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How to Pave Low Carports How to Construct a Greenroad Reduce Specific Rutting with HiMA Look at Employee Health & Wellness Find Extra Revenue in Curbs & Gutters
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CONTENTS
asphaltPRO November 2020
departments
44
Editor’s Letter
6 – Compassion in a Time of Coronavirus
SAFETY SPOTLIGHT
8 – Build a Resilient Mindset Helping leaders and employees handle the pressures of construction By Valerie Echter
MIX IT UP
12 – HiMA Reduces Studded Tire Wear Rutting By Tom Kuennen
TRAINING
18 – How to Pave Under a Carport By John Ball
PAVEMENT MAINTENANCE
22 – Wisconsin Job Compares Cold In-Place and Pulverize/Relay By Sarah Redohl
PROJECT MANAGEMENT
26 – BASF, NCAT Partner for Paving Trial By Patricia Presswood
WOMEN of ASPHALT PROFILE
22
28 – A Woman of Asphalt: Meet TxDOT’s Brenda Guerra By Sandy Lender
INTERNATIONAL SNAPSHOT
18
31 – International Prosperity From Bechtel
PRODUCT GALLERY
48 – Prep to Solve Wear, Safety, Monitoring Issues during Production
OFF THE MAT
56 – How to Drive Profits at the Asphalt Plant By Sean Rizer
32 –All Roads Tests Out New Tech By Sarah Redohl
NEW TECH
36 – Make More Project Money By Kris Moorman
HERE’S HOW IT WORKS
40 – Pike Paves Airport Smoothness for Years to Come By Flavia De Faria
58 –Luck Launches JobSight From Luck Stone 60 – Vacuworx’ SL 2 System
ONLINE UPDATE
63 – AsphaltPro Online
26
Feature articles
44 –Tacoma Builds Award-Winning Greenroad By AsphaltPro Staff
The Big Paving Issue
asphaltPRO PRODUCTION – PROFESSIONALS – PRODUCTS
• How to Pave Low Carports • How to Construct a Greenroad • Reduce Specific Rutting with HiMA • Look at Employee Health & Wellness • Find Extra Revenue in Curbs & Gutters
All Roads Does it First in Canada CIR vs P/R
NOVEMBER 2020 WWW.THEASPHALTPRO.COM
on the cover
All Roads completes the first job in Canada to use Topcon’s Smoothride technology, and the first job in British Columbia to incorporate a notch wedge joint. See related article on page 32. Photo courtesy of Jerod Willow
editor’s Letter Compassion in a Time of Coronavirus
Whether you agree with Rep. Wendy Ullman (D-PA) that masks are political theatre or not, the bullying taking place in cities in the United States when it comes to forcing people to wear a facemask lends itself to a dystopian horror story. On my way to the grocery store the other day, I saw a woman walking from her front porch to her mailbox with a mask on her face. Why, I wondered, did this poor woman feel the need to wear a mask to walk along her driveway, where she would encounter no other human beings? The answer, I believe, is fear. She has been taught to fear something out here in the world. That fear is costing the construction industry real dollars in continuing workforce issues and in lost project revenue. The results of a workforce survey conducted in June by the Associated General Contractors of America and Autodesk, paint the picture of a construction industry in need of immediate recovery measures and longer-term workforce development support, association officials remarked. AGC reported: “The coronavirus has undermined the sector’s productivity levels as firms across the country change the way they operate to protect workers and the public from the disease. Forty-four percent of responding firms report that it has taken longer to complete projects and 32 percent say it has cost more to complete ongoing projects because of the coronavirus. As a result, 40 percent report they have adopted new hardware or software to alleviate labor shortages they have experienced.” Looking for the silver lining, I’m reminded of Caroline Ingalls telling her daughters “There’s no great loss without some small gain.” Makers, suppliers and distributors of personal protective equipment (PPE) have stepped up to the plate, and safety directors are getting through to their teams—both in the field and upper management—that health-and-wellness is vital to overall safety. In other words, I can see that the safety conversation has expanded exponentially this year. I’m calling that a win. While we’re looking at the expanded safety conversation as a positive, let’s not forget that the increased need for PPE may be a catalyst for the level of fear and/or anxiety crewmembers feel. I won’t make light of anyone’s reaction to any perceived threat. In fact, as we send this magazine to press, the United States is gearing up for an election that could result in days, if not weeks, of uncertainty of outcome. Uncertainty breeds anxiety for many people. Whichever candidate is announced triumphant has the potential to send a portion of the workforce into a sense of foreboding. Blame that scenario on whatever factors you wish to blame it on, but the fact remains some members of your team may feel some amount of despair after November. Some members of your team may be trying to cope with a level of fear concerning an ongoing pandemic. Some members of your team may be taking on emotional or psychological worries from out of left field. Check out this month’s Safety Spotlight from Valerie Echter for guidance and thoughts on this topic. Check out the article from Cal Beyer and John Hickey “Candid Safety to Save Lives” now on theasphaltpro.com. And be aware that the health and wellness conversation must continue to expand to include the overall wellbeing of the members of your team. Stay Safe,
Sandy Lender
Watch officials from AGC discuss the workforce survey results and COVID-19 ramifications at the AGC facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/AGCofA/ videos/611411286211942
6 // November 2020
November 2020 • Vol. 14 No.2
asphaltPRO
602 W. Morrison, Box 6a • Fayette, MO 65248
(573) 823-6297 • www.theasphaltpro.com GROUP PUBLISHER Chris Harrison chris@ theasphaltpro.com PUBLISHER Sally Shoemaker sally@theasphaltpro.com (573) 823-6297 EDITOR Sandy Lender sandy@theasphaltpro.com (239) 272-8613 ASSOCIATE EDITOR Sarah Redohl sarah@theasphaltpro.com (573) 355-9775 MEDIA SALES Cara Owings cara@theasphaltpro.com (660) 537-0778 ART DIRECTOR Kristin Branscom BUSINESS MANAGER Susan Campbell (660) 728-5007
AsphaltPro is published 11 times per year. Writers expressing views in AsphaltPro Magazine or on the AsphaltPro website are professionals with sound, professional advice. Views expressed herein are not necessarily the same as the views of AsphaltPro, thus producers/contractors are still encouraged to use best practices when implementing new advice. SUBSCRIPTION POLICY: Individual subscriptions are available without charge in the United Sates, Canada and Mexico to qualified individuals. One year subscription to non-qualifying Individuals: United States $90, Canada and Mexico $125.00. For the international digital edition, visit theasphaltpro.com/subscribe/.
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Safety Spotlight
Build a Resilient Mindset Helping leaders and employees handle the pressures of construction
Construction is filled with individuals who have strong opinions, have larger than life personalities and come from diverse backgrounds. Add in daily equipment and human failures, unpredictable weather conditions, unexpected project changes, and it’s no wonder many individuals within construction become overwhelmed or hit their breaking point at some time during the work week. As an industry, we can address overwhelm. We can create a collective focus to improve the level of employee happiness and wellbeing so that construction crews can continue to build America. The strategy that many companies are leaning toward is to develop and hire employees that embrace a resilient mindset. It’s easy to have values and say that a person stands for something when things are good. However, how do you define a person’s response to unwanted circumstances? That key point in time is ultimately when a resilient mindset is developed; it’s the internal autopilot that comes on when things do not go as planned. According to Brian Hess, president/CEO of The Pavement Group and Top Contractor School, “Resiliency should be a requirement to work in construction. Construction is not a controlled industry and it doesn’t cater to those who can’t handle the ups and downs; it’s a challenging industry. You have to be able to take unfortunate circumstances and know that in the end things will be okay.” Todd Eichholz, CEO of A&A Paving agrees. “Everything in construction is changing so quickly, particularly with COVID-19. You must be willing to pivot because whatever you considered to be normal a few months ago, is never coming back. To thrive in construction today, you have to be able to adapt and continually look for ways to reinvent yourself as a company.” Kevin Lenover, vice president of operations at BlueSky Paving believes that confidence as well as a high level of self-awareness are important components of a resilient mindset. “An employee with a resilient mindset chooses to focus on not being offended, while understanding that other generations in our workforce have different ways of teaching and passing on knowledge. “Resiliency means knowing who you are,” Lenover continued. “If you do not know who you are and how you react to changes, you will always be fighting yourself. Furthermore, it’s imperative to allow others to be who they are—while never taking things personal.”
C
FIND RESILIENCY IN CONSTRUCTION
Mandi Kime, director of safety at the Associated General Contractors of Washington, has dealt with many personal and professional circumstances that have allowed her to develop a resilient mindset while helping others. “I have been called upon many times to help contractors through some tough situations (crane collapses, suicide, fatal accidents, etc.). In each case, I could sit and think about how sad or difficult it is for me… or I could focus my energy on what I get to do in those times. I get to be a source of love and light to people in crisis.
8 // November 2020
“As more and more break the mold by talking about their emotions and how they struggle with change—while still being successful—we’re finally going to see those industry and job-specific expectations start to change.”—Brian Hess I get to help others in a time of need, and I get to develop a bond with people that is indelible. And frankly, how cool is that?” This mindset shows resiliency as a choice. A person can choose to be resilient and go with the flow or they can choose to focus on negatives and allow them to break their mind into believing in the negative. As Kime noted, “We have the ability and the responsibility CONTROLS to frame our circumstances in a way that sets the course and tone positively for ourselves and others. We get to determine the impact we have on the environment around us with our actions, our attitude and our communications. So, why not focus on making it positive? We can treasure the good and celebrate it more if we don’t intentionally unpack and try to live permanently in the bad.” CONTROLS Undoubtedly, people have moments when they choose to be resilient and other times when they cave to the circumstance. “It all comes back to either being the lighthouse or the tugboat,” Hess noted. “Both are resilient in their own way; and both do the same thing—get ships safely to the port. The key difference is that while the tugboat pulls and expends a lot of effort, a lighthouse shines a light and simply attracts the boats to it. Relating this to resilienCONTROLS cy, sometimes we try to force resiliency on others versus being the lighthouse and focusing on being disciplined with our resiliency efforts daily.” Hess continued, “Discipline, routines and consistency will always lead a person to a better version of themselves. The best leaders have constant routines, which often creates the same discipline and routine for the employees around them. The key is to create a CONTROLS team of resilient people, that’s when the leader is doing their best. Every leader has a moment of weakness, but when you’ve developed a resilient team, they can step in and help out.” Most leaders are looking to hire resilient employees, so the question becomes more focused on defining the traits, qualities or personality of a resilient team member. A&A Paving has reduced 90 percent of its office personnel issues by having each new hire comCONTROLS plete a personality profile. Company leaders are specifically looking to see who can “roll with the punches” of construction or who needs their hand held through tough times. Going further, office employees have their personality test profiles posted in cheat sheet form on their office door or workstation—noting what makes them tick, how they receive information and how they process change.
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Safety Spotlight At The Pavement Group and Top Contractor School, Hess is looking at history as well as internal motivation and attitude as key attributes for employees. “Construction is a second-chance industry; it’s allowed many individuals to come back from failures and have highly successful careers,” Hess said. “With that in mind, I look at examples of an employee’s ability to be resilient in the past. I also want to know about their routines and whether they are investing in their own personal development training.”
THE EMOTIONAL TIE TO A RESILIENT MINDSET
Eichholz and the team at A&A Paving look to the emotional needs of a person to decipher their level of resiliency. “If a team member is emotionally driven, they often need more time to process everything, and then react. Something we constantly evaluate when it comes to an employee’s resiliency is if they are slow to process [emotions], or quick to move. “Leadership, project managers and all other management positions need resiliency qualities,” Eichholz continued. “Direct reports often learn resiliency from leadership, where it’s more ‘caught than taught,’ which sets the tone for the mood and level of anxiety in the office or field.” Emotions aren’t a common topic of discussion within construction. Crews and teams are looked at as being tough; with employees having to fit into a certain box to make it in this industry. According
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to Hess, handling our emotions within construction is something we need to work on. “There’s a high amount of pressure to fit the mold as a paver operator, excavator, project manager, etc.… and it’s not working to the industry’s advantage to keep with that mindset,” Hess said. “Top Contractor School and The Pavement Group are trying to break that mold. We genuinely want to allow people to thrive in their best role and in their best way. As more and more break the mold by talking about their emotions and how they struggle with change— while still being successful—we’re finally going to see those industry and job-specific expectations start to change.” We can improve resiliency within construction Without a doubt, the construction sector can improve upon the way we display resiliency as well as the methods we use to address the topic. Suggestions for improving resiliency in construction include: • Be more open to supporting others (even as competitors). • Focus on educating and training the next generation of contractors with an emphasis on embracing technology. • Give employees and owners a place to go. The major concern for business owners is a sense of being alone. Build a community where business owners can share challenges while offering mentorship and advice. • Offer yourself the grace and understanding that the world around you is not perfect. Be steadfast in core beliefs but willing and able to accept and adapt to the changes life inevitably brings. The construction industry is full of incredibly talented individuals; true visionaries and leaders who are catapulting the industry to new heights. As much as we want to hear about industry successes, it’s the moments of resiliency—those behind the scenes stories— that inevitably define an individual or organization. A company’s legacy is made from those points of resiliency when the times were incredibly tough, yet they pulled people together and created something remarkable in that moment; the moment when they had no choice but to be resilient. – BY VALERIE ECHTER
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“We can treasure the good and celebrate it more if we don’t intentionally unpack and try to live permanently in the bad.”—Mandi Kime
Valerie Echter is a freelance social media manager and content creator for organizations and trade associations within the asphalt, construction and engineering sectors. She uses her degree in civil engineering as well as a 12-year tenure as a nationally known asphalt sales and marketing expert to educate business owners on the fundamentals of strategically implementing a social media presence to build brand authority, increase client engagement and grow sales revenue. For more information, contact her at https://www. linkedin.com/in/coachvalerie/.
