A proposal for quantitative terrain evaluation for highway construction

Summary From the analysis of several highway projects throughout Spain the relative importance of various engineering geological factors have been evaluated. The following relevant factors are selected: bearing capacity, slope stability, quality of borrow material, problems of excavation, geomorphology, climatic conditions, and drainage conditions. These factors are combined to define a feasibility index ranging from 0 to 2, evaluating the terrain according to its suitability for new highway projects, indicating the intensity and type of problems which can be expected. The evaluation is usually represented on maps at a scale of 1:25 000.