Research Excellence
Curated academic content from faculties, centers, and graduate programs.
Palestine Polytechnic University
PPU Institutional Repository
The official digital archive for Palestine Polytechnic University. Discover theses, dissertations, peer-reviewed publications, conference papers, and institutional outputs preserved for long-term access.
Open Knowledge
Persistent access to institutional research and scholarly communication.
Global Visibility
Indexed, discoverable records to increase impact and collaboration.
For Students
Browse graduation projects, theses, and dissertations across disciplines.
For Researchers
Access publications, datasets, and faculty outputs with reliable metadata.
For Partners
Explore institutional achievements and collaborative scientific production.
Communities in Digital Repository
Select a community to browse its collections.
Recent Submissions
Item type:Item, Response Modification Factor In Intermediate Moment-Resisting Reinforced Concrete Frame System(2026-06) Moath Baher Qasem Qubajeh; Dr. Haitham AyyadThe Response Modification Factor (R) is a critical parameter in seismic design, reflecting a structure’s ability to withstand earthquake-induced forces through controlled inelastic behavior, including ductility, stiffness degradation, and energy dissipation, rather than relying solely on elastic response. Given that R is governed by a complex interaction between structural configuration, material properties, and detailing, its accurate determination is essential for achieving reliable and realistic seismic performance assessments. This study examines the response modification factor (R) of Intermediate Moment Resisting Concrete Frame Systems (IMRCFS) through a comprehensive nonlinear analytical framework. Four three-dimensional reinforced concrete frame models, comprising 1, 3, 6, and 9 stories, were developed with consistent geometric and material properties, while varying in height and stiffness distribution. Each model incorporates four bays in the transverse direction and three bays in the longitudinal direction, enabling a systematic evaluation of height-dependent seismic behavior. The structural systems were initially designed using ETABS in accordance with ACI 318-19, with seismic design parameters defined based on ASCE 7-16 provisions. Subsequently, nonlinear static pushover analyses, incorporating gravity loading and P–Δ effects, were conducted using SAP2000 and ABAQUS to capture the full nonlinear response of the structures. The base shear–displacement capacity curves were obtained from pushover analysis, and the response modification factor (R) was subsequently determined using the Equal Energy Method according to ATC-19 procedures.. The results demonstrate that the base shear corresponding to the yield point provides a consistent and realistic basis for estimating the response modification factor across all investigated configurations. Although R-values exhibit an overall increasing trend with building height, the findings highlight a pronounced sensitivity of R to stiffness distribution and vertical irregularities, particularly in mid- and high- rise systems. Notably, the computed R-values are consistently lower than those prescribed by design codes, indicating that reliance on generalized code values may lead to unconservative estimations. Overall, the study confirms that accurate evaluation of the response modification factor necessitates explicit consideration of nonlinear structural behavior, stiffness irregularities, and system configuration. Furthermore, it validates nonlinear pushover analysis as a robust and reliable approach for assessing the seismic performance of IMRCFS.Item type:Item, Arabic Synonyms Extraction using Singular Value Decomposition and Self-Organizing Maps(2026-06) Tala Sarabtah; Dr. Dia AbuZeinaArabic is a morphologically rich language where many words share the same root. This causes a well-documented problem when using automatic synonym extraction, where standard methods based on embeddings and cosine similarity -- the Baseline -- consistently return root-related word forms instead of true functional synonyms. This thesis addresses this problem. This thesis proposes a three-stage pipeline combining a pre-trained Arabic language model (BERT), SVD, and the SOM. BERT generates contextual word representations; SVD reduces the embedding dimensionality of any given word to suppress noise; and the SOM reorganises the space so that functionally equivalent words cluster together rather than root-related ones. The SVD-SOM pipeline was trained on approximately 3,800 Arabic articles covering 157 target words from variety of domains including education, economics, law, and media. A key limitation of the SVD-SOM pipeline is the absence of a standard Arabic synonym evaluation benchmark, which makes performance measurement inherently difficult. Evaluation was therefore conducted by comparing the SVD-SOM pipeline output against the Microsoft Word Arabic Thesaurus and several established Arabic online dictionaries (Almaany, Al-Maajim, Arabic Wiktionary), and the system was shown to retrieve true functional synonyms directly and reliably. To make this comparison quantitative, a lexically-grounded weighted synonym evaluation (the WSS@k and wDCG@k measures, defined in Chapter 2) scores each retrieved candidate on a 0--1 closeness scale and rewards ranking true synonyms near the top of the list. The results are clear. For the word تعليم (Education), the Baseline ranked terms such as أستاذ (Professor) and طلابي (Student-related) within its top-15 output -- neither of which is a functional synonym. The proposed