ABSTRACT
The Ground Model is defined in the second generation of Eurocode as a ‘site-specific outline of the disposition and character of the ground and groundwater based on results from ground investigations and other available data’. The Ground Model is a compilation of data including maps, plans, sections, and reports that capture objective information regarding the soil, rock types and groundwater conditions across the zone of influence (ZOI). The Ground Model should cover the site and the surrounding area to provide the geotechnical and geological context, potential sources of materials for construction, and the surrounding conditions that may influence the groundworks. Since the Ground Model is an illustration (including the distribution of the geotechnical units within the zone of influence) based on interpolation between factual data and derived values, the model itself can be considered the most likely representation based on the available data during that phase of a project. Uncertainties inherent to such Ground Models may be quantified and reduced during subsequent project phases when more data becomes available.
