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This work aims at studying the pore water pressure development within a thin clay core in an earth dam. The study consists of two parts; a parametric study for general thin clay core (with and without chimney drains), followed by a case study of BADUSH dam. Different operation levels and storage times with the possibility for rapid rise in water level are considered for the case study. Finally the effect of an earthquake on pore water pressure in this types of a dam was also studied as a case study. Two dimensional finite element analysis was used to simulate pore water pressure development by GEO-SLOP software taking into consideration saturated /unsaturated conditions. Results showed that the presence of a chimney drain plays an effective role in dissipation of the pore water pressure. In the case of BADUSH dam, a high pore water pressure development was observed, in 8 days as a consequence of a rapid rise of water level, and it must be taken into account when designing dams. Also results show that the pore water pressure in the range of (175-145 kPa) through the typical section and approximately between (25-50 kPa) for the two other sections at the end of construction time, making the height and construction time of the dam are the most effective factors affecting pore water pressure development.

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Soil reinforcement is one of the important techniques in geotechnical engineering, which is used to enhanced the engineering properties of soil. Soil reinforcement means, addition of natural or synthetic fibers to soil which act as tension members and sharing together with soil to sustain the applied loads. In soil reinforcement technique different types of fibers having different shapes can be used. The fibers used in soil can be having a shape like staples, chips, yarns, crumbs, bristles/hairs and other shapes. In the present time the using of fibers (especially natural fibers) in the earth construction works represent one of the costeffective and environmentally friendly ground improvement techniques. The main objective of this paper, is to review the definition, mechanism, and application of using fibers in soil reinforcement through different scientific papers published in this subject. Further, the advantages and executive problems related to using fibers in soil reinforcement were discussed.

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