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Geotechnical Investigation Report for NIGATWA TEFERI building found in Nefas Silk Lafto Sub

City, Addis Ababa

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. INTRODUCTION…………………………………………………........................ 1

2. GEOLOGY..…………………………………………………………………………..2

3. FIELD WORKS.……………………………………………………………………..6

3.1 BOREHOLE DRILLING..…………………………………………………………………………. 6


3.2 STANDARD PENETRATION TESTS…………………………………………………...………………..7

4. BOREHOLE LOGGING…..……………………………………………………….. 8

5. SOIL SAMPLE HANDLING………………………………………………………...8

6. THE LABORATORY TESTS AND RESULTS……………………………………9

7. BEARING CAPACITY DETERMINATION..……………………..…………… .10

7.1 Bearing capacity based on SPT Tests____________________________ ….……10

8.GROUND WATER LEVEL MEASUREMENT……………...……….…..………11

9 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS……………..…………..……...12

APPENDICES:
Appendix I - Laboratory Test Result Certificates
Appendix II – Photograph of core samples

EBACON SOIL INVESTIGATION AND DESIGN CONSULTING 0911824448 February, 2022


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Geotechnical Investigation Report for NIGATWA TEFERI building found in Nefas Silk Lafto Sub
City, Addis Ababa

1. INTRODUCTION
This geotechnical report presents the findings on the foundation investigation of
NIGATWA TEFERI B+G+8 plus Terrace building found in Nefas Silk Lfto Sub
City, Addis Ababa

It is prepared based on the agreement signed between NIGATWA TEFERI and


EBACON Soil Investigation and design consulting to compile for the geotechnical
investigation works.

In this project, geotechnical investigation of the foundation through borehole


drilling, collecting representative soil, groundwater level measurement, laboratory
testing, and preparation of geotechnical report including bearing capacity are
provided.

Accordingly, the field exploration was carried out from February 16 – 24, 2022 by
EBACON SOIL INVESTIGATION AND DESIGN CONSULTING. The
geotechnical investigation was carried out for B+G+8 Plus Terrace building, 2
(two) vertical boreholes were fixed by the client, each with a depth of 15 m was
drilled. Disturbed soils (from split spoon sampler) were collected and submitted to
the laboratory division for the required tests as per the price quotation in the
agreement.

The geological logging sheets of boreholes and laboratory test result certificates
are attached here with as appendices.

EBACON SOIL INVESTIGATION AND DESIGN CONSULTING 0911824448 February, 2022


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Geotechnical Investigation Report for NIGATWA TEFERI building found in Nefas Silk Lafto Sub
City, Addis Ababa

2. GEOLOGY
The geology of NW, NE, SE and SW area of Addis Ababa comprises rocks
ranging in age from to Tertiary volcanic. The Tertiary volcanics represent of the
area and comprises of aphanitic, pyroxene-phyric, plagioclase-phyric and olivine-
phyric basalt, trachy basalt, trachyte, ash, ignimbrite and agglomerate and
Tertiary sediments (fig3.1). Detail of each rock unit is presented below.
Foota basalt

This unit is exposed in the north western part constituting about 5% of the map
area and covers an area of 154 sq. Km. It mainly forms ridge with the maximum
thickness measure being 480 m.
This basalt is dark grey on fresh out crops. Upon weathering, it has developed a
laterite with maximum thickness of 2 m and locally it shows spheroidal
weathering. It is characterized by subhorizontal layering. Locally the rock is
affected by 2 joint sets. It shows alternating layers of vesicular basalt with either
porphyritic basalt or aphanitic basalt.
Thin section studies on a number of samples of aphanitic textured basalt shows
about 99% ground mass and less than 1% plagioclase. The where the ground
mass made up of olivine, pyroxene and feldspars.

