DFI Magazine May/June 2020 - 7

PRESIDENT'S

MESSAGE

The Coming Data Revolution in Deep Foundations
or hundreds of years, data has been of

F vital importance to professionals in the

deep foundations industry. Consider, for
example, the use of geotechnical investigation data such as SPT (standard
penetrometer test) blow counts and
hammer blow counts during pile driving. It
has long been recognised that the soil would
tell us things if we could develop the means
of quantifying and then processing the data
into information. That is, data does not
transform into information (become useful)
until it is processed - until it is organised
and presented in a manner that allows
someone to communicate and make
comparisons and decisions with it.
One of the first civil engineering
applications of numerical (computer)
technology was the measurement and
analysis of pile driving hammer blows. This
pioneering work in the 1950s by E. A. L.
Smith of the Raymond Concrete Pile Co.
was first published in the Proceedings of the
Industrial Computation Seminar. This work,
sponsored by IBM and held at its facility in
Endicott, New York, was not just pioneering in the development of foundation
engineering, it was also pioneering for the
application of computer technology to
industry in general. Smith's work inspired
the Ohio Department of Transportation to
sponsor work at the Case Western Reserve
University that led to the many dynamic
testing methods used today.
So, as we embark on a new accelerated
path to the incorporation of numerical data
into our everyday lives in the deep
foundations industry, it is fitting that
computational aspects are intrinsic to this
special issue on "Future Trends." Engineers
and academics have long used numerical
methods and techniques to design and
analyse geostructures and foundations.
However, in the past there was little highquality data coming from the field. It is this
data interaction with the field that is now
rapidly evolving. Technological advances
allow for 3D imaging of the geotechnical
data via holograms of underground site
features, Revit 3D renderings that combine a

proposed engineered structure
with geotechnical strata and
hydrological information. This
information provides clear visualisation of the available data,
amplifies where additional data is
required and, perhaps most
importantly, allows a geoprofessional or contractor to
communicate clearly with
owners or representatives
that lack the benefit of our
acumen and experience, in
order to visualise the risks
we are trying to convey.
Drones can also be used
now to provide highly
accurate, time-stamped
records of site progress and
conditions. This means key
managers and professionals
can be fully informed,
instantly, without the phase
lag of generating and circulating a detailed
report. These technological advances can
provide benefits that include reduced site
visits, accelerated decision-making
processes, more accurate design solutions,
reduced carbon footprints and improved
learning opportunities for young professionals through digital, real-time
mentoring. Such technology will free us to
manage more projects, and to do so remotely
with greater confidence and accuracy,
thereby reducing risk.
But to optimize the use of imaging tools
and other technology advances, you still
have to turn data into information. That is
why this special issue also covers a data
transfer standard known as DIGGS, and
data management and analysis systems, or
PIMS. These essential tools are key to
making massive amounts of data accessible
and useful. Combining these platforms with
a GIS (geographic information system)
feature allows every past job (the jewels, if
you will) to become treasure chests of
information at the hands of designers and
contractors. With DIGGS, any database can
become accessible to any user, be it for

Matthew Janes, M.B.A., P.Eng.
President
matthew@isherwood.to

project design, research, emergency responses or risk reduction.
And, with digital information that is easily communicated, comes access
to more intelligent decisions and risk reduction.
The value of geotechnical
information becomes
limited only by our imagination in extracting it.
Where will all this
technology lead us? What
will happen when a drone
can be economically integrated with precision
surveys? Will a drone flight
tell us, in real time, how much a shoring wall
or a neighbouring structure has moved? Can
a young professional convey a complex
problem to a senior staff member, while in
the field, and get immediate support? Will
PIMS and DIGGS information be integrated
with our billing systems to allow for
accurate and indisputable invoicing and
improve on-time payment? Could that
payment come in real time? And will my
accounts receivable be reduced?
I look forward to geotechnology
improving my life and yours. I foresee an
ability to provide higher-quality service to
our clients, improved interactions with our
project stakeholders, and higher-quality
learning and mentorship to junior staff, all
while we enjoy improved remote connectivity that enables us to spend more
time with family. That is the kind of
advancement that I have time for. As Albert
Einstein once noted, "Imagination is just
intelligence having fun." May you enjoy the
intelligent contributions provided in this
special issue, and may the content spark
your professional growth moving forward.

... in the past there

was little high-

quality data coming

from the field. It is

this data interaction

with the field that is

now rapidly evolving.

DEEP FOUNDATIONS * MAY/JUNE 2020 * 7
DFI Magazine May/June 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of DFI Magazine May/June 2020
