Soil is a material most used in the field of civil engineering. High-plasticity clay (CH) in some parts of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, as well as globally, causes noticeable damage to buildings and roads during seasonal changes. In some circumstances, construction on CH cannot be avoided; therefore, soil stabilization is crucial. In this study, waste glasses are collected then crushed and sieved via sieve number 200 (0.075 mm), and the glass powder is mixed with the expansive soil in different percentages: 6%, 12%, 18%, 27%, and 36% of the dry weight of soil. Atterberg limits, standard compaction, unconfined compressive strength, consolidation, and swelling tests are conducted for the soil samples with and without glass powder. According to the test results, the Atterberg limits, maximum dry density, optimum moisture content, unconfined compressive strength, consolidation, and swelling characteristics are improved by adding glass powder as a stabilizer.

The accurate prediction of strength and deformability characteristics of a rock mass is very challenging. In practice, properties of a rock mass are often estimated from available empirical relationships based on the uniaxial compressive strength (UCS). However, UCS does not always give a good indication of in-situ rock mass strength and deformability. The aim of this paper is to present a methodology to predict the strength and deformability of a jointed rock mass using UDEC (universal distinct element code). In the study, the rock mass is modelled as an assemblage of deformable blocks that can yield as an intact material and/or slide along pre-defined joints within the rock mass. A range of numerical simulations of UCS and triaxial tests were conducted on rock mass samples in order to predict the equivalent mechanical properties for the rock mass under different loading directions. Results are compared against the deformability parameters obtained by analytical methods