EBACON SOIL INVESTIGATION AND DESIGN CONSULTING 0911824448 February, 2022


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Geotechnical Investigation Report for NIGATWA TEFERI building found in Nefas Silk Lafto Sub City, Addis Ababa

460000 480000 500000


N

1020000
1020000

#
Fota terara Qb #
Ch'elelk'a Terar Ti2
Qs
Qs Qb Qb
Qb
#

Tb2 Berek Terara


Qb Qs #
Sululta
Tb2 Ti3
Qs
Qb Qs
Tb1 Qs Qs
A' C
#
Ti1 Ti2
Sululta Ti3

Tb1 legend
Qb Qb
#
Welmera Ti1 Tt1 Ti1 # Ti3 #

Qs Entoto terara Quaternary Olivine phiric basalt


Ti3 Tb2 Ti3
Qb Asko #
Qb Qb Lege Dadi #
#

Qb Tafo

1000000
1000000

Lake sediment
Ti1 Tb2
#
Menagesha Ti3 Gulele
#

Qs #

Gefersa Entoto
#

Quaternary black cotton soil


Menagesha TeraraTi3 Tb1 Tb3
#

Qb Tb3 Qb
#
#

Tb1 #
# # Tb3 Quaternary Scoria
Keraneyo Ti2 #

B Ti3 D Yeka Ti2 C' Quaternary tuff


A Tb3
B'
Foota Basalt: strongly weathered and jointed basalt
#
#
Tt2 Lideta Tb3 #
Menagesha state Tb3
#
Repi
#
Tt2 chelekleka basalt:layered basalt with scoria and
Qb Tt2 Tb3 pyroclastic rocks intercaltion
Tb3
Ti3 Ti2 Repi basalt:trachybasalt at the toppart ,stongly
# Tt2 jointed basalt
Alem Gena Tb3 Tb3
# Qb Intoto mixed rocks: trachyte, ignimbrite,pyroclastic
Sebeta Qb Ti3Kaliti # Erere Terara #
rocks and sediment
Qsc Tt2
Furi
#
Lower Ignimbrite and pyroclastic rocks
Qb Qb
980000

980000
#
Akaki Beska Wechecha-Yerer Furi Ignimbrite
Tb2
# Qb Qb Qb Tertiary sediments
Tt2Tefki Ti3 Ts Qsc Intoto-trachyte- coarse grained trachyte
Qs #

Tt2 Ti3
Aba Samuel
Qb D' Wechecha, Yerer, Furi trachyte and Trachy basalt
Qsc Qb Qls
Qb water body
Qb Ti3 Dukem
#

Qb Qt # locality names
Ti3Ts Tt2 Qb Qt
Major lineament
Qls Debrezeyt(Bishoftu) #

Qls

460000 480000 500000

0 20 40 Kilometers

Fig.1 Geological map of the study area

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Geotechnical Investigation Report for NIGATWA TEFERI building found in Nefas Silk Lafto Sub City, Addis Ababa

In to to
32 0 0 C ro ss s e ct ion le g end
31 0 0
30 0 0 Q u a tern a ry O livi ne p h ir ic b a sa lt
29 0 0 La k e se dim e n t
28 0 0 Q u a tern a ry bl a ck co t to n soil
27 0 0 Q u a tern a ry Sc o ria
Q u a tern a ry tu ff
Foo ta Basa l t: stro n gly w e ath er e d an d joint ed ba sa l t
W e ch e ch a ch e le k le k a b a salt:la ye re d b as alt w ith sc o ria a nd p yr oc l a stic ro c ks in ter c a ltio n
30 0 0 Re p i ba sa lt: tra c hyb a sa lt a t the to pp a rt ,sto ng ly joint ed ba sa l t
29 0 0 Int o to m ixe d ro c ks : tra c h yt e, i gn im b rite, py ro cla stic r oc k s a n d sed im e nt
28 0 0 Lo w e r Ig nim b rite a n d pyr oc la sti c ro c k s
27 0 0 W e c he c h a- Y e rer F u ri Ig nim br ite
26 0 0 T er ti ary se dim e nts
25 0 0 Int o to -tra c hyte - c o a rse g ra i ne d t ra c hy te
24 0 0 W e c he c h a, Y er e r, F ur i tra c h yte a nd T r ac h y b a sa lt
23 0 0 w ate r b od y
22 0 0
20 0 0

