Building the Foundation for a Sustainable Future

Anirudhan IV, Chairperson, DFI India
A 3-day international conference on Deep Foundation Technologies for Infrastructure Development is going to be held in September 2022 in Tirupati. It will address the key challenges in geotechnics engineering and deep foundation construction. Anirudhan IV, Chairperson, DFI India, shares the objectives of the event, the wide-ranging topics which will be presented by international and Indian experts, and the reasons why all professionals in the field of civil construction should attend it.

What are the objectives of DFII’s 11th annual conference Deep Foundation Technologies for Infrastructure Development in India 2022?
The annual conference will bring new technologies and best construction practices to the forefront, supported by case studies and experiences from different parts of the world, including work done by our professionals. We have seen that our young professionals in the construction industry are learning on ways to deal with challenges and imbibing the best construction practices from these conferences. We hope that once again the 11th annual conference will live up to its tagline: ‘Collaborate, Learn and Educate’.

Our effort through the august forum of DFI India is to introduce our specific problems related to construction quality controls, project overruns, and issues like project safety to the world professional community and generate interest among them to help the mega Indian infrastructure projects.

We have several international professionals helping in our projects, mainly through the initiatives of our foundation construction contractors. We must appreciate the efforts of specialist contractors like Larsen & Toubro, Keller Ground Engineering, ITD Cem, Afcons Infrastructure, and Tata Projects (to name a few) in inviting international specialists to assist them in their projects. DFII is trying to connect these players to benefit the projects. There are also several internationally reputed design teams contributing to India’s essential infrastructure projects.

What topics will be covered by the national and international experts during the conference?
We have seven keynote presentations by experts with experience in international and Indian projects. Presentations will be made by W. Morgan NeSmith PE, D.GE, Director of Engineering, Berkel & Company Contractors, Inc, who will discuss the State of Practice of CFA Piles: Installation Monitoring, Performance Testing, and Quality Control and Assurance.

The CFA Piles (Continuous Flight Auger Piles) technology is widely used worldwide, except in India. The technology can significantly enhance productivity and quality of deep foundation solutions in our infrastructure projects.

I am glad to share that thanks to the efforts of DFI India, the Bureau of Indian Standards has constituted a committee to develop a Standard for CFA Piles. Most of our foundation construction specialist companies have the technical know-how to use the technology.

Jonathan Daramalinggam, Engineering Director, Keller Asia Pacific, will address the critical issue of seismically safe foundation systems through a presentation ‘Practical Ground Improvement solutions in seismic areas: A specialist contractor’s perspective. Dr Sujatha Manoj, Technical Director, Mott MacDonald, Sydney, Australia, will talk about the role of large diameter piles and barrettes in ‘Sustainable Design and Value Engineering of Deep Foundations of supertall towers in weak carbonate rocks in Middle East Region.

Foundations for offshore structures need special attention because of adverse environmental conditions. Dr S. Nallayarasu, Professor & Head, Department of Ocean Engineering, IIT Madras, will address these issues through a presentation on ‘Foundations for Offshore and Coastal structures - Challenges and Technologies.

Dr Rajiv Ranjan, Additional Chief Engineer, NPCIL, Mumbai, has immense experience in using soil structure interaction analysis to address safety issues in the foundation of critical structures in nuclear power plants. His keynote presentation will help attendees acknowledge the importance of soil structure interaction in safe foundation designs.

Dr Florian Krenn, Managing Director, GEOCONSULT India, will make a presentation on Metro TBM Tunnelling, providing insight into the advantages and the applicability of shield machines in diverse ground conditions – especially soil – for safe tunnelling works.

Michel Moreira Morandini Fontes, Director and Master Engineer, Fonntes Geotechnica, Brazil, who has tremendous experience in the mining industry, will present ‘Use of Technology and Innovation applied to Mining Engineering, a Brazilian case study. The topic of this presentation is the dam decommissioning projects and downstream containment structures to contain waves of tailings and improve construction processes.

How is DFI promoting the event to attract more quality delegates and attendees from the engineering and construction fraternity?
DFII mostly depends on directly communicating with the professionals, academicians and students through the contact base developed during the last ten years. We concentrate on the Indian delegates since our goal is to educate our community on the developments and best practices. We have a good number of technical presentations from international professionals apart from presentations by our industry experts and academia.

