North Star Shines in Industry
asphaltPRO PRODUCTION – PROFESSIONALS – PRODUCTS
North Star Shines in Industry
• • • • •
Spring PreservationPro Contrast 2D and 3D Paving How to Pave a Running Track E & B Paves with HeavyBid Suite Granite Builds a Perpetual Pavement
MAY 2022 WWW.THEASPHALTPRO.COM
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CONTENTS
asphaltPRO May 2022
DEPARTMENTS
14
EDITOR’S LETTER 6 – Stealth Taxation and Tradeshow Iron Make Perfect Bedfellows
SAFETY SPOTLIGHT 8 – 3 Insights for a Safer Season By AsphaltPro Staff
PROJECT MANAGEMENT 10 – E & B Paving Leverages Software for Optimum Workload By AsphaltPro Staff
PRODUCER PROFILE 14 – North Star Shares Shining Opportunities By Sarah Redohl
32
46
WOMEN OF ASPHALT 20 – Meet a Woman of Asphalt: Aggregate Industries’ Tracy Richard By Sandy Lender
INTERNATIONAL SNAPSHOT 28 – International Climate Protection By Simone Franz
PRODUCT GALLERY 60 – Don’t Let Shortages Get You Down By AsphaltPro Staff
NEW TECH 69 – B2W’s ONE Platform, Many Applications By AsphaltPro Staff
HHIW 74 – D&H Equipment’s PMA Blending Plant
FEATURE ARTICLES 32 – Caltrans Plans for Perpetual Pavements By Sarah Redohl 40 – Selecting the Right xD for Your Paving Workflow By Devin Laubhan
SPECIAL SECTION
North Star Shines in Industry
asphaltPRO PRODUCTION – PROFESSIONALS – PRODUCTS
North Star Shines in Industry
PRESERVATIONPRO 46 – How to Pave a Running Track By Sarah Redohl 52 – Indus Uses Bio-based Fogseal to Prove Rejuvenation By Sandy Lender 55 – Texas Assesses LiDAR to Adjust Seal Rates By AsphaltPro Staff 56 – WashDOT Extends Pavement Life Through Patching and Sealing By AsphaltPro Staff 57 – Crafco Modifies Cold Patch From Crafco 58 – Dynatest’s PCI Calculation Tool By AsphaltPro Staff
• Spring PreservationPro • Contrast 2D and 3D Paving • How to Pave a Running Track • E & B Paves with HeavyBid Suite • Granite Builds a Perpetual Pavement
MAY 2022 WWW.THEASPHALTPRO.COM
ON THE COVER The North Star family business in Calgary, Alberta, grew into asphalt paving. See related article on page 14. Photo courtesy of North Star
E D I TO R ' S L E T T E R
Stealth Taxation and Tradeshow Iron Make Perfect Bedfellows
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nless lobbyists can convince members of Congress to enact some fancy legislation to the contrary, business owners have until the end of this year to enjoy 100% of equipment bonus depreciation when figuring their tax burdens. Starting in 2023, that percentage dips to 80. In 2024, it drops to 60%. Then it’s 40% in 2025. Then it’s 20% in 2026. It’s nothing in 2027. Nothing. No incentive. Back to business as usual. Here’s an interesting rub. The rules say you must not only purchase the equipment, but you must also take delivery and put the equipment into operation prior to year-end. With some delivery schedules currently out to February and March 2023, that means some business owners are already looking at the 80% category for their tax incentive to pull the trigger. Obviously, you purchase equipment for more reasons than a tax incentive, but you must admit, getting a big-dollar break versus not getting a big-dollar break makes a difference to the bottom line. The best, most concise, layperson-language article I’ve seen on the program enacted in 2017 is found on the Stansteel blog here: https://stansteel.com/ bonus-depreciation/. It’s a shame to see the program going away. Enter World of Asphalt/AGG1 2022. The tradeshow floors were hoppin’ with customers making purchasing decisions on the spot. The team at Dynapac was not at liberty to put the contractor’s name on the record for its new made-in-America D30T paver, which was on display, but that hunk of highway-class iron had a home waiting on it. Another paver OEM joked about auctioning the equipment from the tradeshow floor to make the offering fairer. Edgar Chavez, the North American president of Allu Group, told AEM that his company was having a successful first showing at WOA. “During the first day we had more than 15 qualified leads with $250,000 in orders,” Chavez told AEM. The climate was perfect for that kind of purchasing desire and power. Brittany Weltcheff, show manager for World of Asphalt, shared, “we were able to bring together more than a record-breaking 11,400 asphalt paving and aggregates professionals to learn, experience everything that’s new and important in our industries, and make more than 30,000 connections.” Next year’s big industry event is CONEXPO/CON-AGG in Vegas, then we return to Nashville for WOA, March 25-27, 2024. Even if we don’t convince Congress to renew the 100% bonus depreciation of equipment purchases, the need for the people, education, technology, and equipment to keep our infrastructure maintained and renewed will see us gathering to get the job done. For more coverage of WOA/AGG1, check out all TheAsphaltPro social media channels where we had regular updates throughout the week of March 28-31. Stay Safe,
Sandy Lender
May2022 • Vol. 15 No. 7
asphaltPRO 602 W. Morrison, Box 6a Fayette, MO 65248 (573) 823-6297 • www.theasphaltpro.com GROUP PUBLISHER Chris Harrison chris@ theasphaltpro.com PUBLISHER Sally Shoemaker sally@theasphaltpro.com (573) 823-6297 EDITOR Sandy Lender sandy@theasphaltpro.com (239) 272-8613 DIGITAL 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/.
6 | MAY 2022
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S A F E T Y S P OT L I G H T
3 Insights for a Safer Season BY ASPHALTPRO STAFF
D
uring a recent webinar from the Center for Construction Research and Training (CPWR), Donna Laquidara-Carr, insights research director from Dodge Data & Analytics, shared several insights from the company’s most recent SmartMarket Report on Safety Management in the Construction Industry. While readers may feel some of the report’s findings are rudimentary, these insights offer back-to-basics reminders for a safety culture’s foundation. Included here are the top three takeaways from the presentation.
TOOLBOX TALKS
When asked what they think are the most critical elements for a company to have a world-class safety program, the 282 contractors surveyed reported that the number one element is to have regular meetings on safety with job site workers and supervisors. “There is almost universal agreement that, when it comes to a world-class safety program, getting supervisors and job site workers engaged in regular meetings is at the top of the list,” Laquidara-Carr said. When asked for the top ways to enhance safety training, toolbox talks remained among the top of the list with more than 80% saying toolbox talks either somewhat or significantly enhance safety training. Nearly half of the contractors surveyed create their own toolbox talks, while 44% source them from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s website, 41% from contractor’s associations, 31% from insurance companies, and 26% from suppliers, vendors and manufacturers. Don’t forget that AsphaltPro magazine offers toolbox tips, which often include safety topics, every Monday. You can subscribe to that free newsletter at www.TheAsphaltPro.com.
SAFE WORK SITES IMPROVE EMPLOYEE RETENTION
Most contractors surveyed agreed that their safety programs provide positive benefits in terms of their standing in the industry, ability to negotiate better insurance terms, willingness of job site workers to report unsafe working conditions, and ability to bring in new work. However, more than half see their safety programs as having a positive impact on their ability to attract and retain employees. “In the current environment, the ability to attract new workers and retain the ones you have are becoming increasingly more critical business factors,” Laquidara-Carr said. When asked what most influences them when setting up a training program, one third of respondents said the level of experience of their workers is among their most important motivations. “With the issues the construction industry faces attracting workers, this will be an interesting one to keep an eye on.”
COMPANY SIZE MATTERS
“There is a distinct pattern that large companies are doing most of these safety practices quite frequently and smaller companies are doing them less frequently,” Laquidara-Carr said. For example, 74% of large 8 | MAY 2022
companies surveyed had a formal process for safety-related corrective action, compared to 46% for midsize and 27% for small companies. Although Laquidara-Carr acknowledged that small companies may not have the resources available to do as much as larger companies, she said there are non-resource intensive tactics smaller companies could use to improve safety. One example she offered is giving supervisors the authority to call an audible when unsafe conditions are observed.“[T]his isn’t something resource-driven that smaller companies could more widely adopt,” she said. Additionally, smaller companies who invest in technology to promote safety may be more agile than larger companies implementing the same technology. “When it comes to technology, if smaller companies can make the investment, they can also be more agile in the way they implement that technology,” Laquidara-Carr said. Several of the technologies the report has identified as “emerging” could have a positive impact on safety. This includes remotely controlled equipment, wearable sensors, virtual reality for training and predictive analytics. Although roughly one in 10 respondents currently use these technologies, around 15% plan to begin using them in the next three years. In a case study from the survey, The Boldt Company has been using predictive analytics to get a bigger picture of safety issues instead of looking at events as a series of incidents, and has seen its worker’s compensation costs cut by 75% and a 10% reduction in total accident rate.
