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Go to Editorial ManagerGypsum soil is classified as problematic because it contains gypsum, a soluble substance in the presence of water. Therefore, it is recommended that it be improved before construction. This research examines the effect of clayey soils on enhancing the properties of gypseous soils. Two soil samples, designated as Soil 1 (with a gypsum concentration of 35.4%) and Soil 2 (with a gypsum content of 12.3%), were obtained from Al Najaf City, Iraq, and subjected to laboratory testing. The study investigates the use of cost-effective, locally available clayey soil to improve the engineering characteristics of gypseous soils, thereby mitigating the adverse effects of wetting. The experimental program encompassed a compaction, compressibility, and shear strength test. To assess the impact of clayey additives, gypseous soil was treated with varying percentages of clayey soil content (5% and 10%), and tests were conducted on both treated and untreated gypseous soil samples. The results indicated that using 10% clayey additives could decrease the collapse potential by 55% and 39% for Soil 1 and Soil 2, respectively. Additionally, the clayey additives significantly affected cohesion, with an enhancement percentage of 625% and 1315% under soaking conditions at 10% clayey additives for Soil 1 and Soil 2, respectively.
Unconfined compressive strength represents an important parameter for soil investigation report test results because the values of cohesion and allowable bearing capacity can directly obtained from the relevant test especially if the clayey soil layers are found at sufficient enough depth above water table level._x000D_ This paper deals with simple comparison (based on (31) soil samples) between unconfined compressive strength (qu) obtained by using the pocket soil penetrometer tool and the unconfined compressive strength using the conventional test for the same sample penetrated by the pocket penetrometer with different soil moisture contents. Two triaxial specimens, sample type-1- with dimensions 38 X 79mm and type-2- with dimensions 33 X 79mm(diam. X height)) prepared in the libratory._x000D_ It was found that the results refers that soil pocket penetrometer readings are closed enough to the results that obtained from the unconfined compression test result with certain conditions._x000D_ The average percentage of difference between penetrometer readings and unconfined compression test result values was (1.103%) for sample type-1- and (1.53%) for sample type -2-._x000D_ The maximum moisture content for all tests samples was (27.3%) and the minimum was (14.7%) while the average moisture content was(20.9%).
Gypseous soils are usually stiff when they are dry especially because of the cementation of soil particles by gypsum, but great loss in strength and sudden increase in compressibility occur when these soils are fully or partially saturated. The dissolution of the cementing gypsum causes high softening of soil. The problem becomes more complicated when water flows through the gypseous soil causing leaching and movement of gypsum. This study examines the improvement of gypseous soil properties using the Silicone oil to minimize the effect of moisture on these soils. This study was conducted on artificial gypseous soil (mixture of 30% Silber sand & 70 % Pure Gypsum) treated with silicone oil in different percentages. The reason for use the silicone oil as an additive to study the gypseous soil properties is due to the leakages of oil products from oil refinery in north of Iraq build on gypseous soil, this oil products infiltrate to the foundation soil of the refinery building facilities. _x000D_ The results showed that the Silicone oil is a good material to modify the basic properties of the gypseous soil of collapsibility and shear strength, which are the main problems of this soil and retained the soil by an appropriate amount of the cohesion suitable for carrying the loads from the structure.
Quality control of riverbank roads is a vital part of the road construction and maintenance process and aims to ensure infrastructure quality, safety, and sustainability. This requires adherence to technical standards, constant auditing, and regular maintenance to maintain the condition of the roads and avoid potential problems. The first step in the quality control of roads is to test the efficiency of the subgrade soil. A geotechnical investigation of subgrade soil under river bank roads is carried out to evaluate the engineering properties of the soil and determine the soil’s ability to bear the loads resulting from vehicle movement and road traffic. This investigation includes analyzing soil samples and laboratory tests to determine soil properties and determine any improvements the soil needs to bear the loads. Soil samples were collected from Al-Kadhimiya Corniche Street. It was dried and subjected to laboratory tests, the soil in this study is classified as poorly graded sand (SP), GS 2.589, the shear strength parameters an internal friction angle of 33 degrees and cohesion of 0.5 kN/m2, and the results of the compaction test indicated that the optimal moisture content was 8.1%, with a maximum dry density was 18.24 kN/m3, CBR 26.04%, and chemical tests (SO3 0.222, pH 8.55, T.SS 0.891, CL 0.085). Software FAARFIELD was used to check pavement design, the thickness design was executed utilising a subgrade CBR value of 26.04%. The subgrade pavement thickness was determined to be 304mm in total. The results agree with the actual design of Al-Kadhimiya Corniche Street, which was recently maintained during the field investigation in 2023.
The paper focuses on the role of participatory design and its various methods—such as awareness methods, social interaction methods, as well as indirect and open methods— that involve all citizens in the process of design, implementation, and future development process. The architect's role in this process is to transform the desires and visions of the participants into a practical reality, ensuring that their needs are met to create vibrant spaces. This involves achieving specific indicators that generate vitality in these spaces, including diversity, communication opportunities, strong identity, concentrated density, accessibility, and safety, all of which enhance social interaction. The paper referred to a number of international examples in Norway and Denmark, and Arab examples in Jordan that proved the effectiveness of the participatory approach in achieving vital environments. Hence, the research problem is represented by the following questions: How does participatory design contribute to enhancing the vitality of the space? To what extent is the participatory design methodology applied to enhance vitality and help achieve a sense of belonging within the space? The paper findings emphasized the importance of participatory design in meeting the needs of the local community and in creating a vital, safe, and inclusive environment characterized by social cohesion, cooperation, ownership, belonging, and equality. This highlights the importance of encouraging the entire community to engage in the design process, which can lead to creative ideas and empower citizens. The paper recommends adopting the participatory design approach to improve the quality of life and enhance the vitality of urban spaces.