Effect of the Urbanization on Groundwater Resources Hydrodynamic and Bearing Capacity – a Case Study: Bayraklı Region, İzmir, Türkiye

Abstract

The bearing capacity of the soil is a critical factor in the design of foundations for civil engineering structures. The bearing capacity depends on soil properties as well as the location of the water table. The rise in groundwater level can be dramatic, especially in highly urbanized regions, and it can affect the bearing capacity of foundations. In this study, groundwater level fluctuation in a highly urbanized region in İzmir, the third largest city in Türkiye, was monitored over a one-year period, and its effect on the reduction of bearing capacity, which is not considered in foundation design and construction, were investigated. For this purpose, four observation wells equipped with groundwater data loggers were used to determine the variations in groundwater level within a year. Using the Terzaghi approach to calculate the bearing capacity, normalized bearing capacity plots for various foundation width/depth (B/D f ) ratios were generated for all four observation wells. The remarkable bearing capacity changes of 10.94%, 8.21%, 7.62% and 9.29% were observed for OW-1, OW-3, OW-6, and OW-9, respectively. The study showed that the change in groundwater level in the region caused by urbanization poses a potential risk to the sustainability of the previously constructed foundations.