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PileDriver Magazine: Issue #5, 2022
October 28, 2022
Member Dinner Concludes Busy '22 for Northeast Chapter
October 27, 2022
The PDCA Chapter gathered for a final time in 2022 at its Membership Meeting on October 26th in Staten Island, NY. Contractors, suppliers, engineers and others in the regional pile driving industry enjoyed an evening at Bocelli Ristorante, which included remarks from Chapter VP David Price of Linde-Griffith Construction Company and a presentation from Ian Vaz of Giken America Corporation who gave attendees a detailed introduction to the "Press In Piling Method." Also, members heard a report from the PDCA national organization, had plenty of time for networking and enjoyed a hearty Italian dinner.
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During his introductory remarks, Mr. Price recalled many of the successful events the Chapter held during the past year and indicated that plans for an active 2023 are progressing; he hinted at a technical program to be available early in the year, a return to TopGolf for member recruitment, another gathering for the popular clay shoot, and possibly a fun night of gaming. Stay tuned for future details on all activity coming to the Northeast Chapter in 2023.
The PDCA Northeast Chapter thanks sponsors for the dinner: Junttan, Consolidated Pipe and Supply, and Advanced Boring & Cutting. See who was SPOTTED at the event:
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Exhibitor Registration OPEN for '23 San Diego Conference
October 27, 2022
Registration is NOW OPEN for exhibitors going to the PDCA Annual Conference in February; secure your spot online using your desktop computer or any mobile device.
Individuals and companies can now register to exhibit during the PDCA 24th Annual Conference in San Diego, secure a spot in the 11th Annual Golf Tournament taking place at the famed, Torrey Pines North Course, attend any or all impactful and educational sessions, and reserve hotel accommodations at the highly desirable Mission Bay San Diego Resort. Simply click the button below to be redirected to the registration page.
Additionally, there are numerous opportunities for those electing to help sponsor the event; these are other unique options for getting your brand and company name/logo in front of conference attendees and key leaders in the industry.
Register today - we can't wait to see you in San Diego!
Additionally, there are numerous opportunities for those electing to help sponsor the event; these are other unique options for getting your brand and company name/logo in front of conference attendees and key leaders in the industry.
Register today - we can't wait to see you in San Diego!
Members Gain Different Perspectives on Hurricane Ian
October 26, 2022
(L): A Ft. Myers, FL home by Daniel Wayne Homes has a pile-based foundation standing amid Hurricane Ian wreckage; (R): Kena Yoke of Island Piling put in piles on this and other homes in the region.
Hurricane Ian was a large and destructive Category 4 Atlantic hurricane that ravaged parts of North America in late September and early October; southwest Florida was hit extremely hard making Ian the deadliest hurricane to strike the state since 1935. It had caused widespread damage across western Cuba prior to hitting the Florida peninsula; afterwards, it impacted South Carolina.
At the time of this writing, Hurricane Ian is blamed in at least 147 fatalities with 5 people in Cuba,136 in Florida, 5 in North Carolina, and 1 in Virginia, according to local officials. Ian caused catastrophic damage with losses estimated to be more than $50 billion. Damage was mostly from flooding, with the Florida cities of Fort Myers Beach and Naples heavily impacted. Sanibel Island and Pine Island, off the coast from these cities, faced massive storm surge in addition to high winds; severe flooding resulted, and damaged both the Sanibel Causeway and the bridge to Pine Island.
PDCA uses this space to recognize several members who have had a brush with various facets of this natural disaster:
- Island Piling, Inc. is based in Naples, FL and had many driven pile projects in areas of the region that took a direct hit. (See one example of a Ft. Myers, FL home in the photo at the top of this post.) Kena Yoke who is VP of the company notes that pile-based structures fared well during the storm. She says, simply, "The building code works." However, she indicated that one of her cranes that was at nearby Bonita Beach in Lee County did take a hard punch from the storm but "she's gonna need some time in the ER, but we expect a full recovery."
Storm surged above the boom, then receded and left beach chairs on it.
