Lecture - Intro Geotech Mapping

CIV413: Engineering Geology
Lecture: Introduction to geotechnical

mapping and applications
Course masters: Alain Feumoe1 & Agostiny Lontsi1

1 Departmentof Civil and Architectural Engineering (CAE), Faculty of Engineering and
Technology (FET), University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon
Lecture room: FET-Tech2/FET-Hall2; Semester 1, 2023/2024

Fridays (9:00 - 11:00) & Saturdays: 15:00 - 17:00
Contacts: alainfeumoe@yahoo.fr & alontsi@gmail.com (CAE/FET)Lect.: Geotech. mapping and applications dd.mm.2023 1 / 17
Content
Geotechnical mapping and GIS
Applications: layout (Terrassement!)
Applications: road layout
Applications: foundations
Applications: dams
References
Introduction
The dramatic growth and development of urban and surrounding land have resulted in
increased demands for natural resources such as clean water, land for housing and/or
disposal of increasing levels of waste and a variety of construction materials such as
brick-making clay and building sand (pers. comm. NHBRC, 1999).
Recall material properties
Parameters related to material density
▶ density
▶ porosity and permeability
▶ strength
▶ deformability
▶ abrasivity
▶ environmental reactivity
Recall material properties
Parameters related to material density
Strength
All geological materials have some ability to resist failure under the action of stresses;
this is their strength. Most values quoted as the ‘strength of ’ a certain material are
the stresses at failure, the ultimate failure strength. Usually, testing is done on small
samples in the laboratory. Strengths measured are:
▶ uniaxial (or unconfined) compressive strength, which is the stress at failure of a
sample under compression;
▶ uniaxial (or unconfined) tensile strength which is the stress at failure of a sample
under tension;
▶ triaxial strength, which is the stress at failure of a sample that is confined. This is
usually accomplished by placing the sample under compression while it is
restrained laterally by a minor horizontal stress.
The units of strength are force/area, for example N mm–2, kN m–2, MN m–2.
Recently it has become fashionable to use pascals, particularly for compressive strength
(1 pascal (Pa) = 1 N m–2).
Strength and related parameters
Accurate estimate of stress distribution in a material is essential for calculations of

elastic and consolidation settlements, of the bearing capacity of material for
shallow and deep foundations design, of lateral earth pressures for the design of
earth-retaining structures, and of slope stability.
Geotechnical mapping and GIS
Geotechnical mapping is a method to cartographically present geotechnical information for purposes
of planning and use of the territory, as well as for the purposes of design, construction and maintenance
of engineering works. Information on the characteristics and properties of the layers forming the subsoil
profile of a given location may also be part of it, with a view to evaluating behavior and the probable
geological-geotechnical problems resulting from its use in engineering projects (Vallejo et al, 2002).
A geographic information system (GIS) is defined as a manual or computational set of procedures

used to store and manipulate georeferenced data, making it possible to obtain spatial information
(Carr, 2003). It can also be understood as a technological information system similar to many others,
however, it presents its database as a differential (Nuhcan Akçit, 2014) and therefore all stored
knowledge which, on the other hand, must be linked to a geographical position, latitude and longitude
(Lobo et al, 2015). It should be noted that the association of GIS with fuzzy logic has greatly
increased its ability to operationalize information (Petry et al, 2003).
According to Fernandes (2009), GISs allow storing not only vector or raster information, but also the
alphanumeric attributes related to them in a georeferenced way. That is, the data alluding to a record
that are linked to one or more points on the Earth’s surface, thus allowing a more realistic analysis of
the use of space.
Some of the GIS softwares include ArcGIS and QGIS.

Applications: layout (Terrassement!)
Some relevant parameters
The liquid limit (LL) is the dividing line between the liquid and plastic states. LL
corresponds to the moisture content of a soil as it changes from the plastic state to the
liquid state. The plastic limit (PL) is the moisture content of a soil when it changes
from the plastic to the semisolid state. The shrinkage limit (SL) is the moisture
content of a soil when it changes from the semisolid state to the solid state. Note that
the moisture content in Figure 1.5 increases from left to right.
A useful indicator for the classification of fine-grained soils is the plasticity index (PI),
which is the difference between the liquid limit and the plastic limit (PI = LL - PL)
[Add reference]
Foundation design is concerned primarily with ensuring that movements of a
foundation are within the limits that can be tolerated by the proposed structure
without adversely affecting its functional requirements. Structures vary widely in their
capacity to accommodate movements of their foundations. Hence, it is usual to
consider the design of a structure and the foundation as interrelated. The
design of a foundation structure requires an understanding of the local geological and
groundwater conditions, as well as an appreciation of the various types of ground
movement that can occur. Foundation movements can occur when the ground is
excavated, when the ground is loaded, or independently of construction operations.
Movement of foundations under the influence of loading may occur as a result of
overstressing of the ground, which gives rise to plastic deformation in the ground
beneath the foundation structure. In extreme cases shear failure may occur. In order to
avoid shear failure or substantial shear deformation the foundation pressures used in
design should have an adequate factor of safety when compared with the ultimate
bearing capacity of the foundation. The ultimate bearing capacity is the value of the
net loading intensity that causes the ground to fail suddenly in shear.
The value of ultimate bearing capacity depends on the type of foundation structure as well as the
properties of the ground. For example, for footings the dimensions, shape, depth and inclination of
load and base at which a footing is placed all influence the bearing capacity. More specifically the
width of the foundation is important in coarse-grained soils, the greater the width, the larger the
bearing capacity whilst in saturated clay soils it is of little effect. With uniform soil conditions the
ultimate bearing capacity increases with depth of installation of the foundation structure.
A number of expressions have been proposed to determine the ultimate bearing capacity and make use
of bearing capacity factors that depend on various characteristics of the soil and foundation structure.
The basic expression for ultimate bearing capacity (q)for general shear for shallow footings (i.e. at a
depth not exceeding the width of the footing) was proposed by Terzaghi (1943), and involves cohesion
(c), unit weight (γ) and overburden pressure γz, and is as follows:
q = cNc + γzNq + 0.5γBNγ , (1)

where Nc , Nq , and Nγ are the bearing capacity factors that depend upon the angle of shearing
resistance or coefficient of internal friction (ϕ), z is the depth of foundation emplacement and B is the
width of the footing.
Applications: foundations (and dams)
Tchabeu et al. 2022
Applications: dams
Relevant parameters: Permeability/hydraulic conductivity
References
1. David George Price (2009), Engineering Geology: Principles and Practice,

Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.
2. Tchabeu et al. (2022), Comparative study of the reliability of some deterministic
and stochastic interpolation methods for ground bearing capacity mapping: Case of
the Olembé social housing site in Cameroon. International Journal of Geoscience,
Engineering and Technology, ISSN: 2675-2883.
3. Sam Helwany (2007), Applied soil mechanics with ABAQUS applications, Wiley.
Additional references to be added!
Thank you for your attention!

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CIV413: Engineering Geology

Lecture: Introduction to geotechnical

Course masters: Alain Feumoe1 & Agostiny Lontsi1

Lecture room: FET-Tech2/FET-Hall2; Semester 1, 2023/2024

Geotechnical mapping and GIS

Applications: layout (Terrassement!)

Applications: road layout

Accurate estimate of stress distribution in a material is essential for calculations of

A geographic information system (GIS) is defined as a manual or computational set of procedures

Some of the GIS softwares include ArcGIS and QGIS.

q = cNc + γzNq + 0.5γBNγ , (1)

Tchabeu et al. 2022

1. David George Price (2009), Engineering Geology: Principles and Practice,

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