Geotechnical Reporting and Documentation Chapter 23

23.2 Report Certification and General Format

Table 23-1 provides a li sting of reports produced by the Geotechnical
Division, the type of certification needed to be consistent with the certification
policies provided in WSDOT GDM Chapter 1 and WSDOT Executive Order
EIOlO.OO, and the general format that would typically be used. For formal
geotechnical reports, th e signatures and stamps will be located on the front
of the report. For memorandums, a signature/stamp page will be added to the
back of the memorandum. All those involved in the engineering for the project
must sign these documents (i.e., the designer(s), the reviewer(s), and the
State Geotechnical Engineer, or the individual delegated to act on behalf the
State Geotechnical Engineer), and if licensed and as appropriate, certify the
documents as summarized in Table 23-1.

For reports that cover individual project elements, a geotechnical design

memorandum may suffice, with the exception of bridge reports and major
unstable slope design reports, in which case a formal geotechnical report
shou ld be issued. For project reports, a forma l geotechnical report should be
issued. For geotechnical reports that are sent to agencies outside of WSDOT,
a letter report format will be used in place of the memorandum format.
Alternatively, a formal report transmitted with a letter may be used.
E-mai l may be used for geotechnical reporting in certain circumstances.
E-mai ls may be used to transmit review of construction submittals, and
Region soil reports sent to the Geotechnical Division for concurrence. E-mails
may also be used to transmit conceptua l foundation or other conceptual
geotechnica l recommendations. In both cases, a print-out of the e-mai l should
be included in the project file. For time critical geotechnical designs sent
bye-mail that are not conceptua l, the e-mail should be followed up with
a stamped memorandum or report as soon as possible. A copy of the e-mail
shou ld also be included in the project file.
For reports produced by others outside ofWSDOT, the certification
requirements described herein are applicable, but the specific report format
will be as mutually agreed upon by the HQ Geotechnical Division and those
who are producing the report.

Page 23·2 WSDOT Geotechnical Design Manual M 46-03.01

January 2010
~~ Who Certifies? !;!
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• 0 Primary Licensed -!:
'1-. ~

".
Technical State Geotech. Engineer (SGE), Chief
""
5i~ +Type of Certification Designer and Reviewer or Foundation Engineer (CFE), or Chief t::
Report General Format Required Report Writer Supervisor Engineering Geologist (CEG)
!l- Preliminary Bridge Memorandum PE seal, dated but not Seal if licensed Seal Seal if acting as primary technical
[ Report signed reviewer, or if final recommendations are
influenced by the review at this level

I Final Bridge Report Formal bound report PE seal, signed and

dated (+LEG optional)
Seal if licensed Seal Seal if acting as primary technical
reviewer, or if final recommendations are

[ Preliminary Ferry
Terminals, Docks,
Memorandum PE seal, dated but not
signed
Seal if licensed Seal
influenced by the review at this level
Seal if acting as primary technical
reviewer, or if final recommendations are
ii: etc. influenced by the review at this level

~ Final Ferry Formal bound report PE seal, signed and Seal if licensed Seal Seal if acting as primary technical

-" Terminals, Docks,

etc.
Retaining Walll
dated (+LEG optional)

Formal bound report PE seal, signed and Seal if licensed Seal

reviewer, or if final recommendations are
influenced by the review at this level
Seal if acting as primary technical
Reinforced Slope dated (+LEG optional) reviewer, or if final recommendations are
Report influenced by the review at this level
Line Work Report Formal bound report PE seal , signed and Seal if licensed Seal Seal if acting as primary technical
(cuts, fills , etc.) dated , or both PE and reviewer, or if final recommendations are
LEG seals, depending influenced by the review at this level

Small Foundation
Report (signals,
Memorandum,
unless otherwise
on geologic complexity
PE seal , signed and
dated
Seal if licensed Seal Seal if acting as primary technical
reviewer, or if final recommendations are
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j
noise walls, etc.) requested influenced by the review at this level
Ponds , Memorandum, PE seal, signed and Seal if licensed Seal Seal if acting as primary technical
Environmental unless otherwise dated , or both PE and reviewer, or if final recommendations are
Mitigation requested LEG seals, depending influenced by the review at this level
on geologic complexity [
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WSDOT Geotechnical Report Certification and Format Requirements or
~ Table 23-1
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 i Who Certifies?