The Island Piling, Inc. crane is expected to make a full recovery. - Service Steel Warehouse shipped 22 loads of sheet piling from its Houston stock to SW Florida where it was installed to repair the Sanibel Causeway. Specifically, it sent 130 pair of H2607 in 50-foot lengths over three days; the first load arrived in 24 hours of receiving the order. See some photos of the construction:
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Sanibel Causeway construction
more Sanibel Causeway construction
another view of Sanibel Causeway construction - Thanks to Bill Thomas at Service Steel Warehouse for rushing the order, Sanibel Island reestablished ground-based connection to the mainland and nearby Ft. Myers, ten days sooner than FDOT had projected. Read a local news story.
- An observation called-in to PDCA by a longtime contractor member: "the three bridge spans that are part of the 3-mile, Sanibel Causeway are all supported by pile-based foundations, and all still stood after the storm."
- RJ Gorman Marine Construction dispatched resources from its Florida Panhandle yard in Panama City, to Ft. Myers to assist in massive clean-up efforts on the Gulf Coast waterfront where boats had been dislocated by the strong hurricane winds. Here are a couple photos of the team in action.
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- Atlas Tube parent company sent the Zekelman Industries Grill of Steel to Ft. Myers, FL in the aftermath of the storm to serve upwards of 800 meals per day to disaster responders. See the LinkedIn post
- Aggregate Technologies, Inc., meanwhile, was over on the western side of the Gulf of Mexico. It had dispatched HydroDemolition equipment for a repair on the foundation of the I-10, Mississippi River Bridge span at Baton Rouge, a vessel had damaged a fender. Cajun Industries, LLC partnered on this project by providing the barge and launch from its waterfront yard. Says Ethan Namink of ATI: "We were subcontracted to Hydro blast a section of salvageable concrete adjacent to the damaged area. On our site visit to the damaged fender, the water level made the concrete about shoulder high on us. However, this was a couple days before Ian slammed into the Florida Coast. By the time we did the job, Ian was crossing Florida and had pulled all the water from the Gulf and the mouth of the Mississippi which required us to adjust our plan to perform the Hydro blast. The elevation of the river dropped so significantly that we had to have towers overnighted to us to adapt to the changes because the damaged concrete that had been shoulder high on a person was now 27 feet our heads."
Site visit shows high river level right before Ian hit FL
The Hydro operator prepares for action
During job, after Ian hit FL, water level is 27-feet lower
PDCA wishes healing and speedy recovery to those who have been horrifically impacted by this dangerous storm and thanks the many members who are performing various responses to this natural disaster.
DFDTA Seminar and Workshop Concludes Final 2022 Session
October 18, 2022 Shannon Theodore, a client account specialist at PDI, welcomes attendees |
 Ryan Allin, PE, VP of PDI, Inc. provides workshop instruction |
An ongoing education and training program from Pile Dynamics, Inc. (PDI) in partnership with PDCA, has concluded its 2022 installments; two opportunities to participate in DFDTA are scheduled for 2023.
The Deep Foundations Dynamic Testing and Analysis Seminar and Workshop (DFDTA) was held in Cleveland, Ohio, October 12-14, 2022. This twice-yearly event rotates between Cleveland and Orlando, Florida, providing attendees the opportunity to sit for the PDCA Dynamic Proficiency Test. The DFDTA consists of a one-day Deep Foundation Integrity Testing and Wave Equation Analysis seminar, followed by a two-day High Strain Dynamic Foundation Testing workshop. The Dynamic Measurement and Analysis Proficiency Test, 90-minute, multiple-choice exam covers the theory of Wave Mechanics, Case Method (PDA) equations, data quality assessment, data interpretation and basic CAPWAP analysis, is offered at the end of the third day.
PDI professionals Ryan Allin, P.E., VP, Brent Robinson, PhD, P.E., VP, and Garland Likins, Retired P.E, President Emeritus, instructed the 3-day event for a total of 21 PDH's available to geotechnical, structural and construction engineers, as well as owners, contractors and other professional involved in the design, construction and specification of deep foundations. The two-day workshop thoroughly examines uses of the Pile Driving Analyzer® (PDA) system and CAPWAP® software; attendees generally complete this course with sharpened skills and the basic understanding of dynamic testing results.
The next DFDTA is scheduled in Orlando, FL, February 27th March 1, 2023. Register at piledrivers.org to secure your seat today.
