Opening address

I was reminded that in the past the Institution of Civil Engineers has shown its interest in the problem of pile foundations by organizing an International Piling Conference in 1970 focussed on "The behaviour of piles', and in 1974 a conference on a related subject, namely, 'Diaphragm walls and anchorages'. In connection with these previous initiatives a new conference was organized devoted to 'Recent developments in the design and construction of piles'; the accent being not so much on the theoretical considerations concerning the bearing capacity of the piles, but on the problems of execution and realization.

The preoccupation of the Institution of Civil Engineers is understandable. Indeed, the number of piles made or manufactured each year all over the world is impressive, and the expenses involved are considerable. Saving of a few percent of this total mass by a more adequate choice of pile type and by improving the techniques of execution represents an amount which is not to be despised. Moreover, as a result of the increasing scale of the projects, one is able to produce piles with greater length and/or bearing capacity. Further, one is led to design techniques which allow the use of piles in soil profiles requiring special provisions for the manufacturing of the piles. One of the aspects is-, for instance, the problem of the precautions to be taken for the use of piles in aggressive soil conditions.