Asphalt Pro - July 2018 issue

The Warm-Mix Asphalt Issue

asphaltPRO PRODUCTION – PROFESSIONALS – PRODUCTS

RAP Management Brings Dream to Life

• Permitting: A Case Study Part 1 • Round Up Your WMA Practices • Fix Your Dragging Screed

Pavement Preservation Supplement

JULY 2018 WWW.THEASPHALTPRO.COM

UNMATCHED DESIGN

Heatec has been designing and building tank farms for over 40 years and each project has been unique in some way. That’s because each customer is unique. You have your own business model that may be slightly different or dramatically different from the other guys’.

That’s why at Heatec we take a comprehensive approach to designing your tank farm. That means we look at the materials you will be using, all the equipment that needs heat, the piping, and even future plans for expansion. Then we design a system that works for you.

And we make it efficient and simple to operate. Heatec is unmatched when it comes to designing heating and storage systems for your asphalt plant. To find out more about our approach, visit us at www. heatec.com or give us a call at 423-821-5200.

H E AT E C , I N C .

an Astec Industries Company

5200 WILSON RD • CHATTANOOGA, TN 37410 USA 800.235.5200 • FAX 423.821.7673 • heatec.com

SM

Dedicated to Success.

© 2017 ROADTEC, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

®

CONTENTS

asphaltPRO July 2018

departments

38

Editor’s Letter 6 — Put Your Money Where Your Industry Is

AROUND THE GLOBE 8

MIX IT UP 10 – Do Your AC Tank Inspection Procedures Pass the Test?

By Sarah Redohl

SOLVE YOUR PROBLEM 14 – Solve Drag Marks in the Mat

By John Ball

PROJECT MANAGEMENT 16 – Texas Cordia Plans for a Plant

By Sarah Redohl

28

10

16

38

PAVEMENT MAINTENANCE 26 – Southeast Seals with Success From Neal Manufacturing

PRODUCER PROFILE 28 – RAP Management Does it First

By Sandy Lender

INTERNATIONAL SNAPSHOT 36 – Joint Research and Development Program to Advance Asphalt Pavement Practices in China From NCAT

PRODUCT GALLERY 54 – What’s New for the Producer’s Bottom Line

Feature articles

The Warm-Mix Asphalt Issue

asphaltPRO PRODUCTION – PROFESSIONALS – PRODUCTS

NEW TECH 62 – Top 5 Trends Disrupting the OEMs From AEM

HERE’S HOW IT WORKS 66 – PSS’ RoadQuake® RAPTOR™

38 – How to Use Your Warm-mix System Most Efficiently

By Sandy Lender

RAP Management Brings Dream to Life

• Permitting: A Case Study Part 1 • Round Up Your WMA Practices • Fix Your Dragging Screed

46 – Patience and Persistence Pay for U.S. Paving and Stone

By Sarah Redohl

Pavement Preservation Supplement

JULY 2018 WWW.THEASPHALTPRO.COM

on the cover

The team at RAP Management in Ohio is the first to bring an Ammann plant to the United States. With this technology, they can run high percentages of recycle content as well as warm-mix products.

See related article on page 28. Photo courtesy Ammann Group.

editor’s Letter Put Your Money Where Your Industry Is

We’ve all heard the saying, put your money where your mouth is. We get the implication to step up and invest in what we “say” we believe in and work toward. I want to challenge you with this month’s note to think about what actions you’ve taken toward advancing the future of your asphalt industry.

Yes, this is the obligatory funding editorial all editors write, but I’ve got a fire in my belly for this one.

You see, I attended the Transportation Construction Coalition (TCC) Fly-in mid-May and spent a Editor Sandy Lender met Rep. great deal of time taking notes, listening to leaders Dan Webster (R-Fla.), who is a and learning. A friend of mine once said of me, “Be- member of the Transportation and ware of the quiet ones.” Let me now pounce on the Infrastructure Committee, in 2017. topic of the Highway Trust Fund (HTF) and high- He was unavailable due to illness way funding in general. during the TCC Fly-in, but his chief I don’t think anyone reading this column is igof staff voiced the congressman’s norant of the situation. Our nation has had to pull interest in alternative forms of monies from the general fund one too many times to bail out the HTF. We can party like it’s 1999 when funding for the HTF. someone introduces a bill for $1.2-or-whatever trillion to be allocated for infrastructure, but that bill is kinda silly if there’s not actually any money to back it up.

It’s like getting excited if Mom and Dad say, “You can have $75 a week for your allowance!” But neither parent has more than $25 for the family’s groceries each week.

The item to focus on is fixing the HTF. Obviously. The good news is the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee is turning its attention right where it needs to be. Visiting with Reps. Brian Mast, R-Fla., Carlos Curbelo, R-Fla., and Ted Yoho, R-Fla., were the most eye-opening on this topic. These men don’t mince words the way you expect politicians to. Each is looking for ideas and support of those ideas from members of industry for fixing the HTF. Each is aware that the gasoline user fee is fading fast in its usefulness.

Each is aware that raising the gas tax would be a big fight for small, short-term gain.

The HTF needs something robust and long-term, and your representatives are looking for ideas to champion. Have you offered any ideas?

Have you written to your representatives to thank them for their efforts so far concerning infrastructure funding? Have you visited your representatives either in D.C. or in their home offices? Have you invited them to your facility or home office to see how many of their constituents you employ and influence? Have you done anything to step up and invest in what you “say” you believe in and work toward?

AsphaltPro magazine has pounded this drum for over 10 years and we write to our reps.

Sending an editor to D.C. is no “cheap” task for a publication, but it’s important for our industry. The representatives from the state of Florida, and those reps who spoke at the TCC preparatory sessions ahead of individual meetings on Capitol Hill, needed to see full participation from more than the officials at ARTBA and AGC and NAPA, etc. They needed to see real workers and voters from the companies that ARTBA and AGC and NAPA represent. Next year, will those reps also see you?

Stay Safe,

Sandy Lender

6 // july 2018

July 2018 • Vol. 11 No. 9

asphaltPRO

602 W. Morrison, Box 6a • Fayette, MO 65248

(573) 823-6297 • www.theasphaltpro.com GROUP PUBLISHER Chris Harrison chris@ theasphaltpro.com PUBLISHER Sally Shoemaker sally@theasphaltpro.com (573) 823-6297 EDITOR Sandy Lender sandy@theasphaltpro.com (239) 272-8613 ASSOCIATE EDITOR Sarah Redohl sarah@theasphaltpro.com (573) 355-9775 MEDIA SALES Cara Owings cara@theasphaltpro.com (660) 537-0778 ART DIRECTOR Kristin Branscom BUSINESS MANAGER Susan Campbell (660) 728-5007

AsphaltPro is published 11 times per year.

Writers expressing views in AsphaltPro Magazine or on the AsphaltPro website are professionals with sound, professional advice. Views expressed herein are not necessarily the same as the views of AsphaltPro, thus producers/contractors are still encouraged to use best practices when implementing new advice.

SUBSCRIPTION POLICY: Individual subscriptions are available without charge in the United Sates, Canada and Mexico to qualified individuals.

One year subscription to non-qualifying Individuals: United States $90, Canada and Mexico $125.00. For the international digital edition, visit theasphaltpro.com/subscribe/.

around the globe

Industry News and Happenings from Around the World GERMANY

Eurobitume announced two more members have joined the association. Rosneft Deutschland GmbH, a subsidiary of leading Russian petroleum company Rosneft, and GCN Suisse, which buys, sells and supplies bitumen, joined Eurobitume’s expanding group of members at the Association’s spring meeting in Brussels.

JAPAN

Hitachi Construction Machinery Corporation, Tokyo, and Deere & Company, Moline, Illinois, celebrated May 19 a 30-year anniversary of joint venture: the Deere-Hitachi Construction Machinery Corporation. Since the start of operations in 1988, Deere-Hitachi has manufactured over 55,000 hydraulic excavators for the North, Central and South American markets. The manufacturing facility in Kernersville, North Carolina, where 1,500 attendees participated in the anniversary event, is 1 million square feet and brings the latest in technological innovation and a skilled workforce of over 800 employees.

UNITED STATES

Safe + Sound Week takes place Aug. 13 through 19.

Get ready to show your commitment to safety and health through management leadership, worker participation, and a systematic approach to finding and fixing hazards. Visit https://www.osha.gov/ safeandsound/ for tips and ideas.

FLORIDA

Join the 5th Annual Giannetti Contracting Golf Classic to benefit Construction Angels Aug. 16 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Fort Lauderdale Country Club in Florida. Visit the http://constructionangels.us/ events tab for information.

GEORGIA

• The 2015 passage of Georgia’s Transportation Funding Act (TFA) allowed the state to address many of its transportation challenges by investing in road, highway and bridge repairs, roadway safety improvements, and congestion relief. Despite this progress, the state will still need additional increases in reliable transportation funding to maintain its aging transportation system, improve traffic safety and serve the future needs of Georgia’s growing economy, according to a new report released May 31

by TRIP, based in Washington, D.C. The TRIP report, “Modernizing Georgia’s Transporta-

8 // july 2018

Rotochopper Inc., St. Martin, Minnesota, hosted the “Rewriting the Rural Narrative” meeting of Central Minnesota Manufacturers Association in April to discuss the in-migration of 30- to 49-yearolds in rural communities.

Woodlands-Sugar Land, Texas (12,200 jobs, 6 percent); Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, Arizona (11,000 jobs, 10 percent); Midland, Texas (8,000 jobs, 31 percent) and Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, Nevada (7,700 jobs, 13 percent). The largest percentage gains occurred in the Midland, Texas, metro area, followed by Merced, California (29 percent, 700 jobs); New Bedford, Massachusetts (20 percent, 500 jobs); Atlantic City-Hammonton, New Jersey (19 percent, 1,000 jobs) and Weirton-Steubenville, West Virginia-Ohio (19 percent, 300 jobs).

The largest job losses from April 2017 to April 2018 were in St. Louis, Missouri-Illinois (-3,100 jobs, -5 percent), followed by Middlesex-Monmouth-Ocean, New Jersey (-2,900 jobs, -7 percent); Montgomery County-Bucks County-Chester County, Pennsylvania (-2,800 jobs, -5 percent); Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, Minnesota-Wisconsin (-2,400 jobs, -3 percent) and Columbia, South Carolina (-2,200 jobs, -11 percent).

Association officials said that despite these widespread employment increases, many contractors report difficulty in finding qualified workers. With the national unemployment rate at a 17year low and many metro unemployment rates at new record lows for April, finding workers is not expected to get easier in the near future. They added that education and training initiatives are the best way to increase the pool of skilled workers, creating a new generation of carpenters, electricians, and others, while giving Americans access to highly rewarding work.

“The good news is that the strong economy is driving demand for many types of construction projects,” CEO Stephen E. Sandherr said.

VIRGINIA

WASHINGTON, D.C.

tion System: Progress & Challenges in Providing Safe, Efficient and Well-Maintained Roads, Highways & Bridges,” examines the impact of additional funds provided by passage of the TFA—a total of $5.4 billion from 2016 to 2021— and includes lists of projects throughout the state that will be completed or underway by 2021 partially as a result of increased transportation funding. The report also lists needed projects throughout the state that still lack sufficient funding to proceed prior to 2022. Get the full report at tripnet.org.

• Stone Matrix Asphalt (SMA) gets the props it deserves this fall with its first international conference to be held at the Westin Peachtree Plaza Hotel in Atlanta from Nov. 5 through 7. Visit www.asphaltpavement.org events tab for info.

ILLINOIS

Bridgestone Americas Inc. (Bridgestone), Nashville, announced that its Off-the-Road Tire Plant in Bloomington, Illinois, recently achieved the highest level in the Caterpillar Supplier Quality Excellence Process (SQEP) Certification—Platinum Level for a second consecutive year. This represents a significant milestone for Bridgestone, after the Bloomington Plant received Gold Level in the Caterpillar SQEP Certification for the previous two years.

MINNESOTA

Construction employment increased in 256 out of 358 metro areas between April 2017 and April 2018, declined in 63 and was unchanged in 39, according to a new analysis of federal employment data released May 30 by the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC), Arlington, Virginia. Association officials said that the data showed a continuation of strong labor demand amid shortages of qualified workers.

“Industry demand is still showing strength, as construction employment reached a new high in 54 metro areas,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist.

Dallas-Plano-Irving, Texas, added the most construction jobs during the past year (12,400 jobs, 9 percent), followed by Houston-The

• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt signed May 10 a memorandum outlining a “Back-to-Basics” process for reviewing National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) under the Clean Air Act. This memo ensures that EPA and its independent science advisors follow a transparent, timely, and efficient process in reviewing and revising public health- and welfare-based NAAQS. Source: EPA Office of Media Relations • Mark your calendar to support young asphalt industry leaders by attending the 2018 IMPACT Leadership Conference at the Madison Hotel in Washington, D.C., this Sept. 12 through 14. Get more info at www.asphaltpavement.org in the events tab.

safety spotlight

Do Your AC Tank Inspection Procedures Pass the Test?

W

When it comes to liquid asphalt cement, AC isn’t like many other liquids. It’s kept at high temperatures and it just doesn’t flow the way other materials do; even when hot, it solidifies quickly once it hits the air.

That’s why many of the regulations from past versions of the SP001 standards, developed by the Steel Tank Institute/Steel Plate Fabricators Association, just didn’t work when it came to AC storage.

“There’s been a protocol in place for years for shop-fabricated tanks,” said Bernard Bigham, president of Chesapeake Environmental Group Inc., Baltimore, Md., during a webinar held by the National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA) to discuss the new tank inspection standards in May. “The way [SP001] was originally developed only worked for tanks with materials 200 degrees or below.”

As part of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Spill Prevention Rule (SPCC), owners and operators of facilities with tanks containing asphalt cement (AC) must have a tank inspection program, including periodic inspections and integrity testing.

