OBJECTIVES

The objective of this project is to carry out the tasks of the Polish Geological Survey (PSG) as defined in the Geological and Mining Law of June 9, 2011.

The objective of the project is to maintain (collect, make available, process, and archive) a unified Geo-Engineering Database (BDGI), the Database of Physical and Mechanical Properties of Soils and Rocks (BDGI-WFM), and the preparation of new Engineering-geological Atlases as well as feasibility studies for such atlases.

As part of efforts to promote knowledge of engineering geology, publications on engineering geology are issued, and an information service on engineering geology is maintained.

Maintaining the GeoEngineering Database (BDGI), linked to the Physical and Mechanical Properties Database (BDGI-WFM), and compiling Engineering-geological Atlases is in line with the directions of action specified in the National Urban Policy (KPM), which aims primarily to strengthen the capacity of cities and urbanized areas to foster sustainable development.

 

Methodology

The current Guidelines for the Preparation of Atlases were developed in 2022 and are available for download: Geo-Engineering Atlases at a scale of 1:10,000 or smaller. Guidelines for Preparation (pdf)

 

 

STATUS OF IMPLEMENTATION

ATLASES

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Geo-Engineering Atlases Completed Between 1998 and 2018

• Geo-Engineering Atlas of the Mazowieckie Voivodeship - Płock county (pilot project)
• Geo-Engineering Atlas of the Mazowieckie Voivodeship - Piaseczno county (pilot project)
• Geo-Engineering Atlas of the Bydgoszcz Metropolitan Area
• Geo-Engineering Atlas of the Koszalin Metropolitan Area
• Geo-Engineering Atlas of Selected Areas of the Polish Coastal Zone - rejon Kashubian Cliffs Region (Cetniewo-Jastrzębia Góra) (pilot project)
• Geo-Engineering Atlas of Selected Areas of the Polish Coastal Zone - Gdynia Cliffs Region (Oksywie-Babie Doły, Orłowo) (pilot project)
• Geo-Engineering Atlas of the Wałbrzych-Świebodzice- Kamienna Góra  Metropolitan Area
• Geo-Engineering Atlas of the Łódź  Metropolitan Area
• Geo-Engineering Atlas of the Rybnik-Jastrzębie Zdrój-Żory  Metropolitan Area
• Geo-Engineering Atlas of the Wrocław Metropolitan Area
• Geo-Engineering Atlas of Poznań 
• Geo-Engineering Atlas of the krakowskiej Metropolitan Area
• Geo-Engineering Atlas of the Gdańsk-Sopot-Gdynia  Metropolitan Area
• Geo-Engineering Atlas of the Katowice  Metropolitan Area
• Geo-Engineering Atlas of Warsaw

 

Geological and Engineering Atlases Completed in 2018 - 2022

• Geo-Engineering Atlas of Szczecin
• Geo-Engineering Atlas of Lublin-Świdnik

 

Geological and Engineering Atlases to Be Completed in 2022 - 2026

• Geo-Engineering Atlas of Białystok
• Geo-Engineering Atlas of Rzeszów

 

Geological and Engineering Atlases planned for completion starting in 2024

• Geo-Engineering Atlas of Gorzów Wielkopolski

• Geo-Engineering Atlas of Radom

FEASIBILITY STUDIES

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Feasibility studies for geological and engineering atlases conducted between 2013 and 2017

• Feasibility study for the preparation of the Geo-Engineering Atlas of the Lublin metropolitan area

• Feasibility study for the preparation of the Geo-Engineering Atlas of the Szczecin metropolitan area

 

Feasibility studies for Geological and Engineering Atlases carried out between 2018 and 2021

