Abstract:
In this paper, the digital underground approach of Arcadis, a work-in-progress, will be presented describing
the transformation from a classical 2D to digital 3D thinking process in the design of geotechnical
structures. Certain pitfalls as well as lessons learned are described, i.e. the interested reader is able to
understand that the digitalization process of the design of geotechnical structures is always a problemfocused approach by creating workarounds for certain processes rather than a right or wrong. The presented
project examples consist of two projects with a heterogeneous geology distribution making it necessary for
the design of the foundations to work with 3D subsoil and 3D calculation models. However, the digital 3D
design process in the third project, an inner city excavation pit, is driven by the complicated boundary
conditions making it necessary to work in a parametric 3D design space. All projects have in common, that
new processes had to be developed within the geotechnical department of Arcadis. The paper concludes
with a flow chart describing the process elaborated within Arcadis.