• Journal of the Korean Geosynthetics Society
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.103-111
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• 2017

Saudi Arabia coastal area is highly valuable construction as a flat area covered by sabkha deposit. However, sabkha deposit has some geotechnical problems because of high groundwater level, high salt contents in groundwater, loose density, and possibility of collapsible settlement due to presence of crystals vulnerable to moisture, and ground improvement is needed to improve the bearing capacity. In this study, the characteristics of the sabkha soils in the coastal area of Saudi Arabia were analyzed and the applicability of dynamic compaction method was evaluated. Parametric study was conducted to analyze the behavior of sabkha deposit during dynamic compaction. The appropriateness of the proposed analytical solutions to estimate the depth of improvement was evaluated, and the troubles and notes in applying dynamic compaction in sabkha deposit were discussed.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.247-256
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• 2013

The carbonate sands of the Sabkha layer in the Middle East have very low shear strength. Therefore, instant settlement and time-dependent secondary settlement occur when inner voids are exposed, as in the case of particle crushing. We analyzed settlement of the Sabkha layer under a large-scale foundation by hydrotesting, and compared the field test results with the results of laboratory tests. With ongoing particle crushing, we observed the following stress-strain behaviors: strain-hardening (Sabkha GL-1.5 m), strain-perfect (Sabkha GL-7.0 m), and strain-softening (Sabkha GL-7.5 m). General shear failure occurred most frequently in dense sand and firm ground. Although the stress-strain behavior of Sabkha layer carbonate sand that of strain-softening, the particle crushing strength was low compared with the strain-hardening and strain-perfect behaviors. The stress-strain behaviors differ between carbonate sand and quartz sand. If the relative density of quartz sand is increased, the shear strength is also increased. Continuous secondary compression settlement occurred during the hydrotests, after the dissipation of porewater pressure. Particle crushing strength is relatively low in the Sabkha layer and its stress-strain behavior is strain-softening or strain-perfect. The particle crushing effect is dominant factor affecting foundation settlement in the Sabkha layer.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.14 no.9
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• pp.57-65
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• 2013

Carbonate sands can be crushed under low confining pressure to achieve high compressibility. So particle crushing has significant influence on characteristics of strength and deformation. Trial embankment and hydrotest are conducted on Sabkha layer, consisting of carbonate sand to build tank structure. In this paper the settlement behavior was analyzed from each test. Particle crushing happened from 80 to 170kPa stress under compression test, and calcium was detected from chemical test. The test result came out Sabkha soil was very weak and easy to be crushing. About trial embankment test, particle crushing was not happen, and then extinction of pore water pressure and settlements were finished just during 2 days. On the other hand, the long-term settlement was happened in hydrotest. So the two test results did not correspond to each other. If loading stress is higher than yielding stress, instant settlement and secondary compression settlement are happened as a result of the particle crushing.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.29 no.11
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• pp.61-72
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• 2013

The consolidation tests are conducted to investigate the soil particle crushing stress for understanding the secondary compression characteristics of carbonate sandy sabkha soil caused by particle crushing under a high confining stress. The rate of secondary crushing compression ($C_{{\alpha}{\epsilon}}{^*}$) is introduced instead of the rate of secondary compression to define the characteristic of the particle crushing compression settlement ($S_s{^*}$). Void ratio ($e_p{^*}$) and settlement ($H_p{^*}$) in particle crushing are used as a reference point of secondary behavior, and the ratio of primary compression index ($C_c$) to secondary crushing compression ($C_{{\alpha}{\epsilon}}{^*}$), $C_{{\alpha}{\epsilon}}{^*}/C_c$ value was changed from 0.0105 to 0.0187. When comparing with quartz sands, secondary compression settlement of sabkha is very large due to particle crushing which is not usually observed in quartz sand. It is observed that as the depth of sabkha layer becomes deep, the $S_s{^*}$ and $C_{{\alpha}{\epsilon}}{^*}$ increase under the same stress level.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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• 2009.09a
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• pp.1214-1223
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• 2009

