GIS for Geotechs Short Course – Hobart

Empowering geotechnical practitioners with spatial data and tools to support geotechnical investigations

Mineral Resources Tasmania (Dept. of State Growth)(MRT), Land Tasmania (Dept. of Primary Industries Parks, Water and Environment) (DPIPWE) and in association with the Australian Geomechanics Society are offering a one day training course in Hobart, February 15 and Launceston, February 23, specifically aimed at geotechnical practitioners.

In recent times the Tasmanian Government has undertaken major investments in spatial technology as part of a strategy to provide better access to information for the community, business and public sectors. There is now a large and growing range of spatial information available that is relevant to geotechnical investigations amongst other applications.

In this event, a demonstration of the online resources will be provided by the participating organisations. It will outline how to discover, visualise, analyse and report data available using their web map viewers and other online resources. Given that geotechnical investigations have a significant spatial component, fully utilising this data and available tools is essential for getting the right answers in an efficient manner. GIS software is the appropriate tool for maximising the potential of spatial data and it will be demonstrated that this technology is no longer the preserve of specialists and is cost-effective for both small and large businesses.

The first part of the course will focus on data discovery using the Land Information System of Tasmania (LIST) and MRT web sites and in particular the web map viewer environment. The second part of the course will demonstrate how to work with the same datasets in a true GIS environment, using surprisingly powerful free software. Participants are strongly encouraged to bring along their laptops with designated software preinstalled (see below) and discover for themselves how to enter this environment. By the end of the course the participants will be able to work with a variety of data types allowing discovery of relationships between spatial layers, creating interpretations and having the ability to export maps suitable for inclusion in reports.

Practical examples of typical datasets used in geotechnical investigations will be utilised including: cadastral boundaries, orthophoto imagery, GPS locations, drill holes, LiDAR digital terrain models, geology, landslides and geotechnical analyses. In addition, the use of peripheral devices to capture data such as gps units, cameras, smart phones and tablets will be demonstrated.

Engineers Australia members participating in AGS technical sessions can record attendance on their personal CPD logs. Members should refer to Engineers Australia CPD policy for details on CPD types, requirements and auditing guidelines.