyzes a wide range of existing studies on the topic, providing a comprehensive overview of the research conducted so far. This review intends to critically assess the enhancements in mechanical and durability attributes (such as CS, carbonation and corrosion resistance) of FAC and FA-RC. This systematic review has practical implications for the construction and engineering industries. This can support engineers and designers in making informed decisions regarding the use of FA in concrete mixtures, considering both its benefits and potential drawbacks.

Reliability centered maintenance (RCM) is a process used to determine activities to be taken to ensure an asset continues to perform asset's function in asset's present operating context by identifying asset's function, failure modes that could preclude performing asset's intended function, prioritizing failure modes and determining effective preventative maintenance tasks that can be cost effectively and efficiently implemented to reduce the likelihood of a failure.

A comprehensive survey of literature was undertaken to examine the current industry state of practice. Various industries were examined to better understand applications of RCM within the various industry sectors and determine those industries that RCM has not historically been readily adopted. A case study example of RCM applied to radial gates for water control in open channel canals for water conveyance is presented to demonstrate a civil infrastructure application.

The results found that RCM has been used since RCM's inception in the airline industry during the 1960s to reduce the cost of maintaining aircrafts. Over the past 40 years, an assortment of industries has begun implementing cost effective preventative maintenance tasks identified during RCM analysis. However, there is a noticeable lack of civil assets being analyzed by RCM, such as water conveyance systems and other civil infrastructure systems vital to the health and well-being of today's societies.

The comprehensive literature review of the current state of practice will provide a better understanding of the various applications of RCM to facilitate RCM's application to other industries, thereby reducing failure due to early identification of maintenance tasks. An example RCM demonstrates the application to a radial gate, used in water conveyance for the drinking water and irrigation sectors, which have not historically used RCM for developing maintenance strategies.

The purpose of this study is to examine how well reinforced concrete structures can be shielded against concrete carbonation using anti-carbonation coatings based on synthetic polymer.

Applying free radical polymerization, an acrylate terpolymer emulsion that a surfactant had stabilized was created. A thermogravimetric analysis, minimum film-forming temperature, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and particle size distribution are used to characterize the prepared eco-friendly water base acrylate terpolymer emulsion. Using three different percentages of the acrylate terpolymer emulsion produced, 35%, 45% and 55%, the anti-carbonation coating was formed. Tensile strength, tensile strain, elongation, crack-bridging ability, carbon dioxide permeability, chloride ion diffusion, average pull-off adhesion strength, water vapor transmission, gloss, wet scrub resistance, QUV/weathering and storage stability are the characteristics of the anti-carbonation coating.

The formulated acrylate terpolymer emulsion enhances anti-carbonation coating performance in CO₂ permeability, Cl-diffusion, crack bridging, pull-off adhesion strength and water vapor transmission. The formed coating based on the formulated acrylate terpolymer emulsion performed better than its commercial counterpart.

To protect the steel embedded in concrete from corrosion and increase the life span of concrete, the surface of cement is treated with an anti-carbonation coating based on synthetic acrylate terpolymer emulsion.

In addition to saving lives from building collapse, it maintains the infrastructure for the long run.

The anti-carbonation coating, which is based on the synthetic acrylate terpolymer emulsion, is environmentally benign and stops the entry of carbon dioxide and chlorides, which are the main causes of steel corrosion in concrete.

This research investigates the distinct characteristics of blockchain technology to safeguard against the deterioration of handover information quality in the post-construction phase. The significance of effective management of handover information is highlighted by global building failures, such as the Grenfell Tower fire in London, UK. Despite existing technological interventions, there remains a paucity of understanding regarding the factors contributing to the decline in the quality of handover information during the post-construction phase.

This study employed a multi-case studies approach across five higher education institutions. It involved conducting semi-structured interviews with 52 asset management professionals, uncovering the underlying reasons for the decline in handover information quality. Building on these insights, the study performed a mapping exercise to align these identified factors with blockchain technology features and information quality dimensions, aiming to evaluate blockchain’s potential in managing quality handover information.

The study findings suggest that blockchain technology offers advantages but has limitations in addressing all the identified quality issues of managing handover information. Due to the lack of an automated process and file-based information exchange, updating handover information still requires an error-prone manual process, leading to potential information loss. Additionally, no solutions are available for encoding drawings for updates and validation.

