A Pile of News - July 2021
A Pile of News: July 2021
A briefing on news and information from the pile driving contractors, associated manufacturers, construction suppliers and affiliated engineers that comprise the PDCA
by Matt Bisbee, PDCA
Originally sent July 1, 2021 (Happy Canada Day!)
From the Association & Chapters
Industry Events:
  •  The 2021 PDCA Education Webinar Series resumes July 7 from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM EDT. Register now for An Integrated Computational and Experimental Study of Driven Pile Set-Up in Soft Clay by Brent Guthrie of Cajun Industries, Chad Held of Eustis Engineering and Utilizing Soil Setup in the Chicago Metro Area by Travis Coleman, Elvis Ishimwe of GRL Engineers, Inc.
  • DICEP (Design and Installation of Cost-Efficient Piles) conference returns as LIVE in 2021; it happens in New Orleans, Sept. 1517 registration is open.
  • PDCA was a cooperating organization at DFI SuperPile '21 in Philly who was spotted [PHOTOS]?

Chapter and Regional Events:
  • PDCA of South Carolina Chapter hosts baseball night on July 29 starting at 6:00 PM EDT. For $10/person (member or not), join the fun with a social hour (burgers and dogs provided) followed by a game between the Charleston RiverDogs who host the Columbia Fireflies a matchup between the Rays and Royals affiliates.
  • PDCA Gulf Coast Chapter holds Q3 meeting on Aug. 19 at L'Auberge Casino, Baton Rouge
  • PDCA Northeast Chapter hosted an annual clay shoot in Pennsylvania; coverage and [PHOTOS]
  • PDCA's Northeast Florida Chapter Initiative Lunch, Aug. 10, 11:30 AM1:30 PM EDT at World Golf Hall of Fame in St. Augustine 
  • PDCA's The Houston Social, Sept. 23, 5:307:30 PM CDT at True Anomaly in Houston, TX

The 2022 PDCA Membership Directory goes to production this fall; you have until Sept. 15 to access your online PDCA account and make any service, contact or personnel adjustments or updates to your company listing from the 2021 publication. Please review your listing ASAP.

PileDriver magazine, Issue #3 2021 is now available; an IFCEE recap is within. Click for the e-mag.
  • Reader note, this issue carries a theme of QA/QC for driven pile applications and plenty of new and insightful content. See timely, related social media from Nathan Price, QA manager at ECS Limited.

Welcome New and Returning Members [JOIN PDCA TODAY]:
Contractors: Ralph L. Wadsworth Construction Company, Trevcon Construction Company
Associates: Bauer Equipment America, DFI Piling, Dunham Price Concrete, OTTO Fabricators, LLC, PACO Ventures, Platinum Grover Int.
Engineering Affiliates: ESP Associates, GEOKON
Labor Organizations: Stovall Foundation Systems
Affiliated Services: USI Insurance, FMI Corp., Shields Mott
Retired: Robert Lowe
Foundation Constructors Inc., you are this month's winner!
Send an email to marian@piledrivers.org before the end of July to claim your prize!
News from PDCA Companies
Acquisitions & Expansions:
On the Job:
APC Construction will contribute to a massive redevelopment of Florida's Space Coast (east-central on the peninsula) to design/build facilities for the U.S. Space Force.

The ASAP Group drives H-pile for a temporary shoring system in an I-295 project in Jacksonville, FL.

Baker GCI to provide civil services for new Nutrien Ammonia Converter and Exchanger in Geismar, LA.

Coastal Contractors, Inc. is completing the rehabilitation of 70-year-old Huey P. Long Bridge on behalf of the New Orleans Public Belt Railroad.

EWS Consulting spent the past year ensuring quality workmanship and contract compliance for construction of a new mega-yacht marina in the Bahamas. Owner Wayne Waters says visits during COVID were a challenge, but not insurmountable. The facility opens this summer.

H.B. Fleming is in Acton, MA (hometown of Steve Carell or "Michael Scott" to fans of The Office). They're installing pipe in Nagog Pond for a new drinking water system.

Innovative Piering installs 16-inch diameter piles to become moorings for an aeration system at a Boston, KY distillery; as they quote on social media, "It's like toothpicks in a cake."

Linde-Griffith constructs the foundation for an addition to an existing warehouse in Jersey City, NJ; their Junttan PM23 is onsite to drive 170 PDA-tested piles (16 x 500 wall PP, by 50' length).

Logan Marine performs piling replacement at Southport Ferry Terminal [video] near Wilmington, NC; it's one of several NC DOT-operated ferry facilities.

Manson uses PVE Equipment, drives 24" pile for Blount Island Terminal Wharf Rehab in Jacksonville, FL.

McCarthy beat the deadline to finish the Port Freeport levee wall stabilization in Texas.

Norwalk Marine places 4K timber piles for a solar farm at a private, Massachusetts cranberry bog.

Orion continues seven-day workweeks in a multi-faceted overhaul at the Port of New Orleans; it includes installation of precast and fender piles. Rising waters and COVID have not slowed the progress!

Piling, Inc. has completed construction on a new tank for Air Products in Texas City. The job involved installation of 1,200 pcs., 16" x 85' concrete pilings driven with their Pileco hammer.

PRECO-MSE is driving 22 HP piles for a retaining wall at Montreal's Saint Jacques Street tunnel project. The job presents challenges with space constraints, road traffic and pile maneuverability.

Powell Foundations completes 16-mile creek project for Verdi Alliance in Milton, ON.

Sealevel Construction wins the contract for $30M Airport Connector Road and Bridge Project in Galliano, LA; final product will cross Bayou Lafourche.

ESC Steel installs steel sheets into cemented sands and calcarenite at Al Maryah Island in Abu Dhabi.

GeoQuip, Inc. equipment installs vinyl sheets at the Savannah Convention Center.

ICE International Construction Equipment has a 66C/800 package pulling tressel pile on the High Rise Bridge project in Chesapeake, VA. Elsewhere, its equipment was spotted on job site where Nucor sheets were utilized for the "world's largest travel lift" in Bayonne, NJ.

JD Fields provided the sheet pile for a curtain wall as part of the Great Falls South Carolina Hydo-Dam decommissioning, which they proudly note was done on schedule and under budget.

ECS Limited provided construction testing for the expansion of the St. Francis Neighborhood Center in Baltimore which, when done, will facilitate a 100% increase in children it can serve.

Fugro earns contract renewal from Atlantic Shores for two years more work off New Jersey coast.

Haley & Aldrich wins funding from the U.S. Department of Defense for specialized research.

Governmental Relations:
Recognitions:
Giving Back:
Anniversaries:
Junttan reaches 45 years in business. Once a small contractor, it has evolved into a global piling specialist and leader. To mark the anniversary, the company has launched a blog sharing stories and notable developments over four decades; piling professionals are invited to engage.
People on the Move
Transitions:
  • Dalton Hoffman, former intern, graduates UArk in C.E., hired full-time at Atlas Foundation
  • Justin Pescosolido, P.E. is new North Carolina-based sales engineer for GeoStructures, Inc.
  • Evan Gerrets joins Canal Barge Company as a new project manager
  • John Konwick in Pittsburgh is the new northeast sales manager for CZM Foundation Equipment
  • Dominic Osei Agyepong, Robert Follett join ECS Limited in Virginia and Pennsylvania, respectively; Isacc Cespedes promoted in Orlando
  • Stan Sadkowski, P.E. named principal at GeoEngineers in Boston; Scott Anderson, P.E. appointed to same role in Kansas City
  • Randy Daub, P.E. named manager at Geo-Technology Associates' Ohio office
  • Joel Bilodeau, PH moves to GZA GeoEnvironmental as senior consultant
  • Shawn Fiore to succeed Larry Smith as president/CEO at Haley & Aldrich in Burlington, MA, also Nick Machairas, Ph.D., noted for AI in geotech work, joins the firm in Boston
  • Gerhard Livingston, intern at S&ME, graduates Clemson, joins the Columbia, SC geotech group
  • Edward A. Bernard succeeds retiring Bill Brickey as Terracon director of facilities services

Recognitions:
In Memoriam:
  • Sergio Gutierrez, a retired pile driver for many years at Piling, Inc., passed in June. His employer Randy Dietel spoke fondly of his former employee, whom he called '"loyal, dependable and highly competent." Notably, Randy helped Sergio gain U.S. citizenship early in his tenure.
  • Bruno Perez of Junttan passed unexpectedly in May; friends and colleagues mourn his loss
Notes from the Field
All the rowdy friends were there, did Hank Jr. stop by? According to photos, morale is high at Aggregate Technologies, which hosted a company pig roast on the beach to kick off the South Texas summer.

