GEOTECHNICAL

INVESTIGATIONS

Dr. P.D. Arumairaj

HOD
School of Civil & Mechanical Engineering
Karunya University
Coimbatore

1
Definition - Site Investigation

• Determination of surface and subsurface

soil conditions and features in an area of
proposed construction that may
influence the design and construction
and address expected post construction
problems.
Common stages in Site Investigation

• Desk Study
• Site Reconnaissance
• Field Investigations
a) Preliminary Ground Investigation
b) Detailed Ground Investigation
• Laboratory Testing
• Report Writing
• Follow up Investigations during design &
construction
• Appraisal of performance
PURPOSE OF SOIL INVESTIGATION
1. Selection of the type and the depth of foundation
suitable for a given structure.
2. Evaluation of the load-bearing capacity of the
foundation.
3. Estimation of the probable settlement of a structure.
4. Determination of potential foundation problems (for
example, expansive soil, collapsible soil, sanitary
landfill, and so on).
5. Establishment of ground water table.
6. Prediction of lateral earth pressure for structures like
retaining walls, sheet pile bulkheads, and braced cuts.
7. Establishment of construction methods for changing
subsoil conditions.

4
Soil Stratification
EXPLORATION PROGRAM

The purpose of the exploration program

is to determine, within practical limits,
the stratification and engineering
properties of the soils underlying the
site. The principal properties of interest
will be the strength, deformation, and
hydraulic characteristics. The program
should be planned so that the maximum
amount of information can be obtained
at minimum cost.
6
 Soil investigation

Collection of details about

structure, layout type, loading etc

Study of geological and aerial

maps
7
 STEPS IN SUBSURFACE EXPLORATION
1.Collection of available information
All available information on dimensions, column
spacing, type and use of the structure, basement
requirements and any special architectural
considerations of the proposed building should be
collected.
Foundation regulations in the local building code
should be consulted for any special requirements.
For bridges the soil engineer should have access to
type and span lengths as well as pier loadings. This
information will indicate any settlement limitations,
and can be used to estimate foundation loads.
8
STEPS IN SUBSURFACE EXPLORATION
2.Reconnaissance of the area:
This may be in the form of a field trip to
the site which can reveal information on
the type and behavior of adjacent
structures such as cracks, noticeable
sags, and possibly sticking doors and
windows.
The type of local existing structure may
influence, to a considerable extent, the
exploration program and the best
foundation type for the proposed
adjacent structure. 9
STEPS IN SUBSURFACE EXPLORATION
3.Preliminary soil investigation:
In this phase a few borings are made or a test pit
is opened to establish in a general manner the
stratification, types of soil to be expected, and
possibly the location of the groundwater table.
One or more borings should be taken to rock, or
competent strata, if the initial borings indicate
the upper soil is loose or highly compressible.
This amount of exploration is usually the extent of
the site investigation for small structures.

10
STEPS IN SUBSURFACE EXPLORATION
4.Detailed soil investigation:
Where the preliminary soil investigation
has established the feasibility of the
project, a more detailed exploration
program is undertaken. The preliminary
borings and data are used as a basis for
locating additional borings, which
should be confirmatory in nature, and
determining the additional samples
required
11
DEPTH OF EXPLORATION

The approximate required minimum

depth of the exploration should be
predetermined. The estimated depths
can be changed during the drilling
operation, depending on the subsoil
encoun­tered. To determine the
approximate minimum depth of
exploration, engineers may use the
following rule:
12
DEPTH OF EXPLORATION, D
1. Determine the depth, D which is equal
to 1.5 times breadth of foundation

13
LATERAL EXTENT OF EXPLORATION
 DEPTH OF EXPLORATION, D
Determine the net increase of stress,
under a foundation with depth as shown
in the Figure.
Estimate the variation of the vertical
effective stress, ', with depth.
2. Determine the depth, D, at which the
stress increase  is equal to (1/10) q (q
= estimated net stress on the
foundation).
3. Determine the depth, D corresponding
to 0.05 stress Isobar.
16
DEPTH OF EXPLORATION

