May/June 2024 - 51

DFI Journal Accepted Into Scopus
The DFI Journal team is pleased to announce the addition of
UES as a new journal supporter and underwriter; joining our
esteemed existing underwriters: RBM Consulting, ICE®
International Construction Equipment, Malcom Drilling,
Nucor Skyline, Pile Dynamics Inc. (PDI) and Tectonic. These
underwriters have consistently demonstrated their
commitment to advancing scientific knowledge and
facilitating the dissemination of research findings into
practical applications through our transformative
publications. Their loyalty to the mission of the journal is
highly appreciated. Our new underwriter, UES, offers a
comprehensive array of services across environmental and
earth sciences, sustainable infrastructure solutions, and
geophysical technology. We are confident that UES's support
will further enrich our journal operations and contribute to
its continued success in fostering scientific progress and
innovation within the industry.
The editorial board is further proud to announce the full
acceptance of the DFI Journal into Scopus, one of the leading
journal indexing companies. Critical for establishing a journal
impact factor (IF), companies like Scopus and Clarivate
Analytics (the latter most commonly known as " web of
science " ) track citations; measure the impact of scientific
manuscripts; and collect records of authors, papers and
research impact to calculate and monitor the quality and
influence of journals in their collections. Being indexed in
Scopus is an indicator of a journal's quality and influence in the
academic community; the IF is the key measure of a journal's
importance in its field. Even though the DFI Journal is a highly
unique niche publication with a very specific focus in the area
of deep foundation and subsurface construction, the Scopus
team saw great value in our transformative publications,
granting the journal full acceptance into its database.
Volume 18, Issue 1
Our upcoming issue, Volume 18, Issue 1, features a series of
fantastic work, including the award-winning papers of the
fall 2023 DFI Student Paper Competition.
The issue begins with an author team based in Canada,
Markus Jesswein, Ph.D., Keller NA; Jinyuan Liu, Ph.D., P.E.,
P.Eng., Toronto Metropolitan University; and Minkyung Kwak
P.Eng., Ontario Ministry of Transportation, who present
" Performance Evaluations of SPT-based Design Methods for
the Axial Capacity of Driven Piles in Glacial Deposits. " This
paper was developed by analyzing a large database of pile load
tests conducted in the province of Ontario, evaluating a total of
52 driven steel H or pipe piles. The study reflects the
challenges and risks of designing in glacial deposits and
evaluates the accuracy of SPT (standard penetration test)
based design methods and the calibration of resistance factors.
Jon Sinnreich, P.E., GRL, follows up with a novel introduction
of tangent bearing elements (TBEs). A TBE consists of
two or more auger cast-in-place piles spaced at one diameter
center-to-center. The individual pile elements form a bundle
that acts as a single foundation element in axial loading. This
results in an efficient foundation installation method that
produces equivalent-sized elements faster than traditional
large-diameter bored piles. His analysis of several bidirectional
static load test programs conducted on TBEs
provides clarity for designers and contractors.
Being indexed in Scopus is an indicator
of a journal's quality and influence in the
academic community.
Lin Huang, University of California, Davis, was the winner
of the 2023 DFI Student Paper Competition. He, along with his
advisor, Alejandro Martinez, Ph.D., University of California,
Davis, as well as a broad author team from Texas A&M,
University of Massachusetts Amherst and University of
Massachusetts Dartmouth, present a fascinating study of ring
anchors for offshore energy applications. Using a centrifuge
facility, the team conducted a series of tests at 70 g force,
investigating the effects of anchor embedment depth and
loading angle on the monotonic loading behavior of ring
anchors. The ring anchor models were embedded in dense
saturated sand and loading was simulated through an
actuator using taut steel wire ropes. Sensors were used to
measure the line tension, displacement and inclination. The
results indicate that ring anchors mobilize greater capacities
as their embedment depth is increased and when they were
loaded at angles close to the horizontal direction, while
vertical loading leads to the smallest capacity. Furthermore,
soil disturbance induced by the anchor installation was found
to have a strong effect on the vertical capacity of the ring
anchors. With the increasing use of wind energy systems,
studies like these provide valuable performance observations
for offshore wind farms pertinent to the west coast of the U.S.
where almost only floating energy farms are suitable due to
the oceanic topography.
AUTHORS Anne Lemnitzer, Ph.D., University of California, Irvine, and Tim Siegel, P.E., G.E., BC.GE, Dan Brown & Associates
DEEP FOUNDATIONS * MAY/JUNE 2024 * 51

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May/June 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of May/June 2024