A Practical Guide to Natural Terrain Hazard Studies A Practitioners Perspective 10 January 2009

A Practical Guide to Natural Terrain Hazard Studies

Field Mapping

Steven Williamson
Maunsell Aecom

A Practical Guide to Natural Terrain Hazard Studies A Practitioners Perspective 10 January 2009

Field Mapping
Introduction

Purpose
Scope
Site Reconnaissance
Detailed Mapping Approaches
Difficulties and problems
Summary

A Practical Guide to Natural Terrain Hazard Studies A Practitioners Perspective 10 January 2009

Purpose of Field Mapping

Validate API and/or Desk Study Findings

Collect Field Data/measurements
Facilitate an assessment of natural terrain hazards within
catchment with reasoning/justification based on direct
evidence and observations of features including:

Landslide
Drainage lines
Depressions
Breaks in slope
Regolith
vegetation

A Practical Guide to Natural Terrain Hazard Studies A Practitioners Perspective 10 January 2009

Scope of Field Mapping Work

Depends on nature of project. For typical Site/Catchment
Specific NTHS (e.g. LPMit)
Site/Catchment Specific Natural Terrain Hazard Review
(NTHR)
(Regional/Area Scale NTHS)
Field Reconnaissance

Site/Catchment Specific Natural Terrain Hazard Assessment

(NTHA)
Detailed Field Mapping

A Practical Guide to Natural Terrain Hazard Studies A Practitioners Perspective 10 January 2009

Purpose of Field Mapping

DEVELOPMENT
PROPOSAL

Area or Regional
NTHS
Field
Reconnaissance
Detailed Field
mapping
Design verification
mapping

INITIAL
SCREENING

To be carried out in
accordance with Section
1.5 of GEO Report No.
138

Study
Required
?

No

Hazard
Severe

IN-PRINCIPLE
OBJECTION

SITE PLANNING
STAGE

Yes

Desk study and

REVIEW
(NTHR)

Field

Reconnaissance

Determine whether further study is

necessary
Determine the nature (type) of hazard

FEASIBILITY
STAGE
Further
Study
Required
?

No

Yes

Natural Terrain
Hazard Study
(NTHS)

Detailed

ASSESSMENT
(NTHA)

Field Mapping

Specify GI as necessary for design event

Quantify the design event
Determine the mitigation options

Mitigation
Measures
Required
?

No

ASSESSMENT
STAGE

Yes

Detailed design for the preferred

mitigation strategy based on quantified
hazards
Specify GI as necessary for construction

A Practical Guide to Natural Terrain Hazard Studies A Practitioners Perspective 10 January 2009

Site Reconnaissance (1)

Overview of (whole)
site and adjacent
study area
Use best available
vantage point, e.g.:
Building

Access to roof

Ridge line
Spurline

view across catchment

in profile

Roads and
footpaths

MITIGATION
STRATEGY (NTHM)

DESIGN
STAGE

A Practical Guide to Natural Terrain Hazard Studies A Practitioners Perspective 10 January 2009

Site Reconnaissance (2)

Traverse upslope
boundary of
catchment/study area.
:look for processes that may
affect the site such as thick
colluvial lobes exposed in
stream courses or in small
cuts along the site boundary,
or boulder clusters
May give some indication to
potential magnitude and
frequency of landslide events

A Practical Guide to Natural Terrain Hazard Studies A Practitioners Perspective 10 January 2009

Field Mapping Detailed Mapping Approaches

-Use of orthorectified base
plans to map onto
-use at suitable scale to
map/measure features
directly on plan
-If air photos not available
then photos taken from tall
building or helicopter can
sometime be orthorectified

A Practical Guide to Natural Terrain Hazard Studies A Practitioners Perspective 10 January 2009

Field Mapping Detailed Mapping Approaches

-Use of 3D plans to
visualize terrain and
processes, to give feel for
setting whilst mapping . .
may be overlain with
recent ortho photos to
enhance reading of
terrain -

A Practical Guide to Natural Terrain Hazard Studies A Practitioners Perspective 10 January 2009

Field Mapping Detailed Mapping Approaches

-Use of 3D plans to visual
terrain and processes, may
be overlain with photos in
this case 63

- If available use LiDAR

plans which at appropriate
contour resolution can give
enhanced terrain perception
-

A Practical Guide to Natural Terrain Hazard Studies A Practitioners Perspective 10 January 2009

Field Mapping Approaches

-Traversing
hillsides and
access to
drainage lines
-Location

from API ,
survey points or
distinctive landforms
-Use of machete
-Limited vegetation
clearance to access
key features
-Use of safety ropes

A Practical Guide to Natural Terrain Hazard Studies A Practitioners Perspective 10 January 2009

Cliff
area

Erosion
of
colluvium
and
saprolite

Source

60

Ephemeral
drainage
line

Colluvial lobe
with large,
undercut
boulders
45

Debris
transported
over colluvium
and saprolite
Steep rock
slope

sheeting
joint
controlled
granite slabs

A Practical Guide to Natural Terrain Hazard Studies A Practitioners Perspective 10 January 2009

Field Mapping Detailed Mapping Approaches

-Access and location
Often terrain will be densely
vegetated. Use API and desk
study (or review report) to
focus traverses within terrain.
Some access paths may be
necessary
Location may be difficult for
mapping. Survey markers or
GPS may help where no
suitable surface features
exist
-

A Practical Guide to Natural Terrain Hazard Studies A Practitioners Perspective 10 January 2009

Field Mapping Detailed Mapping Approaches

Drainage lines
-

A Practical Guide to Natural Terrain Hazard Studies A Practitioners Perspective 10 January 2009

Field Mapping Approaches

-Measurement
of drainage line
characteristics
-Use

of survey rod

-Clinometer
-Laser

distance
measurer
-Reel tape
-Hip Chain

A Practical Guide to Natural Terrain Hazard Studies A Practitioners Perspective 10 January 2009

1993
About 40
squatter
structures within
the September 1
2001 Lei Pui St
debris flow path !

Debris trail

Former quarry site

A Practical Guide to Natural Terrain Hazard Studies A Practitioners Perspective 10 January 2009

Field Mapping Detailed Mapping Approaches

Distress/disturbance
Source
floor

100 mm

Sandy
infilling

Fractured moderately
decomposed granite rock
mass adjacent to sheeting
joint surfaces

A Practical Guide to Natural Terrain Hazard Studies A Practitioners Perspective 10 January 2009

Field Mapping Detailed Mapping-Approaches

Base of cliff

Eroded edge of
colluvial lobe
Granite bedrock

Abraded Saprolite

Colluvial Accumulations

Debris transported
over colluvial lobe

A Practical Guide to Natural Terrain Hazard Studies A Practitioners Perspective 10 January 2009

Field Mapping Equipment

- Slope angle measurement
Hand held Clinometer

- Distance measurement

Hip Chain
Laser Distance Measurer

- Difficult access/dense
vegetation

Machette
Walking Rope

A Practical Guide to Natural Terrain Hazard Studies A Practitioners Perspective 10 January 2009

Field Mapping Problems & Difficulties

-Steep Terrain
-Rock outcrop
steps
-Irregular drainage
lines

Practical Issues
-Summer heat
clothes, water,
time of day
-Access
-Flora and fauna

A Practical Guide to Natural Terrain Hazard Studies A Practitioners Perspective 10 January 2009

Thank You