Hasan Arman
UAE University, Geology, Faculty Member
Research Interests: Geology, Geochemistry, Isotope Geochemistry, Petrography, Sabkha, and 4 moreGypsum, Facies, Evaporite, and anhydrite
Al-Ain City is located in the eastern part of Abu Dhabi Emirate and is considered as one of the most urbanized cities in the UAE (Fig. 1). The rocks outcropping around the city are made up of carbonate rocks, mainly limestone and... more
Al-Ain City is located in the eastern part of Abu Dhabi Emirate and is considered as one of the most urbanized cities in the UAE (Fig. 1). The rocks outcropping around the city are made up of carbonate rocks, mainly limestone and interbeds of marl. These rock types represent the foundation bedrocks in most of Al-Ain City. They also form the rock slopes surrounding many new developing sites to the south of the city like the road to the summit of Jabal Hafit and the eastern border of Al-Ain Wildlife Park & Resort (AWPR), whereas some engineering problems appeared. Therefore, it requires knowing the geological and geotechnical characteristics of these carbonate beds. This would overcome any uncertainties that might occur at any type of engineering applications such as design of structures either upon or inside the rocks, slope instability and others. The overall rock properties are considerably controlled by their geologic setting as stratigraphy, mineralogy, petrography and tectonic structures. So, the present study aims to find the geological and geotechnical properties of these rocks which are outcropped in Jabal Hafit and extend northward under Al-Ain City. The stratigraphy of these carbonate rocks were studied in detailed by many authors among them are Abdelghany (2002), Hunting (1979), Cherif and Deeb (1984), Noweir ( 2000), Anan et al. (1992) and Boukhary et al. (2005). The rocks build up the Hafit Mountain (Fig. 1) which represents a large doubly plunging highly asymmetric anticline that developed over a thrust fault underlying its eastern limb (Noweir, 2000; Warrak, 1996 and Ali et al., 2008). Numbers of other interesting research papers were already pointed out to the relation between the geological and geotechnical properties with respect to various rock types (Willard and McWilliams, 19969; Merriam et al., 1970; Basu et al., 2009; Tsiamboas and Sabatakakis, 2004; Sabatakakis, 2008 and Arman et al., 2007).
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ABSTRACT Being quick, inexpensive, non-destructive and handy, the Schmidt Hammer (SH) test has been widely used to determine hardness and to predict the unconfined compressive strength (UCS) of rocks. However, a review of empirical... more
ABSTRACT Being quick, inexpensive, non-destructive and handy, the Schmidt Hammer (SH) test has been widely used to determine hardness and to predict the unconfined compressive strength (UCS) of rocks. However, a review of empirical equations recommended for determination of the USC of rocks based on the SH rebound number (N) suggests that one unique formula cannot be representative for all types of rocks. Even though the obtained relationship is a useful and quick reference to assign a preliminary value for UCS, geological features such as composition, texture and mineralogy influence the mechanical properties of rock masses and these factors should be carefully evaluated. In the work presented here, a case study was chosen to demonstrate and discuss the effectiveness of particular geological circumstances on laboratory SH test results concerning different carbonate rocks. Three different types of limestones, chalky, marly and dolomitic are available in the Tertiary carbonate sequence at the studied area which is Jabal Hafit, south of Al Ain city, United Arab Emirates (UAE). The results clearly show that rapid changes in carbonate rocks composition, texture and mineralogy always create problems in generalizing the mechanical properties which are essential parameters in geological and engineering practices.
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Slaking behavior of rocks is an essential indicator of their ability to resist degradation and is commonly assessed via the second cycle of slake durability index (Id2, SDI) test. In Abu Dhabi area, the evaporitic rocks commonly extend... more
Slaking behavior of rocks is an essential indicator of their ability to resist degradation and is commonly assessed via the second cycle of slake durability index (Id2, SDI) test. In Abu Dhabi area, the evaporitic rocks commonly extend from the near surface to several meters depth, so that they lie at the foundation level of buildings and other infrastructures. Evaporites pose significant challenges for the construction sectors due to the easily degradable nature of these rocks. This study presents new and definitive data for evaporites that provides essential information for the construction businesses, engineers, and decision makers. Eighty-six rock blocks from eleven locations were collected. A representative sample of each block was extracted for slake durability testing. Samples were prepared and tested according to ASTM standards. Before and after the slaking process, the mineralogical composition and characteristic textures of the samples were examined in petrographic thin section and via XRD (X-ray diffraction), XRF (X-ray fluorescence), and SEM (scanning electron microscopy) analyses. Based on multiple cycling, Id1 to Id4, the slake test data for evaporitic rocks from Abu Dhabi indicate high to very low values. The weight loss values from the first to the fourth cycle (Id1–Id4) of all samples lie in the range 40 to 93 wt%. This is attributed to chemical and mineralogical properties of the evaporites, which allow rapid development of hydration-dehydration effects. The evaluation of the slaking behavior of evaporitic rocks provides explanations for durability problems associated with these rocks in the study area and elsewhere.
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The Schmidt hammer (SH) test, which is quick, inexpensive, non-destructive and simple to use, has been widely applied to determine hardness and to assess the unconfined compressive strength of rocks. Lithofacies (composition and texture)... more
The Schmidt hammer (SH) test, which is quick, inexpensive, non-destructive and simple to use, has been widely applied to determine hardness and to assess the unconfined compressive strength of rocks. Lithofacies (composition and texture) and environmental conditions (mainly climate) influence the mechanical properties of rock masses as shown by the investigation presented here. To evaluate these effects, a range of carbonate rocks from Al-Ain arid region in the United Arab Emirates were used for extensive in situ and laboratory SH tests. The results expose a wide range of Schmidt hardness rebound (SHRcor) values for both the in situ and the laboratory tests, but show comparable correlation coefficients between the in situ and laboratory natural surface data. This indicates that field SH measurements can be a simple and reliable tool to obtain data on rock mechanical properties; however, caution should be taken in generalization even in a small locality or a region. Although our data are within the wide range of SH values in the published literature, it is apparent that they represent unique values for the rock type investigated and the environment and thereby provide better constraints for engineers in planning for the safety aspects of constructions.
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The slake durability index (SDI) test is a well know and extensively used to measure the degradability behaviour of rocks especially for weak rocks like mudstone, shale, evaporites, carbonates, etc. The degradability of rocks plays a... more
The slake durability index (SDI) test is a well know and extensively used to measure the degradability behaviour of rocks especially for weak rocks like mudstone, shale, evaporites, carbonates, etc. The degradability of rocks plays a critical role in engineering design process either on or in the rock mass for safe and sustainable structures. Evaporitic and carbonate rocks are vulnerable to physical, chemical and mechanical weathering, break down, as result of wetting-drying processes during the SDI test. Evaporites and carbonates are outcropped at the surface and subsurface of the Al Ain city, which is located on the south-eastern of Abu Dhabi, capital city of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) at various level, and it is one of the rapid growing cities in the UAE. However, the detailed comparative data on the slaking behaviour of evaporites and carbonates are not available presently in the study area. Therefore, this paper provides a comparative study on the degradability characterist...
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The surface soil properties control the groundwater aquifers system characterizations. Quantifying and measurements of these parameters are a challenging attempt in arid region like the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Al Ain and Al Suleimei... more
The surface soil properties control the groundwater aquifers system characterizations. Quantifying and measurements of these parameters are a challenging attempt in arid region like the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Al Ain and Al Suleimei Valleys in Al Ain city. Permeability and hydraulic conductivity of clastic sediments play crucial role in surface water seepage. Soil’s permeability depends on number of factors such as the size of soil grains, the properties of pore fluids, the void ratio of the soil, the shapes and arrangement of pores and the degree of saturation. To asses these features, detailed field and laboratory studies such as soil sample collections, sieve analyses and permeability tests (constant head permeameter) were carried out. Hydraulic conductivity of both valleys were approximated from grain size analyses of collected soil samples. The average permeability varies from 0.796 to 2.120 cm/s for Wadi Al Ain and from 0.566 to 2.133 cm/s for Wadi Al Suleimei and the hydr...
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Hydropower energy is a renewable, sustainable and clean energy in the other alternative energy sources. Moreover, it does not deprive future generations in terms of raw materials, or burdening them with pollutants or waste. Hydroelectric... more
Hydropower energy is a renewable, sustainable and clean energy in the other alternative energy sources. Moreover, it does not deprive future generations in terms of raw materials, or burdening them with pollutants or waste. Hydroelectric power plants utilize the basic national and renewable resource of the country. Although the initial investment cost of hydropower seems relatively high, the projects have the lowest production costs and do not depend on foreign capital and support, when considering environmental pollution and longterm economic evaluation. Hydropower is available in a broad range of project scales and types. Projects can be designed to suit particular needs and specific site conditions. As hydropower does not consume or pollute the water it uses to generate power, it leaves this vital resource available for other uses.