Uh oh! Maybe you were late for the beach party, or any obligation you had in Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, Georgia or the Carolinas the other day? You can blame Morris-Shea for snarling the traffic... sorry guys, your social media made this too easy 😉!

Did they once compete against alum Ellen DeGeneres? A geotechnical exploration job on the University of New Orleans campus brought nostalgic feelings at Eustis Engineering, which employs numerous UNO grads. The work was adjacent to a campus site considered the hub for engineering students who participate in the annual ASCE Concrete Canoe Competition.

Pile Driving History Part 1 Opal gray becomes a camo when trying to identify it from a distance on a foggy waterway, or so that was the conclusion made by Manson Construction leadership in 1967. As they were building a terminal for the Port of Seattle, they couldn't see their equipment from afar. That prompted the adoption and implementation of the red and white brand.

Pile Driving History Part 2 Massman Construction led a 1966 joint venture that included Kiewit for construction of the W.D. Mayo Lock and Dam 14 on the Arkansas River in Oklahoma; to date, it provides the region commerce, hydropower and recreation. Crews installed sheet pile cofferdams for job site safety. Upon completion, a 1970 ribbon cutting attracted former president Lyndon Johnson.

Space Race 2021 Perhaps a pile hammer designed for the cosmic grade of the The Red Planet is in development because any future building on Mars would need to start with a foundation. Check out recent work at S&ME involving interplanetary innovations.

PDCA proudly represents an increasingly diverse member-base. We were humbled to catch a Facebook post from new member Black River Solar, which gives IFCEE '21 a positive endorsement thanks, guys!
Media Hits!
GBCA News spotlights American Pile and Foundation LLC in Philadelphia region.

nola.com publishes photos of APC Construction building a permanent floodwall for an $8.9M New Orleans project near the local HQ for the USACE. Job site pics show installation of sheet and H-piles to raise a nearby levee segment. To date, the overdue project has been delayed by high water.

Building Design + Construction quotes Tim Berry, SVP at Balfour Beatty US in a story about the company commitment and impressive record in hiring veterans and awarding them subcontracts.

American Journal of Transportation quotes Frederick Paup of Manson Construction in coverage of a significant agreement between the USACE and the dredging industry prioritizing safety.

St. Louis Post-Dispatch captures video of a community improvement effort that attracted numerous volunteers. Among them was McCarthy Construction, which donated equipment and personnel.

Construction Equipment Guide details a massive project nearly 10 years underway in North Carolina; identified as a "key subcontractor," R.E. Burns & Sons Co. is noted for building the sound walls and box culverts for the I-40 & I-77 Interchange in Statesville, NC, 40 miles north of Charlotte.

News Radio WTAM Cleveland reports on opening of Wendy Park Bridge, a federal initiative with a $16.45M price tag; The Great Lakes Construction Company among construction contributors.

Piling Canada profiles Kassie Davidson of ECA, the company's first female service technician. She brings an amazing story of perseverance, inspiring to all.
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Posted in A Pile of News PDCA Monthly e-newsletter.

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Spotted at SuperPile; PDCA Members attend DFI event (PHOTOS)

Philadelphia, PA (June 25, 2021): As a Cooperating Organization, PDCA participated in SuperPile '21, a three-day conference on the latest innovations in piling methods and techniques. The annual event hosted by the Deep Foundations Institute (DFI) and partner organization The International Association of Foundation Drilling (ADSC) carried the theme The Spirit of Innovation at the Sheraton Philadelphia Downtown from June 23-25.

