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 use of insulated concrete forms (ICFs) continues to expand around the world. Mordor Intelligence sees global residential ICF revenue expanding at a 4.91% CAGR through 2028. During the same period, the firm projects commercial ICF revenue increasing at a CAGR of 4.72%. Institutional revenue should expand at a 4.43% CAGR.
Two factors drive demand. First, a need for more resilient construction in an era of climate change. Second, increased energy efficiency that saves money and reduces emissions.
ICFs consist of two rigid EPS panels sandwiching a core of reinforced concrete. Advantages include:
Continuous insulation - no drafts or hot spots
Thermal mass
Reduced sound transmission
Often costs less than CMU or steel-stud construction
Storm and seismic resistance
Reduced sound transmission is an advantage that is often overlooked. Four-inch ICF walls typically deliver an STC of 50 and above. Thicker ICF walls and/or the addition of gypsum wallboard can drive STC’s to 70 and higher.
There are many uses for ICFs. They include, but are not limited to:
Single and multifamily real estate
Mixed use developments
Low and mid-rise commercial buildings
Hotels and universities
Storm shelters
When one thinks of ICF structures, one to four-story structures quickly come to mind. However, ICF’s are far more versatile than that.
In 2017, Laurier University opened a new ICF residence hall in Waterloo, Ontario. The contractor completed the 25-story structure with Nudura ICFs. Four years earlier, contractors used Fox Blocks ICFs to build “Luxe Waterloo II.” It was another student dorm in the same city.
Another way to discuss large ICF structures is total square feet of ICFs. In 2009, contractors used 1,511,800 sq ft of Amvic ICFs to build the Shershni Community in Chelyabinsk, Russia. The Siberian city is home to more than a million people. It was the 2009 ICF Builder Awards “Multifamily Winner.” Construction of the massive multifamily development took three years.
The success of tall ICF construction in Canada may have impacted the acceptance of tall ICF buildings in the United States. made taller ICF buildings a reality in the United States as well. Here are two examples: a mixed use development in New York and a hotel in Tennessee.
As Concrete Homes says, “While a handful of ICF buildings exceeding 16 stories have been built in Canada, 42 Broad Street is reported to be the tallest ICF building in the United States.”
42 Broad is a 16-story luxury transit-oriented development in Westchester County, NY. Trains whisk residents to Grand Central Station in 30 minutes. The structure features 249 luxury rental apartments. Tenants enjoy a heated swimming pool, library, and fully equipped gym. The mixed use development also offers 20,000 sq ft of retail space.
ICFs arrived at the jobsite as custom panels up to 50-feet long. Weld plates, bucks, and lintel rebar are added at the assembly plant. Panelization shortens construction times, allowing for earlier occupancies that generated more rent. “Passive house” construction eliminated the need for a conventional heat source. Some designs achieve 90% energy savings.
Drury Plaza is less than two miles from downtown Franklin and Cool Springs Galleria. The 8-story, 130-foot hotel offers 338 guestrooms and suites along with 7,000 sq ft of meeting space. The contractor used xxxx of Amvic ICFs.
In addition to tall ICF structures, there have also been very large ICF projects, as well. In Kentucky, South Warren High School and Middle School required 299,787 sq ft. In Lubbock, TX, construction of a Texas Tech dormitory consumed 244,000 sq ft of ICFs.
It is possible to construct unsupported 40-foot ICF walls. Ironically, that limit is due more to limits inherent in construction techniques. It does takes expertise to brace the walls and to provide a proper working platform for placing concrete. To cope with loading, it is necessary to specify appropriate thicknesses. Available options range from four to 12 inches.
St. Philip the Apostle Church was an ICF Builder Award winner - heavy commercial. It is the tallest ICF structure in the state of Texas, with the tower’s ICF wall plate 106 feet above the ground. It took 14 months to build the 26,000 sq ft structure. The $13 million project used 41,000 sq ft of ICFs. Installation took 70 days.
This Amvic ICF project was a 2022 ICF Builder Award winner in the Heavy Commercial category. It represented a 34,200 sq ft expansion to the company’s existing facility, also built with ICFs.
It was Amvic’s first project built with the help of Virtual Design & Construction (VDC). The lab and manufacturing facility includes “several 36-ft. tall free-standing exterior walls.” The contractor used more than 2,500 Amvic ICF blocks and placed 2,761 cu yds of concrete. The project was completed 24 days ahead of schedule.
The Pennsylvania Aggregate and Concrete Association (PACA) uses SpecifyConcrete.org to inform its members and the general public about the latest industry innovations. Should you have any questions about your upcoming concrete 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.