Integrated GIS for Construction Site Investigation

Abstract

Site investigation is an important step in estimating and planning new construction projects. Surface and subsurface conditions influence construction methods and choice of equipment, which, in turn, affect the cost and scheduling of projects. Therefore it is important that site conditions be properly assessed. This paper explains a database for the storage of descriptive soil data, a geographic information system (GIS) to relate this data to a display of corresponding locations of boreholes, and a graphical user interface (GUI) to facilitate the input, query, and output of data, in addition to drawing bore logs. A GIS can relate descriptive project information to graphical displays showing geographic locations on digital maps on a computer screen. GISs currently available concentrate on planar/surface applications. However, there is a need to show soil variation as a function of depth. This paper is particularly useful for design‐build organizations, which could benefit from a single database for foundations analysis and design, and construction planning, and resulting design‐construction integration.