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The use of three-dimensional maps is more effective than two-dimensional maps in representing the Earth’s surface. However, the traditional methods used to create digital surface models are not efficient for capturing the details of Earth’s features. This is because they represent only three-dimensional objects in a single texture and do not provide a realistic representation of the real world. Additionally, there is a growing demand for up-to-date and accurate geo-information, particularly in urban areas. To address this challenge, a new technique is proposed in this study that involves integrating remote sensing, Geographic Information System, and Architecture Environment software to generate a highly-detailed three-dimensional model. The method described in this study includes several steps such as acquiring high-resolution satellite imagery, gathering ground truth data, performing radiometric and geometric corrections during image preprocessing, producing a 2D map of the region of interest, constructing a digital surface model by extending the building outlines, and transforming the model into multi-patch layers to create a 3D model for each object individually. The research findings indicate that the digital surface model obtained with comprehensive information is suitable for different purposes, such as environmental research, urban development and expansion planning, and shape recognition tasks. Godkänd;2023;Nivå 0;2023-06-05 (joosat);Licens fulltext: CC BY License

Methane (CH4), and carbon dioxide (CO2) are only a few of the greenhouse gases that are significantly produced by humans and are found in landfills. This study presents an application of the Land GEM model to determine the environmental loads of dumping waste sites gases released from the landfill in Al-Hillah city, Iraq. The expected quantity of waste for the period (2023–2070) was used to calculate the environmental loads of dumping site gases. The quantified emission findings from loads of dumping site gases were contrasted with those from the model's default. The estimated landfill methane emissions from 2023 to 2070 total 874,904 tons of CH4, or an average of 18,227 tons of CH4 each year. The findings of the gas emissions demonstrated that local elements significantly influenced the output of loads of landfill gases. The anticipated loads of total landfill gases, methane, and carbon dioxide can be utilized as supporting data for policies on landfill-derived renewable energy. the results showed that methane gas can produce the average value of electricity power of 287,442 Mw/year from 2023 to 2070. This process will reduce the environmental problems brought on by loads of landfill gas emissions and get rid of cumulative solid waste.

The Iraqi territory is located in the extreme northeastern part of the Arabian Plate which is in collision with the Iranian (Eurasian) Plate. The collision which is still ongoing has created tens of folds some of them exhibit different types of faults. The exerted compressional forces are believed to be decreasing southwest wards as being far from the collision area. Accordingly, all the existing tectonic and geological maps compiled by different authors and all the existing published articles, reports and books have considered two main tectonic domains in Iraq. The Stable Shelf and Unstable Shelf or Inner Platform and Outer Platform. The contact between these two main divisions follows almost the Euphrates River; towards west of the river is the Stable area and towards east and north is the Unstable area.In the current study, we have recognized tens of different Neotectonic evidences in the Stable part indicating that the area is tectonically not stable. Among those indications are abandoned valleys, development of sinkholes along certain lineaments, bending of valleys in normal angles, development of Nick points in valleys along certain lineaments.

To enable assess slope stability problems efficiently, various machine learning algorithms have been proposed recently. However, these developments are restricted to two-dimensional slope stability analyses (plane strain assumption), although the two-dimensional results can be very conservative. In this study, artificial neural networks are adopted and trained to predict three-dimensional slope stability and a program, SlopeLab has been developed with a graphical user interface. To reduce the number of variables, groups of dimensionless parameters to express stability of slopes in classic stability charts are adopted to construct the neural network architecture. The model has been trained with a dataset from slope stability charts for fully cohesive and cohesive-frictional soils. Furthermore, the impact of concave plan curvature on slope stability that is usually found by excavation in practice is investigated by introducing a dimensionless parameter, relative curvature radius. Slope stability analyses have been conducted with numerical calculations and the artificial neural networks are trained with dimensionless data. The performance of the trained artificial neural networks has been evaluated with the correlation coefficient (R) and root mean square error (RMSE). High accuracy has been found in all the trained models in which R > 0.999 and RMSE < 0.15. Most importantly, the proposed program can help engineers to estimate 3D effects of a slope quickly from the ratio of the factors of safety, FS3D/FS2D. When FS3D/FS2D is large (such as larger than 1.2), a 3D numerical modelling on slope stability analyses that can consider complex 3D geometry and boundary condition is advised. Validerad;2021;Nivå 2;2021-08-17 (johcin)

Severe droughts and mismanagement of water resources during the last decades have propelled authorities in the Kurdistan Region to be concerned about better management of precipitation which is considered the primary source of recharging surface and groundwater in the area of interest. The drought cycles in the last decades have stimulated water stakeholders to drill more wells and store uncontrolled runoff in suitable structures during rainy times to fulfill the increased water demands. The optimum sites for rainwater harvesting sites in the Qaradaqh basin, which is considered a water-scarce area, were determined using the analytical hierarchy process (AHP), sum average weighted method (SAWM), and fuzzy-based index (FBI) techniques. The essential thematic layers within the natural and artificial factors were rated, weighted, and integrated via GIS and multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) approaches. As a consequence of the model results, three farm ponds and four small dams were proposed as future prospective sites for implementing rainwater harvesting structures. The current work shows that the unsuitable ratio over the study area in all methods AHP, SAWM, and FBI occupied 12.6%, 12.7%, and 14.2% respectively. The area under the curve (AUC) and receiver operating characteristics were used to validate the model outcomes. The AUC values range from 0.5 to 1, meaning that all MCDM results are good or are correctly selected. Based on the prediction rate curve for the suitability index map, the prediction accuracy was 72%, 57%, and 59% for AHP, SAWM, and fuzzy overlay, respectively. The final map shows that the potential sites for rainwater harvesting or suitable sites are clustered mainly in the northern and around the basin’s boundary, while unsuitable areas cover northeastern and some scatter zones in the middle due to restrictions of geology, distance to stream with the villages, and slope criteria. The total harvested runoff was 377,260 m3 from all the suggested structures. The proposed sites may provide a scientific and reasonable basis for utilizing this natural resource and minimize the impacts of future drought cycles.

