Asphalt Pro - December 2023 by Asphalt Pro LLC

State of the Sustainable Industry

PRODUCTION – PROFESSIONALS – PRODUCTS

From Residential to Airfields, Atlanta Paving Grows Each Year • Component Size Affects Plant Efficiency • Lowboy Checklist Saves Equipment • Tips for Machine, Mat Longevity • VRAMs Extend Pavement Life • Burner Upgrades for EPDs

DECEMBER 2023 WWW.THEASPHALTPRO.COM

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INDUSTRIES INC.

CONTENTS

asphaltPRO December 2023

DEPARTMENTS

EDITOR’S LETTER 6 – Stewards of a Better Environment

SAFETY SPOTLIGHT 8 – AWP Introduces Automated Flagger Assistance Devices By Sarah Redohl

MIX IT UP 12 – Degas Your Asphalt Sample By AsphaltPro Staff 14 – Moisture Measurement Gets the Right Mix By Del Williams

TRAINING

20 – Train the Team to Succeed Together Using a complex manufacturing facility lot project, T&K Asphalt provides an example of training the whole crew for overall successes By John Ball

PROJECT MANAGEMENT

26 – Enhance EPDs with Burner Tech By Jim Feese

PAVEMENT MAINTENANCE 34 – Cape Seals Power Pulaski County’s PCI Boost By Tom Kuennen

PRODUCER PROFILE 40 – Atlanta Paving’s Growth Goes Sky-High By Sarah Redohl

WOMEN OF ASPHALT 60 – Meet a Woman of Asphalt: Jim Reynolds Asphalt Contractor’s Chelsea Ellis-Hogan By Sandy Lender

OFF THE MAT 62 – Make a Lowboy Checklist By Sandy Lender

NEW TECH 66 – Sustainable Roads Through Tech By AsphaltPro Staff

FEATURE ARTICLES

State of the Sustainable Industry

PRODUCTION – PROFESSIONALS – PRODUCTS

48 – High-Polymer Asphalt Overlay Caps Old Concrete By Sarah Redohl 52 – Mix-and-Match Asphalt Plants Seasonal maintenance offers prime time to assess sizing the puzzle pieces of optimum, efficient production By Malcolm Swanson, PE 58 – PennDOT Studies Joints for Sustainable Pavements Extending the life of asphalt pavement with void-reducing asphalt membrane: PennDOT case study From Asphalt Materials Inc.

DECEMBER 2023 WWW.THEASPHALTPRO.COM

ON THE COVER

Atlanta Paving earns airport and customer trust amid year-afteryear growth. See related article on page 40. Photo courtesy of Atlanta Paving

E D I TO R ' S L E T T E R

Stewards of a Better Environment

remember the clickety clickety clickety phooooosh of Aqua Net on weekday mornings as I prepared my hair to survive a full day of 1980’s high school. I also remember the guilt trip leveled at me for the increasing hole in the ozone layer, to which my hair style choices contributed. Fast forward to my adult years and I found myself listing the composition of Earth’s atmosphere for an appendix in my Dragons in Space YA sci-fi series and, lo and behold, there’s more than Nitrogen, Oxygen and Argon in the air we breathe. While Ozone and Nitrogen Dioxide make up an incredibly small percentage of what we’re taking in, they join Methane, Carbon Dioxide and a few others that might surprise the kids being taught to fear anything not being filtered through an N95 mask. This month’s editor’s column follows the science to mention the various elements and compounds necessary for Earth’s atmosphere for a simple reason. We should acknowledge the small stuff. Talk to most therapists these days and they’ll remind you to be thankful for the small stuff. Look for and give thanks for the little things in life. Show gratitude for each of the tiny rewards, no matter how insignificant they may feel at first, and don’t be surprised when they snowball into mountains of blessings. In the asphalt industry, we often need to remind the communities in which we live and work that we contribute positively to the environment, economy, infrastructure and so on. It’s not commonplace for a zoning board to proactively brag about the remediation efforts of the quarry down the road or of the local plant donating RAP to an animal rescue to re-pave its driveways, which we all know leads to more ecologically friendly fuel use. We must ring those bells ourselves. The examples of our industry performing in an environmentally friendly and sustainable manner border on endless at this point in history. We are good stewards of the environment at large and have the opportunity to be positive forces when sharing that news. This month, as hearts and minds turn toward charitable giving and communing with faithful friends who are dear to us, 6 | DECEMBER 2023

gather near to us positive and hope-filled messaging. On my grown-up Christmas list, I’ve added a desire that we all set aside the uglier language of social media platforms and mainstream news channels and focus instead on sharing our good events in the best way(s) we can. I want to encourage you to share your positive, environmentally friendly stories with us at AsphaltPro so we can work alongside you to broadcast your message across a wider platform. Let us help you share that we are stewards of a better environment. In the meantime, I wish everyone a safe and beautiful holiday season. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from the team at AsphaltPro. Stay Safe,

Sandy Lender

December 2023 • Vol. 17 No. 3

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 DIGITAL EDITOR Sarah Redohl sarah@theasphaltpro.com (573) 355-9775 MEDIA SALES Cara Owings cara@theasphaltpro.com (660) 537-0778 ART DIRECTOR Kristin Branscom

Elements and Compounds in Air This is the composition of air, in percent by volume, at sea level, at 59°F and 101325 Pa. Nitrogen = 78.084% Oxygen = 20.9476% Argon = 0.934% Carbon Dioxide = 0.04% Neon = 0.001818% Methane = 0.0002% Helium = 0.000524% Krypton = 0.000114% Hydrogen = 0.00005% Xenon = 0.0000087% Ozone = 0.000007% Nitrogen Dioxide = 0.000002% Iodine = 0.000001% Carbon Monoxide = trace Ammonia = trace Source: https://www. thoughtco.com/chemicalcomposition-of-air-604288

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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S A F E T Y S P OT L I G H T

AWP Introduces Automated Flagger Assistance Devices BY SARAH REDOHL

magine your average paving project on a two-lane road. One lane is closed for the paving crew to do its job and the other is accommodating both directions of travel, controlled by flagging operations at each end of the job site. Then, all of a sudden, a semi speeds around a turn leading up to the work zone and, unable to stop in time, slams into the flagging operation. An alarm blares, notifying the paving crew of the work zone intrusion. Thankfully, the semi comes to a stop before reaching the crew. And, because the job site was equipped with an Automated Flagger Assistance Device (AFAD), the flagger is also safe and sound. That’s because, in early 2023, AWP Safety, North Canton, Ohio, announced a partnership with Site 20/20 to deploy its Guardian SmartFlagger AFADs on AWP’s work zones in more than 20 states across the country. AWP Safety’s services range from work zone flagging to design and engineering for transportation management plans, as well as equipment sales, rentals and support in 28 U.S. states and four Canadian provinces.

AFADs allows an operator to monitor and control traffic through the lens of two HD cameras. Using a smart tablet instead of a flag, operators can perform their duties at a distance. Recognized by the American Traffic Safety Services Association (ATSSA) for advancing roadway safety, Guardian SmartFlagger aims to increase motorist compliance and improve work zone safety. Since its inception, these devices have been used by more than 100 traffic control companies in North America.

THE ROAD TO AUTONOMY

According to Greg Ryan, vice president of AWP Safety’s north business division, the technology behind AFADs has been around for 20 years. “I first learned of the Guardian SmartFlagger five years ago, but I didn’t think the technology was 100% ready or that the market was ready for such a device,” he said. Then, in 2020, Ryan decided it was time to reconsider the concept. “In 2020, we started facing an even more acute workforce shortage and began looking for alternative solutions to achieve the capacity we needed,” he said. “We began investigating what autonomy could do and learned of all the additional features Site 20/20 has added over the last five years.” These improvements included integrations with Google/Waze, reducing the weight of the device by half and adding video recording capabilities and the ability to pair up to four devices. In that time, the devices had also been tested according to the Manual for Assessing 8 | DECEMBER 2023

AFADs allow an operator to monitor and control traffic through the lens of two HD cameras. Using a smart tablet instead of a flag, operators can perform their duties at a distance.

Safety Hardware (MASH), a standard for testing work zone traffic control devices from the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO). “They were something we were ready to run with,” Ryan said. “Once we were in that mindset, the next question was ‘How do we get our customers to adopt this?’”

CUSTOMERS HOP ABOARD

AFADs boast a number of benefits, from the safety of construction workers by removing flaggers from the flow of traffic to reducing labor costs and improving operational efficiency. Ryan said some of AWP’s customers got on board with the idea right away, but others were initially resistant to the change. The first step was developing support for the idea across AWP’s organization. “Today, we have at least one local champion for the device in every office,” Ryan said. “They use these devices every day.” According to Ryan, the most resistant customers were what he calls the “old school” individuals. “They’d say, ‘I trust people, not machines,’” Ryan recalled. Most would open up to the idea once AWP showed them data that the general public actually responds better to these than they do a human flagger. “When they see the data and see them in action, they start to understand the benefits.” For example, Guardian SmartFlaggers were deployed on a job site where a car plowed through the AFAD’s gate arm. The gate arm fell off, the alarm sounded to notify the crew, and the car stopped before it reached the crew. A customer resistant to the use of AFADs who was on the job turned to Ryan and cited the event as evidence the AFAD didn’t work as intended. “I told him it worked exactly as planned,” he said. “The car stopped, the crew is safe, and I’m not calling an ambulance for a struck flagger. The only damage done was a scratch on the intruding vehicle, and we have video showing them to be at fault.”

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The Blaw-Knox University, now in its 58th season, is dedicated to training paver operators and foreman on proper Paver Operation and Maintenance and applied Best Paving Practices through classroom-style and hands-on application courses. For over a half a decade Blaw-Knox has earned its reputation as the go to source of training and instruction on hot mix paving. Blaw-Knox provides improved technical and problem solving skills on a variety of paver operations and maintenance topics. Course instructors share decades of field and teaching experience with attendees, including training on the latest DOT requirements. Blaw-Knox offers multiple dates to satisfy the demand for its popular courses.

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S A F E T Y S P OT L I G H T Ryan shared an event where a motorist drove through the gate arm and attempted to sue the contractor performing the work. “The contractor reached out to us, we found the video of the lady as she hit the gate arm showing both her hands were on her phone,” Ryan said. “We sent that to the contractor and that was that.”

“The flagger is 100% safer if they’re operating the AFAD from a safe distance instead of standing out there for a traditional flagging operation,” Ryan said. The other benefit that brought customers around was the increased capacity these devices afford. “When we implement AFADs on appropriate jobs, it means we have additional manpower to use for jobs where AFADs don’t make sense,” Ryan said, for example, double lane closures or any job that calls for arrow boards or similar devices/setups. According to Ryan, one person can control up to four AFADs, however, on a typical closure with one lane of split traffic, he said AWP still utilizes one person per AFAD. Often, customers prefer a mile-long work zone in order to optimize paving efficiency. “But you’ll usually have a number of side streets, driveways, etc. along a mile-long work zone,” Ryan said. “Normally, we’d need three or four people out there to account for that level of complexity. With the AFADs, we can do it with two people, one operating the ends and one controlling the ins and outs to ensure folks aren’t turning left when traffic’s going right.” With the use of AFADs, AWP is also able to locate its flaggers closer to the crew for improved communication and allow for cool down and warm up breaks without having to find someone to relieve the flagger. “When we’re able to do more for less while providing better safety, that’s hard for a customer to say no to,” Ryan said. AWP has also found a number of creative uses for its AFADs. For example, traffic assessments/car counting and storm responses. “We got a call in the middle of the night to reroute traffic around an icy road,” Ryan said. “We didn’t initially plan to use AFADs for storm work, but we quickly learned that’s one more option for them.”

HOW SMARTFLAGGER WORKS

Guardian SmartFlagger is designed to fit in the back of a standard pickup truck and boasts a 60-hour battery life. It’s equipped with extendable legs for level operation on all types of terrain and can run either on the cellular network or on an independent network in areas without cellular service. Ryan said setup of the device is as simple as placing an AFAD where it’s needed and putting down the gate arm to safely set up the rest of the work zone and remaining AFADs. “Then, all you have to do is turn the tablet on and it senses however many devices you have out there,” he said. “Then, the operator selects the AFADs he or she will control and will be able to see the camera view from the AFAD to begin operating the device.” The HD cameras offer a 360-degree view and include night vision capabilities and up to 80 hours of recording time. 10 | DECEMBER 2023

Ryan said one of his favorite features is the system’s integration with Google/Waze, instantly informing those apps of the active work zone. “Studies show that notifying drivers of an active work zone results in a 20 to 25% reduction in traffic,” Ryan said. “Anytime you can go from having 100 cars driving past a work zone to 75, I’ll take that deal.” In the event that a vehicle drives around or hits the fully detachable gate arm, Guardian SmartFlagger automatically triggers a 115-decibel intrusion alarm to notify workers. The operator can also manually trigger this alarm. Another feature Ryan appreciates are the built-in redundancies to prevent accidentally opening a gate. “The system asks several times if the operator is sure they want to open the gate,” he said, adding that the operator can also enter the speed limit and size of the work zone into the system to receive estimated gate times. “If you set the speed right and the distance right, the app might suggest that it would take a car 32 seconds to clear from gate one to gate two. If you try to close a gate before that lower limit, the app asks you several times if you are sure.” The system will also inform the operator if traffic is heavier in one direction and suggest how much longer to keep open the busier direction for optimal traffic flow. “It does a lot of the things our folks naturally do on a daily basis,” Ryan said. Site 20/20 also makes the Guardian Cone, the 2022 winner of ATSSA’s Innovation Award. Guardian Cone monitors vehicle speeds and detects work zone intrusions to alert workers of danger. AWP Safety utilizes both Guardian Cone and SmartFlagger to improve work zone safety. “Guardian Cone is one more technology we can use to watch our backs and our customers' backs,” Ryan said.

