Understanding economic success of unconventional production from shales requires an explanation of the relationship between induced seismicity and hydraulic fracturing. This thesis deals with observing and analyzing synthetic and real microseismic monitoring data acquired during hydraulic fracturing. The thesis is based on observation and analyses of source mechanisms of induced microseismic events that have recently become regularly inverted and interpreted in the oil and gas industry. The results of analyses are interpreted with the geomechanical model of the relationship between hydraulic fracturing and induced seismicity. The study of source mechanisms starts with detailed analyses of spatial distribution of full moment tensor inversion stability. It was mapped based on synthetically computed condition numbers in the vicinity of different monitoring arrays including dense arrays at the surface and sparse arrays with sensors in the boreholes. Stability of inversion was tested under several conditions, mainly dependency on size and geometry of monitoring array and level of noise in the data. In this part of the thesis it is shown that dense surface arrays may provide very stable inversion of source mechanisms which may be interpreted. The study shows that an increasing percentage of non-shear...

A Resolução nº 258/99 do Conselho Nacional do Meio Ambiente - CONAMA, em vigor desde janeiro de 2002, obriga a destinação ambientalmente correta de pneumáticos inservíveis. Os pneus são considerados inservíveis devido ao desgaste e quando não há possibilidade de reaproveitamento para uso veicular e nem para processos de reforma. Entretanto, preservam propriedades físicas com potencial de aproveitamento na engenharia civil. Nos últimos anos surgiram várias iniciativas no Brasil, desde pesquisas acadêmicas à execução de obras, para a utilização de pneus, sobretudo em pavimentação asfáltica e aterros reforçados. Este trabalho analisa outras alternativas de aplicação de pneus inservíveis em obras geotécnicas e rodoviárias. Apresenta a caracterização dos pneus, suas propriedades físicas, parâmetros geotécnicos e geomecânicos e são realizadas análises paramétricas para cada tipo de aplicação estudada, isto é, muros de gravidade, reforço do subleito de pavimentos e aterros leves. / The Resolution nº 258/99 of the Brazilian Council for the Environment - CONAMA, in vigour since January of 2002, compels the environmentaly correct destination of scrap tires. The tires are considered used when there is no possibility of vehicle utilization or renew process. However, they preserve physical properties with potential of utilization in civil engineering. In the last years, for instance, several options were considered in Brazil, from academic researches to the execution of works, particularly in the asphalt paving industry and in reinforced embankments. This work analyzes anothers alternatives for scrap tires in geotechnical and transportation applications. It presents the characterization of tires, their physical properties and geotechnical and geomechanics parameters. It also presents parametric analyses carried out for each type of studied application, that is, gravity walls, reinforcement of road subgrades and lightweigth fill for road embankment.

A Resolução nº 258/99 do Conselho Nacional do Meio Ambiente - CONAMA, em vigor desde janeiro de 2002, obriga a destinação ambientalmente correta de pneumáticos inservíveis. Os pneus são considerados inservíveis devido ao desgaste e quando não há possibilidade de reaproveitamento para uso veicular e nem para processos de reforma. Entretanto, preservam propriedades físicas com potencial de aproveitamento na engenharia civil. Nos últimos anos surgiram várias iniciativas no Brasil, desde pesquisas acadêmicas à execução de obras, para a utilização de pneus, sobretudo em pavimentação asfáltica e aterros reforçados. Este trabalho analisa outras alternativas de aplicação de pneus inservíveis em obras geotécnicas e rodoviárias. Apresenta a caracterização dos pneus, suas propriedades físicas, parâmetros geotécnicos e geomecânicos e são realizadas análises paramétricas para cada tipo de aplicação estudada, isto é, muros de gravidade, reforço do subleito de pavimentos e aterros leves. / The Resolution nº 258/99 of the Brazilian Council for the Environment - CONAMA, in vigour since January of 2002, compels the environmentaly correct destination of scrap tires. The tires are considered used when there is no possibility of vehicle utilization or renew process. However, they preserve physical properties with potential of utilization in civil engineering. In the last years, for instance, several options were considered in Brazil, from academic researches to the execution of works, particularly in the asphalt paving industry and in reinforced embankments. This work analyzes anothers alternatives for scrap tires in geotechnical and transportation applications. It presents the characterization of tires, their physical properties and geotechnical and geomechanics parameters. It also presents parametric analyses carried out for each type of studied application, that is, gravity walls, reinforcement of road subgrades and lightweigth fill for road embankment.

[pt] A geração de malhas geomecânicas de reservatórios ainda é uma tarefa tediosa que consome muito tempo. Para acelerar este processo, soluções que reconstroem analiticamente a geometria do reservatório têm sido propostas, mas essas soluções não são as mais adequadas para modelagem de objetos naturais. Este trabalho propõe uma modelagem discreta para a geometria do reservatório, onde os vértices da malha são posicionados por meio da solução de um problema de otimização quadrático e convexo. O problema de otimização é modelado de forma a garantir que as malhas geomecânicas de saída sejam suaves e que ao mesmo tempo respeitem as restrições do reservatório e dos horizontes presentes. Além disso, a metodologia proposta permite uma implementação eficiente, paralelizável e de baixo consumo de memória. Casos de teste com milhões de variáveis são apresentados para validar essa abordagem. Finalmente, a metodologia proposta neste trabalho para malhas de geomecânica pode ser naturalmente estendida para a modelagem estrutural de sub-superfícies na interpretação sísmica e de restauração geológica. / [en] Geomechanical mesh generation of complex reservoirs remains a tedious task prone to errors. Recently proposed solutions based on analytical reconstruction of the sub-surfaces are not capable to represent all the geometric details of natural objects. This work proposes a discrete model where the mesh vertices are positioned based on a convex quadratic optimization process. The optimization problem seeks to guarantee smooth meshes that conform with prescribed constraints. The resulting mesh therefore respects, as far as possible, the finite volume mesh of the reservoir pay zone and the existing horizons. Finally, the proposed methodology for Geomechanical meshes can be easily extend to model sub-surfaces present in the structural interpretation and geological restauration.

Una caracterización precisa y el modelamiento de la heterogeneidad geomecánica del macizo rocoso conducen a una planificación y diseño de mina eficientes. El uso de técnicas convencionales como el Kriging para el modelamiento del macizo rocoso es limitado, pues no considera la variabilidad espacial y la heterogeneidad del macizo rocoso, dando como resultado estimaciones que no representan el comportamiento real del macizo rocoso. En este contexto, se propone como alternativa de solución usar la Simulación Gaussiana para estimar la heterogeneidad espacial del macizo rocoso basado en el análisis de los valores de UCS, RQD, Condición de aguas y condición de juntas para el modelado del RMR, esta técnica consiste en simular diferentes valores a partir de datos conocidos, además permite analizar la incertidumbre de las simulaciones obtenidas. La metodología que se propone en esta investigación considera el análisis variográfico de las variables regionalizadas geomecánicas en diferentes direcciones, con el fin de determinar su comportamiento anisotrópico; asimismo, se desarrolla el análisis de la incertidumbre mediante la técnica de la validación cruzada que consiste en dividir los datos originales en dos subconjuntos al azar. El 85% de la base de datos se usó para estimar los valores de RMR, mientras que el 15% se utilizó como subconjunto de prueba. El caso de estudio es el tramo crítico con presencia de aguas hidrotermales del túnel de acceso principal de un proyecto minero al sur de Perú, se utilizaron los datos de registro geomecánico tomados en campo, con ellos se produjeron un total de 5 simulaciones por cada variable, produciéndose aproximadamente 3 millones de valores por cada variable. El error medio absoluto del modelo generado con Simulación Gaussiana es de solo 6.58%, que es considerado admisible comparado con el 38.01% obtenido con Kriging. / Accurate characterization and modeling of the rock mass geomechanical heterogeneity leads to efficient mine planning and design. The use of conventional techniques such as Kriging for modeling the rock mass is limited, since it does not consider the spatial variability and heterogeneity of the rock mass, resulting in estimates that do not represent the real behavior of the rock mass. In this context, it is proposed as an alternative solution to use the Gaussian Simulation to estimate the spatial heterogeneity of the rock mass based on the analysis of the values of UCS, RQD, Water condition and joint condition for the RMR modeling, this technique consists in simulating different values from known data, in addition to allowing to analyze the uncertainty of the obtained simulations. The methodology proposed in this research considers the variographic analysis of the regionalized geomechanical variables in directions, in order to determine their anisotropic behavior; Likewise, the uncertainty analysis is developed using the cross-validation technique that consists of dividing the original data into two subsets at random. 85% of the database was used to estimate the RMR values, while 15% was used as a test subset. The case study is the critical section with the presence of hydrothermal waters of the main access tunnel of a mining project in southern Peru, the geomechanical record data taken in the field was used, with them a total of 5 simulations were produced for each variable, producing approximately 3 million values for each variable. The mean absolute error of the model generated with Gaussian Simulation is only 6.58%, which is considered admissible compared to the 38.01% obtained with Kriging. / Tesis

[pt] O tempo não produtivo (NPT) durante a perfuração de poços de petróleo pode ser responsável pela perda de milhões de dólares em atividades offshore. A má previsão da pressão de poros pode ser uma das responsáveis pelo NPT de um poço ou mesmo sua perda definitiva em campos geologicamente complexos, como em bacias evaporíticas. Nesses campos complexos, os métodos de previsão de pressão de poros convencionais nem sempre são capazes de prever bem a distribuição de pressão de poros, mesmo após a perfuração de número considerável de poços. Este trabalho estuda técnicas alternativas que atendam ao problema de previsão de pressão para esses casos. Para fundamentar os estudos, é apresentada uma revisão sobre os riscos associados à perfuração em bacias evaporíticas e sobre os métodos de previsão de pressão existentes (métodos convencionais, sísmicos, modelagem geológica geomecânica 3D, modelagem pelo método dos elementos finitos e modelagem de bacias). Avaliando os problemas de perfuração nestes campos e as dificuldades de previsão dos métodos convencionais, nota-se que a complexidade imposta pelas consequências da presença do sal pode ser reduzida pelo uso de métodos que considerem a geologia local de forma mais abrangente em seu fluxo de trabalho. Concluiu-se que a modelagem de bacias e a modelagem geológica geomecânica 3D têm forte potencial de aplicação para estes casos. As técnicas, contudo, não tem a previsão de pressão de poros por objetivo principal, mas podem ser aplicadas ou adaptadas para tal fim. Este estudo apresenta adaptações de metodologia e/ou aplicações direcionadas de ambas para fins de previsão de pressão de poros. Para validar as propostas apresentadas, estudos de caso foram desenvolvidos e apresentaram resultados considerados bastante satisfatórios. / [en] The non-productive time (NPT) while drilling oil and gas wells may be responsible for losing millions of dollars, especially in offshore activities. Bad pore pressure predictions may be responsible for large NPT or even the definitive loss of well in geologically complex fields, such as evaporate basins. On these complex fields, the conventional pore pressure prediction methods sometimes are not capable of providing good predictions, even if a considerable number of wells has been already drilled. This thesis studies alternative techniques which may attend for pore pressure prediction in these cases. In order to develop a consistent knowledge about the case, a literature review has been conducted in two ways: to understand what are the risks associated to drilling in evaporate basins; to review what are the available methods for pore pressure prediction (conventional methods, seismic methods, 3D geological and geomechanical modeling, finite element methods and basin modeling). During analyzing geomechanical drilling risks in these sites, and the difficulties found by conventional methods to predict it, it was noted that the complexity imposed by the presence of salt bodies can be reduced by using methods that make a strong use of geological knowledge on their workflow. It has been concluded that basin modeling and 3D geological and geomechanical modeling have a good potential to be applied for this goal. The techniques, nevertheless, do not have pore pressure prediction as their main goal, but can be applied to or adapted for such finality. This work presents some methodology adaptations and/or applications of both of techniques directed to pore pressure prediction goals. In order to validate the presented proposals, case studies has been developed, and their results were considered satisfactory.

[pt] Embora uma vasta área do Brasil esteja localizada em regiões que a formação de basalto se faz presente, são raros os estudos em perfis contendo solo e / ou rochas de caráter básico objetivando correlacionar características químicas e mineralógicas com características geotécnicas. A área do presente estudo localiza-se em um corte em solo na Ferrovia Norte-Sul, no Município de Arguianópolis-TO, em que durante sua execução ocorreram diversos escorregamentos. O maciço de solo do corte em questão é composto em sua maior parte por solos provenientes de alteração de basalto. O presente estudo foi realizado em duas etapas. A primeira refere-se à visita ao local do corte, onde foram realizadas coletas de amostras de solo de caráter indeformado e deformado, com as respectivas descrições morfológicas dos mesmos. A segunda refere-se aos trabalhos desenvolvidos nos laboratórios de Geotecnia e Meio Ambiente do DEC da PUC-Rio, EMBRAPA SOLOS e Departamento de Geologia do Instituto de Geociências da UFRJ, abrangendo ensaios de caracterização; ensaios mineralógicos; análises químicas; obtenção das curvas características solo-água; ensaios de erodibilidade; ensaios especiais para a determinação de parâmetros de resistência e de compressibilidade. A partir dos resultados obtidos, espera-se que os mesmos proporcionem uma contribuição para o melhor entendimento de perfis intempéricos em rochas de caráter básico. / [en] In spite of the fact that basalt formations are found in several regions in Brazil, it is difficult to find investigations on the subject relating chemical and mineralogical characteristics with geotechnical ones. The site of the present study comprises a soil slope on the North-South Railroad, at Arguianópolis, Tocantins State. Several landslides occurred during the construction of the railway. The soil mass is mostly composed by soils resulting from basalt alterations. The present study was developed in two stages. The first stage comprised a visit to the site, when a morphologic description of profiles was made and undisturbed and remoulded soil samples were extracted. The second stage refers to works developed at the Geotechnical and Environmental Laboratory of PUC-Rio, at EMBRAPA Soils and at the Geology Department of the Institute of Geosciences of the UFRJ. Such works comprised soil characterization tests; mineralogical tests; chemical analyses; definition of soil-moisture characteristic curves; erodobility tests and special tests to determine strength and compressibility parameters. The results obtained provide a contribution to a better understanding of weathering profiles in rocks of basic character.

Le renforcement des fondations par soil mixing consiste à créer dans le sol des colonnes à module mixte obtenues en mélangeant le sol sur place avec un liant hydraulique. Ces colonnes, qui possèdent des caractéristiques mécaniques entre celles du béton et celles du sol, permettent d’améliorer la portance du sol d’assise et réduire les tassements excessifs des structures surjacentes. Ce travail de recherche consiste en une étude du comportement des fondations superficielles renforcées par des colonnes de soil mixing. Il vise à mettre en exergue les améliorations que cette technique apporte en termes d’augmentation de la capacité portante et de réduction des tassements. Dans une première étape, un matériau de soil mixing est formulé à partir d’un sable d’Hostun et d’un ciment CEM III. Une étude préalable a été réalisée pour déterminer les caractéristiques mécaniques de ce matériau de soil mixing, du sable d’Hostun, ainsi que les propriétés d’interface sable d’Hostun - soil mixing. Dans une seconde étape, une cuve expérimentale a été conçue pour permettre la réalisation de la procédure expérimentale du renforcement du sable par des colonnes de soil mixing. Plusieurs configurations du modèle physique ont été testées: Il s’agit d’essais de chargement sur fondations superficielles reposant sur un massif renforcé ou non. La taille de la semelle, le nombre des colonnes de renforcement, leurs âges, la densité de sol ainsi que le type de renforcement (renforcement type fondation mixte ou inclusion rigide) sont des paramètres dont l’effet a été étudié. Les essais de caractérisation, la conception du modèle expérimentale ainsi que les essais de chargement réalisés ont permis de mieux comprendre le comportement du sol renforcé. La connaissance des paramètres géomecaniques du sol et du matériau de soil mixing a permis de comprendre l’évolution de la capacité portante des semelles en présence des colonnes de renforcement. La présence d’un horizon porteur dans lequel les colonnes sont encastrées fait augmenter significativement la capacité portante de la semelle. Dans le cas du renforcement type inclusions rigides, l’augmentation de l’épaisseur du matelas granulaire réduit la capacité portante de la semelle renforcée. Cependant, elle fait augmenter la contribution des colonnes de renforcement dans la reprise des efforts appliqués sur la semelle. Une confrontation a été réalisée entre les résultats expérimentaux des essais de chargement et les résultats provenant d’un modèle éléments finis mis en œuvre avec le logiciel Abaqus. Les paramètres utilisés proviennent de nos essais de caractérisation réalisés dans le cadre de cette étude. Le modèle a présenté des résultats satisfaisant et a réussi de reproduire le comportement physique des semelles renforcées. Le modèle n’a non seulement réussi à reproduire les essais de chargement à l’échelle d’une colonne, mais aussi à l’échelle des semelles renforcées par une seule colonne et par quatre colonnes. / The reinforcement of shallow foundations by soil mixing consists on mixing the soil beneath with a hydraulic binder in order to obtain columns with mixed modulus. These columns, which have mechanical properties bounded between those of concrete and those of soil, can improve the soil bearing capacity and reduce excessive settlements as well. This research work is a phenomenological and quantitative study of the behavior of shallow foundations reinforced by soil mixing columns. It leads to analyze and highlight improvements that this technology brings in terms of bearing capacity increase and settlement reduction. In a first step, a soil mixing material is formulated from Hostun sand and cement CEM III. A preliminary study is conducted to determine the mechanical characteristics of the soil mixing material, Hostun sand and sand – soil mixing interface. In a second step, an experimental tank is designed to allow the installation of 1 m3 of hostun sand under different density. The experimental procedure allows also the installation of soil mixing columns that reinforce the soil. Finally a device is installed in order to carry on loading tests. Different configurations of the physical model were tested. Loading tests are carried on soil mixing columns and on unreinforced and reinforced shallow foundations. Size of the foundation, number of reinforcing columns, their age, soil density and type of reinforcement (rigid inclusion or mixed foundation) are parameters we change during this study. The characterization tests, the design of the experimental model, and the loading tests helped us to better understand the behavior of the reinforced soil. The knowledge of geomechanical parameters of soil and soil mixing material allowed us to understand the evolution of the bearing capacity of the reinforced foundations. The presence of a carrier horizon, in which the tip columns is embedded, leads to significantly increase the bearing capacity of the foundation. In the rigid inclusions reinforcement case, the increasing of granular mattress thickness reduces the bearing capacity of the reinforced foundation. However, it increases the part of the loading transmitted to soil mixing columns. A comparison was made between the experimental results of loading tests and the results of a finite element model implemented with Abaqus software. Model parameters are taken from our material characterization study. It is proven that the model developed is able to reproduce not only loading tests at column scale, but alsot at reinforced foundations scale.

[pt] O presente trabalho propõe um método estatístico computacionalmente eficiente (chamado Green-FOSM) para consideração de incertezas em problemas geomecânicos, com o objetivo de melhorar o processo de tomada de decisão ao analisar problemas associados com o processo de injeção ou depleção de fluídos. A novidade do método proposto está associada com a utilização do método das funções de Green (GFA), que, com o auxílio do método estatístico first-order second-moment (FOSM), é utilizado para propagar as inerentes incertezas associadas às propriedades mecânicas do material para o campo de deslocamento da formação geológica. Além disso, através dos conceitos de grid estocástico e função de autocorrelação, o método proposto permite a consideração da variabilidade espacial de variáveis aleatórias de entrada que representam essas propriedades mecânicas. O GFA utiliza as soluções fundamentais da mecânica clássica (solução fundamental de Kelvin, solução fundamental de Melan, entre outras) e o teorema da reciprocidade para determinar o campo de deslocamento de uma formação geológica com geometria irregular e diferentes tipos de materiais. A grande vantagem deste método em relação ao clássico método dos elementos finitos (MEF) é que ele não requer a imposição de condições de contorno e a análise do problema pode ser realizada considerando apenas o domínio do reservatório ou outras regiões de interesse. Esta estratégia de modelagem diminui os graus de liberdade do modelo e o tempo de processamento da análise. Desta forma, como o GFA requer menos esforço computacional, este método torna-se ideal para ser utilizado na propagação de incertezas em problemas geomecânicos. Inicialmente, baseado no método das funções de Green original proposto por Peres et al. (2021), foi proposto uma versão iterativa do método Green-FOSM, que apresenta resultados estatísticos semelhantes aos encontrados através da clássica simulação de Monte Carlo (SMC). Nesta versão original, o campo de deslocamento é PUC-Rio - Certificação Digital Nº 1912634/CA calculado usando um esquema numérico iterativo que diminui o desempenho computacional do método e pode gerar problemas de convergência. Tais limitações tem dificultado a aplicação do GFA original e do método Green-FOSM iterativo em problemas reais. Assim, o presente trabalho desenvolveu uma nova versão do GFA que utiliza um esquema numérico não-iterativo. Para os problemas de validação analisados, o método não-iterativo demonstra ser até 17.5 vezes mais rápido do que a versão original. Além disso, esta versão demonstra ser capaz de expandir a aplicabilidade do GFA, pois os problemas de convergência foram eliminados e os resultados obtidos por este método, ao analisar um perfil geológico representativo do pré-sal brasileiro, são semelhantes aos encontrados via MEF. Por fim, a partir do GFA não-iterativo foi proposta uma versão não-iterativa do método Green-FOSM. Esta versão não-iterativa é capaz de analisar probabilisticamente formações geológicas complexas, como é o caso das formações geológicas do présal brasileiro. Utilizando os mesmos recursos computacionais, o método GreenFOSM não-iterativo é no mínimo 200 vezes mais rápido que o método iterativo. De forma geral, os resultados encontrados nas análises realizadas (determinísticas e probabilísticas) são próximos dos resultados obtidos pelo método de referência (MEF e SMC, respectivamente). / [en] The present work proposes a computationally efficient stochastic statistical method (called Green-FOSM) that considers uncertainties in geomechanical problems, with the objective of improving the decision-making process related to problems associated with the process of fluid injection or depletion. The novelty of the method lies in the use of the Green s function approach (GFA), which, together, with the first-order second-moment statistical method (FOSM), is used to propagate uncertainties associated with the mechanical properties of material to the displacement field of the geological formation. Furthermore, using the concepts of stochastic grid and autocorrelation function, the proposed method allows the consideration of the spatial variability of random variables that represent these mechanical properties. The GFA uses the fundamental solutions of classical mechanics (Kelvin fundamental solution, Melan fundamental solution, among others) and the reciprocity theorem to calculate the displacement field of a geological formation with irregular geometry, and different types of materials. The great advantage of this method compared to the classical finite element method (FEM) is that it does not require the imposition of boundary conditions and the analysis of the problem can be performed considering only the reservoir or other regions of interest. This modeling strategy decreases the degrees of freedom of the model and the CPU time of the deterministic analysis. In this way, as the GFA requires less computational effort, this approach becomes ideal for propagating the uncertainties in geomechanical problems. Initially, an iterative version of the Green-FOSM method was proposed, which presents statistical results similar to those found through the classic Monte Carlo simulation (MCS). In this initial version, the displacement field is calculated using an iterative numerical scheme, which decreases the computational performance of the method and can generate convergence problems. Such limitations would restrict the application of the PUC-Rio - Certificação Digital number 1912634/CA original GFA and the iterative Green-FOSM method in real problems. Thus, the present work also developed a new version of the GFA, which uses a non-iterative numerical scheme. For the proposed validation problems, the non-iterative method proved to be up to 17.5 times faster than the original version. This version is able to expand the applicability of the GFA, since the convergence problems were eliminated and the results obtained by this method, when analyzing a representative geological profile of the Brazilian pre-salt, are similar to those found via FEM. Finally, based on the non-iterative GFA, a non-iterative version of the Green-FOSM method was proposed. This non-iterative version is capable of probabilistically analyzing complex geological formations, such as the Brazilian pre-salt geological formations. Using the same computational resources, the non-iterative GreenFOSM method is at least 200 times faster than the iterative Green-FOSM method. In general, the results found in the investigated analyzes (deterministic and probabilistic) are close to the results obtained by the reference method (FEM and MCS, respectively).

Η παρούσα διατριβή έχει ως στόχο τη διερεύνηση των τεχνικογεωλογικών συνθηκών που επικρατούν στη λεκάνη Δυτικής Θεσσαλίας, με χρήση και εφαρμογή των Γεωγραφικών Συστημάτων Πληροφοριών, καθώς επίσης τον προσδιορισμό και τη στατιστική επεξεργασία των τιμών των γεωμηχανικών χαρακτηριστικών των τεταρτογενών αποθέσεων που δομούν το πεδινό της τμήμα. Στο πλαίσιο αυτό σχεδιάστηκαν ογδόντα (80) θεματικοί χάρτες με χρήση Γεωγραφικών Συστημάτων Πληροφοριών, από τους οποίους επιλέχτηκαν τελικά για παρουσίαση, εντός και εκτός κειμένου, οι πενήντα εννέα (59). Επίσης, συντάχτηκε πλήθος πινάκων, σχημάτων, χαρτογραφικών ή στατιστικών διαγραμμάτων, ενώ παράλληλα παρουσιάστηκε σειρά φωτογραφιών. Αναλυτικότερα, δίνεται κατ΄αρχήν το τεχνικογεωλογικό πλαίσιο της λεκάνης στην οποία εντάσσεται η παραπάνω έρευνα, με βάση την ανάλυση και σύνθεση στοιχείων που αναφέρονται στις γεωμορφολογικές και κλιματολογικές συνθήκες, το υδρομετεωρολογικό καθεστώς, τη σεισμικότητα και σεισμική επικινδυνότητα, τη λιθολογική σύσταση και δομή των σχηματισμών, τις υδρογεωλογικές και υδρολιθολογικές συνθήκες, καθώς και τις αποσαθρωτικές και διαβρωτικές διεργασίες των γεωλογικών σχηματισμών που δομούν την περιοχή έρευνας. Ακολούθως, παρουσιάζονται αναλυτικά οι τεχνικογεωλογικές συνθήκες που επικρατούν στη λεκάνη Δυτικής Θεσσαλίας και συντάχτηκε τεχνικογεωλογικός χάρτης σε κλίμακα 1:100.000. Στον εν λόγω χάρτη διακρίνονται είκοσι τρείς (23) τεχνικογεωλογικές ενότητες, έξι (6) για τις τεταρτογενείς αποθέσεις, δύο (2) για τους μεταλπικούς σχηματισμούς (νεογενή και μολάσσες) και δέκα πέντε (15) για τους σχηματισμούς του αλπικού υποβάθρου. Ο χάρτης αυτός συνοδεύεται από αναλυτικό Υπόμνημα. Στη συνέχεια, αναλύονται τα γεωμηχανικά χαρακτηριστικά (φυσικές ιδιότητες και μηχανικές παράμετροι) των τεταρτογενών αποθέσεων της περιοχής έρευνας, περιγράφεται η Βάση Γεωτεχνικών Δεδομένων που δημιουργήθηκε και παρατίθεται στατιστική ανάλυση των τιμών από τις παραπάνω παραμέτρους, καθώς και των αποτελεσμάτων από τις επί τόπου δοκιμές πρότυπης διείσδυσης και υδροπερατότητας. Ειδικότερα, έγινε συγκέντρωση, αξιολόγηση, τυποποίηση και καταγραφή-αρχειοθέτηση στην παραπάνω Βάση Δεδομένων των Γεωτεχνικών Πληροφοριών οι οποίες προέρχονται από 1.039 γεωτρήσεις που είχαν εκτελέσει διάφοροι φορείς του Δημόσιου και ιδιωτικού τομέα στο πεδινό τμήμα της λεκάνης Δυτικής Θεσσαλίας. Συνολικά καταχωρήθηκαν 22.463 εγγραφές σε έξι (6) Πίνακες, που στον καθένα αποθηκεύονται διαφορετικά τμήματα της γεωπληροφορίας. Επίσης, πραγματοποιήθηκε λεπτομερής ανάλυση του τεχνικoγεωλογικού πλαισίου και των σημαντικότερων παραμέτρων που υπεισέρχονται στο πρόβλημα των κατολισθήσεων. Ακολούθως, έγινε στατιστική επεξεργασία των στοιχείων της Βάσης Δεδομένων Κατολισθήσεων που δημιουργήθηκε και διερευνήθηκαν αναλυτικά οι σημαντικότεροι από τους παράγοντες που θεωρούνται υπεύθυνοι για την εκδήλωση κατολισθητικών φαινομένων και λαμβάνονται υπόψη στην εκτίμηση των επιδεκτικών προς κατολίσθηση περιοχών. Συνολικά αποτυπώθηκαν 979 θέσεις εκδήλωσης κατολισθήσεων, ενώ συντάχτηκε Χάρτης απογραφής κατολισθητικών φαινομένων και Χάρτης επιδεκτικότητας κατολισθήσεων στα όρια της λεκάνης Δυτικής Θεσσαλίας. Τέλος, καταγράφηκαν και αποτυπώθηκαν εδαφικές υποχωρήσεις που εκδηλώθηκαν σε οικισμούς (εντός ή εκτός οικιστικού ιστού) στην ευρύτερη περιοχή Φαρσάλων-Σοφάδων, ενώ διερευνήθηκαν τα πιθανά αίτια και ο μηχανισμός εκδήλωσης των φαινομένων αυτών. / The investigation of engineering-geological conditions of the Western Thessaly basin and the analysis of geomechanical characteristics of the Quaternary deposits, which occur in the flat part of the region, are examined in this thesis. In this framework, eighty (80) thematic maps have been produced using Geographic Information Systems. In addition, many tables, drawings, cartographic or statistical diagrams have been created. Moreover, a large number of photographs are also presented. The engineering-geological framework of the basin is given in detail, based on the analysis and composition of collected data, regarding, specifically, the geomorphological and hydrometeorological conditions, the seismicity and seismic hazard, the lithological characteristics and structure of the geological formations, the hydrogeological conditions, as well as the weathering and erosion processes exhibited in the geological formations that occur in the basin. Furthermore, an engineering-geological map of the Western Thessaly basin at a scale of 1:100,000 has been compiled, aiming to facilitate both urban planning and industrial development of the basin’s wider area. It is considered that this map may well contribute to the optimization of land use planning and improve the allocation and planning of civil engineering projects. The formations encountered in the basin are grouped into twenty three (23) engineering-geological unities, with regard to their geotechnical behaviour. The entire study, engaged to this thesis, was basically based on data from both in situ investigations and geotechnical information derived and evaluated from the utilisation of 1,039 existing boreholes and trial pits, in the plain part of the Western Thessaly basin. Totally 22,463 records were created and allocated in six (6) Tables. In each one of these tables different kind of geo-information were stored. The values of the above parameters were critically examined. Besides, statistical analysis was carried out on Standard Penetration and Permeability Tests result. All the geotechnical characteristics of the Quaternary deposits (physical properties and mechanical parameters) have been analyzed and a Geotechnical Database was created and presented in this thesis. Furthermore, a landslide inventory map of the Western Thessaly basin has been compiled. Many technical reports and studies, which refer to landslide occurrences, mainly obtained from the Institute of Geology and Mineral Exploration (IGME) were used to analyse and record all the landslides of the study area. A Database, using Microsoft Access, has been compiled. The connection between the Database system and Geographic Information Systems was established with the defined coordinates of the locations of existing landslide occurrences. After the necessary modifications, 979 landslide events were recorded and digitally stored. Also, a simple statistical evaluation of the available recordings was applied for the assessment of the engineering-geological data regarding the lithology and geomechanical characteristics of the encountered various geo-materials. Finally, the surface subsidence ruptures manifested in the basin’s area have been investigated.