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The use of point load test for Dubai weak calcareous sandstones

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DOI: 10.1016/j.jrmge.2015.06.003

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The use of point load test for Dubai weak calcareous sandstones

Amr Farouk Elhakim

PII: S1674-7755(15)00070-0
DOI: 10.1016/j.jrmge.2015.06.003
Reference: JRMGE 173

To appear in: Journal of Rock Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering

Received Date: 15 December 2014

Revised Date: 9 April 2015
Accepted Date: 5 June 2015

Please cite this article as: Elhakim AF, The use of point load test for Dubai weak calcareous sandstones,
Journal of Rock Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (2015), doi: 10.1016/j.jrmge.2015.06.003.

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 ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT

The use of point load test for Dubai weak calcareous sandstones
Amr Farouk Elhakim

Department of Public Works, Faculty of Engineering, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt

Received 15 December 2014; received in revised form 9 April 2015; accepted 5 June 2015

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Abstract: Intact rock is typically described according to its uniaxial compressive strength (UCS). The UCS is needed in the design of geotechnical engineering problems
including stability of rock slopes and design of shallow and deep foundations resting on and/or in rocks. Accordingly, a correct measurement/evaluation of the UCS is essential to
a safe and economic design. Typically, the UCS is measured using the unconfined compression tests performed on cylindrical intact specimens with a minimum length to width
ratio of 2. In several cases, especially for weak and very weak rocks, it is not possible to extract intact specimens with the needed minimum dimensions. Thus, alternative tests

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(e.g. point load test, Schmidt hammer) are used to measure rock strength. The UCS is computed based on the results of these tests through empirical correlations. The literature
includes a plethora of these correlations that vary widely in estimating rock strength. Thus, it is paramount to validate these correlations to check their suitability for estimating
rock strength for a specific location and geology. A review of the available correlations used to estimate the UCS from the point load test results is performed and summarized
herein. Results of UCS, point load strength index and Young’s modulus are gathered for calcareous sandstone specimens extracted from the Dubai area. A correlation for

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estimating the UCS from the point load strength index is proposed. Furthermore, the Young’s modulus is correlated to the UCS.
Keywords: point load test; uniaxial compressive strength (UCS); rock characteristic elastic modulus; Dubai calcareous sandstone; calcarenite

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not always be possible to obtain specimens having a 50 mm in diameter
1. Introduction (Brook, 1980). Therefore, it is common to perform the test on specimens
of different sizes and determine the point load strength index Is. The size
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The uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) of rock is the most is corrected to obtain the value of Is which would have been measured by
commonly used parameter in the characterization of intact rock. It is a diametrical test with D=50 mm and is given the symbol Is50 (ASTM,
needed for different applications including the design of foundations 2008b). Several correction schemes for size have been developed over
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resting on and/or in rocks and the stability of rock slopes. The UCS is
typically determined from the axial loading of unconfined intact rock
specimens. The uniaxial compression test should be performed on
cylindrical specimens with a length to width ratio of 2–2.5. The standard
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the years since the beginning of the point load test (e.g. Broch and
Franklin, 1972; Brook, 1985; Thuro and Plinninger, 2001; ASTM,
2008b). The specimen size correction proposed by ASTM (2008b) is
implemented in this paper.

specimen height should range between 100 mm and 300 mm. The
specimen ends perpendicular to the cylinder axis should be flat, smooth 3. Geology of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates
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and parallel as per ASTM (2008a). Alternatively, the UCS may be

estimated using the point load test, which is conducted on specimens in The near-surface geology of the United Arab Emirates can be divided
the form of cores, blocks or irregular pieces with a diameter of 30 mm into two groups: lower formation or ‘Solid Geology’ and upper formation
and 85 mm, respectively (ASTM, 2008b). The point load test is or ‘Superficial Geology’. The Superficial Geology comprises beach dune
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especially useful when core specimens cannot be extracted from fractured
or weathered rock masses. Furthermore, the point load test is simpler and
more economical compared to the UCS test.
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sands, marine sands and silts. The Solid Geology is composed of
alternating beds of calcarenite/ calcareous sandstone with some carbonate
sand bands, gypsiferous sandstone with cemented sand layers, and
calcisiltite and siltstone, from the top down (Beau et al., 2008). A

