Use of engineering geophysics to investigate a site for a building foundation

TLDR

Geophysical data combined with geotechnical measurements can significantly enhance building quality in civil engineering. A case study at a vacant building site employed dipole–dipole electrical resistivity tomography with 2D/3D inversions and complementary electromagnetic surveys to map subsurface properties. Borehole data revealed complex geology, and the study showed that engineering geophysics, using multiple techniques, can accurately determine subsurface properties.

Abstract

The combination of geophysical data and geotechnical measurements may greatly improve the quality of buildings under construction in civil engineering. A case study is presented here at a vacant building site. Initially, boreholes indicated a complex geology. A dipole–dipole configuration was selected for electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) implementation and the data were processed and interpreted by applying 2D and 3D inversions. An electromagnetic survey was also carried out at a different time periods and successfully used to verify the results of the resistivity measurements. It is demonstrated that engineering geophysics is able to provide solutions for determining subsurface properties and that different prospection techniques are necessary for developing a reasonable model of the subsurface structure.