Geological and Geotechnical Assessment of Gabal Ataqa Dolostones, for Pavement Construction in Egypt

Authors

  • Omar A. Hegab Faculty of Science, Mansura University, P.O.B. 35516, Mansura, Egypt
  • Sherif M. El- Badawy Public Works Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Mansura University, P.O.B. 35516, Mansura, Egypt
  • Emad Y. Hashish Quality Control Sector, Societe Egyptienne D, Entreprises (Mukhtar Ibrahim), P.O.B.2263, Cairo, Egypt

Keywords:

Gabal Ataqa, Dolostone, Aggregates, Mineralogical, chemical, Petrographic Geotechnical.

Abstract

Aggregate is a collective term for the mineral materials such as sand, gravel and crushed stone. By weight, aggregate generally occupies about 92-96 percent of the hot mix asphalt (HMA), and about 79-85 percent of the Portland cement concrete (PCC). Aggregate is also used for Base and Sub-base courses for both flexible and rigid pavements. This research aims to investigate the geological and geotechnical properties of Gabal Ataqa dolostone for pavement construction projects in Egypt. A total of six dolomite microfacies were recognized and classified according to the dolomite rock classification. The X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) analysis showed that Ataqa dolostones consist mainly of dolomite (89.79%) and calcite (7.74%), while quartz (2.3 %) and halite (0.18 %) were found in small amounts in some samples. Generally Ataqa dolostone is around stoichiometric (50.96%), and may belong to dolomite of late diagentic coarse crystalline dolomite. The chemical investigation showed that the major elements of the investigated dolostone rocks are SiO2 (1.72 %); CaO (32.03%), MgO (19.18%), Fe2O3 (0.22 %), Na2O (0.11%), and Al2O3 (0.05%) while the loss on ignition is about (46.19 %.). The trace elements consist of strontium (116 ppm), barium (14.0 ppm); and very low amount of zirconium (3 ppm). Petrographic, chemical, mineralogical, and compressive strength of Ataqa dolostone rocks beside, geotechnical properties of the produced coarse aggregates were investigated. Los Angeles abrasion, apparent specific gravity, water absorption, disintegration, and stripping were evaluated. The results of the conducted testing indicate that Ataqa dolostone rocks are suitable for road construction and concrete industry. 

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Published

2017-10-14

How to Cite

A. Hegab, O., M. El- Badawy, S., & Y. Hashish, E. (2017). Geological and Geotechnical Assessment of Gabal Ataqa Dolostones, for Pavement Construction in Egypt. International Journal of Sciences: Basic and Applied Research (IJSBAR), 36(4), 56–73. Retrieved from https://www.gssrr.org/index.php/JournalOfBasicAndApplied/article/view/8213

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Vol. 36 No. 4 (2017)

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