Why a full engineering workbench, not a single calculator
The typical engineering workflow is not one calculation — it is a chain. In InSAR monitoring, for example, the chain runs: convert LOS velocities to vertical rates, classify the gradient and velocity into hazard classes, validate the result against GNSS or levelling ground truth, quantify the error budget, and finally produce a report the reviewer will accept. A site that offers only one calculator forces you to break that chain and move numbers between five different websites and a spreadsheet. This workbench keeps the chain intact: the point set you import into the LOS converter flows into the hazard classifier, the GNSS validation tool and the report generator without re-importing, and every step cites the method it uses so the assumptions are visible in the final document.
The same logic applies across the other disciplines. A slope stability screening starts with a quick factor-of-safety estimate, then asks what happens under rainfall, then rates the residual risk. A foundation check starts with bearing capacity, then settlement, then a low-strain integrity test interpretation. Keeping related calculators on one site with shared input conventions and linked documentation turns a calculator into a workflow — which is exactly what field engineers need when the decision window is hours, not weeks.
The engineer behind the workbench
insarwatch is built by a senior geotechnical engineer with field professional practice in InSAR and geodetic monitoring, engineering geology, surveying and levelling, and geotechnical instrumentation. Every formula, every limit and every warning on these pages comes from that practice: the methods cited (Terzaghi, Hansen, Bishop, Bieniawski, Barton, the corresponding ASTM and AASHTO references, and Latin American codes such as Peru's E.050, Mexico's NOM and Colombia's NSR-10 where applicable) are the ones used in real reports, and the non-application cases are the ones field experience teaches, not the ones a catalogue copies. The tools are a fast second-opinion aid; the judgement, signature and responsibility of every report belong to the qualified professional who issues it.
Who this site is for
- Geotechnical engineers screening sites, checking foundation assumptions, or reviewing subcontractor calculations before they go into a report.
- Surveying and monitoring engineers converting coordinates, checking datum consistency, and interpreting InSAR / GNSS displacement time series for infrastructure projects.
- Engineering geologists assigning RMR or Q ratings in the field and converting them into preliminary support recommendations.
- Students and educators in geotechnical engineering and geological engineering who want to check hand calculations against a reproducible method.
Every tool page states the method it implements, the source of the formula (Terzaghi, Hansen, Meyerhof, Bishop, Bieniawski, Barton, the relevant ASTM or AASHTO reference, and Latin-American codes such as E.050 and NBR where applicable), the assumptions it makes, and the cases where it should not be used. A calculator without its assumptions is a trap; here the assumptions are part of the page.
Privacy by design
There is no upload path in this site. Input fields, CSV imports, coordinate batches and time series are processed by JavaScript in your browser and discarded when you close the tab. No account, no email, no tracking of your engineering inputs. The only requests your browser makes are to load the static assets of the site itself. This matters for engineering data: survey coordinates and monitoring results are often client-confidential, and a free tool that quietly collects them is not actually free.
How to start
- Pick the discipline from the boards above, or follow the workflow guide if you are running a full InSAR monitoring chain.
- Read the assumptions on the tool page — each page explains the method, the formula source and the limits in plain language.
- Use the demonstration datasets to verify the tool behaves as expected before importing your own data (the sample dataset guide documents expected results).
- Export CSV or SVG results for your records and reports.
Documentation and reading
The InSAR basics guide explains what LOS velocity means and how the tools use it; the CSV format specification documents the import columns every tool accepts; the blog discusses the LOS-vs-vertical interpretation trap, how to read displacement time series, and how to cross-validate InSAR against GNSS stations.
Frequently asked questions
- Do I need to create an account?
- No. Every calculator works without registration, and there is no usage limit.
- Is my data uploaded anywhere?
- No. Computation runs in your browser; there is no upload code on the site.
- Are these calculators a substitute for professional design software?
- No. They are screening and verification aids. Critical designs must be checked with validated software and reviewed by a qualified engineer — every tool page states this.
- Which codes are the formulas referenced against?
- Each page cites its source: classic methods (Terzaghi, Hansen, Meyerhof, Bishop, Bieniawski, Barton) plus ASTM/AASHTO and Latin-American codes (E.050, NBR) where they apply.
- Will Spanish and Portuguese versions be available?
- Yes — Spanish (Latin America) and Portuguese (Brazil) versions are under construction in parallel with the English site.