PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Teamwork and Project Success T he other day, I read an article that referred to construction as the ultimate team sport. Having greatly benefited from participating in team sports in high school and college, the phrase caught my attention and made me think about the similarities between sports and construction. But I quickly came to the conclusion that the relat ionship between sports and construction was not really the point. The point is the key role that teamwork plays in obtaining success in any field, whether it is sports, business or foundation construction. Looking back over 45 years in construction covering a wide range of large and small projects including bridges, offshore structures, tunnels and locks and dams, I began thinking about the role that teamwork played in the success of all these projects. By success, I am referring to a project that is completed: on or ahead of schedule, within or below budget, exceeding or meeting all safety goals, to specified quality levels, and to the full satisfaction of the owner. After making this mental The key to success is effective and efficient teamwork, with the entire team pulling in the same direction. review, I came to the conclusion that the most important factor in determining the success of these projects, and really any project, is the effectiveness of the team effort — the ability of all participants to work together effectively towards a common goal. There are of course significant differences between partici- pating on a sports team and participating on a foundation construction project team. On a sports team you are competing against an opposing team or teams, while on a construction project you are competing against the elements of we a t h e r , t ime a n d uncertainty. But in both cases, the key to success is effective and efficient teamwork, with the entire team pulling in the same direction. Successful foundation construction projects are the result not only of the employees of a given company working together as an effective team, but also the teamwork between all participants on the Robert B. Bittner, P.E. President [email protected] project: prime contractor, owner, designer, subcontractors and material and equipment suppliers. Without close cooperation among all of these entities, complicated foundation projects can quickly get into trouble, falling behind schedule and over budget. Perhaps a better way to rephrase it would be to say that construction is the ultimate team effort. One of the key benefits of DFI is its focus on bringing all these parties together in an environment of mutual respect and fellowship, where direct and free communication can occur to develop a sense of trust, where each participant on the team can see and understand various critical issues on a project from multiple perspectives. I am not aware of another organization that more effectively provides this common ground for its membership, and by doing so, greatly fosters the prospect for effective teamwork on foundation projects. SEFE 8 Call for Papers The 8th Seminar on Special Foundations Engineering and Geotechnics will be held June 23-25, 2015 in São Paulo, Brazil in conjunction with the 2nd Exhibition of Industry Foundations and Geotechnics. DFI is partnering with the ABEF (Associação Brasileira de Empresas de Engenharia de Fundações e Geotecnia), and several other organizations to host the conference. Papers are being solicited on the following topics: • Building Foundations • Foundation of Ports, Bridges and Special Works • Pile Testing • Deep Excavations in Urban Areas, Construction and Retaining Structures • Geotechnical and Environmental • Ground Improvement • Responsibilities of Professional Practice • Risks, Consequences and Insurance • Current Status, Challenges and Future Trends in Foundations and Retaining Structures Papers are due November 30, 2014 and exhibit space and sponsorship oppor- tunities are available. For more informat ion go to: http://www.sefe8.com.br/data.php. Please use your web browser to provide a translation if needed. DEEP FOUNDATIONS • SEPT/OCT 2014 • 23
