INDUSTRY PROFILE
A professional development class at PDCA’s
headquarters in Orange Park, Fla.
Seven chapters and counting
While PDCA does the important work of advocating for the
industry, nationally and internationally, seven local chapters
have cropped up across the U.S.
“South Carolina formed the first local chapter about 12
years ago. They started to see other types of foundations
making in-roads into the Charleston area. As a result, the
market share for driven piles in that area started to diminish,”
said Hall. “They got together and formed the PDCA of
South Carolina Chapter and started to advocate for driven
piles with the local engineers and explain services and benefits
of driven pile over other types of foundations, especially
in the Charleston area.”
PDCA provides advocacy support and an overarching
foundation that helps chapters justify specific positions to
local government, city council commissions and state issues.
They also provide a structure that allows chapters to draw
on the experiences of other chapters and garner support and
resolutions to familiar challenges.
Inside PDCA
While volunteers run local chapters, PDCA is staffed by Hall,
a program manager and office manager.
“We can do things as paid staff that chapters don’t have
the ability to do, such as put together PileDriver magazine,
conferences and training and host the website and other
resources that provide for marketing and visibility.”
Governance is through the board of directors and PDCA
staff implement the directives they put forth. Committees
that set the priorities of the association include:
• Educational Committee: Identifies important courses for
the industry and develops educational programs
• Market Development Committee: The brainpower behind
the PDCA annual conference and everything associated
with it, except for the educational component
• Technical Committee: Addresses all technical issues
associated with industry specifically codes and
specifications
• Communications Committee: Handles the magazine and
all editorial content for the association
• Membership Committee: Promotes membership growth
and retention
• Chapters Committee: Works to collaborate on resources,
programs and activities that can help chapter services,
benefits and growth
Why should Canadian companies consider
PDCA membership?
“It doesn’t make any difference whether you’re from Canada
or one of the other 17 countries represented by PDCA: pile
driving is pile driving. The issues associated with the pile
driving industry aren’t going to be exactly the same as they
would be in Southern California or Canada or Florida, but a
lot of the generalities are the same,” said Hall. “Some of the
technical issues that contractors in Canada face are similar
to the issues we face in the U.S. and other countries.”
Mike Justason, a civil engineering lecturer and program
chair at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ont. agrees. As
UPCOMING EVENTS
PDCA has a number of events over the coming months, including:
Seminar on Deep Foundation Integrity
Testing and Wave Equation Analysis
Toronto, Ont. • Aug. 29, 2016
High Strain Foundation Testing Workshop
Toronto, Ont. • Aug. 30–31, 2016
17th Annual DICEP Conference
Charleston, S.C. • Sept. 21–22, 2016
Deep Foundation Dynamic Testing and Analysis
Seminar, Workshop and Proficiency Test
Cleveland, Ohio • Oct. 5–7, 2016
Seminar on Using Steel Bearing Piles and
Sheet Walls in Infrastructures
Tampa, Fla. • Nov. 10, 2016
64 Q2 2016 www.pilingcanada.ca
/www.pilingcanada.ca
