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Correlation between the Bearing Capacity of Crude Oil Contaminated Soil of Mgbede and the Percentage Contamination



Author(s)

Iloeje Amechi Francis

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DOI:10.17265/1934-7359/2013.12.013

Department of Architecture, Enugu State University of Science and Technology, Enugu 400261, Nigeria

This study was conducted in Mgbede, River State, Nigeria, hosting up to, or even more than 100 oil wells. It examined the relationship between the bearing capacity of crude oil contaminated soil and the percentage contamination. Four uncontaminated soil samples were randomly collected at 1.5 m depth within the oil field with hand auger and analyzed for the load bearing properties limited to cohesion, angle of internal friction and bulk density. With these parameters, the bearing capacity was determined for each sample. Crude oil, collected from one of the oil wells with viscosity 0.02611 poises at 40^.oC and specific gravity 0.8227 g/cm³, was used as the contaminant. This was mixed with the soil sample at 5%, 10%, 15% and 20% concentrations. The mean values of the bearing capacity were 582.458 KN/m², 495.35 KN/m² for square and strip footings respectively at 0% contamination, 240.735 KN/m² and 204.753 KN/m² at 5%, 321.683 KN/m² and 274.593 KN/m² at 10%, 127.003 KN/m² and 109.12 KN/m² at 15%, 105.28 KN/m² and 90.758 KN/m² at 20% for square and strip footings, respectively. The results showed a consistent decrease in the load bearing values as the crude oil content increased. The result of the null hypothesis established a strong and significant relationship between the bearing capacity of crude oil contaminated soil and the percentage contamination.

Bearing capacity, contaminated soil, crude oil, percentage contamination.