Asphalt Pro - May 2019

Paving for Bonus Issue

asphaltPRO PRODUCTION – PROFESSIONALS – PRODUCTS

Asphalt to the Rapid Rescue

Preservation Pro Supplement

• How to Prep Your JMF Submittal • Train These Paving Assumptions • International Industry Wrap-up • Washington Gets Oscillation

MAY 2019 WWW.THEASPHALTPRO.COM

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CONTENTS

asphaltPRO May 2019

departments

44

Editor’s Letter 6 – Training to Infinity

Safety Spotlight 8 – Safety Training in Virtual Reality with Caterpillar

By Sarah Redohl 10 – Pavers Have 5th Most Dangerous Job From AdvisorSmith

Solve Your Problem 12 – Save Liquid AC Light Ends

By Len Newton

38

Mix it Up

54

14 – Decipher the Job Mix Formula

By Jon Young and Sandy Lender

Training 18 – Train Workers to Plan Ahead Without Assuming

By John Ball

Pavement Maintenance 24 – Best Practices of Base Stabilization and HMA Lift

By Sarah Redohl

Product Gallery 30 – World of Asphalt Production

New Tech 60 – Maine DOT Scans for Performance

By Rob Sommerfeldt

Here’s How it Works 63 – Rubble Master’s 120GO!

Off the Mat 66 – Petrochemicals Diversify

By Heather Doyle

14 Feature articles 38 – Alaska’s Rapid Response to Road Damage

By Sarah Redohl 44 – Compact the Path to a Specification Oscillatory rollers work on HMA bridge deck paving in Washington State

By David Gent, P.E.

Paving for Bonus Issue

asphaltPRO PRODUCTION – PROFESSIONALS – PRODUCTS

Asphalt to the Rapid Rescue

WOA Wrap-up 50 – Asphalt Industry’s Showcase Brings Technology, Workers Together 54 – Meet the International Exec: Eurobitume’s Siobhan McKelvey 58 – International Grading

Preservation Pro Supplement

• How to Prep Your JMF Submittal • Train These Paving Assumptions • International Industry Wrap-up • Washington Gets Oscillation

MAY 2019 WWW.THEASPHALTPRO.COM

on the cover

When a 7.0-magnitude earthquake hit Alaska Nov. 30, 2018, the Alaska DOT&PF worked alongside local contractors to rapidly make road repairs in the middle of winter.

See related article on page 38. Photo courtesy of Alaska DOT&PF.

editor’s Letter Training to Infinity

This year’s Paving for Bonus issue includes a brief wrap-up from the World of Asphalt 2019/AGG1 Academy and Expo held in Indianapolis back in February. These co-located shows and conferences offer a host of information for all segments of the industry, of course, but I’d like to call out the paving portion of the education they offer right here.

Specifically, the People, Plants and Paving conference offered a number of paving, compaction and pavement maintenance seminars for attendees. This kind of classroom training is reminiscent of lectures in high school where you let the instructor pour good information into your brain. Attendees had the opportunity to ask questions and get immediate answers from the instructors. That kind of training is valuable to companies who have a number of crewmembers sitting side-by-side, taking notes together, and then discussing or comparing what they learned afterward.

Notice that you want the members of your team to keep talking about what they learned.

Training shouldn’t—and doesn’t—stop when members of the crew get home from a conference, a tradeshow, a state lunch-n-learn seminar or a dealership’s workshop. Your crewmembers are learning on the job all the time. It’s not easy to stop and correct someone’s technique while you’re striving for a 1,000-ton day, but the learning is happening.

Are you teaching the right stuff?

When John Ball—the proprietor of Top Quality Paving & Training, Manchester, New Hampshire—travels to companies to train paving crews, he uses video as well as lessons in the field to bring crewmembers up to speed. When he videotapes the crew, he’s not out to embarrass anyone; he’s out to capture good and not-so-good techniques that he can go over with the whole team the next day.

When you’re in the thick of paving, you don’t stop to discuss the best way to grab material from between the endgate and tunnel in a manner that protects the feed sensor’s wires. But if you look at the laborer’s technique the next day, you can share his proper, best practice with the newbie on your crew.

If you take a quick video of the screed operator getting a depth reading and then laying the straight edge across the mat while wearing his tamp shoes to keep from marring the mat, you have multiple points of best practices to show the new hire who has no idea yet how important any of those things are.

If you take a short video of the roller operator struggling to scrape pick-up off a dry drum, you don’t want to berate him, but you can show how this could have been avoided with proper filling of the water tank, proper maintenance of the spray bar and nozzles, and proper monitoring of the spray system during operation. You can use the video as an opportunity to discuss with your compaction team members rolling patterns and using the heat of the mat to keep steel drums and rubber tires hot.

You get the idea.

Training is an ongoing process. You reinforce lessons all season long. Whether you take a rainy day to set up and watch a couple lessons from the Asphalt Paving 101 course from AsphaltPro magazine or you use the free Training Solutions eNewsletter we send out every month in your regular tailgate meetings, you’re adding to and reinforcing your crew’s knowledge base. You’re adding to your opportunity to make full pay on project after project this paving season.

Stay Safe,

Sandy Lender

6 // May 2019

May 2019 • Vol. 12 No. 7

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.

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13333 Highway 24 West Fort Wayne, IN 46814 Tel. (260) 672-3004 Fax. (260) 672-3020 www.almix.com

safety spotlight

Safety Training in Virtual Reality with Caterpillar

The paving module immerses the viewer in a virtual environment alongside the paving train.

Around 90 percent of work-related safety incidents are caused by unsafe behavior rather than unsafe conditions. That’s why it’s so important to teach crew members how to work safely on the job site.

Safety training of this nature typically comes in one of two forms. Either the training is done in a classroom setting where the information may be difficult to visualize and retain, or it’s done on the job where the situation is often uncontrollable.

That’s why Caterpillar, Inc., Peoria, Ill., developed its virtual reality safety training program. Virtual reality, or VR, immerses the user inside a simulated environment with which they can interact.

“If you’ve never been on a paving train before, this will immerse you in the sights and sounds of what it’s like to be out there on day one of a job,” said Justin Ganschow, Caterpillar Safety Services’ business development manager.

“Immersion is the big differentiator between this and traditional safety training where you’re reading a stack of policies and procedures sitting in a job site trailer or the

A

8 // May 2019

HR department,” Ganschow said. “That just doesn’t translate as easily into retained knowledge.”

According to research done by Dr. Narenda Kini, learners retain as much as 80 percent of information learned through a VR experience, compared to retaining only 20 percent of what they learn through traditional training after only one week.

“Seasonal work, like paving, tends to have a lot of turnover,” Ganschow said, “so you have a lot of inexperienced employees as well as employees that have been off for several months that you’ll need to get back into the safety routine.”

The virtual safety training was the brainchild of a Caterpillar customer, Colas North America. In keeping with Colas’ original vision, the first VR safety training module Cat released focuses on paving safety.

The virtual experience includes five different scenarios Colas employees identified as common safety concerns on the paving train. I had the opportunity to test out this virtual training module when it was debuted at World of Asphalt in Indianapolis in February.

The training module begins with a virtual flyover of a four-lane highway project.

Then, I was taught by voice command how to use the controls to navigate and interact with the virtual world before jumping into the first training scene.

The first scenario is a pre-shift meeting during which time I put on my personal protective equipment and identified safety hazards related to coworkers’ PPE. Although it took me a few tries to learn how to effectively interact with the virtual hard hats, vests and safety goggles, within a few minutes I’d picked up the basics and was ready for the second scenario, where I’d inspect traffic control devices with the foreman.

This scenario is perhaps the most immersive of the experience. Having been on paving trains in-person, I found that this experience replicates what it is like to work alongside the often unpredictable traveling public quite accurately. In fact, I found it more nerve-wracking in the headset than I have in-person, due to the more limited field of view of the headset (90 degrees compared to around 120 degrees for most people).

aggregates, mining, manufacturing and utilities, to name a few, through partnerships with its customers in those industries. Each additional module would be available as a paid download to customers who already have the VR kit through an online portal.

The Cat VR Safety Training kit costs $14,950 and includes a gaming laptop to run the modules, an HTC Vive VR headset, audio strap and wireless controllers, a Fovitec mount stand kit and a Pelican transportation case.

– BY SARAH REDOHL

Cat’s VR safety training experience requires the user to wear a VR headset, seen here.

The other scenarios include performing groundwork near the paver while trucks are backing up and dumping mix, using a concrete saw alongside another crew member, and a safety review of the day with the superintendent.

“It’s a safe place to fail,” Ganschow said.

“You can’t take an employee out on the job and allow them to walk between a truck and a material transfer vehicle or you’ll have very bad consequences. With the VR training, we can do that and talk to them about why that action wasn’t safe.”

See Cat’s VR Safety Training in action at https://youtu.be/GEP21iPcU60.

Even though I’ve written about safety in these pages plenty of times, I still “died” twice during the virtual experience: once by truck back-over and another time by a saw blade to the face. Although I can place some blame on the distractions of the trade show floor and the learning curve required to master the headset and controllers, it was a learning experience nevertheless.

Ganschow said the VR training may also be a useful asset to find new employees.

“You could take this to a job fair and have people try it out,” he said. “If they aren’t comfortable in this virtual environment, they probably won’t be comfortable out on the highway.” After working through the experience myself, I can safely say I am where I belong (writing these pages for you!).

Cat intends to expand its offerings to other industries, including quarry and

www.THeAsphaltpro.com // 9

safety spotlight

Pavers Have 5th Most Dangerous Job P

Paving, surfacing and tamping equipment operators have the 5th most dangerous job in America, according to a recent study by the small business experts at AdvisorSmith. The study analyzed occupational fatality rates among 384 professions using data from the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Injury data was adjusted by the employment in each job, and fatal injuries were averaged over a five-year period.

The average fatal injury rate was 3.5 per 100,000 workers for the average job, while the rate was 46.7 per 100,000 workers for paving operators, making the profession 13 times more dangerous than the average job.

The study also found that self-employed workers were four-and-a-half times more likely to be killed on the job than workers who work for employers. This is due to the fact that most employers implement safety and training programs to reduce the risk of employee injury.

According to Adrian Mak, who writes about small business insights and success for AdvisorSmith, the most common cause of death for paving operators was transportation incidents. For paving operators working in the highway or road context, a common cause of accidents was being hit by paving or construction equipment, or by other vehicles that inadvertently enter the construction zone.

A number of different forms of human error can lead to fatal occupational injuries for paving operators, including carelessness, fatigue, being distracted, or drugs and alcohol. Implementing a comprehensive safety program can help reduce the risk of injury or death.

TRAFFIC SAFETY

As traffic crashes are a primary cause of death for paving professionals, implementing an effective traffic safety program is key for reducing occupational injury. Make sure that your work zone has highly visible signs and barricades to clearly signal to the traveling public to drive cautiously. Cities and

10 // May 2019

states have their own regulations regarding traffic controls in their locality, and the Federal Highway Administration also has a Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) for companies to follow.

It’s also helpful (and sometimes required by law) to have safety personnel and flaggers on site. If operating at night, there will often be regulations requiring your work site to have adequate lighting. All workers must wear properly reflective safety vests and other gear so they can be easily seen by other drivers.

EQUIPMENT

The zones around and between paving equipment can be very dangerous for paving operators and their teams. When getting on and off paving equipment, make sure that the machine floor and stairs are clear of slip hazards. Also, keep handrails, pedals, and knobs clean of oil and grease. Make sure that grab rails are easy to reach and never jump off a machine.

When backing up paving equipment, it is imperative to check that no one is behind the machine. An especially dangerous area is between the hauling unit and the paver, and workers must be trained to never work or stand in that area.

Overhead obstructions are also a key concern for a paving operation. The paving site may be near electrical poles or lines that construction equipment can easily knock down.

Make sure that the entire team is aware of all potential obstructions on or around the site.

TRAINING

It’s important to implement training programs and policies around the paving and construction equipment. Reading the manual and conducting period training and re-training for the equipment operator is key.

Often the manual will highlight specific safety concerns about the paving equipment. Be sure to review these with your team, and have an experienced operator train a new operator when they use equipment for the first time.

Walk-around and inspect equipment with the operator and work crew before each shift. Be sure that all warning labels and signs on equipment are clean and easily visible. Replace any decals or warnings that are damaged.

– FROM ADVISORSMITH

For more information, read the original study here: The Most Dangerous Jobs in America https://advisorsmith.com/data/mostdangerous-jobs/

Solve your problem

Save Liquid AC Light Ends

Storing liquid AC at temperatures above that particular performance grade asphalt’s temperature design range will burn off the material’s light ends. When this happens, not only will the tank release blue smoke, but you will also be damaging the liquid AC.

The Problem:

Let’s say a producer has three AC tanks. One is storing PG64-22 at 290 degrees Fahrenheit, another is storing PG58-24 at 280 degrees, and they have a load of PG76-22 polymer coming in that needs to be stored at 345 degrees.

Not only does overheating liquid AC degrade the product and emit blue smoke, but regularly increasing and decreasing the temperatures of your hot oil can cause condensation in the heat transfer tank.

Storing liquid AC at temperatures above its design range will burn off the material’s light ends, resulting in blue smoke and damage to the product.

Often, they’ll raise the temperature on the whole heat system to get that one tank to the right temperature they need. However, by raising the temps on all the tanks, they start burning off the light ends for other products.

This has the same effect on your mix as overheating the mix itself during production. The AC crystallizes and loses its ability to bond. While the mix may seem okay when you first put it down, it’ll begin to ravel shortly after.

The Solution:

Every plant should be able to control the temperature of each tank independently of whatever temperature the hot oil heater is set to, with the use of independent tank temperature controls.

If you cannot heat two different tanks filled with two different products at two different temperatures simultaneously, then you have a problem.

Every plant should be able to control the temperature of each tank independently of whatever temperature the hot oil heater is set to. Independent tank controls allow the hot oil heater to run at an elevated temperature and throttles the hot oil heating the tanks that require a lower temperature.

Many asphalt plants have independent temperature controls built in, and you must keep these controls in good working order. If the controls stop working, you might be tempted to take the actuator off and manually open the valve to keep everything hot. Even though you’re getting the heat you need this way, you need to repair those controls or all of the tanks will be at whatever heat you have the heater set to regardless of what that AC should be stored at.

Plants that do not have independent temperature controls can be retrofitted to have this capability. This may require some replumbing of the hot oil system, including adding some automation in the form of three-way valves and actuators.

But it is possible to create a system where the valve opens and closes to throttle heat in each tank at a regulated temperature.

At the end of the day, every plant needs to have the capability to heat every liquid they store at the appropriate temperature. And there are no scenarios in which it’s appropriate to store liquid AC above its temperature design range.

