Spectroscopic study of the coloring techniques used in Egyptian ceramics from the ptolemaic and roman period.

The manufacture of the Egyptian Faience through the periods of Ptolemaic and roman shows intense use of polychrome; our main concerns in this research are investigating the parameters controlling the blue color variation and the production of the apple green Faience. Archaeological faience samples belonging to the Ptolemaic and Roman periods representing various color hues were extensively studied using multiple spectroscopic techniques to explore the color palette of the Egyptian artist in this period and highlight the most significant features of their ways of coloring and fabrications. X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) results revealed quartz-rich body feature for all samples, with defined boundaries in some samples due to coloring techniques.

Effects of Concrete Grades and Column Spacings on the Optimal Design of Reinforced Concrete Buildings.

This paper investigates the effects of concrete grades and column spacings on the optimal design of reinforced concrete (RC) buildings. To this end, cost design optimization was performed for buildings with three different floor systems: flat plates (FS), flat slabs with drop panels (FSDP), and solid slabs (SS). The evolutionary method provided by the Excel solver was used as the optimization algorithm because it can deal with the complex nature of structural design problems.

Optimal Design of Reinforced Concrete Materials in Construction.

The structural design process is iterative and involves many design parameters. Thus, this paper presents a controlled framework for selecting the adequate structural floor system for reinforced concrete buildings and efficiently utilizing the corresponding construction materials. Optimization was performed using an evolutionary algorithm to minimize the total construction cost, considering the costs of concrete, steel reinforcement, formwork, and labor.

Nonlinear ABAQUS Simulations for Notched Concrete Beams.

The numerical simulation of concrete fracture is difficult because of the brittle, inelastic-nonlinear nature of concrete. In this study, notched plain and reinforced concrete beams were investigated numerically to study their flexural response using different crack simulation techniques in ABAQUS. The flexural response was expressed by hardening and softening regime, flexural capacity, failure ductility, damage initiation and propagation, fracture energy, crack path, and crack mouth opening displacement.