LayeredGeo for geotechnical engineers

How geotechnical engineers use LayeredGeo

Geotechnical engineers often need a quick first-pass understanding of a site before proposals, field programs, or deeper assessment begin. That usually means pulling together geology, soils, topography, groundwater context, imagery, and nearby bore information from multiple public sources - each with its own portal, format, and data currency.

LayeredGeo compresses that repetitive desktop-study work into a consistent address-based report flow so you can move faster on early-stage review and spend less time assembling baseline context by hand.

Typical use cases

• Preparing a preliminary desktop study for a new site
• Scoping likely subsurface investigation needs before fieldwork
• Supporting fee proposals and early-stage client discussions
• Building a quick site-context pack for internal review or client briefing
• Checking geology, groundwater, and terrain context before mobilising
• Generating investigation base maps and contour layers for drilling layout
• Screening planning overlays for vegetation clearance triggers and flood risk before site access
• Screening reactive soil potential and an indicative AS 2870 movement range ahead of a detailed site classification

Reactive soil screening

For supported Queensland addresses, the geotechnical report now includes our own reactive-soil mapping - built from first principles, because no government layer for this exists. The model combines mapped geology, national soil-texture grids, terrain analysis, bore logs and published testing, with a Thornthwaite Moisture Index (TMI) climate analysis setting the depth of seasonal moisture change. Each 250 m cell carries a potential band (Elevated, Variable or Lower) and, where the evidence supports it, an indicative AS 2870 movement range using the standard's own equation with regional inputs. It is a documented starting point for a desktop study, not a substitute for testing on the ground - the report is explicit about that on the page, and includes a recommended scope for the physical investigation that would confirm it.

Planning overlays and investigation scoping

Planning overlays can significantly affect investigation scope and site logistics. Flood risk overlays influence borehole setup and access planning, vegetation protection overlays restrict clearing for drilling rigs, and environmental overlays (koala habitat, MSES, ecological corridors) may require approval before works commence. The Property Report includes full data source references for every overlay group - suitable for attaching to a desktop study as a documented constraint review.

What it does not replace

LayeredGeo is not intended to replace engineering judgement, intrusive investigation, laboratory testing, or formal geotechnical advice. It is a desktop-study accelerator that helps you assemble context faster - not a substitute for field verification. Overlay boundaries are subject to change through planning instrument amendments and should be verified against the relevant council's official planning scheme mapping before making investigation decisions.

How to use it in practice

A practical workflow is to run the geotechnical report and GIS export together for a new site - the report gives you the narrative context and the export gives you the layers for your own CAD or GIS environment. Run the planning overlay check at the same time to flag any constraints that need to be included in the desktop study or factored into field program planning. See the sample report, follow the worked example from mapped evidence to investigation brief, or review the how it works page before you start.