Extraction of Depth-to-Basement Information from the Interpretation of a Vertical Electrical Sounding Data of Gidan Kwano Campus Phase II, Federal University of Technology, Minna, Nigeria

Abstract

The Windows-compatible suite of WinResist® tools was used to garner information from circa 309 vertical electrical sounding (VES) points on variation of overburden thickness (that is, depth to-basement) on a constant plane across the area of study for the VES survey. The isopach map of the area of study under consideration here indicates that, across the areal extent, overburden thickness of the sub-5m depth range predominates except at a scattering of isolated locations mostly in the southern half and favouring the southwest where overburden thicknesses of between 5m and 12m can be discerned. It is observed from the field survey that the southwest portion of the area of study is criss-crossed by seasonal streams and is generally characterised by valley morphology. The “sub-5m depth range” designations are the ideal locations for facilities expansion because the comparatively shallow nature of the overburden materials means that structural foundations could be conveniently and cost-effectively sunk deep into the local solid bedrock. The northwestern and northeastern segments of the area of study under consideration here are the areas of this half-portion Gidan Kwano Campus (GKC) Phase II Development that is strongly recommended for facilities expansion; the northeastern segment actually subsumes the whole of the present hostel facilities, and expansion due west of these students’ hostels (that is, to the northwest) would minimise risks to the mapped groundwater sources in the southwestern and southeastern segments in the near-term.