Last December 2015, GEOINTEC has conducted a geotechnical study ( Factual report & Geotechnical Site Investigation and Assessment Report) for a photovoltaic solar plant in Hardap , Namibia.
The study area is located in the central plateau of Namibia, between the Fish River Basin and the Kalahari Desert. The overburden on the top of the bedrock is very little. Considering the peculiarities of the ground in the area, the solutions for the foundation photovoltaic plant have been proposed on the bedrock. The proposed geotechnical study aims to determine the nature and properties of soil aspects necessary to design the structure, surface improvements and the type of foundation, considering the following scope:
- Identify constraints and geotechnical problems of the site under study.
- Study of natural hazards. Identify and define the geological risks and assets geomorphological processes that may affect the new project. Geomorphological mapping include the following: escarpments or unstable areas, drainage channels, alluvial fans, processes of rapid erosion or deposition, dissolution or subsurface forms, endorreic surface areas with accumulation of salts: sabkkhas, salt and salt crusts, discharges due to human activity, rocky outcrops and evaluation of the effects of weathering processes, presence of unstable soils or very low bearing capacity.
- Provide knowledge of geotechnical characteristics of the land, according to the project structure.
- Zoning different lithologies in order to define the most appropriate foundations in each project area.
- Determine the geotechnical parameters of each lithology detected for project design, where different solutions according to the foundation load stresses are discussed.
- Recommendations for foundations of structures. Findings in relation to the overall stability of the foundation bearing capacity against vertical ground failure, uprooting, horizontal ground failure, and structural failure. Ballasted foundation and micro-piles foundation.
- Determine levels of corrosion and aggressiveness of the land to the maximum depth of execution of foundations.
- Determine de levels of electrical resistivity of the terrain for the dimensioning and installation of the electrical facilities.
