The conference

The Construction Industry is largely contributing to the CO2 emissions, and so is the Deep Foundation Industry. With sustainability becoming every day more relevant, foundation design has to be viewed differently. Decarbonization is the first option: more efficient design reducing volumes of concrete or steel, the use of different materials with lower carbon footprint. This should not be viewed as the only option available: the reuse of existing foundations must be considered as well, and even preferred as the most sustainable option.

In March 2023, DFI Europe and the Geotechnical Section of the KIVI will host a 3-day conference, including an optional one-day site-visit, to discuss these burning topics in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

In this city, foundations using timber piles (one of the more sustainable construction material) have been used for long, and given the age of many structures the issue of the foundation reuse is a recurring topic of endless debate.  This can be because the loads have increased since the structure was first designed, as is the case with the bridges in Amsterdam, or because a new building is constructed to replace a structure that no longer meets the current requirements. 

But of course, there are many other places in the World where this issue is getting momentum, with urban centers being reconstructed and transformed, and we propose to enlarge the debate in this International Conference, discussing the vision of consulting engineers, contractors or end-clients.  We have received a very quick and unexpected amount of abstracts showing a large interest in the proposed themes.

Join us in Amsterdam, The Netherlands!

Themes

  • Session 1: The decision-making process regarding foundation decarbonization and reuse
  • Session 2: The inspection and testing of existing foundations to assess their suitability for reuse
  • Session 3: The design process when foundations are decarbonized or reused
  • Session 4: The construction phase when foundations are decarbonized or reused

A keynote lecture by an invited speaker will open each session, after which 25-minute presentations will be scheduled. The session will then close with a moderated panel discussion, where the speakers and the attendees can have an open exchange of ideas on the session topic.

Keydates

– Abstract submission deadline: September 30, 2022
– Abstract approval decision: October 7, 2022
– Initial paper submission deadline: December 23, 2022
– Paper review and approval notification: January 15, 2023
– Final paper submission deadline 2023: February 15, 2023
– Presentation submission deadline: March 7, 2023

More information