Purpose Construction waste disposal is becoming an increasingly important aspect of civil engineering. Waste disposal in the construction sector comes from demolition sites and research projects. To some extent, predictive models are advised to reduce waste in research projects. Design/methodology/approach The study aims to provide a novel prediction approach the Spider LeNet Predictive System (SLPS), for compressive strength, apparent density and water absorption in geopolymer brick manufactured from fly ash, sand, alkali-activator and various quantities of Ground Granulated Slag generated from Blast Furnace (GGBS). The amount of GGBS varies with the fraction of fly ash (0%, 5%, 10%, 15% and 20%), and the brick samples are cured at ambient temperatures of 60°C, 80°C and 120°C. Initially, experiments are conducted. The experimental results are incorporated into the MATLAB software, and prediction models are developed thereafter. The prediction models are then applied to the innovative SLPS to predict compression strength, bulk density and water absorption in geopolymer bricks. Findings The brick composition of 50% fly ash, 20% GGBS and 30% sand is anticipated to have a compressive strength of 31.94 MPa after 28 days of curing at 120°C, with water absorption of 2.05%. The highest bulk density in the geopolymer brick was anticipated to be 1.838 g/cm3 for the seven-day specimen. Originality/value The results show that the suggested technique accurately predicts the properties of the geopolymer block.

Purpose This study aims to numerically investigate the two-dimensional flow and thermal behavior of a thermally radiative ternary hybrid nanoliquid within a closed cavity, incorporating the effects of internal heat generation and magnetic influence. The working fluid consists of a ternary hybrid nanoliquid composed of single-walled carbon nanotubes, silver (Ag), alumina (Al2O3) and water (H2O). Design/methodology/approach To simplify the governing equations, a similarity transformation is applied, and the resulting equations are solved using the finite element method. The impact of key parameters – namely, the radiation parameter (R), Rayleigh number (Ra), magnetic parameter (M), Prandtl number (Pr) and the volume fractions of the all three nanoparticles (ϕ1, ϕ2, ϕ3) on the velocity field and temperature distribution is presented through graphical illustrations. Findings This study concludes that increasing the volume fractions of the three nanoparticles enhances the temperature distribution within the cavity. In addition, a rise in the magnetic parameter (M) facilitates greater heat transfer from the hot wall to the cold wall. Originality/value It is concluded from this research paper that ternary nanoliquids has higher rates of heat transport capabilities than the hybrid nanoliquids under specific conditions.

Purpose This study aims to present the load-carrying capacity and its most influential parameters for concrete-filled steel built-up columns (CFSBC) under axial compression. A novel analytical model has been proposed and validated to estimate the ultimate inelastic buckling strength of the CFSBC. The research also explores the effects of column length, plate thickness and carbon fibre-reinforced polymer (CFRP) confinement through finite element analysis (FEA). Design/methodology/approach The model has been proposed based on the column’s inelastic buckling. The proposed model has also been verified with the experimental database of 96 CFSBC. The parametric study is carried out using the finite element (FE)-based ABAQUS software for various parameters, such as the length of CFSBC, the plate thickness and the number of confining CFRP layers. Findings It is observed that while increasing the length of the column, the load-carrying capacity is reduced to about 12% for per metre of length increment and the reduction in the width-to-thickness ratio (b/t) reduces the load-carrying capacity to the extent of 10% to 15% for each 2 mm of thickness reduction. Owing to the change of CFRP layers from 0 to 3, there is no significant change in the results, which concludes that CFRP has a less effective role in the case of CFSBC. Research limitations/implications This study primarily focuses on the axial compression behaviour of CFSBC without considering lateral or seismic loading effects. The analytical model is validated against 96 experimental results, but further verification with larger data sets is needed for broader applicability. The FEA is conducted using ABAQUS, which may have limitations in capturing many complex real-world conditions. Additionally, CFRP confinement is analysed for up to three layers only, and its effectiveness beyond this limit remains uncertain. Practical implications This study provides a robust framework for designing CFSBC with optimised load-carrying capacity. Engineers can use the validated analytical model to estimate inelastic buckling strength, reducing reliance on costly experimental testing. The findings emphasise controlling column length and plate thickness to maximise strength, ensuring safer and more efficient structural designs. As CFRP confinement has minimal impact, its usage can be minimised, leading to cost savings. These insights are crucial for high-rise buildings and bridge applications, promoting sustainable construction by improving material efficiency, reducing waste and enhancing the overall performance of composite structural elements. Social implications The study contributes to safer and more efficient infrastructure by improving the design of CFSBC, leading to durable and cost-effective construction. Enhanced structural performance reduces the risk of failures, ensuring public safety in high-rise buildings and bridges. The optimised use of materials, especially reduced reliance on CFRP, lowers construction costs, making housing and infrastructure development more affordable. Additionally, promoting sustainable construction through efficient material use aligns with environmental conservation efforts. The findings support infrastructure resilience, benefiting communities by ensuring long-term structural reliability, reducing maintenance needs and fostering economic growth through optimised engineering solutions. Originality/value This study proposes a novel analytical model for predicting the inelastic buckling strength of CFSBC, validated with experiments and simulations, offering insights into key design factors while optimising material use and structural efficiency.

