CASE STUDY OF THE

MARGALA TOWER ISLAMABAD

Introduction
Geotechnical investigation
Results
Conclusion
Introduction
• Situated in sector F-10 Islambad
• Planned by CDA in 1992
• Having 10 stories with 60 luxurious appartments
• Strick by earthquake occurred on 8 octuber 2005 having intensity 7.6
• The fourth block and a portion of the fifth block was destroyed.
• There were 250 casualties including foreign nationals
Initial investigations
 Preliminary investigation reported by CDA and engineer in chief(ECN) branch Rawalpindi
revealed that geotechnical investigation of this tower had flaws in it i.e no consolidation
tests is performed on it
 Clay below ground up to 8.3 m water level high
 Foundation is it 1.5 m while the weak strata extended upto 2 2.5 and 3 m
 Bearing capacity is 0.8 kgs/sq cm
• Foundation should to be placed at 2 to 3 m
• Raft foundation should be designed against bearing capacity of 1.3 kgs/sq cm
• Hence the collapse is occurred..
Detailed geotechnical investigations
 Geotechnical investigation was planned to investigate bearing capacity and settlement
evaluation
 ple collected form the bore hole at different depth it includes ( atterberg limits, soil
classificaton , unconfined compression test , consolidation test , Investigation involve in-
situ and lab testing of collapsed margalla tower
 Field test includes SPT and ERC test
 Lab test conducted on both disturbed and undisturbed sam
Results
 SPT at different depth upto 20 m single borehole from it is shown that value of N are
low upto 12.5 meter but after that tremendously increase upto 25 m.hence upper strata
is weak and lower is strong
 Allowble bearing capacity calculated was varying between 302.6 to 957.6 kPa and from
lab test was between 151.3 to 526.5
 The recommended bearing capacity is 239.4 kpa
• By lab testing shows that the value above 10 m has low angle of internal fraction and
cohesion indicate upper stratum is weak. bearing capacity from field test also indicate
the same result
• Electrical resistivity tests were conducted along and parallel to block 4 of margalla tower
• It shown that that 60% stratum below the tower is soft materials.
• Soil classification were made from which it is clear that soil is silty and claying
Settlement test
 Calculated at three clay samples obtained at respective depth 0f 8 14 and 20.5 m and
consolidation test was performed on these samples according to standard procedure using
odometer apparatus
 From settlement test it is clear that settlement is within permissible limit and hence structure
is sound to settlement
Conclusion
 The initial investigation reveals that there were alternate layer of clay and silty clay with
some gravel. It was conform by AASTO and USCS.
 The soil upto 10% is weak therefore raft foundation were suggested
 Average bearing capacity calculated from field is 575 kN/m*2 and from lab is 386KN/m*2
 The ERT result shows that there was seepage throungh under ground water tank which
decreases effective stress of the soil resulting in failure
• In short the elevation of geotechnical parameters reveals that margalla tower was safe
against bearing capacity and settlement. The failure might due to the structure flaws or
other reasons not due to settlement.
• Any Questions???