DFI ACTIVITIES Minneapolis SuperPile Success Story Once again, DFI’s SuperPile drew impressive numbers of attendees and exhibitors. Braun Intertec’s Jeff Gebhard was the conference chair at the May event, attendance topped 200 and 40 exhibitors participated in the 6th DFI SuperPile event. Seven DFI Technical Committees contributed to the program: Drilled Shafts, Augered Cast-in-Place Piles, Marine Foundations, Driven Piles, Testing and Evaluation, Seismic and Lateral Loads, and Micropiles. The first day’s technical program began and ended with presen- tations about last fall’s Hurricane Sandy, interspersed with those on research and case histories about piles and load testing on Minnesota bridges. Vibration ordinances and the problems inherent in working in tight urban spaces were mentioned throughout the two-day event. The finale was a thought-provoking and frank panel dis- cussion about contractual relations and innovation. Tom Herrington, Stevens Institute of Technology, gave a fact- Cages for ACIP piles in Florida. Some as deep as 180 ft (54.8) are being considered. filled overview of the new Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) mapping and the impacts for property owners in areas affected by Sandy. He explained that in 2003, Congress gave a near-solvent FEMA $5 billion to overhaul itself and to create new base-flood elevation maps. Herrington, who heads the Center for Marine Studies at Stevens, offered some chilling numbers: under the “Bigger Waters” bill that Congress passed in 2012, some property owners’ flood insurance will go from $1,500 to $30,000 per year. Most houses will have to be built or rebuilt on piles, which presents engineering and construction constraints, especially in densely-populated areas. He sees such piles being done with helical screws, sectional steel piles and similar technologies. Additionally, FEMA, with consultants, analyzed all coastal hazards for 1,500 storms and now has more accurate definitions of the 100-year storm. Panel Looks at Innovations, Contractual Arrangements Dan Brown, Dan Brown and Associates, headed up a panel that included contractor Mike Moran, Cajun Deep Foundations; consultant Matt Meyer, of Langan; Peter Faust of Malcolm Drilling, a specialty subcontractor; and owner Jay Hietpas of the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDot). Each panelist gave their views on value engineering (VE), design/build and other instruments that may encourage or hinder innovation. Moran said the current tendency in his area is for “parties to a project to sit around and talk things out.” MnDot’s Heitpas said of VEs that many contractors regard the method as “a waste of time.” In Minnesota, he said, they sometimes work on a 50/50 cost-sharing basis, where contractors and other parties are brought in early to “buy in.” Brown spoke about Missouri DOT’s “alternate technical process procedure,” or ATC, in which “you get ideas before you bid,” he said. MnDot’s Heitpas said his agency doesn’t do this, adding that “you can’t force engineers to do it.” Langan’s Meyer noted that design/build is entering “subterranean” work, referring to Florida’s new changes allowing underground garages. The engi- neer must talk to the subs, especially if the sub “guarantees the job, or claims are likely.” Meyer also suggested that in public work, the schedule can sometimes be more important than cost. Subcontractor Malcolm Drilling’s Faust offered some hope, saying “Things are getting better—we are getting more and more inquires about our ideas.” (Photo by Herb Engler) Dan Brown DEEP FOUNDATIONS • JULY/AUG 2013 • 19