Uncertainty and Ground Conditions: A Risk Management Approach

All civil engineering and construction projects require some sort of solid foundation, but ground conditions bring some degree of uncertainty to every project. Dealing properly with uncertainty over ground conditions can make the difference between the commercial success and failure of a project.

With the costs of failing to accurately predict ground conditions becoming increasingly high, the importance of proper management of the variety of ground-related risk is paramount. Risk management has demonstrated its value in many industries, but not always strongly in civil engineering. In particular the importance of individuals and their own awareness of risks and how to manage them has often been overlooked.

Martin van Staveren has written a new kind of book on ground risk management. Based on many years of professional experience and proven risk management techniques, Uncertainty and Ground Conditions demonstrates how to ensure the construction and civil engineering projects succeed in delivering on time and on budget.

Martin van Staveren is Director at CeoDelft, the National Institute for Geo-Engineering and Lecturer at the Delft University of Technology, both in the Netherlands. He has an extensive experience in geotechnical engineering, including assingments in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. He also provides numerous presentations worldwide on ground-related risk management, for instance in China, Japan and the USA.