BDMPL: a data bank of the local raw materials in Tunisia

Abstract

As large quantities of materials are needed in the building and construction industry, the location of such resources is always important. To satisfy the increasing needs for these materials, it is necessary to constantly find new deposits which can be exploited. The search for such deposits can be guided by an analysis of existing data. The paper discusses the development of a bank of such data regarding local raw materials in Tunisia. Vast volumes of data are available from geological maps, quarries, academic institutions, research laboratories, ministries, etc, but it is heterogeneous in character and scattered. In order to provide quick access to the information, the data bank was created to collate the factual information from the various sources and store it in an organised and secure manner for access by the public. The domains of the data are the geographical information, geological characteristics, details of infrastructure, economic importance, geochemical tests, mineralogical studies, physical and mechanical properties, malleability of clayey materials and a bibliography. In general the information is displayed in tables relating the various topics/information. A search facility is available such that data on a number of topics can be accessed and the results provided pertinent to the specific topic. For example, the analysis of grain size would automatically be provided for sands, the Atterberg limits for clay and the mechanical properties of rocks, without the necessity to specifically request the results of individual tests. The search can be for a geographical region a geological formation, or materials, which meet specific construction standards. In this first phase, the collection/collating work has been undertaken under the auspices of the National Office of Mines. It is hoped that in the future it can be incorporated into a GIS system and that it will be possible to arrange for the ongoing storage of new information as it becomes available.