2. The point load test geological map of the general location under investigation is presented in
Fig. 1, which shows the expected stratigraphy of the coastal areas of
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The point load test gradually applies a concentrated compressive force
using conical platens on the rock specimen until it fails by splitting. The
loading system consists of a loading frame, a hydraulic jack, and a
pressure gauge. The test can be conducted in the field or in the laboratory.
The failure load is recorded and used to calculate the point load strength
index Is, according to the following equation (ASTM, 2008b):
I s = Pult / De2
where Pult is the failure load (N), and De is the equivalent core diameter
(mm).
It has been found that the point load strength index depends on the
specimen size (Thuro and Plinninger, 2001). According to ASTM
(2008b), the standard specimen diameter D is 50 mm. However, it may
Corresponding author. Tel: +20 1111921320; E-mail: aelhakim@hotmail.com
Dubai (Alsharhan and Kendall, 2003). It consists of Quaternary marine,
aeolian, sabkha and fluvial deposits that lie on the top of aeolianite and
marine calcarenite (Ghayathi formation) which overlay the Barzman
formation that is comprised of fluvial sediments characterized by poorly
sorted conglomerates (Macklin et al., 2012). The rocks considered in this
study belong to the Ghayathi formation described as marine calcarenite.
(1)
4. Mechanical and chemical characteristics of Dubai calcareous
sandstone
Boreholes were drilled at a number of sites at Dubai in the United Arab
Emirates. Rock samples were extracted using a double tube core barrel
headed with diamond bit, producing a nominal core diameter of 76 mm.
The boreholes extended into the rock at a depth of approximately 8 m
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(approximately −13 to −21 DMD (Dubai Municipality Datum)).
Chemical testing of 21 specimens shows that the calcium carbonate
(CaCO3) contents vary between 50.62% and 93.57% with an average of
71.32%.
According to ARGEMA classification of carbonate formations shown
in Table 1 (Le Tirant and Nauroy, 1994), cemented formations with
carbonate contents higher than 30% are defined as soft to hard carbonate
rock. For geomaterials with calcium carbonate contents lower than 30%,
the material performs as a silicate. Accordingly, it is warranted to
describe such materials as “carbonate rock” (Le Tirant and Nauroy, 1994).
The unconfined compressive strength is generally considered as the
define the stress-strain response up to failure to determine the
deformation characteristics of intact rock specimens in addition to its
UCS (ASTM, 2002b). The test is conducted by applying an axial load to
the specimen and recording the corresponding deformation. Young’s
modulus (either secant or tangent) can be determined by plotting the
stress-strain curves. In this study, the elastic modulus of the intact rock
specimens is computed as the tangent value at 50% of the unconfined
compressive strength and is known as the characteristic elastic modulus
(ER50). The measured values of the characteristic elastic modulus (ER50)
vary between 34.4 MPa and 1911.5 MPa with an average of 372 MPa,
which are within the typical values reported for sedimentary rocks

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reference value for the compressive strength which is typically measured according to AASHTO (2012).
using uninstrumented uniaxial compression tests (ASTM, 2002a). The For the tested specimens, the Poisson’s ratio ranged between 0.22 and
recorded values of the unconfined compressive strengths varied between 0.365 with an average of 0.297. These values lie within the typical range

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0.13 MPa and 15.75 MPa. Thus, the tested rock specimens were of 0.1 0.46, with a mean of 0.29 proposed by Carmichael (1982) and
classified as weak to very weak ones according to Mayne et al. (2001). Mayne et al. (2001).
Alternatively, instrumented uniaxial compression tests may be used to

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Area under study

Fig. 1. Geological map of the United Arab Emirates showing the area under study (Alsharhan and Kendall, 2003).

