Committee Notes
- The committee will hold its first seminar on October 12th,
the day before the DFI Annual Conference in Hollywood,
California.
Click
here
for preliminary information...
- The committee's goal is identified as "teaching
and leading DFI members in matters of sustainability relevant to
them." Early ideas include working towards a standard method for
calculating carbon footprint of processes used by DFI members
and encouraging re-use of foundations and use of recycled aggregates.
- Sustainability generally means meeting present needs without
compromising future needs. You may be skeptical about climate change but can
still be interested in sustainability. Key aspects of sustainability in
construction are reducing the use of materials and saving waste. Both of
these are simply good engineering and will also save you money so of course
should be of interest to DFI members. Deep foundations are just one part of the
topic of sustainable geotechnics. The most likely avenues to success for
sustainable deep foundations are for them to become cheaper or quicker
solutions than traditional ones, or to combine them with other parts of
sustainable geotechnics to realize tangible economic benefits. Such sustainable
geotechnics includes environmental geotechnics, ground source energy,
understanding embodied energy, reducing material quantities, use of materials
with reduced embodied energy, use of recycled materials, lean design, the
re-use of foundations, and maintaining heritage and archaeology. To find out
more either contact the committee chairman Tony Suckling, download and read the
committee guidance notes, read the following case studies or attend a DFI
sustainability seminar.
- Committee Guidance notes are also available:
- Interested in becoming a member of this committee? Write a
letter to DFI Headquarters on your company letterhead, indicating your interest
in joining and your reasons/experience level.
Click here to view the chairman's most recent report.
|