Frank Groffie, PG, CEG                  Geology consulting                      Clarity, communication, closure.                             Contact us ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
About   Fault investigation   Landslide investigation   Rock-slope analysis   Seismic hazard analysis   Site characterization   General geosupport	Fault investigation  California is laced with active earthquake faults. Especially the coastal urban areas, like San Francisco, San  Jose, Los Angeles, and San Diego. Faults and their zones come with issues: Is a shear seen in a trench really  active? Or is it inactive, more than 10,000 years old? Or is it due to slope movement or shrink-swell? Or is it just  one of the millions of random dormant shears from all the tectonism California rock has been subjected to for  tens of millions of years? How close may you build to such a shear?  Frank Groffie is experienced and confident addressing such issues and has been responsible for at least 25  fault investigations in central California.
	San Jose foothills  ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯  The owners of this luxury residence in the east San Jose foot-  hills are adding on to better enjoy their sweeping views of the  Santa Clara Valley.  Our investigation included a 230-ft-long trench to “clear” the  site regarding the potential presence of the Crosley fault. We  also advised the owner on the issue of slope stability. Under-  lying materials are basalt and serpentinite, and we also advised  on the issue of naturally occurring asbestos within serpentinite.
	Hayward fault investigations  ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯  Groffie1 has addressed issues of active faulting along the Hayward fault at several locations in the East Bay  hills, San Francisco Bay Area. Interesting geology, including inactive subduction-zone shearing, and compli-  cations imposed by former rock quarry activities meant that highly skilled geologic analysis was needed. Even  under these challenges, we were able to clarify the fault questions and gain closure on the issue of appro-  priate setbacks from active fault traces.                            Former rock quarry                Former rock quarry                                    Former rock quarry
	Calaveras fault investigations  ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯  The active Calaveras fault runs from about Alamo to down around Hollister, passing through Contra Costa,  Alameda, Santa Clara, and San Benito Counties. Our investigations of this fault zone have involved over 1,000  feet of trenches. In most instances, our goal is to “clear” locations for future residential developments. In one  instance, our goal was to pinpoint and directly observe the fault location, which we succeeded in doing. Fault  setback zones and other areas typically become dedicated open space. At several sites, Groffie1 developed his  conclusions despite the complication of landslide issues.  We placed one of our trenches next to an older trench by other geologists, in which they logged an active  “fault trace” and recommended setbacks. Groffie’s1 reexamination showed that this feature instead was pro-  duced by minor random shrink-swell shearing (benign) of expansive claystone in Monterey Group bedrock.
	1. While employed at Berlogar Geotechnical Consultants, client legal relationship with that firm. Relevant technical documents on file as     public record with applicable public agencies.
Frank Groffie, PG, CEG, MSc, is Professional Geologist 4930 and Certified Engineering Geologist 1539, in good standing since initiation in 1989, with the State of California Board of Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists Web page last modified June 10, 2012.