M. Hesham El Naggar

Comparative assessment of single-stage and two-stage anaerobic digestion for the treatment of thin stillage

A comparative evaluation of single-stage and two-stage anaerobic digestion processes for biomethane and biohydrogen production using thin stillage was performed to assess the impact of separating the acidogenic and methanogenic stages on anaerobic digestion. Thin stillage, the main by-product from ethanol production, was characterized by high total chemical oxygen demand (TCOD) of 122 g/L and total volatile fatty acids (TVFAs) of 12 g/L. A maximum methane yield of 0.33 L CH(4)/gCOD(added) (STP) was achieved in the two-stage process while a single-stage process achieved a maximum yield of only 0.26 L CH(4)/gCOD(added) (STP). The separation of acidification stage increased the TVFAs to TCOD ratio from 10% in the raw thin stillage to 54% due to the conversion of carbohydrates into hydrogen and VFAs. Comparison of the two processes based on energy outcome revealed that an increase of 18.5% in the total energy yield was achieved using two-stage anaerobic digestion.

Axial testing and numerical modeling of square shaft helical piles under compressive and tensile loading

Helical piles are increasingly used to support and rehabilitate structures subjected to both tensile and compressive axial loads. This paper presents a detailed investigation into the axial performance of helical piles. The study encompasses 19 full-scale load tests in different soils and numerical modeling using finite element analysis. The ultimate load criteria and load transfer mechanisms for helical piles were examined. In addition, the relationship between the installation effort (torque) and pile capacity was explored to determine its suitability for predicting pile capacity. The piles tested were made of three circular pitched bearing plates welded at a spacing of three helical diameters to a solid-square, slender steel shaft. It is proposed to determine the ultimate pile capacity as the load corresponding to pile head movement equal to 8% of the largest helix diameter plus the pile elastic deflection. A torque correlation factor, KT = 33 m–1 for compression and KT = 24 m–1 for uplift, was establi...

Analytical moment -rotation curves for rigid foundations based on a Winkler model

Analytical equations for the moment– rotation response of a rigid foundation on a Winkler soil model are presented. An equation is derived for the uplift-yield condition and is combined with equations for uplift- and yield-only conditions to enable the definition of the entire static moment– rotation response. The results obtained from the developed model show that the inverse of the factor of safety, x; has a significant effect on the moment– rotation curve. The value of x ¼ 0:5 not only determines whether uplift or yield occurs first but also defines the condition of the maximum moment– rotation response of the footing. A Winkler model is developed based on the derived equations and is used to analyze the TRISEE experiments. The computed moment– rotation response agrees well with the experimental results when the subgrade modulus is estimated using the unload – reload stiffness from static plate load– deformation tests. A comparison with the recommended NEHRP guidelines based on the FEMA 273/274 documents shows that the choice of value of the effective shear modulus significantly affected the comparison. q 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Generalized dynamic Winkler model for nonlinear soil-structure interaction analysis

The beam on nonlinear Winkler foundation (BNWF) model is widely used in soil–structure interaction (SSI) analysis owing to its relative simplicity. This paper focuses on the development of a versatile dynamic BNWF model for the analysis of shallow and deep foundations. The model is developed as a stand-alone module to be incorporated in commercial nonlinear structural analysis software. The features of the model discussed are the loading and unloading rules, slack zone development, the modeling of cyclic degradation and radiation damping. The model is shown to be capable of representing various response features observed in SSI experiments. In addition, the predictions of the model for centrifuge tests of piles in weakening and partially weakening soil are shown to be in good agreement with the experimental results. This agreement demonstrates the potential of the model as a useful tool for design engineers involved in seismic design, especially performance-based design.

Effect of non-linear soil-structure interaction on seismic response of tall slender structures

Abstract Some structures may be very massive and may have to be located on relatively soft soil. In such cases, the soil adjacent to the structure behaves in a non-linear fashion and affects the response of the structure to the dynamic loading. An approximate hybrid approach to analyse soil–structure systems accounting for soil non-linearities has been developed in this paper. The approach combines the consistent infinitesimal finite-element cell method (CIFECM) and the finite-element method (FEM). The CIFECM is employed to model the non-linear (near-field) zone of the soil supporting the structure as a series of bounded media. The material properties of the bounded media are selected so that they are compatible with the average effective strains over the whole bounded medium during the excitation. The linear zone of soil away from the foundation, the far-field, is modelled as an unbounded medium using the CIFECM for unbounded media. The structure itself is represented by the FEM. The proposed method is used to model the dynamic response of a one-mass structure and a TV-tower supported on a homogenous stratum and excited by an earthquake. It was found that the secondary soil non-linearity might increase or decrease the base forces of tall slender structures depending on the type of structure, frequency content of the input motion and the dynamic properties of the near-field soil.

