Huriye Bilsel

Cyprus International University · Department of Civil Engineering

Soil plasticity characteristics are of great importance to practicing engineers and academics due to their wide range of applications mainly concerning settlement and soil strength assessment and volume change behavior. Therefore, assigning a plasticity value to soils under any discipline concerning soil engineering is critical. This is almost alwa...

Cyprus has a long historical record of damaging earthquakes (Ambraseys, 1992; Ambraseys & Adams, 1993). Recently, several earthquakes struck the region, and the need for sustainable and effective technologies has become one of the priorities for geotechnical engineering researchers. Enzyme-induced carbonate precipitation (EICP) is a recently propos...

Benghazi city is the second largest city in Libya. Rapid and large infrastructural development and related economic activities in the last 20 years have mandated the use of Sabkha soils within the city limits for construction activities. There is a growing need to explore the geotechnical aspects of Sabkha soils including the lique-faction hazard....

The main objective of this study was to evaluate the use of enzymatic induced carbonate precipitation (EICP) treatment for erodibility improvement, scour mitigation, and water infiltration capacity of beach sand at one, two, and three cycles of treatment. EICP is a biochemical process that produces calcium carbonate precipitation within a soil matr...

This study aims to assess the suitability of micro-silica (MS) as an industrial waste to modify the hydro-mechanical behavior of expansive soil in comparison with the use of lime as a traditional stabilizer. Due to limitations associated with soil treatment with calcium-based materials, the effect of lime–micro-silica (LMS) on stabilization of expa...

This study focusses on the assessment of sand stabilized expansive soil as possible landfill liner materials to be utilized in a semi-arid area. Zeolite was also used as an alternative material to sand, mixing it with the expansive soil forming a stable structure with improved properties. Durability analysis of expansive soil-sand (NS) and expansiv...

Beach sands are composed of a variety of minerals including quartz and different carbonate minerals. Seawater in beach sand contains several ions such as sodium, magnesium, calcium, chloride, sulfate, and potassium. These variations in mineralogy and the presence of salts in beach sand may affect the treatment via enzyme-induced carbonate precipita...

The expansive soils in semi-arid and arid regions are affected by swelling-shrinking due to climatic effects, causing damage to lightweight structures. Various methods and materials have been employed to improve the engineering properties of these soils. This paper includes the findings of experimental work conducted studying the effectiveness of u...

The bio-mineralization of calcium carbonates is an innovative and eco-friendly technique for improving soil, which has recently become increasingly popular in the field of geotechnical engineering. Different bio-cementation methods are employed for improving granular soils, including microbially-induced CaCO3 precipitation (MICP) and enzymatic-indu...

The aim of this paper is to investigate the influence of fines content on the undrained shear behavior of sand–clay mixtures with fines contents at 0%, 5%, 10%, 12.5%, 15%, 17.5%, 20%, 22.5 and 25%. The shear strength of the mixture has been evaluated in terms of skeleton void ratio and transitional fines content. Materials used are poorly graded s...

Strengthening beach sand using enzyme induced carbonate precipitation (EICP) was demonstrated. Enzyme induced carbonate precipitation (EICP) is an emerging biologically-based ground improvement technique that precipitates calcium carbonate within the pores of a granular soil via hydrolysis of urea catalyzed by free urease enzyme. In this study, sam...

Limestone dust is a solid waste resulting from extraction from parent rock and grinding in quarry crushing units. Disposal of such wastes poses environmental problems such as abundant accumulation in landfills as well as health and environmental hazards due to air pollution. These wastes can be effectively utilized to improve the properties of expa...

This study evaluates the liquefaction potential based on in situ geotechnical data available in technical and academic reports on Benghazi sabkha, which consists of poorly graded fine to medium sand with some silts and traces of gravels in very loose to medium dense state. Liquefaction potential index (LPI) of sabkha soils are computed from the fac...

In this paper, marble waste is evaluated as a secondary material to be utilized as potential stabilizer to improve the volume change and strength characteristics of sand-amended expansive soil, proposed as a possible landfill, pavement or sub-base material in a semi-arid climate. An experimental program was conducted on sand-expansive soil enhanced...

A sand–Na–bentonite mixture is widely used as engineering barrier material, which usually possesses hydraulic conductivity below the regulatory limit (10⁻⁷ cm/s). However, in some areas natural Na–bentonite is not readily available; instead, an abundantly prevailing local expansive soil can be an alternative. This study assesses the suitability of...

This paper presents the findings of an experimental study on improvement of strength properties of sand stabilized expansive soil, reinforced with polymeric fiber (PF) which consists of pipe scrap waste obtained as a by-product of construction industry. Sand is mixed in 1:1 ratio with expansive soil forming a stable structure with improved stabilit...