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HiMA Reduces Studded Tire Wear Rutting Rutting caused by studded tire wear is a problem in the American Pacific Northwest, costing the states of Oregon, Washington and Alaska millions of dollars annually in damage to asphalt and other roadways. The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOT&PF) sponsored a study at the University of Alaska-Anchorage to estimate the costs of damage caused by studded tire wear to Alaskan highways. This included collecting data to determine the rate of rutting on different roadway classifications and for different vehicle types. The research team found that rutting caused by wear from passenger cars using studded tires is worse than deformation due to truck axle loads. “Results show higher average wear rates due to studded passenger vehicles on freeways (0.0116 inches per 100,000 studded vehicles) than the average rut rates due to heavy wheel loads (0.0049 inches per 100,000 trucks),” according to Survey and Economic Analysis of Pavement Impacts from Studded Tire Use in Alaska (2019), by Osama Abaza, PhD., C. Eng., University of Alaska-Anchorage. Also, higher speeds worsen studded tire rutting. Abaza found lower average wear rates on arterial and collector roads (0.0062 inches and 0.0045 inches per 100,000 studded vehicles, respectively), than on highways that have higher speed limits. “The annual damage cost associated with studded tires statewide was found to be $13.7 million, 42 times the state’s fees ($318,000 annually) from studded tire sales and stud installations, not considering the cost of crashes and other safety aspects caused by ruts,” Abaza found. “In 2019, the estimated total cost of mitigating road damage from studded
R
Undulating transverse shadows across rutted pavement—and gouged intersection striping—show rut damage caused by studded tires on Minnesota Avenue in Anchorage. Photos courtesy of Kraton
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After four winter seasons (2015-2019), the 200 block of E 5th Avenue with HiMA-modified PG64E-40 binder shows minimal rutting. tire use in Alaska over the next 20 years will amount to $203.2 million.” The problem exists throughout the Pacific Northwest. Abaza reported: • Damage to pavement on Washington State highways due to studded tires is estimated to be $16 million annually. • Damage to pavement on Oregon state highways due to studded tires is estimated to be from $8 to $10 million annually. • The road damage caused by studded tires reduces road safety for all motorists when
water collects in pavement ruts caused by studded tires, and creates dangerous driving conditions like hydroplaning and increased splash and spray. “Rutting of pavements by studded tires is a huge issue in Alaska,” said Drew Pavey, state pavement management engineer for Alaska DOT&PF. “It’s a regional issue, first,” said Steve Saboundjian, P.E., state pavement engineer. “We don’t have that studded tire distress in Fairbanks in the Northern region because of the
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12 // November 2020
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Alaska DOT&PF’s Prall tester for studded tire damage climate, the materials or the hardness of rock. But when it comes to the Anchorage “bowl” or Juneau or Ketchikan, it’s more prevalent. There are high-volume, high-traffic areas where the traffic impacts or hammers the pavement. Half of the state’s population is in the Anchorage area.” “If you want to look at our region, the mass extent of our rutting concerns is from Willow to Anchorage and south down the Seward Peninsula,” said Mike Yerkes, P.E., materials group chief for Alaska DOT&PF Central Region. “If we don’t take care of it, it will burn through the wearing surface stone and the subsurface pavement layers, and we will get into catastrophic pavement distress.” “It depends on the ADT, speed of the traffic, ambient temperatures and type of mix,” Pavey said. “In some areas, we are seeing average wear rates of an eighth-inch a year.”
HIGHLY MODIFIED ASPHALT
To fight studded tire rutting in asphalt pavements, the Alaska DOT&PF has turned to using highly modified asphalt (HiMA) in its wearing course mixes, which is produced using Kraton™ D0243, a styrene-butadiene-styrene (SBS) modifier manufactured by Kraton Polymers, Houston. In North American, typical SBS-modified asphalt binders contain 2 to 4 percent SBS modifier. In contrast, the specs for HiMA usually require 7.5 to 8 percent SBS. HiMA binders are designed to offer a durable pavement with a rubber-like flexibility to recover from the indentations created by the tire studs, while retaining mix workability during placement. In milder climates, research and experience have shown that HiMA binders offer mixes with resistance to rutting and fatigue cracking.
14 // November 2020
The standard Prall test specimen on the right shows typical abrasion with most of the aggregate clearly visible. The Prall test steel spheres progressively wear the binder and fine aggregate from the specimen surface. With the PG64E-40 HiMA binder specimen at left, much less of the surface is abraded due to its resilience, thus it can continue to protect the aggregate below from fracture. “HiMA is our term for a highly modified asphalt,” said Bob Kluttz, senior scientist, research and development, Kraton. “Other states will call it high mod. Florida calls it High Polymer (HP). With Kraton D0243, you’re going from predominantly an asphalt phase with polymer dispersed in it to predominantly a polymer phase with asphalt. With it, we change the blend from rubber-modified asphalt to asphalt-modified rubber. That is, the mix goes from a discontinuous to a continuous polymer phase, with very different physical properties resulting from that.” Lab tests confirm these performance properties, Kluttz said. The Prall test, Alaska Test Method 420, for studded tire damage was originally developed in the Nordic countries and is standardized as EN12697-16 in the European Committee for Standardization (hence the standard SI units). Test specimens are 100 millimeters (3.9 inches) in diameter and 30
mm (1.2 inches) thick and are tested at 5 degrees C (41 degrees F). The specimen is loaded in the test device and covered with 40 stainless steel spheres 12 mm (0.47 inches) in diameter. The test chamber is oscillated with a stroke of 43 mm (1.7 inches) at a frequency of 950 strikes per minute for a period of 15 minutes. “What we saw with Prall testing was that the conventional material core sample has a lot of material removed,” Kluttz said. “Large aggregate is pretty much all you see. The studs pick out small aggregate and binder, expose the large aggregate, and eventually that fractures and comes out. Then very quickly, the studs pick out more asphalt and fines in mastic. “But with the HiMA sample, what you see is mostly asphalt,” he said. “The test picked out some of the mastic and some of the large aggregate, but what remains is exposed asphalt that is just tougher. It’s tough enough to resist being picked up by the studs.”
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The HiMA mix pavement, eastbound on Glenn Highway Alaska S.R. 1 at a weigh station near Eagle River shows minimal studded tire rutting after two years.
In late 2019, on Glenn Highway, a transverse crack in the shoulder stops at the HiMA pavement, which was placed two years earlier.
Pictured: Steve Saboundjian, P.E.; Mike Yerkes, P.E.; Drew Pavey at Alaska DOT&PF Materials Lab
ALASKA IMPLEMENTS HIMA
With studded tire rutting being such a problem in The Last Frontier, Alaska DOT&PF engineers inquired, in 2012, if HiMA would work to quell the damage. In 2015, a PG64E-40 HiMA binder was used in a Superpave mix that incorporated hard aggregate. HiMA mix was placed on two busy, one-way streets in downtown Anchorage. This project was a standard street resurfacing with a 1 ¾-inch (44-mm) mill and 2-inch (50-mm) fill. The HiMA overlay was placed on 5th and 6th Avenues and cross
16 // November 2020
streets, with traffic ranging from 10,000 to 15,000 vehicles per day. The PG64E-40 HiMA binder was supplied by Denali Materials Inc. and the project was constructed by Granite Construction. Paving began for a month in September 2014 and was completed the following June. Paving was done at night and static rolling was required due to noise and sensitive infrastructure. The temperature of the mat behind the paver averaged 310 degrees F (155 degrees C). Even with difficult conditions and equipment restrictions, the contractor achieved the required mat density of 95 percent and joint density of 93 percent. To date, performance has shown minimal damage caused by studded tire wear or traffic loads. In 2019, after four years of traffic, including studded tires, the average rut depths were 0.204 inches (5.2 mm) on 5th Avenue and 0.198 inches (5.0 mm) on 6th Avenue in downtown Anchorage. The wheel paths look dark, much like the Prall test specimens, indicating that roughly the same behavior is occurring in the laboratory and in the field. The Alaska DOT&PF is pleased with the performance and is specifying more projects with modified PG64E-40 binder and hard aggregates, designated as Hot Mix Asphalt, Type VH by Alaska DOT&PF.
HIMA ON THE HIGHWAY The Alaska DOT&PF also is concerned about studded tire rutting on its high-level, higher-speed, higher-volume highways. Glenn
Highway—which runs east of Anchorage toward Canada—provided such an application. Due to studded tire wear, Glenn Highway has typically been resurfaced every six to seven years. “We generally say that the Glenn Highway ruts 1/8-inch a year,” Yerkes said. Earlier attempts on Glenn Highway (Alaska S.R. 1) to quell studded tire rutting did not perform as hoped. An HMA surface using ground tire rubber and PG64-34 asphalt binder was placed on the Glenn Highway in 2010. But in 2012, the average rut depth between Airport Heights and Hiland roads, being the most highly trafficked route in Alaska, was 0.32 inches (8.1 mm) after two winters of studded tire wear. Following the successful performance of the 5th and 6th Avenues in Anchorage, the Alaska DOT&PF specified the same PG64E-40 HiMA binder grade for resurfacing of the Glenn Highway. In 2017, the previous mix was milled and replaced with 2 inches (5 centimeters) of HMA, Type VH for resurfacing 15.2 miles (24.5 kilometers) of Glenn Highway. Some 50,000 tons of HMA with PG64E-40 HiMA binder and hard aggregate were placed. In 2019, the average wear on this Superpave mix between Airport Heights and Hiland roads was 0.21 inches (5.3 mm) versus the 0.32 inches (8.1 mm) of crumb rubber asphalt, both after two years of service. Construction of the whole project went from late 2016 to early 2018. In-place densities greater than 95 percent were consistently achieved. – BY TOM KUENNEN
AND WE DO THIS... DRUM REPLACEMENT A dependable mixing drum is fundamental to maintain the productivity of an asphalt plant. Replacing an older drum offers opportunities to both maintain operation and improve performance. Astec works with you to integrate a new drum into your existing operation and supports each drum replacement with service and parts.
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How to Pave Under a Carport To get a carport—or parking garage—paving job done right, you have to start with the right tools and the right plan. Let’s take a look at how one crew accomplished the job with top quality results. Your crew can do this, too. For this type of job, one of the challenges is, of course, the low ceiling you have to work under. The close quarters will trap heat and air against your equipment and co-workers, so let’s talk about safety before we talk about the paving plan. Make sure you keep plenty of water on hand for each worker. If someone is feeling over-heated, that person should know he is allowed to take a break. Get him to a shaded area out from under the carport, away from running equipment engines and hot mix where there’s a breeze. If necessary, set up a fan or, when in a pinch, the leaf blower, to move air over him. Watch for signs of heat exhaustion in your fellow team members at any time, but especially when working in areas where the heat of asphalt paving is trapped in with you. Check out the safety article, “How to Recognize Heat Exhaustion” on TheAsphaltPro.com website for more information.
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We affixed the 1-foot extensions and auger extensions to move material all the way to the endgates of the sidewalk paver. With the tools onsite, it took about 15 minutes per side to affix the extensions.
The team used a 2 by 4 to protect the unsupported edge during compaction of the carport’s leveling course. This allowed them to match the joint confidently when paving the roadway along the front of the carport.
EQUIP PERSONNEL FOR SUCCESS
Next, let’s take a look at the equipment. While some of this applies to any paving project, there are some “modifications” you can make to different machines to make the mix-delivery and paving process easier. For example, when working under a low-roofed carport or parking garage, consider using a clam-shell or four-way bucket on your skid steer. This will make delivering the mix easier when you can merely open the “doors” to let mix fall into a mound, rather than trying to lift the bucket high enough to dump into the paver’s hopper. Also consider using a roller with a removable or foldable rollover protection system (ROPS) so you’re able to get under all the areas of the low roof.
18 // November 2020
The plate compactor’s water tank is removable, making it easy to refill and replace during hand work.
Here you can see the crew lining up for the second pass with the sidewalk paver. One worker checks the slope with the level in the foreground. Another worker checks to make sure they’re matching the joint properly. This is teamwork in motion. For the project we’ll describe here, we used the following: • A tack buggy trailer • A Bobcat S750 skid steer • A sidewalk paver with 1-foot extensions and auger extensions • An MBW 2000 plate compactor with removable water tank • A tandem roller with 51-inch-wide steel drums and foldable ROPS • Multiple pairs of tamp shoes for the workers • Wooden 2 by 4s, levels and other tools for monitoring quality
MAP THE PLAN
These two pictures show where we painted the line to indicate the starter pad, and how we prepared it before bringing the paver in.
For this project, the roof had an angle that prevented the crew from getting the paver—or the roller—all the way to the back of the carport. To create the starter pad for each pass of the paver, we used the skid steer to deliver the mix and worked it by hand under the lowest section of the roof. You can see where we painted the line to indicate where the paver could reach, in the photo at left. This is how far the starter pad had to extend into the carport.
With the mix dumped in place, the crew raked and luted it into a smooth mat, and used both tamp shoes and the plate compactor to get it compacted to 1.5 inches. You’ll see the worker operating the plate compactor wears his tamp shoes at all times to ensure the mat stays clean of marks or indents, in the photo on page 18. With the starter pad complete across the width of the carport, we could back the paver into place and pull the first 10-foot-wide pass. We then set back and matched the joint for the second 10-foot-wide pass, and so on. Each pass required approximately 6 tons of material We dumped the mix from two quad trucks in a pile near the carport and delivered the mix from the pile to the paver via the skid steer bucket. The heat within the pile kept the mix from losing temperature. Notice that the roller can only make it so far into the carport before the low roof stops him. Any divot or bow that might have formed in front of the roller was quickly compacted by the plate compactor. That’s where great teamwork came in again. Notice also that we put down a 2 by 4 on the unsupported edge so the roller could get on and off the mat without damaging the joint we’d match when tying into the roadway, in the photo on page 18. To pave the roadway in front of the carport, we used a larger paver that the quad could feed directly. It takes a lot of finesse to pave under a carport or in a parking garage. The weight of equipment comes into play in the garage, but smaller sidewalk pavers, like the one used here, typically do the job just fine. Using a tandem steel-drum roller without vibration also gets the job done in the garage. For the carport that will see rain and other weather events, you want to watch out for segregation. Temperature or material segregation will result in puddles later, so use your best practices to work the pile correctly when feeding the hopper and use best practices to monitor the slope to achieve proper stormwater runoff. Use the level and work together as a team to get top quality paving. – 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) 4931458 or tqpaving@yahoo.com.
www.THeAsphaltpro.com // 19
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The 7.4-mile project would divide the two-lane road into two sections. The north half of the project used CIR, while the southern half was pulverized and overlaid.