Purpose This study aims to extend the work of Oyewola and Idowu (2024b) by selecting the best three wave-like plenum designs and investigating repositioning of the outlet sections in the works of Chen et al. (2019) and Oyewola and Idowu (2024a). Battery management system enhancement through structure redesign and combination of existing designs has recently gained significant interest. In this study, wave-plenum and outlet-flow pattern designs were selected from previous studies. The designs have been reported to produce improvement in the performance of Z–type battery management system. Each of the wave-plenum and outlet flow pattern designs was combined to form new designs to further examine their performance. Design/methodology/approach The designs’ performances were evaluated using a computational fluid dynamics approach. This was done by comparing the average maximum temperature of the battery (Tmax), its pressure drop (ΔP) and the performance evaluation index (PEI). Findings The results of this study showed that the best design among the selected wave-plenum designs reduced the average ΔTmax and Tmax of batteries by 5.9 K (82.63%) and 3.35 K (1.01%), respectively, while the best design among the outlet-flow pattern designs produced a reduction of 4.95 K (69.33%) and 1.92 K (0.58%), respectively, when compared to the primary Z–type design. The outlet-flow pattern design produced better performance than the primary Z–type design for Tmax, ΔP and PEI, with a reduction in Tmax and ΔP by 0.7 K and 0.81 Pa, respectively, and an increase in PEI by 0.047. The combination of wave-plenum design and outlet-flow pattern design initially reduced Tmax by 0.15 K and 3.51 K when compared to the Z–3 (a wave-plenum design) and Z–8 (an outlet-flow pattern design), respectively. The combination designs were then optimized by strategically repositioning the outlets along the convergence plenum to obtain 15 outlet-flow patterns. This produced a design that reduced the Tmax by 0.13 K (0.04%), 1.56 K (0.48%) and 3.48 K (1.06%) when compared with the best selected wave-plenum, best selected outlet-flow pattern and primary Z–type designs, respectively. The optimized combination design denoted “Z–4/C–6” also produced lower ΔP when compared to the initial best combination design reducing the ΔP by 2.71 Pa (10.88%). Research limitations/implications By exploring the benefit of combining two different cooling techniques, a combination of wave-plenum design and outlet-flow pattern design reduced Tmax by 0.15 K and 3.51 K, as compared to the Z–3 and Z–8 designs, respectively. Furthermore, an outlet-flow pattern design denoted “Z–8” was crucial in enhancing Tmax and PEI, such that three designs associated with it (Z–2/Z–8, Z–3/Z–8 and Z–4/Z–8) are among the best five designs, performing better than Z–type, Z–2 and all outlet-flow pattern designs. In general, the findings from this study demonstrate the potential of combining two designs to enhance performance of battery thermal management systems based on Tmax, ΔP and PEI parameters. Originality/value In general, findings from this study demonstrate the potential of combining two designs to enhance the performance of battery thermal management systems based on Tmax, ΔP and PEI parameters.

Purpose This paper aims to analyse the mechanical behavior specifically tensile, compressive and flexural properties of 3D-printed PLA components generated using various infill patterns by the Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) process. By evaluating single, double and triple-pattern infill configurations, the study tries to understand how geometric complexity in infill structures effects mechanical performance. Design/methodology/approach A conventional FDM printer was used to create 12 different infill configurations with an 80% infill density and a 0.15-mm layer thickness. These configurations included four double combinations, four triple combinations and four single patterns (triangles, grid, lines and trihexagon). The samples were submitted to standardized tensile, compressive and flexural tests to measure their mechanical responses. Findings The Lines + Triangles + TriHexagon infill pattern exhibited the highest tensile strength of 99.24 MPa, while the Triangles + Tri-hexagon pattern achieved the highest compressive strength (58.3 MPa). In flexural testing, theline + Triangles pattern yielded the highest flexural strength (97.59 MPa), closely followed by the Triangles + TriHexagon + Cubic (96.88) patterns. Increased infill complexity correlated with improved mechanical strength in some cases but also resulted in extended printing times. Practical implications The findings highlight the importance of selecting appropriate infill patterns to enhance the structural integrity of FDM-printed parts without compromising printing efficiency. Designers and engineers can leverage this knowledge to optimize part performance in functional and load-bearing applications, particularly in prototyping and end-use scenarios. The very small number of specimens examined for each formulation is one of the study’s limitations, which might compromise the published findings’ statistical validity. Originality/value This study provides a comprehensive comparison of multiple infill pattern combinations in FDM-printed PLA components, offering novel insights into the influence of pattern complexity on mechanical performance. The systematic evaluation of single, double and triple infill structures contributes to the advancement of infill strategy optimization in additive manufacturing.