32 0 0 Y e re r
31 0 0
30 0 0
29 0 0
28 0 0
27 0 0
26 0 0
25 0 0
24 0 0
23 0 0

23 0 0
22 0 0
21 0 0 D e b re ze it
20 0 0
19 0 0
18 0 0

0 10 2 0 Kilo m e t e r s

Fig 2 Geological cross-sections along lines A-A’, B-B’, C-C’ and D-D’

EBACON SOIL INVESTIGATION AND DESIGN CONSULTING 0911824448 February, 2022


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Geotechnical Investigation Report for NIGATWA TEFERI building found in Nefas Silk Lafto Sub
City, Addis Ababa

Quaternary olivine basalt

This unit is exposed in the northern central and southern central part of the map
area. It forms up to 21% of the map area and covers an area of 627 sq. Km. It
mainly forms ridge and the maximum thickness measured is 50 m.
This basalt is grey color on fresh out crop and becomes reddish brown up on
weathering. Most of the time, it out crops in boulder form. In hand specimen
phenocrysts of olivine and pyroxene are clearly seen. Sometimes the rock is
vesicular and the vesicles are filled by secondary zeolite and quartz.
This rock unconformably overlies the Wechecha-Yere-Furi ignimbrite and the
Wechecha-Yere-Furi Trachyte and trachy basalt.
Thin section studies of samples from this unit show about 60% plagioclase, 20%
pyroxene, and 5% opaque minerals and 15% ground mass. The groundmass is
made up of feldspar, pyroxene, opaque and other unidentified minerals.
In some locality minor rock type composed of 15% plagioclase, 20% olivine
minerals and with 60% groundmass is also observed. The groundmass is
composed of micro-phenocrysts of pyroxene, plagioclase laths, and olivine and
opaque minerals. This rock type exhibits pikiliotic texture.

Tertiary sediment

This unit is exposed in the central part of the map area. It constitutes about 1% of
the map area and covers an area of 31 sq. km. Out crops are mainly observed at
the banks of the river and small creeks. It generally forms very gentle slope and
lower topography. It is overlain by the young Quaternary basalt and overlay the
Repi basalt. The maximum thickness is about 9 m which is around Akaki area.
This rock is yellow to yellowish pink. In this rock the dominant layers are
conglomeratic sandstone to fine sandstone. It generally depicts coarsening
upward sequence. In this sediment the pebbles and cobbles are basalt and
scoracious basalt. Locally, this sediment is well sorted. It shows bedding and

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EBACON SOIL INVESTIGATION AND DESIGN CONSULTING 0911824448 February, 2022
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Geotechnical Investigation Report for NIGATWA TEFERI building found in Nefas Silk Lafto Sub
City, Addis Ababa

lamination structure and the most interesting thing here is that the sediment
contains bone fossil.

Wechecha- Furi-Yere trachyte and trachy basalt

This unit is located in the western and south eastern parts of the study area. It
forms about 18% of the total area and covers an area of 553 Sq. Km. This units
mostly forms big mountains such as Furi, Wechecha and Yerer.
This unit is found overlying the Repi basalt and the contact is marked by a thick
paleosoil. But, in some localities it is covered by Quaternary olivine-phyric basalt.
It is an aphanitic to medium grained in texture with vesicular varieties mostly at
its lower part.
This trachyte and trachy basalt is light grey to dark grey often to greenish grey.
Weathered surfaces show various colors. It has aphanitic to vesicular texture. At
its lower part it shows columnar jointing and is affected by two set of joints. At
some places it shows layering. Mostly the trachyte and the trachy basalt are
found alternatively layered with the trachyte being dominant. The base of the unit
is dominated by trachy basalt to basaltic rock type.

Thin section studies on samples from this unit shows a composition of 20-60%
plagioclase, 5-12% olivine minerals and 15-70% ground mass. The groundmass
is made up of olivine, pyroxene, plagioclase and opaque minerals. The
plagioclase minerals lath-like crystals. The pyroxene and olivine minerals are
weathered to form secondary minerals of augite and iddingsite. The rock shows
poikilitic texture.

Moreover a porphyritic trachyte was locally observed and is composed of 30%


feldspar (sanidine), 10% pyroxene minerals and 60% groundmass.
Microphenocrysts of mainly feldspar and pyroxene form the groundmass.

