Journal of Brilliant Engineering (BEN)

Ayşe Nur Araç Gökhan Kaplan

This study aims to develop environmentally friendly and sustainable geopolymer concrete (GBS) using industrial waste, and to investigate its physical, mechanical, and high-temperature performance. In the study, ground blast furnace slag (GBS) was used as the primary binder, and fly ash (FA) was substituted for the binder at varying rates (0%, 10%, 25%, 50%, and 75%). Additionally, waste marble dust was used as an aggregate, and glass fiber was used as a reinforcing element. To improve the workability of the prepared mixtures, a superplasticizer was used at a rate of 5%, and the water-to-binder ratio was maintained at 0.19 for all samples. The prepared geopolymer concrete samples were subjected to thermal curing at 70 °C for 24 hours. As a result of the experiments conducted, it was determined that as the fly ash content increased, the flow diameters of the concrete decreased and the dry density values dropped from 2136 kg/m³ (GBS 100%) to 1972 kg/m³ (FA 75%). In terms of mechanical properties, the 28-day compressive strength was measured at 50.4 MPa in samples containing 0% fly ash. In comparison, the samples containing 75% fly ash yielded a strength of 30.7 MPa, indicating that strength decreases as the fly ash content increases. In high-temperature tests, it was found that as the fly ash content increased, the loss of compressive strength decreased in samples exposed to 250, 500, and 750 °C. The compressive strength lost is 13.48% for 250 °C, 17.54% for 500 °C and 75.88% for 750 °C. At 250 and 500 °C, the compressive strength loss rate was relatively low, whereas it was significantly higher at 750 °C. The primary reason for this is the low calcium content of fly ash and the high thermal stability of amorphous aluminosilicate phases. Additionally, according to the results of the cost analysis, increasing the amount of fly ash reduces the production costs of geopolymer concrete. Although the materials used in geopolymer concrete are industrial by-products, the procurement costs of these materials are influenced by several factors, including geographical region, supply chain, usage quantity, and local industrial activities. In conclusion, it has been demonstrated that geopolymer concrete produced from industrial waste reduces environmental impacts and provides significant advantages in terms of sustainability.

https://doi.org/10.36937/ben.2025.41037

Hakan Kızıltaş Gökhan Öztürk

This study presents the design, simulation, fabrication, and experimental validation of a ring-shaped frequency-selective surface (FSS) applied onto textile using conductive polyurethane-based paint. The FSS was modeled in CST Studio Suite and optimized to achieve strong electromagnetic attenuation through a reflective band-stop mechanism in the 2–8 GHz frequency range. Simulation results revealed a resonance dip in the transmission coefficient (S21) at approximately 6.00 GHz, with a suppression level of −28 dB and a −10 dB bandwidth of approximately 1.7 GHz. The corresponding reflection coefficient (S11) was measured at approximately −3 dB, indicating dominant reflection and partial absorption (~50%), consistent with reflective band-stop filter behavior. A prototype was fabricated via screen printing the conductive paint onto a 150 mm × 150 mm textile substrate. Experimental measurements using a vector network analyzer (VNA) confirmed the band-stop performance and showed good agreement with the simulations. The proposed hybrid structure effectively integrates the electromagnetic functionality of metamaterials with the flexibility of textiles, making it suitable for applications such as electromagnetic shielding, stealth technology, and wearable electronics. The fabrication technique offers a scalable, low-cost solution for large-area, flexible, and conformal electromagnetic surfaces.

https://doi.org/10.36937/ben.2025.41040

Md Foysal Rahman Hrittik Mural Afsana Akter Dewan Tanjim-ul-Islam Adri Dash

The design and development of a pulley-driven horizontal belt grinding machine is presented in this work with the goal of enhancing surface finish excellence and material removal efficiency in manufacturing processes. The equipment combines an abrasive belt, a 775 model DC motor, and a wooden frame to offer a stable and affordable way to grind a variety of materials. The design approach entailed a thorough examination of operating performance, robustness, and product selection. The motor, pulley system, and abrasive belt make up the core procedure, which is tuned for optimal grinding performance and little vibration. With customizable polishing frequencies to suit various material kinds, experimental testing proved the device's efficacy in achieving precise finishes on surfaces. The pulley-driven method may cause vibration problems, and the current design has comparatively slower grinding rates than more sophisticated variants. Future developments will concentrate on increasing the system's precision and speed.

