Geotech Involvement throughout design - IMO, IT SUCKS. 8

[motorbiketocrank]

Ok, I may be venting a little here but bear with me.

I "work" (haha) for a federal agency. We do our own geotech designs for building construction but we also review lots of AE designs. Typical project construction costs are in the 50 - 100 mil range, sometimes several hundred mil. Most buildings are on the order of a few stories - probably maxing out around 10 stories.

The biggest continual problem I see in the industry is lack of geotech involvement throughout the design process. Typically, the geotech will do a report at or before concept design stage and then they are completely left out of the rest of the project. The prime AE then "implements" the report. Of course they move the building, increase the loads, combine footings, add basements and violate just about all assumptions of the geotech report. The earthwork specs are then done by the civil/site designer who typically knows nothing about materials/compaction, etc and completely misses important criteria. Plus they will run deep utilities right next to footings, put footings near elevator pits way above the pit floor, use cohesive backfill where granular material has been assumed for lateral earth pressures. The structural notes usually refer to the geotech report for construction guidance.....which of course is ridiculous because the plans and specs govern construction, not a design report. It goes on and on.

Sometimes we, as reviewers, catch these items (usually causing re-design and project delays). Other times they are not caught and result in poor construction and claims. Of course when this happens, the prime AE points the finger at the geotech and the geotech points to the limitations paragraph of his report and blames the prime AE.

In the end this hurts everyone and makes the profession look bad. I put a lot of blame on the prime AE's because they are often being irresponsible in order to save a few bucks (usually because the salesmen project managers are running the show and don't know crap about design and the related risks). But I also think the geotechs sometimes don't protest enough. They just say.....we'll, I put a paragraph in my report that I should be involved and so I can't worry what happens after that. I really think there needs to be more pressure put on the AE's that the geotech "Must" be involved in reviewing and signing off that the plans and specs meet geotechnical criteria. As a reviewer I can push this to some extent for my particular agency, but I still see it as an industry problem.

Any thoughts.....recommendations on how the system can be improved?

 

[hokie66]

I agree with most of what has been said. Another problem is that some geotechs, certainly not all but a substantial percentage, prefer not to be involved after completion of their report. Geotechnical engineering is a high risk field, and some think that limiting their involvement past the report stage will decrease their exposure to liability. I believe the opposite is true, but some seem to have legal advice to that effect.