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is an offer to better manage your risk. Clients who do not <br />take advantage of such an offer; clients who retain a second <br />firm to observe construction, can create a high-risk “Catch- <br />22” situation for themselves. The geotechnical engineer <br />of record cannot assume responsibility or liability for a <br />report’s recommendations when another firm performs the <br />services needed to evaluate the recommendations’ adequacy. <br />The second firm is also likely to disavow liability for the <br />recommendations, because of the substantial and possibly <br />uninsurable risk of assuming responsibility for services it <br />did not perform. Recognize, too, that no firm other than the <br />geotechnical engineer of record can possibly have as intimate <br />an understanding of your project’s geotechnical issues. As <br />such, reliance on a second firm to perform construction <br />observation can elevate risk still more, because its personnel <br />may not have the wherewithal to recognize subtle, but <br />sometimes critically important unanticipated conditions, <br />or to respond to them in a manner consistent with your <br />goals, objectives, and risk management preferences. <br />Realize That Geoenvironmental Issues Have <br />Not Been Covered <br />The equipment, techniques, and personnel used to perform <br />a geoenvironmental study differ significantly from those <br />used to perform a geo technical study. Geoenvironmental <br />services are not being offered in this proposal. The <br />report that results will not relate any geoenvironmental <br />findings, conclusions, or recommendations. Unanticipated <br />environmental problems have led to numerous <br />project failures. If you have not yet obtained your own <br />geoenvironmental information, ask your geotechnical <br />consultant for risk management guidance. Do not rely on <br />an environmental report prepared for someone else. <br />Obtain Professional Assistance <br />To Deal with Mold <br />Diverse strategies can be applied during building design, <br />construction, operation, and maintenance to prevent <br />significant amounts of mold from growing on indoor <br />surfaces. To be effective, all such strategies should be devised <br />for the express purpose of mold prevention, integrated into <br />a comprehensive plan, and executed with diligent oversight <br />by a professional mold prevention consultant. Because <br />just a small amount of water or moisture can lead to the <br />development of severe mold infestations, a number of mold <br />prevention strategies focus on keeping building surfaces dry. <br />While groundwater, water infiltration, and similar issues <br />may be addressed as part of the geotechnical engineering <br />study described in this proposal, the geotechnical engineer <br />who would lead this project is not a mold prevention <br />consultant; none of the services being offered have been <br />designed or proposed for the purpose of mold prevention. <br />Have the Geotechnical Engineer Work with <br />Other Design Professionals and Constructors <br />Other design team members’ misinterpretation of a <br />geotechnical engineering report has resulted in costly <br />problems. Manage that risk by having your geotechnical <br />engineer confer with appropriate members of the design <br />team before finalizing the scope of geotechnical service <br />(as suggested above), and, again, after submitting the <br />report. Also retain your geotechnical engineer to review <br />pertinent elements of the design team members’ plans <br />and specifications. <br />Reduce the risk of unanticipated conditions claims that can <br />occur when constructors misinterpret or misunderstand <br />the purposes of a geotechnical engineering report. Use <br />appropriate language in your contract documents. Retain <br />your geotechnical engineer to participate in prebid and <br />preconstruction conferences, and to perform construction <br />observation. <br />DocuSign Envelope ID: 7577D775-B779-4E56-9B57-400C7C84145CDocuSign Envelope ID: D4FF8BCD-1E44-413E-9A62-99BE724EBEE4