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Waste impoundments are usually not protected by any growing crops, soil roughness, or wind barriers, and dust due to wind erosion of the surface waste material can be a major environmental problem. The tailings dam in Aitik is highly susceptible to wind erosion when it is dry and windy. Strong dust storms may occur during dry seasons. These events are short-lived but may transport a huge amount of particulate matter and adversely impact air quality in downwind areas. This study estimated material loss from the Aitik tailings dam using SWEEP model. The simulated total material loss, saltation and creep loss, suspension loss and PM10 loss were 4.4941kg/m2, 0.042 kg/m2, 4.4559 kg/m2, 0.264057 kg/m2 respectively. To control the dust generation wind breaks could be suggested to be installed at 800m downwind the upwind edge of the tailings dam to reduce the saltation and creep and it would in turn reduce suspended emission. The measured total suspended material for five days by exposure profiling method was 0.475kg/m2, which had a big difference with simulate a value of 4.4559 kg/m2. Many reasons contributed to the disagreement of simulated value and measured value in this study. In order to use the model for mining industry more tests are needed to validate the modeling result and calibration methods could be useful in adjusting the internal coefficients and empirical equations. Validerad; 2014; 20140304 (nadhir)

Every year a number of breach failures occur in Irrigation Canals in Sindh. Those failures cause displacement of thou-sands of people, destruction of properties, land, and damages costly crops worth millions rupees. In addition to that breach failures are also can cause water shortages when failure occurs during peak demand period. There are various causes of embankment failures that include overtopping, internal erosion, structural defects and piping. State of art for breach failures is presented in this paper and suggestions for prediction of breaches in context to canals in Sindh are discussed. Seepage and slope stability analyses are recommended for long term breach predictions. Every year, a number of breach failures occur in Irrigation Canals in Sindh. Those failures cause displacement of thousands of people, destruction of properties, land, and damage to costly crops that worth millions Rupees. In addition to that, breach failures also can cause water shortages when the failure occurs during the peak demand period. There are various causes of embankment failures which include overtopping, internal erosion, structural defects and piping. State of art for breach failures is presented in this paper and suggestions for prediction of breaches in context to canals in Sindh are discussed. Seepage and slope stability analyses are recommended for a long-term breach predictions. Godkänd; 2014; 20140124 (nadhir)

The rheological properties of cement-based grouts containing talc or palygorskite were investi- gated for optimizing fluidity and quick strengthening at injection. The fluidity controls the ability of grout to penetrate fractures and can be determined by pipe flow tests, Marsh funnel tests, mini-slump cone tests and rheometer tests. The grouts were 1) Talc for fluidity and strength by reacting with cement, 2) Palygorskite (attapulgite) for early gelation by being thixotropic, and 3) Powdered quartz for chemical integrity. The freshly prepared grouts behaved as Bingham fluids with viscosities from 0.151 to 0.464 Pas and yield stresses 5.2 Pa to 36.7 Pa. Statistical analysis of the flow test data converted Marsh flow time into viscosity. The pipe flow tests gave 26.5% higher values than the viscometer for grout with Portland cement and talc, and about 13.7% lower than the viscometer data for the grout with low-pH cement and talc. The big Marsh funnel gave values differing by 5.2% - 5.3% from those of the viscometer for grout with talc and Portland, and Merit 5000 cements. For grout with palygorskite the viscosity was at least twice that of the other grouts. Grout fluidity was positively affected by talc and negatively by palygorskite and early cement hy- dration.

River Tigris divides Baghdad, capital of Iraq, in two parts. The reach of the river within Baghdad is about 60 km long. Many islands and bars are obstructing the flow of the river within Baghdad. To overcome this problem, dredging operations started along most of Tigris River inside Baghdad City to remove many islands and side bars, which reduced the flooding capacity and the efficiency of water intakes. An examination for the dredging plan under process and two proposed additional plans were performed using HEC-RAS program for a 50km long river reach to investigate whether they can recover the designed flooding capacity of the river or just improving it. Calibration and verification processes were implemented in the model using observed water levels at Sarai Baghdad gauging station and along the last 15 km of the river reach. Comparisons of computed water levels were conducted with those of previous studies and historical data. Some improvement of flood capacity was achieved based on the recorded data of the last three decades. Cautions about the water intakes should be considered to maintain their function with the expected drop in water level due to dredging operations. River Tigris divides Baghdad, capital of Iraq, in two parts. The reach of the river within Baghdad is about 60 km long. Many islands and bars are obstructing the flow of the river within Baghdad. To overcome this problem, dredging operations started along most of Tigris River inside Baghdad City to remove many islands and side bars, which reduced the flooding capacity and the efficiency of water intakes. An examination for the dredging plan under process and two proposed additional plans was performed using the Hydrologic Engineering Centers River Analysis System software (HEC-RAS) for a 50 km long river reach to investigate whether they can recover the designed flooding capacity of the river or just improving it. Calibration and verification processes were implemented in the model using observed water levels at Sarai Baghdad gauging station and along the last 15 km of the river reach. Comparisons of computed water levels were conducted with those of previous studies and historical data. Some improvement of flood capacity was achieved based on the recorded data of the last three decades. Cautions about the water intakes should be considered to maintain their function with the expected drop in water level due to dredging operations. Godkänd; 2014; 20140212 (nadhir)

Water supply network losses are an international problem especially in countries suffering from water scarcitylike Jordan. Jordan is one of the poorest countries in its water resources and it is estimated to be below the waterpoverty line. Jordan is located in the Middle East and has a surface area of approximately 90,000 km2. Its populationis around 6.3 million and it is estimated that the population will be 7.8 million in 2022. The gap betweenwater supply and demand is widening due to development and a relatively high population growth rate. In addition,global climate change is expected to intensify the water shortage problem in Jordan. Thirteen years of completerecords obtained from the Ministry of Water and Irrigation were analyzed. According to these records,water losses in Jordan reach about 50%. In view of the evaluation of the data and the case study conducted inthis research, it is believed that Jordan can overcome the water shortage problem by adopting a water demandmanagement strategy. In this context, efforts should be focused on reducing water losses. If this is achieved, itwill save huge quantities of water and revenue. Godkänd; 2014; 20140214 (nadhir)

