Evening Crawfish Boil in Baton Rouge Kicks Off Gulf Coast Chapter Engineers Conference


Every two years, the PDCA Gulf Coast Chapter presents the Engineers Conference, a day-long event designed to educate the regional pile driving community.  The 2024 PDCA Engineers Conference took place March 14th at L'Auberge Casino Hotel in Baton Rouge. One tradition of this biennial event is an optional Crawfish Boil the evening before the full day of rigorous learning begins promptly at 7:30 AM. Generous sponsors make both events happen.

The 2024 Crawfish Boil was held at Pointe Marie in Baton Rouge on March 13th, thanks to the following sponsors:
  • Consolidated Pipe & Supply Company, Inc.
  • Thompson Engineering
  • Meever USA Piling Products (Beverage Sponsor)
  • Service Steel Warehouse (Beverage Sponsor)
See who was SPOTTED at Pointe Marie, enjoying a seemingly endless supply of mud bugs, spirits, camaraderie, networking, and picture-perfect spring weather.
 
 

2024 PDCA Engineers Conference



The agenda for the 2024 PDCA Engineers Conference included presentations from the following individuals:
  • Jerry Outlaw of Aradaman & Associates (introductory and closing remarks)
  • Barker Dirmann of ACEC of Louisiana - Legislative Impacts on Your Business
  • Marty Hall of Yellow Creek Coating Services - Steel Coatings and Applications to Steel Piles
  • Terry Holman, PhD, PE, of Geosyntec Consultants, Inc. - Working Platforms
  • Oliver Taylor or ECS Limited - Geotechnical Engineering for Driven Piles
  • Brandon Phetteplace of GRL Engineers, Inc. - Pile Load & Integrity Test Methods
  • Jonathan Coco of Quality Engineering & Surveying - Remote Sensing for Improved Pile Driving Operations
  • Bill Rushing of Waldemar S. Nelson & Co., Inc. - Ethics

The PDCA Gulf Coast Chapter's educational program provided attendees with a full day of industry learning, engaging and knowledgeable presenters, and credits for completed courses, thanks to the following sponsors:
  • JD Fields & Company - Gold Sponsor
  • Keller - Silver Sponsor
  • Nucor Skyline - Silver Sponsor
  • DeSoto Treated Materials, Inc. - Bronze Sponsor
  • Sealevel Construction - Bronze Sponsor
  • GRL Engineers, Inc. - Bronze Sponsor
  • GROUP - Bronze Sponsor
  • Lodge Lumber - Bronze Sponsor
  • ECS Limited - Bronze Sponsor
  • Mississippi River Equipment Co., Inc. - Bronze Sponsor
 

The 2024 PDCA Engineers Conference was organized by the following committee volunteers
  • Lisa Smith of ECS Limited
  • Jerry Outlaw of Ardaman & Associates
  • Scott Williams of Keller NA
  • Sean Spatz of International Construction Equipment
  • Dylan André of Patriot Construction and Industrial, LLC
  • Kirt Jackson of Cajun Industries, LLC
  • Kathy Harper from the PDCA offices
Check back for announcements on upcoming PDCA Gulf Coast Chapter events.



Posted in Chapter News.

Northeast Chapter Presents the 2024 Professional Development Course


On March 6, 2024, the PDCA Northeast Chapter hosted the annual Professional Development Course at the offices of event sponsor, George Harms Construction Company in Howell, NJ

Presenters included Silas Nichols, PE, Principal Geotechnical Engineer, DOT | FHWA who covered Considerations for Pile Selection, Common Pile Types, Basic Driving Equipment, Driven Pile Design, and Framework for Acceptance. Also, Alex Ryberg, PE, Senior Engineer, GRL Engineers, gave expert perspective on wave equation analysis on sheet / king / combi wall piles with vibratory and impact hammers. And a trio from Nucor SkylineKurt Levins, PE, Reddy Vanari, and Denis Ambio presented support of excavation (SOE) for driven piles, piling products, geo products, and design.


