Geotechnical Maps of West and Pump Canals and their Branches of the Southern Jazirah Irrigation Project – NW Iraq

Abstract

The main object of this work is to establish some of geotechnical maps of western canal, the pumping canal and their branches in the Southern Jazirah Irrigation project NW Iraq. Data have been collected, with different depths, from the drilled 218 boreholes. The data divided into three zones depending on the depth of each zone 5 meters, the first one is 0-5 m., the second is 5-10m. and the third is 10-15m. The mean values of engineering properties, represented by Atterberg limit (Liquid limit, Plastic limit And Plasticity index) and bulk density have been adopted as basis to prepare these maps.. The purpose of this division is to ensure information about these properties especially, for construction and agriculture purposes in order to helps designer in distribution of small and large constructions all over the project. The results show that the mean value of plasticity index reached 25 which is vital in ensuring non disturbance in soil while packing. The soil is characterized with swelling and shrinkage potential by having liquid limit rang between (40-50) and plastic limit between (30-20). Liquid limit and plasticity index have been used in soil classification of each zone. To illustrate the distribution of these properties SURFER program has been utilized. The engineering –geological maps show that the distribution of most engineering properties tends to improve towards west and south west of the project, except that the medium bulk density in site of pump stations which are deemed the best density for establishing such stations .Whereas the values of the bulk density were between low to very low in the whole project, whereof such bulk are useful in agricultural purposes because of the tendency of its water absorption and the reduction in surface runoff.