2012 DFI Committee Project Fund – Awards Announced Through their many activities, DFI’s Tech- nical Committees fulfill DFI’s mission to be the “means through which members of the Institute may participate in improvement of the planning, design and construction aspects of deep foundations and deep excavations.” In 2011, the board of trustees established the Committee Project Fund to provide financial support for committee projects that advance the state of practice and understanding of deep foundations and produce a “usable deliverable.” The inaugural year funding amount was $100,000US and issued a request for proposals in the summer of 2011. Several committees submitted proposals by the December 1, 2011 deadline. John Wolosick, DFI secretary, chaired the Project Fund Review Committee, a multi-disciplinary and geographically diverse group of 10 active DFI members. The Review Committee ranked and selected proposals for award based on the following criteria, as appropriate to the scope of the project: • Benefits to deep foundations industry (broad impact) • Innovation • Timeliness/relevance/immediacy of impact from results • Quality of proposal (clarity, focus) • Value of deliverable • Probability of achieving goal • Cost/benefit and cost sharing (e.g., matching funding, in-kind contribu- tions [dollar amount of time and materials volunteered or donated]). Six DFI Technical Committees received grants under the DFI Committee Project Award Program. Begun in 2011, the program will continue with another RFP announcement this month with a December 1, 2012 deadline. For infor- mation, contact DFI’s Technical Activities Manager, Mary Ellen Bruce ([email protected]) The Committee awarded funding for the fol- lowing committee project proposals for 2012: Sustainability Committee – joint project with the European Federation of Foundation Contractors to develop a carbon emissions calculator for deep foundations techniques used in Europe. The international project team will pro- duce a user-friendly, spreadsheet-based calculator tool and associated database of standardized carbon factors. Funding amount: $25,000, in-kind contributions: $25,000. Slurry Wall/Trench Committee – consensus guidelines for design and detailing of reinforced concrete diaphragm walls used as permanent basement walls in regions of high seismicity. The final report will include practical and economical design recommendations and proposals for influencing relevant building code provisions. Funding amount: $20,000, in- kind contributions: $83,160. Dr i l led Shaf t Commi t tee – international technical workshop to define a common understanding of design and construction techniques for drilled shafts used globally, and define best practices on codes/standards, design methods, construction factors, contracting practices and advancements. The collaboration partners will publish a final report on the workshop results. Funding amount: $10,000, in-kind contributions: $20,000. ACIP Pile Committee – independent review and analysis of available pile design information, load testing results, and associated pile construction costs to quantify the level of over-conservatism that results from inappropriate acceptance criteria commonly included in building codes. The team will prepare a final report of findings and propose a change the Inter- national Building Code. Funding amount: $15,000, in-kind contributions: $46,800. Deep Foundations for Land- slides/Slope Stabilization Committee – update to an existing Strain Wedge Model technique used for analyzing slopes stabilized with one row of piles. The update will include a displacement-based mechanism that considers multiple modes of failure. Predictive capabilities of the software will be verified by full scale field tests. Funding amount: $14,965, in-kind contributions: $12,805. Ground Improvement Committee – survey and synthesis of liquefaction mitigation practices including selection and implementat ion of ground improvement techniques. The team will prepare a final report including a state-of- practice overview and transcripts of survey interviews. Funding amount: $15,000, in- kind contributions: $15,000. DFI issued notices to proceed to successful proposers March 1, 2012. Landslides and Slope Stabilization Ground Improvement $15,000 Slurry Walls $20,000 $10,000 Augered Cast-in-Place Piles Drilled Shafts $15,000 $25,000 $15,000 Sustainability DEEP FOUNDATIONS • MAY/JUNE 2012 • 21
