CHAPTER NEWS
PDCA of the
GULF COAST CHAPTER
Second Quarter Dinner Meeting
The PDCA of the Gulf Coast Chapter
held its second quarter dinner meeting on
Thursday, April 26, 2018, at the L’Auberge
Hotel and Casino in Baton Rouge, La.
The hotel, which is located on the
Mississippi River, was a great venue for the
evening event. More than 50 people attended
the meeting, which included a reception,
buffet dinner, updates and guest speaker.
At the conclusion of the reception,
which included a hosted bar, Michael Kelly,
chapter president, had everyone take their
seat. President Kelly opened the meeting by
asking all in attendance to do self introductions
and then Kelly thanked Consolidated
Pipe and Supply and Mississippi River
Equipment who were the program sponsors.
Treasury and membership reports were
presented by Treasurer John Matthews.
President Kelly presented plaques to
Kevin Gourgues, J.J. (John) Waguespack
and Sean Spatz for their past service as
Officers of the PDCA of the Gulf Coast
Chapter.
Carol Friedland, Ph.D, P.E. and associate
professor, Louisiana State University,
presented an update on the research program
titled, “An Integrated Computational and
Experimental Study of Driven Pile Set-Up
in Soft Clays.” Dr. Friedland explained that
the project is a joint collaboration between
industry partners Cajun Deep Foundations,
LLC, Boh Bros Construction Co., LLC,
PDCA of the Gulf Coast Chapter, Eustis
Engineering Services, LLC, the Louisiana
Transportation Research Center and the
Louisiana Department of Transportation
and Development.
The overall goal of the project is:
to develop a fundamental understanding
of the physical mechanisms underlying
the pile setup process; to formulate an
analytical model/equation for estimating
and predicting pile setup with time;
and to develop plans and mechanisms for
the transfer of the developed technology.
Dr. Friedland indicated the research was
beginning to show results and she anticipates
updated results will be made available
soon.
Stevan A. Hall, executive director,
PDCA presented his report. Hall reminded
members to consider submitting articles for
PileDriver, which is now produced six times
annually. Members were encouraged to participate
in the Member Profile, Project Spotlight,
Feature/Technical and Young Gun/Industry
Trailblazer article opportunities.
Hall pointed out that a three-panel brochure
and PDCA Membership Application
was on the table and available for anyone to
take that is not a member; or for members
to take and present to companies they may
know who are not members but would benefit
from PDCA membership.
Hall stated the PDCA website will
be undergoing a “face-lift” with improved
functionality. The process should be completed
shortly.
Hall also updated the attendees on the
new location and dates for the upcoming
Design and Installation of Cost-Efficient
Piles (DICEP) conference. DICEP will now
be held at the Hyatt Regency Inner Harbor,
Baltimore, Md., September 19-20, 2018.
The PDCA Project of the Year Award
program is underway and entries are open
to all PDCA members who would like to
submit projects completed in 2017.
President Kelly introduced Gerry
McShane, Service Steel Warehouse who
presented on “Advances in Sheet Piling
Installation Technology on Construction
Costs.”
Kelly ended the meeting with updates
and a reminder that the next dinner meeting
will be August 23 back in Biloxi, Miss., followed
by a Sporting Clay Shoot in October,
and the final 2018 dinner meeting will be in
Kenner, La., on November 15. t
PILEDRIVER | 47