Geotechnical Characterization for Foundations (India)
Committee Chair
Dr. CR Parthasarathy
Founder Director, Sarathy Geotech & Engineering Services Pvt ltd.
partha@sarathygeotech.com
Dr CR Parthasarathy is the founder director of Sarathy Geotech & Engineering Services Pvt ltd. He started his career as a Geotechnical Engineer in 1993 and involved in numerous large scale site investigation/engineering studies for both Offshore and Onland projects viz., multi-storeyed complexes, refineries, embankments, bridges, water-retaining structures, offshore platforms, pipelines, Jackup rigs etc. As a technical partner of Pile Dynamics USA, he is instrumental in promoting quality testing of deep foundations in India and authorised trainer for high strain dynamic pile testing. He is the Chairman of IGS-Bengaluru Chapter and Executive Committee Member of DFI-India.
Geotechnical Characterisation for Foundations Committee Focus Areas
DFI of India Geotechnical Characterisation for Foundations Committee was formed in 2018 to improve and enhance the geotechnical investigation and reporting practice in India.
The committee has three key focus areas:
Enhancing Good Work Practices
The committee is working closely with owners to assist them developing guidelines to implement:
- Proper and adequate subsurface exploration and characterisation practices for informed design, improved constructability and bid economy.
- Innovative technologies.
- Effective procurement practices for subsurface characterization services.
- Adequate construction observation monitoring to determine whether field modifications are necessary during construction.
Skill Development Programs
- Develop and implement skill training programs for soil investigation lab technicians and field supervisors.
- DFII signed 5-year MOU with the National Academy of Construction, a Telangana state government organisation, to jointly implement these programs.
Promotional Activities
- Organize workshops and seminars to raise the level of awareness of the need for and economic benefits of accurate and effective subsurface characterisation information.
- Increase stakeholder awareness of the necessity to effectively manage ground risks.
- Collaborate with similar organizations to improve the professionalism of subsurface characterization.
- Identify current issues and suggest possible solutions.
- Introduce policy intervention wherever needed for enhancing the quality of geotechnical investigation works by closely working with relevant government organisations/authorities.
- Promote active liaisons with BIS,IGS, IIT, NIT, NAC, CIDC, NSDC, major construction organisations, soil investigation agencies, design consultants, soil investigation and lab equipment and tools manufacturers.
Geotechnical Characterization for Foundations Events
-
DFI Midyear Committee Meetings 2024
April 22-26, 2024
Geotechnical Laboratory Skills Training Programs
- 3-month Soil Investigation Laboratory Training program – for freshers: This program is designed to train fresh candidates on the basics to advance geotechnical laboratory tests and certify them as skilled manpower for absorption in the industry.
- 5-days short term training-cum-certification program for existing geotechnical investigation lab technicians: This program is designed to evaluate the competencies of the existing geotechnical lab technicians and certify them as skilled manpower after a 5-day brush-up course.
Coming soon.
Enhancing Good Work Practices for Geotechnical Characterisation
- Identify current subsurface characterisation issues and suggest possible solutions.
- Introduce policy intervention wherever needed for enhancing the quality of geotechnical investigation works by closely working with relevant government organisations/authorities.
- Promote active liaisons with BIS,IGS, IIT, NIT, NAC, CIDC, NSDC, major construction organisations, soil investigation agencies, design consultants, soil investigation and lab equipment and tools manufacturers
Coming soon.
Knowledge Dissemination Programs
- Organize workshops and seminars to raise the level of awareness of the need for and economic benefits of accurate and effective subsurface characterisation information.
- Increase stakeholder awareness of the necessity to effectively manage ground risks.
- Collaborate with similar organizations to improve the professionalism of subsurface characterization.
Coming soon.
Fundamentals
FHWA Geotechnical Engineering Circular No. 5 Geotechnical Site Characterization (technical resource for planning and scoping site investigations, exploratory means and methods, interpretation of properties from laboratory and field measurements, documentation and reporting).
FHWA Geotechnical Engineering Circular No. 14 Assuring Quality in Geotechnical Reporting Documents (guidance for effectively incorporating quality assurance in preparing geotechnical reporting documents)
GeoConstructability – An Owner’s Guide to Obtaining Essential Geotechnical Information for Construction (documents the type of geotechnical information that contractors need to estimate, plan and execute foundation projects)