According to the survey, 63% of contractors currently use some form of online training. Of those who use online training, one third said this has increased over the past year and 41% say they plan to increase their use of online training in the next three years. “Those using online training still don't feel like they’ve tapped its full potential,” Laquidara-Carr said. Of those who don’t currently use online training, 24% said they plan to begin using it in the next three years.
THAT’S A GOOD IDEA KHS&S Contractors shared a unique safety idea in a case study included in the report. The company created a series of icons and symbols for hazards and work conditions and placed stickers with these icons on job site drawings. These stickers are also used on the employee’s hardhats to indicate the types of safety training they’ve had. “That makes it very easy for a supervisor to pick who to put in what sections because they can quickly see who has the proper training to deal with the hazards they’re likely to encounter there,” Laquidara-Carr said.
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P R OJ E C T M A N AG E M E N T
E & B Paving Leverages Software for Optimum Workload BY ASPHALTPRO STAFF
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& B Paving, Anderson, Indiana, has over 1,000 employees working in more than 100 crews throughout the state of Indiana and northern Kentucky. The company has a team of 70 estimators/ project managers, and over the past decade, that team has received a unifying platform to provide consistency across its bidding efforts and better access to job cost data. In June 2012, E & B Paving purchased the HeavyBid estimating and bidding software from HCSS. Mark Jones, the construction technology manager at E & B Paving, said the company did some side-by-side testing of the HeavyBid software with their existing on-premises software that summer. “In the early 2000s, we developed an inhouse estimating program that was Excel-based, and it was better than pencil and paper, but it had a lot of issues,” Jones said. “And it seemed like every time Microsoft updated Excel, we would lose some functionality.” He shared that the side-by-side estimates they performed let them look for differences and showed, “HeavyBid was more accurate than our Excel system. By Fall 2012, we brought in an HCSS trainer and went live with Heavy Bid on January 1, 2013.” By July 2013, the team bid a $141 million project to turn an existing 5.4-mile section of a four-lane divided highway into an interstate. The U.S. 31 project required around 400,000 tons of asphalt, starting with temporary pavement work in the Fall of 2013. “Due to the size of the job, we felt fortunate to have HeavyBid,” Jones said. “It was a 700 pay-item job, and that job would have just completely overwhelmed our old estimating system that we were using.” By Spring 2014, the integration of HeavyBid with HCSS HeavyJob, which provides digital timecards, job costs and project management for heavy construction, helped estimators see how closely their bids matched actual costs across a spectrum of cost codes. As just one aspect of the job, E & B Paving placed a 9.5-mm Category 4 mix on the road with blast furnace slag in the surface course.
10 | MAY 2022
They used two plants—both Astecs—based in Hamilton County, making their haul distances about 8 miles and 12 miles to the paving sites. “We subbed out a majority of our trucking on this project, which allowed us to meet our DBE requirement,” Jones said. The end result is a smooth new interstate for Indiana’s taxpayers. More recently, E & B Paving has incorporated additional HCSS products to streamline efficiency further. The Equipment 360 software helps E & B Paving manage maintenance and repair across its fleet of nearly 2,000 pieces of equipment. “We have 43 road mechanics,” Jones said. “So being able to have a program where we can capture their time and have the ability to do work orders and have the foremen do inspections out in the field that will eventually develop into a work order, we see as a huge benefit for us in managing our fleet.” The team also uses HCSS Telematics to keep track of about 346 pieces of equipment, preventing theft and offering foremen engine hour readouts for use with HeavyJob. Hour meter readings from telematics also transfer over to E360. More recently, E & B Paving saw a large success story on SR37 in Monroe County, using HeavyBid to secure a three-year job placing 900,000 tons of asphalt. This project consisted of converting the existing fourlane SR37 from Bloomington to Martins-
E & B Paving, Anderson, Indiana, uses its suite of management software from HCSS to facilitate tracking the day-to-day. Here’s a look at the company’s I-69 project in progress and a stretch of the completed, smooth surface.
ville, to interstate standards. A total of 21 miles of mainline interstate along with over 14 miles of access roads including roundabouts were constructed under this contract. A total of four new interchanges were built as well as several HMA multi-use paths. That project employed two plants—both Astecs—
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To win the U.S. 31 project in Hamilton County, pictured here, E & B Paving was working with 700 pay items. The project required around 400,000 tons of asphalt. Mark Jones explained the job would have overwhelmed the company's old estimating system based in Excel, and he felt fortunate to have the HeavyBid software to bring the estimate together.
with one on each end of the project and 22 mix designs per plant. The project presented many challenges. For example: Keeping traffic open in both directions during construction was a challenge due to tight lane restrictions due to the phasing plan. The existing roadway began failing with the increased volume of traffic, which presented challenges to repair. Many of the areas on the project were paved at night to ensure both worker and public safety. On average a total of five crews worked on this project daily including two asphalt crews, one prep crew, one miscellaneous concrete crew, and one concrete patching crew. There were several occasions where there were multiple asphalt paving crews working on the same day to meet scheduling demands. Having the HCSS suite of products working for E & B Paving not only provides consistency across the company’s bidding operations, but also gives the team confidence in tracking the day-today. “We have over 650 active jobs right now in our HeavyJob system,” Jones said. That’s a workload E & B Paving is proud to take on. 12 | MAY 2022
Specific Workforce Development Just as other companies in construction are doing, E & B Paving has sought an answer to the workforce shortage. The answer for growing estimators/ project managers who understand the industry— and E & B Paving’s culture specifically—came about through partnership with local colleges. “E&B Paving started an internship program with the colleges about seven years ago,” Mark Jones said. “During the first year, the intern is out in the field to give them an overall, rounded experience. When they come back the second year, we give them some time in the field, but they’re also in the office. We have them complete take-offs and spend time with our superintendents and crews. By the end of the third year, we might be able to offer an estimator/ project manager job to the candidate.” This lengthy process gives both E & B Paving and the interns time to figure out the best placement for the worker on his or her career track, but the internship program isn’t the only way to get in the door with the company. “Even when we hire someone who hasn’t gone through our internship program, we have them in the field for six or eight weeks. We want to establish that relationship with our field employees. And everyone goes through the OSHA 30-hour course.”
CO N T R AC TO R P R O F I L E
North Star Shares Shining Opportunities BY SARAH REDOHL
S
teven Skiba, president of North Star Contracting Inc., Calgary, Alberta, has had an interest in the construction industry since he was in third grade. Skiba would go to job sites with his dad, a small residential contractor in Grande Prairie, Alberta, performing mostly residential dirt work and sewer system installation. “At first I was only a bystander,” he said, “but it wasn’t long before I was helping install sewer lines for $3 an hour.” When Skiba moved to Calgary, it was an easy choice to begin working in the construction industry. It wasn’t long before his dad inspired him in a different way. In 1998, Skiba started North Star with one skid steer he purchased from his father for $10,000 and began offering sewer system installation in Calgary. Year by year, Skiba grew the business. “I did everything myself until the company was making $10 million annually,” he said, without any formal business management training. “I’m sure I made a lot of mistakes and I paid for them, but that’s what learning is.” Perhaps that’s why, when market forces pushed North Star into asphalt paving in 2008, Skiba didn’t shy away from the new challenge. The paving companies North Star had long relied on were getting bought out by larger companies. “We either had to find new subcontractors or start paving ourselves,” Skiba said. That market consolidation also meant North Star would likely need to offer asphalt paving to remain competitive. “I bought a small paver and away we went,” Skiba said. Skiba hired a few experienced asphalt paving professionals, and learned how to estimate on the fly. “Operationally, they knew the ins and outs of asphalt, so I just had to learn my end of it,” he said. “Plus, we already had the contract to pave for the city of Calgary on the books, so I just had to fill out our plate from there.”
CALGARY, AN INLAND PORT
The city of Calgary has awarded one of its asphalt rehabilitation contracts to North Star nearly every year since the company began paving. To this day, a large percentage of the company’s work is still for the city of Calgary, said Senior Project Manager Jacob Wiens. “We do some mill-and-fills for Calgary every year ranging from 5,000 to 15,000 tons,” Wiens said. City work, residential subdivisions and warehouses are the company’s three main types of paving work, though they also do some multi-family and industrial paving. “Vancouver is an expensive city, and land is scarce,” Skiba said. “Big companies offload containers in Vancouver and ship them to Calgary for warehousing and distribution.” Wiens estimates the company paves five or six warehouses each year. “Those warehouse jobs are great jobs with a lot of asphalt tonnage,” he said. “Warehouses are usually triple the thickness of asphalt you’d see on a normal residential road to account for the additional weight of 14 | MAY 2022
When market forces pushed North Star into asphalt paving in 2008, Skiba hired a few experienced asphalt paving professionals and learned how to estimate on the fly.
hundreds of tractor trailers on it every day,” Skiba said, usually 8 to 10 inches (200 to 250 millimeters) of asphalt on top of 20 to 24 inches (500 to 600 mm) of aggregate base course. Calgary is also Canada’s third-fastest growing city, according to Statistics Canada. “It’s becoming a more in-demand place to live,” Wiens said. Not only is it an hour away from good skiing and hiking opportunities in the Rocky Mountains, he said, but it’s also “still an affordable city compared to Toronto or Vancouver.”
