Newsletter Volume 10, Issue 4 December 2025

Rupali Sarmah
Pess-in Technology R&D Center
GIKEN LTD

DFI of India (DFII) is the local chapter of Deep Foundation Institute (DFI), an international association of academia, practicing engineers, consultants, owners, contractors, manufacturers, suppliers, and service providers in the deep foundations industry. It was established in 2011 with an aim of advancing the Indian deep foundation industry by creating a consensus voice and a common vision for continual improvement in the planning, design, and construction of deep foundations and excavations. DFII intends to bring together the Indian foundation industry stakeholders, including those international agencies with an India focus, by facilitating continuous interaction in the form of conferences, workshops, seminars, training programs, webinars, etc. With this objective, DFII has been organizing an annual conference themed Deep Foundation Technologies for Infrastructure Development in India (also known as DFI India Conferences) since its formation.
 
DFII’s 14^th annual conference DFI India 2025 was held from September 8 to 10, 2025, at Avadh Utopia in Surat, India. The conference was organized by DFII in collaboration with Indian Geotechnical Society (IGS) Surat Chapter, and Sardar Vallabhbhai National Institute of Technology, Surat, India.
 
The conference welcomed over 300 researchers and industry professionals participating from 10 countries, elevating the event up to an international standard. All the attendees enjoyed 8 keynote lectures as well as 5 specially invited lectures by industry experts around the globe, more than 60 technical and poster presentations, and technical exhibitions showcasing the latest technologies related to deep foundation design, testing, and construction. These interactions provided a valuable exchange of opinions and technologies, shaping the Indian deep foundation industry to select the right philosophy and procedures for future projects.
 
A team of six members from GIKEN LTD. participated in the event with the intention of introducing the press-in technology to India’s deep foundation community, which can aid in much-needed faster construction for the rapidly growing Indian construction industry (Photo 1).
 

Photo 1 Delegates from GIKEN LTD. participated in DFI India 2025

Mr. Ryo Kamioka, Manager, Construction Solutions Department from Giken Seisakusho Asia Pte., Ltd. delivered a keynote lecture titled “Advanced technologies that enable the vibration-free and noise-free installation of steel sheet piles and pipe piles” in the second session of the first day of the conference (Photo 2). This lecture introduced the press-in method and its variations (e.g. Hard Ground Press-in Method, Zero Clearance Method) to the audience, and provided a comparative analysis of vibration and noise levels associated with the press-in method and other conventional construction methods. An exhibition booth showcasing the press-in technology was also opened for exhibition on that day, which was able to draw the interest and attention of the visitors. Mr. Ryohei Saito’s corporate presentation covered examples of project cases with practical application of the press-in technology.
   
Director of IPA, Dr. Yukihiro Ishihara, presented his research paper titled “Correlating SPT results with Shaft Capacity of Pipe Piles Installed by the Rotary Cutting Press-in Method” in one of the parallel sessions themed Deep Foundation and Deep Excavation Design and Construction on the second day of the conference (Photo 3). The author of this report also presented a poster titled “Model Tests to Assess the Temperature Generation due to Tubular Pile Installation in Lunar Regolith Simulant by Rotary Cutting Press-in Method” on the final day of the conference. These presentations demonstrate the cutting-edge research being conducted at the Press-in Technology R&D Center of GIKEN LTD. for advancing the scope of press-in technology. The press-in technology exhibition booth continued to attract visitors until the end of the conference (Photo 4).