NE Chapter Member Recruitment Event, Packs TopGolf on Rainy NJ Night

May 29, 2025

Edison, NJ (May 28, 2025) - Despite 55 degree temperatures and driving rains, members and guests of the PDCA Northeast Chapter crowded their dedicated space at the Edison, NJ TopGolf for an annual gathering to promote Chapter membership to professionals in the driven pile industry who work in the New Jersey/New York/Philadelphia region. It was the 2025 version of the PDCA Northeast Chapter TopGolf Meet & Greet/New Member Outreach event.

Pres. David Price gives remarks at TopGolf

In addition to participating in competition on the tee boxes, attendees were provided a hearty buffet that included brisket, chicken, salad, sides, and dessert. And, facility wait staff promptly delivered drink orders to the spirited group throughout the evening.

"The recent PDCA Northeast Chapter Topgolf event was a tremendous success, with outstanding attendance from contractors, vendors, suppliers, and engineers," stated Chapter President David Price.

The event featured a special guest who, as a New Yorker, has history with the Chapter. 2025 PDCA President Buck Darling made the six-hour drive to Edison from his home in Buffalo, NY. During remarks to the crowd, Darling recalled participating in NE Chapter events during the years his daughter was living the area. He noted that the TopGolf function was a 'great event,' and through the efforts of Pres. Price and the leadership, the 'Northeast Chapter is in great shape.'

Past president Erich Kremer noted, "I don't remember a time when we had that many non-members attend and had interest in joining the Chapter. This was one of the best events!"

Pres. Darling explains important role of Chapters in PDCA

During brief remarks, Pres. Price thanked the generous event sponsors, which included: American Equipment & Fabricating, Equipment Corporation of America, International Construction Equipment, Junttan, R. Kremer & Son Marine Contractors LLC, Valiant Steel and Equipment, Inc., and JD Fields & Company. Pres. Darling also gave a warm acknowledgement of these PDCA NE Chapter benefactors.

Afterwards, Pres. Price said, "The energy, teamwork, and networking on display made for an unforgettable evening. We extend our deepest appreciation to all who joined us and warmly invite everyone to our upcoming Clay Shoot in September and Dinner Speaker Casino Night in November!" Watch PDCA Publications and your inbox for announcements on those future events.

See who was SPOTTED at the 2025 PDCA Northeast Chapter TopGolf Meet & Greet/New Member Outreach event:

Posted in Chapter News Northeast.

Value Engineering Reveals Driven Piles Best Solution for NJDOT Bridge

March 6, 2025

Several officers from the PDCA Northeast Chapter stand with 2025 Professional Development Course presenters

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.

To conclude the program, Alex Ryberg, PE from GRL Engineers presented Pile Dynamic Analysis (PDA) - A look at the PDCA analysis and specifics to Ram A & C Value Engineering Design. This portion explained how data was generated to thoroughly inform the value engineering conclusions.

Northeast Chapter Pres. David Price opens the program for the 2025 Professional Development Course. VP Tim Fogerty and GHC coordinator Sam Hahn stand to his left.

GHC Environmental, Health and Safety Coordinator Sam Hahn began the program
with an informational presentation about safety in the meeting facility.

Joe Romano, PE, VP and NE Regional Bridge Lead at Michael Baker International
presents a portion of the case study.

Mohab Hussein, PE, State Geotechnical Engineer, NJ-DOT
presents a portion of the case study.

Michael Yang, PE, Associate VP, Geotechnical Manager at Michael Baker International presents a portion of the case study.

Alex Ryberg, PE, Senior Engineer at GRL Engineers, Inc. give a Pile Dynamic Analysis (PDCA) on the WittPenn Bridge ramp design.

Attendees hear compelling presentations about the value engineering involved in the WittPenn Bridge design.

Attendees at the 2025 PDCA Northeast Chapter Professional Development Course began arriving in the assembly room in the offices of George Harms Construction at 8:00 AM on Wednesday, March 5th, where the host organization provided a buffet of bagels, fruit and drinks before the day's programs began.

Host company GHC provided a parking attendant to assist the visitors. Once parked, attendees met PDCA Northeast Chapter officers who staffed the registration desk and provided them name tags.

Following the morning session of presentations on portions of the case study, attendees broke for a lunch buffet, courtesy of GHC. It was also an opportunity for people to catch up on their individual business and connect with industry friends and counterparts.

For those seeking educational credit for attending the program, a total of 6 professional development hours (PDH) were awarded to each individual who completed the Course.

The PDCA Northeast Chapter thanks the attendees of the 2025 educational event, as well as George Harms Construction Company for hosting the full day affair.

Posted in Chapter News Northeast.

High Rolling Northeast Chapter Members Gather for Gaming

November 8, 2024

Don Pepe Restaurant in Newark, NJ was an ideal meeting location for the final 2024 gathering of the PDCA Northeast Chapter. In addition to an eclectic buffet of Spanish/Portuguese appetizers and entrees, the venue featured a large, lower level meeting space that held a variety of gaming tables which stayed busy throughout the evening Chapter dinner meeting.

Chapter President David Price gave brief remarks to welcome the members, thank the generous sponsors, and introduce the team from New Jersey Casino Nights which brought the main attraction of competitive gambling, minus actual money. PDCA Executive Director Frank Peters spoke to attendees about value of membership in PDCA, the importance of participation in Chapter events, and previewed several of the programs that PDCA is planning for 2025. He also reminded members that they need to complete and return their electronic ballots on or by November 28th to elect a new leadership team for the organization.

Right when they walked in the door, attendees were each given $3,000 in money that was only good for this event, as well as a raffle ticket which put them in contention for one of several prize packages made possible by event sponsors and Chapter benefactors. The dealers at each table elicited what, at times, became high-stakes decisions for the enthusiastic gamblers. Overall, the festive atmosphere resulted in ample time for networking, talking shop, and reconnecting with industry friends.

PDCA thanks the members of the Northeast Chapter for supporting the organization and for taking advantage of its annual events such as the 2024 Casino Night.