On the Job

Berkel Offers Vision and Innovation

Berkel & Company Contractors Inc. recently completed the foundation work for the Revel Casino, a $2 billion ocean-themed gaming center on the Atlantic City boardwalk. Berkel, headquartered in Kansas City, Kan., was founded on September 21, 1959. Its work consists of such specialized foundation services as installing auger pressure-grouted piles and auger pressure-grouted displacement piles for new structures, pressure grouting in conjunction with existing structures that require additional foundation support, and concrete maintenance for industrial projects utilizing a special type of repair known as preplaced aggregate concrete, along with sheeting and shoring, anchors and tiebacks.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has announced its 2009 competition for research funding in two major areas of national interest - civil infrastructure and advanced materials in manufacturing.

The competition is part of NIST's Technology Innovation Program (TIP), which expects to provide cost-shared funding for approximately 25 new R&D projects. TIP co-funds multiyear (up to 5) research projects that promote technological innovation in areas of critical national needs. The merit-based, competitive program is open to individual small-sized or medium-sized businesses, or to joint ventures that also may include institutions of higher education, nonprofit research organizations and national laboratories.

Approximately $15 million in first-year funding is allocated for R&D projects in manufacturing that would enable better, more cost-effective use of advanced materials in innovative products. Approximately $10 million in first-year funding is allocated for projects addressing two specific needs in civil infrastructure. The first is a continuing need for innovative, cost-effective sensor and sensor-network technologies for non-destructive testing and monitoring of the structural health of major infrastructure components. This competition emphasizes technologies to detect corrosion, cracking, delamination and other structural damage in water resources systems, such as water and wastewater pipelines, dams, levees and waterway locks, as well as bridges and roadways. The second focus is the need for new technologies for repair and retrofit, and deals with how to do a better job repairing and upgrading existing structures. The emphasis is on practical technologies - including both novel materials and cost-effective methods for installing them - that would provide enhanced performance or longer service life than existing repair and retrofit materials and practices.

The due date for submission of proposals to the 2009 competition is June 23. Proposals may be submitted electronically through Grants.gov (search for Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) program 11-616 or Funding Opportunity Number 2009-TIP-01) or on paper to National Institute of Standards and Technology, Technology Innovation Program, 100 Bureau Drive, Stop 4701, Gaithersburg, Md. 20899-4701. Review, selection and award processing is expected to be completed by the end of November.

Additional sources of information on this competition include:

• The full Federal Funding Opportunity (FFO) announcement, available at Grants.gov, or the TIP Web site at www.nist.gov/tip/comp_09/2009_ffo_final1.pdf.
• The March 2009 Technology Innovation Program Proposal Preparation Kit (required for submitting a TIP proposal) available at www.nist.gov/tip/helpful.html.
• Additional information on the Technology Innovation Program at www.nist.gov/tip.

The Helical Foundations & Tiebacks Committee of the Deep Foundations Institute is planning a seminar on the proper design, application and installation of helical foundations. The focus of this year's seminar, which takes place June 9 in Edmonton, Alberta, will be on the state of the art in design and use of helical foundations and helical tiebacks.

Presentation proposals are solicited on the following topics:

• Case studies on the design and use of helical foundation systems and helical tiebacks on projects of special interest in today's economy, such as pipelines, utilities, infrastructure, highways, bridges and power.
• Helical pile and helical tie-back performance studies, such as comparing finite element analysis to load-test results.
• History and theoretical background of helical foundation systems.
• Relationship between design, construction and equipment used on a project.
• Quality control and inspection.
• New processes, devices and innovations.
• Practice-oriented research.

Parties interested in being included in the program should submit an abstract or summary approximately 250 words in length describing the subject matter of their presentation. The due date for abstracts is April 20, and they should be sent to Helical Foundations & Tiebacks Seminar Committee c/o DFI Headquarters at bhusbands@dfi.org . All authors of accepted abstracts will be required to commit to presenting their topic at the seminar, and will be required to submit a paper or PowerPoint presentation handout to be included in the seminar binder by May 20. For further details, visit www.dfi.org.

Check Your Schedules

Upcoming gatherings of ADSC: The International Association of Foundation Drilling professionals:

Mid-Atlantic Chapter Meeting
Wednesday, April 8
Holiday Inn, BWI Airport, Maryland
Contact: Mike Koller (mkoller@atlanticcaisson.com)

South Central Meeting
Friday, April 17
Spencer Enterprises Inc.
2245 N. Air Depot
Oklahoma City
Contact: Tom Baehr (tbaehr@mail.groundhogdrilling.com)

Rocky Mountain Chapter Meeting
Friday, April 24
Williams Form Engineering
251 Rooney Rd.
Golden, Colo.
Contacts: Mick Muller (mick.muller@yenter.com)
or Tom Bird (tbird@williamsform.com)

Supervisory Personnel Training Institute (SPTI)
Sunday, May 3 to Wednesday, May 6
Sheraton Grand Hotel DFW Airport, Irving, Texas
For more information click here.

Check out Site Prep, a sister publication of The Foundations Report. Site Prep focuses on the challenges and opportunities of site preparation, including site clearing, earth moving, utilities and environmental activities. Go to www.siteprepmag.com, where you can subscribe to the magazine as well as its monthly newsletter, Industry Dirt.

AEC Store Corner

Foundation Engineering Handbook - $127.95
The latest information on foundation engineering, design, construction and code

This practical resource offers complete coverage of foundation engineering, emphasizing the geotechnical aspects and the use of the 2006 International Building Code. Foundation Engineering Handbook explains how to develop a complete program of foundation investigation, conduct geotechnical field and laboratory studies, and analyze data for the design of foundations. Evaluating construction and preparing foundation engineering reports also is covered.

Covers these and other key topics:

• Soil mechanics
• Field testing
• Earth slope stability evaluation
• Seismic analysis
• 2006 International Building Code

CLICK HERE for more details or to purchase this book.