Exhibit 23(a)

                       CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT ACCOUNTANTS

We  hereby  consent  to the  incorporation  by  reference  in  the  Registration
Statement  on Form S-8 related to the Cordant  Technologies  Inc.  Stock  Awards
Plans,  of our reports dated January 10, 2000,  except for Note V, for which the
date  is  February  11,  2000,  on  our  audits  of the  consolidated  financial
statements  and  financial  statement  schedule of Alcoa Inc.  and  consolidated
subsidiaries  as of December 31, 1999 and 1998,  and for each of the three years
in the period  ended  December  31,  1999,  which  reports are  incorporated  by
reference or included in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal
year ended December 31, 1999.

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania                /s/PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
May 24, 2000                            PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP