REGIONAL REPORT DFI of India DFI of India (DFII) is entering this new decade with optimism. Since a 2011 conference in Hyderabad, we have con- ducted 9 annual conferences and 20 one- day seminars/workshops at important cities across India. As shared in recent Regional Reports, we have taken up several new initiatives. Here I report on two con- ferences and developments in the Continuous Flight Auger (CFA) Pile Technology Implementation Initiative. The conference will benefit owners, designers, contractors and othe r prof e s s iona l s interested in ensuring timely implementat ion of major projects, which is key to project success. Also key is deployment of appropriate foundation and geotechnologies, the use of the latest foundation equipment and tools, and the development of skilled manpower and Dr. K.S. Rama Krishna DFI of India Chair [email protected] The workshop concluded with an absorbing interactive discussion on the ways forward for CFA pile technology in India. The two-day conference was inaug- urated by Dr. Shri Shailendra Kumar Joshi, chief secretary of the state of Telangana, where it was held. He noted appreciation of the new joint initiative of the NAC and DFI of India to conduct training programs for geotechnical laboratory technicians. He also emphasized the need for the latest Upcoming, Recent Conferences DFII is organizing the 10 Anniversary Con- ference on Deep Foundation Technologies for Infrastructure Development in India (DFI-India 2020) from November 19-21, 2020. The event is being held in collabor- ation with the Indian Geotechnical Society Chennai Chapter and IIT Madras, Chennai. Expert presenters will cover current th research in advanced foundation design and implementation at the conference being held at IIT Madras, Chennai, Tamil Nadu. Presenters will use case studies and other material on foundation planning and construction related to success stories and failures to inform geotechnical industry delegates, covering areas such as optimal use of skilled manpower, productivity, safety and quality standards. The conference themes are: Piling and Deep Foundation Techniques; Earth Retention and Deep Excavation Support; Ground Improvement Techniques; Safe and Efficient Geo-Construction; Geotechnical Investigation, Testing, Instrumentation, Monitoring and Quality Management; and Research, Experimental and Numerical Methods in Deep Excavation Techniques. DFI of India team at DFI-India 2019 good work practices. Learn more at www.dfi.org/India2020. As noted in the Jan/Feb issue of Deep Foundations, the DFI-India 2019 Conference was conducted successfully at the National Academy of Construction (NAC) in Hyder- abad on November 15-16, 2019. Dr. Sunil S. Basarkar, of Afcons Infrastructure, coor- dinator of DFII’s first technology imple- mentation initiative on CFA piles, con- ducted a pre-conference workshop that was attended by 88 delegates and included 10 lectures and in-depth deliberations led by international experts. technologies to assist faster development of India’s infrastructure. The conference, attended by 198 delegates, then focused on the keynotes, 15 technical presentations and 7 poster presentations. The keynote speakers and presenters came from Austria, Germany, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, the U.A.E. and the U.S. Their eight keynotes covered everything from worldwide advances in deep foundation construction, to developing opt imal foundat ion solutions for overcoming geotechnical challenges in infrastructure projects, to risk DEEP FOUNDATIONS • MAR/APR 2020 • 61
