Eight soil samples were selected around Najaf governorate at depth levels 40-50 cm. X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) was used to determine the concentrations of major and trace elements. Liner and mass attenuation coefficient (µ, µ_ρ) have been determined at gamma energies (662, 1172,1332) keV using NaI (Tl) detector. The range of linear attenuation coefficients for calculated samples were (0.553-1.163) cm^-1, (0.122-0.178) cm^-1 and (0.049-0.105) cm^-1 at (662, 1172,1332) keV respectively. The range of mass attenuation coefficients obtained (0.39-0.76) cm²/gm, (0.087-0.117) cm²/gm and (0.0336-0.074) cm²/gm at (662, 1172,1332) keV respectively. The result

Bearing capacity of a concrete pile in fine grained cohesive soils is affected by the degree of saturation of the surrounding soil through the contribution of the matric suction. In addition, the embedded depth and the roughness of the concrete pile surface (expressed as British Pendulum Number BPN) also have their contribution to the shear strength of the concrete pile, consequently its bearing capacity. Herein, relationships among degree of saturation, pile depth, and surface roughness, were proposed as a mathematical model expressed as an equation where the shear strength of a pile can be predicted in terms of degree of saturation, depth, and BPN. Rel

Soil water use and water storage vary by vegetative management practices, and these practices affect land productivity and hydrologic processes. This study investigated the effects of agroforestry buffers (AB), grass buffers (GB), and biofuel crops (BC), relative to row crops (RC) on soil water use for a claypan soil in northern Missouri, USA. The experiment located at the Greenley Memorial Research Center included RC, AB, GB, and BC established in 1991, 1997, 1997, and 2012, respectively. Soil water reflectometer sensors installed at 5‐, 10‐, 20‐, and 40‐cm depths monitored soil water from April to November in 2017 and 2018. Results showed significant differences in weekly volumetric water content (VWC) among treatments for all fou

An experiment was conducted in pots under field conditions during fall seasons of 2017 and 2018. This study aimed to improve a weak growth of seedlings under salt stress in sorghum. Three factors were studied. 1st factor was three cultivars (Inqath, Rabeh, and Buhoth70). 2nd factor was seed priming (primed and unprimed seed). Seed were primed by soaking for 12 hours in a solution containing 300 + 70 mg L−1 of gibberellic (GA3) and salicylic (SA) acids, respectively. 3rd factor was irrigation with saline water (6, 9 and 12 dS m−1) resulting from dissolving sodium chloride in distilled water in addition to control treatment (distilled water). Randomized complete block design was used with four replications. In both seasons: the re

The shear strength of soil is one of the most important soil properties that should be identified before any foundation design. The presence of gypseous soil exacerbates foundation problems. In this research, an approach to forecasting shear strength parameters of gypseous soils based on basic soil properties was created using Artificial Neural Networks. Two models were built to forecast the cohesion and the angle of internal friction. Nine basic soil properties were used as inputs to both models for they were considered to have the most significant impact on soil shear strength, namely: depth, gypsum content, passing sieve no.200, liquid limit, plastic limit, plasticity index, water content, dry unit weight, and initial

An evaluation for the performance of model pile embedded in expansive soil was investigated. An extensive testing program was planned to achieve the purpose of this research. Therefore, special manufactured system was prepared for studying the behavior of model pile having different length to diameter ratios (L/D). Two types of piles were used in this research, straight shaft and under reamed piles. The effect of model pile type, L/D ratio and number of wetting drying cycles were studied. It is observed that significant reductions in pile movement when under   reamed piles were considered. A proposed design charts was presented for straight shaft and under reamed piles to estimate the length of both types of piles that is requi