The aim of the current study is to estimate the graduation grade point average (GPA) at the Arab International University (AIU). The importance of this study is that it is the first of its kind in Syria, particularly under the conditions of the bitter war, which has not yet come to its end. The sample of the study consists of data collected from AIU registry system, which covers students of six faculties from both sexes over a period of 5 years, i.e., between 2014 and 2018. The variables of the study include the student’s high school GPA, the source of the student’s certificate, and the gender of the student (GR). MLR and ANN approaches were employed in the analytical study. The correlation coefficients and several statistical criteria were calculated to evaluate the developed models. Based on the results, it can be concluded that the male students were among the key factors affecting the output, i.e., GPA. In addition, ANN tool is more accurate when the estimation of GPA value is concerned. Further, re-evaluation of this study can be done in future particularly when the male student’ trepidation disappears as stability and safety return to the country.

Studies on using zinc phosphating in reinforced concrete (RC) field are still in the early stages. Use of natural pozzolan (NP) as cement replacement is growing rapidly in the construction industry due to its economical, ecological and technical benefits. Four phosphating baths were prepared; Zn phosphate (P-Zn), Zn-Ni phosphate (P-Zn-Ni), Zn-Cu phosphate (P-Zn-Cu) and Zn-Mn phosphate (P-Zn-Mn) respectively. Ø14 mm reinforcing steel bars were treated at 55-60 °C for 15 min in the phosphating baths. Concrete specimens were produced with different levels of NP; 0% (control specimen), 10 %, 20% and 30%, respectively. The effectiveness of using both NP and P-Zn coatings in retarding rebar corrosion has been investigated using an accelerated test after 28 and 90 days concrete curing. In addition, the bond strength between the concrete and the rebar was investigated by the pull-out test. Test results revealed that the concretes containing higher replacement levels of NP and rebars treated in bi-cationic baths exhibited corrosion initiation periods several times longer than the control specimens with uncoated steel and a zero NP content. Moreover, the results showed that the bond strength was not affected by adding NP and P-Zn coatings. SEM analysis was employed, as well.