The Iraqi Western and Southern deserts are part of the Iraqi Stable Shelf (Inner Platform) that belongs to the Arabian Plate. Therefore, both deserts lack tectonic forms like folds, faults; however, very rarely faults and regional lineaments can be seen in both deserts. Although both deserts are tectonically stable; but tens of Neotectonic indications can be seen everywhere in both deserts. Among those indications are: Straight valleys, perpendicular valley bending's, sinkholes aligned along straight lines, dislocated valleys, knickpoints within valleys aligned along straight lines, regional lineaments, anomalous valley shapes, trends and types, dissected alluvial fans. We have used existing geological maps of different scales and Esri World Imagery to recognize those Neotectonic indications. All those recognized features are excellent indications that both the Iraqi Western and Southern deserts are tectonically not stable. Accordingly, new terminology is suggested instead of the Stable Shelf (Inner Platform) that is “Less Disturbed Shelf”.

Surface water and groundwater are significant for population and other activities due to the decreasing surface water flow toward Iraq. Therefore, there is a need to analyze groundwater’s quality and classification and its applicability as an alternative in various human activities in the study area. This study utilized the groundwater quality index model for drinking uses (GW.Q.I.) and entered the resulting values in the GIS environment. This model was applied to 56 wells in Al-Hillah city by measuring twelve variables in each well. The measured variables were calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), sodium (Na), chloride (Cl), sulfate (SO4), bicarbonate (HCO3), total hardness (TH), total dissolved solids (TDS), nitrate (NO3), and electric conductivity (EC). The prediction map of GW.Q.I. was produced in the GIS. Then, the distributing map was divided into six categories based on the suitability of groundwater for drinking uses. The areas’ values of six categories with their ratings were about 5 km2 (excellent), 122 km2 (good), 610 km2 (poor), 63 km2 (very poor), 36 km2 (contaminated), and 24 km2 (very contaminated). For the entire study area, the average value of the GW.Q.I. was 177, classified as poor for drinking uses.

When a dam is built, its safety becomes a constant concern for the owner, the public and for governments. Therefore, continuous observation through routine inspections and safety reviews become necessary. Acting as protectors of public safety, governments and professional organizations save no effort in the promulgation of legislations and laying out guidelines for such inspections and reviews. These issues are discussed here starting with the basic first step of visual inspections by the operators and the follow up of detailed safety reviews by specialists. Careful visual inspections assisted by instrumentation measurements may reveal an early negative issue such as, but not limited to, increased seepage, increased uplift pressure, signs of weakness like cracking in the body of the dam, or dams’ slope sloughing, and even damaged hydraulic control equipment. Documenting and reporting these observation helps in taking remedial measures in good time and may lead to more intensive safety reviews. Suggested check lists for the inspection engineers are given here, but these may be tailored for each dam according to its needs. These lists cover issues common to both embankment and concrete dams, and include other specific issues related to each type of them. Metal equipment take their share by listing such areas as corrosion, fatigue and cracking, tear, and wear and so on. Instrumentation measurements are also given their due consideration by giving brief mention of types of measurements needed and points to be observed in instrumentation control work. Finally, guidelines, rules, and legislations for Dam Safety Reviews are generally discussed giving examples from four countries in the world. Validerad;2020;Nivå 1;2020-09-29 (johcin)

Remote sensing is the collection and interpretation of information of an object, areaor phenomenon by a recording device that is not in physical or intimate contact with the object or phenomenon under study. It generally refers to the use of satellite borne or airborne sensors to capture the spectral and spatial relations of objects and materials on Earth from the space. This is done by sensing and recording reflected or emitted electromagnetic radiation from the objects. A brief history of satellite remote sensing is given in this review but the bulk of it is devoted to the scientific satellites launched into orbit and their sensors tracking, and presenting changes in water resources fields. The used technologies and satellite systems for monitoring movements and changes include American GNSS, GPS, the Russian GLONASS, Europe’s European Satellite Navigation System (GALILEO), China’s COMPASS/BeiDou, the Indian (IRNSS); Japan’s (QZSS) and many others. Details are presented on the present (LANDSAT), the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), as well as Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), and RADARSAT, JERS‐1, and ERS, which are developed by various countries, especially the USA. These sensors have the refined capability of providing estimates of variables, which depending on the purpose and design of the sensor, can follow critical issues related to water management problems. This review presents examples of actual studies carried out including; building databases of small dams and lakes on regional scale, derivation of volume vs. elevation and surface area vs. elevation of hundreds of reservoirs around the world, various bathymetric reservoir surveys, siltation of reservoirs and catchment areas erosion problems, monitoring of water quality changes, and above all monitoring dam deformation and stability problems of dams. The presented case studies cover the use of these different sensor together with the imagery used, their sources, methods of interpretation, validation and gives presentation of the end results. This review, which is only a very brief presentation of satellite remote sensing applications concludes that; in spite of the large volume of research done on this subject so far, which this review cites some of them , the expected future developments in satellite remote sensing technology coupled with advances in algorithms and models used in refining satellite imagery and validating the results will bring more accurate results and less laborious treatment work in addition to wider scope of applications. Validerad;2020;Nivå 1;2020-10-08 (johcin)