17
DEPTH OF EXPLORATION
 For hospitals and office buildings, the
following rule could be use to
determine exploration depth

18
DEPTH OF EXPLORATION
When deep excavations are anticipated,
the depth of exploration should be at
least 1.5 times the depth of excavation.
Sometimes subsoil conditions are such
that the foundation load may have to be
transmitted to the bedrock.
The minimum depth of core boring into
the bedrock is about 3m. If the bedrock
is irregular or weathered, the core
borings may have to be extended to
19
BOREHOLE SPACING

There are no hard and fast rules for the

spacing of the boreholes. The following
table gives some general guidelines for
borehole spacing. These spacing can be
increased or decreased, depending on the
subsoil condition. If various soil strata are
more or less uniform and predictable, the
number of boreholes can be reduced.

20
APPROXIMATE SPACING OF BORE HOLES
TYPE OF PROJECT SPACING (m)

Multistorey Building 10 - 30

Onestorey Industrial Plants 20 - 60

Highways 250-500

Residential subdivision 250 - 500

Dams and Dikes 40 - 80

21
METHODS OF SOIL EXPLORATION

22
 Soil
Soil Investigation
Investigation

Semi
Semi Indirect
Indirect
SAMPLING
SAMPLING
Direct
Direct Indirect
Boring Indirect
Boring

Auger Auger Percussion

Percussion Rotary
Rotary
Auger Auger and
and Shell
Shell Wash
Wash

Open
Open pit
pit (test
(test pit,
pit,
trial
trial pit)
pit)

Sounding Insitu Geophysical

Geophysical
Sounding Insitu vane
vane shear
shear Pressure
Pressure meter
meter

Plate
Plate load
load test
test

SPT SCPT DCPT Electrical

Electrical resistivity
resistivity Seismic
Seismic method
method
SPT SCPT DCPT

23
TRIAL PITS
The earliest method of obtaining a test hole was
to excavate a test pit using a pick and shovel.
Because of economics, the current procedure is
to use power-excavation equipment such as a
backhoe to excavate the pit and then to use
hand tools to remove a block sample or shape
the site for in situ testing. This is the best
method at present for obtaining quality
undisturbed samples or samples for testing at
other than vertical orientation.

24
SOIL BORING

25
Method of Investigations

• Test pits
• Boring and Drilling
• In-situ test
 Test Pits

• The excavation of test pits is a simple and reliable

method.
• The depth is limited to 4-5m only.
• The in-situ conditions are examined visually
• It is easy to obtain disturbed and undisturbed
samples
• Block samples can be cut by hand tools and tube
samples can be taken from the bottom of the pit.
Test Pits
Test Pits
 Boring or Drilling

Some of the common types

of boring are as follows
• Auger Boring
• Wash Boring
• Percussion Boring
• Rotary Drilling
 Boring or Drilling
Auger Boring

Hand Auger Mechanical Auger

Hand Auger
• It is the simplest method of boring used for small projects
in soft cohesive soils.
• For hard soil and soil containing gravels boring with hand
auger becomes difficult.
• Hand-augered holes can be made upto about 20m depth,
although depth greater than about 8-10m is usually not
practical. 31
 Boring or Drilling

• The auger is rotated until it is full of soil, then it is withdrawn to

remove the soil and the soil type present at various depths is
noted.
• Repeated with drawl of auger for soil removal makes boring
difficult below 8-10m depth.
• The soil samples collected in this manner are disturbed samples
and can be used for classification test. Auger boring may not be
possible in very soft clay or coarse sand because the hole tends to
collapse when auger is removed

32
A)HELICAL AUGERS B) SHORT FLIGHT AUGER
C) POSTHOLE AUGER

A B C
 Mechanical Auger

 Mechanical Auger means power operated augers. The

power required to rotate the auger depends on the type
and size of auger and the type of soil.
 Downwards pressure can be applied hydraulically,
mechanically or by dead weight

a
a
b
c d

a. Continuous Flight Auger b. Hallow-stem auger plugged during advancing bore

c. Plug removed and sampler inserted d. Truck mounted auger boring machine
 WASH BORING

