• DFI Europe
  • DFI India
  • DFI Trust

EFFC/DFI Sustainability Guides Task Group

To write practical, actionable guidance that helps geotechnical companies improve their sustainability. The Task Group aligns these guides to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, further focusing on the most material goals for geotechnical companies.

Group Co-chair

Luke Deamer, Eng.D, ME.Sci, FGS
Keller

Luke Deamer is group sustainability manager for Keller. He has a doctorate in sustainability from the University of Surrey, focused on improving sustainability across all functions of a geotechnical company. Deamer is based in the U.K. and is currently co-chair of the EFFC-DFI Sustainability Guides Task Group. He is also a member of both the Federation of Piling Specialists (FPS) and EFFC sustainability working groups. His previous roles have included working as a structural geologist on the Panama Canal and the Oman Drilling Project.

Deamer has authored several papers and guides on geotechnical sustainability. He wrote the EFFC’s Sustainability Overview, and co-authored both the EFFC’s Carbon Reduction Guide and Circular Economy Guide. He also has been published in academic publications, including articles on applying the carbon hierarchy to geotechnical contractors (ICE), pre-qualification questionnaires (ICE) and building sustainability from the bottom up (Sustainability). Luke has an integrated Earth Science master’s degree in geology (with Honours) from Cardiff University.

Group Co-chair

Kimberly Martin, Ph.D., P.E., ENV SP
Keller, North America

Kimberly Martin is a senior engineer at Keller-NA. In her current role, she is responsible for developing and implementing Keller’s sustainability strategy in North America, which includes leading innovation initiatives to support Keller’s carbon targets. She previously worked in the oil and gas industry as a lead geotechnical engineer on development projects across the globe.

She is the past chair of the Arizona Geo-Institute and is the current secretary of the Geo-Institute’s Sustainability in Geotechnical Engineering Committee. Martin also sits on DFI’s Sustainability Committee and serves as co-chair of the EFFC-DFI Sustainability Guides Task Group. In addition, she is a member of the editorial panel for Engineering Sustainability, a journal published by the Institute of Civil Engineers. She has published more than 10 peer-reviewed journal and conference papers. Martin holds a bachelor’s degree in civil Engineering from the University of Arizona, a master’s degree in geotechnical and geoenvironmental engineering from The University of Texas at Austin, and a Ph.D. from Arizona State University, where she was a member of the Center for Bio-mediated and Bio-inspired Geotechnics.

Guides Overview

These guides follow a basic what, why, how, measure approach:

  • What – What is this specific area of sustainability? What impacts do foundation contractors have on this goal?
  • Why – Why does this area of sustainability matter to foundation contractors? Why should they bother to improve this area of sustainability?
  • How – How can foundation contractors improve their impact and positively impact this area of sustainability?
  • Measure – What metrics could foundation contractors use to measure their progress and set targets in this area of sustainability?

For a “roadmap” of where we are going, click the image.