Waste management system is not regulated in Iraq. At present, there are various techniques used for solid waste management such as landfill, thermal treatment, biological treatment, recycling etc. Landfill is the most common mode for the disposal of solid waste. However, landfill site selection is quite complex process and it depends on several criteria and regulations. In this study landfill site selection is performed for Al-Mahaweel qadaa using Multicriteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) And Geographic Information System (GIS). It should be mentioned however, that the existing landfill in this area, is temporary and does not fulfill the environmental conditions. To select suitable landfill site, several criteria were considered such as Urban centers, Land use, Airports, Pipes, Power lines, Railways, Roads, slope, streams, Surface water, Industrial areas, Oil pipes, Liquid gas pipes, Soil types are prepared. (MCDA) was used to evaluate the relative importance of each criterion. Each map layers were formed with the aid of GIS and final suitability map was created by overlay analyses of each criterion map. According to obtained results, high and low suitable areas were determined in the study area. Field and office checks were performed out to determine the accuracy and suitability of the candidate sites. Godkänd; 2014; 20140617 (nadhir)

Tigris and Euphrates are the main rivers in Iraq. The former has 5 main tributaries while the latter has no tributaries within Iraq. All these rivers exhibit meandering and/ or shifting of their courses due to many reasons; such as mass movements and alluvial fan's development. The meandering and shifting of river courses due to mass movements is dealt with in this study. Many examples are given from different parts of Iraq within different rivers and streams. In each case, the geology of the involved area is described; the reasons of the shifting and/ or meandering of the river course are given. GIS technique was used to determine the coverage of the involved area. Landsat, Google Earth and DEM images were used to indicate the suffered areas from shifting and meandering of the rivers and streams. When possible, age of the shifting and/ or meandering of the river and stream courses was estimated; using exposure age determination; mainly depending on the presence of river terraces, erosional forms, vegetation cover and the maturity of the involved area. Some of the given examples of shifting of river courses were found to be still active; others are inactive. In many cases, indications for very large mass movement phenomena were seen. Moreover, some of the large involved areas are highly populated, others includes few houses and/ or farms. The majority of the meanders are developed due to mass movement phenomena; others are caused by alluvial fans and/ or tectonic features, lime plunging of anticlines. Validerad; 2014; 20140826 (nadhir)

This study describes the performance of concrete in fresh state, intended for sealing deep bore-holes in the host rock of radioactive repositories. Set of different paste volumes, combinations of water-to-powder ratios and fine aggregate contents have been performed within the frame of this study. The main objective was to search for tendencies, logical connections and phenomena that occur for different combination of materials regarding the fluidity and segregation and mainly the effect from the (paste) or fine aggregate content. It shall be pointed out that this investigation is a suggestion on how concrete can be optimized using two simple test methods based on changing the paste content. The results highlighted the importance of having sufficient amounts of filler and cement paste for separate and carry larger particles, which gives the concrete good workability and fluidity at casting. It was concluded that the slump behaviors can be optimized based on the adjustments of the superplastisizer dosage.

The Middle East (ME) is characterized by its water shortage problem. This region with its arid climate is expected to be the most vulnerable in the world to the potential impacts of climate change. Iraq (located in ME) is seriously experiencing water shortage problem. To overcome this problem rain water harvesting can be used. In this study the applicability of the long-term weather generator model in downscaling daily precipitation Central Iraq is used to project future changes of precipitation based on scenario of seven General Circulation Models (GCMs) outputs for the periods of 2011-2030, 2046-2065, and 2080-2099. The results indicated that December-February and September-November periods, based on the ensemble mean of seven GCMs, showed an increasing trend in the periods considered; however, a decreasing trend can be found in March, April, and May in the future. Validerad; 2014; 20141216 (johsod)

The common practice in geotechnical laboratories is to apply high hydraulic gradients for getting results in reasonable time but this can jeopardize the accuracy. In this paper, the hydraulic condu ...

Jordan is located in the Middle East in the eastern Mediterranean. It has a surface area of approximately 90,000 km2 and its population reaches 6.3 million. Jordan is one of the fourth driest countries in the World and water demand exceeds Jordan's available water resources.Annual per capita water availability has declined from 3600m3/year in 1946 to 145 m3/year today. It is estimated that the population will continue to grow from about 5.87 million in 2008 to over 7.80 million by 2022. Total projected water demand will be 1673 million cubic meters by 2022.Fifteen years of complete records for water consumption was studied to see the supply and demand variation with time. It had been noticed that water demand management will address the actual needs for water. This management program will ensure further reduction in water use, reduce water loses through the distribution supply net, prevent pollution and waste water disposal in nature, efficient use of available water resources, prudent future planning for new water re-sources and finally imposing real cost for water supply that would be acceptable. In addition to the above, public awareness program is to be put in action. Such a program should be used in schools as well as the media. The public are to be aware of the problem and how they can assist to overcome the water shortage crisis. Validerad; 2014; 20131204 (nadhir)

Iraq is experiencing water-resource shortages which are expected to become more severe in the future. It is believed that rainwater harvesting will be one of the solutions to overcome this problem. In this paper, rainwater harvest modeling techniques were applied to the Sinjar area of northwest Iraq for agricultural purposes. A watershed modeling system (WMS) and linear programming (LP) optimization techniques were applied to maximize the irrigated area, which could be supplied by each selected reservoir for the period 1990–2009. This technique proved to be efficient for solving large-scale water supply problems with multiple parameters and constraints, including the required input data for the model. Two scenarios of operation were considered for each main basin. In the first, each reservoir was operated as a separate unit while, in the second, all reservoirs within the basin were operated as one system. Both scenarios gave encouraging results but Scenario 2 provided better results.

Cement-based materials for use as sealants in underground waste storages must be erosion-resistant and chemically stable. Placement of highly radioactive waste (HLW) in boreholes may require that the rock is cement-grouted and stabilized by constructing concrete plugs. Where smectitic clay seals are in contact with concrete there is mutual degradation, and low-pH cement with inorganic superplasticizers, like talc, are recommended for preparing the concrete. This paper reviews our current state-of-knowledge concerning the grout and concrete sealing very deep boreholes (DBD) for purpose of high-level radioactive waste disposal. In this concept, the lower 2 km section of 4 km deep holes bored in crystalline rock could host waste-containers while the upper parts are sealed by dense clay and concrete.1 The parts of such a hole that intersect fracture-poor rock are sealed with dense expandable clay while concrete is cast where fracture zones are intersected. The paper summarizes the available experimental results concerning the performance of grouts and concrete with talc as superplasticizer in contact with smectitic clay. Validerad;2017;Nivå 2;2017-08-17 (rokbeg)