https://doi.org/10.36937/ben.2025.41041

Kerem Aybar Serdal Ünal Ömer Karagöz Mehmet Canbaz

In this study, a flexible, shape-adaptive, and waterproof cementitious composite was developed by integrating 3D textile reinforcement with a specialized waterproofing membrane. This study aims to develop a next-generation building material that is lightweight, ductile, and resistant to bending and tensile forces, while also offering protection against water ingress. During the production process, carefully cut 3D textiles were placed into wooden molds and fully impregnated with CEM I type white cement, ensuring complete saturation of the textile structure. A waterproofing membrane was then applied as a protective surface layer to enhance durability and water resistance. After curing periods of 7 and 28 days under standard conditions, extensive mechanical testing was performed, including flexural strength, unit weight measurement, and both static and dynamic tensile tests on samples sized 30×30 cm and 10×30 cm. The experimental results demonstrated that despite its lightweight nature (approximately 0.87–0.88 kg/dm³), the composite achieved a high flexural strength of up to 16.95 MPa and tensile strength reaching 17.92 MPa. Stress-strain analyses revealed a significant energy absorption capacity, with elongation at break values approaching 30%, indicating excellent toughness. These combined mechanical and functional characteristics position the developed composite as an innovative and promising alternative for architectural applications that demand flexibility, shape adaptability, and resilience against harsh environmental conditions such as moisture and mechanical stresses.

https://doi.org/10.36937/ben.2025.41049

Galal Al-siani Hakan Kızıltaş

Methylene blue, an organic dye used in dyeing processes in the textile industry, has adverse effects on the ecosystem and human health. The use of catalysts is the most effective method for removing dyes from wastewater. Therefore, in this study, BiVO4, WO3, and the BiVO4/WO3/TiO2 composite were synthesized via hydrothermal methods. The catalysts were characterized using SEM-EDS, XRD, PL, and UV-Vis DRS techniques. XRD diffraction peaks revealed that the synthesized nanoparticles had a monoclinic phase. SEM images confirmed the spherical and rod-like morphology of the samples, while EDS analysis confirmed the presence of oxygen, tungsten, vanadium, bismuth, and titanium elements. PL analysis was performed between 300 and 800 nm to determine the recombination rate of the samples. The band gap values of the samples were determined by UV-Vis DRS analysis. According to the UV-DRS results, the Eg values of BiVO4, WO3, and the BiVO4/WO3/TiO2 composite were determined as 2.38, 2.54, and 2.31 eV, respectively. The photocatalytic activity of the catalysts was investigated by the degradation of methylene blue under UV irradiation. The results showed that BiVO4, WO3, and BiVO4/WO3/TiO2 composites removed 28.02%, 45.10%, and 61.080% of methylene blue dye under UV irradiation, respectively, and the BiVO4/WO3/TiO2 composite had a good degradation efficiency.

https://doi.org/10.36937/ben.2025.41050

Barış BAYRAK Abdulkadir Cüneyt AYDIN

This study presents a comprehensive neural network approach for the structural design of reinforced concrete (RC) shear walls. A feed-forward back-propagation neural network (ANN) model was developed to predict the horizontal load capacity and maximum vertical load of continuous shear walls based on geometric and material parameters. The database, compiled from existing experimental studies and design recommendations, was divided into training, validation, and testing subsets in a 70-15-15 ratio. The Levenberg–Marquardt optimization algorithm was adopted to improve convergence efficiency and minimize mean-square error. The optimal architecture, consisting of two hidden layers with tan-sigmoid transfer functions and a linear output layer, demonstrated robust learning performance and generalization capability. The trained ANN model achieved up to 91% prediction accuracy when compared with design outcomes of real residential and commercial structures. Results indicated that the proposed model effectively captures nonlinear relationships between key variables such as wall aspect ratio, axial load ratio, and reinforcement spacing, yielding predictions that align closely with experimental results and code-based design equations. The study confirms that neural-network-based modeling provides an efficient and reliable computational framework for shear wall design, significantly reducing manual computation time while maintaining accuracy. Future research should focus on expanding the dataset and integrating adaptive learning strategies to further enhance model generalization for complex structural conditions.

https://doi.org/10.36937/ben.2025.41048