Measurement of tensile strength of soil by direct methods can be challenging due to difficulties in sample preparation and in fixing the specimen while applying uniaxial tension forces. However the tensile strength of soil samples can be measured by indirect tests, such as the Brazilian and double punch tests, assuming that tensile stress is distri...

Expansive soils in semi-arid climates must be mitigated to minimize potential structural damage to the overlying structures due to swell-shrink behavior caused by climatic changes. The expansive soil in this study was amended by sand which reduced the swell-shrink potential significantly. As a secondary additive, a waste by product of construction...

Multiple series of cyclic triaxial tests were performed on undisturbed and reconstituted samples of sandy soils obtained from areas of known liquefaction at the time of the 2011 East Japan Earthquake. In this test scheme, the shear wave velocity was firstly measured and then cyclic loads were applied to determine the cyclic shear strength. The undi...

Since shear wave velocity is determined by non-destructive experiments in the narrow range of small strain, some researchers have reservations about employing it in the assessment of medium-to-large phenomenon, i.e. liquefaction. However, some others confirm that the shear wave velocity is more likely to suit for distinguishing the liquefaction and...

Engineered barriers used in waste containment systems in semi-arid areas are usually composite compacted materials, such as sand-bentonite. The containment elements such as the landfill liners should be designed to prevent leachate and ground water permeation through them. A bentonite content of 15% has been used in this study to form a composite m...

Some researchers have reservations about employing small-strain shear-wave velocity in the assessment of medium-to-large strain liquefaction. However, some others confirm that the shear wave velocity is more likely to suit for distinguishing the liquefaction and non-liquefaction susceptibility of sand deposits by the V S-based liquefaction chart, s...

There are some key challenges for geotechnical applications of the microbially-induced CaCO3 precipitation technique. These challenges mainly arise from lack of enough control on precipitation pattern within soil. Monitoring precipitation progress in treatment solution (biogrout) prior to injection provides useful information on controlling the pre...

Calcium carbonate is a widely used raw material by many industries. It can be precipitated through microbial process within soil pores as cementitious bonding agent between grains for geotechnical applications. It is called microbially induced calcium carbonate precipitation (MICP). Designing an appropriate biogrout material for injection into soil...

This paper studies the strength properties of compacted sand-bentonite landfill barrier material with and without cement addition at different periods of aging. Test results indicated that strength values both in compression and tension increased up to threefold in cement added samples, as well as enhancing the ductile behavior. Cubic modulus, desc...

This paper presents a series of laboratory tests and evaluates the effect of polypropylene fiber inclusion on volume change behavior and soil-water characteristics of expansive soils. Specimens were statically compacted at maximum Proctor dry density and optimum moisture content with 0%, 0.5% and 1% polypropylene fiber inclusions by dry weight of t...

Posidonia oceanica (PO) is the most plentiful seaweed of the Mediterranean Sea, which grows all along the coastal areas, forming widespread meadows. The leaf rejuvenation process of Posidonia oceanica typically occurs in fall when an increase in wave action causes the dead seaweeds to be transported and usually piled up along the coastal areas. Thi...

This paper presents an experimental study evaluating the effect of polypropylene fiber on swell and compressibility of expansive soils. The initial phase of the experimental program includes the study of the effect of polypropylene fiber on maximum dry density (MDD) and optimum moisture content (OMC) with different fiber inclusions. Static and dyna...

This paper presents an experimental study evaluating the effect of polypropylene fiber on mechanical behaviour of expansive soils. The initial phase of the experimental program includes the study of the effect of polypropylene fiber on maximum dry density and optimum moisture content with different fiber inclusions. Dynamic compaction tests have be...

This article presents the preliminary findings of an experimental study conducted on uniform sand-bentonite mixtures, focussing on the investigation and prediction of the volume change and hydraulic properties of artificially prepared mixtures of natural bentonite (Na-smectite) and poorly graded fine sand. Compacted specimens of sand-bentonite mixt...

Laboratory soil-water characteristic curves (SWCCs) were obtained for compacted marine soils of different lithologies and genesis taken from three different locations in North Cyprus. van Genuchten's model was used to determine the best fit for the laboratory data of the SWCC, and indirect predictions of hydraulic conductivity and diffusivity funct...

Interest in the unsaturated soils of semi-arid to and climates has increased, especially in recent years, due to the adverse effect of industrial and municipal activities on the subsurface environment. The most important soil parameter affecting the rate at which water and dissolved chemicals move through the vadose zone is the soil water character...

The case study examined is a controversial one, which brought up the discussion of the necessity of subsurface explorations, better site inspection and improved quality of construction technology. The Teachers Training Academy was examined in all aspects, and in contrary to the speculations of poor concrete quality and inadequate reinforcement, num...