The educational event was free to all paid PDCA Northeast Chapter members and included Continental Breakfast, Lunch, and Refreshments. Attendees who completed the courses earned Professional Development Hours (PDH).

To conclude the day of learning, PDCA member Clydesdale Steel hosted a free meet & greet at a nearby venue to give attendees an opportunity for industry networking.

Posted in Chapter News.

March DFDTA Reaches Capacity in Orlando, Repeats in Cleveland in November


(L-R): Maria Clara Anjos Gonçalves with Geoprova Engenharia Ensaios e Monitoramentos Ltda in Sao Paulo stands with DFDTA instructor Garland Likins of Pile Dynamics, Inc.

The first of two 2024 offerings of the Deep Foundations Dynamic Testing & Analysis Seminar/Workshop (DFDTA), a program available through an ongoing partnership between Pile Dynamics, Inc. (PDI) and PDCA, concluded March 6 in Orlando, FL. If you missed it, the program will be available again in November in Cleveland, OH. The three-day engagement provides expert training on topics such as wave mechanics, non-destructive testing, PDA Applications, CAPWAP, and more. Attendees are provided a copy of the presentation (digital/hard copies), a Certificate of Completion, and proficiency certification for those who took and passed the exam. Watch your inbox and the PDCA website for forthcoming announcements containing further details about DFDTA in November 2024.


The March 2024 DFDTA brought a variety of engineers, project owners, contractors, and other deep foundations professionals to the Lake Nona Wave Hotel in Orlando, FL, where the students heard a one-day seminar on Deep Foundation Integrity Testing and Wave Equation Analysis. Then, it participated in a workshop on High Strain Dynamic Foundation Testing, concluding with an optional proficiency test.

Subject matter experts including Ryan Allin, PE, Michael Morgano, PE, and Garland Likins, PE, M.ASCE, all from PDI and sister engineering firm, GRL Engineers, Inc., presented during the span of three days, on various topics pertinent to the testing and analysis.

PDCA commends the Spring 2024 DFDTA class for its participation in this rigorous, professional development program.

Vancouver Hosts Annual Gathering of Geo-Professionals


Haley & Aldrich staff attendees at GeoCongress 2024 stand for a photo along Vancouver's scenic waterfront

GeoCongress is an annual educational program from the GeoInstitute of the American Society of Civil Engineers, PDCA supports this program as a cooperating organization. The 2024 event took place February 25-28 in Vancouver, BC, and attracted geo-professionals from around the globe, including several PDCA members who attended as presenters, exhibitors, sponsors, and general registrants.


Keller was an exhibitor and sponsor

J.D. Fields & Co. had a presence in the exhibit hall

Eustis Engineering displayed a poster

PDCA recognizes its members who attended GeoCongress 2024, thank you for advocating the driven pile before this large assembly of geo-professionals from around the world.

Exhibitors included: Fugro, GEOKON, GRL Engineers, Inc., ICE-International Construciton Equipment, J.D. Fields & Co., Inc., Junttan, Keller, Nucor Skyline, and Pile Dynamics, Inc.

Sponsors for GeoCongress 2024 included ICE, Keller, GeoSyntec, and Fugro.

Several other PDCA member companies had representatives in attendance, including Haley & Aldrich, Eustis Engineering, Shannon & Wilson, and many more.

Ziadie of APE Wins February #PDCADriven Contest






Posted in A Pile of News PDCA Monthly e-newsletter.

