Slope Stability - lindsays

the report's recommendations if that engineer does not
perform construction observation.

A Geotechnical Engineering Report Is
Subject to Misinterpretation

Other design team members’ misinterpretation of
geotechnical engineering reports has resulted in costly
problems. Lower that risk by having your geotechnical
engineer confer with appropriate members of the design
team after submitting the report. Also retain your
geotechnical engineer to review pertinent elements of the
design team’s plans and specifications. Contractors can
also misinterpret a geotechnical engineering report.
Reduce that risk by having your geotechnical engineer
participate in prebid and preconstruction conferences,
and by providing construction observation.

Do Not Redraw the Engineer’s Logs
Geotechnical engineers prepare final boring and testing
logs based upon their interpretation of field logs and
laboratory data. To prevent errors or omissions, the logs
included in a geotechnical engineering report should
never be redrawn for inclusion in architectural or other
design drawings. Only photographic or electronic
reproduction is acceptable, but recognise that separating
logs from the report can elevate risk.

Give Contractors a Complete Report and
Guidance

Some owners and design professionals mistakenly
believe they can make contractors liable for
unanticipated subsurface conditions by limiting what
they provide for bid preparation. To help prevent costly
problems, give contractors the complete geotechnical
engineering report, but preface it with a clearly written
letter of transmittal. In that letter, advise contractors that
the report was not prepared for purposes of bid
development and that the report’s accuracy is limited;
encourage them to confer with the geotechnical engineer
who prepared the report (a modest fee may be required)
and/or to conduct additional study to obtain the specific
types of information they need or prefer. A prebid
conference can also be valuable. Be sure contractors
have sufficient time to perform additional study. Only

ASFE

then might you be in a position to give contractors the
best information available to you, while requiring them
to at least share some of the financial responsibilities
stemming from unanticipated conditions.

Read Responsibility Provisions Closely

Some clients, design professionals, and contractors do
not recognise that geotechnical engineering is far less
exact than other engineering disciplines. This lack of
understanding has created unrealistic expectations that
have led to disappointments, claims, and disputes. To
help reduce such risks, geotechnical engineers
commonly include a variety of explanatory provisions in
their reports. Sometimes labelled “limitations”, many of
these provisions indicate where geotechnical engineers
responsibilities begin and end, to help others recognise
their own responsibilities and risks. Read these
provisions closely. Ask questions. Your geotechnical
engineer should respond fully and frankly.

Geoenvironmental Concerns Are Not
Covered

The equipment, techniques, and personnel used to
perform a geoenvironmental study differ significantly
from those used to perform a geotechnical study. For
that reason, a geotechnical engineering report does not
usually relate any geoenvironmental findings,
conclusions, or recommendations; ¢.g., about the
likelihood of encountering underground storage tanks or
regulated contaminants. Unanticipated environmental
problems have led to numerous project failures. If you
have not yet obtained your own geoenvironmental
information, ask your geotechnical consultant for risk
management guidance. Do not rely on an environmental
report prepared for someone else.

Rely on Your Geotechnical Engineer for

Additional Assistance

Membership in ASFE exposes geotechnical engineers to
a wide array of risk management techniques that can be
of genuine benefit for everyone involved with a
construction project. Confer with your ASFE member
geotechnical engineer for more information.

PROFESSIONAL
FIRMS PRACTICING
IN THE GEOSCIENCES

8811 Colesville Road Suite G106 Silver Spring, MD 20910
Telephone: 301-565-2733 Facsimile: 301-589-2017

Copyright 1998 by ASFE, Inc. Unless ASFE grants written permission to do so, duplication of this document by any means whatsoever is
expressly prohibited. Re-use of the wording in this document, in whole or in part, also is expressly prohibited, and may be done only with the
express permission of ASFE or for purposes of review of scholarly research.

IIGER06983.5M

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