Estudo das propriedades mineralógicas, físicas e mecânicas de um solo arenoso fino laterítico (SAFL) utilizado na pavimentação do complexo aeroportuário da grande Natal-RN/NE.

Abstract

The determination of soils geotechnical properties in pavement is essentially important for the knowledge of its structural behavior when it was compacted. The search for materials that are adapted to existing specifications is a complex problem that defies the national department of transportation. The knowledge of benefits and the limitations of material occurring in nature can help to solve the problem. Specific studies have revealed that the lateritics soils is strongly influenced by its mineralogical properties and that it is necessary to inter-relate these properties with those which characterize these soils, because of the engineering properties. However, there are few studies about the use of tropical soils in layers of pavement in airports, especially in the Northeast of Brazil. This research studied the mineralogical, physical and mechanical of a tropical soil from the building site of the Airport Complex of the Greater City of Natal, located in the county of Sao Gongalo do Amarante - in the state of Rio Grande do Norte, Northeast of Brazil. The chosen procedure for the performance of the experimental phase of the research consisted in: characterization of the physical properties of the materials, characterization of the mineralogical properties of the soil, characterization of the mechanical properties of the soil and of the mixture of soil and coarse agregate. As an attempt to minimize the effects of the retraction of the soil, when executed as a layer of sub-base, empirically, a solution of a mixture of soil with 20% of coarse aggregate was adopted. This mixture obtained a behavior considered satisfactory in laboratory and "in situ". Related to the classification of soil as its lateritic nature, it can be inferred that the material, object of the studies, is a lateritic soil. Its chemical composition formed, basically, by elements Si, Fe and Al and also present behavior typical of a material that has undergone the process of lateritic materials are characteristics of lateritic materials. Related to the classification according the MCT method, the soil can be classified as being: lateritic, belonging to the class of sandy laterites (LA'), specifically, fine sandy lateritic soil (SAFL) with mineralogical, physical and mechanical properties adequate for use in layers of base and sub-base of airport and roadway pavements, as long as it is manipulated correctly.