A virtual component accompanied the live event which featured technical seminars, industry committee meetings, an exhibition area, a Women in Deep Foundations program and nightly receptions. Several PDCA members attended and exhibited at SuperPile '21. See photos from various functions that took place during the event.


Technical Program Chair Justine Lentini, PE of Keller with Tom Heller ,Chuck Davis of Liebherr
Tom Connor of Consolidated Pipe, Ben Tanglao, Ryan Ayers of Hammer & Steel

Driven Pile Committee Chair Pollyanna Cunningham of ICE (screen), with Ryan Allin of PDI 
Peirce Engineering's John Peirce, Jennifer Brandt, John Peirce III

'Lucky' Nagarajan of Giken enjoys a reception with industry colleagues and friends
Dennis Russell, David Mueller, Brian Heck, Mike Abruzzo of Richard Goettle, Inc.

Mike Songer, Kelli Smith, Allwyn McDowall of JD Fields Company, Inc.
CZM Foundation Equipment recent hire John Konwick

Takefumi Takuma dons his custom hat from The PDCA Store, with Shin Kubo of Giken
PDCA members on site who attended the DFI Driven Pile Committee meeting

Women in Deep Foundations present 'Philly Fued'
More contestants in WiDF's 'Philly Fued

Brendan Fitzpatrick of DuroTerra, Duane Bentz of Morris-Shea visit with Sarah of the PA-DOT
Reddy Vantari and Hanan Assfoura of Nucor Skyline represent the steel manufacturer.

Several PDCA members either presented or moderated various technical sessions during SuperPile '21. Among them were the following:

Takefumi Takuma of Giken presents during Driven Pile Session
Alex Ryberg of GRL Engineers presents during Driven Pile Session.
Jennifer Peirce, John Peirce of Peirce Engineering moderate Design and Data Challenges

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Northeast Chapter Clay Shoot Draws Dozens of Competitors


Coplay, PA (June 25, 2021): Nearly 50 pile driving industry professionals participated in the PDCA Northeast Chapter 6th Annual Sporting Clays event, the first post-Pandemic function of the Chapter. It took place Friday, June 25, 2021, at Lehigh Valley Sporting Clays in Coplay, Pennsylvania. A highly anticipated event each year, the clay shooting competition enables the Chapter to provide scholarships to area students and continue offering important, professional development opportunities for deep foundations professionals in the region. The competition takes place on a shooting range which features 15 different stations offering different shooting challenges - shooters are scored and the winner receives a trophy and the all-important braggin' rights! 

This event could not have been possible without several generous sponsors. Those included Event Sponsor ICE-International Construction Equipment, Lunch Sponsor George Harms Construction Company, and Cigar Sponsor ECA-Equipment Corporation of America. Shooting Station Sponsors included American Pile and Foundation, American Piledriving Equipment, Frank T. Peters, Hammer & Steel, ICE-International Construction Equipment, John B. Wright Insurance, Nucor Skyline, Patrick DiCerbo/Northwestern Mutual, Patriot Construction and Industrial and R. Kremer & Son Marine Contractors.
 



Posted in Chapter News.

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Catching Up With Wayne Waters at the Mega-Yacht Marina


Wayne Waters of EWS Consulting (left) and Edward Clark of Samuel Roll Form Group (right) at 2020 Jacksonville, FL networking event.

Jacksonville, FL (June 22, 2021): Past PDCA President and longtime proprietor of Ed Waters and Sons Contracting Company Wayne Waters is completing his latest project as a pile driving construction consultant, a professional pursuit he began following his 2019 closure of the St. Augustine, FL-based pile driving business. EWS Consulting has been busy helping its client complete construction for an anticipated August '21 opening of a brand new mega-yacht marina at a remote Bahamian location known as Harbour Island (population 1,760). Waters has made monthly treks there to provide a wide range of consulting services such as guidance on workmanship quality and assurance that the plans and specifications meet contract compliance.

