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What Is AGS4? The Geotechnical Data Format Explained

AGS4 is the widely used standard for transferring geotechnical and geoenvironmental data between consultancies, contractors and software. Here is what it is, why it matters, and how to produce it from your borehole logs.

What AGS4 is

AGS is a structured, plain-text data format maintained by the Association of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Specialists. AGS4 is the version in common use. It defines a consistent way to record borehole and test data so it moves between parties and tools without manual reformatting.

Why it matters

Because AGS is a shared standard, exporting clean AGS4 means your ground investigation data is portable and consistent — it loads into geotechnical databases and software without re-keying, and meets a common deliverable requirement on many projects.

Producing AGS4 from borehole log PDFs

GeoLayer extracts the data from borehole log PDFs — scanned, handwritten or digital — and exports AGS4 directly, so you get a standards-compliant dataset without building the file by hand.

Frequently asked questions

What is AGS4?

AGS4 is the current version of the AGS data-transfer format, a structured standard for recording and exchanging geotechnical and geoenvironmental data.

How do I create an AGS4 file from a borehole log?

Upload the borehole log PDF to GeoLayer, review the extracted data, and export AGS4 directly — no manual data entry.

See it on your own logs

Book a demo and we'll run GeoLayer on your borehole logs — scanned, handwritten or digital. Book a demo call.

Related: Borehole log to AGS4 · Borehole data for gINT & OpenGround

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