ABSTRACT
Most petroleum activities cause significant petroleum pollution into the ground and ground water. The presence of petroleum products affects the physical, mechanical and chemical processes in the soil after a spill is completed. Geotechnical properties of petroleum contaminated clays are important for offshore, nearshore and under water structures. Engineers must understand the behavior of clays influenced by petroleum products to provide proper foundation designs of oil stroge reservoirs and analysis of slopes in the nearshore and to understand the environmental damage to harbor and underwater structures. In this study, the effects of petroleum hydrocarbons such as crude oil, No. 6 fuel oil and kerosene on geotechnical properties of kaolinite and bentonite clays were investigated. It can be observed that the addition of crude oil, No. 6 fuel oil and kerosene decreases Atterberg limits, compressibility and strength of bentonite clay. Addition of kerosene increases of strength of kaolinite clay. While addition of crude oil, fuel oil and kerosene decreases Atterberg limits of kaolinite clay, they increases compressibility.