"It was a challenge mitigating the limitations everyone faced during the height of the coronavirus pandemic," Waters recalled. "But nearly every month, I have been boarding an airplane in Jacksonville, changing planes in Miami, connecting to Eleuthera, Bahamas and then taking a $5 ferry boat ride to Harbour Island to serve my client on construction of this amazing private facility. It's going to be part of the The Briland Club and will facilitate the mega yachts travelling to this exclusive destination." [See image] 

Waters continued, "It's been a great opportunity and I'm thrilled to be able to convert my years of contracting experience into a consulting practice sought by active contractors today."

Wayne Waters served as PDCA President in 2004 and maintains many of the friendships he had established, throughout the country. In addition, he actively participates in Chapter and regional activity that PDCA offers in Florida, he is expected to serve as a panelist for an upcoming PDCA Northeast Florida Chapter Initiative luncheon coming later in 2021.

You might recall 2020 PileDriver magazine Issue #4 which commemorated the 25th anniversary of PDCA; several Past Presidents of the organization were featured. Waters was among those who offered our publications team some valuable quotes. In referring to his many years of building both the PDCA national organization and a strong Florida presence, he stated: "We strive to create obvious reason for all pile driving contractors to desire membership in our organization. As a member, help spread the word. If you're a pile driver, or provide services that support the pile driving industry, then you should belong to PDCA." Thanks Wayne - we couldn't have said it better ourselves!




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PileDriver magazine - Timber Inclusion Systems

PileDriver magazine

Issue #2 - 2021
Project Spotlight


Skip Gardella (left), Kyle Andrew (right), confer on timber inclusions for Westport, CT condo development.


Westport Pile Driving

Norwalk Marine Contractor used timber pile in lieu of traditional rammed aggregate piers for this condominium project

- By: Lisa Kopochininski

Norwalk Marine Contractors (NMC) recently completed - in less than 14 days - driving timber piles for a condominium project in Westport, Conn. for owner David Adam Realty.

"We began designing/estimating the project in August 2020," said NMC project manager Kyle Andrew. While he is unsure of the entire contract amount of this project, NMC's scope was approximately $140,000.

"We then broke ground in January and finished within two weeks. NMC provided a 'value engineered' timber inclusion system to save the project 40% in soil improvement costs. The original design was to provide a rigid inclusion to the transfer building load past the organic soils and into the gravelly sand stratum. Our team achieved this using timber pile inclusion."

Timber pile inclusion explained
When asked to explain...CLICK HERE READ FULL ARTICLE

 

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Don't Miss Northeast Chapter 'Sporting Clays' on June 25!


Participants enjoy lunch following the 2019 Sporting Clays event of the PDCA Northeast Chapter.

It's time to register for the PDCA Northeast Chapter's 6th Annual Sporting Clays coming up Friday, June 25, 2021, at Lehigh Valley Sporting Clays in Coplay, Pennsylvania.

Reconnect with your friends and associates in the pile driving industry by participating in the annual shoot that benefits local students through the PDCA Northeast Chapter scholarship program. Chapter sponsored professional development is also enhanced through the proceeds of the Sporting Clays event.

The day starts at 8:00 AM EST with registration and a continental breakfast. Immediately following, competitors will take to the shooting range which features 15 different stations offering different shooting challenges - the event is scored and the winner receives a trophy and the all-important braggin' rights! 

If you don't own a gun, you can be accommodated. Gun rental and shot gun shells are included in your registration fee.  If you are bringing your own gun, barrel length must be a minimum of 24". No pistol grips and no collapsible stocks.

Click here for more information, registration and sponsorship options.
 

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Time to update your listing for PDCA 2022 Membership Directory


The team at Trinity Products in St. Louis references the 2021 PDCA Membership Directory.

Orange Park, FL (June 7, 2021):  Members are encouraged to review your PDCA account and make any contact, personnel or other changes; this will ensure that the most current and accurate information about your company publishes in the 2022 PDCA Membership Directory - a critical reference guide used widely throughout the pile driving industry. It is important to complete any necessary updates before the deadline of September 15, 2021. This is necessary because our publication team will need time to produce the book so that PDCA can deliver the final product to our members in December. And we want members' listings to contain updated and accurate content for the new year!

In addition to the Directory, your listing is also available at piledrivers.org. Once you update your listing through your member account, those changes will also reflect on your online listing. 

