A master’s thesis at the University of Basrah explores numerical modeling for soil improvement of the submerged Khor Al-Zubair Tunnel

A master’s thesis at the University of Basrah explores numerical modeling for soil improvement of the submerged Khor Al-Zubair Tunnel

A master’s thesis at the College of Engineering, University of Basrah, investigated the numerical modeling for soil improvement of the submerged Khor Al-Zubair Tunnel.

The thesis, submitted by student Ahmed Dawood Aziz, aims to apply numerical analysis to evaluate the performance of soil improvement techniques in the immersed tunnel project in the Khor Al-Zubair area, which serves as a strategic transport corridor connecting Al-Faw Grand Port with Umm Qasr Port in southern Iraq.

The thesis consisted of four chapters, in which the student examined the selection of the Deep Soil Mixing (DSM) method as the main approach to stabilize and enhance the properties of the foundation soil beneath the tunnel’s approach sections. Using three-dimensional finite element analysis (PLAXIS 3D), an extensive parametric study was conducted to evaluate the influence of key variables such as DSM column diameter, length, configuration, and Replacement Area Ratio on vertical settlement and stress distribution.

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