GEOTECHNICAL DATA BANK

Data deriving from soil surveys is a type of information which never becomes obsolete or out-of-date. Nevertheless, each year vast amounts of this source data disappear through mismanagement of records. This mismanagement takes the form of scattering data throughout the files of Government offices, local authorities, consultants, contractors and many others to remain there in obscurity and often inaccessible. The research group has studied and tested the scope for using computerized systems to help create modern records, data banks, for data on the earth sciences and especially soil mechanics. With a data bank it is possible to produce rapid inventories and tables for use in town and building planning. Older geodata available should prove useful to local authorities for future improvement and renewal schemes. Computer techniques should also make it possible to extract this information more rapidly and at lower cost than with today's manual methods involving digging into old, incomplete archives. /Author/