THE FUTURE OF TRAFFIC CONTROL

AWP Safety rolled out its first Guardian SmartFlagger devices in 2020 in central Ohio and Indiana. “By the end of the year, we had more than 50 units between the two states,” Ryan said. Now, the company has more than 200 units deployed in 27 of the 28 states in which AWP operates. “The only reason we haven’t introduced them in the last state yet is because we’re working through the final DOT approvals there,” Ryan said. “With the size and scale of our operation and our role as leaders in the market, this technology is definitely something we will be pushing for in the future.” Ryan doesn’t see a future where AFADs replace qualified safety professionals, but he does see a future where AFADs enhance AWP’s workforce. “We still require the same certified person to operate the AFAD,” he said. “The AFADs simply assist us in what we do to protect our employees, customers and the traveling public.” According to AWP Safety’s Chief Commercial Officer Josh Shipman, introducing new work zone safety technologies will continue to be a constant priority for the company. “Keeping our roads and highways safe as they continue to bear new levels of traffic will require trained professionals and even better tools for the job, and we believe we are working with the best available,” he said. “As the complexity of transportation projects grows, so too must our safety procedures.”

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MIX IT UP

Degas Your Asphalt Sample How to perform degassing of new samples in the lab BY ASPHALTPRO STAFF

s we discussed in this department last month, there are many benefits to testing mix designs in a lab setting prior to placing pavement on a roadway. One of the limitations is replicating the real world in the lab. Among the tools lab technicians use to replicate the real world is forcing “age” upon the new mix with the pressure aging vessel. One of the errors or problems that might creep in when a pavement is artificially oxidated at an accelerated rate is “bubbles.” American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), American Society of Testing Materials (ASTM) and European Standards (EN) are entities that regulate how testing is performed so everything is up to highest quality. As we detailed last month, aging a mix in a lab falls under AASHTO R28, ASTM D6521 and EN 14769 test standards, and manufacturers of pressure aging vessels (PAVs) and vacuum degassing ovens (VDOs) build their hardware and software to meet those standards. The VDO is designed specifically to remove the air bubbles introduced during the accelerated oxidative aging of the mix in the lab. In fact, the team at Controls Group/IPC Global explains on its website those standards listed above require degassing or removing the air bubbles—conditioning the sample—before you move on to further testing. “This final conditioning makes the aged binder suitable for further tests such as BBR, DSR, penetration, ductility, softening point and many more.” The VDO is the machine that makes conditioning “easy” for the lab tech to move on to those additional tests. We don’t want to imply the manufacturers have dumbed it down, but the VDOs available on the market are designed to remove the unwanted air from samples at a stable temperature for the lab tech. Controls describes them like this: “The appa12 | DECEMBER 2023

ratus consists of a stainless vacuum vessel with encased band heaters and integral vacuum and temperature controls.” The 81-PV2610 VDO from IPC Global has a platinum RTD that measures internal test temperature to +/- 0.1° C. “Vacuum is provided by an integrated vacuum system and monitored by a pressure transducer and controlled to achieve 15 kPa absolute pressure,” according to the company. “Temperature and vacuum are indicated both as set points and as actual values on the 6-inch digital color touch screen display. Data logs of both temperature and vacuum are saved on USB stick or transferred to PC at the end of the test. The vacuum chamber can accept either eight 55- by 35-mm or four 70- by 45-mm (available as accessories) sample containers.” The VDO 9900 product line from Prentex Alloy Fabricators Inc., Dallas, Texas, consists of four models and degasses using an integrated self-contained vacuum oven. The vacuum is controlled by a digital microprocessor with the vacuum pressure indicated directly in kPa absolute. The Prentex website states this provides the operator “with simplicity of operation and reducing the chance of error in performing the degassing process.” The Prentex team differentiates its models from others on the market by explaining its vacuum oven does not measure the temperature of the vacuum. “Instead, our device measures where degassed asphalt temperature has shown to stabilize; namely, at the aluminum support for the sample tins, which is machined from ¼-inch [6.4mm] thick aluminum.” Applied Test Systems, Butler, Pennsylvania, offers the ATS Vacuum Degassing Oven (VDO Touch), which is the next generation ATS VDO incorporating updated software and touchscreen capabilities. It is a benchtop unit with leveling legs and is part of ATS’ CE-approved asphalt bitumen/binder testing line. The manufacturer states it is NIST traceable RTD for temperature measurement, with an ac-

TOP: Samples being degassed in one of the four Prentex VDO 9900 models may be monitored visually through the glass viewing window located on the unit’s cover. BOTTOM: The VDO Touch from Applied Test Systems is a next generation model incorporating updated software and touchscreen capabilities.

curacy of +/- 1°F. It includes a USB port on the front of the unit for upgrades and data downloads and has programmable temperature, soak time and vacuum time. As mentioned last month, this brief look at PAVs and VDOs isn’t an exhaustive list of the products available. Not all lab equipment manufacturers or suppliers are quick to share their product availability but mix designers, lab technicians and quality control teams are encouraged to check out the lab equipment advertised in these pages.

MIX IT UP

Moisture Measurement Gets the Right Mix Achieve automated, instant moisture measurement when producing quality, durable asphalt mix BY DEL WILLIAMS

n the asphalt pavement industry, accurate moisture measurement is vital to producing and laying a durable, quality surface at all stages of the process. During the production, hauling and paving process, the moisture content of hot-mix asphalt (HMA) can vary due to environmental conditions or water vapor loss as the mix is heated, stored and dispensed at temperatures up to 350° Fahrenheit. This variability can affect the quality, thus longevity of the finished asphalt. To ensure the moisture content remains consistent, operators would ideally test it at every step of the way. Unfortunately, many moisture meters require calibration, sampling and time. Many of the tools are not portable or durable enough to be used on heavy construction job sites. Now with the availability of cost-effective, automated and instant moisture measurement devices, the industry is turning to these options to ensure optimal moisture levels from the plant to the paving site to improve their outcomes. “Asphalt producers are beginning to understand that the cliché ‘you can’t expect what you don’t inspect’ applies to moisture measurement,” said John Bogart, managing director of Kett US, a manufacturer of moisture and organic composition analyzers. “And with new, more accurate, easy-to-use, real-time moisture measurement devices, they can improve asphalt quality and longevity by adjusting the mixture at any step from the plant to the ground.”

ENSURING CRITICAL MOISTURE LEVELS

According to Bogart, one traditional approach to test for moisture content involves Loss on Drying testing. This uses a moisture balance to measure the total change in the material weight change of a mixture after drying. However, such tests typically require technicians to prepare a sample to be brought to a lab. Each test takes upward of 15 minutes to several hours to perform. “Another challenge with moisture balances is that there is a limit to the weight of the sample you can place in one, which can be an issue with asphalt. Larger samples require a big drying oven, a big pan, and often overnight drying,” Bogart said. To ensure consistent moisture content at HMA plants, the industry now uses Near-Infrared (NIR) light equipment for a highly accurate, non-contact, secondary-measurement method that delivers immediate, laboratory-quality moisture readings. “NIR moisture meters allow very accurate instant measurement of solids, slurries and liquids without contact or sample preparation and come in desktop, handheld portable and inline models,” Bogart said. “When integrated with data collection and analysis software, inconsistencies can be quickly detected and corrected.” 14 | DECEMBER 2023

TOP: Automated, instant moisture measurement is available to achieve asphalt quality, durability and performance with the Kett FD720 analyzer. BOTTOM: Moisture analyzers such as Kett’s KB30 are designed to provide instant, non-contact, non-destructive measurement of liquids and solids while the product is moving.

MIX IT UP For real-time testing of HMA, either during plant processing or dispensed to and from trucks, inline tools can be used for 100% inspection of all mixed materials without having to take samples offline for testing. Moisture analyzers such as Kett’s KB30 are designed to provide an instant, non-contact, non-destructive measurement of liquids and solids while the product is moving. The unit’s small form factor allows for simple placement when updating or retrofitting existing process lines. For frequent spot checks of various materials anywhere in the process, operators can use portable, handheld and instant moisture meters like the KJT130. The design of the unit allows it to be used wherever necessary on both stationary and moving materials, including those on a process line. The user simply points the instrument at the material and the moisture content is instantly shown on a digital display, with results accurate to 0.01% in a 0-100% measurement range, according to the manufacturer. Desktop NIR moisture analyzers, like the KB230, display results immediately, and are designed for job sites that need continuous sample measurements. Once technicians lay the asphalt, Kett’s handheld HI520-02 measures not only the road surface but also sublayer moisture to ensure proper curing. For asphalt producers or contractors that also want to analyze the composition of the mix, NIR composition analyzers are available. Kett’s KJT700 is designed to verify the correct quantity of additives

MERRY

and binders, as well as recycled materials in the mix such as tire rubber, reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP), asphalt shingles (RAS), slags, glass and so on. “As recycled materials become a larger percentage of the inputs for asphalt production, composition analyzers will also play a role,” Bogart said. For those in the industry who may be less familiar with moisture measurement, or previously considered it impractical, Bogart points out that recent advancements now make it quite affordable. “It is a misconception that moisture measurement [of asphalt and pavement products] is difficult or costly today,” Bogart said. “Automated inline moisture measurement for the plant or haul truck, for example, costs as little as $10 per business day on lease for 100% inspection of all materials and can free an operator from spot checking to perform other higher-value tasks. Compare that to paying an hourly rate to an employee to do occasional spot checks of small amounts of material.” As the asphalt industry strives to improve the bottom line, a growing number of professionals will utilize automated, instant moisture testing and composition analysis to promote superior quality and performance, which ultimately translate into greater profitability. Del Williams is a technical writer based in Torrance, California. For more information, call (800) 438-5388 or visit www.kett.com.

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TRAINING

Train the Team to Succeed Together Using a complex manufacturing facility lot project, T&K Asphalt provides an example of training the whole crew for overall successes BY JOHN BALL

&K Asphalt Services Inc. is headquartered in Whitman, Massachusetts. They have one grading crew, one milling crew and two paving crews. These teams all work together to accomplish jobs like a well-oiled machine. This company is strong not only because they have an excellent overall team of employees working in harmony with best practices and good training, but also because they use a complete and well-thought-out work order to keep those best practices on track.

THE TEAM

One of the members of the crew I want to highlight in this article is the paving foreman. For T&K Asphalt, Joe Mohan is a foreman who started out four years ago as a truck driver for the company. He moved up to the tack truck, then learned how to run the screed. He became the foreman after only three years in the business. Mohan understands yield, how to calculate it and the importance of tracking it throughout the project. He’s excellent at laying out the project before the crew gets started at the job site. And that’s key to a job’s success. If you don’t put lines down, you don’t know where you are or where you’re going. Mohan puts the lines down and makes sure his crew knows all the particulars they need to know for the whole project. See the article “Successful Paving Starts with Striping” in the November 2023 issue.

For the parking lot job we’re talking about in this article, Mohan had to line out tapers, wedges and lanes that were up against sloped loading bays and stairs. He had his work cut out for him to decide how the trucks could get in to charge the paver without running over fresh asphalt. He had to make the plan for the laborers to build starter pads in a number of corners and to work around bollards and even a drainpipe that stuck up a foot away from the building. All these things factor into how a crew will put together the paving jigsaw puzzle and Mohan knows how to map that out, so the crew is its most efficient. Another important crewmember I want to highlight in this article is the superintendent. For T&K Asphalt, Dick Gleason is the superintendent who joined the company a few years ago but has been dedicated to the asphalt industry for much longer. While he’s a quiet fellow who gets in and gets the job done right, he’s the dependable and organized project manager in the background making sure the crew has the equipment, trucking, personnel and material they need. On the parking lot job we’re using as the example in this article, Gleason took care of the project very well, ensuring all the moving parts were in place when the crew needed them. He’s there at the start of the shift to make sure everyone gets to the job and the lowboys have delivered the right pieces of equipment for the project. He calls the plant to make sure the right material—and the right amount—is scheduled for the day. 20 | DECEMBER 2023

These photos show both 290-foot lanes will require 63 tons of material and they’re directing the paver “out” of the lot. In one photo, you can see the lines near the staged paver showing one of the wedges the crew had to create near the building.

Once Gleason has the plant on notice, Mohan can take over from there. And once the crew is in motion, Gleason can be the liaison between the team and the customer, if needed.

