THE EFFECT OF TEMPERATURE ON THE ENGINEERING PROPERTIES OF OIL-CONTAMINATED SANDS

The utilization of oil-contaminated soils in construction necessitates the determination of their engineering properties. This investigation was undertaken to evaluate the effect of temperature on the strength, permeability, and compressibility of an oil-contaminated sand obtaine d from eastern Saudi Arabia. The sand was artificially contaminated wi th different grades and percentages of crude oil. The compaction and C alifornia Bearing Ratio (CBR) characteristics of the resulting mixes w ere evaluated. Samples were prepared at different densities and permea bility, and conventional triaxial and oedometer tests were performed a t different temperatures. The oedometer and triaxial setups have bl:en modified to enable testing at controlled different temperatures. Test results show that the modified permeameter/oedometer and triaxial set ups gave reliable and consistent results. In addition, the experimenta l results clearly show the effect of moisture content and testing temp erature on the engineering properties of oil-contaminated sands. This paper will present the experimental procedure and test results related to the compaction characteristics, CBR, triaxial testing, and compres sibility of the oil-contaminated sand. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd.