Peat Dike Stability Monitoring with a Semi-permanent Electrical Resistivity Set-up

One of the results of the failure of a peat dike near Wilnis in the summer of 2003 was that peat dikes needed monitoring during dry periods to observe their sensitivity for heave. It was thought that this could possibly be done combining geotechnical and geophysical techniques. This research focuses on the possibility of electrical resistivity imaging to aid in determining the stability of peat dikes with respect to heave. To achieve this, laboratory experiments, cone penetrations tests, and electrical resistivity measurements were made. After data analysis, a relationship between volumetric weight and electrical resistivity of soil samples was found. This has resulted in a procedure that will allow the successful monitoring of peat dike stability.