INTEGRATING GEOLOGIC DATA INTO GIS-BASED DECISION MAKING FOR SITE DEVELOPMENT

Construction sites require specific analysis for the specific project. This degree of specificity cannot be accomplished using standard geologic quadrangle maps (GQ's)at a scale of 1:24,000. Using regional-scale maps, however, can enhance preliminary site selection for development. With new technologies, tools are now available for site evaluation. Information about topography, transportation, and municipal infrastructures can be integrated using geologic information systems (GIS). With the Statemap Project, geologic data are becoming available for integration into these GIS technologies and can be used, at the scale of 1:24,000, to select sites for development.

The information on GQ's describes the geology in terms that earth scientists understand. For GQ's to serve the general population, the descriptions should relate to a more general audience. One proposal is to add a DEVELOPMENT ADVISORY column on a standard GQ. The DEVELOPMENT ADVISORY column would present the geologic description in term of rock performance to guide planners, developers, and engineers during the preliminary site selection. This advisory is not intended to eliminate the engineer, but instead to suggest regional advantages or potential problems to developers and the appropriate desigh team.

By including a DEVELOPMENT ADVISORY column, relevant information can be given to decision makers in a cost-effective and timely manner. Existing information on the GQ's can be interpreted and be useful if used at the intended scale. The DEVELOPMENT ADVISORY column would aid engineers and environmentalists about materials in place, just as the DESCRIPTION column does. Hydrogeologic issues such as permeability and erosion would be addressed, but other issues such as excavation and economic resource potential would be too locally specific for inclusion at the scale of 1:24,000.