A Pile of News - March 2024

A Pile of News: March 2024
A briefing on news and information from the pile driving contractors,
associated manufacturers, construction suppliers and affiliated engineers
who comprise PDCA.
By Matt Bisbee, PDCA

Originally sent March 1, 2024
Top of the Pile

Lainey said it best: YOU know a few things a man oughtta know - wishing you a happy Women in Construction Week, March 3 - 9 

March Madness is more than NCAA basketball in 2024; PDCA Chapters offer a variety of March professional development events

Join PDCA this month; 2024 dues are prorated for 10 months, AND you can still enter Project of the Year Awards. Call today! (904) 215-4771

Going to IFCEE? Register by March 31st to secure early bird pricing for the LANDMARK event
 
From the Association & Chapters
Mark your calendars:
  1. Today - April 5: The PDCA Project of the Year Awards program entry period closes in about a month. Submit your Land, Marine, Earth Retention, Associate/Engineer, International pile driving project(s) completed by 12/31/23 to PDCA through electronic file share.
  2. March 4 - 6: Deep Foundations Dynamic Testing & Analysis Seminar and Workshop educational collaboration with Pile Dynamics, Inc. gets new central Florida location, Lake Nona Wave Hotel Orlando. It's a one-day seminar, two-day workshop, with optional proficiency test at the end.
  3. March 6: Northeast Chapter Professional Development Course, 8A - 4P annual education event at sponsor George Harms Construction in Howell, NJ. Clydesdale Steel to host a Meet & Greet nearby at The Cabin, following the technical presentations.
  4. March 14: Gulf Coast Chapter Engineers Conference, L'Auberge Casino & Hotel, Baton Rouge biennial event features up to seven PDHs, kicks off with a Crawfish Boil on March 13 at Pointe Marie.
  5. March 14: South Carolina Chapter Driven Pile Technical Seminar, 9A - 3:30P The Citadel, Holliday Alumni Center, Charleston. Breakfast, lunch, PDH included.
  6. March 19: Texas Chapter Lunch & Learn, Hyatt Regency Baytown, 10:30A - 1:30P education event near Houston open to the industry, lunch is $50. Jody Singletary of Dunham Price and Gerry McShane of Service Steel Warehouse presenting. 
  7. April 18 - 20: Geoprofessional Business Assn Annual Conference, JW Marriott Anaheim Resort PDCA is a cooperating organization. Registration is now open.
  8. April 26: Pacific Coast Chapter Scholarship Shoot, Birds Landing, CA, 8A-2P Watch for details!
  9. May 7 - 10: International Foundations Congress & Equipment Expo (IFCEE) March 31 is the deadline for early bird registration. The event brought to you by PDCA, ADSC, DFI and G-I is at Hyatt Regency Downtown Dallas. Don't miss insightful professional development, valuable industry networking, a HUGE indoor/outdoor trade show, and more.
  10. May 10: Ceremony, 2023 Project of the Year Award winners, Hyatt Regency Dallas, 12:30P

News and PHOTOS from the PDCA Blog:
Congratulations Bill Ziadie, you are this month's winner!
Congratulations, Bill Ziadie, you are this month's winner! Send an email to marian@piledrivers.org before the end of the month to claim your prize!
News from PDCA Companies
Giving Back:
  • CNT Foundations installed piling for the Emanuel Nine Memorial in Charleston, SC, the location of deadly racial violence in 2015. It honors the nine slain church clergy members. A non-profit is developing the remembrance facility for education and healing. Other PDCA members on the job are Balfour Beatty which donated construction services and Thomas & Hutton which assisted the design team. 
  •  
  • JD Fields and Co. sponsors the Sky High For Kids, Better in Boots fundraiser for pediatric cancer research; event is a clay shoot and gala in Houston, March 7-8. Erica Ferens is co-chair. 
  •  
  • Nucor reports that the severely wounded U.S. Army veteran it sponsored has now moved into his 'forever home,' made possible through company support of the Gary Sinise Foundation.

Government Relations:
  • Orion Marine was presented a plaque from U.S. Rep. Carter as an official welcome to New Orleans, a city where the contractor has worked since 1906, and has opened its newest office.
Welcome to New Orleans, Orion Marine

