Soil movement resulting due unsupported excavation nearby axially loaded piles imposes significant structural troubles on geotechnical engineers especially for piles that are not designed to account for loss of lateral confinement. In this study the field excavation works of 7.0 m deep open tunnel was continuously followed up by the authors. The work is related to the project of developing the Army canal in the east of Baghdad city in Iraq. A number of selected points around the field excavation are installed on the ground surface at different horizontal distance. The elevation and coordinates of points are recorded during 23 days with excavation progress period. The field excavation process was numerically simulated by using the finite

In this study, the response and behavior of machine foundations resting on dry and saturated sand was investigated experimentally. A physical model was manufactured to simulate steady state harmonic load at different operating frequencies. The effect of relative density, depth of embedment, foundation area as well as the imposed harmonic load was investigated. It was found that the amplitude of displacement of the foundation increases with increasing the amplitude of dynamic force and operating frequency meanwhile it decreases with increasing the relative density of sand, degree of saturation, depth of embedment and contact area of footing. The maximum displacement was noticed at 33.34 to 41.67 Hz. The maximum displacement amplitude respons

In this study, the response and behavior of machine foundations resting on dry and saturated sand was investigated experimentally. A physical model was manufactured to simulate steady state harmonic load at different operating frequencies. The effect of relative density, depth of embedment, foundation area as well as the imposed harmonic load was investigated. It was found that the amplitude of displacement of the foundation increases with increasing the amplitude of dynamic force and operating frequency meanwhile it decreases with increasing the relative density of sand, degree of saturation, depth of embedment and contact area of footing. The maximum displacement was noticed at 33.34 to 41.67 Hz. The maximum displaceme

      Two-dimensional electrical resistivity imaging and seismic refraction, in the form of down-hole survey, were applied to delineate the subsurface section and elastic moduli and identify geotechnical characteristics of subsurface materials in the 10^th of Ramadan industrial area, Cairo, Egypt. The results of four 2-D profiles of electrical resistivity, in the form of dipole–dipole and Wenner configurations, revealed that the subsurface section contains two main geo-electrical layers; the first is made of sand, some silt, and gravels, reflecting low resistivity values ranging from 25 to 65.5 ohm m. This layer is overlying a high resistivity layer (65.5 to135 ohm m), corresponding to medium to coars

When the depth of stressed soil is rather small, Plate Load Test (PLT) becomes the most efficient test to estimate the soil properties for design purposes. Among these properties, modulus of subgrade reaction is the most important one that usually employed in roads and concrete pavement design. Two methods are available to perform PLT: static and dynamic methods. Static PLT is usually adopted due to its simplicity and time saving to be performs in comparison with cyclic (dynamic) method. The two methods are described in ASTM standard.

In this paper the effect of the test method used in PLT in estimation of some mechanical soil properties was distinguished via a series of both test methods applied in a same site. The comparison of

The soil acari fauna (Cryptostigmat) in soil of Baghdad in Jadiriya area was studied in a total of 16 monthly samples through a period of 12 months (December 2009-November 2010). A new record of one genus for Iraq named (Malloconthrius sp.), and one species named Eupelops plicatus out of seven mite group Cryptostigmata which isolated from the soil. Two species were recorded during the present study as dominants named (Ceratozetes gracilis, Perlohmania dissimilis). The Cryptostigmatid mites are the most common soil inhabiting and saprophagous animals the ordinal composition of the soil acari fauna was predominantly Cryptostigmata sp disturbance of these factors generates modifications of numerical densities and the presences of mites in a

Soil invertebrates community an important role as part of essential food chain and responsible for the decomposition in the soil, helps soil aeration , nutrients recycling and increase agricultural production by providing the essential elements necessary for photosynthesis and energy flow in ecosystems.The aim of the present study was to investigate the soil invertebrates community in one of the date palms plantation in Aljaderia district South of Baghdad, , and their relationships with some physical and chemical properties of the soil , as Five randomly distributed replicates of soil samples were collected monthly. Invertebrates samples were sorted from the soil with two methods, direct method to isolate large invertebrates and indirec

Ten soil samples were collected from Ishaqi project  area, Salah Al-Dean Governorate, and analysed for chemical elements (Fe2O3, Al2O3, CaO, K2O Na2O, Co, Zn, Cu, and Pb) to detect the pollution in the study soil using the indices of geo-accumulation (I-geo), contamination factor (CF), and pollution load index (PLI), The results of I-geo indicate that the soil of Ishaqi project area is unpolluted with Pb,  Co and slightly polluted with Zn and Cu.  The results of CF for Zn, Cu, and  Co showed class 2 of moderate contamination and class 1 of low contamination in some samples while those for Pb demonstrated class 1 –of  low contamination. The Pollution Load Index (PLI) values for Co, Zn, Cu, and Pb showed cla