Abdullah Ekinci

Middle East Technical University, Northern Cyprus Campus · Civil Engineering

The engineering community realizes that it is incumbent to identify an alternative soil disposal or reuse solution owing to the financial and environmental problems associated with current techniques. To identify such an alternative, this study examines the strength and microstructural properties of marine clay-cemented mixes, using two extreme pre...

Marine clay is commonly found worldwide and is challenging to work with in the geotechnical and geoenvironmental perspective. This is due to its diverse characteristics, such as high compressibility and sensitivity. Hence, there is a need to seek effective treatment solutions that are less environmentally harmful than the traditional methods. Thus,...

This study investigated utilizing waste tire powder as a cement replacement material in soil-cement blends. It also proposed improving cemented clays' strength and stiffness characteristics to decrease environmental impacts due to cement production and waste tire dumping. A light compaction method has been utilized to produce the samples of two den...

This study investigated the effect of fibre reinforcement on the large strain behaviour of compacted clay samples tested using large triaxial test equipment. A novel specimen preparation method was proposed where peds of clay are compacted to closely simulate the in-situ compaction. A large number of 100 × 200 mm triaxial tests and one-dimensional...

Recently, several studies introduced alternative binders or waste-based geomaterials that can be incorporated into the soil to enhance a parent soil's strength, durability, and stiffness. However, some calcium-based residue still needs to be studied for ground improvement applications. Thus, this paper introduces lime production waste and glass pow...

The growing number of end-of-life (EoL) photovoltaic (PV) panels as waste materials is forcing many countries to face the challenge of addressing this issue. The presented research explores the utilization of a by-product of this waste material, namely glass powder, with gypsum in geotechnical engineering to improve clay-soil properties. The approa...

Each year, an enormous number of tires approach the end of their useful lives, posing threats to human health and the environment. On the other hand, cement is frequently used to treat soils in geotechnical applications, while its production causes a significant environmental impact. Thus, this study provides a disposal alternative by investigating...

The use of shaking table tests to investigate the dynamic behavior of soil-structure interaction dates back several decades. In this study the response of a laboratory scale mat foundation constructed on well-graded fine sand under cyclic loading conditions was examined. The study also sought to evaluate the impact of geotextile reinforcement on th...

This study explores whether the polyethylene terephthalate bottle shreds (PETBS), could be a viable alternative additive in order to reduce the usage of traditional cement in geotechnical and transportation projects. Through a comprehensive study, clayey soil was stabilized with varying quantities (0.1–1% of solid mass) of PETBS of two different si...

In recent years, the number of monitoring techniques developed for management of natural and engineered ground systems such as slopes, embankments, and retaining walls has significantly in-creased. The current study examines a slope stability problem near Kyrenia Castle, a 7th century castle located in Northern Cyprus. The landslide and accompanyin...

Clayey soils are always associated with undesirable mechanical properties that limit their direct use as foundation materials without a particular treatment process. Many methods have been developed to improve the mechanical characteristics of the problematic clay soil. Using different types of fibre in ground improvement has generally approved a s...

Environmental measures show that the effect of global temperature rise goes beyond the natural cycle of the Earth's environmental system, which affects the social, economical, and health conditions of humanity. In this respect, initially, the UN's sustainable development goals were adopted where, more recently, a UN net-zero coalition was formed to...

The initial weight and volume relationships play a crucial role in determining the strength of cement-stabilized soils. Since 2007, the porosity/binder ratio has been widely utilized as a control index for stabilized soil mixtures. However, this approach does not take into account the water content used during the stabilization process, which can a...

Encountering weak fine-grained soil presents a significant challenge during highway construction. The conventional approach to address this challenge involves incorporating calcium-based stabilizers, particularly cement, for stabilization. However, despite its widespread use, the application of cement for soil stabilization has adverse environmenta...

Cyprus is the third largest and populated island in the Mediterranean Sea, and is still rapidly expanding. Significant infrastructures, such as hotels, educational institutions, and large residential complexes, are being built. Historically, 15 destructive earthquakes were reported on Cyprus from 1896 to 2019 that caused structural damages and casu...

