1.

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background

As per the agreement made between AAWSA, Water & Sanitation Development &
Rehabilitation Project Office and Ethiopia Construction Design & Supervision Works
Corporation, the Geotechnical Business Units of Corporation has performed geotechnical
investigation for the G+0 Store Building, which comprises of test pit excavations and
logging, testing (DCP), and provide foundation recommendations, including bearing
capacity, foundation type and depth.

1.2 Location

The project area is located in Addis Ababa, in the compound of Kality west disposal
compound.

2. METHODS OF INVESTIGATION

2.1 Details of Investigation

In order to obtain reliable data and sufficient information, the following activities were
executed.

 Planning of office and field work

 Site visit
 Locating test pit
 Test pit excavation, logging and sampling
 Laboratory testing and finalizing the investigation report by give the foundation
recommendation that comprise the bearings and foundation types and depth.

2.2 Pitting

Subsurface investigation was performed using trail pits excavation at the proposed
building location to have clear picture of the entire site. Test pits investigation was
conducted for visual inspection of soil strata and sampling. In each test pit, strata were
properly logged on the spot and samples were secured for further laboratory tests.

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 A total of 5 test pits with a maximum depth of 4.00m, at the proposed building sites, were
excavated & properly logged at the site and disturbed of soil samples have been collected
from the desired depth while digging is on progress

2.3 Dynamic Cone Penetrometer (DCP) Test

In order to assess the relative density/consistency of the soil horizons, DCP test was used.
It is performed using a test apparatus with a standard hammer weight of 63.5kg falling
freely through a height of 75cm in order to advance a 600 cone having a diameter of
20mm into the ground at the side of the test pits & the number of blows required to
penetrate each of consecutive divisions of 20cm are recorded.

A total of 3 DCP tests were performed to a maximum depth of 8.80m.

Finally the DCP test results was plotted with the depth of penetration against number of
blows and converted in to SPT N-values.

2.4 Disturbed Sample

Disturbed soil samples have been collected from the desired depth while digging is in
progress. The disturbed soil samples were collected from representative pits in plastic bag
and transported to the soil laboratory of Company in order to perform the required tests

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3. GEOLOGY

3.1 General Geology

Addis Ababa is located in the western margin of the Ethiopian Rift and the city geology
is constituted by volcanic rocks of various types with difference modes of occurrence and
age. The volcanic rocks mainly basalts are formed from fissural type eruption and the
felsic layer are evolved from fissure resulting in alternating episodes of Basalt, Rhyolite
and Trachyte layers in a central type volcanism. The major rock types are Basalt,
Rhyolite, Trachyte, Ignimbrite, Tuff and Agglomerate. Residual soils ranging from red to
dark grey (black cotton soils) which is derived from this rock are found covering
extensive areas. Red clays are mainly found around Kolfe Keranyo and Asko areas. The
black cotton soils cover relatively flat areas starting from Bole Medhanealem through
Megenagna to the entire CMC and Kality in the east and southeastern part. In the western
and southwestern Addis Ababa, black cotton soils cover the entire Mekanisa and Lebu
areas. Further, the colluvial and alluvial deposits in the city and its surroundings are
commonly observed at the foot of hills and river banks.

3.2 Site Geology and Topography

Topographically, the site is situated in a gentle terrain with an elevation difference of

about point. Sub surface geologic condition of the project site it covered by non engineer
fill material of gravel and boulder underlay of this fill material it covered by plastic
expansive silty clay soil with big basaltic bolder with this layer

The descriptions of the geological layers encountered during the excavations are
presented below:

A. Fill Material

The top most part of the entire project site site is covered by poorly graded fill material
comprising different proportions of clay, silt, gravel and boulder. The maximum
thickness (0.70m) is found around TP5.

B. Dark grey, expansive silty CLAY

This geotechnical layer is encountered in under lay below the fill material. It is medium
stiff to stiff, dark grey, expansive, silty CLAY soil. It has a thickness of more than 1.50m
as may be observed in TP1.

