Brazil Foundation Engineering Seminar a Success Several DFI members participated in the successful 7th Seminar on Special Foundation Engineering and Geotechnics (SEFE7) June 18-21, 2012 in São Paulo, Brazil. Over 700 attendees participated in the technical presentations, which were presented in both English and Portuguese, with simultaneous translation between both languages. Over 60 exhibitors participated, including 15 outdoor equipment companies. The international event attracted media attention; the local press was present conducting interviews and photographing the organizers, including DFI President James Morrison. The event was organized by the Another invited presentation was Rodrigo Cordeiro , director and CEO of Acqua Consultoria (the conference organizing company), and Jarbas Milititsky of Milititsky Geotechnical Consultancy (conference technical chair) (left) Brazilian Association of Foundation and Geotechnical Engineering Companies (ABEF), the Association of Foundation Engineering and Geotechnical Companies of São Paulo (SINABEF), the Association of Geotechnical Engineering Project and Consultancy Companies (ABEG), the São Paulo Regional Branch of the Brazilian Association of Soil Mechanics and Geotech- nical Engineering (ABMS), and DFI. This 7th event was combined with the 1st Foun- dations and Geotechnics Industry Fair. Brazil’s construction market is highly active due in part to the upcoming 2014 World Cup in São Paulo and the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. Foundation engineers are facing new challenges related to urban and accelerated construction by sharing knowledge of materials, equipment and methods. DFI members were invited to share perspective and expertise on current and advancing technologies worldwide. Three short courses preceded the conference and covered polymer slurries used in bored piles and diaphragm walls, static load testing and dynamic pile testing. David Sherwood, director of Bachy Soletanche, led off the 3-day event with a keynote lecture on leading-edge European practices in foundation engineering and geotechnical processes. His presentation highlighted some innovative practices and identified practice areas in need of further study and improvement. DFI member presentations were received with great interest by Brazilian engineers. Jim Morrison, DFI president and vice president of Kiewit Construction, participated in an enlightening roundtable discussion demonstrating Brazilian and U.S. practices relative to risk sharing and allocation and insurance vehicles. Bernard Hertlein, DFI trustee and principal scientist of AECOM, participated in a roundtable discussion on integrity testing of piles, emphasizing good practices for non-destructive testing of foundation elements. Maurice Bouttiau, DFI trustee and deputy general manager of S.A. Franki Geotechnics B N.V., discussed interna- tional trends in foundations, concluding that the industry could benefit from focusing on improving the understanding of installation effects on foundation performance, rewarding the use of effective quality control and assurance systems, and deeper knowledge as to which elements constitute safety factors. Robert Bittner, DFI treasurer and president of Bittner-Shen Consulting Group, made a presentation on using large diameter piles and drilled shafts to streamline construc- tion of marine structures, describing an innovative float-in cofferdam system (see p. 40) and three successful case histories. given by Dr. James Collin, president of The Collin Group, who described the U.S. FHWA’s web-based selection tool for ground improvement methods. Researchers from several U.S. universities developed this online knowledge base as part of the FHWA’s Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP2). The tool collects, synthesizes, integrates, organizes and makes available to users information on ground improvement and geoconstruction systems. Silas Nichols, lead bridge engineer for FHWA, presented an overview of existing and future components of the asset management program for geotechnical components of U.S. transportation structures. Brazil Leadership Jarbas Milititsky of Milititsky Geotechnical Consultancy, technical program chair, has been a driving force behind the collaboration between DFI and the Brazilian groups since 2010. His presen- tation described large excavations in urban areas, including practical aspects of relevant data, design and construction decision making, and modern engineering procedures. He highlighted the need to combine fundamental knowledge of geotechnical principles with engineering experience and empiricism. Other technical presentations covered foundations for buildings, ports, bridges and special structures; deep excavations and earth retention structures for urban works; instrumentation and testing; foundation practices and risk associated with deep foundation construction in environmentally contaminated areas; and ground improvement techniques. Pro- ceedings will be available through DFI, printed mainly in Portuguese. DFI looks forward to future collabo- ration with engineering and contracting groups in Brazil, and hopes discussions will move ahead toward a Brazil Chapter of the Institute. Interested members should contact DFI HQ for more information. DEEP FOUNDATIONS • SEPT/OCT 2012• 31