A chief goal of the webinar was to help attendees understand the specific requirements associated with an AC tank inspection program under SP001. Here’s an overview of how to prepare for and perform an inspection of your plant’s AC tanks.

You’ve got to keep the liquid asphalt cement at a high temperature to make it move. The Burke 5.0 Helical Coiled Hot Oil Heater has a capacity of 5 million BTU output to maintain heat for large terminal storage. Photo courtesy Reliable Asphalt Products.

PREPARING FOR INSPECTION

The age and capacity of your tank, as well as whether or not it has spill control and continuous release detection, will determine your inspection schedule.

Continuous release detection is “a means of detecting a release of liquid through inherent design.” It must also be passive, meaning it does not require sensors or power to operate. Examples include release prevention barriers such as a dike, double-walled or double-bottom tanks, or elevated tanks with or without a release prevention barrier.

10 // july 2018

The liquid asphalt cement tanks from Asphalt Drum Mixers (ADM), Huntertown, Indiana, are designed with a serpentine coil arrangement to provide a heat exchange area of more than 1,200 square feet. The tanks are constructed with heavy-duty steel, fiberglass blanket insulation and a stucco-embossed 0.016-gauge banded aluminum jacket to protect the tank and prevent heat loss. Photo courtesy ADM. “Spill control can be something as lowtech as having the driver be in attendance while filling the tanks,” Bigham said.

The new inspections schedule rules divide tanks into categories 1A, 2A and 3A, de-

pending on the level of risk associated with each kind of tank, and refer only to tanks containing a thermoplastic—which SP001 defines as “substances, such as asphalt cement, that are sold at ambient temperature

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safety spotlight and become molten upon heating”—heated above 200 degrees.

Field-erected tanks are tanks built on site. They often have larger capacities than shop-fabricated tanks, which are built offsite and transported in.

Shop-fabricated tanks are much more common for asphalt plants. Although shop-fabricated tanks can be up to 75,000 gallons in capacity, most tanks of this kind are between 10,000 and 35,000 gallons.

Category 1A tanks have both continuous release detection and spill control.

Shop-fabricated tanks that fall under this category, whether they hold 1,000 gallons or 50,000 gallons, can be inspected by the plant operator. “At no point in that tank’s lifespan would you need to bring in an SP001 certified inspector,” Bigham said. “You can do it all yourself.”

Category 2A shop-fabricated tanks have spill control, but do not have continuous release protection. Tanks of this kind with a maximum capacity of 30,000 gallons and below can be inspected by the plant operator, but tanks containing more than 30,000 gallons need to also be inspected externally by a certified inspector every 35 years.

Category 3A shop-fabricated tanks, which have neither continuous release detection or spill control, can be inspected by the plant operator if they contain up to 1,100 gallons of material, but tanks containing 1,100 to 5,000 need to be inspected externally by a certified inspector every 35 years; tanks containing 5,001 to 30,000 gallons, every 30 years; and tanks containing 30,001 to 50,000 gallons, every 25 years.

Field-erected tanks, regardless of categorization, need to be inspected by a certified inspector externally every five years and internally, every 10 years. Portable containers of every category can be inspected by the plant operator.

After determining your inspection schedule, it’s important to determine who will be doing the inspections and to set up a record system in advance of an EPA inspection.

Bigham recommends checking out STI’s annual inspection checklist, individual tank inspection report, monthly inspection report,

12 // july 2018

and annual inspection report, all of which can be found at steeltank.com.

PERFORMING THE INSPECTION

Bigham first recommends that you familiarize yourself with the facility and try to see it as a government inspector might see it. “First impressions are everything,” he added.

Then, he suggests taking a fresh look at any permits the facility has, the SPCC plan, previous inspection reports, any records about the tank’s installation, and information available on the nameplate of the tank.

“If you can read the information on the nameplate, you can search online to answer any questions you might have,” Bigham said.

Next, he recommends checking the foundation, supports and anchoring by checking the following: • Check the foundation for settlement, cracking and general disrepair.

• Check the slope to ensure water is running away from the tank.

• Check the condition of the supports, cradles and rails.

• Check any welds against the tank shell.

• Check on all anchoring straps.

Then, he recommends making sure the plant has a facility-wide lightning protection system and when the last authorized inspection had been done. Bigham said you should also check grounding straps, noting that although grounding straps and anchoring bolts can seem similar they perform very different jobs and you need both features in working order.

Bigham said the next step is to check venting, both with normal and emergency venting, if applicable. Emergency venting is required for all AC tanks in a diked area and AC tanks (and other Class III b liquids) with a maximum capacity of less than 12,000 gallons.

Then you should check the piping and piping supports to ensure they’re consistent with ASTM B31.3 and assess the condition of your AC valves and pumps. “Although we’re talking about the AC tank, we’re really talking about the entire AC tank system, which includes hot oil pipes,” Bigham added.

Next, check to ensure that the gauges are readable and can be seen by the driver from the fill connection—which should be at least 15 feet from the tank—as he makes his delivery.

“Overfill is the main cause of AC releases,” Bigham said, adding that the nature of the

You’ll keep an eye to safety even before you put material in the tanks. Here we see materials for berms to be set in place for this project inprogress. Photo courtesy Meeker Equipment. delivery hook-ups prevent spill boxes from being used effectively. Ensure your manual gauges are visible and operational and that high-level alarms (if used) are operable.

You should also check secondary containment options, such as concrete, block steel, and soil or RAP berms; diversions; and remote impoundment. However, Bigham cautioned against using block for walls because they can be easily displaced during an earthquake or other event.

You will also need to check shell thickness, which can be determined by the original tank documentation, labels on the tank, asking the tank manufacturer, or measuring the thickness at areas with no visible corrosion. Specifics on when tanks of each category need to be repaired or replaced can be found in the ruling.

However, Bigham said this isn’t often an area of concern for AC tanks, since AC tanks without the required shell thickness are likely already replaced due to their inability to maintain the heat of the material. “I haven’t seen any AC tanks with any concerns regarding shell thickness,” he said.

From shell thickness to size and temperature differences, SP001 now addresses the unique nature of ASTs. And, now, you know how to comply.

– BY SARAH REDOHL

Retrofit Controls

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Pictured from left to right Roy Bryant, Plant Foreman Ricky Pendergrass, General Superintendent Bailey Watkins, Asphalt Plant Manager

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We chose Astec because of the service.

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tolerances when switching mixes extremely well. Now we know when the mix is in tolerance; therefore, we waste less asphalt.

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Solve your problem

Solve Drag Marks in the Mat

If you’re wondering why the mat has drag marks in it, turn to the screed for a possible answer.

Here you can see rust on some areas of the screed plate. If you don’t use the paver every day, you can get rust under the screed where you leave it sitting against the ground. Solve that by lifting and locking the screed off the ground when storing the paver overnight.

In the picture at left, you also see an area that is shiny versus areas that have caked material and areas that are rusted. This screed doesn’t touch the mat completely. It is probably warped; you can tell by the variation in shiny versus rusted spots. The angle of attack is off because the nose is caked with asphalt. You figure out that you have a problem with the following steps: 1. Get on your hands and knees; 2. Put a metal straight edge under the screed to check the nose first; 3. Put the metal straight edge under the screed to check the tail next; 4. Next put a 4-foot level under the screed to touch the front and extendable; measure the gap between the front of the main screed and the trailing edge of the extendables. Depending on the screed manufacturer, this should be a 1/8- to 1/4-inch gap.

Think of the bottom of the screed like a hot iron for ironing your clothes. If the iron is clean, smooth and shiny, it’s going to do a good job of getting the wrinkles out of your shirt. If the iron has a glob of hardened gum stuck to one spot, it’s going to drag and catch, failing to iron your shirt properly. The same concept happens with the bottom of the screed.

In some cases, prevention is the cure. You want to prevent the screed from warping. Don’t run over manholes or other utility caps when paving. Watch out for obstacles and lift the screed as you travel the few inches to get past them. Also follow the advice mentioned above and lift the screed off the ground when you stop for the night. You don’t want dew and condensation making a home on the bottom of your screed plate on a regular basis.

One way to solve minor screed problems is to clean it. Lift the screed, lock it into place, and get under there with release agent, a putty knife and a rag. Clean it thoroughly to be sure it’s smooth like the surface of an iron. If you can’t get it smooth because of divots or damage, or if the plate is warped, you need to replace the plate.

Keep in mind, if you’ve put 125,000 tons through the paver, you may be pushing the limits of the screed plate. Replacing it (and the extendables) will take about a day to do. You’ll need to replace the extendable screed plates at the same time, even if they’re not showing the same signs of warping.

When you take the screed plate off, take a look at the electric elements and plugs to make sure they’re in good shape, not corroded.

– BY JOHN BALL

John Ball is the proprietor of Top Quality Paving & Training, Manchester, New Hampshire. For more information, contact him at (603) 493-1458 or tqpaving@yahoo.com.

14 // july 2018

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Project management

Texas Cordia Plans for a Plant

In the first installment of this three-part series, we get to know heavy civil highway contracting company Texas Cordia. Over the next few months, we’ll follow them as they establish their first asphalt plant, get it set up, and start selling hot mix asphalt. first began, they had a staff of four: Corbitt, Heredia, and two additional employees.

Corbitt acted as the project engineer, receptionist, accounting department, payroll clerk and janitorial departments. Heredia was the construction manager, the foreman, the inspector and, on occasion, the fuel & lube man and water truck driver.

Today, Corbitt serves as the company’s CEO and Heredia is the COO running daily operations in the field. They now employ 95 people--a number that will only grow with the addition of the company’s first asphalt plant.

“For us, we see that as a commitment to 95 families,” Corbitt said. “If we fail, we’ve failed 95 families.”

Thankfully, Texas Cordia, along with Corbitt and Heredia, have made no habit of failing. Instead, they looked forward to the next step of their big dream: buying a plant and a property to put it on.

Isaac Heredia (left) and Yara Corbitt (center) have been banking with Rio Bank since the company’s inception. Their commercial banker, Darrell Williams (right), worked hard to get Texas Cordia’s financing approved quickly so they could make a move on the property and plant.

Owning their own asphalt plant was something Yara Corbitt and Isaac Heredia of Texas Cordia Construction had always talked about, ever since the pair started the Edinburg, Texas-based heavy highway/civil construction company in 2011.

“We dreamt big, we set goals, and we’d say, ‘One day, one day, one day…,” Corbitt said. Until ‘one day’ became today. In January of 2018, Corbitt and Heredia started off the new year returning to an old desire: to establish their own asphalt plant.

“Down here in the valley, a lot of local contractors have their own plant,” Corbitt said. “We try to compete with them, yet we’re asking them for prices on hot mix.”

In addition to being a matter of remaining competitive, operating their own asphalt plant is also a matter of flexibility, reliability, and financial reason.

O

16 // july 2018

“We really want to ensure that we produce for ourselves so we can keep our projects moving forward,” Corbitt said. “If I want to lay mix on a Saturday at 2 p.m., then I want to lay mix on a Saturday at 2 p.m. That’s the simple version of it. We just got tired of running on someone else’s schedule.”

In the last three years, Texas Cordia has laid close to 60,000 tons of asphalt.

In 2018, Corbitt estimates that they’ll lay at least 40,000 tons and an additional 50,000 tons in 2019.

“And those are contracts already in hand,” Corbitt said. Combined, these contracts are valued right around $5 million in hot mix.

“Instead of giving that business to someone else, we thought it was something we should do ourselves,” Corbitt said.

That DIY attitude is nothing new for Corbitt and Heredia. When Texas Cordia

FINDING A PLANT AND A PROPERTY

One of the first things Texas Cordia’s CEO Yara Corbitt and COO Isaac Heredia did after decided to open their own asphalt plant— after a celebratory high-five—was reach out to Heredia’s contacts in the industry.

Retired plant operator David Cline turned out to be integral to the process of finding the perfect plant. “He’d been in the hot mix industry forever,” Heredia said.

After agreeing to help them find the right pieces, Cline began his research.

“I wanted a new hot mix plant because then it’s perfect from day one, but we realized we couldn’t afford that and changed directions to find an older plant that still made good mix,” Corbitt said. “We took a similar approach to what we did when we started our construction company. We looked for equipment that wasn’t brand new, but could get the job done.”

Cline began sending them information on a number of options, as well as direct-

“We’re a construction company, but we really want to ensure that we produce for ourselves so we can keep our projects moving forward.”--Yara Corbitt

Retired plant operator David Cline (center) turned out to be integral to the process of finding the perfect plant, Heredia (right) and Corbitt (left) said. He assisted with identifying and selecting not only the correct plant, but also the correct accessories. ing them on additional variables to consider. For example, a plant that cost less might cost more when you include transportation fees, or how much it might cost to upgrade an older plant, and more.

“Being able to explain our ultimate goal to David, and him saying to get there we need X, Y and Z was vital,” she added. “Having that ultimate goal in mind was very important, even if we couldn’t achieve everything right away.”

While Heredia and Corbitt visited options in the area, Cline traveled to see a few others as far away as Oklahoma and Minnesota.

“That was invaluable,” Corbitt said. “He could go inspect it first and use his expertise to let us know if it was worth us venturing out that far.”

The team began visiting plants in mid-January, but they didn’t find one that suited their needs until mid-February.

Cline had known of a company with an older plant that was still producing good mix. He thought they would probably never sell the plant, but figured there was no harm in asking. A couple weeks later, the company came back with a counter offer.

They visited the Barber Green plant in Corpus Christi, Texas—the fifth plant they visited—on Valentine’s Day. It was love at first sight.

“We got really lucky,” Corbitt said. “It was a total shot in the dark, and we ended up with a plant with a great reputation of producing good mix.”

What made the plant a perfect fit—in addition to its reputation—was that it could grow with the company and its production goals.

“The plant we chose isn’t too big and it’s not too small,” Heredia said about their new find.

“It’ll meet our production needs for the next 15 to 20 years just by adding a silo here or a cold feed bin there.”

