The geology and geotechnical engineering sector is undergoing a rapid digital transformation. Today, to optimize time and precision on site, we present GMS NX, the next generation of the geomechanical survey by GeoStru.
This tool completely reimagines the professional’s workflow: your geomechanical survey goes directly from measurement with the compass on the rock face to the drafting of the stability report. Everything happens within a single web app, without installations and without hardware keys.
Geomechanical Survey in the field: the revolution of the Compass NX app
Forget expensive traditional compasses for your field studies. In the modern geomechanical survey, your smartphone turns into a highly precise instrument thanks to the free Compass NX application. This web app replaces a four-hundred-euro Brunton, installs directly from the browser, and works perfectly even offline.
While performing the geomechanical survey on site, Compass NX allows you to:
- Measure the dip direction and dip of each joint using the phone’s sensors.
- Record the exact GPS coordinates.
- Instantly associate photos and a voice note to each specific discontinuity.
The real leap in quality for those performing a geomechanical survey happens in the data transfer to the PC: type a six-digit code generated by the compass into the desktop software, and the joints fly from the phone to the project. No cable, no Wi-Fi: the transfer is secure and immediate.
Interactive Stereonet for the Geomechanical Survey and Kinematic Analysis
An accurate geomechanical survey requires impeccable data restitution. GMS NX offers an interactive stereonet developed in HTML5, usable on any operating system. You can switch with a click from polar to equatorial representation, and choose between the Schmidt-Lambert equal-area projection or the Wulff equal-angle projection.
The discontinuities of your geomechanical survey are classified into six sets using the canonical ISRM symbols. The software automatically generates complete vector statistics: dip direction rosettes, Denness isodensity with one hundred cells, and ISRM distributions on aperture, spacing, and persistence.
For slopes at risk, GMS NX automatically proceeds with Markland’s kinematic check. The system applies the Hoek and Bray methods to evaluate planar slides and wedges, and the Goodman and Bray method for toppling. But it does not stop at the diagnosis: GMS NX automatically proposes the optimal countermeasures for stabilization, suggesting interventions such as scaling, rock bolting, tiebacks, rockfall netting, reinforced gunite, and sub-horizontal drains.
The impact of Artificial Intelligence and Drones on the Geomechanical Survey
Technical innovation goes even further, introducing two features that redraw the operational boundaries of the geomechanical survey:
- Integration of 3D Point Clouds: GMS NX supports the import of three-dimensional clouds derived from photogrammetric drones or LiDAR scanners. The system accepts PLY and XYZ formats, smoothly managing datasets with thousands of points. Thanks to the 3D viewer, the professional is helped to recognize the discontinuity planes of the geomechanical survey: a click will be enough to automatically extract their orientation.
- Artificial Intelligence for data extraction: A unique feature in this sector! Simply paste the raw text of your notes and the artificial intelligence will extract the attitudes, projecting them in real-time onto the stereonet of your geomechanical survey.
Georeferencing and Reporting
In the modern workflow of the geomechanical survey, graphic and documentary restitution is of vital importance. In GMS NX, every single joint surveyed is anchored on the real map. You can import the survey from a CSV file and the face will appear exactly on the map, using decimal coordinates in UTM projection. The user can view the data on OpenStreetMap, topographic, or satellite backgrounds of their choice.
Finally, latitude and longitude automatically flow into the report of your geomechanical survey. With a single click it is possible to export:
- Structured Word report.
- DXF files for AutoCAD.
- CSV tables of the attitudes.
- High-resolution vector graphs in SVG or PNG format.
The GMS NX application is already available on the geostru.ai platform.