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The aim of this chapter is to provide that hydroelectric energy production in Sakarya and Eastern Black Sea Basins which are selected as pilot region in Turkey. Hydroelectric energy has an important place in energy sector is generated... more
The aim of this chapter is to provide that hydroelectric energy production in Sakarya and Eastern Black Sea Basins which are selected as pilot region in Turkey. Hydroelectric energy has an important place in energy sector is generated from 26 main Basins in Turkey. Sakarya and Eastern Black Sea Basins are very important water resource in Turkey. In this study, hydro energy potential for electricity generating has been investigated in Turkey and hydro energy potential determined for the selected small streams in the Sakarya and Eastern Black Sea Basins by using hydro energy calculating methods.
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This study concerns the occurrence of pollutants in Zakher Lake, Al Ain, UAE, which are relevant to the water supply and impact on ecosystem. Lake water and sediment samples were collected from the lake and were analyzed for different... more
This study concerns the occurrence of pollutants in Zakher Lake, Al Ain, UAE, which are relevant to the water supply and impact on ecosystem. Lake water and sediment samples were collected from the lake and were analyzed for different chemical and physical properties. In-situ measurements of temperature, pH, EC and TDS and Rn-222 activity were carried out using a WTW-COND-330I and RAD7 instrument with errors of < 5%. The analyses of trace and major elements were performed using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) Varian 715 with errors < 5%. The results reveal high concentrations of Na, K, Mg and Ca, Fe, Mn, Al, Sr, Ba and Pb in water samples of the lake, which are higher than permissible limits for drinking and irrigation. Variable concentrations of these elements were found in the sediment samples. In addition, radon isotope (Rn-222) data in the lake water indicate activity values below the detection limit of the instrument. The high concentrat...
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The rapid expansion of economic activities in Egypt’s Central Eastern Desert has resulted in poorly coordinated groundwater development, having a negative impact on the resource. This study was conducted to assess the hydrochemical... more
The rapid expansion of economic activities in Egypt’s Central Eastern Desert has resulted in poorly coordinated groundwater development, having a negative impact on the resource. This study was conducted to assess the hydrochemical characteristics of the different aquifers in the Central Eastern Desert, with an emphasis on the impact of seawater intrusion and groundwater quality for different purposes. A total of 21 groundwater samples were collected representing the three main aquifers (Eocene Carbonate, Nubian Sandstone, and Fractured Basement) in the Central Eastern Desert, and analyzed for major ions and trace elements. The majority of the samples had electrical conductivity values that exceeded the salinity limit for natural water. Groundwater saline load is primarily influenced by sodium, calcium, chloride, and sulfate concentrations. The groundwater in the Central Eastern Desert mainly consists of Na-Cl, Ca-Cl, and Na-SO4 water-types. Saltwater intrusion and water-rock intera...
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Evaporitic rock durability induced by groundwater cause several construction challenges, but representative experimental studies to evaluate such conditions are still missing. Therefore, this study intended to provide better and more... more
Evaporitic rock durability induced by groundwater cause several construction challenges, but representative experimental studies to evaluate such conditions are still missing. Therefore, this study intended to provide better and more realistic degradability features of evaporites with groundwater besides a comparison with distilled water as slaking fluids. Forty-eight evaporitic rock blocks were collected from Abu Dhabi area, United Arab Emirates. 96 slake durability index (SDI) tests were performed, 48 with each of the slaking fluids; groundwater and distilled water, and their textural, mineralogical, and geochemical attributes were also examined before and after the SDI tests. In comparison to mineralogical and textural modifications, slaking fluid had a greater impact on the chemical composition of evaporitic rock. The study shows that the degradability of evaporites with groundwater and distilled water indicates a wide range from very low to high. The mean weight loss values aft...
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In engineering practices, it is critical and necessary to either measure or estimate the uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) of the rock. Measuring the UCS of rocks requires comprehensive studies in the field and in the laboratory for the... more
In engineering practices, it is critical and necessary to either measure or estimate the uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) of the rock. Measuring the UCS of rocks requires comprehensive studies in the field and in the laboratory for the rock block sampling, coring, and testing. These studies are time-consuming, expensive and go through difficult processes. Alternatively, the UCS can either be estimated by empirical relationships or predictive models with various measured mechanical and physical parameters of the rocks. Previous studies used different methods to predict UCS, including least squares regression techniques (MLR), adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS), Sequential artificial neuron networks (SANN), etc. This study is intended to estimate the UCS of the carbonate rock by using a simple, measured Schmidt Hammer (SHVC) test on core sample and a unit weight (γn) of carbonate rock. Principal components regression (PCR), MLR, SANN, and ANFIS are employed to predict th...
