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DFI Announces Recipients of the 2019 Legends Awards

DFI Announces Recipients of the 2019 Legends Awards

Photo by Jason Leung on Unsplash

Hawthorne, N.J. (June 26, 2019): Every four years, DFI and the DFI Educational Trust present the Legends Award to three practitioners — an engineer, contractor and manufacturer/supplier — who have made significant contributions and advancements to the research, design, construction, manufacturing, and use of deep foundations.

The 2019 recipients of this prestigious award are:

Engineering Legend: Bengt H. Fellenius

Bengt H. Fellenius

Bengt H. Fellenius, Dr.Tech., P.Eng., formerly professor of civil engineering at the University of Ottawa, is the 2019 DFI Engineering Legend. He is being recognized for 50 years of innovative engineering work in soil mechanics and foundation engineering.

Fellenius’ experience comes from a wide variety of assignments that encompass foundation design for industrial plants, water and sewage treatment facilities, bridges and highway projects, marine structures, and urban area development, as well as participation in special investigations and instrumented field tests.

He is and has been an active participant in many national and international professional societies and research associations and in Canadian and U.S. codes and standards development. Fellenius is the author of more than 400 technical papers, articles, books and book chapters, and has given lectures and courses to several universities and international conferences throughout the Americas, Europe and Southeast Asia.

Contractor Legend: Thomas J. Wysockey

Thomas J. Wysockey

Thomas J. Wysockey, chairman emeritus of Thatcher Foundations, is the 2019 DFI Contractor Legend. He is being recognized for his contributions to the construction industry as an inspirational leader and mentor and an advocate for research, innovative techniques and safety.

His commitment to the industry is evident by his involvement in several industry associations, including as board member of American Subcontractors Association, Chicago Chapter; director at the Builders Association of Greater Chicago and the Chicagoland Construction Safety Council; trustee of the Construction Advancement Foundation; trustee of the DFI; president of the Industrial Contractors and Builders Association of Indiana; board member of the Society of American Military Engineers; and member of the Chicago Committee on High Rise Buildings.

Wysockey has generously shared his knowledge and experience with future generations of contractors and engineers and has taught courses at several colleges and universities including MIT, Northwestern University, University of Illinois and Purdue University.

Manufacturer/Supplier Legend: Thomas Bauer

Thomas Bauer

Thomas Bauer, Dr-Ing. E.h. Dipl.-Kfm, past chairman of the supervisory board of the Bauer Group, is the 2019 DFI Manufacturer/Supplier Legend. He is being recognized for his relentless desire to innovate and set the highest standard in foundation drilling equipment.

During his 32 years at the helm of Bauer, the company grew to be the largest provider of specialist foundation equipment worldwide. Bauer was significantly involved in the development of several innovations including the hydromill, pressure compensation and the cutter wheel shock absorber. He also received patents for the auger drilling method with offset hollow stem auger, Paternoster parking system, underwater drilling system, and drilling tools with extraction system.

Bauer’s philosophy and his legacy for the company can be summarized as follows: the most important innovation is not the individual idea, rather it is the innovation culture of the company that is shaped by the top manager and kept alive over the years. The most decisive part is that all employees become part of the innovation. To succeed, the top manager should not relate himself to every good idea, but he should keep a low profile, continually encouraging and nurturing.

The recipients will be honored at the Legends Award Ceremony at the DFI 44th Annual Conference on Deep Foundations, Thursday, October 17, at the Hilton Chicago.

Information about the Legends Award and the 44th Annual Conference is available at www.dfi.org/Annual2019.