South Africa
Geoscience for Infrastructure and Land Use
The aim is to make the data in the ENGEODE database easily accessible through a Web portal hosted by the CGS.
National Dolomitic Report Review and ENGEODE
Given that South Africa is partly underlain by dolomite (approximately 5–10% of the country’s land surface), regulating the development of “dolomitic land” is key to sustainable land use. Under the Geoscience Amendment Act (no. 16 of 2010), the Engineering and Geohazards Competency of the Council for Geoscience is required, amongst other things to (1) advise local, provincial and national authorities in respect of geology, and geohazards that may affect infrastructure development and to (2) review and evaluate geotechnical (dolomite) reports in respect of geohazards that may affect all infrastructure development. Prescibed tariffs are set for this work. Dolomitic land is susceptible to sinkhole and subsidence formation, which may negatively impact infrastructure planning and development. Sinkholes form suddenly and are destructive, with far-reaching effects and devastating repercussions.
In response to the requirements of the Geoscience Amendment Act, the Council for Geoscience reviews and evaluates dolomite stability/geotechnical reports on behalf of municipalities and the National Home Builders’ Registration Council. This is done in order to ensure safe and sustainable land use, which is one of the critical principles of the NDP Vision 2030. The reports (copies) and other related documents submitted to the Council for Geoscience for review are stored in the national dolomite databank (ENGEODE). This databank is increasingly serving as a very useful tool for industry, as more consultants send daily enquiries to obtain information from the Council for Geoscience GIS databank.
The aim is to make the data in ENGEODE easily accessible through a Web portal hosted by the Council for Geoscience. This will allow a broad base of users to utilise the information stored in the database from the convenience of their offices or work sites. The database is critical to infrastructure planning on dolomitic land and forms the basis for future research into understanding dolomite-related geohazards. The database also stores historical information on instability events (sinkholes and subsidence features).
The engineering-geological database (ENGEODE) of the Council for Geoscience promotes sustainable infrastructure planning and development in South Africa, particularly on dolomitic terrains.
Key Objective:
- Conducting geological, geotechnical and geophysical investigations.
- Investigating faulting/deformation mechanisms.
- Investigating seismicity/sinkholes/subsidence.
- Refining the dolomitic land layer.
- Studying the stress and strain regime.
- Investigating the influence of factors such as human activity and geology on seismicity.
- Compiling models for use in seismic hazard and seismic risk assessment.
- Characterising and comparing the risk of sinkhole/subsidence formation.
- Assessing and understanding the uncertainties of seismic hazard assessments.
- Conducting outreach and capacity building activities to highlight the value of seismic hazard assessments.
Example of how CGS uses the national dolomite databank (ENGEODE) to promote sustainable infrastructure planning and development in South Africa, particularly on dolomitic terrains.
