24th International Mining Congress and Exhibition of Turkey-IMCET'15 Antalya, Turkey, April 14-17, 2015

Characterization and Monitoring of Underground Cavities and

Associated Disorders by Electrical Tomography
K. Hebbache, D. Benmeddour, M. Mellas, A. Mabrouki
Civil Engineering Laboratory, Biskra University, BP 145 Biskra 07000 Algeria
ABSTRACT The electrical tomography method is considered one of the best nondestructive geophysical methods for the detection, characterization and monitoring of
underground cavities and associated disorders. The detection of cavities in urban areas is a
very important tool to prevent different causes of accidents related to possible collapse. This
study focuses on the assessment carried out in the framework of the construction of a project
of buildings in the town of Tolga, Biskra province of southeastern Algeria. This field
contains a plurality of cavities that are essentially of natural type, also of different dimensions
and different depths. The procedures, using the electrical Tomography Wenner device to
detect the cavities, are performed for depths ranging from 2m to 4m. These cavities result for
most of the natural phenomenon of dissolution of carbonate material grounds. The electrical
tomography results are calibrated, by the mechanical tests and trials dynamic penetrometer.
Keywords: Electrical tomography, underground cavities
1 INTRODUCTION
The methods of geophysical prospecting are
used in the preliminary studies, for projects
of construction that cover large surfaces.
They can quickly and inexpensively obtain
an overall assessment of the subsurface.
Practically, there are several methods such as
the electrical, gravimetrical, seismically, and
the electromagnetically methods. The
electrical method is the most commonly used
to resolve geological and geotechnical
problems. Many works have been made by
this technique to present, applications of
underground
cavities
detection
(El
Khammari et al, 2007; Emin and Irfan, 2006;
Fehri et al, 2011; Metwaly and Alfouzan,
2013; Van schoor, 2002), the archaeological
investigation (Muztasa et al, 2012) and
environmental and hydrogeologically studies
(Martinez et al, 2009; Sumanovac, 2006).
This technique is not the only one used to
discover
the
subterranean
cavities.
Gravimetrical
and
electromagnetically
methods for geological radar are also used,
to obtain a good recognition of the
subsurface (Park et al, 2010; El Khammari et
al, 2007; El-qadi et al, 2005).

In the present study, the technique of

electrical panels is implemented for the
detection and delimitation of underground
cavities within foundation soil layers. The
electrical tomography is non destructive
method. Spatially integrative technique has
recently been introduced into the
geotechnical studies. The mechanical tests
and trials dynamic penetration tests are used
to confirm the geophysical measurements.
In the town of Tolga, willaya of Biskra
situated in South east Algeria, there are
underground cavities of natural origin, that
are formed by the process of dissolution of
limestone. The presence of these cavities
influences the stability of constructions.
The objective of this work is to analyse
the subsoil resistivity in the city of Tolga, to
assess the potentiality of the geo-electric
method to detect underground cavities.
2 PROCEDURE OF INVESTIGATION
Electrical tomography makes use of a multielectrode device that enables acquiring a
large
number
of
measurements
corresponding to the various four-electrode
combinations. The principle of the electrical
271

Hebbache, Benmeddour, Mellas, and Mabrouki

resistivity panels is to inject in the ground an

electric current of intensity (I) between two
electrodes C1 and C2 and measuring the
difference of potential (V) induced between
another pair of electrodes P1 and P2 (Fig. 1).
From the value of the injected current (I)
measuring the potential difference (V) and
the spacing between the different electrodes.
The apparent electrical resistivity of the
subsurface can bee determined by the Ohms
law:
V
app =
.K
[1]
I
K: Factor of geometry depends on the
distance
between electrodes.
V : Difference of potential
I: Intensity of current

The program of geophysical recognition

contains eight (8) electrical panels; their
characteristics are represented in the Table 1.
Table 1. Electrical profiles characteristics.
N of
profiles
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8

Number spacement
of
(m)
electrodes
30
2
29
2
30
2
25
1
25
1
25
1
25
0.5
24
0.5

Direction
W-S
N-S
W-E
W-E
W-E
W-E
N-S
N-S

The optimal disposal of profiles allows

collecting maximum of information about
the experimented zone (Fig. 2). The Wenner
configuration was adopted for all the
electrical profiles (Dahlin and Loke, 1998).
This configuration has a horizontal
sensibility, and it is recommended to
discover horizontal structures; however, it is
misadvised for vertical structures (Dahlin
and Zhou, 2004). After the collection of
data, the following stage concerns the
inversion of data.

