From Ground Data to Skyscrapers: The Importance of PDF Borehole Log Digitization in the Middle East
- SAALG GEOMECHANICS
- Sep 4, 2025
- 3 min read
Over 60% of construction stakeholders in the Middle East (including contractors and developers) have already implemented a digital strategy, signaling a strong regional commitment to digital transformation. Towers are being constructed at a rapid pace, and the digitization of processes is no longer optional—it is inevitable.
With such rapid construction of skyscrapers and large-scale projects, data needs to be prepared and ready to use ahead of time. As construction accelerates, the demand to digitize PDF borehole logs is rising. These logs form the backbone of geotechnical knowledge, yet many from past decades remain stored only as scanned papers. In this static form, they cannot be searched, analyzed, or integrated into digital workflows—meaning invaluable ground information risks being underutilized instead of driving today’s projects.
Untapped Archives of Borehole Data
Across the Middle East, infrastructure development over the past decades has generated an enormous volume of borehole logs, many of them still stored only as scanned PDFs or paper records. These archives stretch back to the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, containing irreplaceable information on soil layers, groundwater, and geotechnical tests. Yet much of this data remains undigitized and inaccessible, locked in formats that are difficult to process in modern workflows.
The obstacles are considerable:
Different formats: As in many regions of the world, borehole logs vary widely depending on contractor, project, and time period.
Handwritten notes: Old records often contain sketches or manual corrections that OCR struggles to interpret.
Languages: While some logs appear in Latin characters, the majority in the Middle East are written in Arabic. And also on other languages such as Persian, Turkish, Hebrew, and Kurdish
Mixed content: Logs often combine Arabic script, Latin annotations, numbers, and engineering symbols.
Right-to-left text: Arabic script requires specialized OCR handling that most conventional tools cannot provide.
DAARWIN: OCR Built for Geotechnics for any Langauge
DAARWIN overcomes these obstacles by combining OCR with geotechnical intelligence:
Latin-based boreholes can be digitized immediately and with precision.
Arabic boreholes can be trained into the system, enabling accurate interpretation of script, numbers, and engineering notation.
Any language can be adapted and trained, ensuring that DAARWIN remains flexible across diverse projects.
Mixed-content logs are managed seamlessly, so no information is lost.
This makes DAARWIN a unique solution: an OCR engine adapted specifically for geotechnical data, not just general documents
From PDFs to Ground Models: The Workflow with DAARWIN
Digitized borehole log in DAARWIN
Digitization: Upload legacy borehole PDFs (Latin, Arabic,any lnaguage or mixed).
Test Data Integration: Incorporate SPT, CPT,LAB, triaxial, oedometer, and permeability results.
Layer Identification: Automatically define stratigraphy and soil units.
Cross-Sections: Generate cross-sections across the site for visualization.
Ground Models: Build 2D and 3D ground models integrating boreholes, lab tests, and monitoring data.
Parameter Derivation: Calculate geotechnical parameters for design.
Numerical Modeling: Creating a numerical models.
With this workflow, static PDFs become living datasets, ready for design, risk assessment, and future reuse.
The Middle East’s construction industry is embracing digital transformation at record speed. To keep pace, data itself must be ready, complete, and digitized.
DAARWIN changes this reality. With technology trained specifically for geotechnics, it can digitize borehole logs in just seconds. Once digitized, the data can be used to generate cross-sections, stratigraphic models, parameter derivation, and numerical simulations—unlocking faster, safer, and more efficient construction.
Try digitizing your PDF GIPs now https://www.saalg.com/digitisation-tools