SOME BEST PRACTICES IN MOTION

One of the best practices that the T&K Asphalt team takes the time to get right is proper maintenance. They keep equipment in good condition through cleanliness and upkeep. You will see equipment operators and laborers alike cleaning nooks and crannies to prevent material buildup and to keep sensors working properly, of course, but you also see laborers doing little things that matter for a clean mat. For example, when laborers are watching and waiting for someone to need their shovel full of mix, they’ll take that time to lubricate and clean tools or, if tools are already clean and ready to go, they’ll make sure the tool oiled with release agent rests atop their boot, rather than dragging it along the mat. This ensures it doesn’t dig into the mat and the release agent doesn’t dribble onto the mat. Having a clean and well-lubricated shovel may seem like a small or insignificant detail in the grand scheme of a paving job, but the laborers at T&K Asphalt take these details seriously. When a colleague needs a shovel full of mix in a specific spot, the laborer can toss the material

The left-hand screed operator pedestal includes modifications the crew has made. They’ve added a basket to hold the work order and truck delivery slips. They’ve also attached a j-bracket where they keep the spool of string for lining out jobs.

directly to the indicated place, letting it slide perfectly from the tool to the low area with ease. There’s no dribbling or segregation of material across the mat from mix sticking to tools. The process is efficient, and the result is a quality job. [Sarah, use video 59; at 24 seconds] Another best practice the T&K Asphalt team uses is loading up the back of the paver in an efficient and organized manner with the tools they need for the job. By organizing everything cleanly and smartly, they

make it easy to grab the right tool right when they need it. Everything has a place, and everything is in its place when they get ready for takeoff. Let’s take a closer look at the back of the paver to see some of the elements your crew might need, as well. The first thing you notice in the center of this picture is the bracket system they’ve built to hold long-handled tools like the lutes and brooms upright and out of the way. This structure has some brackets on it that hold a pair of spray wands. Notice the smart level under the left-hand screed operator station. The right-hand screed operator pedestal has some modifications for the T&K Asphalt crew. They’ve attached a basket that can hold the clipboard with the day’s work order and truck slips. The pedestal also has a j-bracket the crew has installed for the spool of string. Notice the smart level on the shelf beneath the pedestal, too. Everything has a place to keep the screed and paver operator platform neat and tidy and to minimize trip hazards for the crew. A. There’s a shelf for the measuring wheel. B. In the center of the screed, the team has built a simple bracket cage to hold the long-handled tools like the broom, lutes, and so on. The ring of this bracket allows the crew to hook the depth gauge tools on by their handles where they’re easy to grab when paving. C. The long straight edge has a shelf to keep it secure and up where it’s not a tripping hazard. At the right-hand screed operator pedestal, you can see the spool of string for lining out jobs and a basket that’s been attached to the side of the operator panel to hold papers and clipboards. D. Near the base of the screed, the team has brackets that the shovels can slide into to ensure those don’t fall over or cause a tripping hazard.

D WWW.THEASPHALTPRO.COM | 21

TRAINING

Workers take the time to clean every nook and cranny of the paver. In this second photo, you can see the machine is spotless and ready to go “home” after the shift.

LEFT: This laborer rests the shovel on his boot rather than letting it dig into the new mat or dribble release agent onto the mat. RIGHT: This worker shows the clean sensor eye. One of the best practices that the T&K Asphalt team takes the time to get right is proper maintenance. They keep equipment in good condition through cleanliness and upkeep. 22 | DECEMBER 2023

All around the back of the paver, the crew has affixed paint holders, brackets and shelves to keep tools secure and within easy reach. This not only makes the paving and quality-control processes more efficient, but it also makes it easier for crewmembers to keep track of tools. How many times have you lost track of the straight edge or the four-foot level? Those costs add up when you have to keep replacing them. This more organized system helps prevent trips and falls as well as lost tools and profits.

A STRONG WORK ORDER EXAMPLE

The work order gets its own bin or basket on the back of the paver because it’s the guidebook for the project. The work order that T&K Asphalt has put together for its crews to work from includes detailed information that each member of the crew needs to execute the job. In this image, you can see the vital information at the top of the page. It provides space for the foreman’s name and contact details, but it also provides the phone number and email address for the contact person of the job. It’s important to have the exact address of the project listed out on this work order, but including the responsible person’s contact information could be a saving grace if the crew shows up and there’s a problem. How many times have you pulled up to a parking lot job to find random cars parked in the lot you believed you were to be milling or sealing? You use the work order to verify the correct address and to contact the responsible person immediately. In the event a member of the customer’s team makes a request that’s not on the work order, you have your sales representative’s information on this work order as well. A change order isn’t always a problem—sometimes a

Asphalt Pro 7x4.583 2023-10-19 OUTLINE.indd 1

10/20/2023 8:08:01 AM

WWW.THEASPHALTPRO.COM | 23

TRAINING

The team had to map out the paving plan and execute each detail precisely, such as paving smoothly down the side of the concrete wall to tie into a perpendicular lane.

LEFT : This is the back of the parking lot. You can see the multiple cut-ins and starter pads the team had to create by the building and stairs. RIGHT: The team had a great deal of handwork to execute near the bays.

request can be handled within the same day’s work. But changes typically incur costs and labor, which is a discussion for the sales representative, estimator or—if your company allows it—the supervisor on the job. By spelling out exactly what the work of the day entails—which you see in the left column of this picture—the crew can’t be blindsided by demands of a suddenly appearing site contact who thinks you should have brought extra car stops or extra mix to build extra speed bumps and so on. The work order also spells out how much material is needed for the job. The foreman or paver operator can use this as a guide when lining out the job because it offers all the specs, amounts, and details. As we look at the work order, we know who the foreman is, we know the date of the project, the site contact, the scheduler’s name, how many trucks are lined up for the job, the type of mix the project requires, how much mix the project calls for, whether sealer and striping paint is needed, and other specifics. I can see in the left column that we’re fine grading, removing a berm and so on. On the right side, we see the equipment for the job listed. This is also where T&K lists the people—with their cell phone numbers— who are working the job. (We’ve redacted names and numbers for 24 | DECEMBER 2023

publication, but having their contact information right there on the work order makes it easy for the foreman or superintendent to check in on anyone who’s running late or to ensure all the needed laborers are accounted for.)

FULL EMPLOYEE EFFORT

Overall, the T&K Asphalt team works together like a well-oiled machine. They are particular about how they go about a project to get the job done right and to care for the employees they’ve brought on board. The website states they employ more than 125 people, including many year-round workers, and take great pride in the longevity of their employees. Many have been with the company for at least 10 years, some for more than 20 years. Through the T&K Training Academy, employees have the ability to improve their skills for both self-improvement and new opportunities within the company. To date, T&K has conducted more than 2,000 hours of training. It’s a pleasure to assist with that training on-site. T&K Asphalt has been serving New England since 1987 and is one of the premiere pavement maintenance companies in the area, providing commercial paving, sealcoating, line striping, concrete, construction/repair and snow removal services for business owners and

The project at Ecron manufacturing facility took 295 tons over two lifts. In the end, the T&K Asphalt team put together a huge jigsaw puzzle of wedges and lines to get a top quality job done.

property managers throughout New England and across the United States through their national division partners. “We Make You Look Tremendous” is more than just a tagline for them; it’s a commitment they make to each and every customer. Kevin Gosnell founded the company back then as a driveway sealcoating company. Since then, they’ve become New England’s largest commercial parking lot maintenance company, but they’ve

had to do it without their founder since 2016. Aug. 8 of that year, Gosnell lost his battle with Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)— also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease—at the age of 48. When Gosnell learned of his diagnosis, he jumped into action to help others. The T&K website explains Gosnell used time in the last 15 months of his life to create a non-profit organization called ALS One, which is dedicated to raising funds and fostering scientific collaboration to accelerate the pace of ALS research and providing support to others suffering from the disease. “Kevin knew he would never see a cure for himself, but he could use his business skills and network of relationships to bring awareness and much-needed financial support to the research effort. He still had time to put in place a program that would eventually help others who may face the same diagnosis down the road. ALS One has raised over $10 million and is now T&K Asphalt’s core charitable partner.” T&K Asphalt honors its founder’s legacy to this day. “[W]e remain committed to all the people who work here at T&K. Kevin would often say the employees are ‘our most important asset.’ He wanted T&K to be a place where people wanted to work, where employees were respected and had opportunities to grow and learn and be a part of a larger family.” John Ball is the proprietor of Top Quality Paving & Training, Manchester, New Hampshire. For more information, contact him at (603) 493-1458.

ASPHALT BINDER TESTING

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P R OJ E C T M A N AG E M E N T

Enhance EPDs with Burner Tech How to employ innovative burner systems, controls for optimum environmental efficiency BY JIM FEESE

our burner design can be conducive to saving energy, reducing CO2 emissions and improving your environmental product declarations (EPDs). Aggregate dryer burner designs have evolved through the decades starting with many open-fired burner designs, which required the exhaust fan to induce combustion air into the flame/dryer, to more modern sealed-in burner designs with 100% air capability. The sealed-in designs have further evolved to improve energy footprint by way of reduced electrical energy consumption and British thermal units per pound (Btu/lb) of asphalt produced when operated with more sophisticated controls. After over two years of intensive design and testing, Detroit Stoker Company Inc. (DSC), Monroe, Michigan, recently released the Detroit® HADES aggregate drying burner. The design capitalizes on DSC’s 30+ years of boiler burner design and application experience in addition to staff ’s prior experience with a former aggregate drying burner OEM. The HADES design incorporates fast air/fuel mixing technology adopted from modern low NOx boiler burners with a rugged service duty and maintenance accessibility expected in the asphalt industry. More intense air/fuel mixing is achieved with the ability to shape the flame to obtain the necessary compact flame envelope to fit the dryer combustion zone with lower fan motor horsepower than previous designs. In addition,

a control panel also designed by DSC provides air/fuel ratio control with additional features enabling plant hot-stops and light to waste oil fuel switch-on-the-fly capability, among others.

IN THE FIELD

A recent case study at Eureka Stone in Milford, Pennsylvania, now operating for over one year, demonstrates the energy savings potential of replacing an outdated burner design with this new technology. The plant is a 2-ton batch and produces approximately 120,000 tons per year of HMA. The dryer drum is approximately 8 feet in diameter by 30 feet long. The burner fires on either Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) or No. 2 fuel oil. The images on page 28 show the old open-fired burner replaced with a sealed-in Detroit HADES burner. The open-fired burner utilized a high pressure 100-horsepower fan/motor whereas the new burner requires a 60-hp fan/motor and includes a variable frequency drive (VFD) for additional electrical energy savings. Furthermore, the single jackshaft arrangement (air and fuel damper/valve driven by a common actuator with mechanical linkage) was replaced with VFD only for airflow control and a direct coupled V-ball fuel flow control valve(s)/actuator(s) per fuel, which offer more precise flow control than the typical butterfly valves used on most gas burners. (See Sidebar below for details).

ELECTRICAL ENERGY SAVINGS For a simplified look at the electrical energy savings, we’ll assume a long-term average or “typical” burner operation at 40% burner output (approximately 50% VFD / fan speed). This simplified approach yields the following electrical energy savings compared to the old burner: • Typical VFD operating range: 4mA = 16Hz (low fire), 20mA = 60Hz (high fire). • Average 50% fan speed = 38Hz (approximately 60% of maximum rated airflow). Note that fan power consumption is proportional to the cube of the fan speed (fan laws). • Further assume typical batch plant produces on average 45 tons per hour (TPH), which equates to 2,667 hours per year of operation. Calculating electrical energy savings based on $0.109 / kilowatt-hour (utilizing Yaskawa Energy Savings Estimator formulas): 1. Converting New Burner Motor Hp to Kilowatt (kW): a. 60Hp x 0.746 = 44.76kW1 2. Fan at 60% of maximum flow results in a power ratio of 0.32 for VFD operation: a. 0.32 x 44.76kW1 = 14.32kW2 3. Old burner had 100Hp fan with an outlet damper (power ratio of 0.94 for outlet damper operation): a. Original: 100hp x 0.746 = 74.6kW3 b. 0.94 x 74.6kW3 = 70.12kW4 4. Energy savings using VFD: a. 70.12kW4 – 14.32kW2 = 55.84kW5 5. Energy Savings: a. 55.84kW5 x 2,667Hrs x $0.109/kWh = $16,232 / year electrical energy savings 6. Additional electrical energy savings not considered includes the reduction of inrush / start-up current (6 times the normal FLA of the motor) multiple times throughout the day.

26 | DECEMBER 2023

A S PH A LT DELIVER S

Pavement preservation is highly cost-effective. Every Micro-surfacing study has shown that these types of treatments help extend pavement life.

CIR is a cost-effective and sustainable method of constructing a recycled asphalt-bound layer that reduces trucking and construction time and saves natural resources. CIR is part of our AMICYCLE™ product portfolio, which also includes FDR (Full Depth Reclamation) and CCPR (Cold Central Plant Recycling).

A Rapid Penetrating Emulsion, like the ones found in Asphalt Material’s AMIGUARD™ product portfolio can reduce air and water intrusion while maintaining the pavement’s original texture. The penetrating nature of RPE means that the asphalt residue gets “in” the pavement rather than “on” the pavement. RPE is most effective if applied within the first year of the pavement’s construction.

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P R OJ E C T M A N AG E M E N T

Eureka Stone in Milford, Pennsylvania, replaced its burner on a 2-ton batch plant. The burner fires on either compressed natural gas or No. 2 fuel oil. Here you can see the former open-fired burner replaced with a sealed in Detroit HADES burner. All photos courtesy of Detroit Stoker Company Inc.

The David A. Bramble, Wye Mills, Maryland, burner replacement involved a comprehensive plant upgrade complete with new dryer, exhaust ducting, baghouse and exhaust fan. The old burner and the new light and waste oil fired Detroit HADES burner and HBC burner control panel are viewed from the burner end of the dryer in the photo above right.

