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The cost overrun in road construction projects in Iraq is one of the major problems that face the construction of new roads. To enable the concerned government agencies to predict the final cost of roads, the objective this paper suggested is to develop an early cost estimating model for road projects using a support vector machine based on (43) sets of bills of quantity collected in Baghdad city in Iraq. As cost estimates are required at the early stages of a project, consideration was given to the fact that the input data for the support vector machine model could be easily extracted from sketches or the project's scope definition. The data were collected from contracts awarded by the Mayoralty of Baghdad for completed projects between 2010-2013. Mathematical equations were constructed using the Support Vector Machine Algorithm (SMO) technique. An average of accuracy (AA) (99.65%) and coefficient of determination (R²) (97.63%) for the model was achieved by the created prediction equations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study discriminates different lithological units of the Dokan Area, Kurdistan Region, NE-Iraq, using rapid-eye satellite data by image enhancement techniques, namely the false colour composite (FCC), optimum index factor (OIF), minimum noise fraction (MNF), principal component analysis (PCA) and band ratio (BR). Results of analyses show that the FCC (R: 5; G: 4: B: 1); MNF (R: 2, G: 3, B: 5); PCA (R: 5, G: 2, B: 1), and band ratio (R: 5/4, G: 2/1, B: 5/3) are the best to different geological formations. The results are confirmed in the field support with the geological maps available for the area. Geological formations appeared as a result of the collision process between the Arabian plate and the Iranian plate. In general, the study area is mountainous, which is usually represented by anticline folds with the main NW - SE trend in the study area, with very a rugged relief mainly due to the continuous collision between the Arabian plate and Iranian plate. The digital image processing of satellite data has demonstrated the sensor's capability and efficiency of the image processing methods in identifying and mapping geological units in the study area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Iraq has been suffering from decreasing Euphrates discharge due to the construction of dams within upstream countries and the use of surface irrigation systems. The country is facing a problem with meeting the increasing demand for water as a result of population growth and development in the industrial and agricultural sectors. Therefore, a simulation modelling was applied for western Iraq (Ramadi city as a case study) using the Water Evaluation and Planning System (WEAP) for the period 2018-2035. This research follows a four-step approach that involves: (i) evaluating the available water of the Euphrates River under declined water imports caused by the construction of dams in Turkey and Syria, (ii) assessing present and future water demands of the domestic, industrial, and agricultural sectors, (iii) improving water productivity (WP) by means of saving more water, (iv) estimating the economic returns under improved water use. The results showed that Iraq would face a serious problem in the coming years, represented by the limited storage of Haditha Dam, which is considered the strategic water storage site for the central and southern regions of Iraq. The study indicated the necessity of finding alternative sources of water supply by adopting new water management strategies to reduce the water deficit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]