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Arid environments are basically associated with water scarcity. Therefore, soils will have an extremely low moisture level to support plant and animal life as well as human social life. Sustainability is the long durability of systems and... more
Arid environments are basically associated with water scarcity. Therefore, soils will have an extremely low moisture level to support plant and animal life as well as human social life. Sustainability is the long durability of systems and processes within various adapted environmental conditions. Recently, systematic scientific studies on arid environments and sustainability have become more attractive, critical, and sound than the previous years. Sharing such experiences related to different environmental circumstances will absolutely help scientists and decision-makers to have better interpretation of their own environment. By learning lessons, appropriate, fast, and effective approaches require to implement for overwhelming such problems. Such actions will certainly lead to more secure and sustainable environments for plant, animal, and human life
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Slaking behavior of rocks is an essential indicator of their ability to resist degradation and is commonly assessed via the second cycle of slake durability index (Id2, SDI) test. In Abu Dhabi area, the evaporitic rocks commonly extend... more
Slaking behavior of rocks is an essential indicator of their ability to resist degradation and is commonly assessed via the second cycle of slake durability index (Id2, SDI) test. In Abu Dhabi area, the evaporitic rocks commonly extend from the near surface to several meters depth, so that they lie at the foundation level of buildings and other infrastructures. Evaporites pose significant challenges for the construction sectors due to the easily degradable nature of these rocks. This study presents new and definitive data for evaporites that provides essential information for the construction businesses, engineers, and decision makers. Eighty-six rock blocks from eleven locations were collected. A representative sample of each block was extracted for slake durability testing. Samples were prepared and tested according to ASTM standards. Before and after the slaking process, the mineralogical composition and characteristic textures of the samples were examined in petrographic thin section and via XRD (X-ray diffraction), XRF (X-ray fluorescence), and SEM (scanning electron microscopy) analyses. Based on multiple cycling, Id1 to Id4, the slake test data for evaporitic rocks from Abu Dhabi indicate high to very low values. The weight loss values from the first to the fourth cycle (Id1–Id4) of all samples lie in the range 40 to 93 wt%. This is attributed to chemical and mineralogical properties of the evaporites, which allow rapid development of hydration-dehydration effects. The evaluation of the slaking behavior of evaporitic rocks provides explanations for durability problems associated with these rocks in the study area and elsewhere.
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Research Interests: Geology and Scientific
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Water is a vital resource that supports all forms of life on earth. Unfortunately, it is not evenly distributed by season or geographical region. Some parts of the world are prone to drought, making water a particularly scarce and... more
Water is a vital resource that supports all forms of life on earth. Unfortunately, it is not evenly distributed by season or geographical region. Some parts of the world are prone to drought, making water a particularly scarce and precious commodity. In other parts of the world, floods that cause loss of life and property are major problems. Throughout history, dams and reservoirs have been used successfully in collecting, storing, and managing water needed to sustain civilization. Hydropower often supports other essential water services, such as irrigation, flood control, and drinking water supplies. It facilitates the equitable sharing of a common vital resource. Table IV shows environmental advantages and disadvantages of the hydropower option. On the other hand, renewable energy sources exception of large hydro are widely dispersed compared with fossil fuels, which are concentrated at individual locations and require distribution. Hence, renewable energy must either be used in a distributed manner or concentrated to meet the higher energy demands of cities and industries. The need to control atmospheric emissions of greenhouse and other gases and substances will increasingly need to be based on efficiency in energy production, transmission, distribution and consumption in the country. Electricity supply infrastructures in many developing countries are being rapidly expanded as policymakers and investors around the world increasingly recognize electricity's pivotal role in improving living standards and sustaining economic growth.