• Feasibility Study for the Preparation of the Geo-Engineering Atlas of Białystok 
• Feasibility Study for the Preparation of the Geo-Engineering Atlas of Bielsko-Biała 
• Feasibility Study for the Preparation of the Geo-Engineering Atlas ofStudium wykonalności dla potrzeb sporządzenia Atlasu geologiczno-inżynierskiego Częstochowa 
• Feasibility Study for the Preparation of the Geo-Engineering Atlas of Gorzów Wielkopolski 
• Feasibility Study for the Preparation of the Geo-Engineering Atlas of Grudziądz  
• Feasibility Study for the Preparation of the Geo-Engineering Atlas of Kalisz 
• Feasibility Study for the Preparation of the Geo-Engineering Atlas o Kielce 
• Feasibility Study for the Preparation of the Geo-Engineering Atlas of Legnica
• Feasibility Study for the Preparation of the Geo-Engineering Atlas of Olsztyn
• Feasibility Study for the Preparation of the Geo-Engineering Atlas of Opole 
• Feasibility Study for the Preparation of the Geo-Engineering Atlas of Płock
• Feasibility Study for the Preparation of the Geo-Engineering Atlas of Radom 
• Feasibility Study for the Preparation of the Geo-Engineering Atlas of Rzeszów 
• Feasibility Study for the Preparation of the Geo-Engineering Atlas of Słupsk 
• Feasibility Study for the Preparation of the Geo-Engineering Atlas of Tarnówa 
• Feasibility Study for the Preparation of the Geo-Engineering Atlas of Toruń
• Feasibility Study for the Preparation of the Geo-Engineering Atlas of Włocławek
• Feasibility Study for the Preparation of the Geo-Engineering Atlas of Zielona Góra

 

Feasibility Studies for Geo-Engineering Atlases to Be Implemented in 2022 - 2026

• Feasibility Study for a Geological and Engineering Database for the Maritime Areas of the Republic of Poland

  

GEO-ENGINEERING BOREHOLE DATABASE (p-BDGI)

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• Over 327,900 boreholes recorded between 1998 and 2017
• 90,520 boreholes recorded between 2018 and 2022
• 60,000 boreholes planned for recording between 2022 and 2026

SPATIAL GEO-ENGINEERING DATABASE (m-BDGI)

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30 continuous GIS information layers covering all of Poland

 

DATABASE OF PHYSICAL AND MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF THE MAIN LITHOGENETIC TYPES OF SOILS AND ROCKS IN POLAND (BDGI-WFM)

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• 65,934 results of physical and mechanical tests of soil and rock samples entered between 1998 and 2017,
• 180,572 results of physical and mechanical tests of soil and rock samples entered between 2018 and 2022,
• 120,000 results of physical and mechanical tests of soil and rock samples planned for entry in 2022 - 2026.

Results

Tangible outputs:

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BOREHOLES

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The Geo-Engineering Database (BDGI) contains nearly 500,000 boreholes, including:

• 363,283 boreholes located within the areas covered by the Geo-Engineering Atlases,
• 55,526 boreholes drilled within the country (outside the Atlas areas), entered from geological and engineering documentation created since 2013,
• and over 77,500 boreholes from the Warsaw area in the form of Geotechnical Excavation Sheets.

The Geo-Engineering Borehole Database collects data on the stratigraphy, genesis, lithology, and physical and mechanical properties of the drilled soil and rock layers, macroscopic tests and designated geotechnical series (only for boreholes used in the creation of geotechnical atlases).

Borehole records contain information on location, x and y coordinates in the PL-1992 system, elevation (H), the investor, the client, the type and purpose of drilling, drilling dates, geological supervision, and other details, such as the documentation under which the drilling was performed.

Since 2013, boreholes have been entered into a digital database in accordance with the Geo-Engineering Database (BDGI) manual. Instructions for maintaining the borehole database. Previously, the entry of boreholes was not standardized. Boreholes were digitized based on the experience of the database administrator.

Geotechnical Excavation Sheets in the Warsaw area that were not used in the preparation of the Geo-Engineering Atlas of Warsaw are stored in the database in scanned form.

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ATLASES

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The information contained in the Atlas supports the assessment of a site’s suitability for construction, the selection of the optimal location for a project, and the determination of land use for spatial planning purposes. The Atlas presents an assessment of geological and engineering conditions in the context of the regional geological structure, based on collected archival materials and the results of geological studies and surveys.

Geo-engineering atlases compiled between 1998 and 2012 (updated between 2013 and 2017)

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The atlases were compiled between 1998 and 2012 and were updated (2013 - 2017) with regard to the maps and geological-engineering series, based on the following guidelines: “Geo-Engineering Atlases at a Scale of 1:10,000 or Smaller. Preparation Guidelines” and “Geo-Engineering Database. Guidelines for Maintaining a Borehole Database.”