 Water with high pressure pumped through hallow boring

rods is released from narrow holes in a chisel attach to
the lower end of the rods.
 The soil is loosened and broken by the water jet and the
up-down moment of the chisel.
 The soil particles are carried in suspension to the
surface between the rock and the borehole sites.
 The rods are raised and drop for chopping action of the
chisel by means of winch.
 Wash boring can be used in most type of soil but the
progress is slow in coarse gravel strata.
35
WASH BORING

 The accurate identification of soil strata is difficult due to

mixing of the material has they are carried to the surface.
 The method is unacceptable for obtaining soil samples.
 It is only used for advancing the borehole to enable tube
sample to be taken or field test to be carried at the hole
bottom.
 The advantage is that the soil immediately below the hole
remains relatively un-disturbed
Wash boring
38
 PERCUSSION BORING
 Percussion drilling is a manual drilling technique in
which a heavy cutting or hammering bit attached to a
rope or cable is lowered in the open hole or inside a
temporary casing.
 The technique is often also referred to as 'Cable tool'.
Usually a tripod is used to support the tools.
 By moving the rope or cable up and down, the cutting
or hammering bit loosens the soil or consolidated rock
in the borehole, which is then extracted later by using a
bailer.
 PERCUSSION BORING

Advantages Disadvantages
- Unlike any other drilling method, - The equipment can be very heavy
percussion can remove boulders and and relatively expensive. 
break harder formations, effectively - Especially in harder rock the
and quickly through most types of method is slow (weeks, rather than
earth.  days). 
- Percussion drilling can in principle - When temporary casing has to be
deal with most ground conditions. used, the time taken driving and
- Can drill hundreds of feet (one well removing it can significantly increase
hand-drilled in China in 1923 was drilling time.
over 4000 feet deep).  - Equipment costs are high and the
- Can drill further into the water table method is slow (resulting in high
than dug wells, even drilling past one cost / drilled meter). 
water table to reach another. 
PERCUSSION BORING

Percussion
drilling
 ROTARY DRILLING

 The rig consists of power unit, winch, pump and a drill

head to apply high-speed rotary drive and downward
thrust to the drilling rods.
 Primarily intended for investigation in rock, but also
used in soils.
 The drilling tool, (cutting bit or a coring bit) is attached
to the lower end of hollow drilling rods
 The coring bit is fixed to the lower end of a core
ROTARY DRILLING

 Water or drilling fluid is pumped down the hollow

rods and passes under pressure through narrow
holes in the bit or barrel
 The drilling fluid cools and lubricates the drilling
tool and carries the loose debris to the surface
between the rods and the side of the hole.
 The fluid (bentonite slurry) also provides some
support to the sides of the hole if no casing is used
ROTARY DRILLING

 There are two forms of rotary drilling, open-hole drilling and core
drilling.
 Open- hole drilling, which is generally used in soils and weak rock,
just for advancing the hole
 The drilling rods can then be removed to allow tube samples to be
taken or in-situ tests to be carried out.
 In core drilling, which is used in rocks and hard clays, the diamond
or tungsten carbide bit cuts an annular hole in the material and an
intact core enters the barrel, to be removed as a sample. Typical
core diameters are 41, 54 and 76mm, but can range up to 165 mm.
 ROTARY DRILLING
Advantages
 The advantage of rotary drilling in soils is that progress
is much faster than with other investigation methods

and disturbance of the soil below the borehole is slight.