The payback on the burner VFD alone is less than six months. Depending on plant location, the utility may offer additional incentives through rebates and/or reduced peak load demand charges. Fuel savings from installing a new burner and control system are difficult to accurately quantify with the many variables that contribute to fuel usage in the first place, including material mix and varying moisture levels from season to season. Industry experience has shown that switching from an open-fired burner system to a sealed-in burner system in conjunction with controls upgrades can readily yield 5-10% in fuel savings. Let’s look at the factors that make this possible. 28 | DECEMBER 2023

First, the typical open-fired burner fan only provides about 3050% of the stoichiometric combustion air required and relies on the plant exhaust fan to induce the balance. This can lead to inefficient air/fuel mixing and overall air/fuel ratio control; ultimately higher fuel consumption compared to a sealed-in burner with 100% total air fan. The sealed-in burner fully mixes 100% of the required combustion air intimately with the fuel at the burner nozzle(s) resulting in fast mixing, complete burn-out, and improved air/fuel ratio control. Second, as already alluded to, the air/fuel control scheme can be much more precise with a sealed-in unit. In this case, we control 100% of the combustion air and can do so at any firing rate via a

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P R OJ E C T M A N AG E M E N T

FUEL SAVINGS WITH NATURAL GAS Let’s look at typical fuel savings assuming 268,000 Btu/ton of asphalt produced and firing natural gas. 268,000 Btu/ton x 120,000 ton/year = 32,160,000,000 Btu/year (32,160 MBtu/year). Or 32,160,000 cu.ft Nat. gas / year. The producer now has improved control with a direct coupled fuel actuator (4-20mA with feedback typical) and a new VFD with 10-point tuning curve versus an old linkage type system with mechanical hysteresis that typically is only tuned at one firing rate and prone to performance drifting over time: 1. Conservatively assume 4% fuel savings (typical 5-10% fuel savings with parallel position versus a single point ‘jackshaft’ or linkage type system is common). 2. With a natural gas fuel cost of $10/MBtu equates to an additional: 0.04 x 32,160MBtu/year x $10/MBtu = $12,864 / year fuel savings 3. CO2 reduction. For brevity, the calculations are omitted for determining the CO2,eq (carbon dioxide equivalent), but for this typical 120,000 ton/year batch plant, the total CO2,eq is calculated to be 31.1 lbs/ ton (1,866 tons/year) based on average 268,000 BTU/ton. A 4% reduction in fuel usage results in CO2,eq reduction of 75 tons/year. Other advantages include: 1. Fully independent control of air and fuel flows across the entire burner firing range; optimum air/fuel ratio at all production rates or mixes. 2. Advanced 4-20mA actuated control motors with hundreds of positional points of accuracy over a 90-degree stroke. 3. Controls directly available via touchscreen/HMI. 4. HMI offers improved visualization to operator, full status annunciation, and first out fault detection. 5. Improved safety, air/fuel too far out of control range prevents burner operation, unlike a failed linkage. 6. New/updated safety limits installed/verified. 7. Data logging/storage for fuel usage/ton and efficiency. Data can be directly input to NAPA’s Emerald Eco Label EPD calculator and used for state or project reporting purposes.

Characterizable Air and Fuel(s) Curves

parallel position type control scheme. If your burner control system is not equipped with characterizable air/fuel curves as depicted in the screenshot of the HBC-1000 control panel, then your burner is likely running at non-optimal air/fuel ratio at multiple load points. The parallel position system is designed to operate with independent air/fuel ratio control [VFD for air and independent direct coupled fuel actuator(s)], with built-in safety limits to prevent operation beyond desired air/fuel ratios. Combined with the proper fuel flow control valves and precision actuators, this leads to very accurate air/fuel ratio control and eliminates slipping linkages and hysteresis common in mechanical linkages. (See Sidebar above for fuel information.) Another recent example from David A. Bramble, Wye Mills plant, involved a comprehensive plant upgrade complete with new dryer, 30 | DECEMBER 2023

exhaust ducting, baghouse, and exhaust fan (via Herman Grant Company Inc.) with new light and waste oil fired Detroit HADES burner and HBC burner control panel. The pictures on page 28 show the new equipment package versus the old unit as viewed from the burner end of the dryer. Burner equipment including fuel trains and safety limits are now more readily accessible, and easier to set-up, tune, and service. Wiring is clean and orderly, further improving safety and troubleshooting. The new burner with 1,800 rpm fan with VFD is quieter than the old unit even though the old burner was enclosed to help reduce noise pollution. The lower speed fan also reduces fan vibration, improves fan life and minimizes long-term wear from typical quarry/ gravel dust particles. Following the above calculations for a “typical” drum mix plant producing in the neighborhood of 200,000 tons per year or more of HMA results in substantially more cost savings and an even quicker payback on the controls and/or burner investment upgrade in addition to various benefits cited. A new, properly tuned burner and control system providing energy savings in terms of KWh/ton and Btu/ton of asphalt produced in combination with avoided/reduced CO2 emissions is a positive step in improving an asphalt plant’s EPDs with many additional benefits. Jim Feese, P.E., is director of the burner group at Detroit Stoker Company Inc. Jim has over 25 years of experience in burner design and development and holds several burner patents. He received his bachelor’s and master's degrees in mechanical engineering from Pennsylvania State University. For more information, reach him at JFeese@ detroitstoker.com.

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The Accu-Level makes it possible to never have to second-guess how much material is in your A.C. tanks or hotmix silos. The system monitors tank levels, alerting when an overfill is approaching.

Level Reading Within 1% Accuracy Keep Mix Above Cone Level Readings Are Relayed Back to the Control Panel Works on both Horizontal and Vertical Tanks

Note: Underfilling is bad as well... Avoid restarting the plant if the silo level is “almost empty”

v.3.0.0

Name

Profile

Log

Level (Gallons)

Temp o F

Tank 1 PG 58-22

14035 310

Tank 2 PG 58-22

29440 308

Tank 3 PG 58-22

29737 311

Tank 4 PG 64-22

12622 315

Tank 5 PG 64-22

29860 306

Tank 6 PG 70-28

18711 317

Tank 7 PG 76-22

10218 308

Tank 8 PG

Tank 9 PG

Silo 1 Surface 1

22.3%

Silo 2 Surface 1

96.1%

Silo 3 Base 25

33.6%

Silo 4 Base 50

11.7%

Silo 5 Base 50

98.1%

Users

High Level

Outputs

Low Level

High Temp

Monitor

Low Temp

Silo 6 AC-6

The Tank Tracker allows you to monitor tanks, silos and more. For use on any internet- compatible device connected to your corporate network.

Silo 7 AC-7 Silo 8 AC-8 FireEye

340

HoneyWell

330

Electric

315

Network Connected 12/13/2022 11:24:35

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The Tank Manager allows you to monitor and regulate all of your A.C. tanks with the push of a button. The System can be viewed on any internet- compatible device connected to your corporate network.

KNOW YOUR INVENTORY MONITOR YOUR SYSTEM CONTROL YOUR VALVES AND PUMPS Please scan for more information.

PAV E M E N T M A I N T E N A N C E

Cape Seals Power Pulaski County’s PCI Boost Central Arkansas county wins FP2’s 2023 Sorenson award with data-driven, pavement preservation approach BY TOM KUENNEN

ulaski County, Arkansas, is the recipient of the 2023 FP2 Inc. James B. Sorenson Award for Excellence in Pavement Preservation, thanks to its innovative 2022 Road Improvement Project. The Sorenson Award is presented by FP2 Inc. to recognize superior pavement preservation and recycling practice, usually to a city, township, county or state agency. The award criteria include: • Acceptance of pavement preservation and recycling concept by elected officials, general public, employees and industry (40%); • Demonstration of the preservation principles by using the philosophy of the Right Treatment, on the Right Road, at the Right Time (20%); • Use of communication techniques to keep the public notified about upcoming preservation road work in the area (10%); and • Uniqueness of the program, including documenting tangible benefits such as increased useable life of the pavement, new concepts or applications employed, reduced user delays during treatment applications, and decreased frequency of reconstruction and major rehabilitation or reconstruction (30%). FP2 Inc. is a non-profit trade association organized under the Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)6 and is supported by the pavement preservation and recycling industry, contractors, material suppliers, and equipment manufacturers. Formerly known as the Foundation for Pavement Preservation, FP2 supports the adoption of pavement preservation and recycling at all levels of government and works to ensure that pavement preservation and recycling becomes a part of road programs from coastto-coast.

Located in central Arkansas, and with the cities of Little Rock, Sherwood, Maumelle, Jacksonville and North Little Rock, Pulaski is the state’s most populous county. It boasts the highest road ratings due to its superior pavement management program, which utilizes cape seals to improve the county's pavement condition index (PCI). The county’s road network is managed by its Road and Bridge Department (RBD) and includes 145 bridges and 1,300 lane miles of road. Approximately 800 lane miles of its network are rural roads with chip seal surfaces, and 500 lane miles are topped with hot-mix asphalt. To ensure its system of roads remained at or above an acceptable level, Pulaski County RBD would often chip-seal roads that did not display any visible cracking. 34 | DECEMBER 2023

Pulaski County applies a scrub seal as the base for cape seal treatment. All photos courtesy of FP2

Pulaski County places a high-polymer micro surfacing treatment atop a cured scrub seal.

That’s the mindset of Pulaski County, said Shane Ramsey, Pulaski County Road and Bridge director. “From truckers to senior drivers, our roads are used by everyone,” Ramsey said. “We focus our efforts on understanding that by the time a road shows a distress, you are beyond the preventive point.” Still, nearly half of Pulaski County’s roads prior to 2023 were rated “fair.” “Our county roads and bridges are vital to our livelihoods and economic stability,” said Judge Barry Hyde, the county executive. Once the roads were improved, and shortly after taking a second term of office, Hyde laid out goals and initiatives for the county, including its 2022 Road Improvement Project. At his 2022 State of the

LEADING THE WAY Weiler Material Transfer Vehicles lead the way with proven innovations to provide the lowest cost per ton of operation. Innovative and reliable operator friendly features such as paver hopper management system with distance to paver, storage hopper management and auto chain tensioning.

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Variable speed elevator and conveyors meet production requirements with the minimal amount of wear.

The evolution of chains, sprockets and augers are retrofittable to all machines and provide increased wear life.

PAV E M E N T M A I N T E N A N C E Pulaski County Pavement Condition Index Improvement

These pie charts show the level of improvement Pulaski County’s Road and Bridge Department (RBD) achieved with the 2022 Road Improvement Project. Here’s an example of a Pulaski County final cape-sealed road.

County address, Hyde emphasized his administration’s duty to the county, including its commitment to investing in infrastructure. “Understanding this, the county has incorporated a data-driven approach to maintaining and improving our roads,” he shared during his address. “Pulaski County will embark on an aggressive $15 million road improvement project. When completed, Pulaski County will have the best county roads in all of Arkansas without question.” During his presentation, Hyde mentioned that additional investment funds come from different areas, including federal resources and grants and from being fiscally responsible. The budget for the county’s 2022 Road Improvement Project came from unused RBD funds saved over several years. Utilizing a newly adopted PMS, the county conducted a data-driven assessment of every road. Following a year of required evaluation time, a state-of-the-art customized network-level assessment of the county’s road network was completed in 2016, with PCI ratings assigned to each road. Utilizing this data, the RBD team began addressing the problems, in particular with cape seals—a new surfacing treatment for both the county and the state at the time. A cape seal is a combination of treatments used to provide long-term protection of underlying road layers and a durable wearing surface. Cape seal combinations include chip seal and slurry seal systems, and, for roads exhibiting more severe mass cracking, rejuvenating scrub seal and high-polymer micro surfacing. The use of a scrub broom in a cape seal application forces binder deep into the cracks, repairing mass cracking and revitalizing pavement by returning maltenes to the original asphalt binder. A cape seal can extend a road’s life span up to 10 years and has been shown to reduce costs by 25% when compared to HMA, making it a cost-effective treatment option for Pulaski County.

36 | DECEMBER 2023

In advance of the cape seal application, the county employed multiple public awareness techniques to inform all citizens of upcoming work, and proactively communicate any traffic restrictions with impacted residents and businesses. The improvement project, which focused on the preservation of the county’s HMA roads, began with equipment calibration on Aug. 1, 2022. The project was completed with the last micro surfacing applied Nov 3, 2022. As of May 2023, over 50% of Pulaski County’s roads have moved from “fair” condition to “good” condition. In 2022, only 1% of the county’s roads were rated “excellent,” compared to over 15% today. Since the project, the county’s overall network PCI rating has increased nearly 10 points, from 75.3 to 83.7, ranking its roads among the highest in the state, which the RBD credits to the implementation of cape seals in its road improvement project. Also, taxpayer dollars were stretched further as a result of applying the cape seals. At the time of the project, the average cost of a hot mix overlay was between $185,000 and $200,000 per mile, more than twice the cost of the county’s cape seal bid. The James B. Sorenson award is named after Jim Sorenson (1949-2009), who was senior construction and system preservation engineer, FHWA Office of Asset Management, and a great champion of pavement preservation at the national level. FP2 considers Sorenson a great friend to the pavement preservation industry and honors his memory with the Sorenson Award. The deadline for entries for the current year is July 1, 2024.

LEARN MORE The deadline for entries for the current James B. Sorenson Award for Excellence in Pavement Preservation is July 1, 2024. For more information, visit https://fp2.org/fp2-awards-programs/sorensonaward/, or to submit nominations, contact FP2’s executive director, Rick Church, 800 Roosevelt Road C-312, Glen Ellyn, IL 60137 or rickc@cmservices.com.

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PRODUCER PROFILE

Atlanta Paving’s larger pavers are all Roadtec and the company just purchased two new Leeboys for some of its smaller work.

Atlanta Paving’s Growth Goes Sky-High BY SARAH REDOHL

hen McCarthy Improvement Company, Davenport, Iowa, hired Atlanta Paving, Peachtree Corners, Georgia, as a subcontractor to pave at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in 2016, it was a big deal. “That was the first time any contractor outside of Atlanta’s biggest two or three had touched the airport in a long time,” said Atlanta Paving Vice President Mandy Neese. Although the job wasn’t on the airfield itself, but instead mostly ancillary pavements and parking areas, Neese said the airport was initially hesitant. “We weren’t the normal contractors they were used to working with, so they put us under a microscope at first,” she said. After all, the airport has been considered the world’s busiest airport since 1998. “Once we proved what we could do, they’ve come to trust what we do and how we do it.” Since its first job at Hartsfield, Atlanta Paving has been involved in numerous others, paving multiple ramps, around the cargo bay, parking facilities and shoulder repairs along the runways. Atlanta Paving also worked on the 9L end-around taxiway, completed November 1, 2022.

