The leading voice for the crushed stone, ready mixed concrete, sand and gravel, and cement industries' community.
PELA is a 10-month hybrid program with online and in-person educational sessions and networking opportunities.
Careers in the Aggregates, Concrete & Cement Industries
The Pennsylvania Aggregates and Concrete Association (PACA) is the industry’s unified voice, representing more than 200 member companies across the state.
Creating a unified and strong voice for our industry.
PACA monitors and analyzes local, state and federal regulations and advocates for a balanced approach by the regulators.
PACA builds a bridge between our members and our partners at PennDOT, and the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission along with Pennsylvania’s construction industry to further the use of our materials to the benefit of the commonwealth.
One of the most effective tools in government relations for an industry is a robust advocacy/grassroots strategy.
In the last legislative session, we contributed over $275,000 to our political champions.
November 2025 at Hotel Hershey in Hershey, PA (PACA members only event).
PACA offers comprehensive concrete certification programs for ACI, NRMCA, and PennDOT in the central Pennsylvania area.
Membership has its privileges - most of PACA's events are open to PACA members only.
PACA conducts numerous education and training events during the year.
Choose concrete for your next parking lot project.
Streets built with concrete are built to last, consider concrete for your next project.
Concrete's strong, resilient and the choice for your next building or bridge.
PACA works with the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association (NRMCA) to convert your parking lot or building project to concrete without hurting your bottom line.
PACA drives a member-approved strategic plan to increase market share and engages specifiers and owners on the value of concrete in their projects.
This program provides free continuing education to the design and specifying communities. There are currently four courses available, ranging from 30 minutes to 60 minutes focused on the cement, aggregates and concrete industries. You'll receive a certificate of completion once you pass a quiz. The bookmarking feature allows you to leave the course and resume where you left off when you return.
The look of a curvaceous, beaded 3D printed concrete (3DPC) structure is unlike any other. It has been described as “waves frozen in concrete.” ICON’s equipment can print designs that “swoop, fold, and form half shells.”
From aesthetics to construction methods, 3DPC is radically different. This new construction method is proving to be fast, affordable, energy-efficient, and resilient. Structures resist hurricanes, tornadoes, wildfires, and heat waves.
Thousands of years of concrete buildings have taken a new turn with the arrival of 3D printing. The concept is literally “out of this world." ICON is working with NASA to develop technology to print 3D structures on the moon.
Revenue growth is also out of this world. In construction, 3D printing revenue has increased from $3 million in 2019 to a projected $1.57 billion in 2024. Those numbers represent an impressive CAGR of 245.9%.
The demand for 3D concrete printing benefits from several convergent factors:
Pressure to reduce carbon emissions
Labor shortages
Rising or erratic material costs for lumber, etc.
At SpecifyConcrete.org, we’ve already reported on the expanding 3DPC home sector. In 2018, Austin-based ICON printed a 350 sq ft home as a proof-of-concept. Now, it is collaborating with Lennar Homes to create the 100-home Genesis Collection at Wolf Ranch, a 2,500-home development in Georgetown, TX.
There are two kinds of 3D concrete printers: gantry and robotic arm. Each has its advantages. Robotic arm printers offer the creative freedom afforded by six-axis printing. They excel at printing complex elements with fine detail. However, printing from a single point is inherently limiting.
By contrast, gantry-type printers offer an expanded printing area. They feature a printer hanging from a cross arm. It pivots along x, y, and z axes. COBOD states that its BOD2 printer “has printed 1, 2, and 3-story buildings with ease.” It accepts aggregates up to 8mm in size.
There's another big difference. Printers with robotic arms print continuously. By comparison, the hopper atop the nozzle of a gantry printer opens and closes at will. ICON’s gantry printer includes a 46.5 ft crossbar that glides up and down between two 15.5 ft towers. The concrete mix gets extruded out of a nozzle mounted on the crossbar. Each layer dries in about 15 minutes.
America’s first multi-story 3DPC home is in Houston, TX. COBOD equipment is printing the 4,000 sq ft, three-bedroom residence.