The use of geophysical methods in dam sites investigations and safety monitory has proved their good value and versatility in many earthfill dam sites as early as the 1920s. In the following years great development has occurred in the methods, application procedures and tools used. They may be considered today as good ways for carrying out observation tasks on existing dams in non-intrusive and much faster and cheaper ways than the traditional geotechnical methods. It is possible using them to discover anomalies in the dam body or its foundation at an early stage and allowing quick intervention repair works. These methods seek to register and present variations in the basic geotechnical material properties in dams such as; bulk density, moisture content, elasticity, mechanical properties of rocks, electrical resistivity and mineralogy and magnetic properties and so forth. Such variations can indicate increasing seepage flow, progression in cracks’ sizes, formation of voids, caverns and other instability manifestations. Depending on how any investigation is carried out and the targeted anomaly, there is now selection of these methods such as: Electromagnetic Profiling (EM), Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT), Self- Potential (SP), Ground Penetration Radar (GPR), variety of Seismic Methods (SM) which can be applied using such equipment as in Seismic refraction, Seismic Reflection, Multi Analysis of Rayleigh surface waves (MASW) instruments, or using Refraction Micrometer (ReMi), macro-gravity method, and Cross-Hole Seismic Tomography. In addition, Temperature Measurements and other less used methods can be used like Microgravity measurement, Magnetic Profiling and Radio Magnetotelluric methods. An attempt is made here to cover the details of these methods, their advantages and limitations and to prove their usefulness in many dam sites all over the world. One observed issue is their adaptability to embankment dams more than to concrete dams and their popularity for checking seepage related problems and material changes within dam bodies and their foundations such as formation of voids and sinkholes. Validerad;2020;Nivå 1;2020-09-29 (johcin)

Tailings’ Dams are mining waste impounding structures. They differ from conventional dams in purpose, design and operation. Percentage wise their failures are higher and posing considerably more safety concerns, causing long lasting devastation on communities, environment, and animal and plant ecosystem. Two basic types of embankment tailings structures are used for tailings impoundments; the Retention Dams and the Raised Dams. Retention dams are built in one operation to a full height, while construction of Raised Dams is a continuous process lasting for the whole useful life of the mine. Raised Dams are favored over Retention dams as they can be enlarged and expanded as the extraction works continue with time. Raised embankment dams themselves can be of three alternative designs according to the method used in construction; the Downstream, Upstream and Centerline structures. This designates the direction in which the embankment crest moves in relation to the initial embankment at the base as successive lifts are added. Resulting from the used method of tailings weight disposition, the Upstream Raised Dams are the least safe in earthquake prone areas as compared to the other two types due to its higher possibility of liquefaction, so they are not favored in highly seismic areas. The disadvantage of Downstream Raised Dams is their use of larger land areas. Centerline Raised Dams are a compromise between the other two. Tailing Dams failure may occur due to: dam instability, overtopping, internal erosion, or combination of these. Instability can result from faulty design and/ or faulty tailings deposition method. Internal erosion can follow saturation of the fill due to fast rate of work and close proximity of the water pond to the dyke combined with downstream gullying, and overtopping happens in case of faulty water management and/ or inoperable decan system. Careful analysis of historic failures and drawing out new lessons from them can help reducing failure probability and enhance tailings’ dams’ safety.

Dam Safety and dam incidents are treated here looked at from the "Human Factors" perspective. An attempt is made to explore these factors as an important drive in impairing dams’ safety and increases their risks. Distinction is drawn between the "Normal Human Caused Incidents" and the "Extraordinary Human Caused Incidents" together with the description of their root origins and subsequent consequences. The first type includes unintentional mistakes, errors and flaws committed by the operators of dams inadvertently, in addition to negligence, lack of experience or overconfidence. Such failings can happen in manual operation of dams, or through the use of their Supervision, Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems as in industrial control system (ICS). They can occur also due to flaws in software or even in the application of information and communication technology (ICT) in remote control operations. As for the second group; the extraordinary human factors, they are defined here as those committed by man with the full understanding of their possible damage. They are done purposely for destabilizing dams after thoughtful and carefully meditated decision making process and they are manifested in acts of war, sabotage and terrorists actions. In this modern age, these acts are characteristics of hackers’ attacks on dam(s) operating systems. This is done through the use of cyberspace by the widespread interconnected digital technology with the accompanying advances in the communication technologies. As such, these technologies have made remote control of such systems possible. Not limited to this, dams remain now, as they were always in the past, the obvious targets in wars and conflicts to inflict losses on the enemy and to use them as weapons, and for terrorism actions for challenging governments. Examples of the aforementioned threats are described with examples given from real cases to elucidate the dangers involved. Lessons to be learned from these incidents are derived and recommendations are presented to be followed to avoid risky situations. Validerad;2020;Nivå 1;2020-09-29 (johcin)

Evaluation of water quality is important for the management of water resources. The current study is focused on water quality data monitoring analysis. of the Tigris River in Iraq by the application of the principal component analysis (PCA), cluster analysis (CA), and water quality index (WQI). Twelve water quality parameters were taken from 14 stations along the river are Ca+2, Mg+2, Na+1, K+1, Cl-1, SO4-2, HCO3-1, NO3-1, TH, TDS, BOD5, and EC to apply the PCA and CA. The results show that the mean of all the variables was under the boundaries. except for EC, Ca+2, Mg+2, SO4-2, and TH. EC is the essential element impacting the consistency of the river water. The PCA has one major component which accounts for 97% of variance from various sources of pollution. The CA divided the river into three regions of sampling stations with similar water quality, the best in the north, and the worst in the far south. In this paper, the computer-automated tool (IraqWQI) was presented and evaluated, which has been developed by authors to classify and measure the quality of Iraqi surface water. The proposed index is of hundred degrees and includes six variables for drinking water quality are Cl-1, TH, TDS, COD, DO, and total coliform (TC) according to the Iraqi specifications. The result of the IraqWQI application showed decreasing in the water quality of the river and the suitability for drinking toward the south of the country. The best value of the index was (81.48, Good) in Fishkhabour during winter, and the worst value was (46.23, Bad) in Qurnah during summer. The study showed that the use of statistical technologies and WQI as useful instruments for the management, control, and protection of surface water has been effective and significant

