|
A Pile of News - March 2022
March 1, 2022
‌ 
‌ 
‌ 
Past Board Member Waggenspack Welcomes New Baby
February 22, 2022
PDCA congratulates 2019-2021 Board of Directors member Emmett Waggenspack, PMP of Coastal Contractors, Inc. in Baton Rouge, LA, on the birth of his first child. He and his wife Kelsey welcomed Pierce Warren Waggenspack into the world on February 20, 2022 at 11:55 PM. The newborn baby boy measured 9 lbs. 3 oz. and 22 1/4" long. According to Emmett, "Mom and baby are doing well!"SC Chapter Honors 'Visionary' Robbins; Credits him as Founder
February 21, 2022
Charleston, S.C. (February 17, 2022): Calling him "a visionary, an inspiration and dear friend," the South Carolina Chapter of PDCA recognizes Harry Robbins as the first-ever recipient of the J. Harry Robbins, Jr. Award, which signifies a commitment to advancing the driven pile through strength of the Chapter. The ceremony took place during the First Quarter Dinner Meeting of the group - the meeting marked the 75th consecutive gathering of the Chapter since its 2003 founding (2020 is not counted due to COVID interruptions) - at the Town and Country Inn & Suites in Charleston.
As told by South Carolina Chapter of PDCA President John King, "Harry pulled together the other contractors in Charleston to join forces by establishing a localized PDCA presence through the formation of a Chapter. The idea would ensure that driven pile foundations continue to be the preferred deep foundation method in the state and beyond. Some of you might remember how Harry said - we want our piece of the pie to get bigger! He was able to build on the collegiality of the market competitors and earn their willingness to join his vision. He emphasized involving the geotechs in this area because their role in the industry directly impacts success of the driven pile foundation type. And Harry's existing relationships with the suppliers allowed him to gain the important support and influence that they bring to pile driving."
Harry Robbins spent several decades as the President at Palmetto Pile Driving in Charleston, SC. Following his retirement in 2017, his successor Jason Moore has taken the PDCA mantle and volunteered significant portions of his time on South Carolina Chapter of PDCA initiatives. He also has become very active in the national organization where he served as President in 2020.
In his retirement, Harry has maintained membership and participation in the Chapter he founded, as well as the national organization. His legacy in PDCA extends beyond Moore with his demonstrated commitment to the organization. Current Palmetto Pile Driving field manager Scott Nigels, also a Chapter president for two terms, has spent several years on the South Carolina Chapter of PDCA executive committee and joined John King on Thursday in presenting his former boss with the special award named in his honor.
 |
 |
Photo Credits: Ric Anderson, Frank Peters
PileDriver Magazine: Issue #1, 2022
February 19, 2022
Read the latest issue of PileDriver magazineClick the image for a link to the full, digital edition
Cover Story:
In Issue 1 2022 of PileDriver, PDCA highlights the family bonds at Mason Construction, a long-time PDCA member based in Texas. Read more about this heavy industrial and civil construction contractor as the fourth generation of the family steps up to run the business. Read more
HONORING DALE BIGGERS:
In a massive loss to the pile driving industry, Dale Biggers, vice president of Boh Bros. Construction in Louisiana and the long-time chair of the PDCA Technical Committee, passed away in October 2021. Read tributes and stories about Dale from his colleagues and friends in the industry. Read more
PROJECT SPOTLIGHT:
Forefront Deep Foundations helps build a new station for Port of Long Beach Harbor firefighters. Read more
CAREER STORY:
Sarah Sava is an ambitious project manager at Clark Foundations, leading deep foundation projects from the design/estimating phase through the construction process.
Read more
ENGINEERING AFFILIATE MEMBER:
CRW Engineering Group, LLC is a multidisciplinary leader in civil engineering, taming the final frontier in Alaska. Read more
UPCOMING EVENT HIGHLIGHTS:
The PDCA of South Carolina Chapter is hosting its 2022 Driven Pile Technical Seminar in Charleston, S.C., on Thursday, March 11. The PDCA of the Gulf Coast Chapter is hosting its Engineers Conference in Baton Rouge, La., on March 30 and 31. Click here to see more upcoming events from PDCA.
PDCA Board of Directors Meeting, Past Presidents Dinner at Conference
February 14, 2022PDCA leadership gathered for a Board of Directors meeting, followed by the Past President's Dinner which also included the available chairs of the standing committees and attending members from executive teams at the five, PDCA Chapters. 2022 PDCA President Brian Heck conducted the afternoon Board meeting and then hosted the dinner which brought together previous and current association leadership and spouses. The events were part of the 2022 PDCA 23rd Annual International Conference and Expo taking place February 9-12, 2022, at the Arizona Grand Resort in Phoenix, AZ.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Vibrations, CPT, Resiliency, Association Awards Close Conference
February 14, 2022 |
 |
The PDCA 23rd Annual International Conference and Expo concluded Saturday, February 13th at 2:00 PM MST, following a full morning of programming and the PDCA Awards Luncheon.
Attendees first heard a presentation from Catherine Aimone-Martin, PhD who delivered Vibrations in Pile Driving & Case Studies. Then, Gerald Verbeek presented Cone Penetration Testing for Contractors. The Closing Keynote entitled Being Antifragile: Wellness and Resilience for Leaders by David Lau (pictured, top left), introduced the audience to a U.S. Army veteran who earned a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart for his actions in combat during a 21-year career that included an assignment as an Embedded Counterinsurgency Advisor in Afghanistan.
