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 30-60 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.
Continuing education in American business and industry is more than a good idea; it is often a requirement. In many areas, it ensures compliance with new laws, codes and licensing requirements. Also, continuing education is sometimes a prerequisite for maintaining association memberships.
Ultimately, knowledge is power, particularly when you possess the most current knowledge in the industry. Monetize what you know through superior performance that enhances your reputation, whatever kind of industry pro you may be.
This is a time of extraordinary change in the concrete industry. Continuing education can help you keep up with emerging concrete products. For example, nanotechnology is driving the development of new admixtures with superior strength. The addition of optical fibers reduces concrete's opacity. Reactive powder concrete achieves high compressive strength without the use of coarse aggregates, and self-consolidating concrete (SCC) eliminates typical mechanical consolidation requirements.
The quest for sustainability increasingly drives construction specs, and the concrete industry is responding with newer products like roller-compacted concrete (RCC), CO2-cured concrete and low-dust repair mortar. Researchers are even experimenting with structural concrete that contains 10 percent recycled plastic.
A changing construction environment, technological evolution and the sustainability revolution all require a commitment to continuing education. In today's rapidly changing and competitive world, continuing education can place certain technicians, contractors and producers ahead of the others.
Continuing education helps individuals qualify for higher-paying jobs. Others that do not make the effort may be left behind. In today's world, traditional sources of continuing education are increasingly supplemented by convenient online opportunities, making it easier for those with busy schedules to participate.
Continuing education certainly benefits contractors. There is often a clear connection between continuing education and increased profits. For example, awareness of the latest processes may increase efficiency, thereby reducing costs that improve your bottom line.
Today, more than ever, producers must be capable of delivering precisely configured and innovative mixes. Staying abreast of the latest innovations and testing methods is critical in a highly competitive environment.
PACA's commitment to continuing education takes many forms, including workshops, webinars and certification training. As a local Sponsoring Group for the American Concrete Institute (ACI), PACA offers a variety of popular certification classes.
It is also possible to learn at your convenience by checking out the webinars. They cover a wide range of interesting and important topics, including integral color, cold weather concreting and PennDOT-compliant concrete mixing.
Recently, a series of workshops provided contractors and others with important information about roller-compacted concrete (RCC). Other workshops promote innovative uses of concrete in diverse venues.
Lunch-and-Learn and related presentations include Professional Development Hour (PDH) events for the engineering community, and Continuing Education Systems (CES) for the architectural community. Available presentations focus on current topics of interest, like RCC, stormwater runoff, ICF and tilt-up construction.
In addition to ACI, other national organizations offer continuing education and certification opportunities, including the Portland Cement Association (PCA), the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association (NRMCA) and the Precast Concrete Institute (PCI). MIT's Concrete Sustainability Hub (CSHub) is also a driving force in emerging concrete science.
The Pennsylvania Aggregates and Concrete Association (PACA) is dedicated to promoting the many important attributes of concrete, including its beauty, durability, and sustainability. PACA serves industry stakeholders of every kind, from technicians and contractors to producers and specifiers.
For more information about PACA's continuing education opportunities, 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.
This program provides free continuing education to the design and specifying communities. There are currently four courses available, ranging from 30-60 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