A large-scale shear apparatus has been originally developed and built to test the mechanical properties of coarsegrained material. It was used to evaluate the shear behaviour of brash ice. The brash ice blocks were collected at Luleå harbour in two separate measuring campaigns in March 2020 and March 2021. The shear cylinder was loaded with brash ice in Luleå port in two different locations for the two test campaigns, and the displacementcontrolled shear tests were conducted. A vertical actuator was used to set a constant normal load and then a horizontal actuator was used to move the shear swing. In this setup, time, forces, and displacements were recorded at the forward and return stroke of the horizontal actuator. In total 6 shear cycles on two brash ice samples with axial stress of 4.8 kPa, 2 kPa and 1 kPa were performed. The test data was analysed to determine the relationship between shear stress and shear strain. The macro-porosity and confining axial force were found to be the most influential factors in determining the strength and deformation of the brash ice. Furthermore, an attempt has been made to estimate a few parameters of a material model known as the Continuous Surface Cap Model.

Timber piling allows for a solution with lower carbon footprint than concrete or steel piling, yet there exist few well-documented cases of modern timber piled embankments. In this paper, field measurements on a geosynthetic-reinforced timber pile-supported road embankment are reported and evaluated. The monitored road embankment is a section of a newly reconstructed semi-motorway in northern Sweden. The embankment was constructed on 8 m long untreated timber piles with 1.1 m spacing in a triangular pattern, without pile caps. On top of that, a 1.7 m high embankment was constructed, reinforced by two layers of biaxial geogrids. A long-term monitoring program is being carried out from when the semi-motorway was reconstructed. This study presents results from the first year of monitoring. The measurements include the load on the pile heads and subsoil, geogrid strain, pore water pressures, and settlements. The measurements show the development of arching over time, the interlocking of geogrid and embankment material, the subsoil consolidation, etc. The results of the monitoring are compared with results of analytical models from recommendations and codes. Funder: Branschsamverkan i grunden (BIG)

Lack of land for waste disposal is one of the main problems facing urban areas in developing countries. The Sulaimaniyah Governorate, located in northern Iraq, is one of the main cities of the country in the Kurdistan Region, covering an area of 2400 km2. Currently, there is no landfill site in the study region that meets scientific and environmental requirements, inappropriate dumping of solid waste causes adverse effects on the environment, economic and urban aesthetic. To overcome with this phenomenon, it is very crucial to suggest a landfill site, even in countries that recycle or burn their waste to protect the environment. Landfill sites should be carefully selected by considering all regulations and other restrictions. The integration of geographic information systems and multi-criteria decision analysis is used in this study to select suitable landfill locations in the region, for this purpose, thirteen layers are prepared according to their importance including urban area, villages, rivers, groundwater depth, slope, elevation, soil types, geological formations, roads, oil and gas field, land use classification, archaeological site and power lines. Two different methods (simple additive weighting and analytic hierarchy process) are implemented in a geographical information system to obtain the suitability index map for candidate landfill sites, where all these sites satisfied the scientific and environmental criteria which were adopted in this study. The comparison of the maps resulting from these two different methods demonstrates that both methods produced consistent results. Validerad;2020;Nivå 1;2020-04-28 (johcin)

Three-dimensional finite element (FE) simulations were performed to further develop the Swedish design guidelines for geogrid-reinforced timber pile-supported embankments, also known as lightly piled embankments. Lightly piled embankments are constructed mainly in areas which typically have highly compressible soils, and the method utilises untreated timber piles as its key feature. The timber piles are installed in a triangular arrangement instead of the more common square arrangement, with a centre-to-centre distance of 0.8–1.2 m. The aim of this study was to evaluate the current standard using FE modelling setups with square and triangular pile arrangements with varying centre-to-centre distances, based on a typical road foundation case. The evaluation mainly focused on comparing the embankment settlements, as well as the load and stress distribution in the embankment, the piles and the geosynthetic reinforcement. As part of the evaluation, a state-of-the-art study was done on international design guidelines and analytical models. From the FE simulations, no evident difference in mechanical behaviour was found between the triangular and square piling patterns. The maximum allowed centre-to-centre distance between piles can potentially be increased to 1.4 m, decreasing the number of piles by as much as one third. Validerad;2022;Nivå 2;2022-01-01 (johcin)

Water flow direction and velocity affect and controls erosion, transport and deposi- tion of sediment in rivers, reservoirs and different hydraulic structures. One of the main structures affected is pumping stations within the dams wherein the velocity distribution near the station intake is disturbed. The two-dimensional (2-D) HEC-RAS 5.01 model was utilized to study, analyse and evaluate the effects of pumping rates and flow depth on the flow velocity distribution, flow stream power and their effects in the Mosul Dam reservoir. The pumping station was considered as a case study. The station is suffering from sediment accumulation around, and in, its intake and suction pipes. The main inflow sources to the reservoir are the Tigris River and run-off from the valleys within its basin. The reservoir was divided into two parts for the present study, including the upper part near the pumping station (analysed as a two-dimen- sional zone), while the lower part was analysed as a one-dimensional flow to reduce the simulation period computation time (1986–2011). Different operation plans (i.e. pumping rate and water depth) were considered. The results of the depth-averaged velocity model indicated that when the pumping station was working at a range from the designed full capacity (100% to 25% of its full capacity), the maximum flow ve- locity increased from 75 to 4 times the normal velocity when there is no pumping dependent on pumping rate and flow depth. For the same operation plans, the flow stream power varied from around zero values to 400 times at full pumping capacity and low flow depth. For sediment routing along the reservoir, the considered statisti- cal criteria indicated the model performance in estimating the total sediment load deposition and invert bed level is much better than in the case of erosion and deposition areas for different considered bed sections of the reservoir. Validerad;2020;Nivå 1;2020-03-30 (alebob)

