Geoprofessionals who are early in their careers, as well as more seasoned deep foundation construction practitioners who are pursuing new skills in their craft, have the twice-per-year opportunity to attend the Deep Foundations Dynamic Testing & Analysis Seminar/Workshop (DFDTA), a program available through an ongoing partnership between Pile Dynamics, Inc. (PDI) and PDCA. This program is traditionally offered once in the Spring in Orlando, FL, then again in the Fall, in Cleveland, OH.

The Orlando installment for 2025 took place March 10-12 at the Renaissance Orlando Airport Hotel. Attendees of the three-day engagement received expert training on topics such as wave mechanics, non-destructive testing, PDA Applications, CAPWAP, and more. Upon completion, they receive a copy of presentation materials (digital/hard copies), a Certificate of Completion, and proficiency certification for those who took and passed the exam. Up to 20 PDH are available for those who attended to full program.

If you missed the Orlando event, watch your inbox and the PDCA website for forthcoming announcements for details about DFDTA in November 2025.

The Spring DFDTA brought a variety of engineers, project owners, contractors, and other deep foundations professionals to the Renaissance Airport Hotel in Orlando, FL, where the students heard a one-day seminar on Deep Foundation Integrity Testing and Wave Equation Analysis, followed by a workshop on High Strain Dynamic Foundation Testing. The proceedings concluded with an optional proficiency test. Subject matter experts Ryan Allin, PE from PDI and Elvis Ishimwe, Ph.D from its sister engineering firm, GRL Engineers, Inc., presented during three day event, on a variety of topics pertinent to the testing and analysis.

PDCA commends the Spring 2025 DFDTA class for its participation in this rigorous, professional development program.