Quaternary Scoria

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EBACON SOIL INVESTIGATION AND DESIGN CONSULTING February, 2022
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Geotechnical Investigation Report for NIGATWA TEFERI building found in Nefas Silk Lafto Sub
City, Addis Ababa

This unit is found in the south mainly south eastern part of the map area. It forms
less than 1% of the total area .It covers an area of 3 sq. km which is less than 1%
of the map area. These scoria cones are found as either cones or simple domes.
Mostly, they are layered and sometimes contain grey vesicular basalt bombs.
This unit is mainly cut by basaltic dyke of different orientation.
Repi trachy basalt and basalt

This unit is found generally in the central and eastern part of the map area. It
covers an area of 137 sq. km which is 5% of the map area and forms mainly flat
land except that at some places it forms ridges. In the central part it is overlain by
Wechecha-Yere-Furi ignimbrite where as in the central western part it is overlain
by Yere-Furi-Wechecha trachyte. It is mainly greenish grey to dark grey but
rarely of pink color. This rock is porphyritic and aphanitic with the top part mostly
vesicular. Weathering of the rock forms different colors of mainly dark brown.
Spheroidal weathering is more conspicuous phenomenon. The Repi basalt is
mainly affected by joints making it fissile and jointing measured to be N30°E and
N310°E. Mainly at the contact between the ignimbrite and this basalt it forms
paleosoil which is red in color.

Thin section studies of samples from both porphyritic and aphanitic variety shows
composition of 74% plagioclase laths and minor alkali feldspar, 10%-12%
opaque and magnetite minerals, with 8%-10% epidote and 4% secondary
serpentine. Generally, it shows poikilitic and flow texture. But the trachy basalt
differs from the basalt by showing a composition of sanidine instead of
plagioclase mineral.

Cheleka basalt

This unit is found in the north eastern and southern parts of the study area where
the northeastern part is more extensive. It makes up 14% of the total area and
covers an area of 420 sq. km. This unit is formed by different layers which are
aphanitic basalt agglomerate and pyroclastic rocks. In between each unit there is
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EBACON SOIL INVESTIGATION AND DESIGN CONSULTING February, 2022
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Geotechnical Investigation Report for NIGATWA TEFERI building found in Nefas Silk Lafto Sub
City, Addis Ababa

a baked soil horizon. The lower part is made up of aphanitic basalt and
columunarly jointed whereas the top part is porphyritic in texture. Some of the
layers of the basalt are more scoracious.
This rock is highly fractured and dense below which there is a 40 m thick
crystalline and coarse grained trachyte. But, at the north western part it overlies
the Wechecha-Yere-Furi ignimbrite. At the top part it is covered by plagioclase-
pyroxene-olivine-phyric basalt. The lower most part affected by joints 310°and
50° at some place parallel to 50°dyke is observed.
Intoto mixed rocks

This unit is exposed in the central part of the map area. It makes up about 4% of
the map area and covers on area of 127.sq. km. This unit consists of trachyte,
ignimbrite, pyroclastic rocks and sediments. All the rocks are highly weathered
and jointed with few layers of agglomerate at some places. This unit develops a
thick red soil. It is covered by patches of Quaternary basalt except in southern
margin. The contact with the Cheleka basalt develops thick red baked soil. This
rock is highly affected by joints trending E-W and N290°E. It forms high mountain
chain trending E-W.
The trachyte forms variegated color of weathering mainly pink, yellow, white and
grey. Whereas the pyroclastic rocks mainly form light green and reddish brown.
At some places, the trachyte is porphyritic.
At the base of the mountain, the rocks are affected by joints with EW, N300°E,
N350°E, N10°E, N100°E, N80°E, SE trends.
The pyroclastic rocks contain fragments of trachyte and rhyolite but because it is
highly weathered it shows light grey to light yellow and also black color. The
rhyolite is vesicular and amygdaloidal and the amygdales are secondary
malachite.

