DFI Magazine May/June 2020 - 99

Deep Foundation Applications
DIGGS offers significant benefits to
virtually all geotechnical and geoenvironmental practitioners, whether the
practice relates to testing, field monitoring,
construction or quality control and
assurance. The following are three
examples of adoption of DIGGS by the
deep foundations community for real-time
construction control systems, subsurface
characterization data and load testing data.

However, should the contractor wish to
integrate data from different systems, it is
extremely difficult because of the proprietary nature of the software. If a DIGGS
format were to be adopted that has a
DIGGS-export option included by the
vendor, then the contractor would be able
to readily import data related to the project,
output data from the vendor's system, and
then integrate these data into the system
managed by the contractor and the owner.

Satellite-borne
Imaging Device
Traffic
Monitor

site conditions for a bid, proposal or
presentation, they have to manually re-enter
the information into a proprietary software
package, or into a generic spreadsheet
selected by the contractor. This is an
inefficient and time-consuming activity that
is prone to transcription errors. If geotechnical data were instead transmitted
electronically in a DIGGS format, and if the
contractor's software vendors had a DIGGSimport function, then significant time and
energy could be saved on
the owner's side from not
having to compile specific
project documents (PDF

Environmental
Monitor

(DFI) is supporting
this effort with
the recently
funded project

Strain
Gauge

titled DIGGS

* All sensors reporting position
Airborne
Imaging
Device

* All connected to the web

Stored
Sensor
Data

* All with metadata registered
* All readable remotely
* Some controllable remotely

Scheme for Rock
Grouting Data
Transfer through
the DFI Committee

Health
Monitor
Webcam
Industrial
Process
Monitor

Information sharing benefits of standardized web-connected sensors (Credit: OGC)

Real-time Control Systems
Most contractors have included
automated control and monitoring equipment in parts of their construction practice.
These systems include instrumentation that
provides in-cab or at-plant monitors for
verticality, crowd, energy, flow and load.
Most of these systems are custom designed
by specific hardware and software vendors
and involve proprietary systems for data
collection, processing and reporting. These
systems provide a level of quality control
that was unheard of just 10 years ago.

Subsurface Characterization Data
When responding to project opportunities, contractors need information
regarding subsurface conditions at the
project site. As part of bid packages, owners
typically provide results of subsurface
drilling activities, and results from in-situ
and laboratory tests. In most cases, these
results are provided as paper copies or, if
transmitted electronically, as PDF documents. Should the contractor (or its
consultant) desire to graphically present
results, develop cross sections or summarize

Project Fund.
files), and on the contractor and consultant's
side because they now
have readily available
data for use. The DIGGS
functionality thus offers
untold benefits to both
communities.
Pile Load Test Databases
Most contractors and geotechnical
engineers recognize the benefits of deep
foundation databases that provide a
historical perspective of deep foundation
selection and performance. Unfortunately,
their practical value is currently limited to
basic information retrieval, despite numerous attempts to address this limitation.
Author Nikolaos Machairas and his
colleagues have spent most of the past 3
years seeking to rectify this problem,
ultimately concluding that a standard data
DEEP FOUNDATIONS * MAY/JUNE 2020 * 99
DFI Magazine May/June 2020

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