ABSTRACT
Kerala, also known as the God’s own country, is the southern state of India. It is nestled between the pristine waters of the Arabian Sea in the west and lush Western Ghats in the east. Its intense network of rivers and lagoons, thick forests, exotic wildlife, tranquil stretches of backwaters and a long shoreline of serene beaches make it a traveller’s paradise. Kerala has an average length of 580 km and an average width of 75 km. The nature of terrain divides Kerala into high lands, mid plains and coastal areas. Out of 14 districts, Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Alappuzha, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Kozhikode, Malappuram, Kannur and Kasargod lie in the coastal region and have coastal alluvial soils. Wayanad, Idukki, Palakkad and Kottayam come under the high lands having lateritic soil formations; rock formations are seen in shallow depths compared to mid plains and coastal regions. In coastal regions like Kochi, rock formations are seen in deeper depths (about 70 m) below the soft marine clay deposits. This chapter deals with major types of soils and rocks in Kerala, effects of environmental changes on soils and rocks, traditional and modern materials used for construction, types of foundations and natural hazards with causes and remedies. A case study on geotechnical investigation for a dry dock at Cochin Shipyard, Ernakulam is also presented in this chapter.
