Outstanding Project Awards

Commencing in 1997, DFI initiated an award for the outstanding geotechnical project. Projects on which papers are presented at the previous year's annual conference are automatically entered for consideration as well as any other project nominated from the membership.  An award is not necessarily made every year, nor is the award restricted to a single recipient each year.

Nominations must be received by May 31st for current year consideration.


Criteria for Award

Criteria include size, scope and challenges of the project, degree of innovation and ingenuity exercised and the uniqueness of the solution to the difficulties of the job. The award may be presented to the contractor or to the engineer, or both, as may be appropriate. Selection of the recipient is a task handled by a DFI volunteer committee established for the purpose, the OPA committee.

Eligibility: All organizations with a DFI Corporate or Individual Membership are eligible to submit projects.

Project: Any type or size deep foundation project completed within the previous three years. Consideration given to: Ingenuity of design, ingenuity of construction technique, how design meets owners' needs, and how the design or technique solved geotechnical conditions.

*must be received by May 31st for current year consideration.


LIST OF OUTSTANDING PROJECT AWARDEES

YEAR COMPANY OR INDIVIDUAL PROJECT
2008 MUESER RUTLEDGE CONSULTING ENGINEERS CREATING THE OPENING FOR THE NEW SOUTH FERRY STATION
2007 LANGAN ENGINEERING & ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES PC RION ANTIRION BRIDGE
2006 SCHNABEL FOUNDATION COMPANY RENO RETRAC
2005 ARUP MOORHOUSE REDEVELOPMENT
2005 MASSMAN CONSTRUCTION COMPANY OLMSTED APPROACH WALLS, OHIO RIVER, USA
2004 TREVIICOS CORPORATION THE DEEP CUT-OFF AT THE WALTER F. GEORGE DAM
2003 MUESER RUTLEDGE CONSULTING ENGINEERS WATERFRONT FOUNDATION DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION IN VARIABLE ROCK
2002 CASE FOUNDATION COMPANY RIVER EAST CENTER, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS
2001 WAGNER KOMURKA GEOTECHNICAL GROUP MILLER PARK STADIUM
2000 KVAERNER CEMENTATION FOUNDATIONS GEOTECHNICAL WORKS AT HARRODS OF KNIGHTSBRIDGE, LONDON
2000 RICHARD GOETTLE INC. KENTUCKY ROUTE 9 - LICKING PIKE WIDENING
2000 TDCI - A DIVISION OF HAYWARD BAKER SHEDD AQUARIUM AMAZON PROJECT
2000 WAGSTAFF PILILING PTY. LTD. YARRA RIVER CROSSING, MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA
1998 DEEP FOUNDATIONS CONTRACTORS INC.
& ISHERWOOD ASSOCIATES		 TBM RESCUE SHAFT - ST. CLAIR RIVER TUNNEL
1997 RICHARD GOETTLE INC. UNDERPINNING & EARTHQUAKE ISOLATION PROJECT
STATE BUILDING, COLUMBIA, SC

Rules and Guidelines

  1. Outstanding Project Awards
    1. Submission Standards
      1. Sample Award submittal available on request from DFI
      2. Any DFI member can nominate a project.
      3. Full project must be completed within past 3 years of deadline.
      4. Applicants accept the Guidelines and that the decision of the Committee is final.
      5. Materials
        1. One page summary of the project.
        2. Up to 10 prints of project photos with copies on disk.
        3. Completed application form
        4. Application fee.
          Note! Please no binding - we will need to photocopy.
    2. Judgment Criteria
      1. Based on Foundation Design/Construction
      2. Ingenuity of design,
      3. Ingenuity of construction technique,
      4. How design met owners' needs,
      5. How the design or technique solved geotechnical conditions.
    3. Judging Process
      1. Round I:
        1. Review of all Projects
        2. Determine finalists based on point system
      2. Round II:
        1. Rating of Finalists
        2. Establish Winner(s) (Judges are enabled to award more than one per year)
    4. OPA Committee
      1. Classified as a DFI Special Committee
      2. Committee membership is anonymous
      3. Appointed by President. Subject to approval by the Board of Trustees.
    5. Winner Information
      1. Additional copies of OPA (In case of J.V. or other partnership) will be available and provided at cost at the winner's request.
      2. Will accept award on Company's behalf at the Awards Banquet held at the DFI Annual Conference on Deep Foundations.
      3. A 5 minute (light-technical) presentation on the project will be required.
      4. The OPA project will be the cover for the DFI Magazine, "Deep Foundations". Support for the article will be requested from the recipient project applicant, including article and photos.
  2. Team Recognition Awards
    1. OPA winner to determine TRA recipients based on contributions to project.
      1. Winner may name one or more TRA recipients.
      2. One TRA is included with each OPA.
      3. Cost of additional TRA (more than one) will be passed to the winner.
  3. Special Recognition Awards
    1. Awarded at the discretion of the committee.