– BY LEN NEWTON

Len Newton started in the asphalt industry August 1980 working for his step-father as a laborer. By 1986 he was a plant manager with his own plant. In 1994 he became an asphalt operations manager and was serving on the Carolina Asphalt Producers Association’s environmental committee. In 2003 he started his own service company called Asphalt Plant Services. Since 2010 he has been doing field service work with Reliable Asphalt Products, Shelbyville, Kentucky.

12 // May 2019

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mix it up

Decipher the Job Mix Formula The objectives of paving with an asphalt mix are to get a smooth, quiet ride with good strength, stability, and durability; with no rutting, shoving, or flushing; and with no cracking or raveling.

We achieve these objectives by manipulating the asphalt binder and the aggregate, and the ratio between them, via the mix design. City/ county, state and federal letting agencies want to be sure the mix you place will meet their specifications before you start producing tons of it.

Consider this direct quote from specifications in a Hawaiian city: “The contractor shall submit for approval, a job-mix formula for each asphalt concrete mixture to be supplied for the project. The job-mix formula for each mixture shall establish a single percentage of aggregate passing each required sieve size and a single percentage of bituminous material to be added to the aggregate.”

The job mix formula (JMF) submittal is the mechanism to confirm that the mix being produced is in accordance with the project specifications.

We’ll first define three types of mix designs.

Dense-graded mixes are the most common. They incorporate well-graded aggregate and 5 to 6 percent asphalt binder (by weight of mix). They are designed to be impermeable, which means they minimize water getting to the layer below them.

Gap-graded mixes, such as stone matrix asphalt (SMA), provide an excellent surface course. They incorporate gap-graded aggregate, 6 to 7 percent asphalt binder (by weight of mix), and are designed to be impermeable.

Open-graded mixes offer good wearing, base or intermediate courses. They incorporate crush stone or gravel and anywhere from 5 to 10 percent asphalt binder (by weight of mix). These mixes are designed to be permeable, which means they allow water to flow through them. You’ll hear them referred to as porous asphalt and open-graded friction courses, which offer the safety features of reduced back spray and reduced hydroplaning during wet driving conditions.

T

14 // May 2019

Danny Gierhart from the Asphalt Institute conducted a lab session during mix design technology training in Hawaii.

This article will discuss the components of a JMF for dense-graded mixes. Let’s start with a discussion of the asphalt binder, the aggregates, and the ratio between the two.

FIRST CONSIDER THE BINDER Asphalt binder is the liquid asphalt cement (AC) added to the mix. The main purpose of the binder is to completely coat the surface area of the aggregate. This will waterproof the aggregate.

It is critical to use the optimum AC content in the mixes. Too little AC in the mix can leave portions of the aggregate uncoated. This results in a lack of durability and strength, and can lead to raveling or stripping. Too much AC in the mix results in a needlessly expensive mix, rich spots or bleeding, lowered skid resistance, and rutting or shoving of the pavement. In other words, the performance of the pavement depends on how much asphalt binder is in the mix.

Mix design methods are generally distinguished by the way in which they determine

the optimum asphalt binder content. The general process can be subdivided into: • Make several trial mixes with different asphalt binder contents.

• Compact these trial mixes in the lab. This compaction is meant to be a rough simulation of field conditions.

• Run lab tests to determine key sample characteristics.

• Pick the asphalt binder content that best satisfies the mix design objectives.

Once the optimum asphalt binder content has been determined, the voids in mineral aggregate (VMA) needs to be checked. The owner/agency specifications will indicate the required minimum VMA for your project.

VMA is the intergranular space occupied by asphalt and air in a compacted asphalt mixture. In a component diagram, it is the sum of the volume of air and the volume of effective asphalt.

When viewed as an equation, Vbe is effective binder and Va is air. The design Va is typically 4 percent, but the Vbe will vary

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mix it up

TOP LEFT: Bob Humer from the Asphalt Institute conducted a lab session during mix design technology training in Hawaii. TOP RIGHT: This is the Pine Test Equipment automated 4-inch and 6-inch Marshall Stability & Flow press with recorder. Also pictured is a 4-inch Marshall Stability & Flow compression (breaking) head with a Marshall specimen. BOTTOM LEFT: Here you see HMA mix specimens, with OGFC specimens on the left and dense-graded mix specimens on the right. BOTTOM RIGHT: This Barnsted-Thermolyne 18-cubic-foot drying and heating oven has several samples and specimens of mix being heated and aged for testing. depending on the size of the aggregate. The aggregates used in finer mixes have more surface area than the larger aggregates used in coarser mixes; therefore, the finer the mix, the higher the VMA requirement. The owner/agency specifications will indicate the required minimum VMA for your project.

We also measure the voids filled with asphalt (VFA). This is the percent of VMA that is filled with AC. If the voids that are full of AC are too few, the pavement won’t hold up.

In other words, if the VFA is too low, that’s an indication that there isn’t enough asphalt to provide durability.

Meeting both the VMA and VFA is critical to the success of a job mix.

NOW CONSIDER THE AGGREGATES The specification will have a gradation requirement for the mix. The requirements

16 // May 2019

are established to provide the proper proportion of different aggregate sizes that will allow the aggregates to make an excellent interlocking structure. Not only do the aggregates have to meet a specified gradation, they must also meet consensus aggregate properties and source aggregate properties.

Consensus aggregate properties include the coarse aggregate angularity, the fine aggregate angularity, the flat and elongated particles and the clay content.

The source aggregate properties include the toughness and soundness, which both serve a purpose. The deleterious materials found in the source also matter.

Another consideration is the moisture sensitivity of the mix, which affects its propensity for stripping. If the propensity for stripping is high, an anti-stripping agent will need to be added during the mixing process.

Lastly, when preparing the JMF submittal, you will determine the unit weight of the mix. This is important for production and the contractor will use this to determine yield when paving.

As mentioned above, the specifications tell you what to submit. Each owner/agency has rules and requirements you have to adhere to. When you have the JMF submittal ready, double-check it to make sure it’s complete and to make sure it complies with the agency’s specification. You can get more information from the Asphalt Institute’s MS-2 Asphalt Mix Design Methods, 7th edition book. The manual is considered the basis for mix design. Above all else, make sure you have followed your agency’s spec.

– BY JON YOUNG AND SANDY LENDER

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Training

The project manager might assume the trucking foreman will order the correct number of trucks for the job. But have the right people discussed tonnage and production? Does the trucking foreman truly know how many trucks will be needed today versus tomorrow? Does the trucking foreman or paving superintendent have the plant operator’s cell phone number to call and check on trucks throughout the shift? Don’t assume the truck guy has this under control; work and communicate together before there’s a gap in delivery that messes with your quality. Photo courtesy Larry Trojak of Trojak Communications.

Train Workers to Plan Ahead Without Assuming When you arrive at the paving (or pavement maintenance) project first thing on a Monday morning, you pull up to see a vacant lot or a long stretch of road in need of your work. What’s missing? Are all the pieces of equipment you need on site? Has anyone walked the project yet, measuring and marking the lines so each equipment operator knows where to work? Did you assume that would be taken care of before you arrived, or is that part of your job responsibilities? Better yet, did the worker responsible for painting lines show up for the job at all?

When you’ve been paving for two or three hours on a state project, moving down the highway at a consistent speed, getting great densities behind the screed, you’re not expecting something to go wrong. You assume the plant is still running. Which member of the team is responsible for calling to make sure? You can’t assume the plant folks will call you.

Many times, we assume the project manager is taking care of all parts of the project,

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18 // May 2019

but he’s not. The superintendent and foremen have their duties as well. Between the project management and the superintendent, you need to decide up front who has the orders of business. Usually the project manager takes care of the subs on the project, but you want to make sure.

We assume each person is coming to work, but no one told us the paver operator called in sick or two of the laborers weren’t on the schedule for today.

We assume each person knows what to do when he or she arrives, but that’s not always the case. For example, if no one taught the screed operator that he is responsible for cleaning the screed and hanging it up Friday night, you could show up Monday morning to find the screed gobbed up with material and rust from a weekend of dew and dampness. Or, if no one told the tack truck driver to get to the job 20 minutes earlier than the first haul truck, that fellow will be late and the material may be cold.

With pricy, perishable material and tight competition out there, we can’t afford to

assume all workers have been taught what to do. We have a lot of new workers coming on. We can’t assume any of the project details are being performed by other members of the crew. We have to take responsibility to teach and train, and we have to take responsibility for our own duties as well.

Here are a few of the common tasks that slip through the cracks. Have you assigned these tasks to specific members of your crew?

Consider who has the keys for the paver and its control panel lockout boxes. Who has the key for the padlocks?

When the lowboy driver drops equipment off for the project, someone has— hopefully—shared with him how to line up the equipment for the job. See the article on https://theasphaltpro.com/articles/stagepaving-equipment-multi-day-commercialprojects/ for a great guide to staging equipment. Once he’s done his job, the lowboy driver will leave, assuming the paver operator has the keys for the paver and the roller operators have keys for their machines,

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Don’t assume someone else has heated up the screed before the first truck charged the hopper.

When you have a head of material ready to flow is not the time to realize the screed is cold.

This is the screed operator’s responsibility, but the paver operator can assist and the paving foreman has the authority to double-check it.

If you’re the owner of the company, don’t assume the managers are conducting safety meetings.

Make sure of it. You can track safety meetings with paper records or safety apps that require participation signatures. You want to start each shift—or at least each new project—with a safety meeting and plan, the way this team does. Photo courtesy John Ball of Top Quality Paving. and so on. In other words, he leaves with his sets of keys.

Did anyone tell the paver, roller and other equipment operators that they are responsible for bringing the keys with them to the job? Or is that the foreman’s job at your company? Don’t assume everyone knows; make sure before the project is delayed by something as simple as “who has the keys?”

20 // May 2019

Also figure out ahead of time who will be responsible for bringing the cables for automation. Who will have the cables, control heads, wires and the box?

Which member of the crew knows where the straightedge is? While some crews have built a ledge for it on the back of the screed, not all crews have this in place. Maybe the straightedge is in the foreman’s truck, or

maybe it’s back at the mechanic’s shed because no one was assigned the job of putting it in the truck. Someone needs to take responsibility for putting it back in the truck as well so it’s not left at the side of the road. Don’t assume someone took care of that; make sure.

Which member of the crew brought the starter plates? They should be on the paver, but don’t assume someone else put them there. Make sure that task is assigned and taken care of.

If the mechanic is in charge of installing the hopper insert, who’s in charge of double-checking that it’s chained in? I’ve seen terrible messes when the hopper insert falls out. Don’t assume everything is in working order; instead, take the time to walk around the paver before the shift starts and make sure the straightedge, starter plates and depth rods are on board, and the hopper insert is chained in, etc.

Someone on your crew is responsible for fueling the paver before the shift begins as well. Is that the paver operator, or is that one of the laborers? Some companies have ENGINEERING a fuel truck that arrives and takes care of filling machines prior to work start.

Then who’s responsible for getting the gasoline and propane tanks for the auxiliary equipment such as plate compactors, generators, light sets, blowers and other such power tools? If that person hasn’t been trained to bring the filled,ENGINEERING secured and labeled gas cans to the site and to fill the power tools of the trade before the shift starts, you’ll find your crew waiting on fuel more than once throughout the day. Don’t assume the plate compactor has gas or water. Make sure. Make sure one of the laborers knows it’s his job to keep these pieces of equipment readyENGINEERING for service at a moment’s notice.

Consider who puts in the order for the mix. Of course you must be sure someone called to order the asphalt for the day, but you also need to be sure that person requested the correct mix design and tonnage. That goes hand in hand with delivery.

What kind of trucks do you have lined up ENGINEERING for the project? How many of each type do you have coming to the job? You will want to make sure someone is responsible for managing the trucks, for communicating the directions for the route to the drivers, for

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Training

Don’t assume the plate compactor has fuel and water in its tanks. Make sure one of the laborers knows that it’s his job to keep these pieces of equipment ready for service or you’ll find yourself stopped and waiting for someone to find a full gas can or water jug right when you need them most. Photo courtesy John Ball of Top Quality Paving.

When the lowboy driver drops equipment off for the project, make sure he knows how to line up the equipment for the job. Once he’s done his job, he will leave with his sets of keys for the equipment. You want to make sure each equipment operator knows that he is responsible for bringing the keys with him to the job. Or is that the foreman’s job at your company? Don’t assume everyone knows; make sure before the project is delayed by something as simple as “who has the keys?” Photo courtesy John Ball of Top Quality Paving. making sure the drivers know the internal traffic control plan (ITCP), for making sure the drivers know where they’re allowed to clean out, and all the other important aspects of the job. Download the free hauling and mix delivery white paper on https:// theasphaltpro.com/asphalt-mix-deliv-

22 // May 2019

ery-guide/ for some good tips, but make sure the responsibility is assigned to a person who knows what to do.

Another driver who comes to the job is the tack truck driver. Make sure he has enough material in the tank for the job.

If he doesn’t, it is his responsibility to

get back to the plant to get more. That will take time, so make the call in a timely fashion. The tack truck driver needs to take responsibility for having the right amount of material, for arriving on time, for heating to the right temperature and metering/spraying material to spec, and so on. Has he been trained for all of these points? Help him get proficient at the job he has to do, but don’t assume he’s been told what today’s project will entail.

Someone must take the lead and make sure he knows when to arrive, what material to bring, how much to bring, the rate to shoot it, where he starts, etc.

You can’t assume all these tasks have been completed by someone else. You must take responsibility for each of your assigned duties before, during and after the shift. The morning meeting—the toolbox talk—is when the super makes sure each crewmember knows his or her responsibilities that he’s assigned for the day.

Just as you can’t assume someone else has the fuel to run the generator, the plate compactor, etc., we can’t assume every member of the paving crew comes to the job understanding everything that is required of him or her. We must take the time to show new workers—and even seasoned workers who are new to the crew—what is expected of them. They will then be accountable.

Don’t be upset with a worker who doesn’t know it’s his job to assist in filling the water tank on the roller; instead, make sure routine equipment maintenance and care is part of that person’s new-hire training. Teach the basics.

Teach what is expected of the people on your crew. Teach them to work together as a team, caring for equipment and project details so you all come to each shift knowing your responsibilities and ready to pave a top quality mat.

– BY JOHN BALL

John Ball is the proprietor of Top Quality Paving & Training, Manchester, New Hampshire. He provides personal, on-site, paving consulting services around the United States and into Canada. For more information, contact him at (603) 493-1458 or tqpaving@yahoo.com.

Pavement maintenance

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Base and soil stabilization are commonly performed for the construction of new roads, but can also be performed alongside full-depth reclamation (FDR) ENGINEERING CONSTRUCTIO when all levels of the pavement have suffered damage.

Best Practices of Base Stabilization and HMA Lift Base stabilization is the process of improving the characteristics of the material upon which a roadway sits, including improving the structural capacity. This makes it a valuable treatment option in any paving contractor’s toolbox.

When performed properly, base stabilization can result in a homogenous, well-graded material with improved structural characteristics. By re-using materials on-site, base stabilization requires less trucking and material handling, which can

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reduce construction time and save money.

It also eliminates the potential for reflective cracking and can be used to adjust profile and cross slope and on roadways requiring widening.

Performing base stabilization properly relies on a number of best practices. Before we outline those, let’s talk about what base stabilization is, and what it is not.

WHAT IS BASE STABILIZATION?

Base stabilization might be required for new road construction, but is also a com-

ENGINEERING

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ponent of full-depth reclamation (FDR) when all levels of the pavement have suffered damage.

“The chief benefit of base stabilization is the potential for a longer lasting pavement,” said Kyle Hammon, product manager for mills, stabilizers and brooms at ENGINEERING Roadtec Inc., Chattanooga.

“A soundCONSTRUCTIO base allows you to just maintain the surface layer, so the lifecycle cost of the pavement will be reduced.”

According to the Asphalt Recycling and Reclaiming Association (ARRA), stabilization

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Pavement maintenance

Reclaimer/stabilizers can be used both as a recycler, to pulverize asphalt surfaces and base layers and mix in new binders, but also as a soil stabilizer, to mix in lime, cement and other stabilizing additives. can be done mechanically, chemically or with asphalt additives.

Each method begins by pulverizing the existing pavement layers and into the underlying base, sub-base or sub-grade layers.

That’s what differentiates FDR from other rehabilitation techniques such as cold inplace recycling, which typically affects the upper layer or layers of the pavement rather than the entire road and base.

The primary difference between base stabilization and soil stabilization is how much of the stabilized material is comprised of the former layers and base of the road versus soil beneath the roadway.

“Among contractors, the terms many times overlap,” said Matt White, North American sales manager for milling and R/S products at BOMAG Americas, Ridgeway,

26 // May 2019

South Carolina. “There’s nothing fundamentally different in terms of the process and application of those treatments.”

Let’s talk about the differences between mechanical, chemical and asphalt stabilization.

Mechanical stabilization uses the pulverized asphalt pavement as an aggregate subbase, while adding recycled asphalt pavement, crushed virgin aggregate, or crushed concrete for additional strength. This process can be used on its own or alongside chemical and asphalt stabilizing additives.

Chemical stabilization is most suitable for granular, silty or clay materials with a Plasticity Index above six, ARRA recommends, depending on the stabilizers being used. Common options include cement, lime and fly ash, to name a few.

Asphalt stabilization relies on emulsified asphalt and foamed bitumen as additives.

Asphalt stabilization results in more flexibility, compared to other base course materials and chemical stabilizers, and can be used alongside other additives.

STABILIZING ADDITIVE OPTIONS

According to ARRA, the type and amount of stabilizing additives is determined through core samples and soil survey information.

Depending on soil characteristics, certain additives are more popular in one region of the country than another. For example, White said, Florida usually uses cement to stabilize sandy subgrades, whereas Texas mostly uses lime to resolve higher clay contents.

“Lime can be used to reduce the plasticity of clay so it’s not so expansive and make it a usable soil,” White said. “It also has some cementitious properties.”

Cement, and also fly ash, are used to increase weight-bearing capacity. However, since fly ash is usually obtained through the coal burning process, its use depends on availability in any given area. Asphalt emulsion and foamed bitumen can increase weight-bearing capacity, but also improve flexibility.

In some instances, White said, more than one stabilizing agent may be used simultaneously. For example, if the base has a high clay content, it might first be treated with lime and, later, emulsion or foamed bitumen.

Sometimes, different stabilizing additives will be used on different areas within the same project, if the soil characteristics vary widely from area to area.

Often, the stabilizing additive will be specified by the agency.

Hammon said it’s important for the foreman to speak to the inspector from the agency to talk about the additives being used and walk through the depth and composition of the existing materials. This is a good time to note areas where the pavement or soil composition may be different from the rest of the project. It’s also an opportunity to discuss the proper percentages of additive.

“The road authority or owner will have a specific amount of additive in percentage by mass they’re trying to mix in,” White said. The average amount of stabilizing agent depends on the soil characteristics and agent used, but White says it is normally between 2 and 4 percent of mass.

design. This will require communication with the agency to identify underground obstacles, such as utilities.

Forward speed of the reclaimer is also important, as it will affect the gradation of the material coming out of the machine. “If you move forward too fast, you’ll have large pieces of asphalt that can create challenges when shaping and compacting the final product,” White said.

According to ARRA, pulverizing the existing pavement and distributing the additive can be done in one pass or multiple passes. In a single pass, the reclaimer may pulverize the existing pavement and underlying layers while adding and mixing stabilizing additives.

PULVERIZE THE PAVEMENT

ADDING THE ADDITIVE

To ensure proper pulverization, depth and speed are key.

White said it’s important to ensure you are pulverizing to the proper depth so you are reaching all the layers required by the

The most common chemical stabilization additives, lime and cement, can be spread or directly injected, either as a powder or as a liquid slurry. Asphalt stabilization additives will be injected as a liquid. Often,

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Pavement maintenance “You can only process how deep you can compact. Most contractors’ rollers can compact around 10 to 12 inches.”—Matt White White said, slurry may be required in more populated areas to limit dust.

Stabilizing additives are normally distributed with either a spreader, a distributor truck, or metered through a system on-board the stabilizer/reclaimer. Hammon said you must ensure your equipment is properly calibrated, and that you are working at a consistent speed and depth to ensure you are using the correct percentage of additive.

“The optimum content [of the stabilizing additive] is a narrow range,” Hammon said. “If you use too much or too little, the strength will be reduced.”

In addition to distributing the additive, the contractor may need to apply water to achieve the proper moisture content. Since slurry is mostly comprised of water, additional moisture may not be needed when the additive is applied in slurry form.

“Moisture is key in all types of stabilization,” White said. For example, he adds, moisture content can change break time for emulsion. With almost all products, too little moisture can prevent proper compaction since the material won’t have enough lubricity to push those air voids out, White said. Too much moisture will cause delayed strength and pumping, when there is so much water in the material that, when pushed down, the water will push up other areas.

SHAPE, COMPACT, SAMPLE

Immediately behind the reclaimer, White recommends a smooth drum or pad foot roller, depending on depth. “A pad foot roller provides improved compaction in thicker layers,” he added.

Once a lane-width has been pulverized and compacted, the crew will shape the material with a motor grader before performing final compaction, normally with a smooth drum roller and then a rubber tire

28 // May 2019

roller to leave behind a smooth top for the surface treatment. ” The depth at which you are stabilizing will determine the size of roller required.

Typically, base stabilization ranges from 6 to 14 inches. “Our stabilizers will mix up to 24 inches deep, but you can only process how deep you can compact,” White said.

“Most contractors’ rollers can compact around 10 to 12 inches.”

According to ARRA, a typical compaction sequence atop a stabilized base course includes breakdown rolling with a single-drum vibratory roller or a pad-foot compactor. Intermediate rolling can be accomplished with a 25- to 30-ton rubber tire roller or smooth single or double drum vibratory compactor. Finish rolling is with a single or double drum roller operating in static mode.

Hammon notes that Roadtec machines change drum speed through transmission, rather than by altering engine RPM. The drum speed affects the size of material, and Roadtec says its method offers improved foot-perminute production and gradation.

Establish a rolling pattern early, White said. As long as the soil does not significantly change within the project, a single rolling pattern may work throughout the job.

“If the material goes from silty there to sandy here, you’ll need to verify density or possibly establish a new roller pattern,” he said. Intelligent compaction tools, such as BOMAG’s Economizer, can be used to establish roller patterns and identify potential areas of failure. “It doesn’t give you a density reading, but it will be able to tell them that one area is stiffer than another.”

Lack of quality control is the most common mistake White sees on base stabilization jobs.

The specified density of any given material is established in the lab prior to performing the job. White says it’s imperative to use a nuclear density gauge (or similar) to verify that the crew is getting that density. The frequency will be determined by the project specifications.

Perhaps the material doesn’t have the correct moisture content. Although a nu-

clear density gauge can give the crew a guideline, White recommends determining the exact moisture content by weighing back the material, which is done by collecting and weighing a sample and drying it until the weight stops decreasing. This can be performed as a quick reference on the job site or an oven back at the lab.

“Any issues with density are easiest to correct if you catch them right out the backSERVICE & ENGINEERING CONSTRUCTION of the machine and roller,” White said. “IfTRAINING the crew didn’t get density in any particular spot, they need to figure out why and correct it.”

TIME FOR SURFACE TREATMENT

Before applying any surface treatment,

ARRA recommendsCONSTRUCTION ensuring you haven’tSERVICE & ENGINEERING trapped any moisture in the stabilized baseTRAINING

course. It may take up to seven days for the base to cure, depending on the additives used, atmospheric conditions, and other factors, before the contractor can apply a surface treatment.

“With recycled roads, you often have to allow traffic back onCONSTRUCTION the road before you’veSERVICE & ENGINEERING applied the final wearing course of asphaltTRAINING or surface treatment, such as chip seal,” White said. But, by opening the roadway to traffic before applying the surface treatment, you’re leaving it susceptible to damage from traveling and turning vehicles.

“A thin seal, such as a fog seal, can help ENGINEERING CONSTRUCTION protect the top while offering a breathableSERVICE & TRAINING barrier to let moisture out,” White said.

“It’s sort of like insurance on all of the work you’ve done.”

White recommends being a bit more gentle when brooming any loose material off the top of a stabilized base before paving. “You don’t want to be so aggressive SERVICE & ENGINEERING with the broom thatCONSTRUCTION you start raveling thatTRAINING material,” White said.

Hammon suggests using a track paver on stabilized surfaces. “You’re working on what looks like gravel,” Hammon said, “so the more tractive effort, the better.”

Common surface treatments atop stabilized base courses include chip seals, slurry seals, micro surfacing, cape seals and coldmix overlays, and hot-mix overlays.

For the most part, the best practices of those applications do not change when they are applied atop a stabilized base.

– BY SARAH REDOHL

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product Gallery

World of Asphalt Production W

Whether it was on offer during the recent tradeshow or being launched separately from Indy’s cold-andsnowy few days of hustle and bustle in February, we gathered the information on what’s new for asphalt and aggregate production.

The somewhat annual World of Asphalt (WOA) and AGG1 tradeshow and conferences brought entrepreneurial minds and engineering efforts to one big location, that’s for sure. But original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) were launching technology and iron to enhance your bottom line before the co-located shows shined it all up for beauty shots.

For example, Gear Keeper of Ventura, California, didn’t have a booth at the tradeshow, but the company does have a new wrist lanyard to help with your safety culture during plant maintenance. The Gear Keeper® TL12007 is a new ANSI-121 compliant side-release wrist lanyard designed for small hand tools up to 5 pounds. The system is attached to the wrist by a loop and cinch Velcro strap and connected to the tool by 10-inch lanyard with a barrel lock. Productivity is increased by the company’s patented Quick Connect tool attachment connectors that permit secure, fast and easy connection/disconnection of tools, according to the manufacturer. This lets users quickly change out many tools by simply having extra lanyards attached to the tools and then unclick one tool and click in another. Additional lanyards are available in 3- and 10-packs. For more information, contact Gear Keeper at (888) 588-9981.

Here’s a showcase of what else is new to help you get more tons this coming paving season.

Ammann

Ammann Group, Langenthal, Switzerland, featured its asphalt mixing plants, light equipment and a RAP shredding machine at WOA. It’s a special year for Ammann as 2019 marks the company’s 150th anniversary. The business was started in Switzerland and now has operations around the world. It entered the North American market a few years ago with the introduction of key asphalt mixing plants, including those that incorporate high percentages of RAP.

30 // May 2019

The satellite silo system from Astec allows operators to establish a retail location away from the parent plant.

The ABP high recycling technology (HRT) plant from Ammann Group The Ammann ABP high recycling technology (HRT) asphalt mixing plant is designed for manufacturers who need to incorporate large proportions of RAP without sacrificing production capacity and quality. The ABP HRT plant features both warm and cold recycling systems that can be used simultaneously. The striking visual difference between the ABP HRT and traditional plants is the vertical stacking of the RAP-bearing components; the configuration is designed to reduce wear and sticking, and shortens the travel distance of hot RAP material. The plant has a production capacity of up to 440 U.S. short tons per hour and can use foamed bitumen, pigments and other additives.

Ammann also offers its UniBatch plant, ACM Prime plant and the RSS 120-M shredder.

For more information, visit www.ammann.com.

Astec

Astec Inc., Chattanooga, announced just prior to WOA its satellite storage systems.

“Stand-alone mix storage systems allow operators to establish a retail location within a transportation radius of the parent plant.

These storage systems enable users to expand into a location that does not yet justify a plant, while the smaller footprint of the silo system can accommodate installation at small sites that can’t support a full plant. Sat-

ellite silo system components include a truck unloading hopper (to receive mix from the trucks to fill the silos), inclined drag conveyor, long-term storage silos with anti-segregation batchers, traverse conveyors to deliver mix into the selected silo and controls.”

For more information, visit www.astecinc. com/SatelliteSilo.

Continental

Continental ContiTech North America, Fairlawn, Ohio, offers to its conveyor belting customers a more complete range of options by introducing a new non-stick compound solution called ContiClean for the North American market.

“This product is especially suited to customers whose applications require aggressive or additional scraper systems to remove the buildup of material adhering to the conveyor cover,” Chris Marchant, Continental’s product manager for conveyor belting, said.

“Excessive material build-up can transfer to other conveyor components like idlers, and that could lead to tracking issues and damage the conveyor belt and system. Scraping to clean this excess material off is costly and can lead to significant downtime. This proprietary ContiClean compounding solution works to minimize those costly instances.”

The ContiClean non-stick solution is specific to the top cover rubber that is in contact with the material being conveyed. ContiClean is available through Continental’s North American distribution network.

For more information, contact Anthony. digiacobbe@contitech.us.

Conveyor

Conveyor Components Company of Croswell, Michigan, announced the Model BSD (belt speed detector) is a “traction action” motion control. It is designed to indicate when a conveyor belt has slowed or quit moving altogether. The unit can be adjusted as an overspeed, underspeed or zero speed control. The output of the Model BSD can be wired into a PLC or DCS, or to the optional RMS controller (or MSD controller) which has a DP/DT relay to control up to two separate circuits, one for machinery shutdown and one for an alarm.

