The Engineering Geology Of The Balkh University New Campus ... · [email protected], Abstract--The Balkh University New Campus construction area is situated in eastern part

International Journal of Civil & Environmental Engineering IJCEE-IJENS Vol:12 No:06 76

1214406-8585-IJCEE-IJENS © December 2012 IJENS I J E N S

The Engineering Geology Of The Balkh

University New Campus Of Mazar-i-Sharif City,

Afghanistan

¹Sabirullah Muradi Balkh University, Engineering Faculty,Mazar-i-Sharif, Balkh province, Afghanistan

[email protected],

Abstract-- The Balkh University New Campus construction area

is situated in eastern part of Mazar-i-Sharif city. The city, the

capital of Balkh province is located at the north of the

Afghanistan and at the north foot hill of Allburz-Marmul range.

Preparation of engineering geology information on foundation

practice and soil exploration for the area is a vital tool for

planner and decision maker to reduce subsurface geo-

environmental impacts from urbanization. In this paper, the

foundation practice within Quaternary deposits of area is

examined. The methodology comprises from desk investigation,

field investigation, interviews as well as some laboratory works.

For this purpose, a large amount of surface and subsurface data

derived from 5 boreholes and 5 test pits and information from

field investigation was collected and analyzed The combinations

of the collected geotechnical and geological information have led

to the making of any hoped engineering geological evalvition of

the area for the Practical applications of the preliminary design

purposes of shallow foundations of engineering structures.

Although, the results of the study are still limited due to the

constraints from various situations, it is hoped that the findings

could be utilized for the construction of the area and all around

it.

Index Term-- Balkh University, engineering geology,

foundation practice, Mazar-i-Sharif, Afghanistan

I. INTRODUCTION

After more than three decade civil war Mazar-i-Sharif city is

progressing in population and infrastructure; Thus,

Information of geology and subsurface soil is vital tools for a

rational land use, assessment activities, construction, as well

as environmental impact studies and urban developments. To

these purposes, site investigations and laboratory works are

generally carried out and many boreholes are excavated in

different locations or some information derived from

geophysics around large cities. During these investigations,

numerous tests are carried out in order to determine soil

characteristics of subsurface layers. The results of such studies

are used for the particularly construction site.

The purpose of this study is to provide a preliminary

geological engineering characterization of the subsurface zone

of the Balkh University new campus, some geological and

hydrological studies were carried out in Mazar-i-Sharif city

area by Afghan Geological Survey (AGS) (1969–1997), as

well as other international and local Non-Governmental

Organizations (NGOs) mainly for the development of water

supply and similar purposes. Nevertheless, most of the

information that emanated from those studies had been lost

over the years due to the prolonged wars, political disarray

and anarchy in the country. Recent studies were mad [1] on

groundwater supply [5] on seismic risk. The findings of the

study could therefore be applied to various other large and

medium size urban center developments in the city which is

currently in the process of reconstruction after three decades

of civil war in Afghanistan.

Study area Mazar-i-Sharif city is the second largest city in Afghanistan

and accommodates 650.000 inhabitants [14]. The city is

located in the northern part of Afghanistan about 425

kilometers north of the country’s capital city of Kabul. It is

surrounded by Uzbekistan in the north, Sari Pul and Jowzjan

Provinces in the southwest and Kunduz Province in the east. It

is located at . Latitude and . N Longitude and at an

altitude of 378m meters above mean sea level, (See Fig.1,

Fig.2a, Fig.2b and Fig.3) and the climatology graphic shown

in (Fig.4).

The city particularly lacks the basic geological information

and database such as engineering geological map, hazard

zoning and similar information that could substantiate any

urban land use planning. The situation becomes more acute

due to rapid population growth and urbanization. Information

on ground conditions and hydrology has been increasingly

important in the purview of emerging problems that often

emerge from infrastructure development such as cracks in

buildings, land erosion, exposure of the city to frequent

earthquakes, and groundwater contamination.

The Balkh University New Campus (BUNC) located on the

eastern part of city with 1200.000 m² areas (See Fig.3).

