Bearing Capacity of Unsaturated Oil-Contaminated Sand

Abstract

Onshore and offshore oil spills contaminate soil. In addition to environmental concerns about ground water pollution and other possible effects, the geotechnical properties of the contaminated soil such as the shear strength and the hydraulic conductivity are also altered. This paper presents the results of research to evaluate the variation of the shear strength of a sand contaminated by three different types of oil with varying kinematic viscosities and thus the ultimate bearing capacity of shallow foundations. The results of the tests reported here relate to only one type of sand and three types of oil. The oil contents were varied from zero to 6%. Results of direct shear tests for determining the soil friction angles are given. Additionally, laboratory model test results to determine the ultimate bearing capacity of a surface strip foundation supported by oilcontaminated sand are also presented. Based on these test results, the effect of oil contamination in drastically reducing the bearing capacity is discussed.