Limitations
 The method is not suitable if the soil contains a high
percentage of gravel/cobbles, as they tend to rotate
beneath the bit and are not broken up.
 The natural water content of the material is liable to be
increased due to contact with the drilling fluid
Rotary Drilling
BORING TOOLS
Auger Power drills
boring

47
BORING TOOLS

48
SOIL SAMPLING
 Two types of soil samples can be obtained during
sampling disturbed and undisturbed. The most
important engineering properties required for foundation
design are strength, compressibility, and permeability.
Reasonably good estimates of these properties for
cohesive soils can be made by laboratory tests on
undisturbed samples which can be obtained with
moderate difficulty. It is nearly impossible to obtain a
truly undisturbed sample of soil; so in general usage the
term "undisturbed" means a sample where some
precautions have been taken to minimize disturbance or
remolding effects. In this context, the quality of an
"undisturbed" sample varies widely between soil
laboratories.
49
 SAMPLING

UNDISTURBED
UNDISTURBED
DISTURBED
DISTURBED SAMPLES
SAMPLES
SAMPLES
SAMPLES

Classification Vane shear Test

Tests Triaxial compression
Test
UCC Test
Consolidation Test
Direct shear test
Permeability test
50
SOIL SAMPLING
There are 2 types of soil sample
• Disturbed sample
• Undisturbed sample

• Disturbed sample :- Natural structure of the soil gets modified

or destroyed during the sampling operation. These are also called
representative samples.
Non-representative samples are those in which soils from other
layers get mixed up.

• Undisturbed sample :- Natural structure of the soil and

material properties remain preserved.
SOIL SAMPLING

 Disturbances
 Shearing and compression
 In situ stress release
 Drying
 Vibrations
AMOUNT OF SAMPLING

 Depends upon;
 Time constraints
 Topography
 Cost factors
 Reasons for sampling
 There are no specific guidelines

53 53
SAMPLE DISTURBANCE
 Depends upon design samplers
and method of sampling.
 Design features governing the
degree of disturbance
 Cutting edge

 Inside wall friction

 Non-return valve

Fig –Lower section of a sampler

FACTORS AFFECTING SAMPLE
DISTURNAMCE

Inside clearance= [(D3 – D1 ) / D1 ]x 100 %

•Should lie in between 1 to 3 %

Outside clearance = [(D2 – D4 ) / D4 ]x 100%

•Outside clearance should not be much greater than the inside clearance .

Area ratio= [(D22 – D12 ) / D12] x 100 %

•Should be as low as possible

•For soft sensitive soil, > 25%
•Preferably, ≤ 10 %
SAMPLERS

56
SAMPLERS

57
COMMON SAMPLING METHODS

58
SOIL SAMPLING
 Good quality samples are necessary

AAR<10
R<10
O.D.2  I .D.2
%% AR  2
100 (%)
soil I .D.

AR = area ratio
sampling tube
Thicker the wall, greater the disturbance

59
 SOIL SAMPLING
 Inside clearance, Ci =(DS – DC )X100 / DC
 Outside clearance, C o=(Dw – DT )X100 / DT
DC : Inner diameter of cutting edge
Dw : Outer diameter of cutting edge
Ds: Inner diameter of sampling tube
DT: Outer diameter of sampling tube
Inside clearance, Ci , should not be more than
1 to 3%, the outside clearance Co should also
not be much greater than Ci

60
SOILSAMPLING

61
ROCK SAMPLING
 Rock cores are necessary if the
soundness of the rock is to be
established.
 small cores tend to break up inside the
drill barrel.
 Larger cores also have a tendency to
break up (rotate inside the barrel and
degrade), especially if the rock is soft
or fissured.

62
63
ROCK CORING

64
ROCK SAMPLING

65
ROCK CORE DRILLING
 Done with either tungsten carbide or
diamond core bits
 Use a double or triple tube core barrel
when sampling weathered or fractured
rock
 Used to determine Rock Quality
Designation

66
Core 67
ROCK QUALITY DESIGNATION, RQD

 Rock Quality Designation (RQD) is defined as the

percentage of rock cores that have length equal or
greater than 10 cm over the total drill length.