40 | DECEMBER 2023

An end-around taxiway allows planes to taxi around the end of an active runway instead of stopping to wait for landings and takeoffs when taxiways intersect the runway. Not only do end-around taxiways enhance safety by reducing runway crossings and fuel use, but they also reduce taxi time and increase departure capacity—important considerations for the world’s reigning ‘Most Efficient Airport’ (according to the Air Transport Research Society). “There are only five end-arounds in the country, and two of them are at Hartsfield,” Neese said. “That project was a big deal to me, to realize the impact it would have on Hartsfield and all the people who fly in and out of that airport.”

“That first job at the airport has opened so many doors,” Neese said. Not only other jobs at the airport, but across the city. Since then, Atlanta Paving has also done several projects for the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA), including paving the Atlanta Streetcar route along historic Auburn Avenue with

Atlanta Paving’s milling machines and reclaimers are Wirtgen machines. “Those machines are just phenomenal to have and never let us down,” Neese said. “They’ve proven themselves over and over.”

CW Matthews. “We’re getting ready to start work on MARTA’s bus rapid transit route with Archer Western,” Neese said. The company has also paved at the Atlanta Speedway, for CSX and Norfolk Southern railroads, and at both Truist Park (home of the Atlanta Braves baseball team) and Mercedes-Benz Stadium (home of the Atlanta Falcons football team) Although Neese enjoys those high profile jobs, she also still appreciates the company’s smaller jobs. “When you pave someone’s driveway, you know you’re helping create their dream home,” she said. “We take just as much pride in a driveway as we do in a runway.” In the fall, Atlanta Paving paved a driveway at-cost for the Calvin Center, an equestrian therapy center for children with special needs, in Hampton, Georgia. “I called Ernie [the owner of Atlanta Paving] to get his permission and he said let’s send our salaried employees to drive down the costs and see if our supplier will donate materials,” Neese said. “The equestrian manager was in tears of joy when we got done and she was able to take these kids down a newly paved driveway from the housing facilities to the barn, some in their wheelchairs. Now that we’re large enough to give back in a big way, we love being able to do those sorts of projects.”

HOW IT STARTED VS. HOW IT’S GOING

Atlanta Paving was started by Ernie Lopez III in 1997 as a driveway paving and patching company. “Like many asphalt paving contractors, Ernie built the business little by little, one year at a time,” Neese said.

After more than a decade of slow but steady growth, Lopez was ready to go big and grow big; he wanted to get approved to perform work for the Georgia Department of Transportation. In 2009, he hired Neese and Chief Financial Officer Darryl Adams. “Ernie knew that to survive and thrive through the recession, he’d need to set the company up to do government work,” Neese said. “Ernie knew he could do the work, he just needed people who could manage the finances and bid the jobs.” Neese had been working at one of the largest asphalt paving companies at the time, but had young children and was looking for a job that required less travel at a company with strong family values. Atlanta Paving was a perfect fit. The company was able to acquire its GDOT certification and Neese got to work bidding bigger and bigger jobs. “I can remember the first million dollar job we did, and the first $2 million job, and it wasn’t long before I was bidding our first $5 million project,” Neese said. At the time, the company’s bonding capacity for a single job was $5 million, so Neese’s bid was $4,999,999.99. “Each one of those moments was a turning point for us.” “Back in the ’90s , a $25,000 job—like a shopping center or maintenance contract—was probably a big deal for us,” Neese said. “Now, our average project is $2 to 3 million, and our upcoming MARTA project is worth $8 million.” When Neese started at Atlanta Paving, the company had 17 employees. Today, it has 176. “Our growth has been exponential,” she said. “I remember talking to Ernie in 2015 and thinking 50 employees is a good size. Then we’d get a big project and hire 10 more employees.” WWW.THEASPHALTPRO.COM | 41

PRODUCER PROFILE

Among Atlanta Paving’s many jobs at Hartsfield Airport was the 9L end-around taxiway, completed November 1, 2022.

What does Neese think is the root of the company’s success? “The willingness to invest and to take a chance,” Neese said. For example, when the company purchased its first milling machine, a 4-footer. “That was a big decision in those days. Ernie has always been willing to invest, and it’s his fearlessness that gives our company its ‘We can do it’ mentality.” “I think that’s one thing that sets Atlanta Paving apart,” Neese said. “We’ll take on jobs other companies won’t do.” For example, the MARTA streetcar project or paving at the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center, the police and fire training facility in downtown Atlanta. “No one wanted to do that job because it’s been in the news a lot and there have been protests there [related to the ‘defund the police’ movement],” Neese said. But she felt Atlanta Paving was up to the scrutiny and challenge. “That’s been our mentality every step of the way: let us show you what we can do.” Also key to the company’s growth are the relationships it’s built with its customers. “They’ve watched us grow and they’ve come to know that they can rely on us,” Neese said. “And that boils right down to our crews, who always show up and do what they’re supposed to do.”

ALL IN THE FAMILY

Despite the company’s growth, Atlanta Paving continues to be family-owned and family-oriented. Lopez’s four sons and stepson all work for the company. Ernie Lopez IV is an estimator and project manager, Brandon Lopez is a paving foreman, Zach Lopez is a paving foreman, Joey Lopez is a milling foreman and tanker driver, and Dustin Bryson is the vice president of Dykes Materials. 42 | DECEMBER 2023

“ERNIE KNEW HE COULD DO THE WORK, HE JUST NEEDED PEOPLE WHO COULD MANAGE THE FINANCES AND BID THE JOBS.”—MANDY NEESE

“Each one of them has a unique talent that they bring to the company,” Neese said. “They were kids when I started working at the company, so it’s been really cool to see them graduate and come work for us full-time. Now, I have these four boys I can lean on, who are as invested in the company as I am because they love their dad and have taken this company into their hearts.” Like the Lopez namesake Ernie, Atlanta Paving is a tradition that will continue throughout the generations. Ernie IV has a five-year-old son, Ernie V, and two of the other brothers also have children. “One of them is named Houston Silo—as in asphalt silo,” Neese said. After 14 years at Atlanta Paving, Neese also feels like part of the family. “Ernie is like a father to me,” she said. When Neese was diagnosed with cancer in December 2022 and required major surgery to remove a football-sized tumor in her abdomen, the Lopez family was at her side. “The concern Ernie and his boys had over my health was unreal. To have the owner of the company standing over me in tears saying ‘My family is your family and your family is my family’…there are no words.”

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PRODUCER PROFILE

“IN A TIME WHERE IT’S THIS HARD TO RECRUIT PEOPLE TO WORK BLUE COLLAR, HAVING OUR EMPLOYEES HELP US RECRUIT THE NEXT GENERATION IS HUGE.” —MANDY NEESE

Another major milestone for Atlanta Paving was its 2019 acquisition of Dykes Construction, along with its recycling and crushing operations and Astec asphalt plant in Peachtree Corners, Georgia.

Today, Neese’s husband, Darrell Neese, is the company’s safety director, and her step-son, Joseph, is a milling foreman and runs the company’s airport milling crew. “I think we’re up to 12 sets of father-son and father-daughter combos, not including the Lopez boys,” Neese said, adding that a lot of the company’s employees recruit family members to work at Atlanta Paving. “You see a lot of the same last names come up on our time reports.” “In a time where it’s this hard to recruit people to work blue collar, having our employees help us recruit the next generation is huge,” Neese said. “What better way to train than to have a dad teach his son?”

THE PLACE TO BE

Despite Atlanta Paving’s many high profile jobs, including the Atlanta Speedway, Truist Park (home of the Atlanta Braves baseball team) and Mercedes-Benz Stadium (home of the Atlanta Falcons football team), Neese said she equally appreciates the company’s smaller jobs.

After 14 years at Atlanta Paving, Neese (right) feels like part of the Lopez family, adding that Ernie Lopez III (left) is like a father to her. 44 | DECEMBER 2023

To have employees recruit those they love to Atlanta Paving shows a high degree of loyalty. Loyalty, Neese said, is at the heart of what makes Atlanta Paving a great place to work. “Loyalty is a two-way street,” she said. “Our employees are loyal to us, and we are loyal to them.” What does loyalty look like at Atlanta Paving? “We pay people well and we keep our crews employed year round,” Neese said. “We want to make sure they feel secure working for us.” In the fall, she strives to line up projects for the whole winter to best use the company resources and keep its employees busy. “Over the winter, we do a lot of demolition work,” Neese said. For example, they performed a large demolition project at Hartsfield Airport last winter. This winter, they’ll be milling the MARTA BRT project. The company also invests in quality equipment. “Ernie has always made sure all of our equipment is top-notch,” Mandy said. “He’s also taken it very seriously that they have whatever they need to do their job.” Lately, loyalty has been particularly crucial to retaining Atlanta Paving’s employees. “These past two years, we’ve had people coming to our job sites trying to pick off our employees constantly,” Neese said. The company has strived to stay ahead of market wages, but even when other companies have tried to poach employees for $1 or $2 more per hour, most have remained with Atlanta Paving. “The men and women who work for us are committed to us because we are committed to them.” This also benefits the company’s customers. “It’s made relationships with our customers easy, because my crews don’t let me down and in turn we don’t let the customer down.” Even as the company retains employees, Atlanta Paving still faces the challenge of finding employees as it continues to grow. They’ve been involved in the Georgia Highway Contractors Association program to equip local schools with construction equipment simulators. “I think we’re up to 15 schools, spread out across the state,” Neese said. “The ultimate goal is to make sure every school in the state that wants one can get one.”

PRODUCER PROFILE

“IT’S ERNIE’S FEARLESSNESS THAT GIVES OUR COMPANY ITS ‘WE CAN DO IT’ MENTALITY.” —MANDY NEESE

Despite the company’s growth, Atlanta Paving continues to be familyowned and family-oriented. Lopez’s (left) four sons and stepson all work at the company: Ernie Lopez IV, Brandon Lopez, Zach Lopez (right), Joey Lopez and Dustin Bryson.

Atlanta Paving was started by Ernie Lopez III in 1997 as a driveway paving and patching company. “Back in the ‘90s, a $25,000 job—like a shopping center or maintenance contract— was probably a big deal for us,” Neese said. “Now, our average project is $2 to 3 million.”

Growing its own talent has long been Atlanta’s approach. “I think companies resort to poaching employees when they get really desperate for the pool of talent available,” Neese said. “We’re trying to expand the pool.” The company isn’t afraid to hire newbies and take on the time and cost to train them. “We try to pair every new employee with an older one who knows everything the new person needs to know to be successful,” Neese said. They’ve also invested in BuildWitt’s training program. “We wanted a systematic approach to introduce our younger employees to what we do,” Neese said. “When you’re hiring right out of highschool, the two and three-minute BuildWitt videos pushed right on their smartphones are kind of Construction 101. The program sparks their interest in our industry and gets them thinking about the career options they have in construction.” Atlanta Paving is also investing in technology to shore up its numbers as the company continues to grow. One of Neese’s passions is the potential for automation in construction. “Anytime you can automate a process to allow that labor and skill to be utilized elsewhere, you’re creating efficiencies, you’re improving accuracy, and you’re removing people from dangerous situations.” In addition to dangerous jobs, Neese also thinks automation technology is promising for projects like those Atlanta Paving has done at the airport. “It’s a big, open flat area where things have to be highly accurate,” she said. “To be able to set up our milling machines with GPS, import our survey data and let that machine go—no spray painting on the ground, no survey control, the operator doesn’t have to control depth—that’s the accuracy and efficiency I’m excited about.” Other technology Atlanta Paving has deployed includes drones to perform survey checks and take inventory, “things that used to take two guys weeks, we can now do in hours. And then those guys can go do something else instead.”

FUTURE-FOCUSED

When Neese started at Atlanta Paving in 2009, the company had 17 employees. Today, it has 176. 46 | DECEMBER 2023

Despite the growth trajectory Atlanta Paving will likely continue along, Neese’s hopes for the future of the company are firmly planted in its family roots. “I think it would come full-circle for me to watch the Lopez boys, my own son and all the young people we have working for us continue to grow, evolve, and take on leadership roles in the company,” Neese said. “I want Ernie to be able to someday retire happily and know his company and his legacy will continue.” “I think I’ll probably stick around 20 more years or so, which will be just enough time to see Ernie V graduate and maybe come join the company,” she said. “I want to see the legacy of this company— of working hard and being fearless—continue into the next generation, and the next.”

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HIGH-POLYMER ASPHALT OVERLAY CAPS OLD CONCRETE An asphalt overlay on Sioux Falls’ Cliff Avenue not only illustrates an emerging trend to overlay the city’s concrete arterials with asphalt, but also introduces South Dakota to the possibilities for high-polymer mix designs.

Since the success of the city of Sioux Falls’ 2019 asphalt overlay atop concrete on 41st Street, it invested in a similar treatment on Cliff Avenue. This time, using PG70-34 polymer modified AC—a South Dakota first.

