The Influence of Electrical Resistivity Array on its Soil Electrical Resistivity Value

Abstract

Electrical resistivity technique has become a popular alternative tool by the geotechnical engineers in subsurface investigation. This study presents the influence of soil electrical resistivity value (ERV) due to the different types of electrical resistivity array used in practice. The dissimilarity of ERV was become a popular debate by the engineers which posses less fundamental knowledge in this area. In the past, the theory of electrical resistivity technique was less being discovered by the engineer which creates lots of black boxes during the utilization of electrical resistivity method (ERM) in engineering purposes. Hence, the result which produced from the ERM was difficult to deliver in a sound of definitive ways due to lack of knowledge and experienced of most engineers. Hence, this study presents the influence of soil ERV due to the different types of array used with particular reference to as Dipole-dipole and Pole-dipole. A line of electrical resistivity imaging was performed on small embankment of sandy and lateritic soil with different types of array using ABEM SAS (4000) equipment. Three in line of soil samples were tested for moisture content (w) test immediately after the electrical resistivity data acquisition was completely measured. Moreover, particle size distribution test also was performed for all soil samples in order to support the findings. It was found that the ERV was never be the same for each types of array used even on the same particular location of the survey line. However, it was found that there was a consistent relationship between ERV and moisture content for both types of soil tested which can be represent by ERV 1/w. Hence, it was found that ERV produced was relative to the types of array used during the field measurement. Each types of array were applicable to be used in subsurface profiling and its selection was subjected to the target of interest.