Planning and building
This information is used to plan how and where buildings, roads, tunnels etc. should be constructed.
The information we produce also helps to locate building materials, such as dimension stone
and rock suitable for use as aggregate.
Photo: Anders Damberg,
Karl-Erik Alnavik & Lars Arell.
As a basis for sustainable development of our society, we need geological knowledge and information that can offer guidance on issues relating to the built environment and sustainable use of land and water.
A proper understanding of ground conditions is becoming increasingly important – both in reducing costs, by ensuring that building is carried out in the right places, and in making the best possible use of existing natural conditions. Knowledge in this area also has a part to play in reducing the risks of hazards such as landslides, subsidence and contamination of groundwater.
Geology provides a base
Local authorities in Sweden are required to prepare comprehensive plans (översiktsplaner) for their areas, which have to take into account the natural characteristics of the area and the availability of different natural resources. Factors of significance include ground conditions, groundwater resources, occurrences of suitable sources of crushed rock etc. But construction contractors, too, need knowledge and information about these natural parameters, as a basis for building roads, houses, railways and so on.
In marine environments, as on land, construction is on the increase. To build wind farms, establish shipping lanes, and lay pipelines and cables on the seabed, we need information on the marine geology of the areas in question. What does the sea floor look like, where are sediments accumulating and where are they being eroded?
Stone and gravel for building
To be able to build, we need building materials. In Sweden, some 85 million tonnes of aggregates are used every year, for roads, railways and to make concrete. In the past, the main type of aggregate used was natural gravel, obtained from the eskers that are also our largest sources of groundwater. Now, the state, through SGU and other agencies, is trying to encourage a shift to alternative materials, such as crushed rock. A reduction in the use of natural gravel is also one of the interim targets under the national environmental quality objective A Good Built Environment, a target for which SGU is responsible.
Read more about aggregates, including natural gravel and crushed rock
Read more about Sweden’s environmental objectives
Dimension stone, often of Swedish origin, is used for example for the outer walls of buildings and for staircases, floors and kerbs. To find the right kinds of material, we need information about where suitable rocks occur.
Read more about stone as a building material
Geological information for planning and building
Information from SGU about soil, bedrock, groundwater and marine geology helps to provide a picture of the geological basis for infrastructure planning and building.
Read more about geological information from SGU for planning and building
Further reading
You will find more information relevant in various ways to planning and buildning on the pages on Groundwater, Hazards and Environment.