Engineering Geological Assessment Using Geochemical, Mineralogical and Petrographic Analysis Along the Riyadh Metro Line 3 (Saudi Arabia)

Anticipating the geotechnical constraints for construction is necessary to ensure the viability of engineering and building projects, especially in challenging geological contexts such as Riyadh. This paper shows the use of geological identification tests to detect and assess hazards along the Line 3 of the Riyadh Metro Project, which is the largest metro project ever built from scratch. A total of 475 samples of soil and rock were chemically, mineralogically and petrographically analyzed prior to construction. The obtained results enabled the successful assessment of potential geotechnical hazards such as collapse, swelling, stickiness and abrasiveness along Line 3. These results were essential to consequently implement corrective measures during construction.