68
ROCK QUALITY DESIGNATION, RQD

69
AN EXAMPLE ON CORE RECOVERY AND RQD
 Core run of 150 cm
 Total core recovery = 125 cm
 Core recovery ratio = 125/150 = 83%
 On modified basis, 95 cm are counted

RQD = 95/150=63 %

70
ROCK CLASSIFICATION IN TERMS OF WEATHERING BASED ON
CORE RECOVERY

Sl. No. Core Grade Description

Recovery
(%)

1 >90 I Fresh
2 70 - 90 II Slightly
weathered

3 50 - 70 III Moderately
weathered

4 10 - 50 IV Highly weathered

5 0 – 10 V Completely
weathered

6 0 but N > 50 VI Residual soil

71
ROCK CLASSIFICATION IN TERMS OF ROCK QUALITY
DESIGNATION (RQD)

RQD ( in %) Classification

90 – 100 Excellent

75 – 90 Good

50 – 75 Fair

25 – 50 Poor

0 - 25 Very poor

72
BEARING CAPACITY BASED ON CORE STRENGTH
• Sufficient number of rock cores should be
tested for crushing strength
• Permissible bearing pressure,
qa = ksp qu
Where
qa is the permissible bearing pressure
qu is the average unconfined compressive strength
of rock cores
ksp is the empirical coefficient depending on spacing
of discontinuities and including a factor of safety of
3

73
A SCALE OF STRENGTH OF ROCK BASED ON UNIAXIAL
COMPRESSION TEST

Term Compressive strength (in

MN/m²)
Very weak Less than 1.25

Weak 1.25 to 5

Moderately weak 5 to 12.5

Moderately strong 12.5 to 50

Strong 50 to 100

Very strong 100 to 200

Extremely strong Greater than 200

74
FIELD TESTS
The following are the major field tests for
determining the soil strength:
1.Vane shear test (VST).
2.Standard Penetration Test (SPT).
3.Cone Penetration Test (CPT).
4. The Pressure-meter Test (PMT).
5. The Plate Load Test (PLT).

75
FIELD TESTS

76
1.VANE SHEAR TEST (VST)
 This test accurately determines the undrained
shear strength of purely cohesive soils by rotating
a small vane having four blades around its
vertical axis to fail a cylinder of soil in torsional
shear.
 Vane size can be varied to allow testing a range
of soil strength using the same torque head.
 By continuing to turn the vane blades five to ten
revolutions, the residual undrained shear strength
and the resulting sensitivity of the soil can also be
readily determined.

77
VARIOUS SIZE VST SHEAR HEADS

78
MANUAL PENETRATION RIG WITH TORQUE HEAD

79
2.STANDARD PENETRATION TEST (SPT)

80
STANDARD PENETRATION TEST (SPT)

81
A GLIMPSE THROUGH SPT
PROGRAMME

82
83
84
85
86
87
SPT- PROCEDURE
 The split spoon sampler is connected to a string of drill
rods and is lowered into the bottom of the bore hole which
was drilled and cleaned in advance.
 The sampler is driven into the soil strata to a maximum
depth of 18 in(45 cm)by making use of a140 Ib (63.5 kg)
weight falling freely from a height of 30 in (75 cm) on to an
anvil fixed on the top of drill rod.
 The weight is guided to fall along a guide rod. The weight
is raised and allowed to fall by means of a manila rope, one
end tied to the weight and the other end passing over a
pulley on to a hand operated winch or a motor driven
cathead.

88
SPT- PROCEDURE
 The number of blows required to penetrate each of
the successive 6 in (15 cm) depths is counted to
produce a total penetration of 18 in (45 cm)
 To avoid seating errors, the blows required for the first
6 in (15 cm) of penetration are not taken into account;
those required to increase the penetration from 6 in
(15 cm) to 18 in (45 cm)constitute the N-value.
 As per some codes of practice if the N-value exceeds
100, it is termed as refusal, and the test is stopped
even if the total penetration falls short of the last 300
mm depth of penetration.

89
CORRECTIONS

Three types of corrections are normally

applied to the observed SPT values.
They are:
2. 1.Correction for dilatancy
2. 2. Correction due to overburden
pressure

90
 2. 1. CORRECTION FOR DILATANCY

 In the case of fine sand or silt below

water-table, apparently high values
may be noted for N. In such cases, the
following correction is recommended
(Terzaghi and Peck, 1948):
N = 15+ ½ ×(N′ − 15)
where N′ = observed SPT value,
and N = corrected SPT value.