Intoto trachyte

This unit is exposed in the central part of the map area. It makes up about less
than 1% of the map area and covers an area of 21.sq. km. This unit is generally
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EBACON SOIL INVESTIGATION AND DESIGN CONSULTING February, 2022
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Geotechnical Investigation Report for NIGATWA TEFERI building found in Nefas Silk Lafto Sub
City, Addis Ababa

coarse grained porphyritic and highly weathered. This makes it to have


weathering color of light pink to white. The alkali feldspar phenocrysts are up to a
centimeter in diameter. This unit is affected by EW and SE-NE joints. The joints
are filled with dark brown clay. This unit is covered by patches of Quaternary
olivine basalt.

Lake sediment

This unit is found in the central and SE part of the study area. It makes up about
4% of the map area and covers on area of 122 sq. km. This unit contains
siltstone and sand stone which are generally loosely compacted. But generally
the sandstone is the dominant. Both the siltstone and the sandstone are yellow to
yellowish brown. The sandstone contains fragments of basalt trachyte and scoria
and also some crystals of plagioclase. It is exposed at the base and shows
bedding structure. Then, comes a massive and fine grained whitish yellow
siltstone. On top, the siltstone is covered by Quaternary young basalt. Whereas
the base of this unit has a conformable contact with the Repi basalt to the west.
At the center it has a contact with thick black cotton soil.
Quaternary tuff

This unit is exposed in the SE corner of the study area. It makes up less than 1%
of the map area and covers on area of 11 sq. km. This unit forms small hills to
plain land morphology. It is whitish pink to grey and consists of rock fragments
with size ranging from boulders to pebbles size and sanidine crystals with the
fine grained ground mass being dominant. This rock is friable and shows
bedding and lamination structure which generally dips 12° towards N150°E. It
shows coarsening upward sequence and is overlain by Quaternary basalt.
Lower Ignimbrite

This unit outcrops in the eastern and north eastern parts of the study area with
the eastern part being more extensive than the western part. It makes up about
1% of the total area and covers an area of 40 sq. km. It is grey and black colored

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EBACON SOIL INVESTIGATION AND DESIGN CONSULTING February, 2022
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Geotechnical Investigation Report for NIGATWA TEFERI building found in Nefas Silk Lafto Sub
City, Addis Ababa

and shows columnar jointing. The rock is medium to fine grained and is
composed of sanidine phenocrysts and fine grained ground mass. The top layer
is very loose massive ash deposit which is whitish in color. It overlies the
Cheleka basalt unit. In most of the case it is overlain by Repi basalt but in the
central eastern part it is overlain by Wecheca-Yere-Furi ignimbrite and
Wechecha-Yere-Furi trachy basalt and trachyte. The top and lower contacts are
marked by paleosoil. This unit generally consists of two layers. The top layer is
coarse where as the lower layer is fine grained. In between the two layers there
is a baked soil horizon. At the center, the lower part is very fine but to the
periphery it become more coarse grained than the central. This ignimbrite shows
interlayering of ignimbrite, ash and tuff. The boundary in between each rock type
is marked by a paleosoil. This unit is highly affected by joint which are vertical
and horizontal plunging in N340°E and N150°E direction.

Wechecha-Yere-Furi ignimbrite

This unit is found cropping out in the eastern part of the study area. It is grey,
which contains fragments of ignimbrite, rhyolite and pumice with sanidine
phenocrysts. It is fine to medium grained in texture. At the top part, it shows
columnar jointing where as at the base it shows layering. In the lower most part
and most top part of this unit there are pyroclastic deposit which contains
phenocrysts of sanidine. The pyroclastic layers are multiple with each layer
separated by thin paleosoil. This unit is overlain by Wechecha-Yere-Furi trachy
basalt and trachyte to the central and western part but to the north and eastern
part it overlies the lower ignimbrite, Intoto mixed rocks and Repi basalt.
Elsewhere it is overlain by Quaternary basalt.
Thin section studies of this rock show a composition of 52% glass (ash) 18%
sanidine crystals with accessory minerals of 4% magnetite and 5% hematite. The
secondary minerals observed are 3% augite, 5% rock fragments and 5% quartz.
It has a flow texture and also eutaxitic by major constituents which are glass or
ash. But the ash flow/ tuff which is found at the lower most and at the upper most
part of the unit shows 69% quartz with 10% opaque and 5% hematite accessory
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EBACON SOIL INVESTIGATION AND DESIGN CONSULTING February, 2022
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Geotechnical Investigation Report for NIGATWA TEFERI building found in Nefas Silk Lafto Sub
City, Addis Ababa

minerals. Micro phenocrysts of 5% quartz, 3% sanidine, 3% plagioclase and


5% glass are also observed. This pyroclastic deposit shows layering of a
millimeter thickness with major constituent showing radiating and fibrous texture.

