FHWA-DFI PARTNERSHIP DFI Hosted Two NHI Micropile Courses in Florida DFI hosted two NHI Micropile Design and Construction Courses (NHI #132078) in Florida this fall. Allen Cadden, P.E., D.GE, Schnabel Engineering and Jesús Gómez, Ph.D., P.E., D.GE, GEI Consultants, recognized leaders in micropile technology and certified NHI instructors, led the two-day courses. The first course was held on September 28-29, 2015, at the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) District 4 office in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. There were 19 participants with 13 from FDOT district offices and 6 from the private sector. The second course was held October 1-2, 2015, at the FDOT Operations Auditorium in Gainesville, Fla. There were 26 attendees with 22 from various FDOT districts and 4 from the private sector. Jerry DiMaggio, P.E., D.GE, of Jerry A. DiMaggio Consulting and retired principal bridge engineer from FHWA was also a co-instructor for Day 1 of the Fort Lauderdale course. The course provided guidance on when and where it is appropriate to use micropiles, and educated attendees about feasibility and state of the practice in the design and construction of these elements. It included step-by-step micropile design procedures for structural support and slope stability applications and instruction on construction, inspection and integrity testing. Classroom exercises were used to explain technical and cost feasibility analyses. Each participant received a workbook and reference manual containing detailed micropile design examples for various applications. transportation structures. NHI expects an increase in requests for “just-in-time” training of practitioners to meet the needs of specific projects and/or markets, and DFI stands prepared to assist member companies to access training opportunities. Geotechnical Course Offerings DFI offers access to the all of the NHI’s geotechnical courses. These courses are delivered in an instructor-led format (in-person delivery) and are taught by NHI certified instructors who are subject matter specialists. The courses may be tailored to specific needs as discussed up front with instructors. • Drilled Shafts (NHI #132014) • Drilled Shaft Foundation Inspection (NHI #132070) • Driven Pile Foundations – Design and Construction (NHI #132021) • Driven Pile Foundation Inspection (NHI #132069) • Earth Retaining Structures (NHI #132036) • Ground Improvement Techniques (NHI #132034) • LRFD Seismic Analysis and Design of Transportation Structures, Features, and Foundations (NHI #130094) • Micropile Design and Construction (NHI #132078) • Soils and Foundations Workshop (NHI #132012) Allen Cadden provides micropile design instruction DFI-NHI Partnership In 2010, FHWA and DFI entered a partnering agreement to combine resources to further NHI’s mission of quickly and effectively training the current and future transportation workforce to address the full life cycle of the highway transportation system. The DFI/NHI partnership is intended to offer increased training and education opportunities that build the technical capacity of practitioners designing, constructing and inspecting foundations and geotechnical features for roadways, bridges and other These courses are particularly attractive to companies servicing State DOTs that want to enhance their transportation expertise; although the training is applicable to all deep foundations practice. Members can group together courses on one technology to demonstrate “mastery” in a subject matter (e.g., drilled shaft inspection, design and construction). Courses can also be grouped together as “professional starter” training (e.g., introductory soil mechanics, driven piles, and drilled shafts) to train entry-level employees. DEEP FOUNDATIONS • NOV/DEC 2015 • 43