Wisconsin Job Compares Cold In-Place and Pulverize/Relay When the asphalt pavement along State Trunk Highway 49 in Wisconsin’s Green Lake County needed to be replaced, the job presented an ideal opportunity for a side-by-side, long-term performance comparison of two asphalt pavement recycling processes: cold inplace recycling (CIR) and pulverize and relay (PR). “WisDOT wanted to find out which pavement recycling treatment would give them the best pavement life for their investment,” Bryan Schaller said. He was the project construction leader on the STH-49 job for Alfred Benesch & Company, Chicago, Illinois, which acted as WisDOT’s onsite engineering personnel on the project. The 7.4-mile project would divide the two-lane road into two sections. The north half of the project used CIR, while the southern half was pulverized and overlaid.
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The average annual daily traffic on this section of STH-49 is 3,800, with roughly 17 percent truck traffic. “This was a good project to try this on, because traffic is largely consistent between the north and south halves of the project,” Schaller said. Another feature of the project that made it an ideal candidate for this research was that this segment of STH-49 had both higher hill areas and lower swamp areas on both of the test areas, which was important to account for the potential of capillary action in the CIR in the low-lying areas to be able to apply results to a wider variety of projects. Not least of all, the pavement had also reached the end of its service life and was in need of reconstruction, whether in the form of CIR or PR.
The research project on STH-49 would span 10 years, and began before any work on the pavement had started. WisDOT brought out its falling weight deflectometer (FWD) to measure the modulus of resiliency of the existing pavement along the length of the project. After the pavement had been rehabilitated, they took another measurement over the length of the project, and will continue to take these measurements once a year for the next 10 years to compare the results of the CIR and PR areas. The prime contractor, Northeast Asphalt, Greenville, Wisconsin, began its work in May 2019. However, the project manager for Northeast Asphalt on this job, Heather Sayler, met with the DOT and engineering staff ahead of time to recommend some changes to the plan. For example, the DOT originally wanted to do a varying width of CIR, specifically in turn lane and intersection areas.
The project on STH-49 aims to compare, side-by-side, the long-term performance of cold in-place recycling with pulverize and overlay.
W.K. performed the 4-inch CIR with its Roadtec RX900 mill and Cat 1055F paver with a Weiler SE10 screed.
In total, the project required 11,800 tons of 3 MT and 27,730 tons of 5 MT.
“If you start widening and narrowing with CIR, it’s hard to balance material across wider cuts,” Ric Szalewski, Northeast Asphalt’s lead project manager, said. “If width and depth are constant, you can have a constant flow of material.” After talking it over with the DOT, it was decided that the subcontractor, W.K. Construction Company Inc., Middleton, Wisconsin, would perform CIR at a constant width of 15 feet on the mainline and bypass lanes after first milling and paving the tapers and intersections using traditional methods. “That allowed us to avoid transitioning in and out of places with CIR, which can be more cumbersome,” Szalewski said. Another example of teamwork across stakeholders was traffic management. “There was a heavier volume of traffic, especially with the bypass lanes,” Szalewski said. “After talking to the DOT, we were able to close down the outside passing lanes and delineate them with barrels, which meant we only had to flag two lanes of traffic rather than three.” Northeast started with the CIR section on the northern half of the project. First, Northeast milled off 2 ¾ inches of asphalt with its Wirtgen WR250i. Then, W.K. performed the 4-inch CIR with its Roadtec RX900 mill and Cat 1055F paver with a Weiler SE10 screed. After taking cores of the existing pavement, W.K. developed the mix design and provided it to the engineers at WisDOT. They determined an optimum binder content of 2.5 percent, with a foaming water content of 3 percent as its stabilizing agent for CIR. After seven working days, the CIR process was complete. As they waited for the CIR section to cure, the Northeast crew began the PR section. Over five days, Northeast pulverized and blended the existing asphalt to a depth of 6 inches, getting a minimum of at least 2 inches into the base course layer. Szalewski estimated the average to be about 8 inches, performed in one pass. “For the PR section, the contractor had to get below the bottom of the existing pavement,” Schaller said. With the CIR section, they left a little bit of the existing pavement. “Getting to the material beneath the pavement introduces a whole other variable. We’d have to adjust our application of stabilizing agents. It could present a lot of challenges and variability.”
www.THeAsphaltpro.com // 23
Pavement Maintenance
Northeast paved a 1 ¼-inch lift on the CIR section with its Volvo 7170B paver, equipped with a Carlson EZ4 screed. The crew also used a Weiler 1250 material transfer vehicle throughout the paving aspects of the project.
The research project on STH-49 will span 10 years. WisDOT used its falling weight deflectometer (FWD) to measure the modulus of resiliency of the pavement, before and after the project, and will continue to take these measurements once a year for the next 10 years to compare the results of the CIR and PR areas. As they worked on the PR section, Northeast’s paving crew began paving a 1 ¼-inch lift of 5 MT 9.5mm mix on the CIR section with its Volvo 7170B paver, equipped with mechanical contact on reference skis for automatics, and Carlson EZ4 screed. The crew also used a Weiler 1250 material transfer vehicle throughout the paving aspects of the project.
“We were paving on some really hot days in August,” Szalewski said. “High heat can sometimes cause CIR to flush.” To avoid picking up any AC from the CIR section, Northeast equipped its paver and MTV with water spray systems. “The idea behind our schedule was to get the CIR done so we could check moisture
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on a daily basis as we pulverized,” Szalewski said. Then, they could finish placing the first lift on the CIR section just as they completed the PR section. “Then, we could pave the first lift on the PR side, and then start the final lift on the whole project.” The crew paved 2 ½ inches of 3 MT 19mm asphalt on the PR section, and then began paving a 1 ½-inch surface course of 5 MT 9.5 mm along the entire project. In total, the project required 11,800 tons of 3MT and 27,730 tons of 5 MT. The mix was supplied by Northeast Asphalt, which set up its 400-tph Dillman counter-flow portable asphalt plant located half a mile from the job. Another challenge was paving varying thicknesses over multiple substrates. “We had to figure out how to transition from our PR section to our CIR section,” Schaller said. If they joined the sections abruptly, Schaller knew they’d end up with a vertical
joint failure. They also had to make sure the transition area, which was about 100 feet long, would still be a smooth ride for the traveling public. After reviewing a number of options, they decided to feather out the layers so they crossed into one another. The crew paved 40 feet past the transition point, feathering the lifts down to nothing. Despite the complexity of the project, Northeast was able to exceed density requirements and achieve a very smooth ride. The average density of the project was 94.8, 1.8 percent over the target density, and the density didn’t differ much between the two sections. The International Roughness Index (IRI) on the CIR portion was an average of 27, and a 22.2 on the PR section. “Those are outstanding IRI numbers,” Szalewski said. “And that’s just the average. Some individual segments were in the teens!” Although only time will tell which treatment comes out on top, the project on STH49 was so successful it was recognized with a National Quality in Construction award at the 2019 National Asphalt Pavement Association Conference and an Innovation award from Wisconsin Asphalt Pavement Association. “Despite the challenges of combining multiple processes on this research project, the quality of the pavement at the end of the day was outstanding,” said Dan Grasser, Alfred Benesch Division Manager. “That speaks to the collaboration between WisDOT, its regional offices, the contractors, WAPA and our team to make sure we not only achieve our research goals but also end up with a quality roadway.” – BY SARAH REDOHL
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BASF, NCAT Partner for Paving Trial A low viscosity reactive liquid asphalt additive, B2Last® by BASF Corporation, was recently introduced at the 2020 Petersen Asphalt Research Conference (PARC). It is a modification technology based upon a reactive chemistry that combines with the liquid asphalt at a molecular level to improve the functional characteristics of the neat asphalt. B2Last is compatible with most liquid asphalts thus is ideal for new pavement construction and pavement preservation initiatives. B2Last is designed to increase the useful temperature interval (UTI) of the liquid asphalt, maintain workable viscosity levels, and reduce stripping of the aggregates, leading to a more durable pavement. “Functional performance improvement levels can be tailored or made ‘on-demand’ by binder formulators to meet or exceed flexible pavement specifications,” said Bernie Malonson, B2Last marketing manager, BASF Monomers, North America. “Since B2Last is a liquid, there are no solids to grind or melt, less energy is required to produce modified asphalt pavements, and it supports the American Association of State and Highway Transportation Officials (AASHTO) specifications.” While specific states vary in their authorized materials, B2Last can support both AASHTO M320 and M332 performance grade (PG) specifications. In many cases, modified asphalt producers have noted that they are able to use less B2Last and simplify their formulations. Although successful paving operations have been conducted globally, BASF has partnered with the National Center for Asphalt Technology (NCAT) in Auburn to conduct a Phase I study as part of BASF’s ongoing program of B2Last trial evaluation.
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CHEMISTRY & STUDY DESIGN
B2Last is designed to improve adhesion of the asphalt mix by crosslinking the liquid binder asphaltenes. When handled with appropriate environmental controls, B2Last modification does not require any unique personnel protective equipment (PPE). NCAT Phase I paving studies typically take six to 12 months and include a laboratory testing program to determine the mechanistic and performance properties of asphalt binders and mixtures. The core NCAT research team led by Dr. Nam Tran, assistant director, NCAT, with paving operations overseen by Dr. Buzz Powell, associate director, NCAT, and additional support provided by Jason Nelson, test track manager, and Adam Taylor, assistant research engineer, were on site for the trial. The primary objective of this Phase I study is to evaluate the field constructability of an asphalt mixture modified with B2Last. The information obtained from this study will be used for a structural pavement analysis to plan and design a full-scale experiment for placement on the Pavement Test Track in 2021 to fully evaluate the B2Last modifier.
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The material was continuously mixed at 350° F until shipping to achieve full reaction within the binder. To ensure completion, a portable on-site FT-IR took hourly readings. In May of 2020, Brian Orr, senior asphalt technologist, BASF Monomers, NA, and Joshua Compeau, technical specialist, BASF Monomers, NA, traveled to Alabama to oversee liquid asphalt terminal modification. In the case of a new asphalt binder modifier such as B2Last, it is best to produce these materials at a terminal asphalt plant and then pave the mix in a trial section with low traffic. A base binder of PG67-22 was used to meet the ALDOT required grade of binder. This binder was modified with a 2 percent concentration of B2Last to reach an acceptable PG76-22. The process used to modify the binder was achieved by injecting the B2Last with a 2-inch diaphragm pump through an injection port into 50 tons of asphalt binder, which was used to ensure the binder reached an adequate level for mixing and agitation in the modification tank. After injecting the B2Last, monitors took hourly readings around the work area for any potential off gassing. The material was continuously mixed at 350° F until shipping to achieve full reaction within the binder. To ensure completion, a portable, on-site Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometer (FT-IR) took hourly readings. “The main challenge in using reactive chemistries is to ensure that the product is allowed sufficient time to completely react within the liquid asphalt,” Orr said. “The completion of this molecular reaction is what improves the functional characteristics of the liquid asphalt.”
NCAT PAVING OVERVIEW
The Phase I study was carried out by milling the surface layer (approximately 2 inches thick) of a 100-foot section with consistent foundation support on the exit ramp and then resurfacing this section with a B2Last-modified mixture. The B2Last-modified binder was hauled from a production facility in south Alabama over 200 miles to East Alabama Paving’s asphalt plant in Auburn, Alabama. Upon arrival, it was several hours before it was possible to produce the required asphalt mix for paving. “Although the transport tanker had cooled significantly, the B2Last-modified binder was successfully pumped from the tanker to the mix plant’s liquid asphalt circulation system and used to produce asphalt mix in real-time without being stored and reheated in a permanent storage tank,” Powell said. “No significant differences were noted during plant production pumping of the B2Last-modified binder from the tanker truck than conventional mix production using a heated binder from a permanent storage tank.” Hot-mix asphalt produced with B2Last-modified binder was transported in a conventional triaxle dump truck, and no issues were noted with loading, hauling or unloading the modified asphalt mix. Quality control test results for mix produced with the modified binder matched what researchers expected from an asphalt mix made with an SBS-modified binder using the same plant settings. “No issues with material transfer were observed by researchers or reported by the contractor,” Powell said. The mix produced with the B2Last binder was re-blended at the paving site using a Shuttle Buggy before dumping into the paver to construct the test section. Behind the screed, mix produced with the modified binder was observed to exhibit no unusual characteristics than the mix made with an SBS-modified binder (e.g., no “spider webs,” strings, blotches, etc.). “The slight difference in density,” Powell said, “is likely not statistically significant.” The NCAT research team noted that no modifications to the rolling pattern were needed for mix produced with the B2Last-modified binder compared to a mix produced with an SBS-modified binder to achieve an equal level of density. The density of the B2Last section was 95.3 percent, which compared well to a typical density of an SBS mix. The paving crew was interviewed during paving and reported that the mix produced with the B2Last-modified binder was no different to work with than mix produced with an SBS-modified binder. “Response from construction companies and their paving crews has been overwhelmingly positive,” Malonson said. “In paving operations in both the United States and Europe, paving crews have commented that there is significantly less ‘asphalt’ smell as B2Last can lower volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Paving crews have also commented that B2Last mixes have significantly less build up and need for release agent than traditional polymers. Finally, pavements modified with B2Last have improved compaction over standard polymer modified asphalts.” Monitoring Field Performance To assist the on-going field performance monitoring program, structural pavement analysis of the B2Last-constructed section will be conducted as a function of the truck traffic exiting the Test Track. Traffic is estimated to be 13,500 ESALs per month. Surface performance data
Brian Orr, senior asphalt technologist, BASF Monomers, NA, and Joshua Compeau, technical specialist, BASF Monomers, NA, traveled to Alabama to oversee liquid asphalt terminal modification. will be collected four times, including summer, fall and winter 2020 and spring 2021. The data collected will be used to evaluate the field performance and structural stiffness of the pavement sections to determine how they will be affected by various loading and temperature conditions. “The first step is to determine the mechanistic property, or the dynamic modulus or E* and cyclic fatigue, of the mixtures,” Tran said. “This data is necessary for structural pavement design and analysis.” Plant-produced mixes and field cores will be tested as part of the twostep Phase I evaluation stage. Testing will be conducted in compliance with AASHTO T 378-17 and TP 133-19 on small-sized specimens prepared from plant mix and field cores. The results will be used to develop full master curves and damage characteristic curves for the B2Last-modified mixture. In the second step, the following performance properties of the plant-produced mixture will be determined for the mixture performance evaluation: • Rutting resistance is determined using HWTT (AASHTO T324-17); and • Cracking resistance is determined using IDEAL-CT (ASTM D8225-19). “As of August 19, 2020, approximately 40,000 ESALs have been applied to the 2-inch mill/inlay (on 3 inches of underlying mix, making a total thickness of 5 inches) using mix produced with the B2Last-modified binder,” Powell said. “No rutting or cracking has been observed.” In conclusion, “B2Last brings a new type of science from an engineering perspective,” stated Phillip Blankenship, civil engineer/owner at Blankenship Asphalt Tech and Training PLLC. “We are used to dealing with products that are blended. B2Last is fully reacted, which means it becomes one with the asphalt – it’s not a two-part system you have to stir continuously. Once contractors get B2Last-modified asphalt into their tank, it is business as usual.” For more information, visit https://b2lastna.basf.com. – BY PATRICIA PRESSWOOD
www.THeAsphaltpro.com // 27
Women of asphalt
A Woman of Asphalt: meet TxDOT’s Brenda Guerra
Brenda Guerra
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With skills in highways, project estimating, construction, site inspections and traffic control, Brenda Guerra has achieved success as a woman of asphalt. Guerra attained her associate degree in science at Palo Alto in 2002 and her bachelor degree in civil engineering at The University of Texas at Austin in 2005. She joined the asphalt industry shortly after graduation. Her career trajectory included design and construction, and she now serves as the district maintenance engineer for the Texas DOT in the Austin District. “I started out as an engineer-in-training, learning how to use the software. There is a young engineers program in the DOT, so after five years of design, I was rotated to construction. The 18 months I spent in construction was very eye-opening; made me think of things I didn’t think of in design.”