In this study, a composite behavior of stone columns reinforced in soft ground, Sabkha, have been evaluated by a series of field measurements and numerical analysis. Field loading tests were performed to verify the effect of the composite ground reinforced by stone columns in Kayan, Saudi. The settlement measured in the field test was compared with the settlement calculated by the Priebe method and the numerical analysis using ABAQUS. It is found that the settlement estimated using the Priebe method significantly overestimated the settlement measured in the field test. In addition, it is confirmed that consideration of confinement effect exerted by surrounding stone columns in a numerical simulation is indispensable to estimate the settlement of composite ground.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.53-63
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• 2011

In this study, a composite behavior of stone columns reinforced in a soft ground, Sabkha, has been evaluated by performing a series of field measurements and numerical analyses. Field load tests were performed to verify the effect of the composite ground reinforced by stone columns in Kayan, Saudi. The settlement measured in the field test was compared with the settlement calculated by the Priebe method and the numerical analysis using ABAQUS. It is found that the settlement estimated using the Priebe method significantly overestimated the settlement measured in the field test. In addition, it is confirmed that consideration of confining effect exerted by surrounding adjacent stone columns in a numerical simulation is indispensable to estimate accurately the settlement of stone column composite ground.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.19-32
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• 2014

Carbonate sand of Sabkha layer in the middle east was made of deposition of shell fragments and it consisted of porous particles containing inner void. Generally, at yield stress the soil structure begins to break down, so the porewater pressure and the settlement are increased rapidly. In carbonate sand, unlike quartz sand if particle crushing happens, the inner voids are exposed and porewater pressure can be decreased under yield stress. Porewater pressure can be determined as the sum of excess porewater pressure due to increase of relative density, inner void expose of particle under particle crushing stress and rearrangement of crushed particle fragments. The porewater pressure can be negative value in case of greater amount of inner void expose, so if particle crushing is bigger, the porewater pressure value is smaller. The negative value zone of porewater pressure from triaxial test result means particle crushing effect is bigger than outer void decrease effect and the particle crushing effect dominant zone size was 1.50∼3.46% from triaxial test result of Sabkha layer.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.29 no.11
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• pp.49-60
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• 2013

The plan for major design-build projects of railway link among countries in gulf area (GCC) and freight rail construction is recently announced, but Korean companies have a hard time tendering due to special geotechnical condition in the Middle East. The major geotechnical risks during railway construction in the Middle East are related to ground improvement of soft Sabkha ground, wind-blown sand mitigation measure, dune sand compaction, and construction of large-scale cut and embankment. In this study, the characteristics of special geotechnical condition and potential geotechnical risks during railway construction in the Middle East are discussed on the basis of field observation, literature review, and field and laboratory test results.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.23-38
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• 2014

The composition of carbonate sands from a sabkha at Ruwais in the UAE differs from that of silica sand, and these sands are crushed easily under low compression pressures. Accordingly, particle crushing of carbonate sand occurs under high pressure, which results in additional settlement and reduces the shear strength. In this study, consolidation and triaxial tests were conducted to analyze the characteristics of carbonate sands following particle crushing. The unusual shear strength graphs of the carbonate sands result from the degree of particle pre-crushing. For the range at p' > p in the p (p')-q diagram, negative (-) excess porewater pressures occur if the axial pressure causes particle crushing that induces exposure of the inner voids. In addition, the q value decreased after particle crushing. In conclusion, the unusual characteristics of the carbonate sands were induced by particle crushing. The triaxial tests revealed that the degree of particle pre-crushing influenced the excess porewater pressure.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.2-10
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• 1991

Some geotechnical considerations might be suggested to the construction performance from the school and the housing projects in Tripoli sub-region, Libya. The subsurface informations were compiled from the site investigation reports, for which more than 700 borings and lots of laboratory test had been conducted from 1984 to 1986. Most subsurface of 10 meter depth in the Jafara plain consists of medium dense silty sand. Some ground in the plain have poor top soil with interbedded calcarenite or limestone. The shallow subsurface is found to be very poor soil in the southern mountain range. Weak soil is hardly found except in the sabkha area. In general, natural silty sand layer may have a presumed bearing capacity of more than 150kN/$m^2$, where spread or strip footing is applied. Proper fine aggregate and natural coarse one are restricted in Tripoli sub-region. Coarse aggregate is generally supplied from the dolomite quarry.