Urban Logic
[07]
GIS Decision-Support Tool
[Desciption]
A GIS-based tool that derives science-based building height indicators from soil bearing capacity and imposed load data. Intersects soil type maps with development locations to generate minimum maximum and average height ranges — providing planners with a geologically grounded reference for height policy.
[Model Objective]
A GIS-based decision-support tool that derives science-based building height indicators from soil bearing capacity and imposed load data. Developed as an alternative to the purely theoretical frameworks — FAR, human scale, community preference — that typically drive height regulations, the tool intersects soil type maps with development locations to generate minimum, maximum, and expected average building height ranges. The output gives planners and decision-makers a geologically grounded reference for height policy — particularly valuable in large-scale development areas where soil conditions vary significantly across a site.
MSc Research
2014
Building Height Indicators — Soil Capacity Tool
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The tool produces five building height indicator maps covering all soil-load combinations. In the worst-case scenario (low soil capacity, high imposed load) the safe range spans 5 to 24 stories. In the best case (high soil capacity, low imposed load) it extends to 128–255 stories. The most practically useful indicator — common soil capacity against high imposed load — suggests a policy reference range of 14 to 29 stories, providing a science-based anchor for regulatory decisions without replacing site-specific geotechnical studies.
[Model Components]
Superficial and bedrock soil layer unification module · Presumptive bearing value assignment by soil type · Spatial intersection of soil layers with building footprints and land parcels · Contradiction matrix generating five height indicator scenarios (H-H, H-L, L-H, L-L, C-H) · Building height range calculator per scenario and soil-load combination
[Model Results]
The tool produces five building height indicator maps covering all soil-load combinations. In the worst-case scenario (low soil capacity, high imposed load) the safe range spans 5 to 24 stories. In the best case (high soil capacity, low imposed load) it extends to 128–255 stories. The most practically useful indicator — common soil capacity against high imposed load — suggests a policy reference range of 14 to 29 stories, providing a science-based anchor for regulatory decisions without replacing site-specific geotechnical studies.
[Model Components]
GIS Model Builder (ArcMap) · Soil Bearing Capacity Analysis · Imposed Load Calculation · Contradiction Matrix Method · Spatial Join & Overlay Analysis
[Tags]
["GIS", "ArcMap", "Building Heights", "Soil Capacity", "Urban Regulation"]