Discussion of a master’s thesis in the Department of Civil Engineering/College of Engineering

Discussion of a master’s thesis at the College of Engineering at Kirkuk University
Today, Thursday 11/30/2023, the College of Engineering witnessed a scientific discussion in the Department of Civil Engineering at the College of Engineering at Kirkuk University for the master’s thesis tagged:
Experimental investigation on the improvement of mechanical behavior of gypseous soil using geopolymer
The thesis submitted by the student (Tania Ikram Mahmoud Nadeem) touched on improving the properties of gypsum soil, as gypsum soil usually has a strong and solid appearance when it is in its natural, dry state. But when exposed to water, it becomes weak and susceptible to collapse, which in turn may lead to sudden soil subsidence. The main factor in subsidence is the result of the dissolution of the gypsum present in the soil when it is exposed to water.
Many engineering experiments were conducted, including physical and mechanical properties examination, unconfined compression test, shear strength test, adhesion test, and collapse test. All of these tests were conducted on gypsum soil obtained from the city of Tikrit.
Samples cured at a constant temperature of 45 °C showed a comparatively higher compressive strength
By processing at room temperature. The results also indicated that increasing the percentage of fly ash led to an increase in the compressive strength to reach its peak by a ratio of 1:2. Regarding the shear strength test, the addition of geopolymer led to an increase in the resistance to shear strength of the soil by increasing the angle of internal friction of the soil particles from 37 to 42 degrees.
This in turn led to improved volumetric stability and improved mechanical properties of the soil. Therefore, this study concluded the importance of using geopolymer as a material to stabilize soil at small depths such as main or secondary foundations for paving, dams, shallow foundations, airport buildings, etc. The same applies to the deep mixing technique in the soil.
The discussion committee consisted of:
1- Assistant Professor Dr. Adnan Jayed Zidan / Chairman
2- Assistant Professor Dr. Aram Muhammad Rahim/member
3- Assistant Professor Dr. Omar Mohieddin Taha/member
4- Assistant Professor Dr. Majid Hussein Hamad / member and main supervisor.
5- Teacher Dr. Ali Kazem Ibrahim / member and secondary supervisor.