ARCHIVED REPORTS LIMITED SOIL ASSESSMENT AND TEST PIT EXPLORATION

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t Accordingly,when geoenvironmental professionals indicate in their equipment,techniques,and testing used by geotechnical engineers reports that they have performed a service"in general compliance" differ markedly from those used by geoenvironmental professionals; with one standard or another, it means they have applied professional their education,training,and experience are also significantly differ- judgement in creating and implementing a scope of service designed ent. If you plan to build on the subject site,but have not yet had a for the specific client and project involved,and which follows some geotechnical engineering study conducted,your geoenvironmental of the general precepts laid out in the referenced standard.To the professional should be able to provide guidance about the next steps extent that a report indicates "general compliance'with a standard, you should take.The same firm may provide the services you need. you may wish to speak with your geoenvironmental professional to learn more about what was and was not done. Do not assume Read Responsibility Provisions Closely a given standard was followed to the letter.Research indicates Geoenvironmental studies cannot be exact;they are based on profes- that that seldom is the case. sional judgement and opinion. Nonetheless,some clients,contractors, and others assume geoenvironmental reports are or certainly should / Realize That Recommendations May Not Be Final be unerringly precise. Such assumptions have created unrealistic f The technical recommendations included in a geoenvironmental expectations that have led to wholly unwarranted claims and disputes. report are based on assumptions about actual conditions,and so are To help prevent such problems,geoenvironmental professionals have preliminary or tentative. Final recommendations can be prepared only developed a number of report provisions and contract terms that by observing actual conditions as they are exposed. For that reason, explain who is responsible for what,and how risks are to be allocated. you should retain the geoenvironmental professional of record to Some people mistake these for exculpatory clauses,"that is, provi- I observe construction and/or remediation activities on site,to permit sions whose purpose is to transfer one party's rightful responsibilities rapid response to unanticipated conditions. The geoenvironmental and liabilities to someone else. Read the responsibility provisions professional who prepared the report cannot assume responsibility included in a report and in the contract you and your geoenvironmental or liability for the report's recommendations if that professional is professional agreed to. Responsibility provisions are not"boiler- not retained to observe relevant site operations. plate."They are important. Understand That Geotechnical Issues Have Not Been Addressed Rely on Your Geoenvironmental Professional for iUnless geotechnical engineering was specifically included in the Additional Assistance scope of professional service,a report is not likely to relate any find- Membership in ASFE exposes geoenvironmental professionals to a ings,conclusions, or recommendations about the suitability of sub- wide array of risk management techniques that can be of genuine surface materials for construction purposes,especially when site benefit for everyone involved with a geoenvironmental project. Confer remediation has been accomplished through the removal, replace- with your ASFE-member geoenvironmental professional for more ment,encapsulation,or chemical treatment of on-site soils.The information. A FE THE BEST PEOPLE ON EARTH i8811 Colesville Road/Suite G106,Silver Spring, MD 20910 Telephone:301/565-2733 Facsimile:301/589-2017 e-mail: info@asfe.org www.aste,.org Copyright 2000 by ASFE,Inc.Duplication,reproduction,or copying of this document,in whole or in part,by any means whatsoever,is strictly prohibited,except with ASFEs specific written permission.Excerpting,quoting,or otherwise extracting wording from this document is permitted only with the express written permission of ASFE,and only for purposes of scholarly research or book review Only ASFE Member Firms may insert this document in their reports. IIGR06055.0M i