|
A Pile of News - April 2021
April 1, 2021
Gulf Coast Chapter Sets Virtual Membership Meeting
March 30, 2021Chapter to Host Virtual Meeting in April
PDCA Gulf Coast Chapter President Kirt Jackson announces that the Second Quarter Membership Meeting will be available in April as a virtual event. The ongoing health concerns due to COVID 19 have necessitated taking this step to provide members an opportunity to meet.
The event is scheduled for Thursday, April 15, 2021 from 3:00 PM to 5:30 PM CDT. CLICK HERE to register for this meeting and receive your Zoom login credentials. You can register up to three additional colleagues.
The agenda for this this meeting will include the following business items:
- An update regarding the PDCA Gulf Coast Chapter
- Discussion on planning for future in-person meetings and events
- An update on local and national programs and events
- An open forum for members in the meeting to provide your thoughts
April 30 Scholarship Shoot Aids Pacific Coast Chapter Education Fund
March 28, 2021
The Pacific Coast Chapter of PDCA is pleased to announce that the return of a popular event which supports an important cause returns in late April.Plan to attend the "10th Annual Scholarship Shoot" on April 30, 2021 at Birds Landing Hunting Preserve, 2099 Collinsville Road, Birds Landing, CA.
Attendees will receive 100 targets and 100 rounds of ammo, ear and eye protection and a BBQ lunch. You will need to bring your own shot gun and bag/vest to carry ammo. Event registration opens at 8:00 AM PDT and concludes with a noon lunch.
Sponsorships are still available and raffle donations are welcome. To RSVP, call Sarah McDaniel at Foundation Constructor Inc. at (925) 754-6633 or email smcdaniel@foundationpile.com. You can see the Event Flier and additional information.
Modified Oyster Roast Continues 15 Year Tradition in SC
March 27, 2021
PDCA of South Carolina Hosts 15th Annual Oyster Roast
Charleston, SC (March 26, 2021): "It was really good to get out and see people from the industry, it's been a while," noted one attendee of the 15th Annual Oyster Roast, a signature industry event hosted each year by the PDCA of South Carolina Chapter. The 2021 version took place on a Friday evening in late March on the expansive lot of Palmetto Pile Driving, Inc., nearly three months later than the usual early January date that which is always before the change to Daylight Saving Time.
A diverse gathering of area contractors, equipment manufacturers, industry suppliers and engineers attended to socialize, network and otherwise enjoy fresh and locally harvested roasted oysters, among other items made possible by the generous sponsors.
A few photos from the event are below:
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
PileDriver magazine - 'Spring cleaning' on the jobsite
March 25, 2021
Pile Tips: It's DirtY dIRT but Someone's Got to Clean It
PileDriver magazine, Issue #1, 2020
by: Dan Seitz with Stephanie Turkot, GZA GeoEnvironmental
Digging out tons of soil, planting vegetation to support habitats and cleaning waterways may seem like inherently dirty jobs. Yet cleanliness and organization are crucial to both quality work and the safety of the job site. GZA's Stephanie Turkot, assistant project manager, talks about why.
To explain why cleanliness and organization is so important, Turkot points to the humble tarp.
"When dealing with contaminated soil, we have a soil management plan, which tells everyone on the site how soil should be moved, placed and handled," she said.
Part of her job as a project manager is to ensure the plan is followed, which often includes putting a barrier between the soil that's removed and other soils on the site. It also includes communication, which is another important key factor [CONTINUE READING ON PILEDRIVER MAGAZINE].
Digging out tons of soil, planting vegetation to support habitats and cleaning waterways may seem like inherently dirty jobs. Yet cleanliness and organization are crucial to both quality work and the safety of the job site. GZA's Stephanie Turkot, assistant project manager, talks about why.
To explain why cleanliness and organization is so important, Turkot points to the humble tarp.
"When dealing with contaminated soil, we have a soil management plan, which tells everyone on the site how soil should be moved, placed and handled," she said.
Part of her job as a project manager is to ensure the plan is followed, which often includes putting a barrier between the soil that's removed and other soils on the site. It also includes communication, which is another important key factor [CONTINUE READING ON PILEDRIVER MAGAZINE].
Popular Dynamic Testing Course Returns to Cleveland this Fall
March 19, 2021
Orlando FL (March 9, 2021): If you missed 2021's first of two installments of DFDTA, an educational event brought to you by PDCA and Pile Dynamics, Inc. (PDI), you will have another opportunity this fall. The three-day program will take place in Cleveland November 3-5, 2021 at PDI headquarters. Click here for registration and more details.
From March 8-10, 2021, a small group of engineers (pictured) convened in Orlando to take part in the Deep Foundation Dynamic Testing and Analysis seminar (DFDTA), a program and proficiency test offered twice a year from PDCA and Pile Dynamics, Inc. (PDI.)
Due to ongoing health concerns related to COVID-19, PDCA and PDI strictly adhered to Federal recommendations to ensure a safe and successful event for attendees. Social distancing was accommodated, face masks were required when they were unseated and the hotel implemented new cleanliness protocols throughout the public facilities and guest rooms.
The program consisted of a one-day seminar titled Deep Foundation Integrity Testing and Wave Equation Analysis, then a two-day workshop titled High Strain Dynamic Foundation Testing. On the third day, PDCA administered the Dynamic Measurement and Analysis Proficiency Test, a 90-minute, multiple choice exam on the theory of wave mechanics, case method (PDA) equations, data quality assessment, data interpretation and basic CAPWAP analysis.
