Abstract:
Hyderabad, Sindh Pakistan 25.637 N latitude and 68.367 E longitude and elevation of
13m is located on east bank of Indus river, is composed of alluvial-loessic soil deposits underlain
by limestone beds alternating with clay layers. The climate is hot desert and the region is
typically an arid tropical region. Buildings located in and around Hyderabad have experienced
settlements of moderate to major scale. Recently, a large number of buildings have been declared
unsafe by the city authorities due to cracks and other damages resulting from excessive
settlements. Geotechnical distress evaluation of damaged buildings was carried out to ascertain
the causes of failure using conventional and geophysical techniques. Several tests were carried
out on the field. Geophysical testing at selected sites confirms the presence of a thick layer of
problematic soil which is reasonably uniform in lateral directions. The problem with the soil is
that it showed excellent strength when dry but on addition of moisture, it lost its strength.
Stabilization of soil was studied using a number of commercially available admixtures and
grouts. The study concludes that the engineering properties of foundation soil can be improved in
an economical way using locally available materials and thus the problem may be avoided in
future and the abandoned buildings can be rehabilitated saving a significant amount of money