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Now with that background and experience, Guerra leads the Austin District four-year pavement management plan for 11 counties and was willing to share specific challenges she and her team have met head-on for other women in the industry to learn from. For example, she encourages women to take initiative when they see the right opportunity to do so. “Working in a state agency, there are still some unestablished S.O.P.s. If I see there’s something not headed in the right direction, I will raise a flag. Don’t be shy or scared to ask the wrong question; go ahead and ask your question. Don’t just sit back.” Guerra also worked in area offices, where she felt comfortable asking questions, learning and leading different efforts because she had good leadership mentoring her. One of the mentors she gives credit to is Miguel Arellano, deputy district engineer, previously director of operations and pavement engineer. “He handles policies in our district now. He is a bright person who sees solutions. If I have an issue, I want to talk to him about it. “I had some great supervisors. Teamwork is so important. In my teams, we put everything on the table. You have to resolve disagreements or put away differences of opinions and don’t be afraid to make decisions.” In 2020, as district maintenance engineer, she got to lead the four-year pavement management plan. This process takes teamwork Guerra is a proponent of. “A four-year plan starts with field visits of 15 maintenance sections who drive the areas daily. They handle routine maintenance like fixing potholes and sealing cracks. Our section reviews the pavement scores for the previous year. We identify critical sections for the fiscal year based on
The four-year pavement management plan that Guerra manages begins with field visits of 15 maintenance sections.
getting my hands dirty as an inspector. I was in the best shape of my life. We would crawl in these bridge girders—come out covered in rust. At the end of the day, your clothes weren’t so tidy. It was always great to work outdoors. It was great to work with
“My team reviews the estimates to make sure they include everything including safety items. We are designing for safety.” observations and data. To do this, we jump in the truck and look at the areas that the area engineers and maintenance supervisors are concerned about. “Pavement scores come in in February; we meet in March. We have an asset manager Hui Wu who is super smart; she developed a tool to rank the scores and pavement needs so when we met in March, we have a list. “At our meeting, we scope the work. We try to build more pavement structure. We try not to remove much. We follow up after the meeting to request estimates for each location identified. My team reviews the estimates to make sure they include everything including safety items. We are designing for safety. All the information and budget are then turned over to the director of operations for yearly allocations; so this has to be revisited every year. Ultimately, the director has to present the plan to administration.” If that sounds like a lot of responsibility, it is. But listening to Guerra explain the process and discuss the efforts of her team make it obvious she has enormous respect for the position and the players involved. “When it comes to pavements in general, I think there’s some perception that it’s not as important or as sexy as vertical construction, but it is important. We have more lane miles of asphalt. They think it’s just oil and rock, but there’s so much more to it. There’s so much more to it than the surface, too. “Binder, mix, design—we have to build it correctly. We need to train our inspectors on placement.” She agreed that our industry has the perception of being a “dirty job,” but it’s a gritty necessity. “In a way, it’s true. I remember
your co-workers. I always got this sense of strength. It was awesome working out in the field. We should really appreciate those workers out in the field because they’re out there breaking their backs.” – BY SANDY LENDER
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www.THeAsphaltpro.com // 29
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International snapshot
International Prosperity As an engineering, construction and project management partner to industry and government, Bechtel has completed its decade-long master planning and construction partnership with the Government of Gabon, together creating a roadmap to prosperity and building key sustainable infrastructure projects that will transform people’s lives and enhance the economy. In 2020, hundreds of thousands more people in the Central African nation now have access to better healthcare, schools and education facilities, affordable energy, and digital connectivity. The many social and economic success stories during the partnership, including: • Road, rail, airport and port improvements that have supported a trebling of exports in the decade to 2020, and a 60 percent increase in foreign direct investment; • Supporting universal access to education with 17 new schools, more than 600 classrooms serving an additional 15,000 children, and in 2020, the launch of a plan to deliver 400 additional classrooms; • Expanding digital participation and inclusion with the installation of the Africa Coast to Europe submarine optical fiber and a network of over 2,000km cables; • Providing reliable, clean energy for 64,000 additional homes, from a new hydro-electric dam and gas-powered facility, with plans in place for five further power facilities by 2025; • Dozens of social impact projects—housing, solar lighting, flood mitigation, and providing clean drinking water—to communities around the country. Landmark projects have included the infrastructure needed to host the 2012 and 2017 Africa Cup of Nations; the Schweitzer medical center with world-class research in tropical and other diseases; and an innovative urban planning tool to tackle the pressures of urbanization. Bogdan Sgarcitu, Bechtel’s project director in Gabon from 2016 to 2020 said: “The Government of Gabon shares our passion for sustainable infrastructure that has a transformational impact on people’s lives and livelihoods. From the very start, we planned to employ and procure locally and build in a way that protects resources and biodiversity. Where there were skills gaps, we supported local people and supply chains to develop home-grown content. We are incredibly proud to hand over the infrastructure masterplan to a new generation of talented Gabonese engineers, project managers and construction professionals.” The partnership began when Bechtel was invited to support a national infrastructure master plan for Gabon’s infrastructure priorities and the country’s first public-works agency l'Agence Nationale des Grands Travaux d’Infrastructures (ANGTI) to deliver a pipeline of priority infrastructure projects to serve the nation’s approximately 2.1 million people. Key to the long-term success of the plan was enhancing the Gabonese skill base in construction standards of safety, quality and project implementation—over the 10-year period, the proportion of ANGTI staff working across housing, educa-
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Bechtel and Gabonese engineers designed and developed roadway projects as part of the 10-year infrastructure plan, including this full depth asphalt pavement for the PK5-PK12—the main road in and out of Gabon’s capital city, Libreville. Photo courtesy of Bechtel tion, transport and energy, rose from just over 55 percent to more than 90 percent. Gabon’s Minister for Infrastructure, Leon Armel Bounda Balonzi said: “We are tremendously proud of our 10-year partnership with Bechtel that has made a profound contribution to the construction and development of Gabon.” For the duration of the partnership, the team has volunteered with respected NGO Engineers without Borders in Gabon, with a focus on flood prevention projects and emergency engineering support. Bechtel also expanded its international partnership with Junior Achievement® to include a new entrepreneurship in business skills training program for hundreds of young people living in Gabon. – FROM BECHTEL
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All Roads’ project on Airport Road in Chilliwack, British Columbia, was the first in Canada to use Topcon’s Smoothride technology, and the first job in British Columbia to incorporate a notch wedge joint. Photo courtesy of All Roads
All Roads Tests Out New Tech
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All Roads Construction Ltd., Surrey, British Columbia, embraces new technology and techniques. After two years in business, the Canadian road construction company has built a team of more than 80 employees and established its first asphalt plant in Vancouver. However, the company believes in approaching new technology wisely. “If you get support from the manufacturers, plan properly, and do a trial run, implementing new technology doesn’t have to be difficult,” said Denis Labelle, All Roads’ operations manager. That’s why they decided to test out a trio of new technologies on a ½-mile mill-andoverlay job on Airport Road in Chilliwack,
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BY SARAH REDOHL
British Columbia, before deploying them on an upcoming 47-mile job on Canada’s Highway 1. The Airport Road project would be the company’s first time using Smoothride, a road resurfacing solution from Topcon Positioning Systems, Livermore, California. It was also All Roads’ first time building a notch wedge joint, for which they used the Notch Wedge Safety System from Willow Designs, East Berlin, Pennsylvania. And, it was their first time using a series of new rollers equipped with Intelligent Compaction (IC) technology, from BOMAG Americas, Ridgeway, South Carolina, and HAMM, a Wirtgen Group company, Antioch, Tennessee.
Not only was the Airport Road project a success in its own right and an achievement for All Roads, but it also proved to be a milestone for Canada as the first project in the country to use Smoothride and the first notch wedge joint in British Columbia. It began when All Roads was strategizing ways to be more efficient on its upcoming highway jobs when they learned about Smoothride. In January, Labelle and All Roads’ Superintendent Max Spedding attended a live demo hosted by Topcon. “I was immediately sold on the technology,” Labelle said. “I realized that if we could implement Smoothride, we would not only be more efficient but it would also help us meet
All Roads decided to test out a trio of new technologies on this ½-mile mill-and-overlay job before deploying them on an upcoming 47-mile job on Canada’s Highway 1. Photo courtesy of Jerod Willow the stringent criteria the ministry puts on these projects. There is big bonus money at stake meeting those criteria.” Also in January, Labelle reached out to Jerod Willow at Willow Designs about its Notch Wedge Safety System, hoping the system could improve safety and efficiency installing joints on highway jobs. “We provided the Ministry of Transportation with a proposal to utilize the Notch Wedge and they were very intrigued with the concept, however would not commit to allowing it without seeing a demonstration,” Labelle said. The company also invested in rollers with IC technology. “We were sure that our production would increase with these new technologies,” Labelle said, adding that they were worried their rollers might struggle to keep up while achieving compaction. “We decided to add the IC to help ensure our employees had any tool we could provide that would help us meet these criteria.” Despite All Roads’ goal to utilize Smoothride, notch wedge joints and Intelligent Compaction to improve performance on its highway jobs, being able to test the tech on the smaller job would give them an opportunity to learn in a less stressful environment. It also gave the British Columbia Ministry of Transportation a chance to see the technology in action. There was some apprehension when All Roads presented the use of Smoothride to the ministry for its upcoming Highway 1 job. “The ministry accepted that we wanted to use this technology on the job, but they wanted to see it used in a municipal setting so they could see it in action,” Labelle said.
For the second year in a row, All Roads had won the bid for the Chilliwack Paving Program, which is a single bid the municipality lets at the beginning of each year containing all the roads requiring asphalt rehabilitation, line striping, etc. The Airport Road project wasn’t part of the original bid, but was added at a later date as part of $1.5 million Canadian of extra work. When the city added this job to the bid, All Roads had already purchased the new technology and was looking for an opportunity to present it to the ministry. “It was great to pick up this extra street job [on Airport Road] to test out the new technology and cut our teeth on it,” Spedding said. According to Spedding, the City of Chilliwack is working to increase the number and quality of bike lanes in the area. Airport Road, which is a municipal arterial road running through a predominantly residential area, was an ideal location for such improvements. Despite relatively heavy cycling traffic, Airport Road lacked clear line markings for its bike lanes. Although the structure of the road was sound, its surface had some alligator cracking that the municipality decided to resolve before line striping the bike lanes. In May, All Roads drove each lane four or five times at regular driving speeds to achieve an accurate scan with Topcon’s RDM1 vehicle-mounted road resurfacing scanner. “You also have to ensure you stagger the passes and avoid overlapping the scan,” Labelle said. For the Airport Road job, this process took less than one day. The LIDAR scanner scans the road up to 100 times per second, collecting data about
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LEFT: The crew used echelon paving to pave two lanes of the four-lane road simultaneously, with its Cat 1055 and Vogele SUPER 2000-3i pavers. It attached Willow’s Notch Wedge Safety System to their 1055 paver. MIDDLE: All Roads ordered the exact amount of mix that Topcon’s Smoothride design recommended and ended up with only seven tons left over by the end of the whole job. RIGHT: All Roads has also invested in a series of new rollers equipped with Intelligent Compaction (IC) technology from BOMAG Americas and HAMM. Photos courtesy of All Roads the road’s surface. This information is then put through Topcon’s resurfacing software, which converts the data into a 3D model of the road; calculates cross slopes, transitions, yield and more; and can be used to develop a design plan for the surface. “This technology is so new that we had to learn how to take the information from the scan, import it into the design software and
All Roads’ First Asphalt Plant
“In order to map out our destiny as a company, we knew we needed to be in control of our own supply,” Stephens said. That’s why they purchased a 300-ton-per-hour plant with three 200-ton silos from Gencor Industries, Orlando. The plant is equipped with Gencor’s UltraDrum, Green Machine for warm mix, and Blue Smoke Capture System. “That feature is key because we’re located in downtown Vancouver and have very stringent pollution controls to meet,” Stephens said. They also have a flue gas return system on the baghouse. “Permitting for the plant was strict and complicated,” Stephens added. “The criteria is similar to the guidelines in San Francisco and it’s pretty hard to meet. That’s why we had to reach for the right plant.” The plant is also right on the water, which presents additional environmental permitting challenges, but also enables them to have their materials delivered by barge. “It’s the first brand new, privately owned asphalt plant built from the ground up in the Vancouver area in decades,” Stephens said.
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learn how to complete the design,” Labelle said. Peter Rontu and Sheraz Ansari, both with All Roads, teamed up with Brandt Positioning and Topcon to complete this design. Due to COVID-19, this training was completed by video and telephone conferencing. “Once the design was completed, we then learned how to upload the design file into both of our pavers.” Although Smoothride could be useful for milling operations, as well, Airport Road required minimal milling. The crew only milled off about 1.5 inches along the curb and at the tie-ins, milling approximately 13 feet from the curb on either side of the road. They then tacked the surface with SS1 tack and placed a 2-inch overlay with an upper course mix #1 which consists of a 19mm surface course mix design. The job required 1,500 tons of asphalt, which All Roads purchased from the Lafarge Holcim plant in Sumas, British Columbia.
