A Pile of News - June 2022

A Pile of News: June 2022
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
Originally sent June 1, 2022
From the Association & Chapters
Mark your calendars!  
Chapter news:
  • PDCA Pacific Coast Chapter scholarship shoot: On April 29, the 2022 event brought more than 150 participants to Bird's Landing Hunting Preserve in California and generated nearly $30K to the chapter scholarship fund. See who won competitive shooting honors and event PHOTOS.
  •  
  • PDCA South Carolina Chapter dinner meeting: On May 12, industry veterans Jim Duffy and Mike Elliott were recognized for contributions to pile driving over their long careers in engineering, equipment and materials. Scott Nigels presented on PC/PS concrete piles. See the PHOTOS.
  •  
  • PDCA Northeast Chapter professional development courseOn May 18, George Harms Construction Co. in New Jersey hosted attendees to hear from Jennifer Peirce Brandt, P.E., John Peirce, III, P.E.of Peirce Engineering and David Borger, P.E., Kurt Levin, P.E. of Nucor Skyline on technical matters. 

Industry news:
GeoQuip Inc. Foundation Construction Equipment, you are this month's winner!
Send an email to marian@piledrivers.org before the end of June to claim your prize!
News from PDCA Companies
Acquisitions & expansions:
  • Parker Marine Contracting launches new trucking business, PMC Transport, LLC. Candi Stegall, Will Marsh run the subsidiary offering flat, expandable and step-deck trailers in Charleston, SC.
  •  
  • Keller adds GKM Consultants to family of companies to further strengthen its standing in the geotechnical monitoring solutions market.
  •  
  • Equipment Corporation of America (ECA) enlarges footprint to serve Western Canada. BAUER products, other ECA equipment, parts and services are now available in all Canadian provinces.
  •  
  • GEOKON opens Latin American operations in Santiago, Chile. Francisco Vega is named the regional director for the provider of geotechnical instrumentation.

Governmental relations:
  • Clark Construction earned laudatory statements from Gov. Youngkin (VA) and Gov. Hogan (MD) about its regional significance as it grows in the Mid-Atlantic. A new McLean, VA office opens this fall, Richmond follows and its Baltimore space will double. Bipartisan consensus is rare in 2022!
  •  
  • PRECO-MSE hosted Mayor Pilon at its suburban Montreal HQ to announce implementation of a Termacao TREE lithium-ion battery unit, a move toward decarbonization in construction.

Recognitions:
Giving back:
Anniversary:
  • Macro Enterprises LTD reaches 45 years in continuous operation. The Massapequa, NY-based pile driving contractor proudly drives timber, pipe, H-piles and more from its Long Island HQ.
People on the Move
Transitions:
  • J.W. Lodge promoted to CEO at Lodge Lumber Co. in Houston.
  •  
  • Tommi Lehtonen appointed new CEO at Junttan.
  •  
  • David Kesser becomes president at PVE Equipment USA, based in Jacksonville, FL.
  •  
  • Jeff Dwyer named first CEO for Contractors Steel Co. parent UPG.
  •  
  • Odaly Sanchoyerto elevates to FT project manager at ASAP Group in Miami.
  •  
  • Elyse Simon named new sales support-accounting staff at J.D. Fields &
  • Company, Inc.
  •  
  • Chuck Sornberger, P.E. moves to Meever USA Florida office for engineering, sales support.
  •  
  • Nikeisha Balakrishnan graduates Purdue, secures design engineer job at Nucor.
  •  
  • Ryan Moyers, P.E. joins the team at CRW Engineering in Anchorage, AK.
  •  
  • Spiro Kola moves from intern to project manager at ECS Limited upon graduation from UF.
  •  
  • Dan Russell elevates from technical services to sales engineer at GEOKON.
  •  
  • Kathy Jarupakorn, Brandon Hansen onboard as staff engineers at PND Engineers, Anchorage.
  •  
  • Pete Castro, P.E., G.E. joins Shannon & Wilson, Inc. in Portland as senior geotech.
  •  
  • Mikaelah Hill parlays summer '21 internship into a full-time position as engineer at S&ME, Inc.
  •  
  • Justin Hatton, Bryan Pina, Kaylee Ellerbe, Justin Calcagino, all new to Southern Earth Sciences.

