Thesis (M.Sc.) - Cairo University - Faculty of Science - Department of Geophysics

Geotechnical hazards are the main factors that control decisions about construction in structurally complex zones. In the Mokattam area, Cairo, Egypt, different techniques, such as geotechnical techniques, remote sensing and geophysical tools, are used and integrated to study the subsurface lithology, caves and structures to evaluate the possible geotechnical problems in these zones for the expected future development in this area. Remote sensing applications indicate that the main trends of surface lineaments are E-W to NW-SE, whereas the minor trends are N-S to NE-SW. 10 vertical electrical sounding stations (VESs) were acquired and interpreted to delineate the subsurface stratigraphy. The interpretation results of these data show that the subsurface stratigraphy consists of six geoelectric units arranged from the surface to the bottom: fractured limestone, clay, marly limestone, dolomitic limestone, marl and marly limestone, and limestone. Nine electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) profiles,twelve shallow seismic refraction (SSR) profiles, and ten ground-penetrating radar (GPR) profiles were acquired to study the shallow subsurface stratigraphy. The integration results of ERT and SSR measurements indicate that the shallow subsurface stratigraphy is composed of different rock units. The first layer is fractured limestone with high resistivity values ranges from 150 to 300 ].m and high-velocity around 2.23km/s, the thickness of this layer ranges between 7 and 13 m, this layer represents the surface layer of the upper plateau and contains caves. Then there are a clay layer that characterized by low resistivity values ranges from 0.5 to 15 ].m with low-velocity values that range from 0.57 to 1.52 km/sec, the thickness of this layer ranges between 3 and 16 m

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