Determination of soil parameters of the alluvium areas that will be opened for settlement in Yeniçağa district (Bolu)

The Yeniçağa basin is a closed-basin that accommodated a much water loaded lake in Late Quaternary. The soil characteristics of this paleolake area are related to the paleogeographic phase of the basin. It was aimed to determine the soil parameters of the alluvium areas that are going to be opened to settlement in the Yeniçağa district (Bolu), and to exhibit the problems that would be caused from the soil and guide to planned housing in the future. For this purpose, research pits were dug at 20 points in the investigated area. The consolidation, swelling and triaxial compressive strength tests had been made on the soil classification tests were perfored. Seismic velocity, soil amplifications, predominant soil resonance periods were acquired by seismic diffraction measurements in the studied area. These data were used in the calculation process of earthquake affects on soil. The types and proportions of the clay minerals were determined through applying XRD on soil samples which were taken from the 10 different points of the investigated area.