SVD-SOM pipeline ranked تدريس (Teaching) and تثقيف (Enlightenment) in the top two positions, exactly matching the Microsoft Word Arabic Thesaurus. This pattern was reproduced consistently across the case studies presented in Chapter 5. A quantitative cross-validation using an architecturally independent Sentence-BERT model across all 2,512 experimental scenarios showed a modest but consistent improvement of the SVD-SOM pipeline over the Baseline. Future work should prioritise building a publicly available Arabic synonym benchmark and extending the SVD-SOM pipeline to include Arabic dialects and downstream applications such as information retrieval.Item type:Item, Nonlinear Seismic Response of Strengthened Reinforced Concrete Frames: A Comparative Finite Element Investigation Using CFRP, RC Jacketing, and UHPC(2026-06) Dunya Firas Kasem Abu Mayyaleh; Dr. Belal AlmassriThis study investigates the seismic performance of reinforced concrete (RC) frames strengthened using different retrofitting techniques under cyclic loading conditions through advanced finite element simulation. A three-dimensional nonlinear finite element model was developed in ABAQUS and calibrated using the experimental results of a previously tested RC frame reported in the literature. Concrete behavior was simulated using the Concrete Damage Plasticity (CDP) model, while reinforcing steel was modeled using an elastoplastic constitutive relationship. The numerical model achieved a high level of agreement with the experimental response, with an accuracy of approximately 95.12% in predicting the peak lateral load, as well as accurately capturing stiffness degradation, crack propagation, and hysteretic behavior. Following validation, three strengthening techniques were investigated, including CFRP strengthening, RC jacketing, and UHPC jacketing. The results demonstrated that all strengthening methods enhanced the seismic behavior of the frame; however, UHPC strengthening exhibited the best overall performance, achieving an increase of approximately 88.5% in load-carrying capacity, 44.73% in ductility, and significant improvement in stiffness and energy dissipation capacity. The findings confirm the effectiveness of advanced strengthening techniques, particularly UHPC jacketing, in improving the seismic resistance and structural performance of deficient RC frames. Keywords: Reinforced Concrete Frames, Seismic Strengthening, Cyclic Loading, Nonlinear Finite Element Analysis, ABAQUS, CFRP, RC Jacketing, UHPCItem type:Item, Features of Videographics Produced by (AJ+) Arabic and Distributed via Facebook(2026) هيا مروان امريش; د. حافظ عاكسرهThis study aimed to reveal the features of videographics produced by the )AJ+( Arabic platform and distributed via Facebook by analyzing its technical and structural characteristics alongside audience engagement patterns, addressing the central question: "What are the features of videographics produced by )AJ+( Arabic for its digital platform on Facebook?" Employing a mixed-methods approach with quantitative and qualitative content analysis tools, the study examined a sample of 21 videographic clips selected over seven consecutive months (three clips monthly representing the beginning, middle, and end of each month) from the )AJ+( Arabic Facebook page. Theoretically anchored in the Diffusion of Innovations Theory—to explain the adoption of videographics as an emerging digital format—and Semiotic Theory—to analyze the semantic and persuasive dimensions of visual symbols—the study revealed that )AJ+( Arabic heavily relies on modern graphic elements and intensive visual processing in short-form videos to boost engagement, effectively leveraging color schemes, iconography, and visual storytelling to simplify complex information for digital audiences. Consequently, the study recommends that Arab media institutions refine their digital visual production strategies and calls for further academic research in this understudied domain, underscoring its own contribution to bridging a significant knowledge gap in Arab digital journalism, video production, and visual narrative studies.Item type:Item, The impact of Project Management Knowledge Areas (PMKA's) according to PMBOK on the quality of infrastructure projects in the municipalities of the Southern Hebron Governorate(2026-06) Shaymaa Nihad Sweitti; Dr. Marwan JaloudThis study aimed to examine the impact of project management knowledge areas and its relationship with the quality of infrastructure projects implemented by municipalities of Southern Hebron Governorate. A quantitative explanatory cross-sectional design was used, and a census survey approach, targeting the entire population of 103 of municipal engineers and heads of project departments. A total of 95 valid questionnaires were returned and included in the statistical analysis. Descriptive and inferential statistics (PLS-SEM) through Smart-PLS4 to analyze data. The findings revealed that project management knowledge areas positively affected the quality of infrastructure projects, where project procurement management had the strongest positive effect, followed by project resources management. However, project schedule management showed a positive but statistically non-significant effect on the quality of infrastructure projects. The study recommended increasing awareness among project management staff by conducting training programs and workshops on project management best practices to ensure quality, ensuring full coordination among municipal departments, and clearly allocating responsibilities and powers to minimize issues that hinder effective project management implementation.