Verbeek
|
Aimone-Martin
|
After completing of the professional development programming, attendees enjoyed a robust lunch buffet while President Brian Heck and Executive Director Frank Peters announced the 2021 PDCA Awards recipients and recognized several PDCA members who have volunteered to serve in leadership capacity in recent years.
2021 PDCA Awards Recipients:
- Dale Biggers was posthumously honored with the John T. Parker Industry Ambassador Award
- Mohamad Hussein named the Dr. Frank Rausche Professional Engineers Service awardee
- Dr. Richard Hartman recognized with the Presidential Award for Distinguished Service (pictured)
- Garland Likins named the Lifetime Achievement Award winner
- Diane Fisher wins the Committee Chair of the Year
- Rich Anderson (pictured, top right) is Associate Member of the Year awardee
 Dr. Hartman
|
 Jay Boyd
|
Also, Past Presidents were presented a unique trophy to thank them for their service; they included:
- David Chapman
- Larry Moore
- Scott Callaway
- Kevin Gourgues
- Jason Moore
Finally, past Board of Directors Members were introduced and given a plaque noting their terms in PDCA leadership:
- Erich Kremer
- Jay Boyd (pictured)
- Emmett Waggenspack
- Rob Braden
- Scott Callaway
- Karl Higgins
- Rich Anderson
- Jason Moore
Day 2 at the Conference - Sessions
February 12, 2022 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Educational Presentations:
Elective Sessions included Safe Working Platforms - The Purpose, Process and Payoff for Contractors by Peggy Hagerty-Duffy P.E. D. GE, A Day in the Life of a Solar Pile Driver by Jason Bales, Lifecycle Monitoring of Foundations by Kumar Allady, P.E., Killer Clauses: Clauses in Contracts for Contractors to Look Out For by Rick Kalson, Effective Use of Driven Piles on Bridge Foundations by Silas Nichols, P.E., and The End Bearing Method: A Soil Evaluation Method via Instrumental Driven Becker Piles by Camilo Alvarez, P.E.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
The State of PDCA:
PDCA Executive Director Frank Peters was joined by President Brian Heck to present The State of PDCA, an Association Update.
 |
Day 2 at the Conference - '20, '21 Project of the Year Awards
February 12, 2022A special presentation over lunch on Day 2 at the conference attracted more than 100 attendees to a nearby banquet room where President Brian Heck was joined by Past President (2020) Jason Moore to recognize winners of the 2020 and 2021 PDCA Project of the Year Awards. (Scroll down for photos from the 2022 ceremony.) The projects that were recognized during the lunch event:
*The 2022 PDCA Project of the Year Awards program is currently accepting entries for driven pile projects completed by December 31st, 2021. Click here to be redirected to the submission form.
Land: Less than $500,000 |
2021 PDCA Project of the Year Awards:Associate/Engineering Affiliate Project Name: US 21 Over Harbor River Bridge project Associate Member: ICE-International Construction Equipment, Inc. Land: Less than $1 Million Project Name: Holbrook-Springerville Highway Contractor: Ralph L. Wadsworth Construction Company Land: Greater than $5 Million Project Name: Sierra Point Phase 2 & 3 Contractor: Foundation Constructors, Inc. Marine: Less than $5 Million Project Name: Ravenswood Tower 001/007 Replacement Contractor: Foundation Constructors, Inc. Marine: Greater than $5 Million Project Name: Port of Alaska Modernization Contractor: Pacific Pile & Marine, LP Earth Retention Project Name: Mill Creek Treatment Facility Contractor: Richard Goettle, Inc. |
Several award winners and their representatives were at the lunch program; here are some of the photos currently available:
 |
2020 PDCA Project of the Year Award Land: Greater than $5 Million Project Name: Lyondell Chemical Company Contractor: Cajun Industries, LLC |
 |
2020 PDCA Project of the Year Award Marine: Less than $5 Million Project Name: Horseshoe Casino Retaining Wall Contractor: Innovative Piering, LLC |
 |
2020 PDCA Project of the Year Award Associate/Engineering Affiliate Project Name: South Capitol Street Bridge Engineering Affiliate Member: ECS Mid-Atlantic, LLC |
 |
2021 PDCA Project of the Year Award (2) Land: Greater than $5 Million Project Name: Sierra Point Phase 2 & 3 Contractor: Foundation Constructors, Inc. Marine: Less than $5 Million Project Name: Ravenswood Tower Replacement Contractor: Foundation Constructors, Inc. |
 |
2021 PDCA Project of the Year Award Land: Less than $1 Million Project Name: Holbrook-Springerville Highway Contractor: Ralph L. Wadsworth Construction Company |
 |
2021 PDCA Project of the Year Award Earth Retention Project Name: Mill Creek Treatment Facility Contractor: Richard Goettle, Inc. |
 |
2021 PDCA Project of the Year Award Associate/Engineering Affiliate Project Name: US 21 Over Harbor River Bridge project Associate Member: ICE-International Construction Equipment, Inc. |
 |
2021 Project of the Year Award Marine: Greater than $5 Million Project Name: Port of Alaska Modernization Contractor: Pacific Pile & Marine, LP |
*The 2022 PDCA Project of the Year Awards program is currently accepting entries for driven pile projects completed by December 31st, 2021. Click here to be redirected to the submission form.
| Older Posts » |