Recognitions:
  • Mike Terrell reaches 35 years at Scott Bridge Company, Inc. in Opelika, AL.
  •  
  • A pair of industry veterans celebrate 30 years at New Jersey-based Conti Enterprises, Inc.
  •  
  • Ernie Nillen reaches his 40-year anniversary at Southern Earth Sciences' New Orleans office; colleagues Danny Keller makes 32 years, Shane George with 28 and
  • Larry Jackson has 24.
  •  
  • Branyon Dodds, Kevin Tyler inked deals to continue employment with Company Wrench as part of a unique graduation "signing day" event held at an Ohio workforce center. Their employer was an event sponsor is it a surprise that it was also named a local Large Business of the Year?
  •  
  • Larry Melton, MBA, PMP is vice chair of the Dewberry BOD; he was recently inducted into the 10th Annual Academy of Engineers at The Citadel where he graduated engineering school in 1984.
  •  
  • James Williams, P.E. and Patrick Thurmond, P.E. of Eustis Engineering volunteered at Mudfest, a program of the Louisiana Children's Museum where kids learn about construction resiliency and driven pile foundations through interaction at mud stations.
  •  
  • Shreyansh Paliwal, EIT is a young engineer of the year; James Bristow, P.E. earns ASCE distinction for community involvement. The gentlemen hail from Universal Engineering Sciences in Nevada.
  •  
  • Joe Novak, a project engineer at GeoStructures, Inc., just passed the P.E. exam.
  •  
  • Matt Smith of GZE GeoEnvironmental secures a P.E. license in the state of Vermont.
  •  
  • Kenneth Chappell, a USMC combat veteran of Operation Enduring Freedom and recent Citadel grad, earned his P.E. in South Carolina; he works for Infrastructure Consulting & Engineering.
On the Job
Baker GCI shares that its deep foundations team performed a test pile program for (two) 800-ton static load tests; it's part of the VG Plaquemines LNG project.
 
Blue Iron Foundations & Shoring uses its Giken silent piler to install 60 feet-long sheets, 45 feet below sea level in Norfolk, VA for a component of the expansive Hampton Roads Bay Bridge Tunnel project.
 
Foundation Constructors, Inc. uses a PileCo D 36-32 hammer to drive 111 each 12-inch by 60-foot PS/PC concrete piles at Coronado Island to build a new facility at the Navy base in San Diego.
 
Norwalk Marine Contractors makes progress on a new residential development in Stamford, CT. Crews have used their iconic Junttan rig to install timber piles for timber inclusions.
 
Orion Marine Group unleashes an extended American Piledriving Equipment 10-4 hydraulic impact hammer to drive a toe wall piling nearly 50 feet below the water surface at Seattle's port.
 
Pacific Pile & Marine secures new contract to rebuild Pier 58 on Seattle's waterfront; local rep Nam Nguyen of J.D. Fields & Company will supply the steel pipe pile for this high profile marine project.
 
Russell Marine LLC drives 18-inch pipes to build the future, Galveston home of Royal Caribbean's Allure.
 
Weeks Marine, Inc. completed infrastructure restoration at Ellis Island. Scope included refurbishment of a ferry slip, a new timber fender system and seawall fortification.
 
Hammer and Steel, Inc. equips the growing solar installation market; its SPD PM 85 solar attachment was spotted at a central Maine quarry driving more than 2,500 pilings for future energy generation.
 
Junttan USA puts its first hammer in Guam for the Hawaiian Dredging Construction Company/Weeks Marine subsidiary JV that is engaged to repair, modernize various structures on the U.S. Navy base.
 
CPS Houston, Inc. provided the fabrication, coating and delivery of 167 feet long, 18x1-inch pipe piles for business partners Kingwood Pipe and Russell Marine LLC. For perspective, we googled, and learned that 167 feet is equidistant to the combined elevation of the three drops that comprise Niagara Falls.
 
GeoQuip, Inc. supplies a vibro and a PileCo Inc. H35/50VT for pile installation at a new interchange off I-75 South of Tampa. Chris Lowe provides video of the job site called "Big Bend" in Riverview, FL.
 
ICE-International Construction Equipment dispatched a customized, 110 vibro/extractor to Missouri for pile driving at the I-70 Rocheport Bridge replacement near Columbia. The $240M project will optimize traffic safety with separate eastbound/westbound bridges serving more than 12 million drivers a year.
 