Shortly after completing the project on Airport Road, All Roads started up its own asphalt plant—the company’s first—a 300-ton-per-hour plant from Gencor Industries, Orlando. According to Labelle, All Roads ordered exactly what the Smoothride design recommended and ended up with only seven tons left over by the end of the job. “That adds up over time,” he said. “The tech will pay for itself in the long run.” All Roads President Rod Stephens added that Smoothride also enhanced All Roads’ production rates, because the crew doesn’t have to worry about application rates and smoothness as much and can focus more on production.
“Smoothride makes paving more proactive,” Spedding added. “Normally, you have to look behind the screed and make adjustments, but by that point the problem is already behind you. With Smoothride, the paver knows what it needs to lay and where it needs to lay it.” The crew used echelon paving to pave two lanes of the four-lane road simultaneously, with its Cat 1055 and Vogele SUPER 20003i pavers. It attached Willow’s Notch Wedge Safety System to their 1055 paver from Caterpillar Inc., Peoria, Illinois, to build a notch wedge joint at the centerline. According to Labelle, the goal behind All Roads’ purchase of the notch wedge system was to save time and materials. He estimates that All Roads will save about 800 tons of mix on its Highway 1 job alone by using a notch wedge joint. Spedding continued that the Notch Wedge Safety System from Willow Designs made it easy by automating the process. “It’s very well-designed, easy to use, and does what they say it does,” Spedding said. All Roads’ innovation didn’t stop behind the screed. The crew also tried out some new rollers on the Airport Road job: four passes with a Hamm HD 70 double steel drum roller for breakdown rolling, four passes with a 20-ton BOMAG BW 27 rubber-tire pneumatic roller for intermediate compaction, and an average of four passes with a Hamm HD 70i combination roller for finish rolling. According to Labelle, All Roads’ roller operators were excited to try out intelligent compaction. “They appreciated being able to set the rolling pattern and see where they’ve hit and what they haven’t hit yet,” he said. “The whole goal is to speed up the compaction train,” Stephens added. “If the roller gets too far behind because the operator
Photo courtesy of All Roads is making needless passes, we have to slow down the paver and our whole production slows down.” The paving portion of the job took two days to complete. The average density on the job was 98.3 percent. “Considering we didn’t do any profile milling, patch repair or
leveling course, the roadway turned out extremely well,” Spedding said. During the job, representatives from Brandt Positioning and Willow Designs were on-site and the Topcon team was available by conference call to ensure each of their pieces of the puzzle ran smoothly and the crew knew how to use them properly. “With all the support we had from the manufacturers, everyone settled in with the new technology really quickly,” Spedding said. “They let the tech do what it was meant to do and that’s why the project was ultimately so successful.” There were also a number of representatives from the British Columbia Ministry of Transportation on the job. “They were enthralled with the technology we were implementing,” Spedding said, adding that they were very impressed with the notch wedge joint. “Being able to create a usable, compacted joint with minimized segregation that doesn’t have a propensity to unravel and can be safely crossed over by car or by bike was extremely well received by the audience we had from the Ministry on the Airport Road job.”
As a result, the Ministry is changing its specifications to allow for notch wedge joints on its projects. “Once the Ministry saw the notch wedge joint, they were sold on it and decided right away they wanted to see it on our highway job,” Labelle added. The Airport Road job also gave All Roads a chance to demonstrate how Smoothride works, as well as illustrate its benefits and potential cost savings. “Smoothride is probably the biggest leap forward for our industry,” Spedding said. “I have to give kudos to Topcon and Willow for taking the paving industry to the next level with this technology. This is where the industry needs to be so we can provide the general public with the best possible roadways at an efficient cost and volume.” Although the Airport Road job offered no bonuses, a big bonus for All Roads was confidence and experience going into its 53,000-ton Highway 1, which offers bonuses for both rideability and density. “Being innovators in the industry will only make us more efficient,” Labelle said. “The hardest part is convincing people that the technology works.” In the case of Airport Road, the proof is in the pavement.
www.THeAsphaltpro.com // 35
Make More Project Money BY KRIS MOORMAN
F
With volumetric mixing, a contractor performing multiple pours of different specifications can toggle through the designs stored in the mixer. That process is controlled through a metered belt system in the aggregate bin, an individual water tank and a dual auger system that measures the cement as it’s poured. Additionally, liquid admixtures are controlled by an electric pump through a flow control valve. Once the curbs, gutters, drains and medians are in place, the contractor can bring in his asphalt crew to pave the roadways. Photos courtesy of Cemen Tech Inc. For many asphalt contractors, concrete is a dirty word. But members of the asphalt industry have opened new revenue streams and taken greater control of their job costs by adopting volumetric concrete technology as part of their suite of services. There are benefits to diversifying your operation through the precision, detail and efficiency of volumetric concrete technology, such as eliminating delay costs—both internal and external. By flipping the current asphalt contractor–concrete subcontractor paradigm on its head, asphalt companies can take full control over projects that have curb, gutter, drain, sidewalk and median requirements. That alone can add a direct revenue stream to your operation. Better yet is selection of a volumetric concrete mixer, which adds flexibility to traditional barrel mix technology. With a volumetric concrete mixer, contractors can pour multiple mix designs across several pour locations. For example, if a bid for a municipal road project includes curb and gutter components, each will likely require a different concrete mixture at different volumes. With a volumetric mixer, the contractor eliminates the need for multiple batches of concrete from a subcontractor. Through volumetric mixing, he toggles between different mixtures on demand. For many major asphalt contractors, such as G&T Paving of Brownsville, Texas, the addition of two Cemen Tech C60 volumetric mixing trucks is netting immediate returns that have allowed the company to take on more work while cutting costs in half.
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G&T PAVING BEATS THE HEAT WITH VOLUMETRIC CONCRETE
In the world of public utility contracting, versatility, speed and efficiency are paramount. Robert Gonzales, the owner of G&T Paving— located along the Mexico border—has learned that lesson over the years as his company was required to complete jobs at multiple sites daily around his community. Gonzales and the G&T team worked to be as nimble as possible, but there were always limitations. In the past, they relied on traditional barrel trucks to deliver concrete, so they would often have the site prepped and ready to go, but they were left waiting for the material to arrive. A lot of time was being wasted, Gonzales said. Additionally, the barrel mixers oftentimes weren’t up to the task of completing multiple jobs in the same day that required different concrete mixes, different pressure requirements, different fiber additions, etc. “Our schedule was completely thrown off,” Gonzales said. “So, we’d have to come back to the site a second time and even sometimes a third time because of the way the schedule would go with a barrel truck.”
ON TOP OF THOSE CHALLENGES WAS WASTE
“When we were running barrel trucks there were a lot of times we were moving around to four or five different locations,” Gonzales said. “Every time that we were moving around, there was a quarter yard here,
and a quarter yard there, a quarter yard there, that we were leaving at every location.” The realization that something had to change had been percolating for some time, but finally culminated during a trip to Dallas. On that trip, Gonzales noticed companies that were using volumetric concrete mixers. It was technology that he wasn’t familiar with, but he was interested. Upon his return to Brownsville he researched, and he realized the values that volumetric concrete mixing brought to the table were all of the elements G&T Paving needed to thrive. It didn’t take long for Gonzales, whose father started G&T 50 years ago, to turn the page on a new chapter in G&T’s history. Shortly after the Dallas trip, Gonzales bought his first Cemen Tech C60 Volumetric Concrete Truck. And shortly after that, the results started flowing in. “Our time savings has been doubled,” Gonzales said. “I can see that production-wise that we have doubled our production within the last six months.” On any given day, G&T relies on its Cemen Tech trucks to handle multiple work sites, oftentimes with different job requirements and mix styles. It’s handled each and every task, Gonzales said, including toggling between various fiber additions at the touch of a button. “What I like about it is that we can get it on site and my utility crew, if they need a yard of concrete, we can jump in and get it done right there,” he said. “Before, we were waiting hours, sometimes days to get that material out there because they wouldn’t bring us that small quantity.”
WINTER
MAINTENANCE
QUALITY UNDER PRESSURE
In addition to efficiency and time savings, G&T has seen an increase in overall quality of its product. That was an initial concern, based on the company’s high standard on quality control, but the results have exceeded internal expectations, as well as rigorous testing by inspectors and utility engineers. The quality stands up in the south Texas heat, too. A regularly-occurring issue with traditional concrete trucks in intensely hot climates is the inability to pour when the mercury levels rise into the 90s. Even engineers were dubious of the fact that G&T’s Cemen Tech truck could pour at high noon, with the sun beating down and 100 degrees on the thermometer without needing to add ice or a temperature-retardant chemical to the concrete mix. “A lot of guys here are used to pouring with a barrel truck. They start pouring at 3 a.m. because they want to beat that sun. They want to beat that heat at 10 o’clock when it is already 100 degrees. I don’t have to do that. I don’t have to get up at five in the morning to pour concrete. I can pour at any time I want. With my truck I am ready to go. And, I get the temperature that I want and the quality that I want.” The latest generation of Cemen Tech C60 mixers feature easy-to-use electronic controls, with the ability to use pre-programmed mix designs for one-button operation. This technology is designed to make it easy to produce fresh, quality concrete to spec—on the spot—with one piece of equipment, unlimited by travel time, distance or location. Less waste puts you more in complete control of every aspect of your projects.
www.tarmacinc.com Is it TIME TO REPLACE YOUR WORN OUT CHAIN, FLIGHTS, FILTERBAGS, OR OTHER PARTS? CALL DALE.
contact tarmac at 816-220-0700 or info@tarmacinc.com
Kris Moorman is the marketing manager for Cemen Tech Inc.
www.THeAsphaltpro.com // 37
PIKE PAVES AIRPORT SMOOTHNESS FOR YEARS TO COME BY FLAVIA DE FARIA
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Thousands of travelers will soon take to the skies by way of a revamped 11,322-foot by 150-foot runway and taxiway built with nearly 104,500 tons of asphalt supplied by Pike Industries Inc. (Pike), a CRH Company. Pike began construction in 2019 to rebuild the $20 million runway project at Portsmouth International Airport at Pease—formerly known as Pease International Airport—in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. The airport is a joint civil and military facility that serves New Hampshire’s seacoast area. “It has been really exciting to be part of this important project for the region,” Pike President Barry Duffy said. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the New Hampshire Air National Guard, Pease Development Authority and the state’s bureau of aeronautics are pay-
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ing for the project, which is scheduled to be completed in 2021. The scope of the work at Pease includes profile milling the existing surface of the runway and replacing approximately 2.7 million square feet of asphalt pavement. The project also includes: • reconstructing four connected taxiways; • upgrading runway edge lights and threshold lights; • replacing airfield guidance signs and runway distance signs with LED signage; • installing two permanent precision approach path indicators; • striping and marking; and • re-grading edges of the runway safety area. As the main contractor on the job, Pike is working alongside different subcontractors to meet FAA specs required on the
project. “It has been an honor to partner with the Pease Development Authority,” Duffy said. The COVID-19 pandemic didn’t stop the Pike team from making progress on the runway rehabilitation project. “We are extremely proud of our ability to tackle a project of this magnitude and execute safely and successfully even through the pandemic,” Duffy said. Pike’s safety department has been vital to protect the safety and health of their employees during these unprecedented times. “Our work is essential to sustaining infrastructure and we are fortunate that we can safely execute within the new COVID-19 framework,” said Steve Fuller, safety director at Pike. “We all adapted to the new personal protective equipment (PPE) protocols and safety practices.”
AT LEFT: Crews at Pike Industries worked through the pandemic to make progress on the runway, which was last rehabilitated in 1995. Photo courtesy of Andrew Brian Pomeroy Photography ABOVE: The leadership team from Pike Industries and the Pease Development Authority welcomed U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) to see firsthand the work at Portsmouth International Airport. Photo courtesy of Pike Industries’ Flavia De Faria
PLANNING, PERMITTING AND PROJECT PHASES
Planning and permitting for the project began in spring 2019 and contains five different project phases. The runway reconstruction is being accomplished in phases to keep the airport open and operational as much as possible. Construction phases include periods of reduced runway length with relocated runway thresholds, periods of overnight runway closures, and up to 14 days of 24hour runway closure to complete the middle section. Here are some details. Phases 1 and 2 consist of working on the north and south ends of the airfield. To minimize disruptions, Pike removed the existing threshold paint and repainted to make the runway 7,864-feet, essentially closing off one end at a time. The south
end closed first on April 8, and was opened back up to traffic by June 4. That cleared the team to close the north end on June 5. Frank Tilton, construction manager at Pike, said, “Just as with roads, in the case of airport runways it is essential that renovation work is completed quickly and efficiently, causing as little air traffic disruption as possible.” Repaving or reconstructing an airport runway can be one of the most challenging types of construction. According to Tilton, Phases 1 and 2 include removing 36,000 cubic yards of concrete and milling of 180,000 square yards of pavement varying from 2to 9-inch depths of hot-mix asphalt (HMA). The construction division placed 46,000 tons of specialty blended P-209 subbase produced at Pike’s quarry in Eliot, Maine. They used a gravel spreader box on a Cat D6 dozer to help increase production and decrease segregation; the subgrade and grade was graded with robotic total stations and laser system. “We paved the south end first to minimize disruption,” said Tilton. “After concluding the south end, we will be rehabilitating the north end of the runway allowing aircrafts to land safely.” Phases 3 and 4 consist of rehabilitating the middle of the more than 7,500-foot runway, which will require complete shutdown, planned for mid-September 2020. Pike will lay approximately 60,000 tons of asphalt in 14 days at 6,000-7,000 tons per shift. The project requires four milling crews and three paving crews alongside subcontractors for completion. Pike is using two asphalt plants to supply HMA for the rehabilitation project. The
pavement team gets the material from the Astec SixPack portable asphalt plant on site and additional HMA comes from their Gencor 400 tph drum plant located five miles away from the project. “This project is a great example that displays the talent of our employees at Pike, the spirit of collaboration through all of our business units showcases the success on this project,” said Alex Phelps, vice president of construction at Pike. Phase 5 consists of grooving and final painting of the runway, which will take place during 28 days of night work.