A massive amount of industrial waste is readily available for civil engineering works. However, even a small amount can cause serious ecological problems. Global warming, on which cement production has a significant impact, has led to greater awareness of cement replacement materials. In this study, composites of alluvium clay with various percenta...

Soils from the superficial layers of Guabirotuba formation (in Brazil) are problematic due to their expansive and low-bearing capacity. Stabilizing these soils with a calcium-based binder is a tech-nique that must be explored. Therefore, this study aims to determine the mechanical behavior of stabilized sedimentary silts with cement and binder in v...

One of the most effective and economical means to enhance weak clay is to treat it using cement combined with fibres. As such, this study investigates the strength and stiffness performance and durability of Portland-cement-stabilised carbon-fibre-reinforced alluvium clay. The proposed blend was investigated through unconfined compressive strength,...

Waste usage in soil stabilization is attracting considerable interest due to its engineering, environmental, economic , and social benefits. In this context, this study investigates the performance of waste rubber tire inclusion in alluvial clay stabilized with ordinary Portland cement. For this purpose, samples of various mixes were prepared , con...

The construction sector is one of the major contributors to global warming. This study aims to present a simplified method of evaluating the environmental impacts through the embodied energy (EE) and carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emissions associated with earth-retaining walls (ERWs). The study considers a real case of slope movement caused fractures of a...

In recent years, with the advances in the construction sector monitoring techniques have been extended to be used in geotechnical assets such as slopes, embankments, and retaining walls. The current study analyzed the slope stability problem near the Kyrenia Castel which belongs to the 7thcentury and is located in the northern part of Cyprus. In th...

The ground is a natural grand system; it is composed of myriad constituents that aggregate to form several geologic and biogenic systems. These systems operate independently and interplay harmoniously via important networked structures over multiple spatial and temporal scales. This paper presents arguments and derivations couched by the authors, t...

This study aims to highlight the effect of fibre-clay contact area in a fibre-reinforced clay matrix with different fibre contents and types. Fibre-reinforced samples were prepared at two compaction densities (1600 and 1800 kg/m 3) using four fibre types (i.e. basalt, carbon, polypropylene and glass) with five fibre contents of 0.1-0.5%. A series o...

This study proposes an improved and precise liquefaction risk index for the evaluation and translation of outcomes into maps to establish susceptible liquefiable areas. Cyprus is the third largest and populated island in the Mediterranean Sea, which is rapidly expanding in every way. Significant infrastructures, such as hotels, educational institut...

A large amount of research has been done on conforming surfaces in rock joints as well as on the contact between individual grains; however, not much exist in nonconforming contact surfaces subjected to friction, such as flat contacts between ballast particles, stone columns, or riprap; applications that involve the use of coarse gravel subjected t...

Zemin iyileştirme M.Ö 3000 yılına dayanan en eski inşaat mühendisliği uygulamalarından biridir. Artan dünya nüfusuna paralel olarak yapılaşmaya olan talep artmakta ve yapılaşma için uygun zeminlerin bulunması zorlaşmaktadır. Ortaya çıkan talep doğrultusunda yapılar için elverişsiz zeminler kullanılmaya başlanmıştır. Bahse konu zeminlerde genellikle...

Today, as structures with life expectancy of more than 100 years are being constructed, it is vital to gain knowledge about the gradual decline in material properties. Accordingly, to ensure the longevity and safety of these structures, monitoring has been incorporated as a fundamental part of their service life. To monitor structural deformation,...

Temel zemin mekaniği parametreleri ile karmaşık zemin modeli parametrelerinin elde edilmesi mümkündür. Kayma dalgası hızına dayalı zemin profilini belirlemek için farklı jeofizik arama teknikleri kullanılmaktadır. ÇKYDA tekniği zemin parametrelerini elde etmek için kullanılan jeofizik çalışma yöntemlerinden bir tanesidir. Yerine özgün olarak sığ yü...

Liquefaction risk assessment is critical for the safety and economics of structures. As the soil strata of Ramsar area in north Iran is mostly composed of poorly graded clean sand and the ground water table is found at shallow depths, it is highly susceptible to liquefaction. In this study, a series of isotropic and anisotropic consolidated undrain...

