Results & Products

Results and products of the 'Geocommunication in projects' working group of the national Geo-Impuls programme (2009 - 2014)

This working group developed a variety of products during the duration of the Geo-Impulse programme. For instance, a geo-communication guideline was drafted and an environment scan was developed. The interaction between geotechnician, environment manager and communication manager was central to this. An explicit choice was made to learn in practice. In a brochure entitled 'Geocommunication', the working group shows how a project team can easily develop a communication plan that contributes to good risk management.

Geocommunication guide

In three pilot projects, a shadow team consisting of a geotechnical engineer, environmental manager and communication manager was deployed from Geo-Impuls to support the project. The lessons learned the products developed in the process have been collected in the Guideline on geo-communication.

Mind map environment scan

The mind map or environment monitor is a structured questionnaire for local residents of a construction project. It is designed to map the risk perception of local residents. The questions are based on an analysis of different types of risks that may play a role and are visualised in a mind map with the topics of trust, risk perception and nuisance perception.

Start note issues geo-communication

This starting note by Prof Van Marrewijk (Associate Professor of Business Anthropology, VU Amsterdam) outlines the issues of geotechnical communication interfaces around complex projects. These are the interfaces between groups or organisations that occur at moments of transition. It is at these interfaces that things often go wrong. The starting memorandum served as a frame of reference for the working group's activities.

Pilot project VAB The Hague

Work was carried out at the Ingenieursbureau Den Haag to communicate the geotechnical risks and opportunities of the construction of a Fully Automated Auto Salvage plus the restoration of the city canal on the Veenkade in The Hague. Four workshops were held during the project, the presentations of which can be viewed (bundled).

Pilot project Spoorzone Delft

This project developed, among other things, the Construction Phasing Map as a basis for public communication, with a standard set of icons for different types of nuisance. More on this can be found in the Geocommunication Guide published by the working group.

Pilot project A2 Maastricht

Maastricht has a double-layer tunnel with a city park above it, known as the Green Carpet. The limestone soil is as complicated as peat soil in some places, which led to major geotechnical challenges. Geo-Impuls supported this project using the 'observational method', a method to better manage geotechnical risks.

In the media

One of the working group's objectives was to communicate more about geotechnical engineering to the general public, in order to provide a basis for greater understanding. To this end, the working group contributed to:

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