Iraqi Journal of Civil Engineering

Ferrocement is a type of concrete made from mortar combined with different wire meshes. It has a wide range of applications due to its strength and durability. This research aims to integrate ferrocement with sustainability, as the consumption of plastics, particularly plastic bottles, has increased over time, leading to serious negative effects when these materials are buried, burned, or chemically processed. Therefore, this study seeks to utilize plastic waste by incorporating plastic waste fibers into the concrete mixture, replacing a portion of the concrete mix volume at rates of 0.5% and 1% by volume.
The research examined the mechanical properties of nine samples of ferrocement beams with dimensions of 1200 × 200 × 150 mm³. A longitudinal hole with a diameter of 50 mm was drilled at various locations in the beams and filled with lightweight concrete to allow for service passes when drilled. The study included an analysis of the initial cracking loads, the resulting deflection, and the failure modes associated with the maximum load.
The results showed an improvement in load resistance along with enhanced deflection performance at maximum load, as well as increases in the toughness and stiffness of the ferrocement beams

Composite beams, made up of a concrete slab and steel in the IPE steel section, are commonly used in bridges and buildings. Their main function is to enhance structural efficiency by merging the compressive strength of concrete with the tensile resistance of steel, thereby improving overall stiffness, ductility, and load-bearing capacity. This study offers an extensive review of the flexural behavior of steel-concrete composite beams, focusing on the interplay of concrete strength, shear connector types, and interaction levels in determining structural performance. It integrates experimental and numerical research to analyze critical parameters, including load-deflection behavior, shear transfer efficiency, and crack propagation at the steel-concrete interface. The study emphasizes the effect of concrete compressive strength, particularly in ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) and lightweight concrete, on stiffness, ductility, and load-bearing capacity while reducing self-weight and enhancing sustainability. The study revealed that fully bonded shear connectors, using CFRP sheets and welded plates, enhance flexural capacity and stiffness. In contrast, partial bonding or pre-debonding reduces performance due to crack propagation. Indented and hot-rolled U-section connectors enhance interaction and minimize slip, while uniform distribution of shear connectors optimizes load capacity and stiffness. Lightweight concrete decreases slab weight without compromising performance, and high-performance materials such as ECC, SFRC, and UHPFRC improve strength and ductility. Numerical modeling, particularly finite element methods, and higher-order beam theories validate experimental results, providing accurate tools for predicting structural behavior under various loading and environmental conditions.

Land cover assessment is a significant research area in GIS and remote sensing, aiding decision-makers in understanding the underlying forces of land use changes and enabling effective actions. In general, Iraqi cities are experiencing severe degradation of agricultural lands due to population growth and residential development, which impacts both socio-economic conditions and environmental quality. Additionally, the driving forces behind the transformation of agricultural lands to other land cover types are not well understood. Therefore, research is needed to map and assess agricultural lands for better economic and environmental solutions.
This study employs ANN-CA integration to predict agricultural land changes in Babil province, central Iraq. The CNN model achieved the highest accuracy, with a total land cover transformation of 2,143.1 square kilometers between 2000 and 2020. The overall accuracy was 0.95, 0.93, and 0.90 based on images captured in 2020, 2010, and 2000, respectively. This methodology is considered an efficient tool for monitoring agricultural lands and developing sustainable development plans in Iraq.

Foamed concrete (FC) is a type of lightweight concrete characterized by a high void space ratio and cementitious binders. In this research, the fresh and mechanical properties of fiber-reinforced modified foamed concrete (made with fly ash, silica fume, and superplasticizer) with a density of 1300 kg/m³ were studied. Carbon fibers of different lengths (12 mm, 20 mm, and 28 mm) were introduced in two ways: as single fibers (12 mm) and as hybrid fibers combining lengths of 20 mm and 28 mm.
The results showed that the compressive and split tensile strengths increased by approximately 43% compared to the control mix (modified with additives) when using a single fiber of 12 mm at a volume proportion of 0.4%. In contrast, using hybrid fibers resulted in increases of about 65% and 66% in compressive and split tensile strengths, respectively. When compared to the single fiber method, the hybrid approach improved compressive and split tensile strengths by about 15% and 16%, respectively

