The production of polyhydroxyalkanoates PHAs from biopolymer degrading bacteria was examined
Unsaturated soil can raise many geotechnical problems upon wetting and drying resulting in swelling upon wetting and collapsing (shrinkage) in drying and changing in the soil shear strength. The classical principles of saturated soil are often not suitable in explaining these phenomena. In this study, expansive soil (bentonite and sand) were tested in different water contents and dry unit weight chosen from the compaction curve to examine the effect of water content change on soil properties (swelling pressure, expansion index, shear strength (soil cohesion) and soil suction by the filter paper method). The physical properties of these soils were studied by conducting series of tests in laboratory. Fitting methods
... Show MoreTo enlighten the extent of crude oil pollution effects on some anatomical characteristics of olive plant (Olea europaea ). Two years - old seedlings were chosen to grow under 5 levels of pollution (0.0, 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, and 3.0, liter/ plant). The experiment has been conducted in the experimental field of Natural History Research Center and Museum, University of Baghdad. It was designed as CRD experiment. Testing wood specimens were prepared after 2.5 years of growth. Fiber length, width, wall thickness, and wood specific gravity were measured. Results showed that olive plants could not resist the highest level ( 3 liters / plant ) of pollution .Fiber length was the most affected property by treatment. All fiber dimensions wer
... Show MoreSolid waste generation and composition in Baghdad is typically affected by population growth, urbanization, improved economic conditions, changes in lifestyles and social and cultural habits.
A burning chamber was installed to burn cellulosic waste only. It was found that combustion reduced the original volume and weight of cellulosic waste by 97.4% and 85% respectively.
A batch composting study was performed to evaluate the feasibility of co-composting organic food waste with the cellulosic bottom ash in three different weight ratios (w/w) [95/5, 75/25, 50/50].
The composters were kept in controlled aerobic conditions for 7 days. Temperature, moisture, and pH were measured hourly as process succe
... Show MoreThis study presents the findings of a 3D finite element modeling on the performance of a single pile under various slenderness ratios (25, 50, 75, 100). These percentages were assigned to cover the most commonly configuration used in such kind of piles. The effect of the soil condition (dry and saturated) on the pile response was also investigated. The pile was modeled as a linear elastic, the surrounded dry soil layers were simulated by adopting a modified Mohr-Coulomb model, and the saturated soil layers were simulated by the modified UBCSAND model. The soil-pile interaction was represented by interface elements with a reduction factor (R) of 0.6 in the loose sand layer and 0.7 in t
Gypseous soils are considered one of the most problematic soils. The skirted foundation is an alternative technology that works to improve the bearing capacity and reduce settlement. This paper investigates the use of square skirted foundations resting on gypseous soil subjected to concentric and eccentric vertical load with eccentricity values of 4, 8, and 17 mm in 16 experimental model tests. To obtain the results by using this type of foundation, a small-scale physical model was designed to obtain the load–settlement behavior of the square skirted foundation; the dimension of the square footing is 100 mm × 100 mm with 1 mm thickness, the skirt depth (
Shallow foundations are usually used for structures with light to moderate loads where the soil underneath can carry them. In some cases, soil strength and/or other properties are not adequate and require improvement using one of the ground improvement techniques. Stone column is one of the common improvement techniques in which a column of stone is installed vertically in clayey soils. Stone columns are usually used to increase soil strength and to accelerate soil consolidation by acting as vertical drains. Many researches have been done to estimate the behavior of the improved soil. However, none of them considered the effect of stone column geometry on the behavior of the circular footing. In this research, finite ele
... Show MoreSoil is a crucial component of environment. Total soil analysis may give information about possible enrichment of the soil with heavy metals. Heavy metals, potentially contaminate soils, may have been dumped on the ground. The concentrations of soil heavy metals (Cd, As, Pb, Cr, Ni, Zn and Cu) were measured in three zones thought to be deeply contaminated at different depths (5, 25, 50 cm) at Ibn Al-Haitham College. The highest concentration of heavy metals Pb (63.3ppm), Cr (90.7ppm), Ni (124ppm) and Cu (75.7ppm) were found in zone (A) location-1, where the highest concentration of Zn (111.7ppm) was found in zone (C). Cd and As were detected in small amounts in all zones. PH value, organic matters, carbonat
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