Fig. 1. Location of Mazar-i-Sharif city and Afghan Tajik Basin



Fig. 2a. Location of Mazar-i-Sharif city

Fig. 2b.Topographic Map of the study area [1]

Fig. 3. Location of study area (BUNC) [19]

Fig. 4. Climate graph of Mazar-i-Sharif [18]

Scope: This paper presents the results of the first all-around

study that has ever been conducted in the area. The Scope of

this study is to provide engineering geological information and

foundation practice for sustainable development of the study

area. Although, there are many limitation like lack of the

laboratories and financial supports for normal research works.

Hence, this study will offer financial saving and

environmental benefits to the municipality and city planner,

such as cheaper engineering geological and soil surveys, and

better archive management.

GEOLOGY

Surface geology: The lithological and stereographical

characteristics of the Quaternary sediments and rocks in the

Study Area are shown on (See Fig5). The geological units of

direct interest to the study area are the Quaternary aged alluvial,

proluvial and aeolian deposits covering the Afghan north Plain.

. According to [11] and [1].the Quaternary deposits in the

Study Area can be divided into two main units, like Alluvium

deposits (Hilly area) and comprise terrace sands and gravels,

with occasional cobbles , Proluvial deposits and cover most

of the area. According to [6] there are eight lithological sub-

divisions of these deposits. However, the [11] suggest that

only four of these have hydrogeological significance like

Loam and sandy loam with inter-layers of clay and sand

underlain by a continuous very thick shingle-gravel bed,

Loam and sandy loam with inter-layers of clay and sand

underlain discontinuously by shingle or intercalations of

shingle Sandy and dusty loam, often with inclusions of

variously sized fragments of rock and Loam and sandy loam

underlain by inter-bedded clay and sand, and in places by

gravel.

According to [7], Afghanistan is situated in the southern

margin of the Eurasian plate postulated during the Permian–

Triassic times. It comprises three thick sedimentary rock

regions, namely: Northern Afghanistan Basin, Southwestern

Afghanistan Basin and Southeastern Katawaz region. The area

of Mazar-i-Sharif city is mostly situated within the Northern

Afghan Basin (Fig.1) and the Allburz-Marmol Mountain.

The Afghan-Tajik Basin is located in the desert and semi-

desert areas of southwest Uzbekistan, southeastern Tajikistan,

and northern Afghanistan [13]. Northern Afghanistan has a

pre-Jurassic unconformable basement overlain by Jurassic to

Paleocene oil- and gas-bearing terrigenous and carbonate

rocks, which in turn are unconformable and overlain by

Neocene orogenic continental clastic rocks [2].The Mazar-i-

Sharif area basin contains Mesozoic to Cenozoic rocks of

approximately seven or eight kilometers thick [3].

The Allburz-Marmol fault zone may be a left-lateral

transpression zone [12].According to [15], this depression is

situated on a zone of acute negative gravity anomalies, and it

has the thickness of the earth’s crust within depression alters

from 45 kilometers mostly in the depression to 55 to 60

kilometers along the eastern margin [15]. The Afghan-Tajik

depression is an area such as deep down warping, and the

basement is at a depth of 10 to 15 kilometers or more as shows

the geophysics results [15]. Duo to, poor resolution of the



geophysical methods employed, the basement cannot be

mapped [15]. The Afghan-Tajik depression marginal

structural steps is 3 to 8 kilometers) uplifted, which is

surround this depression [15].The major steps include the

North Afghan High, the Dushanbe and Baysun steps, 15].

Suprasalt post-Jurassic sedimentary cover of the Afghan-Tajik

basin was isolated along Jurassic salt in Neogene time and

deformed into a series of thrust anticlinoria and synclinoria. In

this anticlinoria, Paleogene rocks are commonly exposed on

the surface where synclinoria are filled with several kilometers

of Neogene to Quaternary continental clastic deposits.

Complex fold-thrust structures are present in the sedimentary

cover within the depression [15]. According to [3] Surkhan

megasyncline and Mazar i Sharif basin contain Mesozoic to

Cenozoic rocks approximately 7 or 8 kilometers thick in

northern Afghanistan. The Gravimetry shows that the

megasyncline is usually divided into two parts by a fault

boundary running longitudinally through Mazar i Sharif.

According to [3].The Kafirnigan megaanticline is located east

of the Surkhan megasyncline and is divided into two parts by

the Mir Ali trough .The eastern part of the Kafirnigan mega

anticline is topographically more elevated than the western

part [3].

