The International Society for Micropiles (ISM) gathered in Milan, Italy, for the 11th International Workshop on Micropiles, which marked the 60th anniversary of the pali radici (root pile) technology developed by the late Italian engineer, Dr. Fernando Lizzi. The event was the first organized under the ISM-ADSC-DFI cooperative alliance established in 2012. The workshop coincided with GeoFluid 2012, the annual small diameter drilling exhibition held in Piacenza, Italy, south of Milan.

The workshop host sponsor was Soilmec S.p.A., and Technical Program Committee members included Allen Cadden (U.S.), Dr. Changho Choi (Korea), Allan Herse (Australia), Dr. Antonio Marinucci (U.S.), Federico Pagliacci (Italy), Mike Turner (U.K.), Jim Bruce (Canada), and Mary Ellen Bruce (U.S.)

Paul Woodfield, managing director of Technik Ground Solutions Limited (U.K.) delivered the 7th Lizzi Lecture, titled, “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (Part 2).” This presentation was a continuation of the entertaining address Woodfield made at the 2006 ISM Workshop in Schrobenhausen, Germany, and covered his experiences (both good and bad) working in the micropile industry.

Outgoing Steering Committee member, Dr. Thomas Herbst, retired, Dywidag Systems International, was recognized for his commitment to the success of ISM since its inception in 1997, and his work in populating the ISM’s database of micropile documents.