Asphalt Pro - MarchApril 2021 by Asphalt Pro LLC

The Innovations Issue

asphaltPRO PRODUCTION – PROFESSIONALS – PRODUCTS

•

Heartland Invigorates RAP Percentages Fracture Concrete

• • • • •

Valley Paves Smooth Mat with Patterned Screed Gabriel Contractors Solves Parking Lot Flood Prevent Segregation at the Hopper Unique Truck App is Spot-on Another Blow in Bakken

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CONTENTS

asphaltPRO march/april 2021

departments

Editor’s Letter

6 – Our Industry Innovates

SAFETY SPOTLIGHT

8 – GPR Offers Safeguard By Peter Masters 10 – W.W. Clyde Shares ARTBA Safety Award Tips By Sarah Redohl

MIX IT UP

12 – Rehabilitate Concrete Pavements with Slab Fracturing By Fan Gu and Benjamin Bowers

TRAINING

14 – Prevent Material Segregation at the Hopper By John Ball

Feature articles

PROJECT MANAGEMENT 16 – Water is the Enemy By Sandy Lender

PAVEMENT MAINTENANCE 22 – Heartland Asphalt Pushes the RAP Envelope with Invigorate By Rick Zettler

28 – Ohio Widens Winding Roads By Chris Green

WOMEN of ASPHALT PROFILE 32 – A Woman of Asphalt: Meet APAC’s Jody Lawrence By Sandy Lender

INTERNATIONAL SNAPSHOT

38 – Patterned Screed Plate Offers Smooth Mat By AsphaltPro Staff

PRODUCT GALLERY

42 – Six Steps for Season Start-Up By AsphaltPro Staff

HERE'S HOW IT WORKS

43 – Gas Flaring Deepens Shadow over Bakken Crude Output By Andy Schmidt

OFF THE MAT

44 – Five Manufacturing Trends to Watch in 2021 From AEM

58 – International Markets By AsphaltPro Staff

60 – Paving Equipment Trends By AsphaltPro Staff 64 – Stansteel’s RAP Eater Drum By AsphaltPro Staff 66 – Lead Through Turbulent Times By Rick Singh

46 – Spot-On Performance Connects Plant, Paving Crews By Sarah Redohl

ONLINE UPDATE

52 – Innovate at Centerline Rumble Strips By Jason Baden

70 – AsphaltPro Online

asphaltPRO PRODUCTION – PROFESSIONALS – PRODUCTS

•

NEW TECH

68 – PlantDemand Delivers on Plant Requests By Sarah Redohl

The Innovations Issue

Heartland Invigorates RAP Percentages Fracture Concrete

• Valley Paves Smooth Mat with Patterned Screed • Gabriel Contractors Solves Parking Lot Flood • Prevent Segregation at the Hopper • Unique Truck App is Spot-on • Another Blow in Bakken

MARCH/APRIL 2021 WWW.THEASPHALTPRO.COM

AP March/April 2021.indd 1

2/8/21 10:38 AM

on the cover Heartland Asphalt used its DuoDrum plant from Dillman, an Astec company, to prepare its RAP mix rejuvenated with Invigorate. See related article on page 22. Photo courtesy of Colorbiotics

editor’s Letter Our Industry Innovates

In this column last month, we took an indulgent look at the environmentally responsible ideas transportation officials and contractors come up with to protect wildlife, whether that wildlife is endangered or not. Some might consider such ideas innovative. It’s a trend in society that innovations and technology breakthroughs increase as we humans move toward a big event, such as the turn of the century or a World’s Fair or, as long-time subscribers may be more in-tune with, a CONEXPO-CON/AGG. Even in years without a huge tradeshow such as CONEXPO-CON/AGG, international expos “going virtual” bring out the creativity in original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) who want to stay ahead of their competition and reduce pain points for contractors. For example, you’ll see the equivalent of “table-top exhibitors” at the online People, Plants & Paving Digital Conference March 9-11, 2021. Check out the worldofasphalt.com site to get information on the agenda and the $299 registration. Even the concept of taking training online has been an innovation that companies such as AsphaltPro have embraced over the years. Online courses like our Asphalt Paving 101 are designed to make your job of getting crewmembers up to speed easier and less pricy. During 2020, more than training venues changed. Our industry found the Novel Coronavirus forcing new and creative methods of building and repairing roads while avoiding illness. Luckily, working outside in the sunshine is something the asphalt industry is familiar with, so half that battle is won. State departments of transportation (DOTs), oftentimes slow to adopt new technologies, recognized the logic in using paperless tickets on jobsites to reduce the spread of germs. Many of those DOTs’ personnel fast-tracked implementation of trucking and ticketing apps that we’ve been reporting on for years (see the article on page 46 about former Ajax President Mark Minich’s innovation in this arena). Other innovations in our industry pop up to solve problems on the daily, and we welcome entrepreneurs to reach out to share their new ideas with us, thus with the AsphaltPro audience. Whether those new ideas incorporate a smartphone, an additive to allow increased amounts of recycled asphalt materials (RAM) or a fancy pattern at the back of the paver, we’re the venue to dissect the information for the industry. If you’ve solved a problem with a new piece of technology or new configuration of iron, let us know about it. We want to share your success to the benefit of the industry at large. My email address is sandy@theasphaltpro.com. Stay Safe,

Sandy Lender

6 // march/april 2021

March/April 2021 • Vol. 14 No.6

asphaltPRO

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

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

AsphaltPro is published 11 times per year. Writers expressing views in AsphaltPro Magazine or on the AsphaltPro website are professionals with sound, professional advice. Views expressed herein are not necessarily the same as the views of AsphaltPro, thus producers/contractors are still encouraged to use best practices when implementing new advice. SUBSCRIPTION POLICY: Individual subscriptions are available without charge in the United Sates, Canada and Mexico to qualified individuals. One year subscription to non-qualifying Individuals: United States $90, Canada and Mexico $125.00. For the international digital edition, visit theasphaltpro.com/subscribe/.

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Safety Spotlight

W.W. Clyde Shares ARTBA Safety Award Tips A

At the annual convention for American Road and Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) in October 2020, the organization called for attendees to go above and beyond on safety. In fact, they called for attendees to go “beyond zero.” “Instead of everyone aiming for zero safety incidents as their goal, ARTBA called for us to go beyond zero,” said Nate Neal, safety director at W.W. Clyde, Orem, Utah. “Going beyond zero means changing your company culture so everyone chooses to do what’s safe even if no one is looking.” Neal knows all about safety culture. W.W. Clyde was recognized at ARTBA’s 2020 convention with a Safety Award for its employee safety program. When asked what makes W.W. Clyde’s program stand out, Neal listed three initiatives that have had a major impact:

1. WEEKLY INSPECTIONS

Every week, W.W. Clyde’s safety department conducts inspections where deficiencies are noted and fixed by the end of the shift. For example, the area was really tight on a recent trenching operation. As a result of the inspection, the company opted for open cutting despite added expense and time. “If that situation were left to play out, there would have been an elevated risk that we could have prevented,” Neal said. Travis Wentz, the senior area manager over road and highway for W.W. Clyde, said most of the hazards identified are small things, but that’s how the plan is meant to operate. “If you point out hazards when they’re small, you can fix them before they have a chance of putting someone’s life in danger.” The safety department conducts the inspections with a PDF checklist on an iPad that they can add pictures and comments to and share as needed after the inspection. However, in 2021, the company is switching to a platform called SiteDocs. SiteDocs allows the company to more easily track its forms, which can be a challenge with numer-

8 // march/april 2021

3. MICRO-LEARNING

ous forms, hundreds of employees and multiple locations. “Once you build the forms in SiteDocs and they’ve been filled out, they are automatically sent to everyone who needs to see them,” Neal said. For example, W.W. Clyde’s president and vice president receive all safety inspection reports. The system also keeps the forms organized by type and by project. SiteDocs also tracks employee training. “I could query the whole company to see who has forklift training, or see what training [Wentz] has taken within the company,” Neal said. “This helps us make sure people don’t miss training they need to work safely.” “When it comes to safety, if it’s not documented, it often doesn’t happen,” Neal said.

2. GOAL OF THE DAY

Another proactive tool Neal recommends is the company’s “Goal of the Day” program, begun in 2017, which is a pre-planning process performed every day by crews covering pre-shift start up, obstacles of the day and strategies to overcome those obstacles. The pre-shift start-up checklist includes items such as work area inspection, review of personal protective equipment, and ensuring tools and equipment are in working order. The obstacle of the day section requests the crew mark all obstacles that apply from a large list, including work at heights, inclement weather, falling objects and more. And, lastly, the crew reviews protections and strategies to overcome the day’s obstacles. All of the Goal of the Day checklists will also be completed and saved within SiteDocs.

In 2019, the company began using Tyfoom, an online micro-learning platform. Employees receive push notifications to their phones each morning to watch two two-minute videos of training information, most of which relate to safety. After completing the videos, the employees take a quick quiz. Meanwhile, Tyfoom tracks views, scores and progress throughout the company. The videos can be from the large library of videos Tyfoom has created on topics from electrical hazards and first aid to ergonomics and eye strain, or the company can create its own videos. For example, Neal made a video about the importance of using the correct chains after a link broke on a company project. He also prepared fire extinguisher training specific to their facilities. “[Tyfoom] lets us be timely and get very specific with safety messages that are important to our company,” Neal said. This has also enabled Neal to share safety messages during the COVID-19 pandemic. “Right after an update from the governor, we could create and push a video out on Tyfoom.” The platform also lets W.W. Clyde organize employees into groups by job so each group receives videos relevant to their job. For example, Wentz receives modules that help him in a more administrative role. “The modules are quick and to the point, but you really learn something,” Wentz said.

SUMMING UP SAFETY

“These tools help us keep our safety relevant, current and effective,” Neal said. But, of course, the above list is nowhere near comprehensive. And of course, the foundation of W.W. Clyde’s safety culture is commitment from management. The company’s president and vice president are part of every safety decision the company makes, Neal said. His last bit of advice? “Be persistent. Don’t ever quit on safety. Changes don’t happen fast, but things that are worth doing take time. – BY SARAH REDOHL

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Safety Spotlight

GPR Offers Safeguard Residential and commercial inspectors, plumbing and utility contractors, and others in the pavement preservation community are finding the use of ground penetrating radar (GPR) provides a host of safety, efficiency and revenue benefits. Rather than relying solely on the national 811 call-before-you-dig phone number to avoid unintentional digging into an underground utility line, general contractors, subcontractors, and inspectors are adding GPR units to their locating toolbox and integrating them with other locating tools to enhance accuracy on the job site. This shouldn’t surprise readers. In the past 20 years, GPR utility locating equipment has been more readily adopted by surveyors and engineers. Already accustomed to deploying electronic equipment during the construction process, surveyors and engineers successfully used GPR to augment the 811 process. In more recent years, engineers and project managers for subsurface utility engineering (SUE) contracts began routinely specifying that contractors do more to prevent unknown problems from buried underground utilities. GPR service providers established a niche serving electricians, plumbers and contractors tasked with establishing utility locations. Now, with many powerful, high quality and lower cost utility locating GPR equipment, inspectors, electricians, plumbing and utility contractors are asking why they are paying to use GPR equipment when they can purchase a unit and do it themselves.

ALL THE TOOLS

Before contractors begin their projects, they use the 811 system to get the approximate location of all public utilities by marking them with spray paint or flags. Making that call technically satisfies a contractor’s legal responsibility. Nonetheless, many believe that the 811 system is simply not adequate—the safety implications of hitting a gas line and the expense of idling their workforce has driven them to be more proactive in identifying underground utility lines. Most utility locators use an elec-

10 // march/april 2021

CONTROLS

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Workers are adopting ground penetrating radar technology to augment existing safety tools prior to digging on the jobsite. tromagnetic (EM) line locator to check for active utilities. Electric lines are harder to trace with GPR than EM, making EM much quicker and easier to use than GPR. While EM is faster, its positioning is not as accurate as that of GPR, which can provide horizontal and vertical position within a couple of inches. These two methods complement each other, since GPR works better for non-metallic objects and EM for metallic objects. If both tools indicate the presence of a pipe, it provides a higher level of confidence. The trend in the GPR utility world has gravitated towards the use of small, portable and inexpensive units. Leading this trend is GSSI’s UtilityScan® system, released in 2017. UtilityScan was originally designed for municipalities, electrical contractors and utility installers, but has since been adopted for use in environmental and archaeology applications due to its size and cost. Weighing in at 34 pounds, the UtilityScan is built for quick assembly, scanning and break down. When folded down, the system can fit in the back of a small vehicle. One key feature of UtilityScan is the wireless antenna tested for rugged job sites. UtilityScan incorporates GSSI’s patented Hyper-

Stacking technology, which has proven to inCONTROLS crease depth penetration in challenging soils while also providing high near-surface data resolution. This system is IP 65 rated, making it the right tool to handle rain, snow and muddy conditions. Another feature of UtilityScan is that it can be equipped with LineTrac®, which helps loCONTROLS cate specific power sources situated underground, including AC power and induced RF energy present in conduits. LineTrac has coils that detect power radiated from electrical cables, combined with GPR radar into a single box. This feature lets users produce an overlay on the radar data that represents CONTROLS the presence of AC power and/or induced RF energy present in conduits. UtilityScan then integrates the EM and GPR readings and produces the image on the screen. UtilityScan uses a wireless tablet-based system with a simplified Android app-based user interface (UI). CONTROLS GPR can provide contractors with more confidence than simply relying on the 811 system. GPR for utility locating is more accessible than ever with small, portable and inexpensive systems on the market. – BY PETER MASTERS

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Rehabilitate Concrete Pavements with Slab Fracturing T

The benefits of using asphalt overlays for rehabilitation of Portland cement concrete (PCC) pavements are grounded in economics and longterm performance. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) reports that the United States has 108,603 lane miles of composite pavements (PCC overlaid with asphalt), which is nearly double the lane miles of PCC-surfaced pavements. This means that nearly two-thirds of the concrete pavements in the United States have been overlaid with asphalt. However, a persistent problem with asphalt overlays on PCC pavements is reflective cracking of joints and cracks through the asphalt overlays over time. Ultimately, reflective cracking leads to a shortened performance life of the

