22 records · 3 briefs · 6 study guides

Geotechnical credentials, codes & rules.

What you must hold to practice, what employers ask for, which codes you design to, and which regulators can stop a launch — with the prerequisites, renewal cycle and issuing body for each.

4Licenses to practice
7Certifications
10Standards
5Regulations

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Study guides & compliance briefs.

Study guide · 10 min California Geotechnical Engineer (GE) Title Authority

1. Credential header - Credential: Geotechnical Engineer (GE) — California title authority - Issuing body: California Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, an…

Read → Study guide · 8 min Certified Engineering Geologist (CEG) — California Specialty

1. Credential header - Credential: Certified Engineering Geologist (CEG) — California specialty certification - Issuing body: California Board for Professional Engineers,…

Read → Study guide · 6 min Geotechnical Engineering — Good-to-Know Rules of Thumb

Practitioner judgment for geotechnical engineers, engineering geologists, and exam candidates. Heuristics, not code — verify against the governing standard and the site-s…

Read → Study guide · 8 min Professional Geologist (PG)

1. Credential header - Credential: Professional Geologist (PG) — state license - Issuing body: State geology licensing boards (e.g., California BPELSG for the PG; 31 stat…

Read → Study guide · 2 min Geotechnical Engineering Study Guides

Credential study guides for geotechnical engineering, engineering geology, and the drilling trade that serves them both. The shared national guide (start here for the PE …

Read → Study guide · 8 min Water Well Drilling Contractor (CA C-57 Classification)

1. Credential header - Credential: Licensed Contractor, Classification C-57 (Water Well Drilling) - Issuing body: California Contractors State License Board (CSLB) - Juri…

Read → Compliance brief · 4 min California Seismic Hazards Mapping Act (SHMA) of 1990 — Compliance Brief

Record covered: geotechnical-cert-019 Issuing body: California Legislature (statute: Public Resources Code §§2690–2699.6); administered by the California Geological Surve…

Read → Compliance brief · 4 min Eurocode 7: Geotechnical Design (EN 1997) — Compliance Brief

Record covered: geotechnical-cert-008 Issuing body: CEN (European Committee for Standardization), Technical Committee 250; national adoption by member bodies (BSI, DIN, A…

Read → Compliance brief · 4 min OSHA 29 CFR 1926 Subpart P — Excavations — Compliance Brief

Record covered: geotechnical-cert-018 Issuing body / enforcer: US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Department of Labor. Jurisdiction: US federal cons…

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Certification · license to practice Professional Engineer (PE) - Civil: Geotechnical NCEES (exams) / state licensing boards (e.g., CA BPELSG) · United States (all 50 states, state-by-state licensure) · Licensure (post-FE, 4+ yrs progressive experience, PE Civil: Geotechnical depth exam)

Requires: ABET-accredited engineering degree (or equivalent); pass FE exam (EIT); ~4 years progressive experience under a PE; pass PE Civil: Geotechnical exam; state jurisprudence/ethics where required

Renewal: Biennial (typical); 15-30 PDH continuing education per cycle depending on state; renewal fees

Certification · flagship California Geotechnical Engineer (GE) Title Authority California Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists (BPELSG) · California · Title authority (add-on to CA Civil PE license)

Requires: Active CA Civil PE license; qualifying geotechnical experience; pass the CA Geotechnical Engineer exam

Renewal: Biennial renewal through BPELSG; continuing education as required

Certification · license to practice Professional Geologist (PG) State licensing boards (ASBOG provides exams: Fundamentals of Geology + Practice of Geology) · United States - 31 states + Puerto Rico have licensure laws (e.g., CA, TX, NY, FL, WA, OR) · Licensure (geology practice)

Requires: 4-year geoscience degree (typically 30+ semester hrs geoscience); 4-5 years professional geologic experience; pass ASBOG FG and PG exams; state-specific exam (e.g., CA CSE) where required

Renewal: Biennial (typical); continuing education required in many states (e.g., ~15 PDH/yr cycles)

Certification · license to practice Certified Engineering Geologist (CEG) - California specialty California BPELSG · California · Specialty certification (under the Geologist and Geophysicist Act)

Requires: CA Professional Geologist license; additional engineering-geology experience; specialty examination

Renewal: Biennial renewal; continuing education

Certification NICET Construction Materials Testing - Soils (Levels I-IV) National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET) · United States (national, technician certification) · Technician certification, Levels I-IV (Trainee to Senior Engineering Technician)

Requires: Level I: 6 months CMT experience (3+ mo soils); Level II: 24 mo (12+ mo soils); Level III: 60 mo (36+ mo soils); Level IV: 120 mo (60+ mo soils); pass written exams; supervisor verification of performance measures

Renewal: Recertification cycles with continuing professional development (CPD) documentation

Certification · flagship Chartered Engineer (CEng) via Engineering Council (ICE route) Engineering Council (UK) via licensed institutions incl. Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) · United Kingdom (recognized internationally; EUR ING pathway via FEANI) · Chartered professional registration

Requires: Accredited MEng (or BEng Hons + accredited MSc/EngD or further learning to masters level); initial professional development (UK-SPEC competencies A-E); professional review incl. reports and interview; CPD commitment

