A review on engineering geological mapping in belgium: Fid-Bau Portal

A review on engineering geological mapping in belgium

De Beer, E / Fagnoul, A. / Lousberg, E. / Nuyens, J. / Maertens, J.

Summary In Belgium the first realized Engineering Geological Maps concerned the city of Mons and its environs and were due to the initiative of Professors Debaille and Ghiste of the Institut Reine Astrid at Mons. After comparing different ways of representation for the mapping of engineering geological data, the Committee on Engineering Geological Mapping decided to elaborate an Engineering Geological Atlas, which contains for each map the following documents:- a documentation map giving the topography and the position of the documentation points- maps giving either the lines of equal thickness, or the lines of equal altitude of the upper surface, of the different mapped formations- a map with the lines of equal altitude of the upper surface of the substratum or a reference horizon- a hydrogeological map- a zoning map- geological profiles- an explanatory notice describing in detail the gotechnical properties of all the mapped formations. The preparation of the two prototype maps of the district of Liège permitted the Committee to control the possibilities of using computers and plotters and to choose the graphical conventions to be adopted by the different centres. Actually Engineering Geological Maps are prepared on the scales of 1/5,000 and 1/10,000 for the agglomerations of Brussels. Liège, Charleroi, Mons, Ghent and Antwerp. Special attention has been paid to the elaboration of the map concerning the infilled and disturbed soils. For this purpose historical maps have been consulted in order to determine the situation of old water courses, demolished military fortifications and all other modifications of the natural surface, realized in historical times.