The main objectives of this study were to determine the susceptibility to suffusion of widely graded, non-plastic glacial till; to identify potential factors influencing susceptibility; and conversely, to determine grading characteristics that potentially eliminate suffusion susceptibility. A laboratory experimental program was performed on 12 non-plastic glacial till specimens. Four were natural glacial tills sourced from the cores of four existing embankment dams in Sweden, and the remaining eight were mixtures based on these tills with adjusted particle size distributions to obtain target gradations. Four specimens failed by suffusion. By comparing against stable specimens, these were characterized by fines content 25 %), which in this study corresponds to finer fraction >35 %, may provide additional limits to suffusion susceptibility of this kind of soil. Validerad;2017;Nivå 2;2017-06-08 (rokbeg)

The Dokan Reservoir dam is a concrete cylindrical arch with gravity abutments, located on the Lesser Zab River about 60 km from the city of Sulaimani in north-eastern Iraq. A bathymetric survey was conducted in November 2014 for a period of 10 days, using an echo sounder of 200-kHz single beam. The survey results indicated an annual average sediment deposition of 3.8 million m3. Thirty-two sediment samples were collected from the reservoir bed. The ratio of gravel, sand, silt and clay was 15:14:48:23, respectively. The reservoir bed is covered mainly with silt. The sediments are composed of silty clay (77.6%), silty sandy clay (10%), sandy gravely silty clay (1.2%) and gravely sandy silty clay (1%). Validerad;2017;Nivå 1;2017-07-06 (rokbeg)

Iraq highly depends on its surface water resources. Now it is facing water shortage problems. For these reasons, the utilization of groundwater will be increasing with time. Karbala Governorate is located in the central part of Iraq. It covers an area of 5034 km2 and the population exceeds one million. It is characterized by an arid or semiarid environment. Karbala Governorate lack surface water resource and consequently, groundwater is the only available resource. The main groundwater aquifer within the area is Dibdibba formation. It is composed of poorly sorted sand and sand stone with gravel. In this research hydrological and hydrogeological information were used to find out the magnitude and the direction of groundwater seepage velocity. The results indicate that groundwater flow toward the flood plain to the east of the study region. The seepage velocity ranges from 0 to 0.18 m/d, with a general increase when moving from the west to the east. Validerad; 2017; Nivå 1; 2017-04-07 (rokbeg)

Macro rainwater harvesting techniques (Macro RWH) are getting more popular to overcome the problem of water scar-city in arid and semi-arid areas. Iraq is experiencing serious water shortage problem now despite the presence of Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. RWH can help to overcome this problem. In this research RWH was applied on Koya city in its districts, North West Iraq. Twenty two basins were identified as the catchment area for the application of RWH tech-nique. Watershed modeling system (WMS), based on Soil Conservation Service - curve number (SCS-CN) method, was applied to calculate direct runoff from individual daily rain storm using average annual rainfall records of the area. Two consecutive adjustments for the curve number were considered. The first was for the antecedent moisture condition (AMC) and the second was for the slope. These adjustments increased the total resultant harvested runoff up to 79.402 *106 m3. The average percentage of increase of harvested runoff volume reached 9.28%. This implies that water allocation is of the order of 2000 cubic meter per capita per year. This quantity of water will definitely help to develop the area. Validerad; 2013; 20131014 (nadhir)

Fractured, very permeable rock hosting repositories for radioactive waste will require grouting. New grout types of possible use where long-term performance is needed should have a small amount of cement for minimizing the increase in porosity that will follow from the ultimate dissolution and erosion of this component. They have to be low-viscous and gain strength early after injection and packing theory can assist designers in selecting suitable proportions of various grout components. Optimum particle packing means that the porosity is at minimum and that the amount of cement paste needed to fill the voids between aggregate particles is very small. Low porosity and microstructural stability must be guaranteed for long periods of time. Organic additives for reaching high fluidity cannot be used since they can give off colloids that carry released radionuclides and talc can be an alternative superplasticizer. Low-pH cement reacts with talc to give high strength with time while Portland cement gives early but limited strengthening. The clay mineral palygorskite can be used for early gelation because of its thixotropic properties. Once forced into the rock fractures or channels in soil it stiffens and serves as a filter that prevents fine particles to migrate through it be lost. However, its hydrophilic potential is too high to give the grout a high density and high strength. According to the experiments carried out most of the investigated grouts are injectable in fractures with apertures down to 100 μm. Validerad; 2013; 20130731 (mohhat)

Deep investigation boreholes in crystalline rock for site selection of repositories for high-level radioactive waste are proposed to be sealed by installing a series of dense concrete and clay plugs. These should prevent radionuclides from leaking canisters at depth to migrate to the biosphere through the holes. The concrete seals will be installed where the holes intersect water-bearing fracture zones to serve as stable and low-permeable supports for adjacent clay plugs. Low porosity and microstructural stability must be guaranteed for many thousands of years and ordinary Portland cement with organic superplastizer will not fulfil the requirements since the high pH will cause degradation of contacting clay and the organic additive can produce colloids with a capacity to carry radionuclides up to the biosphere. Very cement-poor concrete (Validerad; 2013; 20130104 (mohhat)

Iraq experienced two devastating wars in 1991 and 2003, during which massive amounts of new weapons and sophisticated manufactured nuclear weapons were used called Depleted Uranium (DU). As a consequence of the radioactive contamination; the humans are suffering from various disease like cancer and the environment is polluted.In practice, there is no strategy and/or national program, not even well thought out plans and scientific personnel and technical equipment required to clean Iraq of these wastes. Reviewing the geological, topographical and hydrological data, it had been noticed that Umm Chaimin depression is a good candidate site to dump all contaminated radioactive scrap and soil. The suggested design of the landfill will ensure safe containment of the waste for hundreds of thousands of years even if significant climatic changes will take place. Godkänd; 2013; 20130225 (nadhir)

Humans realised the importance of housing since the dawn of history. The first man used the caves as shelter. When agricultural activities dominated the life style of humans, villages started to be constructed. Later these were developed into cities. The dawn of civilization started in Iraq. The inhabitants in that time used the available natural materials in their construction. Reviewing the progress of engineering practices of ancient Iraq, reveals the facts that the inhabitants were aware of the principles of construction and engineering. The materials used and the design of the buildings were very suitable from both environmental and engineering perspectives. This work is a critical review of the progress and development of engineering practices and construction materials used in ancient Mesopotamia Validerad; 2012; 20120214 (ysko); Konferensartikel i tidskrift