3DPC buildings have come a long way in a few years. In July 2020, Kamp C created the first two-story 3DPC house in Europe. The 295 sqft (x2?) house is 26 feet tall. In 2021, a 2100 sq ft home was completed in Oman, a country in the Middle East. It is composed of 99.55% locally sourced materials.
3DPC construction is quick, quiet, and less labor intensive as certain competing methods. Walls are strong and airtight.
Quick – Architectural Digest chronicles how Habitat for Humanity is now constructing 3DPC homes. In 2021, workers used an Alquist printer to build a three-bedroom, two-bath home. The actual printing took 28 hours.
Quiet – The whirring sound of a printer nozzle moving to and fro is an alternative to the pounding and sawing of wood frame construction. Some 3DPC contractors still deal with “start-stop” ordinances dictating daily construction times.
Strong – ICON states that its 3DPC walls exceed building code strength standards by an estimated 350%. Proper interlayer bonding is critical to strong, durable 3DPC structures. 3DPC concrete mixes are different from those of traditional concrete mixes.
Airtight – Like insulated concrete from (ICF) walls, 3DPC walls are virtually airtight. This makes them more energy-efficient. Triple-beaded and double-beaded walls leave room for insulation and rebar reinforcement.
Labor – 3D concrete printing is not as labor intensive as traditional wood frame construction. However, equipment operators must have specific skills. Also, setting up a gantry-style printer takes time. Getting the equipment ready to print can take a couple of days.
Materials – With a 3DPC wall, there’s no need for exterior cladding or interior drywall. Contractors may paint the walls for aesthetics and added moisture resistance.
Landfills – 3PDC minimizes construction debris earmarked for landfills. This speaks to the sustainability goals of developers, designers, and contractors.
3D printed concrete projects are proliferating across America and around the globe. Today, it is about more than homes and businesses. You’ll find 3DPC used for everything from wind turbine bases to military barracks.
GE Renewable Energy used COBOD equipment to print a prototype wind turbine base almost 100 feet tall. Onsite manufacturing increases the maximum height of wind turbine towers. This may increase the power generated by one-third.
The Long Center for the Performing Arts in Austin, TX, is known for its “Hartman Lawn" performances. It intends to enhance the experience with the world’s first 3DPC performance pavilion.
The Department of Defense lends further credibility to 3DPC with plans for three barracks at Fort Bliss, TX. Each structure will be 5,700 sq ft in size, making them the largest 3D printed structures in North America. The contractor will use an ICON printer laying down 5-10 inches of concrete per second.
A 3D printer’s capacity to create organic curves and domes will be exploited at El Cosmico, near Marfa, TX. A variety of parabolic hut-like buildings will deliver a unique guest experience. Construction is slated for 2024.
The Pennsylvania Aggregates and Concrete Association (PACA) reports on industry developments and innovation. The team at PACA welcomes any questions you may have about your upcoming concrete project. Please contact us today!
February 22, 2024
Proficient carbon calculations are increasingly important as “Buy Clean” legislation proliferates. New York and Colorado are among the states that now require carbon calcs for public projects. An estimated 40% of emissions are from the built environment. According to one estimate, the planet’s total building floor area will double by 2060. This makes the concrete industry a key player in the quest for net-zero emissions products and projects.
February 15, 2024
The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) notes that cement production is “so carbon intensive that even though cement makes up less than 15% of concrete by weight, it accounts for 90% of concrete’s carbon footprint.” The use of fossil fuels to fire cement kilns is a key source of these carbon emissions.
February 08, 2024
In the quest for reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, everyone has a role to play. In the concrete industry, this includes everyone from manufacturers to contractors, and from trade associations to governments. Here is a review of some of the major initiatives impacting concrete’s sustainability.
February 01, 2024
Ordinary Portland cement (OPC) requires high-temperature calcination of limestone. It is possible to use various emissions-reducing pozzolans in concrete. Fly ash comes from coal-fired power plants. Ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS) comes from steel mills. Another SCM is metakaolin derived from kaolin.
The program is delivered in one (1) module and it should take approximately 30 minutes to complete. You will receive a certificate of completion once you pass the quiz. The bookmarking feature will allow you to leave the course and resume where you left off when you return.