| A Pile of News: January 2021 |
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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 |
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| From the Association & Chapters |
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Happy New Year from PDCA! As 2021 begins, new leadership is seated, several events (live and virtual) are scheduled and PDCA members make news; you can read it all here. Thank you for supporting PDCA. If you aren't already a member, join PDCA today!
Meet the president: He won't compete on horseback (more in this link), but Kevin Gourgues is firmly in the figurative saddle and "takes the PDCA reins" this month. The veteran foundation construction professional and president at Patriot Deep Foundations in Port Allen, LA succeeds Jason Moore at the association's helm. A top priority in 2021, he says, is to "give PDCA membership what it wants."
Others serving on the 2021 PDCA Executive Committee: vice president Brian Heck of Cincinnati; secretary Kustaa Mansfield of Seattle; treasurer Scott Webster of Harrisburg, NC; and past president Jason Moore of Charleston, SC. The Board of Directors includes Harold Baur of New Orleans; Greg Canivan of Mount Pleasant, SC; Buck Darling of Tonawanda, NY; Jim Dempsey of Branford, CT; Diane Fischer of Cleveland; Mike Juneau of Baton Rouge; Doug Keller of Cincinnati; Bruce Langan of Brielle, NJ; and Emmett Waggenspack of Baton Rouge. Meet 2021 leadership here.
Upcoming events:
- VIRTUAL EDUCATION: Feb. 2 2021 PDCA Education Webinar Series #1, Cone Penetration Testing and Pile Driving: A Great Combination, Gerald Verbeek and Derrick Dassenbrock, P.E. D.GE, F. ASCE, presenting
- LIVE SEMINAR/PROFICIENCY TEST: March 8-10 Deep Foundation Dynamic Testing & Analysis, presented by PDCA and Pile Dynamics, Inc. Three-day event to take place at Hilton Orlando Airport, PDHs are available and COVID-19 precautions are in place.
- INDUSTRY EVENT: May 10-14 IFCEE/International Foundations Congress and Equipment Expo, a triennial collaboration of the deep foundations industry and partner organizations PDCA, ADSC, DFI and Geo-Institute. The event includes a technical conference and equipment show at the Hyatt Regency in Dallas, TX; registration opens Jan. 20.
During PDCA 2020 Virtual Committee Day on Dec. 10, two new committee chairs debuted. Rich Anderson of Equipment Corporation of America is the new chair of the Membership Committee while Jason Moore of Palmetto Pile Driving now leads the Communications Committee.
READ: Click for the digital edition of PileDriver magazine Issue #6 of 2020
2021 AWARDS: Click here to get the entry form for the 2021 Project of the Year Awards.
- The 2021 deadline for submissions to PDCA's Project of the Year Awards program is May 7.
Chapter news:
Investing in the future: The PDCA Pacific Coast Chapter awards three scholarships to California students pursuing higher education in construction-related disciplines. Meet the 2020 winners.
Always a shucking good time: The annual PDCA of South Carolina Chapter Oyster Roast, traditionally in January, is moving and tentatively set for March 26 at Palmetto Pile Driving in Charleston. |
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Asap Installations LLC you are this month's winner! Send an email to
marian@piledrivers.org before the end of January to claim your prize! |
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The monthly round-up:
- Mike Roberts promoted to director of pile driving technologies at Equipment Corporation of America; the new position places the Pile Master products director over all pile driving products, sales, training and support for ECA and ECA Canada.
- Shinnosuke Moribe named president at Giken, Akio Kitamura becomes executive chairman.
- Nicolas Tremblay named sales manager at Junttan subsidiary Canadian Pile Driving Equipment.
- Dave Sumoski elevates to chief operating officer at Nucor.
- Kirt Jackson rejoins Cajun Industries as deep foundations estimating manager.
- Jim Lauer returns to McCarthy as a VP in the Southwest Region.
- Austin J. Shanfelter elected new board chair of Orion Marine Group parent company.
- Brent McIntosh named president at Powell Foundations in Ontario.
- Brenda Novoa, M.SCE, P.E. at Premier Geotech and Testing, earns Mississippi license.
- Kent Kading, P.E. new national director of EHS Services at TRC Companies Inc.
- Melisse James, Jonathan Knudson, Payton Mann, Andrew Rebeiz, Nicholas Paz, Yifredew Teklu, Matt Maler, Blake Fowler, the newest P.E.s at Universal Engineering Sciences.
Congratulations!
- Jeff Clyde retires after 38 years as president of Sunroc parent, Clyde Companies.
- John Eustis, P.E. retires as chairman of the board after 42 years at Eustis Engineering.
- Jerry Byrne spent 40 years at Universal Engineering Sciences, retires as sr. geotechnical manager.
Recognitions:
- Jacob Clark and Mark Waguespack of Cajun Industries earn company accolades for subverting a potential catastrophe during piling installation in St. Charles, LA.
- Keon West, Michael Trabucco, Molly Raglani, Chris Smith and Taylor Johnson, from various Clark Construction offices, all named ENR 2021 Top Young Professionals.
- Wilford Clyde, CEO of Sunroc's parent company, receives 2021 Golden Beaver Leadership Award for his impact on the heavy equipment industry.
- Sidney Dewberry, founder of Dewberry, awarded for contributions to northern Virginia growth.
- Grant Robicheaux, Melanie Rarick and Sam Downs, all techs with Premier Geotech & Testing, win accolades from one of the firm's private developers.
- Toney Moore, a Miami-based tech who works in pile driving for Sunbelt Rentals, earns an enviable peer review; he's described as "BADA$$" and one who "SAVES THE DAY."
Quotable: "None of us magically figured out how to be an effective _________ (insert your profession here) all by ourselves. Behind every great person is usually a great partner, and almost certainly a couple or more great mentors." Pat Kilma, president of Geo-Technology Associates, Inc. in a public letter.
In sympathy:
J.S. "Jack" Braun provided soil testing services from his Minneapolis home following graduation from University of Minnesota in 1957. That led to his founding of Braun Intertec Corporation, which now serves nine states in the central U.S. The company announces his recent passing. |
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Projects:
American Pile and Foundation, LLC drives 4,200 LF timber piles as well as steel at the Green Field-Pier Village Phase III near Long Branch, NJ.
Altas Foundation installed a sheet pile wall at Sturgeon Lake, one of Minnesota's ten thousand.
Balfour Beatty crews are deep in Midtown Atlanta dirt founding the future 14th & Spring tower.
Corman Kokosing wins role in largest-ever ($454 million) infrastructure project in Alexandria, VA.
Foundation Constructors Inc. to install 240' deep steel piles for the new Mission Rock mixed use complex in San Francisco.
Great Lakes Construction Company has begun building the Westerly Tunnel Dewatering Pump Station in northeast Ohio (from ENR).
H.B. Fleming, Inc. drives aggregates with a vibro, all part of construction on the new Health Sciences Simulation Center at the University of New Hampshire.
Innovative Piering LLC lifted the structure, then installed diversified pile types for stabilization of the Shadeland Station building in Indianapolis.
Pacific Pile & Marine improves a southeastern Alaska hydroelectric installation, increases region's hydro storage capacity; Congressional action prompted this project.
Sunroc among the contractors participating in construction of the Red Cliffs Temple in St. George, UT.
Terracon provides vibration monitoring, other services for the $1.2 billion I-74 Mississippi River Bridge infrastructure project connecting Iowa and Illinois in the Quad Cities.
American Piledriving Equipment (APE) shows its "Super Kong" vibro drive 129 feet long piles for a floating bridge near Seattle; crews work in the shadows of UW's Husky Stadium.
Flexicore of Texas produced a 134' x 30" prestressed concrete piling and more for Boh Bros. to install at the new VMH Ship Dock #2 in Houston.
Giving back:
Recognitions:
Acquisitions & expansions:
Governmental relations:
Nucor Sheet & Tubular Products president Giff Daughtridge was asked by U.S. Rep. Rick Crawford (AR) to join other American and Mexican businesses at a November meeting on trade relations.
Sunroc sent a delegation, er...crew, to the Idaho State Capitol to make a delivery. |
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The Advocate provides detailed coverage on the forthcoming I-10 widening project in Baton Rouge; Kiewit and Boh Bros. formed the joint venture, which was selected to perform Phase I.
The Akron Beacon Journal details how Great Lakes Construction Company enabled a "strange," local tradition to persevere in a write-up about area holiday events.
ENR explains how Hawaiian Dredging Construction Co. has successfully transitioned from manual crane data-collection to incorporating a new high-tech solution.
American Cranes & Transport magazine highlights an innovative solution that Engineered Rigging executed for the contractor on the Cline Avenue Bridge Project in East Chicago, IN.
Tunnel Business names The Moles Class of 2020; reppin' PDCA companies are Jason Hardell of George Harms Construction, Charles Huynh of Keller and Paul Madsen of Kiewit.
GEOSTRATA publishes The Pipeline to Diversity and Inclusion in the Geoprofessions, co-authored by Veronica De Frietas, P.E. of Universal Engineering Sciences and Laura Register, P.E. of Terracon. |
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It's the economy, stupid: The chief economist with ARTBA projects a 5.5% reduction in the U.S. transportation construction market in 2021, following a better-than-expected 2020. Read a perspective on COVID's impact on construction.
Then there's this: State DOT's to get $10B in emergency aid from COVID-19 relief legislation.
"Business has only two functions marketing and innovation:" Several PDCA members unveiled upgraded websites in 2020. Modern marketing material like fresh websites and accompanying social media can be crucial to success in an increasingly virtual, COVID-conscious world. Here are links to PDCA member websites which received a little remodeling in 2020 (email us if you launched a new website we can help announce.)
A Pile of Science?: While a much-anticipated, first-ever website at H.F. Darling, Inc. did not drop in 2020, proprietor Buck Darling continues to demonstrate e-communication savvy as a vital "tipster" to this e-publication. He sends an ENR story that analyzes a driven pile foundation in unique ground conditions at a structure near the North Pole. No pun intended, but COVID has since put the construction on ice.
Longevity: Keller celebrated a SIGNIFICANT anniversary in 2020. After 160 years in business, you certainly deserve a commemorative YouTube video. Congrats!
Bet their founders thought we'd be teleporting by now: Several PDCA members reach notable milestones in 2021; among anniversaries this year are Piling, Inc. a Texas City, TX contractor which reaches 90 years in business. Timber supplier Mason Forest Products of Hattiesburg, MS turns the big 4-0. And Ontario engineering firm EXP marks 115 years serving a civil clientele. Congratulations to all!
True quote not fake news: "A successful man is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks (one could substitute "piles") others have thrown at him." David Brinkley |
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