“It’s really a versatile plant that we can tweak to meet our needs,” Heredia said about the Barber Green plant, capable of producing 250 tons per hour.

The pair closed on the plant on April 3, only one week after closing on the property upon which they would put the Barber Green plant.

Originally, Heredia and Corbitt had planned to rent a property near their office, but as time went by, they realized five or six

acres wouldn’t be enough to support their future growth.

“We thought we might regret that choice if we end up growing in the next 3 to 4 years, which we think we will,” Heredia said. So, they reached out to a real estate agent Corbitt knew.

Almost immediately, the real estate agent returned with a handful of property options, one of which turned out to be perfect: 15 acres in a prime location, centrally located, with great access to the freeway, within their budget and only 10 miles from the company’s main office.

“The stars aligned and everything fell right into place,” Corbitt said.

MONEY, HONEY!

Having the right plant and the right property doesn’t mean much without the money to buy them. That’s where Texas Cordia’s bank—a local community bank called Rio Bank—stepped in to help.

“Our local bank has been with us since the inception of Texas Cordia in 2011 and they’ve learned our style,” Corbitt said.

They’d actually mentioned their plans to purchase an asphalt plant to their commercial banker at the end of 2017, “so it wasn’t a total surprise,” Heredia added.

But, before that could happen, Corbitt and Heredia had to answer a lot of questions: Where will you put the plant? How many acres is the property? Would it be appraised at that value? What environmental permits will you need? How much would a new plant cost? What parts and pieces were included? How much would a used plant cost to buy and to repair and update? How much mix will you use for yourself? What would production cost?

www.THeAsphaltpro.com // 17

Project management “They already had our financial information because they knew our history and had watched us grow,” Corbitt said. “But, everything else needed to be covered in great detail.”

“One concern of theirs was a lot of their customers are farmers, so they were curious if our plant would have any impact on the farming community,” Corbitt said. “When they realized our plant wouldn’t have any effect on the farming community, they were on board.”

Many of those questions were a moving target, as they found themselves attempting to work on finding a plant, finding a property, going through the permitting process, and securing financing all at

A Bit of Background Texas Cordia is a heavy highway civil contractor building roads and highways as well as underground infrastructure and utilities. “We do a lot of government work more than anything-local entity, state work,” Corbitt said.

Corbitt is a civil engineering graduate from Texas A&M who had been working for the state as an engineer prior to starting Texas Cordia with Heredia. She’d decided to become a civil engineer after listening to her father, a truck driver, complain about the state of our nation’s roads.

“I promised him that I’d make them better for him,” Corbitt said. “He still gives me a hard time when there’s a road in bad shape and reminds me about my promise.”

Heredia’s background is in construction. Generation after generation of his family has worked in highway construction. In fact, Heredia received a highly coveted Construction Award in recognition of exemplary cooperation and performance in the construction of FM 396 from TxDOT in 2009 when he was working for another contractor, for whom he was overseeing more than $60 million of work at one time.

18 // july 2018

Originally, Heredia and Corbitt had planned to rent a property near their office, but as time went by, they realized five or six acres wouldn’t be enough to support their future growth.

Eventually, they landed on 15 acres in a prime location, centrally located, with great access to the freeway, within their budget and only 10 miles from the company’s main office. the same time. But, as pieces of the puzzle began falling into place, they were able to move forward slowly but surely.

According to Corbitt, the loan application process was piecemeal. Rather than checking things off a long list, she and Heredia took it one step at a time, pulling together financials, audits and projects over the course of two weeks.

By the end of February, they’d submitted the loan application and were approved by mid-March, which enabled them to close on the plant and property they’d been eyeing and move forward to the plant permitting process.

PERMISSION TO PROSPER Heredia and Corbitt had already begun pulling things together for their plant permits at the start of April. Although they were new to the process, Corbitt said the first step was obvious: go online.

She started on the Texas Commission of Environmental Quality website and remembers how easy it was to find an article titled, “So you want to start a hot mix plant?” They began communicating directly with TCEQ out of Austin, as well as their local branch.

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project management

“When it comes to TCEQ, I’ve found that the key is actual communication,” Corbitt said. “I just told them I’m no expert and they became my expert. They were an amazing resource and made me feel like I wasn’t going through this alone.

The process was much smoother than anticipated.”

Thankfully, the used asphalt plant they’d purchased in Corpus Christi, Texas, already had an existing permit. After closing on the plant, Corbett said, all they did was change the name and location for the plant and schedule its effective date for late May. Their change in ownership from the TCEQ was approved May 7, 2018, only one week after the request had been received.

“We understand that there will be no change in the type of pollutants emitted

20 // july 2018

Before the plant could be delivered, Texas Cordia had to prepare the new plant site’s foundation.

and no increase in the quantity of emissions,” the approval letter reads. “As the new permittee/registrant, you have committed to maintain compliance with all air quality regulations and applicable rule requirements of the Texas Commission of Environmental Quality.”

“We thought we’d hit some resistance with our permits, but we’ve been very fortunate and all of our permits are moving along the right path,” Corbitt said.

She expects to have all of their permits by the end of May, including electricity, water, sewer, and building permits.

“Honestly, the hardest part of the permitting process was getting the physical address of our property,” Corbitt said. “It doesn’t have an obvious address, so we had to talk to the postmaster to get the official address.”

With approved permits in hand, they could finally begin breakdown and transportation of their asphalt plant in Corpus Christi and the parts they’d purchased all over the country.

ALL THE PARTS OF A PUZZLE According to Texas Cordia CEO Yara Corbitt, one of the most significant challenges during the process of opening their first asphalt plant has been finding and moving all the parts needed to upgrade the used plant they’d purchased.

“We had to search for all these parts— baghouses, silos, drags, burners—in different parts of the state and in other states,” Corbitt said. “We had to take the time to make sure it’s compatible, verify the state that it’s in, and do the logistics of bringing it down here. Right now, our challenge is making sure all the pieces fit in one puzzle.”

Cline once again came to the rescue to find the right parts for their production needs.

“My advice is, if you aren’t an expert yourself, find an expert,” Corbitt said. “Everyone says, ‘You need this and that, and they’ll cost you an arm and a leg,’” but, she adds, “we had David [Cline], who knew

what we really needed and how much it should cost.”

The silo, conveyor and baghouse were purchased through Swisher Machinery.

The baghouse is a reverse airflow CMI baghouse Cline had recommended. The silo is a used Standard Havens 100-ton portable silo with insulation—another recommendation from Cline. The 36-inch-wide dual chain portable flat conveyor is also a Standard Havens piece.

The drum, silo, and cold feed bins came with the plant they purchased in Corpus Christi, Texas, and are also Barber Greene, and they’re planning on also adding a RAP system and a drag system rather than an elevator, as well as another silo.

They’re also currently looking at an Accutrack total plant control house, a recommendation from Janie Lyons at Stansteel.

“Because our plant has the ability to grow with us, Janie took that into consideration,” Heredia said. “We will be able to add

www.THeAsphaltpro.com // 21

project management

Texas Cordia’s Lowboy drops off the company’s Blade to prepare for the new hot mix plant.

Texas Cordia’s Timeline A 10,000-foot view of Texas Cordia’s timeline to establish their first asphalt plant.

Early December, 2017 Corbitt and Heredia decide 2018 is the year they open their first asphalt plant. They mention their aspirations to their commercial banker.

Early January, 2018 Heredia reaches out to contacts in the industry for help finding an asphalt plant and parts. Retired plant operator David Cline agrees to help them out and begins his research.

Late January The pair begin visiting the first few plants Cline has recommended in the area. Cline goes to visit plants in other states, including ones in Oklahoma and Minnesota.

22 // july 2018

February 8 Heredia and Corbitt decide the property they planned to rent was too small. They reach out to Corbitt’s real estate contact and identify some options.

February 14 They visit a Barber Green plant in Corpus Christi, Texas—the fifth plant they saw—and decide it’s the right plant for them.

February 28 They submit their loan application.

March 15 Their loan application is approved.

March 27 Texas Cordia closes on a 15-acre, centrallylocated property near the expressway that fit their budget.

April 3 They close on the Barber Green plant in Corpus Christi. They begin looking for all of the parts and pieces they’d need to bring their plant up to spec and meet their production goals.

May 1 They submit a change in ownership request for their plant with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.

May 7 TCEQ approves their change in ownership request.

May 29 Breakdown of the Barber Green plant in Corpus Christi begins. By the time of this article’s publication, they expect to have the plant officially set up in Donna, Texas.

plant, Corbitt and Heredia have already secured financing, closed on the land and begun clearing it, received their permits, and purchased the plant and a number of accessories.

“Part of it feels like it’s taking forever,” Corbitt said. “I have to remind myself how quickly it really is moving.”

“If you have that dream to own and operate an asphalt plant,” Heredia said, “you have to remember that everything is attainable.”

We will be revisiting Texas Cordia to talk about their plant setup, stockpiling, and testing after their plant gets going. Stay tuned!

– BY SARAH REDOHL

Texas Cordia Construction receives salvage for preparation of the new plant site. more control panels so the control house can also grow with us.”

In addition to finding the right pieces to bring their plant up to spec, Corbitt and Heredia have also had to navigate the logistics of bringing those pieces of equipment from all over the country down to Texas.

And, that hasn’t been easy. For example, they have a baghouse coming from South Carolina and a silo coming from Minnesota. Bringing the piece down from Minnesota has been slowed by the state’s laws restricting the movement of heavy equipment along Minnesota’s roads during inclement weather.

“Things don’t freeze down here,” Corbitt said, “so that was an unfamiliar challenge.”

In the end, they decided on a baghouse from North Carolina that was in better shape and made more sense, logistically.

Another risk is incidents on the road.

“That’s out of your control, but we have to ensure that the drivers and logistics companies we use are safe and certified and moving those large pieces of equipment safely on the road,” Corbitt said.

Thus far, they haven’t locked in any drivers, but will be finalizing quotes and proposals in the near future.

“We’ll be setting it up all throughout summer, going through trials, hauling and stocking material and having material tested by TxDOT so we can get things going for August,” Heredia said.

THE FUTURE MOVES FAST

Only a few short months after making the decision to open their first asphalt

www.THeAsphaltpro.com // 23

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Asphalt Drum Mixers

Pavement maintenance

The Neal Manufacturing DA-350 offers Southeast Asphalt a ride-on squeegee.

Southeast Asphalt Seals with Success W

When Charlie Swift started Southeast Asphalt and Maintenance LLC, Knoxville, Tennessee, in 1996, his budget determined his equipment, and his equipment determined the jobs he could take.

“Basically, I started out with the cheapest equipment I could get,” he said.

For Swift, building an asphalt sealcoating and maintenance company from the ground up meant getting things done on an extremely limited budget. Swift learned that when you rely on inexpensive used equipment, you’re only as strong as your weakest piece—and that’s not very efficient.

Projects took time to complete, and he was only able to bid on small projects, such

26 // july 2018

as parking lots for banks and other local businesses.

“As I gained more experience, I kept getting better and better and saw my business growing busier and busier,” Swift said. As he sought out new business, Swift maximized what he could do with his second-hand sealcoating equipment. Finally, he reached a tipping point.

“I was getting enough work that I could start upgrading equipment,” Swift said.

“It made it possible for us to handle larger jobs.” From then on, the jobs continued to line up, and Swift hasn’t looked back.

Now, two decades later, Southeast has expanded to have a national reach. Although the majority of the company’s work

is in the southeast, Swift isn’t afraid to bid large projects across the country, because he knows his equipment is up to the task.

One piece of equipment that was integral to Swift’s confidence to bid larger jobs was the DA-350 dual applicator he purchased from Neal Manufacturing Division of Blastcrete Equipment LLC in 2014. It wasn’t the first time he had bought a Neal Manufacturing applicator, but it was the first one he had purchased new.

The DA-350 dual applicator is equipped with a spray bar and even-flow squeegee.

With the new machine, hand spraying is only required around the edges of a project. Once the prep work is complete and the edges are sprayed, one person is able to

drive the DA-350 to complete the remaining surface. Swift discovered that instead of three workers hand-spraying with three tips, one employee could conquer the same area in a fraction of the time, cutting overall project time and freeing up the additional crew members to move on to other jobs.

He estimates that the dual machine allows his crew to complete a job that once took 10 to 12 hours in as little as four hours.

PUMP UP BIDDING

Since adding the DA-350 to the Southeast fleet, Swift has been able to place lower bids and bid on a wider range of projects, in addition to completing projects in less time, resulting in increased profits. Swift estimates that Southeast can earn 35 to 40 percent more each day.

Swift pointed out the DA-350’s heavy-duty aggregate pump specifically, which is designed to achieve 100 gallons per minute.

“The pump is the differentiating factor,” Swift said. “Their pump is capable of handling more material and heavier material than any other pump I’ve used.”

Swift also said the pump requires less maintenance and cleaning, in his experience, even though it’s designed to manage heavier sand loads.

“Diaphragm pumps work great for a standard sand load of 2 to 4 percent, but some projects require a heavier sand load,” Swift said. He will run a sand load between 4 and 8 percent through the DA-350 without hesitation.

For Swift, the DA-350 dual applicator, equipped with a spray bar and even-flow squeegee, lets his crew expand the type of project they can take on from local bank parking lots to massive distribution centers.

CUSTOM CHANGES

Swift wasn’t shy about approaching the manufacturer when he had ideas for improvement. According to Swift, Neal Manufacturing engineers not only welcomed his input, but worked with him to develop custom improvements for his applicator.

“It was easy,” Swift said. “When I worked with the engineer, he had some solutions and suggestions, as did I, and we came out with a great machine.”

The most notable improvements were made to his machine’s hydraulics and switches, specifically, the hydraulic dump valve. On a standard DA-350, the dump valve is controlled by a toggle switch and manually operated with a foot pedal. However, Swift’s DA-350 features a modified

Prior to adding the DA-350, Southeast Asphalt would take on large lots using a truck-mounted hand-spray applicator. With the new machine, hand spraying is only required around the edges. hydraulic dump control. The custom control makes it possible for the operator to open and close the valve as fast as he or she wants. The modification also allows the operator to set and hold the valve at a desired rate without having to continually monitor the control.

