ABSTRACT
This chapter is about a number of concepts or mental models of simplifying the world (de Bono, 1998). Concepts are, by definition, a little bit fuzzy and general, but they prevent us from getting stuck in details in an early stage of thinking. These characteristics make concepts so useful and I will use them a lot in this book and particularly in this chapter. This chapter starts with the concept of uncertainty, followed by the concepts of
risk and risk management. Many books are dedicated to these topics and I have selected those aspects that are expected to support us in our practice of ground risk management. Next, the concept of ground conditions is related to the concepts of uncertainty, risk and risk management. Ground risk appears to be of a rather hybrid nature. An overview of the main types of ground and ground-related risk serves as a basis for the introduction of the GeoQ ground riskmanagement concept. The introduction of the GeoQ concept starts with some remarks on the current
status of ground risk management worldwide and a brief history of its recent development. Then the GeoQ concept presents itself, including its perceived benefits. It is related to the existing ground-related disciplines and positioned within the risk and hazard management landscapes. As the letter Q in GeoQ is derived from the word quality, also the role of GeoQ with regard to quality management gets attention. The last section of the chapter positions GeoQ towards knowledge management and the chapter ends with a summary.
