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Geoenvironmental Concems Are Not At Issue Your geotechnical engineering report is not likely to relate any findings,conclusions,or recommendations about the potential for hazardous materials existing at the site. The equipment, techniques, and personnel used to perform a geoenvironmental exploration differ substantially from those applied in geotechnical engineering. Contamination can create major risks. If you have no information about the potential for your site being contam- inated, you are advised to speak with your geotechnical consultant for information relating to geoenvironmental � issues. A Geotechnical Engineering Report Is Subject To Misi�terpretation Costly problems can occur when other design professionals develop their plans based on misinterpretations of a geotechnical engineering report. To help avoid misinterpretations, retain your geotechnical engineer to work with other project design professionals who are affected by the geotechnical report. Have your geotechnical engineer explain report implications to design professionals affected by them, and then review those design professionals'plans and specifications to see how they have incorporated geotechnical factors.Although certain other design professionals may be familiar with geotechnical concerns, none knows as much about them as a competent geotechnical engineer. _ Boring Logs Should Not Be Separated From The Report Geotechnical engineers develop final boring Iogs based upon their interpretation of the field logs(assembled by site personnel) and laboratory evaluation of field samples. Geotechnical engineers customarily include only final " boring logs in their reports. Final boring logs should not under any circumstances be redrawn for inclusion in architectural or other design drawings,because drafters may commit errors or omissions in the transfer process. � Although photographic reproduction eliminates this problem, it does nothing to minimize the possibility of contractors misinterpreting the logs during bid preparation. When this occurs, delays, disputes, and unantici- pated costs are the all-too-frequent result. � To minimize the likelihood of boring log misinterpretation, give contractors ready access to the complete geotechnical engineering report prepared or authorized for their use. (If access is provided only to the report prepared for you, you should advise contractors of the reporYs limitations, assuming that a contractor was not one of the specific persons for whom the report was prepared and that developing construction cost estimates was not one of the specific purposes for which it was prepared. In other words, while a contractor may gain important knowledge from a report prepared for another party, the contractor would be well-advised to discuss the report with your geotechnical engineer and to perform the additional or alternative work that the contractor believes may be needed to obtain the data specifically appropriate for construction cost estimating purposes.) � Some clients believe that it is unwise or unnecessary to give contractors access to their geotechnical engineer- ing reports because they hold the mistaken impression that simply disclaiming responsibility for the accuracy of subsurface information always insulates them from attendant liability. Providing the best available information to contractors helps prevent costly construction problems. It also helps reduce the adversarial attitudes that can aggravate problems to disproportionate scale. Read Responsibllity Clauses Closely Because geotechnical engineering is based extensively on judgment and opinion, it is far less exact than other design disciplines.This situation has resutted in wholly unwarranted claims being lodged against geotechnical engineers. To help prevent this problem, geotechnical engineers have developed a number of claus�s for use in their contracts, reports, and other documents. Responsibility clauses are not exculpatory clauses designed to ` transfer geotechnical engineers'liabilities to other parties. Instead,they are definitive clauses that identify where geotechnical engineers' responsibilities begin and end. Their use helps all parties involved recognize their individual responsibilities and take appropriate action. Some of these definitive clauses are likely to appear in your geotechnical engineering report.Read them closely. Your geotechnical engineer will be pleased to give full �� and frank answers to any questions. Rely On The Geotechn(cal Engineer For Addlttonal Asslstance _. Most ASFE-member consulting geotechnical engineering firms are familiar with a variety of techniques and approaches that can be used to help reduce risks for all parties to a construction project, from design through construction. Speak with your geotechnical engineer not only about geotechnical issues, but others as well, to learn about approaches that may be of genuine benefit. You may also wish to obtain certain ASFE publications. ` Contact a member of ASFE for a complimentary directory of ASFE publications. l �45EETHE ASSOCIATION � RACT CINNG IN HE GEOSCIENCES § � 8811 COLESVILLE ROAD/SUITE G106/SILVER SPRING,MD 20910 TELEPHONE: (301)565-2733 FACSIMILE: (301)589-2017 '_. 6M6 CONSULTANTS,INC. f