Papers by Rana A . Al-Fares
Nukleonika, 2009
A large amount of naturally occurring radioactive materials in the form of by-products or waste i... more A large amount of naturally occurring radioactive materials in the form of by-products or waste is produced annually by the growing activity of the oil and gas industry. Solid scale, sludge and produced water are typical residues contaminated with natural radionuclides from the uranium and thorium series, particularly 226 Ra and 228 Ra. The observed specific activities of these radionuclides are in the ranges up to 3700 kBq/kg and up to 168 kBq/kg for solid scale and sludge, respectively. The average activities of both radionuclides exceed the exemption level of 10,000 Bq/kg recommended by IAEA safety standards. This means that TENORM wastes from the oil industry may generate radiation exposure levels which require attention and continuous monitoring during some routine operations in this industry. This exposure is mostly caused by external γ-radiation coming from the 226 Ra radionuclide and its progenies.
Journal of Applied Fire Science, 2008
... Step 10: The deflection at the rest of the nodes are then calculated using Equation (23). No ... more ... Step 10: The deflection at the rest of the nodes are then calculated using Equation (23). No iteration is required for the cantilever case. ... REINFORCED CONCRETE STRUCTURES / 281 Figure 1. Flowchart for the analysis of reinforced concrete beams exposed to fire. ...
Journal of Environmental Systems, 2011
This article presents the results of an investigation program, consisting of laboratory tests, ca... more This article presents the results of an investigation program, consisting of laboratory tests, carried out to determine the short-term effects of leachate contamination on the geotechnical and chemical properties of clean silty sandstone soil locally known as Gatch. Leachate is released due to the decay, oxidation, and corrosion of waste discarded carelessly in old abandoned pits of opencast mining or quarries with minimal use of manual waste separation techniques and no use of liners. In some cases, this results in the percolation of contaminated leachate causing severe risk to the surrounding soil, groundwater, and community health. An extensive laboratory-testing program was carried out to determine the properties of the clean weakly cemented calcareous/gypsiferous silty sandstone material obtained from Al-Jahra city, located 37 Km northwest of Kuwait City. Real municipal solid waste leachate obtained from a waste disposal site, known as Al-Qurain landfill, was used in this study to prepare the soil-leachate mixtures. Contaminated specimens were prepared by mixing the natural soil with the real leachate in the increments of 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20% by weight of soil to vary the degree of contamination. The chemical characteristics of the leachate used were also determined. A general deterioration of soil properties attributed to the chemistry of the leachate formed is noted.
In this pilot scale study, a surface geophysical investigation consisting of fourelectrode electr... more In this pilot scale study, a surface geophysical investigation consisting of fourelectrode electrical resistivity survey technique was carried out on Al-Jahra waste disposal site. This dumpsite, situated very close to a highly populated area, was decommissioned April of 2007 after twenty years of service. The dumpsite was reactivated in August of 2007 and is currently receiving construction, household and agricultural waste streams. This paper presents the preliminary results of the geophysical surveys carried out. The results indicated a complex structure in the subsurface with high resistivity values extending into greater depths in the NW corner of the study area. The depth at which high electrical resistivity was detected coincided with the excavation depth according to plans held by the local municipality. The findings also indicated the absence of leachate at the excavation depth. Such findings were verified by means of physical field-testing. Three boreholes were drilled at the study site for this purpose.
Geomechanics and Geoengineering, 2022
The use of recycled demolished concrete in producing new concrete is an established method to imp... more The use of recycled demolished concrete in producing new concrete is an established method to improve sustainability through reducing the environmental impact of using virgin aggregates and through reducing construction waste. Six Sigma is a set of tools and strategies for process improvement. In this paper, the six-sigma DMAIC methodology is utilized to optimize the design parameters in order to improve and assure the quality of the resulting recycled aggregate concrete. The project aims to produce concrete with compressive strength of 25 MPa without using additives. Five parameters were used in the initial analysis that were reduced to three after refinement. The refined parameters are the ratio of recycled coarse aggregates, ratio of recycled fine aggregates and the water/cement ratio. It was concluded that the optimum values for the three parameters are 26%, 30 % and 0.5, in order.
Sinkholes and the Engineering and Environmental Impacts of Karst, 2005
Sinkholes and the Engineering and Environmental Impacts of Karst, 2008
Journal of Applied Fire Science, 2008
... Step 10: The deflection at the rest of the nodes are then calculated using Equation (23). No ... more ... Step 10: The deflection at the rest of the nodes are then calculated using Equation (23). No iteration is required for the cantilever case. ... REINFORCED CONCRETE STRUCTURES / 281 Figure 1. Flowchart for the analysis of reinforced concrete beams exposed to fire. ...
Journal of Environmental Systems, 2011
This article presents the results of an investigation program, consisting of laboratory tests, ca... more This article presents the results of an investigation program, consisting of laboratory tests, carried out to determine the short-term effects of leachate contamination on the geotechnical and chemical properties of clean silty sandstone soil locally known as Gatch. Leachate is released due to the decay, oxidation, and corrosion of waste discarded carelessly in old abandoned pits of opencast mining or quarries with minimal use of manual waste separation techniques and no use of liners. In some cases, this results in the percolation of contaminated leachate causing severe risk to the surrounding soil, groundwater, and community health. An extensive laboratory-testing program was carried out to determine the properties of the clean weakly cemented calcareous/gypsiferous silty sandstone material obtained from Al-Jahra city, located 37 Km northwest of Kuwait City. Real municipal solid waste leachate obtained from a waste disposal site, known as Al-Qurain landfill, was used in this study to prepare the soil-leachate mixtures. Contaminated specimens were prepared by mixing the natural soil with the real leachate in the increments of 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20% by weight of soil to vary the degree of contamination. The chemical characteristics of the leachate used were also determined. A general deterioration of soil properties attributed to the chemistry of the leachate formed is noted.