NORTH STAR LOVES ASPHALT
In 2021, North Star laid more than 70,000 tons of asphalt. Although work across its services is fairly even, Skiba said the company’s concrete and asphalt paving operations have really grown in recent years. “In a few short years, we went from paving what we used to do in one year on a single job,” Wiens said, adding that the company has expanded from 200-ton jobs to 50,000-ton jobs. He attributes a lot of the growth to North Star’s talented paving crew and the quality of their work. “Quality workmanship can only come from people
Calgary is Canada’s third-fastest growing city, according to Statistics Canada.
that truly care and love what they do, and our clients can see that.” The company is particularly proud of a recent 50,000-ton warehouse job for one of its clients. Wiens said the main challenge with warehouse paving is scheduling. “Those warehouses usually need to open on a tight timeline,” he said, estimating liquidated damages of $1,500 to $7,500 per day for finishing late. “Being able to do every facet of that construction gives us a leg up on those jobs, since we can be more efficient than we’d be if we had four or five subcontractors we’re also trying to schedule with. Scheduling is everything.” Wiens has been working for North Star for eight years and says what he enjoys most about working for the company is the breadth of its services. “Not only does it give us a leg up on our competition, but it gives us more opportunities to learn new skills in the construction industry.”
North Star began implementing HaulHub last year. “We definitely see a huge benefit from having a better understanding of our haul times and where our trucks are,” Wiens said. In 2021, they demoed it on only a few trucks, but expanded it to the company’s entire fleet in 2022. “Being able to better understand our haul times, how long trucks are at the paver and at the plant, helps us understand our costs and be more accurate with our estimates.”
Like Skiba, Wiens also grew up around the construction industry. “We both developed our love for this industry watching our dads and the work ethic and passion they brought to their work,” WWW.THEASPHALTPRO.COM | 15
CO N T R AC TO R P R O F I L E
LEFT: Skiba and Wiens both consider themselves lucky to have grown up aware of the job opportunities within the construction industry. Now, Wiens said, “we want to give the opportunity we had to the next generation.” RIGHT: City work, residential subdivisions and warehouses are the company’s three main types of paving work, though they also do some multi-family and industrial paving.
LEFT: Although work across its services is fairly even, Skiba said the company’s concrete and asphalt paving operations have really grown in recent years. RIGHT: “We do some mill-and-fills for Calgary every year ranging from 5,000 to 15,000 tons,” Wiens said.
“WHERE I’M FROM, THERE AREN’T MANY JOBS, AND VERY FEW THAT PAY THIS WELL (AND EVEN PAY FOR SCHOOLING). WE WERE BOTH LUCKY ENOUGH TO GROW UP AWARE OF THESE OPPORTUNITIES. WE WANT TO GIVE THE OPPORTUNITY WE HAD TO THE NEXT GENERATION.”—JACOB WIENS
16 | MAY 2022
he said. “For people who love it, working in construction is an amazing career.” Wiens worked on a paving crew when he was younger and learned to love that, too. For him, the best part is seeing the final product. “You’re the last guy on the site to make that job look good.” Skiba seconded that opinion: “One thing I love about asphalt is that when you’re doing underground services, you don’t see the finished product of what you’ve done. With asphalt, you can see your hard work. It’s a source of pride.” In the future, North Star hopes to further expand its asphalt services. “At some point, we’ll probably look into getting our own asphalt plant,” Skiba said. “We’re always on the lookout for new opportunities.”
Your Preferred Asphalt Equipment Resource The Meeker Family
CO N T R AC TO R P R O F I L E
LEFT: “One thing I love about asphalt is that when you’re doing underground services, you don’t see the finished product of what you’ve done,” Skiba said. “With asphalt, you can see your hard work. It’s a source of pride.” RIGHT: During the construction season, which usually lasts from May until November in Calgary, North Star employs up to 200 people on its asphalt paving crew, patch crew, two concrete crews, five grading crews, five underground crews, and several miscellaneous crews.
LEFT: The city of Calgary has awarded one of its asphalt rehabilitation contracts to North Star nearly every year since the company began paving. To this day, a large percentage of the company’s work is still for the city of Calgary, said Senior Project Manager Jacob Wiens. RIGHT: In 2021, North Star laid more than 70,000 tons of asphalt.
SPREAD THE LOVE
During the construction season, which usually lasts from May until November in Calgary, North Star employs up to 200 people on its asphalt paving crew, patch crew, two concrete crews, five grading crews, five underground crews, and several miscellaneous crews. To attract the next generation of asphalt professionals, one strategy the company has employed is social media. “For potential workers, we hope to show them the exciting side of construction and that it can be an amazing career path,” Wiens said. “It’s also good for our team because it gives them a chance to showcase the amazing work that they do. It’s nice to be able to go onto our Instagram and show their family what they worked on today.” North Star’s paving crew uses a Cat AP1055 paver for big jobs and a Cat 655 for smaller jobs. They also have a small Bomag 815 pathway paver.
The company has also recently begun recruiting area high schools and universities, participating in lunch-and-learns, Zoom meetings, 18 | MAY 2022
and, most recently, an Industry Night for a local university’s construction management department. “We were surprised to hear the students saying that they were interested in working in our field, but didn’t know how to get into our industry,” Wiens said. “We need to show them all the different avenues they can take and how we got to where we are and we want to give them a chance to join us in the summer to learn what construction is all about.”
“IN A FEW SHORT YEARS, WE WENT FROM PAVING WHAT WE USED TO DO IN ONE YEAR ON A SINGLE JOB.”—JACOB WIENS “Where I’m from, there aren’t many jobs, and very few that pay this well (and even pay for schooling),” Wiens said. “We were both lucky enough to grow up aware of these opportunities. We want to give the opportunity we had to the next generation.”
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WO M E N O F A S P H A LT
Meet a Woman of Asphalt: Aggregate Industries’ Tracy Richard BY SANDY LENDER
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s the quality control technician for Aggregate Industries Northeast Region Inc., a division of Holcim, Tracy Richard has taken on a host of responsibilities, including driver safety training within the company and mentoring others who wish to become Women of Asphalt (WofA). Her road to a successful career in the asphalt industry began in her early thirties and she has encouragement for other women considering a similar career change.
AsphaltPro: What was the catalyst for joining the construction industry as an apprentice laborer in 2010? Tracy Richard: My twenties were a tough time for me after losing my mother. I was kind of late to the party, and I did not take my career goals and future seriously until my early thirties. I wanted to find a job that was emotionally, physically and financially rewarding that I could enjoy doing every day. Being stuck in the same old routine punching a time clock in a crouton factory for minimum wage was monotonous, and I felt as though my life was going nowhere and my hard work was not paying off. I am grateful for the experience because it was character-building. I spoke with a friend of my family, and he mentioned that I should apply to Aggregate Industries because they were hiring. I sent in my application and was surprised when I received a call back for an interview. I was candid regarding my past and very happy that they called me back. They offered me a position as an apprentice laborer in the construction division, and it felt as though this job would be a great fit. I was excited and scared at the same time. Leaving a job when you have been there for a while and counted on a steady income can become a big challenge. I feared the unknown, but I am extremely satisfied with my decision, and I have no regrets. AsphaltPro: What did you find most rewarding about the laborer role? And what about that entry-level role would you encourage women who are joining the industry to “look for” for their advancement? Tracy Richard: I find that the most rewarding part of the laborer role was it was a career move, not just a job. I liked seeing the things that I built come together. I felt like I was part of something bigger. I realized that this was a multi-faceted company with many positions that complemented one another. I could see that I could move up in this company. I like being a part of a team; as they say, “there is 20 | MAY 2022
Tracy Richard
no I in team.” Everyone needs to work together to complete the job at hand, which is how Aggregate Industries works. This role is a viable career path for future applicants looking for a change. There is room to grow, which is always an important factor when searching for a new job. Individuals just starting out should look for those employees who take their job seriously and are willing to take the time to teach. Make yourself noticeable in small yet profound ways. Take the extra step to listen to your peers because they have been in this position before you. They can help keep you safe and move forward while learning this trade. It does not begin and end with me; it's about succession. The best thing that I can do for the industry is pass on my knowledge and wisdom to newcomers. We all age, and once I hit the finish line, there needs to be another “me and you” just starting down the path. This mentoring is the least I can do for the company that has provided my family and me with a good, stable life.
AsphaltPro: Could you share with the readers your career trajectory and what challenges you’ve overcome along the way? Tracy Richard: My career trajectory is like a newborn. First, you learn how to crawl before you can walk and run. This path is a mir-
ror image of my job. I first learned basic things like good housekeeping and how to use the equipment safely. Learning to follow the proper steps and safety protocols is essential when learning this job. Some of this work can be dangerous or intimidating, and a lack of awareness of your surroundings could lead to severe consequences. Once you get past the initial learning process, it becomes a matter of developing the skills you need to succeed. Then you look forward to what’s next, and you keep growing and learning. Every job is different and requires a specific set of skills to master. When I started doing this job, many people were not used to working with women, which was a bit difficult to handle at first. In this day and age, female empowerment and diversity are so apparent throughout this company and the industry. Some of the work obstacles I had to overcome also trickled into my home life, such as adjusting my sleep schedule to work nights. This time change can be difficult for anyone as the whole world is awake and moving about, and you're trying to sleep to get rest before your next night shift. Working nights might prevent you from celebrating birthday parties or weddings because you may need to sacrifice sometimes during the paving season when it is all hands-on deck. You may miss out on certain things, but once you learn to prioritize and look at the bigger picture, you can see the results of your hard work paying off. There are also pros to working at night like less traffic, no 90° ambient temperatures working over 300° asphalt.
AsphaltPro: What are some of the day-to-day responsibilities that you most enjoy as a quality control technician? Tracy Richard: I enjoy every aspect of this job, but each season has different priorities. During the winter season, we don’t pave unless there is an emergency repair, so I am usually in the lab doing mix designs with a team of people. I also set up the milling project workbooks that require field inspection. I have recruited and trained female laborers to perform milling inspections for our larger projects. They report all milling issues to the construction manager and me. With this experience in milling operations, communicating and directing trucking companies, our management team asked me to participate in a truck recruitment effort. I have been a certified Smith Systems driving instructor for Aggregate Industries over the last seven years. I conduct annual driver training instruction for multiple divisions with employees ranging from laborers to managers, and this includes prioritizing and scheduling. Being a Smith Systems instructor for the company is truly one of my passions and has helped me grow personally. Once the paving season begins, I’m out in the field doing paving inspection and testing. This time is the most challenging aspect of my job as I’m responsible for the quality and workmanship of multi-million-dollar highway paving projects. The Massachusetts Department of Transportation has a Quality Assurance Specification that applies incentives and disincentives for field quality characteristics such as pavement thickness, in-place density and smoothness. I'm constantly communicating with our quality control plant inspectors, construction managers, paving superintendents, forepersons, roller operators and MassDOT inspectors to ensure that we deliver the WWW.THEASPHALTPRO.COM | 21
WO M E N O F A S P H A LT highest quality product. I’m always striving to do my best and achieve bonuses on the projects I work on. Regardless of the season, I love going to work every day, and I take pride in all my accomplishments.
AsphaltPro: What part of your communications studies best relates to your career track? Tracy Richard: Although short-lived due to my father’s illness with MS, my college studies relate to my job by giving me the ability to speak with others. It enhanced my communication skills. I always wanted to continue my education, but unfortunately, I could not complete my degree. I see the skills I learned in college helping with my extra responsibilities with training others, such as communicating in meetings and public speaking with Smith Systems driver training. I gain most of my knowledge through hands-on experience. AsphaltPro: What do you think is the most important skill you’ve brought to your position as a quality control technician in the asphalt industry? Tracy Richard: I would say that the most significant skill that I bring to my job is communication and my passion for quality. Communicating properly leads to everyone being on the same page and getting the job done right. Getting the job done right the first time helps my company be successful, which allows my success. I am very conscientious of what I do to minimize costly mistakes. Efficiency is key while making sure that safety is always first. Women entering this industry should not be intimidated working side by side with men. One must learn how to communicate with others of different backgrounds. We need to understand that communicating with one person is not necessarily how we would communicate with another. You must understand the audience. AsphaltPro: What would you say was the most challenging “obstacle” you, as a female in the asphalt industry, had to overcome in the past 12 years, and how did you overcome that obstacle? Tracy Richard: There are a few obstacles I had to overcome. It was a matter of breaking the glass ceiling and showing the men that I, as a female, could do the job right alongside them. I had to work extra hard to prove myself in a predominately male industry. I was new to the industry, and not everyone was willing or able to teach and train someone new. When you add the female component, it becomes a bit more complicated. I looked for the teachers and gravitated towards them. When I first started, women were more in the office and not in the field. Now things have come so far, and I am lucky to work for such a great company that offers women the same opportunities they offer men. You do not have to come into this company being president; you just have to show up and earn your spot. Some of the old-timers weren’t as used to women doing the same physical work as the men. It wasn’t meant to be malicious towards me; they were trying to be gentlemen and didn’t understand what they didn’t know at first. My goal is to get the job done as a team and work together. 22 | MAY 2022
During the winter season, the Aggregates Industries team isn’t out paving, unless it’s to handle emergencies. This means Tracy Richard is usually in the lab preparing mix designs with a team of people, in addition to leading driver safety training.
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WO M E N O F A S P H A LT The parent company for Aggregate Industries is Holcim, a Forbes top 100 female-friendly company of 2021, and I am proud to be part of that. For newcomers, it is not about gender-specific roles anymore; it’s about being a good worker and part of a team. If you put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything. You must be your number one advocate, and people will have more respect for you. Respect yourself, work hard and have humility. You need to remember to look for the teachers. Every job is achievable if you show up with the right attitude and mindset. You will get far by learning and listening. Be the best you can be, and the rest should come naturally. Remember, you are not alone; you are part of a team.
AsphaltPro: What is the most rewarding aspect for you of being in the asphalt business? Tracy Richard: I enjoy seeing the finished product because I know how much hard work and effort goes into inspecting and testing the aggregates, HMA and paving. I really enjoy driving around and pointing out different projects that I have worked on to my family and friends, and it makes me smile with pride and satisfaction. I enjoy the fact that some customers and MassDOT engineers specifically request me for their projects. When we hit the end joint on the last night of paving a multi-million-dollar project, I feel a tremendous sense of accomplishment. I love to hear feedback on challenging projects, especially when it is a favorable outcome. I’m not going to lie; sometimes, I get choked up when completing an especially challenging and taxing project. I have so much passion for what I do, and I am thankful for it. There are too many people these days who do not enjoy their jobs, and I am glad I’m not one. I have 100% pride in my job and the people I work with. 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? Tracy Richard: Too many people perceive that this is a man’s job in a man’s world, but it is just like the James Brown song says, “But it wouldn’t be nothing, nothing without a woman or a girl.” Another misconception is that people think you need a college degree to work in asphalt quality control. You just need a high school diploma, driver’s license, motivation and willingness to learn. Last but not least, incorrect perceptions would be that some people think that certain positions get paid from the neck down, such as laborers, which is so untrue. Drive, motivation, sound decision-making and learning are vital qualities for any role in this industry. AsphaltPro: For the WofA mentorship program, what do you feel is a useful goal of the program for the mentee? What aspect of the program would you recommend to a woman who is thinking about signing up to be mentored? Tracy Richard: That would depend on who the mentee is. Each mentee has a specific interest or skill set they want to improve on. My role is to help my mentee with inspiration and knowledge of general and specific types. I am here to encourage my mentee and help guide her in the direction she wants to go to reach her goals. I am excited to be a part of 24 | MAY 2022
One work obstacle Tracy Richard had to overcome was adjusting her sleep schedule to work nights. While the time change can mean sacrificing certain activities during the paving season, she said you learn to prioritize, enjoy cooler nighttime ambient temperatures for working with asphalt, and look at the bigger picture where the results of your hard work pay off. Here she takes a density reading with the TransTech pavement quality indicator.
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WO M E N O F A S P H A LT this program, and I wish it were there when I started. Mentees should use the mentor as much as possible. Reach out to your mentor and let them know the specifics of what you need as an individual. Set up a plan with your mentor, list your goals, and make time for virtual or in-person meetings.