The Model BSD can shut down rotating equipment before damage is encountered.

It provides protection for interlocked conveyor belts. The standard construction is a mild steel/carbon steel frame with safety yellow polyester powder coating.

The main advantages of the Model BSD are no drilling or tapping of tail pulley shaft required, the unit is shielded between top and bottom of conveyor belt, and the unit can be placed anywhere on the conveyor belt.

For more information, contact (800) 2333233 or info@conveyorcomponents.com.

Delair

Delair, headquartered in Toulouse, France, unveiled in February its Delair Aerial Intelligence, which is a comprehensive platform for converting drone-based images into actionable business insights. The cloud-based solution provides an integrated workflow to manage, analyze and share data, streamlining the process for unlocking the potential of aerial surveying.

It uses a hardware-agnostic platform.

The company offers a scalable platform and broad portfolio of analytics to let producers implement a digital transformation of their assets from data collected by drones of any type.

The Delair Aerial Intelligence platform provides tools for visualizing, measuring and storing data. Intuitive commands allow the user to visualize a site in 2D or 3D and includes support for orthophotography, slope maps, digital surface models and 3D models. Measurement is made quick and simple with integrated toolsets for calculating length, determining an area size, or calculating stockpile volumes.

Real-time collaboration is enabled in the platform through annotation features, integrated conversation threads and instant notifications from team members. It allows drone data to be overlaid with other geospatial data, supporting popular commercial formats and allowing data to be easily exported to a range of industry-standard software suites and reporting formats.

For more information visit to www.delair.aero.

Hotmix

Hotmix Parts & Service, Louisville, Kentucky, offers the Tank Monitor to safely and accurately measure the level of liquids, fillers, dust and hot-mix asphalt (HMA). This is done without human contact with harsh chemicals or excessively hot materials.

“Determining the amount left in your AC tank with an antiquated lever and pulley system is a thing of the past with Hotmix Parts’ new Tank Monitor. This innovative piece of equipment makes it so that you never second-guess how much material is currently in your AC tank farms ever again.

“Through the use of this new cutting edge technology, the Tank Monitor is able to detect the accurate amount of liquid AC in your tank even in the presence of situations of heavy build up and volatile gases associated with asphalt storage. The Tank Monitor can monitor liquids, fillers, dust and HMA.” For more information, contact a customer service rep at (800) 826-0223.

Johnson Crushers

Johnson Crushers International Inc., Eugene, Oregon, has expanded its Kodiak® Plus cone crusher series with the new K350+. This mid-range model offers higher production with a smaller footprint.

In comparison to the K300+, the K350+ features increases in drive train, stroke, horsepower, weight, head diameter and hold-down force, resulting in an up to 10 percent capacity increase.

With the same bolt pattern, the new cone can be mounted in most current K300+ applications.

“We have been testing the K350+ for a few years, especially on portable plants, and it has far surpassed our expectations.

We are excited to release the K350+ to the market,” said Ian Pendergrass, product

The K350+ from Johnson Crushers International Inc. manager for Johnson Crushers International.

Like other cones in the series, the K350+ will feature an industry-leading tramp iron relief system, fully-protected internal counterweights, precision roller bearing design, patented liner retention system and 360° thread locking ring for consistent product quality.

For more information regarding Kodiak® Plus cone crushers, contact Ian Pendergrass at (605) 668-2524.

Kespry

Kespry, Menlo Park, California, announced in February its new Site Planning Toolkit designed to increase site profitability, productivity and safety. Kespry showcased the toolkit at the AGG1 Aggregates Academy & Expo, Feb. 12-14 in Indiana.

The new toolkit enables site owners, engineers and operators to drive decisions quickly. With the new toolkit, customers can create, track and analyze the progress of earthworks, extraction and safety work in their sites—all continuously updated via an autonomous drone flight with data delivered in as little as two hours.

“We’re using Kespry for site planning because we want as much accuracy as we can get,” said Rob Manatt, project manager, Wendling Quarries. “Specifically that’s helpful on pre-strip and post-strip projects. It gives us a sense of confidence knowing that we’re using Kespry and are within centimeter accuracy on our volume calculations.”

Key benefits and capabilities of the new Kespry Site Planning Toolkit include: Continued on Page 34

www.THeAsphaltpro.com // 31

AND YOU KNOW WE DO THIS...

You know Astec for durable, reliable equipment with proven performance. A pioneering team with decades of experience and a culture committed to putting the customer first has culminated in a range of options including drum styles, baghouse styles, and silo styles which allow you to configure the precise plant for your needs. Only Astec offers a complete line of portable, relocatable and stationary asphalt plants from 80tph to 600tph. Astec manufactures both Astec and Dillman brand equipment.

ENGINEERING

CONSTRUCTION

SERVICE & TRAINING

ENGINEERING

CONSTRUCTION

SERVICE & TRAINING

PARTS

ENGINEERING

CONSTRUCTION

SERVICE & TRAINING

PARTS

ENGINEERING

CONSTRUCTION

SERVICE & TRAINING

PARTS

ENGINEERING

CONSTRUCTION

SERVICE & TRAINING

PARTS

ENGINEERING

CONSTRUCTION

SERVICE & TRAINING

PARTS

ENGINEERING

CONSTRUCTION

SERVICE & TRAINING

PARTS

ENGINEERING

CONSTRUCTION

SERVICE & TRAINING

PARTS

ENGINEERING ENGINEERING

CONSTRUCTION CONSTRUCTION

SERVICE & SERVICE & TRAINING TRAINING

PARTS PARTS

ENGINEERING ENGINEERING

CONSTRUCTION CONSTRUCTION

SERVICE & SERVICE & TRAINING TRAINING

PARTS PARTS

SERVICE &

PARTS PARTS

Long-term Silos / Dillman Silo Sytems SERVICE & ENGINEERING CONSTRUCTION

PARTS

PARTS

No other North American manufacturer offers more options than Astec.

ENGINEERING

CONSTRUCTION

SERVICE & TRAINING

PARTS

4 DRUM OPTIONS

Double Barrel / DBX / DBXHR / Dillman UniDrum ENGINEERING ENGINEERING

CONSTRUCTION CONSTRUCTION

SERVICE & SERVICE & TRAINING TRAINING

PARTS PARTS

4 BURNER OPTIONS ENGINEERING

TRAINING ENGINEERING Phantom / Talon II /CONSTRUCTION Fury / WhisperSERVICE Jet & CONSTRUCTION TRAINING

2 SILO OPTIONS

2 BAGHOUSE OPTIONS Pulse Jet / Reverse Pulse ENGINEERING ENGINEERING

CONSTRUCTION CONSTRUCTION

SERVICE & SERVICE & TRAINING TRAINING

PARTS PARTS

ENGINEERING ENGINEERING

CONSTRUCTION CONSTRUCTION

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product Gallery • Timely tracking of earthworks and site status with elevation profile data—The Kespry Cross Section tool automatically generates elevation profile lines created in the Kespry cloud and can automatically compare that profile to data from previous flights or a design plan.

• Accurate material extraction planning and progress tracking with 3-D volume modeling—The Kespry Model Volume tool enables users to create a 3-D polygon when calculating the quantity of material to be removed for proposed excavation and blasts.

• Improved compliance and safety through ongoing tracking of haul roads, berms and other site features—The Kespry Compliance and Safety tool uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to automatically detect, monitor, and alert users of non-compliant and dangerous slopes, berms, roads, and benches throughout the site. This also helps keep employees out of harm’s way by knowing issues to address and avoid.

For more information, visit https://www.kespry.com/mine-planning/

Kleemann

At the start of the year Kleemann GmbH, a company of the Wirtgen Group, headquartered in Germany, was awarded two international design prizes: the iF DESIGN AWARD and the GOOD DESIGN Award for the jaw crusher MOBICAT MC 120 Z PRO and the screening plants of the EVO line.

The iF DESIGN AWARD has been regarded for 66 years as an internationally recognized label for first-class design. The jury consisted of 60 independent experts from over 20 countries. The award winners were selected in February based on the criterion innovation, functionality, responsibility and positioning. In 2019, the award winners include the jaw crusher MOBICAT MC 120 Z PRO as well as four mobile EVO screening plants from Kleemann.

The GOOD DESIGN Award presented in January is an industrial design programme organized once a year by the Chicago Athenaeum Museum for Architecture and Design in co-operation with the European Centre for Architecture, Art Design and Urban Studies. Industrial products characterized

34 // May 2019

Leica

The EVO screens meet the highest safety and ergonomic requirements. An environmentally friendly drive via an external power supply is available as an option. by a particularly innovative and well-conceived design are nominated. The Kleemann plants also convinced this jury.

The mobile jaw crusher MC 120 Z PRO crushes stone at a rate of up to 650 tons per hour with a maximum grain size of 1,100 x 700 millimeters. The plant has a diesel-electric drive. The crusher, conveyor belts, screens and chutes are driven electrically.

For even more environmentally sound operation, an external power supply is possible as an option.

The plant is controlled at a 12-inch touch panel by means of the intuitive Spective control concept. This permits, for example, the adaptation of the crushing gap to a new application with only a few commands. The operator is guided through the menu step by step. The well-arranged design of the machine follows the course of the material flow and permits easy access from all sides. Despite its size with a maximum weight of 83 tons, the plant can be transported in one piece.

The new MOBISCREEN EVO plant line MS 702/703 and MS 952/953 includes an intelligent operator panel for intuitive and simple operation. An environmentally friendly drive via an external power supply is available as an option. The design visualizes the functionality in a clearly structured appearance.

“The challenge is to adapt the machine to human requirements and not vice versa,” Kleemann’s managing director, Dr. Volker Nilles, said. “We are very pleased that we succeeded in doing this with the MOBICAT jaw crusher and the EVO screening plants.”

For more information, contact Mark Hezinger at markhezinger@kleemann.info.

Leica Geosystems, part of Hexagon, headquartered in Heerbrugg, Switzerland, and SVAB Hydraulik AB operating in Hallsberg, Sweden, announced in February they are releasing a new productivity tool for iXE3 and iGW3 machine control solutions based on SVAB’s Quantum Tool Recognition system.

Tool Recognition is a wireless system that automatically detects the work tool that is used on a construction equipment machine via Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE). The system can automatically identify which work tools are connected to the machine.

Marcus Grevelshøj, product manager for excavator and wheel loader solutions at Leica Geosystems, explained: “Some operators change bucket several times a day; with the Tool Recognition configuration, the risk of human error is eliminated. The integration with the machine control solution means the operator only needs to focus on one panel.”

With this system, the machine operator will not need to manually change settings in the Leica Geosystems machine control solution when changing work tools; this is now an automated process. The driver will also get a warning if a work tool without a tool recognition module is selected. This minimizes the risk of using the wrong bucket and the subsequent over- or under-digging and costly rework. Besides directly supporting the attached tools, the tool recognition system also supports standard tilt buckets and detachable tilt rotators.

For more information contact Fredrik Eriksson of SVAB at fredrik.eriksson@svab.se or Penny Boviatsou at penny.boviatsou@hexagon.com.

MINDS

A highway construction firm in the United States that operates many asphalt plants was using multiple asphalt plant automation systems prior to 2019. The various plant control software was not compatible with each other, making it difficult for the firm to understand at a company-wide level how its plants were performing in relation to each other, ensure production standardization and accuracy across its operations, and train plant staff.

In 2009, the company made the switch from its multiple plant control systems to the DrumTronic software for asphalt plant automation and control from MINDS Inc.,

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product Gallery Boisbriand, Quebec. MINDS’ customizable asphalt plant software was designed after consultation with plant operators to allow plant managers to get a quick and clear understanding of their operations, and handles everything from simple blending to total plant control.

The construction firm saw immediate improvements from switching to the MINDS software beyond the simplicity of having one plant control solution instead of several. According to a plant maintenance manager, DrumTronic was superior to the vast majority of plant software on the market in key metrics such as calibration, ease of operation, and overall plant production consistency and accuracy. As well, the plant manager said, the program offered far superior reliability for its plants.

The simplicity of use is thanks to the way DrumTronic was designed to communicate all the metrics that operators need to understand, to prevent confusion and misinterpretation of data. MINDS prioritized symbolizing information clearly, such as how delays and timing can be shown over a graphic representation of material flow and plant, in order to save operators from having to look at overwhelming collections of numbers.

By standardizing on a system, the company was also able to reduce the amount of time it was spending on operator training and orientation. Prior to using MINDS’ software, personnel would be trained on one type of plant control system only to be moved to a new asphalt plant and need to be trained again on a new system. With DrumTronic, the company had the ability to move personnel from plant to plant without re-training. The MINDS system is highly customizable and has a consistent interface on drums, batches, hybrids plants or even bitumen terminals and emulsion

MINDS’ DrumTronic asphalt plant automation and control software screen 36 // May 2019

plants, “When they opened the door in the control house, it was an identical screen that they had from their old plant,” said the plant maintenance manager. With more than 30 personnel who would need to know how to operate the plant software, this was a huge time savings.

The firm has been using MINDS’ DrumTronic for 10 years now.

For more information, contact (866) 938-1124.

PHCo

Process Heating Company, Seattle, offers its Lo-Density® Hot Oil Circulating Heater systems to provide automatically controlled, even-temperature heat-transfer fluid. The systems offer unique benefits for asphalt plants, including lower operating costs, improved product quality, reduced maintenance, longer heater life and enhanced sustainability, according to the manufacturer. With the PHCo indirect heating systems, heat from electric energy is transferred to the oil, which then carries it to the area or process where it is needed. Using PHCo’s unique Lo-Density patented CoilLock-design heating elements, which reside within a drywell, the units dissipate controlled heat as low as eight watts per square inch on the heater’s sheath. This is designed to eliminate coking or carbonization of the transfer oil. Because the drywell-style elements are accessible from outside of the system, they also may be serviced without draining the heater.

Each Hot Oil Circulating Heater is a complete system that includes a properly sized, vented expansion tank with a sight glass and a low-level shut-off switch. Like all fluids, heat transfer oil expands when heated. The expansion varies with the temperature to which it is heated. For example, 100 gallons of oil at 50° F will expand to 114 gallons when heated to 450° F. The expansion tank permits expansion of oil as it is heated, without exposing hot oil to air. It functions as an oil seal to accommodate the increased volume of expanded oil in a quantity of colder oil, which comes into contact with a limited amount of air. The low temperature of the oil seal will contribute to the long service life of the oil. A secondary function of the expansion tank is to provide a means for the escape or intake of air as the oil level in the tank rises and falls.