You can login to your PDCA account by clicking 'Member Login' in the upper right hand corner of the PDCA website, www.piledrivers.org. You will be prompted for a password. If you do not know your password, you can simply click 'Forgot Password' and set up a new one. If you have any questions or need help, please contact PDCA at (904) 215-4771.

If you are not a current PDCA member, but would like to get your company listed in the 2022 PDCA Membership Directory, there is still time to join the Association. The annual Directory is one of many benefits that our members enjoy. Please enroll by completing this Membership Application today.

PDCA thanks you for your quick attention to this matter and your ongoing support of the pile driving industry.
 

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A Pile of News - June 2021
A Pile of News: June 2021
A briefing on news and information from the pile driving contractors, associated manufacturers, construction suppliers and affiliated engineers who comprise the PDCA.
By Matt Bisbee, PDCA
From the Association & Chapters
PDCA Events
  • The 2021 PDCA Education Webinar Series resumes July 7 from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM EDT. Register now for An Integrated Computational and Experimental Study of Driven Pile Set-Up in Soft Clay by Brent Guthrie of Cajun Industries, Chad Held of Eustis Engineering and Utilizing Soil Setup in the Chicago Metro Area by Travis Coleman, Elvis Ishimwe of GRL Engineers, Inc.
  • DICEP (Design and Installation of Cost-Efficient Piles) conference returns as a LIVE event in 2021 it happens in New Orleans from Sept. 1517; details and registration coming soon
  • IFCEE 2021 Recap: Thanks to all PDCA members who attended either in person or virtually. We spoke with a lot of people and took a lot of photos. Don't miss a special section right after the #PDCAdriven announcement below to read about some of the interesting things we learned and saw!
 
