The PDCA Northeast Chapter delivered a compelling case study on a NJ-DOT bridge project to deep foundations professionals from New Jersey and neighboring states. Notable about this project was that value engineering determined that driven piling was the more cost-effective solution to support the replacement structure for the WittPenn Bridge which spans the Hackensack River in Hudson County.

The 2025 Northeast Chapter Professional Development Course featured a comprehensive presentation of this case study which brought together stakeholders in the bridge construction, including Michael Baker International, the firm retained to perform the value engineering, the NJ-DOT state geotechnical engineer, the engineering firm charged pile testing on the project, and the contractor which performed pile installation. That contractor was George Harms Construction Company (GHC), which also hosted the annual program at it's Howell, NJ assembly room. GHC traditionally hosts and sponsors the Course each year for the Northeast Chapter, which develops the program content. This year, the Chapter zeroed in on presentations around one regional project that contained components that would give an audience a rare and detailed understanding of important considerations surrounding deep foundation design..

Following a welcome message and announcements from Chapter President David Price and VP Tim Fogerty, as well as safety guidance for attendees gathered in the meeting facility from GHC, the program began at 9:00 AM. The first segment was a three-hour time block in which Joe Romano, PE from Michael Baker Construction, and his colleague Michael Yang, PE, a VP at the firm, presented a detailed case study entitled Driven Pile Alternatives & Value Engineering - Case Study NJDOT Rt. 7 Wittpenn Bridge Contract 4, N.J. (Part 1). Mohab Hussein, PE from the New Jersey DOT joined the contracted engineers to provide perspectives from the project owner. The trio discussed historical context on the bridge structure, design considerations, geotechnical significance of the foundation design, challenges, and environmental constraints. And they diverged into great detail, the value engineering approach on issues such as geotechnical parameters, soil condidtions, re-evaluation of footing sizes, and design.

After lunch, Mr. Yang led the talk with Part 2 of the Case Study, which involved re-design of the footings, the dynamic forces in the design, design consideration, and other aspects.  

On September 17, 2024, members and guests of the PDCA Northeast Chapter gathered at the Lehigh Valley Sporting Clays campus near Coplay, PA for a fun, competitive shooting competition to benefit the Chapter's annual scholarship fund. The event attracted shooters from a variety of neighboring states to a former quarry which maintained remnants of old country outbuildings and has since evolved into a unique, hilly, and plush landscape that on Tuesday 9/18 was beginning to show the first signs of autumn.  


Past Chapter president Erich Kremer, advertising & promotions coordinator Matt Scerbak, and secretary Matt Eastburn were on-site early to manage event set-up and registration. As shooters began arriving, they were provided a continental breakfast and plenty of time for networking. 

As the start time for the competition approached, Kremer served as event emcee where he made introductions of event sponsors George Harms Construction Company, ICE-International Construction Equipment, and M.T. Kaye Steel, which was the exclusive (and popular) cigar sponsor.  He then welcomed PDCA executive director Frank Peters who expressed the importance to the industry that participation in the Sporting Clays, or any Chapter activities, brings to the driven pile industry. He also updated attendees on news and information from the organization. Following his remarks, those assembled heard a brief, however highly important safety presentation from the venue operators.

 
And they were off!

Enjoy the following images of the various shooting groups taking their turns at the many, challenging stations that were sponsored by the generous event donors: Triad Metals, Junttan, R. Kremer & Son Marine, Edgen Murray, Heron Wolf, Sherwin Williams.


When all shooters finished showing off their marksmanship abilities on the 17 shooting stations, it was judgement day. Each group brought their score sheets to representatives of Lehigh Valley Sporting Clays who tallied up results. Chapter president David Price delivered the results and brought the winning teams and individuals to the front to be recognized for their accomplishment and to take their pick from a table full of PDCA giveaways. All attendees enjoyed a BBQ lunch during the closing program.