October Reveals an Intersection of Sports and Pile Driving
October 17, 2022
Bowen Engineering recruiters visit the University of Tennessee; it's unclear if he was interviewed, but they met Smokey, who along with tens of thousands of Volunteer fans, celebrated a wild win Oct. 15th in Knoxville at Neyland Stadium, a facility where S&ME, Inc. provided engineering consulting that withstood an eruption of sorts that night.
Sports enthusiasts might consider October as an exceptionally good month to follow their favorite teams, after all, NFL and NCAA football are at the critical midpoint of the season, MLB playoffs dominate the ballparks in select cities whose teams excelled over the past seven months, and basketball and hockey are both starting their winter seasons. Meantime, pile driving contractors, suppliers and civil engineers have done the important work to give all of these teams a place to play. Also important, PDCA Member companies often give the university graduates a place to have a construction career. And let's face it, many of us really enjoy the spectator sports.
PDCA Publications takes time to visit your social media sites as it collects content for the monthly newsletter A Pile of News and the Top of the Pile feature section of PileDriver magazine. This October, we noticed an abundance of members who were using LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube, etc. to identify alongside various athletic teams, which signaled to us that October is perhaps a key intersection of sports and pile driving.
Included in this blog post is a sampling of some of the online posts you have made to celebrate your favorite team, illustrate a campus visit, memorialize a team building event or promote a professional construction accomplishment in which you were involved.
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(Above:) Rashee Rice, star receiver at Southern Methodist University, sports his JD Fields hat as he deboards an airplane with his fellow Mustangs; Rice is the only known NIL signee with a PDCA Member company. Ohio Stadium, known as the Horseshoe, is another of MANY major athletic facilities in which S&ME, Inc. provided engineering consulting. David Mueller of Goettle was SPOTTED at an industry event wearing a shirt promoting his favorite college football team and alma mater, the FCS powerhouse Bison of North Dakota State University.
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(Above:) Thomas Smoak of Terracon and children donned their Clemson apparel to represent the Tigers at a STEM event. We don't spot him in the photo, but Matt Silveston of Insight Group enthusiastically promoted his alma mater on LinkedIn, The Ramblin' Wreck of Georgia Tech, after their football team won Homecoming. Infrastructure Consulting & Engineering recruiters attend a career fair at the University of South Carolina; they pose with the school's mascot whose current name is a mystery due to ongoing efforts to change it.
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(Above:)The Premier Geotech and Testing staff took part in a team building day and attended a Louisiana State University football game. LSU and PDCA share a lot of connection through graduates, so it's no surprise that the familiar purple and gold showed up twice in October. GeoEngineers gave photographic evidence that techs keep Bayou State jobsites tidy with an LSU logo trash barrel.
Sorry Pile drivers, the nickname 'Hammerin' Hank' is not available. it belongs to a baseball legend
Gerdau released a great video montage of various facilities that contain its steel, among them is Truist Park in Atlanta, home of the Braves. The steel manufacturer showed a snippet of the stadium's 2017 opening when the legendary Hank Aaron threw out the first pitch to famed coach Bobby Cox.
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(Above:) Jerel Worthy, a BDM at Kiewit knows his way around sports stadiums; he was a consensus All-American at Michigan State and got drafted by the Green Bay Packers. He also spent time with the Patriots, Chiefs, Lions, Bills and Buccaneers. Now a construction professional, he gives a nod to the boys of summer as he proudly posts to LinkedIn from New York's iconic Yankee Stadium wearing a sharp looking Kiewit hat! Equally as iconic of a stadium is Wrigley Field in Chicago; Mike Wysockey and some of his Thatcher Foundations team attended a Cubs game in the facility that they had previously performed an enhancement.
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(Above:) You can't get to the Big Leagues without paying your dues in the Minors! S&ME, Inc. proudly shows a shot from Durham Bulls Athletic Park, a product of yet another stadium consulting contract they completed. And in Aberdeen, Maryland, the Geo Technology Associates (GTA) staff gathered for team building at Ripken Stadium; the IronBirds are a High-A team owned by legendary native son, Cal Ripken, Jr.
Registration is open for 2023 PDCA Annual Conference
October 12, 2022
2023 PDCA Annual Conference presenters include Johnna Emanuel of GeoStructures (l), Rian Johnson of PND Engineers (r)
You can now register for the 2023 PDCA Annual Conference coming to the Mission Bay Resort in San Diego, CA, February 7-9. Enroll today to reserve your seat for the variety of enriching sessions that have been curated for you, participate in the 11th Annual Golf Tournament at the highly desirable Torrey Pines North Course, and secure your resort accommodations at this world class facility.
