PDCA to present seminars in Florida and Texas
The PDCA Contracts and Risk Committee will present three topics to PDCA members in Florida and Texas. All three topics will be presented during the half-day seminar.
The Florida seminar will be held in Jacksonville on Thursday, October 18, 2018, at the Jacksonville Marriott, 4670 Salisbury Rd. The Texas seminar will be held on Thursday, November 8, 2018, in S.E. Houston at the Marriott Houston South Hobby Airport, 9100 Gulf Fwy. Each seminar location will include the following topics:
Recovering for unforeseen conditions. Especially valuable for those working below ground, this seminar thoroughly discusses the Spearin Doctrine and the ability to recover for unforeseen conditions in various regions of the country. This seminar addresses all work that you may be required to perform that goes behind the letter of the project's contract documents.
Key legal considerations when performing work under a design-build construction contract. This seminar discusses the keys to gaining strength of position in the negotiation of a design-build contract and the types of claims for unforeseen conditions that can and cannot be made under a design-build contract.
Understanding the Differences and Similarities Between Driven Piles and Drilled Cast-in-Place. This seminar will compare and contrast the two foundation systems.
The Contracts and Risk Committee chair, Alex Filotti (Underpinning and Foundation Skanska) and co-chair, Richard Kalson (Benesch, Friedlander, Coplan & Aronoff) will present the first two seminars noted above and Karl Higgins (ECS Mid-Atlantic, LLC) will present the third seminar.
PDCA will also hold a chapter luncheon as part of the seminar program to discuss the importance of the two chapters and how PDCA members can support the chapter, get involved in its growth and long-term sustainability and provide suggestions for future events and activities. PDCA invites all PDCA members, specifically those from the Florida and Texas areas to join us for this program. All PDCA members are invited to attend at no cost, but will need to register. Registration will open once details on the site and venue are confirmed.
Sponsorships for these two programs will also be available once those levels and costs are determined.
Any PDCA member interested in helping develop a new leadership structure for the Florida or Texas chapter is encouraged to contact PDCA executive director, Stevan A. Hall, in the PDCA office, 904-215-4771 or email steve@piledrivers.org.
Hall appointed to NCCCO committee
Stevan A. Hall, PDCA executive director, has been appointed to the National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators (NCCCO) Pile Driver Management Committee. The role of the Committee is to expand activities of the program, most notably in the areas of management and growth. The first meeting of the Committee will be Oct. 1, 2018.
PDCA to launch new website
For the past few months, PDCA has been working on developing a new PDCA website. The new website will have a brand-new look, be more robust and provide PDCA members and guests with a more dynamic experience than previously available. According to Digital Trooper (website developer) and Pollyanna Cunningham, PDCA Communications Committee Chair, the website is beginning its final testing stages and will be going live before too long. Watch www.piledrivers.org for the launch.
Specialty Piling Systems, Inc.: The next chapter
Over the last several years, when anyone asked Steve Whitty what was new or what he was doing, he would answer, "I'm a 'retiree in training.' Just like a new engineer starts as an engineer in training, I'm trying to start a new experience, too."
Nowadays, he's telling people that he has partially figured out his transition into retirement and finally has a target date for the end of August.
Whitty started Specialty Piling Systems in 1995 after he was tasked with closing down his family's pile driving business, S.K. Whitty & Co., when the second generation of the family decided to discontinue its operations. During the process, Whitty decided to begin his own operation as a consultant for value engineering, dispute resolution, equipment valuation and equipment sourcing and disposal services, drawing on his extensive 30-year experience in the pile driving industry.
It was around this time when a local client asked Whitty about where to obtain pile cushions. At S.K. Whitty & Co., the Whitty family relied on Mason Forest Products in Hattiesburg, Miss., to supply their cushion needs. Using that relationship, Whitty and Mason Forest Products reached an agreement to manufacture pile cushions exclusively to Whitty's specifications. It wasn't long until pile cushions became a significant part of Specialty Piling Systems' operations and a key revenue generator for the company. Over the course of more than two decades, Specialty Piling Systems has supplied cushions for projects throughout the United States, the Caribbean, Europe and Guam; Mason Forest Products has consistently been eager in trying new designs and ideas for Specialty Piling Systems for any pile in any location.