3. FIELD WORKS
The fieldwork comprises borehole sites handing over, drilling boreholes, SPT
testing and split spoon soil sampling, groundwater level measurement, logging
and photographing of the core samples.

3.1 BOREHOLE DRILLING

Boreholes drilling were carried out with china made mobile drilling rig. The rig is
rotary drill, hydraulically operated and equipped with water (drilling fluid) pump
and core sample extruding device. The drilling method applied was rotary boring
using potable water.

Boreholes were completed with HQ size (89mm hole diameter) impregnated and
surface set diamond and jumbo bits.

Core samples recovered from core barrels were arranged in partitioned wooden
core boxes having 1.0 m length, and are properly labeled indicating project
name, client, borehole designation, depth, etc. The cores inside core boxes were
logged and photographed and kept as part of the report document.

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EBACON SOIL INVESTIGATION AND DESIGN CONSULTING February, 2022
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Geotechnical Investigation Report for NIGATWA TEFERI building found in Nefas Silk Lafto Sub
City, Addis Ababa

3.2 STANDARD PENETRATION TEST (SPT)

Standard penetration test (SPT) is one of the most popular in-situ soil strength
tests in fine and granular soil foundation material. It is a type of test that provides
the resistance of the soils in the form of number of blows, N, from which the
bearing capacities of foundation material can be calculated.

An automatic test apparatus that can freely drop standard hammer abruptly
without any friction development or energy absorption is operated to implement
the standard penetration resistance tests.

N is the number of blows required to penetrate 450 mm test zone while a 63.50
kg weighing standard test hammer is freely falling at a height of 760 mm. The
blow counts for the first 150 mm penetrations are disregarded as the drilling
activity prior to the SPT is considered to disturb the ground. Thus, the blow
counts taken during penetration of the last 300 mm are considered as N-values
of the standard penetration test.

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EBACON SOIL INVESTIGATION AND DESIGN CONSULTING February, 2022
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Geotechnical Investigation Report for NIGATWA TEFERI building found in Nefas Silk Lafto Sub
City, Addis Ababa

4. BOREHOLE LOGGING
The borehole logging was performed using the geotechnical-logging format. The
logging format shows the depth of the borehole, the description of the material
recovered and samplings performed. It also shows the name of the project,
borehole No., etc.

The borehole logging sheet indicates the type of the drilling rig, method of drilling,
the diameter of the hole and the core sample.
According to this logging format, the description of the material recovered from
the borehole is made using visual inspection. It includes, color, type, degree of
weathering and recovery of the material.

5. SOIL SAMPLES HANDLING


The disturbed soil and rock samples recovered from the boreholes were put into
hinged-joint wooden core boxes. Soil samples recovered from the split spoon of
SPT was taken within plastic bags too.

The core box and the plastic bag was also labeled from outside to the name of
the project, B.H. No., depth interval of the sample. Finally the samples collected
from the site were submitted to the laboratory for the appropriate tests

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Geotechnical Investigation Report for NIGATWA TEFERI building found in Nefas Silk Lafto Sub
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6. THE LABORATORY TESTS AND RESULTS


Samples recovered from different depth interval of the boreholes were agreed to
be tested for the following engineering properties of the soil.

For Soils:
 Atterberg limit
 Soil classification
 Free swell

Representatives of SPT values

BH Depth (m) SPT N-


NO Values
3.00-3.45 7/22/36 Medium stiff, medium plastic reddish clay
BH-1 4.10-4.55 17/24/38 mixed with gravel
6.00-6.45 13/25/39
BH-2 4.00-4.45 12/27/42 Medium stiff, medium plastic reddish clay
5.50-5.95 13/29/40 mixed with gravel
6.10-6.55 15/28/42

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EBACON SOIL INVESTIGATION AND DESIGN CONSULTING February, 2022
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Geotechnical Investigation Report for NIGATWA TEFERI building found in Nefas Silk Lafto Sub
City, Addis Ababa

