•terraphase FINAL engineering
March 17, 2026
Renee Strauss and Janet FoxNeighborhood Legal Fund
300 N. Swall Drive, Unit 206
Beverly Hills, California 90211
sent via email to [email protected]
Subject: Geotechnical Document Review and Limited Evaluation of Furnished Documents, Proposed 26-Story Building at 8844 Burton Way, Beverly Hills, California Dear Mses. Strauss and Fox:
Terraphase Engineering Inc. (Terraphase) is pleased to submit this summary of our geotechnical document review and limited evaluation of furnished documents for the 26-story building proposed forconstruction at 8844 Burton Way in Beverly Hills, California (the “Site”). Our scope of work was limited to reviewing the geotechnical aspects of the documents provided to us by the City of Beverly Hills; particularly, the geotechnical aspects related to the proposed construction and the findings of Geotechnologies, Inc.’s evaluation documented in the geotechnical report (referred to herein as the geotechnical report) originally dated November 21, 2022, and revised April 3, 2024.’ We reviewed the revised report dated April 3, 2024; the 2022 report was not available for our review.Our review consisted of a desktop evaluation of publicly available information, including geologic publications by the California Geological Survey, as well as the documents provided to Terraphase. Thislimited review did not include a Site visit or supplemental subsurface exploration at the Site. 1 Introduction
The Site was originally occupied by a two-story school (Temple Emanuel Community Day School), which was demolished circa 2021. The building included a partial basement, as noted in the geotechnical report. Demolition did not appear to include removal of any off-site utilities and likely did not extendbeyond the property line of the existing sidewalk. Surrounding development consists of low-rise condominiums to the south (constructed circa 1983), a four-story condominium development to thewest (built in the 1970s), and a single-story commercial development to the east (installation date unknown). The presence of nearby historic-designated structures is currently unknown.
Current plans propose the development of a 26-story building with one level of below-grade parking. A previous development plan for the Site included a 20-story building with three levels of below-gradeparking, which served as the basis of the geotechnical report.1 Geotechnologies, Inc., Geotechnical Investigation Report, November 21, 2022; revised April 3, 2024. 1300 clay Street, Suite 1000 I Oakland, california 94612 I www.terraphase.com March 17, 2026
Renee Strauss and Janet Fox, Neighborhood Legal Fund Geotechnical Document Review and Limited Evaluation of Furnished Documents, Proposed 26-Story Building at 8844 Burton Way, Beverly Hills, California Access to the proposed below-grade parking is expected from North Clark Drive, consistent with the previous development plan. The project will likely require installation of new utilities (water, sewer, electric, and communications), with connections anticipated from Burton Way. However, utility plans for this development were not readily available for review. While the current planned building footprint is similar to the previous design, internal foundation elements and parking ramp(s) were likely altered to reflect the reduction in below-grade levels.
Subsurface conditions at the Site consist of fill soil overlying thick alluvial and older alluvial deposits. Groundwater was encountered approximately 40 feet below ground surface. The Site is within a complex geologic setting characterized by numerous active, potentially active, and inactive faults. It is also in an oil-bearing area, with an idle oil well less than 225 feet from the southern Site boundary (Figure 1),2 and lies within a methane mitigation zone (Figure 2).
This review does not address potential safety or aesthetic impacts to the surrounding community. Environmental considerations were addressed separately in a Phase I Environmental Assessment report (Cal Enviro, 2025) and were excluded from the geotechnical report.3 2 Scope of Work
Our scope of work included:
• Review of geotechnical aspects of documents (electronic format) provided by the City of Beverly Hills including the 2024 report prepared by Geotechnologies, Inc. • Review of publicly available geologic and hazard mapping relevant to the Site (e.g., California Geological Survey Hazard Zone maps). • Independent evaluation of the Site’s liquefaction potential using subsurface data from the prior consultant and the published/current seismic horizontal site acceleration. Terraphase used the commercial software Liquefy Pro (version 5.9c, 2017) to check the results of the predicted settlement estimates indicated in the geotechnical report. • Review of laboratory tests for soil samples collected from the Site during the 2022 subsurface investigation performed by Geotechnologies, Inc. • Review of previously encountered groundwater conditions at the Site, along with available regional groundwater data for the Beverly Hills area. • Preparation of this letter report summarizing the results of our review. 3 Findings
Based on our review of the available geotechnical report, supporting documents, maps, and related technical materials, the following geotechnical observations and concerns have been identified:
2 https://maps.conservation.ca.gov/doggr/weHfinder/
CalEnvrio, Phase I Enviranmental Site Assessment, February 2025.
