DFI-India to Present Latest Technologies for Deep Foundation Construction

How is the DFI-India Annual Conference advancing the Deep Foundation industry in India?

Mohan Ramanathan, Chair, DFI of India: The DFI-India conference, organized annually, is a cornerstone of the organization’s efforts to advance the deep foundation industry, ensuring that it remains innovative, collaborative, and aligned with the highest global standards and best practices through knowledge exchange. Its primary objective is to facilitate sharing of cutting-edge research, innovative solutions, and best practices among professionals, researchers, and industry leaders.

Moreover, the conference plays a significant role in driving the adoption of new technologies and techniques in India, particularly in the face of the country’s unique challenges in deep foundations. By showcasing the latest advancements, we encourage industry-wide adoption, which ultimately leads to improved quality and safety in infrastructure projects.

The DFI conference also serves as a vital networking hub, bringing together a diverse range of stakeholders. These interactions often lead to fruitful collaborations, joint ventures, and research partnerships that propel the industry forward. Another important objective is to influence policy and standards. The insights and discussions generated during the conference contribute to the development of industry standards and inform policymaking, ensuring that the deep foundation sector in India operates in line with global best practices.

The conference is also instrumental in the professional development of engineers and practitioners. Through keynote lectures, paper presentations, etc., participants gain new insights and skills that they can apply directly to their work, thereby enhancing the overall competency and expertise within the industry.

DFI of India has been instrumental in promoting best practices and standards in the field. How does the organization intend to address the emerging challenges and opportunities in India's rapidly evolving infrastructure landscape?

Mohan Ramanathan: DFI of India is well-positioned to lead the deep foundation industry in navigating the challenges and opportunities of India’s rapidly evolving infrastructure landscape. It is committed to addressing emerging challenges and capitalizing on new opportunities through a multifaceted approach. Urbanization is one of the most significant challenges we face, particularly in constructing complex infrastructure in densely populated areas. To meet this challenge, DFI of India is focused on promoting innovative foundation solutions, such as deep excavations and top-down construction methods, which are essential for projects like high-rise buildings and metro systems.

Sustainability is another focus area. We are advocating for the use of environmentally friendly materials and practices to minimize the environmental impact of construction activities. This includes encouraging techniques that reduce carbon footprints and minimize environmental disturbances during construction.

The increasing frequency of natural disasters highlights the need for resilient infrastructure. DFI of India is prioritizing resilience-enhancing technologies to ensure that our infrastructure can withstand future risks.

Continuous skill development and capacity building are also central to our strategy. Through targeted training programs and certification courses, we are equipping professionals with the expertise needed to meet the evolving demands of the industry.

Your leadership has been pivotal in establishing DFI of India as a leading authority in the deep foundation industry. What were some of the initial challenges you faced in building the organisation?

Er. IV Anirudhan, Founder & Director, Immediate Past Chair, DFI of India: I want to highlight the great support DFI of India has received from the Foundation Construction industry since the launch of the organisation. We set our goal for a well-educated, disciplined, and excellent foundation construction fraternity. We believe that this is achievable by imparting skills to the entire spectrum of players in the field, from geotechnical investigation teams to advanced design and construction teams.

The initial challenge was to showcase that the DFI of India could help the foundation construction industry with speedy advancement of modern technologies in infrastructure development. DFI of India was convinced that well-planned annual conferences and workshops would attract young engineers and encourage them to achieve new heights, and it was even generating funds for more concentrated training and skill development programmes.

We realised that the small business groups suffered from a lack of funds to depute their engineers to skill training programmes. Holding the onus of generating funds to conduct the much-needed skilling programs, and even subsidising the programs for small players, was challenging for the organisation. Though DFI of India succeeded in attracting young engineers in large numbers, generating funds for skill development programs and training remains a challenge.

What new initiatives or strategic directions do you envision for the organisation? How do you plan to ensure that DFI of India remains at the forefront of innovation and best practices in the industry?

Er. IV Anirudhan: The most crucial sector that DFI of India needs to focus on is on helping the industry update its technologies and skills. Small companies that constitute a significant portion of the industry need financial support to improve their skills and update the technologies because of the lack of funds for such activities.

DFI of India is trying to tap funds from the CSR allocation of large organisations. However, there is a lack of awareness among large organisations that the activities of DFI of India benefit society as a whole and not just for large projects. DFI of India aims to educate the stakeholders that its activities will help develop a socially responsible construction industry that values sustainability and national growth.

What are the key benefits for professionals attending the DFI-India conferences?

