The 2012 IWM in Milan is just a few months away. As Chairman I would like to invite and welcome all of you to join us for three days of camaraderie, innovation, and education. Whether you have been to every IWM since 1997 or just one, we look forward to seeing each of you to share past experiences and create new memories. If you are new to the Micropile industry, please know we would love to have you join us and share your micropile experiences. You will not find a better place to learn about what has been accomplished with micropiles and what is being developed for future challenges. This year, we were able to coordinate the Workshop with the GeoFluid 2012 conference to provide added value. Check out this site for further details of the coming event.
Fino a quando ci incontriamo a Milano
Allen Cadden, PE D.GE
Chairman, International Society for Micropiles
Lizzi Lecturer Mr. Paul Woodfield, BSc (Hons) CEng MIStructE MICE, Managing Director of Technik Ground Solutions Limited in the U.K. will deliver the 7th Lizzi Lecture, titled “The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly (Part 2)”. The presentation will cover Mr. Woodfield’s most exciting experiences (both good and bad) working within the micropile industry. This lecture is a continuation of the interesting and entertaining presentation he made at the 2006 ISM Workshop in Schrobenhausen, Germany. Mr. Woodfield is a founding member of ISM, and serves actively on the ISM Steering Committee. Mr. Woodfield is a chartered member of both the Institution of Civil Engineers and the Institution of Structural Engineers. In his 30 years career in the construction and ground engineering industry, he has worked for both consultants and contractors, with the majority of his time working for specialist ground engineering contractors. He owned and operated Branlow Piling for many years in the U.K., before selling it to Balfour Beatty Ground Engineering in 2008. He served as main board director of BBGE until he formed the Technik Ground Solutions Limited. TechnikGS offers technical solutions for a comprehensive range of foundation and ground engineering applications to a variety of clients including construction companies, developers, structural engineers, multi-disciplinary consulting engineers, architects and private individuals. They use innovative designs and specialist equipment to provide safe and efficient solutions in even the most challenging site conditions where restricted access, low headroom or difficult ground conditions preclude the use of more conventional traditional piling techniques. They have deep drilling and sonic drilling capabilities, and they offer waterwell and geothermal drilling services.
 Situated near the lake district of northern Italy, in a pivotal position between Rome and northwestern Europe, Milan has truly been a commercial, industrial, and cultural crossroads throughout history. Napoleon recognized its importance when he made it the capital of his Italian Republic in 1802. It was also in Milan where, in 313 AD, the Emperor Constantine granted freedom of worship to Christians. The world’s fourth largest church, a Gothic cathedral located in the Piazza del Duomo, was commissioned in 1386 and is today the architectural crown jewel of the city. Milan is also home to Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper and the famed opera house La Scala. Although nearly 80% of the city was destroyed in World War II, Milan was rebuilt and has since become a revitalized center of industry, commerce, and design. Milan rivals Paris as the fashion capital of Europe and the world. The city is the cultural and economical center of Lombardy, the wealthiest and most developed region in the country. Home to approximately 1.6 million inhabitants, it is a city of artistic, historical, and cultural richness. |