March 17, 2026
Renee Strauss and Janet Fox, Neighborhood Legal Fund Geotechnical Document Review and Limited Evaluation of Furnished Documents, Proposed 26-Story Building at 8844 Burton Way, Beverly Hills, California The existing geotechnical report does not reflect the current adopted California Building Code and is considered outdated. Current and adopted building code for the City of Beverly Hills includes the 2025 California Building Code adopted in the State of California on January 1, 2026, and adopted by the City on January 1, 2026. Compliance with the building code includes the Beverly Hills Municipal Code (BHMC) which is a local code and the City General Plan and Safety Element (dated April 30, 2010 revised March of 2024 and a revised Safety Element May 10, 2022). • It is unknown whether demolition of the former on-site school building included complete removal of associated subsurface utilities onsite as well as proper abandonment of those offsite. • The Santa Monica and West Pico Faults are mapped approximately Y2 and 1 mile west and south of the Site, respectively (Figures 3 and 4). Those faults are considered Earthquake Zones of Required Investigation by the state of California. • Tiebacks were recommended for a three-story excavation. It is unknown how the one-story excavation will be supported. The geotechnical report includes recommendations for tiebacks or friction anchors extending 20 to 40 degrees angled downward from horizontal and approximately 20 feet laterally beyond the active zone (likely about 6 to 7 feet behind the top of the excavation). This implies the previous three-story excavation would require approximately 26-foot-long tiebacks, potentially impacting existing utilities in the adjacent alleyway or surrounding streets. Although the current design includes only one level of below-grade parking (anticipated to be less than 15 feet), tiebacks (if used) could still extend laterally up to approximately 25 feet beyond the shoring wall. The report also indicates rakers (braces) could be used as an alternative support method, which may reduce impacts to off-site infrastructure and better suit Site constraints. • The existing geotechnical report references “some” seismic densification and concludes that there will be no differential settlement; however, the basis for this conclusion requires clarification. • The Site is mapped within the dam inundation zone for the Lower Franklin Reservoir, but this hazard is not discussed in detail in the geotechnical report nor by others (see Figure 5).4 • The geotechnical report recommends maintaining a 10-foot traffic setback from future below-grade walls, which may not be feasible and is not conservative for this Site. Further, temporary material stockpiles as well as heavy equipment could be operating within this zone during construction. Equipment outriggers and temporary elevator location(s) or crane locations for the construction of a 26-story building need to be approved and supported independent of the basement/below grade parking walls. • Significant off-site trenching to modernize (upgrade) existing utilities to accommodate a 26-story building was not addressed in the geotechnical report. Installation of new vaults and manholes (etc.) is likely required, yet no recommendations for deep trench safety, groundwater conditions and city compliance were provided. Proper abandonment of utilities associated with the previous development (Temple Emanuel Community Day School) should be evaluated to prevent unintended groundwater conveyance pathways. https://fmds.water.ca.gov/webgis/?appid=dam prototype v2 Page3of8
March 17, 2026
Renee Strauss and Janet Fox, Neighborhood Legal Fund
Geotechnical Document Review and Limited Evaluation of Furnished Documents, Proposed 26-Story Building at 8844 Burton Way, Beverly Hills, California • Maximum allowable shoring deflection is limited to Y2 inch (2024 geotechnical report, page 32), with monitoring required to protect nearby structures within a 1:1 plane of influence (below grade installation). However, the report does not evaluate nor provide recommendations for protectingutilities that may be located within the shoring zone of influence during construction. • Water may accumulate into the below-grade parking area (assumed high water at 10 feet below existing grade or 165 feet above mean sea level per the 2024 geotechnical report). The geotechnical report does not address excavation dewatering, characterization and disposal of produced water, or the potential effects of groundwater drawdown on adjacent structures and utilities. • Shoring deflection monitoring and pre-construction photographic documentation of adjacent structures are recommended (2024 geotechnical report, page 32). • The three on-site geotechnical borings are aligned along a central east—west transect. It is local standard practice to locate geotechnical borings at the corners of a property in order to encounter more stratigraphic variability.
• Borings logs provide limited geologic descriptors and minimal lithologic detail. • The geotechnical report cites the 1990 Leighton and technical appendix for the Safety Element for Los Angeles County General Plan rather than the applicable 2022 Updated Safety Element (adopted May 10, 2022) and should be updated.
• The geotechnical report alludes to the presence of river- and stream-deposited soils on site and refers to state maps using the classification of Qa (Quaternary alluvium) but does not clearly identify this material as alluvium; clarification by a geologist is warranted. • An idle Chevron oil well is located less than 225 feet from the southern limits of the Site.5 Records indicating this well is idle likely means it could be in the process of being abandoned or the well is no longer pumped because of costs to operate. The Site lies within a mapped oil-producing zone (Figure 1).
• Considering the nearby oil wells and location within a mapped oil field (Figure 1), the Site is within a methane mitigation zone per City of Los Angeles Ordinance 1757906 (and as noted in the BeverlyHills Updated Safety Element [adopted May 10, 20221; see Figure 2). Although methane mitigation is not strictly geotechnical, groundwater intrusion and vapor barrier design may affect foundation performance. The time to construct the foundation(s) and utilities for the 20-story and 26-story configurations of the planned building may be similar but the construction for the building will likely take longer due to the proposed 6 additional floors.
