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A geophysical investigation for buried human remains after 8 years of burial involving the use of Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) was carried out at Owo, Ondo State, Southwestern Nigeria. This study was aimed at identifying the burial location of a corpse buried in a coffin about 8 years ago for exhumation and reburial in another location consequent upon litigations and controversies surrounding the land of the burial. The results obtained were used to generate 2D model and different resistivity maps which were able to identify suspected zone. Excavation of the suspected zone was carried out for the exhumed and relocation of the buried human remains. Electrical Resistivity has therefore been found useful in search for detecting human remains buried in a coffin with the key indicator being lower electrical resistivity relative to the surrounding area.

This research evaluates the significance of geotechnical and Electrical Resistivity methods in studying structural integrity as fundamental factors that may account for failure in a typical sedimentary environment of Ukpenu Primary School, Ekpoma, Edo State, Nigeria. Two methods were used in this study such as the Electrical Resistivity approach involving the use of Lateral Horizontal Profiling (LHP), 2D Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT), and Vertical Electrical Sounding (VES) techniques. While geotechnical method involved the collection of soil samples from the study locations for the characterization of the soil properties that are very vital to foundation studies. Nine VES were carried out using Schlumberger array with current electrode spacing varying from 1 to 40 m, with 2-D ERT using Dipole-Dipole electrode array with inter-station separation of 5 m and an expansion factor varied from 1 to 5 while LHP involve Wenner array with an electrode spacing of 5 m interval and was used to determine the vulnerability factors for the building sustainability. The VES interpretation results were used to determine the second-order parameters for the determination of vulnerability. The results obtained from the two methods review that both are very fundamental to foundation dynamics. However, electrical attributes were found to give better information in terms of depth, lateral extent, layer stratification, and nature of materials which make it an indispensable tool over geotechnical attributes whose depth of investigation is up to a maximum of 5 m which poses great limitation in the evaluation of structural integrity, against stress, and strain occasion by geodynamic activities that often result into fracture, crack, highly weathered formation that usually goes beyond the shallow depth of investigation. Therefore, it can be stated that resistivity attributes account for 90% of the major contributing factors that affect foundation vulnerability.

This research was carried out within Institute of Agriculture Research and Training Moor Plantation Ibadan, Southwestern Nigeria, with the aim to ascertain suitability of the proposed site for building construction and usage. The geophysical investigation involved three electrical resistivity techniques; Vertical Electrical Sounding (VES) using the Schlumberger configuration, 2D ERT and 2-D electrical imaging using Dipole-dipole electrode configuration. Two traverses were established E–W direction cutting across geologic strike with a distance of 80 m and of varying inter-traverse spacing. Eight (8) VES stations were occupied covering the entire study area for layer stratification and geoelectric parameters. The results were qualitatively and quantitatively interpreted and are presented as sounding curves and geoelectric sections. The 2-D imaging gave information on the subsurface characteristic in the area with generally low apparent resistivity indicating low competence material. The results obtained from the VES delineate three geoelectric units which comprise of the topsoil, weathered layer and fresh basement. The results from the VES were used to determine the second order parameters. The entire results correlate well with one another showing that all the techniques used were complemented. This study has further justified the need for geophysical site investigation as pre-condition before any construction to avoid problems of differential settlement. In determining of foundation material, topography elevation, clay content and the depth of weak zones should be put into consideration, since the depth of the weak zone is appreciably high.