The world's population is growing at a rapid pace, thus increasing the need for shelter, which, because of increased carbon emissions, is making our planet less habitable. Thus, supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) are used to reduce the embodied carbon emissions in the building sector. Wood-ash, as a replacement for cement in ground improve...

Liquefaction risk assessment is critical for the safety and economics of structures. As the soil strata of Ramsar area in north Iran is mostly composed of poorly graded clean sand and the ground water table is found at shallow depths, it is highly susceptible to liquefaction. In this study, a series of isotropic and anisotropic consolidated undrain...

Due to the increasing presence of problematic soils, expansive clays and highly compressive sand engineers are using a verity of soil improvement techniques to treat such soils. While geosynthetics are extensively used for improving soil characteristics in roads, pavements and embankments, it can also be used to increase the lack of bearing capacit...

Global warming, pandemics, and poverty are the evidences of human destruction of the planet. Excavating and disposing of fertile soils destructively effect wildlife and nature and causes natural disasters such as fires and flooding leading to economic losses and casualties. This study investigates the effects of mechanical and chemical stabilizatio...

The world’s population is growing at a rapid pace, thus increasing the need for shelter, which, because of increased carbon emissions, is making our planet less inhabitable. Thus, supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) are used to reduce the embodied carbon emissions in the building sector. Wood ash, as a replacement for cement in soil treatme...

Marine clay deposits are commonly found worldwide. Considering the cost of dumping and related environmental concerns, an alternative solution involving the reuse of soils that have poor conditions is crucial. In this research, the authors examined the strength, microstructure, and wet-dry resistance of triple-binder composites of marine-deposited...

Extinction of natural resources builds up pressure on governments to invest in research to find more sustainable resources for construction sector. Earlier studies on mortar and concrete show that bottom ash and basalt fiber are independently alternative binder in the concrete sector. This study aims to use bottom ash and basalt fiber blends as alt...

Extinction of natural resources builds up pressure on governments to invest in research to find more sustainable resources within the construction sector. Earlier studies on mortar and concrete show that bottom ash and basalt fiber are independently alternative binders in the concrete sector. This study aims to use bottom ash and basalt fiber blend...

Marine clay deposits are commonly found worldwide. Considering the cost of dumping and the related environmental concerns, an alternative solution involving the reuse of soils that have poor conditions is crucial. In this research, the authors examined the durability of marine deposited clays and compiled a corresponding database. The use of slag a...

The application of critical state framework depends on the presence of either a unique critical state line (CSL). However, many authors have observed that a transitional behaviour occurs in certain granular intermediate soils in which the fines content and the initial void ratio have a significant effect on the location of this line. This work inve...

This paper presents a study investigating the long-term mechanical properties of cellulose fibre-reinforced cement mortars incorporating diatomite as a replacement material for quartz sand. Important properties including mass, compressive and flexural strength, sorptivity, water penetration depth and porosity have been rigorously investigated. Sign...

Marine clay deposits are commonly found soils around the world. Owing to the high costs of material disposal and the associated environmental problems, there is a growing need to find an alternative solution to reusing unsuitable soils. In the current study, the shrinkage and compression behavior of marine deposited clays, a soil commonly found wor...

Cement additions improve the performance of granular soils. However, most literature examples of cement additions are in poorly graded sands, either to mimic the behaviour of sandstones or to accentuate the mechanical differences between cemented and uncemented soils. In this article, the behaviour of a well graded granular soil, used for base and...

This paper presents the results of direct shear test on sand paper reinforced and un-reinforced poorly graded fine-grained sand obtained from natural costal sand deposits of western shore of Cyprus Island. Mining of sand from natural deposits, including beaches, yields an inexpensive source of sand for construction or industrial uses. Samples prepa...

To mitigate geotechnical problems due to shrinkage of soils, researchers performed studies on mixtures of soil with additives such as lime, cement and/or fibres. Chemical additives tend to generate stiff materials and may leach and create environmental problems; therefore, fibre reinforcement or cement-fibre combinations became an interesting alter...