Annals of GIS, 2024
Disposal of municipal solid waste is a significant environmental issue that has detrimental effec... more Disposal of municipal solid waste is a significant environmental issue that has detrimental effects on both the environment and human life. The selection of landfill sites is critical and essential to implementing a comprehensive waste management strategy. This study optimizes the selection of landfill sites in Kuwait through the use of overlay analysis and Geographic Information System in conjunction with multi-criteria decision analysis. The study analysis takes into account human, physical economical, environmental, and governmental factors. Seven optimal locations are depicted on the resulting suitability map, each occupying 10 square kilometres or more and have the capacity to handle solid waste for at least one decade per site, considering the current reported waste generation rate. Furthermore, results of a preliminary geotechnical investigation encompassing field and laboratory tests conducted on soil samples collected at one of the proposed sites are presented. The characterization of the retrieved samples included major geotechnical parameters that are of concern in landfill design and siting studies. The results indicate that the soil at the proposed site exhibited low values of hydraulic conductivity, ranging between 3.50 X 10 −07 and 8.96 X 10 −08 cm/sec, confirming its suitability for siting landfills. There is an urgent need to develop and implement an integrated waste management system in Kuwait. By leveraging the findings of this study, policymakers and governmental authorities can optimize their decision-making procedures to ensure more effective site selection. This approach will significantly reduce contamination risks and enhance sustainability, leading to a more environmentally responsible waste management system in the country.
International Journal of Environmental Studies, 2009
The purpose of this preliminary study was to evaluate the quality of stormwater runoff, and deter... more The purpose of this preliminary study was to evaluate the quality of stormwater runoff, and determine the impact of land use on the level of runoff contamination. To accomplish this, 36 samples were collected from 6 sampling locations in the ‘Al‐Asema’ governorate – the capital of the state of Kuwait – over six rain events. Samples were analysed for total suspended solids, total dissolved solids, volatile suspended solids, chemical oxygen demand, biochemical oxygen demand, pH, total coliform, and oil and grease. The results indicated that land use had a significant influence on the major water quality constituents. Stormwater runoff was highly polluted exceeding the accepted limit for TSS, BOD, and total coliform.
International Journal of Environmental Studies, 2009
... ALI MOHAMED AL-DAMKHI*, RANA ABDULLAH AL-FARES, KHALIFA AHMED AL-KHALIFA§ AND SABAH AHMED A... more ... ALI MOHAMED AL-DAMKHI*, RANA ABDULLAH AL-FARES, KHALIFA AHMED AL-KHALIFA§ AND SABAH AHMED ABDUL-WAHAB¶ ... drastically over the last few decades (table 2). According to Fadlelmawla and Al-Otaibi [17] and Al-Otaibi and Abdel-Jawad [23], Kuwait is ...
Journal of Waste Management, 2013
The use of recycled demolished concrete in producing new concrete is an established method to imp... more The use of recycled demolished concrete in producing new concrete is an established method to improve sustainability through reducing the environmental impact of using virgin aggregates and through reducing construction waste. Six sigma is a set of tools and strategies for process improvement. In this paper, the six sigma DMAIC methodology is utilized to optimize the design parameters in order to improve and assure the quality of the resulting recycled aggregate concrete. The project aims to produce concrete with compressive strength of 25 MPa without using additives. Five parameters were used in the initial analysis that were reduced to three after refinement. The refined parameters are the ratio of recycled coarse aggregates, the ratio of recycled fine aggregates, and the water/cement ratio. It was concluded that the optimum values for the three parameters are 26%, 30%, and 0.5, in order.
2008 38th Annual Frontiers in Education Conference, 2008
In recent years, studies have shown that the percentages of female undergraduates, faculty, and a... more In recent years, studies have shown that the percentages of female undergraduates, faculty, and administrators has been increasing. However, many engineering fields continue to have low female percentages. In the College of Engineering at Kuwait University an observable exception exists. As of spring 2001, over 62 percent of the Civil Engineering undergraduates were females, while around six percent of the
International Journal of Environmental Studies, Apr 1, 2009
Global Environmental Politics, 2010
... Rana Abdullah Al-Fares Rana Abdullah Al-Fares is an Assistant Professor of Civil Engineering ... more ... Rana Abdullah Al-Fares Rana Abdullah Al-Fares is an Assistant Professor of Civil Engineering at the College of Engineering & Petroluem, Kuwait University. ... Environmental Practice 11 (2): 115124. Al-Houty, Wasmiyyah, Manaf Abdal, and Sulaiman Zaman. 1993. ...
International Journal of Environmental Studies, 2009
... ALI MOHAMED AL-DAMKHI*, RANA ABDULLAH AL-FARES, KHALIFA AHMED AL-KHALIFA§ AND SABAH AHMED A... more ... ALI MOHAMED AL-DAMKHI*, RANA ABDULLAH AL-FARES, KHALIFA AHMED AL-KHALIFA§ AND SABAH AHMED ABDUL-WAHAB¶ ... drastically over the last few decades (table 2). According to Fadlelmawla and Al-Otaibi [17] and Al-Otaibi and Abdel-Jawad [23], Kuwait is ...
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Papers by Rana A . Al-Fares