Smart Structures and Gannett Fleming Partner on Training
(Harrisburg, Pa.)
Smart Structures and
Gannett Fleming announced an exclusive training partnership in support of deployments of the
SmartPile™ System. This application casts sensors and a wireless transmitter directly into concrete piles making it possible to test every driven pile in a bridge or building foundation. Proven technology, the SmartPile™ System features lower foundation costs and higher quality assurance and capacity reporting. The SmartPile™ System has been successfully applied in more than 2,000 piles throughout the Southeast and will be deployed throughout the U.S.
As with any new technology and construction approach, success comes from properly trained construction personnel. In support of this need, Smart Structures and Gannett Fleming will offer several training module sessions focused on installing, acquiring the data, and reporting and interpreting the results collected from the SmartPile™ System. Training will enable users and installers to be qualified in all aspects of SmartPile™ System deployment, including electronics and software.
“Gannett Fleming has a long history of providing critical training and certification of foundation construction personnel,” said Keith Bennett, a vice president and senior geotechnical engineer at Gannett Fleming based in Largo, Fla. “The firm has worked with numerous state and federal agencies to ensure that they are prepared and certified to meet the needs of today’s construction technology and processes.”
SmartPile™ System training will be available in early 2012 at Gannett Fleming facilities in Largo, Fla. The firm’s programs during the past decade have included successful training and certification for Pile Driving (CTQP) and Drilled Shaft Inspections.
“We anticipate the number of qualified SmartPile™ System installers, technicians and geotechnical engineers to be significant, and we are prepared to train them at our facilities and, when requested, at customer facilities,” said Paul Lewis, vice president and geotechnical practice leader with Gannett Fleming based in Harrisburg, Pa. “We expect an initial surge of training requests followed by a more regular cadence as the approach becomes mainstream.”
Lewis anticipates using online training and independent certification to ensure that everyone has access to the SmartPile™ System approach to foundation testing. Online SmartPile™ System web introductory and refresher courses also will be available in spring 2012, accessible through www.fdottraining.com
“Gannett Fleming provides the facilities and footprint required to support a national and international rollout of the SmartPile™ System,” said Tom Chiarella, CEO of Smart Structures. “Their world-class training and geotechnical engineering expertise are a powerful combination that we are privileged to leverage.”
To learn more about Gannett Fleming, Smart Structures, and the SmartPile™ System, visit Gannett Fleming at www.gannettfleming.com/training or Smart Structures at www.smartpile.com.
Gannett Fleming is a global infrastructure firm focused on planning, design, technology, and construction management services for the transportation, environmental, water, power, and facilities industries. More than 2,000 employees provide customized solutions to improve communities around the world. The firm embraces sustainability and innovation in its projects and internal activities, finding the best solutions and the most efficient processes while being responsible stewards of the environment. Founded in 1915, Gannett Fleming had $298 million in revenues in 2010, has performed work in more than 53 countries, and today has more than 60 offices around the world. We are proud to be ISO 9001:2008 Certified.
Smart Structures, Inc. is the global leader in wireless Embedded Data Collector (EDC) solutions used to determine pile capacity and integrity in real time. Smart Structures technology and solutions improve the quality of bridge pilings and deep foundations while reducing the overall foundation costs. This is accomplished through field-proven SmartPile® EDC technology that is embedded in every concrete pile and accessed wirelessly during installation and post-installation. Through simple-to-install sensors and easy-to-use software, the effort and time required to test piling during driving has been significantly reduced.