The college of science at the University of Basrah organized a seminar on improving the geotechnical properties of soils selected from areas in Basra governorate using construction waste. The seminar aimed at improving the geotechnical properties of soils, ridding the environment of industrial waste and reducing economic costs by increasing the age of buildings and structures. The seminar, which was attended by graduate student (Aqil Abdul Amir Mohammed), included the use of brick dust and ceramic dust to enhance the geotechnical properties of the soil and the disposal of industrial waste, where three local samples of high-plasticity clay soil were collected from a village in the northeast of Basra governorate in southern Iraq and the effect of adding brick dust and ceramic dust after preparation was examined where it passed through a 40 mm sieve. Different proportions of ceramic dust (5% and 10%) and brick dust (10%, 20% and 30%) were used, which resulted in a reduced plasticity limit, fluidity limit, plasticity index and optimal moisture content of clay soils with increased non-confined compressive strength, California tolerance ratio and maximum dry density. This suggests that stable soil after adding a certain percentage of brick dust and ceramic dust is suitable for Highway foundations, which reduces the thickness of the design and is more economical.
