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Epoxy-coated reinforcement (ECR), with and without penetrations through the epoxy, was subjected to an accelerated weathering program under ultraviolet (UV) light following Cycle 1 of ASTM G154, simulating outdoor exposure in North America for periods ranging from 1.2 months to 1 year. The corrosion resistance of the bars was evaluated using the ASTM A955 rapid macrocell test. As a control, the corrosion resistance of bars not subjected to the accelerated weathering program was also evaluated. After accelerated weathering equivalent to approximately 1.2 months of outdoor exposure, the corrosion resistance of epoxy-coated bars with penetrations in the coating was reduced, with corrosion losses three to six times greater than ECR without UV light exposure. Even ECR without penetrations through the coating showed a loss in corrosion protection when subjected to the equivalent of 1 year of outdoor exposure. ECR should be stored in a manner that protects it from exposure to UV light. The existing guidelines in ASTM D3963 limiting unprotected exposure to 2 months are not sufficient to protect the coating from damage; limiting exposure to 1 month or less should be required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To assess the consistency of return to sport and occupation recommendations following EHI provided in published clinical practice guidelines, consensus statements, position statements, and practice alerts. The agreement between medical policies governing the return to duty following EHI between the branches of the United States Armed Forces and published recommendations was assessed. Ovid MEDLINE, Web of Science, and CINAHL databases were searched for clinical practice guidelines and position statements published at any time that guided return to activity in individuals with EHI. Methodological quality was assessed, and the specific recommendations for clinical management were extracted. Consistency of recommendations was evaluated. Agreement between published guidelines and the policies governing return to activity in military tactical athletes with heat injury were also evaluated. Guidelines developed by two civilian sports medicine societies in the United States detailing recommendations for return to function following EHI were identified. There was consistency between guidelines regarding recommendations that addressed abstinence from activity; medical follow-up; graded resumption of activity; and return to function. Pertaining military policy, contemporary regulations published in recent years reflected the recommendations provided in the professional guidelines. The greatest incongruence was noted in older military policies. This systematic review highlights the need for consistent recommendations across all branches of the military and medical specialties pertaining to returning servicemembers to duty after EHI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Factors such as paste content, concrete slump, compressive strength, and evaporation rate affect the tendency of concrete to crack, which can lead to corrosion and rapid deterioration in structures. There is some debate on the effect of narrow taperedcracks, such as settlement cracks, on corrosion of reinforcing steel. In this study, the effect of settlement cracks on chloride transport and corrosion initiation was evaluated. The cracks were narrower than 0.003 in. [0.08 mm] and tapered below the concrete surface, features that are difficult to reproduce with artificially-induced cracks. Cracks with widths as low as 0.001 in. (0.025 mm) and lengths as low as 2.25 in. (55 mm) resulted in early corrosion initiation in a majority of the specimens, although corrosion rates were lower than test specimens that had an artificially-induced crack above the reinforcing bars. The findings suggest that even relatively small cracks are potentially detrimental to service life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thanks to the efforts of our reviewers in 2022, the median time to first decision was 15 days and the median time to publication was 38 days. I Materials i was able to uphold its high standards for published papers due to the outstanding efforts of our reviewers. Regardless of whether the articles they examined were ultimately published, the editors would like to express their appreciation and thank the following reviewers for the time and dedication that they have shown I Materials i :; ht Footnotes 1 B Disclaimer/Publisher's Note: b The statements, opinions and data contained in all publications are solely those of the individual author(s) and contributor(s) and not of MDPI and/or the editor(s). [Extracted from the article]

