Highway Geotechnical Regionalization of Gansu in China

Highway geotechnical regionalization was studied and laws of highway geotechnical conditions in Gansu province were analyzed in this paper. This research aims at providing scientific basis for highway planning, design, construction and maintenance, at promoting decision-making ability for government in highway development and, lastly, at improving construction quality of highway engineering. Based on the research of highway geotechnical types of Gansu province in China, from up to down method, leading factor method, overlay method are used to finish regionalization, in which, five principles of practicability, comprehensive analysis with predominating factors, conjugation, relative consistency and genetic unity are followed. Classification system for regionalization was first put forward and highway geotechnical regionalization was finished in the geology information system (GIS) by using software Arcview GIS (version 3.3). Six regions (first level) such as Animaqing and west Qinling Mountain, nineteen (second-level) sub-regions such as Jishi High Mountain, sixty four (third level) small regions such as frozen soil with semi-hard to weak bedded rock in Jishi Mountain were determined. This study plays an important role in highway construction, and is of great reference value for other parts of the world to finish their regional highway geotechnical regionalization.