Mechanical properties of a carbonate sand from a dredged hydraulic fill

Abstract

This paper focuses on the properties of a crushable, uncemented, carbonate sand, retrieved from an artificial island to be used for petroleum production offshore of the United Arab Emirates. The sand was dredged from an offshore borrow area, placed hydraulically within engineered bunds to create the island and densified by vibroflotation. The results of a comprehensive laboratory testing programme are summarised in this paper, providing a set of mechanical properties for carbonate sand. The laboratory programme included static, cyclic and dynamic tests, the results of which are interpreted in a critical state soil mechanics framework, including stress dilatancy. The results of this testing programme contribute to on-going research on the behaviour of carbonate sands under static and cyclic loading conditions. The results are also compared with selected data for other carbonate and siliceous sands, and highlight the behaviour of crushable, carbonate sands used as hydraulic fills.