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Settlement predictions in complex sabkha soil profiles

Prévision des tassements dans des sols complexes de sebkha

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Abstract

Sabkha soils are coastal and inland saline sediments of arid climates, commonly occurring in Middle Eastern and North African countries. They form heterogeneous and complex soil profiles with poor mechanical properties and appreciable organic content. In sabkha soils, prediction of soil behaviour is difficult due to the composite nature of the soil profiles. Geotechnical properties of a typical sabkha formation from the west coast of Saudi Arabia is studied. The settlement predictions based on statistical average of laboratory-determined compressibility parameters are compared with settlements measured in an instrumented test embankment. The predicted magnitudes of the settlements are found reliable and comparable to field measurements. Analysis based on laboratory determined parameters, however, highly overestimate the in situ settlement-time behaviour.

Résumé

Les sols de sebkha sont des dépôts salifères que l'on retrouve soit sur les côtes soit à l'intérieur des terres sous climat aride, en particulier dans les pays du Moyen Orient et de l'Afrique du Nord. Ils constituent des sols hétérogènes et variables aux propriétés mécaniques faibles et à teneur en matière organique appréciable, et il est difficile de prévoir leur comportement. L'article est consacré à l'étude des caractéristiques géotechniques d'une formation de sebkha sur la côte occidentale d'Arabie Séoudite. Les prévisions de tassement fondées sur l'étude statistique des paramètres de compressibilité étudiés en laboratoire sont comparées aux tassements mesurés dans un remblai équipé d'instruments de mesure. L'amplitude des tassements prévus s'est révélée correcte et comparable aux mesures in situ. L'analyse fondée sur les études de laboratoire surestime cependant beaucoup le comportement du tassement dans le temps.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Engineering, Civil Engineering Department, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

    Dhowian A. W. & Erol A. O.

  2. Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

    Sultan S.

Authors
  1. Dhowian A. W.
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  2. Erol A. O.
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  3. Sultan S.
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Dhowian, A.W., Erol, A.O. & Sultan, S. Settlement predictions in complex sabkha soil profiles. Bulletin of the International Association of Engineering Geology 36, 11–21 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02600934

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