One ground failure can destroy your professional reputation or decimate your life savings. A ground failure doesnÆt have to make the national news to be a catastrophic loss to a property owner. Ground failure mechanisms come in many forms - landslides, sinkholes, soil expansion, bedrock heave, soil collapse, erosion - all of which typically include water as a major contributing factor. Even if ground failure is not involved, water itself can cause expensive damage; groundwater intrusion into structures is a challenging problem to isolate and control. This teleconference will help you identify and minimize potential problems related to the effects of water on soils and building foundations. Case histories provide examples of groundwater-related ground failures that have resulted in expensive insurance claims and/or litigation. This teleconference will explain procedures for identifying potential problems before development and for incorporating mitigation methods into project design and construction. Learning Objectives ò You will be able to predict the impact of groundwater on soil, foundations and other building systems. ò You will be able to recite case studies involving groundwater intrusion. ò You will be able to describe characteristics of preconstruction site conditions. ò You will be able to apply control of ground and surface water.

Faculty: Elizabeth (Betsy) Mathieson, P.G., C.E.G., David W. Sykora, Ph.D., P.E., G.E., Exponent Failure Analysis Associates