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Geotechnical design parameter evaluation using the alluvial plain characteristics in southeastern Iraq

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Abstract

Geotechnical construction is responsible for the overall stability of superstructures, and if there are design errors, the structure will be exposed to potential problems. Geotechnical design starts with the correct interpretation of the target ground. Southeastern Iraq is mainly comprised of an alluvial plain with diverse geological features, and, therefore, geotechnical design requires a detailed interpretation and understanding of the area. This paper reports on laboratory and field tests and in-depth analyses conducted on these alluvial plains. The results reveal that the upper layer of this area is highly over-consolidated. This may have been caused by the removal of overburden pressure as a result of glaciation and desiccation. The highly over-consolidated soils caused considerable sample disturbance by swelling the bored sample; this provided less reliable results. However, the cone penetration test was regarded as the most appropriate field assessment method for deriving sensible geotechnical design parameters. Despite its limitations in clayey soils, the standard penetration test provided results that matched well with previous observations due to the high penetration resistance of the highly over-consolidated ground. Down-hole tests and plate load tests were considered less reliable methods due to their limited applicability in this area. This study considers geographical features, laboratory methods, and empirical correlations from in situ tests, and, therefore, provides a well-summarized guideline to evaluate special geotechnical characteristics of the alluvial plain in southeastern Iraq.

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported by a grant (18AWMP-B114119-03) from Water management research Program funded by Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) of the Republic of Korea and a grant (18SCIP-B105148-04) from the Construction Technology Research Program funded by the MOLIT of the Republic of Korea.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695-7908, USA

    Jinung Do

  2. Department of Civil Infrastructure Engineering, Inha University, Incheon, 22212, Republic of Korea

    Ong Heo & Yeo-Won Yoon

  3. School of Engineering and Information Technology (SEIT), University of New South Wales (UNSW), Canberra, ACT, 2600, Australia

    Ilhan Chang

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  1. Jinung Do
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  2. Ong Heo
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  3. Yeo-Won Yoon
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  4. Ilhan Chang
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Correspondence to Ilhan Chang.

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Brief: Geotechnical site characterization for Southeastern Iraq

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Do, J., Heo, O., Yoon, YW. et al. Geotechnical design parameter evaluation using the alluvial plain characteristics in southeastern Iraq. Arab J Geosci 11, 647 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-018-4019-z

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