Author Archives: John M Becker

For  the tenth year in  a row, we have videotaped presentations made at our Annual Penn Concrete Conference.  To view presentations from this year’s conference, please click  HERE. 

Topics include Industry/Agency Updates, Automated Speed Enforcement, Innovations, Performance Engineered Mixtures, Impact of Competition on Pavement Economics, Full-Depth Reclamation with Cement, Calcine Clay & Emerging Pozzolans, Concrete Certification Updates,  I-376 Innovations, Academia Research Overview, Pipe Sustainability & Resilience, Shrinkage Reducing Admixtures, Texas Skid Testing Project, IRISE, Customizing Rigid PavementME, Early Opening to Traffic, Precast Bridge Showcase, CPQI Updates, 408 Updates, and Mix Optimization.

To view presentations from past year Conferences, click HERE.

With an information-packed agenda, the 22nd annual Pennsylvania Concrete Conference drew 175 attendees and featured a wealth of business and technical information for participants.  First-time attendees comprised about 40% of our overall participation. These first-time attendees included experienced representatives from companies that have not previously been engaged with the concrete pavement community along with younger professionals who are the future of our industry. Six posters were presented from doctoral candidates and recent graduates from four universities on research that could reshape the state of the practice in concrete technologies.

The diverse group of attendees represented 72 different organizations, including twelve contractor firms. With a good mix of agencies, industry, consultants and academia, the conference started with keynote remarks from Yassmin Gramian, P.E., Acting Secretary of Transportation, PennDOT, who provided an overview of the mission and vision of PennDOT. This presentation was followed by a talk on the PennDOT 2020 construction program and on concrete pavement initiatives by T. Jay Cunningham, P.E., PennDOT’s Bureau of Maintenance and Operations.  Tom Harman from FHWA spoke about Innovations and Craig Shuey, COO of the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission presented on automated speed enforcement.

Leif Wathne of ACPA delivered an excellent historical overview of pavement type selection, which set the stage for a talk by Randolph Kirchain Ph.D. of MIT, about the impact of competition on pavement economics. 

Technical presentations covered materials, best practices, case histories, research and more.  Rich Jucha from ACPA/PA presented on a contractor/aggregate producer led skid study and Heather Steffek from the New York State Chapter presented on full-depth reclamation with portland cement stabilization.  PennDOT staffers Joe Cribben, Dave Jarvis, and Pat Baer updated the group, respectively, on CPQI Initiatives, 408 Updates, and Performance Engineered Mixtures.

The conference again included participation and presentations from the concrete precast, pipe and ready-mixed industries. Casting this wider net allowed attendees to dialogue with a diverse mix of suppliers, producers, and others who were drawn to this more diverse program.

MEMBERSHIP (Updated March 2, 2020)

The Chapter would like to welcome our newest members, who have all joined us this year:

• Baseline Contracting (Paving Contractor)
• Flores Automation (Allied/Services)
• Komatsu/Northeast (Allied/Equipment)
• Pennoni (Allied/Consultant)
• Power Curbers & Power Pavers (Allied/Equipment)
• Ravi Engineering & Land Surveying (Allied/Consultant)
• Separation Technologies (Cementitious/Fly ash)

Welcome!!!!!

ELECTIONS

Our 2020 elections for our Directors and Officers took place during our Annual 2020 Dinner on February 18.  The following have been elected to one-year positions as Officers: Mark Ondecko,  Gulisek (Chair), Dave Scuillo, Golden Triangle (Vice-Chair), Christian Bononi, LafargeHolcim (Secretary/Treasurer).  Three-year directors elected were Dave Scuillo (Golden Triangle), Tom Hunt (CEMEX), Dan Davis (JMT) and Bob Priest (RBP Consultants). 

On-line registration has closed for the 22nd Annual Penn Concrete Conference, to be held at the Sheraton Harrisburg-Hershey on February 19-20, but we are accepting day of event registrations. Click HERE for the Day of Conference Registration Form.  Click HERE for the Agenda.

The Winter ACPA/PA Board Meeting (open to all members of ACPA/PA and invited guests) takes place on February 18, also at the Sheraton.  We start with lunch followed by the Board Meeting.  Our evening program includes a reception, a very brief Annual Meeting, and dinner. Come back soon for details on special guest dinner speaker.  Click HERE for details and to register.   

The ACPA/PA, in cooperation with our allied Transportation Construction Industry associations, is hosting a TCI Breakfast Meeting at the Sheraton on February 19, from 7am to 9am.  The Honorable Martina A. White, House Transportation Infrastructure Task Force Chair, will be our guest speaker.  Registration for this event is being handled separate from our Conference and Annual Meeting.  Click HERE for details and to register.