16th International Workshop on Micropiles, Valencia, Spain 2025

About

From September 24–26, 2025, the spectacular City of Arts and Sciences in Valencia hosted the 16th International Workshop on Micropiles, organized under the theme “The Art and Science of Micropiles.” This exceptional event, organized by the International Society for Micropiles (ISM), brought together researchers, designers, contractors, institutional representatives, and enthusiasts from around the world, offering a unique platform to exchange information, present the latest achievements, and build international relationships in an open and creative atmosphere.

The workshop attracted over 120 delegates from 25 countries. This broad audience, representing diverse practices and experience, ensured varied perspectives and enabled wide-ranging discussions on the highlighted topics.

The workshop was officially opened by members of the organizing and program committees:

• Allan Herse – ISM Chair
• Prof. Antonio Gens – Honorary Chair of the Program Committee, President of the Spanish International Society for Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (ISSMGE), Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya
• David Perez and Björn Ischebeck – representing the Organizing Committee as the Ischebeck TITAN group, this edition’s host

Participants had the opportunity to attend over 35 technical presentations delivered by top experts from different backgrounds and regions. Of special note was the highly anticipated 12th Lizzi Lecture, this year delivered by distinguished and widely recognized geotechnical engineer Tom Richards, titled “You’ve Lost that Sinking Feeling: Nicholson Looks Back at Mandalay Bay Project.” The lecture reviewed geotechnical challenges associated with an extreme case of foundation settlements.

Another major event was the ceremony for the prestigious 10th Lizzi Scholarship, awarded to young scientists. The prize was given to Álvaro Villarino Redondo for his research “Hollow Precast Driven Pile Extended by a Micropile.” This award recognizes innovative research and contributions to the advancement of foundation engineering.

The workshop program, in addition to excellent technical presentations, also featured lectures from special guests:

• Cristian de Santos – “Leveraging AI for the Integration of Field Data into Numerical Models”
• Rick Kalson and Alberto Fortún – “Differing Site Condition Claims on Micropile Projects in the Americas and Europe”
• Pablo Ruiz-Terán – “State of the Art of Micropiles Execution in Spain”
• John Wolosick – “Proposed Modified Davisson Criteria to Evaluate the Ultimate and Safe Service Loads for Micropiles”

Furthermore, Dr. Donald Bruce, a legend in the field of micropiles and an honorary chair of ISM, moderated an outstanding panel discussion, “Micropiles in International Practice,” featuring experts from across the globe who compared experiences and identified the next challenges for micropile technology from various regional perspectives.

Several inspiring thematic sessions also addressed the industry’s current hot topics, including:

• “From Local Practice to Global Consensus: Standards and Innovation in Micropile Design, Construction, and Testing”
• “The Role of Micropiles in a More Sustainable Deep Foundations Industry”

One of the most anticipated program highlights was the competition for the 5th Micropile World Cup – a global contest for the most interesting micropile applications, showcasing impressive projects from different continents. The title of winner, prevailing in a very close contest against four other regional finalists, went to a spectacular project from South and Central America: Foundation of the General Manual José Arce Bridge Joining El Salvador and Guatemala, presented by Tomás Murillo Pérez, InGeAp, Spain.

The combination of high-quality technical content with a cordial, collaborative atmosphere in the magical setting of Valencia made this gathering truly memorable for all participants.

Proceedings

• Proceedings

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