Recognitions:
Acquisitions & Expansions:
People on the Move
Transitions:
  • Jonathan Schmaltz elevates to director, southern region yard at McCarthy Building Co.
  •  
  • Pete Adams is the new director of operations at Palmetto Pile Driving. Also, Kelsy Nigels joins as office manager. She's granddaughter of the late Charleston civil engineering legend, Mac Nigels.
  •  
  • Caleb Michael earns promotion to field engineer at Charleston, SC-based SJ Hamill Construction.
  •  
  • David Jansinski is named new director of engineering at ESC Steel LLC.
  • Jill Bramblett joins the sales team in the northeastern U.S. for John Lawrie Tubulars.
  •  
  • Craig Bradshaw is a new addition to inside sales at Kahn Steel Co. in Kansas City, MO.
  •  
  • Edward Clark, EI, is named lead engineer at Houston-based Mammoth Carbon Products.
  •  
  • Allan Korte returns to northeast Florida to become equipment manager at Meever USA.
  •  
  • Frank Celli takes a sales position in the Gulf Coast region for Service Steel Warehouse while 30-year industry veteran Jimbo McKnight has been promoted to oversee the Midwest region.
  •  
  • Amr Sallam, PhD, PE, a recognized expert in wind turbine foundations and adjunct professor at the University of Central Florida, becomes a new principal at Ardaman & Associates.
  •  
  • Joon Park, Jay Dave named new geotechnical staff scientists at GeoEngineers, Inc., elsewhere, Chad Kean is the new health and safety manager.
  •  
  • James Tantalla, Srinivas Yenamandra and Renzo Verastegui, all elevate to associate principals at Mueser Rutledge Consulting Engineers in New York City. New senior associates are Andrew Klaetsch, Sung Kong, Coleen Liddy, Adam Dyer and Alex Ciamei.
  •  
  • Stephen Diem, Kristen Freiburger, Oliver Hoopes, Jason Buenker, PhD, PE, are promoted to senior associates at Shannon & Wilson; moving into associate roles at the firm are Ryan Collins, Shoshana Howard, PE, James Walters.
  •  
  • Carlos Ramirez is a new CMT in New Orleans for Southern Earth Sciences, and Dylan Sauce onboards in that position in the Mobile, AL, office. Jaren Cook is a new engineer in Mobile.

Recognitions:
  • Tina Wolff, business development engineer at Kokosing, guest lectured graduate students at Notre Dame, examining Indiana codes and project communication.
  •  
  • Belin Wills, a former teacher, returned to the classroom with Ronnie Wills where the Aggregate Technologies team presented to Auburn University students in the American Concrete Institute.
  •  
  • Mark Gwynn retires from American Spiralweld Pipe after 37 years; Missy Hicks in inside sales assumes his PDCA membership.
  •  
  • Amy Cristiani from THI Pipe and Piling completed the 13.1 mile, Katy Half Marathon in Texas.
  •  
  • Rai Mehdiratta, PhD, celebrated 50 years at Fugro in its new Houston office, during Engineers Week; Richard Shea of Morris-Shea was among the well-wishers at the gathering.
  •  
  • Russell Nipper marked 40 years at Southern Earth Sciences in Mobile, AL, and Dennis Mitchell in Tampa, FL, secured licensure as Professional Engineer.
  •  
  • Rich Anderson, Rod Kern, Anthony Sciortino and Gordian Ulrich, all of Equipment Corporation of America get a Pile of special recognition. They showered, put on clean clothes (fancy ones, at that), combed their hair, and shined their work boots. Meet the new glitteratti!
  •  
  • Lloyd Engineering in Houston tells ECA, hold my beer. Staff stood for a photo with shiny boots on Go Texan Day, a local tradition that kicks off the Houston Rodeo. It's the glitterati, Texas style!
On the Job
Black River Solar shows a jobsite with a high number of installed piles (1,200) and LOW temperatures on a Danville, IL, winter day. The frigid solar farm is reportedly a project for the green crypto industry.
 
Blue Iron Foundations & Shoring installed a sheet pile shoring system with a PVE Equipment vibro for the emergency stabilization of a rail line along a segment of a public canal in San Diego, CA.
 
Farrell Brothers Marine Construction notched a couple 'firsts.' See photos of its new dock built in Ponte Vedra, FL; its first with a submerged bulkhead around the slip, and the first in a hammock.
 
