GBA Podcast
Welcome to the GBA Podcast, where we present information and expertise from geoprofessionals around the globe to provide you with wisdom and insight to help in your pursuit of knowledge. GBA was founded over 50 years ago to serve geotechnical, environmental, and other geoprofessionals by giving them proven tools to achieve business success by confronting risk and optimizing performance.
Episodes
GBA Case History Series – Case History #73 - The Professor Did Not Do His Homework
Summary
The Member Firm conducts a forensic investigation of duct bank concrete that was “spaded” instead of vibrated to consolidate. A professor, hired by the other side, alleged that the Member Firm’s project manager was negligent in her forensic assessment. The professor’s lack of field experience and the f...
GBA Case History Series – Case History #98 - How Did That Get There?
Summary
Member Firm provides geotechnical engineering services and CoMET for a new project on the site of an existing shopping center. CoMET services were provided “as needed” for demolition of the shopping center. A few years after the completion of construction, one of the three new retaining walls deflected significantly. Investigat...
Summary
On the first of each month, GBA Executive Director Joel Carson provides an inside look at the latest GBA member resources, events, and news. These short and information-packed episodes will make you and your firm smarter, stronger, and more successful.
Links to resources referenced:
GBA Case History Series – Case History #13 - Litigation For Collections...A Lose-Lose Scenario
Summary
The Member Firm provided two oral proposals for geotech studies to the architect for a 10-story building – one assuming spread footings beneath the one-story basement while the other proposed deeper borings for possible deep foundations. The owner authorized the former and the firm provided appropriate recom...
Summary
On the first of each month, GBA Executive Director Joel Carson provides an inside look at the latest GBA member resources, events, and news. These short and information-packed videos will make you and your firm smarter, stronger, and more successful!
This Episode
As part of GBA's commitment to innovation, the July edition of The 1st Wordis delivered using AI-powered avatar technology—one example o...
GBA Case History Series – Case History #10 - It Can Be A Costly Dam, Shame If Clients Won't Take Your Advice
Summary
The local governmental agency asked the GBA Member Firm to assist during final design and construction of a recreational lake system but then restricted the Member Firm’s scope to only geotechnical engineering. A variety of problems plagued the project and the recommendations of the Member Firm...
GBA Case History Series – Case History #2 - Client's Who Don't Follow Advice Should Be Someone Else's Client
Summary
The GBA Member Firm performed a geotechnical study for a repeat client, a custom-home builder, to identify potential groundwater problems for construction of a two-story home near the flank of a ridge. It was a hand-shake deal. Despite recommendations for drainage provisions and construction monitori...
Geoprofessional Women's Group
Summary:
The GBA Geoprofessional Women's Group (GWG) podcast features a panel of women with 5–30+ years of experience discussing the group's founding, purpose, and vision. GWG aims to address ongoing isolation, retention, and leadership gaps for women in the geoprofessional industry. Panelists discuss mentorship, career pivots, work-life balance, imposter syndrome, and the power of cro...
Communication Basics: Intentional and Inclusive Communication
Summary
The GBA Inclusion Advancement Committee explores why communication is more than a soft skill—it’s a core competency in the geoprofessional industry. Moderator Rob Howard and panelists Dee Watson, Kent Bannister, and Margaret Panatera discuss how intentional and inclusive communication can reduce friction, strengthen collaboration between di...
GBA Case History Series – Case History #4 - Compromise Must be a Part of Your Business Strategy
Summary
The Member Firm performed a geotechnical engineering study for a major structure and recommended drilled shafts that would require permanent casing. The drilled-shaft constructor offered an innovative “value-engineered” approach to remove the casing and save money. Unfortunately, construction problems...
GBA Case History Series – Case History #3 - If Your Client Won't Listen...Get Out Your Checkbook
Summary
The civil engineer retained the Member Firm to perform a geotechnical engineering study for a major municipal wastewater treatment facility but dictated a generalized scope despite a challenging site. After learning of unfavorable foundation conditions (near-surface rock), the civil engineer relocated a portion ...
GBA Case History Series – Case History #99 - How Did That Get There?
Summary
Member Firm provides geotechnical engineering services and CoMET for a new project on the site of an existing shopping center. CoMET services were provided “as needed” for demolition of the shopping center. A few years after the completion of construction, one of the three new retaining walls deflected significantly. Investigat...
GBA Case History Series – Case History #113 - Challenge Yourself...Be a Consultant...Serve your Client...The GBA Story
Summary
A GBA Member Firm performed construction materials engineering and testing (CoMET) services for a new nine-story hospital. Another firm’s geotechnical report recognized the pavement subgrade would include poorly graded soil-rock fill and recommended a bearing ratio that the GBA Membe...
GBA Case History Series – Case History #89 - Don't Rush Go Along to Get Along. Don't Get Bullied
Summary
A GBA Member Firm’s scope of services included a geotechnical engineering study and construction materials engineering and testing (COMET) services for a medical office building in area with old fill, expansive soil, and shale. During construction, the Member Firm was discouraged (“if we want your op...
GBA Case History Series – Case History #45 - Small Projects Can Create Big Risk...Yet Again, and Again and Again...
Summary
A GBA Member Firm performed an environmental site assessment (ESA) for a commercial real estate developer. After the Member Firm reported the laboratory tests, which indicated unacceptable levels of a contaminant, the prospective purchaser reneged and demanded a return of its deposit. After ge...
GBA Case History Series – Case History #5 - If the Bus Driver Doesn't Have a License, Get Off the Bus
Summary
An architect for a church retained a GBA member firm to perform a limited-scope geotechnical study for a federally funded retirement home. Only boring logs and a brief letter report to the structural engineer were needed for the design of a pile foundation. Unfortunately, the design was not within the budge...
GBA Case History Series – Case History #1 - Beware! A Friend's Small Project Can be Hazardous to your Firm's Health
Summary
The GBA member firm performed a preliminary geotechnical study to estimate foundation-construction costs for a small housing development. The project stalled and years later the developer sold the land with the geotechnical report to another developer. The new owner retained a different firm f...
GBA Case History Series – Case History #41 - Don't Worry. We Don't Plan to Build There
Summary
The Member Firm performed a geotech study for a housing development and observed grading of the site during the construction of ten buildings. Six years after construction, the developer built two additional units but, because the Member Firm could not provide a representative to monitor the earthwork construction, they r...
GBA Case History Series – Case History #91 - Is There Value in Value Engineering? Beware of Panic Mode!
Summary
Member Firm conducts forensic evaluation of mold in a crawl space of a 180 unit nursing home and gives an “Engineering Opinion of Probable Cost” for the remediation of mold condition. When the owner investigated the construction records, it was found that the constructor- in- charge was at fau...
12 Days of GBA – Day 1: Most Downloaded Document
Summary
Tiffany Vorhies and Ryan White present a year-end series highlighting their favorite GBA resources, counting down from Day 12 to Day 1. The final episode of GBA's 12 Days of GBA series reveals 2025's most downloaded document: Crane Pad and Working Platform Design and Inspection. This isn't a technical design guide—it's comprehensive risk reduction guida...
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