Search

Abstract  This paper reports an experimental investigation into the inherent anisotropy and particle breakage of natural Aqaba sand. The natural sand specimens were subjected to one dimensional compression to induce breakage. The grain size distributions of the specimens were obtained before and after the application of the stresses. Thereafter, the sand shear strength parameters were assessed using direct shear box tests. The results indicate that peak shear strength parameters show little decrease with increasing particle breakage. However, the dilatancy component of the shear strength diminishes with increasing particle breakage and a considerable amount of dilation occurs on samples with a higher bedding plane, regardless of the extent of particle breakage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Selection of suitable sites for sustainable urban development is one of the critical and complex issues in urban planning. Since many criteria must be considered and analysed in the selection of sites for urban development, it is necessary to use the most effective techniques to identify the best location for urban expansion. The application of a geographic information system (GIS) can help with successful analysis and decision making. This study aims to find the most suitable locations for urban development in Aqaba based on four main planning criteria, including thirteen sub-criteria. Socioeconomic, topographic, eco-environmental and political and security aspects were considered the main planning goals. Geophysical, cultural, and socioeconomic data were used to assess land suitability for future urban growth by integrating the analytic hierarchy process and GIS technology. The findings of this research based on multi-criteria decision analysis reveal that most of the area attains a moderate suitability (47.7%) for sustainable development, while high-suitability areas account for 2.9% of the total study area. Areas with the highest suitability are rarely found, accounting for 0.1% of the total area, composed of well-connected regions that can be reserved as second-degree suitable locations for future sustainable urban development in the study area. The study provides insights into sustainable urban development using GIS techniques and highlights the significant constraints on the study area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]