Distribution of Back-Calculated Moduli of Fractured Slabs

Slab Fracturing Techniques for PCC Rehabilitation 12 // march/april 2021

overlay. Rather than removing the concrete, which can be costly to the owner agency and increase delay time for the traveling public, slab-fracturing techniques can be used prior to placement of an asphalt overlay to significantly reduce stress concentrations at concrete joints and cracks. Slab-fracturing techniques include three methods: • crack and seat for PCC without steel reinforcement; • break and seat for PCC with steel reinforcement; and

• rubblization for any type of concrete pavement. Crack and seat is intended to reduce the effective slab length of PCC pavements by producing tight surface cracks. Break and seat is similar but typically requires greater fracturing effort. The rubblization process typically fractures slabs into fragments with a nominal size of 4 to 8 inches. Because the existing pavement remains in-place, there are no hauling or disposal costs, resulting in substantial cost savings for state agencies. Researchers at the National Center for Asphalt Technology (NCAT) in 2020 com-

pleted a project sponsored by the National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA) to synthesize historical and recent experiences with rehabilitation methods of PCC pavements with asphalt overlays. A survey of stakeholders indicated that crack and seat and rubblization are more popular than break and seat for PCC rehabilitation. Most PCC rehabilitation projects have more than 4 inches of asphalt overlay placed on fractured slabs. Although a majority of state agencies still use the AASHTO 1993 design method, Wisconsin uses the AASHTO 1972 design method; Indiana, Missouri, and Wyoming use Pavement ME Design; and California, New York, and Illinois use their own mechanistic-empirical design methods. NCAT researchers also analyzed LongTerm Pavement Performance SPS-6 experiment data to compare slab fracturing methods to alternative concrete rehabilitation treatments such as minimum and maximum restoration of PCC and overlays with sawed and sealed joints. They found that rubblized

PCC with more than 5 inches of asphalt overlay practically inhibits reflective cracking. According to the statistical analysis, there are no significant differences in performance measures of smoothness, rut depth and longitudinal cracking for the different treatments involving asphalt overlays on PCC. NAPA IS-117 recommends that to eliminate reflective cracking, crack and seat and break and seat projects should have less than 5 percent exceeding Epcc = 1000 ksi. However, as shown in the figure below, NCAT researchers found that most of the SPS-6 projects had slab moduli above the 1000 psi threshold but still had good reflective cracking performance. Thus, the IS-117 recommended threshold for Epcc is not suitable for recent slab fracturing projects. The researchers used a finite element analysis to determine that rubblized PCC with more than 8 inches of asphalt overlay could be a perpetual structure if the foundation is strong enough. In addition, two case studies were documented: one crack and seat project in Wyo-

ming and one rubblization project in Colorado. These projects used different design methods. Wyoming used the mechanistic-empirical methodology to determine the asphalt overlay thickness, while Colorado used the AASHTO 1993 design method. The details are covered in NCAT Report 20-03, Benefits of Rehabilitating Concrete Pavements with Slab Fracturing and Asphalt Overlays. The key findings of this project are also recorded in a NAPA webinar with the same title. The project outcome informs owner agencies and the industry that slab fracturing techniques are the most effective PCC rehabilitation methods. – BY FAN GU AND BENJAMIN BOWERS

This article originally appeared in the Fall 2020 NCAT eNewsletter and appears here with permission. For more information, please visit http://eng.auburn.edu/research/centers/ ncat/about/index.html.

www.THeAsphaltpro.com // 13

training

CONTR

Watch out for segregation with large stones when folding the hopper wings on the run. Photo courtesy of John Ball

Prevent Material Segregation at the Hopper M

Material segregation can begin clear back at the plant in the way mix is dropped into the silo or in the way it’s loaded into the truck. Let’s assume the plant personnel and truck drivers have that system under control (see the articles on loadout at theasphaltpro.com). And let’s assume the dump man and truck drivers are working together like a well-oiled machine on the job site (see the articles about backing the truck and charging the hopper at theasphaltpro.com). Now let’s look at the way your paver operator manages the pile in the hopper. The first thing to consider is whether or not you have your screed balanced. I know that’s not anywhere near the hopper, but it matters to the flow of material. In the picture on this page, the crew is laying more mix on the right side. You want to avoid that if you can. You want to have the screed extensions equal. If you’re paving 10 feet wide with an 8-foot screed, that means you have 2 feet of extensions. That means you want 1 foot of extension of each side of the machine. By balancing the screed, you balance the mix in the hopper.

CONTR

The next part of managing the hopper is maintaining the flow. You don’t want to run out of material in the hopper. Don’t starve the endgates behind the head of material. You will manage your paving speed to keep from running low, and will fold the hopper wings to move material to the center conveyor(s) strategically. While the paver operator is folding the hopper wings, where is the truck? The truck has discharged its material and moved away. That means no new material is incoming; the hopper is merely running out its mix. If you are moving forward and paving, you have limited time to complete the maneuver before you will need a new load. Remember that your hopper is 6.5 feet long. This means you can only travel 6.5 feet forward when folding the hopper wings before you have expended the hopper’s material. – BY JOHN BALL

CONTR

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

CONTR

14 // march/april 2021

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Project management

After the Gabriel Contractors crew had placed and compacted crusher-run base material, a rotted water main broke 9 feet beneath the surface, resulting in a surprise complication for completing the parking lot pavement repair.

Water is the Enemy When a water main break interrupts a parking lot project, Gabriel Contractors jumps into action to stay on schedule Project managers know to expect the unexpected, but some surprises on the paving job put scheduling in jeopardy. For Gabriel Contractors of Amsterdam, New York, Inc., the unexpected came in the form of a water main break 9 feet beneath an otherwise normal parking lot reconstruction project. Shortly before the crew was to begin paving a 13,900-square-foot parking lot for AGT Services Inc. of Amsterdam, owned by Mike Bresney, some rotted steel straps far below the surface gave way. With 5 inches plus of standing water swamping their newly placed and graded crusher-run sub-base, the Gabriel Contractors team had a mess to fix that wasn’t part of the original bid. Enter the problem-solving team of Laborer/Operator TJ (Theodore) Schrom, Laborer/Operator Aaron Robinson and Vice Pres-

16 // march/april 2021

ident Kristi Vertucci to keep scheduling on track while delivering quality for the client. The water line was buried exactly 9 feet under the existing, deteriorated parking lot pavement, Vertucci explained. “Here in Upstate New York, the requirement is only 4 to 6 feet minimum to be buried,” she said. “So it’s crazy that it was positioned much further down, yet still broke. It was basically two steel straps around saddle clamps of 10-inch main rotted off; the rot over the years just got worse. And the fact that we were compacting/vibrating the base did not help what was already a disaster waiting to happen. “The rupture was directly underneath where we were already working,” Vertucci continued. “We had prepped the site with crusher-run sub-base, graded and re-graded, and were in the middle of compacting

the last two passes closest to the grass side of the property.”

GET THE JOB MOVING AGAIN

Having a major setback in the middle of a project means delays, which Gabriel Contractors couldn’t afford at the end of October. With the paving season nearing its end and backto-back projects lined up, the team needed to resolve the problem and get the parking lot job completed quickly. That meant there was no time to assign responsibility. “Because the water main was located on the business owner’s private commercial property, the City of Amsterdam was not expected to make the repair, nor was held liable,” Vertucci said. “Instead, responsibility fell on the owner’s shoulders. Even though that was the case, we didn’t wait for permission to proceed with emergency repairs.

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Project management

They used three commercial grade high pressure water pumps to drain all water from the parking lot to the culvert pipe nearest the main roadway, hauled in 18 yards of bank run sand and 61 additional tons of crusher-run to remediate the area, and then used over 20 tons of Type 3 asphalt to level the area prior to paving with top course. Rather, we chose to jump right into action because it didn’t matter at the end of the day whose fault it was or whose responsibility it was to fix it. If we wanted to be able to complete the job we were contracted to do, we had to make sure this was resolved regardless. Plus, we wanted to prevent the situation from getting any worse than it already was.” Of course, the first step was to stop the flow of water onto the project. “The City of Amsterdam did offer to aide in helping to locate the water shut-off valve in the industrial park when it couldn’t be pinpointed because of grass overgrowth,” Vertucci said. “They also stood by with extra pumps and four to five workers in case anything got out of hand and we needed more manpower.” “Thankfully for both the city and the commercial business owner, we were already on site prepping the parking lot to be paved as per bid contract,” Vertucci said. “However, we were not initially prepared for that kind of unexpected service at that exact moment. By that, I mean we were literally on the last two passes of vibrating crusher run, so we had already sent our dump trucks down to the local asphalt plant to get loaded. We ended up dumping three 21-ton loads of blacktop in order to switch gears and be able to start pumping out the entire swamp of a parking lot;

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so we could then dig with a trackhoe and by hand to find the main.”

Gabriel Contractors used all its own dump trucks on this project. They dug more than the 9 feet to reach the main. “We had to dig down 12 feet to be able to successfully gain reach around and under the water main to completely replace it.”

ELBOW GREASE AND EXPERTISE

Getting the parking lot cleared for re-work took time. “We ended up using three commercial grade high pressure water pumps to drain all water from the parking lot to the culvert pipe nearest the main roadway; this took approximately four hours alone and did not include the digging time necessary to sufficiently reprep the lot. There was a minimum of 5 inches of water in some areas; other areas went over a couple feet. “We ended up having to haul in 18 yards of bank run sand and 61 additional tons of crusher run to remediate the area,” Vertucci continued. “From there, we used over 20 tons of Type 3 asphalt to level the area prior to paving with top course. Next, we used another 36

tons for true & level, and finally 160 tons of Type 6 top.” Ensuring the water situation didn’t create subbase problems for the surface was on her mind, of course. That’s where the additional 42 tons of crusher-run material came into play. “We just made sure to haul in ample crusher-run base; which ended up consisting of 42 tons extra. We placed and compacted in lifts in a 20 by 30-foot area so that there would be little to no chance it would affect the top courses.” The subbase is a point of pride for Gabriel Contractors and part of its warranty concern. “We always warranty our jobs for 1 year from completion date. The only time we do not warranty a specific job is if the person or company chooses to go against our advice and provide and place their own subbase. We cannot warranty something we had no hand in making or placing ourselves.”

ALL IN GOOD TIME

“Our schedule this year was complete insanity,” Vertucci shared. “We didn’t know how long it would take to fix the water main but we knew we couldn't afford to be delayed by one more day because it ends up pushing back our entire end-of-season schedule by at least a week if you look at it overall. And since this happened at the end of October and our local asphalt plants are usually closed around the

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Project management week of December 11, we were already cutting it close for completing the rest of our scheduled work for 2020. “Not to mention, we were already behind almost two months from our normal season start date because of COVID-19 and local lockdown requirements here in New York and in our city. By time October rolled around, we still had 36 jobs yet to finish (both residential and commercial) with no extra time to spare (also because it got cold quick up here). All that being said, we ended up with 24 jobs remaining that we could not get to by end-ofseason because of the weather getting too cold, plant breakdowns, other commercial job delays, and so on.” Despite the delays from issues outside of their control, the Gabriel Contractors crewmembers gave management plenty to be proud of. “In terms of the crew, our main crew of eight employees ended up working a continuous 48 hours straight to resolve this debacle,” Vertucci said. “Of course, we made

sure to take breaks in there to make sure our guys were hydrated, fed and physically able to work through the night. But we were impressed that all our crew chose to stay even though we told them whoever was unable or uncomfortable to stay was free to go home to rest. We worked through the night into the next morning and were the first in line to load up at Cushing Stone Company asphalt plant.” Not only was Vertucci proud of the crew’s commitment to solving and completing the parking lot job, she was proud of their finished product. “We were genuinely happy with the outcome; especially considering how easily it could have turned into a fiasco because so many factors were working against us that day. We were thankful and proud of our crew for stepping up like they did when they could easily have walked away and within reason. We were able to be one of the first dump trucks in the plant the morning after the break; which means we had nice hot asphalt

mix instead of sometimes cold material considering the weather. And that alone made the mat lay beautifully. From the point at which the water main was finished being changed out and all sub-base was replaced, that was the moment where we were able to look at each other with a small sigh of relief and re-focus our energies to get the job done.” While everyone on the job worked hard to get the job done, Vertucci saw the determination of Schrom and Robinson as noteworthy. “They really went above and beyond working non-stop with no complaints, and did not once ever falter or think twice about helping out no matter how long it took. They stayed the entire night actually in the base of the unfortunate crater that was created from the water main, and helped to hand dig around the area wherever the machine could not get.” The final product reflects the commitment Gabriel Contractors has to giving the client a quality pavement and gives readers a primer on surprise project management. – BY SANDY LENDER

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Pavement maintenance

Heartland Asphalt crews performed windrow paving to place mix with Invigorate rejuvenator on Cerro County Road S62. Photos courtesy of Colorbiotics, Ames, Iowa

Heartland Asphalt Pushes the RAP Envelope with Invigorate T

The asphalt industry, and asphalt producers in particular, are continually searching for ways to increase recycled asphalt pavement (RAP) content in mix designs. “It makes sense to recycle as much asphalt as we can,” said George Jessen, president and general manager for Heartland Asphalt Inc., Mason City, Iowa. “It will extend the life of our natural resources, and

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it will help our customers by stretching their dollars farther.” The catch, according to Jessen, is to increase RAP use in a responsible way. When increasing the amount of recycled asphalt in mix designs, producers can end up introducing oxidized binder that is harder and stiffer and that affects the performance characteristics of the asphalt. “It can make the asphalt more brittle in cold

temperature times of the year,” Jessen added. This can lead to premature road failure in the field. To prevent adverse road performance, state departments of transportation (DOTs) place limits on the percentage of RAP used in asphalt mixes for state and Federal projects. For asphalt producers in Iowa, this comes in the form of capping binder replacement.

