Hawthorne, N.J. (May 27, 2026): Robert B. Gilbert, P.E., Ph.D., BC.GE, NAE, The University of Texas at Austin, has been invited to present the Osterberg Memorial Lecture at  SuperPile ’26. The premier piling design and construction conference, hosted by DFI in partnership with ADSC-IAFD, is taking place June 24–26 in New Orleans, Louisiana.

The lecture, “Large-Scale Hurricane Load Testing on Pile Systems,” highlights lessons learned from hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico and the large scale load tests of hundreds of pile systems supporting offshore infrastructure.

Gilbert is chair of the Fariborz Maseeh Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin. He joined the faculty in 1993 after practicing as a geotechnical engineer for five years with Golder Associates Inc. His technical focus is the assessment, evaluation and management of risk for civil engineering systems. He has worked on a variety of large infrastructure projects, including the New Orleans levee system, east span of the San Francisco Bay Bridge, Rocky Mountain Arsenal waste disposal project and many of the world’s largest offshore energy production systems. He was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 2020.

The annual Osterberg Memorial Lecture and Award was established in honor of Jorj O. Osterberg, Ph.D., to recognize innovations in the geotechnical industry related to engineering design, testing or education.

Learn more at dfi-events.org/superpile26.

About DFI: DFI (www.dfi.org) is an international association of contractors, engineers, manufacturers, suppliers, academics and owners in the geotechnics industry. Our multidisciplinary membership creates a consensus voice and a common vision for continual improvement in geotechnical and geoenvironmental design, manufacturing and construction. We bring together members for networking, education, communication and collaboration. With our members, we promote the advancement of the  industry through technical committees, educational programs and conferences, publications, research, government relations and outreach. DFI has more than 4,500 members worldwide.

Contact: Theresa Engler, Executive Director, (973) 423-4030, [email protected]