Eco-concrete is an engineered porous material, often used in pervious pavement and slope protection. Volcanic rock, due to its loose and porous structure, can absorb pollutants and improve the performance of eco-concrete. Here, this study determined the performance of eco-concrete modified with different contents of volcanic rock in sewage purification. The results showed that eco-concrete purified sewage, and that adding volcanic rock further improved the removal capacity of total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), and chemical oxygen demand (COD) by 34.1, 47.3, and 6%, respectively. The water purification mechanism of volcanic rock eco-concrete (VREC) was mainly physical water absorption (mechanical retention) and microbial degradation. With the increase in the content of cement slurry, the adsorption amount decreased, porosity decreased, and strength increased, gradually not meeting the engineering application requirements. Therefore, the high porosity volcanic rock eco-concrete (VREC) had the best water purification performance. The result conclude that eco-concrete should be prepared with an admixture of volcanic rock with 30% porosity for the best sewage purification results.
In order to investigate the law of basalt fibre to enhance the durability of concrete, this paper selects basalt fibre length as the main factor, supplemented by novel research methods such as neural networks, to study the rule of concrete resistance to multiple types of salt erosion. Tests have shown that large doses of mineral admixtures and basalt fibres can prolong the time that concrete is eroded by salt solutions; the age of maintenance has a small effect on the mechanical and durability of the concrete; the increase in length of basalt fibres enhances the mechanical properties of the concrete, but weakens the durability. This is exacerbated by the mixing of fibres, but the increase is not significant; the effect of length on concrete resistance to mass loss, corrosion resistance factor of compressive strength, and resistance to chloride ion attack is ranked as follows: 6 mm > 12 mm > 18 mm > 6 mm + 12 mm > 6 mm + 12 mm + 18 mm. The opposite is true for effective porosity; the highest compressive strength corrosion resistance coefficient was found in the length of 6 mm, with an average increase of 6.2% compared to 18 mm, and the mixed group was generally smaller than the single mixed group. The average increase in chloride content was 25.1% for length 18 mm compared to 6 mm; the triple-doped L6-12-18 group was the largest, with an average increase of 33.9% in effective porosity over the minimum 6 mm group. Based on the data from the above indoor trials, artificial neural network models and grey cluster analysis were used to predict and analyse the data, and the prediction and categorisation results were accurate and reliable, providing a reference for subsequent studies.
The determination of the sustainable development of a region requires estimating its carrying capacity in terms of resources and environment. It is essential to investigate the carrying capacity of Kunming City to comprehend its rapid development and create a resource and environment-friendly society. This research involved the selection of a set of 35 evaluation indicators from three categories: resources, environment, and social economy. These indicators were chosen based on statistical data obtained from Kunming City between 2011 and 2020. An evaluation system was established using the entropy weight method to determine the weight of these indicators. Subsequently, the fuzzy matter–element analysis method was utilized to construct the European closeness model of Kunming’s resource and environmental carrying capacity. The correlation between the carrying capacity of resources and environment and sub-carrying capacities was analyzed using Pearson’s correlation coefficient to determine the degree of influence of different aspects on the carrying capacity of resources and environment in Kunming. The results show a consistent upward trend in the carrying capacity of resources and environment in Kunming City from 2011 to 2019. However, in 2020, due to national policy adjustments and the impact of COVID-19 on the social economy, the resource and environment carrying capacity index in Kunming City slightly decreased.
1 January 2024 in Fluid Dynamics & Materials Processing
The mechanical properties of cementitious sand and gravel damming material have been experimentally determined by means of microscopic SEM (Scanning Electron Microscopy) image analysis. The results show that the combination of fly ash and water can fill the voids in cemented sand and gravel test blocks because of the presence of hydrated calcium silicate and other substances; thereby, the compactness and mechanical properties of these materials can be greatly improved. For every 10 kg/m3 increase in the amount of cementitious material, the density increases by about 2%, and the water content decreases by 0.2%. The amount of cementitious material used in the sand and gravel in these tests was 80–110 kg/m3, the water-binder ratio was 1–1.50. Moreover, the splitting tensile strength was 1/10 of the compressive strength, and the maximum strength was 7.42 MPa at 90 d. The optimal mix ratio has been found to be 50 kg of cement, 60 kg of fly ash and 120 kg of water (C50F60W120). The related dry density was 2.6 g/cm3, the water content was 6%, and the water-binder ratio was 1.09.
1 January 2023 in Fluid Dynamics & Materials Processing
The composite exciter and the CaO to Na2SO4 dosing ratios are known to have a strong impact on the mechanical strength of fly-ash concrete. In the present study a hybrid approach relying on experiments and a machine-learning technique has been used to tackle this problem. The tests have shown that the optimal admixture of CaO and Na2SO4 alone is 8%. The best 3D mechanical strength of fly-ash concrete is achieved at 8% of the compound activator; If the 28-day mechanical strength is considered, then, the best performances are obtained at 4% of the compound activator. Moreover, the 3D mechanical strength of fly-ash concrete is better when the dosing ratio of CaO to Na2SO4 in the compound activator is 1:1; the maximum strength of fly-ash concrete at 28-day can be achieved for a 1:1 ratio of CaO to Na2SO4 by considering a 4% compound activator. In this case, the compressive and flexural strengths are 260 MPa and 53.6 MPa, respectively; the mechanical strength of fly-ash concrete at 28-day can be improved by a 4:1 ratio of CaO to Na2SO4 by considering 8% and 12% compound excitants. It is shown that the predictions based on the aforementioned machine-learning approach are accurate and reliable.
Global climate change exerts great effects on plant distributions. However, the response of Prunus mira Koehne, one of the most important species for ecological protection in the southeast of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau, to climate change remains unclear. To explore the ecological factors affecting the distribution of P. mira in the context of global climate change, the MaxENT model is used to predict suitable habitats for P. mira. Our study indicated that the distribution of Prunus mira Koehn is primarily influenced by temperature rather than precipitation, and warming can facilitate the growth of P. mira. When the temperature seasonality (bio4) ranges from 134 to 576 and the mean temperature of the coldest quarter (bio11) ranges from −2.6 °C to 2.7 °C, it is most conducive to the growth of P. mira. Among the four climate scenarios, the optimal habitat for P. mira is predominantly concentrated in river valley areas and is expected to expand into higher altitude regions, particularly in the north and southeast. SSP245 and SSP370 climate pathways are conducive to the growth and spatial expansion of P. mira. Our findings highlight the significant impact of temperature not precipitation on the distribution of P. mira, and this insight is crucial for the stability and conservation of this ecologically significant plant species.