This article reveals the first record of the parasitoid wasp, Monodontomerus obscurus Westwood (Hymenoptera, Torymidae) from Iraq.  A total of 27 specimens were emerged from mud nests of sphecoid wasp of Sceliphron sp. (Hymenoptera, Sphecidae), that collected from a wall at a residential garden in Dohuk province.  A short morphological description is presented.

The durability of asphalt concrete is highly dependent on the geometry and mineralogy of coarse aggregates, yet their combined influence on mechanical and moisture resistance properties is still not fully understood. This study evaluates the effects of coarse aggregate geometry, specifically flat and elongated particle ratios and angularity, as well as mineral composition (quartz versus calcite), on asphalt mixture durability. The durability of mixtures was evaluated through Marshall properties as well as moisture susceptibility indicators, including the tensile strength ratio (TSR) and index of retained strength (IRS). Statistical analyses (ANOVA and t-tests) were also conducted to confirm the significance of the observed effects.

This paper reports on the experimental study, which conducted a series of triaxial tests for the asphalt concrete using hydrated lime as a mineral additive. Three HMA mixes, prepared by the specification for wearing, levelling and base layers, were studied under three different temperatures. The test results have demonstrated that, compared with the control mixes excluding HL, the permanent deformation resistance of the HL modified mixes has significant improvement. The deformation has been reduced at the same load repetition number, meanwhile the flow number has been considerably increased. The degree of improvement in permanent deformation resistance using HL is more pronounced at high stress deviation states and high temperature.

The civil engineering field currently focus on sustainable development. It is important to develop new sustainable and economic generations of concrete, using eco-friendly materials in the construction industry with a fair amount of costs and minimizing the impact upon the environment by reducing CO2 emissions from the cement industry as a whole while still obtaining high cement quality and strength. The main objective of this research is to clarify the mechanical behavior and ability to use Portland limestone cement in producing self compacted concrete, due to the beneficious effec of the limestone cement economically and enviromently. The research investigates the effect of using steel and polymer meshs as reinforcement, where the results

This study investigates the impact of varying glass fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) stirrup spacing on the performance of doubly GFRP-reinforced concrete beams. The research focuses on assessing the behavior of GFRP-reinforced concrete beams, including load-carrying capacity, cracking, and deformability. It explores the feasibility and effectiveness of GFRP bars as an alternative to traditional steel reinforcement in concrete structures. Six concrete beams with a cross-section of 300 mm (wide) × 250 mm (deep), simply supported on a 2100 mm span, were tested. The beams underwent four-point bending with two concentrated loads applied symmetrically at one-third of the span length, resulting in a shear span (a)-to-depth (h) ratio of 2.