Webinars
Date: Tuesday August 25, 2026
Time: 15.00 CET, 9.00 (EST).
How can existing foundations be reliably tested and evaluated for reuse?
On Tuesday, August 25, from 15:00–16:00 CET (9:00–10:00 EST), this free webinar will explore the essential role of testing, sampling, and evaluation in foundation reuse projects.
Reusing existing foundations can provide significant economic and environmental benefits, particularly when replacing or upgrading existing structures. However, reliable installation records are often unavailable, incomplete, or have been lost over time. As a result, thorough investigation and assessment are essential to determine whether existing foundation elements are suitable for reuse.
In this webinar, William D. Oder will present a range of testing and sampling methods for different types of deep foundations, including steel sheet piles, drilled caissons, timber piles, and concrete-filled pipe piles. He will explain how these techniques can be used to evaluate the condition and performance of existing foundations, helping engineers make informed decisions about their safe and effective reuse.
Speaker:
William D. Oder, GTR Engineering
Register here.
Date: Tuesday April 21, 2026
Time: 15.00 CET, 9.00 (EST).
On Tuesday, April 21, 2026, a webinar was held featuring Paulien Neppelenbroek (De Bouwdirigent), focusing on how to structure decision-making processes to enable smarter and more sustainable design choices in foundation engineering.
The session built on insights previously shared during the Conference on Foundation Decarbonization and Reuse, where the potential of foundation reuse and low-CO₂ solutions was highlighted. While technical solutions are increasingly available, the webinar addressed the core challenge: implementation. Under pressure from cost constraints and tight schedules, projects often default to conventional approaches, as these are perceived to offer greater certainty.
Paulien Neppelenbroek demonstrated how this pattern can be broken by rethinking the design process itself. Central to her approach is a clear and non-negotiable principle: the construction start date does not move. By fixing this milestone, a structured framework is created that guides decision-making throughout the project. This enables teams to explore and apply innovative solutions—such as foundation reuse—without jeopardizing planning or budget control.
The webinar provided practical insights into organizing decision processes in a way that makes innovation actionable rather than complex or risky. By introducing structure and clarity at key stages of the design process, projects can maintain momentum while still allowing room for smarter, lower-impact solutions.
What began as an approach in a single foundation project in 2022 has since evolved into a broader methodology. As highlighted during the session, this way of working ensures that schedule and cost considerations no longer hinder innovation, but instead actively support its successful implementation.
Date: Tuesday February 3, 2026
Time: 15.00 CET, 9.00 (EST).
On Tuesday, February 3, 2026, a webinar was held on the challenges of timber pile foundations in historic urban areas, with a focus on Boston and its surroundings.
The session explained how many 19th- and early 20th-century buildings in Boston were constructed on untreated timber piles, designed to remain permanently submerged in groundwater. Over time, groundwater levels declined due to urban developments such as sewer systems and dewatering, exposing the piles to decay and creating risks for these historic structures.
It was highlighted that, since the 1980s, the City of Boston has taken measures to stabilize and restore groundwater levels. However, many timber piles remain insufficiently submerged, posing ongoing challenges for maintenance, reuse, and expansion projects.
The webinar provided practical insights into evaluating timber pile foundations, including assessing their condition and capacity, identifying common pitfalls, and balancing investigation efforts with project risks and client priorities.
The session was presented by Nathan Davis (McPhail Associates), who shared his expertise on this complex geotechnical issue.
Date: Tuesday December 9, 2025
Time: 15.00 CET, 9.00 (EST).
As part of the Foundation Decarbonization and Reuse series, the webinar held on December 9, 2025, was titled “Load Testing for Foundation Reuse.” The session demonstrated how thoughtful foundation design can significantly contribute to reducing the carbon footprint of construction projects.
During the webinar, Marcel Bielefeld of Allnamics outlined strategies to reduce both carbon emissions and material consumption in foundation design. Foundations and basements can account for 30% to 60% of a building’s total environmental impact. Given that each cubic meter of concrete contains more than 2,000 kg of raw materials, even modest reductions in concrete volume through smarter foundation solutions can lead to substantial environmental benefits.
