Editorial Note, Issue 1, Vol 18

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The Spring 2024 issue of the Deep Foundations Institute Journal features five studies on foundation design, performance, and construction.<br /><br />The opening paper evaluates SPT-based methods for estimating the axial capacity of driven steel piles in Ontario glacial deposits. Analysis of load-test data from 52 piles examines method accuracy and resistance-factor calibration.<br /><br />A second paper introduces Tangent Bearing Elements (TBEs), bundles of closely spaced ACIP piles that act as a single axial foundation element. Bi-directional load-test results clarify their performance and potential to provide large-capacity foundations more quickly than conventional large-diameter bored piles.<br /><br />The 2023 DFI student paper competition winner reports centrifuge tests on ring anchors for offshore energy applications. Tests in dense saturated sand show that capacity increases with embedment depth and loading closer to horizontal; vertical loading produces the lowest capacity. Installation-related soil disturbance also significantly affects vertical capacity.<br /><br />The competition runner-up presents shaking-table experiments on using sheet piles to limit liquefaction-induced foundation settlement. The study examines how sheet-pile placement, depth, and thickness affect soil confinement and stability, offering practical guidance for design and installation.<br /><br />The final paper investigates how setup time influences geotechnical resistance factors for driven steel piles in Alberta. Using project data and Monte Carlo simulation, the authors find that accounting for setup can optimize resistance factors, increase factored pile resistance, and support more cost-effective designs.<br /><br />Together, the papers address practical challenges in deep foundation engineering, from pile capacity and offshore anchors to seismic performance and design optimization.

Keywords

deep foundations

foundation design

driven steel piles

axial capacity

SPT-based methods

Tangent Bearing Elements

ACIP piles

ring anchors

liquefaction mitigation

resistance factors