Multibarrier concepts are commonly proposed for effective isolation of highly radioactive waste (HLW). Present concepts consider the host rock as a barrier by retarding migration of possibly released radionuclides to the biosphere, containers for preventing release of radionuclides, and “buffer clay” embedding the canisters for providing ductility and minimizing the risk of container breakage and for delaying migration of possibly escaping radionuclides. Closer analysis of the isolating functions shows that rock will only serve as a mechanical protection of the “nearfield”, the containers of proposed types can be short-lived, and the surrounding clay will be increasingly permeable and stiffen hence becoming less ductile with time. A different approach, representing an alternative to the common concepts, can be safer and cheaper. It takes the HIPOW copper canister as the only major barrier and a cheap but sufficiently efficient buffer as embedment. The repository can consist of an abandoned copper mine, an option being to place HLW in emptied drifts while mining is still going in not yet exploited parts of the ore body. Godkänd; 2012; 20121009 (svek)

For trustworthy numerical simulations of iron ore pellets flow, knowledge about the mechanical properties of pellets is needed. In this work, an elastic-plastic continuum material model for blast furnace iron ore pellets is worked out from an experimental data. The equipment used is a Norwegian simple shear apparatus, designed for compression and shear test of granular material with a grain size less than 100 mm. It consists of a cylindrical cell filled with pellets surrounded by a rubber membrane and a rigid top and bottom. Two types of tests are performed. One test is pure compression and unloading and the second is shearing at different stress levels. Evaluation of these tests is performed and the elastic-plastic behaviour of iron ore pellets is characterized. Determined constitutive data are two elastic parameters and a yield function. The presented material model captures the major characteristics of the pellets even though it is too simple to completely capture the complex behaviour shown in the experiments.

The Dukan Dam Reservoir (DDR) in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq has been studiedto determine the characteristics and nature of the reservoir and the deposited sedimentson its bottom surface. This study was achieved by doing a field survey andgrain size analyses of the collected sediment samples at 32 locations representing thewhole reservoir area that had been created when the Lesser Zab River was dammedin 1959. The Dukan Dam, which is a multi-purpose concrete arch dam, was built onthe Lesser Zab River for controlling its flood during high rainfall seasons, irrigationand power generation. The catchment area is 11,690 km2. The surface area of the reservoiris 270 square kilometers and the volume is 6.870 × 106 m3 at normal operationlevel (El. 511.00 m. a.s.l.). The minimum drawdown level is at elevation 469 mabove sea level (a.s.l.). The live storage is 6.14 × 106 m3 while the remainder is deadstorage. The reservoir has a surface area that reaches 270 square kilometers and iscomposed of two sub-reservoirs connected by a narrow channel that has a length of 5kilometers. The relatively bigger reservoir is located in the north and has a triangularshape with a surface area approximately 250 square kilometers. The smaller sub-reservoiris located down south where the dam exists and it has irregular rectangularshape. Thirty-two sediment samples were collected from the bottom of Dukan reservoir.The bed of the reservoir is mainly composed of 15% gravel, 14% sand, 48%silt and 23% clay respectively. Most of the sediments are very fine grained, verypoorly sorted, strongly coarse skewed and mesokurtic. Validerad; 2016; Nivå 1; 2016-10-05 (marisr) 1843127

Groundwater plays important roles as one of the essential source of water supplies of the studied area. Consequently, it needs to be prevented from contamination. In this study, two methods have been examined, namely DRASTIC (depth to groundwater, net recharge, aquifer media, soil map, topography, impact of vadose zone and hydraulic conductivity) and VLDA (vadose zone lithology, land use patterns, depth to groundwater and aquifer media) to model a map of groundwater vulnerability for contamination of the basin. The standard DRASTIC vulnerability maps classified the basin of four vulnerability index zones: very low (34%), low (13%), moderate (48%) and high (5%). While the VLDA model classified the area into four categories as well: low (2%), moderate (44%), high(53%) and very high (1%). The results demonstrate that there is a significant dissimilarity in the rate of vulnerability. Validation of the constructed maps is required to confirm the validity of the theoretical sympathetic of current hydrogeological conditions. In this study, nitrate concentration analysis was selected as a contamination indicator to validate the result. The nitrate concentration of two different seasons (dry and wet) was analyzed from (30) watering wells, considerable variations in nitrate concentration from dry to wet seasons had been noted. Consequently, it points toward that groundwater in the HSB (Halabja Saidsadiq Basin) is capable to receive the contaminant due to suitability of overlies strata in terms of geological and hydrogeological conditions. Based on this confirmation, the result exemplifies that the degree and distribution of vulnerability level acquired using VLDA model is more sensible than that attained from the standard DRASTIC method .In addition, the DRASTIC models need to be modified based on the land use pattern, which clarifies the role of human activity on the vulnerability system. Validerad; 2016; Nivå 1; 2016-11-22 (andbra)

In Najaf Governorate, Iraq, there are five landfill sites. This study aims to rank these sites based on their criteria which are site capacity, land elevation and land price. AHP (analytic hierarchy process) method was used to weight the criteria and the technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution. Fuzzy TOPSIS (technique for order of preference by similarity to ideal solution) method was used to rank these sites from best to worst. Based on AHP method, the site capacity criterion was the most important than land price and land elevation. Validerad; 2016; Nivå 1; 20160805 (nadhir)

Submerged tar-contaminated sediments are generally very loose, which makes remediation challenging. We tested if a modified version of freeze-dredging could be used to remove and dewater such sediments in a canal down-stream a coking plant. PVC hoses carrying a heat medium were placed horizontally in the submerged sediments. Five days of freezing allowed straightforward removal of most of the sediments. Flat freeze cells were placed side by side in the canal to remove the rest. The freeze-thaw process increased the dry substance (DS) content from approximately 50 to 80%. Outdoors storage under rainy conditions did not re-wet the dried sediments. The material was successfully used as feed-stock in the coking plant, with the double cost-benefit of avoided transportation to deposit and reduced use of coal. The study demonstrates that freeze-dredging can facilitate removal, storage and beneficial re-use of submerged tar-contaminated sediments. Validerad; 2016; Nivå 2; 2016-10-10 (andbra)

