A REVIEW OF THE GEOTECHNICAL AND CONSTRUCTION PROBLEMS IN SABKHA ENVIRONMENTS AND METHODS OF TREATMENT

Sabkha constitutes one of a variety of saline soils that are well-dist ributed in the Middle East and around the globe. Numerous factors play different roles in the genesis of the sabkha system and therefore cha racterize the extent of sabkha both horizontally and vertically. The v ariability of their geotechnical properties and the presence of highly concentrated brines are the distinguishing features of sabkha soils. These characteristics render sabkha a typical ''salt-full'' and ''wate r-sensitive'' environment, and pose several unresolved problems for th e construction industry in general and for geotechnical engineers in p articular. These problems are further accentuated by the fact that sab kha is not a ''normal'' soil and therefore previous experience with ot her soils cannot directly be duplicated. Written from an engineering p erspective, this paper presents a state-of-the-art report on sabkha so il with regard to: its geotechnical problems as a soil and as a constr uction material, the problems associated with substructures embedded i n sabkha environments, and the preventive measures to overcome these p roblems.