gINT White Papers

These technical papers can provide insight on the business values of Bentley gINT and related products, as well as industry trends. 

• Implementation of NC DOT Requirements in gINT (PDF)
  Author- Salvatore Caronna: gINT Software
  Summary: Most consultants to the DOT have been using gINT for the storage and presentation of NC DOT site investigation data for many years. Recently gINT Software has been working with the DOT to significantly redesign their database and reports. This paper presents these changes and the added benefits that can be realized beyond log production.
  Presented by Johnny Martel at the 3rd Annual Geotechnical, Geophysical and Geoenvironmental Technology Transfer Conference and Expo. Charlotte, North Carolina. April 2006 
• Using Structured Query Language (SQL) in gINT (PDF)
  Author- Salvatore Caronna: gINT Software
  Summary: Structured Query Language (SQL), pronounced "see-quill," is an interface standard used to communicate with relational databases. It is used to retrieve data from a database, to update data in a database, and to build and modify the structure of a database. gINT uses SQL throughout the program. However, gINT insulates you from the details of the SQLs it generates and, for the vast majority of your usage of the program, you do not need to know anything about SQL. However, a little study of the subject will greatly enhance what you can do with the program.
  Published in the gINT Gazette. Spring 2006 Issue 
• The Comparative Value of Geotechnical Databases vs. Reportbases (PDF)
  Author- Salvatore Caronna: gINT Software
  Summary: All too often geotechnical organizations design databases to store information in a for the purpose of creating specific reports, generally borehole logs. This can lead to data that has limited usage, is difficult to enter, and is nearly impossible to validate electronically. This paper defines the problem and presents better design techniques for creating true databases that are easy to populate, can be validated electronically, and can be used over a wide range of applications.
  Presented at GeoCongress 2006. Atlanta, Georgia. US. February 2006
• Working with Surfaces (PDF)
  Author- Salvatore Caronna: gINT Software
  Summary: In any subsurface investigation, various surfaces can be mapped. Some examples are: top of ground, bottom of fill (made ground), top of groundwater, and top of bedrock. Surfaces such as these can be stored in gINT and then the profile lines cut through the surfaces can be shown on 2D fence diagrams.
  Published in the gINT Gazette. Autumn 2005 Issue
• Geotechnical Data Management Issues for Transportation Authorities (PDF)
  Author- Salvatore Caronna: gINT Software
  Summary: The paper outlines the common goals of a well-constructed geotechnical data management system for transportation authorities. The paper surveys the primary data management categories including design, collection, manipulation, querying, reporting, interaction with other systems, and dissemination, all of which need to be addressed in a cohesive data management solution. The features of each category are reviewed, and some of the problems that can result from faulty design are delineated.
  Presented at the 6th Annual Transportation Specialty Conference. Ontario, Canada. June 2005
• Viewing Subsurface Information in a GIS Environment (PDF)
  Author- Salvatore Caronna: gINT Software
  Summary: Two GIS tools will be shown whereby data from drilling investigations can be viewed and queried. One tool, developed by the Virginia Department of Transportation, is Web-based, and gINT for ArcGIS, is desktop-based. The two tools show some of the range of possibilities in having subsurface data alongside geographical and other layers of information.
  Presented at the AEG Conference- GIS for Practicing Geologists. California, US. May 2005
• Data Granularity in the Storage and Reporting of Soil Exploration Information (PDF)
  Author- Salvatore Caronna: gINT Software
  Summary: Generally organizations set up database structures to store exploration data to match some final reports. This practice can lead to "coarse-grained" structures that lose collected information. This paper illustrates some of the common pitfalls to the "coarse-grained" approach and provides "fine-grained" alternatives that lead to easier data entry, more complete data storage, data that are more amenable to checking, and more extensive reporting and querying options.
  Presented at the Geo3t2 Conference. North Carolina, US. April 2005
• Considerations for Digital Field Data Collection Systems (PDF)
  Author- Scott Deaton: Dataforensics LLC
  Summary: When investigating various digital field data collection alternatives, both the hardware and software must be evaluated. Do the limitations of the hardware hinder the data collection process, or does the technology enhance the data collection process? Does the software improve the data collection process or is it simply a digital version of the existing procedure? This document summarizes considerations that engineers and geologists may want to consider when choosing a digital data collection system.