Iraq currently undergoing the problem of water shortage, although Iraq has two Rivers (Euphrates and Tigris) pass throughout most of its areas, and they have represented a major source of water supply. In the current research, to evaluate the quality of the Euphrates river in Iraq based on the values of total dissolved salts (TDS), the TDS concentrations were collected from sixteen sections along the river in the three succeeding years (2011, 2012, and 2013). The evaluation of the river was done depending on the classification of (W.H.O. (World Health Organization). (2003). Total Dissolved Salts in Drinking-water: Background document for development of W.H.O. Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality. World Health Organization, 20 Avenue Appia, 1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland). of rivers for drinking uses. Inverse Distance Weighting Technique (IDWT) as a tool in the GIS was employed to establish the maps of the river that using interpolation/prediction for the TDS concentrations to each selected year and the average values of TDS for these 3 years. Based on the five categories of rivers’ classification of the TDS concentrations according to the (W.H.O. (World Health Organization). (2003). Total Dissolved Salts in Drinking-water: Background document for development of W.H.O. Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality. World Health Organization, 20 Avenue Appia, 1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland), the Euphrates river was classified, and the maps of classification for the years 2011, 2012 and 2013 and the average values for 3 years were created. The average values for 3 years of TDS along the Euphrates river indicated that the sections from SC-1 to SC-4 as moderate-water-quality-Category-3, the sections from SC-5 to SC-10 as poor-water-quality-Category-4, while the sections between SC-11 to SC-16 as very poor-water-quality-Category-5. The interpolation maps showed that the Euphrates river in Iraq was ranged from moderate water quality (Category-3) to very poor water quality (Category-5). Validerad;2021;Nivå 2;2021-09-10 (alebob);Finansiär: Al-Mustaqbal University College, Iraq

Iraq relies in its water resources on the Rivers Tigris and Euphrates and their tributaries. It used to be considered rich in its water resources until 1970. Then, the water quantity started to decrease due to the construction of hydrological projects within the riparian countries as well as the effect of climate change. In addition, water management planning in Iraq requires number of strategies that can help to overcome the water shortage problem. In this work, the negative problems are discussed and solutions are given to solve the water shortage problem. Keywords: Water Scarcity, Tigris, Euphrates, Climate Change, Iraq.

The awareness to tailings dam safety monitoring and reviews has increased by the catastrophes resulting from failures of such dams worsened by increasing tailings waste and construction of larger dams. The losses born by the mining industry from high costs of compensations and environmental rehabilitation work have brought this matter into focus. In the present article the need for safety monitoring programs of tailings dam is highlighted and mode of failures and factors leading to them are described. Basic principles of such programs are investigated with all phenomena needing observation described and their impacts explained. As in conventional dams this work is carried out by visual inspections and use of similar methods and instruments. In similar manners in both types of dams’ observation and measurements are done for measuring seepage water quantity and quality, phreatic surface level and pore pressure and total earth pressure values in addition to deformation measurements; and all are done by similar devices and methods such as weirs, piezometers, inclinometers, settlement plates and geodetic surveying. Basic differences between safety monitoring systems of the two types of dam, however, are presented in a tabular form. The continuity of safety monitoring of tailings dams is emphasized not only during the long construction phase but also after that in the abandonment and closure phase which can last indefinitely in order to watch for possible adverse effects on the environment and ecosystem due to the winds eroding and carrying of poisonous tailings contents, in addition to contaminated seepage water entering surface water streams and ground water. Justifications for using real time monitoring systems for recording and transmitting all data to the control center are presented with emphasis given on savings in both labor and time and need for the discovery of warning signs enabling raising earlier the alarm of possible failure or incident and the early taking of preventive measures. In this article it is argued that, in spite of the large investment of installing and running cost of comprehensive dam safety monitoring systems in tailings dams, such costs are justified as they form only a small percentage of the total investment in the tailings facilities projects, and may save huge costs if failure does happen. Such systems may be considered as an additional insurance against such events. Validerad;2020;Nivå 1;2020-09-29 (johcin)

Seismic instrumentation of dams and reservoirs sites is accepted today as a valuable tool to understand significant seismic hazards facing existing dams or future planed dams. With the advent of digital seismic accelerometers and recorders, it can now be used today as an integral part of dam safety monitoring systems. Outputs of these instruments help in understanding the dynamic response of dams during earthquake, assessing the damage caused by such events and determining required upgrading works necessary for existing dams and designing of safer dams in the future. Measuring and recording by strong motion seismographs covers the induced Peak Ground Acceleration (PGA), velocity and displacement recorded on time scale to indicate the intensity and frequency of ground vibration at the site during seismic events. Seismometers for such measurements and recordings have undergone considerable evolution and there exist today a variety of these instruments with high degree of refinement which can even provide for remote sensing. In this work, this development is outlined and examples of seismic instrumentation in strategic dams are described. Damages to actual concrete and embankment dams of various types are described indicating the associated PGAs experienced during the mentioned earthquakes. Damages in the form of cracking, increased seepage, additional settlements and displacements are described to show type and extent of possible consequences of such events on dams. The reached conclusion is that seismic instrumentation systems are desirable and highly recommendable for all types of dams; existing and future ones and their high cost is justified by the service they provide. Validerad;2020;Nivå 1;2020-09-29 (johcin)

