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.
If you are a building developer, you face a fundamental question when a multi-family project moves forward, "What type of construction do I invest in?" Hazard mitigation is one key consideration due to its impact on insurance and other costs.
Fortunately, it's possible to take a strategic, calculated approach to mitigating risk. MIT's Break Even Mitigation Percent (BEMP) Model guides decisions regarding hazard mitigation costs. In one example, a $340,000 hazard mitigation investment in a $10 million commercial structure is made up through reduced insurance premiums and other savings.
One study determines just how much your builder's risk and commercial property insurance premiums may be impacted by the type of construction selected. Researchers from Boston College compared insurance costs for concrete and wood-frame mid-rise, multi-family buildings.
The study, underwritten by the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association (NRMCA), looked at quotes for both builder's insurance and property insurance in these communities: Towson, MD; Edgewater, NJ; Dallas/Fort Worth, TX; Los Angeles, CA; and Orlando, FL.
The reference structure was a 4-story multi-family building with about eight two-bedroom and 15 one-bedroom apartments per floor. The replacement cost of the 100,000 square-foot structure was $14 million.
The study reports substantially lower insurance quotes when the reference building features concrete construction rather than wood-frame construction. For builder's risk insurance, the study reports a minimum savings of 22 percent, up to a maximum 72 percent. For commercial property insurance, the study reports a minimum savings of 14 percent, up to a maximum of 65 percent.
This infographic reveals the percentage differences for the four cities in the study. For example, in Edgewater, NJ, the annual property insurance premium for the concrete version of the reference building was $22,120, while the annual premium for the wood-frame version was $52,080, almost $30,000/yr more.
There are key reasons for these substantial differences in rates. In general, multi-family buildings are subject to serious loss due to fires, natural disasters, vandalism, theft, and even natural gas explosions. Owners can mitigate risk by selecting one type of construction over another. For example, wood-frame structures are more vulnerable to fires, while steel buildings typically offer the less wind protection that concrete structures do.
Although steel-frame and steel stud construction offer advantages when compared to wood-frame construction, there are reasons why concrete is ideal for hazard mitigation. For example, under extreme temperatures, steel can soften and bend, while concrete poses no such threat to structural integrity. Also, cast-in-place reinforced concrete can resist 200 mph winds while protecting against flying debris.
The differences in insurance quotes reveal variations in risk assessment. For example, concrete buildings typically qualify for lower fire coverage costs. In areas facing a higher risk of hurricanes or tornadoes, the gap in insurance rates for concrete and wood-frame structures is particularly significant.
It is reasonable to expect that heavy insurance losses in recent fire seasons will lead to future insurance rate increases for wood-frame structures, widening the gap even more. Going forward, it is possible that certain insurers will decline to insure wood-frame buildings or refuse to be the sole risk holder. Either scenario could adversely impact the bottom line if you are the owner of a wood-frame, multi-family building, and for years to come.
Also, those with wood-frame structures might be required to meet insurer requirements for more detailed fire prevention efforts, around-the-clock guards or other costly measures.
Pennsylvania Aggregates and Concrete Association (PACA) serves those building and connecting communities by providing educational, technical and promotional information. If you would like further assistance, please 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.