This study proposes a framework integrating blockchain to enhance the information management process and improve handover information quality.

The implementation of smart maintenance (SM) has greatly benefited facility managers, construction project managers and other stakeholders within the built environment. Unfortunately, its actualization for stakeholders in the built environment in the fourth industrial revolution (4IR) era remains a challenge. To reduce the challenge, this study aims at conducting a bibliometric analysis to unearth the critical success factors supporting SM implementation. The future direction and practice of SM in the construction industry were also explored.

A bibliometric approach was adopted for reviewing articles extracted from the Scopus database. Keywords such as (“smart maintenance“) OR (“intelligent maintenance”) OR (“technological maintenance”) OR (“automated maintenance”) OR (“computerized maintenance”) were used to extract articles from the Scopus database. The studies were restricted between 2006 and 2021 to capture the 4IR era. The initial extracted papers were 1,048; however, 288 papers were selected and analysed using VOSviewer software.

The findings revealed that the critical success factors supporting the implementation of SM in the 4IR era are collaboration, digital twin design, energy management system and decentralized data management system. Regarding the future practice of SM in the 4IR era, it was also revealed that SM is possible to evolve into maintenance 4.0. This will support the autonomous maintenance of infrastructures in the built environment.

The use of a single database contributed to the limitation of the findings from this study.

Despite the limitations, the findings of this study contributed to practice and research by providing stakeholders in the built environment with the direction of SM practice.

Stakeholders in the built environment have clamoured to implement SM in the 4IR era. This study provided the critical success factors for adopting SM, guaranteeing the 4IR era. It also provides the research trends and direction of SM practice.

The purpose of the paper is to showcase the significant achievements of Egypt's scientists in the 20th century across various fields of study such as medicine, physics, chemistry, biology, math, geology, astronomy and engineering. The paper highlights the struggles and successes of these scientists, as well as the cultural, social and political factors that influenced their lives and work. The aim is to inspire young people to pursue careers in science and make their own contributions to society by presenting these scientists as role models for hard work and dedication. Ultimately, the paper seeks to promote the importance of science and its impact on society.

The purpose of this review is to present the scientific biographies of Egypt's most distinguished scientists, primarily in the field of Natural Sciences, in a balanced and comprehensive manner. The work is objective, honest and abstract, avoiding any bias or exaggeration. The author provides a clear and concise methodology, including a brief introduction to the scientist and their field of study, an explanation of their major contributions, the impact of their work on society, any challenges or obstacles faced during their career and their lasting legacy. The aim is to showcase the important achievements of these scientists, their impact on their respective fields and to inspire future generations to pursue scientific careers.

The group of outstanding scientists in 20th century Egypt were shaped by various factors, including familial upbringing, education, society, political and cultural atmosphere and state support for scientific research. These scientists made significant contributions to various academic disciplines, including medicine, physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics and engineering. Their impact on their communities and cultures has received international acclaim, making them role models for future generations of scientists and researchers. The history of these scientists highlights the importance of educational investments and supporting scientific research to foster innovation and social progress. The encyclopedia serves as a useful tool for students, instructors and education professionals, preserving Egypt's scientific heritage and honouring the scientists' outstanding accomplishments.

The encyclopedia preserves Egypt's scientific heritage, which has been overlooked for political or other reasons. It is a useful tool for a variety of readers, including students, instructors and education professionals, and it offers insights into universally relevant scientific success factors as well as scientific research methodologies. The encyclopedia honours the outstanding scientific accomplishments of Egyptian researchers and their contributions to the world's scientific community.

The practical implications of this paper are several. First, it highlights the importance of education, family upbringing and societal support for scientific research in fostering innovation and social progress. Second, it underscores the need for continued funding and support for scientific research to maintain and build upon the accomplishments of past generations of scientists. Third, it encourages young people to pursue scientific careers and make their own contributions to society. Fourth, it preserves the scientific heritage of Egypt and honors the contributions of its outstanding scientists. Finally, it serves as a useful tool for students, instructors and education professionals seeking to understand the factors underlying scientific success and research methodologies.

The social implications of the paper include promoting national pride and cultural identity, raising awareness of the importance of education and scientific research in driving social progress, inspiring future generations of scientists and researchers, reducing socioeconomic disparities and emphasizing the role of society, politics and culture in shaping scientific researchers' personalities and interests.

