Cadet Putnam Wins Scholarship and Canivan Talks Rigid Inclusions at SC Dinner

November 23, 2025

(L-R) Scott Nigels, Cadet Putnam, Kent Parker

A Citadel cadet in his third year at the iconic, Charleston, SC military college is the latest recipient of the coveted Mac Nigels Scholarship, named for the noteworthy engineering alum who honed his skills in the Lowcountry driven pile industry. Cadet Russell Putnam won the honor and was recognized during the November 20 dinner meeting of the PDCA South Carolina Chapter. Putnam holds a 4.0 grade point average has achieved several scholastic, such as a four-time Gold Star Recipient, an ANG Minuteman Scholarship winner and a member of Tau Beta Pi. He expects to graduate from the school in Spring 2027. Supporting Putnam during the presentation were his parents and several faculty members from The Citadel. Mac Nigels' son and longtime South Carolina Chapter member Scott Nigels (now retired), made the presentation of the 19th annual award, named for his late father who is known for his legacy of faith, character, and integrity.

Technical Presenter, Greg Canivan, PE

Following the Nigels Scholarship presentation, the Chapter invited Greg Canivan, a Board Member and Technical Principal at engineering firm S&ME, Inc., to the podium to present on a topic that is gaining significant attention in the driven pile industry. His presentation was titled, Driven Prefabricated Elements as Ground Improvement and Rigid Inclusions, Mr. Canivan explained that when traditional timber, pre-stressed concrete, and steel piles are installed through a driven process, they meet the same stiffness and performance criteria necessary to support shallow foundations as ground improvement and rigid inclusions. His session clarified terminology, compared design methodologies, and gave case examples highlighting performance, constructability, and the importance of load transfer platforms (LTPs).

Attendees learned how driven elements can provide viable, non-proprietary alternatives to RI systems and why these systems deserve broader recognition and consideration in geotechnical design practice.