Estimation of runoff volume and sediment load is the main problem that affects the performance of dams due to the reduction in the storage capacity of their reservoirs and their effect on dam efficiency and operation schedule. The simulation models can be considered for this purpose if the continuous field measurements are not available. Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) andWater Erosion Prediction Project (WEPP) models were applied to estimate the annual runoff volume and sediment load for Duhok Dam Reservoir in north of Duhok/Iraq for the period 1988-2011. The estimated annual runoff volume varied from 2.3 to 34.7 MCM for considered period.Those values were affected by rainfall depth, intensity and runoff coefficient. The resultant annual runoff coefficient for the studied area ranged from 0.05 to 0.35 (average was 0.18) causing an average runoff volume of about 14 MCM. The results of sediment routing indicated that the values of sediment yields varied from 50 to 1400 t/km2/year depending on sub basin properties. The average annual sediment load from the whole watershed is about 120 × 103 ton. The estimated total sediment arrived to Duhok Reservoir for the considered period 1988-2011 was about 2.9 × 106 ton. The results indicate that both models gave reasonable results in comparison with measured values. Based on statistical criteria, the results of both models are close to gather. Validerad; 2016; Nivå 1; 20160714 (nadhir)

Oil represents the main energy sources used by mankind. In addition, petroleum products serve as feedstock for several consumer goods, thus playing an important growing role in people’s lives. For this reason there are various software applications designed to do the environmental assessment to see their impact on the environment. Among these is SimaPro software package designed to make a valuable contribution. It is a powerful tool for analyzing the environmental impact of products during their whole life cycle. In this study, it was pplied to analyze and evaluate the impacts for Al-Daura refinery for the gasoline and kerosene fuel production. This refinery located in Baghdad, Iraq was analyzed. The results of the life cycle assessment (LCA) show that gasoline has a (single score) of the order of 11.1 point for each 1 cubic meter produce from gasoline fuel compared with 4.83 point for each 1 cubic meter produce from kerosene. Global warming, respiratory inorganics and nonrenewable energy were the most effective environmental impacts. Validerad; 2016; Nivå 1; 2016-11-23 (andbra)

Iraq is facing fatal challenges: internal, external and natural that are threatening the well-being of the Iraqi community at present and certainly jeopardizing the sustainable development at all levels of Sustainable Development (SD)-Capitals: natural, human and social, and manufactured/financial. This paper is intended to discuss on establishing a Sustainable Neighborhood in Baghdad, where it could serve as an experimental project to test the forms of expenditure that would guarantee the best eco-efficient transformation of expenditure to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The paper illustrates the challenges of SD and the factors that would exacerbate their effect unless dealing with through scientific-well managed procedures based on green growth policiesand sustainable development strategies. Validerad; 2016; Nivå 1; 20160824 (nadhir)

A large landslide in Tuve (Gothenburg, Sweden 1977) initiated the development of a model for slope stability analysis taking the deformation-softening of soft sensitive clays into consideration. The model studies triggering agents and five phases in progressive slope failure are identified: (1) in-situ, (2) disturbance, (3) unstable ‘dynamic’, (4) transitory (or permanent) equilibrium, and (5) ‘global’ failure. The clay resistance in these phases may differ widely; mostly due to different rates of loading. Two time dependent failure criteria are defined: (i) the triggering load condition in the disturbance Phase (2), and (ii) the transitory equilibrium in Phase (4), indicating whether minor downhill displacements or a veritable landslide catastrophe will occur. The analysis explains why downhill landslides tend to spread over vast areas of almost horizontal ground further down-slope. The model has been applied to landslides in Scandinavia and Canada. Three case studies are briefly discussed. The model is a finite difference approach, where local downhill deformations caused by normal forces is maintained compatible with deviatory shear deformations above the potential (or the established) failure surface. Software and an easy-to-use spreadsheet are introduced as well as recent developments. See also Video Abstract. Validerad; 2016; Nivå 2; 2016-11-02 (andbra)

Estimation of runoff volume and sediment load is a problem that directly affects the performance of dams due to the reduction in the storage capacity of their reservoirs and their effect on dam efficiency and operation schedule. The simulation models can be considered for evaluation of sediment potential if the continuous field measurements are not available. Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) was applied to estimate the annual runoff volume and sediment load for Duhok Dam Reservoir in north of Duhok/Iraq for the period 1988-2011. The estimated annual runoff volume varied from 2.6 to 34.7MCM. Those values are af-fected by rainfall depth, intensity and runoff coefficient, while the annual runoff coefficient for the studied area ranged from 0.06 to 0.33 (average is 0.19) causing an average runoff volume of 14.3 MCM. The sediment routing indicated that the values of sediment yields varied from 50 to 1400 t/km2/year depending on sub basin properties. The average annual sediment load from the whole watershed was 124.6 *103 ton. The estimated total sediment arrived to Duhok Reservoir for the considered period 1988-2011 was about 2.99*106 ton.

Using empirical model is one of the approaches of evaluating sediment yield. This research is aimed at predicting erosion and sedimentation in Garmiyan area at Kurdistan Region, Iraq used EPM (erosion potential model) incorporating into GIS (geographic information system) software. This basin area is about 1,620 km2. It has a range of vegetation, slope, geological, soil texture and land use types. The spatial distribution of gully erosion shows three main zones in the studied area (slight to moderate gully, high gully and sever fluvial erosion). They form about 10%, 89% and 1% of gully erosion in the studied area respectively. The results of the EPM model show that the values of the coefficient of erosion Z are classified as moderate to high erosion intensity. They increase northward due to increasing of slope, elevation and rate of precipitation that generate Hortonian overland flow, which is due to high discharge and huge fluvial erosion power that cause ground surface erosion to produce large quantity of sediment. The results of GSP (spatial sediment rate) are increasing northward similar to Z due the same reasons, while the value of total sediment rate, shows different values for each watershed because they are mainly affected by the total watershed area. Validerad; 2016; Nivå 1; 20160329 (nadhir)

Solid waste management aspect is one of the most important challenges facing the local administration in the Governorate of Najaf. Therefore, this study aims to provide for solid waste management problem by choosing the best locations for the establishment of sanitary landfills in the governorate. In this study, GIS (geographic information system) and MCDA (multi-criteria decision analysis) were used based on 17 environmental, economic and geological criteria converted to input digital map layers. These were urban centres, cemetery, airports, electrical power lines, oil pipes, railways, roads, slope, historical sites, main rivers,industrial areas, religion sites, wells, military area, electrical power plants, nature reserves and national borders to select most importance sites in the governorate. AHP (analytic hierarchy process) method was used in weighting the criteria used. All layers’ maps were graded from 0 (not suitable) to 5 (most suitable) using spatial information scale then SAW (simple additive weighting)method was integrated in GIS used to calculate the suitability index for the studied area. The results indicated that 4.4% of the study region is suitable for land¿ll siting with grading values greater than 4.0. This included five sites distributed in three qadhaas of governorate. Validerad; 2016; Nivå 1; 20160707 (nadhir)