According to [9], surface geological units correlate with the

soils in the study area (See Fig.5and Table.1);

The units found and their distributions are:(i) The study area,

unit Q34a comprise from conglomerate and sandstone

[Holocene and late Pleistocene] - Alluvium; shingly and

detrital sediments, gravel, sand, more abundant than silt and

clay).(ii)In the North of study area, interspersed within the

Q34a zone, roughly in a semicircle, are found large patches of

Q4sm like salt marsh deposits[Holocene] - mud, silt, clay,

more abundant than sand; limestone, gypsum, and salt. (iii) To

the north of the area Q34a zone, unit Q3a predominates same

description

asQ34a except without the younger Holocene

contributions.(iv) Further north still, towards the Amu Darya,

unit Q θ, Eolian deposits [Holocene and late Pleistocene] -

Sand is found.(v) In the Balkh river course from its entry into

the lower Balkh system to its tail end past Aqcha, Unit Q4a is

found (same description as Q34a except without the older

Pleistocene contributions).

To the south and southern of the study area are the mountain

highlands which consist of a narrow belt of small ranges

known as the Shadyan and Marmol, and the Kholum

Mountains, southeast of the town of Kholum respectively. The

Kholum River cuts between the Marmol and Kholum ranges

in a narrow pass known as Tangi Tash Qorghon. The

mountain which ranges at the south-east of the site is mainly

composed of limestone with inter-bedded marl,

conglomerates, and sandstone of Upper Cretaceous/Paleocene

origin, as well as later Paleocene and Miocene sedimentary

and volcanic rocks. The limestone is mostly fractured and has

joints which absorb rain and snow during the winter season.

Later in the year, this absorbed water emerges as springs.

These three ranges form a rim on the northern-most extent of

the Hindu Kush, a complex and vast mountain range that

extends through central Afghanistan and separates the basins

TABLE I

geological units of the area

of the Amu Darya River from those of the Kabul and Helmand

rivers in eastern and southern Afghanistan [1].

The Thick of Quaternary alluvial deposits consisting of sand,

silt, conglomerates, gravel, and clay fill this valley north of the

Hindu Kush. The subsurface lithology near the mountain hilly

area close to the mountains is mainly sand, gravel, and

changes to finer material moving towards the Amu Darya

River in the north. However, in the middle of the valley there

are occurrences of inter-bedded sand and clay, while at the

depth of 150 meters a gravel bed may be encountered [1].The

Cretaceous limestone approximately 100 m below the surface

just northeast of the study area and beyond the reach of the

river deltas that form fans of alluvial deposits, lies the Dasht-i-

Shortepa (Amu Darya Desert), this narrow dune desert area

runs along the northern Afghanistan border, parallel to the

Amu Darya River, and consists of windblown sands. The

dunes are migrating eastward and have become a major

concern in terms of maintenance of the road that connects the

north-east and north-west area to rest of Afghanistan.to the

northern port town of Hairatan on the Afghan border with

Uzbekistan.

In the Afghan Northern River Basin, there are four

watersheds: Balkh, Kholum, Sari Pul, and Shirin Tagab.

Quaternary

Deposits

Geological Materials

Conglomerate and sandstone (Early

Pleistocene) - Alluvium: Shingly and

detrital sediments, gravel, sand more

abundant than silt and clay.

Conglomerate and sandstone (Late

Pleistocene) – Alluvium: Shingly and


abundant than silt and clay

Conglomerate and sandstone

(Holocene)-Alluvium: Shingly and


abundant than silt and clay.

Conglomerate and sandstone (Late

Pleistocene) –Alluvium (Holocene-

Late Pleistocene)-Alluvium: Shingly

and detrital sediments, gravel, sand

more abundant than silt and clay.

Eolian deposits (Holocene and Late

Pleistocene)-sand

Loess(meddle Pleistocene)Loess

more abundant than sand and clay

Salty marsh deposits(Holocene)-

Mud, Silt and Clay more abundant

than sand, limestone gypsum and salt

Clay and Siltstone (Early Miocene)-

red clay, Siltstone more abundant

than silt and clay



In the Afghan Tajik Block there are three watersheds: (1)

Balkh watershed with an area 32. 194 km²; (2) Kholum

watershed with an area 11.919 km² and Amu Darya river; The

tectonic pattern of Northern Afghanistan is briefly described

as comprising Pre-Jurassic folded basement rocks covered by

Jurassic-Palaeogene sedimentary rocks, with the territory

assumed to comprise part of the Cimmerian Platform. Several

tectonically stepped rocks are singled out and these together

with the lithostratigraphic features of the Balkh Aqcha region

were described [16] and [1].

