Emad Sharif, ChairDFI Middle [email protected]
The DFI Middle East (DFIME) Regional
Chapter supported and participated in the
Geotechnical Middle East (GeoMEast)
Conference, which was held in Cairo, Egypt,
from November 10-14, 2019, at the
historical Marriott Hotel on the River Nile.
There were more than 250 registered
participants for the conference. The program
included lecturers and presentations from
different continents along with an exhibition
of ground engineering suppliers, including
deep foundation equipment and services
and geosynthetics products.
In conjunction with the overall con-
ference, DFIME organized a specialty
workshop that included several presen-
tations on different topics reflecting the
areas of interest in ground engineering in
the Middle East, from testing and quality
control to design and case histories to
applied technology. DFIME set up a small
booth to distribute materials and mag-
azines and to engage in important
discussions including an especially
important conversation with the Egypt
Society of Geotechnical Engineering for
future collaboration.
Recap of GeoMEast Conference
DEEP FOUNDATIONS • JAN/FEB 2020 • 49
DFI Middle East
REGIONAL REPORT
• Marcel Bielefeld, Allmanics/Verbeek
Management Services, “Rapid Load
Testing – the Latest Developments”
Many thanks to the presenters for
making the workshop a success:
• Dr. Marwan Alzaylaie, Dubai
Development Authority, “Modulus
of Deformation of Soft Rock of
Dubai – Back Analysis of Pile Load
Tests for Rock Modulus”
• Dr. Man Buitan, GTC–Lab, Dubai,
“Advanced Geotechnical Laboratory
Testing and Applications”
• Patrick Hannigan, PDI, “New Innova-
tions and Improvements in Bored Pile
QA/QC Methods”
• Dr. Salah Al Dilimi, RTA, DFI Helical
Piles Committee, “Helical Piles and
Anchors, History, Theory, Design and
Practical Applications”
• Sean Beirne-Lewis, Dywidag Systems
International, “Overview of Advances
on Ground Anchors Technologies –
Case Histories”
• Ahmed Abdullah, BAUER Interna-
tional FZE, “Deep Tunnel Storm Water
System Terminal Pumping Station &
Sea Outfall”
Big 5 Heavy Geotechnical SummitThe DFIME hosted a one-day geotechnical
summit on November 25, 2019, during the
Big 5 Heavy construction exhibition in
Dubai at the Dubai World Trade Centre. The
seminar was presided by Emad Sharif,
director at GTC and chair of DFIME, and Dr.
Salah Al Dilimi, RTA, DFI Helical Piles
Committee, and included 11 presentations
Outdoor luncheon with views of the River Nile
Speaker Dr. Marwan Alzaylaie
• Nick Chittenden, BASF, “Innovation for
Below Ground Construction”
• Dr. Hesham Elsazly, ADM, “A Forensic
Study of a Puzzling Ground Subsidence
Case: Interesting Findings”
50 • DEEP FOUNDATIONS • JAN/FEB 2020
• Hazem Sarhan, ADEC Engineering
Consultancy, “Thermal Integrity
Profiling of Deep Foundations”
• Ahmed Ali Ghareeb, RTA, “Challenges
of Finite Element Modelling and
Correlation with Site Monitoring”
• Yasir Husain, Ischebeck Titan Middle
East, “Foundation Strengthening and
Remediation of Differential Settlement
of a Commercial Building in Dubai”
• Karim Khalaf, Fugro, “Geology Risk
Assessment for Tunneling”
• Andrea Di Eugenio, Soilmec, “Latest
Developments in Diaphragm Wall
Technology – Focus on Middle East
Projects”
Thank you to the presenters:
by specialists representing designers,
contractors and suppliers. Approximately
70 participants attended this workshop.
Last year, the DFIME hosted a similar event,
and the chapter is planning a larger event
during the Big 5 Heavy in 2020, which
attracts hun-dreds of companies during the
five-day event.
• Dr. Salah Al Dilimi, RTA and DFI
Helical Piles Committee, “Introduction
to Helical Piles and Helical Anchors”
• Luke Bernhard Brouwers, “Petro-
graphic Analysis of Weak Rock of the
Ghayathi Formation”
Speaker Dr. Salah Al Dilimi
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