What happens when rock is mischaracterized? TRB hosted a webinar on Wednesday, February 3, 2021 from 1:00-2:30 PM Eastern that discussed the consequences of mischaracterizing rock in transportation projects. There could be significant project cost overruns, legal claims, and project delays if the volumes, types, or locations of materials are substantially different from bidding documents. Presenters explained how to better characterize rock to increase accuracy and expediency in transportation projects.

This webinar was organized by the TRB Standing Committees on Geotechnical Instrumentation and Modeling, and Soil and Rock Properties and Site Characterization.

The slides and recording of this webinar are available.

Webinar agenda and presenters

1. How to characterize soil and rock types and the interfaces between these materials: Bob Bachus, Geosyntec Consultants
2. Current state of the practice and potential improvements to the state of practice: Bob Group, Colorado Department of Transportation
3. Impacts on project cost and schedule and how these impacts compare depending on type of construction work: Ben Rivers, Federal Highway Administration
4. Question and answer session: Moderated by Sharid Amiri, California Department of Transportation

The first 60 minutes of the webinar will be for presentations and the final 30 minutes will be reserved for audience questions.

Learning Objectives

At the end of this webinar, participants will be able to:

1. Identify risks related to soil and rock identification
2. Identify how to alleviate these risks

Professional Development Hours

Professional Development Hours (PDHs) earned on completion of this program were reported to the Registered Continuing Education Program (RCEP). Certificates of Completion are issued to all participants via the RCEP.net online system. Complaints about registered providers may be addressed to RCEP, 1015 15th Street, NW, 8th Fl., Washington, DC, 20005.