• The report does not include the shear wave velocity for the upper 100 feet of the Site or a sitespecific seismic response spectra. Borings should have been extended to 100 feet, or a geophysical survey should have been performed in order to develop seismic site class. Since the report wasupdated on April 3, 2024, and did not use this ASCE7-22, it was unlikely that an extensive review of the Vs30 estimate was made in general accordance with current and adopted California Building https://maps.conservation.ca.gov/doggr/wellfinder/
6 Los Angeles Municipal Code — Division 71 “Methane Seepage Regulations” (Ord. No. 175,790, Eff. 3/29/04); htts://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/los angeles/latest/Iamc/O-O-0-178485#JD C9A1 D71.
March 17, 2026
Renee Strauss and Janet Fox, Neighborhood Legal Fund
Geotechnical Document Review and Limited Evaluation of Furnished Documents, Proposed 26-Story Building at 8844 Burton Way, Beverly Hills, California Code. Supplemental geotechnical reports for this Site should provide the method used to derive theVs30 in accordance with ASCE 7-22.
Terraphase reviewed the estimated vertical seismic-induced deformation from liquefaction and dry sand settlement at the Site as discussed in the 2024 geotechnical report. We used the Liquefy Pro software and the reported ground acceleration to perform this evaluation. Although we generally agree that the results are of a low magnitude of seismic-induced vertical deformation, there is only one boring that extends below 45 feet from the existing ground surface onsite. As such, thisevaluation is incomplete. Once additional subsurface information is obtained, this evaluation should be revisited by the geotechnical consultant of record for this project. • As previously indicated, the report was prepared to address a proposed 20-story building, and the design has since been updated to a 26-story building. This 30 percent increase in height likely increased the foundation bearing demand needed for support of the new building design. Further, the embedment of the building is currently planned to be reduced from 3 stories to 1 story below existing ground level. This reduction of foundation embedment implies a more precise characterization of the near surface earth materials that is needed. • The third-party geotechnical review of the subject report customarily required by the City prior to approval was not available for our review. The geotechnical report, in its current version, does not (1) address the current building configuration which is a significant change from the original 20- story design (2) has used an older and now outdated CBC, and (3) omits several geotechnical issuesas discussed herein. Considering these three geotechnical concerns, the current version of the 2024 geotechnical report should not be used for continued development without significant revisions and additions.
4 Recommendations
Based on our review, Terraphase recommends preparation of a revised or supplemental geotechnical report to address the current California Building Code (CBC, 2025) and compliance with the City of Beverly Hills Updated Safety Element (adopted May 10, 2022). The revised report should include the following:
• Due to the complex nature of geologic setting and planned development, a fault study and supplemental fault evaluation should be performed and signed by a California Certified Engineering Geologist (CEG). Based on regional faulting, documented seismicity, and the seismic safety element in the City of Beverly Hills 2022 Updated Safety Element (adopted May 10, 2022), as well as the anticipated occupancy of a 26-story building and the potential consequences of failure on the surrounding properties, a fault study is warranted to confirm the absence of ground-crossing faults beneath the Site. The fault study should evaluate the potential for sympathetic movement associated with nearby active faults, as well as potential influence of nearby blind thrust faulting on the proposed development. Please note that the City of Beverly Hills has a requirement for third party review in fault evaluations (City of Beverly Hills, City Policy for Site Specific Fault Investigations- June 2022).
March 17, 2026
Renee Strauss and Janet Fox, Neighborhood Legal Fund
Geotechnical Document Review and Limited Evaluation of Furnished Documents, Proposed 26-Story Building at 8844 Burton Way, Beverly Hills, California Given the Site’s proximity (within 1 mile) to the Santa Monica, Hollywood, and West Pico Faults— capable of producing Magnitude 6.0 to 7.0 earthquakes—the Site is expected to experience strong ground motion, including velocity pulses and a design horizontal ground acceleration approaching 1g. As such, mapped seismic design parameters readily available from the United States Geological Survey website are not sufficient for a 26-story structure. Hence, a site-specific seismic risk assessment consistent with Section 21.1 of ASCE/SEI 7, Minimum Design Load and Associated Criteria for Buildings and Other Structures is required and should be coordinated between the project’s geotechnical and structural engineers.7
• No evaluation nor recommendations for specialized utility connections at the boundary of the project site to accommodate strong ground shaking was noted in the geotechnical report. Both theproject geotechnical consultant and the design team should evaluate the lifeline utility connections for the effects of strong ground shaking.
• Shear wave velocity characterization is necessary for the upper 100 feet (Vs30) beneath the Site using boring, shear tests and/or geophysical data. This should be in general accordance with CBC and ASCE 7-22.
• A site-specific seismic response spectra should be presented. The use of the deterministic seismic parameters as provided in the 2024 geotechnical report may be included but not solely relied upon for design of a 26-story high rise. This supplemental geotechnical seismic evaluation will need to estimate the depth of the hard rock below the Site, which was not provided in the geotechnical report.
• A geologic discussion prepared by a California-licensed Professional Geologist or CEG and geologic cross sections depicting the encountered subsurface units should be included in a supplemental geotechnical report.
• Evaluation of construction surcharge loads on excavation shoring, including cranes, temporary elevators, stockpiles, and heavy equipment should be included in a supplemental geotechnical report.
