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Performance of Foundations in Sabkha Soil: Numerical Investigation

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Abstract

Sabkha or salt flat soil is one of the most unpredictable and potentially dangerous soils in the Middle East. This soil covers a large and strategically important area of the Arabian Gulf coast, as it contains the world biggest oil reserve and a number of petrochemical plants are either have been built or are scheduled to be built in this area. The performance of shallow and deep foundations in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia’s sabkha soil is investigated numerically using the finite element method. The parameters used to simulate this soil in the numerical models were based on a large number of laboratory tests to determine the shear strength and stiffness parameters of the sabkha soil. In addition, the characteristics of the interface between the foundation and soil used in the numerical model were established from shear box tests that were conducted to evaluate the concrete-sabkha soil interface properties. The developed numerical model was calibrated/verified using the results of full-scale pile load testing program from an ongoing project to further enhance the accuracy of the results. A parametric study was then conducted using the verified model to establish the performance characteristics of foundations constructed in sabkha soil and provide guidelines for their design.

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Acknowledgments

The authors gratefully acknowledge the support and generosity of King Saud University- Department of Civil Engineering for supporting this research and allowing for the use of the soil lab at the university during the testing program for sabkha soil.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, N6A 5B9, Canada

    Ahmed M. Alnuaim & M. H. El Naggar

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

    Ahmed M. Alnuaim

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  1. Ahmed M. Alnuaim
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  2. M. H. El Naggar
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Correspondence to Ahmed M. Alnuaim.

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Alnuaim, A.M., El Naggar, M.H. Performance of Foundations in Sabkha Soil: Numerical Investigation. Geotech Geol Eng 32, 637–656 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10706-014-9739-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10706-014-9739-6

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