A GEOTECHNICAL PROFILE OF HAOR AREA OF BANGLADESH

Analyzing soil parameter is an utmost important job for design and foundation and it is likewise important wherever the structure is to be constructed and what type of structure is to be built on. With a view to making available information on foundation soils to the design engineer, a study is made to investigate the engineering soil parameters around the haor areas of the country. Accordingly, an effort is made to study on haor area soils of Bangladesh focusing soil profile along with its physical and index properties and to disseminate them to the geotechnical engineers. The data have been collected from the Soil Mechanics Division of River Research Institute (RRI) by testing of relevant engineering parameters of haor areas soil of Bangladesh. As River Research Institute has been testing disturbed and undisturbed soil samples collected mainly from the Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) through accomplishment of soil borings by the geologist of the same throughout the country. In this study it is found that brown and grey in colour soils are existed in those area up to the maximum depth of about (0-102´). Their natural moisture content of cohesive soils is varying from (25%- 752%). At the same time their plasticity indices are varying from (5%-153%), which has been seen in observation. Of course, their strength is different, which varies from 0 to 383.04kN/m2.On the other hand, relative densities of those soils are varying from very loose to dense. The findings of the study are in general that cohesive and non-cohesive soil layers exists almost every region of the haor areas of Bangladesh. However, exceptions have also found in different locations and different layers. Soil profiles and geotechnical properties are expected to provide a comprehensive idea for the selection of appropriate measures to the respective zone and if necessary to take proper decision by the design engineers. The findings of this paper might also help the design engineer to get a preliminary concept about the soil of haor areas of the country.