Samarra University Holds Local Symposium on Modern Methods for Treating Collapsible Soil
A scientific symposium on “Modern Methods for Treating Collapsible Soil” was held at the University of Samarra.
It was organized by the College of Engineering at the university, in cooperation with the Geotechnical Scientific Society, the Construction and Projects Department at the University of Baghdad, and the Holy Military Shrine in Samarra, on the morning of Thursday, December 4, 2025.
The symposium aimed to introduce the nature and problems of collapsible soil in the city of Samarra, clarify the nature of the materials used to eliminate its problems and increase its high bearing capacity, and also introduce the international and local communities to the Islamic landmarks of Samarra, which were built on collapsible soils, in order to identify the geotechnical problems they face.
The symposium was divided into two main themes:
The first theme focused on presenting studies on soil improvement using biologically induced carbonate precipitation (MICP) and (EICP), and the use of biogenic materials in an innovative way to treat collapsible soil in geotechnical applications.
The second theme included the geotechnical challenges of unsaturated collapsible soils, as well as the reuse of face masks (medical masks) to improve the mechanical properties of gypsiferous soil as an innovative solution to the emerging waste problem, and improving the mechanical and chemical properties of soil using additives (RHA, FA, GGBS) with different mixing methods.
It is worth mentioning that the symposium was attended by the Vice Rector of the University for Scientific Affairs, alongside the Dean of the College of Engineering, in addition to the participation of many engineering specialists from various Iraqi universities.
