The VIKTOR App Builder: Empowering Geotechnical Engineers to Automate Workflows Sponsored

VIKTOR’s latest innovation, the App Builder, marks a major step forward in bringing automation into the hands of every geotechnical engineer. Designed to turn ideas into functional, interactive web applications (without writing a single line of code) the App Builder empowers engineers to build tools that automate repetitive tasks, connect analysis software, and streamline workflows across the entire geotechnical design process.

“Geotechnical engineers know their problems best,” says Stijn Jansen, Chief Product Officer at VIKTOR. “They should be able to create the solutions they need, when they need them, without waiting on IT or developers.”

Why the App Builder Was Created

In geotechnical engineering, much time is still lost on manual work: copying soil data between spreadsheets, repeating stability checks, recalculating pile capacities, or updating results from PLAXIS or GEO5 models. Engineers spend more time managing data than interpreting it.

“Instead of solving real design challenges,” Jansen explains, “engineers often get stuck in repetitive work. And when they try to improve their process, they depend on scarce developers or IT support, which slows everything down.”

The App Builder was created to solve exactly that problem: giving geotechnical engineers control over their own automation. Until now, app-building was limited to those who could code. With the App Builder, that’s no longer the case. Engineers can now create automation tools on their own, in a matter of hours.

Designed for Engineering Workflows

With the App Builder, engineers can automate design checks, link different software platforms, and create web-based tools for their daily task. No manual file handling required.

The App Builder integrates with popular geotechnical and structural tools, including PLAXIS, GEO5, Revit, Rhino, Grasshopper, Excel, and Python-based scripts. These integrations streamline the data flow between subsurface analysis, 3D modeling, and reporting, eliminating the tedious and error-prone steps that often slow down projects.

“The VIKTOR platform is built by engineers, for engineers,” says Jansen. “That means direct integrations with the software you actually use, enterprise-grade governance, and built-in security and compliance.”

Closing the Gap Between No-Code and Full-Code

The App Builder bridges the gap between non-coders and developers. Traditional programming environments are too technical for most engineers, while many low-code tools lack the robustness or integration required for real engineering work.

“The App Builder combines no-code, low-code, and full-code capabilities in one secure, transparent, and enterprise-ready environment,” says Jansen. “It’s a place where engineers can automate workflows, connect PLAXIS with Excel or Python, and build reliable applications with built-in versioning, testing, and audit trails.”

What Geotechnical Engineers Can Build

The possibilities are endless, but here are a few examples from the field of geotechnical engineering:

• Pile design configurators that automate bearing capacity, settlement, or lateral load checks based on soil parameters. 
• Retaining wall design tools that calculate earth pressures and structural demands using data from PLAXIS or Excel. 
• Soil data management apps that visualize borehole logs, interpolate profiles, and export results directly into design models. 
• Automated reporting tools that generate geotechnical reports from analysis outputs in a consistent, traceable format. 

For instance, imagine an app that reads CPT data from an Excel file, runs pile capacity calculations using your preferred design formula, and instantly generates a PDF report. What used to take days of manual work can now be done in minutes by the engineer themselves.

Real-World Impact

A great example of geotechnical automation powered by the App Builder comes from ETTL, who combined it with the BoreDM subsurface database to streamline Potential Vertical Rise (PVR) analyses in expansive clay soils.

Traditionally, engineers at ETTL spent hours manually extracting soil data from PDFs, rebuilding profiles in Excel, and performing PVR calculations, introducing the risk of errors and delays. Using the App Builder, they created an application that automatically reads borehole and lab data from BoreDM, performs PVR computations based on TxDOT methods, and pushes the results back into the database, all through a simple web interface.

The result was a dramatic improvement in speed and consistency: analyses that once took hours per boring now run in under a minute, freeing engineers to focus on interpretation rather than data handling.

A Foundation for AI in Geotechnical Engineering

“AI should help engineers move faster in a transparent, secure, and compliant way,” Jansen emphasizes.

The App Builder provides the foundation for this vision. It creates a space where engineers can combine their domain knowledge with AI-assisted automation, for example, to interpret soil data, optimize designs, and generate solutions faster, all within a controlled environment.

Looking ahead, AI will make app-building even faster, helping engineers not only generate code, but also test and validate calculations automatically.

Getting Started

The best way to begin is simply to try it yourself. “Start small,” Jansen advises. “Automate something simple, like a slope stability check or a data conversion step. You’ll be surprised how fast it comes together.”

On October 28th, VIKTOR is hosting a live webinar where engineers can see the App Builder in action, explore real-world geotechnical applications, and even build their own apps.

👉 Register now for the live webinar and see how you can start automating your geotechnical workflows. Save your seat! 

App-building is no longer limited to coders. With VIKTOR, every geotechnical engineer can now create, share, and improve their own tools, bringing innovation and efficiency directly into their daily work.

Ready to give it a try? Start building with the App Builder today.