Renewal: Annual retention via institution membership; ongoing CPD

Certification · license to practice Water Well Drilling Contractor License (e.g., CA C-57 classification) State contractor licensing boards (e.g., CA Contractors State License Board) · United States (state-by-state; C-57 is California) · Specialty contractor license

Requires: Journeyman-level experience in well drilling; pass law/business and trade exams; bond and insurance

Renewal: Biennial renewal

Standard · flagship Eurocode 7: Geotechnical Design (EN 1997) CEN (European Committee for Standardization); EC Joint Research Centre · European Union / EEA (mandatory in member states since 2010); used internationally · International design code

Requires: N/A - design standard; used with EN 1990 (basis of design) and EN 1998 (seismic)

Renewal: N/A - code editions (1st gen: EN 1997-1:2004, EN 1997-2:2007; 2nd generation FprEN 1997 parts 1-3 in development)

Standard ASTM D6913 / D6913M - Particle-Size Distribution (Gradation) of Soils Using Sieve Analysis ASTM International (Committee D18) · International (US standard of practice) · Test method

Requires: N/A - laboratory test method (supersedes withdrawn ASTM D422)

Renewal: N/A - standards revised periodically

Standard ASTM D4318 - Liquid Limit, Plastic Limit, and Plasticity Index of Soils (Atterberg Limits) ASTM International (Committee D18) · International (US standard of practice) · Test method

Requires: N/A - laboratory test method

Renewal: N/A

Standard ASTM D698 / D1557 - Laboratory Compaction Characteristics of Soil (Standard and Modified Proctor) ASTM International (Committee D18) · International (US standard of practice) · Test method

Requires: N/A - laboratory test method

Renewal: N/A

Standard ASTM D1586 / D1586M - Standard Penetration Test (SPT) and Split-Barrel Sampling of Soils ASTM International (Committee D18) · International (US standard of practice) · Test method

Requires: N/A - field investigation method

Renewal: N/A

Standard ASTM D5778 - Electronic Friction Cone and Piezocone Penetration Testing (CPT) ASTM International (Committee D18) · International (US standard of practice) · Test method

Requires: N/A - field investigation method

Renewal: N/A

Standard ASTM D2487 - Classification of Soils for Engineering Purposes (USCS) ASTM International (Committee D18) · International (US standard of practice) · Classification system

Requires: N/A - relies on D6913/D7928 gradation and D4318 Atterberg results

Renewal: N/A

Standard ASTM D2850 - Unconsolidated Undrained Triaxial Compression Test (UU) on Cohesive Soils ASTM International (Committee D18) · International (US standard of practice) · Test method

Requires: N/A - laboratory strength test

Renewal: N/A

Standard FHWA Geotechnical Engineering Circulars (GEC) and NHI design manuals Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) / National Highway Institute · United States (federal transportation practice; adopted by state DOTs) · Federal design guidance

Requires: N/A - guidance documents and NHI course reference texts

Renewal: N/A - manuals revised periodically

Standard USACE EM 1110 geotechnical Engineer Manuals (1901 seepage, 1902 slope stability, 1906 lab soils testing, 1913 levees, 1911 construction control) U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) · United States (federal civil works; widely used as general practice guidance) · Federal design guidance

Requires: N/A - engineer manuals

Renewal: N/A - manuals reviewed/reissued periodically

Regulation · flagship OSHA 29 CFR 1926 Subpart P - Excavations U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) · United States (federal; state-plan states enforce equivalents) · Federal safety regulation

Requires: N/A - employers must designate a competent person for excavation work

Renewal: N/A - ongoing compliance obligation

Regulation · flagship California Seismic Hazards Mapping Act (SHMA) of 1990 California Legislature; administered by California Geological Survey (CGS) · California (Public Resources Code 2690-2699.6) · State hazard-mapping / development regulation

Requires: N/A - CGS delineates Zones of Required Investigation; developers must perform site-specific geotechnical investigations before permits in mapped zones

Renewal: N/A - maps updated by CGS over time

Regulation Alquist-Priolo Earthquake Fault Zoning Act (1972) California Legislature; administered by California Geological Survey · California · State fault-hazard regulation

Requires: N/A - fault investigations by licensed geologists/geotechnical engineers required for development in Earthquake Fault Zones

Renewal: N/A - zone maps maintained by CGS

Regulation State dam safety programs (e.g., California Division of Safety of Dams) State agencies (CA: DWR Division of Safety of Dams under Water Code Division 3, Part 1; Title 23 CCR) · United States, state-by-state (CA example: ~1,230 jurisdictional dams) · State dam safety regulation

Requires: N/A - dam owners must obtain DSOD approval for construction/enlargement/alteration/repair; SB 92 (2017) requires emergency action plans with approved inundation maps for significant/high/extremely-high hazard dams

Renewal: N/A - ongoing: annual fees, periodic inspections, EAP/inundation map updates every 10 years or after major changes

Regulation EPA Underground Storage Tank (UST) program - 40 CFR Part 280 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (delegated to states) · United States (federal; state-delegated programs) · Federal environmental regulation

Requires: N/A - release detection, corrosion protection, and financial responsibility requirements for UST owners/operators

Renewal: N/A - ongoing compliance; state LUST cleanup programs

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