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Instructor Information: Ronald E. Smith, Ph.D., P.E., D.GE., M.ASCE

This webinar was co-sponsored by ASCE's Geo-Institute and ASCE Continuing Education

Course Length: 1 Hour

Purpose and Background

There are increasing demands by owners and the design/construction industry for geo-professionals to provide “Better, Faster, Cheaper” approaches to project geotechnical issues. These demands necessitate more active management of project risks associated with unanticipated subsurface conditions. The recommendations for dealing with such geo-risks include: (1) involvement of experienced geo-professionals over the life of the project, (2) use of project risk registers for identifying, tracking and controlling geo-risks and (3) project Geotechnical Baseline Reports (GBR) fashioned after such reports pioneered over the last 40 years in the tunneling industry.

This webinar spells-out the need for effectively dealing with the uncertainties and associated risks inherent in the subsurface. It retrospectively looks at case histories of typical projects for the purpose of examining how these projects were, or might have been, executed to provide Better, Faster, Cheaper project solutions by implementing geo-risk management.

Learning Outcomes

The primary objective of this webinar is to reflect on and reinforce the fundamental geotechnical concept that is often lost in today’s tendency for commodity geotechnical services. Namely that “experience counts” when it comes to: first, avoiding and/or second, dealing with subsurface uncertainties that are often encountered during below ground construction; the overwhelming majority of which make projects “poorer, slower, more costly”, and often could have been avoided by adequately directed and funded subsurface investigation programs.

To support this concept, the presentation focuses on: (1) the value of experienced professionals from inception to completion of each project, (2) the advantages of a formal risk register to document management of known or possible project geo-risks, and (3) the value to the entire project team of a Geotechnical Baseline Report (GBR) for establishing a baseline for what is known about the site subsurface conditions at the time of bidding. 

Seminar Benefits

- Development of the self confidence of geoprofessionals in raising and discussing with owners/designers the issue of uncertainties associated with the subsurface conditions and their possible impacts on projects
- A better understanding of the geo-risk management process Introduction to the use of a project risk register
- Discussion of the applicability of the GBR and differing site condition (DSC) contract clauses for all construction projects

Intended Audience

The primary audiences are the geotechnical engineering and engineering geology communities. Secondary audiences include the owner/designer/ construction communities involved with project development.

Seminar Outline

Background
- 2006 Geo-Council Workshop – Trends Affecting the Geo- Community
  • Industry demands for better geotechnical engineering
- Significance of uncertainties associated with subsurface conditions
- The growing threat of commoditization of geotechnical services
Very large cost overruns associated with unanticipated subsurface conditions
- Examples of high unanticipated subsurface related costs
- Comparative cost of unanticipated conditions to adequate initial services
- Effectively communicating the reality of subsurface uncertainties with project owners and designers
Dealing with Geo-Risk
- Identification- relies heavily on experience
- Assessment- Bayesian approach
- Communication- share risk information with all project stakeholders
- Alternative approaches- avoidance, mitigation, acceptance, or transference
- Monitoring and Controlling
Project Geo-Risk Management
- Long-term involvement of senior geotechnical experts
- Risk Register
- Geotechnical Baseline Report
  • Differing Site Condition Contract Clause
  • Disputes Review Board
Conclusions - A probable future of geotechnical engineering
Case Histories
- Early Identification
- High Risk Situation