Table 1. ARGEMA classification of carbonate formations (Le Tirant and Nauroy, 1994).
Designation of materials Grain size Carbonate content Cementation

Fine carbonate sediments (muds and fine silts) From 1 µm to 2 µm Greater than 10% Uncemented or weakly cemented
Uncemented or weakly cemented
From a few ten microns to
Carbonate sands Greater than 30%
a few millimeters or irregularly cemented

Cemented carbonate formations All grain sizes Greater than 30% Soft to hard rock
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5. Existing correlations between the point load strength index and
UCS of rock
A plethora of correlations for estimating the UCS using the point load
strength index Is50 have been developed over time. A selected summary of
the available UCS–point load strength index correlations is presented in
Table 2. More details about these relationships are given in
corresponding references. One of the earliest and most widely used
correlations was proposed by Broch and Franklin (1972) and Bieniawski
(1975), based on tests performed on different rock types. Since then,
several other correlations were formulated either for different types of
with zero intercept, qu=kIs50 (e.g. Broch and Franklin, 1972; Bieniawski,
1975; Beake and Suttcliffe, 1980; Puech et al., 1988). The value of the
constant k varies between 3.1 and 25. This means that using the
inappropriate equation may result in overestimating the UCS by
approximately 800%. Other equations used to express the correlation
between Is50 and the UCS also include linear with non-zero intercept (e.g.
Kim et al., 2004; Cha et al., 2007), power (e.g. Tsiambaos and
Sabatakakis, 2004; Min and Moon, 2006; Salah et al., 2014), and
exponential equations (e.g. Salah et al., 2014). The estimated UCSs using
these correlations result in values with large variability. Thus, it is highly
recommended to develop correlations to be used for specific rock types

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rocks or for local formations. Most of the developed equations are linear and local geologies.

Table 2. Correlations between the point load strength index Is and the UCS.
Rock type Correlation Reference Rock Type Correlation Reference

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Broch and Franklin (1972), qu = 16.656Is50 + 21.7 for qu =
Hard strong rock qu = 24Is50 Gneiss Cha et al. (2007)
Bieniawski (1975) 29 209.3 MPa
Calcarenites of the Arabian-
qu = 12.2Is50 Beake and Suttcliffe (1980) All rock types qu = 24Is50 ASTM (2008b)
Persian Gulf
Calcarenites of the Arabian- Limestone of Imgye area,

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qu = 3.1Is50 Puech et al. (1988) qu = 26Is50 Kim et al. (2012)
Persian Gulf Korea
Egyptian Code for Soil
Mechanics, Design, and qu = 22.8Is50
All rock types qu = 25Is50 Quartzite
Construction for qu = 32.5–98.9 MPa

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of Foundations (2001)
qu = 21.431Is50 qu = 21.9Is50
Mudstones Kahraman (2001) Sandstone
for qu = 2–115 MPa for qu=17.6–56.4 MPa
Singh et al. (2012)
Innsbruck quartz phyllite qu=14.4Is50
qu = 19.9Is50 Shale
(perpendicular to foliation) for qu= 9.9–18.8 MPa
Thuro and Plinninger (2001)
qu = 14.4Is50
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All rock types qu = 18.7Is50 Gabbro
for qu = 17.3–137 MPa
qu = 22Is50 + 49 qu = 22.3Is50
Tuffs Kim et al. (2004) Limestone
for qu = 80.4–208 MPa for qu = 86.9–129.8 MPa
Limestones, marlstones and 1.71 Meta-siltstone and meta-
q u = 7.3I s50 qu = (20–21)Is50 Li and Wong (2013)
sandstones Tsiambaos and Sabatakakis sandstone
Limestones, marlstones and (2004)
qu = 23Is50 All rock types qu = 9.459Is50
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sandstones
1.71 Salah et al. (2014)
q u = 7.3I s50 for Is50 > 3.5 MPa 0.75
Sedimentary rocks Min and Moon (2006) All rock types q u = 9.459 I s50
and qu = 2.1–254 MPa
Dandot sandstone, Sakkessar
qu = 11.076Is50 Akram and Bakar (2007) Very weak rock qu = 5.833sqrt (0.57Is50)
sandstone, marl
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Sandstone, mudstone, and qu = 18.11Is50