EFFICIENCY, COLLABORATION AMONG ALL LINES OF BUSINESS
In addition to planning and permitting, collaboration between all lines of business has been the key for Pike’s runway rehabilitation success. “Constant communication between dispatch, construction, aggregates, plants and quality control continues to be vital for our success on this project,” said Beth Johnson, transportation manager at Pike. “We have had excellent and constant communication so everyone is on the same page and our plans are executed flawlessly.” Pike’s crushing division will be supplying approximately 100,000 tons of asphalt aggregates, as well as 46,000 tons of subbase by the end of the project. “We pride ourselves on producing the highest quality materials and providing our customers the best product we can in the field,” Phelps said. Working on airport pavements requires specialized knowledge due to the stringent specifications regulating this type of project. To minimize longitudinal joints,
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Pike Industries used a Wirtgen milling machine to provide a smooth surface on the rehabilitation project. Photo courtesy of Pike Industries’ Flavia De Faria
Pike Industries’ paving crews work to eliminate a cold joint to improve durability and longevity of the runway. Photo courtesy of Pike Industries’ Construction Division
Pike Industries has an Astec SixPack portable asphalt plant on site to maximize project efficiency. Photo courtesy of Andrew Brian Pomeroy Photography 42 // November 2020
the company used two pavers in echelon for the length of the runway. This technique allowed Pike to eliminate a cold joint while improving durability and longevity of the runway. They achieved a 94.1 percent density on the joint and 95.9 percent on the mat. Prior to paving, Pike used Wirtgen milling machines and a 2200 Wirtgen with a 12foot drum for the 3-inch inlay work in order to provide a smooth surface. A 2100 Wirtgen with a micro drum rehabilitated the runway’s shoulders. CAT F series pavers and Roadtec 2500 shuttle buggies have been key equipment throughout the project. The Pike team worked in collaboration with subcontractors Weaver Brothers Construction Co. Inc. and Pavilion Drainage Supply Co. Inc. to remove the concrete pavement on the job. “Pavilion used a concrete breaker to fracture the concrete. Pike used a JD 1050 dozer to rip the concrete and pile it up,” said Thomas Doherty, construction superintendent at Pike. “Weaver removed the concrete using an excavator and haul units. “It has taken a huge amount of coordination from our teams in multiple states (Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont) to get us where we are today,” Doherty continued. In early July, Pike’s leadership team welcomed U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (DNH), who wanted to see firsthand the runway rehabilitation project. Duffy, alongside his leadership team, shared how vital it is to have the construction industry safely working to support local and state economies. The Pike team told Shaheen that in addition to having ample sanitizer on hand for employees, they disinfect equipment in the morning and at night. “When COVID-19 became a concern, the entire Pike team rose to the challenge,” Fuller said. “The team stepped up to ensure we met or exceeded the new safety protocols needed to execute our work. It was great to see how we adapted to change.” By using its own skilled labor force, Pike has shown control over schedule, cost, quality and safety. “All of us are very proud of being part of the Pike team on such a great project,” Phelps said. Besides a few night closures and a twoweek shutdown, the runway remains open to its tenants and the Air National Guard during the runway rehabilitation work. “We look forward to completing the remaining phases of the project on time and on budget,” Duffy said.
Tacoma Builds Award-Winning Greenroad BY ASPHALTPRO STAFF
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To minimize cold joints and maximize smoothness, Miles Resources pulled two passes side by side and used a third paver to tie in side streets.
North America has a new, high-scoring environmentally sound project thanks to porous asphalt paving design in the City of Tacoma, Washington. The Greenroads Foundation, headquartered in Washington, manages a third-party certification process that assesses the sustainability of transportation projects using the Greenroads Rating System. For 2020, the foundation has awarded the City of Tacoma’s East 40th Street Green Infrastructure Project the Greenroads Silver Certification. The project earned 54 points and met all project requirements to become the highest-scoring Greenroads project in the world. The Sandy Forks Road project in Raleigh, North Carolina, which you can read about on TheAsphaltPro website, had held this distinction since November 2017. The East 40th Street Green Infrastructure Project reduces neighborhood flooding, enhances safety and increases accessibility, replaces underground utilities including water mains and sanitary sewers, and improves water quality by 99.8 percent for 39.1 acres in the First Creek, Lower Puyallup watershed. Localized flooding previously happened along this corridor because it is a low point in the East Tacoma neighborhood.
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Let’s take a look at the project’s design, execution and success. It began in 2017, when the City of Tacoma’s environmental services division let the job to prime contractor Northwest Cascade Inc. and paving subcontractor Miles Resources LLC, Puyallup, Washington, to rebuild and pave a porous asphalt on East 40th Street. Pat McBride is the estimator/project manager for Miles Resources, and provided details of the mixes and design that made the new pavement structure possible. “In Western Washington, the projects requiring porous hot-mix asphalt (PHMA) are becoming more and more common,” McBride explained. “With this trend, the City of Tacoma, several asphalt paving contractors, asphalt designers and the Washington Asphalt Paving Association (WAPA) have been constantly working to create higher quality porous asphalt designs. This project was one of the initial projects in Western Washington using designs from this group’s efforts and yielded outstanding results that have helped improve PHMA and asphalt-treated permeable base (ATPB) design and placement throughout Western Washington.”
McBride explained that the project first required the team demolish the existing hardscapes and landscaping, replacing them with environmentally driven materials that would allow stormwater to infiltrate the new roadway, new landscaping and new sidewalks with the intention of furthering the advancement of clean stormwater systems in lieu of further adding to the city’s existing stormwater systems. Replacement meant paving with environmentally sound asphalt and best practices to ensure a long-lasting pavement structure that won’t require frequent maintenance. “Miles Resources executed the 2,224 tons of PHMA and ATPB paving in two lifts over the course of two days,” McBride said. “The goal was to pave the roadway with virtually no joints, as failures tend to occur in these types of projects at cold joints.” He explained the paving team accomplished this using three pavers; two of which worked side-by-side to place asphalt down the two-lane road while a third pulled the side streets in. “This was not only aesthetically pleasing, but created a uniform looking roadway with a smooth, bump-free surface,” McBride said.
The project features a 16-foot shared space separated from the roadway by bioswales that filter rainwater while increasing the route’s safety and aesthetics. Image by Aaron Copado, courtesy of the City of Tacoma The porous pavement structure is as follows: • A 6-inch section of filter sand • A filter fabric on top of the filter sand • A 4-inch lift of permeable ballast rock • A 3-inch lift of asphalt treated base • A 2-inch top lift of aramid fiber-reinforced CI ½-inch PG70-22ER PHMA “Both the ATPB and PHMA are designed for an equivalent single axle load rating of 0.3 to 3.0 (millions) and used 0.5 percent of Evotherm M1 anti-stripping in the PG70-22ER binder,” McBride said. “The designed air voids for the ATPB were 27 percent and for the PHMA were 19.7 percent.” McBride shared that it can initially be difficult for inspectors and some agencies to grasp that the paving team isn’t shooting for normal compaction ranges seen with standard asphalt paving. The densities of 93 percent and higher would destroy this system. “You have to picture aggregates in porous asphalt as a bunch of marbles stacking up next to each other,” McBride explained. This “stacking” creates the desired voids in mineral aggregates (VMA), which makes the structure porous. “The necessary voids will cause a much lower compaction result from a nuclear gauge than a standard asphalt mix but in fact will be fully compacted. “For example,” he continued, “on this project our top lift of half-inch porous HMA was designed for 19.7 percent air voids (VA), so this would be designed for 80.3 percent compaction. The base lift of Asphalt Treated Porous Base was designed
for 27 percent VA, so we would be shooting for 73 percent compaction. Because there are primarily only a few sizes of coarse aggregate in porous asphalt, the mix compacts quite readily and achieving the design levels of compaction isn’t an issue.” After each lift was placed, the Construction Testing Laboratories, located in Puyallup, Washington, took samples for infiltration testing. “The project specifications called for infiltration rates of a minimum rate of 100 inches per hour,” McBride said. “We achieved an average of 3,000 inches per hour on the ATPB and 600 inches per hour on the PHMA.” He explained that the infiltration testing was performed, in place, per ASTM C1701 Standard Test Method for Infiltration Rate of In Place Pervious Concrete. While that might sound a little strange, because the test method was originally designed to test pervious concrete pavements, it’s now often specified to test porous asphalt as well. “A 12-inch-diameter pipe is sealed to the pavement surface with plumbers putty and 40 pounds of water is timed being poured into the pipe and down into the pavement,” he explained. (See sidebar “How to Check In-place Air Voids.”) The new road features narrower lanes than before to improve safety and reduce speeding, and was built with permeable pavement to allow stormwater to filter through the soil. This reduces stormwater flow and helps filter pollution from the water before it reenters the First Creek ecosystem, alleviating 38 percent of the site runoff for downstream impacts. “The project is a green gem for transportation in the State of Washington,” said Dr. Jeralee Anderson, CEO of Greenroads International. “We are thrilled for Tacoma's team and so proud of their leadership and commitment to environmental sustainability.” This is the fifth certified Greenroads project in Tacoma, reinforcing the city’s commitment to environmental policy leadership. Tacoma is a Greenroads member and was the first to adopt a resolution establishing the city as a “Green Roads Community” by creating its roads and infrastructure as “models of environmental, economic and social stewardship,” according to Resolution 38945. The $4.5 million project was funded with a grant from the Washington State Department of Ecology, the City of Tacoma’s Public Works’ voter approved Streets Initiative Fund, the Environmental Services Department’s Surface Water Fund, and the Tacoma Water Bond Fund.
Numerous unique partnerships across organizations and the community helped to create a valuable asset for the Eastside Tacoma Neighborhood. The construction and design of the project was created by a partnership between the City of Tacoma’s Environmental Services, Public Works, and Public Utilities Departments, along with the Washington Department of Ecology, KPG, GeoDesign, Northwest Cascade Inc., Totem Electric,
Extra Parts of the Puzzle
A 16-foot-wide shared-use path was built along the new roadway from East McKinley Avenue to Portland Avenue East, creating a safe connection for pedestrians and cyclists traveling to nearby schools or accessing the new Pipeline Trail. Thirteen biofiltration swales, or sloped channels designed to capture and filter stormwater runoff, were installed between the roadway and the path. Over 150 trees were planted within these bioswales to create a safety buffer. The project team also partnered with local eastside elementary and high schools to beautify the new shared-use path. Students from Lister, Lincoln, Stewart and First Creek schools used a superhydrophobic coating to paint poetry into the pavement. “The project created connections to other neighborhoods and provided access to multi-use centers in the city. Not only was mobility improved, but the project’s attributes addressed multiple stormwater and transportation issues facing this particular neighborhood,” said Olivia Mathison, associate engineer with the City of Tacoma’s Environmental Services Department.
www.THeAsphaltpro.com // 45
Greenroads Summary ®
Environment & Water. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Construction Activities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Materials & Design. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Utilities & Controls. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Access & Livability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Creativity & Effort. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Score. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Miles Resources, Silver Streak Inc., AESI, and Watershed Environmental Solutions LLC. The project received the Pacific Northwest Clean Water Association’s “2018 Innovative Stormwater Project Award” and Washington Asphalt Pavement Association’s “2019 Special Innovative Pavement for Western WA.” It also placed third in the National As-
sociation of Flood Stormwater Management Agencies’ “2018 Green Infrastructure Award” for cities with medium and large populations. McBride is proud of more than the awards. The project offered Miles Resources an opportunity to test best practices and prove the environmental benefits of asphalt. “Installing the porous asphalt treated base allowed for increased infiltration as opposed to putting directly on ballast or choker,” he said. “The use of aramid fibers alleviated drain down concerns and helped keep the binder on the rocks as well as strengthen the overall asphalt. The use of multiple pavers to eliminate joints will help extend the life of the asphalt.” In the end, the project was recognized not just for its environmental stewardship,
but also for its special and innovative use of HMA. There are currently more than 130 projects registered for the Greenroads Project Rating Program in 11 states and 8 countries valued at more than $32 billion USD. Washington State has the most certified Greenroads in the world, and the City of Tacoma’s project is the 29th to certify in the state since the program began in 2011. Established in 2010, Greenroads Foundation is an independent 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation which advances sustainability education and initiatives for transportation infrastructure. As the developer of the Greenroads Rating System, the foundation manages the certification process for sustainable transportation development projects in the U.S. and internationally.
How to Check In-place Air Voids The National Center for Asphalt Technology (NCAT) asphalt permeameter is one device paving crews can use to double-check in-place air voids during construction. Similar instruments are available through testing equipment suppliers and are typically constructed of four-tiered, clear plastic for non-destructive field testing. With the instrument, a technician measures the rate of water-level fall in the permeameter over a defined period of time. To begin, a technician selects an area of about one square foot of unsealed asphalt mat of known thickness and brushes it clean of any debris. The technician applies a moldable sealant to the underside of the permeameter base. She places the bottom section on the asphalt mat and uses gentle foot pressure to temporarily attach and seal the permeameter to the asphalt pavement. She then affixes the top section of cylindrical piping to the bottom section with the same sealant. She places weights on the base section to counteract the head pressure developed when the permeameter is filled with water. At least four 5-pound weights are recommended, but notice the jack on the back of the work truck that NCAT uses in the photos herein to apply more adequate down-pressure. To fill, the technician inserts a funnel in the top section of the assembled permeameter and slowly adds water, attempting to minimize the introduction of air bubbles. Once the permeameter is filled, she checks for leaks; assuming there are none, she proceeds with testing, recording the initial water level (h1) in centimeters, and the start time at the beginning of the test. Coarse or open-graded asphalt mixes will take less time and will normally require the technician use the larger diameter tiers to determine volume of flow through the pavement, while finegraded mixes will take more time and require the top, smaller diameter tiers. Ultimately, the testing time should be long enough that there is a measurable and steady rate of water-level-drop in the permeameter. The technician records the final water level (h2) in centimeters and the elapsed time (t) at the conclusion of the test. The elapsed time and total water volume (ln (h1/h2)) are used to calculate and report a coefficient of permeability (K).