“The Iowa Department of Transportation specifications allow us to include as much RAP as possible, but we must use a minimum of 80 percent virgin binder,” explained Rich Millard, quality control manager for Heartland Asphalt. It is possible for Heartland Asphalt and other producers in the state to drop to a minimum of 70 percent virgin binder, but it comes at a cost. “We must use a softer grade binder,” Millard continued. This means dropping the standard PG58-28S to a more expensive PG52-34S binder. “Often, it is cost-prohibitive for us to bump to a softer grade to increase the percentage of RAP used in the mix,” Millard said. Therefore, the asphalt producer will typically run roughly 25 percent RAP in the mixes to adhere to the 80 percent virgin binder threshold.

REJUVENATE THE BINDER

Late in the 2020 Iowa paving season, Heartland Asphalt had the opportunity to work with a new type of binder rejuvenator—one that worked differently than most petroleum-based products. The trial offered the opportunity to boost RAP content and lower the virgin binder percentage and aggregate required without the need to bump to the more costly softer binder. “I’m on an Asphalt Pavement Association of Iowa (APAI) committee to find ways to increase the use of RAP in the state of Iowa, so this presented a great opportunity to get involved,” Jessen said. Another positive for Jessen and producers in Iowa and throughout the Midwest is the rejuvenator used in the trial is a soybased product, designed to be sustainable. Invigorate was developed by researchers at Iowa State University (ISU) in Ames, Iowa, along with Colorbiotics, also based in Ames, which is a brand of the MBCC Group. It is soybean oil-derived and creates a chemical reaction to reverse the effects of oxidation on recycled asphalt. Chris Williams, professor of Civil Engineering at ISU, has been working in the asphalt research paving industry for nearly 25 years. Throughout his time with ISU, he has studied rejuvenator performance. He noticed that most rejuvenators work to average out a balance between asphaltenes and maltenes in old, oxidized recycled asphalt binder.

Rich Millard, quality control manager for Heartland Asphalt, shared the Iowa DOT specs allow contractors to include as much RAP as possible, but dictate a minimum of 80 percent virgin binder. Asphalt producers typically run about 25 percent RAP in the mixes to adhere to the 80 percent virgin binder threshold. Asphaltenes and maltenes are the two primary components in asphalt binder. The heavier asphaltenes give the binder its structure to prevent rutting, while the lighter maltenes give the binder liquid-like properties for flowing and coating aggregate. Virgin asphalt binder contains a healthy blend of asphaltenes and maltenes. As a road ages, however, the asphaltenes agglomerate and throw off the balance between the light and heavy molecules within the binder. Thus, the oxidized asphalt becomes more rigid and brittle, leading to cracking and eventually road failure. To account for the brittle, oxidized asphalt binder in RAP, most rejuvenators work by injecting maltene-rich light material to make it softer. “They take middle molecular weight molecules,” Williams said. “It’s like taking something that is heavy and something that is light, and the average weight is something in the middle to create something that is ‘soft.’” These types of rejuvenators don’t necessarily address the asphaltene agglomeration from oxidation.

Invigorate’s soybean oil molecules create a chemical reaction with the asphalt binder to reverse the effects of aging. “What Invigorate does is take something heavy, break it down and reduce the overall weight into something lower,” said Dan Staebell, Colorbiotics asphalt business development manager. “The chemistry creates value by extending the life of the pavement.”

FIELD TRIALS WITH INVIGORATE

Heartland Asphalt picked two county road projects in Cerro Gordo County in north central Iowa, less than 40 miles from the Minnesota border, to test the new rejuvenator. Millard explained that the producer has more flexibility with commercial and county mixes when it comes to trying out new mix designs with higher amounts of RAP. “We often work with county engineers to test new ideas,” he said. The Cerro Gordo County Road S62 overlay project required 5,000 tons each of a surface and intermediate mix. The mix design included a maximum 0.5-inch virgin aggregate size and RAP size of 1.0-inch minus. “We have a small crusher and screen on the plant to properly size the RAP before it goes into the drum,” Millard said.

www.THeAsphaltpro.com // 23

Pavement maintenance smelled differently, and not in a bad way.” With the soy base versus petroleum base, “it kind of smelled like a hamburger stand,” Millard joked.

PERFORMANCE ACHIEVED

The Heartland Asphalt crew saw density readings of 94.4 percent and 93.8 percent, even with higher RAP content. Heartland Asphalt used its standard PG5828S binder for the trials. In the Invigorate trial mixes, the rejuvenator was pumped from a separate on-site tank directly into the asphalt cement (AC) line before being pumped into the drum mixer. “All asphalt was produced by our fiveyear-old DuoDrum plant, and injecting the rejuvenator into the AC line gave it extra time for the rejuvenator to mix with the binder,” Jessen said. Staebell explained that Invigorate can be injected into the mix in multiple ways to meet the producer’s needs. “It can be blended with the binder at the terminal, blended in the tanker or injected separately in the AC line at the plant, like Heartland Asphalt did for the Cerro Gordo Country project.” The trials included mixes with several different levels of RAP content. The control sample was mixed with 20 percent RAP, while three different levels of RAP—30 percent, 40 percent and 45 percent—were mixed with

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and without the Invigorate rejuvenator. The mixes were laid in 600- to 700-ton strips. “We targeted an Invigorate rejuvenator dosage of 5 percent weight by volume of binder,” Staebell explained. Jessen added: “We discovered a metering issue with the rejuvenator tank pump early on but were able to get that quickly fixed to get the target rate.” Other than adding the binder, everything else remained the same as if Heartland Asphalt were running its typical mix with RAP. The asphalt was mixed at the same temperature, transported to the jobsite in the same belly-dump trucks and laid out in the typical windrow as any other county road project. The paving crew used a pick-up machine to transfer the windrowed asphalt into the hopper of the 10-foot paver. Heartland Asphalt used the same rollers and rolling pattern for a county project to compact the mix to spec densities. “The only difference the crew noticed,” Jessen mentioned, “was the Invigorate mix

Heartland Asphalt gathered asphalt samples from the plant and at the jobsite for both lab and field tests. In total, eight cores were drilled in each section of the different mix designs with different percentages of RAP. Millard mentioned that the Invigorate samples with varying percentages of RAP tested similarly to the control sample with virgin binder and aggregate. “The film thickness run was good, and the samples passed density tests,” he said. Using the rejuvenator significantly lowered required virgin oil content. “The 45 percent high RAP content mix with 5 percent Invigorate brought virgin oil content to 61.7 percent with 38.3 percent of binder coming from the RAP. This can result in economic savings,” Millard said. Jessen added, “If using the rejuvenator is cost-efficient and good for the environment, that makes us more competitive, so it makes a lot of sense to consider using more RAP.” In the field, spec compaction densities were 92.5 percent. Running two days of density tests for the Invigorate mix samples showed density readings of 94.4 percent and 93.8 percent, indicating that even with higher RAP content, density was readily obtained by the rollers. ISU engineers also ran performance grade and Delta Tc tests on the lab samples. All Invigorate samples with the proper dosage, even those with high percentages of RAP, improved the performance grade of the binder over the standard PG58-28S spec. “The Invigorate samples also passed all Delta Tc tests, showing its efficacy with highRAP-content mix designs,” Staebell said. Beyond performance, Staebell pointed to the sustainability factor for the industry using a soybean oil-derived rejuvenator. “The ability of being economical and environmentally friendly really is the homerun on sustainability for the industry,” he said. “The asphalt industry is certainly looking for those avenues to become more and more sustainable, which is obviously great for the future.” – BY RICK ZETTLER

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Pavement maintenance

Ohio Widens Winding Roads Some of the most dangerous roadways in the country include bustling highways, high-speed interstates and tricky intersections. But unexpected danger lies beyond big city distractions and high-traffic roads, where the hazards relate to nature more than other vehicles. The roads of southeastern Ohio wind around the hills, resulting in sharp turns and corners. While an average vehicle doesn’t have an issue navigating them, the same cannot be said for large trucks and trailers. The turning radius on oversized, multiple-axle vehicles like oil and gas trucks doesn’t mix well with the curvy roads, causing them to frequently end up with their wheels in the ditch. Over time, this repetition causes dangerous drop-offs on the outside corner of the paved roads. To address the issue, the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) constantly seeks new approaches and solutions to increase safety on the state’s roadways, with a goal to virtually eliminate crashes and injuries altogether. To combat the dangerous situation of the winding roads, ODOT first attempted to stabilize the shoulder with aggregate material. Using a road grader and a dump truck, crews laid the aggregate and pushed it off to the shoulder. From there, they compacted the aggregate, creating what seemed like an effective solution. This approach only worked temporarily and presented a maintenance issue. The lack of moisture in aggregate made it less than ideal for a permanent roadway. Crews found that after a heavy rain, the material washed away and exposed the original drop-offs. At least once a year, crews had to revisit the eroding berms and repeat the placement process. After testing several compaction methods, they opted to evolve to a new approach. With

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ODOT used the Road Widener FH-R skid steer attachment to disperse material from a dump truck to the material box, and then carefully onto the roadway. Using it resulted in increased efficiency, reduced labor and decreased costs. All photos courtesy of Road Widener LLC a stickier, denser substance, ODOT could create a longer-lasting solution for roadway maintenance.

ODOT SEES SAFE COMPACTION

Using asphalt might seem like a no-brainer, but the application involves a more intricate process. In Ohio, traditionally, widening the road with compacted material involves a fourstep process: 1. lay the material; 2. use a blade to move the material into place; 3. compact the material with the tires of a dump truck; and 4. broom, sweep, and clean up. Though it is a common process, ODOT was interested in limiting the number of steps in their approach. Their solution came from one of its own highway workers. “One of my highway technicians presented the idea of an offset road widening attachment,” said Rick Venham, transportation administrator of Washington County in Ohio’s District 10. “The guys who work on the projects and actually operate the equipment bring the best ideas and this case was no different.”

Road teams attach the equipment to a host machine, such as a skid steer, compact track loader, or grader to disperse gravel, asphalt and topsoil. Using it resulted in increased efficiency, reduced labor and decreased costs—benefits that stood out to ODOT. Because the attachment is smaller than traditional road widening products, it proved more cost effective and offered higher efficiency and maneuverability. This combination of benefits impacted ODOT’s decision-making process, as they were searching for a solution that offered ease of use with a low cost-per-ton ratio when laying asphalt.

ODOT SEES RESULTS

The attachment was also used during a recent Federal Highway Association (FHWA)-sponsored study. In early 2020, FHWA partnered with Ohio University (OU) on a research project to evaluate ODOT’s berm construction and repair process in Monroe County. Through two phases, OU evaluated and provided recommendations to improve the safety, productivity and cost-effectiveness of the process.

Pavement maintenance

LEFT: During the Federal Highway Association and Ohio University partnered study, Ohio DOT crew members used the offset vibratory roller from Road Widener to compact asphalt alongside a winding road in southeastern Ohio. RIGHT: Left side: A damaged road shoulder in southeastern Ohio. Right side: A freshly repaired shoulder gets the finishing touches from Road Widener’s offset vibratory roller. They analyzed both material and equipment in the study. Phase 1 confirmed the main cause of the frequent berm repair is the erosion of berm materials due to the high stress applied by oil and gas trucks. Additionally, it identified equipment and materials that could help improve the berm resistance to erosion. Phase 2 of the study examined the berm performance and service life when using different alternative methods. The results reiterated what ODOT had observed: the best results came from heated reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP). The study not only indicated that these materials significantly improved the service life of berms, it also resulted in significantly reducing the annual cost of berms. The highest cost benefits were obtained when heated RAP or emulsified RAP materials were used as shoulder materials. According to the report,

HERE’S HOW IT WORKS

The skid steer attachment works by dispersing material from a dump truck to the material box and then onto the roadway. The equipment offers a unique dual discharge, enhancing its versatility and making it easy to disperse the material from either side of the host machine. One or two people can operate it, thanks to the remote-control of the belt speed.

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the results indicated that the alternative materials and equipment can reduce the average annual cost of repairing routes with heavy truck traffic by up to 60 percent. OU took advantage of the road-widening skid steer attachment as one of the application methods for the RAP evaluation. The university also purchased a 4-foot offset vibratory roller to test the compaction process. The offset roller attaches to a skid steer to compact the placed berm materials. The patented design allows the operator’s machine to remain on a flat surface while compacting shoulders and ditches. According to the study, using a berm box to spread and place berm materials, as well as using an offset vibratory roller to compact the materials, resulted in a slightly higher cost than previous methods, but their use helped to significantly improve the safety and efficiency of berm compaction. The combination of the two pieces of equipment also increased the resistance of the berm materials to erosion and rutting. The study results stated that alternative berm materials and methods can reduce the time that ODOT personnel need to be in the field for repairing berms on state routes by up to 95 percent. Efficiently widening roads comes with a series of benefits, the most notable of which is safety. ODOT uses the road-widening skid steer attachment two to three months a year. During peak season, they average 500-600

tons of asphalt per day, depending on the route. That equates to about 5-6 miles of roadway getting a safety boost every day. For Monroe County alone, they laid about 6,500 tons of asphalt with this new application method. “We were stuck using a grader and loaders,” District 10 Equipment Manager Jim Kemp said. “It was time consuming and, more importantly, it’s inconsistent. Using this twostep application method for road widening allows our teams to put materials exactly where we need them. It also gives us the option to use aggregate or asphalt, so we can use the same equipment for the initial layer of aggregate and follow up with the lasting layer of asphalt.” Brian Shields, transportation administrator of Monroe County in District 10, agrees. “Once we get a wider road in place, it’s a forever solution,” Shields said. “I’ve done road widening for years and this new method helps to ensure it stays in place. It has held up for at least five years, and I’m sure it will last much longer than that.” ODOT is making its way through all the dangerous roadways of Ohio. Their ongoing goal is to reduce the number of vehicle injury incidents in accident-prone areas. And while this two-step method saves them money and improves efficiency, the ultimate goal of increased safety has no price tag. – BY CHRIS GREEN

Chris Green is a writer for the construction industry.

