Abstract
Geotechnical site investigations are essential in determining subsoil stratigraphy and soil strength and is considered mandatory for design of foundations. This study presents the generalized profiles for subsurface stratigraphy and insitu soil strength (average SPT N values) for different sectors of Islamabad on the basis of wide-ranging experimental work carried out by several agencies in fieldand laboratory testing carried out at the number of locations in the study area. Data from 208 geotechnical site investigations of Islamabad have been collected and subsurface profiling for those sectors is carried out that had more than four data points. The experimental data of the study area has shown potential for development of profile map for 11 different sectors of Islamabad using data of 144 geotechnical site investigations. Generalized soil profile and average SPT N values for each sector have been generated to a depth of 7m which is considered sufficient for lightly loaded structures with shallow foundations. Average SPT N value profile coupled with soil stratigraphy for each zone is established that can used to determine shear strength parameters and bearing capacity of soil using SPT based empirical correlations. The generalized soil profiles will be helpful during feasibility study and planning geotechnical site investigations for mega projects and can also be used to determine engineering properties of subsoil for small scale projects.
Highlights
Geotechnical site investigations are an important part of the planning and designing for underground construction/other structures
With an increasing number of major projects on the horizon, there is a need for the development of subsoil stratigraphy and average shear strength that can be used for preliminary designing of structures
Arshid et al (2013) used the data for 34 geotechnical site investigations to divide the area into three subclasses based on Standard Penetration Test (SPT) N values
Summary
Geotechnical site investigations are an important part of the planning and designing for underground construction/other structures. The GZMs and sub-soil profiling will help in the preliminary design of foundations, feasibility study and planning of detailed geotechnical site investigation (Ahmad et al 2013). The number of construction projects has increased, these generalized soil profiles can be used for the design of small residential buildings whereas detailed geotechnical site investigations may be required for large-scale projects. Ahmad et al (2013) and Kamal et al (2015) used geotechnical data to develop GZMs for Peshawar and Faisalabad soil respectively. With an increasing number of major projects on the horizon, there is a need for the development of subsoil stratigraphy and average shear strength that can be used for preliminary designing of structures. This study is more relevant and has wide range practical applications
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