Soil Instability and Building Damage in the Urban District, Morocco: Chefchaouen City as Case Study

Abstract

Ground instability is one of the most significant issues that affect the social, economic, and environmental levels in the northern Rif area and many other parts of Morocco. To understand and analyze this natural hazard of terrain instability, Chefchaouen City is chosen as a case study. based on the inventory of ground movements carried out by the Geotechmed Laboratory to identify and characterize cases of instability in this city and their relationship with the geological structure and soil characteristics is the aim of this research. As well as, the inventory of constructions damaged by instability in all municipality districts. The results indicated that the soils in the administrative district were reliable. Several factors contributed to the 2016 landslide in the Ain Haouzi District, including high rainfall, water resurgence, and human activity. The damage inventory of 83 houses showed how the geographical distribution of the severely damaged homes was placed on top of the distribution of landslides in the surrounding areas. The management plan needs to adapt to the geomorphological characteristics and behavior of the subsoil. That will help to avoid any future material damage and provide better guidance for the planning and the city's expansion development, with its remarkable urban sprawl.