The effects of settlement cracking in concrete on corrosion initiation and rate of reinforcing steel in the presence of chlorides are evaluated using uncracked southern exposure (SE) specimens, cracked beam (CB) specimens with 0.012 in. (0.3 mm) artificial cracks directly above reinforcing steel, and settlement cracking (SC) specimens in which cracks with widths ranging from 0.001 to 0.004 in. (0.025 to 0.10 mm) form in plastic concrete over reinforcing bars. The earliest corrosion initiation was observed in the CB specimens, followed, in turn, by the SC and SE specimens. Although narrow, settlement cracks can lead to early initiation of corrosion--on average of less than half the time than for uncracked concrete. Relative to uncracked concrete, specimens with settlement cracks exhibited a 30% increase in corrosion rate while specimens with the artificial 0.012 in. (0.3 mm) crack exhibited an over 200% increase in corrosion rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The document titled "Reviewers" expresses gratitude to the dedicated reviewers who have contributed to the success of the Journal of Cold Regions Engineering. The reviewers' timely and critical reviews are acknowledged as crucial to the journal's impact and decision-making process. The document lists the names and affiliations of the reviewers who have reviewed manuscripts submitted to the journal during a specific period. [Extracted from the article]

A test procedure was developed to evaluate the effect of different techniques to limit settlement cracking over reinforcing steel with low concrete cover. Various specimen configurations and methods of finishing and curing were investigated. It was found that a clear cover of 1-1/8 in. (29 mm) over a No. 6 (No. 19) bar and covering the specimens after placement with sloped hard plastic enclosed in plastic sheeting provided a suitable method for obtaining clearly visible settlement cracks for concrete with slumps ranging from under 2 in. (50 mm) to over 8 in. (205 mm). The test specimen was then used to evaluate the effectiveness of a rheology-modifying admixture and four types of synthetic fibers on settlement cracking. Eighty-eight concrete batches were tested for mixtures with a cement paste (cement and water) content of 27 percent by volume and a water-cement ratio (w/c) of 0.45. The results show that the addition of the rheology-modifying admixture or fibers greatly reduces settlement cracking over reinforcing steel with low concrete cover. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The results of field tests to evaluate methods designed to make epoxy-coated reinforcement (ECR) more resistant to corrosion are reported. Reinforcing bars coated with epoxies designed to have improved adhesion to the steel, concrete containing corrosion inhibitors, bars with a primer coating containing microencapsulated calcium nitrite applied prior to epoxy application, bars coated with zinc prior to epoxy application, and conventional uncoated bars are evaluated based on corrosion rates and losses using field exposure tests that closely simulate conditions in bridge decks subjected to deicing salts. Coatings are penetrated to simulate damage that occurs during construction. Even when damaged, epoxy-coated bars exhibit significantly lower corrosion rates based on total area than conventional reinforcement. The corrosion resistance of bars with improved adhesion does not increase compared to conventional ECR. Bars with a layer of zinc underneath the epoxy exhibit performance comparable to conventional ECR; this is in contrast to laboratory tests in saturated concrete where the zinc-and-epoxy coated bars exhibited poor performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of concrete tail cover and tail kickout on the anchorage strength of hooked bars were investigated. The study included 195 simulated beam-column joint specimens containing two No. 5, 8, or 11 (No. 16, 25, or 36) hooked bars. Bar stresses at anchorage failure ranged from 33,000 to 141,000 psi (228 to 972 MPa), and concrete compressive strengths ranged from 4490 to 16,180 psi (31 to 112 MPa). Tail cover ranged from 3/4 to 3-5/8 in. (19 to 92 mm) and tail kickout occurred for approximately 7% of the hooked bars used in the analysis. Hooked bars were placed inside or outside the column core with or without confining reinforcement in the joint region. Tail kickout was only observed in conjunction with other modes of failure and was not, in any case, the only mode of failure. The likelihood of tail kickout increases for hooked bars placed outside the column core, as compared to hooked bars placed inside the column core, as confining reinforcement within the joint region decreases, and as the size of the hooked bar increases. The anchorage strength of hooked bars with a 90-degree bend angle is not affected by hook tail covers as low as 3/4 in. (19 mm) or tail kickout at failure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

