The M’zab Dorsal in central Algeria is an excellent example of early intraplate folding within the Sahara platform. The Ghardaïa region, located in the center of this mountainous assortment, has two aquifers for water supply: one shallow in the cretaceous layers and another deeper in the continental intercalary sandstone layer. Groundwater recharge is critical for environmental sustainability and water security. The purpose of this study is to provide a comprehensive interpretation of fracture in this region as well as to determine the mechanisms by which water is transported between the highly fractured surface layer of cretaceous limestone and the deep subsurface reservoir. Laboratory and field investigations reveal an evolution from Na-Cl-SO4 water facies in the upstream region to Na-Ca-SO4 type facies in the downstream region, which occurs in Senonian and Barremian reservoirs. The study examines the region’s hydrological history and reconstructs paleo-recharge environments through hydrodynamic and structural analyses of rock cracks and fractures in the cretaceous exposure. The complex network of surface and underground fractures forms a complicated interconnected system that influences groundwater movement, storage, and availability. The density of fractures in rigid substrates influences the aquifer’s recharge capacity, allowing for faster infiltration and more water storage. Understanding fracture density and connectivity is critical to assessing aquifer recharge dynamics. The findings indicate that water table recharges in the M’zab Dorsal region are less intense than in the past, owing to structural and geological changes caused by fissuration and fracture. Therefore, a careful strategy for utilizing the drinking water table is primordial.
Improving the thermal insulation of contemporary cement buildings is a significant challenge, particularly in desert environments subject to high temperatures. Adobe, a raw earth-based material, represents a practical solution due to its natural thermal properties. However, its low mechanical strength, particularly in bending, limits its integration into modern construction. This study demonstrates that a 13 cm layer of adobe reinforced with palm fibers, used as ceiling insulation, improves the thermal insulation of the building by approximately 133%, while reducing annual energy consumption by up to 53%. Furthermore, the impact of the length and dosage of palm fibers on the mechanical and thermal properties of adobe was examined through a series of tests. Four dosages (0.25%, 0.50%, 0.75% and 1% by weight) and four fiber lengths (25 mm, 50 mm, 75 mm and 100 mm) were tested. The results reveal that concentrations between 0.5% and 1% offer the best performance. In particular, the 50 mm fibers at 0.5% increased the compressive strength by about 20%, while the 75 mm fibers at 1% improved the flexural strength by up to 45%, reaching 1.70 MPa.
This study addresses the persistent issue of membrane fouling in filtration systems, a phenomenon that disrupts flow dynamics and reduces efficiency across various membrane types. To overcome the limitations of traditional models, a novel generalized framework, characterized by its fractional order (α), clogging indicator (n), and clogging rate constant (k), is proposed as a flexible and unified alternative to traditional models. This fractional formulation inherently allows the model to generalize effectively across various fouling behaviors: cake filtration, intermediate clogging, and standard blocking. Comparative analysis with classical models showed that the new framework consistently achieved higher accuracy, with normalized RMSE values ranging from 0.93% to 1.73% and R2 values exceeding 0.995. Due to its fractional formulation, the model demonstrates strong generalization across various fouling behaviors, without requiring separate calibration for each scenario. It also enables one-step identification and characterization of the prevailing fouling mechanism while maintaining computational simplicity. Overall, this study introduces a scalable, accurate, and robust modeling framework that enhances membrane performance in fluid and mechanical engineering applications.
In the framework, the sustainable local development of the Adrar region is one of the largest in the Algerian Sahara. The Algerian government has launched a search for useful local substances to cover the need for building materials in the construction sector. However, the Algerian Sahara has a variety of mineral resources, including clays. This work aims to characterize and identify a natural Algerian clay from the Reggane basin (Paleozoic sedimentary basin) in southwestern Algeria. This is for use in the manufacture of ceramic products. For this, numerous analyses were carried out using techniques such as X-ray Diffraction (XRD) to determine the different crystalline mineral phases, X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) to identify the elemental composition, and Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) to study the molecular structure along with the geotechnical identification in order to better understand the main properties of this clay. The findings indicated that Reggane clay is silty and highly plastic (21.94-31.7). It contains a mixture of illite, kaolinite, and quartz, in very significant proportions, as well as hematite, orthoclase, and palygorskite. Furthermore, elemental chemical analyses were conducted, and the results showed that the main constituents of this clay are SiO2 (58.19%-61.71%), Al2 O3 (13.32%-13.50%), and Fe2 O3 (6.13%-6.40%). These findings could eventually be used to target applications of this clay in the production of local fired materials.
