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Aims and Scope

The DFI Journal is an international peer-reviewed publication that supports authors whose research and practice covers a broad range of subjects on deep foundation engineering and sub-surface construction.  It is the official Journal of the Deep Foundations Institute, an internationally leading and globally represented association in deep foundation- and geotechnical engineering.

The aim of our journal is to provide a platform for the exchange of knowledge, ideas, and innovations related to deep foundation engineering. The scope of the journal includes research papers, review articles, case studies, and technical notes that cover all aspects of deep foundation engineering, including design, analysis, construction, testing, and monitoring (see areas of interest). The journal welcomes contributions that address the latest advances and challenges in subsurface engineering, as well as those that propose innovative solutions and techniques for improving the performance and efficiency of deep foundations and subsurface conditions.

We specialize in translating research to practice (transformative research) and seek to improve the deep foundation engineering industry through dissemination of innovative scientific contributions and publication of state-of-the art practice. The target audience of our journal includes researchers, engineers, academics, and practitioners (consultants, contractors, and manufacturers) who are interested in deep foundation engineering and its applications in various fields such as civil engineering, geotechnical engineering, structural engineering, natural hazard engineering, and construction engineering.

Areas of Interest

The areas of interest for publication in the DFI Journal include but are not limited to deep foundation engineering, including different piling systems (such as drilled shafts, driven piles, etc.), load testing, case studies, ground improvement, soil nailing and anchors, foundation elements for landslide and slope stabilization, earth retention systems and structures, BIM and digitalization, energy foundations, seismic issues of foundation engineering, sustainability, seepage control, design standards, codes, and contracts, tunneling, other areas of foundation design, innovative construction technologies,  re-use of foundations, material research, quality control, quality assurance, and non-destructive testing and evaluation, or historical evolution of deep foundations.

Publication Frequency

Manuscripts submitted to the Journal will be peer-reviewed and handled as described in the submission and review process. Upon acceptance, each paper will be prepared for online publication ahead of print (see Preprints) and receive a digital object identifier (DOI). The DFI Journal publishes on a bi-annual basis (April/May and November/December).

Submission and Review Process

Submissions should be made using DFI’s Editorial Manager which can be accessed at https://www.editorialmanager.com/dfi/. Types of papers included in the DFI Journal are: Research Papers, Technical Notes, State-of-the-Art Reviews, Case Studies, Book Reviews, Forum Papers, and Discussions. For more specific information on how to prepare a manuscript and its technical content, please review our Author Guidelines. Guidance on publications ethics and requirements are provided in the Author Guidelines as in the DFI Journal’s guide for Publication Ethics and Code of Conduct. The DFI Journal subscribes to Similarity Check, which utilizes the plagiarism software iThenticate to maintain high publication ethics.

All submissions to the DFI Journal are subject to a single-blind peer-review process. All papers will receive at least two independent reviews from qualified reviewers in the subject field of the paper. Authors will receive anonymous feedback on their submissions. The Editors in Chief will make the final acceptance decision based on the reviewers’ feedback and the Editors’ recommendations. A detailed description of the peer review process and some recommendations on how to perform an effective and valuable peer review can be found in our Peer Review Guidelines. A list of the complete editorial board can be found here.

Special Issues

The DFI Journal is committed to providing a diverse and comprehensive platform for deep foundation engineering research. To further expand the scope of the journal and promote collaborations among researchers and practitioners in this field, we invite special issues that are handled by guest editors. Guest editors are experts in their respective areas of research, and they play a crucial role in soliciting high-quality articles, ensuring the rigorous peer-review process, and maintaining the editorial standards of the journal. Special issues can be focused on a specific topic or theme that is of current interest in the deep foundation engineering community, or they can be based on the outcome of a conference, workshop, or research project.

The journal welcomes proposals for special issues, and the editorial team is committed to working closely with guest editors to ensure that the special issues are of the highest quality and relevance to the journal’s readership. Please contact the Editors in Chief should you be interested in leading a Special Issue for the DFI Journal. Submissions to a special issue will be enabled within DFI’s Editorial Manager and the respective special issue can be selected during the manuscript submission process.

Accessing the Journal

An online subscription to the Journal is available to DFI members at no additional cost by signing into the member portal – MyDFI. If you are not a member, join DFI for $130 to receive an online subscription to the Journal. (Individual journal articles are $25 each.)

Members and nonmembers can order printed copies of the 2007-2020 volumes of the Journal from the DFI Publications Store; members receive preferential rates. (Note some issues have limited availability in print.) Please contact Journal@dfi.org, if you have further questions about ordering print copies.