Assessment of Geotechnical Properties of Oil Contaminated Subgrade Soil: Review

Abstract

Contamination of soil with hydrocarbon has been of concern for geotechnical engineers in relation to the stability and serviceability of erected infrastructures, and this has made many researchers to examine its implications experimentally. This paper therefore examines, by way of review, the findings of various researches on this topic with the view of establishing general conclusions and postulating further research gaps. Hydrocarbon contamination has detrimental implications on the geotechnical properties of the soil from consistencies, strength and microstructural perspectives, and soil contaminated with more than 12% hydrocarbon content is completely saturated and its behavior depends on the degree of the hydrocarbon content and the nature of the soil. Unlike intact soil, the strength of contaminated soil cannot be directly attributed to its density since it can be affected by the nature of its clay minerals. Single type of petroleum is commonly used on the different type of soil for simulation of petroleum-contaminated soil; therefore, evaluation of the effect of different petroleum products on soil from the same origin and morphological properties is of importance. Studying the effect of long-term exposure of soil to petroleum contaminants is also pertinent since adverse effect on the geotechnical properties of soil are mostly assessed within 30 days of contamination. Although there is usual improvement in the consolidation characteristics, the strength properties are detrimentally affected irrespective of the extent of the period of contamination. It is therefore pertinent to explore various practical means to find a viable method to geotechnically remediate it for reuse.

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