Foundations Report 07-09 - HTML

Here is your complimentary issue of "The Foundations Report," an e-newsletter produced by your friends at National Driller magazine. Each month, we'll be sending you an update on the latest happenings in the foundation drilling industry. If you have anything you'd like to share with fellow foundation aficianados, kindly send along your news, announcements, photos, comments and anything else of interest to ettlingg@bnpmedia.com. And tell a friend. If you'd like to continue to receive "The Foundations Report," e-newsletter, just click here to automatically continue your free subscription.

Micropile Design
And Construction

A 2-day educational program addressing micropile design and construction (including field demonstrations) is being presented Sept. 16-17 in Greensboro, N.C., by ADSC: The International Association of Foundation Drilling. Micropiles are being used with increased frequency for new construction and retrofit projects. Gain knowledge of what the industry experts are doing as it relates to the latest in micropile design, construction, specification and costing on today's projects. This comprehensive seminar program addresses the major considerations in the design and construction of micropiles. Seminar topics include specifications, construction, case histories, load testing, history of micropiles, support elements and retrofitting. The registration fee for ADSC members is $495 and includes course materials, coffee breaks, breakfasts, luncheon and evening networking reception. Attendees can earn up to 6.5 professional development hours. Several sponsorship opportunities are available. Get all the details at www.adsc-iafd.com or telephone 214-343-2091.

On the Job

Olympic-sized Piling Project in London

london

London is busy getting ready for the 2012 Olympic games. On one related project, more than 700 steel piles, each weighing up to 11 tonnes, have been driven 60 feet into the ground along the river adjacent to the games'Aquatics Centre. This process will allow the old concrete river walls to be removed, with around 70,000 tonnes of materials to be excavated from the site. New walls then will be constructed, widening the river by 25 feet, stabilizing the river banks and making it more accessible. Significant progress also is being made to create a new lock and water control structure that will provide freight traffic with improved access during the construction phase of the project. David Higgins, chief executive of the Olympic Delivery Authority, says, "The rivers and canals that intersect the Olympic Park and the surrounding area are currently polluted, neglected and under-used. We will regenerate the tow paths and waterways, remodelling more than 2 miles of riverbanks, widening wetland areas and improving the water quality, levels and wildlife habitats."

Brayman's Bridge Work Honored by ABCD-Pittsburgh

Brayman Construction Corp., Saxonburg, Pa., recently received recognition from the Pittsburgh chapter of the Association for Bridge Construction and Design (ABCD) for the "Outstanding New Multiple Span Bridge Project." A new 4-span curved-steel girder bridge was constructed to provide a direct link between SR-28 south and I-279, thereby eliminating the need for traffic to pass through three signalized intersections. Construction included two abutments founded on 36-inch diameter caissons, and three piers founded on various-diameter single caissons. The challenges associated with this $7.9 million project included working in tight conditions above (I-279) and below (I-579 Veterans Bridge) existing highways and bridges, while maintaining relatively normal traffic conditions during the installation of the caisson foundations, concrete abutments/piers and the structural steel installation.

High Strain Dynamic Pile Testing

The Pile Driving Contractors Association (PDCA) has announced its plans for the PDA Test Interpretation and Capwap Analysis Skills Development Workshop and HSDPT Certification Exam. The Workshop will be held at the Crowne Plaza Center City in Philadelphia Sept. 23-24. The High Strain Dynamic Pile Test (HSDPT) certification exam will be given on Saturday, Sept. 25, following the 2-day workshop.

PDCA has secured a special room rate of $129 per night. Reservations must be made individually by calling the Crowne Plaza Center City Philadelphia at 866-618-0410. Be sure to reference the Pile Driving Contractors Association to obtain your special conference rate.

For more conference information, contact the PDCA toll-free at 1-888-311-7322, e-mail the PDCA at steve@piledrivers.org; or contact PDCA partner Foundation QA at melanie@foundationqa.com, or visit www.foundationqc.com. To register on-line, go to www.hsdptregister.org.

WEC Open House

Wurster Engineering & Construction Inc. (WEC) hosted an open house recently at its Greenville, S.C., headquarters. In honor of the owner's heritage, the party was German-themed, complete with brats and an oompah band. Visitors from all over the Southeast took this time to network with vendors, employees and owners. WEC thought it would use this event as a way to expose clients to some of WEC field operations. Soil nails, micropiles and shotcrete demonstrations were conducted throughout the event.

Ground Improvement in the Southeast

The Deep Foundations Institute will present a seminar titled, "Ground Improvement Technology and Applications," which takes place Sept. 17 at the Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate near Orlando, Fla. This one-day seminar will cover ground improvement techniques most commonly used in the Southeast region of the United States or areas with similar soil conditions. The presentations will be application oriented, rather than research oriented, with an emphasis on case histories. After the scheduled seminars, there will be a panel discussion, followed by a meet-and-greet reception. The non-member registration fee is $395. Exhibit space is available. For complete details, visit www.dfi.org or telephone 973-423-4030.

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