Women of asphalt

A Woman of Asphalt: Meet APAC’s Jody Lawrence Sometimes the asphalt life moves you from one opportunity to another whether you knew you were ready to take on the challenge or not. Quality Control (QC) Technician Jody Lawrence began her asphalt career January 2000 in the scale house at the rock quarry. She considers that first post: “a good entry level position so I could learn about the business and ease into other tasks.” Those other tasks have included operating equipment in the quarry and now performing a full range of asphalt tests as a QC technician for APAC, a division of CRH-Americas. Here she shares a number of the triumphs she’s experienced as a woman of asphalt.

AsphaltPro: Could you share with the readers your career trajectory and what challenges you’ve overcome along the way? Jody Lawrence: After high school I went to Mizzou for engineering. College wasn’t a good fit for me. I think the biggest roadblock was that I likely couldn’t have broken into the highway construction business if my dad had not helped me get the job. It is easier now for women to break into the industry but it can still be difficult. The other roadblock is that I’m limited for promotion opportunities due to my lack of a college degree. At this point most of my education has come from hands-on trial and error. For someone on a similar career path something as simple as an associate’s degree in construction management, civil engineering technology or similar would be a big stepping stone. A bachelor’s in civil engineering would open up even more opportunities. I’m currently supplementing my hands-on education with online courses

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Jody Lawrence is a quality control technician for APAC, a division of CRH-Americas. in accounting, economics and organizational management to help with my business acumen.

AsphaltPro: Could you share with the readers what your job as a QC tech for APAC requires? Jody Lawrence: My current role is twofold. During paving season, I work as a field technician. I do the required testing depending on customer specs and ensure we are sending a quality product to the project. This ranges from something as simple as AC content and gradation to full volumetric testing and making changes as needed for a quality product. I work closely with plant personnel and paving crews to make sure everything is working. In our offseason I design asphalt mixes for upcoming jobs, assist estimators in getting our pricing correct, lab equipment maintenance, paperwork updates and any other tasks that pop up.

When I moved from the scale house to the aggregate QC, it gave me the basic foundation for asphalt testing since aggregate is the biggest part of asphalt. I also spent time as a laborer and equipment operator in the quarry. That helped me understand the challenges of production, what factors impact aggregate gradation and quality, and that it’s not always a simple fix in the real world. When I came back to QC my production experience helped me communicate more effectively between quality and production personnel. I became a QC technician when Missouri was in the early stages of adopting Superpave asphalt specs. I was recommended for the job because my short stint as an engineering student was going to help during the transition from the old system to Superpave.

AsphaltPro: What do you think is the most important skill you’ve brought to your position as a QC tech in the asphalt industry? (And how would you encourage other women entering the industry to hone a similar skill?) Jody Lawrence: When I started I really had no idea what I was doing. It was my tenacity and willingness to learn that helped me get through the first several years. Two important skills I’ve developed have been changing my communication style from a passive voice and being willing to put myself out there for roles I don’t necessarily feel ready for. Women have a tendency to not jump at opportunities because we don’t feel ready. I would encourage women entering the industry to take those opportunities. You will never know what you are ready for until you challenge yourself and start to see just what you are capable of doing.

Women of asphalt are willing to expend social capital on you when you aren’t in the room.

AsphaltPro: Let’s talk about teamwork. What is the most challenging project you’ve been a part of and how did you and the crew overcome the challenge? Jody Lawrence: We recently did a project to improve multiple intersections over a 90-mile span of highway. We were doing small quantities of multiple mixes each day. It took a great deal of communication between myself, the plant and the paving crew to stay on top of what was happening. At the beginning of the job we struggled to get all of the information communicated in a timely fashion. We all kept working to improve and by the end of the job developed a good system. It took a lot of discussion so that each entity knew exactly what information the other pieces of the puzzle needed.

Lawrence credits her move into aggregate quality control for teaching her the basic foundation she needed to get into asphalt testing. She also spent time as a laborer and equipment operator in the quarry setting. “That helped me understand the challenges of production, what factors impact aggregate gradation and quality, and that it’s not always a simple fix in the real world,” Lawrence said.

AsphaltPro: It’s a fact that asphalt production can be hot and dusty. How do you respond to people who say it’s a “dirty job?” Jody Lawrence: There are days when it is a very dirty job. Not everyone is cut out for it but that is not based on gender. I have found the “dirtiest” days have been some of the most rewarding. It means you had a big challenge to overcome and you did work you can be proud of.

AsphaltPro: What would you say was the most challenging “obstacle” you, as a female on the asphalt team, had to overcome in the past 22 years, and how did you overcome it? Jody Lawrence: I put a lot of pressure on myself to work harder than the men. Typically I was putting more pressure on myself than the men were. There have been instances where men were unwilling to accept me based strictly on my gender but it’s not been as prevalent as people expect. I know that’s not the case in all companies but it has been for me. When I worked in the quarry, I had a boss who told me I had to stop selling myself short because I was a woman. That got me past the first hurdle. I think women need to practice occupying space. We belong on the crew, at the plant and in the planning rooms. Find a mentor. Seek out opportunities for development. Amplify each other’s voices. Find male allies who

AsphaltPro: What do you think is an incorrect perception that we, as an industry, can re-educate young people about to encourage more women to consider a career in the asphalt business? Jody Lawrence: There are definitely still people who believe it is not appropriate for women. Few of those people actually work in the industry. If you are interested, give it a try. If you show up and do the work, you will belong here. The industry is in a crisis for labor that is only going to get worse. There will be more opportunities opening up for non-traditional candidates. Once you find your spot, you will find a whole new group of brothers and sisters you didn’t expect to have. I refer to several of my co-workers as “3 a.m. friends.” Those are the people you can call when you need help at 3 a.m. and they will be there for you. I’m not sure you find that in other jobs.

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AsphaltPro: What is the most challenging aspect for you of being in the asphalt business? Jody Lawrence: The uncertain schedule gets stressful. Friends outside the business don’t understand why I can’t commit to weekend trips until a few days before. My company has made some strides by guaranteeing one weekend off each month so we can make plans with our family and friends. That was new last summer and it was a huge boost for morale. AsphaltPro: What is the most rewarding aspect for you, personally, of being in the asphalt business? Jody Lawrence: Being able to see what I have done to make things better. Infrastructure affects everyone in our country. I’m a small cog in a big wheel but at the end of the day, I can point to something and say “I helped do that.” AsphaltPro: Will you tell us about a person who served as a mentor for you? Jody Lawrence: Daniel Sare. I worked with Daniel in many different capacities over my career. He gave me opportunities and pushed me to be better, whether it was as an equipment operator in a rock quarry or as a quality control technician. Daniel always encouraged people’s curiosity and encouraged us to look for unconventional solutions to problems. AsphaltPro: Is there a piece of advice from this person that you would share with other women in the industry/other quality control personnel? Jody Lawrence: There are two things I would like to share. Daniel modeled exceptional interpersonal skills. He was able to find common ground with virtually everyone. He was the epitome of listening to understand rather than listening to answer. When I find myself in a difficult conversation I think about how he would have navigated the situation. The second came shortly before he succumbed to cancer. I was a pretty serious workaholic. He told me to slow down and enjoy life. He was absolutely right. The rewards of the work are great but not when they cut into your personal life. It can be tough now that we have constant contact electronically but do your best to have boundaries and keep work at work. – BY SANDY LENDER

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Valley Paving received its OXCLAW screed early June 2020 and has since used the screed on more than 30 projects.

PATTERNED SCREED PLATE OFFERS SMOOTH MAT

BY ASPHALTPRO STAFF

Brent Carron is the first to admit that if you want a smooth road, it makes sense to start with a smooth screed plate. After one season paving with a patterned screed plate from AXENOX Construction Solutions, Powell, Wyoming, he’s ready to reconsider that conventional wisdom. Carron, vice president at Valley Paving Inc., Shakopee, Minnesota, first learned about the unique screed in February 2020. He and his father, Rich Carron, were attending a product demonstration when they struck up a conversation with the screed’s inventors, brothers Stuart and Michael Frost. “Not 90 seconds into the conversation, Stuart took out his phone and showed us this patterned screed plate and asked if we’d like to try it,” Carron said. “It was the craziest thing I ever saw.” Crazy as it seemed, Valley Paving’s history of innovation encouraged them to give it a try. The company itself was born in 1979 when, as Car-

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ron puts it, his father thought he could make a better widget. “My father’s always been an early adopter,” Carron said. “He swears to me he was the first in Minnesota to adopt belly-dump paving with windrow elevators after seeing it out in California.”

Valley Paving Inc., specializes in heavy highway work, but also performs municipal work, parking lots and the occasional driveway. In 2020, the company paved 500,000 tons of asphalt with its two crews. He and his father knew the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) was open to innovation, having been a leader in intelligent compaction and thermal profiling. They also knew their crews enjoyed a new challenge. And, they could tell the Frosts grew up in the industry.

The OXCLAW attaches to another product from AXENOX, a conductor plate called BULLOX, via a silicon rope. “The beauty of this system is once the BULLOX is on there, it’s there for the life of the screed and you just have to change the plates,” Carron said. “I could tell [the Frosts] were engineering-smart, but I could see that they also had the experience and the passion to improve our industry,” Carron said. “We decided to give it a whirl.” Valley Paving received its OXCLAW screed in early June 2020 and has since used the screed on more than 30 projects, varying from city streets and county roads to state highways and airport runways. According to Carron, the OXCLAW’s corrugated pattern not only doubles the surface area of a flat screed plate, but it also forces the mix to zig and zag its way under the screed. “By the time the mix moves from the front of the screed plate to the back, it’s moved about 3 inches laterally,” Carron said. “The screed plate sort of remixes the mix and the aggregates lock together a bit.” The first day they took the screed on a project, the whole crew swore it wouldn’t work. “After reading density and riding the mat with the truck at the end of the day, they shook their heads and said ‘These guys might be onto something,’” Carron said. “Now they want to use the OXCLAW on every job.”

PLAIN VS. PATTERNED, SIDE BY SIDE

Over the summer of 2020, Valley Paving had a chance to directly compare the OXCLAW’s performance with a traditional screed. They were performing a 2-inch mill and overlay on I-94 between St. Paul and Minneapolis. They would be echelon paving 30,000 tons along three miles of the four-lane highway over the course of four weekends, using two Roadtec RP-195e pavers with Carlson EZ-R2 screeds. One screed had a traditional screed plate and one had the OXCLAW. “It was the perfect test scenario,” Carron said. “We’re taking out all the variables that we can so we can really compare the performance of the screed plates.” Carron, who is also the president of the Minnesota Asphalt Paving Association, decided to use the job as an opportunity to showcase the screed more widely. “We can talk theory all day long, but seeing is believing,” Carron said.

www.THeAsphaltpro.com // 39

Carron said the OXCLAW results in better density right behind the screed. In fact, if a person walks across the mat, their footprints are barely visible. In this photo, the footprints closest to the camera are on a traditional mat, and the footprints on the far side of the picture are on the mat behind the OXCLAW.

Carron said that in his experience, it’s possible to eliminate a roller pass or even an entire roller, when paving with the OXCLAW. 40 // march/april 2021

He invited agency staff, asphalt companies, even his competitors, to see the OXCLAW in action. In addition to various MnDOT personnel, visitors from as far as Florida, Georgia and Washington came to watch. After a video of the OXCLAW circulated widely on social media, many people were curious about this patterned screed. The first thing people ask about, Carron said, are the shadows left behind the screed; the mat looks textured. This is a result of the aggregate being placed and interlocked in the mat. “The second thing they do is get down close to the mat and realize it’s actually smooth.” The shadows created by the patterned screed depend on the mix design, with sandy mixes leaving less pronounced shadows and rocky mixes resulting in more defined shadows. Carron compares them to what you might see on the mat after a pass with a rubber tire roller. In fact, the shadows remain even after the road has been compacted. Carron considers it his company’s calling card. “Everyone knows everywhere Valley Paving goes,” he said. “Knowing everybody’s looking at their work has become a source of pride for the crew.” After satisfying his audience about the shadows, Carron has newbies walk across the mat. “It feels like it’s already been knocked down by the first roller,” he said. “You can’t turn a blind eye to the fact that you can walk across the mat and barely see footprints. Even if you don’t believe the theory of it, you realize how much better density you’re getting right off the screed.” And that extra density is nothing to turn a blind eye to. On the I-94 job, Valley Paving was able to eliminate a couple roller passes over the OXCLAW side of the mat and still achieve the same 93 and 94 percent density they achieved on the conventional side. Carron also said the unconfined joint showed higher densities, as well. “You don’t see the typical roller squish out with the breakdown at the joint, as you would with a conventional screed,” Carron said. “The bituminous edge stays intact, resulting in higher densities at your joints.” In fact, Carron said they paved the Crystal Airport runway using the OXCLAW and were able to achieve 93.3 percent density on the joint. Normally when they echelon pave interstate work, they have eight rollers behind their two pavers: four breakdown rollers, two intermediate rollers, and two finish rollers, working in tandem. The crew soon realized they were over-compacting the OXCLAW side with this rolling pattern. In addition to eliminating roller passes, they also turned off vibration during finish rolling on the OXCLAW side. They also used the OXCLAW on an echelon paving job on State Trunk Highway 212 in November. Carron remembers it was cold enough that there was snow on the ground. The crew was only paving a 1.5-inch lift and the job was 40 minutes from the plant. Even with these challenges, they were able to achieve 93 and 94 percent density on the side with the OXCLAW. The side with the traditional screed plate was consistently at 92 percent. “Working in those conditions shows the best place to get density is at the screed,” he said. “If this system helps us achieve density right at the screed, we could potentially not have deductions for density when we have to pave in November. That’s a huge benefit for us northern contractors who are often stuck paving early and late in the year when it’s really cold out.” In addition to the improved density, Carron said the rideability is just as good as with a traditional screed. “We’ve achieved a ride bonus on every job we’ve done with this system,” he said. On the I-94 job, Valley Paving also used a thermal profiler on both pavers. “It was the same mix, at the same temperature, paved by the same pavers and screeds paving side by side,” Carron said. However,

when they reviewed the results, they noticed a thin cold streak behind the flat screed, usually created by the auger drive chain assembly. “The OXCLAW side was a nice consistent temperature all the way through.” Even though the overlay on I-94 was a Band-Aid™ job, Carron said, the results were very good. “The best part about it was a project engineer from MnDOT said we needed to put it up for an award because of how well it turned out,” he said. “That just goes to show that MnDOT sees the effects of it, too.”

