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Ground Condition Mapping

Ground condition map provides information on the quality of the soil for construction purposes. The service improves the predictability of the costs of land use planning and infrastructure projects and facilitates the planning process.

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The concept of construction design. Laptop and notepads on the desktop, safety helmet in the background.

Key benefits

Overall view of soil quality

A ground condition map combined with a surficial geology map provides land use planners with an illustrative view of the quality and variation of the soil.

Predicting the environmental impacts of construction

A ground condition map supports environmentally sustainable construction planning by, for example, helping operators to better predict the need for extracted material and subgrade reinforcement.

GTK is the only service provider in Finland

Ground condition mapping is based on a method that combines survey data with a geotechnical suitability model. GTK is the only operator in Finland offering ground condition mapping as a service.

Ground condition map in land use planning

A ground condition map is a visual presentation of existing data on ground variations in a wide area. The map illustrates soil properties that cannot be determined with only a surficial geology map.

The key elements of a ground condition map include slope and the thickness of fine-grained sediments (clay, silt, mud, and peat). In the basic model, the soil is divided into eight different categories, depending on the challenges encountered in the area.

Depending on the customer’s wishes, the mapping process may also include other features, such as variations in the groundwater level, occurrence of acid sulfate soils, and other regional geological properties related to planning.

The reliability of the ground condition map depends on the extent, accuracy, and timeliness of the available soil survey data. Insufficient background information reduces the visual accuracy of the ground condition map.

Reducing waste and emissions

Ground condition mapping can be used to avoid starting construction in challenging areas, resulting in less materials to be transported to soil disposal sites and fewer sites that must be stabilised with cement. However, the extent to which soil properties can be considered in the process depends on the site in question.

Location of the survey area in Vantaa, and the layered structure of the preliminary subsurface geological model at the edge of Hiekkaharju. Image: Geological Survey of Finland.

Part of a map from the Ground Investigation Map Service.

NEWS

The Ground Investigation Service Compiles Data for Construction Design

Ground investigations are conducted every time something is built. They help to identify ground conditions and to select the most appropriate foundation method. The data storage method varies from one municipality and organisation to the next. For ten years now, GTK has stored and distributed ground investigation data provided by municipalities and other public organisations free of charge through its Ground Investigation Map Service.

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