• Although photographic documentation prior to development is addressed in the geotechnical report, a comprehensive terrestrial LiDAR survey or comparable baseline survey should be conducted to document the position and conditions of existing developments and infrastructure around the Site. Monitoring during construction should extend beyond shoring deflection and beincorporated into the project specifications. While traffic surcharges are discussed in the shoring section of the geotechnical report, construction surcharges from cranes, heavy equipment, and stockpiled site spoils or supplies should also be evaluated in a revised geotechnical report.
Depending on the selected construction methods for foundations and utilities, vibration monitoring of adjacent off-site structures may be warranted.
American Society of Civil Engineers, ASCE/SEI 7-22, Minimum Design Load and Associated Criteria for Buildings and Other Structures, December 2021.
March 17, 2026
Renee Strauss and Janet Fox, Neighborhood Legal Fund
Geotechnical Document Review and Limited Evaluation of Furnished Documents, Proposed 26-Story Building at 8844 Burton Way, Beverly Hills, California • Discussion of dam inundation hazard (Figure 5) with appropriate mitigation, should be included in the design of below grade improvements. Please note that following a strong seismic event, the utilities onsite may be affected and/or offline.
• Detailed recommendations should be provided for new utility installation, off-site trenching, abandonment of unwanted utilities and protection of existing utilities to remain, and methane mitigation compliance.
• Evaluation of excavation dewatering, characterization and disposal of produced water, and potential groundwater drawdown impacts should be provided.
• Consideration of the vapor barrier effects on total lateral resistance (TLR) of the foundation system (i.e., once the methane and water mitigation barriers are designed, the geotechnical consultant willlikely need to revisit the TLR for the building foundation). • The geotechnical document does not currently meet custom and practice nor standard of care for geotechnical engineering for similar projects at this location. The revised report should addresswhether vertical and lateral loads are increased with the additional building height, whether revisedwind or seismic forces affect foundation design, whether larger temporary construction equipment is needed and where in the construction zone, whether the duration and impacts of construction are increased due to planned changes in the project, and whether the increase in building height has an effect on anticipated foundation settlement.
Current lithology at the Site was evaluated based on a line of geotechnical borings generally along thecentral portion of the Site (plan view) and somewhat equally spaced from the north to south boundaries. This layout is not consistent with local custom and practice given the need to evaluate groundwater conditions, site soils, and importance and complexity of the proposed development. To meet the accepted industry standard and local custom and practice for a planned 26-story high rise structure, supplemental borings and subsurface information are needed. Proceeding without them represents a departure from the established engineering standard of care. The new borings should extend below the current 70-foot exploration depth.
The geotechnical engineer should review the off-site work plan for locating and protecting public and private utilities and this plan be provided to the City. The off-site work plan should also address proper abandonment of utilities previously connected to the former structure.
The geotechnical consultant utilized an in-house proprietary spreadsheet to perform the liquefaction analysis of the deeper on-site boring. In an updated report, the consultant should either provide the supporting calculations and methodology used in the proprietary spreadsheet or use commercially available software to evaluate liquefaction potential. Supporting calculations for either method should be made available to the City of Beverly Hills for review.Based on the revised building loads (26-story from 20-story building), Terraphase recommends that the anticipated static and seismic deformations of the planned foundations be re-evaluated.
March 17, 2026
Renee Strauss and Janet Fox, Neighborhood Legal Fund
Geotechnical Document Review and Limited Evaluation of Furnished Documents, Proposed 26-Story Building at 8844 Burton Way, Beverly Hills, California 5 Closing
Terraphase is grateful for the opportunity to offer our services on this important project. If you have any questions or comments regarding this submittal, please contact Andrew Guatelli [email protected], for Terraphase Engineering Inc.
Andrew Guatelli, P.E. (C47335), G.E. (2320)
Principal Geotechnical Engineer
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Jeff Raines, P.E. (C51120), G.E. (2762)
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Jeff Raines, PE, GE
Principal Geotechnical Engineer
Mr. Raines, a founding partner of Terraphase, has over 43 years of experience in Civil, Geotechnical, and Environmental Engineering. He is a registered geotechnical engineer inCalifornia and a registered civil engineer in California, Connecticut, Montana, New York,Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Washington. He has extensive experience in the design ofshallow and deep building foundations, large excavations, excavations ofenvironmentally impacted soils, earth retaining structures, and slope repair.
He has served as the geotechnical engineer of record for the Chabot Collegemodernization project since 2005 in which he has designed foundations for six newbuildings, overseen the reconstruction of the campus sports facilities, and providedpavement section recommendations for more than 12 acres of new and temporaryparking lots.
He was the engineer of record for the construction of a $130 million pipe mill constructed over Bay Mud in Pittsburg, California. The project involved preloading of the foundation soils with wick drains because of the unusually high floor loads inside the pipe mill. The selected foundation consisted of both piles and spread footings for economy.
In addition to his engineering work, Mr. Raines has had two novels published by majorpublishing houses and is a Jeopardy! champion and beat Ben Stein on Win Ben Stein’sMoney.
