This paper presents an experimental study to investigate some of the thermal and strength behaviors of a new mortar material which was prepared by adding some of the residues of agricultural Iraqi biomass materials such as wood sawdust, reed, corn cobs, and their blending. These biomass materials are available in plenty of amounts in Iraq / Karbala City. These materials are blended with sand and cement, which are raw materials for mortar preparation, in different percentages to produce new types of mortar. The major focal area of interest is to identify the likelihood of applying these products as external wall insulating material to minimize heat transfer from outside to a building. Thermal conductivity, water absorption and skeletal density, and compressive strength at 7 and 28 days of the new mortars was also determined in the work. Comparing the performances obtained it was found that the new mortar containing wood sawdust had the highest compressive strength values While the best improvement in heat insulation was recorded in the mortar containing corn cobs compared to the other types. The results presented here prove that this mortar can be recommended for building purposes, specifically for exterior wall cladding. It provides good thermal resistance and improves the fortification of building walls; it also affords an added benefit of being cheaper and therefore fashionable for construction related uses.

The push-off phase is a critical part of initiating movement during walking, and it requires a significant amount of energy. Recent research has shown that the passive use of springs in parallel with the leg can harvest the push-off energy and reduce the total metabolic energy of walking for healthy subjects. In this study, we present the design of a prosthetic leg with a passive-based mechanism to reduce walking energy consumption for above-knee amputees. The mechanism stores energy during the stance phase of the gait cycle and releases it to support the prosthetic leg during locomotion. The known polycentric knee joint 3R36 and the ankle-foot joint ESAR were chosen and adopted for this study. We also utilized a ratchet clutch that connects with a spring and rope from the pylon to the foot which regulates movement and saves energy. Our simulations demonstrate that the spring stores elastic energy from approximately 22% of the gait cycle and reaches its maximum energy storage at approximately 50% of the walking cycle. The energy is then released at approximately 58% of the stride cycle during the push-off phase. The motion of the proposed prosthetic leg for individuals with transfemoral amputations mimics the normal walking pattern of healthy individuals well.