The conference is being held at Hotel Fortune Select Grand Ridge, Tirupati, which is run by ITC. We are expecting 250 to 300 delegates. More than 80 delegates will come through sponsors and exhibitors. We have about 160 delegates registered so far, and we expect to see a surge in registrations when we are closer to the conference dates.

How is the civil construction industry progressing with respect to cutting-edge technologies, international quality standards, and R&D?
India has a large pool of human resources that can adopt new technologies without any hurdles. Currently, the latest technologies are being used by contractors who want to complete their projects safely and on time. They often face the challenge of balancing the project cost with their profit margins. We also see that some project owners are ready to use the new technologies and are budgeting their projects appropriately to use the cutting-edge technologies.

Today, the construction industry is progressing towards an environment of collaboration and mutually respectful team play, but we need to move faster. Events like DFII are promoting innovations, new methodologies, and the latest technologies, besides being a platform for networking, learning, and practicing the acquired knowledge. Unfortunately, many professionals are unable to attend these conferences because of their work schedules and day-to-day affairs in the worksites. A positive impact is possible when more and more people in the foundation construction industry update their skills and knowledge through such platforms. The geotechnical and deep foundation problems are complex, and constant updating on the developments can bring the necessary innovations, which come to light through networking and in-depth technical discussions.

How effective has been the outcome of the discussions on the industry’s issues during the past events, and in presenting them to the government’s policymakers and other industry leaders for consideration/implementation?
DFII has been providing ample opportunities to the project owners to voice their concerns, especially on the safety and project overrun issues, during our conferences. We have seen more participation from the end-users in these conferences, which means that they find this an excellent avenue to convey and address their concerns.

We have not made any worthwhile progress in holding discussions with the government’s policymakers, but the industry leaders are showing interest. We have positive responses from the leading industry circles for adapting the CFA pile technology. Another technology that would benefit the renewable energy sector is the helical screw piles, and DFII is working towards propagating this technology.

Since how long have you been associated with DFII and its programs/initiatives? Please share some insights for the benefit of the readers of this magazine.
I attended my first DFI conference in 1996 in Mumbai and later in 2010 in Hyderabad. I had the opportunity to work closely with the DFI to conduct the annual conference in 2011. The participation was possible with my close association with the Indian Geotechnical Society, for which I was the Chair during 2008-2011, and the geotechnical fraternity in the Chennai region. Dr K S Rama Krishna, an accomplished foundation engineer with Larsen & Toubro, was instrumental in opening the Indian Chapter of DFI. By the efforts of likely-minded professionals, we formally registered DFI of India in 2013, and I am happy that I am one of the founding directors.

I have been associated with DFI and DFI of India since 2011 and can proudly say that DFI has been enhancing the geotechnical and foundation industry’s performance. Continuous learning is the only possible way to embrace new technologies and apply them effectively in our profession. Attending the DFI India annual conference would greatly help the learning process. Despite our busy work schedule, we should find ways to grab such a rare opportunity for learning and for one’s professional growth.

Magazines like NBM&CW provide opportunities to understand what the infrastructure industry thinks and to know about the different services and products that the Indian market is offering the construction industry. Keeping abreast with new developments in equipment manufacturing and developing new construction materials are key to innovation and progress.
Everything is Possible Through Hard Work
BRO has been at the forefront of adopting the latest technologies, which are both environment-friendly and cost-effective, and have resolved many construction problems, while facilitating speedy execution of projects. The organisation has not only constructed

Read more ...

Why India is an Important Market for TEREX
Terex enjoys a strong brand recall in India’s construction equipment market, especially in crushing and screening, pick and carry cranes, and the more recent solutions for waste recycling. John L. Garrison, Chairman of the Board, President & CEO, and Kieran

Read more ...

Escorts-Kubota - Ready to Showcase Its Strengths to the World
Sanjeev Bajaj, Chief Executive, Escorts-Kubota discusses with S.A.Faridi, the synergy that the joint venture between India’s multinational conglomerate Escorts Limited and the renowned Japanese Company Kubota Corporation will bring to India’s construction

Read more ...

SROT: Indigenizing Production
Yusuf A S Inamdar, Director - Industry, SROT, and Regional Business & Technical Head, J Kumar Infraprojects Ltd, throws light on how the SROT Incubation centre, which is a vital step towards achieving an Atmanirbhar Bharat, will help budding entrepreneurs

Read more ...