Stanford University, Graduate
Representative Project Experience Research Assistant,
Presidio Parkway Reconstruction, San Francisco, California (2013 — 2019) Pr/nc,’oalin Charge. Mr. Raines is the Principal in Charge of Terraphase’s largest project, management of soil at the Presidio Parkway Reconstruction project. During construction Terraphase was responsible for characterizing soils, managing soil movement, andtracking soil disposal for approximately 440,000 CY of cut and 300,000 CY of fill. Under Mr. Raines’s direction, Terraphase engineers are monitoring the groundwater treatment system monitoring and preparing quarterly National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) reports while our operators are providing routine and emergency system operations & maintenance (O&M) services. Terraphase geologists are monitoring groundwater and providing on-call environmental services. When the P3 team encountered unanticipated contamination, our team of engineers, geologists, and field operators expeditiously and successfully executed three remedial excavations. j terraphase en g n e e r n g
Mr. Raines has extensive litigation support experience. He has testified in court three times and been deposed ten times. He has provided expert witness services for six landslide cases in Northern California. He has provided expert witness services for four water intrusion cases in Northern California. He was an expert witness, representing the prime contractor, for the Millennium Tower sinking matter in San Francisco.
Mr. Raines designed and was the engineer of record for a petroleum-impacted soils excavation project in the High Sierra. The project was located on a steep slope above Highway 80 and below a high-pressure gasoline pipeline. The work required the installation of soldier piles through a boulder field into Sierra Nevada granite and theinstallation of tiebacks below the high-pressure gasoline pipeline.
Education
BS in Civil Engineering,
University of Connecticut,1980
MS in Mechanical Engineering,
Northeastern University,
1983
MS in Geotechnical
Engineering, Stanford
University, 1985
Engineer, Civil Engineering,
Stanford University, 1988
Years of Experience43
Joined Terraphase
2010
Professional History
Terraphase Engineering Inc.,
Principal GeotechnicalEngineer, 2010— present
LFR/ARCADIS, Principal
Geotechnical Engineer
2005—2010
TechLaw, Inc., Director of
Engineering, 1998 —2005
Geosyntec Consultants/MAA,
Senior Project Engineer,
1992—1998
Amblin Entertainment,
Screenwriter, 1991 — 1992
Stone & Webster Engineering
Corporation, Engineer,1980—1984
Jeff Raines, PE, GE
Alameda County Juvenile Justice Center, Alameda County GSA (2013 — 2015)
Geotechnical Engineer. Mr. Raines has been working with the Alameda County GSA since 2013 to address stormwater and geotechnical issues at the Alameda County Juvenile Justice Center (JJC). Mr. Raines investigated and managed the repair of a failed slope at the JJC. As part of the work, Terraphase is designing mitigation measures for a stormwater settling pond that is not functioning as designed.
Chabot Community College Modernization Project, Hayward, California, Chabot Las Positas Community College District (2006
— present)
Geotechnical Engineer. Mr. Raines has served as the Geotechnical Engineer of Record for the Chabot Community College Modernization project since 2005. Mr. Raines has provided geotechnical engineering services for the District for three different companies (LFR, ARCADIS, and Terraphase) over the past ten years. His most recent design assignment, completed in January 2019, was the preparation of a geotechnical investigation and design report for the proposed baseball fieldimprovements. He designed foundations for the Student and Community Access Center, which is the centerpiece of the Community College District’s modernization project. He designed the foundations for the new Instructional Office Building, the new Biology Building and the new Physical Education Building. He provided foundation and drainage recommendationsfor the conversion of the football field to artificial turf and for the realignment of the campus Tennis Center. He provided pavement section recommendations for the repaving of the campus parking lots (1.5 inches thinner than the existing lots) and provided construction support to the District to mitigate an area of pumping foundation soils. He designed a temporary parking lot to handle parking during repaving of the parking lots and provided dust control recommendations that were successfully implemented. He designed a system to infiltrate stormwater through a heavily trafficked area on campus that could not be economically connected to the campus stormwater collection system. He provided litigation support services to the District for a construction claim against a Contractor regarding the deck around the Campus swimming pool.
Permanente Quarry, Santa Clara County, California (2013) Geotechnical Engineer. Mr. Raines was retained by the County to provide a geotechnical peer review of the reclamation plan for the Lehigh Cement - Permanente Quarry located in Santa Clara County, California. The quarry is the source of most of the cement used in construction in the Bay Area. The Quarry has been mined since the late 1930s, resulting in cutsiopes up to approximately 1,000 feet in height. The quarry has historically experienced areas of localized instability in the excavated pit walls including the main slide which consists of approximately 10,000 tons of rock sliding over an area of around 6 acres. Terraphase performed independent assessments of the quarry slopes, including developing rock mass strength properties using Hoek-Brown criteria to assess the stability of the quarry in its interim and final configurations.
Based on concerns regarding weak matrix material in the mélange formation of the south quarry wall and operational impacts to Permanente Creek, Terraphase recommended mitigation measures including the installation of geotechnical monitoring equipment.