BY SARAH REDOHL

Cliff Avenue is a minor arterial street in the city of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, that sees between 16,000 and 18,000 vehicles per day. “It’s a pretty busy thoroughfare,” said Mike Schmidt, street engineer for the city of Sioux Falls. “It also borders our downtown area, so it’s a good daily commuter route for people going to and from work downtown.” Originally paved with concrete in 1992, the existing pavement on Cliff Avenue had reached the end of its service life. Historically, Sioux Falls’ arterial streets have been paved with concrete, along with its major inter-

48 | DECEMBER 2023

sections. “Pretty much every other road in the city is asphalt,” Schmidt said. However, when the city decided in the summer of 2022 that it was time for 15 blocks of the avenue (from 11th Street to 26th Street) to receive an upgrade, it opted for asphalt. “Cliff Avenue had already been through quite a few joint repairs, but the road was still in rough shape,” Schmidt said. The city decided to overlay the concrete with asphalt. “That’s not something we’ve done a lot of here, but it’s emerging as a new repair strategy for us.” According to Schmidt, the city’s approach to its concrete arterials has long been to perform joint repairs 10 and 20 years into the life of the

street, followed by a full reconstruction and replacement with new concrete. “That’s getting unbelievably expensive—up to $1 million per block including utilities,” he said. However, the utilities on Cliff Avenue were in good condition. “It was only the concrete that was getting old and becoming too rough a ride.” The asphalt overlay approach on Cliff Avenue would cost $2.2 million, while Schmidt estimates a full concrete reconstruction would likely cost around $15 million with new utilities. “For one eighth the cost, we can get another 8 to 10 years out of this with an overlay versus 30 years out of a full reconstruction,” he said. “We could do four overlays and it’s still nearly half the price of the reconstruction. The asphalt overlay is a much more affordable route, as long as the utilities are still good.” The city’s decision to overlay with asphalt was further buoyed by the success of a 2019 asphalt overlay atop concrete on 41st Street. “That’s one of our highest traffic volume streets in the city,” Schmidt said. “It’s still in really good shape four years later, which gave us the confidence to try something similar on Cliff Avenue.” To complete the job, the city looked to Journey Group, Sioux Falls.

JOURNEY GROUP GETS STARTED

According to Ryan Kerkvliet, vice president of Journey Group’s asphalt division, Black-Top Paving, the company has performed many projects with the city of Sioux Falls. “What caught our eye about this job was the larger amount of tonnage the job required, and that it fit perfectly in our wheelhouse,” Kerkvliet said. The bid was let June 9, 2022, with an Oct. 14, 2022, completion date. After Journey Group won the bid, it was already early August by the time the concrete subcontractor was able to get to work on Cliff Avenue. “There were a lot of deteriorating concrete joints that we needed to prefill before we could place our leveling course because they were in such bad shape,” said Cody Latusek, Journey’s project manager for the Cliff Avenue job. Across the four- and five-lane arterial, the crew had to repair 88 joints and perform some curb and gutter repairs—a total of 32.45 tons of concrete patching. “By the time we had the concrete where it needed to be for us to mill and overlay, it was already mid-October,” Latusek said. Under normal conditions, Journey Group could have wrapped up the project before ending its 2022 paving season. But, this job wasn’t exactly a standard Sioux Falls paving project. This was the first job in the state of South Dakota to utilize PG70-34 polymer modified AC. “With this overlay being placed on a concrete street with the joints and the cracking, it was anticipated that the higher polymer would stop some of that reflective cracking,” Kerkvliet said. According to Schmidt, when the project was let to bid, the city allowed either PG58-34 or PG70-34. On the 41st Street overlay in 2019, the city opted for PG58-34 and fibers, to great success. “The street is showing some reflective cracks, but they’re tight and we think we’ll be able to get at least eight years out of the overlay,” Schmidt said. Before letting the Cliff Avenue job, the city worked with Ken Swedeen of the Dakota Asphalt Pavement Association and Mark Blow at the Asphalt Institute about using a high-polymer AC on the job. “We picked their brains on our use of thin lift asphalt overlays and they turned us on to using 70-34 on this job,” Schmidt said. Ultimately, opting for PG70-34 cost $5 more per ton, for a total additional cost of $25,000 on the Cliff Avenue project. “It was a no-brainer,” Schmidt said; the city chose PG7034—a South Dakota first. Exciting as any statewide ‘first’ often is, the use of such a high-polymer AC challenged the intended project timeline. Journey Group consulted with its asphalt supplier and AC supplier, several states that had used PG70-34 in the past and the Colorado Asphalt Pavement

Originally paved with concrete in 1992, the existing pavement on Cliff Avenue had reached the end of its service life. The asphalt overlay approach on Cliff Avenue cost $2.2 million, compared to an estimated $15 million for concrete (with new utilities).

Given the difficulty of working PG70-34 mix by hand, Journey was sure to put a very experienced crew on the Cliff Avenue project. “Some of the guys on the back of the paver on this project have been paving for 30 years,” Latusek said. “They were on their A-game from the moment the mix hit the hopper.” WWW.THEASPHALTPRO.COM | 49

Milling in South Dakota can be quite challenging, due to the hard quartzite aggregate used in the state. “All the milling companies in the area know it’s going to take longer and they’re going to have to change more teeth,” Kerkvliet said.

The rideability is a particular point of pride for Journey, given the large number of takeoffs on the job. Within the one-mile span of the job, there were three sets of railroad tracks and a bridge, for a total of 20 different takeoff locations across the project’s five lanes.

Association, among others. “They all highly recommended paving in warmer temps in order to achieve compaction,” Kerkvliet said. “If this were a normal mix, we probably could have paved it in October. But since it was the first time 70-34 had been used in South Dakota, we wanted to make sure that it would be as successful as possible so the project would be a true test of its value.” After discussing this with the city and consulting engineer on the project, everyone agreed it was in the project’s best interest to postpone paving until 2023.

PICK UP IN THE NEW YEAR

The first step of the process in 2023 was to edge mill the concrete—literally to the vertical face of the curb head. “Usually you only mill up to the curb pan, but we actually milled the 18-inch curb pan all the way to the curb and gutter head,” Kerkvliet said. This would enable the city to maintain a 6-inch curb head on this project. “They’ve done previous projects with a 3-inch curb head reveal and prefer the 6-inch curb head,” Latusek said. So, on Cliff Avenue, the crew performed a 16-foot edge mill off the curb to salvage the existing curb height and maintain the 6-inch reveal. “Our milling subcontractor on 50 | DECEMBER 2023

The city opted to use a PG70-34 polymer modified AC—a South Dakota first—on the Cliff Avenue project.

the project said he had never seen milling through the curb pan before to maintain the existing curb head height.” Even without that curveball, milling in South Dakota is enough of a challenge. “We have quartzite aggregate in our concrete and asphalt in the Sioux Falls area, which makes it extremely hard to mill,” Latusek said. In fact, some of Journey’s usual milling subs were hesitant to quote the Cliff Avenue project for this reason. “All the milling companies in the area know it’s going to take longer and they’re going to have to change more teeth,” Kerkvliet said. “But the flip side of that is that it’s also a good, hard material for construction.” Given the material the crew would be milling up, Latusek was a bit nervous how long the milling portion of the Cliff Avenue job would take and the difficulties it might present, “but our sub, Industrial Builders out of North Dakota, rolled right through it,” he said. “It went smoothly for the milling contractor, took half of the time we allotted for it and turned out really nice.” One week after milling began, Journey Group was ready to start paving the asphalt overlay. The first lift was a ¾-inch scratch course with PG58-34 to pre-fill any deviations from pre-filling the deteriorated concrete joints, followed by a 1 ¾-inch overlay with PG70-34.

The mix—1,453 tons for the scratch course and 2,619 tons for the overlay—was supplied by Midwest Knife River. “We had one of their two plants here in Sioux Falls dedicated to our project because of this PG7034,” Latusek said. “They had to reserve a tank just for that AC while also supplying mix to other contractors, so it definitely required some coordination to make sure they weren’t holding this AC for too long.” Although it was the first time producing mix with PG70-34 at that particular plant, the supplier had previous experience with high-polymer mixes from its other locations. “They increased the temperature at the plant just a little bit to make sure we had time to place and compact the mix,” Kerkvliet said. “There’s less margin for error with this mix because you can’t easily work it by hand. We had to get it laid correctly and rolled as soon as possible—with no room for mistakes.” Journey was sure to put a very experienced crew on the project. “Some of the guys on the back of the paver on this project have been paving for 30 years,” Latusek said. “They were on their A-game from the moment the mix hit the hopper.” Latusek said he was pleasantly surprised by the high-polymer mix, compared to the 58-28 and 58-34 he typically sees. “I was expecting this PG70-34 to be more of a different animal than it was,” he added. Although it was less workable than other mixes, Latusek said the biggest difference was in achieving density. “We had to work significantly harder on that end of things.” “We were pretty worried about the PG70-34, but it turned out well,” Kerkvliet said. “We’ve been getting compliments on the ride, even from some competitors.” The rideability is a particular point of pride for Journey, given the large number of takeoffs on the job. Within the one-mile span of the job, there were three sets of railroad tracks and a bridge, for a total of 20 different takeoff locations across the project’s five lanes. “The rideability of that road is very impressive,” Latusek said. The city was similarly impressed. “We’ve gotten a lot of positive feedback on the Cliff Avenue improvements,” Schmidt said. “Driving over all those joints used to feel like ‘thunk, thunk, thunk,’ but now it rides super smooth. People love it now.” Milling began June 5, 2023, and Journey was paving by June 12. “We finished the project by June 29th, just ahead of the July 4th holiday,” Latusek said.

ALL EYES ON CLIFF

Throughout the paving process, the project played host to a number of visitors from the South Dakota DOT, North Dakota DOT, the Dakota Asphalt Pavement Association, Asphalt Institute, a number of testing agencies, several cities, and South Dakota State University. “I think the students ended up taking 500 to 1000 pounds of samples to get a better gauge on this material,” Kerkvliet said. “We had quite a few people come to observe,” Schmidt said, adding that he gave lots of tours of the project. “It was a pretty popular job.” Although time will tell the true success of the project, the city has already moved forward with additional projects utilizing PG70-34. Journey paved 6th Street as a subcontractor and 26th Street as the prime contractor, both with PG70-34. “On 26th Street, we paved eastbound with 7034 and the other with 58-34 to test how these two mixes perform against each other on the same street with the same conditions,” Schmidt said. “If Cliff Avenue hadn’t gone as well as it did, the city probably would have gone back to the regular AC,” Kerkvliet said. “But knowing how well it went, they wanted to do a comparison of the two. Three or four years down the road, if there’s a big difference between the two, we’ll have our answer.”

LEARN MORE Traffic Management Traffic management was another challenge on the Cliff Avenue project. “There's a major hospital right along the project, so there was a lot of coordination to make sure everyone knew how to get to the hospital and with emergency vehicles,” Kerkvliet said. Because the road had to remain open throughout the entirety of the project, Journey started on the inside lanes and then flipped traffic from the outside lanes to the completed inside lanes. Furthermore, there were several major cross streets that could not be shut down. Instead, Journey had to compact and immediately open those intersections to traffic. “Our plan notes said that we had a four-hour closure, but the city was pretty clear that they didn't want four hours if at all possible,” Latusek said. The busiest intersection was Cliff and 14th Street. “We got through that intersection in about an hour and a half then reopened it to perpendicular traffic.”

WWW.THEASPHALTPRO.COM | 51

You may have older, pre-owned components within your company that will serve you well at another site. Double-check the size and capacity of the component—as well as its condition—to ensure you get the best efficiency for your purpose. Photo courtesy of Rock Road Companies Inc., Janesville, Wisconsin

MIX-AND-MATCH ASPHALT PLANTS

Seasonal maintenance offers prime time to assess sizing the puzzle pieces of optimum, efficient production

BY MALCOLM SWANSON, PE

I have been to hundreds of asphalt plants and helped design and build even more, but I have never owned one. I have often thought I would like to own a brand-new counterflow drum mixer plant. I think I could make some great mix and a lot of money with that kind of plant. There is just one little problem. I seem to be a few million dollars short of the price tag. I guess everyone would rather have a brand-new plant but there is a significant capital cost advantage to piecing a plant together with good used equipment, if you know how to go about it. If I were going the mix-and-match route to a well-functioning plant, how would I do it? It isn’t easy to get it right. There are many considerations. Some of these are the same whether the plant is to be new or composed of used equipment.

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• Market size • Site location • Zoning • Emission limits • Plant type (batch or continuous, portable, relocatable, stationary) • Production capacity, and so on. These things must be addressed regardless of whether you opt for new or used. Then there are things that would have to be addressed specifically because of trying to mix and match equipment that did not all originally belong to the same plant. This approach can save a lot of money or, if not done right, it can lose a lot and result in a plant that performs poorly. I have recently been helping a major contractor to upgrade an existing plant by modifying some components and replacing others.

We’d like to take the opportunity to thank our readers, advertisers and team for making 2023 a great year!

F R O M YO U R F R I E N D S AT

Happy Holidays Thank you for the continued support and partnership throughout the years. We look forward to sharing a bright future with you in 2024.

A GOOD FLIGHT SYSTEM AND A VARIABLE FREQUENCY DRIVE (VFD) ARE NECESSITIES IN MOST MARKETS. THERE ARE GREAT FLIGHT SYSTEMS AVAILABLE TODAY THAT WILL COMFORTABLY PRODUCE MIXES WITH 60% RAP AND WITH THE FLEXIBILITY—WITH THE VFD—TO PRODUCE 100% VIRGIN MIXES WITHOUT ANYONE GOING IN THE DRUM TO ADJUST, ADD, OR REMOVE FLIGHTS.

Some of the replacements have been new and others have been “experienced.” Some of the pre-owned equipment was not quite right for the plant. There is no shortage of pitfalls in this approach to upgrading a plant, but it can be done successfully.