Diamantis et al. (2009) Weak rock qu = 5.414exp(0.57Is50)
shale for qu = 23.1–173.9 MPa
Salah et al. (2014)
Conglomerate qu = 5.4Is50 All crystalline gypsum qu = (11.08–11.24)Is50
Sandstone qu = 6.2Is50 All mudstone qu = 6.05 sqrt (Is50)
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Elkateb (2009)
Siltstone qu = 8.6Is50
Very weak sandstone qu = 5.679 sqrt (Is50)
Limestone qu = 6.5Is50

with Eq. (3) is computed to be 38.5%.

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6. Correlation between the UCS and point load strength index for q u = 2.86 ls50 (3)
Dubai calcareous rock Eq. (3) has an important advantage over Eq. (2) which yields a non-
zero value for the UCS at Is50=0, implying that the rock has a quantifiable
The relationship between the point load strength index (Is50) and the strength although the measured strength is zero. The developed
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UCS (qu) for Dubai calcareous sandstone is shown in Fig. 2. As expected, correlation is in close agreement with the equation proposed by Puech et
the UCS increases with the point load strength index (Is50). Linear al. (1988) for calcarenites of the Arabian-Persian Gulf. Considering the
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regression analysis is used to provide mathematical representation of the correlations reported for extremely soft rock (e.g. Puech et al., 1988;
correlation between the point load strength index and the UCS. The best Elkateb, 2009; Salah et al., 2014), a conversion factor (K) of 2.86 6.5 is
fit correlation is represented by Eq. (2). The coefficient of determination suitable for such formations.
(R2) for this equation is 0.65, which indicates a relatively good
relationship. It is also shown that most of the measurements are bounds
by one standard deviation around the regression line. The standard error
(calculated as the ratio of the standard deviation to the mean of the
collected data) was computed as 40.6%.
q u = 2.59 ls50 + 0.21 (2)
Alternatively, Eq. (3) represents a linear relationship between the UCS
and point load strength index with a zero intercept with the results
presented in Fig. 3. This correlation has almost the same coefficient of
determination of 0.64 compared to Eq. (2). The standard error associated
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The relationship between the rock characteristic elastic modulus ER50
and the UCS is investigated using the ratio of rock elastic modulus to the
UCS (modulus ratio), which was first introduced by Deere (1968). The
modulus ratio of the tested samples varied between 81 and 265 with an
average of 140, which lie within the typical values reported by Mayne et
al. (2001). The measured UCSs are plotted versus the characteristic
elastic modulus ER50 as presented in Fig. 4. The data are compared to the
trend lines reported by Deere and Miller (1966) for sedimentary rocks.
This classification describes the rock to be having high modulus ratio,
which is greater than 1:500. For modulus ratios smaller than 1:200, the

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rock is described to be having low modulus ratio. Accordingly, the tested
specimens, generally, have low modulus ratios. Lower values of the
modulus ratio indicate that the rocks can sustain higher deformation
Fig. 2. Correlation between the point load strength index and UCS for Dubai calcareous
before fracturing compared to rock specimens with higher modulus ratios

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sandstone (linear correlation with non-zero intercept).
(Tziallas et al., 2009).

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Fig. 3. Correlation between the point load strength index and UCS for Dubai calcareous
sandstone (linear correlation with zero intercept).
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The relationship suggested by Broch and Franklin (1972) and

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Bieniawski (1975), which is one of the commonly used formulae, Fig. 4. Characteristic elastic modulus versus the UCS of Dubai calcareous sandstone.

overestimates the UCS by approximately 800% when used for such rock A best fit linear equation is used to represent the relationship between
formations. Such a large error is unacceptable and emphasizes the need the rock elastic modulus and UCS, as presented in Fig. 5, yielding the
for developing local correlations to estimate rock strength based on the following relationship:
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point load test results. ER50 =125.7q u (4)