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Purpose To fulfill the demand of high-speed communication with high quality of service, the future underwater wireless communication system needs the implementation of MIMO-OFDM system in an underwater environment. But the capacity of MIMO-OFDM system falls due to interference from multiple users called multiuser access interference (MAI) at its receiver. Therefore, this study aims to focus on the suppression of MAI through multiuser detection (MUD) to enhance system capacity. Design/methodology/approach MUD in this research is accomplished in cylindrical shaped space in an UWA network using global optimum solution obtained from jet propulsion behavior and swarm behavior of marine invertebrate animal called tunicates. In other words, MUD in this research is accomplished in a cylindrical shaped space using binary version of tunicate swarm algorithm. Findings Bit error rate analysis using MATLAB simulation reveals that the proposed binary version of tunicate swarm optimizer (TSO) outperforms over conventional detectors and existing bioinspired algorithms such as Spotted Hyena Optimizer and Particle Swarm Optimizer in the same domain in an underwater acoustic network. Research limitations/implications The work is carried out in a cylindrical shaped space for the swarm behavior of tunicate. In this dimension, the fitness function is evaluated in which the proposed TSO gives better performance for interference to noise ratio at 10 and 20 dB. Practical implications TSO generates better optimal solution in comparison to other competitive algorithm in cylindrical search space and is capable of solving real case optimization problem having cylindrical search spaces. Social implications Proper MUD at the receiver in a MIMO-OFDM-UWA communication system will fulfill the demand for multimedia services and high-speed reliable communication in underwater environment. Originality/value The originality in this work is MUD is accomplished using a binary version of metaheuristic paradigm called TSO in an underwater acoustic environment. The modeling and setup of an underwater network is done using World Ocean Simulation System.

Purpose This study aims to investigate the shear strength and cracking behaviour of crushed oyster shell (COS) modified expansive soil following dry-wet cycles and to determine the optimal COS content. The study analyses the impact of COS on the properties of expansive soil. Design/methodology/approach The crack development characteristics of COS modified soil were quantitatively analysed using a combination of direct shear tests, microscopic experiments and the Particles and Cracks Analysis System (PCAS). Findings COS can effectively enhance the soil particle distribution, increase the internal friction angle and bolster the shear strength of the soil. The bonding and agglomeration effects are crucial for strengthening expansive soil and controlling crack formation. To minimize cracking in the modified soil after multiple dry-wet cycles, it is recommended that the COS content be maintained at 9%. Originality/value The study employed PCAS software to quantify the soil’s crack rate and utilized SEM image to analyse the crack generation patterns in the modified soil. This research provides a scientific foundation for the application of COS modified expansive soil.

Purpose This paper aims to perform theoretical and experimental analysis to modify the mechanical properties of the composite materials reinforced with powders and short fibers using different volume fractions and resins. Design/methodology/approach The experimental work involved manufacturing composite laminates and testing the prepared samples under tension to obtain their mechanical properties. The theoretical work involves the calculation of the modulus of elasticity for comparison purposes. This work estimated the modulus of elasticity for short fibers (glass, carbon high-strength, boron) as reinforcements and its properties are evaluated. They were used as powders and discontinuous fibers with different resins, epoxy, polyester, nylon and polyester (PL) matrices. As a result of their balance between performance, cost and processing advantages, short fibers are an effective reinforcement for composite materials, particularly in applications where performance is required but cost or processing constraints are present. Among their key advantages are improved mechanical properties, easy manufacturing techniques, strength, damping capacity, toughness and design flexibility. Findings The results demonstrated a strong agreement between the experimental and theoretical findings, with a maximum difference of no more than 11.6%. The mechanical properties showed that the powder types have an insignificant effect on the mechanical properties of composite materials while the reinforcement types have shown a significant effect. Practical implications The benefits that fiber matrix composites offer in terms of performance, affordability and structural efficiency are driving their expanding use in aerospace, marine and many other industries. Originality/value The results demonstrated that short fiber reinforcement significantly enhanced the composite’s modulus of elasticity and strength by over 50%. The type of short fibers used had a greater impact on these improvements compared to other types of reinforcement fibers.

PurposeThis paper aims to explore the numerical simulation of MHD flow of Williamson hybrid nanofluid over a porous stretched sheet. Cattaneo–Christov thermal and specie fluxes were used in the model. Partial differential equations are exploit to model the underlying physics of the situation (PDEs).Design/methodology/approachUsing an acceptable similarity functions, these equations were changed into total differential equations (ODEs). The spectral relaxation method (SRM) was used to solve the linked and nonlinear altered ODEs. The Gauss–Seidel procedure is used to figure out how to use Chebyshev pseudospectral techniques in SRM. This is an iterative process.FindingsIncreasing the heat relaxation flow increases temperature distributions; increasing the mass relaxation flux increases concentration distributions. A higher value of thermal radiation heat generation and Eckert number was noticed to improve temperature and velocity distributions. Due to the imposed electromagnetic force, a higher magnetic field is detected to cause an elevation in the velocity distribution. Also, a higher thermal radiation is observed to upsurge the velocity in company with temperature distributions.Originality/valueThis research benefits from biomedical engineering, biological sciences, astrophysics and geophysics. The rheological applications of Williamson fluid finds usefulness in biological sciences. The nanoparticles as considered in this study finds applications in the field of biomedical engineering. Also, the application of the imposed electromagnetic field and magnetic field strength is very useful in the area of astrophysics. A good agreement may be found in the literature on this study’s findings.