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SAME, BUT DIFFERENT

Carron said the only difference for his screed operator has been an adjustment of fluff factor. The standard is usually to add ¼ inch depth per inch of lift, so a 2-inch lift becomes a 2 ½-inch lift behind the screed. With the OXCLAW, he recommends reducing that fluff factor from 1/4 of an inch to 1/8 of an inch or 3/16 of an inch. “If you don’t make that adjustment with this screed system, you’ll blow your yield on every job,” he said. Another difference is with the angle of attack. Unlike with a traditional screed, where the front is a bit higher so the tail compacts the mat, the OXCLAW runs flat. “The grooves at the front of the OXCLAW act as an angle of attack anyways,” Carron said. “The flatter you run, the more the screed touches the mix, the more vibrations from the screed are going into the mat, and the better density you’re going to get right off the screed.” In fact, Carron has noticed less vibration on the screed’s catwalk compared to a traditional set up. “It seems like the vibrations are going into the mat and bouncing the screed back up less.” Carron said the crew hasn’t had issues with mix sticking to the patterned plate, nor have they needed to change clean-up procedures at the end of the shift. He’s also noticed that the OXCLAW seems to heat up quickly and evenly. The OXCLAW attaches to another product from AXENOX, a conductor plate called BULLOX. “The aircraft-grade aluminum on the BULLOX conducts heat really well, so the OXCLAW heats up faster even though it’s made of chromium carbide.” Because the OXCLAW is made of chromium carbide instead of heavy-duty steel, Carron expects the OXCLAW to last a long while. Even wear from running flat could also extend the OXCLAW’s lifespan, he surmises. “We normally get through about ¾ of a season per screed plate,” Carron said. “I think we’ll get three seasons out of the OXCLAW.” With the OXCLAW, the process of changing the screeds out took only five hours. Normally it takes 1 ½ days, Carron said. Instead of taking off 75 or so bolts, the OXCLAW attaches to the BULLOX conductor plate with a silicon rope. “The beauty of this system is once the BULLOX is on there, it’s there for the life of the screed and you just have to change the plates.” With a seven-month paving window in Minnesota, shutting down for two days to swap out screeds is a hardship. “The OXCLAW would be worth it for the fast change-out alone,” Carron said. “Everything else is an added bonus.” “A lot of people think that the way our dads and grandads did things is the way we’re always going to do it,” Carron said. “Stuart and Michael have proven that a patterned screed plate can leave behind a flat mat. They’ve shown there’s room to shake up the screed industry.”

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SIX STEPS FOR SEASON START-UP BY ASPHALTPRO STAFF

These last few weeks of winter are the perfect opportunity to prepare for the 2021 paving season. During a recent webinar, experts from Case Construction Equipment, Racine, Wisconsin, shared their top tips to prepare your machines for spring start-up. “You don’t want to go into the summer wishing you had done this or that,” said Garrett Campbell, Sales Training Manager in North America for CNH Construction Equipment, the parent company of Case CE. “Now is the time you want to be doing that, when you aren’t in the field just yet.” 1. Perform A Pre-Season Walk Around Case’s experts recommend following best practices of any pre-shift walk-around. However, they suggest paying particularly close attention to some items. For example, ground-engaging tools, such as milling teeth. If teeth are too worn down, this can cause damage to the holders or the drum. If wear isn’t consistent, this may indicate that you need to alter operating practices. Case reminds us that fleet managers who check wear patterns regularly across machines can identify discrepancies in the quality of parts or operator efficiency, so keep this practice up throughout the season. “Pay special attention to tires and tracks,” said Ted Polzer, Director of Product and Customer Support for Case North America. “They take a lot of abuse out there, and this is a good time to check for any issues so you can make sure to have those parts available when you need them.” (See tip #4). Check engine and hydraulic oil levels, as well as coolant and overflow, and check for leaks. Polzer reminds us that many machines have UV-reactant dye in the oil so a UV light can be a great tool to help identify leaks. As you walk around the machine, Polzer also suggests taking photos of the lube charts and other information you will need for quick reference when purchasing grease or parts when you’re away from the machine. “Once you’ve done the walk-around, jump in and start it up to see that all the features are working as they should,” Polzer said. For ex-

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ample, are all the gauges showing correctly? Are there fault codes present? Check that the lights work and the heating and cooling features are working properly. After all, Campbell reminds us, a comfortable operator is likely to be more efficient. This is also a good time to address safety items. Make sure the seat belt is working and lap bars come down as they should. Check that the horn and backup alarms are functioning and will be adequate for the jobs you have planned for the season ahead. “Some jobs call for special types of backup alarms,” Polzer reminds us. 2. Spring Clean Your Machines While you’re in the cab, take some time to perform some spring cleaning. Remove excess material from the floor of the cab that could hinder operation. Make sure the windows are clean to maximize visibility. Take the shop vac for a quick spin around the cab. 3. Dig Into the Data “Telematics data can tell you a lot about how the business is doing,” Campbell said. “This is the perfect time of year to translate the data you collected last season into real action.” For example, look at machine utilization. Do you have machines not in use for long periods of time? Maybe it’s time to rent that machine out or sell it to reduce overhead costs. Look at excessive idling and brainstorm ways to change that by better training operators or by employing tools like Case’s SiteWatch that automatically turn off idle machines. “Excessive idling adds unnecessary engine hours,” Campbell said. “That puts wear and tear on your machine that you don’t need and will depreciate the amount you’ll get for the machine when you trade it in.” Excessive idling also wastes fuel. “In a time when we’re uncertain about what fuel prices will be coming up, you want to be sure you’re using fuel as efficiently as possible,” Campbell said. You can use telematics information to plan downtime. Additionally, the more you know

about the costs of running your machines, the better you will be when determining what to charge customers. 4. Plan for Parts “Last year could be a good indicator of what you’ll need this year, in terms of what parts you should have on site,” Polzer said. He specifically points out having extra fuel filters on site, due to tight tolerances increasing how often those need to be changed and the fact that a plugged one causes immediate downtime. Keep the right oil and other fluids onhand for top-offs. Order the items you’ll need replacements for, from teeth to blades, so you’ll have them on site as you need them. Don’t forget attachments. What attachments would have made last year’s jobs easier? “Once we get into the season, a lot of other contractors start thinking the same thing and you may have to wait a few weeks to get in the attachments you need,” Campbell said. “Talk to your dealer now, so those attachments are in your fleet by the time you’re ready to use them.” 5. Upgrade Equipment It’s also a good time to think about updates and upgrades for your machines. “Get those updates done now, so they aren’t affecting you when you should be out there digging holes, pushing dirt and making money,” Campbell said. If you do make upgrades, for example, with machine control, Campbell suggests doing so with enough time for operators to familiarize themselves with these changes. “You want to make sure they understand it before they get on the job so they are most efficient during the season,” Campbell said. Pull out those photos of the serial numbers you took during your walk around (see tip #1) and check them to see if any updates are needed; your dealer can also do this for you. 6. Educate & Train If there’s still time before season start-up, review your equipment operations manuals. “You may be missing out on a feature you never knew existed because you’ve never had time to read the manual before,” Polzer said. Take this time to train your crew, not only based on what you may have learned from your telematics data (tip #3), but also to sharpen their skills. Check out AsphaltPro’s Asphalt Paving 101 online training program for a virtual training solution.

Gas Flaring Deepens Shadow over Bakken Crude Output BY ANDY SCHMIDT

While Bakken has become an incredible source of crude oil since the 2000s, the output of this resource may be lessening due to extensive gas flaring that is happening during production. The flaring of natural gas represents the process of controlled combustion; something that happens routinely while developing natural gas and oil, as a part of transportations, processing, gathering, production, and drilling operations. Compared to flaring, venting is the process of releasing small amounts of natural gas out into the Earth’s atmosphere. Flaring is the more common practice, although more wasteful. Without getting into the obvious ecological implications, unlimited flaring is also bad for economics.

The main issue with the existing crude production in Bakken is that it includes large amounts of natural gas as a byproduct. In facilities where provisions for utilizing natural gas byproducts productively have been made, this is not a big issue. However, coming up with a technological fix at later project stages is often untenable and unrealistic. In situations where an oil project has not made preparations and plans for the utilization of natural gas, there are always a couple of options left. One, the oil operator must find a way to make use of the gas onsite as a part of their operations, or reinject the gas back into the ground. Otherwise, it’s vented or flared. When it comes to Bakken, gas is released mostly due to these reasons, or for safety concerns—if operating conditions

are such that large buildups of gas occur, this is not a secure environment. Unfortunately, the common use of this practice in the area can hurt the market conditions for crude oil outputs as well; directly harming asphalt production via the market availability of petroleum. Seeing as flaring hurts both the environment and the economy (due to wasted gas), both state and federal regulations are starting to ramp down on the allowed level of flaring and venting. They’re mainly doing this by limiting the allowed levels of crude output based on the level of flaring and gas wastage. Andy Schmidt is an aspiring writer and has an interest in business with a particular emphasis on the global oil and gas industry.

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FIVE MANUFACTURING TRENDS TO WATCH IN 2021

As original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) adapt to trends, their adjustments influence your bottom line. Here are five trends poised to have an impact in 2021—and beyond—on not only the manufacturing industry, but also on you—the customer.

COVID-19, EMPLOYEE SAFETY

Workplace safety and compliance with CDC guidelines, OSHA regulations and local safety measures will remain front of mind for manufacturers into 2021. Organizations will need to remain vigilant in their efforts to protect employees. Doing so, however, requires a significant investment of time, effort and resources on the part of company leaders. Organizations will need to continue practicing social distancing in the workplace, restricting visitors to facilities, encouraging the practice of good hygiene, and ensuring employees are healthy and fit for work before allowing them on the job. It’s been about a year since the COVID-19 pandemic took hold in the United States, and it remains a challenge for manufacturers across the country and around the world. While companies do have plans and protocols in place to combat the virus, adhering to them and ensuring the health and well-being of employees continues to be no small task.

CONNECTED WORKFORCE

Equipping workers with technology to keep them connected to collaborate from a distance has long been on a trend on the rise within the manufacturing industry. As older generations continue to leave the workforce and are replaced by younger employees, and the rise of the big data era in manufacturing takes shape, finding tools and technologies to make an increasingly spread-out and remote workforce as productive as possible is a top priority for companies today. It remains critical for manufacturers to provide training and resources to employees as they try to maximize productivity from afar. Those who do it first—and do it well—will achieve a significant competitive advantage.

INTERNET OF THINGS

The Internet of Things (IoT) has long been a trend to watch in manufacturing, and this year is no different. As it continues to grow in prominence and becomes more widespread over time, IoT technology will drive value for the industry by allowing organizations to make measured, informed decisions using real-time data to increase efficiency and positively impact their bottom lines. According to a recent study conducted by the MPI Group, approximately 31 percent of manufacturing production processes now incorporate smart devices and embedded intelligence. Furthermore, more

44 // march/april 2021

FROM AEM

than one-third of manufacturers have established plans to implement IoT technology into their processes, while 32 percent plan to embed IoT technology into their products. IoT technology offers both remote monitoring and predictive maintenance capabilities, making it even more valuable for organizations looking to maintain visibility of equipment performance from afar. With the COVID-19 pandemic continuing to impact the industry in 2021, IoT technology will continue to be a go-to for manufacturers looking to maintain efficiency and productivity.

LOCALIZED PRODUCTION

The rise of customization and personalization has given way to opportunities for manufacturers to succeed in a localized economy. By rethinking the way products get out to the public, organizations can craft an ecosystem of smaller, flexible factories located near existing and prospective customers. Manufacturers are used to thinking on a global level. However, shifting their focus to a local level, they may be better able to meet the ever-changing needs, wants and preferences of the markets they serve. Consumers are making it abundantly clear that authenticity matters, and a localized approach to manufacturing is proving to be among the most effective ways to for organizations to respond accordingly.

PREDICTIVE MAINTENANCE

The ability for manufacturers to predict impending equipment failures and prevent equipment downtime is incredibly impactful to the bottom line. Advancements in technology now allow organizations to do just that. The benefits, according to a recent blog post from EAM-Mosca Corporation, showcase why predictive maintenance is so valuable to organizations today. Predictive maintenance helps companies: • Reduce costs; • See fewer failures; • Minimize scheduled downtime; and • Optimize parts delivery. Effectively conducting predictive maintenance is no easy task, however. Adopting a successful predictive maintenance model requires manufacturers to gain insights into the variables they are collecting and how often those variables present themselves on factory floors. Therefore, it’s imperative for manufacturers to possess accurate and relevant knowledge about their equipment. They must know what previous failures have taken place, and they need to make decisions around lead time. Because, as the closer to failure a machine is allowed to go, the more accurate the prediction will be.

Ajax began using Spot-On Performance Paving’s truck management solution in January 2020. Photo courtesy of Ajax Paving

Spot-On Performance Connects Plant, Paving Crews

BY SARAH REDOHL

It was a normal day in the office when Andy Decraene, vice president of construction for Ajax Paving Industries, Nokomis, Florida, overheard a couple of colleagues talking about adding trucks to a particular job. Decraene opened up Spot-On Performance (SOP), a truck management solution from Spot-On Performance Paving, Cape Coral, Florida, on his computer. With a couple clicks of his mouse, he discovered the root of the problem. “It wasn’t a problem with the paving crew,” Decraene said. “It was a plant delay. They were so busy that they couldn’t keep up with our jobs and sales to other customers. Adding trucks would have made the problem worse.”

