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.
August 03, 2023
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.
July 27, 2023
Despite an increased use of supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs), demand for Portland cement continues to grow. In the past decade alone, Portland cement production increased from 75 to 95 million metric tons in the United States.
June 22, 2023
What are the prospects for global cement demand in the near term? Following a post-Covid surge, emerging trends conspire to reduce cement demand. Limited residential real estate sales and construction is a key. In 2021, four-fifths of the increase in U.S. cement demand came from the residential side. View the most recent PCA forecast here.
June 08, 2023
There is more than 4 billion metric tons of concrete produced every year. That’s more than a thousand pounds for every one of the 8 billion people on the planet. The cement needed to produce all this concrete comes from clinker produced in giant kilns. What if it were possible to eliminate high-temperature kilns entirely? A new electrochemical process does just that.
May 18, 2023
As MIT’s Concrete Sustainability Hub (CSHub) notes, “Infrastructure damage caused by natural hazards in the U.S. exceeds $50 billion annually, with losses from earthquakes, hurricanes, and fire averaging around $6 billion, $28 billion, and $15 billion, respectively. And, moreover, these costs are trending upward.”
May 04, 2023
Today, ICF acceptance is surging in both the residential and commercial sectors. Research and Markets sees the global ICF market growing from $1.06 billion in 2023 to $1.46 billion in 2027. This represents an impressive compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.4%.
April 20, 2023
Inevitably, the boom in wind energy means a boom in blade recycling. Replacements are common as new designs emerge. Some blades fail, while others reach the end of their intended lifespan. At present, blade failure occurs at a rate of about 0.54% per year, or approximately 3,800 blades.
April 06, 2023
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.
March 23, 2023
Ancient Roman seawalls owe their extreme longevity in part to their “self-healing” capacity. Exposure to seawater facilitated the continued growth of crystalline structures in the concrete. Researchers have also focused on volcanic ash as a secret to the durability of Roman concrete used throughout the empire. The ash came from Pozzuoli along the Bay of Naples. Lime clasts may have also played a role. Lime clasts are millimeter-scale mineral features distributed throughout many Roman concretes.
March 16, 2023
There are circumstances when the air around us is simply not good enough – times when more concentrated oxygen works wonders. For example, oxygen aids climbers during ascents of Mount Everest. Oxygen also aids spent football players as they rest along the sideline. Similarly, good things happen when cement kilns breathe oxygen instead of ambient air.
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.