91
2.2. CORRECTION DUE TO OVERBURDEN PRESSURE

For SPT made at shallow levels, the values are

usually too low. At a greater depth, the same soil,
at the same density index, would give higher
penetration resistance.
The effect of the overburden pressure on SPT
value may be approximated by the equation:
N = N′. 350
( σ+70 )
where N′ = observed SPT value,
N = corrected SPT value, and
σ = effective overburden pressure in KN/m2,
not exceeding 280 KN/m2.
This implies that no correction is required if the
effective overburden pressure is 280 kN/m2. 92
STANDARD PENETRATION TEST &
BEARING CAPACITY
BEARING PRESSURE CORRESPONDING TO SHEAR FAILURE :
The net ultimate bearing capacity, q. (in kN/m2) is given by

qnu = 0.314N2 B.Rw2 + 0.943 (100 + N2) Df. Rw1

Where,
N : SPT value
Df : Depth of foundation in m (But limited to the
size of the foundation)
B : Minimum size of the foundation (taken as 1.2m)
R1 & R2 : Water table correction factors)For the worst
case, taken as 0.5)
93
STANDARD PENETRATION TEST & BEARING
CAPACITY

 BEARING PRESSURE CORRESPONDING TO

SETTLEMENT CONSIDERATION :
The safe bearing pressure, qs, (in kN/m2)


B + 0.3 2

q = 1.36 (N-3) S.Rd. Rw1

2B

Where,
B : Maximum size of the footing (taken as 1.60m)
R : Water table correction factor (For the worst case,
taken as 0.5)
94
3.CONE PENETRATION TEST (CPT)

95
DYNAMIC PENETRATION TEST

96
DYNAMIC CONE PENETRATION TEST

97
DYNAMIC CONE PENETROMETER

98
DYNAMIC PENETRATION TEST

99
DYNAMIC PENETRATION TEST

100
STATIC CONE PENETRATION TEST
The sequence of operation is explained below

 The cone and friction jacket assembly in a collapsed position.

 The cone is pushed down by the inner sounding rods to a depth a until a
collar engages the cone. The pressure gauge records the total force Qc to
the cone. Normally a = 40 mm.
 The sounding rod is pushed further to a depth b. This pushes the friction
jacket and the cone assembly together; the force is Qt. Normally b = 40 mm.
The outside mantle tube is pushed down a distance a + b which brings the
cone assembly and the friction jacket to position 1. The total movement = a
+ b = 80 mm.
 The process of operation is continued until the proposed depth is reached.
The cone is pushed at a standard rate of 20 mm per second. The depth of
CPT is measured by recording the length of the sounding rods that have
been pushed into the ground.

101
STATIC CONE PENETRATION TEST

102
STATIC CONE PENETRATION TEST

103
STATIC CONE PENETRATION TEST

104
CONE PENETRATION TEST

105
CONE PENETRATION TEST

106
GEOPHYSICAL METHODS

107
SEISMIC METHOD

108
BASIC TECHNIQUES OF SEISMIC METHOD

109
APPLICATIONS OF SEISMIC METHOD
1- Seismic Refraction
 Rock competence for engineering applications
 Depth to Bedrock
 Groundwater exploration
 Correction of lateral, near-surface, variations in seismic reflection
surveys
 Crustal structure and tectonics

2- Seismic Reflection
 Detection of subsurface cavities
 Shallow stratigraphy
 Site surveys for offshore installations
 Hydrocarbon exploration
 Crustal structure and tectonics

110
SEISMIC REFRACTION METHOD

111
SEISMIC REFRACTION METHOD

112
ELECTRICAL METHOD
Resistivity Techniques :
Resistivity measurements of the ground are normally made by
injecting current through two current electrodes and
measuring the resulting voltage difference at two potential
electrodes.
From the current (I) and voltage (V) values, an apparent
resistivity (ρa) value is calculated,
 Test set up consists of the following:
Energy source, (Battery).
Resistivity meter.
Two potential electrodes.
Two current electrodes

