Geological Investigations for Foundations

Faculty of Resource Science and Technology, University Malaysia Sarawak, Malaysia 

Department of Civil Engineering, University Putra Malaysia, Malaysia 

On obtaining the above information, geological investigations are able to assess the functional integrity of foundations. 

Economically, according to Crawford (1962), two general reasons can be offered for investigating a building site from a foundation point of view are  

Ultimately, the owner benefits from lower bids, better job relations, fewer extras and the absence of lawsuits. Crawford (1962) states that the selection and design of foundations for a structure are as important as all other design considerations. It is just as important to know the properties of soils, as it is to know the properties of the materials in the superstructure. He further states that 

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The amount, the extent and the type of the geotechnical investigations to be performed must be tailored to the relevance of the structures (seismic classification). They should allow an evaluation of the stability of the soils on which the structures are founded and will consider a meaningful amount of ground in relationship with the local geological features and with the dimension of the foundation structures. For example, in case of non-rocky soils, a layer of the dimensions of the foundations should be studied. 

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