Characteristics of Lime-cavities and Survey Design for Bridge Foundation in the Karst Area

석회 공동의 특성과 카르스트 지역 내 교량 기초를 위한 조사 설계

Recently, the construction of the several highway bridges in the karst area have encountered severe problems associated with cavities and sinkholes. To solve this problems, it is important to understand the distribution characteristics of cavities in the construction site on limestone area. This paper briefly describes the different types, the distribution control factors and the infill sediment types of lime-cavities in the study area, bridge site in the karst area and propose the effective method of survey design. Cavity system may be divided into two main groups, 1)'slot and cave system'and 2)'sinkhole and cave system'. And the shape, the size and the distribution pattern of cavity are controlled by three main factors - rock type, geological structure and ground water condition. Additionally, infill sediment may be considered as one of the important design factors for foundation design and divided into four types by sediment properties. There are geophysical thechnics and geologic survey and drilling test, etc. by the survey method to interpretate characteristics of cavity system, and this methods are optimally designed at the site investigation stage.