The hot oil heater from Process Heating Company The system also includes an exchanger built to ASME standards, covered with high density insulation and an aluminum jacket.

There is a motor-driven, special high-temperature centrifugal pump for circulating heat transfer oil, and a UL-listed industrial control panel in a weatherproof enclosure, with standards that include a programmable time clock for early morning startup, main indicating controls, and over-temperature controls. Also contained in the package are additional features on these heaters, including a strainer for easy cleaning, shut-off valves for the system and the fill lines, and strategically located air purge valves to assist in filling the system. PHCo Hot Oil Circulating Heater systems are completely pre-wired, pre-plumbed, and ready for installation.

With fluctuating energy prices, efficiency becomes critical to the cost of doing business. One PHCo customer, F&R Asphalt of Easley, South Carolina, replaced its diesel-fired hot oil with a PHCo electric hot oil heater in 2009. The diesel system had burned 800 gallons of fuel per week, and F&R Asphalt was paying $4.00 per gallon—resulting in weekly fuel costs of $3,200 (an annual cost of $166,400). After switching to the PHCo electric hot oil heater, the customer was able to reduce heating costs to $210.10 daily, for an annual cost of $76,686—and an annual savings of $89,714.

Given today’s energy costs, with diesel fuel at approximately $3.00 per gallon and industrial electricity costs at about the same as 10 years ago, the data is still relevant.

For more information about Process Heating Company’s entire line of electric heating systems, call 866-682-1582 or visit www.processheating.com.

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ALASKA’S RAPID RESPONSE TO ROAD DAMAGE

O

On November 30, 2018, Shannon McCarthy was at the maintenance and operation station for the city of Anchorage, Alaska.

Media Liaison for the Alaska Department of Transportation, McCarthy was scheduled to meet a local reporter there at 8:30 a.m. for a story about salt brine.

As she walked toward the building at 8:29 a.m., she heard a loud sound.

“I knew that either a 747 jet was landing on me, or it was an earthquake,” McCarthy said. It was a 7.0-magnitude earthquake.

According to the Earthquake Magnitude Scale, anything between a 7.0 and a 7.9 is considered a major earthquake.

After the quake, Anchorage’s own maintenance crews immediately jumped into their trucks to inspect roads and bridges.

38 // May 2019

BY SARAH REDOHL

Reports of damage began to flood in. Some of the DOT’s own offices were damaged in the quake, so McCarthy worked from the maintenance station while the emergency response team convened in the DOT’s main conference room.

“Our phones and our Internet wasn’t very reliable, so the communications staff from Fairbanks, which was outside the emergency area, stepped in to help with the website, social media and press releases,” McCarthy said. “Then, we started getting the word out on social media, by participating in interviews on the news, and doing whatever we could.”

McCarthy worked from the maintenance station until a little after 11 a.m., when she headed back to the main office via the route

recommended by the maintenance crews.

On her way, she saw crews already beginning to stage equipment at the repair sites.

“Seeing them out there working right away makes you very prideful of your community,” McCarthy said. “Everyone wanted to pitch in. It’s a great feeling.”

Scope of Damage

All told, there were more than 170 different sites of damage, including eight locations where traffic completely stopped and had to be re-routed. Three of those sites were major routes that had to be closed down due to the scope of the damage.

“Many other sites were minor enough that we could perform quick fixes on them and keep traffic moving,” McCarthy said.

LEFT: Sinkholes had developed on Glenn Highway and an off-ramp of Minnesota Drive, used to access Anchorage International Airport. Photos of a red SUV stranded on an island of road were widely circulated in the news at the time. Photo courtesy of Alaska Aerial Media. ABOVE: McCarthy said the contracting community began calling to ask how they could help within minutes of the earthquake. Photo courtesy of Alaska DOT&PF. Seward Highway, between mile markers 104 and 114, was damaged by a major rock slide. “Enough material came down that we had to close the roads for the safety of the public,” McCarthy said. “Some of the rocks that fell even pierced the asphalt.”

The urban section of Seward Highway also had areas that had rippled so badly that motorists couldn’t safely drive at highway speeds.

Sinkholes had developed on Glenn Highway and an off-ramp of Minnesota Drive, used to access Anchorage International Airport. This particular section of damage became the source of some of the most widely circulated photos from the quake, including one of a red SUV stranded on an island of road surrounded by sinkholes.

Due to a presidential emergency declaration, the Federal Highway Administration quickly released $5 million to the Alaska DOT to immediately begin to perform the repairs. In total the FHWA released $25 million.

“Within minutes of the earthquake, the contracting community began calling in to ask how they could help,” McCarthy said.

“Because everyone had experienced the same emergency, we were all very aware of what was going on.”

The DOT’s first question was to ask each company what their capability was. “That’s a very important question because lots of companies are in winter mode,” McCarthy said. “Staff are on vacation, equipment is covered in snow and ice. We needed to know how many people and what equipment they could get to the sites, and how quickly.”

With the emergency declaration approved, the DOT was able to tell crews immediately where to go and the DOT staff would meet them there to establish a plan.

“Our contract staff were writing contracts up as the crews were performing the work,” McCarthy said. “We would not have been able to get started so quickly if we didn’t have a good working relationship with the contractors. They were really supportive. It’s their community, too.”

One of those contractors was Knik Construction, Anchorage.

Contractors Come Through

Shortly after the earthquake, Knik Construction President Dan Hall called the DOT to offer help. The DOT promptly called him back and asked to meet at the

Minnesota Drive Expressway. By 10:30 a.m., Knik’s crews were on the ground.

“People walked out of homes that were in total disarray and away from their families to help the department and their community so their neighbors could get their lives back in order,” Hall said. Hall himself headed to the jobsite with broken possessions scattered across the floor of his house.

Not only did the DOT rely on crews showing up to the job sites, but also on asphalt plants—all of which were shut down for the season—starting up quickly.

For example, QAP, Anchorage, immediately brushed the snow off their plant, checked for any damage, and turned it on.

Within four days, they were supplying asphalt to Knik’s job on the Minnesota Drive Expressway just four minutes from their asphalt plant.

Before starting any work, Knik had to move some dirt and build up a ramp to tow the car stranded on an asphalt island surrounded by sinkholes. Then, they brought in an excavator to bust the pavement into chunks and pull the pavement apart for reuse. During that process, they found a broken culvert pipe that needed to be replaced.

In the end, they replaced 80 feet of pipe, which was difficult with the frozen ground.

www.THeAsphaltpro.com // 39

LEFT: With the emergency declaration approved, the DOT was able to tell crews immediately where to go and the DOT staff would meet them there to establish a plan. RIGHT: Even after the initial earthquake, aftershocks and ongoing settling presented new issues, including expanding sinkholes and growing cracks. Here is a crack along northbound Glenn Highway. Photo courtesy of Alaska DOT&PF.

Immediately after the quake, Anchorage’s own maintenance crews jumped into their trucks to inspect roads and bridges. Photo courtesy of Alaska DOT&PF.

To perform the work, asphalt producers had to fire up their plants in the middle of winter and crews had to dust the snow off of their equipment and get it ready to work. Photo courtesy of Alaska DOT&PF. 40 // May 2019

Since the damage spanned all lanes, Knik had to pioneer a temporary road for haul trucks to drive on. Next, they hauled in 5,000 tons of gravel to fill the holes and build the slope. To do this, their supplier had to get to the middle of their piles of aggregate to access material that wasn’t frozen. They also hydroseeded and mulched to stabilize the soil so it would not be lost with the spring thaw.

Within four days, they were ready to pave. Although it wasn’t a big job in terms of tonnage--the 500-foot job required only a couple hundred tons of hot-mix--it presented its own challenges.

“Making asphalt and laying it at 25 degrees was a challenge,” Hall said. It was difficult to retain heat in this weather, so it was lucky that the asphalt plant was nearby.

In addition to getting the haul trucks there as quickly as possible, they had to get it rolled behind the paver as quickly as possible.

“With this being an emergency situation, there wasn’t as much inspection or surveying as there would be on a typical job,” Hall said. “These were not ideal paving conditions, but the product turned out really well.”

Knik worked alongside sub-contractor McKenna Brothers Paving, Anchorage, who helped truck in asphalt and pave. “It wasn’t a typical subcontractor/primary contractor relationship,” Hall said. “It really was a team approach.”

Planning for Permanent Repairs

Under emergency circumstances such as these, the FHWA gives agencies 180 days to perform temporary repairs. The Alaska DOT received a 60-day extension. However, there are some repairs that cannot be made until spring thaw, after the 180-day period and 60-day extension. Those projects will be approximately 90 percent federally funded and 10 percent state funded.

For example, the crack sealing will all be done this spring and summer.

“It’s very difficult to do winter construction, so we concentrated on all the major fixes first,” McCarthy said. “So much of what we did just aimed to get the road back in shape and make sure water isn’t going to get into the asphalt.”

Although the Alaska DOT expects the temporary fixes to be fairly durable, they do

“Making asphalt and laying it at 25 degrees was a challenge.

These were not ideal paving conditions, but the product turned out really well.”—Dan Hall

Within two hours after the earthquake, construction crews were already meeting up at the job sites.

Photo courtesy of Alaska DOT&PF.

not anticipate them to last for the 20-year lifecycle they would normally expect.

“Because they had to pave when they normally shouldn’t be paving and compact the asphalt on top of frozen ground, those factors are sure to reduce the quality,” McCarthy said, “but they are still well-built roads.”

As much as it is about the strength of these road repairs—and it is—overcoming the obstacles this emergency presented also showed the strength of DOT/contractor relationships in Alaska and the strength of the Anchorage community.

“The response to the earthquake is the definition of how hardy and caring and driven the people of Alaska are,” Hall said. “People are always ready to jump in and help.”

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42 // May 2019

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Correction I

In the January 2019 issue, we misidentified the blue smoke capture system in this picture from the “Ajax Manages New Plant Build” article. The photo caption should have read: Here you see the crew paving the site with a number of the components visible. The tank farm and piping from Meeker are at the top left; the drum and baghouse from CWMF are at the top right; the blue smoke capture ducts and housing are from Blue Smoke Control, a division of Butler Justice Inc.; and everything will work in concert with the SYSTEMS blend and TSC plant controls installed by Delta Services, who captured and provided this image. You can read the full article on https://theasphaltpro.com/articles/ajax-materials-corporation-manages-new-plant-build/. AsphaltPro regrets the error.

W H AT ’S Y O U R

BUT TON

Productivity?

Safety?

Material Quality?

Operating Costs?

Maintenance?

Sustainability?

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Compact the Path to a Specification Oscillatory rollers work on HMA bridge deck paving in Washington State

T

BY DAVID GENT, P.E.

The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) has long used relatively thin (typically less than 2-inch depth) hot mix asphalt (HMA) overlays, often in combination with waterproofing membranes, to protect concrete bridge decks from surface wear and moisture damage. For the HMA to provide an impervious seal and a good wearing course service life, the pavement must be well compacted—typically at least 92 percent of maximum theoretical density. The combination of thin paving depths and ambient surface temperature conditions on bridge decks makes achieving the targeted densities challenging, even with favorable conditions.

44 // May 2019

Adding to this challenge is the fact that WSDOT currently restricts the use of traditional vibratory rollers when compacting HMA on bridge decks. WSDOT’s current standard specifications now read: “On bridge decks and on the five feet of roadway approach immediately adjacent to the end of the bridge/back of pavement seat, operate rollers in static mode only.” (WSDOT standard specification 5-04.3(10)A, final sentence).

The “static mode only” restriction is due to the fact that traditional vibratory rollers apply vertical impact forces that can be transferred into the bridge deck and the bridge structure, poten-

Lakeside Industries, a WAPA member, stepped up to perform a new parking lot project with oscillatory compaction for demonstration purposes. They applied tack, paved and then used a Hamm HD+ 70i roller in oscillation mode.

AT LEFT AND ABOVE: Columbia Paving, a WAPA member, paved the Selah Creek Bridge deck. In these pictures, the team prepares to take off from the bridge seat and double-checks the work once the lane is under way. tially causing structural damage. The concern is amplified by the fact that many of the bridges that incorporate an HMA wearing course are aging structures, increasing the potential damage from vertical impact vibrations.

The combination of challenging factors encountered when paving a bridge deck has led to paving contractors using extra tools, time and resources in their efforts to achieve compaction without access to their predominant HMA compaction tool, the traditional vibratory roller. Most paving contractors find it necessary to add rollers to achieve more coverage in the static mode or to add a pneumatic roller that they would otherwise not typically use in their roller train.

Because bridge decks are generally a small portion of a larger paving project, the inefficiency of the altered rolling train adds to the overall cost of the project.

In an attempt to add a new tool to the paving contractor’s HMA roller train, the Washington Asphalt Pavement Association (WAPA) began to engage with WSDOT to study the possibility allowing the use of oscillatory rollers on bridge structures.

Oscillatory rollers impart compactive energy with a different dynamic. The roller drum oscillates back and forth rather than vibrating up and down, transferring forces largely along the horizontal plane, as defined in the How to Roll for Bonus, Part 2 of the series at www.

TheAsphaltPro.com. The resulting compactive energy is “softer” and more localized than is typically experienced with a traditional vibratory roller. Both the vertical dynamic force and the surface area influenced by the oscillation dynamic are greatly reduced. While the combination of vibratory and oscillatory compaction is generally ideal for maximizing compaction efficiency (most oscillatory rollers incorporate both oscillatory and traditional vibratory modes), success can be obtained using the roller’s oscillatory mode alone.

WAPA conversations with WSDOT began in earnest in mid2016 when WSDOT committed to updating its HMA paving on bridge decks construction standards in an attempt to increase the service life on bridge deck HMA overlays (see WSDOT Construction Bulletin #2016-05). WAPA and WSDOT representatives, from both the Construction and Bridge/ Structures divisions, began a dialog on what was needed to achieve extended service life for bridge deck HMA overlays given the restrictions on the use of vibratory rollers.

The most obvious need was for better compaction options and oscillatory rolling was quickly identified as the most likely, readily available technology/solution, but WSDOT needed solid data to consider any change in its “static mode only” bridge paving specification.

As an action item resulting from the initial conversations with WSDOT, WAPA reached out to roller manufacturers and its sister state asphalt pavement associations (SAPAs) in an attempt to collect compelling evidence regarding the appropriate use of oscillatory rollers on bridge decks.

www.THeAsphaltpro.com // 45

The roller manufacturers were asked to provide documentation attesting to the appropriateness of using oscillation on bridge decks and the SAPAs were asked to provide the state DOT specifications from their states allowing the use of oscillatory rollers and, if possible, any data of how the specification was developed.