RC bridges are the typical structures exposed to the combined effect of carbonation, chloride ingress, and mechanical load. Due to this, the structures are susceptible to corrosion, which influences the load-carrying capacity and safety. An important part of the preparation for performance-based design is an analysis of the durability of existing structures to improve the reliability of available numerical tools. In this study, the correlations between compressive strength, chloride content, pH, exposure time, and risk factor were analysed. All were evaluated based on the in-situ measurements performed on regular inspections of 14 motorway bridges under service in the Czech Republic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tickborne diseases that affect patients in the United States include Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF), ehrlichiosis, anaplasmosis, babesiosis, tularemia, Colorado tick fever, and tickborne relapsing fever. Tickborne diseases are increasing in incidence and should be suspected in patients presenting with flulike symptoms during the spring and summer months. Prompt diagnosis and treatment can prevent complications and death. Location of exposure, identification of the specific tick vector, and evaluation of rash, if present, help identify the specific disease. Lyme disease presents with an erythema migrans rash in 70% to 80% of patients, and treatment may be initiated based on this finding alone. RMSF presents with a macular rash starting on the wrists, forearms, and ankles that becomes petechial. RMSF has a higher rate of mortality than other tickborne diseases; therefore, empiric treatment with doxycycline is recommended for all patients, including pregnant women and children, when high clinical suspicion is present. Testing patient-retrieved ticks for infections is not recommended. Counseling patients on the use of protective clothing and tick repellents during outdoor activities can help minimize the risk of infection. Prophylactic treatment after tick exposure in patients without symptoms is generally not recommended but may be considered within 72 hours of tick removal in specific patients at high risk of Lyme disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Equations to characterize the anchorage strength of headed bars were developed, incorporating key factors affecting anchorage strength: concrete compressive strength; embedment length; bar diameter; spacing between the bars; and confining reinforcement parallel to the headed bars. Results from tests of 138 exterior beam-column joints, 64 without and 74 with confining reinforcement within the joint region, were used to develop the equations. Concrete compressive strengths ranged from 4050 to 16,030 psi (27.9 to 110.6 MPa) and bar stresses at failure ranged from 33,100 to 153,160 psi (228 to 1056 MPa). The bearing area of the headed bars ranged from 3.8 to 9.5 times the area of the bar. Some headed bars contained obstructions adjacent to the head that exceeded the dimensions permitted for HA heads in ACI 318-14 and ASTM A970-13a but are now permitted by ASTM A970-18. The test results show that headed bar anchorage strength is proportional to the concrete compressive strength raised to the power 0.24. The contribution of confining reinforcement is proportional to the area of confining reinforcement parallel to the headed bar within eight to 10 bar diameters of the headed bar. Headed bars with obstructions larger than those permitted in ACI 318-14 that meet the provisions in ASTM A970-18 exhibit anchorage strengths that are similar to those that meet the provisions in ACI 318-14. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Results of an experimental program on the anchorage strength of headed reinforcing bars are presented. Two hundred and two exterior beam-column joint specimens with concrete compressive strengths ranging from 3960 to 16,030 psi (27.3 to 110.6 MPa) were tested under monotonic loading. Key parameters included concrete compressive strength, embedment length, bar size, head size, spacing between headed bars, and confining reinforcement within the joint region. Bar stresses at failure ranged from 26,100 to 153,200 psi (180 to 1057 MPa). Specimens exhibited concrete breakout, side-face blowout, or a combination of the two failure modes, with concrete breakout being the dominant failure mode. A comparison of bar stress at anchorage failure with the stress calculated based on ACI 318-14 shows that ACI 318-14 provides a very conservative estimate of anchorage strength for No. 5 (No. 16) bars and low concrete compressive strengths. The estimate becomes progressively less conservative with increasing bar size and concrete compressive strength. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) are commonly used as a means of reducing cost, reducing environmental impact, or reducing permeability of concrete, but the current field of research has found mixed results in terms of the resulting time to corrosion initiation and corrosion rate of concrete containing SCMs. This paper examines the time to corrosion initiation, the water-soluble critical chloride corrosion threshold, and the corrosion rate after initiation for uncracked concrete specimens containing cementitious material consisting of 100% portland cement, mixtures with volume replacements of cement by 20% and 40% Class C fly ash, 20% and 40% Grade 100 slag cement, and 5% and 10% silica fume. Specimens had 1 in. (25 mm) concrete cover and a water-cementitious materials ratio (w/cm) of 0.45. Test results show that many specimens containing SCMs exhibited repassivation of the reinforcement after a "first" corrosion initiation. This "first" initiation occurred at chloride thresholds comparable to or lower than the chloride threshold for reinforcement in 100% portland-cement concrete. The reinforcement remained passive for varying lengths of time (from 3 to 50 weeks) before reinitiating. At reinitiation ("final" initiation), specimens with concrete containing SCMs exhibited times to corrosion initiation two to seven times that observed in specimens containing 100% portland cement and corrosion rates after initiation approximately an order of magnitude lower than that observed in specimens containing 100% portland cement. Increasing the amount of SCM generally lowered the corrosion rate after initiation. Chloride thresholds at final initiation for specimens containing fly ash or slag were 66 to 200% higher than that observed for specimens containing 100% portland cement. Chloride thresholds at final initiation for specimens containing silica fume were 40 to 60% higher those observed for specimens containing 100% portland cement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In high-stakes interviews on matters of national and international security, interpreters are essential when interviewers and interviewees lack a common language. Although rapport-based interviews are effective in eliciting more complete and accurate information from witnesses and suspects in monolingual interviews, little is known about an interpreter's influence on rapport in interpreter-assisted interviews. Experienced interviewers (N = 121) drawn from policing, intelligence and military organisations in Australia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka and South Korea participated in structured interviews about interpreter-assisted interviews with high-value targets. Interview transcripts were coded for categorical information and analysed thematically. The reported challenges included concerns arising from poor adherence to professional ethics for interpreters and difficulty in establishing rapport with interviewees. Practitioners discussed the ways in which they responded to these challenges. Advance briefing of interpreters to better prepare them for the interview and adherence to sound interview practices were generally seen as beneficial. Implications of the findings for rapport-based interviews are discussed in terms of professional codes of ethics and conduct for interpreters. Aspects of policy, practice and research are identified for further attention to foster effective highstakes interpreter-assisted interviews. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Corrosion-related cracking in reinforced concrete is caused by expansive corrosion products and the resulting tensile stresses. While the amount of corrosion to cause cracking has been studied for uncoated conventional reinforcement, significantly less is known about the corrosion loss at cracking for galvanized reinforcement. Conventional and galvanized bars were cast in chloride- contaminated concrete. Clear cover to the bar ranged from 0.5 to 2 in. (12.7 to 51 mm). Specimens were tested both with and without the use of impressed current to drive corrosion. It was found that galvanized reinforcement requires greater corrosion losses to crack concrete than conventional steel reinforcement. Visual observations at autopsy suggest that the cracking of the concrete specimens containing galvanized reinforcement was not due to zinc corrosion products, but rather to corrosion products from intermetallic iron-zinc layers or from the underlying steel. Further study is needed to determine the exact nature of these corrosion products. Tests using impressed current may be used to establish the corrosion loss required to cause cracking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of close spacing on the anchorage strength of standard hooks is investigated. Sixty-seven simulated beam-column joint specimens were tested, each containing three, four, or six No. 5, 8, or 11 (No. 16, 25, or 36) hooked bars arranged in one or two layers with center-to-center spacing ranging from two to six bar diameters. Anchorage strengths are compared with those of specimens containing two hooked bars with spacings of six to 12 bar diameters. The results demonstrate that the provisions in ACI 318-14 tend to overestimate the anchorage strength of hooked bars as concrete compressive strength and bar size increase and as spacing between bars decreases. Decreasing center-to-center spacing below six bar diameters results in lower anchorage strengths than for hooked bars with wider spacing. The anchorage strength of hooked bars can be represented by considering the minimum of the horizontal and vertical spacing between bars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]