Neptune innovates artificial sand, green sand & artificial aggregates
We have four major divisions within Neptune: our Building Material and Construction Technology Division focuses on building construction materials. We are a leader in fly ash brick plants, concrete block and paver manufacturing plant, CSE brick plants, red

Read more ...

Everest Engineering Equipment - Catering to Mega Infra Construction Projects
Everest Engineering Equipment, exclusive distributor of GJJ passenger hoists and platforms in India, has grown tremendously with many new customers and repeat buyers. Discussing the company’s expansion plans, PV Ramdev, Managing Director, informs

Read more ...

Arihant Panel Fittings: Meeting Demand for Quality Products
We are providing customised products and innovative solutions by constantly investing in R&D to come up with new designs and technologies. Mahendra Jain, Director. Arihant is meeting demand for products such as quarter turn locks, compression locks

Read more ...

GMMCO: Providing a Seamless Experience to Customers
Gmmco Ltd., a part of the 2.9 billion dollar diversified CK Birla Group, is keeping up the Group’s legacy of helping build the India of tomorrow by offering world-class and innovative solutions for infrastructure and mining. V Chandrashekar, Managing

Read more ...

Moteurs Baudouin
We are fully geared up with the technological advancements required to meet the CPCB IV+norms with our flexible and dependable power solutions. Gurunath Kulkarni. For over 100 years, Baudouin has been designing the highest quality diesel and gas engines for

Read more ...

Builders Association of India: Bridging the Gaps
Nimesh Patel, President, BAI & Managing Director, Maruti Infrastructure Limited, discusses the challenges and issues faced by the construction and real estate industries of India; why BAI is propagating a Unified Standard Contract Document, and how the

Read more ...

Volvo CE India: Designing Machines to Give Power & Precision
Volvo machines are 10-15% more fuel efficient, they comply with CEV IV emission norms, and can run on alternative eco-friendly fuels such as biodiesel. We lay strong emphasis on operator training for efficient use of every machine that we sell, avers Dimitrov

Read more ...

Tata Hitachi India: Developing Indigenous High-Tech Machines
To serve the Indian infra development sector more industriously, we will continue to undertake extensive R&D and introduce machines with high-tech features, cost-effective solutions, high performance, and fuel efficiency, avers Sandeep Singh, Managing

Read more ...

L&T: Industry Leading Initiatives & Achievements
Arvind K Garg, Senior Vice President and Head, L&T Construction & Mining Machinery, enumerates the technologies and products introduced by Komatsu and L&T, the company’s extensive customer service programs, and proactive skill development initiatives which

Read more ...

ACE: Electrifying the Industry
Sorab Agarwal, Executive Director, informs that the company is set to become India’s first ‘swadeshi’ manufacturer of electric construction equipment with the launch of a fully electric mobile crane, whose technology has been developed indigenously at their

Read more ...

Terex: Strengthening Foothold Across India
Jaideep Shekhar, Managing Director, Asia & EMEAR, informs that the company will continue to strengthen its foothold in the Indian market by bringing in new technologies, expanding its product portfolio, and entering new construction territories. Its aim is to

Read more ...

Schwing Stetter India: Formulating Plans to Adapt to Demand Trends
V.G.Sakthikumar, Managing Director, informs that since sustainability is an integral part of the company, they are pursuing collaborations and R&D to bring innovative solutions, increase usage of green energy in its facilities, and reduce carbon

Read more ...

Escorts Kubota: Prioritizing Customer Benefits
Sanjeev Bajaj, Chief Executive, Escorts Kubota Limited, is confident that 2023-24 will be a great year for the CE business and demand may be more than the current capacity, largely led by domestic consumption due to the infra push by the Government before the

Read more ...

Puzzolana Group: Increasing Operational Efficiencies
Abhijeet Pai, President, informs that the company’s wide ranging value-added services for its customers has positioned it as a total solution provider in the Crushing & Screening Industry. The focus at bauma this year will be on M-sand, aggregates, railway

Read more ...

Sany India: In Sync With Changing Trends
Dheeraj Panda, Chief Operating Officer - Sales, Marketing & Customer Support, Sany India, informs that the company has taken a significant step forward towards sustainability with its B-V biodiesel machines, and is also testing electric technologies for

Read more ...

CRCHI: Making Tunnel Construction Smarter & Safer
CRCHI is positioned in world markets as a large enterprise with a strong focus on research, design, and manufacturing of customized underground engineering and rail transit equipment, informs Song Shuang, Vice Managing Director, Overseas

Read more ...