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 C. Dark grey, expansive silty clay with some sand

This geotechnical layer found overlay by expansive silty clay soil. It is identified to be
medium stiff to stiff, light gray silty clay with some sand. Dynamic cone penetrometer
(DCP) test conducted on the layer gave average N- value of 12 blows for 200mm
penetration. The scatter of the N values is in the range of 10 to 18 blows for 200 mm
penetration

4. CONCLUSION

The project site is flat to gentle slope topography with elevation difference between
points. The building sites are uniformly made up of expansive soil and fill material. In the
investigation work sub surface water is not observed in the excavated pit.

5. FOUNDATION ANALYSIS AND RECOMMENDATION.

The generalized geological profile of the project site comprises of fill material at the top
which is followed by medium stiff to stiff, expansive, silty clay with some sand and
occasional basaltic boulders.

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 Hence, in order to determine the foundation layer, foundation type and bearing capacity,
the following information were used:-

 Ethiopian Building Code Standard EBCS-7 1995.

 The subsurface geometric nature of the building project.
 The laboratory test results
 Test pit profiles along with Dynamic cone penetration test N- values (Converted to
SPT N-Values)
 Experience and engineering judgment.

METHODS OF BEARING CAPACITY DETERMINATION

A. Using Ethiopian Building Code Standard-7, 1995 (Reference Test Pits are TP1-
TP5).

The SPT-N values ranges from 8 to 16 at an economical foundation depth. According to

Arora (2004), the SPT- N value ranges from 8 to 15 blows for 30cm penetration,
confirming that the soil has in consistency of medium stiff to stiff Clay. So, the
consistency of a soil is taken to be medium stiff Clay.

According to the Ethiopian Building Code Standard, the presumed bearing capacity for
medium stiff clay is 140Kpa.

B. Using Shear Strength Parameters

The expression used to calculate the bearing capacity of the foundation layer is as
follows,

Meyerhof’s bearing capacity equation is states

Vertical load Qult= CNc Sc dc + qNq Sq dq + 0.5BNS d

Where:
Qult= ultimate bearing capacity
Ф= angle of internal friction
C= cohesion value
q= overburden pressure
B = foundation width

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 D= Foundation depth
Nc, Nq and N are bearing capacity factors.
Sc, Sq and S are shape factors.
dc, dq and d are depth factors.
Take factor of safety 3

Footing/mat dim. shape factors depth factors inclination factors

type of
structure cohesion,C angle(deg) angle(rad) Kp bottom, g g at the top depth,D width length q sc sq,s g dc dq,d g ic iq ig Nq Nc Ng Q-ult Q-all
17 20 0.34906585 2.039606729 15.92 15.92 2.5 1 1 39.8 1.408 1.204 1.714 1.357 1 1 1 6.399 14.835 2.871 1062.068 354.02
17 20 0.34906585 2.039606729 15.92 15.92 2.5 2 2 39.8 1.408 1.204 1.357 1.179 1 1 1 6.399 14.835 2.871 908.069 302.69
G+0 Store
17 20 0.34906585 2.039606729 15.92 15.92 2.5 3 3 39.8 1.408 1.204 1.238 1.119 1 1 1 6.399 14.835 2.871 875.079 291.69
Building
17 20 0.34906585 2.039606729 15.92 15.92 2.5 4 4 39.8 1.408 1.204 1.179 1.089 1 1 1 6.399 14.835 2.871 872.340 290.78
17 20 0.34906585 2.039606729 15.92 15.92 2.5 5 5 39.8 1.408 1.204 1.143 1.071 1 1 1 6.399 14.835 2.871 881.702 293.90
Average Q-all 306.62

C. Using Standard Penetration Test N-value

Meyerhof‘s computation using SPT N-value states-

Q-all = N * Kd If B < F4
F1
Or

Qall = N x (B+F3) 2 Kd , If B > F4

F2 B

Where: - Kd = 1 +0.33(Df/B) ≤ 1.33

N70 = Adjusted SPT blow count
B = Width of the foundation
Df = Depth of foundation
F1 = 0.04
F2 = 0.06
F3 =0.3
F4 =1.2

The field N value is adjusted as follows.