Lloyd Engineering, Inc. is consulting on a timber piling remediation job along the banks of the Mississippi River. The construction team is applying a concrete wrap to the beams.
 
Universal Engineering Sciences consults on pile installation at a Lakeland, FL residential development; timber pilings under concrete slabs were deemed the most cost-effective deep foundation solution.
Media Hits
Construction Dive publishes a roundtable on mental health and construction; among the panelists are SVP-safety Keith McCoy of Balfour Beatty U.S. and safety head Kris Manning at Clark Construction.
 
Crane Equipment Guide tells the story about C.D. Perry and its recent purchase of a Tadano telecrawler. Company VP Tyler Fane is quoted. Tyler, his master mechanic Morgan Waters and crane operator Todd Beauharnoir appear in a photo. An ICE-International Construction Equipment hammer is also spotted.
 
Florida Times-Union updates Hal Jones Contractor jobs: a rebuild of hurricane-damaged Jacksonville Beach Pier, and new riverfront "day docks" in Downtown Jax. Is HJC using Trevor Lawrence's PR team?
 
Marine Construction Magazine features two senior project engineers at McCarthy in a special section highlighting women in the industry; Jaqueline Martinez and Valeria Zebrowski are quoted in a Q&A.
 
10/12 Industry Report serving the Baton Rouge region publishes comments from Ben LeBlanc, CEO at Patriot Construction & Industrial, LLC; he shares observations on the current business climate.
 
Waterways Journal writes about a new towboat that Canal Barge Company added to its fleet. The vessel name is mv. Lizzie Lan Peus, a salute to the granddaughter of the New Orleans company founder.
 
CNBC: Mad Money host Jim Cramer interviews Nucor CEO Leon Topalian about a new acquisition, C.H.I. Overhead Doors. Maybe with a 25-ton steel purchase, they'll throw in a new shop door?
 
The Globe and Mail of Toronto publishes a fascinating piece on Samuel Roll Form Group's parent. The title sets it up: 167 Years, Five Generations, Zero Family Drama: What is Samuel, Son & Co.'s Secret?
Notes from the Field
It's safer than a casino outing on the Missouri Belle (Ozark, anyone?) As far as team-building events go, the Trinity Products Ryder Cup was an elaborate and successful event, according to Luke Crump, who played for the winning golf team. Over three days, all staff from both the pipe and new plate divisions gathered in St. Louis for competitive golf along with company fellowship.
 
Steer clear of pile pirates We detect careful wording in a J.D. Fields & Company social media post. The photo is identified as in the Caribbean, but the author obscures the exact whereabouts of a barge carrying Fields' full-length steel pipes. This leads us to believe they are mitigating pile piracy danger.
 
What about the dam inspection at the nudist colony? Ask staff at GZA GeoEnvironmental in New Jersey for the punchline. Due to COVID mitigation protocols, the firm officially reopened all offices this spring. The fun committee at the Fairfield, NJ office held theme days for the first week; cornhole, cowboy boots and wisecracks ruled the office suite. Nudist humor was included.
 
A-listers congregate at PDCA-influenced raceway We told you that Universal Engineering Sciences (UES) consulted on the new Formula One racetrack which held its inaugural race in Miami in May. Celebrities flocked to the event; Michael Jordan, Hailee Steinfield, Ashton Kutcher, Ed Bisono, Patrick Mahomes, David Beckham and Tom Brady, among them. Can F1 compete with NASCAR in the U.S.?
 
We're still in disbelief that the May Pile was the first newsletter to receive zero "unsubscribes." Perhaps it just wasn't worth the click? But thank you. We appreciate your continued readership and content contributions. Without you, this newsletter doesn't exist. If you're a regular reader of "A Pile of News" but not a PDCA member, the time to JOIN PDCA is now. We will be introducing all Q2 new members in next month's edition. Complete the Membership Application and send it in today!
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Copyright © 2022 Pile Driving Contractors Association, All rights reserved.
You are receiving this email because you are an industry leader in the piling community and
may be a member of the Pile Driving Contractors Association.

MORE National Media Coverage on PDCA 'Driven Pile Academy'

Update Listings With PDCA; Deadline for '23 Membership Directory Changes is Sept. 30


L-R: Kent Parker, Marty Swain, Candi Stegall of Parker Marine Contractors in Charleston, SC
show-off their PDCA Membership Directory to inspire you to update your listing.

