structural section 1

[kirkussent]

I am designing a widening of the roadway and the manual for the city states that a soil report from a soil engineer be noted on the plans. The question is in our State, (California), "Soils engineer" is a Legal Term for a Geotechnical Engineer. I have done soil reports before for other cities in the county and they require a civil or soils engineer to write the report. The State of California Board Rules require that you be competent in the this area of practice, meaning that a Registered Civil Engineer can do the work if competent. Can the City, by requiring a soils engineer, preclude me from doing the soil report even though by the State's own rules say I meet the requirements.

 

[TFL]

i would say yes. you can always require more stringent standards for whom you hire.

 

[Ron]

The intent of specialization statutes is that the individual's primary area of practice is in the specialty. If your primary area of practice is routinely related to geotechnical engineering, then I would say "yes". If not, you are taking on a competence liability issue....all is well if there's never a problem, but once their is a problem, the focus will be on your area of expertise, not the problem itself. That's just the way it works in litigation!

Most geotechnical engineers are civil engineers who chose geotechnical as a practice specialty. Many concentrated in Geotechnical Engineering at the graduate level, but many in practice have only the two or three undergraduate courses in soils/geotechnical work with appropriate practice experience.