This study investigates the seismic performance of a nine-storey reinforced concrete building located in Seismic Zone 3, focusing on the effectiveness of viscous dampers in enhancing structural resilience. With increasing seismic risks, the integration of damping systems has become critical for mitigating vibrations and improving building safety.
The research evaluates four configurations: a fixed-base building with no dampers, buildings with corner dampers featuring uniform and varying force capacities, and a building with middle dampers. The Equivalent Static Load (ESL) and Response Spectrum study (RSA) methods are used in the ETABS 2021 research to look at important factors such the natural period, storey stiffness, storey drift, storey displacement, and overturning moments. These steps are based on the UBC 97 criteria.
The results show that viscous dampers do assist structures stay standing during earthquakes. Buildings with corner dampers that could handle different amounts of stress had a natural period that was 37.5% shorter. This means that they were stiffer and could respond to seismic shocks faster. The storey\'s stiffness went down by 16.7%, and the periods of overturning went down by 5.7%. This shows that the dampers did a great job of getting rid of energy. Also, the maximum storey displacement and drift were 41.6% and 48.14% lower than in the fixed-base model, respectively.
These figures show how important it is to put dampers in the right places, especially at corners where the force capacity changes, to make buildings more resistant to earthquakes. The study\'s conclusion is that viscous dampers make multi-story structures in moderate seismic zones much safer by making them less likely to break and improving how effectively they perform. This study gives engineers and designers important information that makes them desire to use current dampening technologies in tall buildings to make them safer during earthquakes.

This research investigates air quality and environmental conditions at COMSATS University Islamabad Abbottabad Campus and Missile Chock using IoT-based sensors. Sensors were deployed at both sites to monitor PM 2.5 levels, AQI, temperature, humidity, and gas concentrations. Data was collected over specific intervals and analyzed to identify trends and differences. The methodology involved using IoT-based sensors to capture real-time data on environmental parameters and air quality indicators at both locations, i.e., COMSATS University and Missile Chowk. At COMSATS University, PM 2.5 levels consistently fell within the "Good" category, with readings ranging from 11 to 35 µg/m³. AQI values improved over time, dropping from 91 to 2, indicating effective air quality management. Temperature and humidity remained stable, ranging from 19°C to 21.4°C and 57% to 63%, respectively. The MQ-2 sensor said that the gas levels were between 2550 and 3776 parts per million. On the other hand, Missile Chock had higher PM 2.5 levels, which varied from "Moderate" to "Poor," with values between 11 and 139 µg/m³. Initially, the AQI measurements revealed "Moderate" pollution, but with time, they became better and reached "Good." The humidity was between 18% and 20%, while the temperature was between 30°C and 31.5°C. The MQ-2 sensor results showed that the gas levels were generally high, between 3887 and 4159 ppm. The survey shows that major cities like Missile Chock have greater pollution because of people and automobiles. On the other hand, green locations like COMSATS University have cleaner air. We need to always be aware of air pollution and do something about it so that the air quality in cities improves and the health hazards that come with it decrease.

Geopolymer concrete is a material manufactured by polymerizing sources of aluminates and silicates like fly ash, metakaolin, slag, zeolite, etc. with an alkaline solution. A study has been undertaken to produce lightweight geopolymer concrete by using waste zeolite particles (zeolite molecular sieve) as aluminates and silicates source and at the same time as lightweight medium. In addition, others three geopolymer lightweight concrete mixes were produced by partially replacing the waste zeolite particles (25% of volume) with sources materials (fly ash type F, fly ash type C and waste zeolite powder. Moreover, the impact of this partially replacement on dry density, compressive strength and permeation characteristics of produced geopolymer lightweight mixes was studied. An alkaline solution of sodium silicate and sodium hydroxide was used in all the investigated mixes as an activator. From the findings, a geopolymer lightweight mix suitable for insulation purposes (density of 1610 kg/m3 and 28 days compressive strength of 5.1 MPa) was successfully produced using waste zeolite molecular sieve. It was found also that the lightweight zeolite particles were uniformly distributed through the produced mixes. Finally, it was found that replacement of 25% of volume of zeolite particles by fly ash (type C) helped in not only enhancing the compressive strength by about 13% but also reducing the water absorption by about 33%.

The purpose of this research is to produce a modified SCC that involves the
incorporation of expanded polystyrene (EPS) and waste of plastic type
(PET). The goal is to minimize the weight of the material while
simultaneously improving its brittleness and reducing the environmental
impact. The study focuses on two methods for reducing the weight of
structural elements by using EPS beads, which create voids through
concrete, and the second method is making a hollow through the element.
This study included designing and investigating four concrete beams
under concentrated static load. The parameters were hollow position and
material types. The results showed that the offsetting hollow from the
center of the beam enhanced the ductility index by 10% and increased the
load capacity by 10%. Adding EPS beads reduce the concrete density by
11.5% and load capacity by 22%. Toughness was improved by using
plastic fiber due to the mechanism of crack bridging. The crack pattern had
been changed due to the utilization of waste material, and enhancement
was observed through experimental tests by making smooth cracks and
changing the probability of sudden failure when using GFRP rebars. It was
found that the optimal quantity of EPS was 2 kg to produce SCC in
accordance with code requirements. No debonding or slip was observed
during monitoring, as evidenced by the absence of spalling or cracking
around the reinforcement