113
ELECTRICAL RESISTIVITY METHOD

114
ELECTRICAL RESISTIVITY METHOD

115
ELECTRICAL RESISTIVITY METHOD

116
SUB SOIL EXPLORATION REPORT
1. A description of the scope of the investigation
2. A description of the proposed structure for which the subsoil
exploration has been conducted
3. A description of the location of the site, including any structures
nearby, drainage conditions, the nature of vegetation on the site and
surrounding it, and any other features unique to the site
4. A description of the geological setting of the site
5. Details of the field exploration—that is, number of borings, depths of
borings, types of borings involved, and so on
6. A general description of the subsoil conditions, as determined from
soil specimens and from related laboratory tests, standard
penetration resistance and cone penetration resistance, and soon
7. A description of the water-table conditions
8. Re commendations regarding the foundation, including the type of
foundation recommended, the allowable hearing pressure, and any
special construction procedure that may he needed; alternative
foundation design procedures should also be discussed in this portion
of the report
9. Conclusions and limitations of the investigations
117
SUBSOIL EXPLORATION REPORT
The following graphical presentations
should he attached to the report:
1. A site location map
2. A plan view of the location of the
borings with respect to the proposed
structures and those nearby
3. Boring logs
4. Laboratory test results
5. Other special graphical presentations
118
TABLE OF CONTENTS OF A GEOTECHNICAL
INVESTIGATION REPORT – AN EXAMPLE

119
120
CASE STUDIES

121
EXAMPLE OF INADEQUATE GEOTECHNICAL INVESTIGATIONS –
KHALIFA CITY, UAE

 2m height x 2m wide cave was encountered

during construction work of ADSS Contract
212. The cave was a serious obstacle for the
construction of sewer pipeline
 650mm micro tunneling machine collapsed
between manholes KB39 and KB40 (ADSS
Contract 212B), 10m below ground surface.
Inaccurate grouting, due to non-precise
identification of the cavity location and size
led to collapse of tunneling machine.

122
EXAMPLE OF INADEQUATE GEOTECHNICAL INVESTIGATIONS –
KHALIFA CITY, UAE

 
 Large cavity, 2m height x 10m wide, with
heavy water flow encountered in gypsum layer
(ADSS Contract 218B). Without geophysical
surveys, this subsurface hazards could remain
undetected, to threaten future constructions 
 Large cavity, 2m height x 5m wide, with high
water flow formed under weak sandstone layer
6m below existing ground surface (ADSS
Contract 219B).

123
GEOTECHNICAL INVESTIGATION FOR THE GAUTRAIN RAPID
RAIL LINK

Feasibility investigation consisted of :

 19 rotary core boreholes (tunnels,

underground stations, portals, etc.)
 Seismic measurements at selected portal
positions, geological contacts, underground
stations
 Laboratory testing on rock samples, i.e. UCS,
triaxial, tensile strength
 Joint surveys on available rock exposures
 Excavation of trial holes
124
GEOTECHNICAL INVESTIGATION FOR THE GAUTRAIN RAPID
RAIL LINK

Detailed investigation consisted of :

 89 rotary core boreholes (tunnels, underground stations, portals,
etc.)
 120 large diameter auger holes and test pits (bridge, viaduct, culvert
foundations and surface station and maintenance yard areas)
 100 percussion holes (risk assessment of sinkholes in dolomitic
areas)
 Gravimetric and electromagnetic surveys to determine depth and
variability of bedrock, location and width / dip of contacts
 Geohydrological study to ascertain depth and quality of groundwater
along the route
 Seismic events, historical record and future predictions
 Laboratory testing on soil samples, i.e. gradings, Atterberg limits,
shear strength parameters, compaction parameters
 Laboratory testing on rock samples, i.e. UCS, triaxial, tensile strength,
durability, boreability, abrasiveness, petrographic and XRD analysis

125
GAUTRAIN RAPID RAIL LINK

126
Thank you