DFI Magazine November/December 2020 - 75

MEMBER

PROFILE

Raffaella Granata: International Achiever
It is unusual to begin a DFI member profile
with a quote from a colleague. However,
Trevi's Riccardo Crippa sets the stage
perfectly for Granata when he says,
" Raffaella is certainly one of the most
experienced and competent international
authorities in the field of soil improvement,
cutoff walls and deep foundations, and has
tremendous knowledge of soil and rock
grouting. She is not only a scientist, but
also applies her know-how and experience
directly at the construction site, working
with site people to implement her vast
technical capability providing solutions
and improvements. She gives her best at
the site and enjoys being directly part of the
construction's development.
Raffaella is very respected and
appreciated by all the site colleagues. They
are used to seeing her in the field, side-byside with the engineers and operators
putting in long hours. She is determined to
achieve the best outcome. Raffaella is
certainly a 'citizen of the world.' I can
imagine very few countries where she has
not been. "

A World of Experience
Granata is a senior engineer with Trevi,
with whom she has worked for 16 years.
She works out of Trevi's Milan office. While
" works out of " is geographically correct,
that doesn't begin to capture the fact that
she has been the " engineer on the spot " for
both Trevi and Rodio in Argentina, Tunisia,
India, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland,
Oman, Egypt, the United States, and - as
you might expect - projects throughout
Italy.
Milan, Italy, is home to the University of
Milan, where she studied geology,
geotechniques and hydrology, and from
which she received her master's degree.
Granata spent 20 years with Rodio before
joining Trevi in 2004. She has applied her
expertise on a vast array of projects over the
years, including dams, roads, high-speed

AUTHOR

railways, remediation of polluted areas,
and deep foundations for high-rise
structures. She has designed and overseen
the construction of hundreds of projects
calling for diaphragm walls, piles, jet
grouting and related technologies. In her
role as technical advisor, she is involved
with projects from inception to execution.
She particularly enjoys working on jobsites
alongside project engineers and
construction personnel. Granata tells us, " I
always like the challenges that work
performed in the ground poses. It is
investigative work that requires patience,
perseverance and attention to the clues
that the soil provides. "
All of the tasks, from design to
construction, provide different challenges
that she finds to be what makes her
profession and her unique role most
gratifying. Her integrated involvement is
highlighted by comments from another
colleague, Vice President Mario Mauro of
Treviicos. " I have known Ms. Granata since
1989 when I joined the technical office of
Rodio. At the time, she was in charge of the
geotechnical laboratory and a key
developer of new grout, slurry and
concrete mixes for underground work.
Battista DePaoli, the head of the technical
office at Rodio, commented about the
results of a site visit: 'Ms. Granata was the
only one who understood and fixed the
problem. She hit the nail on the head and
has more grit than most of the people in the
company.' "
Mauro adds, " Raffaella developed and
implemented the technology for the
construction of the self-hardening slurry
wall at the Hoover Dike in Florida, and the
plastic concrete cutoff wall at Bolivar Dam
in Ohio. Her technical knowledge is
outstanding, but the qualities that strike
me the most is her absolute passion for our
work and perseverance in the face of
difficulties. " He mentions wryly, given that
he is an engineer: " Ms. Granata is a

geologist, not an engineer, which is a plus
in my opinion. Geologists are more
versatile and inventive than engineers. "
Her tenacity and creativity are echoed by
fellow DFI member David Paul, P.E., of Paul
GeoTek Engineering, who was formerly
with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. " I
have known Raffaella for 20 years. Among
other high-visibility dam projects, we spent
three years working together on Mosul Dam
in Iraq. She worked tirelessly in Italy and
onsite at Mosul Dam to ensure that the work
was executed at the highest level. She led the
development of the specialized grouting
equipment required for the grouting gallery
at the base of the dam, the computer
modeling system 'T Grout,' and the various
grout mixes and grouting procedures. " Paul
added how much he appreciates the work
she has done for DFI in her support of the
Seepage Control and International Grouting
committees.

Being a Professional Woman
The oft-quoted grit and determination
expressed in discussions about Granata
came into play early on in her career when
she ran headlong into resistance to a
woman being in civil construction. In 1984
when she interviewed for a position at
Rodio, she was surprised to learn from their
chief of human resources that pursuing a
career in civil engineering as a woman in
Italy was in itself unique.
To this day Granata feels strongly that
women should be judged by the same
standards as men. To this end, she is most

S. Scot Litke, Hon. D.GE

DEEP FOUNDATIONS * NOV/DEC 2020 * 75
DFI Magazine November/December 2020

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