Geofore is now live: an experimental view of ground conditions across Finland
We have launched Geofore, a new open map tool for exploring ground conditions. Select a point on the map or enter coordinates, and the service shows how nationwide models of firm ground and the bedrock surface describe that location.
Geofore works across Finland, with no registration and no charge. The purpose of this experimental service is to make nationwide datasets and models easy to explore when more detailed site information is not yet available.
Better questions at the start of a project
Ground conditions affect construction costs and execution methods even before the first sketches are made. Yet the least information is usually available at the beginning of a project. This is also when decisions are made about locations, alignments and further investigations, all of which can have significant consequences.
Geofore provides a nationwide starting point that can be compared with local knowledge and other available information. It may raise questions worth investigating further, but it does not determine the foundation method, recommend a construction method or replace a geotechnical investigation. Actual depths and design solutions must always be established through site-specific investigations.
A simple map, a great deal of work underneath
Geofore is not simply a map view of open datasets. Its core is built on Crestia's years of foundation engineering and design expertise, data we have assembled and refined for our own use, and interpretation and prediction methods developed in-house. National open geospatial datasets complement this foundation.
For the user, all of this should appear as simplicity. Choose a location on the map, and Geofore presents two clearly separated analyses: how the firm-ground model weights different depth zones and an estimate from a separate bedrock-surface model. The technical foundation underneath has been designed to support other location-based analyses and entirely new planning services in the future.
What the result means
Geofore makes model uncertainty visible instead of giving a seemingly definitive answer at every point. Results are presented as depth zones and estimate ranges, and the service indicates when the analyses do not form a consistent picture. This lets users see both the initial view provided by the models and when a result should be interpreted with particular caution. More detailed guidance and limitations are available directly in the service.
Geofore will remain open
The basic Geofore service will remain open and free. We want anyone to be able to explore the view the models provide for a location without an account or payment. The service uses no cookies, and data generated through its use is processed in Finland on Crestia's own servers.
For more demanding professional use, we are building specialist tools on our Enplan platform. Tools for registered users will provide deeper analysis, project-based workflows and materials needed for planning and design. Geofore's open map and Enplan's professional tools are built on the same technical foundation, but serve different needs.
A developing service, not the final answer
Geofore 1.1 is still at an early stage of development, and for now it is available in Finnish only. The service will improve as its data, methods and user experience develop. It is particularly important for us to understand how the service is actually used, how its results are understood and what information would help with the next decision.
Try the service at geofore.fi. Send feedback to contact@crestia.fi. We would also like to hear what you used Geofore for, whether the result was clear and what you would have needed next.
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