Civil and Architectural Engineering Department-College of Engineering-Sultan Qaboos University
The Development of A GIS Geotechnical Database for SQU
Yaqoob Saleh AL Habsi
Abstract
This research attempted to use a Geographic Information System (GIS) to develop a GIS
geotechnical database for managing geotechnical and subsurface information for Sultan Qaboos
University (SQU) campus. GIS has been developed to store, manage, present and interpret
geotechnical data for development of a soil classification and properties maps for SQU. Data
were collected from more than 320 boreholes and trial pits within SQU campus soils. The data
were stored in a formatted table and saved as EXCEL file and converted to MS Access database.
It was then imported into GIS to perform enquiries, visualization, transformation and analysis.
Ordinary Kriging was used to generate prediction maps of soil classification, chloride content,
sulphate content, California Bearing Ratio (CBR), swelling potential and Standard Penetration
Test (SPT)-N value at different depths. The geotechnical maps were validated using new
geotechnical data for sites within SQU that were not used in the development of the GIS
geotechnical database. With the exception of soil classification, all the generated maps were
reliable, especially SPT-N value maps. This study represents the first phase of a research project
planned to cover Muscat region. The developed GIS geotechnical database would be updated
from time to time with the availability of more data. It would be very valuable for planning and
design of engineering studies and research in the region.