BM Sumer · 2022–2026
BM Sumer Liquefaction Calculator
Problem
Soil liquefaction models built in Matlab could only be run one by one in an academic setting; there was no product reaching end users.
Solution
The Matlab formulas were containerized behind a Docker + Python layer and opened to engineers as a subscription product on web and mobile.
Results
- Matlab → Docker/Python integration turned the engine into a service
- Live as a web + mobile subscription SaaS
- An academic model became a commercial product
In earthquake engineering, soil liquefaction is a critical analysis that directly affects structural safety. BM Sumer’s models lived in Matlab, scientifically proven, but only the academic who wrote them could run them. A field engineer had no practical way to reach this calculation.
Turning Matlab into a product
The critical decision was not to touch the Matlab core: rewriting a validated model means both risk and re-proving its scientific validity. Instead we packaged the computation engine with Matlab Runtime inside a Docker container and put a Python API layer on top. The model stayed byte-for-byte intact while becoming a service any application can call.
On top of the API we built the web application and mobile apps: project and borehole data management, calculation history, graphical reports and PDF exports. Access is sold on a subscription model, with payments and licensing handled inside the platform.
Outcome
Engineers now run liquefaction analyses from their phones in the field and deliver reports within minutes. Academic knowledge became a living commercial product with a sustainable SaaS revenue model.
From the project
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