Prof. Purnanand Savoikar, Chair, DFI-India 2024 (13th Annual Conference): The entire world is experiencing colossal growth in infrastructure development and the large-scale construction of underground metros, bridges, tall structures, and tunnels, has compelled the construction industry to explore the deep undergrounds in search of suitable foundations and usable spaces, without affecting the existing structures and their foundations.

Deep Foundation Institute’s conferences reveal treasures of knowledge in the field of geotechnical engineering and deep foundations. Technical sessions by world leaders in the field reveal cutting-edge technologies and latest advancements. Here, delegates gain insights into the latest research and innovations as regards advanced technologies, machinery, materials and techniques in deep foundations.

Experts from all over the world share real-world case studies, research papers based on field studies, success stories, and experiences in challenging ground situations, providing valuable insights into deep foundation technologies.

At the conference, technical exhibition stalls are also centres of knowledge, where professionals in the construction field can further hone their skills. Personal interactions with the international experts provide the necessary connect with leaders in deep foundation technologies, enabling young engineers to explore future career options.

What objectives will be highlighted at DFI-India’s 13th Annual Conference this year, and what would be the impact on the future of deep foundation engineering in India?

Prof. Purnanand Savoikar: As we all know, infrastructure development in India has made rapid strides over the past few years, which has resulted in problems, challenges, advancements, and opportunities in deep foundation works.

This year, a special session on “Foundations for Tall Buildings” will have lectures by Indian and international stalwarts in the field. Sustainability and safety will be the focus areas of discussions. Key themes of discussions will be held on automation, artificial intelligence, and machine learning in sub-surface characterization and testing for foundation performance; innovative methods and equipment used for special foundations such as large diameter piles, helical piles, and monopiles; technologies for offshore and onshore deep foundations; and shallow and deep ground improvement techniques.

A presentation of research papers, case studies, and success stories will also be a treat to listen to. All the techniques are going to play a significant role in deep foundation technologies in India in near future. I look upon this Goa Edition of the DFI conference this year, to bring out more participation, interaction and collaboration from academia and students with the world leaders in research, technology and construction of deep foundations. Youngsters in the field of foundation engineering, especially UG and PG students and faculty will gain lot of knowledge from these interactions which will help shape the future of budding engineers in the field and I am confident that senior leaders the field will leave no stone unturned in enlightening and shaping the young minds and fostering their professional growth, in whom we see the future of Vikasit Bharat.

The technical committee within DFI of India plays a crucial role in shaping the direction of research and practice in the deep foundation industry. Please share some recent accomplishments or ongoing initiatives of the committee which could have a significant impact on the field?

Dr. Sunil S. Basarkar, Vice-Chair, DFII & DFI-India 2024 Conference Technical Co-chair: DFI of India’s technical committee includes Geotechnical Characterization of Foundations (DCGCF), Training committee for novel Foundation Technologies, Student’s outreach programme (Groundwork), and committee for Continuous Flight Auger (CFA) pile technology implementation.

The technical committee aims to transform the existing construction practices in a measurable manner in order to meet India’s growing infrastructural requirements more efficiently. The committee also focusses on skill enhancement and improvement in construction practices in order to ensure minimal errors at project sites.

The DCGCF committee has conducted 6 workshops on geotechnical laboratory testing and on skill development. From August 2024 onwards, there will be webinar series on “Practices for Efficient Subsurface Characterization” on a pan-India basis.

In 2023, the DFII Training Committee had conducted highly successful programmes on Support Fluids for Foundation Construction and Tremie Concrete for Deep Foundations. This year, it conducted its fifth training program on ‘Ground Improvement for Foundation Construction’ on 18 May 2024 at Park Hotel, Chennai. The programme also facilitated remote audience through an on-line mode. In the coming months, programmes will be held on Diaphragm Walls, Working Platforms, Tool Management in Construction Equipment, etc.

The DFII Student Outreach Committee conducted three Groundwork online webinar series in Jan, March, and July 2024. More webinars have been planned under this series. There will also be a students’ competition and awards program “Best Project for Masters’ Students’ and the ‘Best Research by PhD Scholars’ at DFII’s Annual conference this year.

The CFA technology Implementation committee has come a long way after successful demonstration of CFA piles during 2017. This committee organized a webinar on 30th March 2024 in collaboration with IGS Kolkata Chapter for disseminating this technology in the eastern parts of India where this pile is highly feasible. The draft guideline for CFA piles prepared by this committee is already in circulation amongst CED43 committee of BIS, and a second line of meeting is scheduled for 9th September. Many Indian engineering firms have already executed CFA piles at project sites.