Çalışma kapsamında öncelikle genel kavramlar üzerinden dünyamızın jeolojik yapısı incelenmiştir. Daha sonra Kıbrıs adasının jeolojik yapısı ve dünya üzerindeki konumu göz önünde bulundurularak yaşanabilecek jeolojik afetler tanımlanmıştır. Yapılan literatür çalışmaları sonucu tarihsel verilerde göz önünde bulundurularak ülkemizde yaşanabilecek afet...

The Kythrea group clays are widely found clay formation in the North region of the Cyprus. Named region is under heavy construction activity where multi story buildings are built on such formation. The clay tested are undisturbed specimens obtained from the excavation in the Kyrenia region of Cyprus at a prestigious hotel construction from 17m dept...

In this study, the ground characteristics of the foundation area of the Terminal and Car Park Buildings which were going to be constructed as the expansion project of the Ercan Airport were studied. Safe bearing capacity of the silty sand and highly fissured sand stone layers beneath the foundation level have been calculated via geophysics, point l...

Kuzey Kıbrıs Türk Cumhuriyeti İnşaat Sektöründe yaşanan sorunlar ve çözümleri için inşaat sektörü ve bu sektöre bağlı paydaşlarla yapılan görüşmeler sonucu belli başlıklar ortaya çıkmış olup bu başlıklar altında yaşanan sıkıntılar özetlenerek çözüm önerileri yapılmıştır.

Slope failures related to pore-water dissipation, stress relaxation and desiccation cracks are major problems occurring in the UK ageing road network. The remediation works are known to cause congestion and delays that, in turn, cause financial loss and discomfort to users. Our industry partner, Mouchel, believe that it is possible to reduce the nu...

Micro reinforcement in clays is an area that needs further research as little is known about the undrained behaviour of such composite materials, especially when compaction is concerned. This workpresents preliminary data from isotropically consolidated undrained triaxial tests in reinforced and unreinforced compacted samplesin the laboratory. The...

The stability of clay slopes and liners is intimately connected to desiccation cracking. To mitigate this problem, research has been done in mixtures of soil with additives (lime, cement, sand) or with fibres. Chemical additives may leach and create environmental problems, therefore fibre reinforcement became an interesting alternative as it reduce...

The benefits of micro-reinforcement in soils have attracted a lot of research in the last couple of decades. However, not enough is known about the effects of the compaction procedure used to prepare samples in the laboratory. This paper presents data from laboratory undrained triaxial tests on reinforced and unreinforced samples of heavily over-co...

Kuzey Kıbrıs 'ta yapılacak herhangi bir karayolu ihale yöntemi ile belirlenen Müteahhit firma tarafından yapılmaktadır. İhale edilen yol İhaleye çıkan Kurum (Bakanlıklar, Belediyeler, TC Yardım Heyeti vs.) ile Müteahhit firma arasında imzalanan mukaveleye bağlı olan "Yol İnşaatı Genel Fenni Şaıtnamesi” belirlenen şartlara uygun şekilde inşaa edilme...

Türkiye Van iline 16 km mesafede gerçeklesen deprem maddi ve manevi birçok kayba neden olurken şuana kadar 300 e yakin kişinin hayatini kaybettiği ve çok sayıda vatandasın kayıp olduğu bildirildi. Kurtarma çalışmaları halen sürerken birçok bölge ülkesi Iran, Azerbaycan ve Ermenistan dâhil olmak üzere bölgeye yardim ekipmanları ve kurtarma ekipleri...

Mühendislik yapılarının temel sistemlerinin tasarımında, zeminde oturma ve taşıma kapasitesi ile deprem durumunda sıvılaşma problemi olmaması durumunda genellikle yüzeysel temeller kullanılarak çözümler yapılmaktadır. Temel zeminlerinin problemli olması durumunda ise en basit çözüm derin temel sistemi (kazıklı temeller) seçilerek yapıların çözülmes...

Research in micro-reinforced soils is still in its infancy, although laboratory research has shown that the addition of micro-reinforcement improves the strength properties of the composite material significantly, very little is known about their behaviour in-situ, or of the effects of the field techniques currently in use to mix and compact the fi...