Digital geotechnical data management concept - for utilization in an LCC perspective

When a road, bridge or railway is to be buit it is necessary to know the geotechnical conditions, including the groundwater level.

All information about the subsurface conditions is most often collected using geotechnical drill rigs, and is done to a different extent depending on current project phase.

At an early stage only archive material is used, whereas at a later stage more detailed investigations are carried out.Every investigation gains valuable information which nowadays most often is digitally collected.

In the industry today there is a lack of standards for how the information is to be stored and maintained, and how it in the easiest way  will be transferred to other parts in the chain design – build – operate for further processing. For example, there is no authority who requires the data to be stored in a national geotechnical database.

And there is no defined data formats och transfer formats for easy transferring of geotechnical information for the different software used in the industry, such as FEM or CAD-programs. This is also the status within the same project. This is examplified by an advanced geomodel produced by the designer which is never transferred to the contractor.

Instead she has to start from the factual report and make her own interpretation of the geotechnical conditions, not seldom resulting in different models, claims and uselsess extra time spent in the construction phase.A new digital geotechnical process for less information lossThis R&D project aims at implementing a new digital geotechnical process, including tools for information maintenance.

The idea is to further develop the existing GeoBIM concept. The core this concept is a database capable of handling all types of data formats within the subsurface disciplines.

From the database information can easily be exported to data formats adapted for the different software used in the industry.

In the project a module that also can keep information about piles, supporting walls, LC columns etc will be developed.Successful implementation is the driverTo gain best possible implementation this R&D project will be carried out in the ongoing railway project Robertsfors-Ytterbyn, del av Norrbotniabanan, detailed design phase.

In the short perspective, hence, the knowledge about a new digital geotechnical process will be picked up by the project partners.

By also developing a course on how to use an efficient new digital geotechnical work flow, which will be offered to the rest of the industry, it will also be spread in a longer perspective.An important part of the new geotechnical process is to incorporate results from other recently finished R&D projects.

As an example, digital geotechnical objects will be coded using the CoClass system, making the subsurface objects fully BIM compatible for the first time. Another example is to make use of the knowledge gained in the project Construction phase adapted BIM models.

This will prepare the information models produced in the design phase for the construction phase, resulting in much less information loss saving both time and costs.Since the information will be shared by the common GeoBIM platform continuously accessible for all partners also many communication mistakes will be avoided.Another innovation that will be incorporated in the upgraded geotechnical process is that the geo models will be accompanied by so called certain uncertainty models, which sill result in optimized investigation programs and that mass handling can be limited in a new way.

This will result in less environmental impact.Develop a courseThe project will be followed by a professional film production company which in close collaboration with the project management will develop a course in how to use an efficient new digital geotechnical work flow, which will be offered to the rest of the industry and MSc students after the project.Update of legal documents ABK and ABThe project wil be followed by researchers for evaluating and a