AsphaltPro: For the WofA mentorship program, what is a benefit for mentors like yourself? Tracy Richard: As a mentor, I try to make myself available as much as possible. This program provides growth for me and the mentee. Guiding and inspiring my mentee will help to keep it fresh for me and help both of us reach our goals. It is easy to become complacent and rest on your laurels, but that’s not for me. If you want to continue your personal growth, this program can help do that. Those who do become a mentor will find that it is rewarding. Mentoring others can teach you a lot about yourself. Remember that you were once in their shoes, and it’s good to pay it forward. AsphaltPro: What kind of time commitment does the WofA mentorship program demand of you as a mentor and why is that commitment “worth it” to you and your employer? Tracy Richard: I guess that would depend on my mentee’s specific needs and how much time they are willing to commit to it. I believe it’s easy to commit to something you believe in. If I can help them with networking, job opportunities, or even something going on in their lives that affects their job, then I am here to listen and provide advice and guidance. I can be a sounding board and a good listener. I strive to offer courteous, constructive criticism. History does not have to repeat itself; learn from your past experiences. With time comes experience, knowledge and wisdom that a mentor can pass on to their mentee. Mentors should share their knowledge and how they evolved in this industry. This process makes it worth it for myself and my employer, as we are sharing our knowledge with the newcomers to keep this industry moving forward while evolving and adapting in a positive direction. AsphaltPro: Which aspect(s) of the Smith Systems driver training program do you most look forward to when training the groups of drivers each winter and which aspect(s) give you the most apprehension? Tracy Richard: I look forward to meeting the new people within my company that I do not run into generally in my day-to-day role. I enjoy getting to know my coworkers on a more personal level while instructing them. I am not here to teach them how to drive, it is more about teaching them how to drive safer and avoid certain situations. At times, I like to step outside of my quality control role and challenge myself. Sometimes I get nervous instructing the first few classes but after that I get into a rhythm. I want to make sure that I am doing my best as an instructor. My goal is to educate my coworkers to become more aware of their surroundings and be safer drivers. AsphaltPro: How was the Smith Systems driver training incorporated into Aggregate Industries safety culture? 26 | MAY 2022
Tracy Richard: The Smith Systems driver training was incorporated just before I started teaching it. It was an Aggregate Industries corporate initiative to reduce vehicle accidents and promote safety. In lieu of having Smith Systems provide a certified instructor to train our employees, the company decided to have some employees become certified Smith Systems instructors. I was a construction laborer when I was chosen to become a certified Smith Systems instructor. I had a weeklong intensive training course. I am glad that I was selected, and I feel that this is such a rewarding experience. I have recertified every two years since 2015 and trained individuals in my company using their lesson plans and videos. Every time I recertify, I learn something new, which is helpful when teaching others. I enjoy this immensely, and it has improved my driving both professionally and personally and has saved my life on many occasions. AsphaltPro: Will you tell us about a person who served as a mentor for you? Tracy Richard: It is hard to narrow it down because many people have personally and professionally inspired me. The first would be my father, Paul Richard. Even though he worked in an entirely different industry, he taught me how to work hard and give it my all. He encouraged me to be the best I could be. My father was diagnosed with MS at 47 years old and had to retire. Although his career was cut short, he taught me how to handle myself with grace and dignity. My father is still one of the strongest men I know, regardless of his condition and career status. He is a fighter and has taught me to fight and never give up. I have a special place in my heart for him, and I am so grateful that he is my father. Another person who inspired me is my father-in-law Charles McCombs who passed away from cancer in 2018. Chuck taught me that I could do whatever I wanted if I put my mind to it. He always believed in me and always said to me, “Tracy, I know you, if you say you’re going to fly a plane, then you’re going to fly that plane.” Every time I reached a goal, he would tell me that it was another feather in my cap. After he passed away, his company created a special award named in his honor for employees that stand out. I miss him dearly, and I continue to try to make him proud. On a professional level, there are countless people, but I will narrow it down to two. The two that would stand out the most would be Mike Nichols and Mike Whiffen. They saw my potential and gave me the opportunity in quality control. They have invested in my professional and personal growth. I have had a few not-so-nice managers in my lifetime, and it is a breath of fresh air when you have managers who are willing to advocate for you and remind you that you are a valuable employee capable of great things. They continue to push me to do my best, and they are my two biggest supporters. I have tremendous respect for them, and I am grateful for them mentoring me. I would not be where I am today if not for these people and many more in my life, and I am ever so thankful. I would also like to thank my friends in quality control, construction, paving, milling, and MassDOT who have helped me along the way. Of course, I need to mention my family, who have been here with me through my worst and my best. They are always looking out for me throughout my journey. Family has always been one of the most important things to me and the entire reason I do what I do.
I N T E R N AT I O N A L S N A P S H OT
International Climate Protection BY SIMONE FRANZ
F
or nearly 1,000 years, Zvolen has been one of the most important transport hubs in Slovakia. Numerous trade and logistics companies have been located there, where the routes connect the north, south, east and west. With the new construction of the R2 motorway, STRABAG s.r.o. is pursuing a demanding infrastructure project in this location. An uncomplicated, reliable supply of asphalt must be ensured with a project of this magnitude. To assist, STRABAG opted for a new ABA 160 UniBatch asphalt mixing plant from Ammann Group, Langenthal, Switzerland, at its Kalinovo location. The plant combines productivity with energy savings, keeping emissions to an absolute minimum. This important environmental angle took priority for the decision-makers due to the proximity to the Low Tatras National Park—and because it is an ideal fit for STRABAG’s sustainability strategy. The Ammann ABA 160 UniBatch is a fully equipped climate protector: Additions for agents, fibre and cold recycling are designed to prepare the right mix for every application, controlling volumes and additions via the latest version of the as1 Control System. Covered metering devices protect the aggregates from moisture, saving fuel for drying. By housing the bucket conveyor, the resulting bitumen vapor is exhausted completely and supplied to the afterburning system. This prevents odor pollution for residents and results in low exhaust values. Ammann Project Manager Thomas Barth supervised the installation of the ABA 160 UniBatch, which represents the sixth Ammann asphalt mixing plant in Slovakia. He explained that the Kalinovo location was previously running older technology that was “no longer in line with the times. With the Ammann ABA 160 UniBatch, the company now has an ultra-modern plant with a leading recycling addition. Up to 40% reclaimed asphalt can be added to production, saving resources and reducing emissions.” Over 66,000 tons (60,000 tonnes) of asphalt were produced at the plant between the time it was commissioned in April 2021 and the end of the year. Similar use is planned for 2022 as there are still many kilometres of motorway paving ahead. Despite these high volumes for the area, the plant’s new filter technology is designed to ensure energy savings and low emissions. This is not only great for locals, but also for the surrounding nature reserves. STRABAG Directing Manager Petr Zach is enthusiastic about the plant: “In September, I was able to check out the asphalt mixing plant right in Kalinovo. At STRABAG, we are very proud of this modern plant.” For more information, contact Simone Franz at simone. franz@ammann.com. 28 | MAY 2022
Over 60,000 tonnes of asphalt were produced at the Ammann ABA 160 UniBatch between the time it was commissioned in April 2021 and the end of the year for STRABAG.
During installation, special attention was paid to routine maintenance. Large pedestals offer convenient access to all standard control and operating points. Much of the routine is already handled by the Ammlub lubrication system. Installed at the maintenance point, the intelligent system triggers automatic bearing lubrication—at short intervals and without interrupting operations. The benefit is the reduced maintenance effort. Continuous component lubrication prevents downtime, in turn increasing the plant’s operational reliability.
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CALTRANS PLANS FOR PERPETUAL PAVEMENTS
T
BY SARAH REDOHL
The Interstate 5 Corridor enhancement project is a $370 million project to rehabilitate 67 lane-miles of pavement, ramps and connectors along 15 miles of I-5 near Sacramento, California. Although the size of the project is interesting in its own right—requiring approximately 625,000 tons of asphalt—what makes the project particularly unique is its use of 475,000 tons of long-life asphalt. California’s long-life asphalt pavement design is a perpetual pavement design that aims to produce a pavement that lasts 40 years or longer with
32 | MAY 2022
minimal maintenance. The design strategy was a culmination of another collaboration between industry, the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) and the University of California Pavement Research Center (UCPRC). Other projects using similar design criteria have been built on I-5 in northern California, on Interstate 80 between Sacramento and the San Francisco Bay Area, and Interstate 710 in Los Angeles County. The project is a joint venture between Granite Construction, Watsonville, and Teichert Construction, Pleasanton. According to Granite proj-
Sacramento, Curtis said. Elk Grove and the surrounding southern suburbs, he added, have also been among the fastest growing communities in northern California over the last 20 to 30 years. “In that time, there hasn’t been any widening of the road,” Curtis said. That’s why the project is also adding a high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lane from downtown Sacramento to Elk Grove. “Even if the project didn’t have that widening component, we would be rehabilitating it one way or another. So even though there were two purposes, the road was still at the end of its life.”
