AGS Code of Conduct for Site Investigation

• AGS Duties
• All Practitioners
• Consultant
• Ground Investigation Specialist
• Main Contractors / Specialist Sub-Contractors

AGS Duties

AGS shall:-

• promote value for money
• uphold the Code of Conduct amongst its members
• raise awareness of this Code amongst Member’s customers and the wider engineering community
• establish and monitor AGS Guidelines of Good Practice for all elements of site investigation activity
• encourage feedback and continuous improvement of members’ performance
• promote environmental awareness amongst its members
• encourage its members to establish formal procedures and wherever possible obtain third party accreditation for their quality assurance procedures in accordance with ISO 9000 series for both fieldwork and consultancy services
• identify and advise on the appropriate minimum levels of NAMAS (UKAS) accreditation
• promote health and safety awareness
• promote and encourage training and development of all professional staff
• promote a minimum level of Professional Indemnity insurance for all AGS members offering consultancy advice
• promote dialogue amongst its members in raising standards, avoiding/resolving disputes and in establishing effective procedures to uphold compliance of this code

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All Practitioners

All members are encouraged to make Clients aware of the following when appropriate:-

• the need for a framework of trust and teamwork from all contracted parties
• the benefit of adopting the AGS Guidelines for Good Practice in Site Investigation
• their health and safety responsibilities under CDM and other regulations
• the need for the appointment of a Geotechnical Adviser (ICE, SISG, 1993) under CDM and BS 5930, as well as the general benefits of specialist support/overview at all stages of planning, investigation, design and construction
• the need for appropriately managed multi-disciplinary skills including specialist geoenvironmental advice when assessing potentially contaminated sites
• the necessity, value and cost-effectiveness of desk studies (BS 5930) in the technical assessment and feasibility of all projects as well as use in risk assessments and the planning of ground investigations
• their responsibility to make available all existing data they have on ground conditions, historical records and services to the designers/planners
• the need for geoenvironmental advice
• the potential need for and benefits of phased investigation
• the need to establish and repeatedly test and adjust the ground ‘model’ through all phases of investigation and construction
  the benefits of establishing a team for joint supervision and direction of fieldwork with matching appropriately qualified staff from consultant and ground investigation specialist
• the need to pay for supervision of fieldwork under separately identified time charge rates or items
• the need to adjust the scope of field/laboratory work required to suit envisaged design and construction including temporary works aspects as well as the need to modify the scope in the light of the conditions actually revealed and as a result of design changes
• site investigation activities should be valued by re-measurement of the quantities
• the need to investigate the properties of spoil materials in order to provide data for design stage studies of spoil re-use, treatment and disposal
• the need to install suitable instrumentation and continue monitoring particularly for groundwater and ground movement, over an appropriate period (e.g. to cover seasonal/diurnal/tidal variations)
• the need to allow sufficient programmed periods for all phases of activity and to avoid unduly squeezing or limiting early investigative work
• provide training of all professional, laboratory and fieldwork operatives
• the need to tender using Good Practice procurement methods and conditions of contract, select appropriate consultants and contractors and appoint on the basis of value for money, e.g. quality, technology and capability criteria, not lowest cost
  that factual geological and groundwater information should be made available to the British Geological Survey
• the need to encourage Clients to participate in post project feedback to identify how things could be done better next time around in order to establish a positive environment for continuous improvement
• the benefits of data storage and transference by electronic means
• all soil descriptions will require the employment of appropriately trained and experienced professional staff

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Consultant

(This includes Ground Investigation Specialists operating as a Specialist Consultant)

AGS Consultants shall encourage their Clients to include the following in their brief:-

• open communication with the Client and the Project Team
• set examples of and promote the AGS Guidelines for Good Practice in Site Investigation
• ensure a desk study is produced which considers all known past and present usages as well as the proposed future usage and includes a site reconnaissance which covers geomorphological aspects when appropriate
• ensure that the desk study includes the objectives of the site investigation together with a methodology
• make the desk study report(s) available to the ground investigation specialist
• refer to the most recent largest available scale geological map (usually 1:10,000) and where appropriate consult a member of the British Geological Survey
• assess the impact of the development on any potential existing contamination on or adjacent to the site and vice versa
• identify in the desk study, the potential ground hazards and associated primary risks and consequences to the project and to the Client should these risks occur
• uphold the principles of BS 5930 and DoE, CLR Report No.12
• promote the application of the principles for procurement given in Vol 2 of ICE SISG, 1993
• adopt accepted and wherever possible unamended standard Conditions of Contract and Specifications for the appointment of Contractors for ground investigation and uphold the documents
• be mindful of the requirements of CDM regulations when planning ground investigations
• advise on the need for appropriately phased progressive and multiple investigation with staged reporting to suit
• advise on additional investigation should changes occur during the development of the design and undertake a formal review if a scheme has been substantially delayed
• promote and arrange for satisfactory levels of support supervision by suitably qualified and experienced staff
• provide proposals for continued monitoring, especially of groundwater levels and ground gas conditions
• endeavour to provide specialist insitu test holes separate from routine exploratory holes
• specify realistic time periods for elements of the work which reflect their scope and the available resources
• be receptive to or invite alternative tenders for exploratory or testing techniques other than those specified and arrange for a sufficient period in which to tender
• pay sufficient attention to temporary works and groundwater control issues in interpretative reports especially as required by CDM
• wherever possible provide all interpretative reports and specific design reports, as well as summary factual reports of basic geological and geotechnical information to tenderers for the construction works
• arrange for internal peer review of all interpretative reports
• ensure that in site investigation studies, especially in the early stages, an appropriately qualified and experienced engineering geologist (ICE, SISG, 1993) is involved
• ensure that emphasis be placed on the requirements for construction at the SI stage, i.e. access, planning consents, service diversions, temporary works etc
• follow the AGS Guide to the Model Document (1996) for reporting where appropriate

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Ground Investigation Specialist

(Specialist Consultants and/or Specialist Contractors)

AGS Ground Investigation Specialists shall:-

• adopt and promote the AGS Guidelines for Good Practice in Site Investigation
• set examples of and promote Good Practice in all areas
• identify to Clients when an adequate desk study is unavailable or offer to produce one
• advise the Client or Consultant or provide an alternative tender if the stated type, scale, objectives or scope of an investigation are considered to be unsatisfactory
• advise the Client or Consultant if and when the contractual and technical requirements are considered to be inappropriate for the scale and or type of work
• ensure adequate field and overall supervision is provided by staff of appropriate experience
• utilise drillers with BDA accreditation or equivalent
• provide continuity of staff through the logging/laboratory/in situ testing and reporting phases
• utilise laboratories accredited to NAMAS (UKAS) for AGS’ recommended minimum appropriate range of standard tests
• uphold the principles of BS 5930
• provide data in electronic as well as printed format in accordance with AGS principles given in the latest edition of "Electronic Transfer of Geotechnical Data from Ground Investigations"
• utilise well maintained equipment

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Main Contractors / Specialist Sub-Contractors

AGS members who operate as either main contractors or specialist sub contractors

• support and promote the AGS Guidelines for Good Practice in Site Investigation
• employ appropriately qualified professional to advise Clients where there is inadequate investigation data or advise on the extent of appropriate additional work in the tender period to reduce risk and offer to undertake such work
• advise Clients of shortcomings in available data and corresponding likely associated risks
• provide AGS with feedback and advise on ways and means of improvement
• set up feedback systems for data from construction to verify design and to use in maintenance manuals
• provide the Client with a geotechnical summary report on completion of the works with recommendations for monitoring and maintenance in service

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