Sinking Saudi Warehouse Saved with AI-Driven Engineering

• 22 November 2025
• International News
• 773 Views

GeoStruXer, a firm founded by geotechnical and structural engineer couple Hamzah Al-Hashemi and Dana Al-Faleyleh, successfully stabilized a sinking food security warehouse in Jazan, Saudi Arabia, using Bentley Systems software solutions.

The project, which solved a major failure caused by challenging local soil and a moving salt dome, earned the prestigious Bentley Envision Award.

One of the key software used is PLAXIS 3D. Al-Hashemi used this advanced Bentley software to model the complex soil-structure interaction. By incorporating AI and time-aware satellite data (InSAR), the team developed a highly accurate ground model to predict future settlement.

Besides, Al-Faleyleh, who is structural engineer, used RAM Concept to design an optimized, post-tensioned concrete raft that efficiently shared the structural load with the new foundation.

This digital approach eliminated guesswork and resulted in a “right-sized” design, reducing the required support micropiles from a proposed 2,700 to just 779. The optimized plan cut material use by over 70%, saved more than US$2 million in foundation costs, and reduced carbon emissions by 80%.

The use of Bentley’s tools allowed the couple to unite their specialized disciplines, providing a new blueprint for sustainable engineering in the Middle East.

• Bentley Systems
• Plaxis 3D
• RAM Concept
• GeoStruXer