###
Charleston Engineer Kolwalkar to Represent SC Chapter on PDCA Board
March 10, 2021
With a resume that includes an early civil engineering career in India and the Middle East, a completed masters degree and PhD in the U.S., and an impressive list of high profile projects in the Charleston, S.C. region, Susheel Kolwalkar of Insight Group confesses that active engagement in recreational table tennis provides him necessary relaxation and enjoyment when he needs a break from the demands of his career. He clarifies that it is known as 'ping pong' in the U.S.
Dr. Kolwalkar recently earned appointment to the PDCA Board of Directors from his peers in his local Chapter; he now serves as the PDCA South Carolina Chapter Representative. "I've been with the local PDCA chapter for five years; four as an elected board member and now Chapter Vice President," he explained. "I attend all quarterly meetings and technical seminars. And I never miss an oyster roast! It's a great industry gathering where we talk shop in a relaxed setting."
"When I attend chapter events, it provides a good networking platform where I can share and acquire knowledge from other like-minded individuals who strive to advance the pile driving industry," he said.
Noting Charleston contains a geological composition that favors driven pile foundations, his six years there have brought many welcome, professional challenges and numerous, satisfying final products. A notable example; "Insight Group recently completed deep foundation testing services at the new Hugh Leatherman Terminal and the connecting Port Access Road and Tidewater Road bridges. This is a $1B project and the most important infrastructure project that the South Carolina Ports Authority has ever constructed and the only new terminal under construction in the United States."
With more than 20 years experience as a professional engineer, Dr. Kolwalkar has also helped shape the future of the industry through academia. He conducted research at Cleveland State University and taught a variety of civil engineering courses at Ohio's Youngstown State University. "Teaching at YSU was useful while training and mentoring several interested deep foundation testing professionals."
By day, the Senior Geotechnical Consultant at Insight Group is part of a highly-skilled, collaborative team of engineers and scientists which provides consulting services to contractors, designers and owners. But he does enjoy time away from the grind. "I like spending time with family and friends...listening to different music and playing table tennis, or 'ping pong' as it's known in the U.S. Also, I've voluntarily served on the Executive Committee of the India Association of Greater Charleston (IAGC) between 2017 and 2019." Oh, and we've already established, he doesn't miss an Oyster Roast (pictured).
In his newest, voluntary role with the PDCA Board of Directors, Susheel Kolwalkar joins Association leadership which oversees all administrative, educational, advocacy and event activity for the pile driving contractors, equipment manufacturers, industry suppliers and affiliated engineers.
David Price Named to PDCA Board as New Northeast Chapter Representative
March 5, 2021
With 27 years experience as a deep foundation construction contractor serving primarily the New Jersey and New York markets, David Price of Linde-Griffith Construction Co. brings his industry acumen and market leadership to the Pile Driving Contractors Association (PDCA) Board of Directors where he will serve in one of four Chapter Representative positions. Mr. Price, along with several of his colleagues at Linde-Griffith have been instrumental, not only in its establishment, but the growth and prominence of the New Jersey-based PDCA Northeast Chapter for more than a decade. Because of his commitment to the Northeast Chapter and the professional development programs it brings to practitioners in the greater New York City metropolitan area, Mr. Price says it behooves the group to strengthen its alliance with the national organization."We have had a loyal core of active and enthusiastic members in the PDCA Northeast Chapter," states Price. "Many of our members regularly participate in the educational and industry events that PDCA hosts on a national level, and it is always a productive experience. I believe that the Board opening for a Northeast Chapter Representative provides us an opportunity to better embrace the resources available through PDCA, as well as help influence the ongoing initiatives it makes available to the international membership."
David Price is currently CEO at Linde-Griffith, a Newark, NJ based contracting company at which there are several generations of family ties. On any given day, David is involved with various aspects of the business ranging from field work and project management, to estimating and client relations to any number of administrative functions. His four partners are family, and they proudly carry on the 111-year Linde-Griffith legacy their grandfather, fathers, and uncles passed onto them, focusing on client service and accessibility, construction aptitude and project excellence.
David is married to Kristin Shannon Price, the daughter of longtime company executive Peter H. Shannon, Jr. who passed away in 2003. David, his brothers-in-law, and cousins have taken the company helm since the recent retirement of longstanding senior leaders, John F. Shannon and Raymond Finley III. Kristin and David live in Avon-by-the-Sea on the New Jersey shore, where Kristin works as a Deaf Education Teacher and Certified Sign Language Interpreter. They are parents to three grown children including one who is a Special Education teacher in NYC, one who will soon graduate from Columbia Law School and a third who is a Business Leadership major and rugby player at the University of Delaware and is exploring a possible future in the family business after graduation.
The University of Delaware is an important institution for the Price family, it is where Kristin and David originally met and started their "All-American story about the football player and homecoming queen/cheerleader who lived happily ever after." David has additional All-American credentials; he earned the NCAA designation as an offensive lineman on the Fightin' Blue Hens Football Team under legendary coach Tubby Raymond in the late 1980's. To this day, David (number 77) is proud to have been part of Raymond's innovative 'Delaware Wing-T' offense which has been implemented by dozens of top football programs since its inception. A 1990 graduate of UD, David earned a Bachelor of Science in Finance. He spent a short time in the pharmaceutical industry before he was afforded the unique opportunity with the family business. He joined Linde-Griffith in 1994 in a role that he still enjoys immensely to this day.PDCA welcome David Price to its Board of Directors as the Northeast Chapter Representative.
A Pile of News - March 2021
March 1, 2021
|
