Wadi Houran is one of the largest valleys in Iraq. Although it is discharging billions of rainfall water over/during many years to Euphrates river, it's almost devoid of agricultural investment. The current study aims to focus on this important valley water resource and study the possibility of constructing a series of small dams to store rainfall water and planting forestry and establishing a natural reserve that is able to sustain and improve ecology system. Target area of 4000 km2 is selected in the midstream of the valley. In general, it is about one billion m3 of rainwater flowing to Euphrates River during some years with yearly average values about 400 Mm3. Four dams were constructed to store about 46 Mm3 of rainwater. It is possible to construct small-dam-series of optimal height and location to expand the rainwater harvesting and groundwater recharging. A Current study was done and aimed to establish of oases and natural reserves in order to improve climate conditions, minimize the dust and CO2, mitigation of summer high temperature and decrease the soil erosion due to torrents. This study recommended constructing 13 optimal height dams that store about 303 Mm3 of water, and increase the water surface area of reservoirs in this valley from 15 to 90 km2which leads increase the water volume that is recharging ground water from 4.7 Mm3 to 28 Mm3 per year.
The Impact of silica fume existence and its content with the duration of curing on concrete compressive strength (ordinary and high) has investigated experimentally. Two mixture sets were done in this work to examine the concrete ordinary and high strength. Every set involved four mixtures with varied silica fume proportions as a substitution of cement with (0, 5, 10 and 15 percent). Ninety-six cubes of concrete were prepared and cured by immersion in water to the required age (7, 28, 90 and 150 days). In ordinary concrete and high strength concrete, the results demonstrate that when silica fume used as a substitution with 15 %, the compressive strength of concrete gave the highest value. As compared with concrete having nil content of silica fume, the earned strength for high compressive concrete consisting of silica fume was relatively less than the corresponding ordinary concrete strength. However, continuously curing with water after 28 days produced a considerable increase in the compressive strength of concrete; such an increase in compressive strength was greater in the existence of silica fume
This research includes producing compacted concrete by rolling method and the possibility for using in highway construction field with studying the influence of adding waste plastic fiber resulting from manual cutting for bottles used in the conservation gassy beverage on different characteristics of this type of concrete. For the purpose of selecting mix proportions appropriate for rolling compacted concrete (RCC). Approved design method for ACI-committee (5R-207 .1980) was selected for this research. Destroying plastic waste by volumetric rates ranging between (0.5%) to (2%) was approved. Reference mix was produced for comparison. Tests were conducted on the models produced from rolling compacted concrete like compressive strength, flexural strength and split tensile strength. The analysis of the results showed that the use of plastic waste fibers (1%) has led to improve the properties of each of the compressive strength and flexural strength and split tensile strength compared with reference concrete. Compressive strength in 28 days with fiber ratio (1%) is higher than (52.15%) from compressive strength in 28 days of reference concrete. It can be also observed that each of the flexural strength and split tensile strength increases by (17.86, 25.61)%, respectively, from flexural strength and split tensile strength for the reference mix
This research includes studying the possibility of producing a new kind of No-fines concrete by replacing granules of coarse aggregates with grains results from the fragmentation of industrial waste of polystyrene. This replacing were with different volumetric proportions of coarse aggregate, and theses volumetric ratios were equal to (5%, 10%, 15% and 25%). Waste plastic fibers (WPFs) resulting from cutting of soft drinks bottles were added for strengthening this new kind of concrete. Mixing ratio was equal to (1:5) (cement: coarse aggregate) by weight. One reference mix was produced for comparative purpose. Compressive strength, flexural strength and density tests were conducted, it was examined three samples of each examination and taking the average. Compressive strength values of the new sustainable concrete were ranged from 10 MPa to 12.4 MPa at age of test equal to 28 days, while the average value of the density of this concrete at the same age reaches 1930 kg/m3. This average value of modulus of rupture was equal to 2.36 MPa at 28-day age test.