Settlement is an important criterion in the design of the foundations. It is classifying into immedi-ate (or elastic) settlement and consolidated settlement (primary and secondary). The factors that affect the shallow foundation settlement are the applied loads, soil stiffness, and geometric shape of foundation. Calculations of settlement depend on the parameters of soil which can be obtained from field and laboratory tests. Field and laboratory tests were conducted for twenty three sites in three different regions in Iraq (Mosul, Baghdad, and Basrah). In this research, field and laboratory tests results adopted for two sites from each region depended on the maximum and minimum bearing capacity values. Settlement for each site was calculated using numerical (mathematical) calculations and PLAXIS software under different added loads. The results of settlements beneath the foundation were competing for the sites with maximum value of bearing capacity in Mosul; Baghdad and Basrah. Also, the comparison conducted for sites of minimum bearing capacity value and the results showed different settlement values of each site. The change of settlement values under different loads was linearly in the six sites using numerical (mathematical) calculations. While, the settlement values obtained from PLAXIS software for sites with maximum bearing ca- pacity value showed that Mosul site had the highest value due to the type of soil layers and the dif- ference models of soil used in the software. Basrah site had a settlement value higher than Bagh- dad site due to the soil layers of sand type only. PLAXIS results for sites with minimum bearing capacity showed that for Basrah site the soil went to failure. While, the settlement values for Mosul and Baghdad sites were close to each other due to have nearly same soil layers. Therefore, high rise buildings could not be used in some sites. Also, soil in some locations and under some added loads needed to be improved before the implementation of any constructions. Validerad; 2016; Nivå 1; 20160512 (nadhir)

Tailings storage facilities (TSFs) will, after closure of the mine, have to be stable in a long-term perspective (e.g. 1,000 years or more). In many cases, due to the characteristics of the tailings, a high phreatic surface is required to keep the tailings saturated in order to prevent, or minimise, the process of oxidation. Due to this the slope stability of the embankment, or the land form slope, is critical as any material exposed to a hydraulic gradient is exposed to a load. So, the question is: Is the embankment, or landfill slope, that is exposed to a hydraulic gradient safe in the long term with respect to the actual design and material properties? In order to answer that question, an understanding of the structure, its stability and level of actual safety during operation is necessary. This paper will therefore discuss slope stability for embankments during operation and the long-term perspective and how the factor of safety (FS) can be verified. Practice today for dam stability is that a certain FS is required, i.e. a safety margin (in Sweden FS>1.5), and for that condition we design the embankment. The design includes the geometry of the structure, material properties, water management/water levels and requirements for compatibility between different materials, as well as for construction and operation. The FS can, however, not be physically measured on, or in, the actual embankment. What can be measured is seepage, pore pressure and movement (vertical and horizontal displacements). But how can the readings be used to verify the actual FS? In order to illustrate this, an example from a TSF in northern Sweden is presented where readings have been taken through numerical modelling (PLAXIS), comprehensive geotechnical investigations, lab testing and inclinometers. In order to predict how an embankment, or landform slope, will behave in the long-term phase and what the actual FS will be, the authors believe it is necessary to understand the behaviour of the structure during operation. The method used for the example illustrated in this paper shows a method to gain an understanding for a structure, which is absolutely crucial for understanding the actual FS and for the possibility to predict the level of safety in the long term.

Mosul Dam, located on the Tigris River north of Iraq, is experiencing sedimentation problems, especially near the Al-Jazeera pumping station that supplies the irrigation water for the Al-Jazeera project. The sources of the sediment accumulated within the reservoir are from the Tigris River, as well as ten side valleys on both sides of the reservoir. The sediment inflow rate into the reservoir and the released values are considered on the basis of the operation schedule of the dam for the considered period from 1986 to 2011. The sediment loads were estimated on the basis of available measurements and estimated literature values. The HEC-RAS 4.1 model was used for flows and sediments in the main river and reservoir. The model was calibrated for flow simulations (coefficient of determination r2 = 0.87) and sediment routing based on bed level, (with resultant r2 = 0.98 and Mean Absolute Deviation of 0.95). The Ackers–White equation was used in the HEC-RAS model for sediment routing because of the wide range of sediment sizes in the study case. The resultant total accumulated sediment load volume was 1.13 km3, a value that is very close to the measured values (1.143 km3) obtained from a previous bathymetric survey. Furthermore, the model indicated most of the sediment (80.7%) was deposited during the first five of the dam operation. Validerad; 2016; Nivå 1; 2016-10-17 (andbra)

To avoid groundwater from contamination, the groundwater vulnerability tool can be examined. In this study, two methods were applied, namely: DRASTIC (Groundwater depth, Net recharge, Aquifer media, Soil map, Topography, Impact of vadose zone and Hydraulic Conductivity) and COP (Concentration of flow, Overlying layer and Precipitation) to model groundwater vulnerability to pollution. The result illustrated that four vulnerability classes were recognized based on both models including very low, low, moderate and high vulnerability classes. The coverage areas of each class are (34%, 13%, 48% and 5%) by DRASTIC model and (1%, 37%, 2% and 60%) by COP model, respectively. The notable dissimilarity between these two models was recognized. For this reason, nitrate elements were selected as a pollution indicator to validate the result. The concentrations of nitrate were recorded in two following seasons in (30) watering wells; as a result, the substantial variation was noted. This indicates that contaminants can be easily reached the groundwater due to its suitability in geological and hydrogeological conditions in terms of contaminant transportation. Based on this confirmation, the standard DRASTIC method becomes more sensible than COP method. Validerad; 2016; Nivå 1; 2016-11-23 (andbra)

River Tigris is a major river in Iraq. Sediment at the bed of the river within a reach of about 18 km from the center of Baghdad upstream was investigated. Sixty five cross sections were surveyed, and 46 sediment samples were collected and analyzed. It was noticed that fine sand was dominant in the bed (90.74%). The average median size within the reach was 2.49 phi (0.177 mm), while the mean size was 2.58 phi (0.16 mm). In addition, the sediments were moderately sorted, fine skewed and leptokurtic. The size of the bed sediment decreased relative to previous investigations due to the construction of the Adhaim dam on tributary, which used to be the main sediment supplier to the Tigris River before entering Baghdad. Furthermore, the discharge of the Tigris River for the period 1983–2013 (715 m3/s) decreased by about 40% and 30%since 1983when compared with the periods 1931–1956 (1208 m3/s) and 1956–1980 (1015 m3/s), respectively, due to climate change and construction of dams upstream from Baghdad. This has decreased the capacity and the competence of the river. The bed elevation has increased compared to previous surveys. Itwas noticed that dredging operations and obstructions (e.g. fallen bridges and islands) have disturbed the flow of the river and sediment characteristics in several sites.