Orange Park, FL (May 27):  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 2023 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 30, 2022. 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.

Excavation Aid, Subterranean Walls, Bridge Abutments Analyzed at Course


Chapter Vice President David Price opens the program (photo credit: Bobby Ramic)

The 2022 PDCA Northeast Chapter Professional Development Course took place on May 18, 2022, at George Harms Construction Company in Howell, NJ, which also was the event sponsor. More than 40 deep foundations professionals registered for the daylong event which featured six-hours of accredited, industry education. Chapter Vice President David Price opened the program which included three segments dedicated to advancement of the driven pile. The topics and their respective presenters are as follows:
           

  • Design Considerations for Driven Excavation Support Systems reviewed design of temporary excavation support systems including steel sheet piling, driven soldier beams, and timber lagging including braced, tieback, and cantilever systems. Presenters on this topic were:
    • Jennifer Peirce Brandt, P.E., President of Peirce Engineering, Inc. 
    • John J. Peirce, III, P.E., Peirce Engineering, Inc.                                                             
 
  • Permanent Sheet Pile Walls for Subterranean Structures included an analysis of a sheet pile foundation, attributes of an earth retention system, concerns/benefits of permanent sheet pile structures, discussion of below grade parking, and case studies. Attendees heard from the following presenters:
    • David Borger, Director of Engineering, Nucor Skyline
    • Kurt Levins, Engineering Manager, Nucor Skyline
  • Steel Sheet Pile Bridge Abutments provided professional discussion of sheet pile walls used as bridge abutments; also, attendees learned about design and construction for high module walls, cellular cofferdams, driven sheet pile and more. Previous presenters David Borger and Kurt Levins also delivered this program.


Presenters at the 2022 PDCA Northeast Chapter Professional Development Course:

Jennifer Peirce Brandt, P.E.

John J. Peirce, III, P.E.

David Borger,

Kurt Levins
 
 
 

                                                                

Sheet Piling Technology Innovator Nottingham Remembered


(L-R: PND co-founders Roy Peratrovich, Jr. and Dennis Nottingham)

*The following copy is from the PND Engineers, Inc. website in a special section about the passing of firm co-founder Dennis Nottingham:

PND Engineers, Inc. mourns the passing of our co-founder, Dennis Nottingham. Dennis died March 6, 2022, in his home state of Montana. He was 84 years old. The "N" in PND, Dennis moved to Alaska in 1962 to take advantage of the state's ripe engineering opportunities. He worked for the bridge design section at the Department of Highways, now the Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities, where he designed iconic bridges such as the Gulkana, Hurricane Gulch, Sitka Harbor, and Yukon vehicular crossings, many of which featured unprecedented innovations and set new arctic engineering standards. Dennis won the world-renowned NOVA Award for his PND-proprietary OPEN CELL SHEET PILETM bulkhead technology in 1998, and he won The Associated General Contractors of Alaska Hart Hat Award in 2004. Dennis served as PND's president for 30 years, until his retirement in 2009. He was enshrined in the Alaska Innovators Hall of Fame in 2015 as "The Bridge Builder," credited with designing more than 300 bridges in Alaska. One of the most influential engineers in Alaska history, Dennis's relentless pursuit of engineering excellence continues to inspire PND today. "Dennis built PND into the powerhouse company that it is, and the whole PND team is forever grateful," PND President Jim Campbell said. CLICK HERE to read PND's full obituary for William Dennis Nottingham.

For more remembrance of the late Mr. Nottingham, be sure to see the next PileDriver magazine coming in June.

Industry Retirees Recognized as 'Legends' During SC Chapter Dinner


L-R: Mike Elliot and Jim Duffy with son Charles Duffy, hold up trophies the Chapter presented them for their years of contribution to the industry.

The PDCA South Carolina Chapter has identified several key players in the pile driving industry who are retired but were critical in its earliest days to shaping PDCA into what it has become today. During each of the Chapter's 2022 quarterly dinner meetings, it is recognizing these individuals and presenting them with a special PDCA trophy. Chapter President John King stated that 'it's important for some of the younger guys to see and meet the guys that built this organization. We should continue to celebrate them while they are still here to join us for an occasional dinner or event."