46 // march/april 2021

Before Ajax began using SOP in January 2020, they’d tried a number of similar solutions over the years with varying levels of success. Ultimately, it was the minimal amount of human interaction that SOP requires to operate that set it apart. “Most programs require more administration, but SOP works on its own,” Decraene said. That was exactly the type of solution Mark Minich, president of Spot-On Performance Paving, set out to develop. During his 45 years in the asphalt business, Minich noticed how it seemed as though the asphalt plant and the paving crew often operated as two different entities, even when they were part of the same company. “Even though

Quality control (QC) staff and inspectors at the plant and in the field can add details to e-tickets within SOP, such as temperature readings and test results. Photo courtesy of Ajax Paving

One of the ways Ajax plans to raise the bar in the future is to use SOP to monitor production targets for each day and each job. Photo courtesy of Ajax Paving they were interrelated, they were always disconnected,” he said. “One hand never knew what the other hand was doing.” Although he’d been developing his idea for years, Minich hired a programmer, Tom Donchez, to make his ideas a reality in August 2018. To date, SOP has been used on more than 2,900 project shifts and more than 2.4 million tons of material, according to Minich. “I think what makes SOP stand out is that it’s automatic and it doesn’t require hardware or connected devices in trucks,” Minich said. “And, the fact that it was designed by an asphalt guy.”

SOP IN ACTION

After installing SOP on seven Ajax plants over the course of two or three days at each plant, Ajax’s team could hit the ground running on the platform. Ajax asphalt superintendents and construction managers immediately began using the platform to order trucks, and dispatchers used the platform to assign trucks to each job. SOP then automatically populates truck schedules and communicates them to drivers by email. Ajax equipped its pavers with Toughbook tablets mounted next to the operator console, so the operator can always see when trucks are expected to arrive on the job. Both Decraene and Ajax

Paving Foreman Chris Ance appreciate the simplicity of the SOP interface at the paver. “We’ve tried solutions where you can see the whole map, but that turned out to be a negative for the paving crew,” Decraene said. “They had to keep zooming in and out to see each truck.” With SOP, there is a bar chart with trucks listed in order of their estimated time of arrival. ETAs are based on SOP’s unique heavy truck-specific routing, which uses real time traffic information along with speed and route restrictions to provide accurate ETAs. With this approach, trucks don’t have to be equipped with special devices and drivers don’t have to download any new apps. Ajax has tested SOP’s estimated arrival times in the field and found them to be accurate within a minute or two. “I used to have to call the plant every time I’d be waiting for a truck more than a couple minutes,” Ance said. “Now, I can see exactly when the next truck is expected to arrive and slow down our operation to keep things in line.” When each truck arrives, the paver operator taps a button on the tablet screen to accept the load, a digital alternative to taking a paper ticket from the driver. Although Ajax didn’t invest in SOP for its e-ticketing capabilities, the platform’s ability to automatically generate e-tickets came in handy when the Florida Department of

www.THeAsphaltpro.com // 47

With SOP, there is a bar chart with trucks listed in order of their estimated time of arrival, so the crew always knows when the next load is expected to arrive. Photo courtesy of Spot-on Performance Paving

“The paving foreman has so many other things to focus on, from safety to quality. Why should the next load be a surprise for him when it doesn’t have to be?” - Mark Minich

Both Decraene and Ajax Paving Foreman Chris Ance appreciate the simplicity of the SOP interface at the paver. “We’ve tried solutions where you can see the whole map, but that turned out to be a negative for the paving crew,” Decraene said. “They had to keep zooming in and out to see each truck.” Photo courtesy of Spot-on Performance Paving

When each truck arrives, the paver operator taps a button on the tablet screen to accept the load, a digital alternative to taking a paper ticket from the driver. Photo courtesy of Spot-on Performance Paving 48 // march/april 2021

Transportation began to require e-ticketing during the COVID-19 pandemic. The e-tickets and accompanying details are immediately available to authorized users via the SOP online platform and the SOP app, and are updated in real time as additional information is added. Authorized users can send these e-tickets by email, or download as PDFs or Excel spreadsheets. Quality control (QC) staff and inspectors at the plant and in the field can also add details to e-tickets, such as temperature readings and test results. With SOP, the temperature of the mix as it leaves the plant is recorded and accessible to QC personnel in the field, and vice versa. “The plant can see the temperatures recorded in the field and the temperature loss between the plant and the job and adjust the production temperature,” Minich said. “SOP gives both sides the opportunity to react and make the best possible decision.” Users in the field can also add pictures and notes. Although Ajax hasn’t used this feature much, Decraene said he sees its potential for quality control. “Any quality issues could be documented and attached to the exact load, which can be beneficial in delineating a problem,” Decraene said. “This usually happens by phone calls and/or emails, but like they say a picture is worth a thousand words.” SOP also offers an executive management dashboard, which Decraene keeps open nearly all the time. “You can easily see all the trucks en route to the crew and to the plant,” Decraene said. “I am able get a quick snapshot of every job, how many trucks are loaded and how much has been paved.”

SOP has been used on more than 2,900 project shifts and more than 2.4 million tons of material. Photo courtesy of Spot-on Performance Paving

SOP is accessible both on desktop and via the SOP app. Photo courtesy of Spot-on Performance Paving

Ajax equipped its pavers with Toughbook tablets mounted next to the operator console, so the operator can always see when trucks are expected to arrive on the job. Photo courtesy of Spoton Performance Paving

NEW TOOL, NEWER FEATURES

The SOP team is constantly working to improve the platform, in ways big and small. For example, with the information SOP gathers to deliver truck ETAs, the platform can also be used to improve hauling productivity. By comparing each driver’s actual performance against projected haul times (accounting for travel time and traffic delays to keep scores uniform and comparable across jobs), SOP is able to rate the hauling performance of each driver on every trip. It can also be used for automatic truck time accounting based on the

www.THeAsphaltpro.com // 49

sign-in and sign-out times of each truck, as well as loading and unloading times to create more accurate trucking invoices. Although Ajax uses SOP to help with the invoicing process, the company has yet to use the tool for automatic payment. “We have high hopes to pay right through SOP in the future,” Decraene said. SOP has also developed a native app for drivers that informs them when to arrive and shows their loads and tickets, without adding extra steps to the driver’s workflow.

Roll Out Right When it came time to roll out SOP to its paving crews, Decraene designated Jared Hardey to be its “SOP champion.” Hardey deployed the tablets, explained why Ajax had invested in this new solution and how it would help the crews, and spent a few days with each crew to answer any questions and make sure they were familiar with the new process. “We’ve noticed there can sometimes be resistance to new technology,” Decraene said. “We chose to designate an SOP champion because we wanted our message to be consistent and we wanted to be sure every crew had the information they needed.” “If we just give everyone the program and tell them to have at it, everyone is getting different levels of satisfaction out of it,” he said. “One project manager might be looking at this data and another at that data.”

SOP is also constantly updating the platform with small but useful features, as well. For example, they have added the function of tapping the username of a co-worker within SOP to automatically call them or tapping the location of the day’s job to automatically open directions to the job site in Google Maps. Just recently, they’ve added a voice-totext feature to make it easier to add notes to tickets, as needed. In addition to more than a dozen minor improvements since SOP’s launch, Spot-On Performance released version 2.0 in January 2021. SOP 2.0 allows customers of the asphalt plant to equip their pavers with tablets and realize the benefits of SOP. This is a feature Ajax plans to begin using in the near future. Despite having used the platform for more than one year, Decraene said the team continues to find new use cases for SOP. “We’re still in the process of improving upon our operational skill set and utilizing the program properly,” Decraene said. For example, in January 2021, a group of users from across the company met via Zoom to discuss the different ways each of them uses the platform in an effort to standardize a set of best practices. “Like any tool, folks have to be educated on how to use it and what the information means.” One of the ways Ajax plans to raise the bar in the future is to use SOP to monitor production targets for each day and each job. Both online and on SOP’s mobile apps, users can check the real-time production and paving progress against the target so foremen, plant operators and management remain informed on productivity and adjust production based on real-world conditions on the job. “There are a lot of moving parts in this business, a lot of opportunities to lose money and to make money,” Decraene said. “What SOP does is it brings to light blind spots in your operation.”

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Innovate at Centerline Rumble Strips

Many people have spent the past year working from home, so it’s no surprise that traffic on roads nationwide decreased in 2020. What’s alarming is the number that went up: according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, traffic fatalities rose 4.6 percent in the first nine months of 2020 compared to the first nine months in 2019. State agencies, recognizing distracted driving as one culprit, seek a way to protect drivers in their communities. According to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), centerline rumble strips reduced head-on injury crashes by 38 to 50 percent on two-lane rural roads in Minnesota, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. In Ohio, rumble strips have proven so effective that the Ohio House passed legislation mandating this safety measure on all two-lane state highways. While rumble strips save lives, they can reduce the performance of the road, creating problems for the agencies that maintain them. By cutting into the area of the road already most susceptible to deterioration, rumble strips create more space for water to enter the joint. That extra moisture can lead to trouble. “I’ve been working on roads for over four decades,” John Galik, vice president of Specialized Construction Inc., Cuyahoga Heights, Ohio, said. “If the pavement isn’t of the highest quality, everything is going to fail faster, especially the centerline joint.” But making roads safer doesn’t have to mean making joints weaker. Contractors in Ohio are adding J-Band, a void reducing asphalt membrane (VRAM) solution designed to strengthen the middle of the road. Created in the labs of Heritage Research Group, J-Band is designed to address the issue of protecting centerline joints from a different angle: the bottom up. It’s a materials approach applied at the time of construction, under the surface where centerline rumble strips will be built.

52 // march/april 2021

BY JASON BADEN

Here, the J-Band is applied on the centerline joint prior to the next pass of HMA. Check out the Here’s How it Works feature of Asphalt Materials’ J-Band® void reducing asphalt membrane on theasphaltpro.com to see how it works. “Rumble strips create a vulnerable area in the pavement,” Todd Thomas said. He’s the technical director for specialty products at Asphalt Materials Inc., Indianapolis. “Water may pool in this area of the pavement with the highest permeability, creating a situation that can accelerate deterioration. As a materials solution, J-Band adds up to two times the original asphalt content of the mix to make this area nearly impermeable to water.” Applied as part of the normal HMA construction process, a high polymer asphalt mix is applied wider than the joint area, typically 18 inches, using an inline parallel spray bar. It’s applied at an application rate that’s dependent on the type and thickness of the HMA mix. After the HMA is applied, the heat causes the polymerized asphalt material to migrate upwards, filling voids in the joint.

OHIO SPECS, PROTECTS INVESTMENT To protect against joint deterioration at the rumble strip, the Ohio DOT has created specs requiring contractors to overpave the joint area and mill back or utilize a VRAM. While both applications have their benefits, material solutions provide several advantages. For example, adding more material to fill the voids at and near the joint makes a difference in reducing permeability. On projects Gerken crews have performed, crewmembers can see the J-Band perform, migrating from the bottom up, to know it’s working. Once J-Band is applied, it’s engineered to stay in place where it was originally sprayed. This helps more material go exactly where it’s needed—not over the rest of the road. This precision pays off in protection.

www.THeAsphaltpro.com // 53

In 2015, centerline rumble strips were installed on a six-mile section of Dewey Fisher Road in Champaign County, Illinois. In this control section, the lack of a void reducing asphalt membrane allowed cracking within four years.

“If you can keep [the centerline joint] protected through J-Band, you can make that part of the road last as long as the rest of it,” Thomas said. The VRAM application process requires less time than the overpave and mill back process. Time is also saved when it comes to maintenance. Because J-Band is effective at protecting the part of the road that’s more likely to deteriorate, crews won’t have to perform asphalt maintenance as often. In an industry where safety is paramount, those few minutes off the road can mean a lot. “Today’s drivers are focused on everything but driving,” Galik said. “The last place I want my staff working is on the centerline joint. If there’s anything that can be done to prevent having to repair the joint before having to repair the pavement, that’s a significant advantage in terms of investment and safety.” Applying J-Band with centerline rumble strips creates a longitudinal joint that’s nearly impermeable and, more importantly, capable of lasting as long as the rest of the road. A stronger centerline joint allows state agencies and contractors to max-

imize their investments by minimizing repairs and maintenance. Testing data shows the investment can pay off in the long run. According to a recent life-cycle cost analysis (LCCA) paper published at Transportation Research Board (TRB), VRAM application resulted in a 3 to 1 return on investment from projects in Illinois. Other tests have shown up to a 5 to 1 ROI. This gives Gerken Paving crews a sense that they’re doing something that has a larger positive impact on all of us. A sustainable approach is about extending the pavement life-cycle. With drivers more distracted than ever, investing in proven safety solutions like centerline rumble strips is a priority. Applying extra protection for the centerline joint is something Ohio DOT and Gerken Paving recognize as necessary. Applying a VRAM like J-Band under where centerline rumble strips will be installed can reduce permeability in this most critical area. Jason Baden is the vice president of Gerken Paving Inc., Napoleon, Ohio. For more information, contact Jeff Ball at jball@asphalt-materials. com or visit www.asphalt-materials.com.

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International snapshot

Source: Polaris Market Research Analysis

International Markets T

The global asphalt pavers market size is expected to reach USD 1,410.03 million by 2027, according to a Polaris Market Research study. The report titled “Global Asphalt Pavers Market Share, Size, Trends, Industry Analysis Report, By Product Type (Tracked Pavers and Wheeled Pavers), By Screed Type (Hydrostatic, and Mechanical), By Operating Weight (5000–8000 Kgs, 8000–12000 Kgs, 12000– 15000 Kgs, and Over 15000 Kgs); By Paving Width (Up to 1.5 m, 1.5–2.5 m, 2.5–5 m, and Over 5 m); By Regions; Segment Forecast, 2020–2027,” gives detailed insight into current market dynamics and provides analysis on future market growth. The report shows China is focusing on the development of its western region. In line with this, it has announced various infrastructure projects for the Tibet region as well. India is mainly focusing on the development of its transport network by investing heavily in road and rail infrastructure. Furthermore, the country is focusing on improving power infrastructure by building thermal, nuclear, wind and solar power stations. Traffic has grown by 150 times over the last 50 years, while roads have increased by 9 times during the same period. The quality of roads in India is quite poor, the report shows, leading to annual economic losses of $US4 to 7 billion. The Indian construction equipment market has the potential to grow significant-

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ly, owing to the government’s focus on infrastructure developments. Intelligent pavement refers to the paving of asphalt using asphalt pavers equipped with global positioning systems (GPS) based mapping sensors and optional feedback controls. It is one of the most important progresses made in roadway construction and has been widely adopted by Europe and China’s manufacturers. To meet the changing needs of the European market, manufacturers are looking at the increasing demand for higher levels of operator comfort and safety. Despite smaller dimensions, manufacturers are continuing to improve the operator’s working environment by adding more comfort and safety features to their machines. Market participants such as Caterpillar, Sunroc Corporation, Astec Industries Inc., Gencor Industries Inc., Wirtgen group, Volvo CE, Ammann, Sumitomo, Fayat Group, Sany, Zoomlion, Shantui and XCMG are some of the key players operating in the global market. Market players are focusing on mergers, acquisitions, technological advancements to have a competitive edge in the market. For instance, in July 2020, asphalt plant and burner manufacturer Gencor Industries announced a definitive agreement to acquire paver business from BlawKnox, the paver equipment manufacturer based in Pennsylvania.