Research Interests: Business and Hydropower
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Turkey is located on the highly active Eurasian plate. A very active strike slip fault, the North Anatolian Fault Zone (NAFZ), crosses Turkey from east to west; earthquakes occurred on this fault on August 17, 1999 (Kocaeli) and November... more
Turkey is located on the highly active Eurasian plate. A very active strike slip fault, the North Anatolian Fault Zone (NAFZ), crosses Turkey from east to west; earthquakes occurred on this fault on August 17, 1999 (Kocaeli) and November 12, 1999 (Düzce). Regional geology and subsoil conditions can significantly change the characteristics of ground motion. For this reason, determining soil amplification during an earthquake, especially for soft soils, is a very important topic for researchers. In this study, one dimensional ground response analyses were performed for selected Adapazari sites using the August 17, 1999 Kocaeli earthquake strong ground motion record with SHAKE2000 software. Soil characteristics and depth to engineering bedrock at the selected sites are different and the observed level of structural damage at these sites during the Kocaeli earthquake was also different. Calculated soil surface response spectrums at these sites were compared with the recommended design spectra of the Turkish Earthquake Code and the Eurocode 8. According to one dimensional ground response analyses, the calculated response spectra of the selected sites exceed the recommended design spectra of the Turkish Earthquake Code and the Eurocode 8. Calculations show that higher amplification ratios occur at higher periods due to soil behaviour. Results of this study indicate that local geological conditions may amplify ground motion at some periods and, due to this amplification, the calculated response spectra may exceed the recommended design spectra. Therefore, it is clear that local site conditions must be considered for earthquake-resistant engineering designs on soft alluvial soil deposits.
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The use of FOCS for environmental applications, namely, for monitoring spills of HC or leaking underground HC storage tanks, is discussed. The current FOCS design comes in two configurations: the field unit, permanently installed at one... more
The use of FOCS for environmental applications, namely, for monitoring spills of HC or leaking underground HC storage tanks, is discussed. The current FOCS design comes in two configurations: the field unit, permanently installed at one or more monitoring sites, and ...
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In this study, we have presented a new approach to separate noisy components and to characterize frequency-energy variability for local real-time noisy earthquakes where epicentral distance is 0–10°. This approach is based on wavelet... more
In this study, we have presented a new approach to separate noisy components and to characterize frequency-energy variability for local real-time noisy earthquakes where epicentral distance is 0–10°. This approach is based on wavelet transform and deals with energy variations in different frequency bands. All records have been decomposed to approximation and detail components with using overlapping window design and wavelet transform. Energy components of each window were determined and highest energy component has been selected in all windows. When selected energy values have been associated in a vector, two different types of frequency-energy characteristics which include critical points to detect P (longitudinal) and S (transverse) waves have been obtained.
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ABSTRACT Disposal of solid waste is a challenging task in developing countries as this type of waste can seriously degrade the environment and pose threat to human health. To mitigate the environmental impact, appropriate techniques must... more
ABSTRACT Disposal of solid waste is a challenging task in developing countries as this type of waste can seriously degrade the environment and pose threat to human health. To mitigate the environmental impact, appropriate techniques must be used in accordance with standards for the disposal of solid wastes. Leachate that originates from the decomposition of solid waste within waste disposal dumping sites and landfills may infiltrate into soil, groundwater and surface water resulting in contamination. A combination of clay materials and geomembrane has been widely utilized as a suitable permeability barrier to prevent contamination. In the case of uncontrolled landfills, leachate may be responsible for serious and irreversible pollution. According to the standards utilized in Turkey, the thickness of the clay layer used as an impermeable material is 60 cm, which is constructed as two 30 cm thick compacted clay layers. This paper evaluates the optimum clay thickness to prevent leachate contamination of soil or water. Experimental models were prepared involving 20, 40, 60 and 80 cm thick clay layers with 20 cm height leachate to determine the optimum clay thickness permeability barrier for a waste disposal dumping site. The initial results indicate that a 40 cm thick clay layer is sufficient as an impermeable barrier in these sites.
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Kandira stone is a unique Late Cretaceous (Campanian-Maastrichtian) carbonate rock quarried by small enterprises in Northwestern Turkey. The rock has been used as a construction material in a variety of applications such as cladding and... more
Kandira stone is a unique Late Cretaceous (Campanian-Maastrichtian) carbonate rock quarried by small enterprises in Northwestern Turkey. The rock has been used as a construction material in a variety of applications such as cladding and paving, flooring and stairs, roofing and fireplaces. Recently, the demand for this stone in the production of intricately sculpted shapes has raised questions about its workability and durability. Such questions require detailed characterization of structural, petrographic and mineralogical properties of the stone. This paper provides a database on the earlier mentioned properties collected from Kandira stone sampled from quarries. The investigation comprised field measurement and sampling of the Kandira stone, microscopic examination of thin sections, XRD, XRF and SEM studies. The Kandira stone is biomicritic limestone composed mainly of microcrystalline calcite crystals (micrite matrix), pelagic fossils, shell fragments and sponge spicules. Calcite...