 

Geo-engineering atlases compiled between 2013 - 2017

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The atlases were compiled between 2013 and 2017 based on the following guidelines: “Geo-Engineering Atlases at a Scale of 1:10,000 or Smaller: Guidelines for Preparation” and “Geo-Engineering Database. Instructions for Maintaining a Borehole Database," as well as on the basis of an approved geological works design.

 

Geo-engineering atlases compiled between 2018 - 2022

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The atlases were compiled between 2018 and 2022 based on the following guidelines: “Geo-Engineering Atlases at a Scale of 1:10,000 or Smaller: Guidelines for Preparation” and “Geo-Engineering Database. Instructions for Maintaining a Borehole Database," as well as on the basis of an approved geological works design.

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BDGI-WFM DATABASE

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The work was carried out between 2014 and 2017 as part of a project by the Polish Geological Survey titled “Database of Physical and Mechanical Properties of the Main Lithogenic Types of Soils and Rocks in Poland at the Regional Level” (BDGI-WFM). The basis for carrying out the work under the BDGI-WFM project was the “Plan of Tasks of the Polish Geological Survey, to be implemented in 2014 and subsequent years,” approved by the Minister of the Environment. The project was financed from the National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management pursuant to a grant agreement.

As part of this project, the Database of Physical and Mechanical Properties (BDGI-WFM) was created, which collects data on the physical and mechanical properties of soils and rocks found in Poland. The BDGI-WFM contains information on the location, date, and contractor of each data point, the number of samples collected, their category and type, and the measured parameters, along with an indication of the classification standards used. The BDGI-WFM database is an integral part of the borehole database of the Geo-Engineering Database (BDGI) and, as such, can be updated on an ongoing basis with data from studies conducted for the BDGI project.

The structure of the BDGI-WFM database was designed with a focus on compatibility with existing resources and products developed in parallel as part of other projects of the Polish Geological Survey carried out at PGI-NRI and funded by the National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management (NFOŚiGW). To ensure the highest level of standardization for the database being created, proven IT products that have been in use for many years were utilized, and new solutions implemented during other projects were applied. To support the database’s further development, tools were created to enable its conversion to the standards of the globally used Oracle relational database management system.

As part of this project, the following data were entered into the database:

• 65,934 results of physical and mechanical tests of soil and rock samples collected between 2014 and 2017,
• 180,572 results of physical and mechanical tests of soil and rock samples collected between 2018 and 2022.

Between 2022 and 2026, it is planned to enter 120,000 results of physical and mechanical tests of soil and rock samples.

Information on the properties of the soil and rock matrix comes from laboratory tests conducted as part of geological work during the preparation of geological and engineering documentation. The data comes from selected areas of Poland, located at 36,313 documentation points. The data sources include archived geological and engineering documentation from 2013 and later, as well as data from geo-engineering atlases.

As part of an effort to promote knowledge of engineering geology, a publication titled „Warunki geologiczno-inżynierskie na obszarze Polski (eng. Geological-Engineering Conditions of Poland)” by Prof. Ryszard Kaczyński, Ph.D., was released.

 

  

Data Access

The data is available for download via the GeoLOG, app, which is available free of charge for mobile devices on Google Play and App Store as well as through Portal CBDG - Geologia, under the BUILDING tab.

The information collected in the Geo-Engineering Database (BDGI) is for reference purposes only and under no circumstances should it replace the need to conduct geological and engineering surveys or geotechnical investigations. The data is intended for use at a scale of 1:10,000 and smaller (e.g., 1:25,000, 1:50,000, 1:100,000).

The Geo-Engineering Database (BDGI) serves, among other things, as a repository of borehole geological and engineering data derived from archival records. The provider assumes no liability for any errors in the information provided. It is recommended that the information be used for reference purposes only and that a detailed analysis of the source archival materials (as available) be conducted, along with fieldwork.

 

How to cite

 

When using any data from the BDGI website, please follow the citation guidelines below.

