Investigations revealed a problematic cavernous limestone formation contained joints, cavities, and faults at the site of construction of a new community on the east bank of the Nile. The inadequate drilling technique gave misleading results. Geologists wrongly interpreted the results as indication of presence of caves. Geotechnical engineers used the proper techniques and suggested practical solutions for construction on cavernous limestone.
Les enquetes ont tail apparaitre I'existence des roche calcaire qui est la cause des problemes des lacunes, des cloisons et des scissions dans les nouvelles societes qui sejrouvent sur la rive est du Nil. L'usage de Ia fausse technologic a donne des faux resultaus, Les technieiens avaient explique que ces resultats prouvel existance des caves. Lorque Ies ingenieurs ont utilise Ia technelogie correcte, ils ont pu proposer des solutions pratiques pour la construction sur les roche calcaire.
In der Errichlungslage einer der neuen Gesellscbaflen am Östlichen Nilufer haben die Forschungen die Ent=stehung eines problemauschen Kalksteins gezeigt, der Luecken, Zwischenraume und Öffnungen enthalt, Der Gebrauch einer unriehtigen Technologic in Grabung hat irrefuehrende Ergebnisse gegeben. Nach der Erklarung der Geologen seien diese Ergebnisse ein Beweis fuer die Existenz von Höhlen. Mit dem Gebrauch einer richtigen Technologie haben die Ingenieure praktische Lisungen zur Errichtung auf dem Luecken enthaltendein Kalkstein.
The author had the opportunity to investigate the I geotechnical conditions and give technical opinion regarding the construction problems aroused at New Menia city. The city is one of the new communities planned to be constructed in upper Egypt to absorb the rapid increase in population, share in solving the acute housing problem and create a newly developed residential and industrial area. It is located on the east bank of the Nile river, opposite to old Menia city, on a limestone plateau. Preliminary site investigation revealed that the rock formation consists of weak to moderately strong cavernous limestone interbedded with chalk (Fig.1).
When construction started in the area, and during the excavation' for foundations, the site engineers noticed that the rock bearing strata contained joints, cavities, and cracks in some locations (Fig. 2, 3). In few cases, they detected a fault lines crossing some building sites and sewer trenches. The contracting companies stopped the work and sought for technical advice. They asked for more geotechnical and geological investigations, and foundation solutions, because they obviously were not familiar with such rock foundation problems.
(Figure in full paper)
A group of local geologists, specialized in searching for nuclear materials carried out a study about the geology and geomorphology· of the area using geological maps, aerial photographs, geophysical methods, and core drilling. The area of study occupied about 900 km2 between longitudes 30° 30' and 31° 8' east, and latitude 27° 49' and 28° 26' north. Its
(Figure in full paper)
elevation is about 200m above sea level, and it is 110m high above the Nile valley. They confirmed that the rock strata of New Menia plateau are formed of irregular succession of cavernous limestone and chalk
