Journal of Applied Mathematics and Physics, 2014, 2, 296-303
Published Online May 2014 in SciRes. http://www.scirp.org/journal/jamp
http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/jamp.2014.26035
How to cite this paper: Salah, H., Omar, M. and Shanableh, A. (2014) Estimating Unconfined Compressive Strength of Se-
dimentary Rocks in United Arab Emirates from Point Load Strength Index. Journal of Applied Mathematics and Physics, 2,
296-303. http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/jamp.2014.26035
Estimating Unconfined Compressive
Strength of Sedimentary Rocks in United
Arab Emirates from Point Load Strength
Index
Hussain Salah, Maher Omar, Abdallah Shanableh
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, UAE
Email: hqasem@sharjah.ac.ae, momar@sharjah.ac.ae, shanableh@sharjah.ac.ae
Received February 2014
Abstract
In this paper, three rock types including Sandstone, Mudstone, and Crystalline Gypsum were part
of a laboratory study conducted to develop a dataset for predicting the unconfined compressive
strength of UAE intact sedimentary rock specimens. Four hundred nineteen rock samples from
various areas along the coastal region of the UAE were collected and tested for the development of
this dataset and evaluation of models. From the statistical analysis of the data, regression equa-
tions were established among rock parameters and correlations were expressed and compared by
the ones proposed in literature.
Keywords
Sedimentary Rocks, United Arab Emirates, Unconfined Compressive Strength, Point Load Strength
Index, Regression Analysis
1. Introduction
A closer look at the development projects and construction boom that occurred in the last decade in the United
Arab Emirates (UAE) gives thoughtful considerations about the construction of such major projects. In every
construction project, geotechnical investigations are carried out to determine how the components of the project
that interact with the soil and rock should proceed. Geotechnical investigations vary in complexity and prices;
some of them require days of sophisticated work, complex procedures to be followed and fortunes of money to
be spent. Therefore, geotechnical engineers thought about devising easier, less sophisticated and cheaper ways
to estimate results of some important geotechnical parameters. Estimation of such parameters is also needed to
overcome sampling and handling problems. Estimation of parameters is typically done through generating em-
pirical correlations that simplify estimation of the values of parameters with considerations to safety and effi-
ciency.
One of the most important rock parameters is the unconfined compressive strength (UCS). It is used widely in