PileDriver magazine:
Celebrating 25 Years of PDCA!
The Anniversary Edition

For 25 years, the Pile Driving Contractors Association (PDCA) has been the leading organization dedicated exclusively to the representation and advancement of the driven pile in deep foundations construction. Make sure to browse this issue of PileDriver magazine which chronicles the organization's history dating back to its formative years in 1994-95. 

There is plenty of nostalgia if that is your pleasure. You will sit in with several of PDCA's Past Presidents who reflect on industry developments and share ideas for continued progress in pile driving. Also, review the contents of a recently unearthed time capsule depicting PDCA's earliest days, including some of the organization names that were considered, logos that printed on letterhead, advertisements that ran in various publications and more.

If you are seeking technical content, new and compelling analyses are available, too. Some of the unique and thought provoking material you will find includes "A Comparison of Factors Affecting the Static Axial Resistance of Drilled and Driven Piles" by Dan Brown, P.E., D.GE., M.ASCE of Dan Brown and Associates on Page 60. Also, you can read "A Legacy of Innovation in Testing" by Ryan Allin, P.E., of Pile Dynamics, Inc. on Page 56. And don't miss "Driving Technology With the Latest Structural Retaining Wall Systems," submitted by the PDCA Steel Sheet Pile Committee on Page 100. There is plenty more shared knowledge available in this issue, so take your copy to your favorite reading spot and enjoy.

Finally, several PDCA members share their own business experiences and evolutions from the past 25 years. Chris Kinley of Foundation Constructors provides a 'look under the hood' at how his California contracting company has pivoted safety operations this year to meet the demands necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Jim Dash of the Carlson Dash law firm in Chicago shares unique perspectives on Construction Law and some of the major developments that have happened since 1995.

The digital edition is available here; if you are a subscriber of the print edition, it should be reaching your mailbox soon. Thank you for your interest in PDCA and please never hesitate to share your thoughts and ideas about this, or any issue of PileDriver magazine. And if you want to submit content for future magazines, we want to hear from you as well. We appreciate your support of PDCA.

The PDCA Regional Roundtable Series begins September 18, 2020, making available industry engagement for the regional pile driving community in six different U.S. markets. Each of the six events will be a virtual program offered to PDCA members and non-members for FREE through the Zoom platform (pictured, right). During these one-hour events, PDCA will provide the attendees with the following material:

• An update to membership on Association activities that close out 2020
  • Annual Conference Webinar Series
  • Deep Foundations Dynamic Testing & Analysis
  • 2021 Membership Directory deadline (September 30^th)
  • PDCA Executive Committee and Board of Directors elections
• An update on the value and benefit of establishing a local Chapter (each of the six events is in a region that has a sizable pile driving industry and could sustain an active PDCA Chapter)

• An invitation to non-member, webinar participants to join PDCA; this will include a Q&A for those who want to learn about specific Association functions

• September 18^th Pacific Northwest Region, 11:00 A.M. (PDT)  
• September 25^th Capitol Region (Greater D.C. Metro), 1:00 P.M. (EDT)
• October 1^st Greater Texas, 1:00 P.M. (CDT)
• October 8^th Midwest Region, 1:00 P.M. (CDT)
• October 15^th New England Region, 1:00 P.M. (EDT)
• October 22^nd Lake Erie Region (MI, OH and Western PA) 1:00 P.M. (EDT)

• Reduced risk of loss
• Fewer accidents
• More consistent training 
• Expanded job opportunities for those who work in and around load handling equipment.