Herbert F. Darling, Inc. has begun steel sheet pile installation for a new fire station coming to Ithaca, NY. Crews operate ICE, Inc. equipment to drive the sheets from both Nucor Skyline and Triad Metals.
 
Island Piling, Inc. teams up with UES to develop the foundation for a new custom home in SW Florida.
 
R. Kremer & Son Marine Contractors was in the minority of New Jersey residents to be found on a local golf course this winter; their crew installed an old wood style bulkhead at Manasquan River Golf Club.
 
Sealevel Construction built a railcar scale blending silo at a Garyville, LA, industrial facility. The project included the installation of a sheeted cofferdam and concrete and timber pilings.
 
Trevcon Construction wins a contract to drive piles for an initiative of the NYC EDC; crews will build the first and largest phase of the proposed Manhattan Greenway along the Harlem River.
 
Weeks Marine, Inc. lands two new projects in New York; crews will be mobilizing for the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal and the Hudson River Ground Stabilization.
 
Junttan supplied a flying leader and hydraulic hammer for installation of PSC piling for components in the construction of a marine oil terminal in the San Francisco Bay Area.
 
Geo-Technology Associates preps the jobsite for a future, five-building warehouse complex in York County, PA. The 220-acre parcel reportedly lies atop limestone bedrock, hard quartzite, phyllite and schist.
 
PACO Ventures supplies the new, No Shock Vibration Dampener from Antaeus. We noticed that the marketing sent in February subtly pays homage to the late Toby Keith, who country music lost last month. #RedSoloCup.
PACO Ventures No Shock Vibration Dampener from Antaeus
In the News
Engineering News Record tells the story about a surprise crews encountered in the construction of a new dock at the Port of Beaumont (TX). McCarthy Building Cos. senior project manager Robert Wood is quoted in an article about how the crew managed removal of two old docks in the way of the new build.
 
The Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce publishes an aerial photo of progress at the city's Pier 58 where Pacific Pile & Marine has installed decking, part of its scope as it constructs the new waterfront park.
 
Industry Notes:
Notes from the Field Sports Edition
Leading Off New to PDCA in 2023, Kingdom Pipe & Steel named Blake Brannon president for the Texas-based piling supplier. He has an impressive resume including Entrepreneur of the Year and 40 Under 40 honors. Digging deeper, you learn he played baseball for the L.A. Dodgers who you can watch on Opening Day (March 20), when they play the Padres in MLB's first-ever game in South Korea.
 
Not an international incident Favorite team day is fun in a workplace. Interpipe, Inc.-Canada staff took a day to wear their sports team gear, and they weren't all hockey or Canadian. Yes, the Maple Leafs, Capitals and Blue Jays were there, but the NBA's LA Lakers and Super Bowl champion KC Chiefs also made the cut. 

Speaking of the NFL social media delivered reminders that several PDCA members have a connection to Allegiant Stadium, the Las Vegas venue for the city's first Super Bowl which pitted the Chiefs against the 49ers. For instance, Kiewit crews have been there reworking the roads to the stadium for NDOT. Also, McCarthy was in the JV that built Allegiant Stadium, which opened in 2020. They also constructed a neighboring solar installation, which now powers the arena with renewable energy. 
 
You might remember we covered the college career of Rashee Rice, who just finished his rookie season for the champs from Kansas City. The former SMU Mustang (a past NIL partner of J.D. Fields & Co.) proved to be one of many offensive weapons in the OT victory; he had six receptions and two carries, to total 44 yards.
 
Teamwork is a key to victory Both Texas NFL teams bowed out in the playoffs, still the state produced a great story about teamwork featuring two PDCA members which worked together to serve a mutual client. Let's give a nod to Mason Construction and American Piledriving Equipment
 
Strange bedfellows March brings basketball fans the NCAA men's and women's tournaments. If you pick brackets, you often cheer for a team you may not like, but need the 'wins'. Strange things like this happen in pile driving, too. Charleston, SC, contractor Palmetto Pile Driving, Inc. issued public appreciation to crosstown competitor Pile Drivers, Inc. for assisting on a PSC installation job. In this case, the customer and the driven pile got the win.
 