From the Chapters
Wanted: Candidates to complete the Dedicated Pile Driver Operator Practical Examiner Accreditation Program (PEAP) administered through NCCCO in accordance with OSHA certification requirements for pile driver operators. NCCCO also seeks practical exam test sites. Click here to learn more.
Junntan USA Inc., you are this month's winner!
Send an email to marian@piledrivers.org before the end of June to claim your prize!
IFCEE 21 Coverage
There were several events designed for PDCA members, CLICK HERE for photos.
  • The 2021 program began with a panel discussion among leadership of the host organizations; PDCA president Kevin Gourgues and member Michael Wysockey (president at DFI) joined leadership from ADSC and GeoInstitute. Peggy Hagerty-Duffy of ADSC moderated. 
  • When asked for an elevator pitch to promote PDCA to deep foundations              professionals, Gourgues shared three simple, yet compelling points: 1) "A driven pile is a tested pile;" 2) "Because we have Dale Biggers" (a widely respected technical expert); 3) "Our toys are the coolest."
  •  Speaking of Dale Biggers, he secured the technical presentation from Dr. Cathy Aimone-Martin, who shared unique and enlightening perspectives on vibrations with a piling industry audience. Biggers had met her at a 2019 Louisiana Engineering Society technical program.
  •  Innovator and co-founder of Pile Dynamics, Inc./GRL Engineers, Dr. Frank Rausche, was selected to deliver the E.A.L. Smith Award Lecture. In his presentation, he discussed the work he and collaborators performed in developing the original Pile Driving Analyzer in 1972; per a slide he shared, it was originally known as the Pile Capacity Computer.
  •  The PDCA Board of Directors held a business meeting; among action items was acceptance of a proposal from the Associate Member Council. Co-chairs Diane Fischer and Pollyanna Cunningham are leading the development of a new course for the 2022 Annual Conference stay tuned!
  •  The GeoInstitute of ASCE, with help from Mike Venezia, developed the virtual track at IFCEE; among presenters was PDCA board member Susheel Kolwalkar, who gave his talk via Zoom from Charleston, SC 
  • PDCA welcomed attendees to its booth, which prominently acknowledged all exhibiting members. Many thanks to those who stopped by, exhibited and/or participated in IFCEE!
Some things we learned at the indoor and outdoor exhibit areas, CLICK HERE for photos:
  • Houstonian J.W. Lodge of Lodge Lumber missed IFCEE, but he had good reason. The company "veep" and his better half welcomed baby Ellie into the world on May 3. Congrats! Mike Leal, Daren Franks and Andrew Harris ably held up the bar...er... held down the company booth.
  • Allan Korte of Junttan got to Dallas on Monday but had left a new leaf blower in his truck bed at the airport. He shared this with fellow Northeast Floridian Steve Snyder of Hammer & Steel, who was leaving Tuesday. Using GPS and satellite imagery of the airport, they saw their trucks parked four spaces apart. Steve got back, secured the blower and they lived happily ever after.  
  • Taking a page from 2020, contractor Buck Darling of H.F. Darling arrived at IFCEE  - COVID-style with a fresh haircut from home! His wife, Dr. Inger Darling, does a pretty good job despite her professional training is in pharmaceutics!
  • Dr. Frank Rausche not only develops specialized geo-equipment at GRL/PDI, but he also pulls shifts in the company booth; see the honoree with staff Brandon Phetteplace and Jim Zammataro
  •  It's unclear if the logo-cornhole boards were for sale, but the PVE Equipment exhibit had room between hammers for competitive bag-tossing for Herald Wattenberg and Garrett Smith
  •  Many were asking for him, but ECA CEO Roy Kern had to miss the show to attend his son's late-week wedding. Congrats to Rod and Anna Kern!
  • When the cat's away...it was a relentless display of peer pressure, but PDCA's Kathy Harper withstood a full court press from ECA reps who were recruiting riders for a mechanical bull at their neighboring exhibit. Long story short Kathy didn't get the belt buckle for a 30-second ride.
  • Jake Palmer of APE used the exhibit area to show his new dance moves; company president Dan Collins was supportive, but an unidentified coworker couldn't bear to watch the high kick
  • True story, we strolled past the ICE, Inc. exhibit and heard "Alright stop, collaborate and listen," and saw ICE rep Sean motioning to Kevin Johnson from Group Deep Foundations. What ensued appeared to be a high-level contractor-supplier meeting, therefore we didn't interrupt.
  • PR efforts showcasing JD Fields' diversified scope to include spiral weld manufacturing, equipment dealing, real estate development, equity investment and a Drunk Bus loomed large at IFCEE akin to a Hollywood promotion (hint, hint). Make sure to read the "People" section below to learn about one of the latest products from the company.
  • Quips from PDCA board members (past and present): Doug Keller attended the first Farm Aid in 1985 in Champaign, IL; Diane Fischer thoroughly reviews all written material provided before participating in ANY meeting; Karl Higgins' favorite holiday is Memorial Day.
  • It was bittersweet to see an enthusiastic presence from CZM Foundation Equipment, which not even a week prior lost 98-year-old company co-founder Loris Clo. The staff shared that the late Mr. Clo's "ultimate dream" was to be a major player in foundation construction.
PDCA Companies on the Job
Atlas Construction swapped a stone-block retaining wall with steel sheeting at a Minnesota church.
 
Baker GCI installed more than 15,000 linear feet of steel pilings for Project Olive at IMTT in St. Rose, LA.
 
Black River Solar completes a new solar farm foundation for an Illinois monastery.
 
Boh Bros. named to team chosen for a $1B overhaul of 40 acres on the New Orleans riverfront. 
 
C.D. Perry & Sons spotted on Hudson River moving a crane via barge for work on new docks in Troy.
 
Corman Kokosing wins a $9.8M contract with Arlington, VA for design-build of a new bridge.
 
H.B. Fleming, Inc. put in a dorm foundation at the University of Southern Maine and subbed on the I-95 Interchange overhaul near Portland.
 
Logan Marine, LLC christens its newest barge as it builds a new pier in Southport, NC.
 
Manson Construction wins $101.4M contract to rebuild Pier 6 at Naval Base San Diego.
 
Morris-Shea uses a PVE Equipment Woltman rig for construction of a new water tank in Tuscaloosa.
 
Orion Marine Group wins a $28.5M contract to establish a new aquatic habitat in Puget Sound; elsewhere, the contractor was picked to construct a $9M private marine facility in Tampa.
 
Pacific Pile & Marine begins Phase 2 of the Port of Alaska project. See their barge departing Seattle.
 
