Why Geosetta?

Non-profit structure ensures independence and serves the profession, not shareholders
500,000+ boring logs from state DOT sources across the US
ML-powered predictions provide preliminary subsurface understanding
Open format enables sharing and collaboration
Not a substitute for site-specific investigation

Research & Publications

Geosetta was founded on research conducted for the Maryland State Highway Administration. Below are the foundational reports and subsequent publications that have utilized or contributed to Geosetta's development:

Foundational Research

Machine Learning Techniques for SPT Based Geotechnical Subsurface Modeling

Maryland State Highway Administration (2021)

Report No. MD-21-SHA/UM/5-23

This groundbreaking report established the machine learning methodology that forms the core of Geosetta's predictive capabilities, demonstrating how neural networks can effectively predict subsurface conditions from SPT data.

View Report

Developing a GIS-Based Platform for Managing Boring Log Requests and Geotechnical Data

Maryland State Highway Administration (2018)

Report No. MD-18-SHA/UM/4-52

This report laid the foundation for Geosetta's platform architecture, outlining the need for and design of a centralized system for managing and sharing geotechnical data across agencies.

View Report

Publications Using Geosetta

A Methodology for Comparison of Algorithm-Based Subsurface Predictions with Geotechnical and Geophysical Data

Ghimire, A., Yost, K.M., Ph.D., M.ASCE, Cutts, R., M.ASCE, and Zhu, T., Ph.D.

Pennsylvania State University

This study validates Geosetta's AI-based predictions by comparing them with high-quality geophysical data from Multichannel Analysis of Surface Waves (MASW) testing and traditional geotechnical boring data collected at Pennsylvania State University. The research investigates methods for comparing predictions including direct strata delineation comparison and Site Class computation based on V_S30.

Citing Geosetta

If you use Geosetta in your research or professional work, please cite it as:

Geosetta, Inc. (2024). Geosetta: A Comprehensive Geotechnical Database Platform. Available at: https://geosetta.org

For specific datasets, please include the data source (e.g., VDOT, MDOT, MnDOT) and access date in your citation.

Have you published research using Geosetta? We'd love to feature your work! Please contact us at research@geosetta.org with your publication details.

Education & Outreach

Geosetta is being integrated into undergraduate and graduate geotechnical engineering curricula to give students hands-on experience with real-world data and modern site characterization workflows.

In The Classroom

Virginia Tech - Foundation Design Course

CEE 4534: Earth Pressures and Foundation Structures

Instructor: Prof. Joseph P. Vantassel, PhD, Assistant Professor

"I have integrated Geosetta into the undergraduate foundation design course I teach, demonstrating it as part of site characterization alongside aerial photography and geologic maps. I created a homework to give students experience with desktop studies for a real bridge reconstruction project in Roanoke."

Students use Geosetta to analyze real boring log data and develop geotechnical profiles for infrastructure design projects.

View Homework Assignment

Teach with Geosetta

Are you an educator interested in integrating Geosetta into your curriculum? We provide:

Free access to all data and tools
Support for developing course materials
Real-world datasets for student projects
Opportunities to collaborate on educational research