It quickly became apparent that, while oscillatory rolling has been widely allowed on several high-profile bridge paving projects, neither the roller manufacturers nor the SAPAs in the states that already allow oscillatory roller use on bridges had readily attainable documentation of the oscillatory roller’s dynamic impact on bridge structures. Because of this lack of supporting data, it fell to WSDOT and WAPA to cooperate to independently develop baseline evidence that could be used to validate the acceptability of oscillatory rollers for paving bridge decks.

The first step in this process was to demonstrate the vibration dynamics of an oscillatory roller and to do so in a safe (non-bridge deck) paving application.

With the knowledge that WAPA and WSDOT were anxious to develop baseline data to support oscillatory roller use, Lakeside Industries, which is a WAPA regular member paving contractor, expedited a demonstration project Aug. 2, 2018, in Lacey, Washington, using a Hamm HD+ 70i roller in an on-grade setting (i.e. paving a new parking lot). The roller from Hamm, a Wirtgen Group company, headquartered in Antioch, Tennessee, was supplied by Modern Machinery, which is a WAPA associate member equipment dealer.

Additionally, Dave Bell of Lakeside Industries commissioned a vibration monitoring firm to record various roller modes/types, thereby documenting the variance in roller dynamics. The vibration monitoring eventually recorded pre-rolling, static (steel wheel roller), traditional vibratory (steel wheel roller), oscillatory vibration (steel wheel roller), static pneumatic rolling and vibratory pneumatic modes. In a show of support for this effort, WSDOT sent four representatives to observe and discuss the demonstration with WAPA and Lakeside.

The field demonstration illustrated the different energy signatures of the various rolling modes. The WSDOT team could easily validate from simple observations “through the soles of their boots” that the Hamm roller in oscillatory mode (and, incidentally, the vibratory pneumatic roller) had a considerably less aggressive vibration signature than the same roller in traditional vibratory mode. It was also noted how quickly the oscillatory vibrations dissipated from the source, becoming nearly imperceptible within 10 feet of roller.

After observing the on-grade demonstration, WSDOT’s project lead for this effort, Anthony Mizumori, P.E., S.E. stated, “...we [WSDOT] think there is definite potential to use this type of equipment on some of our bridge paving projects.”

After reviewing the vibration monitoring data, Mizumori authorized a “next step” demonstration project for compacting with an oscillatory roller on a WSDOT bridge paving project. Integral to this effort was performing additional vibration monitoring during construction to evaluate the bridge structure’s reaction to the oscillatory rolling mode.

The end of the traditional paving season in Washington State was quickly approaching. WSDOT’s lead officials for this effort (Mizumori and Bob Dyer, P.E., one of WSDOT’s assistant state construction engineers) worked with WAPA to quickly identify a bridge project that was still scheduled to be paved before season’s end. In an

46 // May 2019

TOP: Here is the membrane on the Selah Creek Bridge deck, looking south.

BOTTOM: Columbia Paving used its Hamm roller in oscillation mode to get compaction on the Selah Creek Bridge deck. admirable display of cooperation, WSDOT rapidly identified an ideal candidate, Bridge No. 82/102S near Selah, Washington.

Not only was the Selah Creek Bridge scheduled to be paved in mid-September 2018, but the approved paving roller train already included a Hamm 120 HD roller, which is one of Hamm’s oscillatory models. Columbia Paving, which is a WAPA regular member, was very cooperative in working with the WSDOT team to execute the proposed demonstration project. WAPA, Columbia Paving and WSDOT representatives met on the evening of Sept. 14, 2018, to observe oscillatory rolling on a WSDOT bridge. The original vibration monitoring company, Pacific Geo Engineering (PGE), was contracted by WAPA to provide vibration measurement and a detailed report.

Mizumori personally traveled the 350-mile round trip to oversee strategic placement of the monitoring equipment and to supervise the data collection that would be critical in WSDOT’s

evaluation. The monitoring equipment was located mid-way between the first two structural piers on the bridge, a location chosen to magnify any possible structural resonance to the oscillatory vibration.

Pacific Geo Engineering placed the vibration monitoring equipment on the Selah Creek Bridge approximately where this red dot appears.

Knowing full well that the oscillatory vibrations were highly unlikely to cause any concerns (due to the on-grade rolling demonstration results), the bride deck paving demonstration and data collection progressed as planned and WAPA forwarded the vibration monitoring data to WSDOT as soon the PGE report was received.

There were many encouraging cooperative engagements in the process of evaluating oscillatory rolling for WSDOT, but the most notable result was the personal dedication of Mizumori to produce a detailed report that serves as the basis of WSDOT Bridge/Structure’s decision to update the standard specification to generally allow the use of oscillatory rollers.

Mizumori authored a 69-page report titled Oscillatory Drum Rollers for HMA Paving on Bridge Decks. The report chronicles the process summarized above and includes all of the relevant data that Mizumori’s team considered in evaluating oscillatory roller vibration. As a result of his efforts, the WSDOT specification was updated April 1, 2019, to read: “On bridge decks and on roadway approaches within five feet of a bridge/back of pavement seat, rollers shall not be operated in a vibratory mode, defined as a mode in which the drum vibrates vertically. However, unless otherwise noted on the plans, rollers may be operated in an oscillatory mode, defined as a mode in which the drum vibrates in the horizontal direction only.”

WAPA considers this specification update a satisfying result. It shows how cooperation in working toward the same goal—in this case, maximizing HMA effectiveness and service life for bridge deck pavements—can be successful when the right team is assembled. WSDOT and industry came together to maximize the quality of future bridge deck HMA pavements, to the benefit of all the parties involved and to the benefit of the traveling public.

Now…what about consideration of the vibratory pneumatic roller on bridge decks?

David Gent is the executive director of the Washington Asphalt Pavement Association (WAPA).

Author’s Note: While HAMM rollers were used in the WSDOT/ WAPA demonstrations, many other manufacturers build oscillatory rollers, including Sakai, Caterpillar, Bomag, Dynapac and Volvo.

www.THeAsphaltpro.com // 47

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On the trade show floor, tour guides from within the industry took the students around to various exhibitors. Jeff Austin from Brooks Construction, Fort Wayne, Indiana, led four students from Riverton Parke High School, Montezuma, Indiana, seen here, to the booths of Caterpillar and Kenco, among others.

“These are the type of hard working kids we want in our industry,” Austin said.

ASPHALT INDUSTRY’S SHOWCASE BRINGS TECHNOLOGY, WORKERS TOGETHER

A

Attendance hit a record high. Technology flowed from booth after booth. Educators poured information into ready participants.

The co-located World of Asphalt Show & Conference and AGG1 Academy and Expo held Feb. 12-14, 2019, were a resounding success. With 10,063 people crowding into the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis, it’s hard to imagine who wasn’t there, but if you drew the short straw to stay home and

50 // May 2019

BY ASPHALTPRO STAFF

keep the shop open, here’s a recap of good things you should know about.

First, the shows drew a large international audience this year, with all 10 Canadian provinces and 52 other countries worldwide represented. Attendees came from all 50 states, with the host state of Indiana sending over 1,500 folks. In fact, the Asphalt Pavement Association of Indiana (APAI), now led by Kirsten Pauley, partnered with

the National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA) to bring more than 100 high school students to the exhibit floor Thursday, Feb. 14, to consider a career in the asphalt and aggregate industries.

Dubbed #Ag2Asphalt Day at the show, the students are all involved in the organization Future Farmers of America (FFA).

“The FFA students are a great fit for the asphalt industry because of their work ethic

NAPA’s 2019 chairman, John Harper, speaks to more than 100 high school students who attended #Ag2Asphalt at World of Asphalt 2019.

The Wirtgen Group showcased a number of machines in its booth, including the Hamm compactors with Easy Drive technology and a new technology in the oscillatory drums to make maintenance easier for contractors. Photo courtesy Hamm. and experience around heavy equipment,” APAI Executive Director Pauley said. “They may also be looking for alternative career options, other than attending college.”

The FFA event at World of Asphalt was spearheaded by the APAI Workforce Development Committee, which was formed in 2017 to address the workforce shortage in the construction industry. It’s estimated that in Indiana alone, around 10 percent of the asphalt industry workforce is expected to retire in the next five to seven years.

The #Ag2Asphalt event at WOA consisted of an orientation session and panel session to learn about the asphalt industry and a tour of the trade show floor.

“A majority of the attending students knew very little about the asphalt industry,” Ryan Shotts said. He’s the asphalt superintendent from Brooks Construction and chairman of the APAI Workforce Development Committee. Shotts added that the panel gave students insight into how to get started in the industry, what training is required, and the benefits of a job in the asphalt industry, while the trade show floor tour “gave the students the opportunity to

converse with vendor representatives and see that the equipment our industry uses is similar in size and operation to the equipment used in agriculture.”

Since APAI began its partnership with the FFA, more than a dozen state asphalt associations have asked for information to connect with their own local FFA chapters to establish similar partnerships and events.

“Partnerships, such as the one between the asphalt industry and FFA, are a fantastic way to connect motivated youths with the many great opportunities the asphalt pavement industry offers,” NAPA President Audrey Copeland said. “It only makes sense to get the next generation of asphalt workers to [World of Asphalt], too.”

Although partnerships such as this could certainly help reduce the construction workforce shortage, it also introduces teens to career paths they may not be aware of.

Kevin Pluimer, an agriculture teacher and FFA advisor for Eastbrook High School, Marion, Indiana, brought 10 students to the #Ag2Asphalt event.

When he received an email from the Indiana FFA Foundation about the event, he

knew he wanted to give his students a chance to take advantage of the opportunity.

“It’s our responsibility to introduce kids to as many career opportunities as possible,” Pluimer said, “both within and outside of agriculture.”

According to Pauley, two of the teachers in attendance at the event followed up with her to receive more information about the industry and potential scholarship opportunities.

“I had at least a half a dozen students thank NAPA and APAI for putting this on and showing them this is a great opportunity for them after high school,” Shotts said.

“They understand that college is not for everyone, and now they know they can earn a great living in the asphalt industry.”

APAI will host another #Ag2Asphalt event in September with around 250 students to observe the completion of paving the FFA Leadership Center parking lot in Trafalgar, Indiana. The students will also listen to a panel about entering the industry and attend a career fair exploring the diverse career options in the asphalt industry.

Planning for the future took place everywhere around the convention center.

“It’s been a great show with a lot of interaction on the show floor and in the education sessions; this is where our industry comes together—competitors and peers, to prepare for future growth,” Kevin Kelly said.

He’s the president of Walsh & Kelly and the World of Asphalt 2019 chair.

“Whether you were here to learn or purchase equipment, attend the shows or our annual convention, valuable information and resources were shared to help participants get their businesses on the ‘fast track’ to success,” NSSGA 2018 chairman Randy Lake said.

Equipment purchases took place right off the show floor again this year. E.D. Etnyre sold a distributor truck, according to Region Manager Brian Horner. Mauldin sold its 3500 steel wheel roller, according to Brandon Granger. Roadtec had a number of machines it didn’t have to take home, including one going to a “local” customer.

“We sold many units during the week of the show,” Roadtec’s Vice President of Sales and Marketing Eric Baker said. “Tom Elam sold the SB-2500e Shuttle Buggy to E&B Paving in Indianapolis.”

“World of Asphalt has been a great show for us this year,” Daniel Friedman, director of marketing with Eagle Crusher, said.

www.THeAsphaltpro.com // 51

“The FFA students are a great fit for the asphalt industry because of their work ethic and experience around heavy equipment.”—Kirsten Pauley

From left to right: Walsh and Kelly Project Manager Edward Kammrath; Milestone Contractors Intern Ashly Reiman; Milestone Contractors President C.J. Potts; Rieth-Riley Construction Director of Human Resources Denny Hanna; Brooks Construction Asphalt Superintendent Ryan Shotts; APAI Member Services Manager Jaymie Hunckler

The shows offered more than 150 learning opportunities, anchored by the AGG1 Academy from the National Stone, Sand and Gravel Association (NSSGA) and the People, Plants and Paving Conference from NAPA. Photo courtesy AEM. “We’ve seen a lot of attendees with positive feelings for 2019 and beyond, growth with distributors to represent our products worldwide as well as customers signing purchase orders for equipment.”

The co-located shows provided more than equipment to ogle, of course. The shows offered more than 150 learning opportunities, anchored by the AGG1 Academy from the National Stone, Sand and Gravel Association (NSSGA) and the People, Plants and Paving Conference from NAPA. Don Gengelbach, the equipment manager at Mulzer Crushed Stone, Tell City, Indiana, spoke about AGG1 Academy & Expo. “It’s very important to see the latest technology, keep up with it and come to this show to network and learn more about the aggregates industry.”

52 // May 2019

Ben Everett with About Asphalt out of New Zealand came to the show primarily for the education.

“Even with many years in the asphalt industry, you have to stay up to date and relevant with your knowledge. Over time, with knowledge gained and lessons learned, techniques evolve,” Everett said. “I attended three education sessions and they are world class in quality and delivery. The presenters were excellent and related to attendees in a very collaborative way to get our attention.

Most importantly, the content was accurate, up to date and factually correct.”

Everett stopped by the AsphaltPro booth to have a visit about technology and techniques.

He also visited with industry consultant John Ball of Top Quality Paving & Training, Manchester, New Hampshire. The two will be

working together overseas in the near future.

Such connections make World of Asphalt truly international.

Industry support amplified the shows’ networking and knowledge sharing as well.

More than 30 allied groups from the United States, Canada and worldwide participated as official supporting organizations. The Indiana Mineral Aggregates Association co-located its winter meeting with NSSGA’s annual convention, and the Asphalt Pavement Association of Indiana conducted three special education sessions at World of Asphalt. Of course, AsphaltPro magazine is a supporting publication of the co-located shows. It’s part of this magazine’s mission to provide and encourage training and education to enhance the road-building industry. In fact, the online training course we highlighted at our booth this year does just that.

The Asphalt Paving 101 online course is designed as a back-to-basics set of lessons for the new paving crewmember or for the veteran crewmember who needs a refresher. The lessons are grouped in modules so you can have the crew—or an individual—locate and go over specific concepts if you’d like to zero in on problem areas. Online training is gaining momentum in all kinds of industries; if you’d like more information on this technology for augmenting your crews’ knowledge base, the option is now available.

Overall, the co-located shows brought knowledge and new tech to a huge audience in Indiana this year. The next World of Asphalt Show & Conference and AGG1 Academy & Expo will be held March 2021 in Atlanta.

The shows are held annually except in CONEXPO-CON/AGG years. The next CONEXPO-CON/AGG is coming up March 2020.

The shows are industry-owned and managed. World of Asphalt is owned by NAPA, the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) and NSSGA, and is produced

by AEM. NSSGA owns and produces AGG1 Academy & Expo. Get more information about the shows at www.worldofasphalt.com and www.agg1.org. Get more information about the AsphaltPro online training course at https://training.theasphaltpro.com/.

Meet the International Exec

Meet the International Exec: Eurobitume’s Siobhan McKelvey E

Eurobitume, based in Brussels, Belgium, is the voice of the European bitumen industry. First formed in 1969, the association promotes the efficient, effective and safe use of refined bitumen in road, industrial and building applications.

This year, Eurobitume is celebrating 50 years of working towards its mission.

“Our vision is to become the first reference for bitumen in Europe,” Eurobitume Director General Siobhan McKelvey said.

“By offering a central, unified voice for bitumen producers and marketers across Europe, we are able to provide information and clarity on technical issues as well as health and safety questions.”

Here’s how Eurobitume promotes the use of asphalt products in Europe.

Can you provide a short description of Eurobitume’s mission and the activities it employs to achieve that mission? Our mission is to promote the efficient, safe use of bitumen in road, industrial and building projects, and create a positive environment for sustained bitumen demand.

By offering a central, unified voice for bitumen producers and marketers across Europe, this provides access to an extensive network of experts allowing Eurobitume to provide information and clarity on technical issues as well as health and safety questions.

We work together with our members and local and national authorities to support the development and implementation of large and small-scale projects across Europe. We also work with government and regulatory bodies to develop and maintain testing procedures and safety standards, in order to ensure the highest possible quality standards in all bitumen-related operational activities.

This year is an important milestone as we recognize Eurobitume’s 50-year anniversary. “We enjoyed celebrating the occasion together with all our members, industry friends past and present, and stakeholders at our spring meeting in Brussels April 10-11, 2019.

54 // May 2019

TOP: From left to right, former Eurobitume Director General Aimé Xhonneux, Moderator Katrina Sichel, Eurobitume Director General Siobhan McKelvey, EAPA’s current and immediate past Secretary Generals Carsten Karcher and Egbert Beuving.

Do you have an annual meeting? We have two general meetings for members each year. Our spring meeting is generally held in April in Brussels, while our autumn meeting is held in different countries where we have members present in the month of October.

The 2017 meeting took place in Lisbon, Portugal, and last year’s autumn meeting was in Paris, France.

How many producer and/or contractor members are in your association? We currently have 13 core members, which include producers and/or marketers of bitumen with a presence in Europe, and 15 associate members, which includes organizations with bitumen product-, operations- or service-related operations, and relevant academic and educational bodies.

Could you share an example of what Eurobitume does to ensure the integrity of the road network in Europe? In Europe, the demand for bitumen is fundamentally linked to the spend on roads. It is a common goal, therefore, for stakeholders with an interest in roads to promote the need and benefits of a performance-based, well-maintained road network.

To this end, Eurobitume collaborates with the European Asphalt Pavement Association and also the European Union Road Federation on relevant initiatives.

What are the top two or three ways you have increased membership in the association?

Organizations choose to join and subsequently renew their membership of Eurobitume for a variety of reasons, including the value they gain from being part of the voice of the European bitumen industry. As a member they also enjoy exclusive access to Eurobitume’s wealth of technical and HSE guidance and expertise, and the opportunities membership offers to help them shape the future of the bitumen industry in Europe.

As part of our restructuring, a couple of years ago we opened up a new category of membership, associate member, to organizations associated with the bitumen industry that were not bitumen producers or bi-

How many people work for Eurobitume? Eurobitume has a staff of eight employees and consultants, who work full- and part-time.

TOP: Ralph Shirts from the Asphalt Institute Foundation speaks at E&E Event 2018. LEFT: Eurobitume President Christophe Jacquet speaks at E&E Event 2018.

We also organize and/or participate in best practice events, road condition and maintenance surveys, political campaigning and open forum discussions at a national level.

tumen marketers. This has proved popular and we now have similar numbers of core and associate members.

Could you share some examples of when your organization has hosted events to educate others about the need for additional highway funding, asset management and road maintenance programs? Eurobitume and our colleagues at EAPA took part in an important breakfast debate at the European Parliament in Brussels about environmental responsibility and innovation in the asphalt pavement industry.

At the Eurobitume spring and autumn meetings, we have seminars that focus on important topical areas. For instance, sustainability was the focus of the seminar at our 2018 autumn meeting in Paris, France.

How does Eurobitume work with associations and organizations from other regions of the world to promote the asphalt industry? Collaboration is a core aspect of how Eurobitume works. We have good working relationships with a number of organizations and associations around the world. In particular, we work very closely with the Asphalt Institute in the United States and the European Asphalt Pavement Association, EAPA. Eurobitume and EAPA jointly organize two major international events that are held every four years and take place two years apart. The Eurasphalt and Eurobitume (E&E) Congress has a technical program, as well as a large exhibition, and typically attracts 1000 participants.

The next one, which will be the seventh Congress, will be held in Madrid in May 2020. Visit www.eecongress2020.org for more information.

The E&E Event is a new platform, based around selected speakers and audience interaction, which reached approximately 400 to 500 participants when it was launched in Berlin in June 2018. The inaugural E&E Event, ‘Preparing the asphalt indus-

www.THeAsphaltpro.com // 55

Meet the international Exec and served as the President of Eurobitume until March 2018.

How long have you been the director general of your association? I became director general of Eurobitume on Sept. 1, 2018, on a secondment from Nynas AB. I took over from Aimé Xhonneux, who led the organization for six years and drove Eurobitume’s successful restructuring, national integration and significant membership growth.

From left to right, Gacem Benazzouz from Petroineos and Sergio Bovo from Alma Petroli are welcomed into the Eurobitume family by Jacquet and McKelvey. try for the future’, attracted delegates from a wide cross-section of organizations associated with the bitumen and asphalt industries.

They heard speakers share expert insights on six key themes: tomorrow’s world, tomorrow’s roads, tomorrow’s asphalt; financing solutions; sustainability; health and safety best practices and future trends; new technologies; and communication.

This event was created to provide a unique, highly-interactive platform for asphalt industry stakeholders to share thoughts and discuss ideas about how we can prepare our industry to meet future challenges. Each participant had access to an easy-to-use audience interaction device, Sli.do. This made it easy for delegates to have their own say, encouraged lively debate, and enabled real-time audience polling and questions-and-answers with the experts.

Can you talk about Eurobitume initiatives on a local level? In addition to our Europe-wide activities, which are run centrally from our head office in Brussels, our local representations in Benelux, France, Germany, Switzerland and the United Kingdom organize and collaborate on various national bitumen and asphalt initiatives, research projects and sharing best practice activities. They also help members with local issues regarding standards, regulation, health and safety, etc.

When were the national associations in France, Germany, Switzerland, the UK and Benelux integrated within Eurobitume? The

56 // May 2019

national associations of the United Kingdom, the Refined Bitumen Association; of France, GPB (Groupement Professionel des Bitumes); and Germany, ARBIT; were all integrated into Eurobitume in 2015.

The Eurobitume Benelux and Eurobitume Switzerland local initiatives have always been part of Eurobitume since their formation in 2008 and 2010 respectively.

The integration created an even more efficient and effective organization that has a stronger voice and is better able to represent the interests of our members from the bitumen industry.

Get to Know Siobhan McKelvey How long have you been in the asphalt industry? I have now been in the bitumen industry for 25 years.

Do you have a degree related to the industry? I graduated from University in Hull with a degree in business, with a marketing specialization. After four years at Colas Roads, where I was a product manager, I joined Nynas in 1993 as marketing communications manager for Nynas Bitumen in the UK. In 2001, I moved to Brussels as marketing and communications manager for Nynas Bitumen Europe. In 2006, I became the marketing manager for Nynas Bitumen and in 2013 I was appointed as marketing director. In June 2015 I was elected

What are your primary initiatives for Eurobitume? This is an exciting, dynamic time for the bitumen industry and I am committed to ensuring we review and refine Eurobitume’s vision, plans and priorities in accordance with the evolving industry environment in which our members operate. I plan to continue Eurobitume’s evolution and focus upon delivering even greater value to the association’s growing membership.

As the first reference for bitumen in Europe, Eurobitume will collaborate with other bodies on issues of common interest and build upon the successful introduction of the inaugural E&E Event in Berlin last year. The increased scope of members offers many opportunities for developing the Eurobitume brand whilst supporting its mission, and we will look to extend further our services and activities as appropriate.

What do you see as the most important part of your job as director general of Eurobitume?

There are many different key elements to the role, but ensuring that the mission of Eurobitume is implemented effectively in accordance to the expectations of the members is very important.

What is the most challenging part of your job? We are a relatively small team working on many high level challenges, so the engagement and input from the experts within our member companies are vital to ensure that we achieve results.

Advocacy of Eurobitume and ensuring that the voice of bitumen is heard within the many different arenas is a very important task, and requires a lot of time on relationship building and attending various events and meetings. Prioritizing this time is a challenge and to assist this we will review all our stakeholder relationships

LEFT: EAPA President John Kruse Larsen delivers the opening address at E&E Congress 2016.

RIGHT: MEP (Member of the European Parliament) Ismail Ertug delivers the keynote address at E&E Congress 2016. Ertug serves on the European Parliament’s Committee on Transport and Tourism.

E&E Congress has a technical program, as well as a large exhibition (seen here), and typically attracts 1000 participants. during 2019 to ensure we are gaining the most value for both parties.

What do you find most enjoyable about your job as director general of Eurobitume? Bitumen is often seen as a niche product within the wider oil industry and I believe this is why the ‘bitumen community’ has developed a strong alliance for achieving common goals to increase awareness of this highly specialized engineering material.

I sometimes refer to bitumen as #SMARTbitumen, as do others involved in this industry, because there is a very positive story and important role that bitumen offers for the future and I am proud to be able to communicate those messages to a wider audience.

The world is getting small and this can also be seen in the world of bitumen.

There are plenty of opportunities to interact, not only within our industry but also to extend relationships and dialogues wider across different stakeholders. I see this as a very exciting opportunity for Eurobitume in the future.

What has been the most rewarding experience for you during your time as director general of Eurobitume? Working in a motivated and passionate team with the support and encouragement from the membership is very rewarding.

It is still very early days, but the huge support and welcome into the Eurobitume family has been exceptional. This gives me further encouragement to take on the challenges ahead.

For more information, visit www. eurobitume.eu.

www.THeAsphaltpro.com // 57

international snapshot

TOP: The European rollout of John Deere earthmoving equipment focuses on two G-Series motor graders. The 622GP features a 12foot moldboard and operates at a weight of 42,060 pounds.

LEFT: The 672GP features a 14-foot moldboard weighs in at 44,040 pounds.

International Grading J

John Deere has introduced two popular G-Series motor graders to the European market via the Wirtgen Group distribution network in Germany and France.

The 622GP and 672GP will be available in these two countries in early 2019.

The introduction is a result of increased interest in John Deere earthmoving equipment following the Wirtgen Group acquisition in 2017. Understanding motor graders are heavily used in road building applications, the synergies between the Deere models and the Wirtgen portfolio, as well as the thriving French and Ger-

58 // May 2019

man markets were determining factors in bringing the machines to the continent.

The European rollout focuses on the six-wheel drive 622GP and 672GP models that feature Final Tier 4 John Deere diesel engines (6.8L and 9.0L), with 227 (169kW) and 255 (190kW) horsepower, respectively.

The two models were on display at bauma 2019, April 8-14 in Munich.

For more information, visit www.JohnDeere.com. – FROM DEERE & COMPANY

new tech

Maine DOT Scans for Performance The Maine Department of Transportation (DOT) is at the forefront of research on how to improve road pavement quality and extend service life. Officials there focus on improving both the material mixes used and how they are put down in the field. One recent addition is the use of GSSI’s PaveScan RDM, which is designed to measure whether there is uniform density throughout a pavement layer. Pilot tests on about a dozen projects show promising results; researchers believe the equipment will help contractors make adjustments to ensure pavement quality. Here’s how.

T

PAVE WITH A BUDGET

Every state faces road paving funding restrictions. The Maine DOT devotes a significant portion of its budget to roadway and pavement improvements. The state has a three-year, $2.3 billion work plan. In calendar year 2018, work included 48 miles of highway construction and rehabilitation at an estimated cost of $67.6 million; 356 miles of preservation paving estimated at $93.8 million; and 600 miles of light capital paving at a cost of about $22 million.

Dale Peabody, director of the Transportation Research Division at Maine DOT, explained that there is never enough funding to keep up with all the road pavement work needed. That’s why his team is constantly looking for ways to improve both the material mixes used and how they are laid in the field.

On the mix side, Maine DOT uses a variety of tools to test compacted asphalt mixes, including the Hamburg Wheel Tracking Device (HWTD), and the Asphalt Mixture Performance Tester (AMPT), a computer-controlled hydraulic testing machine that subjects samples to cyclic loading over a range of temperatures and frequencies.

They also recently began using MiST (Moisture Induced Stress Tester), a new method for testing moisture damage susceptibility of asphalt mixes.

As for the materials themselves, Maine has conducted research with hot in-place recycling (HIR); plant mixed recycled asphalt pavement (PMRAP) construction using asphalt emulsion and cement; and ultra-thin bonded wearing course (UTBWC) surface treatment, which nationwide research suggests reduces deterioration. They are also using thin hot-mix asphalt (HMA) overlays to extend the life of the pavement still in serviceable shape. Laboratory performance test equipment is used to ensure the mixes will last longer and be more durable.

They are also working on new lab tests that will be better at measuring performance with regard to moisture.

On the material laydown side, Maine DOT does the most it can to make sure the material is applied properly in the field. It specifies the equipment contractors must have, such as material transfer vehicles (MTVs). They also include ride smoothness specs to cut down on the undulations that would eventually lead to road performance issues.

Also included are specs for joints; thermal profiling with an infrared (IR) scanner; and use of intelligent compaction (IC) rollers, which facilitate real-time rolling monitoring.

60 // May 2019

In these pictures, the PaveScan RDM is set up with three 2-gigahertz sensors mounted on a portable push cart. Photos courtesy GSSI. “We began implementing quality control/quality assurance (QC/ QA) practices years ago, and we have trained and certified technicians sampling material on the roadway,” Peabody said. “It’s a continuous process, in which we have gone away from fixing the worst first to aggressive preservation practices. It’s just like how drivers don’t wait until a car breaks down before changing the oil.”

GET UNIFORMITY

According to Peabody, optimum pavement density is the crucial factor in increasing pavement life. “Optimum density reduces oxidation,

reduces moisture damage, and decreases rutting potential. It also offers improved fatigue life and increased load bearing capacity.” He cited past studies relating density to pavement life—the rule of thumb is that even a 1 percent decrease below minimum density results in a 10 percent loss of pavement life, which readers can learn more about in the paper “HMA Compaction Assessment Using GPR Rolling Density Meter,” by authors Rick Bradbury of Maine DOT and Shongtao Dai of MnDOT, published Oct. 17, 2018.

Peabody has found that segregation is the enemy of density and a cause of premature pavement failures. There are two types of segregation: mechanical and thermal. Unfortunately, segregation is often only identified visually and is a subjective value that is difficult to quantify.

It may not even be apparent at the time of construction, making it difficult to enforce contractually.

In the past, Maine has used nuclear density gauges to measure density, but has moved away from this type of technology. Contractors now use a non-nuclear asphalt density gauge for QC purposes, and cores are collected and sent to a lab to determine voids/density acceptance. “The downside of cores is limited sampling and not having real-time values.”

GPR SOLUTIONS

The issue of pavement density has been extensively researched as part of the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP2). SHRP2 eventually came up with two non-destructive techniques for evaluating asphalt pavements during construction: infrared thermal scanning and the use of ground-penetrating radar (GPR), which uses electromagnetic wave reflection to “see” through materials.

According to SHRP2 studies, GPR can be used to measure uniformity and potential defect areas in asphalt pavements during construction. It offers real-time testing of potentially 100 percent of the pavement area. Compare that to current density tests, in which typical random sampling measures only about 0.003 percent of pavement area.

GPR is a common tool for utility location, measuring pavement thickness and bridge deck deterioration. For decades, researchers have been investigating whether it could be used for measuring pavement density, but they could never achieve the level of accuracy that would warrant recommending its widespread use. In addition, the use of GPR technique previously required specialized equipment, a great deal of data interpretation, and a number of manual steps.

In 2013, SHRP2 funded work aimed at developing a streamlined GPR device that would provide real-time profiling of asphalt mix uniformity. The research was done by the Texas Transportation Institute (TTI), which worked with GSSI to develop the technology into the PaveScan RDM asphalt density assessment system. The non-contact technology uses a sensor that typically outputs a measurement each halffoot along the lane traveled, so a mile’s worth of data includes roughly 10,000 measurements for each sensor used.

To arrive at pavement density, PaveScan RDM measures the dielectric properties of the asphalt surface. The dielectric constant is the ability of a substance to store electrical energy in an electric field.

For example, air dielectric is 1.00059; asphalt aggregate is about 3 to 6; while the dielectric of water is 80. With new pavement, the mixture is uniform; dielectric variation occurs primarily due to the percentage of air voids, which directly correlates to density. The measurement is

based on the ratio of reflection from the asphalt surface to the reflection from a metal plate.

ON THE MAINE ROAD

Maine is one of several states that has conducted pilot studies using PaveScan RDM equipment. The technology uses one or three 2-gigahertz (GHz) sensors mounted on a portable push cart to scan up to a 6-foot width. Each antenna collects a continuous line of dielectric/ density. An onboard computer captures dielectric values, which can be correlated to core densities. Operators scan a pavement section and the device identifies high, low and median density locations. They take a static reading directly over each location, obtain cores at each location, and then test the cores, entering the results in the software. Correlation accuracy depends on obtaining core densities over the entire range of measured dielectric values.

To date, Maine DOT has collected data on about a dozen recent paving projects and found that the data aligns well with what they have seen in the field. Peabody said: “We were looking for a better way to ensure we’re achieving desired density ranges, since studies show that good density leads to improved service life. PaveScan RDM gives a much larger sample of the HMA mat and can be used as a QC/QA tool.”

It helped that Maine DOT had a crew that was already familiar with GPR, making it a relatively easy transition to get up to speed.

The crew found the PaveScan RDM equipment to be easy to set up and use. The only limitation they found is that the battery does not

www.THeAsphaltpro.com // 61

new tech To arrive at pavement density, PaveScan RDM measures the dielectric properties of the asphalt surface. last long enough for a full day of data collection. Other recent adjustments include a laser pointer that can be attached to the equipment to help operators align the scanning equipment, especially for use in night work. Operators found the extra lighting to be helpful.

However, Peabody noted that the technology has some boundaries. It is affected by surface moisture, does not work as well when temperatures dip below 40°F, and can be affected by mix constituents, which may happen with a change in aggregate source. Measurement accuracy for layers of less than 1 inch may be affected by the underlying layer, while layers that are 2.5 to 3 inches may be affected by density gradients within the layer.

Maine DOT is also looking for further enhancements. For example, some users are adapting the technology for use with vehicle mounts. This issue is one that GSSI is actively pursuing in 2019. Other items on the wish list are better ways of using the technology for longitudinal joints; incorporation into the Veta intelligent construction software—a map-based tool for viewing and analyzing geospatial data; and better data analysis of intelligent compaction, thermal profile, and GPR density data.

Peabody’s colleague, Rick Bradbury, has presented the positive results of the pilot studies at several SHRP2 workshops and has shared the information with New England DOT colleagues. He also recently presented the information at the 2018 Northeast Asphalt User Producer Group.

In this picture, the user shows the technology adapted for use with vehicle mounts.

SPECIAL FOCUS ON DATA ANALYSIS

While not unique to this technology, one of the key factors affecting whether Maine DOT would want to implement the technology statewide is the issue of data analysis. “Who is going to collect all this data?” Peabody asked. “If there are 20 projects, you can’t have just one crew collecting data. We have thought about asking the contractor to purchase the equipment and use it but we are not ready for that, because for it to work you have to have people who really understand the technology.”

Ultimately, he believes it would be best if this type of data could be collected in a moving vehicle; the vehicle could then go project to project and collect data. However, Peabody acknowledges that this approach would have a downside—the lack of real time data contractors could use to make adjustments as they are going along. “If they collect data but don’t look at it until the next day, that does not really give the contractor a chance to make adjustments if there are density issues. I’d like a way to share data with the project team in real time, other than only being able to show the display on the Toughpad.”

According to Peabody, the larger question that must be answered is how to effectively manage the data to make near-real time changes during production, and to get timely reports to project personnel.

“Currently, there is no good way to get data in the right people’s hands so they can make adjustments on the fly. There is a lot of benefit to hav-

62 // May 2019

After operators scan the pavement section in this fashion, the data can be processed as a line chart. ing that ability. They could collect data and then go back to specific points on the road. They could select locations of high and low dielectric/density and then cut a core there and send it to the lab to determine the actual density.”

GPR SURVEYS SHOW CORRELATION BETWEEN DIELECTRIC AND AIR VOIDS

The PaveScan RDM surveys show a good correlation between the dielectric value and the air void contents. Maine DOT can use the surveys to quickly identify and investigate low density areas and to check the compaction consistency. While data management is a huge effort, they believe the surveys will be very useful, in conjunction with other new technologies, including intelligent compaction and pave IR. – BY ROB SOMMERFELDT

Rob Sommerfeldt is with GSSI.

Here’s how it works

Step 1 Feed oversized material into the hopper.

Step 5 Cubical material is discharged off the front conveyor.

Step 3 The impact crusher sizes material.

Return Conveyor

Step 6 Oversized material goes over the screen deck, is transferred to the return conveyor, and is recirculated to the hopper for re-crushing.

Step 4

Step 2

A magnet separates ferrous material.

Material passes a pre-screen grizzly.

Rubble Master’s 120GO! W

When recycling on-site, paving contractors look for something quiet and compact. The team at Rubble Master, with headquarters in Austria, began its line of mobile crushers in 1991 to answer that need. Specifically, the RM 120GO! offers production of up to 385 tons per hour (TPH), depending on the spec material needed. Here’s how it works.

First, an excavator feeds chunks of material to be sized into the 5.2-cubic-yard vibratory feed unit.

That material passes over a 36-inch by 61-inch prescreen grizzly bypassing fines to the main discharge conveyor. Oversize material goes to the 46-inch by 32-inch inlet opening to the crusher.

The four-bar impact crusher reduces the material to a cubical product and sends it to the main discharge conveyor. After the material passes the impact crusher, a magnet separates any rebar and ferrous materials. Material gets conveyed onto a 5-foot by 12-foot on-board screen deck to produce consistent, spec product. Oversize material goes over the screen deck, gets transferred to the re-

turn conveyor and is recirculated back into the hopper to be recrushed. Spec material—such as ¾-inch base material—that falls through the screen box gets discharged in front of the machine.

Using approximately 8.5 gallons of fuel per hour, the mobile crusher is powered by a 400-horsepower John Deere, 6-cylinder engine.

As an option, the contractor can swing out the return conveyor for 90-degree stockpiling.

For more information, contact Rene Wagner at (219) 241-3820.

SHOW US HOW IT WORKS

If you’re an original equipment manufacturer with a complex product, let us help you explain its inner workings to asphalt professionals. There’s no charge for this news department, but our editorial staff reserves the right to decide what equipment fits the parameters of a HHIW feature.

Contact our editor at sandy@theasphaltpro.com.

www.THeAsphaltpro.com // 63

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

Libra . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Asphalt Drum Mixers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

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

Astec, Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17, 21, 25, 29, 32

Minds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19

B & S Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Pegasus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

CEI Enterprises . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 Chemtek . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 ClearSpan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 CWMF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 E.D. Etnyre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Fast-Measure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

Process Heating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Reliable Asphalt Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Back Cover Roadtec . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Stansteel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59, 64 Systems Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

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

Tarmac International, Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47

Green Patch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

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

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

Willow Designs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61

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Wirtgen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

AsphaltPro’s advertiser index 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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off the mat

Petrochemicals Diversify More than 80 percent of North American energy industry executives believe that locational diversification is needed in the U.S. petrochemical market, a recent survey found. Executives at major U.S. petrochemical firms including Lyondellbasell, Shell, Solvay and SABIC shared thoughts on the Northeast U.S. regional petrochemical market’s future and advantages in a Petrochemical Update Poll.

The Petrochemical Update Poll was given to U.S. petrochemical executives of major downstream companies; as well as analysts, government entities, and engineering, procurement, and construction firms (EPCs) in February 2019.

“Diversifying the petrochemical industry is a big advantage for the industry and the economy, the stability of the U.S. economy and thus national security,” Wally Kandel said. Kandel is the senior vice president and site manager for Solvay, and also the co-founder of economic development initiative Shale Crescent USA. “The drivers for investing in the Northeast are economics: lower feedstock cost and lower logistic costs.”

M

SUPPLY DIVERSITY

“The diversification is clearly identified in what happened during Hurricane Harvey,” Kandel said. “You can see where there was a lot of the economy that was stagnated because of the lack of availability of petrochemicals.”

Historically, natural gas prices have spiked when hurricanes hit the U.S. Gulf. However, this impact was less severe with Hurricane Harvey for the first time since major hurricanes severely disrupted natural gas prices previously in 2005, 2008 and 2012.

“Hurricane Harvey came in to the Houston Ship Channel and had a huge impact on the petrochemical industry, but it had virtually no impact on the price of natural gas because of the natural gas producing capability in the Shale Crescent region,” Kandel said.

Combined Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Nate had the largest effect on oil and natural gas production in 2017, reducing production in the Gulf of Mexico by a cumulative 12 million barrels of crude oil and 18 billion cubic feet (Bcf) of natural gas.

Previously, Hurricane Isaac shut in 13.5 million barrels of crude oil and 32 Bcf of natural gas in 2012. Previous disruptions in 2005 and 2008, caused by Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Ike and Gustav, had even larger impacts on Gulf of Mexico production.

“The same thing could be true for petrochemicals. If we have this hub and develop it, and it will take a while just like it did the Gulf Coast, but as we develop and create, it will create a path toward national security and stability of pricing from hurricanes that come through,” Kandel said.

Petrochemical projects would be located near the fuel needed to run the facilities: the low-cost natural gas resources in the Marcellus and Utica shales in West Virginia, Eastern Ohio, and Western Pennsylvania.

“A positive chemical industry outlook depends upon access to abundant and affordable energy, a strong U.S. manufacturing base, a balanced regulatory environment, the state of the U.S. and global economy, access to global supply chains, and access to export markets,” Kevin Swift, the chief economist for the American Chemistry Council (ACC), said.

66 // May 2019

Natural gas production has surged in the United States to 31 Bcf/ day over the last 10 years as a result of hydraulic fracturing in the shale plays. The Northeast area accounts for 85 percent of that growth, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA).

During 2020-25, the Northeast U.S. region, is expected to account for 16 percent of North American petrochemical investment.

In dollar terms, Appalachian petrochemical investment is expected to grow from $1.6 billion in the first wave to $13.6 billion in the next wave, according to Taylor Robinson, president of PLG Consulting.

The first major chemical project is under construction by Shell Chemicals along the Ohio River in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, 30 miles northwest of Pittsburgh.

Shell’s steam cracking plant will break ethane apart and reconstitute it as ethylene gas. Three production units will then link ethylene molecules to create polyethylene plastic pellets, a component of packaging and housewares products. Through the same process, propane winds up as polypropylene fibers and resins, turned into carpets and high-performance plastics.

“This location could provide a feedstock transport cost advantage, even if ethane prices rise in the next few years,” Kandel said.

Early estimates of the Shell project underway were that the project would cost about 105 percent of the cost to build in the Gulf Coast, and now studies show it will be about 107 percent, Kandel said.

“The economics the project will realize from the feedstock and logistical advantage of being closer to customers easily offset that,” Kandel said.

Shell’s plant is set to open in late 2021 or early 2022. It will generate an estimated $9 million to $12 million in income taxes and more than $3 million in local taxes a year, according to an analysis commissioned by Shell.

NORTHEAST PROS AND CONS

The biggest attraction to operating in the Northeast is proximity to customers (35 percent), proximity to feedstock (32 percent) and cheap feedstock (21 percent), according to the poll.

“The location is within a day’s drive of 70 percent of the North American polyethylene customers,” Kandel said. “There are logistical advantages based on not only the supply of the feedstock, but also the distribution of the polyethylene pellets.”

Producers believe the biggest hurdles to the Northeast becoming another petrochemical hub are the lack of pipelines (27 percent), construction cost (19 percent), harsh permitting (13 percent), and lack of gas storage (11 percent).

“The biggest hurdle is it takes a long time to change thought processes,” Kandel said. “For 75 years, the right answer was if I am going to build petrochemicals, I am going to build on the Gulf Coast. Getting that mindset change and raising the awareness of the opportunity in Shale Crescent is what we need to do.”

– BY HEATHER DOYLE

This article appears courtesy FCBI Energy Ltd., Wales, United Kingdom. The original publication was on analysis.petchem-update.com, Feb. 26, 2019.

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