Appendix B - Global Stability Assessment Report

TU ETL HI RU PLU AE TTL CTT
-— fieotechnical Engineering Report —

Subsurface problems are a principal cause of construction delays, cost overruns, claims, and disputes.

While you cannot eliminate all such risks, you can manage them. The following information is provided to help.

   

  
     

  

Geotechnical Services Are Performed for ¢ elevation, configuration, location, orientation, or weight of the
Specific Purposes, Persons, and Projects proposed structure,

Geotechnical engineers structure their services to meet the specific needs of + © composition of the design team, or

their clients. A geotechnical engineering study conducted for a civil engi- © project ownership.

neer may not fulfill the needs of a construction contractor or even another
civil engineer. Because each geotechnical engineering study is unique, each As a general rule, a/ways inform your geotechnical engineer of project
geotechnical engineering report is unique, prepared solely for the client. No — changes—even minor ones—and request an assessment of their impact.
one except you should rely on your geotechnical engineering report without + Geotechnical engineers cannot accept responsibility or liability for problems
first conferring with the geotechnical engineer who prepared it. Andno one _that occur because their reports do not consider developments of which
— not even you — should apply the report for any purpose or project they were not informed.
except the one originally contemplated.

Subsurface Conditions Can Change
Read the Full Report A geotechnical engineering report is based on conditions that existed at
Serious problems have occurred because those relying on a geotechnical the time the study was performed. Do not rely on a geotechnical engineer-
engineering report did not read it all. Do not rely on an executive summary. —_ ing report whose adequacy may have been affected by: the passage of
Do not read selected elements only. time; by man-made events, such as construction on or adjacent to the site;

or by natural events, such as floods, earthquakes, or groundwater fluctua-
A Geotechnical Engineering poo ag Is Based on tions. Always contact the geotechnical engineer before applying the report
A Unique Set of Project-Specific Factors to determine if it is still reliable, A minor amount of additional testing or
Geotechnical engineers consider a number of unique, project-specific fac- analysis could prevent major problems.
tors when establishing the scope of a study. Typical factors include: the
client's goals, objectives, and risk management preferences; the general Most Geotechnical Findings Are Professional
nature of the structure involved, its size, and configuration; the location of Opinions
the structure on the site; and other planned or existing site improvements, Site exploration identifies subsurface conditions only at those points where
such as access roads, parking lots, and underground utilities. Unless the subsurface tests are conducted or samples are taken. Geotechnical engi-
geotechnical engineer who conducted the study specifically indicates oth- neers review field and laboratory data and then apply their professional

erwise, do not rely on a geotechnical engineering report that was: judgment to render an opinion about subsurface conditions throughout the

© not prepared for you, site. Actual subsurface conditions may differ—sometimes significantly—

© not prepared for your project, from those indicated in your report. Retaining the geotechnical engineer

© not prepared for the specific site explored, or who developed your report to provide construction observation is the

© completed before important project changes were made. most effective method of managing the risks associated with unanticipated

conditions.

Typical changes that can erode the reliability of an existing geotechnical

engineering report include those that affect: A Report's Recommendations Are Wot Final

the function of the proposed structure, as when it's changed from a Do not overrely on the construction recommendations included in your
parking garage to an office building, or from a light industrial plant report. Those recommendations are not final, because geotechnical engi-
to a refrigerated warehouse, neers develop them principally from judgment and opinion. Geotechnical

engineers can finalize their recommendations only by observing actual

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