This study examines the strategic incorporation of various recycled materials into asphalt concrete, specifically focusing on municipal solid waste incineration bottom ash (MSWI BA), recycled asphalt shingle (RAS), and recycled concrete aggregate (RCA). Due to the high porosity of MSWI BA and RCA, and the significant asphalt binder content (30–40%) found in RAS, there is a need to increase the amount of liquid asphalt used. RAS is posited as an efficient substitute for the asphalt binder, helping to counterbalance the high absorption characteristics of MSWI BA and RCA. The research objective is to quantitatively evaluate the effect of the combined use of RAS, MSWI BA, and RCA in Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA). This study encompasses several laboratory evaluations (i.e., rutting and tensile strength tests) and a cost–benefit analysis, which is a life cycle cost analysis. The results indicate that the combined use of these materials results in a higher tensile strength and rut resistance when compared with the control (with virgin aggregate). According to the cost–benefit analysis result, when the three recycled materials are used for an HMA overlay over an existing aged pavement, it could be 60–80% more cost-effective compared to a conventional HMA overlay, thereby offering significant economical savings each year in the field of road construction.

When diagnosing damage to high-rise buildings during earthquakes, it is necessary to measure the displacement of each story. However, with respect to accuracy and cost, it is most reasonable to convert acceleration into displacement. In this study, shake table testing was carried out to verify the conversion methods, converting the acceleration data measured in a high-rise building into velocity and displacement. In the shaking table test, the displacement of a 10-story model building under strong motion was measured using high-speed imaging devices. High-speed images were taken at 1000 frames per second, reflecting the dynamic behavior of the model building. Then, this displacement was compared with the displacement obtained by processing the acceleration data. This study applied three methods for correcting and converting acceleration into velocity and displacement. Method 1 used the transfer function, $H_2\left(\omega \right)$ , which reflects the dynamic characteristics of the system. The displacements converted by this method showed the lowest accuracy, because the transfer function depends on the dynamic characteristics of the structure. Method 2 used the cosine Fourier transform for baseline correction, and the discrete input data are calculated as the sum of the cosine functions. Method 3 used the least-squares fitting in the first step to remove the linear drift in the acceleration and applied the high-pass Butterworth filter. The displacements converted by Method 2 were the most reliable, and were close to the displacements measured in the shaking table test. However, the response of high-rise buildings is affected by low- and high-frequency noise. It is necessary to further investigate the limitations and applicability of the conversion methods for providing reliable displacement of the building.

This paper shows the results of a field appliance study of the hydraulic well method to prevent embankment piping, which is proposed by the Japanese Matsuyama River National Highway Office. The large-scale embankment experiment and seepage analysis were conducted to examine the hydraulic well. The experimental procedure is focused on the pore water pressure. The water levels of the hydraulic well were compared with pore water pressure data, which were used to look over the seepage variations. Two different types of large-scale experiments were conducted according to the installation points of hydraulic wells. The seepage velocity results by the experiment were almost similar to those of the analyses. Further, the pore water pressure oriented from the water level variations in the hydraulic well showed similar patterns between the experiment and numerical analysis; however, deeper from the surface, the larger pore water pressure of the numerical analysis was calculated compared to the experimental values. In addition, the piping effect according to the water level and location of the hydraulic well was quantitatively examined for an embankment having a piping guide part. As a result of applying the hydraulic well to the point where piping occurred, the hydraulic well with a 1.0 m water level reduced the seepage velocity by up to 86%. This is because the difference in the water level between the riverside and the protected side is reduced, and it resulted in reducing the seepage pressure. As a result of the theoretical and numerical hydraulic gradient analysis according to the change in the water level of the hydraulic well, the hydraulic gradient decreased linearly according to the water level of the hydraulic well. From the results according to the location of the hydraulic well, installation of it at the point where piping occurred was found to be the most effective. A hydraulic well is a good device for preventing the piping of an embankment if it is installed at the piping point and the proper water level of the hydraulic well is applied.