Sinkhole Claims Review, Florida, Confidential Client (2012) Geotechnical Engineer. Mr. Raines was retained to review sinkhole claims in Florida. Under then Florida law, homeowners could claim sinkhole “activity” was affecting their home (a single crack in stucco was sufficient), leaving the insurance company to investigate the claim and prove the negative (that sinkhole “activity” was not occurring). Between 2006 and 2010, there were 24,671 open and closed sinkhole claims in Florida with $1.4 billion in total sinkhole costs. Mr. Raines prepared a methodology to assess sinkhole “activity” claims that could be implemented cost-effectively and which shifted the burden of proof, in most cases, onto the insured property that hairline cracks in stucco surfaces were due to sinkholes rather than expected wear and tear.Regional Oversight Contract, San Francisco, California, USEPA (1998 — 2006)
Program Manager. Mr. Raines was the program manager for the USEPA Regional Oversight Contract (ROC), a $7.2 million dollar indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (ID/IQ) contract that used 80% of its authorized budget and which was extended twice. As the program manager, Mr. Raines expanded the project staff from one person (himself) to 12 full-timePage 2 I Terra phase Engineering Inc.
Jeff Raines, PE, GE
equivalent employees and operated the most profitable office in the company. corporate duties, Mr. Raines was also In addition to his programmatic and cleanups, for which his staff was providing
the site manager for McClellan Air Force Base, the largest of the 35 federal facility support to USEPA Region IX. In addition, Mr. Raines provided technical reviews and
for Corrective
petroleum
Action
hydrocarbon
Management
plumes,
Unit (CAMU) designs, natural attenuation remedies for chlorinated organic compounds slurry wall specifications, Engineering Evaluations/Cost Assessments (EE/CAs) for groundwater Investigation/Feasibility
contamination
Study
remedies, statistical analysis of removal action data for soils and groundwater, Remedial (Rl/FS) reports, RCRA facility investigations (RFI) reports, and landfill designs. He worked with Treasure
the USEPA
Island.
project manager for the Treasure Island Naval Station remedial action project to oversee Navy cleanup of Jeff Raines Testimony
Shasta
No. 590592010.
Union High
2007
School
— 2009.
District,
Deposition
vs. Trent Construction, eta!. Superior Court of California, County of Tehema, Case Testimony.
CERF SPV I, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, Plaintiff. vs. Cherokee Investment Partners III, L.P., a Delaware limited partnership; Cherokee Investment Partners Ill Parallel Fund, L.P., a Delaware limited partnership. United States District Court Eastern District of California Case No. 2:10-cv-02670-LKK-JFM. 2012. Deposition Testimony. Michael Chittim vs. City of Redding, and Does 1 through 10, inclusive. Superior Court of California, County of Shasta, Case 160037. 2008 - 2010. Bench trial. Trial testimony.
San
Division,
Francisco
Case
Baykeeper
No. 12-04338-EDL.
v. Levin Enterprises. United States District Court, Northern District of California, San Francisco 2013 - 2014. Deposition Testimony.
Heffington vs. Cornell. Superior Court of California, County of Santa Cruz Case No. CV176651. 2013. Deposition Testimony. 2013.
People v. Summit Public Schools. County of Santa Clara Superior Court Case No. 113CV255504. 2013 — 2014. Bench Trial. Trial Testimony.
Pueblo De Cochiti and Cochiti Community Development, Inc., v. Jemez Mountains Electric Cooperation, Generation and Transmission Inc., Tn-State 201301224. 2012 2013. Deposition
Inc and Does 1-50. Sandoval County (New Mexico) District Court. Case No. D-1329-CV- Testimony. 2020. 2018
Insalaco
— 2022.
v. County
Deposition
of Contra
Testimony
Costa et al. Superior Court of California, County of Contra Costa. Case No. CIVMSC17-00725. (twice).
Dinihanian v. Hugh Kolowich, Elaine Kolowich, City of Sausalito. Superior Court of the State of California in and for the County of Mann. Case No. C1V1903553. 2019 — 2020. Bench Trial. Trial Testimony. McGill v. Webb. Superior Court of California, County of Napa. Case No. 19CV000903. 2019 — 2024. Deposition Testimony. 2023.
Unlimited
Romano v.
Jurisdiction.
the Fairway
Case
View
No.
Homeowners
SCV-262714.
Association. Superior Court of the State of California City and County Of Sonoma, Deposition Testimony. 2023. Frederic Hutchins Mall, v. Judith M. Brass and Daniel Larsen Builders, Inc., Superior Court of the State Of California for the County of San Francisco, Case No. CGC-24-614464, Deposition Testimony, 2025.
Publications and Presentations
Transportation
Seed, Raymond
Research
B., and Raines,
Record,
Jeffery R. 1988. “Failure of Flexible Long-Span Culverts Under Exceptional Live Loads”, Raines, Jeffery R., Borja, R.l., Anwar,
1191 Culverts and Tiebacks, Transportation Research Board, National Research Council. H., and Seed, Raymond B. 1984. “Numerical Analysis of Membrane Penetration Effects on Undrained Triaxial Tests”, in Proceedings of the Third International Conference on Soil Dynamics and Earthquake
Jeff Raines, PE, GE
Engineering, Princeton, New Jersey, June 22-24, Elsevier Press Series, Advances in Geotechnical Engineering, Vol. 42, pp 353-364.
Seed, Raymond B., Koseff, Jeffrey R., and Raines Jeffery R. 1987. Scale Model Hydraulic Flow Tests of Corrugated Box Culverts and Smooth-walled Flexible Box Structures”, Geotechnical Report No. SU/GT/87-02, Stanford University. July. Raines, Jeffery R. 1987. The Big Island, William Morrow Company.
Raines, Jeffery R. 1989. Unbalanced Acts, Avon Books.
Depositions and Testimony
• I was deposed in 2010 in the matter of: Shasta Union High School District, vs. “Trent Construction”, et al., Defendants. I was an expert retained by Airfield Products, Inc.
• I was deposed in 2012 in the matter of: CERF SPV I, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, Plaintiff, vs. Cherokee Investment Partners Ill, L.P., a Delaware limited partnership; Cherokee Investment Partners III Parallel Fund, L.P., a Delaware limited partnership, Defendants. I was a fact witness. • I was deposed and testified in 2012 in the matter of: Michael Chittim, Plaintiff, vs. City of Redding, et al., Defendants. I was an expert retained by the City of Redding.
• I was deposed in 2014 in the matter of: San Francisco Baykeeper v. Levin Enterprises, Case No. 12-04338-EDL. I was an expert retained by Levin Enterprises.
• I was deposed in 2014 in the matter of: Heffington vs. Cornell. I was an expert retained by Cornell. • I testified in 2016 in the matter of: Sunnyvale v. Summit Public Schools. I was an expert retained by Summit Public Schools. • I was deposed in 2016 in the matter of: Las Conchas Fire Litigation. I was an expert retained by Tn-State Generation and Transmission, Inc. • I was deposed in 2018 and also in 2021 in the matter of: Insalaco v. County of Contra Costa et al. I was retained as an expert by the Hope Lutheran Church, one of the defendants. • I was deposed and testified in 2022 in the matter of: Dinihanian v. Hugh Kolowich, Elaine Kolowich, City of Sausalito. I was an expert retained by the plaintiff.
• I was deposed in 2023 in the matter of: McGill v. Webb. I was an expert retained by the defendant. • I was deposed in 2023 in the matter of: Romano v. the Fairway View Homeowners Association. I was an expert retained by the defendant.
Publications and Presentations
• Seed, Raymond B., and Raines, Jeffery R. 1988. “Failure of Flexible Long-Span Culverts Under Exceptional Live Loads”, Transportation Research Record, 1191 Culverts and Tiebacks, Transportation Research Board, National Research Council. • Raines, Jeffery R., Borja, RI., Anwar, H., and Seed, Raymond B. 1984. “Numerical Analysis of Membrane Penetration Effects on Undrained Triaxial Tests”, in Proceedings of the Third International Conference on Soil Dynamics and Earthquake Engineering, Princeton, New Jersey, June 22-24, Elsevier Press Series, Advances in Geotechnical Engineering, Vol. 42, pp 353-364. • Seed, Raymond B., Koseff, Jeffrey R., and Raines Jeffery R. 1987. “Scale Model Hydraulic Flow Tests of Corrugated Box Culverts and Smooth-walled Flexible Box Structures”, Geotechnical Report No. SU/GT/87-02, Stanford University. July. • Raines, Jeffery R. 1987. The Big Island, William Morrow Company. • Raines, Jeffery R. 1989. Unbalanced Acts, Avon Books. )age 4 Terraphase Engineering Inc.
Andrew Guatelli, PE, GE
Principal Engineer
Andy has over 40 years of geotechnical and civil engineering experience, including field Education exploration, analysis, construction observation and testing. He has worked with both the BS, Syracuse University and public and private sectors - understanding the approaches, budgets, schedules, and goals SUNY, ESF, New York 1982 of each. He has successfully provided engineering consultation for large and small public BSCE, Arizona State University, works projects, as well as commercial and industrial sites. His project management Civil Engineering, Tempe experience includes design and construction projects, as well as forensics and feasibility 1984 level studies. Andy’s projects include public works infrastructure—such as roadway MS, Arizona State University, designs, pipelines, flood control channels, bridges, parks and open spaces, schools, Geotechnical Engineering, housing, and redevelopment projects. He has developed a comprehensive knowledge of Tempe, 1989 slope stabilization levee! bank design, foundations, seepage, drainage, and ground Years of Experience improvement as well as construction and quality control of earthwork and grading operations; evaluation and construction of deep foundations (displacement piles and Joined Terraphase drilled piers) for buildings and bridges, evaluation of existing pavement, and site-specific seismic hazards review. Andy’s knowledge of civil design, geology, laboratory tests, 2025 materials inspection, testing, and building codes allows him to communicate effectively Professional History with team members within the company and the overall project team. Terraphase Engineering Inc., Principal Engineer, 2025
Licenses/Registrations
Project Experience Professional Engineer, California, c47335, 1991 Caltrans Legal Division, CA (Exp. 12-31-2027)
Geotechnical Expert. Andy provided various geotechnical support for right-of-way issues Professional Geotechnical during construction and construction disputes, accident site reviews 1994-2009. Work Engineer, California, 2320, included expert witness and testimony in california Superior Court. 1996, (Exp. 12-31-2027) Professional Engineer (civil)
Pier D Litigation Washington, 56648, 2018,
Geotechnical Expert. Andy worked on the litigation between OXY petroleum and the (Exp. 6-27-2026) Port of Long Beach regarding distress caused by widening the Pier D for Super Container Professional Engineer (civil) Ships. The Port of Long Beach contracted with a firm to create coffer dams in front of the Nebraska, E-20666, 2024 1930s revetment. OXY petroleum had an active oil pumping operation on the top of the (Exp. 12-31-202 7)pier. Following the installation, vertical deformations (behind the quay wall) were up to 6 Certification/Training inches, and this was enough to sever service lines and disrupt operations. The following Licensed Pile Driving Inspector, litigation involved Andy providing expert geotechnical services and this matter was San Diego California, 1997 eventually settled out of court. OSHA 40 Hour Training, 1991 Soil Anchor Wall, Talbot Street San Diego California (2017) CPN Densometer Training, 1989 Geotechnical Expert. Andy Provided geotechnical engineering expert witness for Alliance Diversified Contractor in a changed condition litigation against the City of San Diego. The soil nail wall was over 25 feet in height and had exposed complex faulted geology when excavated for the widening of Talbot Street and stabilized the hillside below Point Loma homes. The soil nail wall could not be built as depicted on the plans due to a changed geological condition than provided in the geotechnical report. The subsurface conditions were in fact anisotropic, faulted geology and not isotropic and homogeneous. This caused an increase in contract costs. Andy provided expert witness support and appeared in local court on behalf of the AD contractor. The contractor prevailed in this litigation.
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Andrew Guatelli, PE, GE
Good Hope Mine, Murrieta California (2015)
Geotechnical Engineer Andy assisted the land developer in establishing a grouting program to close open shafts and backfill and grade near an abandoned gold mine. Established setbacks and rock stability evaluation of nearby surcharge and future grading.
MID, New Exchequer Geotech Testing Program, California
Geotechnical Engineer Andy assisted in the development of a geotechnical exploration plan in support of the New Exchequer Spiliway Remediation Design Alternatives. The purpose of the exploration program is to collect subsurface geologic and geotechnical data to inform the basis of design, provide additional design data to optimize conceptual designs, and reduce uncertainties in subsurface conditions and project cost. The plan was developed with regard to the number, locations, depths, and inclination of the boreholes; detail logging, sampling, and sample storage procedures; detail borehole testing and backfill requirements; detail measures to reduce environmental impacts (such as disposal of cuttings and drilling fluid).
Luis J. Zitnik Reservoir, Laguna Beach County Water District, California (2000) Geotechnical Engineer The project consisted of a 5-million-gallon underground reservoir for emergency water storage for City of Laguna Beach. Provided geotechnical foundation recommendations for tank foundation, pipeline recommendations, seismic review of site conditions! geohazard evaluation. Performed geotechnical evaluation of the tank site slope stability including landslide mitigation and buttress design. This slope stabilization also included shear pin design and observation during installation.
MCB, Camp Pendleton, California (2004 — 2020)
Geotechnical Support. This project was about improving/modernization of housing stock at MCB. Provided geotechnical support including grading observation, laboratory testing, geotechnical analysis, and design of various base residential projects. Various sites included geo-hazard review, settlement of soft soils, corrosion, and lifeline utility review.
Levee Design Runway 191, San Francisco Airport, California (1991) Geotechnical Engineer Andy served as the project geotechnical engineer for design and evaluation of the flood control levee for SF International Airport (SFIA), runway 19L design as part of an overall civil/geotechnical upgrade of the levee and bank protecting SFIA from Bay flooding. He provided geotechnical services including drilling existing embankments both airport and Bay sides of the existing levee, slope stability, seepage across levee system (various conditions), settlement and liquefaction evaluations. Andy also oversaw the coordination of field drilling adjacent to runway and barge drilling in Bay. Field work also included processing of specialized environmental and City permits.
MWD, Bridge Overcrossing, San Jacinto CA
Geotechnical Engineer Andy performed the geotechnical investigation and evaluation of roadway crossing over historic (80-year-old) California aqueduct, brick lined buried /enclosed segment. The geotechnical evaluation included geohazard review, liquefaction & dynamic densification, and road crossing pile design, satisfying MWD requirements.
Glaxo Smith Kline (GSK) 640KW solar array (Private Facility), Hamilton, MT Geotechnical Engineer This project included review of electrical design and geotechnical evaluation of pile driving supports for solar array rack system. Pile load test program, frost heave, geologic evaluation, and axial/lateral capacity of piles. Design oversight and local jurisdiction. Andy performed the geotechnical review of pile load test program and contributed to geotechnical technical memorandum for design of rack system