The Concept of a Baseline

The goal of baselines is to translate the results of geotechnical investigations relevant engineering geology and previous experience into clear descriptions of anticipated subsurface conditions that bidders may rely on in developing their bids. By establishing clear, verifiable baselines as a part of the contract documents, the parties are more likely to agree on the conditions indicated in the contract, without time consuming and costly arguments (or litigation) that become counterproductive to a successful project. A well-written baseline resolves, at least contractually, the uncertainty that may exist in the data, or may be provisional baselines that address conditions not identified in the database but have a high probability of being encountered. The baselines can be set for a given project and set of geotechnical data at different levels of perceived adversity or difficulty.