Deep Foundations Institute (DFI) has awarded Professor Gray Mullins and his University of South Florida research team the 2014 Ben C. Gerwick Award for Innovation in the Design and Construction of Marine Foundations. 

Mullins

Mullins and his research team are being recognized for their practical research on base grouted drilled shafts, thermal integrity testing of drilled shafts and tremie concrete bond transfer. They were scheduled to recieve their award at a lunch on Aug. 7 during the DFI Marine Foundations Seminar in Tarrytown, N.Y.

The annual award honors Ben C. Gerwick for his achievements during his 62-year career in the field of marine foundations. It is sponsored by the DFI Educational Trust, University of California Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and the Ben C. Gerwick Company. DFI will donate a portion of the seminar proceeds to the DFI Educational Trust Scholarship Fund.

Mullins has conducted independent research in the use of base grouting for drilled shafts, helping owners and practitioners better understand the mechanism of base grouting and its influence on the performance of drilled shafts. His research and technical papers and reports on the subject have been directly responsible for establishing base grouting in the U.S. and spurring its growth.

The DFI is an international association of contractors, engineers, academics and suppliers in the deep foundations industry with more than 3,300 members worldwide. For more information about the Deep Foundations Institute, visit www.dfi.org.