Gulf Coast Chapter Hosts Dinner, Program at L'Auberge Casino in Baton Rouge

August 19, 2021

The PDCA Gulf Coast Chapter gathered for the regularly scheduled Third Quarter 2021 Membership Meeting in Baton Rouge. This is a popular event from the Chapter each year because it is held at the L'Auberge Casino Hotel on the scenic waterfront of the mighty Mississippi River.

Attendees enjoyed a social hour prior to a dinner and program. Chapter President Kirt Jackson presided over a short business meeting of the Chapter membership. PDCA Executive Director Frank Peters attended and briefed members on news and upcoming event information for the pile driving industry. The event was sponsored by American Piledriving Equipment (APE) and Nucor Skyline. Andres Buritica, a Business Development representative from Skyline gave a short program.

PDCA thanks the Gulf Coast Chapter for continuing to provide a strong and active, local presence in Louisiana and beyond. Additionally, the Chapter has assisted PDCA in coordinating a special site visit at member company Gulf Coast Pre-Stress Partners (Pass Christian, MS) as an optional field trip during the upcoming DICEP technical conference to be held September 15-17 in New Orleans.

The PDCA Gulf Coast Chapter has scheduled it's fourth and final meeting of 2021 for November 18th; it will take place at Messina's Restaurant in Kenner, LA. More information and registration will be available closer to the event.

PDCA E.D. Frank Peters updates Gulf Coast Chapter during Q3 meeting

Andres Buritica of Nucor Skyline presents technical program to Chapter

The Project of the Year Award Winners are...coming soon to your Inbox

August 16, 2021

Though he was not involved with 2021 Project of the Year proceedings, PDCA Board Member Susheel Kohlwalkar is very experienced in assessing driven pile projects

You are days away from learning which PDCA members will be adding a 2021 Project of the Year Award to their trophy case. New in 2021, Issue #4 of PileDriver magazine is the sole source of an industry-wide announcement naming the winning Project of the Year submissions, and that publication advances from production to the printer this week.

PileDriver magazine subscribers know that prior to the hard copy magazine showing up in your mailbox courtesy of the United States Postal Service, an e-mail arrives in your inbox containing a link to the electronic version of the same magazine. Be watching your inbox in coming days and when you receive notice about the availability of a new PileDriver magazine, click the link and browse the winning projects.

PDCA thanks all participants in the 2021 PDCA Project of the Year Program; we received nearly double the submissions from 2020. We were pleased to have an esteemed slate of deep foundations professionals voluntarily serve as the judge's panel, and they alone assessed all the entries in each category to determine the winners.

Also new in 2021, there is no cost involved for a PDCA member to submit an entry in the Project of the Year Program. The time is now to start thinking about some of your projects that might be completing soon and whether those might be something to submit in the 2022 Project of the Year Program; PDCA will open for 2022 entries in December. Ask any past winner, a PDCA Project of the Year Award is a tremendous way to recognize your team and celebrate their ingenuity, hard work and commitment; your project team immediately becomes visible as industry leaders. It is important to tell you that all entries in this program reflect positively on those who submit them, and therefore, the pile driving industry.

PDCA Hosts North Florida Luncheon, Visits Members in Sunshine State

August 11, 2021

The pile driving community in Northeast Florida gathered for lunch and a program on August 10th. PDCA thanks Sponsor Samuel Roll Form Group for helping make this luncheon available. The Tower Room at the World Golf Hall of Fame was venue for the networking and educational event.

The program brought together a panel of pile driving contractors, all of whom have served as PDCA President. Wayne Waters of EWS Consulting attended in-person while Buck Darling of H.F. Darling, Inc. and current President Kevin Gourgues of Patriot Deep Foundations appeared virtually. The three contractors fielded a series of questions designed to bring forth their perspectives on evolutions in the pile driving business over the years as well as the impact PDCA has had on their careers.

The event attracted contractors, suppliers, manufacturers and engineers from throughout the state of Florida.

In addition to providing the educational program, PDCA discussed ongoing efforts to reestablish a Northeast Florida Chapter to serve the region; Executive Director Frank Peters indicated that that the organization would continue to develop local engagement events for the industry.

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In addition to organizing the August lunch in North Florida, PDCA has embarked on aggressive industry outreach and membership development efforts in the Sunshine State in recent months. Staff visited members and others in the pile driving industry in the critical South Florida, Central Florida and Panhandle markets. This included participation in the 2021 Florida Transportation Builders Conference (FTBA) in Orlando. That event attracted several PDCA members as sponsors like ASAP Installations, award winners like Kiewit Infrastructure and Scott Bridge as well as general attendees from various contracting, supplier and engineering companies.

Pete Kolb, Karina Quiros of Poseidon Dredge & Marine, Lantana, FL.	ASAP Group gathers in their Miramar, FL offices.
Mike Elliott of ECA with industry associate at FTBA	The GeoQuip team in its Orlando, FL yard.