The Shape of sand grains plays an important role in evaluation of soil particle size distribution. However, in most sieving techniques it is assumed that grains are spherical and can be described by a single parameter, diameter. Moreover, the subjectivity of the tests used to estimate sand roughness makes it difficult to obtain data that accurately represent reality. The aim of this paper was to study the use of image analysis together with the degree of sphericity and fractal theory as a tool to measure the textural parameters of the shape and surface texture of two types of quartz sands with supposedly distinct characteristics from the region of Vitória, Espírito Santo, Brazil. The results of the shape and surface texture parameters of the samples are presented and discussed. Statistical analyses of the results for the sphericity variable showed significant statistical differences between the two sands of different origins. The results show that river sands (RS), though having been subjected to a greater degree of transport and attrition, do not have a greater degree of roundness and a smoother surface texture than sands from the coastal spit (BS). The values obtained in the test were statistically analyzed, and again it was confirmed that the sand of the BS has a slightly greater sphericity and smoother surface texture than that of the RS, indicating that the BS sands underwent greater weathering due to transport.
textural parameters; computational analysis; fractal theory
