PURPOSES : A mechanistic-empirical (ME) predictive design logic that can compute the reflective cracking life of hot-mix asphalt (HMA) overlaid on top of a composite pavement is proposed herein. METHODS : The overlay thickness design and analysis logic of the HMA were formulated based on the ME concept of reflection crack propagation. Climate data, traffic load data, the pavement material properties, and the thickness of each layer of the pavement are the main inputs for the ME-Reflective Cracking Rate (RCR) prediction algorithm. An Microsoft Excel Virtual Basic for Application (VBA) program was created to aid designers in assessing the expected performance of an HMA overlay design. Calibration was done using data from the Long-Term Pavement Performance (LTPP) sections. Sensitivity analysis was conducted to compare the results yielded by the program and data from a report by the Texas Transportation Institute. RESULTS : The predictive model performance effectively generates the dynamic and relaxation modulus curves. The correlation value of the calibration factors, R2, is 0.79. The calibration factors used for the Asphalt Overlay Thickness Design (AOTD) program and the sensitivity analysis, i.e., k1, k2,, and k3,, are set to 5, 5, and 150, respectively. The sensitivity of the AOTD program affords reasonable results. Additionally, the program yields results similar to the trends presented in a report by the Federal Highway Administration. CONCLUSIONS : The proposed ME design logic is successfully translated into an Excel VBA program, AOTD, which can perform routine assessments of laboratory tests for HMA overlays. The program can effectively perform numerous iterations and computations to predict an HMA overlay. The predictive model can generate reasonable dynamic modulus and relaxation modulus curves for the characterization of HMA overlays. Under the same asphalt binder grade and HMA type, doubling the HMA overlay thickness yields three times the expected reflective cracking service life.

A practical application of a fuzzy control system is described for an air-conditioning system. Air-hadling units are being widely used for improving the performance of central air-conditioning systems. The fuzzy control system has two controlled variables, temperature and humidity, and three control elements, cooling, heating, and humidification. In order to achieve high efficiency and economical control, especially in large offices and industrial buildings, two controllable parameters, temperature and humidity, must be adequately controlled by the three final controlling elements. In this paper a fuzzy control system was described for controlling air-conditioning systems efficiently and economically.

Many studies have been done in the field of fuzzy logic theory, but it's application to the ship's steering system is few until this date. This paper is to survey the effect of application of fuzzy logic control by new compositional rule of Inference to the ship's steering system. The controller is made up of a set of Linguistic Control Rules which are conditional linguistic statements connecting the inputs and output, and take the inputs derived from deviation angle and it's angular velocity. The Linguistic Control Rules are implemented on the digital computer to verify the performance of the fuzzy logic controller and simulations have been done in six cases of initial condition and disturbance type. Consequently, it was proved that the ship's steering system by introducing the F.L.C. is performed efficiently and less energy loss system compared with the conventional autopilot.