500 LAUREL DR 2016-01-01 MF Import

�otech�i�al �n i�eeri� Re or g g p 6eotechnical Services Are Pertormed for Specific Purposes, Persons, and Projects Geotechrical engineers sVucture their services to meet the spe- cific needs of their clients. A geotechnical engineering study con- ducted for a civil engineer may not fW611 lhe needs of a conslruc- tion contractor or even another civil engineer. Because each geot- echnical engineering study is unique, each geotechnical engi- neering reporl is unique, prepared solely for the client. No one except you should rely on your geotechnical ergineering report without first wn(erring wilh the geotechnical engineer who pre� pared iL And no one—not even you—should apply the repor[ for any purpose or project except the one originalty con[emplated. A 6eotechnical Englneering Report Is Based on A Unique Set of Project-Specilic Factors Geotechnical engineers consider a number of unique, projechspe� cific factors when establishing the scope o( a study. Typical factors include: the client's goals, objectives, and risk management pref� erences: the general naWre o( the structure involved, its size, a.d con(iguration; the location of the structure on the site; and other planned or existing site improvements, such as access roads, parking lots, and underground utilities. Unless the geotechnical engineer who conducted the study specificalry indicates other- wise, do not rety on a geotechnrcal engineering report that was: • not prepared for you, • no[ prepared for your project. • not prepared tor the specific site explored, or • completed before important project changes were made. Typical changes that can erode the reliability of an existing geotechnical engineering report include those that affec[: • the function of th� proposed strucWre, as when it's changed from a paking garage to an office building, or from a light induslrial plant to a refrigerated warehouse, • elevation, configuration, Iocation, orienta:�on, or weight of ihe proposed structure, • compositiun ot the design team, or • project ownership. As a general rule, slways inform your geotechnical engineer ot projec[ changes�ven minor ones—and request an assessment of their impact. Geotechnical engineers cannot accept responsibility or liability lor problems that oc�ur becaase theirreports do not considerdevelopmenfs o(which they were not informed. Subsuriuce Conditions Can Change A geotechnical engineering repor[ is based on condilions that existed at the time the study was performed. Do not rety on a geoiechnical engineering report whos� adequacy may have been a((ected by: the passage of time; by man-made events, such as construction on or adjacent to the site; or by nalural events, such as floods, earthquakes, or groundwater fluctua- tions. Always contact the geotechnical engineer before apply- ing the report to determine if it is ^till reliable. A minor amount of additioifal testing or analys�s coi.ld prevent major problems. Most 6eotechnical Findings Are Professional Opinions Sile explora;ion identifes suUsurface condilions only at those points where subsurface tests are conducted or samples are taken. Geotechnical engineers review feld and laboratory data and then apply their pro(essional judgment to render an opinion about subsuri2ce conditions throughout the site. Actual sub surface conditions may di(fer—some[imes significantly—trom those indicated in your report. Retaining the geotechnical engi- neer who developed your report to provide consUuction obser- vation is the most ef(ective method of managing the risks asso ciated wilh uoanticipated conditions.