MEMBER BENEFITS
PDCA easily exceeded its Zoom license, which
allowed up to 100 participants; many former PDCA
members rejoined the organization and several
non-members came home to the only organization
that exclusively advocates for the driven pile.
35 people, PDCA invited all member companies to participate
for free; it also invited a large list of non-member companies to
participate at a nominal cost. The marketing distributed during
a short, two-week period prior to the event and unexpectedly
yielded very positive results. PDCA easily exceeded its Zoom
license, which allowed up to 100 participants; many former
PDCA members rejoined the organization and several nonmembers
came home to the only organization that exclusively
advocates for the driven pile.
Fresh off that highly successful, PDCA virtual programming
“trial balloon,” traditional programming was quickly transformed
into virtual events. Fast forward to today, PDCA hosted a popular
Virtual DICEP 2020 over the course of four days during two weeks
in September. The technical conference provided participants a
comprehensive analysis on various practices related to steel sheet
piling and wave equation.
Feedback about Virtual DICEP 2020
Nearly 90 professionals from North
America and Europe attended Virtual
DICEP 2020, including Jennifer Brandt,
P.E. of Peirce Engineering, Inc. in
Phoenixville, Pa.
“PDCA’s Virtual DICEP program was
an excellent opportunity to stay connected
with other PDCA professionals
and reinforce my knowledge of Steel
sheet piling and the wave equation,”
said Brandt. “The presenters were
engaging, and the presentations were
very informative. I look forward to the
next PDCA virtual opportunity.”
Concurrently, the PDCA 2020
Annual Conference Webinar Series (ACWS) provided participants
a wide variety of educational and professional development
programming during the final five months of 2020. PDCA delivered
the series on the first Wednesday of each month, beginning
in August and lasting through December. To recap the ACWS,
August brought presentations on substance abuse in construction
and business ethics. September provided a report from NCCCO
on new certification requirements for pile driving rig operators.
October was a widely attended panel program on working platforms.
November gave subcontractors and suppliers an insightful
legal presentation on payment clauses and the federal miller act. In
December, the series concluded with a comprehensive analysis of
recently adopted modifications to the International Building Code.
The Annual Conference Webinar Series working
platforms update
More than 100 deep foundations professionals registered for
the Oct. 7 program in which Peggy Hagerty Duffy, P.E., D.GE
of Hagerty Engineering and the International Association of
Foundation Drilling (ADSC) and Terry Holman, Ph.D., P.E. of
Geosyntec Consultants detailed the Working Platforms Working
Group’s efforts to-date. Following the program, the presenters,
along with Jim DeWaele of Keller Group, served as panelists for
the working platforms panel discussion with moderator Gerald
Verbeek of Allnamics U.S.A. The panel fielded a variety of questions
from attendees.
Without question, PDCA joins the majority of humanity in
hopes of a return to normalcy as soon as it is safe and appropriate.
“While the goal is to get back to in-person programming, we
are pleased that the technology is available to bring forth virtual
education,” said Harper.
Preparations for the International Foundations Congress &
Construction Expo (IFCEE) are underway with partners ADSC,
ASCE, DFI and PDCA, who come together every three years for
a major industry event and trade show – this replaces an Annual
Jennifer Brandt, P.E., Peirce
Engineering, Inc.
Peggy Hagerty Duffy, P.E., D.GE, Hagerty Engineering and the
International Association of Foundation Drilling (ADSC), and Terry
Holman, Ph.D., P.E., Geosyntec Consultants
32 | ISSUE 6 2020 www.piledrivers.org
/www.piledrivers.org
