Polymer concretes (PCs) have emerged as high-performance materials offering superior strength, durability, and chemical resistance compared to conventional cementitious composites. This study presents a comprehensive experimental program designed to investigate the relationship between microstructural characteristics and mechanical performance of PCs. Mechanical properties were evaluated through strength, stiffness, durability, and integrity tests, while microstructural features were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). The results reveal a clear link between refined microstructure, reduced porosity, and enhanced mechanical behavior. This integrated approach provides new insights into the performance mechanisms of PCs and establishes a scientific basis for their broader structural use in demanding environments.

Pavement repair has become an increasingly time-critical operation as traffic volumes grow and lane-closure windows shrink. This has driven demand for materials that gain full structural strength quickly, reopen to traffic within hours, and hold up longer than conventional patches. This study evaluates polymer concrete (PC), a thermosetting resin-bound aggregate system, through combined laboratory characterization and three-dimensional finite element analysis. Compressive strength, splitting tensile strength, unit weight, and apparent porosity were measured at 1, 3, 7, and 28 days of curing. PC reached 85.97 MPa in compression and 7.63 MPa in tension by day three, with near-zero porosity (0.15%) maintained throughout. These three-day values were used directly as material inputs in the three-dimensional finite element analysis (FEA), reflecting the early traffic reopening scenario that defines rapid repair practice. Structural performance was assessed through 36 static analyses in ANSYS 2024 R2, covering flexible (Hot Mix Asphalt, HMA) and rigid (Jointed Plain Concrete Pavement, JPCP) pavement types, three patch sizes (250 × 250 mm, 500 × 500 mm, and 1000 × 1000 mm), and nine load scenarios per configuration. Safety factors (SF) against internal cracking, interfacial debonding, and compressive failure were computed for both PC and traditional patches. PC consistently outperformed HMA and Portland cement concrete patches across all metrics. On rigid pavements, interfacial safety factors exceeded 22.0, confirming that standard surface preparation is sufficient. On flexible pavements, adopting 0.78 MPa as a conservative lower-bound estimate of PC-HMA interfacial bond strength, five scenarios exhibit debonding risk (250-C, 500-C, 500-D, 1000-C, and 1000-D; SF = 0.47–0.99), while the remaining four show high interfacial risk (SF = 1.11–1.30); primer application and mechanical scarification are required for all PC repairs on flexible pavements regardless of patch geometry. Taken together, the experimental and numerical evidence positions PC as a credible, high-performance option for highway repair.

This study investigates the seismic performance of traditional timber-framed (hımış) structures incorporating different types of infill materials through advanced nonlinear finite element modeling. Timber-infilled walls represent a widely used hybrid construction typology in seismic regions, where the interaction between the ductile timber frame and brittle infill materials critically influences structural behavior. Four configurations are analyzed: (1) Timber frame with adobe (mudbrick) infill; (2) Timber frame with fired clay brick infill; (3) Timber frame with natural rubble stone infill; and (4) Bare timber frame. A series of three-dimensional pushover analyses are conducted using ANSYS Workbench, where all materials are modeled using Multilinear Isotropic Hardening plasticity, including contact-based interface definitions and geometric nonlinearity. The mechanical behavior of each wall system is interpreted based on key seismic performance indicators, including initial lateral stiffness, base shear capacity, effective displacement ductility, and energy dissipation. Results show that while infill materials significantly increase the lateral strength and stiffness of the wall systems, they also introduce varying degrees of brittleness and reduced ductility. These findings emphasize the critical role of infill type in the seismic response of timber-framed walls and highlight the importance of understanding frame–infill interaction for the assessment and retrofitting of traditional building stock in earthquake-prone regions.