How OPTUM G2 helped drive 4AP’s growth
OPTUM G2 provided the crucial tool 4AP needed to scale its consultancy and take on larger, more complex projects.
Since its founding in 1978, 4AP-Geoteknik has had its feet firmly planted on solid ground — or perhaps even a spade deeper than most. The company specializes in geotechnical soil investigations, with drilling rigs and an in-house laboratory making up a significant part of its operations. In recent years, the business has evolved to include more consulting and design services, with projects such as the Scandic Spectrum Hotel in Copenhagen, the SHIP residential complex in Aarhus Ø, and the new Hans Christian Andersen House in Odense. A common factor across these projects has been the use of the OPTUM G2 design software, which forms the foundation for their geotechnical calculations.
Photo by Henrik Melgaard
Opened the door to more consultancy work
Peter Frederiksen, Managing Director at 4AP, explains the role Optum has played in the growth of their consultancy services:
"A HUGE role. We discovered Optum seven years ago, right at a time when the industry was changing — the traditional divide between geotechnical engineers and consulting engineers was beginning to disappear. It fit perfectly with the direction we wanted for the company — toward more consulting and engineering work based on our geotechnical investigations," he elaborates:
We already had all the relevant data from our soil sample analyses and reports, which the consulting engineers would use for designing structures like retaining walls, buildings, roads, or harbors. We also had the necessary engineering know-how and were already offering design services to a limited extent. What we lacked was the right tool to efficiently scale up our consultancy offerings and compete for larger, more complex projects — and that’s where OPTUM G2 became the key to building that additional layer onto our business.
Peter Frederiksen
Managing Director at 4AP
The share of consultancy work at 4AP has grown from around 1% of the business to currently 10 - 15%, and Peter Frederiksen expects that figure to increase even further in the coming years.
Finding solutions where others saw limitations
In 2018, when 4AP subscribed to OPTUM G2, several major developments were being planned around Aarhus Ø and the harborfront. Ambitious high-rise buildings were envisioned, but the soil conditions, characterized by very soft clay, posed serious challenges, particularly concerning deformations.
At that time, others in the industry had already run calculations using traditional methods and software, and they viewed the projects as highly problematic. But because OPTUM G2 is exceptionally effective at simulating soil models — enabling settlement calculations and excavation profiles — we were able to present better solutions to the foundation challenges associated with building tall structures. Essentially, we used the software to verify that the situation wasn’t as difficult as others were making it out to be.
Peter Frederiksen
Managing Director at 4AP
Intuitive, fast, and accurate for users
— and value-adding for the business
Peter Frederiksen's point is echoed by Mathias Imer, a BEng at 4AP, who finds OPTUM G2 particularly well-suited for sheet pile wall calculations, where deformation analyses are also required.
"For these types of tasks, we really don't have a good alternative. With Optum, we avoid making numerous assumptions, and the results are much more accurate — which makes a big difference," says Mathias.
According to him, the user interface is another major advantage. It's intuitive and visually appealing, and the animations make it easy to follow what happens when changing soil models, load sizes, or load placements. Furthermore, the system is fast and efficient — unlike the rigid, outdated programs still available on the market.
Peter Frederiksen also notes that newly graduated engineers tend to prefer Optum, as they are already familiar with the software from their studies. Optum’s calculation programs are used at more than 400 universities worldwide, making them a natural part of the next generation of engineering tools. They are designed to tackle the geotechnical challenges of the future and, in many ways, serve as the ideal springboard for 4AP’s ambitions.
"For a small company like ours, OPTUM G2 remains a crucial lever for supporting 4AP’s development and growth. It has allowed us to take the next step with our clients, offering not only geotechnical investigations for their foundation projects but also consulting services throughout the project’s progression — directly contributing to higher customer satisfaction and a stronger bottom line," he concludes.
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