AED AROUND THE WORLD

The Associated Equipment Distributors (AED), Schaumburg, Illinois, announced January 2021 that the Spanish Manufacturers Association of Construction and Mining Equipment (ANMOPYC), Zaragoza, Spain, had joined the association. ANMOPYC is a sector, private and non-profit organization founded in 1982 to protect the interests of the Spanish construction, public works and mining companies and contribute to strengthening their presence in foreign markets. “We are pleased to welcome the Spanish Manufacturers Association of Construction and Mining Equipment to the AED family,” stated AED President and CEO Brian P. McGuire. “We look forward to a long and fruitful relationship as we continue to provide resources and enhance the membership experience for our North American distributor members.” ANMOPYC participated in AED’s 2020 Summit and the Conference Dealer Expo (CONDEX) in Chicago, representing their members interested in bringing their products to the North American market for distribution. Look for ANMOPYC’s Spanish manufacturer’s pavilion at the 2022 Summit and CONDEX in Orlando, where they’ll be exhibiting with various member companies. – BY ASPHALTPRO STAFF

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Product Gallery

Paving Equipment Trends T

The Equipment Leasing and Finance Association (ELFA), Washington, D.C., released its Top 10 Equipment Acquisition Trends for 2021 Jan. 25, 2021. Given U.S. businesses, non-profits and government agencies are expected to spend more than $1.8 trillion in capital goods or fixed business investment (including software) this year, financing a majority of those assets, these trends impact a significant portion of the U.S. economy. ELFA President and CEO Ralph Petta said, “Not surprisingly, the effects of the COVID pandemic loom large in the list of trends this year. Despite upheaval throughout the economy, equipment acquisition continues to drive supply chains across all U.S. manufacturing and service sectors. Nearly eight in 10 of U.S. businesses use equipment leasing and financing to acquire the productive assets they need to operate and grow. We are pleased to again provide the Top 10 Equipment Acquisition Trends at a time when businesses need to understand the market environment more than ever to make their strategic equipment acquisition plans.” ELFA distilled recent research data, including the Equipment Leasing & Finance Foundation’s 2021 Equipment Leasing & Finance U.S. Economic Outlook, industry participants’ expertise and member input from ELFA meetings, in compiling the trends. 1. The U.S. economy will be a tale of two halves. The effects of the pandemic will continue with business restrictions and suppressed spending during the winter months. GDP growth will be weighted toward the second half of the year once vaccines are widely available, and the upside potential for economic growth later in the year is substantial with 4.7 percent GDP growth forecast for 2021. 2. Capital spending will show positive growth. The way that millions of Americans live, work and socialize was impacted by the pandemic and required many businesses to reconfigure business operations. This is likely to continue in 2021, providing a sustained boost to equipment and software investment in the first half of the year, resulting in positive 7.8 percent growth for the year. 3. A vast majority of U.S. businesses will acquire equipment through financing. The propensity to finance equipment is higher than it has been over the last two to three years as long-term interest rates have fallen sharply. The Fed is committed to keeping interest rates at or near zero for several years, which bodes well for businesses seeking financing. The Fed’s infusions of liquidity into the money supply also make cash more available. 4. Customer demands and products will evolve beyond pandemic needs. Demand for equipment needed to connect employees working from home will change as organizations adopt hybrid workplace models and make other adjustments for conducting business. The growth of bundled, managed services agreements and efficient customer service solutions will continue as businesses seek greater support and flexibility in acquiring and managing equipment. Reduced travel, less need for commercial space and technology upgrades will be among wide-ranging impacts in the wake of the pandemic. 5. Many key equipment types will show growth as a result of the pandemic. Broad-based investment growth is expected across a range of

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equipment types after plunging to historic lows in Q2 2020. Construction equipment investment should improve with increased demand for single-family homes, while trucks will get a boost from demand for over-the-road transportation as consumer spending strengthens throughout the year. Travel, airlines and hospitality will continue to be negatively impacted until full deployment of vaccines. 6. Digitalization will be pervasive in the post-COVID equipment finance environment. Innovation from the digital adoption of modern smart technology and business models built around that technology will leap forward in equipment finance in 2021. E-signatures and e-leasing, deployed rapidly during the pandemic out of necessity for contactless transactions, will continue to be widely adopted. E-commerce solutions will continue to skyrocket to meet customer demands. Also expect equipment finance companies to continue to create remote and contactless back office operations, and speed of processes, with compliance a priority. 7. Federal and state government action could have wide-ranging policy implications. The change in presidential administration along with Democratic control of both chambers of Congress could impact business investment decisions in a variety of ways. Washington policy makers could make significant changes in ar-

eas from taxation to infrastructure spending to climate policy and regulation. In addition, fiscal pressures and the blurring of consumer and commercial laws in some state legislatures may lead to policy proposals that restrict or otherwise make more difficult commercial financing transactions. 8. Cybersecurity will take on renewed importance. The heightened use of digital and contactless methods for transactions, data and information exchange during the pandemic—with customers as well as between work-from-home employees—will bring renewed focus to the need for effective cybersecurity strategies. With the proliferation of bad actors and fraudulent transactions, businesses will increase proactive measures to protect their data. 9. China will play an outsize role in determining market demand from key end-user markets. China is the world’s only major economy expected to have expanded in 2020. 10. Wild cards” could play a role in business investment decisions. There are other areas in addition to the trends above that businesses will keep an eye on that could impact their equipment acquisition strategies. The efficient rollout of COVID vaccines and their widespread acceptance will be critical to resuming a semblance of normalcy. Stock market volatility, small business recovery and a rise in inflation could all have potential financial impacts. ELFA represents the nearly $1 trillion equipment finance sector. For more information, visit EquipmentFinanceAdvantage.org.

the rental industry’s primary segments—equipment and event—two industry leaders have been added to the executive team and will be responsible for increasing member engagement.” Josh Nickell, a 20-year rental industry veteran, will be joining ARA to lead program development and member engagement for the equipment segment of ARA’s membership comprised of construction, industrial and general tool rental. Nickell has spent a good portion of his life in the rental industry. He worked with his grandfather at a Taylor Rental franchise at a young age and has run Nickell Rental, recognized four times by Inc. Magazine as one of the fastest growing companies in the country. To support the event segment and lead member engagement and strategic program development, ARA welcomes James Auerbach to serve as the event segment leader. James has spent the past 25 years serving in executive roles in the special event, equipment rental, event production and hospitality industries. He most recently served as senior vice president, CE Rental. “I’m excited to welcome both Josh and James to the executive team. The opportunity to add these industry thought leaders to the association will increase our intellectual horsepower and add additional industry experience to the ARA staff,” Conant said. As a result of these hires, ARA plans to design and develop segment specific strategies that will result in programs and services uniquely built for each segment.

AMERHART

Sunbelt Business Advisors (“Sunbelt”) served as the exclusive financial advisor to Material Distributors Inc. (MDI), a wholesale distributor of building materials based in Marshall, Minnesota, in connection with a sale of the company to Amerhart. MDI’s primary service areas are Southwest and Central Minnesota, Eastern South Dakota, and Northwest Iowa. The transaction closed Dec. 30, 2020. The acquisition strengthens Amerhart’s presence in the Midwest, allowing it to better serve its regional and national customers with a broad assortment of building materials. “In addition to being known for exceptional customer service, MDI’s team-oriented culture is very similar to ours, making this a perfect opportunity for continued expansion. Amerhart has a strong presence in the Midwest and with this new acquisition,” said Amerhart CEO Mark Kasper. “We become more relevant to our regional and national customers and vendor partners, which is critical to our continued success.”

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ARA

The American Rental Association (ARA), Moline, Illinois, added two industry leaders to its executive team. The association continues to help shape the equipment and event rental industry by investing in these leaders to accelerate ARA’s strategic initiatives on behalf of the membership. “This past year has driven home the need to address equipment and event rental as two distinct segments with different needs,” ARA CEO Tony Conant said. “We are hyper-focused on driving value for our members and that only happens when we create products and services that are specific to their segment needs. To better support

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PYRO-CLEAN® www.THeAsphaltpro.com // 61

Product Gallery ASPHALT KINGDOM

Businesses just starting out have always had the same problem: how to make money once the snow begins to fly and it is too cold to do most pavement repair work. The challenge is a tough one: work dries up and the money does too. Asphalt Kingdom set out to solve this problem by coming up with a way for contractors to make money all winter long, while serving their customer base. The solution? Emergency pothole repair, which takes on importance coming out of winter as well. Partnering with RynoWorx, the concept of a mini infrared heater was born. The RY2X2 2-foot Infrared Asphalt Heater by RynoWorx is designed to repair small potholes, fix asphalt seams, do drain repair and even fix alligator cracks, without the need to bring huge dedicated trucks and equipment to the job site. No need to take a crew of three to each job site: at 90 pounds, the asphalt infrared machine is portable and easy to handle. The RY2x2 is designed to be used year round to repair potholes and fix problems around drains using a three-step process: 1. Clean the edges of the pothole and fill it with asphalt millings. Place them together as close to flat as possible, like you’re putting together a jigsaw puzzle. 2. Place the RY2X2 Mini Asphalt Heater on top of the hole and heat it— each press takes approximately 7 minutes. 3. Remove the RY2X2 and then use an asphalt rake to blend the old and new asphalt together, and tamp it down with an asphalt tamper. RY2X2 Infrared Asphalt Heater Specs: Weight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90 pounds Frame steel thickness . . . . . 11 gauge Length . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 inches Fuel type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . propane Width . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 inches Max fuel pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 psi Height . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 inches Burner type . . . . . . . 75,000 BTU/hr Heating area . . . . . . . . 24 x 24 inches infrared For more information, contact Judd Burdon at (866) 399-5562, ext. 55.

CASE

CASE Construction Equipment has earned a 2020 Good Design Award® from the Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design and Metropolitan Arts Press for “Project Zeus,” which is the third CASE design to win in four years. Project Zeus is the CASE 580 EV (electric vehicle) backhoe loader. The award recognizes “the most innovative and cutting-edge industrial, product, and graphic designs produced around the world.” The award recognizes the matching of CASE brand heritage via a product line that originated in 1957 with sustainability anchored in both clean operation (no emissions/elimination of diesel fuel) and the sharp and clean design of the machine itself. Project Zeus was also noted for its innovative lighting/backlighting design elements; its rugged and clean lines and contouring; a specialized metallic “Power Tan” color scheme; and a modern and intuitive user experience that combines traditional backhoe operation with specialization related to electrification. “The theme is born from combining the essence of CASE heritage and the mission of sustainability into a clean and simple design,” said David Wilkie, head of the CNH Industrial Design Center. “It is extremely practical and built around function while delivering distinctive design elements that communicate strength and progress.

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From the lighting to the color and the way that the operator interacts with the machine. Project Zeus represents the sustainability and forward-thinking of our industry.” “The electrification of construction equipment, and the focus on sustainable power sources and machine ownership/operation, are all driving forces for public and private fleet owners around the world,” said Leandro Lecheta, head of construction—North America, CNH Industrial. “The CASE 580 EV accomplishes this through the elimination of emissions, diesel and other fluids and components, while also delivering a machine design anchored in trusted CASE backhoe performance—and our CNH Industrial Design Center tied it all together with a clean, modern aesthetic that stopped people in their tracks when we introduced the machine at CONEXPO 2020.” For more information, contact Jessica Klein at (262) 636-0951.

CURRY

Curry Supply Co., Gilbert, Arizona, celebrated its one-year anniversary in January of its facility acquisition in Gilbert, marking the company’s westward expansion. The Arizona location is ideally located to cater to the clients in the southwest, including Arizona and South California, and supports clients with the dedicated and knowledgeable sales team that includes regional sales managers Tanner Denny, Rick Romney and Tom Schnackenberg.

DYNAPAC

Dynapac North America LLC, Fort Mill, S.C., announced that Modern Machinery has expanded its footprint for Dynapac products into Northern Wyoming, Oregon and Washington. This will add to its already existing footprint in Montana and Idaho. This addition will make Modern Machinery one of the largest Dynapac dealer partners in North America. For customers of Modern Machinery, the expanded partnership with Dynapac creates access to new, used and rental equipment along with a commitment to product support in their region. “The Dynapac line has a long and established history in our territory and is well respected and appreciated by our customer base,” stated Modern Machinery Presidnet Lamont Cantrell. “I’m personally very excited to represent the product and I know with the amazing product support of the Modern Machinery team it will be a tremendous success.” Modern Machinery offers high quality heavy equipment and provides product support to the construction, mining and forestry industries. Modern Machinery began in 1944 with a single location in Spokane, Washington. Today, Modern operates full service branches in Missoula, Billings, and Kalispell, Montana; Boise, Jerome, and Pocatello, Idaho; Kent, Spokane, and Rochester, Washington; and Portland and Eugene, Oregon. For more information, contact Isaac Torres as Isaac.torres@dynapac.com or visit www.dynapac.us.