According to [7] and [4], Afghanistan is situated in the

southern margin of the Eurasian plate postulated during the

Permian–Triassic times. The area of Mazar-i-Sharif city is

mostly situated within the Afghan-Tajik Basin (Fig.1).The

Afghan-Tajik Basin is located in the desert and semi-desert

areas of southeastern Uzbekistan, southwest Tajikistan, and

northern Afghanistan [13]. Paleocene oil- and gas-bearing

terrigenous and carbonate rocks, which in turn are

unconformable and overlain by Neocene orogenic continental

clastic rocks [2]. The Mazar-i-Sharif area contains Mesozoic

to Cenozoic rocks of approximately seven or eight kilometers

thick [3]. The Allburz-Marmul fault zone may be a left-lateral

transpression zone [12]. According to [9], surface geological

units correlate with the soils in the study area. The geological

units and their distributions are shown in (Fig.4).

Fig. 5. Geological map of Mazar-i-Sharif [8]

Fig. 6. Geological cross section of Mazar-i-Sharif, 2012

II. ENGINEERING GEOLOGICAL PROBLEMS

AND METHODOLOGY OF STUDY

As a result of the urban geological setting of the study area

several geological problems are frequently encountered in the

area and some of these problems are discussed below.

Geological engineering study was made based on the collected

data, desk investigation including topography and surface

geological information, engineering characteristics of the soil,

as well as some laboratories works. Data of Balkh University

new campus (BUNC) is from boreholes and test pits collected

from many sources, governmental like (AGS) and private

engineering construction sites. Data from 5 boreholes and 5

test pits (See Fig.7) are specified for the database imported

into database to determine the relationship between different

types of soil parameters within the area was developed for

borehole characteristics and all collected data were recorded in

the forms. The main characteristics of each borehole include

borehole location, and physical and mechanical properties of

soil in different depths. In this study the topography elevation,

the available topographic map of the area based on the

topographic maps was used [8], and Google map. The slope

was automatically derived from the topography using the grid

utility of Arc GIS9.3 tools and shape files.



Fig. 7. Location of boreholes and test pits within the study area

Subsurface geology: Zones of subsoil in the Balkh University

new campus and surrounding vicinity are loess alluvial, fluvial

and eolian zones.

At Balkh University new Campus(BUNC) (See Fig.8 ) :To

about 10-12 m clayey soils (silty clay/sandy clay, loam) (ML,

CL) Density 1.6g/cc, SPT 3-30 (soft to very stiff); below 10-

20m, Gravelly soils (GP, GW, GM) – very dense, SPT more

than 50, Ground water table is very low (deeper than 10-15

m).

Fig. 8. the Balkh University new Campus (BUNC)

Subsoil properties at New Balkh University campus five

storey buildings construction site were investigated using

shallow spread footings placed at depth of 1-3 m below the

surface (seeFig.8 and Table II)

Foundation Practice: The engineering structures built in

Mazar-i-Sharif have not been based on soil data at all due a lack

of communication and absent a common data base.

Ordinary residents in the study area constructed based on their

own experiences. Soil investigation is not usually done and

building design performed only on assumed calculation and

bearing capacity. Soil investigation programs usually include

digging of test pits, boreholes and performance of field and

laboratory tests. As a results, of the soil investigation within

Mazar-i-Sharif such as Balkh University new campus, can be

concluded that the major soil group consists of gravel, silty clay

and gravel, silty clay (central part of city) and clay and mixture

of clay, silt gravel, and loam (in southern part of city).

Fig .9. Standard penetration test (SPT) result within study area

From interviews and field investigations we have found that in

the procedure of soil exploration and foundation practice, the

extent of soil investigation carried out in Mazar-i-Sharif City

depends on the type of site, its purpose, and the types and

magnitudes of projects to be considered there. It also depends

on the kind of owner (private or governmental) or organization

responsible for the planning of the site investigation program

and the amount the client will be paying.

In general, in the studied area soil investigation analysis and

laboratory tests have not been performed. Laboratory analysis

shows that the major soil groups in the area consist of lean,

salty silt in the northern part of the city and silty some clay.