A numerical study into lateral cyclic nonlinear soil-pile response

Pile foundations are generally designed to resist both axial and lateral loads. Under lateral cyclic loading, the response of the pile foundation is affected by factors such as soil and pile yieldi...

Design of efficient base isolation for hammers and presses

Foundations supporting hammers and presses have to withstand powerful short-period impact loads. When designing these foundations, their vibration amplitudes and the forces transmitted to the supporting piles or soil medium must be reduced to meet serviceability and stability requirements. Mounting systems are often used to achieve this goal. The objectives of this paper are to investigate the efficiency of mounting systems for different foundation configurations and to provide practical guidance for their design. A comprehensive parametric study was conducted and the results were used to establish a set of charts for the design of efficient mounting systems.

Neural Network Based Attenuation of Strong Motion Peaks in Europe

Artificial Neural Network (ANN) is used in this article to develop attenuation relationships for three peak ground motion parameters, namely, peak ground acceleration (PGA), peak ground velocity (PGV), and peak ground displacement (PGD). This article demonstrates the capability of ANN to capture the key physical aspects of seismic wave attenuation and region specific earthquake characteristics. Limited strong ground motion data and no particular functional form except for few constraints are used in the development of ANN based attenuation relationships. The database consists of 358 records (2 horizontal components of ground acceleration at each station) from 42 European shallow earthquakes. The surface magnitude (Ms), distance of site from surface projection of the rupture (R), and broad categories of soil type (soft soil, stiff soil, and rock formation) are the three input parameters. The Ms ranges from 5.5–7.9 and R ranges from 3 – 260 Km. The model is trained using 75% (134 data points) of the total data, while the remaining 25% (45 data points) of the total data is used to test the performance of the trained neural network models. The ANN is able to derive attenuation relationships which are consistent with the theory of ground motion attenuation phenomena. ANN can, therefore, be used as an alternative method to conventional regression techniques for developing attenuation relations, particularly for regions where limited earthquake data is available.

Compression testing and analysis of drilled concrete tapered piles in cohesive-frictional soil

When pile driving is difficult and (or) economically not viable, cast-in-place piles are indispensable. Tapered piles, which have top cross-sections larger than the bottom cross-sections, have the potential for substantial advantages over conventional straight-sided piles. This paper investigates the construction and performance of innovative drilled concrete tapered piles. A full-scale pile load-testing program was conducted to evaluate the axial compressive capacity of drilled concrete tapered piles in frictional soil. One straight and three tapered augers were designed and manufactured to produce six piles. The piles that were constructed and tested included four tapered and two straight piles. The testing results showed that tapered piles with a taper angle varying between 0.95° and 1.91° had a load carrying capacity up to 50% higher than the straight-sided piles with equal volume. It should be noted, however, that the experimental results are site specific. Moreover, an analytical expression was deve...

Performance of mesophilic biohydrogen-producing cultures at thermophilic conditions

In this study, batch tests were conducted to investigate the performance of mesophilic anaerobic digester sludge (ADS) at thermophilic conditions and estimate kinetic parameters for co-substrate fermentation. Starch and cellulose were used as mono-substrate and in combination as co-substrates (1:1 mass ratio) to conduct a comparative assessment between mesophilic (37 °C) and thermophilic (60 °C) biohydrogen production. Unacclimatized mesophilic ADS responded well to the temperature change. The highest hydrogen yield of 1.13 mol H2/mol hexose was observed in starch-only batches at thermophilic conditions. The thermophilic cellulose-only yield (0.42 mol H2/mol hexose) was three times the mesophilic yield (0.13 mol H2/mol hexose). Interestingly, co-fermentation of starch-cellulose at mesophilic conditions enhanced the hydrogen yield by 26% with respect to estimated mono-substrate yields, while under thermophilic conditions no enhancement in the overall yield was observed. Interestingly, the estimated overall Monod kinetic parameters showed higher rates at mesophilic than thermophilic conditions.