Adjusted –N value (N70’) = N-count x Cn x η1 x η2 x η3 x η4
=12*1.03*0.786*0.95*0.9*1.0

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 N70 = 8

TP S width, B depth N 70 F1 F2 F3 Kd Q-all

25 3 2 .5 10 0.04 0.06 0.3 1 .2 7 5 2 5 7 .1 3
1 25 3 2 .5 8 0.04 0.06 0.3 1 .2 7 5 2 0 5 .7 0
25 3 2 .5 9 0.04 0.06 0.3 1 .2 7 5 2 3 1 .4 1
25 3 2 .5 10 0.04 0.06 0.3 1 .2 7 5 2 5 7 .1 3

G+0 Store 2 25 3 2 .5 9 0.04 0.06 0.3 1 .2 7 5 2 3 1 .4 1

Building 25 3 2 .5 7 0.04 0.06 0.3 1 .2 7 5 1 7 9 .9 9
25 3 2 .5 6 0.04 0.06 0.3 1 .2 7 5 1 5 4 .2 8
3 25 3 2 .5 6 0.04 0.06 0.3 1 .2 7 5 1 5 4 .2 8
25 3 2 .5 9 0.04 0.06 0.3 1 .2 7 5 2 3 1 .4 1
Av e r a g e 2 1 1 .4 1

By taking the Average value of bearing capacity of the foundation the three methods
above: -

(140+306+211)/3 = 219kpa. So, Take qall = 200 kpa.

By using the above methods, Experience and Engineering judgments, the following
foundation recommendations are given.

 Use Isolated foundation system

 Place the foundation at 2.50m depth below the least natural ground level.
 Use an allowable bearing pressure of 200Kpa.
 The foundation layer is medium stiff to stiff, Silty Clay with some sand.

Additional Considerations

 As general remark, the following points are recommended for consideration during design
and construction of foundation.

a) Footing Width

 The width of the footing should not be less than 1.0m.

b) Back fill Material

 The excavated fill and expansive material should not be used as back fill purposes.

 An appropriate material for back fill purposes will be a granular material with some
fines, i.e. Gravel, Gravel – sand mixtures with few silt/clay – GW-GC/SW-SC, etc.
The granular material shall satisfy from A-2-4 up to A-2-7 soil groups according to

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 AASTO soil classification and shall have a maximum PI of 12. The maximum
compacted thickness should not be more than 20 cm and the field density should attain
95% of the maximum dry density according to AASHTO T-180.

c) Foundation Excavation.

 Remove the expansive material up to 1m depth under the ground floor slab then
replace it with appropriate fill material with proper compaction.

 It is preferable to perform construction during dry season which would make the
excavation work easier and also helps to place the foundation on a dry and stable
ground condition.

 Leaving the foundation excavation open for too long time may weaken the soil at
foundation level and is not advisable.

 The construction of the substructure should be done immediately upon the completion
of excavation so that the stress released due to removal of the over burden pressure
should be compensated by the structural load.

d) Surface Drainage

 Construct a wide (at least 1.5m) cement concrete apron around the building blocks to
avoid percolation of rain water in to the foundation layer.

 It is recommended to provide surface drainage ditch to drain water away from the
structure.

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 e) Supervision during Excavation

 Borehole drilling at the building site show soil profile at the drilled point and
geological sections represent average site condition and local variation in soil type and
engineering property is a possibility. So during foundation excavation supervision has
to be carried out by experienced foundation engineer or geotechnical engineer in order
to compare difference between geological log presented in the soil investigation report
and observation during excavation work and make the necessary adjustment in the
recommendation if deemed necessary.

G+0 Store Building Geotechnical Investigation Report

Foundation Recommendation by – Gemechis A.