Openground

Openground generally refers to a term used in geotechnical engineering and data management, most notably associated with OpenGround Platform, a cloud-based geotechnical data management system developed by Fugro. The platform provides centralized storage for ground investigation data, including borehole logs, CPT tests, laboratory results, geotechnical reports, and other site information.

OpenGround Platform supports data governance, versioning, audit trails, and role-based access to enable secure collaboration among engineers, contractors, asset owners, and regulators. It offers data visualization tools, GIS integration, and reporting capabilities, as well as workflows for data validation, approval, and dissemination to project teams. The system is designed to streamline data capture, storage, and sharing, with options to export data for use in BIM and other engineering workflows.

In practice, the platform is used on civil infrastructure projects such as roads, railways, and tunnels, as well as in energy, mining, and urban development. It aims to improve data reuse, reduce duplication of effort, and support informed decisions by providing a single source of truth for geotechnical information across multiple sites and projects.

History and scope: OpenGround Platform is the primary association with the term openground in the geotechnical industry, representing a commercial product and service offered by Fugro. The term openground can also be encountered in broader discussions of open data or general accessibility of subsurface information, but the OpenGround Platform remains the principal reference in this context.