DFI Magazine May/June 2020 - 98

transfer and reuse, uncertainties regarding
data ownership, and ad hoc data
management strategies. As we look to the
future, a key question arises: How do we
change the state of this ineffective practice,
particularly while literally being inundated
with project-related data?
The problem could be resolved easily if
every stakeholder utilized the same
relational database for storing and
managing data, a database with
standardized field titles, content format,
etc. Although this may be a noble goal, it
does not reflect reality. An alternative to a
standard relational database for storing,
managing and/or transferring data is the
eXtensible Markup Language (XML), a
common language used by computer
scientists, which defines a set of rules so
that data may be stored easily in files. This
is where DIGGS enters the picture.

How DIGGS Works
DIGGS was originally envisioned by a
coalition of government agencies,
universities and industry partners
with the goal of it becoming an
international transfer standard for the
geotechnical and geoenvironmental
data that is routinely needed for
transportation-related projects.
DIGGS is not a database, but rather a
specific set of instructions to organize and
represent data using an XML framework.
This approach allows data to be transferred or shared by any number of software
applications, including established
databases.
In 2005, the Federal Highway Administration funded a pooled fund study for
DIGGS development, which the GeoInstitute (G-I) of the American Society of
Civil Engineers became involved in in
2013. DIGGS became operational in 2016,
and is managed by the DIGGS Development Team of the G-I.
By design and intention, DIGGS is open
source, freely available and requires no
proprietary software to use. DIGGS serves
as a framework that ensures nothing is "lost
in translation" when storing and
transferring data. It defines the names and
properties of standardized fields for values
to be stored. It also defines which fields are
required to have meaningful information.

In a simple sieve analysis, for example,
DIGGS provides the instructions on how
the relevant data for this test should be
stored, as well as rejecting test results that
are missing basic data, such as the size of
the sieve screen openings.
Most data of interest to geoprofessionals has a spatial and/or geometric
component (i.e., coordinate location and
elevation and potentially structures and
features that can be modeled with
geometric shapes such as lines or
polygons). Because of this, DIGGS was
developed with a Geography Markup
Language (GML) application schema. This
schema utilizes standardized XML
grammar for encoding geospatial
information. XML and GML provide the
rules for communicating data across the
internet and between software systems,
regardless of how the data are generated. By
selecting XML and GML as the language-ofchoice for developing the DIGGS schema,

DIGGS serves as a framework that

platforms, reported, having such standards
will "enable developers to make all types of
sensors, transducers and sensor data
repositories discoverable, accessible and
useable via the Web." Therefore, using
industry-accepted protocols, equipment
vendors and users will be able to easily
export GML-compliant DIGGS data files
from their equipment. Data that are not
generated using sensors are often collected
manually and recorded electronically.
These data can similarly be used to
generate GML-compliant DIGGS data files
for electronic transfer.
Easing Import to Different Software.
Once data are collected, they need to be
processed, viewed, stored and managed.
Typically, professionals utilize proprietary
spreadsheet formats, local databases or
customized computer software programs
for these activities. If these software
products can accept DIGGS files for
import, and export data in a DIGGS format,
then the data can be seamlessly
transferred without manual re-entry
into a vendor-specific format. In this
way, the data becomes "software
agnostic" and users need not change
from their current favored software.
Among other advantages of
DIGGS data is users' ability to
implement new and better tools that may
come to market without worrying about
data compatibility issues. Owners can also
require that all consultants and contractors
submit valid DIGGS files as part of project
delivery so that the owner now has all data
from all projects in a consistent format. Not
only is this a significantly more efficient
way of doing business, it also addresses
many problems of previous data management strategies. In effect, DIGGS
becomes the common language that
facilitates communication among any
number of software applications.
DIGGS v 2.5.a is readily available for
use by the geoprofession. DIGGS has
already been used to implement dozens of
test procedures. In addition, its schema
is continually being expanded with
more tests and procedures, including
construction and performance data
regarding deep foundations. DIGGS is
available at a website managed by G-I at
www.diggsml.org.

ensures nothing is "lost in translation"

98 * DEEP FOUNDATIONS * MAY/JUNE 2020

when storing and transferring data.
the following two significant hurdles for
acceptance and adoption were addressed:
Simplifying Data Export. Data are
often generated in the field or in the
laboratory as millivolt signals, amperage
readings and frequency measurements on
data collection and recording equipment
(e.g., survey total stations, piezometers,
load cells, flow meters, slope inclinometers, pressure transducers, etc.). Some
of this equipment is attached to drill rigs to
provide instant feedback to the operator.
After signal processing, these analog or
digital signals can be converted to
engineering units and stored for eventual
transmission to a readout unit, text file,
data storage device, etc. At this point, the
equipment vendor or user could simply
elect to generate a DIGGS XML file that
contains the collected results. As the Open
Geospatial Consortium (OGC), an
international group of companies,
governmental agencies and universities
seeking to develop similar open-source
DFI Magazine May/June 2020

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