SOME MISTAKES TO AVOID

The “trust-the-nameplate” mistake. I am not going to say anyone made deficient equipment for our industry on purpose, but we have learned a lot more about how to make well-performing equipment over the years. The contractor I mentioned above brought a used pulsejet baghouse from another of their plants because the smaller existing baghouse was a bottleneck to the process. The production goal was 400 tons per hour (TPH). This rate typically calls for about 68,000 cubic feet per minute (CFM) of exhaust system capacity. The used baghouse nameplate capacity was considerably higher than that. However, the bags were 16 feet long, which was a red flag, based on some previous unpleasant experiences. I ran a few calculations and found the air-to-cloth ratio (exhaust gas velocity through the cloth) to be fine but interstitial velocity (upward velocity between bags at the plane of the bottom of the bags) was too high. High interstitial velocity prevents the bags from being cleaned properly, which results in reduced production capacity. In this situation, the cleaning air pulse knocks the accumulated dust off of the bags, but the high interstitial velocity picks it up and puts it right back on the bags. To solve the problem and salvage the baghouse, I recommended replacing every other 16-foot-long bag with an 8-foot bag. Calculations indicated that air-to-cloth ratio, though higher, was still okay and interstitial velocity came down enough to allow proper cleaning. The “bigger-is-better” mistake. Another common mistake is to think that a component is okay to use if it isn’t too small or doesn’t have too little capacity for the application. Oversizing. That kind of sounds right, but it’s not. A baghouse is a good example of this one, too. An oversized baghouse may work okay but it usually comes with an exhaust fan that matches the baghouse capacity. An oversized fan can easily and unintentionally be used to pull in too much air. Too much air can cause a whole host of problems: • Poor cleaning • High burner excess air (which results in poor drying and excessive fuel consumption) • Excessive dust carry-out from the dryer • and a few others. 54 | DECEMBER 2023

Also, the oversized baghouse may not be so good for the application for lack of good circulation. Areas in the baghouse may not get enough flow to stay hot and may then get wet and muddy. When bags become wet, they are effectively disabled. Wet walls and structure tend to corrode. Consider a burner as another example of the “bigger-is-better” mistake. Suppose you have determined that your burner is the bottleneck that is preventing the plant from achieving the production rate you want. For example, you have a plant that is capable of 300 TPH except for the burner. Let’s say the existing burner is rated at 60 MMBtu/hr. For a 300 TPH capacity, you really need 75 MMBtu/hr. You know there is a good used burner at another of your company’s plants that is not being used and it has a nameplate capacity of 100 MMBtu/hr. Should you use that burner? The answer is no. It is too big for several reasons. First, most operating equipment has a sweet spot that is near 80% of its maximum operating rate. Because 80% of 100 is 80, the 100 MMBtu/hr burner will not be able to operate in a 300 TPH plant at a rate where it runs best. Fuel efficiency and emissions will suffer— and those emissions matter. Failing a stack test because of an oversized burner is a real risk. Most of the burners used in the asphalt plant dryers are of the aerodynamic mixing type. They are commonly referred to as nozzle-mix burners. This type of burner, unlike premix burners, depends on violent turbulence to mix air and fuel. The turbulence that is needed is caused by high air velocity at the nose of the burner. Of course, the lower the firing rate, the lower the air velocity and turbulence. In our example, the flame diameter will probably be too big for the drum, too. Oversize flame diameter can cause damage to combustion flights and the drum shell. Failing stack tests due to underperformance is a risk as well. If your plant is rated at 500 TPH, the entity performing the test requires the plant to run at full capacity for the length of the test in some states. In other states, the entity requires the plant to run at a high percentage of that capacity. If your loader operator, plant manager and components are accustomed to running at 300 TPH, you’d be well advised to practice and bring everyone and everything up to speed in advance of testing day. Make sure all elements of the system can handle full capacity before they’re put to the test.

Many burners are also good examples of the “trust-the-nameplate” mistake. Most plants are burning natural gas now. Many of the used burners out there were built when oil was the fuel of choice. Gas was added as an afterthought, and it wasn’t always done very well. Some of the most popular burners in the industry (avoiding naming names) will perform at about 80% of nameplate capacity when burning natural gas. There is no way you can tell which ones perform at this rate. You just have to know or know someone who does.

CONSIDER THE WHOLE

So far, what I have given you are a few mix-and-match issues to avoid. To upgrade a plant, you need to take a holistic approach. This simply means that all plant components must be able to support your goals for the plant.

nationalpavementexpo.com/asphaltpro

The first step is determining the goals. This should come from market data. For example, if it is determined that a plant, which produces 300 TPH and can produce mixes with up to 45% recycled asphalt pavement (RAP), is right for the available market, that is a starting place. That plant will need a 7- or 7.5-foot-diameter counterflow dryer and a baghouse with about 52,000 to 58,000 CFM capacity. Matching components must make logical sense. Including a 68,000-CFM baghouse in a plant with a 7-foot-diameter drum might work but it makes no logical sense and will not work as well as it could. Having a competent engineer run a few basic calculations to determine which existing components do not match your goals for the market will save time and money and go a long way toward assuring a good outcome of the project. A good approach is to select an appropriately sized, existing major component and redesign the plant as necessary around that component. Once you have selected the key component, all other components must be chosen to have a little more capacity than that one. Having said that a 300 TPH plant needs a 7- or 7.5-foot-diameter dryer drum, be aware that the drum diameter isn’t all there is to it. The flight system is critical. Most existing flight systems out there will struggle to accommodate 45% RAP and many struggle at lower RAP percentages. A good flight system and a variable frequency drive (VFD) are necessities in most markets. There are great flight systems available today that will comfortably produce mixes with 60% RAP and with the flexibility—with the VFD—to produce 100% virgin mixes without anyone going in the drum to adjust, add, or remove flights.

With this knowledge, a mix-and-match approach to upgrading a plant can be completely successful. Assuming the condition of the equipment is correctly assessed, the greatest threats to success are hidden deficiencies—like overstated nameplate ratings mentioned above. To determine whether a nameplate rating is right will require someone with enough experience to know, or with the ability to investigate and calculate, or test. Mix and match isn’t for everyone. Doing it this way requires the willingness and resources to do the homework. When buying a new plant, you generally are dealing with a manufacturer that knows its business. That isn’t necessarily the case when you are employing used equipment. Whether you are putting a whole plant together, upgrading an existing one or just replacing an aged or worn component, these same principles and practices can be applied to ensure a good result. If yours is a big company with many plants, you may have good equipment that has been set aside and can be reemployed. If you have a smaller company, you are more likely to have to search and find good used equipment or introduce a new piece into the existing plant. In any case, getting a correct match of real capability is the key thing. Applying the appropriate expertise is critical to getting a good outcome. That may come from inside or outside your organization, just as long as it is the right expertise. Malcolm Swanson is the proprietor of e5 Engineers LLC, Chickamauga, Georgia. For more information, contact him at (423) 667-6781 or malcolm@e5engineers.com.

Teach Your Crew What it Takes to Pave a Bonus-Worthy Mat AsphaltPro magazine joined forces with hallof-fame paving consultant John S. Ball III of Top Quality Paving & Training to bring you the newest online training resource for your crew: Asphalt Paving 101. The course is available on any device, anytime, anywhere to train your entire crew. Your single subscription to the best curriculum of all time gives you access to train all of your employees, each time you bring in a new hire.

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In this course, your crew will learn: • How to stay safe on the job site • How to build a takeoff ramp • How to determine fluff factor • How to determine yield • How to prep for real paving in the real world • How to maintain equipment the right way • Job responsibilities for each paving crew member • and so much more…

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

56 | DECEMBER 2023

Registration for Exhibitors and Attendee’s is Open!

This graphic shows the timeline for PennDOT’s road to a standard special provision for void reducing asphalt membrane use. All images courtesy of Associated Asphalt

PENNDOT STUDIES JOINTS FOR SUSTAINABLE PAVEMENTS Extending the life of asphalt pavement with void-reducing asphalt membrane: PennDOT case study

FROM ASSOCIATED ASPHALT

Researchers have established that longitudinal joint performance influences the lifespan of a pavement. If the joint is built with higher permeability and lower density compared to the rest of the pavement, water and air intrusion leads to accelerated damage, which often requires maintenance within three to five years. Over the years, multiple agencies have investigated various strategies to enhance the performance of asphalt pavement longitudinal joints. Despite these efforts, high permeability remains a challenge. The void-reducing asphalt membrane (VRAM) has demonstrated its effectiveness as a solution that prolongs the life of longitudinal joints. VRAM is a material-based solution involving the application of a thick layer of hot-applied, polymer-modified asphalt (PMA), rather than

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an emulsion. It is applied beneath the future centerline of the longitudinal joint. As hot-mix asphalt (HMA) is laid and subjected to heat and compaction by rollers, the VRAM gradually migrates from the bottom up, rendering the joint nearly impermeable to water and air. The VRAM “wicks” upward in the longitudinal joint area during paving, essentially filling the air voids remaining in the longitudinal construction joint. Check out the January 2019 Here’s How it Works for a step-by-step guide to creating a joint with VRAM. Read the March 2021 “Innovate at Centerline Rumble Strips” for additional information on the membrane’s use.

Initial trials for VRAM occurred in Illinois in 2001 and 2002. In 2017, follow-up testing and observations by the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) revealed the experimental sections exhibited lower permeability and higher asphalt content compared to the control sections, resulting in improved crack resistance. In 2018, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) developed a work plan to investigate VRAM via 14 trials via a five-year period. One of the VRAM products selected for these trials was J-Band® and that’s what we’ll look at here.

FIRST PENNDOT TRIAL

PennDOT District 5 began its first trial on a 2.1-mile stretch of I-81 in Schuylkill County in October 2018. Annual visual assessments were conducted to examine the state of the VRAM longitudinal joint and the control joint. In April 2023, Dave Powers, Associated Asphalt’s Northern Region performance products manager, along with representatives from PennDOT Central Office, District 9 and District 5, carried out a fifthyear evaluation.

Through the end of 2022, PennDOT constructed 13 trials—including this project in District 1 on I-80. In this picture, you can see the 12- to 18-inch-wide “stripe” of J-Band the distributor truck has sprayed where the longitudinal joint will be built.

TOP: All trial cores for PennDOT resulted in these average IDEAL-CT Index scores. BOTTOM : All trial cores for PennDOT showed these average air void percentage results. Graphs courtesy of Associated Asphalt

In the VRAM experimental section, in line with expectations for the fifth year, they observed minor cracks present on the joint’s surface in a few areas. However, these cracks did not penetrate into the paving mat. The majority of the experimental section remained devoid of cracks. In the control sections built with traditional joint methods, they observed the project faced issues stemming from underdrain and material failures. The northbound control area underwent milling and replacement in July/August 2019, which is nine to 10 months after the trial began. Nonetheless, District 5 managed to avert the replacement of the experimental VRAM section. Instead, the new joint installed in 2019 was treated as the “control joint” for this pilot project. Despite the control section being paved subsequent to the experimental joint, the VRAM continued to demonstrate superior performance.

SECOND PENNDOT TRIAL PennDOT’s second VRAM trial was applied Oct. 17, 2018, on a 1.1-mile section of I-380 in Monroe County. This experimental section would be compared over time to approximately 0.5 miles of control sections. A team visually reviewed the joints annually, and in 2021, cores were pulled from the 3-year-old joints in the control and VRAM sections. These cores were sent to Rutgers University Center for Advanced Infrastructure & Transportation (CAIT) for complete testing. While the annual visual inspections did not reveal substantial differences between the control and VRAM sections, the lab data showed differences in favor of VRAM. Air Void Determination—The air void determination indicated that the control section had higher air voids than the VRAM section for the 9.5-mm SMA surface course with the butt joint longitudinal joint construction (10.4% vs 8.2%, respectively).

Falling Head Permeability (FM 5-565)—The application of the J-Band product significantly reduced the permeability of the compacted asphalt at the longitudinal joint. On average, the permeability of the J-Band-treated longitudinal joint was approximately 35 times slower than the conventional longitudinal joint. When permeability testing was conducted using the entire core provided (9.5-mm SMA plus J-Band plus binder course), the VRAM sections were determined to be impermeable, indicating the VRAM seals off the underlying asphalt layers below the longitudinal joint area. IDEAL-CT Index—The application of the J-Band product significantly improved the cracking resistance of the longitudinal joint as determined using the IDEAL-CT Index test procedure. The application of the VRAM product increased the IDEAL-CT Index of the longitudinal joint by almost 4 times compared to the IDEAL-CT Index values measured in the control cores. Another visual inspection was completed in December 2022. The VRAM joint continued to show less cracking than the control joint. Through the end of 2022, thirteen trials had been constructed, including four in District 5, two in District 4, and one each in Districts 1, 2, 3, 6, 8, 11 and 12. In total, six separate core tests were conducted, including the 3-year-old joints pulled from the second trial described above. The graphs included here summarize some of the data collected from the PennDOT test project by Rutgers University CAIT. Overall, VRAM effectively demonstrated an improvement in IDEAL-CT (crack resistance), as well as a reduction in permeability. VRAM improved the performance of the asphalt pavement mat at the longitudinal joints by reducing permeability and lowering air void content.

NEW VRAM STANDARD SPECIAL PROVISION In March 2023, PennDOT issued a new Standard Special Provision for Void Reducing Asphalt Membrane (VRAM). This SSP, which can be used on projects let on or after April 14, 2023, is recommended for use on limited access and expressway-type pavements where exceptional longitudinal joint performance is difficult to achieve. An added benefit of using the VRAM SSP is the joint density specification does not apply. As of August 2023, there have been six VRAM projects completed or scheduled to be completed in 2023, and seven confirmed for 2024. WWW.THEASPHALTPRO.COM | 59

WO M E N O F A S P H A LT

Meet a Woman of Asphalt: Jim Reynolds Asphalt Contractor’s Chelsea Ellis-Hogan Chelsea Ellis-Hogan: My first job as an estimator entailed measuring the surfaces, documenting photos and videos, getting pricing from other subcontractors, sending invoices, and customer communications. Because travel to various neighborhoods was involved, a side benefit was really getting to know the landscape of my city both geographically and culturally.

