Displaying Water Table Levels, Flow Direction for Predicting Construction Techniques Using Geographic Information as a Tool: Case Study of Kumba (South West, Cameroon)

The rapid economic growth of the town present the matter of water issue as very important problem in terms of human life, construction life, agriculture, etc. … This study is to predict techniques of foundation construction through the displaying of the water table at the flow direction in the town of Kumba and GIS. It is characterized by a significant research question which is the level of fall and rise in groundwater levels within the town of Kumba and this influence on choice of types of foundation in construction. This study is directed to decision-makers and technicians of the construction field to develop policies facilitating the supervision when building construction foundation by informing about water level depth and its flowing direction in the town. To achieve this, depths of static water levels were measured in over 200 randomly selected hand-dug wells in Kumba, after their geolocation and data were collected during the dry season (November and March 2017) and during the rainy season (between April and October 2017). Data were analyzed and treated using Microsoft Excel and GIS software us as Golden Surfer, Global Mapper, and ArcGIS. The results show us the water table contours of the city in dry and rainy seasons which vary between 26.1 and 2.0 m. Quarters such as Kumba-Mbeng and Meboka Streets have water levels ranging between 0 and 4 m in the rainy season and deeper above 5 m in the dry season. This variation of water level in the areas of Kumba may threaten foundation construction that why in those areas shallow foundation are not advice if the constructed structures is important only deep foundation is suitable. In Kumba Station, Mile 1, Bulletin Street (Fongong Quarter), and parts of Fiango show that water table is to deep water and proper for the shallow foundation but very hard for water supply through borehole. Groundwater flow direction was revealed to be toward the south and southeastern parts of Kumba. The significance of the study is to propose to the technician the direct application on the field of chosen types of foundations according to the quarter and proposed groundwater supply possibilities.