GEOTECHNICAL REPORTS: PROPER USE IN DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTING

Recording: Facebook Live

PDH REQUEST FORM

Presented by Douglas M. Clark, P.E., Civil & Environmental Consultants, Inc., Pittsburgh, PA

Subsurface conditions represent some of the largest uncertainties and risks in civil construction. Fortunately, most owners recognize the need to perform a geotechnical investigation as part of the design development to obtain information pertinent to project design and construction. What is often less understood is how the geotechnical report and information should be used in design, and how it applies to the construction contract. Many assume, often incorrectly, that the geotechnical report serves as a “baseline” for establishing the site conditions. While this may be true in some cases, most standard contract general conditions (AIA, EJCDC, etc.) place the risks associated with subsurface conditions on the bidder, and provide the geotechnical report only as information, not as a contract document. This presentation discusses the issue of reliance on the geotechnical report by the parties involved, presents case-studies, and provides recommendations for owners and contractors to reduce risks.

Free to attend, earn 1 PDH Credit, from the comfort of your computer desk