Geohazard Assessment & Management

Applying Hazard and Risk Management Techniques Across All Decision-Making Levels

BGC’s team of engineers, geoscientists, and software specialists deliver industry-leading expertise in geohazard assessment and risk management. We help clients understand and mitigate risks from landslides, floods, permafrost thaw, seismic activity, snow avalanches, and ground deformation. Our work spans from site-specific hazard analysis to the management of thousands of risks across global infrastructure portfolios.

Through structural and non-structural approaches, including operations planning, regulatory compliance, and policy development, we support clients in the full cycle of safety and economic risk management. From transportation networks and energy infrastructure to mining, waste facilities, and residential development, BGC helps organizations translate complex data into clear, defensible decision-making strategies.

Geohazard Recognition

Unrecognized geohazards can cause catastrophic losses. BGC specializes in identifying, classifying, and quantifying hazards before they escalate into disasters. Our geohazard recognition services include:

Field-based reconnaissance and hazard mapping
Analysis of aerial photographs, satellite imagery, InSAR, and LiDAR data
Stratigraphic mapping through test trenches and natural exposures

Site Characterization

Accurate site characterization is essential for effective geohazard mitigation. BGC provides comprehensive site investigation programs, including:

Detailed field mapping and aerial photo interpretation
Test pitting and stratigraphic analysis
Geotechnical drilling, testing, and sampling
Ground motion monitoring and laboratory testing
Borehole instrumentation installation.

Hazard Mapping

Effective hazard maps combine recognition, site characterization, and detailed analysis. As a primary tool for risk communication, hazard maps provide clarity to stakeholders by showing:

Hazard area extent
Likelihood and frequency of occurrence
Magnitude and potential destructive impact

Each BGC hazard assessment is tailored to the project’s scale and risk profile.

Risk Assessment

Risk assessment integrates hazard likelihood with consequences such as loss of life, infrastructure damage, economic disruption, and environmental impact. We help clients answer critical questions:

What is the likelihood of loss to people, property, or infrastructure?
Is the risk tolerable, or should risk reduction measures be implemented?
How can risks be communicated effectively to technical teams, decision-makers, and the public?

Our structured approach ensures transparent, defensible decision-making for development, infrastructure design, and regulatory compliance.

Risk Control

BGC supports clients in both reducing geohazard risks and measuring risk reduction effectiveness. Services include:

Developing conceptual risk reduction options
Facilitating stakeholder engagement and evaluation
Detailed design and engineering support during procurement and construction.

Risk control strategies may involve:

Land-use planning and hazard avoidance
Early warning and monitoring systems
Slope stabilization and reinforcement
Groundwater and surface water management
Flow diversion and protective conveyance
Rockfall barriers, debris basins, and energy dissipation structures.

Cambio Earth

BGC’s Cambio Earth software empowers industries and governments to make data-driven, risk-informed decisions. Cambio is widely used by:

Pipeline, railway, and energy utility operators
Transportation authorities
Mining companies
Government agencies responsible for land-use planning, emergency management, and regulation.

Cambio enables users to:

Plan inspections and maintenance proactively
Monitor hazards in real-time
Implement risk control measures using a transparent, auditable framework
Assess hazard locations, vulnerable assets, and population exposure for communities.

River Network Tools

BGC’s River Network Tools (RNT) is a powerful, web-based application for analyzing hydrotechnical geohazards in rivers and streams.

Flooding and channel migration can threaten pipelines, railways, and highways. RNT integrates hydrometric data and GIS-based analysis to help clients efficiently: