Ferrocement, Carbon, and Polypropylene Fibers for Strengthening Masonry Shear Walls.

This paper describes an experimental investigation into the feasibility of using ferrocement jacketing, polypropylene fibers, and carbon fiber reinforced polymer sheets (CFRP) to enhance the shear resistance of unreinforced brick masonry. The study involved testing 12 wall panels in diagonal compression, three of which were strengthened using each of the above-mentioned techniques. The results showed that all three strengthening techniques led to a significant improvement in the shear resistance and deformation capacity of the unreinforced walls.

Public transit usage and air quality index during the COVID-19 lockdown.

The people suffering from coronavirus have to lead unprecedented actions including limiting travel especially using public transportation. Therefore, lockdown measures and social distancing to decelerate the distribution of the COVID-19 has become the new norm. Nevertheless, improvement in the ambient air quality of the cities globally has appeared as a key advantage of this lockdown.