The soils are classed as (ML) and (CL). Urban structures in

Mazar-i-Sharif city have underground basement; the result of

on subsurface soil is on the BUNC of the city is as below:

TABLE II

Result of soil bearing capacity analysis in the study area (BUNC)

Soil parameters

Value

Bulk density,(δ) 1.65g/cc

Soil type Silty Clay/Clayey Silt

Angle of internal

friction, (φ)

15 Degree

Cohesion,(c) 0.48 kg/sq.cm

Initial void ratio, ( 0.7657

Compression index

,(Cc)

0.1517

Plasticity Index (PI) 2-12

Liquid limit of

cohesive soil,(LL)

18-35

Moisture contents,

(Wc)

12.7%

Specific gravity , (Gs) 2.5-2.8

Organic matter content

, (Oc)

245-272



Based on field investigation and laboratories testes we found

that, the allowable bearing capacities of most of subsurface

soils are (67-100 kPa), cohesion is (2-20kPa), Internal friction

angle is (φ= 0°-30°) and consistency is various from soft (all

ground surface within area up to depth of 2m to 5m) to very

stiff soils of the depth more than 20m. Nevertheless, most of

the ongoing building constructions in the study area are

devoid of any sort of soil and geotechnical laboratory analysis

(Table .3 and Table.4) and result of Standard penetration test

(SPT),(see Fig.9). TABLE III

Result of soil bearing capacity analysis in the study area (BUNC)

TABLE IV

The soil types in the study area (BUNC)

Seismic activities: Afghanistan is one of the most active

seismic regions of the world. The geological structure of

Afghanistan is the result of accretion of colliding Gondwanan

microplates or fragments onto the margins of Eurasia along

the Herat-Panjshir E-W striking geosuture. Similar structures

along the Chaman-Moqor NE-SW striking fault system, the

Sarobi-Altimore NE-SW arcuate fault system, and other

secondary faults cover most of the regions of Afghanistan.

According to [5], [7], northeastern Afghanistan has the highest

earthquake hazard. Mazar-i- Sharif city is situated on the

verge of three major tectonic plates, namely: Eurasian Plate,

Indian Plate and Arabian Plate. The Allburz-Marmol fault

system is just 35 kilometers from Mazar-i-Sharif city. The

measurements of tilted quaternary terraces of this fault system

indicate that land adjacent to the study area has been rising at

the rate of 21 to 38 mm/yr. With a history of strong

earthquakes, the region has experienced an earthquake of

intensity (I) of (ІV) with an estimated magnitude of more than

6.5 points on the Richter scale as seen in (Fig. 10) [7].

Fig.10. historical earthquakes and Seismic activities [7]

Several sources of seismicity are present in the study area

making Mazar-i-Sharif city prone to earthquakes of (I–IV)

intensity. It should be noted that the Afghan seismicity is due

to the movement of the Arabian Plate by >1.3 cm/yrs.

northwards and that of the Indian Plate by >2, 9 cm/yr. Both

plates duck under the Eurasian Plate that generates

earthquakes in the study area. The seismotectonic map of

Afghanistan and Mazar-i-Sharif city, recent deformation has

been studied by [10]. These indices are associated with main

active faults like the S-W Allburz-Marmol fault, Hindu Kush

fault, i.e., strike–slip fault at the anticline of Allburz-Marmol.

Finally, here maximum peak ground acceleration (PGA)

ranges from 0.249 to in excess of 0.489 in the eastern-most

regions.

With this in mind, all construction in the proposed BUNC will

comply with the seismic load design of the 2003 edition of the

Depth

from

Surface

(Meters)

Cohesion

(kPa)

Internal

friction

angle

(φ)

Consistency

Net

ASBC1

(kPa)

1 40.1 0o Medium 67

3 20 0o Soft 19

5 3.5 23.7o Medium 76

7 1.6 25.4o Stiff 82

9 0 27.7o Very stiff 100

11 - - Very stiff >100

13 to19 - >30o - >>100

1.Allowable Soil Bearing Capacity

Depth

from

ground

surface

Soil class Consistency Type of

soil

2m ML Soft

consistency

Silty and

clay

4m to

6m

CL Medium

consistency

Silty

6m to

8m

CL-ML Stiff

consistency

Silty

clay

8m to

10m

CL-ML Very stiff

consistency

Silty

clay

10m to

12m

CL-ML Very stiff

consistency

Silty

clay

12m to

20m

GP,GW,GM Dense

condition

gravely



International Building Code (IBC). Updated standards have

been incorporated, including the 2002 edition of Minimum

Design Loads for Buildings and Other Structures.

