PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Innovation: Share It Early and Openly I nnovation is at its best when it is shared openly. Often, ideas or initiatives cannot reach fruition in the hands of the innovator. They require learned and interested colleagues to interpret, rethink, remold and massage the ideas in their tumble of unique experiences or practices to become fully and more accurately applied in industry. Just as sharp and broken rocks become smoothed and refined in the river or on the beach, they do so not alone but by rubbing against one another. To achieve its goal, the innovation must be revealed and shared in its early stages. Through sharing, those with unique expertise and experience become inter- ested and assist to further develop the idea. In addition, the potential users and beneficiaries of the technology can voice their support or demand for such an outcome, regardless of whether the technology is ready. Importantly, the market confirms and stokes development or voices the technology is not quite on target. All are of great value. DFI was dreamed up and developed by its founders for this very purpose. They saw the benefit to all industry members and to the general publ ic of assembl ing multidisciplined members of the industry to openly discuss and share practical applications of theory, technology and innovation across borders and professions. When someone in Australia or Eastern Europe, for instance, develops something or has some regionally unique way of doing something (may not be new but it is novel outside that region), the development, when shared, leads to innovation elsewhere. The innovation is typically then accompanied by reinven- tion or further progression in its new environment, as it mixes with new skills and experience or an alternate interpretation of the value of the original innovation. Therefore, when someone in a sister organisation, be it ASCE Geo-Institute or PDCA, generates some novel thought or process, we need to hear about it at DFI and, more importantly, publicize it within our ranks and publications so the news spreads and meets that next clever innovator or user who can enhance or complete the development or application process. Project Information Management Systems White Paper Published in 2018, the Project Information Management Systems (PIMS) in the Deep Foundations Industry white paper provides an introduction to the concepts and applications of PIMS to the geotechnical foundations industry. While geotechnical projects have always generated data and created related visualizations and analyses, the industry has seen an increase in specifications and owner requirements for formal data management and associated project submissions. At the same time, new and adapted technologies are emerging that allow increased automation and greater digitalization and generation of data in increasing volumes. This document, written by the DFI Project Information Management Systems Committee to provide some nontechnical guidance to the industry on these concepts, can be downloaded from the ‘Publications’ page at www.dfi.org. Matthew Janes, M.B.A., P.Eng. President [email protected] As important as innovations As important as innovations and developments – is when one of our colleagues heralds and supports one of DFI’s initiatives. and developments – is when one of our colleagues heralds and supports one of DFI’s initiatives. Recently, the Geo-Institute published an article by a renowned geotechnical engineer, Dr. Harry Poulos, senior consultant at Coffey and retired professor from the School of Civil Engi- neering at the University of Sydney, who recognised DFI for its incubatory initiative with big data and the DFI Project Informa- tion Management Systems Technical Committee, in particular. We do not know where this initiative is going right now, or how it will benefit our industry. However, there are interested DFI members who believe there will be value to our members and are willing to invest their valuable time and energy to get together and discuss how to make that happen, who to support and what to communicate to the world to gain traction and users for their ideas. That is good enough for DFI. Every one of our current 28 committees was, at one point, just a silly idea kicked around by a few of our interested members. If history repeats itself, again, we can expect from this committee great, un- known and valuable additions to our arsenal of tools to improve the world of deep foundations. Thank you, new Project Informat ion Management Systems Committee members. “There’s no limit to how much you’ll know, depending how far beyond zebra you go.” Dr. Suess DEEP FOUNDATIONS • SEPT/OCT 2019 • 7
