Knowledge Bank

Surficial deposits across the state of Ohio, created by glacial erosion and recession, as well as anthropogenic causes, lie on top of the bedrock throughout the state. The datasets that are available to be captured by the testing of these deposits could fill a void in the current information that is publicly available online. The variability among these deposits is useful information in a wide range of construction projects, from residential and commercial, to transportation and agriculture related. The goal of this thesis is to propose the expansion of the online database used by the state in order to create a more in depth ArcGIS map that would be easily accessible in order to have data points to refer to when planning new projects, or altering current structures? A total of 31 boreholes were sampled from 3 different sites across central Ohio. These samples were gathered using standard penetration test (SPT) using the hollow stem auger (HSA) method in 1 ½ foot increments, and all lab testing on moisture content and Atterberg limits was carried out at DHDC Engineering Consulting Services, located in Columbus, Ohio. These locations were selected randomly from the datasets available to DHDC in order to sample areas affected by glacial processes (2 of the sites) and one site that has not. These sites therefore are a representative subset available for this project. A key outcome or finding of this project is that there is a wide range of properties of deposit composition, including moisture content, grain size, color, liquid and plastic limits, and depth of bedrock, of the samples taken at these sites illustrates the possibility to formally collect and organize similar reports and datasets for a statewide surficial sediment database or a central information center in order to create a better understanding of the composition of different localities, and also a build platform where data can be visually observed, without entering the field, that can illustrate the variation across regions and time.