The webinar emphasized intelligent foundation design by making more effective use of existing safety margins and encouraging the reuse and life-extension of existing foundations. Pile load testing was presented as a key tool for determining the actual as-built pile capacity, reducing uncertainty, and optimizing allowable loads.
Through practical case studies, the presentation illustrated how load testing enables more efficient foundation reuse, supporting a more sustainable, material-efficient construction industry.
Date: Tuesday October 7, 2025
Time: 15.00 CET, 9.00 (EST).
On 7 October, an engaging webinar took place focusing on an innovative project in Ontario, Canada, for the Ministry of Transportation (MTO). The session explored the potential for reusing existing steel piles as part of a bridge rehabilitation and replacement project.
Representatives from both MTO and WSP shared their approach to evaluating the feasibility of pile reuse. Through an extensive desk study, WSP assessed all relevant aspects to determine whether the existing piles could be reused, and if so, whether they would need to be supplemented to support the new superstructure.
Speakers Tony Sangiuliano (MTO), Lisa Coyne (WSP), and Riley Shuster (WSP) provided valuable insights into the decision-making process, technical considerations, and lessons learned from this study.
The discussion offered participants a practical example of how existing foundations can be assessed and potentially reused, contributing to more sustainable and cost-efficient infrastructure solutions.
Date: Tuesday June 24, 2025
Time: 15.00 CET, 9.00 (EST).
Speakers:
Christopher Nelsen (DFI/EFFC)
Thomas Zwaenepoel (CloudPiling)
Jacco Haasnoot (CRUX)
The next edition of the International Conference on Foundation Decarbonization and Reuse, which is scheduled to be organized in March 2026, featured a new event: a workshop on software tools designed to help users minimize the carbon footprint of foundations and assess options for reusing existing foundations. This webinar focused on the requirements that made software a useful tool in that endeavor.
To assist with decarbonization, the key requirement was straightforward: the software needed to be able to define the foundation with the smallest carbon footprint. For reuse, however, defining the requirements was not as simple. Obviously, the software had to recalculate the bearing capacity of the foundation as designed. But should it also have generated options to supplement existing foundations if that bearing capacity was inadequate? Or should it merely have detailed user-defined options? During the webinar, Gerald Verbeek explored these issues with Thomas Zwaenepoel, Christopher Nelsen, and Jacco Haasnoot.
Additional information:
EFFC/DFI carbon calculator
DFI YouTube channel
CEMS software contact info:
General website: https://cemsbv.nl/products
Play around with the services on the platform: https://nuclei.cemsbv.io/#/
For sales contact Camille Luichies via email: info@cemsbv.nl
CloudPiling
info@cloudpiling.com
Date: Tuesday January 7, 2025
Time: 15.00 CET, 9.00 (EST).
Speakers:
Tony Sangiuliano (Ministry of Transportation of Ontario Canada)
Andrew Boeckmann (Dan Brown and Associates)
In this webinar, Tony Sangiuliano presented the Reuse of existing steel pile foundation study-hallecks RD and HWY 401 bridge, Brockville, Ontario, Canada. The Ministry of Transportation Ontario is exploring the reuse of existing piles to enhance traffic mobility, economic efficiency, sustainability, and environmental benefits.
Additionally, Andrew Boeckmann (Dan Brown and Associates) gave a presentation about Foundation Reuse in the U.S.: Impediments and Opportunities. Foundation reuse is gaining attention in the United States as aging infrastructure and physical constraints drive the need for innovative solutions.
Date: Tuesday November 5, 2024
Time: 15.00 CET, 9.00 (EST)
Speakers:
Jessica Oudhof (ARUP)
Natalia Rucinska (Menard)
In this webinar, Jessica Oudhof from ARUP presented the idea of reusing existing foundations under key bridges in the Netherlands when they are replaced to meet current demands.
Additionally, Natalia Rucinska from Menard discussed how to navigate stakeholder concerns regarding foundation decarbonization and reuse.