Tiebacks and Soil Nailing Committee At the committee meeting in Exciting news – the DFI Tiebacks and Soil Nailing Committee is partnered with the joint DFI/ADSC Micropile Committee and the ADSC Anchored Earth Retention Committee to bring the industry a comprehensive seminar on November 13-14, 2012 in the Washington, D.C. area! This technical seminar, lasting a full two days, will provide the industry with the most current information on the design and construction of small diameter drilled foundation elements (tiebacks, soil nails and micropiles). We are also proud to bring you prominent keynote speakers such as David Weatherby, vice president of Schnabel Foundation Company and noted expert on R&D, design, and construction of tieback-supported excavations and soil nailed walls. Check the DFI website and event emails for more information as details and final speaker schedules develop! Boston, during the 2011 Annual Conference, the committee discussed new initiatives to continue advancing its segment of the earth retention and ground anchor industry. With the initiation of the DFI Committee Project Fund, more rigorous research can be sponsored and performed by the committee. For 2013, we plan to apply for funds to begin a review and comparison study of available soil nail wall design software and analysis methods, with an eye toward benchmarking and cate- gorizing the proper uses and limitations of each. Another area of interest to the committee is the state of practice for removable tieback and soil nail anchors. Send us your questions and other suggestions and you might plant the seed for a new research direction or industry contribution by the committee. The Tiebacks and Soil Nailing Committee would like to remind all DFI members, and others in Terence P. Holman, Ph.D., P.E. Committee Chair [email protected] the construction and engineering industry, that the First Edition of the Soil Nailing Guide Specification (2010) is available for pur- chase through DFI’s website. This document represents the state of the practice in speci- fying soil nail walls for private-sector projects, and was authored and reviewed by experts in the construction and design fields. Finally, for those of you who would like to join the committee and stay informed about industry trends and advancement, please contact DFI headquarters. We hope to see you at our next formal committee meeting at the 37th Annual Conference in Houston, Texas in October. DEEP FOUNDATIONS • MAY/JUNE 2012 • 67
