Study on Characteristics of Soil Profile Stability Indexes in Sakita

Abstract

This research examines the suitability of soil as infrastructure which can help in the classification and identification of its properties for ideal engineering structures. Sakita, an area in Gesse III as a case study, is a virgin land, allocated for residential buildings. The need to investigate the soil profile in the report area prompted these studies as its physical properties are used for classifying its various engineering applications. These properties indicate qualitative behaviors of soil when subjected to various types of loads. Apart from physical/visual observation made of the soil, trial pits were dug to depths of 0.5m, 1.0m, 1.5m, 2.0m, and 2.5m respectively and disturbed soil samples were taken for tests. The disturbed soil samples obtained were analyzed for grading including mechanical sieve analysis, specific gravity, plastic limit, liquid limit, and bulk density tests. The resistances of the cone against penetration, compaction, consolidation, and permeability properties were also assessed. The detected geotechnical properties varied significantly with depth, except for specific gravity, which did not vary significantly at 0.5 m with depth. Soil samples from all pits consist mainly of poorly sorted gravel and sand with little fineness. They contain a medium- to coarse-grained fraction of sand on average above 85%. The puncture resistance obtained from the cone puncture test ranges from 100 knm2 to 950 knm2. The average safe bearing capacity estimated for the footing using a factor of safety of 3 at a depth of 1 m was not less than 473 km2 anywhere in the study area. The samples from the three locations generally have good compaction parameters, medium to high permeability, and low compressibility. The highest load-bearing capacity is associated with the lateralized basement ceiling. This means that the safety depth for placing infrastructure foundations in the prescribed research area (Sakita) is the depth where it meets the lateralized basement.