Pile Drivers, Inc. operator Kevin King took a day off for his April wedding, but he's back on the Legacy at Patriots Point jobsite. With a Hammer & Steel rebuilt Junttan and Lodge Lumber cushions, he drives concrete from Parker Marine and Palmetto (Essve Tech tubing within), all per S&ME geotech specs.
 
Powell Foundations and partners continue makeover of the Toronto Transit Authority Russell Division.
 
PRECO-MSE and its Junttan PM16 install a 99 steel pipe foundation for a Quebec industrial building.
 
Sealevel Construction has a long resume of Louisiana flood control. It's been a wet May and today starts the Atlantic hurricane season fingers crossed that the Gulf Coast avoids more disasters this year.
 
SJ Hamill Construction, Insight Group were on hand in Beaufort, SC for the ribbon cutting on a new drainage and flood prevention project.
 
Governmental relations:
  • Caldwell Marine sister company hosted New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo for a groundbreaking on the Bay Park Conveyance Project, part of a regional, coastal resiliency effort
  • Clark Construction attended an assembly to break ground for a state heavy maintenance facility in Baltimore City; Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan is caught on camera operating the backhoe
 
Recognitions:  
Giving back:  
Anniversaries:
Cape Romain Contractors has been a key player in construction of the Hugh Leatherman Terminal in Charleston, SC. With Phase 1 now done, we hope the marine/bridge contractor finds a way to celebrate 75 years in business, congratulations! Upon opening in 1946, its business model was considered "the first of its kind in the nation."
People on the Move
Congratulations!
  • Brian Mannix calls it a career after 41 years with Linde Griffith. Deemed a "legend in the deep foundation business," his legacy at LG carries on through his son David Mannix.
 
Recognitions:  
Transitions:
  • John Konwick named northeast sales manager for CZM Foundation Equipment
  • Ethan Eye transitions to full-time project engineer at Engineered Rigging
  • Mike Songer, a 45-year industry vet, joins JD Fields as GM of new equipment division
  • Luke Hutchinson, David Di Staulo, new graduate engineers, join Hammer & Steel sales
  • Katelyn Foster promoted to subsidiary director at ECS Mid-Atlantic, LLC
  • Scott Anderson, P.E., is a 26-year veteran geotech, and joins GeoEngineers in Kansas City
  • Lisa Johanningsmeier is a new engineering technician at S&ME, Inc. in Louisville
  • Melvin Williams takes his 32 years' geotech experience to Terracon in Charleston, SC
 
PDCA on Amazon?!?
  • T. Richard Morris, president at ICE, Inc. published Famous Foundations, a "non-technical" book that documents 18 unique foundations. Get your copy from Amazon.
  • Jay Fields, CEO of JD Fields Company, is co-producer of Drunk Bus, a new movie production released to select theaters May 21 and is available now for streaming on Amazon Prime.
Look Who Made the News!
Business & Industry Connection magazine serving Houston and Baton Rouge published a guest column by Lance Arvel of Baker GCI entitled "Bring More Value to Every Stage of the Project Lifecycle"

ENR provides further detail on $1B New Orleans riverfront overhaul involving Boh Bros [PAYWALL]

Columbus CEO profiles Corman Kokosing and its sister companies, which all operate under Brett and Bryce Burgett and other direct descendants of the late founder Bill Burgett

Stars and Stripes reports that Hawaiian Dredging and Construction is part of a joint venture building a $45M medical-dental clinic for a new Marine Corps base on Guam

The Today Show/NBC News featured seniors in an Austin, TX home adjacent to a construction site; they sent thank you notes and posted signs for the onsite Keller crew for curing the "boredom of isolation"

Sanibel Captiva Island Reporter reports on a bid hearing for Captiva Erosion Prevention District (CEPD) project; Manson Construction is among those in contention

StMaryNow.com writes about a Louisiana flood control project at Bayou Chene near Lafayette; contractors Patriot Construction and Sealevel Construction are both referenced

Civil + Structural Engineer Media covers a Texas bridge project on which Engineered Rigging used strand jacks to effectively lower more than 100 irregular loads
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