Sedimentation of reservoirs has its negative impacts on dams, first by reducing useful storage, altering the benefit/cost ratio originally calculated for the dam, and second by reducing the dams’ capacity for flood routing; increasing flooding hazards on the dam itself and for the downstream. More problems can be created by sediments and floating debris during floods on outlet structures by clogging them and thus creating dangerous situations, or damage trash screens leading to even more problems. If these debris and coarse sediments are allowed in, then they may damage dam structures such as gates, spillways intakes in addition to chutes, stilling basins and power penstocks by the mechanical abrasion impacts of such sediments on them. Frequent inspections, especially after floods must be made to ensure proper functioning of such structure and take actions for reducing the damage. In small reservoirs, dredging; although it adds to maintenance cost, may ease the problem, but in very large reservoirs, this may prove unpractical. Designers, therefore, have a duty to consider sedimentation problem seriously in the initial stages of design by: checking the anticipated accumulation of sediments, allowing enough storage free from siltation, foreseeing their negative impacts on intakes and outlet structures and taking design measures to reduce these impacts. At the same time, dam stability calculations shall have to provision for the anticipated new conditions of silting up at the face of the dam. Operators of dams, on the other hand, shall have to keep open eyes for all the negative issues created by sediments and floating debris, repairing damages caused by them and take measures to reduce their impacts in the future. Validerad;2020;Nivå 1;2020-09-29 (johcin)

Tigris River is a major source to supply water for a big part of Iraq. Lately, Iraq has experienced water shortage problems such as variability in climate and the building of huge dams in the upstream countries (Turkey and Iran). In this work, the total dissolved salts (T.D.S.) were measured at fourteen sites on the Tigris River in two periods of the year 2014. The first period consisted of six rainy-months (April–September) and the second period covered non-rainy-months (October-March). Interpolation technique of inverse-distance-weighting (I.D.W.) in ArcGIS was applied to create the prediction maps of the river for (T.D.S.) concentration in both periods. The findings revealed that the (T.D.S.) levels continued to the last site in Al-Qurnah-city (Basrah) from the first site in Fish-Khabur-city (S-1). In the first period, the (T.D.S.) levels at fourteen selected sites were over the levels in the second period. According to World-Health-Organization (2003), the (T.D.S.) concentration on the Tigris River in both periods in 2014 was graded into five classes, then, the prediction maps of the (T.D.S.) classifications were created.

As the world’s population has grown, waste generation has increased rapidly. Solid waste management requires a greater knowledge of the composition, generation quantity, physical properties, and impacts of economic aspects. This paper clarified the status of municipal solid waste management across Sulaimaniyah governorate and presented a comprehensive overview and implication of poor solid waste management in the study area. The core aspects covered were the future estimations of the cumulative solid waste amount with population growth by 2040 using brief calculations of the waste generation rate from 2016. The results revealed that the daily per capita waste generation in the Sulaimaniyah governorate is 1.32 kg by 2040, a cumulative solid waste of about 10,445,829 tons, and an estimated volume of 9,146,368 m3 which will be required for the disposal site in the future. ISBN för värdpublikation: 978-3-030-51209-5, 978-3-030-51212-5, 978-3-030-51210-1

In order to protect the human health as well as the environment from the solid waste negative impacts, landfill sites should be subjected to adopt the criteria that correspond to landfills international requirements. Fifteen criteria were approved of in an arid area like Babylon Governorate, Iraq for landfill siting. As a result, ten landfill sites were chosen in the governorate. A suitable design was suggested for the selected landfill sites. This design consisted of the base liner system and the final cover system. The results for the suggested landfill design (using the HELP model) showed that there was no leachate percolation from waste mass into groundwater. ISBN för värdpublikation: 978-3-030-51209-5, 978-3-030-51212-5, 978-3-030-51210-1

The stabilization of soft soils with hydraulic binder is a common technique all over the world. By means of stabilization the engineering properties of fine-grained soils can be improved, where settlements or stability problems have to be handled. Lime and cement are usual binders. The use of industrial by-products as binders has been investigated and some are already established on the market in combination with cement, as e.g. fly ash or slag. Nowadays the reduction of CO2 is in focus, leading to a search for more by-products from the industry that are suitable to use as hydraulic binder. One of these is cement kiln dust (CKD) that is started to be used commercially as a binder in combination with cement. Fine-grained soils are often frost susceptible i. e. they show frost heave and/or thaw weakening. These typical problems are handled by improvement with hydraulic binder in countries with moderate climate [33]. In countries with cold climate, near surface soil stabilization with hydraulic binder is less used. One reason for this reduced usage are uncertainties about the influence of low temperature on the expected stabilizing effects of the hydraulic binder. Previous research has shown that the strength of the stabilized material is decreased by frost impact, when compared to without frost. New research results have shown a recovering of the strength after a reduction due to frost [1; 2]. In the present contribution, a multiple linear regression analysis is presented for identifying significant influencing factors for soil stabilization of fine-grained subgrade with hydraulic binders in cold environment. The regression analysis is based on the results from three earlier published laboratory studies [3-5], where the unconfined compressive strength (UCS) was used as a measure of strength. The laboratory studies involved different soil types, different binders (mainly by-products), and varying binder contents. The results from the laboratory studies show that the strength increases during curing in cold environment. After twelve freeze-thaw-cycles the strength is reduced for several samples, compared to without freeze-thaw-cycles, but it is higher than without stabilization. A recovering of strength after a subsequent curing time after the freeze-thaw-cycles is visible in some cases for the stabilized samples. The multiple linear regression analysis presented here shows the influence of the binder content, as well as the freeze-thaw-cycles and the curing time, on the strength.

