Journal of Brilliant Engineering (BEN)

Yusuf Demirel

In order to examine the structural behavior of the Gaziantep Hüseyin Pasha Mosque, whose behavior was observed in the February 6, 2023 earthquake, point cloud readings were taken for survey purposes and core samples were taken from the masonry stone elements to determine the material axial load capacity and shear strength. Earthquake spectra were taken from the nearest earthquake station, station TK0723, from AFAD data, and the structure was modeled and analyzed using classical and voxel model methods. In the classical modeling method, the structure is measured with traditional methods and the internal and external dimensions and element thicknesses are determined. Then, these elements are defined in the 3D model, material properties and element definitions, geometric shapes of the elements are made with the engineer's prediction, and the structural relationship and load transfer definitions between the dome, pendentive, arch, load-bearing wall and column elements are left to the engineer's interpretation. In voxel modeling, the structure is transferred to the 3D model as a whole by means of auxiliary programs and methods due to the photographic scanning of the structure as a whole. In this way, the structure is directly modeled as a whole without any element definition, dimensioning or element load transfer relationship acceptance in the 3D model. In this way, the structure and structural element behavior during the construction phase and the entire structure load transfer are not interfered with during the analysis phase. By comparing the behavior and damages of Gaziantep Hüseyin Pasha Mosque under the detected earthquake with the results of the two analytical methods obtained, the realism of both models and their behavior under the earthquake were examined. In both modeling methods, stress concentrations are observed in the arches and the dome-arch-over-arch connections, but in the classical modeling, it was determined that these concentrations were more intense and the resulting damages were less than the stress concentrations obtained in the classical model. In the voxel model, it was observed that there were similar stress concentrations, but the stresses were more distributed as a result of the voxel model analysis. It was determined that the damages that occurred after the earthquake behavior of the mosque overlapped with the scattered stress concentrations in the voxel model. As a result of the comparison of both models, it was concluded that the results obtained with the element definition in the classical modeling did not overlap with the structural behavior, and the behavior obtained by modeling the structure as a whole overlapped more with the earthquake behavior of the structure.

https://doi.org/10.36937/ben.2024.4961

Ahmad Wiley Vickers

Dealing with large watersheds sometimes becomes challenging, especially when simulating the surface water-groundwater (SW-GW) interaction within the floodplain. Using satellite data (such as land cover, topography, bathymetry, soil zones, imagery, etc.) can be an excellent way to characterize the surface and subsurface properties to handle large basins, especially those suffering drastic changes due to natural disasters. This study employs satellite data from 2016 and 2019 to develop integrated SW-GW models, aiming to assess the impacts of changes in basin characteristics on surface-subsurface hydrology and flooding. The model was then used to evaluate the flooding impact due to Hurricane Michael (of 2018) in a 437 km2 watershed. Satellite data showed significant changes in hydrologic conditions including tree loss in the study area due to Hurricane Michael. Results for a 25-year 24-hour storm show a 256% increase in flood inundation areas due to the impact of Hurricane Michael. The model could pinpoint locations vulnerable to flooding due to the change in the hydrologic condition of the watershed. Among the 92,206 nodes generated by the model, the most vulnerable flooding location showed 1.9 m excess flooding in the post-hurricane affected area compared to its pre-hurricane condition. Additionally, the SW-GW model accurately tracked stage changes at a gauge station during a 2.5-hour (54.6 mm) storm in March 2022.

https://doi.org/10.36937/ben.2024.4949

ABEL ABHULIMEN

Over the years, the quest for a stable power supply in Nigeria has become insatiable, due to epileptic nature of power availability and incessant outages in the country. This paper tends to dissect the power crisis in Nigeria with a view to narrowing down the malady in the industry to the various sub-sectors and proposing a suitable panacea. Whereas the quantum of energy being generated is abysmal for a country like Nigeria to start thinking of energy sufficiency, the transmission infrastructure is incommensurate with the capacity demand of power transmission. The distribution sub-sector on its part is; among others, bedeviled with revenue collection shortfalls, enough to impede the progress of the entire sector. With a conscious effort to expand the power generation base, by aggressively investing in Combined Cycle Gas Turbine (CCGT), the decentralization of the transmission Infrastructure and stringent monitoring of the distribution sub-sector for improved accountability and system reliability, the dream of energy sufficiency in the Country will substantially be actualized.

https://doi.org/10.36937/ben.2024.4959

Ahmed Jimoh Abubakar Yakubu Bilyaminu Usman Usman Shehu Shuaibu Attahiru Nagogo

Materials used as microwave absorbers for electromagnetic waves interference is dependent on the ability of such material to absorb or cutoff transmission of energy from the incident radiation. The measurement of these properties responsible for the absorption had been exploited using theoretical and experimental methods. There is a dearth in the use of numerical technique to calculate these properties in the field of radio frequency characterization. Finite element method (FEM) was used to calculate the power loss, attenuation and electric field intensity of an absorber placed inside a rectangular waveguide. For the calculation, five different thicknesses (5, 10, 15, 30, and 50 mm) of rice husk/PCL samples were used. The result of the numerical calculation showed that the power loss the 50 mm has the least power loss of 0.76 at 12 GHz, an attenuation of -16.57 GHz was obtained for the 50 mm thick substrate at 12 GHz and there was a decrease in the electrical field intensity as the substrates thickens. The results indicated that the 50 mm thick sample absorbs the highest radiation and is good for small radar absorber applications. The numerical technique used was able to calculate these parameters with ease and simplicity.

https://doi.org/10.36937/ben.2024.4967

Saad Issa Sarsam

Thermal cracking in asphalt concrete pavement represents a significant pavement distress in cold environment. As the temperature drops below freezing limit, thermal stress starts to increase in the restrained asphalt pavement layer. The flexural-creep stiffness of asphalt cement binder is considered as a good indicator of the resistance to cracking of the binder at low temperature which is measured with the aid of Bending Beam Rheometer (BBR). An attempt has been made in the present study to evaluate and model the influence of additives (hydrated lime, and coal fly ash) on the deterioration of the creep stiffness of asphalt cement binder with penetration grades (40-50) and (60-70). Conventional asphalt binders were found to be highly sensitive to stress at low temperatures. However, modification of the asphalt cement binder with additives can control the deterioration in the flexural-creep stiffness. It was concluded that the rate of decline in the creep stiffness throughout the loading period for (40-50) and (60-70) binders was (21.5, 22.2, and 14.5) % and (20, 19, and 16.6) % for control, coal fly ash modified, and hydrated lime modified asphalt binder respectively. For (40-50) and (60-70) binders at failure stage, there is a significant increase in the creep stiffness of (5 and 32.5) % and (6.2 and 25) % for coal fly ash and hydrated lime modified asphalt binder specimens respectively as compared with the control binder. The mathematical power models are recommended to predict the Influence of additives on deterioration of the creep stiffness of asphalt binder.

https://doi.org/10.36937/ben.2024.4973