Research on Geological Conditions and Construction Settlement in NEOM Area of Saudi Arabia

Abstract With the proposal of China's “Belt and Road” policy and Saudi Arabia's “NEOM New City” construction plan, China and Saudi Arabia have formed a close cooperative relationship in engineering construction. However, in recent years, delays in projects in Saudi Arabia have been common. Saudi Arabia, as an unfamiliar overseas environment, is full of difficulties and challenges for the Chinese design and construction team. This study summarizes the overall engineering geological conditions in the NEOM area by analyzing the geological exploration results of a project, which is 150 km water supply pipeline project across the NEOM area. The results show that the NEOM area is mainly gravel soil, sandy soil and rock. The soil is in a dense state with good particle gradation and the rock compressive strength is low. The soil is highly corrosive by local standards. Under the load of 100 kPa, the minimum central settlement value is 30.5 mm and the maximum is 69.3 mm.