ANALYSIS OF MODERN METHODS OF GEOPHYSICAL QUALITY CONTROL OF STABILIZATION OF UNSTABLE SOILS

Abstract

This article presents a comprehensive analysis of modern geoelectric methods for quality control of unstable soil stabilization used during the construction, reconstruction, and operation of engineering structures. Key approaches are examined, including electrical resistivity, electrical resistivity tomography (ERT), vertical electrical sounding (VES), induced polarization  and the self-potential method. Particular attention is paid to the capabilities of these methods in assessing the spatial homogeneity of grouted rock masses, identifying defect zones, fractures, areas of insufficient grouting, and localized anomalies associated with incomplete pore filling by injection grouts.

It is shown that geoelectric soil parameters—such as electrical resistivity, polarizability, and dielectric permittivity—serve as sensitive indicators of changes in water saturation, pore fluid mineralization, grain-size distribution, porosity, and the degree of cementation bond formation. This enables their use for remote, non-destructive monitoring of the soil mass condition at various stages of ground strengthening.

The article analyzes the main limitations and challenges associated with the practical interpretation of geoelectric data, such as the lack of universal standardized criteria for different soil types and binders, the ambiguous correlation between electrical parameters and mechanical properties, and the influence of electrode arrays and temperature regimes. The necessity of an integrated approach that combines geophysical measurements with laboratory and field mechanical testing, while accounting for the curing time factor, is substantiated. Requirements are formulated for modern multifunctional instruments providing high measurement speed, automatic contact resistance compensation, spatial heterogeneity mapping, and real-time integral quality assessment of ground improvement.