Despite the relatively high scatter evident from the measured data
presented in Figs. 2 and 3, an acceptable correlation is still established
with most of the data lying within one standard deviation from the
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The coefficient of determination (R ) for this equation is 0.96,
indicating a strong correlation between the characteristic elastic modulus

(ER50) and the UCS. Furthermore, the proposed correlation is in close

proposed correlation. Part of the inconsistency may be attributed to the agreement with the lower bound correlation for sedimentary rocks
intrinsic variability in the physical and mechanical properties of rock due proposed by Tziallas et al. (2009), which estimates the rock modulus to
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to its heterogeneous nature as indicated by Idris et al. (2011). The degree be 124 times its UCS.
of natural variation in a specific rock property depends on many factors
such as the type of rock, the degree of weathering, the property
investigated, etc. Kulhawy and Prakoso (2001) stated that there are
substantial depositional variations in calcareous rocks leading to
considerable ranges in rock properties. Their study showed that the
coefficient of variation reaches 39% and 59% for the strengths of
calcareous rocks obtained using uniaxial compression and point load tests,
respectively. Thus, the error in the predicted strengths may be partly
explained by the natural variability in the rock properties.

7. Relationship between the UCS and elastic modulus

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Fig. 5. Correlation between the characteristic elastic modulus and the UCS of Dubai
calcareous sandstone.
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8. Conclusions
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The point load test provides a fast and economic method for evaluating
the UCS of rock specimens. The point load strength index (Is50) is
empirically correlated to the UCS. There is a plethora of correlations for
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estimating the UCS from the point load strength index, as summarized in
Table 1. A review of published literature shows the available correlations
including linear, exponential and power functions. Existing correlations
are typically developed using specific data of certain rock types (e.g.
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Tsiambaos and Sabatakakis, 2004) or regions (e.g. Puech et al., 1988;
Elkateb, 2009). Alternatively, some of the published correlations are
based on data collected from all rock types and/or different regions (e.g.
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Thuro and Plinninger, 2001). The literature review shows that there is a
large degree of variability in estimating the UCS from the point load
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strength index. Based on the data collected in Dubai, Eqs. (2) and (3)
were derived for estimating the UCS of Dubai calcareous sandstone from
the point load strength index. As discussed above, it is shown that the
developed Is50-qu correlation is considered acceptable despite the
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relatively large scatter. It is in close agreement with the equation
proposed by Puech et al. (1988) for calcarenites of the Arabian-Persian
Gulf.
Furthermore, it is also shown that the tangent elastic modulus of the
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intact rock specimens at 50% of the unconfined compressive strength
(ER50) is approximately equal to 125.7qu. Thus the results of the point
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load test are used to estimate the strength and deformation parameters of
intact rock through the proposed empirical relationships. Finally, it is
important to develop site-specific correlations for different rock types
because of the large variation in the published correlations. Using
“generic” correlations could lead to unrealistic evaluations of rock
strength and deformation parameters.
Conflict of interest
The authors wish to confirm that there are no known conflicts of
interest associated with this publication and there has been no significant
financial support for this work that could have influenced its outcome.
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Dr. Amr Farouk Elhakim is an assistant professor at the Faculty of Engineering, Cairo University. In July

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1995, he earned his B.Sc. in Civil Engineering with honors degree. He worked as a teaching / research
assistant in the Soil Mechanics and Foundations Research Laboratory of Cairo University. In the same
year, he enrolled for a Masters program in Geotechnical Engineering in Cairo University, where he earned
his M.Sc. in July 1998. He then joined the Geosystems Engineering Group at Georgia Tech, where he
worked under the supervision of Prof. Paul W. Mayne. In May 2001, he earned another Masters in
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Geotechnical Engineering from Georgia Tech. He then finished his Ph.D in Summer 2005 from the same
university. He has several publications in the fields of in-situ testing, deep excavations, design of axially
and laterally loaded piles, displacements of shallow foundations and the use of small strain soil modulus in
foundation design. Furthermore, he has worked in geotechnical consulting in several projects.
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