Geoengineering Properties of calcareous and Quartzite sand collected from West Alexandria coastal line and Abo Rawash Quarry area.

Abstract

This article represents a comparative study between the calcareous sand which covering the Mediterranean coastal line and quartizitic sand from Abo Rawash quarry area. The geological and geotechnical characteristics of calcareous and quartizitic sand materials have been studied. The laboratory tests are including physical, chemical mechanical properties. The mechanical properties include direct shear test, compaction parameters (by modified proctor and California Bearing Ratio) and unconfined compressive strength of sand cement mortar cubes. The chemical analyses include Insoluble residue, CL and SO3 percentages. The tested samples grain size gradation revealed that the both samples of calcareous sand and quartizitic sand are classified as poorly graded sand (Sp). The coastal line calcareous sand samples have 99% of carbonate materials content and Abo Rawash quartz sand has only 2% of carbonate materials. The calcareous sand has a peak friction angle of about 28ᵒ to 32.6ᵒ and cohesion 0.06 kg/cm2 while the quartizitic sand has a peak friction angle about 38ᵒ and cohesion 0.08kg/cm2. The average values of the CBR of calcareous sand samples and quartizitic sand, compacted at optimum moisture content are 5.88 and 17.35%, respectively Key Words: calcareous sand, quartzite sand, Petrographic description and shear -compaction parameters 1 - INTRODUCTION Long strip of thick calcareous sand covering the Mediterranean coastal line between Alexandria and Alamine cities. The encountered calcareous sand is derived from the oolitic limestone ridges of Quaternary age. These ridges nearly parallel to the coastal line and recorded in some researches as 4 ridges ( El- Asmar, 2000).The thick deposits of calcareous sand as well as the parent bedrock of oolitic limestone represent the main foundation bedrock of coastal line resort villages .representative samples have been collected from this calcareous sand strip through open pit of 2m depth. The first group (sample 1) collected 500 m south of the coastal line and the second group (sample 2) collected from the beach. The collected samples geographic location is This article represents a comparative study between the calcareous sand which covering the Mediterranean coastal line and quartizitic sand from Abo Rawash quarry area. The geological and geotechnical characteristics of calcareous and quartizitic sand materials have been studied. The laboratory tests are including physical, chemical mechanical properties. The mechanical properties include direct shear test, compaction parameters (by modified proctor and California Bearing Ratio) and unconfined compressive strength of sand cement mortar cubes. The chemical analyses include Insoluble residue, CL and SO3 percentages. The tested samples grain size gradation revealed that the both samples of calcareous sand and quartizitic sand are classified as poorly graded sand (Sp). The coastal line calcareous sand samples have 99% of carbonate materials content and Abo Rawash quartz sand has only 2% of carbonate materials. The calcareous sand has a peak friction angle of about 28ᵒ to 32.6ᵒ and cohesion 0.06 kg/cm2 while the quartizitic sand has a peak friction angle about 38ᵒ and cohesion 0.08kg/cm2. The average values of the CBR of calcareous sand samples and quartizitic sand, compacted at optimum moisture content are 5.88 and 17.35%, respectively