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.
Casilio Concrete
Carl Bales Excavation
Allentown, PA
Utility company, PPL, was in need of a refurbished 15-acre parking lot at their Lehigh service center. As an alternative to using a top asphalt layer, Carl Bales, Jr., of Carl Bales Excavation proposed roller compacted concrete (RCC).
RCC opens up a door for us. The advantage is that it’s strong like concrete, but you put it down like asphalt in a single lift.~ Dave Zmijewski, Geo-Technology Associates
~ Dave Zmijewski, Geo-Technology Associates
PPL needed something durable enough to withstand the heavy traffic that was also cost effective. Bales decided to propose roller compacted concrete because of a previous job he had worked on for Matheson Gas Advanced Gas Technologies that turned out extremely well. Ott Engineering, who was in charge of the job for PPL, inspected the Matheson Gas project. They were impressed with the results and decided to approach PPL about using RCC.
Price was also a big consideration for the project. Paving with RCC came in at $875,000, cheaper than the cost of conventional concrete, $1.2 million. RCC also came in lower than the bid for asphalt.
Roller compacted concrete (RCC) is a drier mix that is strong like concrete, but is put down like asphalt. Bales paved about three-quarters of the job in 2010 and will finish out the job this year. One concern on the project was how the RCC would withstand the winter. David Zmijewski of Geo-Technology Associates, Inc. said the RCC held up “unbelievably well” throughout the winter season after being exposed to over 500 tons of salt. “RCC opens up a door for us. The advantage is that it’s strong like concrete, but you put it down like asphalt in a single lift,” says Zmijewski. “I’ve run into issues with heavy truck traffic where concrete is too expensive and the asphalt doesn’t hold up as well. RCC is a good system for those applications. It fills a niche.”
RCC is becoming more popular among industrial and commercial sites because of its durability, ease of application and cost.
Concrete, It Just Makes Cents!
Built into a hillside, ICF construction met the challenge of this project site.
Unique pattern and color make this pervious concrete pad stand out.
The project featured tilt-up concrete construction as well as pervious and roller compacted concrete pavements.
Pervious concrete was selected because it offered a life-cycle cost advantage over asphalt.
Pervious concrete allowed the addition to be built, while maintaining impervious cover limits.
The building features Insulating Concrete Form (ICF) construction.
RCC placement met pavement load requirements and need for quick construction turn-around.
Concrete was the answer for the severe rutting that the street was experiencing.
Project is one of only eight strong walls in the US, and the only one poured monolithically
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.