BY SANDY LENDER

nce upon a time, an 18-year-old named Chelsea A. Ellis embarked on an entrepreneurial journey. Embracing gratitude, humility, faith, family and the lessons learned from both challenges and successes, Chelsea Ellis-Hogan has emerged as a dynamic force in the industry. Today, she serves as a motivator, marketer, author, and holds the esteemed position of President/ CEO at Jim Reynolds Asphalt Contractor Inc., headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky. Since joining the company in 2014 as an estimator, Chelsea has gained extensive experience in operating every piece of equipment and has actively taken on all company roles. As part of her on-the-job training, she has even attended the National Pavement Expo over the years. We’re delighted she could find time to share her story with AsphaltPro readers and to inspire other women in our industry.

AsphaltPro: What did you find interesting or fulfilling about the position of estimating when you started out with the company? Chelsea Ellis-Hogan: I found the estimating position to be interesting because it allowed me to meet a lot of different people and learn about the different scenarios that take place within the industry. This role would be attractive to other women joining our industry because it is a remote position that allows you to work from home and from your vehicle. It doesn’t require a lot of time being managed by others as long as you are keeping up with your estimates as needed. This position also allows you to truly show your personality and build relationships with residential and commercial customers as you share your knowledge of the industry and service with them.

AsphaltPro: What part of your education relates best to the career track you’re on? And 60 | DECEMBER 2023

Chelsea Ellis-Hogan will present multiple topics at NPE 2024. First is Building and Leveraging Partnerships for Advancement, Tuesday, Jan. 23; then Growing Leadership Through Technology, Tuesday, Jan. 23; then the Wednesday morning huddle on Business Operations; then Create a Stand-Out Digital Marketing System, Thursday, Jan. 25.

what courses would you recommend to women who want to join a company as an estimator or working in online marketing & customer relations for a construction business? Chelsea Ellis-Hogan: My educational background in the industry came from hands-on learning and mentorship from my great uncle Jim Reynolds and father Sam Ellis, who has over 30 years of experience in the industry. I’ve also attended the National Pavement Expo for multiple years to learn how to scale our profit margins, marketing, leadership and tech. I recommend investing in online and offline courses that focus on topics such as tech, leadership, sales/marketing, safety and job costing. These are the main things that women can truly learn and allow them to help any company in the industry grow.

AsphaltPro: Could you share with the readers what your first job as an estimator entailed and how those experiences helped you decide what you wanted to focus on for a career?

AsphaltPro: Could you share with the readers what your job as the president and co-owner of Jim Reynolds now requires of you? Chelsea Ellis-Hogan: I am responsible for the strategic growth plan of the leadership and company. My responsibilities include: • Monthly Reviews • Decision-Making • Strategic Planning • Communication • Financial Oversight • Hiring and Talent Management • Reviewing Performance Metrics • Crisis Management • Legal and Compliance • Implementing Safety Procedures • Innovation and Growth • Networking • Problem-Solving • Time Management • Customer and Investor Relations • Creating Opportunities for Community Connection

AsphaltPro: As you took on all the different roles at the company, which one stood out as the most challenging or rewarding? Chelsea Ellis-Hogan: CEO Role—This role is challenging yet rewarding because I am responsible for keeping the day-to-day business functions flowing smoothly and in the right direction. This role helped me develop a

lot as a leader and individual. It is also challenging because you help create the systems and strategies that set the tone for the business’s success.

AsphaltPro: Could you share with the readers how participating in and learning about all the roles of the Jim Reynolds team helped you partner with and gain trust of the other workers around you? Chelsea Ellis-Hogan: Learning all of the roles of our team by working alongside them, sometimes performing the physical aspects of the job, asking questions/making suggestions and planning off-the-clock social time, allows workers to see that I’m truly invested in them (as company partners), am not “above” them and speaks to leadership and how valuable each position is as part of the team.

AsphaltPro: What about your job with Jim Reynolds now is “most cool” to you? Chelsea Ellis-Hogan: It is cool to always be able to learn something new daily and create a business around our values as a family. It is also great to be able to make income with family and friends who can also support the community we live in.

AsphaltPro: What do you think is the most important skill you’ve brought to your position as president of Jim Reynolds Asphalt Contractor? How would you encourage other women entering the industry to hone a similar skill to be any kind of asphalt leader they want to become? Chelsea Ellis-Hogan: My tech-influenced leadership skills are what I bring to my position. I can use tech to avoid micromanaging leadership on all levels and ages within the company. These strategies encourage other women to use tech because it allows you to become a leader and allows the systems to work for you versus having to manage people directly. My leadership style gives our team a sense of ownership that leads to a sense of pride.

AsphaltPro: One of your topics at NPE 2024 will be “Growing Leadership Through Technology.” Is there a specific message you can offer to women joining our industry regarding how they can embrace or implement different technologies for different roles? Chelsea Ellis-Hogan: I recommend trying to incorporate technology in your company in ways that can make it easier for different departments. Technology is made to simplify

that we, as an industry, can re-educate young people about to encourage more women to consider a career in the asphalt business?

Chelsea Ellis-Hogan is the president/CEO of Jim Reynolds Asphalt Contractor Inc.

processes, so always look at it as a way of doing that. Also finding the balance between using technology and having personal interactions is important.

AsphaltPro: What would you say was the most challenging “obstacle” you, as a female in the industry, had to overcome in the past 10 years, and how did you overcome that obstacle? How do you think other women in the industry can incorporate that skill or habit into their workdays? Chelsea Ellis-Hogan: I’ve always been one of the few minority women and owners in their 20s in leadership and decision-making meetings. This can mentally make a woman shy away from being a part of conversations about business choices. Also, a lot of the time the men in the industry have a lot of confidence and years of experience, which can sometimes intimidate women in our industry. The best way to overcome the obstacle is to build emotional and mental intelligence which means allowing logic and values to lead you through meetings and the things you know to be true about the services and industry. If you stay true to your strengths, then you won’t have to worry about the data or things you may not know.

AsphaltPro: Let’s talk about teamwork. What is an example of a project you were able to help your company bid successfully? Chelsea Ellis-Hogan: We provided KFC Yum Brands! with bids for servicing their properties. We were able to successfully plan, negotiate and secure the jobs which took a lot of strategic planning and leadership. This project took a lot of teamwork to complete before the end of our season and due to their hours of operation the work had to be timed and carried out with precision. This project really took a lot of planning and taught us a lot about working with corporations.

AsphaltPro: Let’s talk about perceptions. What do you think is an incorrect perception

Chelsea Ellis-Hogan: This industry normally looks like it’s for someone who actually only likes and wants to be in construction, but this industry is also good for those who love customer support, sales, project management and more. There is a lot of upward mobility in this industry that can allow someone to grow. If you focus on private customers, this is also a good industry to be in to provide homeowners with quality services.

AsphaltPro: What is the most rewarding aspect for you of being in the asphalt industry? Chelsea Ellis-Hogan: It is rewarding to know my family has a place within an industry where they can grow, learn, teach and always be welcomed. It is rewarding to be a part of an industry that values always putting out content to help those in the industry grow and succeed, which allows us to always improve in the work that we do. It is also rewarding to be able to open up doors for others from different backgrounds to grow in their leadership within the industry.

AsphaltPro: Will you tell us about people who served as mentors for you? Chelsea Ellis-Hogan: Sam Ellis and Jim Reynolds encouraged me through always sharing advice based on their successes and failures which allowed me to bypass a lot of issues within business and the industry. I was also allowed to fail without criticism or punishment. I think people sometimes underestimate the value gained in failing. I even wrote a book about this. I always recommend having a mentor or advisor who wants to see you succeed in your career.

AsphaltPro: What piece of advice from them would share with other women in the industry/other operators? Chelsea Ellis-Hogan: The biggest takeaway from one of my advisors is to never tell a customer no. Even if it is a service I cannot provide, I always send them in a direction that leads them closer to their answer. This helped me always build strong relationships with present and future possible clients through always being as helpful as possible. WWW.THEASPHALTPRO.COM | 61

O F F T H E M AT

WINTER

MAINTENANCE

Make a Lowboy Checklist BY SANDY LENDER

s managers and CEOs take stock of the back office in preparation for next year, have you considered efficiencies in your auxiliary hires? If you can’t afford to have lowboy drivers on the permanent payroll—and even if you can—you may find value in offering those drivers a checklist that protects your heavy equipment investments. For example, the lowboy driver will want to make sure light poles are lowered on the paver before he loads it onto the trailer. This, of course, prevents brushes with trees or streetlights from bending or breaking these pricy components. But why is this task left to the lowboy driver? Your crew can make the lowering of tall structures part of an end-of-shift routine; the lowboy driver can be the quality control or lastcheck for such things before he loads equipment.

Here are some other items for a checklist: ❑ Move magnetic lights inside the roller’s canopy ❑ Swing mirror arms “in” on all equipment ❑ Lower light towers on paver decks ❑ Ensure augers are up on the paver ❑ Ensure the tow point cylinder is down ❑ Lock the screed in its hanging position

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 62 | DECEMBER 2023

❑ ❑ You have a team out there. By getting all members of the crew on the same page when it comes to protecting equipment, you increase your chances of getting these pricy assets from job to job without costly damages.

WEB EXTRA Check out this related article on TheAsphaltPro.com https://theasphaltpro.com/articles/train-lowboydrivers-to-deliver-quality/

NEW ASPHALT PLANT AVAILABLE CWMF 500 Ton New and Ready to Ship Complete with 3 Silos at 300 Ton Will Sell, Lease or Partnership Email Julie at: Trista3995@sbcglobal.net or call: 989 790-4960

WWW.THEASPHALTPRO.COM | 63

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64 | DECEMBER 2023

AD INDEX ALmix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Applied Test Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Asphalt Drum Mixers, Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38, 39 Asphalt Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Astec Industries . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Inside Front Cover, Inside Back Cover B&S Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18, 19 Blaw-Knox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 BROCK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65 Clarence Richards Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 CWMF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3, 37 Detroit Stoker Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Eagle Crusher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Fast Measure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 Gencor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 GSSI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 HollyFrontier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Honeywell International Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Meeker Equipment Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Meyer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 National Pavement Expo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Reliable Asphalt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16, Back Cover RMACES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 Stansteel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32, 33 Systems Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13, 45 Tarmac International . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 Top Quality Paving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 Tri-State Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 Weiler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Willow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 Wirtgen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 World of Asphalt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

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

We’re on it. Brock is proud to present photos of some of the equipment we’ve built for our customers.

COLD FEED BINS, RAP BINS, CONVEYORS

INNER DRUMS AND OUTER SHELLS

DRUM MIXERS AND DRYERS

MIXING DRUMS

BAGHOUSES, AUGERS, AND DUCTWORK

HOT OIL HEATERS, AC TANKS, METERING PUMP SKIDS, PIPING

SILOS, DRAGS, AND TRAVERSE CONVEYORS

HOT MIX ASPHALT STORAGE SILOS

ON-SITE SERVICES AND AFTER-MARKET PARTS

NEW TECH

Sustainable Roads Through Tech BY ASPHALTPRO STAFF

n a new report titled The Future of Roads: The Role of Technology in Securing Vital Infrastructure, the team at HG Ventures, Indianapolis, posits our nation’s infrastructure is at a crossroads. Not only is the system, which has been in place since the 1950s, still built and maintained in much the same way it has always been built and maintained, the system is being pushed beyond its carrying capacity with many roads in the United States—and other parts of the world—in poor condition. The authors summarize this more eloquently than I by pointing out, “Not only does the global population continue to increase, it is becoming more urban and more mobile, with more people living in more, ever-larger cities; the number of vehicles on roads is increasing, as is the volume of goods transported by road.” The authors propose we look to the entrepreneurs among us who are innovating methods of building “smarter” roads—roads that address the issues of safety, capacity and congestion, sustainability, and efficiency. “Exciting technologies are emerging from multinational companies and entrepreneurial startups alike.” This article offers merely an overview of some of those technologies; keep in mind they require a new perspective when it comes to funding, as well. If you look at the pavement system as an ecosystem, depicted in the graphic on this page, you can see room for the different areas to function alongside technology—or with technology built within—to make the smart, sustainable road. The authors at HG Ventures discuss technologies on, in, under and beyond the road. While many of the ideas presented in the report will be interesting to drivers, fleet managers and infrastructure designers alike, I see the elements in and under the flexible pavement as most relevant to the readers of AsphaltPro. On the road, electrification and autonomy remain talking points concerning the vehicles we drive upon the system. In the road, the materials used for building and repairing roads in the future could look different from those used today. Of course, recycled materials—recycled asphalt 66 | DECEMBER 2023

pavement (RAP) and recycled concrete aggregates (RCA)—are listed among the environmentally sound choices for building materials, but the authors also discuss specific advanced, alternative and “smart” materials from specific innovators. The authors see enormous potential to build technologies into the roads, under the surface layers, to make them smarter, safer and more sustainable. By building sensors and communication devices within—and around—the pavement, engineers and pavers allow technologies in the system to gather data to feed to the motoring public. This “sensorization” of the pavement system may well be more costly and time-intensive than laying a traditional road surface, but it can contribute to a safer roadway in the future. The concepts outlined don’t have to be pie-in-the-sky thinking and the team at HG Ventures offers a conversational look at their potential in the 51-page report.

You can download the report for free at: hgventures.com/ future-of-roads

ROCK TO ROAD

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