During the May 12th dinner meeting, Chapter founder Harry Robbins was first on the agenda, tasked with giving a short presentation on two individuals who have been champions to pile driving in the Charleston region; Mike Elliott who recently retired from Equipment Corporation of America after 50 years in the pling machinery business and Jim Duffy who retired 18 years ago from Soil Consultants, Inc. in Charleston after a notable career as an engineer who worked for optimization and QC/QA of prestressed concrete piles.


Also during the Chapter event, Board Member Scott Nigels (below) of Palmetto Pile Driving who delivered the evening's program, used a wheel barrow to cart in to the meeting facility, a variety of props that he used to supplement his presentation. The materials are commonly used to manufacture pre-cast/pre-stressed concrete pilings, a subject on which he gave an overview covering the history, best practices, and quality control/quality assurances for the concrete piles.


Three attendees (below) at the dinner event were randomly selected as winners of PDCA Bucks during a drawing of business cards that happens each meeting and awards those whose names are drawn, with $50 coupons good for purchases at The PDCA Store, an online retail property of PDCA which contains a variety of logo swag, as well as various other industry resources.
Joseph Cook of Thomas & Hutton
Candi Stegall from Parker Marine Contracting
Jeff Harmston of ECA
 

The May dinner meeting brought about 50 members of the pile driving industry to Charleston's Town and Country Inn & Suites where attendees enjoyed networking, the famous fried-chicken dinner, relevant programming and general fellowship. The group will congregate next for the third quarter Chapter meeting scheduled for August 18th at the same location.
 
The PDCA South Carolina Chapter thanks the presenters, attendees and sponsors who made this quarterly dinner possible.

Posted in Chapter News.

Pacific Coast Chapter Raises $29K at 2022 Scholarship Shoot



On April 29, 2022, the PDCA Pacific Coast Chapter gathered for its annual Scholarship Shoot at Birds Landing Hunting Preserve near Oakland, CA. Nearly 150 shooters participated in the event, generating $29,000 in scholarship funds that will be awarded to West Coast students pursing deep foundations careers. 

The annual gathering of the pile driving industry on the U.S. West Coast took place on a picture-perfect, spring day. Attendees enjoyed lunch and fellowship following their participation in the shooting course. The Chapter even handed out special awards for those who stood out for their shooting accuracy, and in one case, inaccuracy. Those awardees included:
Brian Evans, Pat Karinen, Dick Hatfield, Dave Rhodes, Robert Perata, Rod Dubois, and Joe Karinen. The Duck & Cover honoree was Jeff Parkhurst. Congratulations to all!

 
 

PDCA Pacific Coast Chapter thanks the following sponsors who helped make the 2022 Scholarship Shoot a success:

Posted in Chapter News.

Construction Law: Making a Differing Site Conditions Claim

Making a Differing Site Conditions Claim

How to "Resource Up" the Claim ASAP

By Mark Rice (pictured)


Anytime a piling contractor bids a job, steps foot on the site, and starts driving a pile, there is a real risk that the indications of subsurface conditions in geotechnical report and soils borings, don't match up to what's encountered. The blow counts go way up, or the pile sinks like in quicksand, where the presumed bedrock has disappeared. The differing site conditions clause is mandatory of federally funded projects, and in most state public contract codes. This should be easy right? Yet, there is often no fight harder fought when a differing site conditions (DSC) claim is made. Why is that?

            Well, one may start by saying, "human nature." We like things going "according to plan." there is much inertia to changing design. There is resistance to acknowledging a claim condition before knowing its cost. It just seems the practical intent of differing site conditions clauses have got lost in the adversarial nature of today's contracting, for good or worse that resemble the old saying in Alaska, "if it happens to you, it's your fault."

Practicalities of Ramping up Resources when facing a Differing Site Condition

            I am going to cover this topic practically how to craft both a DSC claim notice and detailed claim, and how to "resource up" the project team when faced with a DSC claim condition. Two things are for sure: CONTINUE READING IN PILEDRIVER ISSUE #2