The Governorate of Sulaymaniyah is located in the north of Iraq with a population of 856 990 in 2016. The process of selecting a landfill site is considered as a complicated task with several factors and regulations to take into account. Currently, there are no landfill sites in the Sulaymaniyah Governorate that Governorate that respect the prerequisites of the scientific and environmental criteria. Therefore, in this study, thirteen suitable criteria were selected. These criteria are: groundwater depth, urban area, rivers, villages, soil types, elevation, roads, slope, land use, archaeological sites, power lines, oil and gas field, and geology. These criteria were used in the GIS (Geographic Information System), due to its high ability to manage and analyze various data. In addition, the AHP (Analytical Hierarchy Process) method was used to derive the weightings of criteria, through a matrix of pairwise comparison. In this work, the study site was classified into four different areas according to the Suitability Index for landfill sites, where they all satisfied the scientific and environmental criteria. ISBN för värdpublikation: 978-3-030-51209-5, 978-3-030-51212-5, 978-3-030-51210-1

Frost heave is major problem for infrastructures build in cold regions. Frost heave occurs due to suction (negative pore water pressure) generated due to the freezing process close to the frost line, i.e., at the frozen fringe. To understand and predict these negative pore water pressures is a key factor to accurately calculate the segregation heave, i.e. heave related to the formation of ice lenses. Segregation heave is the major part of the total heave and also the most challenging to predict. Many attempts have been presented in literature where the generated suction during freezing is related to temperatures, temperature gradients, grain size of the freezing soil etc. Very few laboratory tests have been presented in which the actual suction is measured during the ice lens formation process and compared with theoretical estimations. One reason is that these measurements are challenging. This paper presents results from laboratory measurements of generated suction during freezing. Laboratory tests were conducted on a silty soil sample and suction was measured at the frozen fringe using small pore pressure transducers (PPT’s). The samples were subjected to one-dimensional freezing from top to bottom in an open water system at a constant temperature gradient. Temperatures were measured at various points along the height of the soil sample while suction was measured at middle of the sample. Test results have shown that PPTs do not show pressure change in long-term static pressure test under sub-freezing temperature. For suction measurement at the frozen fringe, pore pressure readings should be measured at various points along the sample height.

Groundwater flows from high to low hydraulic head regions. This flow is controlled by Darcy velocity equation. Darcy velocity represents the flow velocity within the cross-sectional area of the soil. Actually, however, groundwater flows at a higher velocity than that of Darcy’s, called seepage velocity. Seepage velocity considers the real area (pores area) that is available for groundwater flow in calculations. There are many applications which are affected by the seepage/Darcy velocity, e.g., underground thermal energy storage systems and contaminants transfer in soil. In spite of the importance of Darcy/seepage velocity in many applications, there is no specific method to depict these velocities on a large-scale map. This paper proposed a tool that can be used to depict the seepage velocity on a large scale. The considered tool is offered by ArcMap/GIS software. To explain how this tool works, Babylon (Iraq) was considered as a study area. ISBN för värdpublikation: 978-3-030-51209-5, 978-3-030-51212-5, 978-3-030-51210-1

Small-strain foundation response has mostly been studied analytically, with limited experimental verification against 1g physical model tests. This paper revisits the problem of small-strain foundation response, conducting a series of centrifuge model tests, aiming to eliminate the limitations of 1g testing. A centrifuge modelling technique is developed, combining static pushover and dynamic impulse testing for similar systems. To allow for derivation of meaningful insights, a novel procedure for in-flight measurement of the distribution of shear modulus with depth is also developed. The latter combines spectral analysis of surface waves (SASW) measurement of the shear modulus G0 at the surface, and estimation of the distribution of the shear modulus G with depth using acceleration measurements in shaking tests. A novel centrifuge tube–actuator is developed and employed to discharge spherical projectiles against single-degree-of-freedom models lying on shallow foundations on sand. This allows generating dynamic impulse excitation, which is used to measure the small-strain dynamic rocking stiffness. The developed actuator is versatile, and was also used for in-flight SASW testing. The centrifuge model tests are shown to confirm the widely used and well-known formulas. This good agreement can also be seen as a confirmation of the validity of the developed experimental techniques.

Managing tailings deposition in cold climate requires specific measures not to create permafrost. The risk of generating permafrost due to tailings deposition exists even in regions where permafrost would naturally not occur. Material being frozen during winter might not fully thaw in the following summer due to added height of the tailings on the surface. Such embedded layers of permafrost should be avoided especially close to tailing dams. Main reasons are to prevent impermeable layers in tailings facilities, and to reduce the risk of having implications if such layers thaw during warmer summers causing increase in pore water pressure, reduced effective stress, and increased water content. This paper presents a numerical study on the effects of tailings deposition in cold regions in relation to the potential formation of permafrost. Various deposition rates, schedules and tailings properties were evaluated. One-dimensional heat conduction analyses were performed with a temperature scenario representing a mine district in northern Sweden. Results show, that the thickness of permafrost layers increase with increased deposition rate and with increased water content. It was also shown that wet and loose tailings must be deposited in short periods during summer to avoid permafrost generation. In the case of dry and dense tailings more time is available for deposition in order not to cause aggradation of permafrost in the deposit. These findings can help mining operation to set up deposition schedules for tailings facilities in cold climate. For known tailings properties, results can be used to identify periods of the year when, and how much, tailings can be deposited in critical areas of a deposit in order to avoid permafrost formation.

A freezing test apparatus was supplemented with a digital camera to allow for recording and monitoring one-dimensional freezing tests to analyze the development of ice lenses via particle image velocimetry (PIV) in the laboratory. Two tests on disturbed, partially saturated samples of silt loam were conducted. Image recording and correlation analyses provided detailed information about frost front penetration and ice lens formation(s) under varying temperature boundary conditions. Thawing has also been regarded in further studies. Results of the image analyses were compared to readings from conventional displacement measurements during the same test. Significant agreement between the results of image analyses and displacement measurements has been found. Advantages and disadvantages of utilizing image analysis methods were discussed. Potential remedies for overcoming the drawbacks of using image analysis are suggested. Image analysis is shown to be a viable method in further understanding of frost heave mechanisms.