The paper's originality/value lies in its comprehensive documentation of the scientific biographies of Egypt's most prominent scientists in the 20th century, providing unique insights into the factors that contributed to their development and their impact across various academic disciplines. It preserves Egypt's scientific heritage and inspires future generations of scientists and researchers through the promotion of educational investments and scientific research. The encyclopedia serves as a useful tool for education professionals seeking to understand scientific success factors and research methodologies, emphasizing the importance of supportive and inclusive environments for scientific development.

Based on the known positive effects of conventional hot-dip galvanizing under fire exposure and indicative results on zinc–aluminum coatings from smallscale tests, a series of tests were conducted on zinc-5% aluminum galvanized test specimens under fire loads to verify the previous positive findings under largescale boundary conditions.

The emissivity of zinc-5% aluminum galvanized surfaces applied to steel specimens was determined experimentally under real fire loads and laboratory thermal loads in accordance with the normative specifications of the standard fire curve. Both large and smallscale specimens were used in this study. The steel grade and surface conditions of the specimens were varied for both test scenarios.

Largescale tests on specimens with typical steel construction dimensions under fire loads showed that the surface emissivity of zinc-5% aluminum galvanized steel was significantly lower than that of the conventionally galvanized steel. Only minor influences from the weathering of the specimens and steel chemistry were observed. These results agree well with those obtained from smallscale tests. The design values of zinc-5% aluminum melt (Zn5Al) required for the structural fire design were proposed based on the obtained results.

The novel tests presented in this study are the first ones to study the behavior of zinc-5% aluminum galvanized largescale steel construction components under the influence of real fire exposure and their positive effect on the emissivity of steel components galvanized by this method. The results provide valuable insights and information on the behavior in the case of fire and the associated savings potential for steel construction.

Wireless sensor networks (WSN), as a solution for buried water pipe monitoring, face a new set of challenges compared to traditional application for above-ground infrastructure monitoring. One of the main challenges for underground WSN deployment is the limited range (less than 3 m) at which reliable wireless underground communication can be achieved using radio signal propagation through the soil. To overcome this challenge, the purpose of this paper is to investigate a new approach for wireless underground communication using acoustic signal propagation along a buried water pipe.

An acoustic communication system was developed based on the requirements of low cost (tens of pounds at most), low power supply capacity (in the order of 1 W-h) and miniature (centimetre scale) size for a wireless communication node. The developed system was further tested along a buried steel pipe in poorly graded SAND and a buried medium density polyethylene (MDPE) pipe in well graded SAND.

With predicted acoustic attenuation of 1.3 dB/m and 2.1 dB/m along the buried steel and MDPE pipes, respectively, reliable acoustic communication is possible up to 17 m for the buried steel pipe and 11 m for the buried MDPE pipe.

Although an important first step, more research is needed to validate the acoustic communication system along a wider water distribution pipe network.

This paper shows the possibility of achieving reliable wireless underground communication along a buried water pipe (especially non-metallic material ones) using low-frequency acoustic propagation along the pipe wall.

This paper covers the development of a novel defect model for concrete highway bridges. The proposed defect model is intended to facilitate the identification of bridge’s condition information (i.e. defects), improve the efficiency and accuracy of bridge inspections by supporting practitioners and even machines with digitalised expert knowledge, and ultimately automate the process.

The research design consists of three major phases so as to (1) categorise common defect with regard to physical entities (i.e. bridge element), (2) establish internal relationships among those defects and (3) relate defects to their properties and potential causes. A mixed-method research approach, which includes a comprehensive literature review, focus groups and case studies, was employed to develop and validate the proposed defect model.

The data collected through the literature and focus groups were analysed and knowledge were extracted to form the novel defect model. The defect model was then validated and further calibrated through case study. Inspection reports of nearly 300 bridges in China were collected and analysed. The study uncovered the relationships between defects and a variety of inspection-related elements and represented in the form of an accessible, digitalised and user-friendly knowledge model.

The contribution of this paper is the development of a defect model that can assist inexperienced practitioners and even machines in the near future to conduct inspection tasks. For one, the proposed defect model can standardise the data collection process of bridge inspection, including the identification of defects and documentation of their vital properties, paving the path for the automation in subsequent stages (e.g. condition evaluation). For another, by retrieving rich experience and expert knowledge which have long been reserved and inherited in the industrial sector, the inspection efficiency and accuracy can be considerably improved.