September/October 2021 - 73

ANIRUDHAN I.V., CHAIR
DFI of India
Since January,
DFI of India (DFII)
has conducted
several planned
activities, while others had to be set
aside. Chapter activities have been
occurring amid a second wave of the
pandemic that has kept construction
activities low key, except for in selected
infrastructure fronts. India's workforce
has had to stay indoors or work in a
restricted environment, reducing productivity.
Job security in the construction
industry has also remained
uncertain. Ultimately, the construction
industry's response has been a mix of
hope and despair, but with hope having
an edge. For instance, some industry
members have used this time to move
over to a better job environment. There
is an increased emphasis on utilising
work resources well and improving
work cultures. Despite limited resources,
management staff can seize the
opportunity to enforce good work
culture and safe construction practices
to increase productivity.
DFII has also been making the best of
pandemic-related constraints. The
much-awaited DFI India 2021 annual
conference in November has become an
online conference using a more interactive
platform. The student outreach
program, Groundwork, and regular
activities of the India group of Women in
Deep Foundations (WiDF) are other
highlights. Such programs have stood
out for their quality and high attendance.
There has been growth in the DFI
of India membership, which has helped
the chapter's financial status, as will the
annual conference.
DFII Newsletter
The DFII quarterly newsletter draws a
good readership in India because of its
focus on new technologies. The January
2021 volume featured a cover story on
large storage tank foundations and
detailed coverage of the chapter's 2020
conference. The July 2021 newsletter
covered reverse circulation drilling
(RCD) technology employed in India to
install large diameter bored cast-in-situ
pi les and a detai led account of
Groundwork, and WiDF India activities.
The newsletter reaches more than 5,000
professionals, with the latest edition
available at www.dfi-india.org.
Student Outreach
We conducted five webinars from
January to May through the student
outreach programme, Groundwork.
REGIONAL REPORT
Each session comprised an advanced
technical presentation of about 50
minutes and a professional development
presentation of 20 minutes. More than
350 students registered for these
webinars, along with nearly as many
professionals and educators. In the most
recent session coordinated by Roji John,
an IIT Hyderabad researcher, on May 18,
Ramakrishna Raju of Tata Projects
delivered a very informative presentation
on ground improvement for
railway embankments, including case
studies. Then, Srilakshmi (Lucky)
Nagarajan of Giken America Corp.
discussed " Finding a Mentor, " which
participating students appreciated.
The earlier sessions involved technical
presentations by Prof. Harry G.
Poulos, DSCEng, senior consultant,
Coffey Services, Australia; Prof. Rolf
Katzenbach, Technische Universität
Darmstadt, Germany; Devon Mothersille,
Ph.D., C.Eng, director, Geoserve
Global in England; and William Cheang,
Ph.D., principal consultant, geotechnics
Groundwork webinar discussion
DEEP FOUNDATIONS * SEPT/OCT 2021 * 73
http://www.dfi-india.org
September/October 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of September/October 2021
