GeoICT

GeoWEP and Profiler

A proper analysis of the available data is the basis for the set-up and scope of a soil survey. With increasing digitisation, GeoICT will play a more important role within projects and design calculations.

Over the past years, Wiertsema & Partners has invested in a new web-based GIS platform to facilitate efficient data analysis. With this platform, known as GeoWEP, all the available subsurface data of our projects can be accessed by project employees in the field or in the office, and by our clients. This data ranges from cone-penetration tests and drillings to observation wells and groundwater measuring series to data on cables and pipes (KLICWIN) and NAP bolts to laboratory tests and geophysical measurements. We also merge project-specific research data and connect to data available from the Key Register of the Subsurface. A module has also been developed to generate on-the-fly profiles and to perform data analyses. In projects or studies, we use this module to detail subsurface data into schematic representations and parameter sets for use in geotechnical calculation software.

Digitale data and BRO

The Key Register of the Subsurface Act (BRO) has been effected since 1 January 2018. It declares administrative bodies have a statutory task to provide subsurface data to a central database with public data about the Dutch subsurface as part of the system of basic registers. With the BRO, the government improves open subsurface data provision and usage by governments and other parties in a standardised format. There is a statutory duty of submission and duty of use and there is also a duty of reporting and a duty of investigation. The BRO contains approximately 25 different registration objects, including soil surveys and soil investigations, groundwater monitoring and models.

Wiertsema & Partners plays an active role in creating the BRO by participating in expert groups, chain tests and software development. For our clients we deliver registration objects Geotechnical cone-penetration test, Geotechnical core-sample description and analysis and Groundwater-monitoring pits to the BRO and as soon as the BRO will be operational for more aspects, we will also provide the Groundwater-level survey and the Groundwater-composition study.

3D subsurface models

Eurocode and new probabilistic calculation methods increasingly start with 3D modelling. When the data density from the central database increases, data can be considered in its mutual relationship and be combined with reliabilities.

Wiertsema & Partners develops software in house to process our cone-penetration tests and drillings in a uniform manner and to compare them with other known study data for a specific location. We develop software to provide the highest quality cone-penetration tests (NEN-EN-ISO-22476, Class 1+) and the highest quality drillings in accordance with the new drilling standard (NEN-EN-ISO-14688, Class 1). In addition, all the test results from our geotechnical laboratory are stored in databases that can be accessed centrally from our GIS platform GeoWEP with a profiles module in order to combine this with data from cone-penetration tests, drillings, geomonitoring and geophysics to generate parameter sets and 3D models.