Geoelectrical Investigation for Aquifer and Geotechnical Properties at the Planned Gidan Kwano Campus Development Phase II, Minna, Nigeria

Abstract

The desire of the management of the Federal University of Technology (F.U.T.), Minna, to inaugurate the structural development of Phase II of the Gidan Kwano Campus presented a challenge for the F.U.T. as to the creation of a database that the F.U.T. could consult and incorporate into the wider Physical Planning and Development (PPD) scheme. The objective of this study is the creation of a database for aquifer and geotechnical information. Station-separation for the 2km2 areal extent of the study area was fixed at 200m; thus there are sixty-six principal stations slated for this survey. Because of the need to ensure independent verification of the results being presented, georeferencing of all survey stations for the vertical electrical sounding (VES) investigation was carried out too. However, only sixty-four principal stations were occupied for this exercise because locations of transverse traverse 11-2 and 11-4 (TT11-2 and TT11-4) are coincident with the top of large outcrops. The data collected was processed by means of the windows-compatible WinResist tool to determine the number of layers at each VES station and the Surfer 10 tool to produce the iso-resistivity maps at depths and the map of the thickness regime that is always desired for geotechnical interpretation. As a result of invoking the “Geoexplore Empirical Standardization for Minna Area,” the “Olasehinde Protocol,” and using the depth map as a strict control the VES locations identified as TT1-3, TT1-4, TT2-4, TT4-1, and TT4-3 are flagged as “strongly aquiferous.” The region of all TT9s, TT10s, and TT11s, incidentally closest to the existing Phase I development, especially TT9-3, TT9-4, TT10-3 are most suited for locations that would not prove logistical challenges for site selection for buildings and other structural development. It is recommended that the result of this study be adopted wholeheartedly by the management of the Federal University of Technology, Minna, as a complementary document for the development of Phase II of the Gidan Kwano Campus.