And there's more friendly adversaries John King of Pile Drivers and Jason Moore of Palmetto Pile Driving were spotted in the arena for a February basketball game between powerhouse NCAA women's teams, No. 1 South Carolina and (then) No. 11 UCONN, teams with a combined 13 national championships. For those wondering, the home team Gamecocks kept the perfect season going that day.
Palmetto Pile Driving watching the Gamecocks stay perfect
If you plan to follow the Big Dance this month, we would love to hear from you. Send us your Final Four picks before the end of the month, and if you correctly pick ANY of the contenders, we will give you a special shout-out in the April 1 A Pile of News. Thanks for reading and thanks for supporting PDCA.
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Posted in A Pile of News PDCA Monthly e-newsletter.

Deadline for IFCEE Early Bird Registration is March 31, Act Now


PDCA, along with ADSC (The International Association of Foundation Drilling), DFI (Deep Foundations Institute), and G-I (Geo-Institute of American Society of Civil Engineers) have joined forces again for the International Foundations Conference and Equipment Expo (IFCEE), May 7 - 10, 2024. The event will be held at the Hyatt Regency Downtown Dallas in Dallas, Texas.

IFCEE is a technical conference and equipment show dedicated to the design and construction of foundation systems, using the latest geo-engineering and geo-construction technologies and practices. This one-of-a-kind LANDMARK event will attract attendees from around the world, who will have access to various technical education programs and the world's largest equipment exposition dedicated solely to the deep foundation industry. We hope to see you there!

Attendee, exhibitor and sponsorship registration is open now. If you plan to attend, make sure you take advantage of early bird pricing for the event. You must register before March 31st to secure this benefit. 

Click here for all you need to know about IFCEE 2024.

'March Madness' Coming to a PDCA Chapter Near You

PDCA Chapters Hosting Professional Development Opportunities in March
While you won't see any #16's upset any #1's, you are guaranteed to come away with new perspectives on pile driving, thanks to some of the today's leading deep foundations professionals. It's March Madness for pile drivers, courtesy of PDCA Chapters.

Four PDCA Chapters host professional development programs in March, and you are encouraged to register today for one or more of these events. Each program is unique, provides content on industry education and innovation, and offers PDH credit to attendees.

Click the event(s) below for more information about the available curriculum and speaker lineups.

March 6: Northeast Chapter Professional Development Course, Howell, NJ.

March 14: Gulf Coast Chapter 2024 Engineers Conference, Baton Rouge, LA.

March 14: PDCA of S.C. Driven Pile Technical Seminar, Charleston, SC.

March 19: PDCA Texas Chapter Lunch & Learn, Baytown, TX.

ATTN SUPPLIERS: Do You Have a Double Clamp Option for Sheet Piles?



 

PDCA Steel Sheet Pile Committee's Double Clamp Information Guide


The PDCA Steel Sheet Pile Committee has developed an informational guide for contractors that highlights the benefits and long-term cost savings of using double clamp hammers when driving wide steel sheet piles - both cold form and hot rolled.

In addition to the technical information, this guide will include a list of PDCA member companies which offer double clamp options. It will also provide information about the double clamps available on the market. Please send us content about double clamps that you supply, photos, specs, etc. Your information will become part of this guide.

If your company would like to participate, please contact Kathy Harper, PDCA Manager of Education & Events, by email, kathy@piledrivers.org, or phone, 904-215-4771.

Information is due to PDCA no later than March 1, 2024.


 

Happy Engineers Week, PDCA Engineering Affiliate Members!


February 18-24, 2024 is Engineers Week, which, according to the American Society of Civil Engineers, is "the perfect time to celebrate the work volunteers do throughout the year to promote civil engineering in their communities." The many Engineering Affiliate members of PDCA do amazing volunteer work to promote the profession in their respective communities each year, while also helping advocate for the driven pile. PDCA salutes you!

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