March/April 2024 - 71

November 2023 Workshop
Materials
The selected technical topics focused on project quality and
included parallel presentations from the government agencies
and industry. Topics included recent challenges and successes,
newly developed guidance, data management, plastic concrete,
materials selection, quality control/assurance and testing
methodologies, and long-term performance. Attendees spent
the second afternoon in active breakout sessions that provided
plenty of time for discussion and debate with the directive to
define the next steps to implementing improvements to
seepage control practices. Facilitators from DFI and USACE led
these breakout sessions to productive conclusions:
* Design and Geotechnical Pre-Construction Data - Mark
Stanley, P.E., G.E., BC.GE, HDR; Batchelder-Adams and
Mark Petersen, P.E., G.E., Black & Veatch
* QC/QA and Acceptance Criteria - Michael Arnold, Ph.D.,
Bauer Foundations, and Steven Shifflett, M.Eng., P.E.,
USACE Louisville District
* Data Management Practices - Jamey Rosen, P.Geo.,
Geosyntec; Laurel Robison, P.G., USACE Nashville District;
and Jeff Burton, P.Eng., Advanced Construction Techniques
* Materials, Products and Plastic Concrete - Dominic
Parmantier, P.E., Condon-Johnson & Associates; John
Murphy, P.E., USACE Engineering Research and
Development Center; and Gilbert Tallard, CE EPFL, Liquid
Earth Support
* Specifications - Luca Barison, Nicholson Construction
Company, and Bill DeBruyn, B.Eng., USACE Dam Safety
Modification Mandatory Center of Expertise
* Long-Term Performance - John Rice, Ph.D., P.E., G.E., Utah
State University; James and Petersen
Topics to be further discussed by the group are listed.
Facilitators defined follow-up actions and timetables for
these topics, and additional meetings are planned for 2024.
Topics of Further Discussion
* Personnel requirements that are unachievable
* Out-of-date specifications that do not represent current
materials or practices
* Subcontractors are excluded from discussions between
prime contractors and owners that pertain to the
subcontractor's work
Quality Control/Quality Assurance Acceptance Criteria
* Verticality limit not applicable to all techniques
* Testing of cored samples in low strength materials can be
problematic
* Vague and subjective criteria are not enforceable
DEEP FOUNDATIONS * MAR/APR 2024 * 71
Specifications
* Reduce minimum solids in fresh, self-hardening slurry
* Define impacts of industry changes in cementitious
materials
Data Management
* Deliver data fast enough in a usable format
* Provide data in accordance with specified dictionaries/
schemas
* Data may not be applicable to current data management
specifications
* Provide data in consistent format for quality control/
quality assurance comparison
* Emphasize immediate benefit of data management to get
contractor buy-in
Long-Term Performance
* Define how cutoff wall properties have changed over the
life of the wall
* Provide instrumentation to improve monitoring performance
*
Evaluate cracking effects
Design and Geotechnical Investigation
* Current design and construction contracting scheduling
and scoping are not adequate to meet current needs for
both the designer and cutoff wall contractor to reduce risk
and improve quality during construction
* Is there a need for a designer to identify changes in geology
and multiple mix designs/demonstration sections?
* Rectify inconsistent use of geotechnical data reports
It Was Not ALL Business
Additional thanks go to David Paul for organizing the fun
networking event at the Colorado Avalanche hockey game.
The Avalanche had a great night quacking all over the
Anaheim Ducks for an 8-2 home ice victory. A good time was
had by all!
Way Forward
We are eager to forge the way forward through task force
meetings that concentrate on the defined workshop actions.
We will hold an update meeting at the industry-wide IFCEE in
Dallas, May 7-10. All are invited to participate and learn
about the workshop subjects. In addition, we will hold other
virtual workshops on specific discussion topics.
A fourth workshop may be planned for later this year. If
you are interested in becoming involved, please email Mary
Ellen Large at maryellen.large@nicholsonconstruction.com
or Matthew Glisson at mglisson@dfi.org.
March/April 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of March/April 2024
