Geotechnical Python Package – Groundhog

Groundhog - A geotechnical Python Package

A new Python package is available for performing a variety of geotechnical calculations. The package, called Groundhog, was created by Bruno Stuyts, a Belgian professor. Professor Stuyts describes his project in a LinkedIn article where he notes that some of the key features are:

  • Validation of input parameters – Helping people understand the limits of the original function and preventing them from unknowingly going outside of those bounds (you can choose to override the validation though).
  • High-quality Python functions and coding controlled at the Groundhog Github repository.
  • Detailed testing of units, validation of functions, and extensive documentation.

Awesome, right? So what’s the catch? It’s licensed under Creative Commons CC BY-NC 4.0 license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/) but that means commercial use by those of us in the private sector is not allowed without negotiating a special license with Professor Stuyts. Still, this is a great software tool for geotechnical engineers, and perhaps a good reason for those of us considering learning Python to jump in!