Over 60 delegates attended the EFFC AGM in Rome held in early October where Fabrizio Leoni become EFFC President. This included the majority of the EFFC member federations, Associate Members and a delegation from the hosting federation – AIF. Please keep an eye out for individual updates from our Working Groups, our Health & Safety Award winner announcement and Associate Members which shall be published in separately. More information shall be shared by member federations in each country, but the main developments were as follows.
EFFC Sets Strategic Priorities and Focus for 2024–2028
The EFFC recently held a strategic workshop aimed at determining the federation’s focus over the next four years. The outputs of the workshop will be reviewed by EFFC Officers, with recommendations to be presented to the Executive Committee for approval.
Key areas of focus include strengthening cooperation with national federations, enhancing internal communication among member federations, and ensuring member participation in various working groups. Leoni encouraged all members to take advantage of their EFFC membership and ensure that representatives are actively involved in the Safety, Contracts, Technical, and Sustainability Working Groups.
Italy, Poland, and Czechia were cited as examples for improving communication by appointing English-speaking personnel tasked with liaising with the EFFC.
DFI-EFFC Conference 2025 in Bruges: Preparations Underway
Preparations are well underway for the highly anticipated DFI-EFFC Conference in Bruges, scheduled for May 21-23, 2025. More than 150 papers have already been submitted, and the draft programme is expected by the end of November. Ticket sales will open in early November, with early booking and discounted rates for young professionals available.
The conference will feature a range of sessions, including a dedicated Safety Conference and an Early Careers Programme on May 21. Leoni called on members to help promote the event by distributing information within their networks.
EFFC to Develop Carbon Calculator Web App for Sustainability
A significant update was provided on the EFFC’s Carbon Calculator, which is set to evolve into a web app capable of integrating with project tendering software and potentially project management software more generally. This development aims to prevent the tool from being overshadowed by non-geotechnical alternatives.
An RFP for the project has been finalised, and a proposal will be presented to the EFFC Executive in March 2024.
Tremie Guide and Support Fluids Guides: New Editions in the Works
The EFFC is finalising the third edition of its Tremie Guide, which now includes information on sustainable concretes. A fourth edition is planned for next year, featuring additional numerical modelling analysis on concrete flow behaviour. The Second Edition of the Support Fluids Guide is also progressing with the completion of the field research project that has been assessing which testing methods are the most useful and whether it is possible to establish consistent acceptance criteria values.
Sponsorship is being sought to support these updates, with existing sponsors paying €1,000 for inclusion in both editions 3 and 4, and new sponsors paying €5,000. Karsten Beckhaus, who has been instrumental in the development of the guide, will step down as chair of the Task Group, with Rabea Barhum of Bauer taking over.
New Joint Guide on Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) Announced
The EFFC and DFI have agreed to collaborate on a joint guide for Non-Destructive Testing (NDT), which will focus on providing insight into what methods can be used to test piles and how to understand those results. This should support clients and contractors in understanding what constitutes a defect in need of remediation and an imperfection that shall not materially affect the performance of the foundations. Karsten Beckhaus will initially chair the group from the EFFC side with a co-chair from the DFI to be appointed.
EFFC members are invited to nominate representatives for participation in this important project.
Sustainability Initiatives: New Circular Economy and Decarbonisation Guides Published
Two major sustainability guides were approved for publication by the EFFC and DFI. The Circular Economy Guide and the Decarbonisation Guide incorporate key insights from both organisations and mark significant progress in the industry’s drive towards sustainability.
EFFC Contracts Working Group Set to Establish Strategic Agenda
The EFFC Contracts Working Group (CWG) will meet on October 29th in Brussels to establish a strategic agenda for promoting collaborative contracting. The CWG is tasked with interacting with the European Construction Industry Federation (FIEC) to push forward the EFFC’s goals, ensuring close cooperation on critical issues.
Fabrizio Leoni encouraged any members who have not yet nominated representatives for this group to do so ahead of the meeting, underscoring the importance of ensuring wide participation in shaping the federation’s future.