46 // November 2020
NCAT personnel set up the permeameter with a jack on the back of a work truck to apply adequate down-pressure to counteract the head pressure developed when the instrument is filled with water. Both photos courtesy of NCAT
Product Gallery
Prep to Solve Wear, Safety, Monitoring Issues during Production In the October issue, a number of plant and plant component original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) shared tips for the upcoming winter maintenance season readers will experience in North America. Their advice is something asphalt mix producers can refer to at any time of year to do some pre-planning. Also take a look at the concepts coming to the forefront with the offerings OEMs have on the table in this month’s product gallery. For example, the folks at HammerTek Corporation, based in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, have recently provided a wear solution to Plant Manager Curt Stein in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Let’s take a closer look at the project information they submitted: Sealmaster is a global supplier of pavement maintenance products shipped to customers in over 50 countries through more than 100 distribution centers. The company’s Allentown, Pennsylvania, plant uses silica sand as a filler to improve durability and add skid resistance to its line of pavement sealers. The 60 mesh (250 micron) sand arrives by truck with a pneumatic trailer equipped with a 1,000 cfm (0.47 cu m/sec) blower. A length of 4-inch flexible hose connects the trailer to the 4-inch schedule 40 pipe of the silo, which is routed 20 feet vertically, 7 feet horizontally and then downward to feed the silo, requiring two elbows. The company has been offloading sand at this location for about six years, but, according to Stein, “We had problems since day one. As soon as it began to turn, the sand would erode or eat through the sweep elbow and eventually just shoot out the side. “We went to a heavier elbow, but that didn’t work. The sand just ate through it within weeks. Then we went to a concrete-reinforced elbow. Within a couple of months, it ate right through the inner steel lining, through the concrete, through the outer steel lining and shot out again.” The recurring problem was frustrating, expensive and difficult, as the repairs had to be made 25 feet in the air. Because the elbows were welded in place, replacing them incurred significant labor and downtime. “It took three people––somebody on the ground to monitor safety, somebody in the air, and someone operating a fork lift or a man truck. In the early days, because it was a direct replacement, we’d have to cut off the sweep elbow and weld in the replacement. The guy in the air would also have to handle the welding equipment,” Stein explained. “Later, we used bolt-on flanges thinking if we’ve got to replace the elbow, let’s make it easier. We did that, but every couple of months we’d have to remove the elbow and bolt on a new one, which still incurred downtime and labor. That’s when I contacted HammerTek.” Unlike conventional elbows that rely on material impact to change direction, the company’s Smart Elbow® design employs a spherical
I
48 // November 2020
chamber that protrudes partially beyond the desired 90 degree or 45 degree pathway, causing a ball of material suspended in air to rotate. Since the ball of material rotates in the same direction as the airstream that powers it, incoming material is cushioned by the ball’s rotation, and is gently deflected around the bend. The deflection elbows prevent sand from impacting the elbow wall, which has eliminated elbow failure. Blow-outs, which previously shut the conveying system down every few months, have not occurred in years. “In terms of payback, you have the direct expense of materials, your labor and the downtime, but more importantly, you don’t have people working 25 feet off the ground handling heavy steel pipes,” Stein explained. “I have another pneumatic system for powdered clay, and if those elbows ever wear through, I will employ the same solution.” Additional OEMs have solutions for increasing reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) percentages, shoring up components, increasing safety in operations and more. The next few pages give a sampling of what’s available and I encourage you to let these companies know you found them through AsphaltPro magazine. Also peruse the advertisers throughout this publication for additional products that are set firmly in your wheelhouse for the specific goal of enhancing your bottom line. Let these partners know you appreciate them supporting a publication that brings you new and focused information all year long. Dive in!
ASTEC
Astec Industries, Chattanooga, offers the highly portable Voyager 140 asphalt mixing plant, which is based upon the Astec Double Barrel® drum mixer. It features production capacity of up to 140 tonnes per hour and RAP mixing capability of up to 50 percent. The Voyager 140 maintains a small plant footprint while including big
The Voyager 140 asphalt mixing plant is designed to be highly portable.
plant features. Each component is designed to maximize mix quality while maintaining portability and set-up ease. Astec Voyager 140 loads: • Drum load includes the Double Barrel drum mixer, burner and baghouse • Cold Feed Bins • Control Cabin and Drag/Batcher • Optional RAP Bins For more information, visit www.Astecinc.com.
BROCK
BROCK Industries, Georgetown, Tennessee, manufacturers of equipment and parts for hot-mix asphalt (HMA) plants, is pleased to announce new product offerings effective immediately. The products include on-site construction services, inner-drums and liquid asphalt (AC) tanks. The company has quoted all products in the market with success in sales. BROCK added a team of field technicians along with related tools and equipment to perform on-site construction services. Services include asphalt plant repairs, maintenance and equipment removal/installation projects. The company has successfully completed multiple maintenance projects. BROCK is offering a complete line of AC tanks including vertical and horizontal tanks. In addition, BROCK is now pleased to quote inner-drum replacements for all types of asphalt drum mixers. The company has team members with decades of experience in the manufacturing of these type drums.
Commenting on the announcement, Ben Brock, president and CEO said, “We are pleased to be offering these products in the market. In addition, we are humbled and excited by the industry’s response to our opening on July 1. We cannot thank our customers and vendors enough for the reception. We are not stopping here. Expect more product offerings as we move ahead.” For more information, contact Travis Sneed, vice president sales & operations, at (423) 599-4284 or tsneed@brock.industries.
CONVEYOR COMPONENTS
The Model PC pull cord, manufactured by Conveyor Components Company, Croswell, Michigan, is a safety stop control designed to provide a quick, positive shut off of dangerous equipment in emergencies. It is actuated by a cable pulled by endangered personnel. The one or two micro-switch outputs of the Model PC can control up to two separate circuits, depending on the model chosen. These outputs can include one for machinery shutdown and one for alarm. This control is designed to act as an emergency stop for conveyors and other moving machinery. This standard housing construction is corrosion-resistant cast aluminum with an optional polyester or black epoxy powder coating. Units are left-ended, right-ended, or double-ended. The flag alarm must be manually reset after the problem has been corrected. External red indicating light is available as an option. For more information, call (800) 233-3233.
ERIEZ
Eriez®, Erie, Pennsylvania, has updated its quick ship product line to include permanent suspended magnets. This expedited delivery program includes some of Eriez’ most popular items, readily available for customers’ immediate needs. Eriez recently expanded its standard suspended permanent magnet offerings for North America with TP-25 suspended magnets, which the company formerly sold exclusively in Europe. According to Eriez, CP-20 and TP-25 suspended magnets offer the same power and performance as previous models at a more economical price. Eriez Separation Product Manager Chris Ramsdell said, “We are excited we can now add fast shipping options as another one of the many advantages of choosing CP-20 and TP-25 suspended magnets for your toughest challenges.” For more information, visit the Eriez website.
EVOQUIP
The service team for BROCK has decades of experience in the manufacture and maintenance of asphalt drum mixers.
P&L Barton Ltd., based in Carnforth, Lancashire, started out in 1972 when Peter Barton invested in his first digger, a JCB 3C, and set up P Barton Plant Hire. Almost 50 years later, P&L Barton Ltd remains a family run business determined to offer existing and new customers a consistent high quality of service. Over the years, the company has evolved and expanded working on a vast array of projects with clients in private households and businesses, to local councils and large multi-nationals. P&L Barton Ltd provides plant and services on a sub-contract or hire-only basis, offering a wide range of services to the construction, groundwork, civil engineering, quarrying, recycling and haulage industries.
www.THeAsphaltpro.com // 49
Product Gallery P&L Barton Ltd operates a diverse selection of modern, well-maintained equipment and in recent years, EvoQuip, a Terex Brand, has become part of the fleet. The company took receipt of its first EvoQuip Colt 1000 from Blue Central, June 2020. Since then, the machine has worked in multiple configurations to suit required job sites. One recent application has been to produce limestone walling stone for one of their regular clients where space was limited. P&L Barton Ltd set about reconfiguring the Colt 1000 so that both conveyors discharged out the same side into segregated areas, maximizing the area available and eliminating double handling. Richard Barton, plant manager at P&L Barton Ltd, said, “We have been able to run the machine in 2-way split on one project, then convert it so that mids and fines are discharged on the same side on a really compact site, and in standard set-up on another site. With the range of media options available, I don’t think there is any job she can’t do.” The highly adaptable Colt 1000 scalping screen is designed to operate in both heavy-duty scalping and precision screening applications. The Colt 1000 achieves a compact footprint, maintaining the ethos of the EvoQuip range, while achieving versatility and mobility. For more information, find EvoQuip equipment on the Terex website.
H&B
Haver & Boecker Niagara, St. Catharines, Ontario, offers its wide range of fine screen media options with fast delivery, stating most products are ready to ship in two to three days from the North American production facility. “Haver & Boecker Niagara has a long history of benefiting our customers through the manufacturing of screen media for fine screening applications,” said Karen Thompson, president of Haver & Boecker Niagara’s North American and Australian operations. “Our wide breadth of screen media dedicated to fine screening applications means producers can find the perfect fit to effectively meet their requirements. We work closely with every customer to find the ideal solution for their operation.” The fine screening portfolio includes Ty-Ger Wire, Ton-Cap, Tyler Mineral Processing Screens, Profile Wire, Single-Layer and Multi-Layer sections. For more information, visit the Haver & Boecker Niagara website.
Key Features of the SF50 include: 50-foot-long main conveyor with 40-inch-wide belt; Hydraulic folding heading section for transport; Hydraulically adjustable discharge height up to 6.5 meters; 3.5 m tracks; Fuel-efficient hydraulics system; User-friendly hydraulic controls; A CAT 2.8 55 kW/74 HP engine; and Production up to 500 TPH. McCloskey International also welcomed new dealers to its global network of distributors this summer. Equipment dealer Berry Tractor & Equipment, Witchita, Kansas, will serve the Kansas and Western Missouri markets in the United States. Kemach Equipment, with its national office based in Gauteng, South Africa, will serve South Africa, Lesotho, Swaziland (Eswatini) and Botswana. For more information, find your local McCloskey dealer. • • • • • • • •
MEEKER
Meeker Equipment, Belleville, Pennsylvania, recently introduced its line of vertical hot-mix asphalt (HMA) bucket elevators to the market, and built a new silo system using the system to save space for the customer pictured here. The bucket elevator is a good choice for HMA producers who need to save space at their asphalt plant. Bucket elevators take up approximately two-thirds less space as compared to drag slat conveyors.
MCCLOSKEY
McCloskey International, Keene, Ontario, has introduced a new feeder stacker to its lineup—the SF50. The SF50 feeder stacker facilitates the handling and stockpiling of materials including, but not limited to, aggregates, C&D waste, sand and gravel, and so on. All can be fed into the hopper with large loaders and excavators to combine the efficiency of a high-capacity hopper with a stacking conveyor. Variable speed is designed to prevent material from building up, allowing for more controlled flow of material. The track mobility of the SF50 allows versatile moving from site to site. It can be compacted for transport on a low loader, or loaded in a 40-foot cube container. It’s available in a variety of power options, including dual power, diesel/hydraulic, electric/hydraulic, diesel electric and diesel with genset.
50 // November 2020
The Meeker bucket elevator system takes up approximately twothirds less space than a drag slat conveyor at the plant.
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Join us for Hotmix University in Louisville, Kentucky. During the intense exchange sessions, participants enjoy a combination of lectures, hands-on workshops on actual equipment, break-out sessions and discussions, as well as fun times to facilitate networking among industry peers. We limit our class size so we may allow productive interaction with instructors and among asphalt producers and operators. Those who have graduated from HU have raved about the practical benefits received during their time spent learning with us. Our staff of instructors boasts over 1,500 years of combined experience in the asphalt industry but also in the broader rotary processing equipment world. This makes our agenda unique to any other training event. Here are just some of the topics covered: Performance measures Best practices and how to improve Establish FACTS about your plant Specific plant components review Design and operation practices Heating and drying: burners and dryer/drums Baghouse and air systems
Silo systems Recycle - RAP & RAS Electronic controls Preventive Maintenance and Minimizing Downtime Productivity Reliability Engineering Much more!
Product Gallery The Meeker bucket elevator uses massive 6-inch pitch chain, hardened head and tail sprockets, and an internal gravity take up. The bucket elevator also uses a hydraulic pump to extrude asphalt out of the bottom of the bucket elevator after a day’s/night’s run. Meeker also manufactures hot-mix silos up to 300 tons, silos with long term storage gates that are also equipped with safety gates. Meeker silos also have recessed wall liners to mitigate excessive wear. For more information, contact Jeff Meeker at (717) 667-6000 or visit www.MeekerEquipment.com.
STANSTEEL
The Tank Tracker Management Systems by Stansteel and Hotmix Parts, Louisville, Kentucky, allows you to monitor and regulate all your asphalt cement (AC) tanks and hot-mix silos. Using new cutting-edge technology, the Tank Tracker Management Systems gives you the control to run your business while it monitors your tanks and silos. The Tank Manager allows its users to set individual tank highand low-parameters for level and temperature to initiate a pump shutdown, thus preventing tank overflows. In addition, you can operate AC tank supply, return and fill valves with the push of a button. The system allows for you to send emails and texts to specific individuals notifying them during alarm events that action needs to be taken, such as “low hot oil temperature.” The system is com-
pletely mobile-friendly and can be operated on a computer or any smart phone. The Tank Tracker app allows you to monitor specific operations of your asphalt plant. While using the system, you can check tank and silo levels in real time, keep track of temperatures and monitor hot oil heater vitals. This system also allows you to send and receive email error alerts and team access. The Tank Tracker allows you to monitor your plant anytime, anywhere, from a smart phone or computer. The Accu-Level takes the guesswork out of knowing what is in your tank or silo. This innovative piece of technology continuously monitors tank and silo levels, alerting the operator when an overfill is approaching. For more information, visit www. stansteel.com.
The Tank Tracker Management Systems from Stansteel/Hotmix Parts & Service allow you to monitor your plant’s vital points from your smart phone.
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off the mat
How to Drive Profits at the Asphalt Plant U
Understanding the numbers behind the asphalt plant takes proper effort to maximize the return on investment (ROI). We will explore some financial challenges the plant presents, and how to manage your business around those challenges to help drive profits. In evaluating the financial position of a plant, there are three primary drivers to consider when determining its return on investment: fixed costs, variable costs and sale price of mix. It is critical to understand how these three drivers interact together. However, every plant is different in its management and operating style so the impact these drivers have on your plant must be examined and applied to your specific situation.
FIXED COSTS
Fixed costs are those that are incurred regardless of how many tons are run through the plant in a given time period (hourly/daily/weekly/monthly/annual). The cost per ton produced will vary depending on how many tons are run through the plant. These costs would commonly include salaries and benefits for plant managers, property and casualty insurance, depreciation, property taxes, and administrative overhead allocations.
