The role of underground urbanization in Samara city geological processes

Abstract

In all largest cities due to lack of territory there is an intensification of underground space use - underground urbanization. It allows finding solutions to transport and environmental problems while preserving the unique appearance of the city’s historical cents. However, the process of underground space development leads to activation of some exogenous processes, which may lead to negative consequences. More than one million people live in Samara city, subway line is built, there are subway objects of industrial and defense importance (bunkers) reaching considerable depth. Active underground construction leads to strengthening of geological processes (weathering, karst formation, suffosia, etc.), change of strength properties of rocks, violation of natural hydrological regime of the territory. By the example of Samara, stages of underground urbanization of the city were studied and its influence on geological processes was considered. Results of studying existing use of city underground space are described. Taking into account geological and geomorphological regionalization of the city, the areas, which underground space development is the most undesirable, were identified.