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.
In today's world, eco-friendly practices contribute to a positive reputation for any business's brand. This is even true when it comes to schools and educational facilities. After all, even experts recognize the value of sustainable branding for an organization.
If you're in charge of building a school, you want to make decisions while conscious of the environmental impact. That's why you're interested in alternative building materials for schools.
Well, the good news is that you've come to the right place by reading this article. Detailed below is everything you need to know about today's top eco-friendly building materials.
Make sure your school's facilities stand the test of time without creating an unnecessarily large carbon footprint. Both the environment and the eco-conscious parents of students will appreciate your sustainable efforts. Keep reading to see how alternative building materials for schools can have such a positive impact on your overall brand.
Of course, the first thing you're going to be concerned with is the cost of your building project. You want to ensure the school makes the most of its financial investments, even in building materials.
In fact, that's what makes sustainable building materials so beneficial. They're affordable solutions to longlasting structures that make the initial cost worth it.
Still, it's important that you take the time to evaluate your available funding for building the school. It's important that you allocate enough of your budget for building materials that are worthwhile. Don't sacrifice the quality of your school's structure just to save a couple of dollars.
Reach out to potential concrete contractors in your area. Will they provide you with an estimate for your potential building project? If so, incorporate that amount into your available budget for building this school.
Consider the following statistic regarding concrete contractors throughout the United States. It indicates that over the last five years or so, the industry has sustained a 4.5% growth in revenue.
In other words, you're not alone in valuing concrete as an affordable and sustainable building solution. Keep reading to learn why this eco-friendly characteristic of concrete is in your school's best interest, and check out this case study and follow up article on Shikellamy Middle School.
Not only is concrete one of the more affordable building material options in the modern world. In addition, concrete is a responsible material to use.
One reason is that concrete is a light-colored substance when it's in its finished form. The sidewalks and concrete pavements in your city don't give off as much heat as the almost-black asphalt of most roads. That additional heat just adds more energy and even duress on the local atmosphere.
There's a reason that concrete is the most popular building material throughout the world. Its benefits have contributed to the quality of life for hundreds of communities in a variety of ways. For more detailed guidance, check out this article on why concrete is a sustainable material for building purposes.
It's important that you do your research before you buy just any concrete you can get your hands on. Instead, take a look at the potential supplier's online presence.
For instance, start with a quick Google search about the company selling concrete. This should indicate whether there's any history of unethical or illegal practices in the past.
In addition, be willing to look at the concrete supplier's website. Is it clear that they invest in the website and keep it regularly updated, quick to load, and easy to navigate? So they maintain consistent engagement with their social media followers?
Don't underestimate the value of a business that rakes pride in promoting their products and brand. You can then trust that they will take the same level of care and devotion when working on your building project.
You should also check out any available online reviews or testimonials from previous buyers. Doing so could give you great insight as to whether you can trust a positive experience from them, too.
Concrete is only the beginning of your ideal eco-friendly building project. You can also include sustainable materials like bamboo, wood, and even straw bales. There are also recycled plastic building products that can help make your upcoming school be the most environmentally conscious it can be.
As mentioned above, it's important to take advantage of the fact that using concrete is a sustainable decision. That means your school is making the most of eco-friendly values, which consumers will take note of.
For that reason, it's okay to optimize that sustainable brand in your school's marketing strategies. After all, it's worthwhile to brag about your school's eco-friendly building project. That way, you'll be doing everything you can to attract and maintain families to keep their kids enrolled at your school.
By now we hope you have a better understanding of today's top alternative building materials for schools. There's no need to cut corners when it comes to investing in sustainable business practices. That's why you'll take the above guidelines seriously.
In addition, it's worthwhile to continue to keep yourself well-informed of sustainable industry trends. Doing so could help your school's brand reputation in the long run. Developing recognition of and loyalty to that brand will be an invaluable asset when attracting families to your school.
Don't settle for low-quality building materials for your school. Instead, invest in concrete solutions to optimize the integrity and sustainability of your building.
In fact, that's where we can come into play. We prioritize bringing clients like you the most reliable concrete building services on the market.
For that reason, we encourage you to browse through the rest of our website today. On our blog, you'll find the latest and greatest trends in the concrete building industry. To start, check out more details about our concrete building solutions available to you now.
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.