Cost Effectiveness of Geotechnical Investigations

Abstract

The purpose of a construction geotechnical investigation is to provide soil property data for the design and implementation of a project. With this information a safe, economic foundation may be designed. Inadequate geotechnical investigations are currently the number one source of costly, overdesigned foundation, project delays, disputes, claims, and project cost overruns. This is a growing and expensive problem to owners, designers, and the construction industry. There is a link between lower construction costs and good geotechnical investigations. Case studies show that the benefit of good investigations outweigh the costs of such efforts. This relationship is demonstrable throughout the United States and selected countries. To illustrate that these costs are usually minor, the writers selected specific locations and types of work, localizing their efforts to Texas commercial building data.