CRACK AND SEAT
Granite and Teichert broke up the work based on the direction of travel. Granite did the majority of the work on the southbound lanes, and Teichert did all the work on the northbound lanes.
ect managers Kelly Curtis and Bob Mihal, the project has two main goals: rehabilitating the existing pavement and widening the road to accommodate increased traffic. “Some of the lanes in the areas close to downtown Sacramento were paved in the 1950s, during the original construction of I-5,” Curtis said. “Being such an old highway, it was in need of a complete rehab.” Furthermore, Curtis added, I-5 has seen a major increase in traffic along the project section, with heavy congestion every morning and afternoon “worse than anywhere else in Sacramento.” Mihal said the south end of the project has an average daily traffic count of 94,300 with 16% truck traffic, while the north end has an ADT of 217,800 with 6% truck traffic. Not only is I-5 an international trucking corridor from Mexico to Canada, but it’s also one of only two freeways for north-south traffic in
Although the road was in rough shape, the concrete pavement was in good enough condition for Caltrans to perform crack-and-seat. “Crack-and-seat overlay is a method being used more and more throughout the state,” Mihal said. “It’s a standard method for Caltrans that allows you to use the concrete pavement as your subbase material, so you don't have to remove and replace it.” The bigger benefit in most cases, Mihal added, is that this method allows for continued use of the roadway. “We never restricted the lanes on this project during peak hours,” he said. “We only had nightly and weekend closures, but kept the same number of lanes open to the public during commuting hours.” The process uses a guillotine to create hairline cracks in the concrete to relieve the stress on the panel. The typical crack pattern for Caltrans is to break a 12-foot-wide lane into 6-foot by 4-foot panels. “After making those cracks, you can open that pavement back up to traffic for a temporary duration, and pave those lanes at night,” Mihal said. “There's also the benefit of the structural capacity of the base compared to rubblizing it.” However, Mihal added, Caltrans can only use this method when the panels are in “halfway decent” shape. “If they’re totally deteriorated, crack-and-seat is not an applicable method,” he said. The condition of the panels varied throughout the length of the project, Curtis said. While some panels were from the interstate’s original construction in the 1950s, others had been done in the past 10 to 30 years, he added. The crews had to replace panels that had failed and then crack them, though Curtis estimates this only accounted for 2% of the panels on the project. “Even over the course of our job, we had panels that had corner cracking one day totally fail the next and we’d have to perform emergency work to repair them,” Curtis said. Despite those setbacks, subcontractor Antigo Construction was able to use its purpose-built equipment to drive the highway, cracking and seating multiple lane miles each night.
DESIGNED FOR LONG LIFE
After the concrete, which ranged from 0.7 to 1 foot deep, had been cracked and seated, the crews could begin laying asphalt on the project. First, the crews placed a 1.2-inch leveling course with a standard ½-inch hot-mix asphalt (HMA). “It wasn’t structural, but leveled out the panels so we had a smooth surface to place the geosynthetic pavement interlayer (GPI),” Curtis said, “which was meant to prevent any rocking in the concrete that could propagate cracks up to the asphalt surface into the asphalt.” On top of the GPI, the crews placed 5.4 inches of intermediate mix with ¾-inch aggregate with PG64-16 and 25% recycled asphalt product (RAP), 2.4 inches of a high-polymer surface course mix with ¾-inch aggregate with PG64-28M and 15% RAP, and 1.2 inches of rubberized open graded friction course (OGFC). WWW.THEASPHALTPRO.COM | 33
The Interstate 5 Corridor enhancement project along 15 miles of I-5 near Sacramento, California, requires approximately 625,000 tons of asphalt.
The widening portion of the project, which added a fifth lane to each direction of travel on the north end of the project and a third lane to each direction of travel on the south end of the project, followed a different process. Although Curtis said there are differences throughout the pavement design for the widening sections, the standard outside layer on main sections included a Triax geogrid layer in contact with the subgrade, 1 foot of Class 2 aggregate base, 2.4 inches of a rich bottom mix (¾-inch aggregate with PG64-16 and 15% RAP, 8.4 inches of intermediate course, a 2.4-inch surface course, then 1.2 inches of OGFC. “The purpose of the rich bottom layer on the widening sections, the shoulder, and the median—anywhere we didn’t have concrete below and were placing a full-depth pavement built atop an aggregate base layer— was to offer more flexibility of the bottom of the pavement surface and be more resilient to cracks forming from the bottom,” Curtis said. “That type of mix wouldn’t serve as well as a surface layer, but that’s part of the elegant nature of this design,” Curtis said. “Instead of just building one type of asphalt that’s great under all conditions, you design a mix for the type of conditions that asphalt undergoes in that particular section. They’re looking for different performance in the asphalt at different layers.” The rich bottom mix was denser, with higher asphalt binder content and higher compaction of 97 to 100% to be more resilient to cracking. “The intermediate mix is more along your standard type design, that has both flexibility and rideability and fits all parameters,” Mihal said. “And the surface course with polymer is designed to avoid rutting.” 34 | MAY 2022
All 625,000 tons of asphalt on the project follows Caltrans’ long life pavement specification. “They’re looking for higher performing, longer lasting asphalt, so there’s a lot more to prove in our mix design to meet those requirements,” Curtis said. Maintenance plays a key role in any perpetual pavement. “Perpetual pavement projects are a method of how they choose to rehab the pavement and at what stage,” Mihal said, adding that it’s based on a 40-year lifespan. Maintenance includes removal of the OGFC rubberized top course every 10 years and the removal and replacement of the top 2/10ths of the surface course asphalt below the OGFC every 20 years.
PARTNERS MAKE PERFECT
Granite and Teichert broke up the work based on the direction of travel. Granite did the majority of the work on the southbound lanes, and Teichert did all the work on the northbound lanes. “A key reason for the joint venture was to have the manpower and capacity to build at this scale,” Mihal said. “If you drove on this job at night, you’d not only see work in both directions but also at multiple locations in each direction any given night. There was so much to build.” “Throughout the course of the job, even though we worked on separate directions of travel, we coordinated with each other to work hand in
On top of the cracked and seated concrete, Granite’s crew placed a 1.2-inch leveling course followed by a geosynthetic pavement interlayer (GPI), 5.4 inches of intermediate mix, 2.4 inches of a high-polymer surface course mix and 1.2 inches of rubberized OGFC.
hand,” Curtis said. “If we built our side without coordinating with their side, the job would grind to a halt.” For example, both contractors had to be working on the median at the same time. “We couldn’t demolish the median barrier unless both contractors were working on the same phase at the same time, so the job required us to plan as one,” he added. Not only was it important for Teichert and Granite to have strong communication between the two companies, but the scale of the project also demanded rock-solid coordination between Granite’s own plant and paving crews. “It requires a lot of coordination when you're putting out as much as the plant can handle and putting it down as fast as the crew can handle,” Mihal said. “We had 55-hour lane closures, where we’d pave for 55 hours straight,” Curtis added. “We swapped day and night crews and to refuel, but otherwise, the paver never stopped.” With its continuous paving operation, Granite put down its record highest tonnage: more than 19,000 tons from a single plant in a single weekend. The project team and the team at the plant talked every day leading up to those weekends to ensure they ran smoothly, Mihal said. Curtis added how important it was that the plant did all preventive maintenance ahead of those weekends so the plant would run smoothly throughout the 55 hours. “Kudos to our plant teams for having all preventive maintenance done ahead of time, and the aggregate stockpiled and ready to go, so the plant
would purr all weekend long,” Curtis said. “The benefit of those 55-hour weekends is once the plant is up, as long as you don’t let it stop, you can get it up to optimum efficiency and keep it cruising along.” When issues did arise, the staff was quick to fix minor issues right away. For example, one weekend the plant had an electrical issue but the staff was able to resolve it quickly and keep the plant running. The project also required the Granite paving crew to be equally prepared. Although most of the paving was performed by one paving train at a time, Curtis said Granite had a lot of backup equipment available in case of breakdowns. The mix was produced at Granite’s Astec double drum plant in Sacramento, which was roughly 15 miles away from the project, an average 30-minute truck drive depending on traffic and which side of the job the crews were working on.
To streamline communication between the paving crew and the plant, Granite began using HaulHub to track trucks throughout the project. “Having up-to-the-minute locations of trucking throughout the job was particularly important on those big weekends, where there was more traffic on the roads during the day,” Curtis said. “As soon as the truck was ticketed, we were able to see it on our phones out in the field,” Mihal said, adding that this was particularly important WWW.THEASPHALTPRO.COM | 35
LEFT: Both companies achieved more than 100% pay factor bonus for the project. RIGHT: Most of the paving on the I-5 job was performed with Granite’s Cat AP1055F track paver and Cedar Rapids 522 track paver, with a variety of Sakai, Hamm and Cat rollers.
LEFT: Although Curtis said there are differences throughout the pavement design for the widening sections, the standard outside layer on main sections included a Triax geogrid layer in contact with the subgrade, 1 foot of Class 2 aggregate base, 2.4 inches of a rich bottom mix 8.4 inches of intermediate course, a 2.4-inch surface course, then 1.2 inches of OGFC. RIGHT: Crack-and-seat overlays can only be used on concrete panels in somewhat decent shape, Mihal said. For panels that had failed, the Granite crew had to remove and replace them before cracking the new panels alongside the old ones.
given the different types of mixes they were working with. “Some nights, we’d have three different types of mixes. By using GPS tracking on trucks, we were able to guarantee the right mix ended up in the right location.”
