The article titled “A Sustainable Lightweight Pumice Concrete Slab for Underground Utility Protection: Experimental Validation and Finite-Element Analysis,” authored by Asst. Prof. Mustafa Yurdabal APAK from the Civil Engineering Department, has been published in the Q1-indexed Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering.
The study investigates the use of lightweight pumice aggregate concrete slabs as a sustainable alternative to conventional concrete barriers for protecting underground natural gas pipelines and electrical power lines. Supported by experimental testing and finite-element analysis, the research demonstrates that the proposed concrete slabs provide significant advantages in terms of reduced weight, improved thermal insulation, cost efficiency, and high resistance to fire and mechanical loading.
The findings indicate that pumice-based concrete slabs offer a resilient and sustainable solution for protecting underground infrastructure while contributing to the advancement of construction materials and urban infrastructure engineering. The study is expected to support future research on sustainable construction materials and infrastructure protection systems.
The Civil Engineering Department congratulates Asst. Prof. Mustafa Yurdabal APAK on this valuable scientific achievement and wishes him continued success in his academic career.