Aggregate Resources: Fluvial sand and gravels near mountain

zone abundant (Fig.11), but there are no suitable sources of

Rocks for construction. Construction materials receiving

crushed gravels and rock aggregates borrowed sites are

situated in the western-southwestern parts of the study area.

Fig. 11. Fluvial gravels near mountain zone, gravels – abundant

The lateritic soil in the Mazar-i- Sharif city, it consists of a

medium percentage of fine rock fractions with liquid limit of

fine particles which is relatively good, such construction

materials are suitable for impervious embankment

construction purposes.

Based on the interview with local residents, engineers and

Municipality officers of the city, the cost of construction

materials was mainly contingent upon the transportation cost.

There are ten gravel quarrying sites in the study area close to

the urban center (eastern, southern and western parts of the

study area), while there are two sources of sand for

construction, one is the wind-blown Hairatan sand dunes and

the other is from the Balkh River. However, a comprehensive

study on the mineral resources in Balkh Province has not yet

been conducted.

Fig. 12. The Satellite image of Mazar-i-Sharif city [17]

Erosion and salty soil: The salty desert has resulted from a

salty marsh formation within the area over a long geological

process. From geological investigations and a study of the

history of the area we know that the city of Mazar-i-Sharif

was established about more than 800 years ago in the 12th

Century by Sultan Hussein Bayqra at the village of Tali

Khayran at the present location of the Tomb of Shrine Ali

(See Fig.14). The studied area is a large Central Asian oasis

that has been inhabited, and thus modified by human

activities, for millennia. Extremely rich concentrations of

Mesolithic and Neolithic settlements dating as far back as

10,000 BCE have been found south of the Amu Darya in the

Turkistan plain.

The area was also under water for a long period, with salty

marshes and swamps. The evidence indicates that this might

be a cause of the formation of the salty desert at Mazar-i-

Sharif. Our results suggest that all types of sediment (alluvial,

fluvial, collavial and Aeolian) can be the high speed of the

Afghan wind over 2m /s which usually blows in the hot

summer (July-August), and rain from the Shadyan and

Marmol mountains. Flow channels and river flooding may be

other causes of salty desert formation. The evidence found

here owing to the long period of geological activity from the

Balkh and Amu Darya rivers is that the Afghan wind is so

strong that even sand

Fig. 13. Salty silt soil affected area on construction within study area

and pebbles can be lifted high into the air. Consequently, step

by step, over a long period, geological activity has filled the

area with various sediments. Excessively salty soil and salt in

the shallow groundwater are extremely conductive of moisture

and, have eroded the soil foundations of structures. In

addition, erosion in the area is mainly in the form of chemical,

wind and alluvial erosion. For example, in the southern part of

the city, along the river, numerous instances of siltstone,

limestone and rocks more than one meter in size can be found.

The evidence suggests that this can only be the result of

erosion from the Shadyan and Marmol mountains. One of the

most important factors involved in the permeability of clay,

limestone and concrete is water of poor quality containing

salty organic materials and other chemical components. Since

limestone, clay mud bricks and concrete are solid porous

materials, salty water can flow from outside foundations into

cracks and micropores, while evaporation flows with a



hydraulic gradient, causing a difference in water content

between materials (See Fig.13).

Historical site: Mazar-i-Sharif, capital of the Balkh province

is a historical site. Many Historical building such as Tomb of

Shrine Ali structures, mosques and etc. were constructed from

bricks, limestone and gypsum on Quaternary sediments (Fig.