ENGINEERING VALUE
Communication with Caltans was also key to the success of the project. “We had a great partner relationship with Caltrans throughout the project,” Mihal said. “We could make changes through value engineering proposals, which was a key aspect to save money for Caltrans.” Through value engineering, the contractors were able to add four additional HOV miles to the project through a change order. “We were able to allow the public back on the road sooner than originally anticipated, 36 | MAY 2022
and opened 5 miles of southbound HOV a year in advance of what we anticipated,” Mihal said. The largest value engineering impact was when the contractors suggested modifying the original plans for the project’s structural transitions. The plan originally called for the crews to pave a 300-foot-long 400:1 wedge of asphalt to taper the roadway, now 9 inches higher, down to the original grade of the bridge transitions. They were then supposed to tear out the asphalt transition in nightly closures and replace it with precast concrete panels in order to open it to traffic the following day. “That would be a time consuming, expensive, and elaborate method,” Curtis said. But, Caltrans already had developed the perpetual pavement design to widen the roadways and the contractors thought that design
tions. “When all was said and done, we didn’t throw away nearly as much material and were also able to utilize a more efficient construction method using perpetual asphalt pavement as opposed to precast concrete,” Curtis said. “By building it entirely out of asphalt, we saved $19 million through a reduction of material and change of material type,” he added. “We also reduced staging and were able to open it earlier.” Another aspect of the project’s complexity was keeping traffic open and flowing while adding a 9-inch overlay to the project. “Getting traffic through there without reducing lanes required a lot of planning,” Mihal said, “especially when you’re raising the grade of the entire roadway through the project. You have to make sure to keep drop-offs low enough for traffic to go through there. We had to make sure we understood the area and plan that out in advance of each day of work.” Although most of the paving was performed by one paving train at a time, Curtis said Granite had a lot of backup equipment available in case of breakdowns.
could be used to create the transitions. “During the 55-hour lane closure, we tore out the existing concrete and built a full-depth asphalt section that tied it into our overlay.” As the crews paved the overlay, they tapered it over the full-depth asphalt pavement section as they approached the transition sec-
Although the contractors weren’t involved in the initial design strategy, both contractors were heavily involved in the mix design process and were integral to the further development of Caltrans’ long life pavement specification. “Even on our project, Caltrans was still adjusting the method for its long life asphalt,” Curtis said. For example, the specification required a beam test where you make a beam out of asphalt and flex it at a high rate, which requires millions of individual flexes, over
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the course of several days. “Had that test remained in the performance specifications to perform every night, we don't know how that project would have moved forward with those requirements.” “You have to be cautious of tests with long lead time for performance based specifications,” Mihal said. “Some tests work great in the initial design phase, but aren’t practical for a field environment because of the time it takes to do them. In a basic paving operation, if it takes three days to get results, you’ve already placed 10,000 tons of asphalt before you’ve got results from previous tests.” “UCPRC and Caltrans recognize that they can have certain requirements in the job mix formula phase, but need analogous testing methods that can be done each night that allow the contractor to react to changes in the mix and build a better product,” Mihal said. “That’s still being figured out.” “In our experience, and what we heard in collaborations with Caltrans and UCPRC, is that they’re still in the stage of gathering information and determining what works and what doesn’t,” Curtis said, adding that they expect additional changes to the spec and testing requirements. “But, they’re moving toward what works and what doesn’t to make high performing asphalt.”
HISTORICAL PROJECT, FUTURE-FOCUSED
Granite and Teichert began work on the project in July 2019 and are expected to finish the job in the fall of 2022. The project, which is 80 percent complete, is waiting for warmer weather to complete the last step, paving the OGFC. However, traffic is already riding on the surface course. “We’ve already had a lot of good feedback from the public who say it's like riding
“INSTEAD OF JUST BUILDING ONE TYPE OF ASPHALT THAT’S GREAT UNDER ALL CONDITIONS, YOU DESIGN A MIX FOR THE TYPE OF CONDITIONS THAT ASPHALT UNDERGOES IN THAT PARTICULAR SECTION. [CALTRANS IS] LOOKING FOR DIFFERENT PERFORMANCE IN THE ASPHALT AT DIFFERENT LAYERS.”—KELLY CURTIS on a brand new freeway,” Curtis said, adding that Granite passed the job’s tight smoothness requirement. “So, it went from a failing concrete highway to being as smooth as a freeway can get.” Mihal said both companies achieved more than 100% pay factor bonus for the project, since the long life mix (not the OGFC) was the only component with an associated bonus. “It was impressive to see what both plants and paving crews were capable of doing, with two of the largest paving contractors doing their full effort, night after night, at that quantity,” Mihal said. “I’ve never been a part of a paving job of this scale, and few can claim they have.” Ultimately, this was the largest paving job in District 3 in Caltrans history and the largest ever in Sacramento. But this job, more than most, is focused on the future: the future of long life asphalt in the state of California.
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SELECTING THE RIGHT XD FOR YOUR PAVING WORKFLOW
T
BY DEVIN LAUBHAN
There’s been considerable discussion in recent years about the value of more familiar, affordable 2D paving control platforms versus the seemingly more luxurious 3D solutions, with hardware costs often guiding decision making. As with most technology investments, hard costs do not always tell a complete story. When it comes to making the choice between 2D and 3D paving control systems, lifecycle benefits can certainly come into play in the way of improved productivity and efficiency. There is also a growing interest from transportation agencies assessing the value of these systems to achieve better quality surfaces, and thus lower maintenance and repair costs, which will likely dictate future specifications. Also, owners are starting to ask for as-built data gathered from machines, essentially a digital twin of current conditions, as part of the final delivery package to support future operations and maintenance. Although there is increasing interest in digital solutions for asphalt paving projects, 2D versus 3D is not a one-size-fits-all decision in the paving world. To assist in assessing when to use 2D or 3D optimally, the following compares the two methods and provides a guide to help contractors.
Figure 1: 2D Enabled Paving 40 | MAY 2022
PURPOSE-DRIVEN SOLUTIONS
The fundamental difference between 2D and 3D paving is in the means and methods. Put simply, 2D references existing surfaces while 3D references a design. 2D solutions reference existing surfaces and build up from there. From a technology standpoint, sonic or other sensors are used to calculate an average elevation for smooth paving, while a slope sensor determines the appropriate cross slope of the road (see Figure 1). A combination of stringlines and lasers could also be used, but there is no positioning system such as GNSS. As noted above, the system references the existing surface to assure that a consistent thickness of material is applied. Bumps and dips are not accounted for in the process but can be minimized using an averaging beam, and crews are typically placing a constant thickness over a base. In comparison, 3D solutions reference a design—in essence an imaginary final surface plane—and build down to the existing surface. A 3D paving solution relies on geo positioning, such as GNSS or a local site set up with total stations. With this solution, there is a z (elevation data) to go with the x,y grid, which is used to guide the machine
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ifications outline levels of improvement. The specification could state, for example, that the road condition starts with a defined IRI, and if the contractor can improve that IRI by 25%, 40% or 60%, they will be rewarded accordingly. In this scenario, the better the IRI, the more money the contractor makes.
PUTTING 3D WORKFLOWS TO WORK IN GERMANY
Figure 2: Sample roadway specification layers
to grade and slope according to the model. Using a 3D paving solution, the operator has a 3D elevation for each piece of the road bed construction (see Figure 2). While future 3D paving systems will likely include steering, in today’s environment, the positioning data delineates 2D paving from 3D. Contractors might also have heard about a higher specification 2D, which we call 2.5D. This is a relative accuracy positioning system that is easier to deploy and works well when precision may not be as important as other factors. In this application, the user creates a cut/fill map, and instead of total station or GNSS to provide 3D positioning, the cut/fill map is overlayed on an existing surface scan and then onboard 2D sensors—such as sonic, slope or wire rope—guide the machine. GNSS is likely only used to position the machine horizontally on the cut/fill map, not for absolute accuracy on the project. A 2.5D solution is more expensive than 2D because of the GNSS component—for example RTK or VRS positioning—but it also reduces the need for fan lasers, total stations or other vertical augmentation devices.
