Sustainability
Committee Initiatives
Contents
Completed Committee Project Fund Awards
EFFC/DFI Carbon Calculator
The EFFC and DFI have created a tool that will calculate the CO2 emissions of foundation and geotechnical works. It is designed to allow contractors and commissioning organisations alike to assess the carbon footprint of their projects.
$45,000
Preconference Digitalisation Workshop | DFI-EFFC Conference on Deep Foundations & Ground Improvement
This workshop on Digitalisation and Project Information Management (PIM) in Geotechnical Construction featured a mixture of interactive synchronous presentations, panel discussions, Q&A with presenters and audience, and networking opportunities over an instructive afternoon dedicated to the state of practice and advancements in digitalization for subsurface constructions.
Our experienced lecturers and active researchers discussed topics such as digital leadership in geotechnical engineering, digital strategies and data implementation in construction processes, digital software and innovative tools for data management and digital procurement, among others, and shared from their experience and track record by providing a national perspectives, recent advancements, and leading case studies from all around Europe.
EFFC Webinar: Driving and Supporting Sustainable Change in Geotechnical Companies
Sustainability is an increasingly important topic. But why should we, as geotechnical companies and employees, care about sustainability? And even if we do care, how do we begin to improve our sustainability performance? What support is out there to help geotechnical companies on this transition?
Sustainability Webinars
Watch recordings of previous webinars organized by the Sustainability Committee on sustainability topics.
EFFC/DFI Carbon Calculator
Get the Tool
EFFC/DFI Carbon Calculator – tool that will calculate the CO2 emissions of foundation and geotechnical works. It is designed to allow contractors and commissioning organizations alike to assess the carbon footprint of their projects.
Enhance Your Proficiency
Publicize Sustainability Efforts of DFI Corporate Members
Raise awareness and encourage adoption of sustainability tools and processes applied by DFI corporate members.
Publicize Sustainability Resources Internationally
Links to rating tools and sustainability guidance commonly used in infrastructure and building development.
Foundations for a Sustainable Future​
Geothermal energy — that is energy obtained from the heat generated by the earth — is nothing new: the ancient Romans used it 2,000 years ago for space heating. Today it is still used, and in the U.S. close to 4 gigawatts are generated, according to the International Energy Agency, mostly in California and Nevada and enough to cover the energy use of more than 3 million homes.
Foundation Reuse Task Force
DFI’s Foundation Reuse Task Force is working to promote reuse by leveraging experience among DFI members and collaborating with related organizations. The task force is active in preparing workshops and panel sessions for industry conferences, developing concise case histories of foundation reuse success stories, supporting research, and participating in development of guidance documents and specifications.
- FHWA Research Report: Foundation Reuse for Highway Bridges
- NCHRP Synthesis 505: Current Practices and Guidelines for the Reuse of Bridge Foundations
- MoDOT Research Report: Foundation Reuse: Length, Condition, and Capacity of Existing Driven Piles
- FHWA TechBrief Report: Workshop Report on the Reuse of Bridge Foundations
Foundation Reuse Peer Reviewed Journal Papers
- Risks in Reuse of Highway Bridge Foundations
- Foundation Reuse in Accelerated Bridge Construction
- Integrated Superstructure-Substructure Load Rating for Bridges with Foundation Movements
- Determining the Capacity of Reused Bridge Foundations from Limited Information
- Evaluation of Bridge Abutment with Ultraseismic Waveform Tomography: Field Data Application
- Evaluation of Bridge Abutments and Wall Type Structures with Ultraseismic Waveform Tomography
- Estimating Capacity and Reliability of Existing Foundations for Evaluation of Reuse
Foundation Reuse Case Histories
Advance the Understanding and Use of Deep Foundations as Geothermal Heat Transfer Elements
DFI’s former Energy Foundations committee is now operating under the Sustainability committee and is continuing these ongoing initiatives:
DFI Journal 2014 Special Issue Vol. 8, No. 2
International Workshop on Thermoactive Geotechnical Systems for Near-Surface Geothermal Energy.
Learning Tools
Presentations on the background, resources, applications, construction workflow and management considerations required to design and construct effective energy foundations and results from relevant research.
Coming soon…