Engineering geological characterisation of the Barzaman Formation, with reference to coastal Dubai, UAE

This paper describes the pedogenically altered fluvial deposits comprising the Barzaman Formation, UAE. This formation is composed of a sequence of rocks dominated by variably cemented conglomerates thought to be middle Miocene to Pliocene in age. The well-established descriptive scheme currently used for describing the formation is reviewed and a simple visual descriptive lithological classification is proposed based on the three principal lithological components visible in a hand specimen: mottled white calcisiltite matrix/cement, palygorskite rich marl and clasts derived from the Oman Mountains (gabbro, chert and weathered ultramafic rock). Data on the mineralogy and microstructure of the rock constituents is presented and some implications for the geotechnical characterisation of the formation are briefly discussed.