A Pile of News - May 2022

A Pile of News: May 2022
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
Originally sent May 2, 2022
This Friday is the DEADLINE to submit to the 2022 PDCA Project of the Year Awards program. Judges will promptly begin reviewing the land, marine, earth retention and associate/engineering affiliate entries; winners to be featured in the August PileDriver magazine. Please submit your completed entries via electronic file share by close of business on May 6. Contact PDCA with questions. Good luck!
From the Association & Chapters
Mark your calendars! Contractors Foundation Institute The Driven Pile Academy
The first-of-its-kind program sold out; it brought 85 students, 25 professional industry instructors and $10M in piling equipment to a 20-acre construction facility in Duson, LA in April. Attendees engaged in onsite classroom instruction and hands-on equipment training in the field. More coverage below:  
Chapter news:
  • PDCA Gulf Coast Chapter Engineers Conference with crawfish boil (March 31): PHOTOS
  • PDCA Pacific Coast Chapter Scholarship Shoot (April 29): PHOTOS COMING IN JUNE EDITION
  • PDCA Texas Chapter Business meeting May 10 at 15415 Market St. in Channelview, TX. Chapter dues must be paid to attend. Contact PDCA at info@piledrivers.org.
 PDCA past president Michael Justason, P.Eng. earns appointment to the Canadian Society for Civil Engineering, recognizing his work in geotechnical and foundation engineering. His career spans years as a private sector consultant on driven pile projects across four continents with an affinity for statnamic testing to more recently a professor shaping the minds of future engineers at McMaster University.

In other news:
  • Federal agency (SEC) proposes mandated, climate-related regulation; Haley & Aldrich updates.
  • Supreme Court decision on construction permitting elicits diverging reactions; from ENR.
Jordan Pile Driving Inc., you are this month's winner!
Send an email to marian@piledrivers.org before the end of May to claim your prize!
News from PDCA Companies
Acquisitions & expansions:
Governmental relations:
Recognitions:
Giving back:
People on the Move
Transitions:
  • Austin Shanfelter moves from board chairman to interim CEO at Orion Marine Group. He follows Mark Stauffer, who has served the company since 1999, most recently as president/CEO.
  • Colin Percy is new VP of business development at Patriot Construction & Industrial in Louisiana.
  • Kristine Newman elevates to CFO at McCarthy, replacing Doug Audiffred, who retires. Calling her "an inspirational and trustworthy leader," the company issued a public welcome.
  • David Witsken is new CEO at Universal Engineering Sciences (UES); he is based in Orlando.
  • Stephen Borgmann named northeast sales engineer at GeoStructures, serving NJ, NY, PA.
  • Tim Dittmeier returns to Hammer & Steel; based in North Florida, the 15-year industry veteran will oversee sales activity throughout the Southeast.
  • Jacob Tackett is new parts manager for Company Wrench at Ohio HQ; Brian Baum joins the team as North Florida sales manager.
  • Sierra Ponvelle is new to Louisiana-based Ardaman & Associates as proposal coordinator.
  • Cody Wallace, P.E. named new branch manager to Tallahassee, FL office of ECS, Limited.
  • Kenlon Wells named new staff engineer at Geo-Technology Associates, Inc. 
  • Haley Puntin joins GZA GeoEnvironmental as an engineer in Bedford, NH office.
  • Noel Morales becomes certification coordinator at Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute.
  • Monty McGreevy hangs up the hard hat at JD Fields after 27 years.

Recognitions:
In memoriam:
  • Dennis Nottingham, co-founder of PND Engineers, Inc., has passed away. He leaves a legacy as designer of several noteworthy bridges in Alaska, among other regional distinctions. He earned worldwide acclaim for developing the proprietary OPEN CELL SHEET PILETM bulkhead technology.
On the Job
AXIOM Foundations completed installation of retaining walls comprised of Junttan-driven steel sheets from JD Fields for an $8M, public stormwater relief installation in SC.
 
Baker GCI continues work expanding a renewable diesel production facility for REG in Geismar, LA; elsewhere, its team completes the piling scope, which involved installation of both timber and concrete, for Diamond Green Diesel in Port Arthur.
 
Balfour Beatty wins a $697.8-million design-build contract from the USACE to build new office/parking facility at Fort Meade in Maryland; it will serve the NSA, U.S. Cyber Command operations.
 
Cape Romain Contractors is on the construction roster of Avian Commons, a "next-gen" industrial park facility bringing work-life balance to employees at Camp Hall in Charleston, SC. Soil Consultants, Inc. performs testing/inspection for the site foundation. See drone imagery of progress.
 