IMPORTANT: Exhibitors, your registration is coming soon, but this announcement pertains only to individual attendees.
Below, you will see an abbreviated version of the Conference schedule that includes presentations from industry leaders like Johna Emanuel of GeoStructures and Rian Johnson of PND Engineers, (pictured above). Make sure to click the Conference image at the bottom of this post to be redirected to the Conference website where you will find a full list of presenters and other event activities.
Effective today through December 16th, individual attendees save as early bird registrants - don't miss this opportunity! Please help us spread the word and share this announcement with your friends and colleagues throughout the industry. See you in San Diego!
Here is a peek at what you can expect when you attend the 2023 PDCA Annual Conference:
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Tuesday, February 7, 2023 7:30 AM 1:30 PM | Golf Tournament at Torrey Pines
6:00 PM 8:00 PM | Reception at Garden by the Bay |
Wednesday, February 8, 2023 7:45 AM 8:15 AM | Registration Opens & Breakfast in Exhibit Hall |
Thursday, February 9, 2023 7:30 AM 8:15 AM | Breakfast in Exhibit Hall 8:20 AM 8:45 AM | PDCA Announcements/Updates 8:45 AM 9:45 AM | Engineering Ethics 9:45 AM 10:00 AM | Break 10:00 AM 11:00 AM | Vibrations & Pile Driving 11:00 AM 12:00 PM | Closing Keynote: Past PDCA President Panel 12:00 PM 1:30 PM | Project of the Year Awards Lunch |
Click the image below for more information and to register for the 2023 PDCA Annual Conference:
PDCA Members SPOTTED at DFI Conference
October 7, 2022 |
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Many PDCA members who attended the DFI 47th Annual Conference at the Gaylord Resort in National Harbor, MD likely flew into Reagan National Airport in Northern Virginia and caught the bird's-eye view of Kokosing construction crews installing sheet piling for the expansion of neighboring landmark, Arlington National Cemetery. Still other attendees may have taken a car across the Potomac River using new Frederick Douglas Memorial Bridge which is just eight miles from the Gaylord, and is a recently completed, driven pile supported installation on which ECS Limited consulted and earned a PDCA Project of the Year Award.
PDCA proudly stands as a Cooperating Organization with DFI and its work to provide pile drivers and other stakeholders in deep foundations practices with necessary education on technical developments and evolving methods in their specialized construction industry. The DFI Annual Conference held October 4-7, was a successful event that delivered such content.
The event consisted of a full day of technical committee meetings, then two and a half days of lectures, panel discussions, technical presentations, enriching discussions, and a large exhibition of a diverse display of many of the latest advancements that are available to the industry. Breakfast, lunch and evening receptions allowed for important networking and social gathering among all attendees. PDCA members, many of whom are active in both organizations, attended the event as participants, sponsors and exhibitors (scroll to the bottom to see lists naming PDCA members who presented, exhibited or sponsored at the DFI event). PDCA staff was also onsite to support its members, represent all pile drivers and show support for ongoing industry education.