Specialty Piling Systems, a division of Mason Forest Products
Mason Forest Products is a major distributor of panel products and dimension lumber, serving various customers. After a long and successful relationship with Specialty Piling Systems, Mason Forest Products has agreed to take over the Specialty Piling Systems name and pile cushion business, operating the business as a division of Mason Forest Products as of August 2018.
Whitty feels very confident that the staff at Mason will take excellent care of his customers and his many friends in the industry going forward. Whitty will be available to help with the transition and to introduce his current customers to the new operators. With more than a quarter of a century spent making plywood pile cushions, Mason knows how to do the job.
If you have questions about pile cushions or to request a quote, contact Specialty Piling Systems, a division of Mason Forest Products.
McLaren Engineering Group completes design work on new Live! Hotel and Event Center
McLaren Engineering Group announced the completion of its design work on the new 350,000-square-foot Live! Hotel and Event Center in Hanover, Md. Located at 7002 Arundel Mills Circle, the building has 310 hotel rooms, a spa and 1,500-seat ballroom. The hotel will employ over 500, serving tourists, residents and Live! Casino patrons in the Baltimore region. The grand event center and conference center are to follow later this year.
"The Live! Hotel and Event Center is a prime example of our applied ingenuity and cutting-edge engineering," said Malcolm G. McLaren, president and CEO, McLaren Engineering Group, which has a growing Baltimore office. "The building is an all-glass tower with a sloped facade that juts out eight feet further west than its foundation. Our innovative design increased building functionality while creating a stunning exterior."
McLaren and its team of expert engineers have been working on the project for more than five years to design a cost-effective structural frame without sacrificing key architectural elements and flexibility. The firm provided services that include structural design and engineering, construction documents, permitting, site/civil engineering, survey work and site landscaping.
Owned by The Cordish Companies, the hotel was built as an expansion to the Live! Casino structure that opened in 2012. Live! Casino is the largest casino and entertainment venue on the East Coast with approximately 4,000 slot machines and more than 200 live action table games. The two million-square-foot structure includes approximately 310,000 square-feet of casino space on the first level. The hotel's construction was phased to minimize interruption to the 24-hour casino operations.
McLaren moved an existing roadway adjacent to the west side of the casino about 300 feet to create space for the new hotel. The new surface parking lots will provide in excess of 1,900 spaces and are built on top of ground that previously housed a storm-water pond. The building pad underwent extensive ground improvements to solidify the soil before construction could begin.
"One of the most challenging aspects of the project was building up against the casino. To connect the buildings, we designed an elevator core attached to the existing precast casino garage to give patrons access to both facilities," said Dave McLaren, P.E., vice president and Maryland regional director, McLaren Engineering Group. "This required us to cut the existing garage girders, leaving a portion of the garage to be supported by the elevator core. Additionally, the transformation of the existing storm-water pond into 4,600 linear feet of 10-foot diameter pipe underground allowed for the reclamation of land, generating 510 of the approximately 1,900 added surface parking spaces"
"We are pleased with the work McLaren Engineering Group has done to capture our vision for the Live! Hotel and Event Center," said Taylor Gray, The Cordish Companies. "McLaren has a long history of engineering some of the most innovative projects in the Northeast and with this new hotel and event center they have helped us maintain our edge as the biggest and best entertainment complex on the East Coast."
Meever USA introduces patented bracing system
Meever USA has introduced a patented bracing system the first and only of its kind with removable hydraulic rams. Meever USA can now offer bracing solutions for any excavation requirements. Special designed modules in five different lengths with full shear capacity, secured with one pin, allows for versatile design and sizing. Meever bracing offers complete engineering support. The system is available for rent throughout the U.S. the Canada.
Bracing systems offer simple, versatile, easy and fast installation, reduced weight, over excavation allowance, safe cross bracing and time and money savings. Bracing systems can be used with any type of steel sheet pile or trench sheet; there are no restriction on size or shape. Meever also offers full complimentary engineering services. Meever USA also rents steel sheet pile. PDCA News
August 10, 2018
PDCA to present seminars in Florida and Texas
The PDCA Contracts and Risk Committee will present three topics to PDCA members in Florida and Texas. All three topics will be presented during the half-day seminar.
