Author name: Deep Foundations Institute

Camilo Quiceno-Toro Syed Shadman Sakib Camilo Quiceno-Toro has been named the winner of the DFI Student Paper Competition for his paper, “Simplified Structural Modeling of Finned Pile Foundations Under Monotonic Lateral Loads.” Reviewers praised the paper as an exceptional contribution to routine design engineering and noted its value to the offshore industry. Quiceno-Toro recently earned […]

Aser Abbas, Ph.D., P.E., University of Rhode Island, is the winner of the DFI Young Professor Paper Competition. His paper, “Modeling Downdrag on Piles in Inundated Collapsible Soils,” was recognized for its high quality and relevance to DFI’s mission and membership, as well as its valuable contribution to the engineering profession. Abbas will present his

Mary Ellen Bruce Large, P.E., BC.GE, president of Geotechnica, has been named the recipient of DFI’s Distinguished Service Award (DSA), the institute’s highest individual honor. Large is the first woman to receive the award since its establishment in 1981. The DSA recognizes individuals who have made exceptionally valuable and lasting contributions to the advancement of

Deep Foundations Institute (DFI) has renamed two of its technical committees to better reflect DFI’s evolving role within the geotechnical industry. The Deep Foundations for Landslides and Slope Stabilization Committee has been renamed the Landslides and Slope Stabilization Committee, and the Subsurface Characterization for Deep Foundations Committee is now the Subsurface Characterization Committee. “For decades,

DFI has named the Irishtown Bend Slope Stabilization Project in Cleveland, Ohio, as the recipient of the 2026 Outstanding Project Award (OPA). The award-winning project was submitted by Richard Goettle and is being recognized during DFI’s 51st Annual Conference, November 2–5, in Orlando, Florida. The Irishtown Bend Slope Stabilization Project addressed one of the region’s

Peter Kandaris, P.E. Peter Kandaris, P.E., has been selected to deliver the Hal Hunt Lecture on Communication at SuperPile ’26 taking place June 24–26 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Established in 1989, the lecture was named in honor of Hal W. Hunt, one of the initial organizers of DFI.  Kandaris’ lecture, “We Gotta Talk . .

Robert B. Gilbert, P.E., Ph.D., BC.GE, NAE Robert B. Gilbert, P.E., Ph.D., BC.GE, NAE, The University of Texas at Austin, has been invited to present the Osterberg Memorial Lecture at  SuperPile ’26. The premier piling design and construction conference, hosted by DFI in partnership with ADSC-IAFD, is taking place June 24–26 in New Orleans, Louisiana.

DFI is hosting its 51st Annual Conference (DFI51), November 2–5, 2026, in Orlando, Florida. The theme of this international conference is “Sea Level Impacts: Navigating Challenges Together,” focusing on the multifaceted challenges and profound global implications of sea level rise. This year’s event expects to draw more than 1,500 professionals from geotechnical engineering and construction,

DFI has published a new research report, Design Considerations for Bonded Micropile-to-Structure Connections, authored by Jesús Gómez, Ph.D., P.E., BC.GE, GEI Consultants. This report focuses on developing the basis for a design or verification method of bonded micropile-to-existing concrete footing connections using simple design steps. The method allows designers to assess the available capacity of

Howard Perko, Ph.D., P.E. Howard Perko, Ph.D., P.E., director of engineering at Magnum Piering, has been selected as the 2026–2027 Traveling Lecturer. Recognized for his sense of humor, engaging teaching style and commitment to advancing the profession, Perko will travel and present a series of lectures to university students, professional groups and industry associations. He