The building sector is under increasing pressure to lower its environmental impact, prompting renewed interest in raw soil as a low-carbon and locally available material. This study investigates the mechanical and thermal properties of clay-based masonry walls through a comprehensive experimental program on earthen mortars, bricks, and their interfaces, considering both stabilized and non-stabilized formulations. Compressive, bending, and shear tests reveal that strength is strongly influenced by mortar composition, hydration time, and the soil-to-sand ratio. The addition of 5–7.5% cement yields modest gains in compressive strength but increases the carbon footprint, whereas extended pre-hydration achieves similar improvements with lower environmental costs. Thermal characterization of the studied samples (SiO₂ ≈ 61.2 wt%, Al₂O₃ ≈ 11.7 wt%, MgO ≈ 5.1 wt%) revealed that SiO₂-enriched compositions significantly enhance thermal conductivity, whereas the presence of Al₂O₃ and MgO contributes to increased heat capacity and improved moisture regulation. These findings suggest that well-optimized clay-based mortars can satisfy the structural and thermal requirements of non-load-bearing applications, offering a practical and sustainable alternative to conventional construction materials. By reducing embodied carbon, enhancing hygrothermal comfort, and relying on locally available resources, such mortars contribute to the advancement of green building practices and the transition towards low-carbon construction.

In order to increase the strength and deformation capacity of flat slabs, punching shear reinforcement is used as an effective solution. Several types of punching shear reinforcing systems have been developed in the past. This work aims to analyze the behavior of unbonded post-tensioned slab subjected to punching load provided with “Inverted-U Shaped Reinforcement”. By using a finite element software, the results were compared with that obtained from an experimental investigation previously done. The experimental results were also compared according to ACI provisions for punching shear strength. Good correlation was done between what was tested and the numerical results.

Lebanon's natural water resources are facing serious problems related to quality and quantity. Unregulated resource planning and rising demand are the main factors. Water resources are used in several ways. However, due to the over-exploitation, and random use of surface water resources, Lebanon is facing severe problems related to water need and accessibility. This study focused on the Ras El-Ain area located in the South of Lebanon that dedicated, along with other reservoirs, to supply potable water for Tyr and the surrounding villages. Nowadays, the water of these natural ponds has been polluted significantly due to unrestricted liquid and solid waste disposal. Physicochemical and microbiological water characteristics, following the LIBNOR guidelines, of four selected samples from each natural pond were tested. In addition, another sample was taken from a water reservoir that collects water from these natural ponds. The obtained results were used to evaluate the extent of pollution in these natural ponds using PhreeQC software. The novelty of this study stems from the fact that it is the first to shed light on the degree of pollution level in the Ras El-Ain ponds, Lebanon (an unstudied area).

Qaraoun Lake, the largest artificial lake in Lebanon, suffered severe environmental issues due to discharging untreated domestic and industrial wastewater into it, throwing garbage, which transformed this lake into waste storage instead of using the water for agricultural purposes and making the surrounding places attractive for tourists as was before. Moreover, the violations on Litany River, Lebanon's main artery, also affected Qaraoun Lake. Therefore, this main reservoir suffers from annual blooms of potentially toxic cyanobacteria. Recently, tons of fish are washed up at the surface of the water, agricultural areas are irrigated with polluted water and the Qaraoun Lake is no longer an attractive touristic place. Besides, the climate change represented in lower precipitation and higher evaporation rates in the past few years in addition to the increase in the water demand due to the growth in the local population and the refugees from nearby countries have affected the vulnerability of the water sector in Lebanon. All these issues have resulted in the deterioration of the water quality, generating environmental issues, and seriously affecting the ecosystem. The purpose of this research is to investigate possible remediation strategies, which could help in the restoration of the Qaraoun reservoir. For this purpose, the Litani River water quality and hydrological data are collected from the Litani River Authority (LRA). Moreover, a hydrodynamic water quality model has been developed using Mike21 in order to restore the lake's aquatic life by eliminating the Litani River nutrients through constructed wetland concept, which reasonably simulated the water quality parameters of Qaraoun Lake. Consequently, the wetland could remarkably reduce the Litani River pollutants by 85%, 43.7%, 57%, and 56% for BOD, Phosphorous, Nitrate, and Ammonia, respectively. The resulted treated water, after passing the wetland, successfully improved the lake water quality and may lead to re-originate its ecosystem.

Steel and concrete are the most essential and frequently encountered building materials. These materials are used in combined structural systems, such as concrete cores surrounded by steel pipes, as well as composite structures with steel and concrete components. In numerous countries, the combination of concrete cores, steel frames, and composite slab construction has become the typical construction approach for multistory commercial buildings. The shear stud connector is one of the elements used in the construction of composite sections. The use of inverted-U-shaped reinforcement experimentally and numerically significantly improves punching shear resistance for post-tensioned slabs compared with slabs that use stud connectors. Other experimental and numerical studies using inverted-U-shaped reinforcement in post-tensioned beams indicate an enhancement in their shear strength. Recently, an experimental investigation was performed on composite beams to inspect the effect of mild and rigid shear stud connectors. The experimental and numerical results for the composite beams showed good correlation. The goal of this study was to numerically model the capacity and deformation of composite beams with inverted-U-shaped connectors of varying configuration and mechanical properties and compare the beam performance with composite beams using shear stud connectors.