Port Allen, LA (October 30, 2020): Members and friends of the Gulf Coast Chapter of PDCA gathered on October 30th at Bridgeview Gun Club for a competitive skeet shooting event, followed by the Fourth Quarter Chapter Meeting. This was the Chapter's lone, live event of 2020 due in large part to the health pandemic. Officials with the organization implemented COVID-19 safety protocols for the shoot and meeting.

The morning skeet shoot involved grouped teams of four which competed against one another. An awards ceremony and luncheon were available at the conclusion of the competition. Gulf Coast Chapter of PDCA members then met to discuss organizational matters. 

The Chapter thanks meeting sponsors Scott Equipment, American Piledriving Equipment (APE), Samuel, Juntaan and Madere & Sons Marine Rental, LLC.

Scenes from the event:

Group Industries readies for the course	Premier Geotech and Testing preps for competition [Photo from Facebook]
No clays will be spared.	A Eustis Engineering shooter takes aim [Photo from LinkedIn]
Cajun Industries shooters focus on clays	PDCA of the Gulf Coast held a Chapter meeting after lunch
Ardaman & Associates on the course	Get your PDCA camo hat at The PDCA Store!

Orange Park, FL (Oct. 27, 2020): The latest edition of PileDriver magazine is now available in digital format (click the image to open it).

In this issue, you can read a contractor's perspective on the The Soma Hotel project in California. Foundation Constructors, Inc. details mounting challenges they overcame while erecting the new building in San Francisco's Mission Bay District. This account begins on Page 64.

Then travel east and learn about the innovative engineering that Insight Group in Charleston, SC incorporated into the ground improvements for the Hugh K. Leatherman Terminal, one of the nation's largest port expansion projects. Read a 'deep dive' into this massive effort on Page 58.

Also, meet Gwen Sanders, P.E., the new President of Eustis Engineering in New Orleans; she's the first woman to ever hold that title. Her Career Story is on Page 21. Then visit the new North American headquarters of foundation equipment manufacturer CZM. A photo spread featuring their the brand new Georgia facility starts on Page 45.

Balfour Beatty details an important mental health endeavor they have launched on Page 81. And new PDCA Contracts & Risk Committee Chair Rick Kalson co-authors an insightful opinion exploring "who is liable for additional construction costs caused by differing site conditions," on Page 85.

You can read company profiles on longtime PDCA member Hammer & Steel, as well as one on new PDCA member EMC Engineering Services. You can read regular features like Pile Tips, a Business article, a Leadership perspective and plenty more in this issue. PileDriver Issue #5, 2020 closes with a remembrance of the late Pete Schell of Equipment Corporation of America who left an indelible mark on the pile driving industry throughout the Mid-Atlantic region and beyond.

Read the full magazine here.

PDCA Partners with Noted Speaker, Author, Creator, for Presentation on Employee Retention

Orange Park, FL (October 23, 2020): We'd like to personally invite you to a partner event that we feel could be a tremendous resource for you and your team. The Employee Retention Summit for Manufacturers is coming November 9-11, 2020 and not only can you attend from the comfort of your own home or office, it won't cost you a dime to do so.
 
Twenty-five manufacturing and retention experts are going to reveal their best retention tips in short 30-minute conversations with Lisa Ryan of Grategy. Lisa put together an all-star line-up of experts including Alan Beaulieu, PhD, Commander/Dr. Mary Kelly, Sam Silverstein, Eric Chester and more.
 
You can check it out here: Employee Retention Summit for Manufacturers.
 
Please feel free to share this event with your friends and colleagues. The speakers are engaging and all sessions are interview-style conversations that are loaded with great ideas and strategies that you can use right away.
 
Even though the focus is on employee retention, you'll find all kinds of sessions for your own personal and professional development. Topics like overcoming impostor syndrome, rocking your virtual presentations, and wellness strategies are included. And - did I mention that there is NO CHARGE for you to attend?
 
Feel free to reply back if you have any questions, but the Employee Retention Summit for Manufacturers website should be able to answer most of them for you.
 
If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to Lisa Ryan, the event host, at Lisa@EmployeeRetentionSummit.com.

New 'Touch Free' Registration; and 
Program on 'Pile Testing'

Charleston, SC:  The PDCA of South Carolina Chapter announces that the Quarterly Dinner Meeting originally scheduled for November 12, 2020 at 6:30 PM, will be held as a live event, open to PDCA Members and other deep foundations professionals who would like to attend. Organizers have secured an insightful program from Dr. Guoming Lin of Terracon Consultants in Savannah, GA on the Kinder Morgan Elba Liquefaction Project.

Interested attendees should be advised that the Chapter has implemented all COVID-19 safety protocols for events and gatherings as recommended by the national Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the State of South Carolina (SCDHEC) and Charleston County. In addition, the Chapter has adopted a new "touch free" registration process, requiring attendees to register in advance and submit payment online. There will be no payment exchange at the event. REGISTER HERE.