“With the standard foot pedal, if you want it open 20 percent, you have to manually hold it right there,” Swift said. “With mine, I just open it up to the dump rate I want, let loose and it stays put. I don’t have to worry about holding a certain pressure.

If I set it at 50 percent, it stays at 50 percent.

The feature helps simplify things for the operator, who already has a lot going on— driving the machine, dumping sealer, trying not to dump too much. This modification makes it much easier.”

Swift will still tell you that you’re only as strong as your weakest piece of equipment, but in recent years, he’s been more concerned about reaching the full potential made possible by his best piece of equipment.

– FROM NEAL MANUFACTURING

www.THeAsphaltpro.com // 27

Producer profile

28 // july 2018

RAP Management Does it First

RAP Management produced the first mix to be made by an Ammann plant in the United States and used the material to pave the new facility. It included 62.8 percent recycled materials.

Ryan Smith grew up in the asphalt industry because his father, Fritz Smith, started an asphalt paving and manufacturing company the year Ryan was born. He’s well aware that this industry offers a sustainable method for building infrastructure, and doesn’t have to sacrifice quality or profit when increasing its environmental stewardship.

“One of the challenges we face in our industry is the idea of cost,” Ryan said. “We need to curtail that perception. I consider our business sustainable not because we recycle, but by recycling we can lower our cost to manufacture, which means savings we can pass along to our customers.”

Ryan has applied that concept to a new business venture. In 2016, he launched RAP Management LLC, Columbus, Ohio, and partnered with Ammann Group, headquartered in Langenthal, Switzerland, to build what he says is the first new site developed for an asphalt plant in the Columbus area in 35 years, and the first Ammann plant in the United States. The specific model Ryan chose to build is the ABP HRT, which made its debut at BAUMA 2013.

Jenelle Strawbridge, the Ammann North America sales manager, explained how the relationship came about. “The plant was introduced at BAUMA 2013. Then we met Ryan at CONEXPO 2014.

Ryan went to Switzerland, met with Guenter [Tesch, the commercial manager, plants, for Ammann], and decided he wanted to be the person to bring it to the U.S. market. He’s trying to change the industry. He’s not afraid to prove you can run high recycle.”

Using high percentages of recycled material is one goal for Ryan.

His research shows 36 million tons of reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) are going to stockpiles every year in the United States. “We need a business plan that uses this material,” Ryan said.

His plan is a good start.

“The technology hasn’t necessarily been there in the past for high recycling,” Ryan explained.

Tesch concurred that it came about as recently as the 1990s overseas. “The technology was introduced beginning of the ’90s. You will rarely find a plant in Germany without this RAP system on it.”

The RAP system they reference introduces virgin aggregate with the bottom drum and recycle with the top drum. The literature from BAUMA 2013 explains: “The conceptional integration of the parallel drum system directly above the mixer optimizes the material flow and reduces wear inside the recycling system.” (See Sidebar for stats) The information explains that there’s no need to overheat aggregate or RAP and that “gentle heating” of the binding agent contained in the reclaimed asphalt is what allows the system to maintain the quality throughout the process.

“The true innovation is to heat some of the RAP,” Ryan said. “We take the coarser RAP that has less bitumen, we heat it in the dryer on

R

www.THeAsphaltpro.com // 29

Producer profile

Like father, like son. Fritz and Ryan Smith are entrepreneurs in the asphalt industry. top of the plant, which uses induction to heat the material so it’s not in direct contact with the flame. We’re using less energy, but applying it in a more efficient manner.”

That efficiency crosses over to production rate. “We can run 175 tons per hour with 60 percent recycle materials,” Ryan said.

“If we’re in a high-demand scenario, we can reduce the recycle percentage to increase the tons per hour, achieving over 250 tons per hour.”

At this time, the plant has 200 tons of storage underneath the plant, but RAP Management planned ahead for growth. “We installed the anchors to expand the silos,” Ryan said.

Using the higher percentages, according to Ryan, will involve changing the industry’s mindset regarding the process and end product. He listed three main facets to his plan for “changing the mindset,” and they include a look at available technology.

First, he believes in the plant he’s built. He believes in showing its technology to his customers.

Second, he believes in testing. “We can create a better job mix formula PG binder or increase our product’s usable temperature range by introducing some chemistry into our manufacturing process.”

Third, he believes in the workability of high recycle mixes, and he had already received positive feedback on the material at the end of last season. “We’re getting our materials in front of our customers.”

In 2017, the team at RAP Management and Ammann Group pushed themselves to get the plant up and running. They started

30 // july 2018

Ryan Smith and Ammann’s Patrick Hutter put some finishing touches on the new plant. construction in June. To pave the site, they produced the first asphalt mix made by an Ammann plant in the United States. It consisted of 60 percent recycled aggregate and 2.8 percent binder replacement, for a total of 62.8 percent recycled materials.

“We were challenged against the end of the construction season,” Ryan explained. But they got it done and produced about

Producer profile

ABOVE: Ammann Group and RAP Management partnered side-by-side to bring the ABP HRT to the states and to fruition. Guenter Tesch shared that the team worked on air permitting and mix design ideas together, but Ryan Smith was a proactive leader in making his dream come true.

BELOW: From left, Patrick Hutter of Ammann, Herwig Lauss of Ammann, Larry Ruble of RAP Management, and Ryan Smith of RAP Management.

The ABP HRT uses the as1 control system, which includes a “supervisor view” to provide important information on current production alongside statistics. It’s a fully automatic production control with a comprehensive reporting system.

5,000 tons of high recycle material for customers. “They said it was the best mix they’d received all year,” Ryan beamed. “It was validating. I’ve been chasing this dream for five years. Most of the credit goes to my father. He was always looking to grow laterally where he worked. In 2007, when that company purchased its last plant, it had recycling capabilities. I took a leap and left his company to leverage recycling. I spent over a year looking for solutions and connected with Ammann four years ago. They have clearly focused their core competency on recycling.” Ryan likes the idea of going with a high quality high recycle mix, or don’t bother.

As this season started up, RAP Management was swamped with work.

“It’s been quite the busy start to our first season,” Belinda Smith shared. She’s the marketing director for RAP Management, and wife

32 // july 2018

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Producer profile

LEFT: Ammann Group’s Guenter Tesch shared that RAP Management’s new ABP HRT is rated to run over 70 to 75 percent recycle in warmmix asphalt mixes, including foamed mixes, and over 60 to 65 percent recycle in conventional hot mix asphalt mixes at 175. RIGHT: Ryan Smith brought the first Ammann plant to the United States, and is introducing higher RAP percentages to the Columbus, Ohio, marketplace. to Ryan, and sees the early success as a testament to her husband’s hard work, and work ethic, passed down from his father. “Fritz has been a mentor to Ryan, obviously for many reasons, but is enjoying retirement. Ryan is certainly following in his entrepreneurial footsteps by creating another industry leading construction business in the Smith family name. This time Ryan is the CEO. Fritz was extremely forward thinking in his career, a characteristic that Ryan both inherited and is inspired by in looking up to his father.

“RAP Management has been a five-year, grueling project. Building a construction business from the ground up in an industry with long-existing players is no easy feat. The tenacity, work ethic and unwavering focus that Ryan possesses is something we are all amazed by and incredibly proud of.”

“My wife has supported me through this journey,” Ryan said.

“She has done all of my branding and marketing. She knows firsthand the journey and the challenges. She deserves thanks.”

– BY SANDY LENDER

34 // july 2018

Some HRT Plant Stats The high recycling technology comes with some standard and customizable aspects. Included in the concept is the ability to add: • Foamed bitumen • Dyes • Fibres • Various liquid additives The rated capacity is 320 to 400 TPH, with storage capacity of 400 to 1,200 tons. Let’s look at the recycle feed specifically: “parallel drum system, addition of up to 60 percent hot reclaimed asphalt directly into the mixer via a buffer silo.”

The mixer output is rated at 4 to 5 tons; the hot aggregate silo is 120 to 200 tons.

Check out the time-lapse video on https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=BElmq_QLjMw

international snapshot

Joint Research and Development Program to Advance Asphalt Pavement Practices in China The National Center for Asphalt Technology (NCAT) and Jiangsu Sinyue Asphalt Co. of China have established a 10year research and development agreement focused on advancing cost-effective and sustainable asphalt pavement practices in China and throughout the world.

NCAT researchers will provide technical support in developing innovative asphalt technologies, training programs, and workshops to foster technological advancements involving high percentages of reclaimed asphalt pavement, cold asphalt recycling, highly modified asphalt binders, and asphalt pavement preventive maintenance and rehabilitation.

“This program represents a unique opportunity for NCAT to expand our research and outreach,” NCAT Director Randy West said.

“The knowledge and experience gained from the program will benefit the asphalt paving industry in the United States and worldwide, as

T

Employees of SINYUE visited Auburn University on a campus tour. From left, NCAT Postdoctoral Researcher Fan Gu, Sinyue Senior Advisor Bin Wang, NCAT Director Randy West, Sinyue President Shuihui Wu, Sinyue Senior Advisor James Luo, and NCAT Associate Research Professor Nam Tran.

Connect With Us! Stay in touch with AsphaltPro between issues where you can find how-to content, trends and technology, and industry insight.

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SINYUE’s resources will multiply our efforts to build sound technical data to advance the state of practice in China as well as to develop technologies that can be implemented here in the U.S.” SINYUE will finance the program, which will include building a new facility in Jiangsu Province and purchasing new testing equipment. In turn, NCAT engineers will travel to China for up to three months each year to provide leadership and technical expertise, while SINYUE employees will receive training each year at the NCAT facility in Auburn.

SINYUE is a leading comprehensive asphalt company in China with business operations in asphalt transport and storage, trade, liquid asphalt products manufacturing, mixture production and paving. In the past decade, the company has actively cooperated with a number of companies, research institutions, and universities to complete pavement construction projects and to develop innovative asphalt products and paving technologies.

“SINYUE and NCAT will work together to establish a comprehensive, innovation-oriented research and development program,” SINYUE Chairman Shuihui Wu said. “Both parties will make full use of their respective expertise and experience to serve the growth of the asphalt industry in China and aid in the advancement of more cost-effective and sustainable asphalt pavement materials and technologies.”

Reprinted from the Fall 2017 NCAT Newsletter – FROM NCAT

MOBILE MONITORING NEW FEATURES Recon system is a mobile monitoring system created

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W HOW TO USE YOUR WARM-MIX SYSTEM MOST EFFICIENTLY

BY SANDY LENDER

38 // july 2018

W

When the National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA) released its 7th Annual Asphalt Pavement Industry Survey IS 138 September 2017, it included information showing a continuing increase in the use of warm-mix asphalt (WMA) product in the United States for the 2016 construction season. The increase in use was somewhat slower than increases of past years, but the authors of the report reminded us that “as demand for asphalt pavement mixtures increases in the public sector, WMA use is expected to similarly increase.”

With that in mind, this annual look at WMA best practices focuses on another fact from the NAPA report: “Production plant foaming, representing nearly 77 percent of the market, is the most commonly used warm-mix technology; chemical additive technologies accounted for a little more than 21 percent of the market.”

That doesn’t mean asphalt mix producers should hold chemical additive use for WMA production in any less esteem than mechanical means of WMA production.

In fact, a number of excellent WMA additive producers can be found in the pages of this publication and should be called on for more information, including best practices regarding injection and how their products can assist in much more than mere temperature modification. For the confines of this article, let’s dive into mechanical techniques.

FOAM ALL THE TIME

Once a producer has installed a WMA system, one key to proper operation is consistent use. Lennie Loesch, CEO of Stansteel, Louisville, Kentucky, shared why daily use of the system is important.

“The best practices for warm-mix systems depend upon the nature of the contractor’s business and what arrangement they have with their state or provincial department of transportation,” Loesch said.

“The No. 1 best practice is to use the foaming system every day for all mixes. After a reasonably short period, the plant personnel will find that there are different adjustments and different percentages of either water or liquid chemicals that they would use for each configuration.

“Again, as a best practice, the advanced foaming systems are not restricted to just water, but can handle a wide range of liquid chemicals, cutbacks, rejuvenators, anti-strip materials and more. The producers

Viking jacketed internal gear pump installed at an asphalt blending terminal. Photo courtesy Viking Pump. and contractors that report the absolute best results are those that operate the systems all day, every day, and get the tremendous other benefits, such as extended haul distances, better release of the material of all mixes from the silo or from the truck beds, better in-place compaction, lower mix temperatures, and less energy use. The list goes on and on.”

Using the system on a regular basis not only gets the personnel accustomed to it, but also gives the plant itself a chance to catch up to the technology. Consider how many mix designs must be stored for customers, DOTs, counties, etc.

“The control of the warm-mix foaming system should be integrated with the plant control to track the use of liquids and also use different combinations of liquids, depending on the result desired,” Loesch recommended. “Some of the most advanced blending systems have the capability of blending two, four, five or seven different liquids with the base AC on an on-demand basis. This is done based on material specifications required and the additives to be incorporated, but also has the tremendous benefit of modifying the performance grade of the AC. “As an example, starting with a base material of a PG64-22 and adjusting it to a more enhanced PG70-22 or PG76-22 right at the plant and on demand. Also, as an example, certain chemicals have proven

properties at very low mix temperatures, and those can be blended in a very similar manner. Terminal additive blends are expensive and often are run into mix designs that do not call for the expensive additive due to lack of liquid storage space. Blending on demand from a base liquid has a high return on investment. Rubber or ground tire rubber (GTR) mixes have a short life once produced. Foaming GTR mixes provides all the benefits, longer storage, longer trucking times and reduced roller patterns to achieve density. Operating a system that is cycle dependable and repeatable over a wide range of production is mandatory.”

KEEP IT IN GOOD REPAIR

Using a system on a daily basis is one way to keep an eye on it, but plant managers will want to remember the daily walkaround for good preventive maintenance.

Ron Heap, CEO of Tarmac International Inc., Lee’s Summit, Missouri, recommended a best practice for the end of the shift: get the asphalt out of the system. “Use compressed air to purge the asphalt injection nozzles at the end of a run to maintain clean nozzles,” Heap said.

On the front end of operations, Loesch had some maintenance ideas for operators.

“One of the other significant maintenance practices is to make sure that the components on the system, including

www.THeAsphaltpro.com // 39

Water and Evotherm (or Evoflex) get added to the liquid AC to create a foamed product at this facility. Photo courtesy Stansteel. pump skids, are working correctly from the standpoint of pumps, meters and valves,” Loesch recommended. “Calibration with and checking of the interlock with the plant controls to raise and lower the use of liquids with the production rate and an overall check and verification of the components should be performed on at least a weekly basis. The operations or laboratory personnel should use a device similar to a Safe-T-Station™ to verify that foaming is taking place at a 5:1 or greater ratio. Plant QC testing is critical as well as seeking field performance feedback.”1 Patrick Ahern of Ahern Industries Inc., San Antonio, spoke of the importance of calibration as it relates to the pump specifically. “When running polymers or crumb rubber, you want to use a special pump,” Ahern said. “Of course you have to calibrate anytime you change the asphalt or add something. If you’re having issues with the pump, calibrate until it does pump

40 // july 2018

properly.” Besides calibrating the equipment to get proper results, Ahern reminded plant operators that the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) is a source for help. “Nineteen out of 20 plant operators forget to contact the OEM, but you need to contact the pump manufacturer for the rate. Make sure the pump OEM knows what you’re running through there. They have to know what the content is, what the viscosity is. They could have 10 or 15 varieties of a 3-inch pipe.”

Chad Wunderlich, the training director for Viking Pump, Cedar Falls, Iowa, shared that positive displacement pumps can handle the thick, viscous material. He recommended a gear pump with three mechanical seals to guard against leaks, and reminded plant managers, “You have to control the speed of the pump to control the flow of the material.”

Wunderlich reminded plant operators that gear pumps are simple, easy to main-

tain and highly reliable for handling asphalt, saying, “gear pumps can be fit to handle everything from clean, pavement-grade asphalts to filled asphalt coatings and everything in between. It’s important to clarify the specific asphalt handled to ensure pump construction and operating conditions are appropriate for the application.

Viking has been manufacturing pumps for asphalt handling for 85 years now. Traditionally these pumps have been cast iron, jacketed, with braided shaft packing.”

“The issue is good mixing,” Heap said.

He explained for plant managers that the main liquid asphalt pump at the asphalt injection system is sending the liquid AC through the center of a machined stainless steel collar with the water being injected into the center of the collar from the circumference of the collar at multiple points at very high pressure. Within the collar, water (or a chemical additive) and asphalt meet, mix, expand and go forward.

Batch plants can take advantage of WMA benefits as well. Here a custom batch plant has installed the Accu-Shear Dynamic foaming system. Photo courtesy Stansteel.

The Tri-Mix WMA system from Tarmac brings the materials into a vortex mixing zone. Photo courtesy Tarmac.

They keep moving.

“We didn’t create much resistance at all in the mixing zone,” Heap said. “If the liquid AC is moving into the collar at 25 tons per hour going in, it’s still leaving the collar at 25 tons per hour on the way out with the added water or chemical.”

“Just as liquid asphalt should be frequently calibrated and belt scales should

42 // july 2018

frequently be calibrated, so too should any of your pumps and metering systems for water, liquid chemicals, anti-strips or latex polymers for liquid AC modification,” Loesch said.

No plant operator will merely send an electronic signal to a pump and hope for the best. “As DOTs become more sophisticated, they will require frequent calibra-

tion, interlocking the control system with the pumps, blending modes and devices,” Loesch said. “Perhaps one of the best ways to ensure that proper foaming is done is to take actual samples of the foamed material after it has gone through the foaming device and before it’s injected with the aggregate, RAP and other materials. Taking samples will illustrate the expansion and foaming and, of course, the material can be tested to make sure it conforms to DOT guidelines.”

In the end, producing a foamed liquid gives the opportunity to coat all materials in the mixing process. Loesch explained: “With a properly designed system combining water with the AC, the total volume of the liquid AC is expanded up to 600 percent of what its original volume would be without foaming. Fundamentally, foaming provides a greater film thickness, and, with this extra volume of liquid, all of the solid ingredients, such as various size aggregates, sand, RAP, RAS and virtually anything else in the formula, are extremely well coated and mixed, resulting in a superior mixed asphalt. With this improved mix, there are many positive reports from the field, whether it be the asphalt producer’s paving crews or private customers or others; once the foaming system is on the plant, they say, ‘Wow, what did you do differently on that mix?’ Even though they often drop the temperature of the mixed material or make other modifications, the fact is a superior product to lay down in place and achieving desired air void compaction with fewer roller passes and just overall better workability and excellent mat densities.”

There’s the goal for any producer. Follow best practices to ensure your warm-mix system functions at peak performance to give your crews and customers an excellent product to place. As WMA tonnages continue to increase across the nation, watch quality increase as well when each producer follows best practices for top quality.

1. Stansteel makes the Safe-T-Station sampling device. Maxam Equipment, Kansas City, Missouri, makes the Safe-Sampler liquid asphalt sampling device. Both are designed to allow ground personnel—or lab techs—to safely collect a sample of liquid AC inline. See the Here’s How it Works features of these systems on the AsphaltPro website under the Departments tab.

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Improved Efficiency INCREASED PRODUCTION V-Flights Shower Material Along the Edge of the Notch as Well as the Tip

V-flights Allow for a More Even Veil of Material

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S TA C K T E M P E R AT U R E C O N T R O L S Y S T E M V-Pac U.S. Patent No. 8,863,404 B1

To meet market demand, we change mix design often. The frequent changes push our plants to the limit. ASTEC suggested we add the V-Pac stack temperature control system. We started using the V-Pac system and, without a doubt, it has improved efficiency and increased our production capability.

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Production Manager, CR Jackson Inc. Operating the V-Pac Stack Temperature Control System since 2011

PATIENCE AND PERSISTENCE PAY FOR U.S. PAVING AND STONE How Yeager Asphalt grew from a teenager with a truck and a barrel of sealer to starting its own asphalt plant under the name of U.S. Paving and Stone.

BY SARAH REDOHL

I

If you walk up to Yeager Asphalt’s paving crew for a chat, you might be talking to the company’s CEO without even knowing it. Even after 40 years, 70 employees, and the addition of an asphalt plant, CEO Mark Yeager still runs the Leeboy 8515 paver on most of the company’s jobs in and around Carrollton Township, Michigan.

“With an asphalt plant and a company of this size, that’s unheard of,” Yeager said. “But being on the crew is where I want to be and what I want to be doing.”

After all, it’s where he got his start.

46 // july 2018

A TEENAGER, A TRUCK AND A BARREL OF SEALER

Yeager grew up familiar with the asphalt industry. He began sealcoating driveways the summer before his senior year of high school with nothing more than a pickup truck and a 55-gallon barrel of sealer in 1978.

By the following year, he’d starting offering asphalt paving, first by hand, then with a Layton pull paver the following year, and then with a used Leeboy paver he bought in 1981.

These early years were a time of industriousness and investment.

Mark Yeager, left, runs the more technical side of the business, while Brad Lewinski, right, runs the “more political side” of the business, Lewinski said.

During the Michigan winters, Yeager would head to Clearwater, Florida, and sealcoat there. He continued to live with his parents and save every penny to reinvest in his business. It was a strategy that paid off.

“By the mid-80s, I was starting to make really good money and I’d wanted to buy a Lamborghini,” Yeager said, but he instead invested the money in a sealer plant. Year after year, he continued to invest in the future of Yeager Asphalt while quietly laboring alongside the paving crew.

“All of our employees have great respect for Mark, because he’s always there, right alongside them on the job,” said Brad Lewinski, Yeager Asphalt’s vice president and a part owner of U.S. Paving and Stone—the company under which their asphalt plant operates. “If someone came up to the crew and asked for the owner, Mark himself would say he’s just the paver operator and point them in my direction.”

“I love going out on the crew and people don’t know who I am,” Yeager said. “Brad will pull up on the job and the customer won’t believe him when he tells them that I’m the CEO. I don’t want to be at the forefront, I want to be behind the scenes.”

That’s what makes their dynamic tick. As Lewinski puts it, he’s the “political” side of the business, while Yeager is the “tactical” side of the business. “Mark makes the wheels turn,” Lewinski said. “He’s out on the paver, he’s out grading, he’s making sure that what I and my sales guys have promised actually happens.”

At Yeager Asphalt, just as the CEO can run the paver, a mechanic can become vice president.

In 2002, Lewinski started working for Yeager Asphalt as a mechanic after answering an ad in the local paper. Now, he’s the vice president of the company and a partial owner in the new asphalt plant.

After three years as a mechanic, Lewinski saw an opportunity to try something new when the company’s estimator had left for another job. “Mark took me under his wing,” Lewinski said, and soon he was doing all of the estimating and sales. “I was doing it a bit differently than a lot of people in our industry did things back then. Instead of just dropping off a bid in the mailbox, I’d call and make appointments to listen to what they wanted rather than tell them what they needed.”

That strategy worked. Three years later, the company added another sales person, promoting Nick McGuire from within. Then, six years ago, John Manti had come into Yeager’s office to sell them something and left with a job. And two years ago, they hired George Menard.

In the span of two decades, gross revenue expanded from $2 million to $13 million, Lewinski had transitioned from mechanic to vice president, and Yeager could cut back on his own sales activities and return to what he loved most: riding alongside his crew atop an asphalt paver.

www.THeAsphaltpro.com // 47

YEAGER TODAY

Today, Yeager Asphalt has four sealer crews, one striping crew, a small job paving crew, two prep crews and one paving crew. Most of its work is paving and maintaining parking lots, but they also continue to pave and maintain private roads and driveways.

Buying American is very important to Yeager. The company has a number of Cat and Bobcat skid steers; Cat, Leeboy and Bomag rollers; Cat loaders and excavators, and runs a Leeboy 8515 paver.

They’re also planning to buy a Carlson paver.

“If you work hard and focus on good customer service, it’s not rocket science,” Lewinski said. “Every single customer deserves our attention and respect. It doesn’t matter if we’re paving for a $5,000 mobile home or a million-dollar house, it’s that person’s castle and they both deserve respect and attention.”

“Very few customers don’t deal with me personally at some point in the process,” Lewinski said, adding that he racks up about 5,000 minutes on the phone with customers each month.

“I’m communicating with them, going over the scope of the work, letting them know when vehicles will be showing up and what the timeline is. If there’s a problem, I want them to know who to call. Every single customer gets my personal cell phone number.”

Applying these principles, Lewinski said, also often turns some of the worst jobs into the company’s best advertisements.

For example, on one job, the crew put on too much crack sealer on one of the hottest summer days on record.

“It got tracked into the business, it got on cars, it was just a mess,” Lewinski recalls. Not only did the crew fix their mistake, but Lewinski also waived the customer’s bill. “We’ve made our money back on that job in referrals alone.”

Doing right by its customers and community was also integral to Yeager Asphalt’s expansion into asphalt production.

PATIENCE PAYS OFF

Yeager and Lewinski had wanted to buy an asphalt plant since before the 2008 economic recession. But, just as it wasn’t the right time for Yeager to buy a Lamborghini in the mid-80s, it wasn’t the time to invest in an asphalt plant.

“I could tell where things were going,” Yeager said. “I knew no one would be able to afford asphalt, but that people would want to save their investment.”

So they bought the best sealer equipment available and got ready to weather the storm.

“Sure enough, the asphalt market went down to nothing and I flourished while a lot of other companies went out of business,” Yeager said. “People would be trying to sell a doctor on resurfacing or tearing out his lot whereas I would offer to come in and patch and seal it. I’d be honest with him and say that, yes, it does need to be resurfaced or replaced, but that we could do this now and he could resurface when economic times get better. I had a couple of the best years ever.”

It turned out there were other factors that made it wise to wait for the right time to invest in an asphalt plant.

For twenty years, Yeager had his eye on the perfect property for an asphalt plant.

48 // july 2018

Yeager Asphalt has four sealer crews, one striping crew, a small job paving crew, two prep crews and one paving crew.

The 50-acre parcel of land was only a couple blocks from the Yeager Asphalt office and right across the street from Yeager’s sealer plant. It was close to the expressway, which made it convenient for customers and expanded its operating distance. And, it was located on the Saginaw River so aggregates could be shipped by boat rather than trucked in.

However, 20 years ago, the title on the property stated that there could be no stone piles on the property. Plus, the asking price was too high and the land was contaminated.

But, over time, each of those negatives turned out to be in Yeager’s favor.

“Other people had wanted to buy that property in the past, but that clause about stone piles kept them from buying it,” Yeager said.

He kept an eye on the property and when the termination date of that clause came up, Yeager quickly purchased the property.

“After we signed the purchase agreement, other asphalt companies called the realtor and said, ‘I hope you know Yeager isn’t allowed to have stone piles on that property,’ and the realtor let them know that the clause was up a few months ago,” Yeager said. “It was perfect timing.”

Additionally, the parcel’s status as a contaminated property also turned out to be a benefit to the company during the permitting process in that they qualified for tax exemptions for having purchased contaminated grounds and creating jobs.

“Years ago, people steered away from contaminated properties because the DEQ used to require you to clean the property up before developing on it,” Lewinski said. “But that lead to a lot of vacant properties that were too expensive to develop on due to the environmental cleanup involved.”

However, that’s no longer the case. Instead, prior to any of the assembly, U.S. Paving and Stone hired an environmental company to do a phase one and phase two analysis of the grounds to determine their level of contamination. Then, U.S. Paving and Stone just had to ensure that they would contain the contamination and not contribute to any further contamination.

“We discharge directly into the Saginaw River, so we put a lot of precautions in place to ensure not a single drop of contaminated water from our site enters the river,” Lewinski said, mentioning that the ground had been paved over to cover the contaminated soil and multiple catch basins were installed, among

other precautions. “If you put all due care measures in place, you’ll be good to go.”

When they first began the permitting process for the asphalt plant, Lewinski recalls the sentiment among the community.

“There was a lot of distrust because other companies in the area had made promises that never came to fruition,” he said. But, he took the time to get to know the planning commission and answer questions from the community during and after meetings.

“I promised them they wouldn’t smell anything nasty or see anything unsightly,” Lewinski said. “I promised we were going to make it look good and comply with every regulation. I told them I was a man of my word.”

Although some skepticism remained, the plant was approved and U.S. Paving and Stone kept its word.

U.S. Paving and Stone is the company under which the asphalt plant operates. “We didn’t want to call it Yeager Asphalt because we wanted to sell asphalt to other paving companies,” Lewinski said.

The company spent around $200,000 beautifying the property.

“We wanted it to have that curb appeal,” Lewinski said. So, they added trees, flowers, bushes and landscaped walls. “I employ a man every day at the plant who does nothing but clean the plant and the grounds.”

“Now, when the community sees our property, they realize how much of an improvement it is over what it was like before,” Lewinski said. “Our whole community is behind us.”

“When you create jobs and improve a distressed property, those are good things,” Lewinski said. “Our crews have a positive impact on our community. They eat at local restaurants for lunch, they stop by the hardware store in town on their way home, there’s a trickle down effect for the businesses in Carrollton Township.”

Although the community grew to support the plant eventually, the permitting process still wasn’t easy.

“It was two years before we could put a shovel to the ground,” Lewinski said. They had to resolve issues with soil erosion, air permits and the property’s location on a floodplain. By the end of it all, Lewinski knew everyone in the DEQ office on a first-name basis.

“We’ve become a showcase for the DEQ,” Lewinski said. “They bring their people to our yard and say, ‘This is how you’re supposed to do it.’”

Since the property has an international dock—it’s located along the Saginaw River less than 20 miles from Lake Huron—they also had to work with Homeland Security and the U.S. Coast Guard.

“That in and of itself was quite an ordeal,” Lewinski said. “It was difficult and certainly a learning process and awfully time consuming.”

But, the process paid off. Now they can receive aggregates by commercial vessel rather than by trucking the material in, which Yeager said is a huge cost savings.

“Already the value of the plant is four or five times what it cost us because of all the things we had to go through to get it up and running,” Yeager said, adding that they’ve already been contacted by companies wanting to buy them out.

However, U.S. Paving and Stone is already looking to expand south of Saginaw County.

www.THeAsphaltpro.com // 49

MIX MASTERS

When the time came, U.S. Paving and Stone purchased a brand new ALmix plant with a maximum capacity of 200 tons per hour.

“I’d gone to a couple other plant manufacturers who didn’t take me seriously,” Yeager said. “It felt like when you pull into a car dealership and the sales guy assumes you can’t afford this car or that car.

But ALmix and Mike [Shurtz, the owner of ALmix] treated me like I was serious—which I was—from the very beginning.”

According to Shurtz, Yeager and Lewinski initially leaned upon the advice of an ALmix plant owner in Michigan before deciding to contact ALmix directly. “As a contractor mostly tied to the private work sector, mix appearance was of supreme importance to them,” Shurtz added. “That lead them to the decision to go with the longer mixing times associated with Duo Drum technology.”

“I knew this would be the first asphalt plant we’d purchase,” Lewinski said, “so we got all the bells and whistles.”

Those bells and whistles meant not skimping on cold feed, RAP and RAS bins. The company has six cold feed bins, two RAP bins, and one RAS bin, with a screen associated with each bin rather than one screen for virgin materials and one for RAP. “This allows sizing the screen cloth to the aggregate in the particular bin,” Shurtz said.

“This is particularly important in the thinner lifts often associated with private work.” Additionally, all-weather hoods protect the RAP/RAS bins such that mix design percentages are not limited by sudden rainfall.

For example, even though U.S. Paving and Stone doesn’t run warm mix through the plant, they do inject their mix with water via a static blender prior to entering the mixing drum--like they would a warm mix--but they run it at hot mix temperatures.

They also do all of their own crushing and screening of RAP on demand.

“Most asphalt plants crush everything they need for the season in the spring,” Yeager said. “We think it’s better to do it as we need it so it doesn’t harden over the summer.”

Going the extra mile on their mix design is vital for U.S. Paving and Stone.

“A lot of companies were buying from big conglomerates and they were happy with their material,” Lewinski said. To compete, U.S. Paving and Stone hired an award-winning engineer to create their mix designs.

The most popular mixes U.S. Paving and Stone makes are a 36A with 3/8-inch stone for driveways and 13A with 5/8-inch stone for parking lots, which also happen to be the most common mixes Yeager Asphalt uses. This makes sense, since 50,000 tons of the asphalt U.S. Paving and Stone made last year was laid by Yeager Asphalt.

“I knew there would be tremendous scrutiny from our competitors, so we really put ourselves through a battery of testing before opening to the market,” Lewinski said. “We tested not only to meet specifications, but also to appeal to the laborer. We want the guy putting a shovel in our mix, the guy spreading it, to think, ‘This is good mix.’ I want them to tell the foreman to get mix from us.”

“Our RAP percentage is low—like 15 to 20 percent—because we want our mix to be easier to work with,” Yeager said. “To me, the cost savings aren’t enough compared to how much easier the job is

50 // july 2018

Branding is also important to the company. Its black and lime green equipment has become well-known in the area. going to be for our crew. Doing high RAP isn’t such a big deal on road work, but private jobs require so much more handwork, around islands and curbs and on handicap ramps. I don’t want to make our job harder.”

The amount of RAP the company uses in its mix depends on the job. For Michigan DOT jobs, the cap is set to 20 percent. On private work, they usually run 15 to 20 percent RAP, Yeager said.

“I hate saying this because everyone says it and it’s become a cliche--whenever I read others saying that I think, ‘Ok, whatever’—but our mix really is the best,” Yeager said. “I have customers who’ve laid asphalt a long time who say the same thing about our mix. It’s easy to work with.”

Another thing that sets them apart from the competition are their relationships.

Lewinski’s son, Trevor, is the plant operator. He started working at the company at the age of 16 and rose through the ranks of the sealer division before becoming U.S. Paving and Stone’s plant operator.

To prepare for that job, Trevor attended several training events.

“Trevor knows the machinery inside and out,” Lewinksi said. “He was there during assembly.”

Among Trevor’s plant education were multiple training sessions with WEM Automation, New Berlin, Wisconsin, U.S. Paving and Stone’s automations solutions provider. “They can be available 24/7, they can link right into our computer system and do diagnostics, and they troubleshoot issues within a few minutes,” Lewinski said, “but to do that, Trevor needed to be knowledgeable on the physical end of it.”

“Trevor talks to all the truck drivers coming through on the CB,” Lewinski said. “He’s developing relationships with all of them. ‘Hey Tom, how are you doing today? How much do you need?’—that sort of thing—not just ‘Get over in this line.’ It’s a personal touch.”

They’re also willing to meet the unique needs of their customers because they know what their customers are going through.

“With big box suppliers, if we wanted to pave on a Saturday they’d have a 300-ton minimum,” Lewinski said. “Or, they wouldn’t want

to fire up the plant at night. Or, we’d be fighting to get the mix designs we needed on a particular day.”

Now, that’s not an issue—for Yeager’s crews and the crews of U.S. Paving and Stone’s customers.

“We know how frustrating that can be, so we try to be very accomodating to our customers,” Lewinski said. “They aren’t a number when they buy from us. If they need 200 tons on a Sunday, we can say, ‘No problem, Bob. What time do you want to pull?’”

LEAP OF FAITH, LOOK TO THE FUTURE

“Buying the asphalt plant was a big leap of faith for us,” Lewinski said. “There are thousands upon thousands of paving companies, but the asphalt plant world is small.”

In fact, Lewinski recalls, some companies in the area tried to discourage them from making such a large purchase. But, with good timing and hard work, that leap of faith was the right call.

In 2016, U.S. Paving and Stone manufactured around 40,000 tons of asphalt and last year, they manufactured 65,000 tons.

“I’ve seen few other companies that take as much pride in their equipment as well as its impact on their community as Yeager Asphalt,” Shurtz said. “All their stone is delivered by vessel which greatly reduces truck traffic and fugitive dust. Most of their aggregates are stored in covered structures. Their tank farm piping is also enclosed. The surrounding landscaping is supremely placed and immaculately cared for. Plant housekeeping is ingrained into plant personnel. When one drives into their site there is no doubt left that the work they perform is attended to as meticulously as the equipment that produces it.”

“I foresee producing 75,000 tons of asphalt this year and 100,000 tons of asphalt next year,” Yeager said. “We aren’t in a big metropolitan area. I think our market could support around 100,000 tons.”

According to Lewinski, the plant has never lost money. “It’s been profitable since day one.” And, with the ALmix plant they chose, they also have room to grow. The plant could produce up to 550,000 tons.

“We don’t want to be a grow a monster company,” Lewinski said. “There comes a point where you get so big that you lose focus on how you got to where you are. We never want to get to that point.”

Despite its growth, Yeager Asphalt and U.S. Paving and Stone continue to be family businesses. In addition to Trevor Lewinski running the plant, Brad Lewinski’s wife, Sherry, is the office manager and Yeager’s wife, Shannon, is the company’s CFO. “I’ve also got twin sons who are now 12 years old,” Yeager said.

“Maybe they’ll want to get into the business. That would be the ultimate dream. Maybe they’ll want to pave roads or open three more plants, but I’m leaving that up to them. It’s there if they want it.”

When asked what’s next for the company, Lewinski said it’s difficult to say.

“Whatever God puts in front of us,” he said. “Whatever challenge or opportunity that might be, we will always do right by our customers, our employees and our community.”

www.THeAsphaltpro.com // 51

Dependable Performance CONSISTENT MIX

FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT ASTECINC.COM/UNIDRUM

DILLMAN UNIDRUMÂŽ

When it was time to buy two new plants, a Dillman UNIDRUMÂŽ plant was the best fit for us. We like the Unidrum because of its very consistent, homogenous mix and very low maintenance. The Unidrum plants provide more uptime with less routine maintenance.

Slavic Mokienko,

General Manager, R. E. Pierson Materials Corp.

Operating Four UNIDRUM Plants

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What’s New for the Producer’s Bottom Line D

Discussing the asphalt plant and aggregate operations this month includes a look at trucking. MyLogic Inc., headquartered in Pennsylvania, has released a free app called Dump Truck Math, which is available on iOS and Android devices, to help estimators, foremen, and truck drivers streamline simple hauling calculations. The app started as an Excel spreadsheet MyLogic President Steve Kolbe created to simplify his own job, but his colleagues also wanted to use.

“Most people in the industry just work through the math on paper with a calculator,” Will Kolbe said. He’s the marketing director for MyLogic and Steve’s son. “But there are many variables and this app helps simplify some basic calculations that truck drivers and contractors use every day.Currently, the app offers three core calculations.

1. Rate per ton or cubic yard—This tool can be used to convert your hourly rate into a tonnage rate, factoring in tolls, travel time, loading time and unloading time.

2. Number of trucks needed—This calculator uses the time each round-trip journey takes to determine how many trucks will be needed for a particular job. This can help avoid lines of trucks at the plant or in front of the paver, as well as the need to stop the paving train to wait for the next truck to arrive.

3. Haul cost difference between two sites— This tool can be used to calculate the cost difference between multiple dump or load sites. For example, if Plant A is closer to the job site, but the cost per ton of mix is higher than that of Plant B, this calculator will help you determine if it makes financial sense to go the extra few miles to Plant B. It takes into consideration how much each truck is paid, how much it can carry and its drive time.

There is currently no way to archive or share calculations from within the app; Kolbe said all the inputs and outputs can fit on one page, making it easy to take a screenshot to save for your records or to share with others on the job.

54 // july 2018

Search for Dump Truck Math in the app store and look for this icon.

The Dump Truck Math app launched at the end of April and was downloaded nearly 1,000 times within the first month.

Will Kolbe said the MyLogic team tried to keep the app simple to use and navigate with only four or five total pages within the app.

Through word-of-mouth alone, the app had nearly 1,000 downloads in its first month. According to Kolbe, they’ve received great feedback so far. They’ve also received suggestions that they plan to take into account in future app updates. For example, one customer asked for a tool to calculate how much of a particular material would cover a particular area.

“We’re giving thought to ideas like that for the next update down the road,” Kolbe said, including other calculations that will benefit the construction industry. “But, we knew at launch we wanted the ones most people will be using on a day-to-day basis.”

MyLogic also launched DumpTruckLoads. com back in February 2015. The website gives contractors a place to post their upcoming hauling needs, and a place for truck owners to search for jobs. Once a job—a load—is posted by a contractor, trucking companies with the kind of truck suited for the haul will be notified by text or email, and can contact the contractor directly to arrange scheduling and payment.

These days, DumpTruckLoads.com sends more than 80,000 load alerts each month to the owners of nearly 100,000 dump trucks across the United States, according to the company.

“After a lifetime in the industry, my dad saw this inefficiency where people really only had three options: someone from the company would spend hours on the phone tracking down the trucks they needed for a job, they could post ads on something like Craigslist, or they could work with brokers who would take a cut, either charging

the contractors more or paying the truckers less,” Kolbe said. He added that general freight load board websites also weren’t offering the best user experience. “They treat dump trucks like an afterthought. That just doesn’t work because they are very different industries with unique variables. For example, asphalt is a time-sensitive material and the freight industry load boards didn’t address [that].”

Additionally, many of those services are simply tech-enabled brokerage firms, taking a cut of each transaction. DumpTruckLoads. com is free to all users.

According to Kolbe, the launch of Dump Truck Math is the first in a series of announcements to come this year. For example, DumpTruckLoads.com soon will expand into Canada and Mexico. Kolbe said all new products will keep MyLogic’s chief goal in mind: to improve efficiency while keeping things simple.

“Whether that helps save money on insurance or get things done faster and easier,” Kolbe said. “Everything we do is trying to solve these simple inefficiencies. There’s no fancy technology behind it, they’re just common sense solutions to common problems in the industry.”

Other “common” and not-so-common solutions for producers keep hitting the marketplace. To follow are recent developments to help asphalt and aggregate producers solve problems and enhance the bottom line.

ADM

Asphalt Drum Mixers Inc. (ADM), Huntertown, Indiana, is not only making production equipment and components, it’s making a difference for highway funding. Members of the ADM team talked with the company’s U.S. House representative about issues important to the manufacturing industry during an “I Make America” event.

Rep. Jim Banks toured ADM’s Huntertown facility May 2, answering questions from workers and sitting down for a one-onone conversation with company president Mike Devine. The conversation centered largely around the significance of manufacturing in America, specifically to Indiana.

“It was an honor to host Congressman Banks at our facility,” Devine said. “We’ve

U.S. Representative Jim Banks poses for a group photo with employees at ADM’s facility in Huntertown, Indiana. ADM invited the congressman through the AEM “I Make America” program. Photos courtesy Asphalt Drum Mixers. always been proud to manufacture our products in America, and it’s important for our representatives to understand the impact of local manufacturing to the workforce and their communities. Because he’s serving his first term, this was an opportunity to communicate to the congressman how critical manufacturing is to his district.” In addition to stressing the importance of manufacturing in America, Devine and Banks also discussed the need for infrastructure spending and the Highway Trust Fund, which Devine noted directly impacts many of the manufacturers in the district.

The conveyor can also be used to remove waste material that is caught in the circuit by running the plant in open circuit for a short time until the material is cleared.

With the new remote control option, operators can reduce downtime by clearing the debris without having to leave their loader or excavator.

For more information, contact Patrick Reaver at preaver@astecmobilescreens.com.

ASTEC MOBILE SCREENS

Astec Mobile Screens, Sterling, Illinois, announces its portable ProSizer® plants have been updated with a swing-out conveyor that now features an optional remote control. The additional conveyor gives producers that ability to make a third, stockpiled product from the top deck overs material. The conveyor can also return material to the crusher, allowing the plant to run in closed circuit.

The new remote control option on Astec Mobile Screens’ swing-out conveyor lets operators build a third pile from the top deck overs material. www.THeAsphaltpro.com // 55

product gallery PC1000 and PC1200. As an example: This means the customer can crimp hydraulics hoses up to 2 inches on PC200 crimper or industrial hoses up to 12 inches on the PC1200. This range of crimpers can crimp fittings onto a majority of industrial hoses, according to the manufacturer.

For more information, contact Anthony DiGiacobbe at (330) 664-7124 or Anthony. digiacobbe@contitech.us.

EPIROC Continental has developed and introduced an intelligent crimper controller for distributors and customers in the hydraulic and industrial hose markets.

CONTINENTAL

Technology company Continental has developed and introduced an intelligent crimper controller for distributors and customers in the hydraulic and industrial hose markets. “This new, exclusive crimping technology will enable Continental to provide the customer with instantaneous updates to the crimper thereby reducing costly downtime and offering a new level of enhanced efficiency, safety, quality and speed to our customers’ operations,” said Andreas Gerstenberger, head of the Industrial Fluid Solutions global business unit. Continental crimpers equipped with CrimpIQ controllers are designed to provide instantaneous maintenance information and updates for users who crimp hydraulic and industrial hose.

The monitoring process of this new, innovative Continental crimper is entirely cloud-based. “You will be able to oversee the entire process via a private security-protected Internet site,” Gerstenberger said. “CrimpIQ controller is the next step for Continental, our distributors and customers to become true system and solution partners for hose assembly related services. We believe that the CrimpIQ controller will do the same thing for the hose industry as the smart phone did to enhance our connectivity in our daily lives.”

The new CrimpIQ controller will be available on the following production crimpers: PC200, PC400, PC440, PC600,

56 // july 2018

Epiroc, headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, offers a new tunnel version of the Epiroc SB hydraulic breakers. The new SB 302 and SB 452 tunnel versions are designed to provide application-specific modifications to extend equipment life and reduce operating costs in underground applications. Readers with vertically integrated aggregate operations will be interested to know the piston lifetime in the advanced tunnel version is extended by a new piston in stainless steel; the bushing seat wear is minimized by a press-fit, one-piece bushing locked by an additional pin. An exchangeable wear plate protects the hammer body. The special tunneling tool with a collar supporting a front shield and dust cover minimizes the dust intake when working on overhead areas. The new tunnel versions are designed for excavators in the weight class from 4.5 to 13 tons and standard underground scalers. Service weights are 690 pounds for the SB 302 and 990 pounds for the SB 452.

For more information, contact Rich Elliott (844) 437-4762 or rich.elliott@epiroc.com.

The M1 Global microcrane is 30 inches wide for transporting, then unfolds from the sides and back for stabilization.

MICROCRANES

Microcranes Inc., Vancouver, Washington, has introduced the ISO certified M1 Global Model Microcrane®, designed to fit through 36-inch doorways. Plant owners who need a crane on-site for maintenance or other work will be pleased to know the new M1 Global hydraulic pick & carry portable crane is rated at 2,000 pounds, and requires no operator license, according to the manufacturer. It has a hook height of 20 feet, 3 inches. The machine is 30 inches wide and weighs 1,800 pounds with 300 pounds of removable counterweights to reduce weight while transporting. The machine unfolds from the sides and back for stabilization, and the four-piece boom extends to a 22-foot tip height. Users can raise and lower the hydraulic boom with hand controls, and raise or lower live loads with a DC power winch. The line speed is 30 feet per minute.

For more information, visit www. microcranes.com.

NEAL

The SB 302 from Epiroc has a service weight of 690 pounds.

Neal Manufacturing, a division of Blastcrete Equipment LLC, Charlotte, North Carolina, offers its storage tanks as longterm storage solutions for up to 10,000 gallons of material including asphalt emulsions with its skid-mounted sealer mixer tanks. Neal Manufacturing designs its storage tanks with I-beam or channel steel skids. For extra support, the company manufactures the tanks with corner braces to

product gallery

Neal Manufacturing offers long-term storage solutions for up to 10,000 gallons of material. keep them securely fastened on the skids.

The agitators are manufactured with a solid steel shaft to mix thicker materials and break up settled product. With offset agitation, two of the three blades are submerged in the material at all times. Neal Manufacturing uses a 100-tooth sprocket to propel the agitation. A Ranger™ gear pump transfers materials out of the tank and into sealcoating equipment. Users operate both the pumping and mixing functions from one control panel.

For more information, contact (770) 8301282 or eric@nealequip.com.

The WMA Section Astec’s Generation 3 Warm-mix System

As the industry’s use of warm-mix asphalt (WMA) increases, options for foaming the liquid asphalt cement (AC) meet new technology. The team from Astec Industries, Chattanooga, Tennessee, released the Generation 3 warm-mix system December 2017 to allow producers to make WMA mix designs without chemical additives. Here’s how it works.

The Gen3 apparatus is installed inline so the heated liquid AC enters the system easily. It uses a flow splitter plate to ensure the AC encounters both water spray nozzles in the system.

As the liquid AC enters the Gen3 manifold, it is directed above the splitter plate adjacent to two water injection valves.

58 // july 2018

The Generation 3 from Astec uses a flow splitter plate to force liquid AC to encounter the water spray nozzles within the system.

Electric over air solenoids open and close self-cleaning water valves to inject water supplied via an aluminum manifold.

As water flashes to steam and mixes with liquid AC, it foams and expands through an orifice plate and into the mixing device.

For more information, contact Astec Parts at (800) 251-6042.

CMI’s Warm Mix Asphalt System

The single-point injection system from CMI Roadbuilding Inc., Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, is designed to lower mix temperatures by up to 90 degrees F, thus reducing emissions while allowing the foamed binder to more thoroughly coat aggregate.

Here’s how it works.

The warm mix asphalt system from CMI Roadbuilding is installed in the existing AC line.

A PLC control system controls the liquid asphalt cement (AC)-to-water mix ratio. A 5-horespower variable-frequency motor driving positive displacement water pump moves water from the 200-gallon tank, through a filter, to the patented mixing chamber. A water meter and calibration valve are designed to ensure mixing accuracy. Solenoid valves control the flow of water and prevent reverse flow of AC into the water line. In the mixing chamber, water and AC meet for foaming action. The manufacturer states: “Patented mixing chamber provides consistent AC/water mixing at any production rate.”

For more information, contact kevin. smith@cmi-roadbuilding.com.

Gencor’s Green Machine

The Ultrafoam GX2 from Gencor, Orlando, is designed to inject steam into the foaming process using only the energy of the pump or head supplying the liquid asphalt cement (AC) and water for warmmix asphalt (WMA) production. Here’s how it works.

A small percentage of water—1 to 2 percent by weight—is injected into the center of the AC flow by a positive displacement water pump. According to the manufacturer, the pumping system provides all of the mixing energy. The Ultrafoam GX2’s centrally loaded water valve opens when the pressure of the water is impressed behind the valve.

A diaphragm plate introduces and directs the flow—and rate of flow—of AC to the process, and a special valve design prevents the AC from back-flowing into the water piping system. The fingers of the diaphragm deflect, allowing for increased flow area as the flow of the AC increases.

All the while, the AC flow stream is directed toward a center nozzle.

The AC flow converges to the center of the injection point of the water. According to the manufacturer, this allows the Ultrafoam GX2 to maintain a perfect ratio of AC and water at all production rates and creates small, stable bubbles for consistent asphalt foaming.

For more information about the Ultrafoam GX2 technology, contact Dennis Hunt at (407) 290-6000 or visit www. gencorgreenmachine.com.

Maxam’s AquaBlack®

that literally cut and slice the water droplets into small particles. The system pumps the mixture to the drum.

When the AC/water mixture releases into the drum, the water expands, creating the foaming of the liquid AC. At the end of the shift, the operator can press a single button on the unit to have compressed air push out all water in the supply and return lines to ensure no lines will freeze overnight, according to the manufacturer. The worker can also set the system’s space heater thermostat to keep all components within the single-skid assembly at a consistent temperature, which assists those producers running warm-mix in the early spring or late fall months from frozen pipes, etc.

The batch-plant WMA system works in conjunction with an asphalt injection pump. Liquid AC is weighed in an asphalt bucket, as normal. An injection pump sucks the AC from the bucket and pushes it toward the mixer. On its way to the mixer, it is met with water, which the system adds to the pipeline through the Meeker Warm Mix injector. The water and AC mix under pressure and the mixture gets pumped into the mixer, creating the warm-mix foaming action.

For more information, contact Jeff Meeker at (717) 667-6000 or visit www. meekerequipment.com.

Meeker’s Warm Mix Systems

Reliable’s AquaFoam®

Provided by Maxam Water enters Maxam’s AquaBlack® system through a particulate filter and mineral inhibitor, passing into a float valve controlled storage tank. A variable speed, high pressure pump draws water from the tank, passing it through all stainless steel plumbing to a stainless steel Coriolis mass flow meter which, by computer control, maintains the water flow rate to correspond with the plant’s liquid asphalt flow rate.

After passing through the flow meter, the water is directed under high pressure (up to 1000 psi) to the foaming head.

At the foaming head, water is forced through high pressure atomizing nozzles, injecting microscopic water droplets into the plants liquid asphalt line.

The injection of microscopic water droplets results in the formation a very small micro-bubbles which stay in the mix throughout the mixing and paving process—essential for keeping the mix flexible and workable until compaction.

After shutdown, the systems automatic air purge removes all water from the system to prevent freezing during cold weather operation.

For more information, contact Maxam at (800) 292-6070.

Warm-mix asphalt (WMA) production shouldn’t be limited to drum plants.

With that truth in mind, the team at Meeker Equipment, Belleville, Pennsylvania, created its systems for use on either drum or batch plants. Here’s how the drum system works.

A high-pressure, stainless steel pump, driven by a 3- or 5-horsepower variable frequency drive motor sends water from the 63-gallon, stainless steel water tank through a Y strainer and inlet water filter to the in-line static mixer. The system uses the in-line static mixer to blend the water droplets and liquid asphalt cement (AC) together under pressure in the line, forcing them through a set of sharp mixing blades

The AquaFoam® warm mix system from Reliable Asphalt Products, Shelbyville, Ky., is designed to foam liquid asphalt cement (AC) binder with water to create a foamed warm-mix asphalt (WMA) product. Here’s how it works.

First, a technician fits the AquaFoam components in line at the HMA plant.

The 3-inch jacketed injector goes directly into the AC injection line.

When the crew is ready to make mix, the plant operator flips a switch to remotely control the AquaFoam from the control panel in the control house. The positive displacement, high-pressure injection pump then uses a variable frequency drive to deliver water from the water tank to a static mixer, where it meets the AC.

www.THeAsphaltpro.com // 59

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Teach Your Crew What it Takes to Pave a Bonus-Worthy Mat

A rotary water meter monitors the water output through the 65-gallon poly water surge tank and Y strainer, at 46,000 pulses per gallon. An electronic level senses high and low water levels.

An alarm will sound for the plant operator if there’s an interruption in water flow to protect the pump from an empty water tank situation.

From the static mixer, a positive displacement pump sends foamed binder to the drum for WMA production.

From the control house, the plant operator flips a switch to remotely control when the AquaFoam is operating and when a valve will trigger a bypass to allow the plant to resume production of hot mix. The system can be switched back and forth from auto to manual control.