JOHN DEERE

John Deere, Moline, Illinois, is joint-testing its first electric-powered backhoe with National Grid, an electric, natural gas and clean energy delivery company serving more than 20 million people in the Northeast. The John Deere-developed, battery-powered, electric vehicle design— referred to as E-Power—will target the ease of operation and perfor-

mance level of the diesel-powered, 100 HP 310L Backhoe. The design is intended to provide lower daily operating costs, lower jobsite noise, enhanced machine reliability and zero emissions. “We are excited to work with National Grid, a leader in promoting clean energy solutions, to test the John Deere electric backhoe design in real-world conditions,” said Jason Daly, global director, production systems, technology and marketing, John Deere. “John Deere is committed to developing innovative, robustly tested and reliable equipment for our customers, unlocking measurable value through the incorporation of smart technology solutions in our machines. This project is another stepping stone in our backhoe innovation journey, intended to lead to subsequent electrification testing and design refinement.” The testing period will enable National Grid to expand its use of electric equipment on jobsites, reaffirming its commitment to leading the industry in the use of clean and resilient energy solutions. “National Grid is one of only two energy companies in the U.S. to add electric backhoes to their fleets,” said Badar Khan, president, National Grid, U.S. “We are excited to work with John Deere to take an important step in electrifying our company vehicles, which could be revolutionary for our industry. Decarbonizing transportation remains a challenge in the journey to net zero and we’re hopeful that bringing on more electrified heavy-duty vehicles and equipment will help us make significant progress.” John Deere is in early Phase I development of its electric backhoe. For more information, contact your local Deere dealer.

KUBOTA

Kubota Tractor Corporation, Grapevine, Texas, announced two new compact excavators and a new hydraulic quick coupler available at dealerships this quarter and plans for another excavator this summer. The introduction of the new KX057-5 and the U55-5 lead the company’s construction equipment product introductions in 2021, both models offer various upgrades from their previous (-4) units. The company also launched a new quick coupler for its 3-4 ton excavator class. The new KX057-5, U55-5 and quick coupler will be available at Kubota dealerships starting March 2021. The company also unveiled the newest member of its compact track loader line with the SVL97-2. The new SVL97-2 will replace the popular SVL95-2s and is now available at Kubota dealerships. It boasts a 96-horsepower engine with a rated operating capacity of 3,200 pounds. It has 7,961 pounds of breakout force and a 3.4-foot reach at max height.

SONSRAY MACHINERY

CASE Construction Equipment dealer Sonsray Machinery is expanding into Arizona with new full-line CASE sales, rental and service operations in Phoenix and Tucson. The expansion further establishes Sonsray as the largest CASE dealer on the West Coast with 15 locations in five states: California, Washington, Oregon, Nevada and Arizona. The new Phoenix and Tucson stores are operational now.

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here’s how it works

Step 2 Step 1 1-Inch recycle material enters via the RAP collar.

Step 3

Inlet spiral flights flow the material into the drum and to the middle of the RAP area.

Heated aggregate exits the main shell into the outer RAP shell.

Step 4 Dust is returned to the point of RAP entry.

Stansteel’s RAP Eater Drum Asphalt producers wishing to increase percentages of recycled asphalt pavement (RAP) and recycled asphalt shingles (RAS) in their mixes look to their drum and flight configurations for efficiencies. The team at Stansteel and Hotmix Parts, Louisville, Kentucky, developed the RAP Eater™ drum mixer to allow for the use of high recycled material. Here’s how it works: The combination of a continuous main shell throughout the length of the drum mixer with an outer RAP shell allows 45 seconds or more of in-process blending time, compared to 10 to 25 seconds for conventional drum mixers. First, heated aggregate exits the main shell into the outer RAP shell at the point where RAP and RAS enter the outer RAP shell from the RAP housing. This process allows for the RAP and RAS to be brought to temperature in two ways.

64 // march/april 2021

1. The hot aggregate heats RAP and RAS by convection in the outer RAP shell. 2. RAP and RAS are heated in the outer RAP shell by radiant heat from the burner through stainless steel panels mounted on the main drum shell in the combustion zone of the drum mixer. The combined process uses heat that would normally be lost through the shell. Next, the RAP Eater RAP housing design induces RAP and RAS to flow smoothly into and through the drum. Spiral flights inside the RAP housing allow recycle material to feed directly onto the inlet spiral flights of the RAP shell section of the RAP Eater. The RAP Eater RAP housing will also allow the introduction of either all the dust returned from the baghouse, only the heavy fines from the primary collector, or other materials, if desired, at the RAP housing. In-

troducing dust at the RAP housing allows dust to mix with the recycle, thus helping to eliminate blockage at the point of recycle entry into and through the drum mixer. This also allows an increased mixing time of the dust in the drum mixer of an extra 11 feet. For more information, contact Stansteel at (800) 826-0223 or visit https://stansteel.com/ rap-eater-2/.

SHOW US HOW IT WORKS If you’re an original equipment manufacturer with a complex product, let us help you explain its inner workings to asphalt professionals. There’s no charge for this news department, but our editorial staff reserves the right to decide what equipment fits the parameters of a HHIW feature. Contact our editor at sandy@theasphaltpro.com.

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off the mat

Lead Through Turbulent Times There is no time that begs for strong, effective leadership more than during times of incredible instability, turmoil and change. Organizations at the best of times require people, regardless of title, to step into the ring and demonstrate the courage to lead their peers, their subordinates and their organizations. There’s no question that 2020 was an unprecedented year. A year where nothing was left untouched; global politics, the economy, how we interact, how we celebrate with each other, how we live and even how we grieve. The anxiety the year has unearthed has reached its long fingers of influence into the business world.

Why is leadership so critical during times of uncertainty and unpredictability? Because if we want our people to succeed and be able to perform on a daily basis, we need to have environments that are predictable and create a sense of certainty in order for the brain to perform efficiently. In this context, a “leader” is not an organizational power based upon position responsibilities, although they bear a large burden for business outcomes as a result of their position, and as such need to be able to pull the best from their teams. A “leader” includes any of those frontline people who have developed a deep sense of resilience, a character of service, and an ability to maintain their

energy throughout the chaos created by the unpredictability and uncertainty, affording them the opportunity to support and influence their peers. Now, let’s get back to the brain. The brain’s job is to help us get through the day in the easiest way possible while expending the least amount of energy. It needs predictability and a sense of certainty to accomplish this. These things enable the brain to assess everyday situations, allowing a person to perform a task effectively and efficiently. When the brain is faced with an unpredictable environment, it places the brain in a state where it believes it is in a life and death situation and has to prepare the body to physically

Psychologist Abraham Maslow provided a hierarchy of needs that influence our performance and effectiveness—this is useful in contemplating how you’re setting employees up for success or stress. 66 // march/april 2021

When the amygdala has been activated by an unpredictable environment, it causes chemicals to be released to help the body survive the unknown. survive the moment. The body is placed in a state of “Fight, Flight, or Freeze,” where the amygdala has been activated, causing the brain to flood the body with chemicals, and pushing blood and oxygen to the arms and legs. Our heartbeats increase, our vision and thoughts narrow – focusing only on the specific thing that caused the triggering of the amygdala. This is an effective response if we are trying to survive an attack from a bear. It is not an effective response to a news report, world politics, or gossip around the lunchroom. If it happens too often, we risk becoming prone to having our amygdalae hijacked by the smallest of triggers. When unpredictability has triggered our amygdala, it in effect paralyzes our ability to make decisions, to effectively communicate, to think abstractly, and hinders our self-control. This also impacts the prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for our brain’s executive functioning: planning, reasoning, working memory, prediction of outcomes and personality. According to the psychologist Abraham Maslow, human beings have a hierarchy of needs, where individual performance and effectiveness starts to show up at the third tier and really shows up in the fourth and fifth tiers. When the environment is unpredictable and uncertain, it triggers the amygdala and catapults us down to the bottom two tiers, where all we are looking to achieve is a sense of safety, which is gained through predictability and certainty. The good news is as a leader, we can help create a sense of predictability and a sense

of certainty within our work world, thereby creating a temporary refuge for your employees and peers from all of the outside turbulence. There are a number of strategies to help accomplish this: • One way to do so is to make yourself available to listen. The most powerful thing we can do to validate another human being is to show them we truly care enough about them to really listen and try to understand them. • The second strategy is to over-communicate. Let them know what is new within the work world, if there are any upcoming changes and how secure the backlog of work remains. Keep in mind that where there are communication gaps, others will fill the void with rumors. Rumors are sticky, can cause a great deal of wasted energy and strongly impact employee performance. • The third strategy is to be visible, present and interactive. We can help them understand how they bring value in the way that they complete their duties. Hold regular briefings, be available, and create a feedback loop, allowing you to become aware of any concerns or rumors, as well as creating the medium to address those concerns. • The last strategy is a big one and the most powerful—be consistent and predictable in how you act and how you deal with others. We can do this by being authentic and transparent in each moment. In this world full of chaos fueled by unpredictability and uncertainty rooted in a global pandemic, global political turmoil and unstable economies, we as leaders have the opportunity to bring a sense of predictability back to the work world; a sense of predictability that offers the opportunity for our people to regain their sense of hope and peace, even if only a slice.

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new tech

PlantDemand Delivers on Plant Requests “While there are many options when it comes to integration, a simple approach is to give people the ability to query their data, and let them configure it in a way that works best for their goal,” Paulina Schaaf said. “We aim to make every day tasks easier for the people involved.” That has been true from day one. PlantDemand aims to improve collaboration between sales and production teams to enhance forecasting, reduce overbooking and run-outs of supplies, and improve daily materials and production planning. Its shared live calendar feature is designed to make it easy for the entire team to see everything in one place. Changes can be made and accessed in real time online or with the PlantDemand app, and order updates are saved in the update log.

PlantDemand is a plant scheduling software in use by more than 1,000 users worldwide, 80 percent of which are located in North America.

PlantDemand, Munich, Germany, was born when software developer Dennis Schaaf partnered with Daniel Mekis, an assistant plant manager at six asphalt plants and three quarries at the time, to develop a scheduling software. Mekis was spending hours every month generating materials reports and distributing this information to the facilities he managed and their suppliers. “At the time, everyone used Excel, Outlook, phone calls, and notepads to assemble and share the plant schedules, but there were many problems with this due to not having up-to-date information between the team,” said PlantDemand Communications Lead Paulina Schaaf. Dennis Schaaf began working with Mekis and his network of materials producers to better understand users and build a tool that would resolve these issues. In 2015, the plant scheduling software PlantDemand was born, and what used to take Mekis hours could be done in a few seconds. In the ensuing half-decade, much has changed. The staff at PlantDemand has grown, and so has the software’s customer base. At launch, it was in use by a handful of plants; today, it’s in use by more than 1,000 users worldwide, 80 percent of which are located in North America. What has not changed is PlantDemand’s responsiveness to the needs of materials producers. “[Dennis Schaaf] and the development and design team have continued to work closely with asphalt plant personnel using the tool, steadily releasing improvements to the software over time,” Paulina Schaaf said. In 2020 alone, PlantDemand released a new design with a number of updates to assist its users. These updates include the ability to move orders from one plant to another, search orders, improvements to custom field and user management, as well as the launch of an API integration feature. API integration allows customers to integrate PlantDemand with other systems and data they may use, and create custom dashboards of company data.

68 // march/april 2021

PlantDemand also allows plants to invite customers to view a limited version of the plant’s calendar that shows only mix types by day, redacting customer, quantity and order details. Invited customers can also create requests in PlantDemand, which notify the plant team, which can then grant the request or followup if needed. “On average, an order is updated six times before it actually ships,” Paulina Schaaf said. “In the past, imagine the number of phone calls, emails and text messages that would be required to keep everyone in the loop.” Dennis Schaaf shared a number of examples when an order listed the wrong AC supplier than the one indicated on the submittal for the project. PlantDemand made it easy to resolve the issue. “We’ve heard this exact case from others where several thousands of tons were shipped with the incorrect supplier,” Dennis Schaaf said. Ultimately, the plant was responsible for warranty of the mix for several years, he added, increasing potential risk to their business “to the tune of potentially millions of dollars.” Back in the day, operations often held weekly scheduling meetings to discuss changes. Now, Dennis Schaaf said, those conversations “change from what is on the schedule to how they can plan to produce everything more efficiently.” With plant scheduling software like PlantDemand, there is a single true source of information for plant operators, sales people, the quality control team, managers and engineers. This is made all the more true with PlantDemand’s new API integration. As time goes on, PlantDemand remains committed to consistent improvements. “We conducted user interface tests and interviews and in this way the software was iteratively built, tested and optimized for construction material planning,” Paulina Schaaf said. “It’s important that these tools are made for easy usage for the everyday busy lives of plant people.” – BY SARAH REDOHL

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Join the conversation with AsphaltPro online, on our social channels, our website and our blog. Top Post:

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Heavy Hauling: What to Consider When Finding a Company to Transport Your Equipment

We Asked, You Answered! Did you know Hetherington and Berner (H&B), part of Gencor Industries, built its first asphalt plant in 1894?!? Obviously this snapshot is a LOT more recent than that, but we can’t seem to find a date for it. Any ideas, guys?

Top Comment: Another huge part of the vetting process should be, “Does the carrier have the proper amount of cargo insurance to protect your load?” Damages can add up really quick for asphalt equipment. Make sure to get copies of COIs and ask for more coverage limits, if needed. —Carmie Mick, Owner of CWMF, Inc.

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J-Band . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 KPI-JCI-AMS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Inside Back Cover Kenco . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Libra . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Meeker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 National Credit Card Processing Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71 Process Heating Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63 Pugmill Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Reliable Asphalt Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Back Cover Roadtec . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Stansteel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17, 59 Sripath Technologies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Systems Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 Tarmac . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Tele Radio Wireless Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Top Quality Paving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 Trans Tech . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 WEM Automation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Willow Designs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 Wirtgen Americal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

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

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Asphalt Pro - MarchApril 2021

Articles inside

PlantDemand Delivers on Plant Requests

Lead Through Turbulent Times

Stansteel’s RAP Eater Drum

International Markets

Six Steps for Season Start-Up

Gas Flaring Deepens Shadow

Innovate at Centerline Rumble Strips

Five Manufacturing

Spot-On Performance

Patterned Screed

A Woman of Asphalt

W.W. Clyde Shares

Ohio Widens Winding Roads

Heartland Asphalt Pushes

Rehabilitate Concrete

Prevent Material

GPR Offers Safeguard

Water is the Enemy