From Borehole to Design: Rethinking Communication Across Geotechnical Monitoring Workflows

In geotechnical engineering, we’re often the first to engage with the ground — interpreting soil behavior, managing uncertainty, and delivering insights that feed directly into design. But what happens next is where the friction begins.

Too often, the transition from geotechnical data to design assumptions breaks down. And not because the data is wrong but because the communication is fractured.

Whether you’re working on a complex foundation system or a slope stabilization project, the consequences of this disconnect ripple through the entire lifecycle of the structure. Delays. Redesigns. Cost overruns. Missed warning signs.

Let’s talk about why this happens, and what we can do about it.

Where Communication Fails in Geotechnical Workflows

Misalignment isn’t always dramatic, it's often subtle, structural, and easy to overlook:

• Field teams deliver PDF reports or Excel files that sit in inboxes, while design teams work on assumptions detached from real-time conditions.

• Monitoring data is managed separately from the borehole logs and soil models used in design.

• Project managers have no centralized view of what’s changing on-site until it’s too late to adapt.

The result?

📉 Soil stabilization methods that don’t align with actual site behavior.

📉 Structural design choices based on incomplete or outdated subsurface data.

📉 Engineering decisions made in isolation, with limited traceability.

Two Project Types Where This Is Especially Critical

1. Urban Foundations & Infrastructure

These projects demand speed, precision, and risk control. But small delays in communicating updates, say, a new groundwater reading or soil strength anomaly, can have massive cost implications.

2. Slope Stabilization & Retaining Systems

Monitoring pore pressure and ground movement is essential but without structured data sharing, designers may be out of sync with critical changes. That’s when reactive measures replace proactive planning.

The communication breakdown doesn’t come from a lack of effort, it comes from disconnected tools and fragmented data management.

Typical problems include:

• Borehole logs locked in PDFs, without searchability or consistency

• Instrumentation dashboards operating separately from ground models

• Lab tests stored in folders without integration into analytical workflows

• A lack of shared context across geotechnical, structural, and PM teams

These are not just technical issues, they are process failures that limit collaboration and confidence.

Rethinking the Workflow with Daarwin

This is where modern geotechnical database platforms come in, and why we’ve built Daarwin to close this gap.

Here’s how Daarwin transforms the workflow:

• Borehole log management becomes dynamic and easily searchable — not buried in static files

• Geotechnical monitoring data is integrated, enabling real-time collaboration across teams

• Engineers, designers, and project leads work within the same data environment, ensuring alignment and traceability

• Project history is preserved, allowing everyone to understand how assumptions evolved and why decisions were made

  
  

Case in point:

On a recent infrastructure project, Daarwin enabled a cross-functional team to adapt pile foundation design mid-phase. The monitoring data revealed a consolidation trend not seen during initial soil investigation. By reacting within hours, not weeks, the team avoided €500,000 in potential redesign and claims.

The Path Forward

If we want more resilient, efficient, and predictable engineering projects, we need to stop treating geotechnical data as static documentation.

We need to:

• View communication as infrastructure, not an afterthought

• Equip teams with tools that foster continuous alignment, not just data storage

• Move from reactive to proactive decision-making, powered by integrated insights

Because at the end of the day, geotechnical engineering isn’t just about understanding the ground, it’s about helping others design with confidence on top of it.

Ready to Rethink Your Workflow?

Daarwin helps engineering teams centralize data, align decisions, and reduce uncertainty from day one.

👉 Discover how it works, streamline your geotechnical workflows from borehole to design.