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.
Residential projects remain a large part of the ICF global market. In 2018, residential construction accounted for 64.3 percent of total ICF revenue.
At the same time, there is growing interest in ICFs for commercial purposes. You’ll find ICF construction in many sectors, including healthcare, retail, education and hospitality. Analysts expect the ICF market to grow at about five percent per year well into the new decade.
Awareness of the advantages of ICF residential construction is higher than ever. This includes those in the industry as well as the general public. Builders gain experience with ICF residential construction. More home buyers hear about the ICF alternative to wood-frame construction. Greater awareness means increased adoption.
As ICFs are more widely accepted, increased sales drive innovation. This makes them even more useful in residential applications. There’s a wider selection of ICF forms than ever before. For example, you’ll now find ICFs with more insulation. Thick four-inch EPS panels deliver up to R-35 protection. There’s a wider variety of radius forms. One-sided ICFs are another innovation. So are pour-in-place ICF basement windows. Some ICF systems eliminate the need for corner blocks. Finally, updated fastening strips speed the application of both exterior and interior finishes.
Over time, lumber prices rise and fall and rise again. For example, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) notes how lumber prices soared 170 percent in just 10 months. Since April 2020, the price of the average new single-family home has increased by $24,286. Compared to lumber, the cost of ICF components tend to remain quite stable.
To fully appreciate the sustainability of ICF construction, it is important to look at everything from the acquisition of materials through demolition and recycling. Full life cycle assessments (LCAs) are crucial to understanding ICF sustainability. That said, operational energy use still accounts for about 90 percent of a home’s lifetime environmental impact. Energy-efficient ICFs are a key component in the quest for sustainability. House-wide insulation, advanced HVAC systems and onsite renewable energy are important as well.
Energy prices do not increase on a straight trajectory. There are surges and plateaus instead. One thing is certain. ICF homes insulate owners against unknowns in the future of energy prices. Owners of ICF homes enjoy added protection against price spikes years or decades from now.
There’s a rising demand for rigid walls. Extreme weather and other events prioritize resilience as never before. ICFs provide built-in resiliency that gives homeowners peace-of-mind. As LogixICF says, “Strong and safe ICF homes are not expensive. But when severe climatic events threaten, they're priceless.”
Consumers who invest in ICF homes often report on how quiet they are inside. One survey examined customer satisfaction following the construction of ICF vs. wood-framed homes. Sixty percent of those in ICF homes cited sound reduction as a plus. Only two percent of those living in wood-framed homes said the same.
ICF construction increases resale values in various ways. When the time comes to sell, owners of ICF homes point to key advantages. These include energy savings, structural integrity, reduced maintenance, sound reduction and more. As a result, ICF residences may sell more quickly and/or at a higher price.
Here are some recent residential projects. They all take advantage of the energy-savings, resilience and longevity of insulated concrete forms.
2021 ICF Builder Awards - Large Residential, 1st Runner-up
A 4,134 sqft ICF home in Wallkill, NY is the Large Residential 1st Runner-up in the 2021 ICF Builder Awards. It took 28 days to install the 4,642 sqft of Fox Blocks ICF forms. The zero-energy residence benefits from both solar and geothermal systems. The latter also provides 100-percent of the hot water.
The high R-values associated with ICF pools are a real plus across the northern tier of states. This was one of the considerations that led to the use of ICFs in a residential pool in Swampscott, MA. The contractor also had to contend with height restrictions and a high water table. The solution? A hybrid in-ground/above-ground 20x36 ICF pool. A 250,000 BTU pool heater and automated cover restrict heat loss in colder weather. The R-10 pool slab features EPS insulation. The R-25 pool walls feature Logix ICF forms.
2021 ICF Builder Awards - Large Residential, 2nd Runner-up
A 5,622 sqft Louisville home uses 11,315 sqft of Nudura ICFs. ICF construction delivered vital stability on a lot sloping 14.5 feet. ICF installation took just 16 days. Thanks in part to the use of ICFs, construction continued despite record rainfall at the time. It includes design features included in the nearby Richardsville Elementary School, the nation’s first net-zero school. A TED energy monitoring system tracks performance of the home’s building envelope.
A Massachusetts car enthusiast wanted a climate-controlled garage for his sports cars. The builder used 2,800 sqft of ICFs in the construction of the 800 sqft, single-story detached garage. The natural disaster resistance and four-hour fire rating made ICFs a logical choice. The garage features a radiant heat concrete slab and R-25 ICF walls. A peel-and-stick membrane covers the ICF foundation. The foundation also doubles as a retaining wall at the hillside location.
SpecifyConcrete.org is a website of the Pennsylvania Aggregates and Concrete Association (PACA). To learn more about the use of ICFs for your project, don’t hesitate to contact us.
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.