Geomorphology in engineering geological mapping and modelling

Engineering geomorphology is the application of geomorphology—the study of Earth surface processes, landforms and their constituent materials—to inform engineering design and help answer and resolve engineering questions and problems associated with the terrain, its geohazards and its ground conditions. To the author’s knowledge, A Hansen (Hansen 1984) was the first among UK/Hong Kong-based geo-practitioners to refer in print to the term engineering geomorphology, in relation to landscape interpretation in Hong Kong.

Since the first Glossop Lecture (Fookes 1997), an extensive body of literature has been published describing the use of, inter alia, geological models (e.g. Fookes 1997; Fookes et al. 2001; Brunsden 2002; Knill 2003; Culshaw 2005; GEO 2007; Baynes 2010; Culshaw and Price 2011), geomodels (e.g. Griffiths and Stokes 2008; Fookes et al. 2015), landscape (evolution) and geomorphological landform models (e.g. Hansen 1984; Brunsden et al. 1981; Fookes et al. 1985; Fookes et al. 2001; Griffiths and Stokes 2008; Hearn et al. 2012; Ruse et al. 2013; Fookes et al. 2015; Hearn and Pettifer 2016), engineering geological models (e.g. Griffiths et al. 2004; Culshaw 2005; Parry et al. 2014), engineering geomorphological models (Ruse et al. 2013), engineering geological ground models (Griffiths 2016), engineering geology environment models (Fookes et al. 2001), ground models (e.g. Vaughan 1994; Brunsden 2002; Knill 2003; GEO 2007; Hearn et al. 2011; Ruse et al. 2013; Moore et al. 2017; Sweeney 2017) and design models (GEO 2007). Here, the following terms are used: i) geological model to depict the 3D structure of the underlying geology; ii) landscape model to demonstrate how the landscape has evolved and continues to evolve in relation to underlying geology and geomorphological processes; iii) engineering geological model to synthesise and portray all available geo-data in terms of its engineering significance and iv) ground model to show the depth and configuration of rock and soil layers, slip surfaces, groundwater table and other pertinent engineering geological features for geotechnical analysis and design. For simplicity, ii) might be considered as a variant on i) with an emphasis on geomorphology, while iv) is the end-product of iii).

Neither BSI (2015) ‘BS EN 5930:2015 Code of Practice for Site Investigations’ nor Parry et al. (2014) ‘Engineering Geological Models’ provide any guidance.

Processes that lead to a change in geo-system structure and behaviour, such as major geophysical events, land use change and climate change

Contrasting, for example, with the 3D digital ground models developed by Kessler et al. (2008) in the UK and USA.