The Florida seminar will be held in Jacksonville on Thursday, October 18, 2018, at the Jacksonville Marriott, 4670 Salisbury Rd. The Texas seminar will be held on Thursday, November 8, 2018, in S.E. Houston at the Marriott Houston South Hobby Airport, 9100 Gulf Fwy. Each seminar location will include the following topics:
Recovering for unforeseen conditions. Especially valuable for those working below ground, this seminar thoroughly discusses the Spearin Doctrine and the ability to recover for unforeseen conditions in various regions of the country. This seminar addresses all work that you may be required to perform that goes behind the letter of the project's contract documents.
Key legal considerations when performing work under a design-build construction contract. This seminar discusses the keys to gaining strength of position in the negotiation of a design-build contract and the types of claims for unforeseen conditions that can and cannot be made under a design-build contract.
Understanding the Differences and Similarities Between Driven Piles and Drilled Cast-in-Place. This seminar will compare and contrast the two foundation systems.
The Contracts and Risk Committee chair, Alex Filotti (Underpinning and Foundation Skanska) and co-chair, Richard Kalson (Benesch, Friedlander, Coplan & Aronoff) will present the first two seminars noted above and Karl Higgins (ECS Mid-Atlantic, LLC) will present the third seminar.
PDCA will also hold a chapter luncheon as part of the seminar program to discuss the importance of the two chapters and how PDCA members can support the chapter, get involved in its growth and long-term sustainability and provide suggestions for future events and activities. PDCA invites all PDCA members, specifically those from the Florida and Texas areas to join us for this program. All PDCA members are invited to attend at no cost, but will need to register. Registration will open once details on the site and venue are confirmed.
Sponsorships for these two programs will also be available once those levels and costs are determined.
Any PDCA member interested in helping develop a new leadership structure for the Florida or Texas chapter is encouraged to contact PDCA executive director, Stevan A. Hall, in the PDCA office, 904-215-4771 or email steve@piledrivers.org.
Hall appointed to NCCCO committee
Stevan A. Hall, PDCA executive director, has been appointed to the National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators (NCCCO) Pile Driver Management Committee. The role of the Committee is to expand activities of the program, most notably in the areas of management and growth. The first meeting of the Committee will be Oct. 1, 2018.
PDCA to launch new website
For the past few months, PDCA has been working on developing a new PDCA website. The new website will have a brand-new look, be more robust and provide PDCA members and guests with a more dynamic experience than previously available. According to Digital Trooper (website developer) and Pollyanna Cunningham, PDCA Communications Committee Chair, the website is beginning its final testing stages and will be going live before too long. Watch www.piledrivers.org for the launch.
Specialty Piling Systems, Inc.: The next chapter
Over the last several years, when anyone asked Steve Whitty what was new or what he was doing, he would answer, "I'm a 'retiree in training.' Just like a new engineer starts as an engineer in training, I'm trying to start a new experience, too."
Nowadays, he's telling people that he has partially figured out his transition into retirement and finally has a target date for the end of August.
Whitty started Specialty Piling Systems in 1995 after he was tasked with closing down his family's pile driving business, S.K. Whitty & Co., when the second generation of the family decided to discontinue its operations. During the process, Whitty decided to begin his own operation as a consultant for value engineering, dispute resolution, equipment valuation and equipment sourcing and disposal services, drawing on his extensive 30-year experience in the pile driving industry.
It was around this time when a local client asked Whitty about where to obtain pile cushions. At S.K. Whitty & Co., the Whitty family relied on Mason Forest Products in Hattiesburg, Miss., to supply their cushion needs. Using that relationship, Whitty and Mason Forest Products reached an agreement to manufacture pile cushions exclusively to Whitty's specifications. It wasn't long until pile cushions became a significant part of Specialty Piling Systems' operations and a key revenue generator for the company. Over the course of more than two decades, Specialty Piling Systems has supplied cushions for projects throughout the United States, the Caribbean, Europe and Guam; Mason Forest Products has consistently been eager in trying new designs and ideas for Specialty Piling Systems for any pile in any location.
Specialty Piling Systems, a division of Mason Forest Products
Mason Forest Products is a major distributor of panel products and dimension lumber, serving various customers. After a long and successful relationship with Specialty Piling Systems, Mason Forest Products has agreed to take over the Specialty Piling Systems name and pile cushion business, operating the business as a division of Mason Forest Products as of August 2018.
Whitty feels very confident that the staff at Mason will take excellent care of his customers and his many friends in the industry going forward. Whitty will be available to help with the transition and to introduce his current customers to the new operators. With more than a quarter of a century spent making plywood pile cushions, Mason knows how to do the job.
If you have questions about pile cushions or to request a quote, contact Specialty Piling Systems, a division of Mason Forest Products.
McLaren Engineering Group completes design work on new Live! Hotel and Event Center
McLaren Engineering Group announced the completion of its design work on the new 350,000-square-foot Live! Hotel and Event Center in Hanover, Md. Located at 7002 Arundel Mills Circle, the building has 310 hotel rooms, a spa and 1,500-seat ballroom. The hotel will employ over 500, serving tourists, residents and Live! Casino patrons in the Baltimore region. The grand event center and conference center are to follow later this year.
"The Live! Hotel and Event Center is a prime example of our applied ingenuity and cutting-edge engineering," said Malcolm G. McLaren, president and CEO, McLaren Engineering Group, which has a growing Baltimore office. "The building is an all-glass tower with a sloped facade that juts out eight feet further west than its foundation. Our innovative design increased building functionality while creating a stunning exterior."
McLaren and its team of expert engineers have been working on the project for more than five years to design a cost-effective structural frame without sacrificing key architectural elements and flexibility. The firm provided services that include structural design and engineering, construction documents, permitting, site/civil engineering, survey work and site landscaping.
Owned by The Cordish Companies, the hotel was built as an expansion to the Live! Casino structure that opened in 2012. Live! Casino is the largest casino and entertainment venue on the East Coast with approximately 4,000 slot machines and more than 200 live action table games. The two million-square-foot structure includes approximately 310,000 square-feet of casino space on the first level. The hotel's construction was phased to minimize interruption to the 24-hour casino operations.
McLaren moved an existing roadway adjacent to the west side of the casino about 300 feet to create space for the new hotel. The new surface parking lots will provide in excess of 1,900 spaces and are built on top of ground that previously housed a storm-water pond. The building pad underwent extensive ground improvements to solidify the soil before construction could begin.
"One of the most challenging aspects of the project was building up against the casino. To connect the buildings, we designed an elevator core attached to the existing precast casino garage to give patrons access to both facilities," said Dave McLaren, P.E., vice president and Maryland regional director, McLaren Engineering Group. "This required us to cut the existing garage girders, leaving a portion of the garage to be supported by the elevator core. Additionally, the transformation of the existing storm-water pond into 4,600 linear feet of 10-foot diameter pipe underground allowed for the reclamation of land, generating 510 of the approximately 1,900 added surface parking spaces"
"We are pleased with the work McLaren Engineering Group has done to capture our vision for the Live! Hotel and Event Center," said Taylor Gray, The Cordish Companies. "McLaren has a long history of engineering some of the most innovative projects in the Northeast and with this new hotel and event center they have helped us maintain our edge as the biggest and best entertainment complex on the East Coast."
Meever USA introduces patented bracing system
Meever USA has introduced a patented bracing system the first and only of its kind with removable hydraulic rams. Meever USA can now offer bracing solutions for any excavation requirements. Special designed modules in five different lengths with full shear capacity, secured with one pin, allows for versatile design and sizing. Meever bracing offers complete engineering support. The system is available for rent throughout the U.S. the Canada.
Bracing systems offer simple, versatile, easy and fast installation, reduced weight, over excavation allowance, safe cross bracing and time and money savings. Bracing systems can be used with any type of steel sheet pile or trench sheet; there are no restriction on size or shape. Meever also offers full complimentary engineering services. Meever USA also rents steel sheet pile. 