~ +Type of Certification Designer and

Primary Licensed
Technical
Reviewer or
State Geotech. Engineer (SGE), Chief
Foundation Engineer (CFE), or Chief
f[
Report General Format Required Report Writer Supervisor Engineering Geologist (CEG)
Structure Memorandum, PE seal, signed and Seal if licensed Seal Seal if acting as primary techn ical '"
~
Preservation
(bridges, walls, etc. )
unless otherwise
requested
dated (+LEG optional) reviewer, or if final recommendations are
influenced by the reviewal this level
j.
Reports
~
Formal bound report PE .QI LEG seal, signed Seal if licensed Seal Seal if acting as primary technical I
~
Rockfall, Rockslope
Design Reports and dated reviewer, or if final recommendations are

Landslide Reports Formal bound report PE or LEG seal , signed Seal if licensed Seal
influenced by the review at this level
Seal if acting as primary technical I
I
~
and dated, or both
PE and lEG seals it
reviewer, or if final recommendations are
influenced by the review at this level
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Pit and Quarry
~t[l,!!;;t!.m~::i sHe: i[I~Q ~e:d
Memo if review only; LEG seal, signed and Seat if licensed , Seal, as noted Seal. as noted under Certification
I
Reports and otherwise, formal dated , for report; seal as noted under under Certification Requ ired, if acting as primary technicat
Reviews bound report required for review Certification Required reviewer, or if final recommendations are
memo only if changes Required influenced by the review at this level

...~
to interpretation or
design in the report are
recommended

I
Geologic hazard Can be a format LEG seal, signed and Seal if licensed Seal Seal if acting as primary technical
assessments (e.g., report or a letter dated (also include reviewer, or if final recommendations are
for critical area report PE seal , if structures influenced by the review at this level
ordinance issues) involved)
I
~ Qe:QIQg~ and SQil:2 Usually a formal PE ~ seal, signed Seal if licensed Seal Seal if acting as primary technical
Discipline and EIS bound report and dated, or both reviewer, or if final recommendations are
'§
Reports PE and LEG seals , influenced by the review at this level

[ depending on geologic

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complexity QL.jf.
struclure:s are: involve:d I9
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~,., WSDOT Geotechnical Report Cer1 Id Format Requirements
~
~
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Table 23·1 (, Q ::l
~~
f
Who Certifies?

."
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'1-.
~~ +Type of Certificatio n Des igner and
Primary Licensed
Technic al
Review er or
State Geot ec h. Enginee r (SGE), Chief
Foundation Engineer (CFE), or Chief tl

°1 Report General Format Required Report Writer Supervisor Engineering Geolog ist (CEG)
Consultant Report letter to consultant None, unless Seal review Seal review letter, Seal review letter if acting as
Reviews or memo. to Region changes to design letter if licensed , as noted under primary technical reviewer, or if final
are recommended, as noted under
~
Certification recommendations in review letter are
in which case review Certification Required influenced by the review at this level, as
,
00·
letter is sealed (signed Required noted under Certification Required

[ and dated) by PE,

or LEG, or both,
depending on geologic
I

~ complexity

~
Emergency Work E-mail or memo. None for preliminary Seal for final Seal for final Seal for final design if acting as
assessment; for fin al design if licensed design primary technical reviewer, or if final
Si design, PE or LEG recommendations are influenced by the I
seal , signed and dated, review at this level
or both PE and LEG
seals, depending on
geologic complexity
iilDd it ~t[ld!;;t!m::~ ii![e:
iovolYe:d I
CSL Reports Memorandum PE seal, signed and
dated
Seal if licensed Seal Seal if acting as primary technical
reviewer, or if final recommendations are
influenced by the review at this level
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~

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~
WSDOT Geotechnical Report Certification and Format Requirements
Table 23-1 (continued) I
 l
I
Who Certifies?
Primary Lice ns ed
~ +Type of Ce rtification Designer and
Tec hnic al
Reviewer or
State Geotec h . Engineer (SGE), Ch ief
Foundation Engineer (CFE), or Ch ief
Report General Fonnat Required Repo rt Writer Supervisor Engineering Geolog ist (CEG)
Construction
Support resulting
in eng ineering
changes (must
Memorandum PE ~ seal, signed Seal if licensed
and dated, or both
PE and LEG seals,
depending on geologic
complexity andJ1.
Seal Seal if acting as primary technical
reviewer, or if final recommendations are
influenced by the review at this level
I
I
~
result in a change
I
:it[UQt!.![!i:::i iil[!i:: i[]~lved

I
order, and
must affect the
engineering intent of
the contract design)
Construction Memorandum None None None N/A
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Submittals
Special Provisions Usually an PE or LEG seal, signed Seal if licensed Seal Seal if acting as primary technical I
and Summary append ix to report; and dated , or both reviewer, or if final recommendations are
of Geotechnical memorandum if sent PE and LEG seals, influenced by the review at this level
Cond itions separately depend ing on nature of

~
Special Provision

..., Construction Plans Plan sheets PE ~ seal, signed None Seal Seal if acting as primary technical I
and dated, or both reviewer

II
PE and LEG seals,
depending on nature of
plan sheets
Final Geotechnical Fonnalbound report None required, since None None N/A
Project all subdocuments have
Documentation been stamped

~
I
~ it
·Some judgment may be used on ....mether or not to use a memorandum format for 51
+Projects that require significant. non-routine, geologic interpretation to provide a co
require a LEG seal.
projects, and small rockfall or rockslope projects.
Icterization and geologic interpretation of design properties may also

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WSDOT Geotechnical Report Cert
Table 23·1 (. Ii
Id Format Requirements f
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