PROPERTIES OF ARTIFICIALLY CEMENTED CARBONATE SAND

Naturally cemented materials often have inherent variabilities in dens ity and degree of cementation. The influence of this variability on th e properties of cemented materials is investigated by producing artifi cially cemented specimens at dry unit weights ranging from 12 to 19 KN /m(3) and gypsum cement contents ranging from 0% to 20%. Tests have be en performed to investigate the index strengths, the behavior in isotr opic and K-0, compression, and the responses from standard triaxial co mpression tests over a wide range of confining pressures. The index pr operties, and the compression and stiffness parameters of the cemented sands are presented, with particular attention given-to the influence s of density and degree of cementation. For the artificial soil, the e ffects of the bonding are only significant for stresses below an appar ent preconsolidation stress. The strength and stiffness increase with increasing density and cement content, but the influence of the cement ation decreases as the density increases.