For more information about the AquaFoam WMA technology, contact David Childers at (866) 647-1782 or visit www.ReliableAsphalt.com.

Stansteel’s Accu-Shear® for Drum Mix and Batch Plants

AsphaltPro magazine joined forces with hall-of-fame paving consultant John S. Ball III of Top Quality Paving & Training to bring you the newest online training resource for your crew: Asphalt Paving 101.

The Accu-Shear® from Stansteel/Hotmix Parts, Louisville, Kentucky, is designed for multiple liquid additives and features advanced in-line water foaming of liquid asphalt cement (AC). The shearing process promotes total blending and homogenized flow for warm-mix asphalt (WMA) production. The Accu-Shear is also engineered for in-line blending of rejuvenators, latex, emulsions and most liquid chemicals on the market today with the optional four-port additive manifold. Here’s how it works.

First, a technician installs the Accu-Shear in the asphalt injection line prior to the plant mixing zone. From the control center,

The course is available on any device, anytime, anywhere to train your entire crew. Your single subscription to the best curriculum of all time gives you access to train all of your employees, each time you bring in a new hire.

Asphalt Paving 101

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Purchase your access to the course at: training.theasphaltpro.com

The Accu-Shear® from Stansteel/Hotmix Parts is installed in the asphalt injection line prior to the plant mixing zone.

the operator selects a mix design that will activate and control each additive as required. The plant’s automation controls the production rate and flow rates of each liquid additive.

By normally using the 15-horsepower variable speed motor to force the material together, AC and water are blended mechanically, not injected. According to the manufacturer, this positive blending of the additives with the liquid AC increases the foaming action and maximizes coverage of the heated aggregate. The unit is designed for speedy calibration. The Accu-Shear has a unique sampling station capability to verify the foaming and test the blended AC prior to adding aggregates.

For more information about the Accu-Shear WMA technology, contact Rick Rees at (800) 826-0223 or visit www.stansteel.com.

We’ve been designing and manufacturing custom Pugmill plants in Tennessee for over 30 years.

Tarmac’s TRI-MIX

The TRI-MIX warm-mix injection system from Tarmac International Inc., Lee’s Summit, Missouri, is designed for dual use—the producer can set it up for water or chemical injection to create foamed liquid asphalt cement (AC) at lower production temperatures than hot-mix asphalt. Here’s how it works.

First, the operator sets the percentage of injected liquid into the controls, which will follow the production rate of the plant.

The variable frequency driven pump then delivers the liquid from the pump skid to the dual injection nozzles inserted on opposite sides of the static mixer. (The static mixer is located in the AC line before the entry into the drum mixer or pugmill.) The high pressure liquid spraying into the static mixer on opposite sides of the AC line provides full agitation for foaming the liquid AC to approximately 10 times its normal volume.

Three spiral flights located in the downstream nozzle section further mix the injected liquid and AC to make the foamed AC. Once the AC is foamed, it continues down the existing AC pipe to enter the drum in the mixing area to coat the aggregate.

When the liquid spray is not in use, the 40 psi compressed air supply is provided through the hose to the nozzles to prevent the AC from backing up into the system and clogging the injection nozzles and hose.

For more information, contact Tarmac’s sales team at (816) 220-0700.

STATIONARY

PORTABLE

SKID MOUNTED 931-388-0626 PugmillSystems.com Here is the Tarmac TRI-MIX warm-mix injection system installed inline.

new tech

Top 5 Trends Disrupting the OEMs Here are five key tech trends that will change manufacturing for good. Some of these trends are already affecting how business is done, while others are expected to become more prominent in the years ahead.

The Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) explores emerging trends and technologies through several thought-leadership initiatives, including CONEXPO-CON/AGG 365 online.

What are the five trends? AEM provides a snapshot.

H

1. Industry 4.0: Taking technology to the next level It’s the consensus opinion of economists and technology experts that the world is entering a fourth industrial revolution (Industry 4.0), with the growing digitization of processes and the interconnectivity of the goods they produce.

When Industry 4.0 solutions are properly implemented, manufacturers can offer new value, including: • improved resource productivity and efficiency; • increased speed to market; • agility and customization to meet changing and individual customer needs; and • value opportunities through the development of new services.

Companies that best position themselves to capture the value of Industry 4.0 can expect to see growing success.

2. Internet of Things (IoT): Welcome to the data-driven world The Internet of Things (IoT) is ever evolving and more manufacturers are incorporating smart devices or embedded intelligence into their production (and non-production) processes as well as equipment. Manufacturers are realizing the value in taking advantage of the numerous benefits of IoT to develop smarter and more innovative products, to increase workplace safety, to improve operational efficiencies, and to tackle organizational waste.

One of the biggest challenges manufacturers face is determining how best to invest in and leverage IoT longer term and strate-

62 // july 2018

Both images courtesy AEM.

The world is entering a fourth industrial revolution (Industry 4.0). gically to achieve their business goals. Check out “Use IoT for Asphalt Construction Success” at https://theasphaltpro.com/articles/ use-iot-asphalt-construction-success/.

3. Augmented reality: More than a game gimmick Don’t discount augmented reality (AR), which allows virtual reality graphics to interact with the physical environment from a user’s perspective. It’s simply the next step in the ongoing evolution of how people interact with computers.

Wearable-technology devices to improve safety and performance are just one aspect of augmented reality. Within the next three to five years, experts predict mixed reality

technology will become more common in business settings. Possible manufacturing applications for AR include complex assembly, maintenance, expert support, quality assurance and automation.

4. 3D Printing: It’s here to stay 3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing, has slowly but surely developed into a disruptive technology that is convincing manufacturers to overhaul a number of expensive and archaic processes.

Check out “Here’s How 3D Fabrication Enhances Asphalt Processes” at https://theasphaltpro.com/articles/heres-how-3d-fabrication-enhances-asphalt-processes/.

Many manufacturers are looking into using 3D printing to making a replacement part without having the inventory in place, saving them the significant overhead costs of warehouse space.

The production of molds, jigs and fixtures used in the mass production of heavy equipment presents an even greater opportunity to leverage additive manufacturing

to increase operational efficiency. Using 3D printing for final production applications may become common over time.

5. Automation: Mobile robotics on the rise Groundbreaking advancements in technology are propelling manufacturing into a new age of automation. In one area, the ever-worsening skilled-worker shortage, manufacturers are increasingly looking to mobile robotics technology as a possible solution.

Technology makes it possible to automate tasks not only on the shop floor, but also jobs in other areas of a business, such as maintenance, management and administration. In many cases, machines are able to match or exceed the productivity output of their human counterparts.

The key for manufacturers will be to approach automation strategically with an understanding of what factors are most important to them related to investing in artificial intelligence, robotics and other technology.

– FROM THE ASSOCIATION OF EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURERS

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IMPACT Leadership Group Conference

S E P T E M B E R 1 2 -1 4 , 2018 T H E M A D I S O N H OT E L • WA S H I N GTO N , D C HT T P:/ / W W W. ASP HA LT PAVE ME NT.ORG/ IMPACT

advertiser index Almix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Libra . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Ammann . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Meeker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

Asphalt Drum Mixers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Process Heating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

Astec, Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13,33,44

Pugmill Systems, Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61

B & S Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31 Bomag America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 ClearSpan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 CWMF Corporation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Dillman Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 E.D. Etnyre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

Reliable Asphalt Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Back Cover Roadtec . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3, 21 Stansteel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Stansteel Used . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 Systems Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Fast-Measure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

Tarmac International, Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51

Gencor Industries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Top Quality Paving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

Heatec, Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Inside Front Cover, 61

Willow Designs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

KPI-JCI-AMS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Inside Back Cover

Wirtgen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

AsphaltPro’s Resource Directory is designed for you to have quick access to the manufacturers that can get you the information you need to run your business efficiently. Please support the advertisers that support this magazine and tell them you saw them in AsphaltPro magazine.

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Here’s how it works

Step 1 RAPTOR™ loads up to 12 TPRS onto its platform and folds upward into “Transport Mode.”

Step 5 RAPTOR returns to “Transport Mode” and can travel to the next job site.

Step 2 At the work zone, the wings lower to switch RAPTOR into “Operational Mode.”

Step 4 Step 3

At the end of the project, RAPTOR retrieves rumble strips with the press of a button.

The hydraulic arm lowers the horizontal bar to drop the TPRS into place until a full array is deployed.

PSS’ RoadQuake® RAPTOR™ Keeping workers out of live traffic is a fundamental part of work zone safety. To that end, the team at PSS, Cleveland, has developed the RoadQuake® RAPTOR™ Rumble Strip Handling Machine that fits on the front of a work truck to transport, deploy, realign and retrieve RoadQuake 2F Temporary Portable Rumble Strips (TPRS). Here’s how it works.

Introduced in 2009, RoadQuake TPRS alert drivers to changing road conditions. The strips conform to the surface of the road and were designed for use in short duration work zones. RAPTOR is the latest innovation to PSS’s line of rumble strip handling equipment.

The machine, affixed to the front of a work truck, picks up the TPRS with a magnetic bar and sets the strip on the tray of the apparatus.

Up to 12 TPRS are loaded, and the two wings of the RAPTOR platform partially fold upward into “Transport Mode.”

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66 // july 2018

At the work zone, the truck driver uses a remote control from the safety of the cab to lower the wings of the machine into “Operational Mode.” He then presses a button to activate the RAPTOR’s magnetic bar to retrieve the TPRS; the hydraulic arm lifts and aligns the TPRS on the lane, releasing it in place. The driver moves forward and repeats the process, with no manual stress injuries to himself.

If a rumble strip is skewed by traffic during the project, the driver can bring the truck to the strip and press a button to have the RAPTOR realign the TPRS. Again, no workers have to step into live traffic.

When the project is complete, RAPTOR retrieves each rumble strip and returns it to the tray. When all strips have been collected, the machine returns to “Transport Mode” and moves on to the next job.

For more information, contact Dave McKee at (216) 403-0898 or david.mckee@pss-innovations.com.

RAP IS WORTH WHAT IT REPLACES.

From Equipment to Application Any recycled product is worth what it replaces. To fully realize the value of RAP, you must process it back to its original mix design. As an Astec Industries group of companies, KPI-JCI and Astec Mobile Screens are leaders in RAP processing. We pair that with a wide selection of crushing, screening, and material handling equipment required to fractionate RAP and ensure the highest quality materials throughout the recycling process.

Learn more at kpijci.com

KPI-JCI and Astec Mobile Screens

Astec Industries Companies

700 WEST 21ST STREET • YANKTON, SD 57078 USA • 800.542.9311 • FAX 605.665.8858 • kpijci.com

GENCOR 250-TON ASPHALT STORAGE SILO

RAP-15328

• SAFETY GATES • ELECTRIC HEAT ON CONE

CEDARAPIDS MAIN DRAG SLAT CONVEYOR

ASTEC PORTABLE COATER PARALLEL-FLOW DRUM PLANT

RAP-15069

RAP-15379

• 36” WIDE X 88’ LONG • REJECT CHUTE • 400 TPH

• 8X45 DRUM SHELL RUBBER AIRPLANE TIRE TRUNNIONS. • JET STYLE BURNER NOMINAL 120MBTU ON NATURAL GAS, HYDRAULIC ERECT SLINGER INLET, NO BELT • PORTABLE 4 BIN COLDFEED 8X14 24’’ FEEDERS EDI-CURRENT INDIVIDUAL SCALPING SCREENS UNDER BINS TANDEM AXLE

BURKE HOT OIL HEATER

HAUCK SJ520 BURNER & BLOWER

RAP-15274

RAP-15320

RAP-14883

• 1.5 MBTU • POWER-FLAME COMBO BURNER

• 400TPH • 102 FT OVERALL 98FT6IN SHAFT TO SHAFT • 100HP MOTOR WITH ASSOCIATED REXIII GEAR REDUCER • SINGLE STRAND CHAIN WITH CHROME FLOOR • 32IN INSIDE BOX • CHOP GATE MECHANISM PRESENT BUT PLATED OVER

3Qualified listings 3Complete retrofit capability 3All types of component reconditioning

RAP-15086

• NEVER USED - STILL IN CRATE • NEVER FIRED OR MOUNTED STARJET BURNER WITH EXTENDED NOSE • NEW TBA36 BLOWER

GENCOR/ BITUMA MAIN DRAG CONVEYOR

GENCOR PORTABLE RAP SYSTEM

• NEW GAS BUTTERFLY VALVE WITH ORIFICE PLATE • FUEL MOD VALVE IS INCLUDED • COMBO FUEL SET-UP • EA57 DRIVE MOTOR

• GENCOR HAMMERMILL CRUSHER • 75HP MOTOR ON CRUSHER • 8X15 BIN OPENING • BIN EQUIPPED WITH GRIZZLY,

1997 ASTEC BAGHOUSE

RAP-15268

PARTIAL EXTENSIONS AND BOTTOM HALF OF BIN LINED W/PLASTIC • 15HP MOTOR • 36IN FEEDER

THREE 200 TON ESTEE SILO SYSTEM

RAP-15066

• 1997 ASTEC BAGHOUSE • MODEL RBH 68 1997-142175 • 68,000 CFM • EXHAUST FAN W/ (2) 150HP MOTORS

• STACK • TO INCLUDE COMPLETE SET OF DUCTWORK, 10X10 KO BOX AND DUCT HEATER

• MODEL YEAR 1993 • NO TRUCK SCALE • 3 SILOS 200TON. 48FT DECK • DRAG HAS CHROME FLOOR HEIGHT AND TWO OF THE SILOS HAD • 80 FT SLIDING DRAG. 77FT CONE LINERS INSTALLED TWO SHAFT TO SHAFT. 350TPH YEARS AGO SINGLE STRAND CHAIN

3Custom engineering 3Experience with all types of plants 3Complete plants and stand alone components VIEW ALL OUR INVENTORY ONLINE AT:

Inc.

PO Box 519, Shelbyville KY 40066 • Fax 502.647.1786

www.ReliableAsphalt.com 866.647.1782