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.
May 12, 2022
One way to address concrete’s sustainability goals is to craft it to serve multiple masters. To a significant degree, it already does. For example, thanks to carbonation, exposed concrete meets structural needs while also serving as a carbon sink.
May 05, 2022
In October 2021, the Portland Cement Association released its Roadmap to Carbon Neutrality. The 38-page report outlines a comprehensive plan to make the industry's value chain carbon neutral by 2050. In January 2022, PCA further promoted the plan at the 2022 World of Concrete in Las Vegas.
March 24, 2022
3D printing using concrete or mortar formulations is also referred to as 3-Dimensional Concrete Printing (3DPC). Some refer to it as Building Additive Manufacturing (BAM). 3DPC involves extruding mortar or concrete through a nozzle, layer by layer. Advances in nozzle design allow for on-the-fly smoothing or texturing of walls.
March 17, 2022
All eyes are on greener cements that reduce emissions. Any gain ripples across a very large global concrete industry. Global cement production was 4.1 billion tons in 2020, up from 1.39 billion tons 25 years earlier. China accounts for 2.2 billion tons of the total. India’s annual production is 340 million tons. There are more than 2,000 active cement plants around the world.
March 03, 2022
Global carbon removal goals are important yet daunting. One estimate suggests that “By 2050, the world must remove ten gigatons of CO2 per year.” That’s more than the current annual emissions of the United States. Excess carbon dioxide not only warms the atmosphere, it also increases ocean acidity. Atmospheric events grow more extreme, and marine ecosystems suffer.
February 24, 2022
A holistic approach to sustainable paving is ideal. Analysts increasingly look at a road’s entire lifecycle when calculating its carbon footprint. It is important to consider everything from the acquisition of aggregates and binders to the eventual recycling of road materials.
February 03, 2022
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), construction and demolition (C&D) waste totaled 600 million tons in 2018. Demolition accounted for about 90% of the total, while construction accounted for about 10%. 455 million tons of C&D debris went to “next use.” 145 million tons went to landfills.
January 27, 2022
Concrete offers an unbeatable combination of resiliency, versatility and price. It can be cast into endless shapes. It is integral to almost every new commercial and residential building. Those buildings will continue to proliferate worldwide. In fact, one estimate suggests the number of buildings worldwide doubling by 2060. That’s the equivalent of building another New York City every month — for the next 40 years!
December 23, 2021
Concrete remains the go-to material for many construction and infrastructure projects. Designers look to concrete’s resilience as extreme weather events proliferate.
December 09, 2021
Cement production has more than doubled since the turn of the century. It now stands at more than 4.1 billion tons. Future growth could increase production another billion tons per year by 2050.
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.