7. BEARING CAPACITY DETERMINATION


7.1 BEARING CAPACITY BASED ON STANDARD
PENETRATION TESTS (SPT)
The bearing capacity is calculated based on SPT resistance applying the Bowels
modified equation for allowable bearing capacity as:
qa = N (1 + F3/B) 2kd, B>F4
F2
Where qa=allowable bearing pressure for so=25mm settlement, kpa
kd = 1 + 0.33D/B < 1.33
D = Footing depth
B = Footing width
F2, F3 and F4 are constants = 0.06, 0.3 and1.2 respectively.
The SPT is considered to be standard to the energy ratio E r = 70%.
Where Er = actual hammer energy to sampler, Ea x 100, since the drilling
Input energy, Ein
Rig used for this investigation is equipped with an automatic hammer and driller's
attention to ASTM D1586.
The standard blow count is adjusted by correcting the N/300mm -values to the
hammer type (ŋ1), the rod length (ŋ2), the sampler (ŋ3), the B.H. diameter (ŋ4),
and the overburden pressure (CN) of the foundation level as:
N'70 = CN x (N/300mm) x ŋ1xŋ2xŋ3xŋ4
Where CN = (p"o/p'o) 0.5 = (95.76kPa/γD)0.5
γ= Unit weight of the soil
D = Footing level of the foundation
Hence, the average N'70-values in the zone of interest between 1/2B above and
2B below the footing depth is considered in this computation of bearing capacity.
Accordingly, the bearing capacity at different depths for various square footing
widths is computed as tabulated below.

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Geotechnical Investigation Report for NIGATWA TEFERI building found in Nefas Silk Lafto Sub
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Finally, use allowable bearing capacities are given as in table 1.

Table 1: Bearing Capacity for different footing width in kPa based on SPT

Foundation Foundation Allowable bearing


capacity(Kpa)
Depth (m) Width (m)
5.50 3.00 475
5.50 4.00 401
5.50 5.00 358
6.00 3.00 501
6.00 4.00 424
6.00 5.00 380
7.00 3.00 538
7.00 4.00 442
7.00 5.00 391

Ranges of bearing capacities for different isolated footing widths are provided
based on SPT resistance. The minimum allowable bearing capacity is 538 Kpa
and the maximum is 358 Kpa.

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8. GROUNDWATER LEVEL MEASUREMENT


The groundwater level measurement was taken leaving a reasonable time gap
until the water induced for the drilling infiltrates into and/or evaporates out of the
ground in such a way that it would not result in exaggerated values. Hence, the
measurement is done after 24 hours of drilling activity.

Table 2. Ground water level


No Borehole ID Ground water after drilling of 24 hrs (m)
1 BH1 10m
2 BH 2 10m

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9. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATION

1. The bearing capacities of the foundation materials through the soil are
given based on SPT test. It is believed that the SPT test conducted
coupled with the test drilling logs provide the designer with the required
information with respect to the foundation condition. Use an allowable
bearing capacity of 358Kpa at 5.50m depth and use isolated type of
footing.
2. In case of footings placed on materials of different material strength,
appropriate fill must be placed on the harder material to accommodate
yield strength.
3. Inspect and verify the lateral continuity of the foundation materials upon
construction with respect to the logs.
4. The footing should be appropriately placed at 5.50m depth. Footings shall
not be placed at an inclined surface.
5. If shallow ground water is present, appropriate accommodating
mechanisms should be devised.

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REFERENCES

- Geotechnical Engineering analysis and evaluation, Roy E-Hunt, 1986


- Foundation analysis and design, Joseph E. Bowles, 4th edition, 1988
- Annual Book of ASTM Standards, 1994.
- Modern Geotechnical Engineering, Singh, 3 rd edition.
- Soil Mechanics and Foundation, Dr. B.C. Punmia, 13th Edition.
- Elements of Soil Mechanics, G. N. Smith, 6th edition.

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Appendix I - Laboratory Test Result


Certificates

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Appendix II – Photographs of Core


Samples

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Appendix III – GEOTECHNICAL LOOGGING

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