Maptek Geology challenge winner solves data complexity problem

Dillon, who works in Christchurch, New Zealand, applied a combination of Maptek geology tools to model complex shallow surface geology beneath a proposed engineering structure.

‘Our key problem was how to use all the data in the boreholes to model all the geologies and still get the low and high density sands in the right places throughout those drillholes,’ Dillon said.

‘The answer was to assign and use numeric values and combine the data with soil behaviour types and shear wave velocities to control the geological model.’

Dillon applied Maptek Vulcan, Vulcan GeologyCore, Data Analyser and DomainMCF for the challenge, which had to be completed over one week earlier this year.

‘DomainMCF handled complicated interfingering of sandy and silty materials and modelled sand-gravel interactions, generating the complex lithological interactions expected from braided river systems,’ Dillon said.

Speed is a known benefit of DomainMCF and proved to be the case for the Christchurch study.