PAST PRESIDENTS
SC: PDCA best serves its members with advocacy, education and
visibility of the driven pile – code changes, safety regulations and
awareness, new and innovative material and equipment, educational
content for contractors and engineers.
What changes have you seen in the industry over the
last 25 years?
SG: The industry has become a lot more technical.
HR: Testing methods have improved, most importantly with the
Pile Driving Analyzer. I was skeptical at first, calling it the “magic
box!” But it has revolutionized the industry, especially with its ability
to test the structural integrity of the driven pile. This gives driven
piles a distinct advantage over non-driven foundation products.
As well, deep foundations are being asked to do much more
from an engineering performance standpoint. Seismic, lateral and
tension loads often are now the controlling loads that determine
pile design. In the past, all we talked about were compression loads.
VH: Improvements in equipment have made pile installation
available to many more people who do not necessary specialize in
driven piles. Testing and research have increased our knowledge
of soils and pile-soil interaction to allow for more efficient designs
and installation of driven piles.
PDCA presidential swag
www.piledrivers.org PILEDRIVER | 31
/www.piledrivers.org
/www.piledrivers.org
/