DATABASE

Organization, year (as of access date) - database name, place of publication (access date)

Example

BDGI, 2025 - Geo-Engineering Database,, https://www.pgi.gov.pl/inzynierska/1-geologia-inzynierska/gi-projekty/13168-baza-danych-geologiczno-inzynierskich.html (accessed October 31, 2025)

 

 

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE PROJECT

In accordance with Article 162(1) of the Geological and Mining Law, the Polish Geological Survey (PSG) carries out the state’s tasks in the field of geology. The specific tasks of the Polish Geological Survey are set forth in Article 162(1), items 1 - 12, and in Article 162(2) of the Geological and Mining Law. This project falls within the scope of the tasks listed in Article 162(1), items 3, 4, and 7, of the Geological and Mining Law. The implementation of this task aligns with the action priorities set forth in the Sustainable Development Goals and the National Urban Policy. The Sustainable Development Goals are an action plan for transforming the world so that the needs of the current generation can be met in a sustainable manner, with respect for the environment and consideration for the needs of future generations. The Sustainable Development Goals are set forth in the document titled “Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,” which was adopted by the UN General Assembly. The implementation of the PSG task will support the following goals:

• Goal 7. Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
• Goal 9. Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation
• Goal 11. Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
• Goal 13. Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts

The primary objective of the National Urban Policy, however, is to strengthen the capacity of cities and urban areas to foster sustainable development. This means that the Polish Geological Institute - National Research Institute, which serves as the polish geological survey under the supervision of the minister responsible for the environment, will, in carrying out the proposed task, support the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals and the policy directions set forth in the National Urban Policy.

The Polish Geological Institute - National Research Institute has been developing the Geo-Engineering Database and Geo-Engineering Atlases of selected areas of the country since 1998. The first nine databases and atlases were completed by 2012. Another 6 were created as part of a research project conducted between 2013 and 2018. Furthermore, a project has been underway since 2018 that will result in an additional 2 atlases and 18 feasibility studies (the areas are shown on the attached map).

The continuity and systematic nature of its work reflect the Polish Geological Survey's response to the needs of state and local government agencies, investors, designers, and private geological companies operating in the investment and construction sectors and involved in urban planning and spatial planning, as well as citizens, whom we inform about the importance of detailed geological surveys of the terrain and the benefits that can be derived from the potential of the geological environment. It should be noted that the PSG project (since 2013) titled the Geo-Engineering Database (BDGI) and its accompanying database of the physical-mechanical properties of soils and rocks (BDGI-WFM), comprise over 300,000 boreholes and more than 3,200 sheets of geological-engineering and thematic maps at a scale of 1:10,000, stored on the CBDG servers at PGI-NRI. This is a vast resource of geological information intended for land-use planning and directly applicable in construction in urban areas, as well as for assessing the impacts of climate change. Another application of the BDGI database is the planning of sustainable use of underground space in urban areas, including the use of low-temperature geothermal energy.

The case for continuing this project is supported by the fact that it covers the largest urban agglomerations (Warsaw, the Tri-City, Kraków, Poznań, Wrocław, Rybnik-Jastrzębie Zdrój-Żory, Łódź, Wałbrzych, Bydgoszcz, Koszalin, Lublin, Szczecin, and others). These metropolitan areas cover only about 1% of Poland’s total area, but the population living in them accounts for about 18% of the country’s total population. The future of the country lies in urban development (see the concept of “Smart Cities - Resilient Cities”). Already today, Poland’s 18 largest cities generate nearly half of the country’s GDP (data from the Statistics Poland [GUS]); therefore, to ensure and support their sustainable development, it is reasonable to compile geological and engineering databases and atlases for them.

In addition to the geological boreholes collected in the National Geological Archive, the Geo-Engineering Database also includes geotechnical data (results of documentation of geotechnical foundation conditions and results of physical and mechanical tests of rocks and soils). Failure to include the collection of engineering geology data within the scope of the PSG tasks will result in the irreversible loss of information on shallow geology, which, under current legal and regulatory conditions, is not subject to any other forms of archiving or processing. The objective of the task is to increase access to digital geological data in the field of engineering geology. The results of the project will be made available in the form of PDF and SHP files, as well as WFS, WMS, and API services on the PGI-NRI websites; they will also be incorporated into the Central Geological Database (CBDG) and will expand the resources of the National Geological Archive (NAG).