REGIONAL REPORT DFI Middle East DFI Middle East completed another successful year in 2012. The new leadership of the regional chapter consists of Khaldoun Fahoum, Ph.D., P.E., as the chair, Erik Green as vice chair, Salah Al Dilimi as treasurer and Emad Sharif as secretary. The year was challenging for Khaldoun Fahoum, Ph.D., P.E. Chair DFI Middle East [email protected] most engineering disciplines with a considerable slowdown in economy possibly due to political uncertainties in the region. We have started seeing some signs of recovery, and we are hopeful that 2013 will bring significant improvement to the regional economy. On a very sad note, we have experienced a major loss with the sudden passing away of our dear friend, great colleague and past DFI Middle East chair, Dr. Mamdouh Nasr, P.Eng., on October 13, 2012. Dr. Nasr was instrumental in establishing the DFI Middle East Chapter in 2009 and served as its chair for almost three years. Without Mamdouh, DFI Middle East would not have been created. We will miss him. To sum up the committee’s activities for last year, DFI Mid- dle East held a success- ful Deep Foundation Conference in coopera- tion with the American University in Dubai and the Dubai Zoning auth- ority. The conference was held in Dubai last March at the American University of Dubai. The conference Dr. Mamdouh Nasr, P.Eng attracted many speak- ers and exhibitors to participate as it is the first conference in the region that is held without the help of a conference organization company. The conference attendance fees were affordable to participants and exhibitors, in line with the DFI vision. In addition to the conference, a seminar/workshop about Dewatering in the GCC (Gulf Cooperative Council) countries was organized by DFI Middle East and the American University in Dubai, and held on November 11, 2012. The event was a big success with over 120 professional attending and representing all spectrums of the geotechnical engineering industry. The event was free of charge to all attendees thanks to the sponsors. DEEP FOUNDATIONS • MAR/APR 2013 • 37 DFI Middle East has decided to tackle the issue of dewatering due to an increase in problems associated with dewatering and deep excavation. With many high-rise towers being constructed, the demand for more parking increased necessitating the need for more and deeper basements. Four- to seven-story below-ground basements are becoming common in the region. The associated problems with dewatering include: washing out of materials causing adjacent failures; improper toe penetration of shoring system; insufficient dewatering capacities; excessive dewatering causing washing out and damages; penetrations into weaker zones and releasing water pressure. This years’ Deep Foundations Conference, originally planned for Cairo in cooperation with the American University in Cairo and the Egyptian Society of Geotechnical Engineering, has been moved to Dubai in November. We also plan to have one or two seminars similar to the dewatering seminar conducted in 2012. Al Hilal Bank Tower: Six Basements on an Island This project includes the construction of a 28-story high-rise tower above grade, with 8 levels of parking, 6 of which are below-grade. The parking area required excavating 24 m (79 ft) to reach the basement level. The project is being built on Al Sowwah Island, Al Hilal Bank Tower, Abu Dhabi, UAE