Kokosing Construction Company has begun work on the southward expansion of Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, DC; Jinnings Equipment provides a hydraulic impact hammer for the crew that is driving 48-inch pipe pilings in the project's current phase.
 
Manson Construction operations in Jacksonville, FL hosted corporate legal and insurance personnel for a visit to job sites in the Florida-Georgia region, providing ground-level perspective on projects.
 
RJ Gorman Marine Construction is installing two timber fixed/floating marinas in Florida's Panhandle, one with 135 wet slips and one with 65. Both are for the same private sector client.
 
Russell Marine works to reshape and improve the deteriorating Berth 10 at the Port of Galveston.
 
Copier Machinery writes about technology-driven improvements to manufacturing. The steel pipe fabricator addresses new technologies it incorporates, such as M2M solutions and IoT connectivity.

Equipment Corporation of America provided the capping system so crews could finish a steel sheet pile wall that Parker Marine installed for a new waterfront hotel in Charleston, SC.
 
Eustis Engineering shapes a new attraction on the lower Mississippi River. Its geotechnical explorations at ports from Vicksburg, MS, to New Orleans help prepare for the launch of a new tourism vessel.
 
Geo-Technology Associates, Inc. performed cone penetration testing and vibration monitoring during pile installation for the Big Chill Beach Club, a 200-seat oceanfront restaurant on Delaware's seashore.
 
Thomas & Hutton shares drone photography from construction partner Cape Romain Contractors on progress of the new Battery Park Pedestrian Bridge, soon to open in North Charleston, SC.
 
UES is among contributors to a recently completed interchange between Florida's Turnpike and I-4 in Orlando; the firm's Jacksonville deep foundations team is singled out for critical support on the project.
Media Hits
ENR carries a comprehensive article on the $25M ferry terminal nearing completion in New Orleans. As we've noted, APC Construction is part of the JV working to build the public facility. Joel McLain gives thoughtful quotes about the unique conditions that the Mississippi River can present to a contractor.
 
FFJournal interviews Kim Olson, technical initiatives manager at Nucor, on the company's commitment to sustainability; it's a special Q&A in the publication chronicling technology in manufacturing.
 
MAREJ publishes a perspective from ECS Limited LLC VP Michael J. Sladki, P.E., who provides safety considerations for waterfront deck and dock builders.
 
Timber Processing features a cover photo of Gilbert Products' high-speed planer on the April publication.
Notes from the Field
Can't find 'em?...create 'em! The Home Builders Institute (HBI) is a collaboration of Buildstrong Academy, The Home Depot Foundation and The Drew Brees Foundaton. The group aims to develop a construction-trained workforce in New Orleans. The concept has caught on; a team from McCarthy recently visited HBI (and the Super Bowl MVP), as it prepares to launch a program chapter in Houston.
 
Throwing Axe You've likely noticed that axe throwing is a popular modern pastime. PDCA members join the masses in flocking to this social activity and we want to share a couple notable examples. First, RJ Gorman Marine hosted a staff retreat at Axe Throwing PCB. Lodge Lumber promotes Abilene Axe Company, which uses its pine for target-backs. Then, S&ME, Inc. project manager Heath Forbes and his wife own and operate Lumber Jill's Axe Throwing Lounge near Charleston, SC.
 
Instant gratification We applaud Pinnacle Drilling Products R&D for pursuing the unimaginable. With a pending patent, instant holes are apparently loaded on their truck for distribution. Buyers who own appropriate tool-less equipment are presumably lining up to schedule deliveries. Thanks, LinkedIn, for obscuring posting dates; the "April 1" on this was not readily available to this reader.
 
If you have read all the way to the end, thank you. Also, congratulations you get to read our FOURTH reminder to submit your entry to the 2022 PDCA Project of the Year Awards by close of business Friday. To date, we have a number of entries, many from companies who haven't previously taken advantage of this benefit of membership. PDCA looks forward to receiving the winning entries from the Judge's Panel this summer so we can begin work on the highly anticipated PileDriver magazine Project of the Year Edition, coming your way in August. That is, if you get your entries to us! We leave you with an early Happy Mother's Day to the moms out there.
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Copyright © 2022 Pile Driving Contractors Association, All rights reserved.
You are receiving this email because you are an industry leader in the piling community and
may be a member of the Pile Driving Contractors Association.

Posted in A Pile of News PDCA Monthly e-newsletter.

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