Editorial Note - Vol. 15, No. 1, 2021-Article

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The DFI Journal’s first issue of 2021 presents research spanning several regions and aspects of deep foundation engineering.<br /><br />The issue includes a study developing and calibrating resistance factors for serviceability-limit-state design. Using displacement measurements from 60 full-scale pile load tests, the authors correlate pile performance with Texas Cone Penetration data and highlight the value of local correlations alongside strength-based design.<br /><br />A central Florida field project evaluates augered, cast-in-place piles through installation monitoring, thermal integrity profiling, load testing, and pile extraction. The work supports their use in the region and emphasizes that actual pile volume is important when interpreting thermal integrity results.<br /><br />Another paper examines drilled shafts in Triassic Basin sedimentary rock. Although results at two sites matched established design predictions, shafts at a third site showed lower resistance, attributed to differences in construction practices.<br /><br />Model-pile tests investigate bio-inspired, directional surface textures that produce different levels of interface friction depending on loading direction. Potential applications include improving pile driving, managing uplift-controlled pile lengths, and reducing negative skin friction. The paper received the 2020 DFI Young Professor Paper Competition Award.<br /><br />The issue also reports an international survey of 52 submissions from 20 countries. Participants interpreted pile loading-test and soil-exploration data, offering perspectives on load distribution, residual load, settlement, and ways to improve performance.<br /><br />The editors invite readers to use the DFI Journal’s online platform, which provides access to current and archived content, as well as preprint papers.

Keywords

deep foundation engineering

pile load tests

serviceability-limit-state design

Texas Cone Penetration

augered cast-in-place piles

thermal integrity profiling

drilled shafts

Triassic Basin rock

directional surface textures

pile loading survey