Mosul Dam is an earth fill dam, with a storage capacity of 11.11 km3 constructed on highly karstified gypsum beds alternating with marl and limestone. After impounding in 1986, seepage locations were recognized. The dam situation now indicates that it is in a state of extreme relative risk. If it fails, then 6 million people will be affected and 7202 km2 area will be flooded. Grouting operations will elongate the life of the dam but will not solve the problem. Building a protection dam downstream will be the best measures to secure the safety of the downstream area and its’ population.

The development in society means that infrastructure like ballasted railway systems is facing challenges due to requests for a increased number of high-speed trains and heavier freight trains. This implies that ballasted railways get an increased impact from larger dynamic loads. The question is how the ballasted railways are today affected by dynamic loading and how will an increase in train speed and weight change the soil behavior within the railway embankment. A method of investigating soil behavior is via geophysical measurements. Accelerometers are commonly used for vibration measurements and by installing them on trains, measurements are possible to perform for complete railway sections. The knowledge of Eigen frequencies for various track components and soil layers are essential when considering frequency analysis of accelerometer measurements. Specifically, this means that the analysis is about detecting resonance of different components. From the actual case study, a good correlation is obtained between the expected Eigen frequencies and the measurement results. Thus, an assessment of the dynamic loadings influences on various soil layers and ballast has been possible to perform. Resonance of a soil layer means that the particles will be rearranged and degraded. For the case when saturated soil layers are subjected to resonance a phenomenon called liquefaction can occur if the pore pressures increases to the level were soil layers lose their effective stresses. Therefore, the most critical finding in this study is liquefaction because it leads to a loss in bearing capacity followed by settlements. Old railway tracks where little or no information exists of the soil conditions are the most suitable areas were this measurement and analysis method is of special use. Consequently, conventional borehole sampling can be reduced. ISBN för värdpublikation: 978-981-15-0449-5, 978-981-15-0450-1

A crisis of water scarcity in the world encouraged researchers, especially in the arid areas to know the nature and quality of all its sources regardless of surface water. The groundwater evaluation for irrigation was suggested by using the model of Water Quality Index for Irrigation (WQIIR) in the ArcMap/GIS Software. This model was applied to 48 wells distributed throughout the Hilla district, Babylon, Iraq. The samples of EC, Ca+2, Mg+2, Cl−1, Na+1, HCO3−1, and SAR for groundwater were collected from these wells during wet and dry seasons in 2016. The generated maps in GIS for the WQIIR model in both seasons were divided into categories based on restriction’s groundwater use for irrigation. These categories consisted of Severe Restriction (SR), High Restriction (HR), Moderate Restriction (MR), Low Restriction, and No Restriction. The areas values and their classification of restriction’s groundwater use for irrigation related to the five categories that resulted within the generated maps in GIS using the WQIIR model in the wet season (in km2) were: 42.79 (SR), 407.05 (HR), 377.77 (MR), 32.39 (LR) and 0.23 (NR) respectively and for the dry season were as follows: 42.79 (SR), 407.05 (HR), 377.77 (MR), 32.39 (LR) and 0.23 (NR) respectively. The areas and the classification categories of restriction groundwater for irrigation calculated based on the values resulted from the WQIIR model have shown variation in the dry and wet seasons.

Most of the third world countries having rivers passing through them suffer from the water contaminant problem. This problem is considered so difficult to get the water quality within the standard allowable limits for drinking, as well as for industrial and agricultural purposes. This research aims to assess the water quality of the Tigris River using the water quality index method and GIS software. Twelve parameters (Ca, Mg, Na, K, Cl, SO4, HCO3, TH, TDS, BOD5, NO3, and EC) were taken from 14 stations along the river. The weighted arithmetic method was applied to compute the water quality index (WQI). The interpolation method (IDW) was applied in ArcGIS 10.5 to produce the prediction maps for 12 parameters at 11 stations along the Tigris River during the wet and dry seasons in 2016. The regression prediction was applied on three stations in the Tigris River between observed values and predicted values, from the prediction maps, in both seasons. The results showed that the regression prediction for all parameters was given the acceptable values of the determination coefficient (R2). Furthermore, the state of water quality for the Tigris River was degraded downstream of the Tigris River, especially at the station (8) in Aziziyah in the wet and dry seasons and increase degradation clearly at Qurnah (Basrah province) in the south of Iraq. This paper considers the whole length of the Tigris River for the study. This is important to give comprehensive knowledge about the contamination reality of the river. Such that it becomes easier to understand the problem of contamination, analyze it, and then find the suitable treatments and solutions.

In this study, Al-Hillah Textile Factory, in Al-Hillah city-Iraq follows to State Company for Textile Industries was selected to study the intensity of noise in 2014. Measurements of the noise level were carried out in different workshops for each of the production stages including the spinning machinery workshop (parts 1 and 2), the rotating machinery room, the preparations room, and the textile machinery room (Roti model), weaving machines: Techmash model room Russian-made model room, Sheets’ machinery room, and operator machines room; using two noise meters (model 2237 Fulfici). Fifty samples were collected in each part of these rooms to give realistic results for the noise level. After recording the noise level data, the highest and lowest values and the average of noise intensity readings were calculated in each of the rooms and compared with the global standards permitted by the EPA for industrial facilities. The results of this study showed that the general rate of noise intensity in all rooms exceeded the permissible limits, which impose a noise level of 65-70dB for such industrial establishments according to EPA recommendations in 2008.

Slope instability and landslides can be catastrophic events leading to loss of lives and properties. To prevent and assess the risks of slope failures, it is often desired that the dynamic process of the slope failure can be simulated, which is difficult with the classic Finite Element Method (FEM). In this study, the smoothed particle finite element method is developed based on the popular and efficient FEM. A numerical example with a slope model is employed to demonstrate the capacity of the proposed approach. An elastoplastic material model based on the Mohr–Coulomb yield criterion is used. The run out distance and failure mass is recorded which paves a way of being able to better quantify slope failure consequence and risk.