Engineering Geophysical Study of the Ebonyi State University Permanent Site, Abakaliki, South-Eastern Nigeria

An engineering geophysical assessment of the permanent site of the Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki has been carried out to determine the stability of the site for construction projects. Vertical electrical soundings were carried and their interpretation revealed existence of six layers which comprise of laterites, clays and shales; limestone and sandstone occur as lenses within some portions of the campus. From the school gate to about 200 m along the tarred road, towards the university roundabout, the resistivity and thickness of the surface layers suggest a stable surface which is competent enough to carry foundations. However, investigation shows that clays of low stability underlie the area around the faculty of arts and would need to be geotechnically stabilized or foundation in the form of pilling to a depth of 17 m. For foundations in the areas around the Faculty of Management Science and about 200 m after the University roundabout, the topsoil would also require treatment or piled to a depth of about 15 m. Clay deposits occur in most of the areas of the campus; hence deep foundations should be adopted in the form of pilling up to 15 m to avoid the thick pile of clay in the area down to the stable sandstone layer.