Abstract: A general principle, a practical method and a modeling process of three-dimensional solid models for sedimentary stratigraphic systems are discussed. Based on the structural characteristics of the sedimentary stratigraphic system, a new approach for generating 3D solid models from borehole data, termed the “boreholes-surfaces-solids method”, is presented and described. At first, a topologic dimidiate data structure is used to discretize borehole data into a series of scattered points. And then, the initial elevations of the top and bottom surfaces for each stratum are interpolated to automatically deduce the genesis of the missing strata. According to different geological geneses, surfaces intersecting, elevations adjusting and consistency processing are performed automatically on the missing strata’s surfaces and their control surfaces. Finally, the solid model filled with 3D blocks or triangular prism meshes is built. A concrete example of using the “boreholes-surfaces-solids” method to Shanghai’s construction projects is presented; and it is shown that this method is effective.

Key words: solid modeling, three-dimensional visualization, sedimentary stratigraphic system, borehole, stratum