ABSTRACT
Oil sand is a generic name given to natural deposits of bituminous sand materials that are mined for crude oil production. The world’s largest oil sand deposits are found in the Alberta Province of Canada. The significantly high bitumen content in the oil sand composition, which typically ranges from 8% to 15% by weight, makes these naturally occurring sands problematic for routine operations of construction and mining equipment during the warm spring and summer months. Field studies have indicated that the considerable amount of bitumen in the oil sands, high applied loads from mining equipment and seasonal changes in temperature are major factors that control the modulus and deformation behavior of oil sands (Joseph 2002).
