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Comparative Study on Strength Characteristics of Carbonate Rocks from Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE)  
 

Authors

Hasan Arman, AbdulAziz Khalid Khalifa Alazzani, Mansoor Saleh Ayedh Al Harthi, Ahmed Qayed Mosaad Alharbi, Mulham Abdalla Al Mansour, Safwan Paramban  

 

DOI

Abstract

Rock strength determination either in-situ or laboratory requires time consuming processes on rock sampling, sample preparation and testing. Various testing methods such as uniaxial compressive strength (UCS), point load index PLI (Is(50)), indirect tensile strength (ITS), and Schmidt hammer (either on core, SHVC or rock block samples, SVHRB) tests are commonly used to measure rock strength in laboratory. In this study, sixty rock blocks, which have approximately 30x30x30 cm size and represent different type of carbonate rocks were collected from three different locations of the Al Ain city, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE). After a quality inspection of rock blocks – free of any visibly discontinuities, fractures, filling material, etc., only selected forty-three rock blocks were used for Schmidt hammer tests on rock blocks (SHVRB). Then, the NX size (54 mm) core samples from the same rock blocks were drilled, trimmed, measured, and different strength tests of the UCS, PLI (Is(50)), and ITS were carried out on core samples according the suggested ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials). The various relations between the mean UCS and the mean of the other measured strength values were estimated with representative empirical equations. The results indicated that variable correlations, strong to very week, between the rock strength parameters with specific determination of coefficient (R2) values. The best correlation was between the mean UCS vs the mean PLI (Is(50)) (R2 = 0.70) and the mean PLI (Is(50)) vs the mean ITS (R2 = 0.62). The provided various rock strength parameters may be specific within the arid environment of the investigated carbonate rocks. However, the results may still be useful as comparative guidelines for decision makers and engineers for different engineering applications in the region and regions of other carbonate rocks.

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