3D geological modelling and geotechnical GIS for planning and development : an example from Glasgow, UK

The Glasgow conurbation, Scotland’s largest city, is built along the lower River Clyde and upper Clyde estu-ary. It has had a long history of heavy industry and mining, much of which has ceased, leaving brownfieldsites with variable ground conditions and contamination. Many of these sites are now prioritized for redevel-opment and regeneration. The British Geological Survey (BGS) has been working with local authoritiesin the area, especially Glasgow City Council, and regulatory partners, to acquire, integrate and supply a wide rangeof digital geodata to assist the redevelopment. Bulk-attributed three-dimensional (3D) geological models, produced by BGS, are useful for portraying general properties (e.g. engineering, hydrogeological) of the area. However, these models do not portray the inherent variability of each unit, necessary for more site-specific considerations, so limiting their usefulness. The data available were not considered suitable for cellular attri-bution and a range of Geographical Information System (GIS)methods have been used in conjunction with the 3D model, to present and interrogate the geodata. Part of the Clyde Gateway regeneration area is used as an example of how this has been done.