Geotechnical News December 2011
41
ASFE NEWS
other to enhance the overall geoprofes-
sional service, from the classroom to
the project site. And by recognizing all
the many important contributions of all
geoprofessionals, an organization such
as TGF could pronounce to the world,
‘We count,’ encouraging geoprofes-
sionals to think better of themselves,
thus helping them speak with convic-
tion to those who will benefit by doing
things differently.”
Guess Who’s Coming to
Breakfast and Lunch
All
GeoCoalition
member
organizations have expressed their
support for this concept, as have a
number of others. Accordingly, the
External Relations Committee will
host a TGF organizational meeting
on Thursday, October 6, at our 2011
Fall Meeting at the Arizona Biltmore.
The organizations we expect to be
represented are:
• Academy of Geo-Professionals,
• ADSC: The International Founda-
tion Drilling Association,
• Alliance of Hazardous Materials
Professionals,
• ASFE/The Geoprofessional Busi-
ness Association,
• Association of Environmental and
Engineering Geologists,
• CalGeo,
• California Council of Testing and
Inspection Agencies,
• Colorado Association of Geotechni-
cal Engineers,
• Deep Foundations Institute,
• Geo-Institute of ASCE,
• Pile Driving Contractors Associa-
tion,
• Texas Council of Engineering Labo-
ratories,
• U.S. University Council on Geo-
technical Education and Research,
and
• WACEL: An Association of Engi-
neering Laboratories, Inspecion
Agencies, and Building Officials
The road to accomplishing ASFE’s
purpose is taking on highway propor-
tions. This promises to be one heck of
an exciting trip! (If you’re involved in
a group that might want to have a rep-
resentative attend, or that at least wants
to be kept in the loop contact John
Bachner
) or Colleen
Knight
).
We Need Your Stories
ASFE’s purpose is to “maximize
the importance and value of the
geoprofessions to the marketplace.” By
working to achieve that purpose, we
will confront our biggest concern: the
commoditization and marginalization
of geoprofessionals. We will all be
better off if geoprofessionals are more
respected; if their contributions are
more appreciated; if they are brought
on board at the beginning of a project
and kept on board until the project
concludes. The Geoprofessionals’
Value Proposition (developed by
ASFE’s External Relations Committee)
calls that “wise deployment” and notes
that:
Clients demonstrate wise deploy-
ment when they:
1. engage geoprofessionals who
are experienced and trusted,
2. give their geoprofessionals op-
portunities to contribute value,
and
3. engage their geoprofessionals
during the project’s planning
stage and have them serve as
project-team members through
project delivery.
It goes on to note:
Those who deploy their geopro-
fessionals wisely derive the most
value, principally in the form of:
• lower overall cost as a result
of better scopes that limit un-
foreseeable expenses and better
designs that limit foreseeable
expenses,
• improved schedule compliance
through avoidance of unantici-
pated delays,
• more effective risk management
that lowers the possibility of
failure, and
• sustainable solutions that mini-
mize waste.
Representatives of clients that al-
ready understand how important and
valuable geoprofessional services can
be need no proof to encourage them to
do things right; i.e., to continue doing
what they have been doing. The own-
ers and others clients we need to reach,
along with the people and publications
that influence them, are those that have
been doing things wrong; who believe
that geoprofessionals are commodi-
ties and, as such, marginalizing them
is appropriate. But these folks are
not
stupid. If you can prove to them that
“wise deployment” will save them
time, money, and headaches, they’d
be all for it. What we need, therefore,
are actual case histories of relatively
routine projects that turned out particu-
larly well because the geoprofessional
was given an opportunity to participate
(wise deployment) and was able to
contribute value as a result. Chances
are you are aware of case histories like
these, probably involving commissions
for owners, developers, design profes-
sionals, and design/builders you’ve
worked with extensively, who respect
you, and who deploy you wisely even
for small, routine projects.
Those are
exactly the kinds of case histories we
need,
so we can counter arguments like
this: “Sure you were involved from
beginning to end on that project. It’s a
uranium mine, for goodness sakes. I’m
putting up a strip-shopping center. That
doesn’t relate to me.”
WE NEED YOUR CASE HISTO-
RIES, BUT we’re not looking for copi-
ous detail, because the audience isn’t.
What we need to know is the name
and nature of the project, the manner
of wise deployment involved, and how
that wise deployment resulted in major
