Ground Improvement Committee The Ground Improvement Committee is very excited that a ground improvement related topic was selected for funding through the 2012 DFI Committee Project Fund. Tim Siegel of Dan Brown and Associates should be commended for put- ting together such a well-written proposal for a project that will greatly benefit the Ground Improvement Committee, DFI members and the geotechnical community at large. The project is titled “Synthesis on Liquefaction Mitigation Practice.” With the adoption of the International Building Code, many sites across the U.S., for which there were historically no con- cerns regarding liquefaction, are now considered to be vulnerable to, and at risk for, liquefaction. In terms of ground improvement approaches, there are three basic types of improvements that can be made to reduce the risk of liquefaction: densification, reinforcement and drainage enhancement. Currently, there is a lack of consensus regarding how these techniques can best be used to mitigate lique- faction, what criteria should be applied to design and specify ground improvement measures, and how to quantify/assess the improvements once the ground improvement measures have been implemented. The project is scheduled to be completed by March 2013, and the synthesis will consist of the following parts: • A survey of state and federal government officials, practicing engine e r s and othe r re l a t ed professions, designers and consultants, and contractors involved in the selection and implementation of ground improvement techniques for liquefaction mitigation • Preparation of a synthesis report that summarizes the results of the survey and that also presents guidelines, based on the state of practice, for the selection and imple- ment a t ion of g round improvement techniques for liquefaction mitigation Martin G. Taube, P.E., P.G. Committee Chair [email protected] The Liquefaction State of the Art Forum: Consequences and Mitigation, in St. Louis has not taken place as of the time of this writing. However, I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to Lyle Simonton, Jeff Hill and Mary Ellen Bruce for all of their hard work in coordinating the event. I would also like to thank all of the presenters, attendees and exhibitors for their efforts and contributions as well. I will report back on the event in the next update. If you have any questions or comments, or if you would like to get involved with the Ground Improvement Committee, contact DFI headquarters. DEEP FOUNDATIONS • MAY/JUNE 2012 • 63
