Marine Foundations Committee The Marine Foundations Committee recently participated in DFI’s annual planning meeting, where it was decided to initiate an Australasian action group for marine foundations following encouraging discussion in the globalization strategy workshop, and in DFI’s session at the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) in Houston, Texas (April 30). We will be participating in SuperPile 2012 in Portland, Ore. (May 16-17). The committee is planning this year’s specialty seminar in either Boston, Mass., or Norfolk, Va., (date pending) as the growing interest in offshore wind foundations around the world is piqued by the kick-off of the first U.S. offshore wind farm project by Cape Wind. Other topics planned for the seminar include suction-installed foundations, one of the few modern innovations in foundations. This is not an improvement in techniques used for centuries, but a new approach to marine foundations and anchors. These foundations, obvi- ously applicable for deep off- shore sites, also have applications in more modest water depths, where they have been used successfully. Another topic is the worldwide use of larger ships with deeper drafts that has forced port operators to deepen existing harbors and quay walls. True innovation has resulted from this trend, such as the Italian development of an underwater robotic tie-back system which supplements the passive pressure at the toe of quay walls prior to dredging for deeper vessels. The 4th Annual Ben C. Gerwick Award for Innovation in the Design and Construction of Marine Foundations will be presented during a dinner at the specialty seminar which benefits the DFI Educational Trust. The committee’s marine foundations manual will be available electronically on OneMine.org. The printed version is still available through the DFI. Gerard Houlahan, P.E. Committee Chair [email protected] Plans are underway for the formation of a regional committee to serve the Austral- asian foundations community— including Australia, New Zealand and Papua-New Guinea. The committee will interact with the current Marine Foundations Commit- tee and other DFI technical and regional committees. The group is expected to be vigorous, with historically strong and innovative engineering and construction culture, and a growing international contracting community with associated worldwide suppliers. The committee will be participating in DFI’s Annual Conference, October 16-19 in Houston, and will meet at both SuperPile and the Houston conference. We encourage those interested in this committee’s activities to contact DFI headquarters. DEEP FOUNDATIONS • MAY/JUNE 2012 • 69