We have compiled a photo montage showing some of the valued PDCA members who were SPOTTED at the DFI Annual Conference:
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PDCA Member Company Exhibitors (Sponsor's Highlighted):American Equipment & Fabricating Corp. American Piledriving Equipment American Spiralweld Pipe Company, Inc. Applied Foundation Testing Associated Pile & Fitting Atlas Tube Bauer Equipment America Consolidated Pipe & Supply Company, Inc. CZM Foundation Equipment Dan Brown and Associates DuroTerra ECS Equipment Corporation of America GeoEngineers, Inc. GEOKON GeoQuip Power Systems, LLC Geosciences Testing & Research Geostructures, Inc. Geosyntec Consultants, Inc. Giken America Corporation Gilbert Products GMS Piling Products Hammer & Steel, Inc. ICE-International Construction Equipment, Inc. JD Fields & Company Junttan USA Keller Kiewit Foundations Company Liebherr USA Loadtest Meever USA Morris Shea Bridge Company M.T. Kaye Steel Mueser Rutledge Consulting Engineers Nucor Skyline OMS Pile Driving Equipment Pile Dynamics, Inc. & GRL Engineers, Inc. Pinnacle Drilling Products Richard Goettle, Inc. R.W. Conklin Steel Samuel Roll Form Group Seismic Surveys, LLC Service Steel Warehouse Sheet Pile, LLC Terracon Triad Metals UBC Pile Drivers & Divers Universal Engineering Sciences |
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PDCA Member Company Presenters:Thatcher Foundations (DFI Pres. Michael Wysockey) GRL Engineers, Inc. Dan Brown and Associates, PC Giken America Corporation Cajun Industries, LLC Geosciences Testing and Research Keller DuroTerra Pile Dynamics, Inc. Allnamics Pile Testing Experts Liebherr USA GeoEngineers, Inc. Mueser Rutledge Consulting Engineers |
Pacific Coast Chapter Announces 2022 Scholarships
October 6, 2022
(L-R) Elizabeth Kinsella, Zachary Lindsay
Oakley, CA: PDCA Pacific Coast Chapter President Dermot Fallon announces that six students in California who are pursuing higher education in a construction field and have demonstrated an interest in the pile driving industry, have each received a $2,000 award through the Chapter's annual scholarship fund. The 2022 recipients are:
Kristoffer Brown He is a senior at Chico State studying Business Management. He plays on the varsity soccer team and achieved the CCAA All-Academic Honors Award in 2020 and 2021. He has also made the Dean's List for three semesters. His uncle is a contractor and developer, and his aunt is an architect; he wishes to follow in their footsteps and pursue a career in construction.
Will Millette He will be a freshman at Colorado State University, studying Construction Management. He attended Las Lomas High School and received the Varsity Soccer Coaches Award for demonstrating athletic growth, commitment and dedication to the program. He worked at Concord Iron Work Inc. for the summer.
Jensen Vieira He recently graduated from El Camino High School in Sacramento and will studying Engineering at University of Nevada in the fall. Jensen was the captain of the Varsity Volleyball Team and lead his team to win the Capital Athletic League Championship and secured a bid to play in the Nor Cal Playoffs. In academics, Jensen maintained a 3.5 GPA for all 4 years of high school. He also won the Mathematics Department Award for Excellence in AP Calculus.
Kristoffer Brown He is a senior at Chico State studying Business Management. He plays on the varsity soccer team and achieved the CCAA All-Academic Honors Award in 2020 and 2021. He has also made the Dean's List for three semesters. His uncle is a contractor and developer, and his aunt is an architect; he wishes to follow in their footsteps and pursue a career in construction.
Will Millette He will be a freshman at Colorado State University, studying Construction Management. He attended Las Lomas High School and received the Varsity Soccer Coaches Award for demonstrating athletic growth, commitment and dedication to the program. He worked at Concord Iron Work Inc. for the summer.
Jensen Vieira He recently graduated from El Camino High School in Sacramento and will studying Engineering at University of Nevada in the fall. Jensen was the captain of the Varsity Volleyball Team and lead his team to win the Capital Athletic League Championship and secured a bid to play in the Nor Cal Playoffs. In academics, Jensen maintained a 3.5 GPA for all 4 years of high school. He also won the Mathematics Department Award for Excellence in AP Calculus.
 (L-R) Robert Halupka, Kristoffer Brown |
 (L-R) Jensen Viaira, Will Millette |
Elizabeth Kinsella She is a Mechanical Engineer major at UC San Diego. She has spent the last four summers volunteering in Colonet, Mexico providing impoverished families with safe and clean shelters with solar lighting for their small homes. She has learned a lot about construction planning and building these small homes. She received Honor Roll all 4 years of high school.
Zachary Lindsay He attended Freedom High School and then to Los Medanos College for two years. He is now transferring to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo to study Construction Management.
Robert Halupka He attended Bellarmine College Preparatory High School. He is currently studying Civil Engineering at University of Portland.
Congratulations the six current students who aspire to be the future of the deep foundation construction industry!
Zachary Lindsay He attended Freedom High School and then to Los Medanos College for two years. He is now transferring to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo to study Construction Management.
Robert Halupka He attended Bellarmine College Preparatory High School. He is currently studying Civil Engineering at University of Portland.
Congratulations the six current students who aspire to be the future of the deep foundation construction industry!
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