REGIONAL REPORT DFI Middle East Prof. Alaa K. Ashmawy, P.E., dean, School of Engineering, American University in Dubai The DFI Middle East Regional Chapter held a one-day work- shop on advanced site investiga- tion and site characterization in November 2015. We are also in the middle of organizing the third DFI Middle East Confer- ence (DFIMEC) planned for March 2016. The first and second conferences took place in Dubai in 2012 and 2014, respectively, drew an attendance of more than 250 professionals in the field, and featured keynote presentations by practitioners and professors from Europe, Asia and North America. Other upcoming events include officer elections and several training workshops co-organized by the American University in Dubai on geotechnical software. The Middle East Chapter also provided expert and logistical support for the third edition of the Arabian Tunneling Conference and Exhibition, which took place on November 23-25 in Dubai. The conference was co-organized by the UAE Society of Engineers and the International Tunneling Association, and featured speakers from government, industry and academia. Among the keynote speakers were Tim Smart, international director for high-speed rail at CH2M; Konrad Bergmeister, university professor and CEO of Brenner Basistunnel; and Sulaiman Al Hajri, director of Sharjah Roads and Transport Authority. Kingdom Tower Update The Kingdom Tower, currently under construction in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, is slated to beat the world record for tallest building, currently held by Dubai’s Burj Khalifa. The master plan of the project includes development of an area of approximately 530 hectares (300 acres) in size. The precise height of the tower has not been yet announced, but is expected to be over 1 km (0.6 miles). The Arab Center for Engineering Studies (ACES) has performed the site investigation for the Kingdom Tower since 2010. ACES site investigation works for the project are being carried out in three phases. The scope of work comprises drilling numerous boreholes with depths ranging from 20 m (65 ft) to 200 m (650 ft), with the a total drilled length exceeding 10,000 m (32,000 ft). The field tests include pressuremeter, packer testing, surface and downhole geophysical testing, MASW and P&S suspension logging, as well as installation and monitoring of standpipe piezometers. Laboratory tests were also carried out for description and classification, assessment of corrosivity, and strength and stiffness characteristics. In addition, a number of advanced geotechnical laboratory tests such as CD triaxial and repetitive cyclic triaxial were carried out. The geotechnical characterization and design recommendations were performed under the supervision of Langan International, the geotechnical consultant for the project. DEEP FOUNDATIONS • NOV/DEC 2015 • 57
