Automation of Geotechnical Processes: Are We Approaching Paperless Engineering?

Geotechnical engineering is undergoing a significant transformation, moving from traditional, paper-based workflows to integrated, automated digital processes. This article explores how platforms like DAARWIN, developed by SAALG Geomechanics, are revolutionizing the management and analysis of geotechnical data. It examines the implications of this transition for decision-making, uncertainty reduction, and optimization in the design and execution of geotechnical projects.​

1. Introduction: Paper as an Operational Limitation

Historically, geotechnical data management has relied on manual methods and physical documentation, limiting efficiency and increasing the potential for errors. The shift towards integrated digital platforms enables more effective information management, enhancing analytical precision and facilitating informed decision-making.​

2. What Does an Automated Geotechnical Workflow Entail?

Automation in geotechnical engineering represents a comprehensive transformation of the workflow, where data, models, and decisions are continuously interconnected. A digital automated workflow is characterized by:​

• Integration of Data from Multiple Sources: Collecting and structuring data from site investigations, laboratory tests, instrumentation and monitoring, and historical documentation into a unified environment. ​

• Dynamic Numerical Models: Continuously updating geotechnical models based on observed behavior during construction, improving design reliability.​
  

• Rapid Evaluation of Multiple Scenarios: Utilizing cloud computing to perform parallel simulations, assessing parameter sensitivity, optimizing designs, and prioritizing interventions.​ 
  

• Traceability and Digital Collaboration: Recording all data, analyses, and decisions digitally in a single platform accessible to all project stakeholders, enhancing transparency and coordination.​
  

• Interaction Between Observation and Design: Integrating real-time monitoring with numerical models to implement the Observational Method, adjusting designs as construction progresses and ground behavior is observed.

3. Applied Technical Architecture: The DAARWIN Proposal

• DAARWIN, developed by SAALG Geomechanics, offers a comprehensive solution for geotechnical data management and analysis, encompassing key functionalities:​
  

• Access to Public Subsurface Information: Centralizes publicly available geotechnical data, facilitating initial project planning.​ 
  

• Management of Site Investigation Data: Transforms raw data into coherent digital ground models, enhancing understanding of geotechnical conditions.​
  

• Real-Time Instrumentation and Monitoring: Centralizes instrumentation data for real-time analysis and visualization, enabling anomaly detection and project stability optimization.​
  

• Management of Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) Data: Integrates TBM operational data with predictive models, optimizing excavation strategies and detecting ground anomalies in real time,
  

• Sensitivity Analysis and Real-Time Backanalysis: Utilizes cloud computing for sensitivity analysis and calibration of numerical models, reducing uncertainty and optimizing designs.​
  

• Digitization of Historical Data: Converts scanned geotechnical reports into structured, usable data, facilitating the reuse of valuable information.​ 
  

By integrating these tools into a single platform, DAARWIN facilitates the automation of geotechnical processes, promoting more efficient and less paper-dependent engineering.​

4. Towards Paperless Engineering: Concrete Benefits

Technical Benefit	Project Impact
Centralization of data	Reduction of errors and improvement of traceability
Models updated in real time	Design adjustment based on actual behavior
Rapid evaluation of multiple scenarios	Optimization of parameters and reduction of over-design
Digitization of historical reports	Reuse of historical knowledge and reduction of uncertainty
Automation of monitoring	Proactive response to deviations during the construction phase

Geotechnical engineering is entering a new era. Automation does not mean eliminating technical judgment but providing engineers with tools that allow them to spend more time thinking and deciding, and less time collecting, transcribing, or searching for scattered data. With platforms like DAARWIN, paperless engineering is an achievable reality and a necessary evolution for safer, more efficient, and sustainable projects.​