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ACES KSA Central Region has recently completed an extensive geotechnical investigation, foundation pile testing, and thorough slope stability for Qiddiya Key Cliff Assets Project, one of the largest projects in ACES history. The scope of work covered 14km of the Qiddiya cliff, which will overlook the region’s largest entertainment park.
The scope of work for the geotechnical investigation consisted of drilling and sampling of over one thousand boreholes, with geotechnical in-situ testing, including pressure-meter and double packer permeability tests, performed to depths up to 200m. The investigation was accompanied by advanced lab testing on soil and rock samples, including Hoek cell and direct shear tests on rock specimens. In addition to the drilling, a robust geophysical campaign was undertaken to further delineate the underground anomalies, map the underground structures, and conclude a small strain shear modulus. The geophysical works include Multi-Channel Analysis of Surface Waves, Electrical Resistivity Tomography, Cross-Hole Seismic, Cross-Hole Tomography, and High-Resolution Optical Televiewer.
ACES also conducted a full-scale foundation testing scheme consisting of drilled piers, micropiles, and anchors executed with various diameters and lengths. The foundation system testing included lateral and vertical compression for both static and cyclic loading combinations.
ACES also undertook a detailed geotechnical and structural mapping of the exposed escarpment faces. This was achieved through analyses of captured ‘photogrammetry’ datasets, with high-resolution accuracy to generate 3D metric measurements from a series of stereopair photographs.
ACES processed the data sets to extract representative, joint set orientation data and associated geotechnical characteristics (i.e. spacing, persistence, dip, strike etc.). The information was then amalgamated to identify and characterize geotechnical subdomains throughout the project area. The resulting deliverable was an ACES-produced three-dimensional geotechnical and geological model that identified dominant geological features/structures.
The client for this project is Qiddiya Investment Company, a PIF company.
