EIC Engineer, Quin Li recently presented at the Australian Geomechanics Society (AGS) NSW Chapter’s Showcase of GenAI in Geotechnical Engineering Practice, highlighting how EIC is applying AI to streamline geotechnical desktop studies and ground profile management.
Presenting to more than 120 engineering professionals, Quin focused on EIC's internal interactive voice-based AI agent for Geotechnical Geographic Information System (GIS) software operation - an innovative solution designed to support engineers in streamlining the geotechnical study workflow and managing and interpreting geotechnical data more efficiently.
Designed to simplify complex GIS-based workflows and perform geotechnical desktop study, EIC's internal AI agent for QGIS software operation serves as a voice-based assistant that can perform geotechnical desktop study, drafting study report, manage investigation data, operate GIS functions and analysis, generate ground profiles, and produce cross-sectional drawings for engineering analysis. By reducing manual effort and repetitive tasks, the solution enables geotechnical engineers to focus more on interpretation, risk assessment and engineering decision-making.
Importantly, the technology is designed to support, not replace, engineering expertise. Engineers remain responsible for reviewing outputs, validating assumptions and exercising professional judgement throughout the process.
The presentation also highlighted the benefits already being realised through the tools that underpin the AI agent. These tools have been developed and utilised across multiple projects, including major Queensland rail and road projects, providing more efficient ground profile analysis compared with the traditional approach. Testing of supporting tools has demonstrated significant productivity gains, delivering a minimum 95% time saving by reducing a task that would traditionally require around 250 hours of manual processing across 500 documents to approximately two hours. This estimate relates solely to the time required to ingest the data and does not include the subsequent engineering review and validation of the outputs.
By combining geotechnical expertise with AI-enabled automation, EIC's solution has the potential to significantly reduce repetitive data handling, GIS software operation and report writing activities, allowing engineers to spend more time focusing on ground behaviour, risk assessment and design outcomes.
Speaking at the event, Quin shared how innovations such as this voice-based AI agent can help create faster, more consistent and scalable approaches to ground
interpretation and desktop study, while maintaining human-in-the-loop oversight and technical expertise that remain critical to delivering high-quality engineering outcomes.
As digital engineering continues to evolve, EIC remains focused on developing practical solutions that improve project efficiency, enhance decision-making and unlock greater value from engineering data.
Presenting to more than 120 engineering professionals, Quin focused on EIC's internal interactive voice-based AI agent for Geotechnical Geographic Information System (GIS) software operation - an innovative solution designed to support engineers in streamlining the geotechnical study workflow and managing and interpreting geotechnical data more efficiently.
Designed to simplify complex GIS-based workflows and perform geotechnical desktop study, EIC's internal AI agent for QGIS software operation serves as a voice-based assistant that can perform geotechnical desktop study, drafting study report, manage investigation data, operate GIS functions and analysis, generate ground profiles, and produce cross-sectional drawings for engineering analysis. By reducing manual effort and repetitive tasks, the solution enables geotechnical engineers to focus more on interpretation, risk assessment and engineering decision-making.
Importantly, the technology is designed to support, not replace, engineering expertise. Engineers remain responsible for reviewing outputs, validating assumptions and exercising professional judgement throughout the process.
The presentation also highlighted the benefits already being realised through the tools that underpin the AI agent. These tools have been developed and utilised across multiple projects, including major Queensland rail and road projects, providing more efficient ground profile analysis compared with the traditional approach. Testing of supporting tools has demonstrated significant productivity gains, delivering a minimum 95% time saving by reducing a task that would traditionally require around 250 hours of manual processing across 500 documents to approximately two hours. This estimate relates solely to the time required to ingest the data and does not include the subsequent engineering review and validation of the outputs.
By combining geotechnical expertise with AI-enabled automation, EIC's solution has the potential to significantly reduce repetitive data handling, GIS software operation and report writing activities, allowing engineers to spend more time focusing on ground behaviour, risk assessment and design outcomes.
Speaking at the event, Quin shared how innovations such as this voice-based AI agent can help create faster, more consistent and scalable approaches to ground
interpretation and desktop study, while maintaining human-in-the-loop oversight and technical expertise that remain critical to delivering high-quality engineering outcomes.
As digital engineering continues to evolve, EIC remains focused on developing practical solutions that improve project efficiency, enhance decision-making and unlock greater value from engineering data.