DFI India’s technical committees owe a lot to the support it receives from sponsors, expert speakers, and the organizers, including the committee chair and the members.

With your extensive experience in the field, how do you see technical education and knowledge-sharing evolving in the industry, especially in context of the themes being explored at DFI-India 2024?

Dr. Sunil S. Basarkar: Given my balanced exposure to both Industry and academia alike, DFII-India 2024 is all poised for a blend of the industry experience with the design and analytical excellence. No wonder, a high potential exists for knowledge sharing, networking amongst industry experts, academicians, equipment manufacturers, service providers and budding engineers during this conference.

Technical themes for DFI-India 2024 are chosen to enhance the design and execution capabilities, showcase future technologies and practices for awareness and dissemination amongst a wide spectrum of conference delegates.

While themes like Pile foundations, Ground improvement, Deep excavation support systems are retained as a regular feature, this conference aims to bring state of art practices, cutting edge technologies in these areas through carefully selected keynote addresses. The Technical committee have included special presentations like Seepage prevention hydraulic structures through deep cut-off trench, advanced Ground improvement techniques for soft soils, a novel method for pile base resistance assessment and evaluation of pile-soil interaction from pile load tests.

Marine foundations covering deep sea, near shore are meant to invite experiences in the challenging scenarios and advanced execution technologies that are lesser known. This year we have included a keynote address on Offshore Conductor piles that aims to focus on the design, installation and its failure analyses. Sustainability, safety and foundation re-use are themes that are intended to address the target Zero Carbon emission, and thoughtfully Indian and Global context of this burning issue will be addressed by a globally acclaimed expert.

You will note that special theme is included to address the future trends like use of AI in foundations, use of special foundations like Helical piles, monopiles to encourage their use in India. DFI-India believes in amalgamation of design, analyses and research with the industry practice. Hence, research and numerical basis that can lead to significant impact on the practice is part of this conference technical deliberation.

Highlight of this conference is inclusion of a dedicated 4-hour slot for a Special session on “Foundations for Tall Structures” – a theme decided through valuable feedback received during previous conferences. This session will witness lectures from five acclaimed experts, and clear guidelines are expected to emerge from this session. I thank the technical committee and the technical committee co-chair, Dr. Jaykumar Shukla for putting their whole-hearted effort in developing the technical program for the conference and reaching out to experts and industry for the same.

How are DFI of India's activities such as its annual conferences, contributing to the growth and development of the deep foundation industry in India? Please share some key outcomes from recent conferences.

Ravikiran Vaidya, Core Committee Member, DFI of India: The deep foundation industry has considerably evolved in the past two decades since the first few hydraulic rotary rigs were used in India in 1997. Today, we see a boom in the industry with the type of deep foundations, their designs, equipment being used and their application, which is at par with the development and methods used worldwide.

DFI of India has kept pace with the developments in the deep foundation industry worldwide. The core objective of DFI of India is to keep track of the latest developments in deep foundations, analyse their requirements for the infrastructure industry in India, and act as a bridge or medium to propagate and disseminate this information to the stakeholders.

The annual conference is a major event towards this objective and the core committee spends considerable time to ensure that, every year, the conference presents a new vision, a new perspective, and new ideas to the attendees. As a core committee member, it is also our effort to ensure that the selection of topics, speakers, and special sessions are in sync with the developments in India and worldwide.

The DFI conference is one of the most eagerly awaited gatherings by top-notch geotechnical professionals and academicians. I have been attending almost every annual conference of DFI India and each conference has added to my technical understanding. Listening to experts from across the world and networking with the best in the industry is an invaluable opportunity. As a core committee member, I take this as a responsibility to ensure that the conference continues to be the torch bearer of the deep foundation industry and that it continues to serve as a meaningful platform for all stakeholders in the construction industry to collectively strive towards building a strong and resilient infrastructure for our country.

In your view, what other topics should also be covered in future DFI India conferences to address the evolving needs and challenges of the industry?

The DFI of India conference has several keynotes and sessions, which cover several areas. In the past we have seen sessions on Continuous Flight Auger Piles, Pile Foundations, Diaphragm Walls, Deep Excavations, and many more.

However, I have seen very little participation by equipment manufacturers developers and suppliers, even though an understanding of new technologies and construction techniques is a pre-requisite to ensure a good end-product.

I hope that DFI of India will consider highlighting use of the right equipment to ensure better foundations. Other emerging topics such as building sustainable foundations, re-qualification of existing deep foundations, optimizing foundation depths or sizes based on design and observational methods, are topics which could be included in future conferences.