Figure 1. Classification of electrodes

according to Wenner's method (manual
RES2Dinv).
3 METHODOLOGY
The main objective of the present study is to
implement the technique of tomography for
the
detection
and
delimitation
of
underground cavities, within urban area.
In the present study, series of two
dimensional tests (resistivity measurement of
the ground) have been carried out with the
apparatus of resistivity meter SARIS
(Scintrex Automated Resistivity Imaging
System) of the company ( Scintrex Ltd).

Figure 2. Disposal of the group of the

electrical panels.
The inversion of data obtained from the
electrical imaging is made by the code of
inversion RES2Dinv (Loke and Barker,
1996), which determines automatically in
two dimensions: the model of resistivity and
the polarization provoked by the subsoil
(Grifiths and Barker, 1993). The inversion
272

24th International Mining Congress and Exhibition of Turkey-IMCET'15 Antalya, Turkey, April 14-17, 2015

code is able to calculate the values of

apparent resistivity by the technical
optimization of nonlinear least squares
(DeGrout and Constable, 1990; Loke and
Barker, 1996; Sasaki, 1992). For the
modelling,
the
RES2Dinv
program
distributes data by considering rectangular
meshes on all the investigation depth
(Edwards, 1977).

formation covering the entire study parcel,

and the resistivity is of the order of 200 ohm
- m. Also, there is a highly conductive clay
layer of resistivity 20 ohm - m.

4 RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS

4.1 Geophysical Investigations
The electrical tomography results are
presented as pseudo-sections or electrical
panels. The apparent resistivities values
obtained for all electrical panels vary
between 10 to 500 ohms - m, and indicate
that the subsurface is very heterogeneous.
The inversion code RES2Dinv represents
three pseudo-sections, the first is the
apparent resistivity measured, the second is
the calculated apparent resistivity and the
last is the proposed inversion model.
In this study, only the inversion models are
shown in figures (3, 4, 5, and 6) for
illustrative purposes. Figure 3 shows three
electrical panels corresponding to the
profiles P1, P2 and P3. The electrical panel
P1 shows that the ground consists of a layer
clay measured approximately 16m in length
and 1.3m in width, with an apparent
resistivity ranging from 35 to 40 ohms - m.
Also, below the upper layer clay, there are
carbonate formations, corresponding to
limestone characterised by high resistivities
of the order of 200 ohms - m, which are
located at 3m in depth. The first and the
second panels contain approximately similar
characteristics (clay, clayey carbonates, and
carbonate formation).
The electrical panel P3 indicates the
presence of three formations in the subsoil,
which are clay layer near the surface, clay
carbonates layer at a depth of 3m and
carbonate formation presents the deep layer.
The profiles P4, P5 and P6 were performed
in the longitudinal direction at the
excavation bottom. The results are shown in
Figure 4. The panel P4 shows a carbonate

Figure 3. Geophysics measurement results of

profiles P1, P2 and P3.
The electrical panel P5 shows the existence
of a highly resistive region, that reveal a
resistant body whose core is located at
approximately 1.5 m; this can be explained
by the presence of a horizontally elongated
cavity. Both P4 and P5 profiles have similar
characteristics, corresponding to carbonate
formations. However, the electrical panel P6
is characterized by carbonate formations; in
addition, there is a conductive area in the
center of the panel, and its apparent
resistivity equals to 20 ohm-m. This area
corresponds to a clay formation.

273

Hebbache, Benmeddour, Mellas, and Mabrouki

Figure 4. Geophysics measurement results of

profiles P4, P5 and P6.
Figure
5
shows
the
Geophysical
measurement resulting of profiles P7 and P8.
These profiles are performed in the
transverse direction at the excavation
bottom. These electrical panels show that the
foundation
soil
contains
carbonate
formations (limestone) that spreads in depth
and the soil surface. The results clearly show
an electrically resistive basement; moreover,
it can be concluded that the electrical
tomography method allows characterizing
the existing formations in the study site.

4.2 Geotechnical investigations

To confirm the existence of the subterranean
cavities and assess the performance of the
geo-electrical method, the mechanical tests,
and dynamic penetration tests were
conducted. The excavation confirms that,
within this geological context, for the most
part can be classified as carbonate,
dissolution phenomena have engendered the
appearance of a complex system of
underground cavities of variable size and
highly irregular shape. Figure 6 illustrates
the type of subterranean cavities encountered
after excavation of 2.5m in depth.
The results of mechanical tests clearly
show the continuity of carbonate formation
of the ground. Finally, the site contained a
white porous limestone, silty clays, clays
highly carbonates, gravelly and stony tuffs
with sandy silt passages.

Figure 6. Illustration of subterranean cavities

(city of Tolga)

Figure 5. Geophysical measurement

results of profiles P7 and P8.

