Adrianne Chillemi and Toni Lynn Gaultney wrote an article in Deep Foundations about contractual risks that arise in projects involving subsurface construction. Those can include coordination of gaps across geotechnical reports, structural design, specifications, and payment terms.

"Expensive disputes can arise, not from the underground conditions themselves, but from the failure to align how subsurface conditions are defined, understood, and reflected in the contract documents," Adrianne and Toni Lynn wrote. "Unlike traditional differing site condition risk, these disputes arise even where subsurface conditions are accurately anticipated but inconsistently translated into contractual terms."

You can read the full article starting on page 41 of the magazine’s July/August issue: Below the Surface: Unearthing Risk in Unclear Contract Terms

Deep Foundations is the flagship publication of the Deep Foundations Institute and covers topics of interest and leading news in the deep foundations industry.