VARIABLE COSTS
Variable costs are those that are incurred primarily when the plant is running and the cost per ton produced does not vary depending on how many tons are run through the plant. However, the total dol-
lars expended do vary based upon the number of tons run through the plant. Variable costs commonly include liquid asphalt, aggregates, hourly labor and benefits, repairs and maintenance, plant gas or electricity, and plant fuel. The variable costs such as liquid asphalt and aggregates also vary depending on the composition of the asphalt blend.
SALE PRICE
Sale price is the market price charged for each transaction when asphalt is sold by the plant. This price varies depending on the asphalt blend and does not include transportation to the job site. To begin understanding the relationship these three drivers have with each other, it is common to begin with a break-even analysis. To quantify the break-even point a plant has, the following formula is used:
Break Even Tons = Fixed Costs Sale Price per Ton – Variable Costs per Ton The next step beyond break-even is determining a targeted ROI the plant expects to generate. When dealing with a high volume of transactions, understanding both fixed and variable costs down to the penny per transaction can make a significant difference at the end of a season.
Fixed Costs Average Variable Cost Per Ton Average Selling Price Per Ton Desired Net Profit
Scenario A $ 1,000,000 $ 50 $ 75 $ -
Scenario B $ 1,000,000 $ 50 $ 75 $ 250,000
Scenario C $ 1,000,000 $ 50 $ 65 $ 250,000
Sales Variable Costs
Scenario A Dollars Per Ton $ 3,000,000 $ $ 2,000,000 $
Scenario B Dollars Per Ton $ 3,750,000 $ 75 $ 2,500,000 $ 50
Scenario C Dollars Per Ton $ 5,416,667 $ 65 $ 4,166,667 $ 50
Direct Profit Dollars Direct Profit Percent
$
1,000,000 $ 33%
Fixed Costs
$
1,000,000
Net Profit Net Profit Percent
$
Total Tons Sold
56 // November 2020
-
0%
40,000
75 50 25 33%
$
1,250,000 $ 33%
25
$
1,000,000
$ $
-
0%
$
$
250,000 $ 7% 50,000
25 33%
$
1,250,000 $ 23%
20
$
1,000,000
5 7%
$
$
250,000 $ 5% 83,333
15 23% 12 3 5%
The sale price is often market driven so it is critical to know what the local market will bear in terms of sale price per ton. Forecasting these drivers with precision will determine whether budgeted net profit is reasonable given the local market and fixed and variable cost structure. The following are a few example scenarios of how this analysis is performed and you can see them displayed in the table on this page. Scenario A: The plant has fixed costs of $1,000,000, an average variable cost of $50 per ton and an average sale price of $75 per ton. To return no net profit, the plant needs to make 40,000 tons. Scenario B: The plant has fixed costs of $1,000,000, an average variable cost of $50 per ton and an average sale price of $75 per ton. To return $250,000 net profit, the plant needs to make 50,000 tons. Scenario C: The plant has fixed costs of $1,000,000, an average variable cost of $50 per ton and an average sale price of $65 per ton. To return $250,000 profit, the plant needs to make 83,333 tons. The relationship between the three scenarios in how the dollars or per-ton amounts vary are critical to understanding what the right model is for building the projected throughput for the plant. This analysis is most beneficial as an ongoing tool by tracking and evaluating the accuracy of the forecasting and updating the modeling for updated market conditions. For instance, if liquid asphalt—a variable cost—has a significant change, does that drive a change in sale price? If a new full-time sal-
aried employee—a fixed cost—is added to the plant, how does that change the throughput required to cover that additional cost? The next step is to take the analysis to a per-product level. Plants produce several blends of asphalt and those variable costs and sale prices have enough fluctuation in them depending on the product type— base, intermediate, surface, agency spec and so on. Because of this, it is important to understand your projected tonnage throughput in the plant by product type. This will help you know and understand where the direct profit dollars and percentages need to be by product line in order to cover the fixed cost and profit motive of the plant. The plant manager must also consider what the realistic tonnage throughput is. In the above three scenarios, is the plant capable of producing 40,000 to 83,000 tons during the expected time period? If those are not realistic tonnage outputs, then a revision to the analysis is needed to determine how to run the expected tonnage while still achieving the desired net profit. – BY SEAN RIZERL
Sean Rizer is the CFO for Harding Group, Indianapolis, Indiana, which performs asphalt services, supplies hot mix asphalt and provides dump truck transportation. Prior to joining Harding Group, Rizer spent over 10 years in public accounting, providing operational and transactional consulting. He graduated from Valparaiso University with a bachelor’s degree in both accounting and finance.
NOW RENTING PUGMILL PLANTS
931-388-0626
•
PUGMILLSYSTEMS.COM
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Columbia,TN
www.THeAsphaltpro.com // 57
new tech
Luck Launches JobSight L
Luck Stone, Richmond, Virginia, a family-owned and operated producer of crushed stone, sand and gravel, announced the launch of JobSight, an industry-leading digital platform allowing customers 24/7 accessibility to place orders, manage accounts, track deliveries and more in October 2020. As a technology solution offering enhanced insight into each order placed with Luck Stone, JobSight provides customers with the ability to: • Order Anytime – place an order online, anytime. Luck Stone associates will confirm the order and ensure accurate delivery. • Track Trucks – run jobs more efficiently with access to real-time truck tracking and the ability to drop pins in exact delivery locations. • Go Paperless – manage accounts with ease with the ability to download digital tickets, review invoices and pay online to take advantage of early payment discounts. • Access Product Information – easily access product testing results to confirm quality and support project designs. Leveraging over a decade of experience building customer-facing technology, the company’s in-house team spent just over a year in research and development on JobSight. “Our associates utilized cutting-edge technology to create an endto-end digital platform that enables customers to easily engage with Luck Stone on any of their preferred devices,â€? said Ryan Emmons, vice president of information technology for Luck Stone. “JobSight quickly and conveniently connects customers to our company, our products and our digital offerings.â€? “Customers have often told us that they would like the ability to place orders while working overnight. In the past, they always had to wait until normal business hours,â€? added John Blekicki, Luck Stone sales representative. “We listened to their needs and built an online platform that not only provides around the clock accessibility but will increase accuracy, reliability and speed in ordering crushed stone, sand and gravel. Ultimately this tool facilitates a more efficient process with less downtime when
58 // November 2020
BEST CONST‌ Co.
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Tickets & Place an Order
Total $ 377.89
Ticket No. 178067
Purchase Order No. 160240
Ticket Date 10/31/2019 11:43 AM
Total $432.73
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Purchase Order No. 160240
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Total $957.80
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Purchase Order No. 160240
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Total $437.33
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$
Ticket No. 480471
Purchase Order No. 160240
Ticket Date 10/31/2019 11:43 AM
Total $465.79
Ticket No. 480471
Purchase Order No. 160240
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Ticket Details Ticket Number 480471 Delivery Time 8:45 A.M. Product VDOT #21B Aggregate Base Luck Location Bull Run Tons 25.39 Tons Hauler License Plate HA 123632
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customers are ready to move forward on their projects.â&#x20AC;? Billy Chenault, vice president of customer experience at Luck Stone, views JobSight as a game-changer in solidifying relationships and broadening a customerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s digital experience with Luck Stone. â&#x20AC;&#x153;JobSight allows us to extend ourselves as trusted business partners providing high quality aggregate materials for building and construction projects of all sizes via an online channel. We are dedicated to making the process easy and reliable so that projects can be completed on time and on budget.â&#x20AC;? Several of Luck Stoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s customers and partners were invited to test-drive JobSight before it went live, and members of the beta group appreciated the enhanced mobile capability that the online platform provides. Below is a sampling of their feedback about JobSight: â&#x20AC;˘ Tracy Clatterbuck, office manager for Piedmont Construction Co. shared, â&#x20AC;&#x153;This platform spoils me. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s so easy and user friendly. When I get a call asking for a time to pick-up a load, I check while Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m on the phone. I can see exactly what time slots are available, and Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m able to schedule it in that moment with full confidence.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;˘ Jim Tracy, purchasing manager at William A. Hazel Inc., added, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an invaluable asset for us in job costing. We can access all of our tickets, download and separate them in Excel as needed, and
see our daily activity in real-time. There are other tools in the marketplace, but they are more cumbersome relative to Luck Stoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s digital platform.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;˘ Andrew Cox, assistant project manager at Faulconer Construction Company, said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Luck Stoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mobile ordering platform made it easy to specify exactly where stone was needed on our jobsite, which was critical because the site had significant access limitations. I would recommend Luck Stoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mobile ordering to anyone who wants rapid insight into their product usage on site rather than having to wait to get back to a computer.â&#x20AC;? John LeGore, president of Luck Stone, shared that forward-thinking, customer-focused initiatives such as JobSight demonstrate how Luck Stone consistently seeks ways to serve customers not only as a stone supplier but as a trusted partner who is committed to helping customers grow their businesses and be successful. â&#x20AC;&#x153;JobSight opens opportunities, innovating how we work and adding value to support our customersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; success,â&#x20AC;? LeGore said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;As our industry continues to evolve, we will keep striving to innovate and provide solutions that unlock the unlimited potential of our associates, customers and communities.â&#x20AC;? For more information about JobSight, visit luckstone.com/jobsight. â&#x20AC;&#x201C; FROM LUCK STONE
here’s how it works
Step 3 The operator engages the vacuum to create a positive seal.
Step 4 When the steel plate is in position, the operator presses a button to release the seal.
Step 2 The operator lowers the SL 2 onto the steel plate.
Step 1 The operator mounts the SL 2 lifter to the front of the host machine and attaches the quick-connect hydraulic hoses.
The gauge on the vacuum pad indicates when there is enough pressure for a safe lift. It also indicates when the pressure is released and itʼs safe to move the SL 2.
Vacuworx’ SL 2 System As winter sets in for many counties, road and utility repair requires quick action from maintenance crews. Crews can make quick work of covering open trenches or roadways in need of repair with the SL 2 subcompact vacuum lifting system attachment from Vacuworx, Tulsa, Oklahoma. Here’s how it works: While the vacuum lifting system can be used to handle a variety of materials weighing up to 4,400 pounds—such as saw-cut concrete, marble slabs, paving stones—we’ll use the example of moving steel plates for pavement maintenance work. Using the example of placing steel plate over damaged or removed pavement, the maintenance crew first mounts the 125-pound SL 2 lifter to the front of a skid steer or mini skid steer using quick-connect hydraulic hos-
A
60 // November 2020
es. Universal mounting plates are designed to work with virtually all skid steer models, but the lifter can also be connected to small excavators, backhoes and cranes using the clevis hook connection provided. Next, the vacuum pump operates using the host machine’s auxiliary hydraulics (a minimum of 10 gpm is required with maximum 300 psi). A factory pre-set control valve ensures optimal performance. The system’s vacuum reservoir continues to provide vacuum in the event of a power failure. The operator lowers the SL 2 onto the steel plate to be moved. He engages the vacuum to create a positive seal. The gauge on the vacuum pad indicates when there is enough pressure for a safe lift. With a secure connection between the pad and steel plate, the operator lifts and
moves the steel plate into position over the area needing to be covered. When the plate is in place, the operator presses a button to release the seal. Again, the gauge indicates when the pressure is released and it is safe to move the SL 2 to its next task. For more information, call (918) 259-3050 or visit www.vacuworx.com.
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.
In July 2020, Sapphire Gas Solutions was formed by joining Blue Roads Solutions and Thigpen Solutions into one company. The newly formed Sapphire Gas Solutions is still committed to focus on serving the road construction industry with the same quality product fueling capabilities.
NEW NAME, SAME PASSION FOR EXCELLENCE IN ASPHALT Sapphire Gas Solutions is a Texas based LNG and CNG natural gas in the utility, industrial, and pipeline industries. Through years of experience provide LNG and CNG to asphalt plants, pipeline integrity projects, supplemental winter gas supplies, and a myriad of other applications, Sapphire is a true, national, virtual pipeline solution.
In addition to our emphasis on Asphalt Plants and Remote Power Generation, we now also help with: • Winter supply
• Pipeline curtailments
• Heavy fuel replacement
• Supplemental pipeline supply
• Pipeline integrity
• Emergency pipeline outages
sapphirenatgas.com 833-662-5427 sales@sapphirenatgas.com
Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re on it.
BROCK is proudly manufacturing equipment and supplying parts for hot mix asphalt plants. www.brock.industries
1.800.441.9528
1.423.476.9900
Online update
AsphaltPro, Online
Join the conversation with AsphaltPro online, on our social channels, our website and our blog. AsphaltPro’s ‘gram game is going strong! Join more than 3,000 asphalt professionals and follow along with us on Instagram, @theasphaltpro!
We Asked, You Answered! What are your top reasons for working in the asphalt industry? “The finished product that you can say 40 years later, ‘I was a part of the crew that did that work.’ It feels good to be a part of a project that is still there today.”--@art.decola.9 Having this as our “office”
Photo courtesy of @lookerasphalt
What’s your favorite thing about working in our industry? Join the conversation on our LinkedIn page. Headlines from the AsphaltPro blog: theasphaltpro.com/asphalt-blog
Construction Angels brings on Shannon Gaunt to represent the state of Illinois. New scholarship opportunities announced from Wisconsin Asphalt Pavement Association, Construction Angels, the Associated Equipment Distributors Foundation and others. Learn more on our blog!
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www.THeAsphaltpro.com // 63
advertiser index Almix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
NCCP Group . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Ammann . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Process Heating Co . . . . . . . . 35
Asphalt Drum Mixers . . . . . . . 54
Pugmill Systems . . . . . . . . . . 57
Astec, Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Inside Front Cover, 9, 13, 17, 20
RLS Parts and Equipment . . . 64
B & S Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Reliable Asphalt Products . . . . . . . . . Back Cover
Blue Roads . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 Brock Industries . . . . . . . . . . 62 CWMF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 E.D. Etnyre . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Fast-Measure . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Roadtec . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Sripath Technology . . . . . . . . 52 Stansteel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Systems Equipment . . . . 43, 53
Gencor Industries . . . . . . . . . . 4
Tarmac International, Inc . . . . 37
Green Products . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Top Quality Paving . . . . . . . . 65
KPI-JCI-AM . . . Inside Back Cover
Trans Tech Systems, Inc . . . . . .63
Libra Systems . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Willow Designs . . . . . . . . . . 65
Meeker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
Wirtgen America . . . . . . . . . 59
AsphaltProâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;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.
www.THeAsphaltpro.com // 65
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