Australia Brandl said Australia is beginning to imple- ment the energy foundation technology in cooperation with the University of Technology Vienna. “Direct Geothermal Energy from Geostructures,” presented to the 2011 Australian Geothermal Energy Conference in Melbourne, was co-authored by Professor Malek Bouazza, Monash University, Melbourne; and Brandl’s protégé, Professor Dietmar Adam, Vienna University of Technology. Bouazza and colleagues noted that integrating geothermal energy pile systems into structural piles “is a very feasible and economically viable option” in certain areas of Australia. Since that study, local piling contractors — especially VibroPile Pty. Ltd. — have shown increasing interest in imple- menting the technology in commercial buildings in Melbourne, Bouazza said. Meanwhile, Bouazza continues his research in the technology, conducting a full-scale load test on an energy foundation by incorporating multilevel Osterberg Cells (O-cells). Interdisciplinary Approach “Several contractors and designers have had negative experiences when starting to practice this innovative technology because ‘the devil is in the details.’ Learning by doing may be rather costly if particular experience is missing,” says Brandl. He emphasized that proper geothermal energy utilization requires interdisciplinary design. “The geotechnical engineer, struc- tural engineer, architect, building services designer and installer, heating engineer and specialized plumber should cooperate as early as possible to create a most economical energy system,” he said. “In the first phase of operation, precise adjustment is recommended to optimize the per- formance of the engineering system.” Similarly, Crawley and colleagues noted in “One New Change,” that they engaged early with the client, conducting a series of precontract workshops, where various teams demonstrated scheme feasibility and design before moving on to the planning, programming and construction. Close interaction among team members was essential to examine project risks and to enable to successful conclusion to the project. To address the technology’s myriad cross-disciplinary issues, the International Workshop on Thermoactive Geotechnical Systems for Near-Surface Geothermal Energy: from Research to Practice was planned for March 25-27, 2013 at EPFL in Switzerland. The workshop is intended “to serve as a synergistic discussion platform for engineering researchers, practitioners, scientists, equipment/material manu- facturers, nonprofit organizations, and public agency policy makers ... to discuss and identify the technical and non- technical challenges encountered in implementing thermo-active geotechnical systems,” said Guney Olgun, Virginia Tech, a workshop organizer. A main intent of the workshop, funded by the National Science Foundation, is to develop a list of research and outreach priorities and an overall strategic plan to overcome these identified challenges. Among other workshop organizers are EPFL’s Laloui; John McCartney, University of Colorado Boulder; Kenichi Soga, University of Cambridge, U.K.; and Mary Ellen Bruce, DFI. See page 65. More information is on the workshop website: www.olgun.cee.vt.edu/workshop/. This article is a follow-up to “Energy Piles Gain Traction in North America,” in the Sept/Oct 2012 issue of this magazine. Benefits of Energy Foundations In his keynote lecture, “Energy Piles and Other Thermo-active Ground-source Systems,” presented at the 2010 Danube-European Conference in Geotechnical Engineering, Professor Heinz Brandl, Vienna University of Technology, cited these benefits of energy foundations: • Environmentally friendly, nonpolluting and sustainable source of energy • Reduces fossil energy demand, hence CO emissions2 • Promotes compliance with international environment obligations (i.e., Kyoto, Toronto targets) • Lower running costs and life-cycle costs than conventional systems • Low maintenance • Increased personal comfort in the interior of buildings due to the larger heat- radiating surfaces of walls and floors • Optimal hygrothermal behaviour, especially important for museums and art galleries • No storage of fossil fuel required • Geothermal cooling replaces conventional air conditioning, often thought to be loud and unhygienic • Can be easily combined with other energy systems • Supported by government grants and incentives in many regions • Geothermal energy costs are not prone to unpredictable price fluctuations • The embedded primary heat carrier circuits in energy foundations prevent damage of pipework or groundwater pollution 54 • DEEP FOUNDATIONS • MAR/APR 2013