Iraq is one of the countries that is suffering from water shortage problems and, for this reason, wastewater treatment plantsbecome a necessity to minimize this problem. In this study, the impact of Al-Hilla WWTP (wastewater treatment plant) on theenvironment has been studied. This was achieved using SimaPro software package. This software is a powerful tool for analyzing theenvironmental impact on products during their whole life cycle. A huge amount of knowledge about the environment is built into theprogram and database, enabling to analyze a product with a minimum of specialized knowledge. The results of LCA (life cycleassessment) showed that the impact and damage on the environment by Al-Hilla WWTP was 41 bad points for each 1 m3 of treatedwastewater. The most environmental impacts potentially were global warming, respiratory inorganics and non-renewable energy. Thestudy also showed that most of the effects were the result of the use of cement, steel and electricity consumption Validerad; 2015; Nivå 1; 20150624 (nadhir)

In central part of Iraq within the vicinity of Karbala-Najaf, two cliffs called “Tar Al-Say’ed” and “Tar Al-Najaf” form conspicuous geomorphological forms between the Mesopotamia Plain and the Western and Southern Deserts. The top surface between the two cliffs (tars) is covered by alluvial fan sediments, laid down by Al-Khir Valley when merging in a large depression due to the drop in the gradient of the valley. Consequently, the depression was divided into two parts, to the left is called Al-Razzazah Depression, whereas to the right is called Bahir Al-Najaf. This affected the course of the River Euphrates. The deposition stopped due to an uplift movement which caused the elevation of the two cliffs which are covered by alluvial fansediments. The two cliffs had and are still suffering from retreating, due to lateral erosion by wave actions in Al-RazzazahDepression. Springs located along a straight line, sag pond, deflected drainage, shutter ridges and pressure ridges can be noticed in the area. The age of both cliffs is estimated to be upper Late Pleistocene—early Holocene. Validerad; 2015; Nivå 1; 20150505 (nadhir)

A concept for the disposal of highly radioactive waste at depth in the Earth’s crust using very deep bore-holes requires that the upper 2 km’s of the 800 mm diameter, steeply drilled holes, be effectively sealed. This can be achieved by using dense smectitic clay where the rock is weakly fractured and strengthening with concrete when fracture zones are encountered. Earlier investigations have shown that chemical reactions between the clay and concrete can be expected both in the upper part where the temperature is lower than 90oC and in the deeper section where the temperature reaches up to 150oC. To study further this interaction, hydrothermal experiments were conducted using mixed-layer (illite/smectite) Holmehus clay and a low pH slag-based concrete placed in contact under isothermal conditions at 21°C, 100oC and 150oC for a period of 8 weeks. The sample sets, which consisted of two clay discs separated by concrete cast on the lower clay disc, were extracted in undisturbed form and exposed to uniaxial pressure for measuring the compressive strength at successively increasing pressures. Compression tests underenhanced thermal conditions led to strengthening of both the clay and concrete. X-ray diffraction and electron microscopy analysis of the material revealed an increasing degree of cation exchange at higher temperatures with the cement, whereby Ca replaced Na in the interlayer sites of smectite layers. Dissolution of illite/smectite was also evident occurring at enhanced temperatures, with a decrease in K, Mg and Fe content with advanced alteration. The enhanced strength of clay can be partly attributed to the precipitation of cement phases from circulating fluids, including precipitation of gypsum. Validerad; 2015; Nivå 2; 20140905 (mohhat)

SimaPro is a software package designed to make a valuable contribution for analyzing the environmental impact on products during their whole life cycle. A huge amount of knowledge about the environment is built into the program and database, enabling to analyze a product with a minimum of specialized knowledge. In this study, SimaPro was used to analyze and evaluate the impacts that resulted from sewerage network in Al-Hilla city, Iraq. The results of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) showed that sewerage network had an impact and damage on the environment by 291 points for every cubic meter of collect wastewater. The most potential environmental impacts were global warming, respiratory inorganics and non-renewable energy, contributing to the sewerage network. The study also showed that most of the effects were as a result of energy consumption in the pumping of wastewater, pipes used and diesel using for network operation. Validerad; 2015; Nivå 1; 20150516 (nadhir)

Qash Qooly valley runs parallel to Pera Magroon, Sara and Surdash anticlines, almost in SE-NW trend, and merges with the Lesser Zab River 9 km southeast to Dokan town. Before its development, it was a large basin with width ranges between 2~3 km, which was filled during Pleistocene or may be Late Pliocene by different types of sediments. The presence of the calcrete on the top indicates a wet period that has lasted for a long time as indicated from the thickness of the calcrete and alluvial fan sediments. The age of Qash Qooly valley was estimated using the exposure age determination method. The type of the sediments, their thicknesses, and erosion intensity and sediments' dens dissection by rills were the main features used. This study concluded that the age of the basin is Pliocene—Late Pleistocene, whereas the valley started to be developed during uppermost Late Pleistocene and is still active in shifting its course.

