March/April 2021 - 88

2020 Annual Conference
During DFI's Annual Conference last
October, the " Bringing Geotechnical
Baseline Reports to the Surface " panel
introduced case studies for projects that
had limited geotechnical information,
geotechnical risks that were not
quantified, and unit price pay items that
combined different types of work and
geotechnical risks. The industry reality
is that most geotechnical risks are
transferred to specialty foundations
subcontractors and not fairly shared.
Traditionally, geotechnical information
provided was used for bidding purposes
and as a reference, with no direct
contract connection. Furthermore, the
expectation is that the lowest-bid
subcontractor typically receives a
project. This often costs all parties time
and money due to project delays from
incorrect assessment of geotechnical
information and risks.
A GBR identifies and quantifies
geotechnical risks, such as the number
of boulders present, creating a more
level bidding platform with fewer
contingency dollars, as the risk is
understood and priced accordingly. The
correct, fair model is having the GBR be
a contract document that supports
payment terms and changes clauses.
GBR Process Benefits
Beyond providing all bidders with a
better understanding of the risks being
accepted technically and commercially,
GBRs mean owners can select the most
capable team uninfluenced by their
differing subsurface condition assessments. Otherwise, the most knowledgeable team could submit the highest
bid based on greater risk information,
and the least knowledgeable, the lowest
bid, and be awarded a contract with
unsuitable terms.
GBRs also allow owners control over
what contingencies are built into the bid
prices. The fewer the contingencies for
unknown conditions, the lower the bid
prices. Owners can use other means,
such as setting aside contingency funds,
to compensate a contractor for such con88 * DEEP FOUNDATIONS * MAR/APR 2021

ditions - only if and when they are encountered (such as addressing unknown
quantities of contaminated ground.)

Future Steps
Tunneling projects have a long history of
GBR use in the risk management
process, but underground work has
some overlap in risks and issues. DFI is
facilitating discussions that will bring
owners, designers, general contractors
and specialty sub-consultants together
to push the agenda and recommend
ways to incorporate GBRs into contracts
for many underground project types.
The discussion series will continue as
DFI co-hosts the International
Foundations Congress and Equipment
Expo (IFCEE) conference in May, where
you can share thoughts and raise issues
with our panel.
Our ultimate goal is to publish an
expanded series of guidelines and best
practice documents on creating and

effectively using GBRs for varied
underground construction projects. To
achieve this, we suggest these actions:
*

Educate the industry on the
comprehensive risk management
approach that includes the GBR, on
what projects would benefit from
GBRs, and on successfully applying
the process to surface projects.

Educate owners and engineers on
writing effective geotechnical baselines and incorporating GBRs into
an integrated risk management
approach.

Prepare guidance on how to effectively integrate subcontractors into
the baselining process

Following the IFCEE discussion, DFI
will coordinate task forces to further
these objectives and present case
histories at future venues. We look
forward to your input and participation
as this endeavor moves forward.

James Morrison, P.E., P.Eng., is the vice president of COWI. He has over 39 years of civil engineering
experience managing all aspects of large and complex underground and heavy construction projects,
including some of the largest tunneling projects nationally. He previously developed corporate policies at
Kiewit and sponsored Kiewit University for employee education. Morrison also served as a president for DFI
and the Cleveland Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), as well as for its Northern
Michigan branch.
Randall Essex, P.E., G.E., is an in-house consultant with Mott MacDonald's tunnels practice in North
America. He has 43 years' experience in the design, construction engineering, and disputes resolution of
tunnel and underground projects across North America and overseas. Essex is principal author of the ASCE
publication Geotechnical Baseline Reports for Construction. He is a vice president for the International
Tunnelling Association, a member of The Moles and an honorary member of the Beavers.
Conrad Felice, Ph.D., P.E., P.Eng., D. GE., serves as the Washington State Department of Transportation
owner's representative and geotechnical design manager for the over $2.5 billion I-405 Corridor Program.
He also owns and manages C. W. Felice, and serves as an adjunct professor at the University of Florida Civil &
Coastal Engineering Department. Felice is a current trustee for DFI, a fellow of the ASCE, a board-certified
geotechnical engineer within the ASCE Geo-Institute, and a past member of the geological and geotechnical
engineering committee for the National Research Council.
Steven Saye, P.E., has been a professional engineer for 41 years and with Kiewit Engineering Group for the
last 15 years, primarily working on design-build pursuits and projects in North America. He is a licensed civil
engineer in Iowa and Nebraska, a life member of ASCE and a past president of its Nebraska Section.
Scott Wimmer is area manager of Kiewit Foundations Co., with over 26 years of heavy civil construction
experiences. He is responsible for Kiewit Foundations power, energy, OGC and building markets, and has
worked on major tunnel and bridge projects.
Richard D. Kalson, Esq., is a partner in the construction law practice group of Benesch, Friedlander,
Coplan & Aronoff, and represents dozens of drilling contractors in transactional and litigation matters
nationally. Kalson serves as a vice chair of DFI's Risk and Contracts Committee, and on the ADSC Board of
Directors. He also chairs the ADSC's Governance Committee.
Jeramy Decker, Ph.D., P.E., P. Eng., has worked for Kiewit's Engineering Group as a geotechnical engineer
for 13 years and with the underground district on numerous tunneling projects as well as other construction
projects. He received his graduate degree at Virginia Tech.

March/April 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of March/April 2021