The 2025 DICEP Conference is in the books! Attendees spent Sept. 9-10 at the Rosen Shingle Creek Hotel and Conference Center in Orlando, FL where they participated in a full day of in-depth, technical education focused on innovative and practical approaches to driven pile design and construction. The program is curated to provide valuable insights into strategies aimed at improving project efficiency, reducing costs, and addressing complex site conditions.

With a mix of technical sessions, real-world case studies, and networking opportunities in the Exhibit Hall, DICEP 2025 provides lasting, actionable knowledge and tools to optimize driven pile design and performance for geotechnical and civil engineers, contractors, and other foundation professionals. Licensed PE's earned professional development hours (PDHs) for completing the sessions. The program for DICEP 2025 consisted of the following presentations:

• A two-part session from Van E. Komurka, P.E., BC.GE, GRL Engineers, Inc.: Part I - Foundations of Cost-Effective Driven Pile Design: Framework Overview & Support Cost, and Part II - Advanced Strategies for Cost Savings: Load Matching & Set-Up Techniques
• Design of Driven Piles, by Paul Cosentino PhD., P.E., The Inaugural Edward H. Kalajian Professor, Florida Institute of Technology
• Engineering and Construction Challenges for Seawalls, by Lina Garcia-Martin, VP Engineering, Orion and Maria De Avilla, P.E., Marine Structural Engineer, Orion
• Getting Design Values from Boring Logs and Geotechnical Reports, by David Chapman, president, Blakeslee Arpaia Chapman
• Effective Driven Piles Practices in the Challenging Geology of Florida, by Mohamad H. Hussein, P.E., LM.ASCE, Pile Dynamics, Inc.

In addition to a full slate of educational programming, DICEP 2025 also featured a capacity Exhibit Hall where a reception, breakfast, lunch and session breaks occurred. The following companies hosted booths in the Exhibit Hall, including; APE-American Piledriving Equipment, Nucor Skyline, GRL Engineers, Inc./Pile Dynamics, Inc., Kingdom Pipe & Steel, Sealevel Construction, JD Fields & Company, Equipment Corporation of America, Giken, Junttan, Hercules Machinery Corporation, GeoQuip, America Equipment & Fabricating, Liebherr, Lodge Lumber, Meever USA, and Kubota.

PDCA thanks all exhibitors, as well as the following sponsors:

• American Equipment & Fabricating
• ICE-International Construction Equipment
• HF Darling
• Kingdom Pipe & Steel
• Liebherr
• Lodge Lumber
•  Sealevel Construction
• APE-American PileDriving Equipment
• Northwestern Mutual - Patrick A. Di Cerbo, CFP
• Bay Area Pile Driving
• Valiant Steel and Equipment, Inc.

The 2025 DICEP Conference kicked-off with a welcome reception held the evening before the educational program commenced on Sept. 10. The reception featured industry networking, heavy hors d' oeurves and an open bar. Uniquely, the reception was held in conjunction with a post-golf gathering of participants in The PDCA Florida Chapter Inaugural Golf Tournament which took place earlier on Sept. 9. Some DICEP attendees arrived early to play in the industry golf outing.