14).Due to lack of foundation practice and poor construction

materials, these buildings encountered with serious problems

like cracks and settlements;

Fig. 14. Historical Tomb of Shrine Ali in Mazar-i-Sharif

III. DISCUSSIONS

The engineering geology study has different purposes. Thus,

to provide a lot of geological and geotechnical information,

like liquefaction susceptibility, bearing capacity, properties of

sub soils, foundation practices and Geohazards zonation maps

are an important tool of engineering geologist concerning in

urban development. The study result therefore suggests that

the BUNC and Mazar-i-Sharif need to promote the pile

system foundation practices because most of the soils in the

study area are sandy loam, clay, silt, and loose which could

not support any foundation that are constructed based on

existing practices. Development of regulations on foundation

standards and foundation practices is extremely important as

the city is exposed to earthquakes of more than M > 6.5

magnitude in the Richter scale [5].In the north salty and

collapsible soil and in the south of the city some loess with

settlement risks are not suitable for construction . In order to

determine the specifications of the foundations of buildings in

area, it is recommended that site specific soil testing should be

made as a prerequisite for any type of construction works in

the study area. The allowable bearing capacities of most of

subsurface soils are (67-100 kPa), cohesion is (2-20kPa),

Internal friction angle is (φ= 0°-30°) and consistency is

various from soft (all ground surface within area up to depth

of 2m to 5m) to very stiff soils of the depth more than 20m.

Nevertheless, most of the ongoing building constructions in

the study area are devoid of any sort of soil and geotechnical

laboratory analysis.

The existing source of construction materials in the study area

is not suitable for future expansion of the city and for land use.

Exploration of new construction materials pit close to the

mountain in the southern part of the study area is necessary.

Finally, here maximum peak ground acceleration (PGA)

ranges from 0.249 to in excess of 0.489 in the eastern-most

regions.

With this in mind, all construction in the proposed (BUNC)

will comply with the seismic load design of the 2003 edition

of the International Building Code (IBC). Updated standards

have been incorporated, including the 2002 edition of

Minimum Design Loads for Buildings and Other Structures

IV. CONCLUSION According to results of study, it is concluded that the

geological condition of study area, which could be traced from

the Pre-Jurassic era and part of the Cimmerian Platform,

comprises the Neocene and Quaternary (Pleistocene)

sediments and loess (Fig.5).The geological engineering study

of the study area has provided some key insights on the soils

parameters for urban building constructions by highlighting on

the potential risk zones which need consideration during the

land use planning of the area. In almost studied area, soils

have not potential of swelling and liquefaction.

The BUNC and all around it, preliminary database in

foundation practice and soil exploration has been formulated

for use, and for future development of urban area, and to make

geological engineering evalvition. As a result, this study will

offer financial saving and environmental benefits to the

municipality and city planner, such as cheaper soil surveys

and better archive management, with cost savings in

geotechnical and environmental surveys, and further cost

saving as a result of studied area ;The results for the area

indicate that the southern part of study area is predominantly

underlain by relatively coarse grained materials, while the

northern party of the region is underlain by weaker soils with

poor geotechnical characteristics (salty desert and Collapsible

soil)(see Fig.12) . The area Geotechnical database needs to be

completed it should be in priority of farther study.

From the point of engineering geological problems, quaternary

sediments alluvium fan generally provide good ground

conditions. But Physical, Mechanical parameters and

weathered zones should be investigated in detail.

• Over-consolidated geological units generally have bearing

capacity problems whereas they have stability problems

especially in up to 4-5m from ground surface.

• The bearing capacity of the alluvium is very low, and

artificial fills, from ground sediments have negligible bearing

capacity. Foundations of buildings constructed on these

sediments generally have instability and settlement problems.

• Earthquake risk gradually increases from South to the North.

Duo to the active faults in the Hindu Kush ranges also the

lithological characteristics of the weak rocks

and soils.

Finally, extending the urban land use within the area and all

around it, and increasing in population. For example, such us

planning of Shar-i-now (New City) urban construction project

site, Sharak Ameri and many of others urban construction

areas. Thus, preparation of the engineering geological data

base for the area is an important tool for planners and decision

makers. To this the area needs more information of foundation

practice, soil exploration, hydrogeological and engineering

geological studies in detail.



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http://www.usgs.gov/pubprod

http://www.climatetemp.info/afghanistan/ma%20%20%20%20%20zar-i-sharif.html

http://wikimapia.org/#lat=36.6984296&lon=67.0753098&z=12&l=0&m=m&search=%20Afghanistan

http://wikimapia.org/#lat=36.6984296&lon=67.0753098&z=12&l=0&m=m&search=%20Afghanistan

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The Engineering Geology Of The Balkh University New Campus ... · [email protected], Abstract--The Balkh University New Campus construction area is situated in eastern part