Algorithmic Route Optimization and Risk Reduction of a Norwegian Highway Using Airborne Geophysics197

Summary Large infrastructure projects face frequent delays and cost overruns. The conecpt and feasibility study phases of an infrastructure project are the best time to mitigate these risks when few costs have been incurred. However, doing so requires tools that can (1) reduce uncertainty in ground conditions and (2) account for the complex range of design constrains imposed on planners, including construction costs, environmental impacts, and political considerations. In this paper, we describe a workflow that combines airborne EM and algorithmic route optimization tools to address these issues. In an example from a highway planning project in Norway, we used airborne EM to detect areas with challenging ground conditions due to deep bedrock and potentially thick deposits of sensitive glaciomarine clay. These results were used as one of the many inputs to route optimization algorithm. The resulting optimal routes were up to 135% cheaper than the original routes originally considered by the client, despite the fact that previously upgraded segments of the highway were unused in the suggested alignments. Our work illustrates the power of parametric, algorithm-based tools, and is the first case we know of where geophysical results were used for algorithmic optimization of a large-scale highway alignment.