In addition to the technical program, the Quarterly Dinner Meeting will feature a dinner buffet, beverages, industry networking and fellowship. Also, the Chapter Executive Committee will announce the student from The Citadel who has been selected to receive the 2020 Mac Nigels Scholarship. For more information about the November event, including venue and sponsor information, please see the following event flier:

 

Jobsite Safety a Key Driver in Ongoing Efforts of ADSC/DFI/PDCA Working Group

Orange Park, FL (October 7, 2020): The third installment of the PDCA 2020 Annual Conference Webinar Series featured a two-hour, virtual program that provided a comprehensive report on the ongoing efforts of the ADSC/DFI/PDCA Working Group, which in 2019, formalized efforts to pursue industry-wide safety guidelines for utilization of working platforms on deep foundations jobsites.

More than 100 deep foundations professionals registered for the October 7th program entitled Working Platforms Update in which 
Peggy Hagerty Duffy, P.E., D.GE (pictured, lower left) of Hagerty Engineering and Association of Drilled Shaft Contractors (ADSC) and Terry Holman, PhD, P.E. (pictured, upper right) of Geosyntec Consultants detailed the Working Group's efforts to-date. Following that program was the Working Platforms Panel Discussion.  Hagerty Duffy and Holman served as panelists, along with Jim DeWaele of Keller Group (lower right). Gerald Verbeek of Allnamics U.S.A. (upper left) moderated the discussion in which the panel fielded questions from attendees. Those who attended the full program have earned 2-hours Professional Development Hours (PDH).

Please watch for detailed coverage of the Working Platforms Update installment of the PDCA 2020 Annual Conference Webinar Series in an upcoming PileDriver magazine. Also, The PDCA Store will soon be offering a download of the full program, free to PDCA members and for purchase by non-members.

The PDCA 2020 Annual Conference Webinar Series continues on November 4th with a program on construction law; the Series concludes on December 2nd with a presentation on updates to the International Building Code. All programs are FREE to PDCA members and offered to non-members at a nominal cost. The successful five-part, virtual series replaces the 2020 PDCA Annual Conference which was to be a live event in May; this change was made in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. PDCA Executive Director Frank Peters (pictured below, left) and Manager of Events and Education Kathy Harper (pictured below, right) bring you the programs originating in the PDCA offices and delivered through the Zoom platform.






 

Annual pdca event, Delivered as Webinar, a success in virtual format

October 2, 2020: September was a busy month when PDCA offered several virtual education opportunities, including the annual Design & Installation of Cost-Efficient Piles (DICEP), known this year as Virtual DICEP 2020.

The program was delivered over the course of two weeks; the first segment provided attendees a thorough examination on Steel Sheet Pile, featuring presentations from David Chapman P.E. of Blakeslee Arpaia Chapman, Inc. and Gerry McShane of Service Steel Warehouse. This took place on September 16^th and 17^th from 3:00 5:00 PM EDT each day.

The next week, Virtual DICEP 2020 focused on Wave Equation. This too was delivered over two days, for two hours each day on September 23^rd and 24^th. Ryan Allin, P.E. of Pile Dynamics, Inc. gave a background on the subject matter and hosted workshops on specific components.

Nearly 90 professionals from North America and Europe attended Virtual DICEP 2020, including Jennifer Brandt, P.E. (pictured) of Peirce Engineering, Inc. in Phoenixville, PA. Ms. Brandt said; "PDCA's Virtual DICEP program was an excellent opportunity to stay connected with other PDCA professionals and reinforce my knowledge of Steel Sheet Piling and the Wave Equation.  The presenters were engaging, and the presentations were very informative.  I look forward to the next PDCA Virtual opportunity."

Thank you to our sponsors for Virtual DICEP 2020 which include; Pile Dynamics, Inc., Lester, Palmetto Pile Driving, Inc., and Service Steel Warehouse.

PDCA is pleased to announce that DICEP returns in 2021; it is expected to be a live event scheduled for September 15-17 in New Orleans, LA. Please watch your inbox for new details as they become available, or visit piledrivers.org.

PDCA of the Gulf Coast Presents
4th quarter meeting/2020 Skeet Shoot

A reminder from the PDCA of the Gulf Coast: it is time to get registered for the 4th Quarter Chapter Meeting, which this year is combined with the 2020 Skeet Shoot event. The deadline to register is October 16, 2020.


The skeet shoot and meeting will take place at Bridgeview Gun Club in Port Allen, LA.  Members who choose not to participate in the skeet shoot are encouraged to come for lunch while we conduct the meeting.  Below is a list of event times of interest:

• Skeet Shoot Registration               8:00 AM
• Skeet Shoot Start Time                  9:00 AM
• Lunch / Awards                                 11:30 AM
• Meeting to Begin                             12:30 PM
• Meeting End                                      2:30 PM

This venue will allow us to meet and conduct our quarterly meeting requirements in a safe, outdoor environment.  Hand sanitizer and face masks will be provided and made available to all visitors.  We look forward to seeing everyone there.

See the following event flier for more information and RSVP instructions.