Dr Talib Mahdi

Joining Date: 01/02/2000

Dr Mahdi’s early research activities were in the field of building material especially concrete and cement and the utilisation of industrial waste in construction. His work has lead to a patent in the field of expansive cement production from industrial waste.

During his PhD research and subsequent work in the School of Engineering his research field was shifted toward the computer modelling of overtaking on single carriageway roads. The computer simulation model for single carriageway roads developed by Dr Mahdi was used to assess the improvement alternatives for the A96 in Scotland and to develop accident prediction models for single carriageway roads in UK.

Since joining the GRC in 2000 Talib Talib research work was directed toward the utilisation of industrial waste in beneficial application and the remediation of contaminated land and sediments. In 2005 Dr Mahdi was appointed as an International Consultant for United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) working on many projects related to the assessment and remediation of sites contaminated with Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) in the West African region. He led a team of experts from Ghana and Nigeria in developing a framework for identifying sites contaminated with POPs and a methodology for the selection of best available remediation technologies.

Talib is currently working as Senior Technology Translator managing the environment and sustainability arm of the Business Gateway at Cardiff School of Engineering responsible for the linkage with industries in this sector. Talib is an expert in industrial-academic collaboration and the building up of multidisciplinary consortium within the environmental sector. His expertise was gained through the management of the Geoenvironmental Research Park (GRP: One of the largest GRC projects £5.8M) (2006-2009) and his work as a technical manager for a KEF project entitled Sustainable Material Recovery (2004-2006). The GRP is an R&D project that brought together a multi-disciplinary consortium of 4 research organisations including the TRL, the BRE and two Universities as well as 8 industrial partners to conduct research and support R&D needs of exiting industries working in the fields of waste utilisation & treatment and contaminated land assessment & remediation. Talib is currently working with a number of companies assisting them with taking their R&D projects through from initial concept to commercialisation and connecting Cardiff School of Engineering with industrial partners and other organisation working in the environmental and energy sectors.

• International Consultant for United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO)
• Ex-Charmin of the Ground Engineering Group/ ICE Wales
• Member of the Institute of Leadership and Management
• Member of the Institute of Highways and Transportation
• Consultant Member of Iraqi Engineering Society

Publications

Abbas H. Sulaymon, Talib Mahdi, Shahlaa E. Ebrahim, 2012, “Saving Activated Carbon by Using Inert Material in Adsorption Process”, J. Int. Environmental Application & Science, Vol. 7 (1): 101-113.

Mahdi T A, Francis R W, Thomas H R and Zheng G, 2010, ‘Evaluating Remediation Options for Contaminated Canal Sediments’, Restoration and Recovery: Regenerating land and communities, ISBN: 9781849950121, 81-91.

Mahdi T A, Francis R W, Thomas H R and Zheng G, 2010, ‘Remediation Options for Contaminated Canal Sediments’, Proceedings of ISSMGE’s 6th International Congress on Environmental Geotechnics, Delhi, India, 828-833.

GUODONG ZHENG, AKIHITO KUNO, TALIB A. MAHDI (2007) – “Iron speciation and mineral characterization of contaminated sediments by coal mining drainage in Neath Canal, South Wales, United Kingdom” Geochemical Journal, Vol. 41, pp. 463 to 474, 2007

Mahdi T A, Francis R W, Thomas H R Poon R, (2006) – “Fibre reinforced waste based artificial soil for grass covered areas subjected to occasional vehicular traffic” 5Th International Congress on Environmental Geotechnics”, Cardiff, June 2006

Mahdi T A, Al-Otaibi F, Thomas H R (2006), “Physical properties of sabkha soil stabilised by oil lakes residues” 5Th International Congress on Environmental Geotechnics.” Cardiff, June 2006.

Mahdi TA and Francis R W, (2005) ‘Sustainable Material Recovery Project, Artificial soil – A Review” GRC Internal report GRC/KEF/SUMAR/Reports/001/2005.

Mahdi TA and Francis R W, (2005) ‘Mineral Waste as an Engineering Soil” GRC Internal Report GRC/KEF/SUMAR/Reports/002/2005.

Mahdi TA and Francis R W, (2005) ‘Recovery of WEEE Plastic” GRC Internal Report GRC/KEF/SUMAR/Reports/003/2005.

Mahdi TA, (2003) ’ Beneficial Use of Dredging Sediments” GRC Internal Report GRP/WP6.3/001

Mahdi TA, Zheng G and Francis R W, (2003) ‘Remediation Options for Neath Canal Sediments’ A report submitted to the WDA , Report Ref GRP/WP6.3/003.

Owen D.H., Mahdi, T.A. and Thomas, H., (2001) ‘Web-based support for a Land Regeneration Network’. 3rd BGA International Geoenvironmental Engineering Conference, Edinburgh, 17-19 September 2001.

J G Hunt and T A Mahdi, (1994) – ‘Design and operating single carriageway rural roads’ Proc 22nd European Transport Forum, Highway Seminar K, Planning and Transport Research and Computation, Warwick (1994) 219-230.

J G Hunt and T A Mahdi, (1993) – ‘Development and Assessment of a Model Predicting Accident Frequency on Single Carriageway Roads’. Report to TRL, March 1994.

J G Hunt and T A Mahdi, (1993) – ‘Assessment of Microscopic Simulation Model of Traffic Operation on Single Carriageway Roads’. Report to TRL, October 1993.

J G Hunt and T A Mahdi, (1992) – ‘Overtaking Behaviour on Single Carriageway Roads in the United Kingdom’. Proc Int Conf Strategic Highway Research Program and Traffic Safety on Two Continents, VTI Rapport 372a Part 3, Swedish Road and Traffic Research Institute, Sweden (1992) 2-11.

J G Hunt and T A Mahdi, (1992) – ‘Overtaking Sight Distances For Single Carriageway Roads’. Proc of the Planning and Transport Research and Computation, Twentieth Summer Annual Meeting, Highway Seminar H, Planning and Transport Research and Computation, London (1992) 183-194.

J G Hunt and T A Mahdi, (1992) – ‘Single Carriageway Roads Simulation Model for UK’. J Inst Highways and Transportation, London (1992) 10-15.

Mahdi T A, (1991) – ‘The effect of overtaking provision on the operation characteristics of single carriageway roads’, Ph.D. Thesis, University of Wales, Cardiff, U.K.

S Aljabari, T A Mahdi, B Alshather and K Kulo, (1987) – ‘Production of Expansive Cement Using New Equations, Depending on Local Raw Materials’. J of Building Research, Vol 6, No 1 (1987).

T A Mahdi, S Alnaib, S Sahib and N Kadir, (1986). – ‘The Use of Alrahba Dolomitic Limestone as Aggregate in Concrete’. J of Building Research, Vol 5, No 2, Baghdad (1986).

S Aljabari, T A Mahdi, B Alshather and K Kulo, (1986) – ‘New Equations to Calculate Mix Proportions of Raw Materials to Produce Expansive Agent’. J of Building Research, Vol 5, No 1 Baghdad (1986).

S Aljabari, T A Mahdi and K Kulo, (1985) – ‘The Possibility of Producing Expansive Cement’. J of Building Research, Vol 4, No 1 Baghdad (1985).

Mahdi T A, (1980) – ‘The use of crushed boulder sand as fine aggregate in concrete’. MSc Thesis, Baghdad University, Baghdad, Iraq.