5 CONCLUSION
The geophysical prospecting by electrical
tomography
allows
detecting
the
subterranean cavities and their extension.
The presence of cavities in the Tolga region
274

24th International Mining Congress and Exhibition of Turkey-IMCET'15 Antalya, Turkey, April 14-17, 2015

is mainly due to the dissolution of the

material in the limestone. The electrical
panels gave vertical section below realized
profiles; these panels contain information
necessary for correct interpretations.
The applicability of the present technique is
illustrated by a comparison with the results
from mechanical tests. Tests performed by
dynamic penetration gave very satisfactory
resistances of the foundation soil.
The solution proposed to realize the
infrastructure, is a total excavation and
reconstruction of the soil foundation, treated
with a hydraulic binder, for example 15%
cement, and compacted layer by layer of
depth of 20 to 30 cm. Cavities and voids
localized according to their dimensions can
be filled with mortar of cement or concrete.
REFERENCES
Dahlin, T., Zhou, B., (2004). A numerical
comparison of 2-D resistivity imaging with 10
electrode arrays. Geophysical Prospecting 52,
379-398.
Dahlin, T., and Loke, M., (1998). Resolution of 2d
wenner resistivity imaging as
assessed by
numerical modeling: Journal of Applied
Geophysics., 38, 237 24.
DEGroot-Hedlin, C., Constable, S., (1990). Occam's
inversion to generate smooth, two dimensional
models form magnetotelluric data. Geophysics
55, 16131624.
Edwards L.S., (1977). A modified pseudosection for
resistivity and induced-polarization. Geophysics,
42 (5), 1020-1036.
EL Khammari, K., Najine, A., Jaffal, M., Aifa, T.,
Himi, M., Vsquez, D., Casas,A., and Andrieux,
P., (2007). Imagerie combine goelectriqueradar gologique des cavits souterraines de la
ville de zaouit ech cheick (maroc) : comptes
rendus Geoscience 339,no. 7, pp.460-467.
EL-Qady, G., Hafez, M., Abdalla, M.A., Ushijima,
K., (2005). Imaging subsurface cavities using
geoelectric tomography and ground-penetrating
radar. Journal of Cave and Karst Studies 67 (3),
pp. 174181.
Emin U. U., and Irfan A., (2006). Detection of
cavities in gypsum. Journal on the Balkan.
Geophyscal Society, Vol. 9, No. 1, pp. 8-19.
Fehdi CH, Baali F, Boubaya D, Rouabhia A., (2011).
Detection of sinkholes using 2D electrical
resistivity imaging in the Cheria Basin (north-east
of Algeria). Arab J Geosci 4:181187.
Grifiths, D.H., Barker, R.D., (1993).Twodimensional resistivity and modelling in

areas of complex geology. Journal of Applied

Geophysics 29, 211226.
Loke, M.H., Barker, R.D., (1996). Rapid leastsquares inversion of apparent resistivity pseudo
sections by a quasi-Newton method. Geophysical
Prospecting, 42, 813-824.
Martinez, J., Benavente, J., Garcia-Arostegui, J.L.,
Hidalg M.C., and Rey, J., (2009), Contribution
of electrical resistivity tomography to the study of
detrital aquifers affected by seawater intrusionextrusion effects: The River Vlez delta (VlezMalaga,
southern
Spain):Engineering
Geology,v.108,p.161
168doi:10.1016/j.enggeo.2009.07.004.
Metwaly, M., Alfouzan, F., (2013). Application of 2D geoelectrical resistivity
tomography for
subsurface cavity detection in the eastern part of
Saudi Arabia. journal of geoscience frontriers
4,469-476. doi.org/10.1016/j.gsf.2012.12.005.
Muztaza, N., Mokhtar Saidin, M., Saad, R.,
Nordiana, M.M., (2012). 2D Resistivity Method
to investigate an Archaeological Structure in
Jeniang,
Kedah,
Electronic
journal of
Geotechnical Engineering, Vol. 17, Bund C, pp
353-360.
Park, G , Park, S , YI, M J , Rim, H , Cho, S J , and
Kim, J H., (2010). Geostatistical integration
using 2-D electrical resistivity and 3-D gravity
methods for detecting cavities in a Karst area,
Environmental Earth Sciences 60, 965-974.
Sumanovac, F., (2006). Mapping of thin sandy
aquifers by using high resolution
reflection
seismics and 2-D electrical tomography: Journal
of Applied Geophysics, v. 58, p. 345 346.
doi:10.1016/j.jappgeo.2005. 06.005.
Sasaki, Y., (1992). Resolution of resistivity
tomography
inferred
from
numerical
simulation.Geophysical Prospecting 40, 453464.
Van Schoor, M., 2002. Detection of sinkholes using
2D electrical resistivity
imaging. Journal of
Applied Geophysics 50 (4), 393399.

275