CONTENTS FEATURES Departments PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE The DFI and Self-Determination . . . . . 7 EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR UPDATE DFI Community’s Generosity and Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 DFI ACTIVITIES Recap of Virtual SuperPile 2020, OPA winner announced, updates on upcoming events including Virtual S3 and DFI45, information on 2021 events and more . . 25 REGIONAL REPORT DFI Middle East. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 EDUCATIONAL TRUST REPORT Update on the 2019 Trust Annual Report and upcoming events . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 DONOR PROFILE Stanley Merjan, P.E., D. GE (1928-2019) . . 65 TECHNICAL ACTIVITIES UPDATE Reports from several DFI committees: Drilled Shaft, BIM/Digitalisation (Europe), Codes and Standards and Anchored Earth Retention . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 GUEST EDITORIAL Reconnecting Our Geo-Industry . . . . 105 LEGALLY SPEAKING Legal Recourse for Work Performance Limitations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109 DFI PEOPLE AND COMPANIES News about people, companies and products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113 CALENDAR & AD INDEX . . . . . . . . 118 83 Drilled Shafts for Debris-Laden Sites Philip H. Manavi, P.E. Developing the foundation for an office building in Midtown Atlanta was hindered by the presence of engine blocks, auto- sized slag piles and more at the site of a former steel mill – with much of the debris buried just above bedrock. Pre-excavation of each pier location for the Atlantic Yards building and the use of 148 segmentally cased drilled shafts allowed for deeper drilling and other advantages to overcome difficult subsurface conditions at the Atlantic Station redevelopment. 91 Flexible Hydraulic Bracing for Trench Preparation Braxton Erbe and Doug Brunot, P.E., S.E. When a groundwater collection trench was needed at a Massachusetts Superfund site, a pre- engineered hydraulic bracing system was deployed to support the trench’s sheet pile walls. Challenges on the site that drove the computer modeling-informed design included a high water table, irregular excavation geometry and underground obstructions. The bracing system, connected by pins so that no welds were required, allowed for quick deployment and the modularity to change the trench’s footprint when an unforeseen obstruction was encountered. 97 Curing Stress Effects on Soil-Mix Properties George Onorato, P.E., Giovanni Bonita, Ph.D., P.E., P.Eng., P.G. DEEP FOUNDATIONS The Magazine of the Deep Foundations Institute (DFI) is published bimonthly by DFI. 326 Lafayette Avenue Hawthorne, NJ 07506, USA T: +1 (973) 423-4030 | F: +1 (973) 423-4031 Email: [email protected] The effect of curing stresses on soil-mix materials’ properties are poorly understood. Wet grab specimens commonly cured in ambi- ent conditions underestimate the properties of soil-cementitious materials. With DFI support, the authors engaged the industry to participate in a broadscale research study to gain a funda- mental understanding of curing stress effects. The team developed a field consolidometer for evaluating soil-mix samples under contain- ment. By comparing those findings to core samples from previous projects, they identified strength increases for samples cured under confinement that varied by soil type. DEEP FOUNDATIONS • JULY/AUG 2020 • 5