Ore microscopy study for some samples from Mawat complex NE Iraq (part of Zagros Suture Zone) showed the presence of copper ore minerals was irregularly distributed, mainly throughout the basic rocks of Mawat Ophiolite Complex. The main sulfides minerals identified were: chalcopyrite, pyrite, bornite, chalcocite and covellite. Iron hydroxides/oxides including goethite and magnetite were also observed associated with sulfide ore. Chalcopyrite and pyrite were the main primary minerals from which other ores were formed. They were originated at the orthomagmatic stage, and also deposited from aqueous solution of final stage in the consolidation of a magma forming vein textures which was observed in many samples. Two types of pyrite generations were recognized. They were pre-tectonic pyrite and post-tectonic pyrite. The secondary recognized ore textures were rim, pseudo morph, zoning, relicts, atoll and vein replacement textures. Secondary textures resulting from exsolution were also presented. Three stages of mineralization could be concluded: orthomagmatic stage (Earliest), the hydrothermal activations stage (Hypogene) and the weathering stage (Supergene). Paragenaticaly, the primary copper sulfides including chalcopyrite and bornite were responsible for other copper ores formation. These minerals were observed disseminated throughout the host mafic rocks which were considered as endogenic deposits (magmatic and hypogene origin) and they were modified as small patches of chalcocite and covellite. Validerad; 2015; Nivå 1; 20151030 (nadhir)

Babylon Governorate covers an area of 5315 km2 with a population that reaches about 1,974,490 inhabitants in the central part of Iraq. Iraq produced 31,000 tons/day solid waste in 2013. The Governorate of Babylon produces annual 483,221 tons of solid waste. Management of collection and disposal of waste in Babylon Governorate is done through open dumping of waste and poor collection process. These sites do not conform to the scientific and environmental criteria applied in the selection of landfill sites. To find out how much solid waste is expected in the future, two methods were used to calculate the population growth in Babylon Governorate to the year 2030. The results showed that the total waste in 2030 will be 761,104 tons and 943055 tons while the cumulated quantity of solid waste expected till 2030 was 12,494,521 tons and 14,095,437 tons according to the first and second methods respectively. Validerad; 2015; Nivå 1; 20150717 (nadhir)

Groundwater is the most important source of water in the Halabja-Saidsadiq Basin. In this study, to generate a map of groundwater pollution vulnerability of the basin, the standard DRASTIC method has been applied. Due to the close relation between lineament density and groundwater flow and yield, the lineament density map was applied to the standard DRASTIC model in order to ensure accuracy towards the consideration of the effects of potential vulnerability to contamination. A lineament map is extracted from Enhanced Thematic Mapper plus (ETM+) satellite imagery using different techniques in remote sensing and GIS. The lineament density map illustrates that only six classes of lineament density can be identified ranged from (0 - 2.4). The lineament density map was rated and weighted and then converted to lineament index map. This index map is an additional parameter which was added to the standard DRASTIC model so as to map the modified DRASTIC vulnerability in HSB. The standard vulnerability map, classified the basin into four vulnerability index zones: very low (34%), low (13%), moderate (48%) and high (5%). While the modified model classified the area into four categories as well: very low (28.75%), low (14.31%), moderate (46.91%) and high (10.04%). The results demonstrate that there is no significant variation in the rate of vulnerability. Therefore, the nitrate concentration between two different seasons (dry and wet) was analyzed from (30) water wells, considerable variations in nitrate concentration from dry to wet seasons had been noted. Consequently, it confirmed that the HSB are capable to receive the contaminant because of suitability in terms of geological and hydrogeological conditions. Based on this verification, it could be claimed that the effect of lineament density is weak on the vulnerability system in HSB, because of its low density value. Validerad; 2015; Nivå 1; 20151030 (nadhir)

Sustainable design, green architecture and sustainable construction are new methods for design and construction that are employed for environmental and economic challenges. Clay and bricks proved as sustainable building materials. In this paper, crush brick in the concrete mixture instead of normal coarse aggregate will be used. STAAD Prov8i software was applied for the designed of a hypothetical building in different sites of the three locations in Iraq (Mosul at the north, Baghdad at the center and Basrah at the south). The input model data used in the software were depending on the field and laboratory tests done for twenty three sites in the three locations of Iraq. Concrete properties values were used in the software for concrete mixture with crushed bricks. The results values of base pressure obtained from the software were low for the three locations. The maximum values of base pressure under the foundation for both the average and the minimum bearing capacity values for Mosul region for the normal strength concrete and air-entrained were (94, 84) kPa and (91, 82) kPa respectively, for Baghdad region were (89, 82) kPa and (86, 81) kPa respectively. Finally, for Basrah, the results for the base pressure were (84, 77) kPa and (82, 76) kPa, respectively. The results values of the base pressure were less for all locations compared with the base pressure values obtained from a previous work for the same locations. The use of crushed brick as aggregate in the concrete mixture is economical due to its availability as local material and it is durable materials with low weight. Validerad; 2015; Nivå 1; 20151030 (nadhir)

Foundation design must satisfy limited values of settlement. Settlement is an essential criterion in the design process of shallow foundations. To calculate the settlement under different types of shallow foundations, 79 samples were taken from twenty-three sites distributed in three regions:Mosul, Baghdad and Basrah in the northern, central and southern parts of Iraq. Field and laboratory tests were performed to obtain the strength parameters to calculate the bearing capacity. The results obtained for the bearing capacity were used in SAFE software. The software was used to design and analyze the foundation and to calculate the settlements under two types of foundations (raft and continuous) for the three regions. Average and minimum values of bearing capacity wereused. The software used subgrade reaction modules values for the design and analysis. According to the results, the suitable, safe and economical type of foundation to be used in Mosul, Baghdad and Basrah regions for the average value of bearing capacity is the continuous type for the first two regions while the raft type is recommended for Basrah region. In case that the minimumbearing capacity values are used, raft foundation is recommended for Mosul and Baghdad. While deep foundation is the suitable type of foundation for Basrah region. Validerad; 2015; Nivå 1; 20150714 (nadhir)

The stress conditions in the host rock of HLW repositories, altered by construction and heat generated by the waste can cause large changes in groundwater flow, and failure of the repository. These shortcomings reduce the barrier role of the rock and the required effective isolation of HLW has to be provided by engineered barriers of which clay-embedded metal canisters are most important. The paper describes the performance of the nearfield rock of HLW packages according to two types of repositories: very long subhorizontal holes with large diameter (1.9 m) bored or blasted at 400-600 m depth, and bored 4 km deep holes with clay/concrete seals in the upper 2 km parts and HLW packages separated by clay/concrete seals in the lower 2 km parts. The most important difference between the two concepts is the much higher groundwater transmissivity of the rock in the shallow repository. A common feature is the need for rock support by filling the space between waste containers and rock with clay mud after installing the containers in shallow repositories, and by keeping the holes in deep repositories filled with clay mud from the start of boring the holes and throughout the installation of clay/concrete seals. Focus is on the role of rock discontinuities on the hydraulic and mechanical performances of the repository host rock at construction and under seismic and tectonic impact. Comparison of the two concepts shows that the one implying deep-disposal is superior but requires preparative steps in the waste placement phase. Validerad; 2015; Nivå 1; 20150720 (tinyan); Konferensartikel i tidskrift