THE BEST FIT
The option to use 2D, 3D or something in between is outcome-dependent. Often, a 2D solution is good enough. For example, the 2D solution is an excellent option for roads that have already been milled or graded with a 3D system. However, if a project specification requires a finish at a verified elevation, you need 3D—even if the surface below was prepped with 3D. Historically, 3D was only for high performance roadways, such as racetracks and airport runways. This isn’t the case anymore, however, as 3D systems have become more affordable and easier to deploy, and therefore are far more widely adopted today than they were even five years ago. Many experienced contractors can improve final surfaces without 3D through the use of leveling systems or averaging beams, but that’s extra time on the job and more travel for the paver. The value of these solutions likely comes down to a measure of distance. If there are only subtle changes over short distances, an averaging beam does a great job. But for more complex scenarios or longer distances, those methods are likely too time and cost prohibitive. Another point to consider is that some states are beginning to incentivize contractors to improve International Roughness Index (IRI) percentages. Instead of writing a specification that defines over and under limits with penalties for exceeding those limits, these spec42 | MAY 2022
Increasing demand for greater precision led milling and paving contractor KUTTER GmbH & Co. KG Construction Company, headquartered in Memmingen, Germany, to use its 3D paving workflows outside of typical practices. Previously only used on large machines with a milling width of at least 6 feet, 6 inches (2 meters), the contractor recently put it to work on a roadway modernization project. The Karl-Marx-Allee Boulevard modernization project required the removal of the roadway’s concrete layer to a specified level. According to the site manager, the high points along the road were on average about 32 feet, 9 inches (10 meters) apart, so the milling depth changed continuously. To ensure the drainage of rainwater, engineers specified a swinging gutter profile over a length of approximately 2,624 feet (800 meters) and a width of 18 feet,10 inches (5.75 meters). Further, the engineering plans required the slope to vary between 2.5% and 3.0% at intervals of 9 feet, 10 inches to 16 feet, 5 inches (3 to 5 meters). On the remaining 30-foot, 4-inch (9.25-meter) width of the roadway, the profile had to have a transverse gradient of 2.5% from the center to the edge of the roadway. This geometry resulted in a constantly changing milling depth between 0 and 4.72 inches (0 and 12 centimeters). The project team used a compact milling machine with a milling width of 3 feet, 3 inches (1 meter) equipped with the Trimble PCS900 3D Milling System. The 3D automatic control system is designed to mill a surface with accuracy to 3 millimeters. With the 3D milling machine, crews were able to produce the profile exactly as planned. The deviations from the terrain model were at most 0.12 inch (3 millimeters) from the target value. The milling specialists were also able to undercut the required accuracy of ±0.2 inch (±5 millimeters). This created the best conditions for the asphalt pavement, which could then be paved quickly with a constant thickness without the need for time-consuming leveling or compensation layers. Selecting the right technology enabled solution—2D, 3D or something in between—depends on several variables, including project specifications, paver type and crew skills. If you have a specification that is relatively loose and subgrade that is already prepped to an acceptable profile, then 2D paving technology is a perfect application. Also, if your goal is purely smoothness, you might be better off with a 2D system and an averaging beam. However, if your goal is to improve longitudinal waves over a longer reach than an averaging beam can handle—for example on a project with a lot of vertical curves—then 3D could provide worthwhile benefits. Another value-add to 3D systems is that the technology moves easily from one piece of equipment to another. At the end of the day, choosing between 2D and 3D, or even something in the middle, shouldn’t be job dependent. Instead, consider the desired outcome and then determine which option best helps achieve the goal. Also, bear in mind that a short-term investment now will provide a lot of job flexibility in the future so that paving contractors can be prepared for any job site scenario or specification. Devin Laubhan is paving product manager at Trimble.
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Schlouch Shows How to Pave a Running Track
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Spring 2022 www.TheAsphaltPro.com
How to Pave a Running Track
Schlouch Incorporated says slow and steady wins the race when it comes to paving running tracks with tight tolerances. By Sarah Redohl
Glen Powell, Schlouch’s paving department coordinator and project manager, estimates the company has paved around 60 running tracks, including this one at Muhlenberg College, since it began going after that type of work 20 years ago.
Schlouch Incorporated is a heavy civil site work contractor in Blandon, Pennsylvania. Although the company’s services range from excavation, utility installation, drilling and blasting, to design build services, concrete work and asphalt paving, Schlouch isn’t too big to benefit from offering niche asphalt paving services. The company is known for its quality work paving running tracks for high schools and colleges throughout eastern Pennsylvania. Although the area in which Schlouch performs running tracks is fairly consistent with the region in which they perform asphalt paving— which accounts for roughly one-fifth of the company’s annual sales— the company will sometimes travel outside their usual area of operation to pave sport surfaces.
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46 MAY 2022
Glen Powell, Schlouch’s paving department coordinator and project manager, estimates the company has paved around 60 running tracks, as well as around 100 sport courts, since it began going after that type of work 20 years ago.
Schlouch Inc. was founded in 1983 by Barry and Deborah Schlouch, who own the company to this day. Today, the company employs 285 people.
John Reinhart, an estimator and project manager for Schlouch, brought the idea of doing sport courts and tracks with him when he
joined the company 20 years ago after having experience with these types of jobs at his previous employer. Reinhart estimates that there are only a handful of contractors in eastern Pennsylvania who pave tracks and sport courts. He explained that such jobs require tight tolerances, and Schlouch employees take pride in delivering a product within those required tolerances. It’s also a niche market with a tight network of contractors, Powell said, and one heavily based on referrals, Reinhart added. Most of Schlouch’s referrals come from architects the company has worked with in the past and surface coatings contractors, who subcontract the paving portion of the work to Schlouch. “The reason surfacing contractors stick with us is the quality of the product we turn out,” Powell said. “We turn out quality they can count on. More than anything, that is what’s helped us grow in this niche.” Meet Sanctioning Bodies’ Specs On average, running tracks last anywhere from 10 to 20 years. At Schlouch’s most recent running track job, at Bensalem High School, the track was around 15 years old. Although the underlying asphalt was still in good shape, the surface coatings had delaminated from the pavement. “The most common reason tracks are redone is because of the wear on the surface or its delamination from the asphalt,” Powell said. Often, he said, the schools are just replacing the asphalt to ensure the surface coatings have a good pavement to stick to and to ensure the asphalt remains in tolerance.
Reinhart said the track plans are usually prepared by the engineer in accordance with national high school or collegiate standards. The line striping, which requires certification from the sporting body, is usually performed by the surfacing contractor. In Schlouch’s case, the surfacing contractor is often the general contractor on their track jobs, and so the surfacing contractor is also responsible for accepting the pavement tolerances.
Powell stresses the importance of adhering to tight tolerances when milling out old asphalt, “or you won't be able to adhere to those tolerances when you put it back in.”
WWW.THEASPHALTPRO.COM 47
“You can’t do a lesser quality job in preparation and expect a quality result from the paving at the end.”—Glen Powell
King said Schlouch normally uses a 9.5 mm asphalt for its tracks and courts, which are usually 4 inches thick: 2.5 inches of base course and 1.5 inches of wearing course.
“With high school tracks, you have tight tolerances because you have to meet certain requirements from the sports’ sanctioning bodies,” Powell said, citing Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association Inc. (PIAA) or the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) as examples. “The quality has to be very good because of those tight tolerances.” Tennis courts and tracks require a slope of ⅛ of an inch per 10 feet, said Schlouch Paving Field Coordinator Rob King. “For context, that means when you put down a 10-foot straightedge after paving, there shouldn’t be any light visible under that straightedge or you’re out of spec,” he added. To pave running tracks, the Schlouch crew relies on Cat AP555F pavers equipped with Cat’s Grade and Slope Control System. Schlouch has been using that system on all its jobs since the system was launched, and used Topcon’s Grade + Slope Control System prior to that. In the future, Schlouch plans to get into 3D paving. “We use Cat’s Grade and Slope Control System while paving and perform spot checks with a laser level and straightedge,” Powell said, adding that they perform surveying work in house to check the layout for tracks. “Being able to check grades across the tracks prior to paving is key, but it’s also important to check grades every step of the way.” With such tight tolerances, Powell stresses the importance of starting from step one with the end goal in mind. “Whether it's a new track or a rehab project where the existing pavement is milled out, everything from a quality and tolerance standpoint starts at the beginning,” he said. “You can’t do a lesser quality job in preparation and expect a quality result from the paving at the end.” For new track projects, Schlouch uses Cat Grade Control System on its graders. For rehab track projects, the company relies on its milling subcontractor, Rota-Mill, Oley, Pennsylvania. “They do most of our milling,” Reinhart said. “We’ve worked with them a long time.”
Before milling can be done, the surface coating has to be removed. “The reason the surface has to come off is because the rubber in that coating cannot be recycled at the asphalt plant,” Reinhart said.
At Schlouch’s most recent running track job, at Bensalem High School, the track was around 15 years old. Although the underlying asphalt was still in good shape, the surface coatings had delaminated from the pavement.
48 MAY 2022
“It’s important to make sure you’re adhering to those tolerances while you’re taking the material out,” Powell said, “or you won't be able to adhere to those tolerances when you put it back in.” That’s exactly what Rota-Mill did when it milled 1.5 inches off the track at Bensalem High School before Schlouch’s crews replaced it with 1.5 inches of new asphalt. After paving, Powell said, the architect, designer and surfacing contractor typically walk the track to perform a tolerance check. In the case of Bensalem High School, there were no corrective actions to the tolerance.
“The pavement was good to go and move forward with the coating,” Powell said. “We always provide that feedback to the crew who paved the job because they put all the work into it.” The Bensalem High School track required 450 tons of asphalt. “We also rebuilt the runways in the D zones,” King said, referring to the area between the goal posts and track where events such as the high jump, throwing events, and pole vault take place.
Tackling Track Challenges King said an average running track is 4 inches thick, usually paved in two lifts: 2.5 inches of base course and 1.5 inches of wearing course. “Some of the tracks are designed as if you’d have tri-axles and tractor trailers driving on them,” he said, adding that it’s common for school maintenance vehicles and utility vehicles to drive on the track, as well as tractors and trucks for events like homecoming. Schlouch normally uses a 9.5 mm asphalt for its tracks and courts, King said. “And one of the keys is to ensure it's a virgin mix,” he added. For their region, “[t]he reason for that is if you’re using a mix with RAP, there’s the potential for small pieces of metal to be in it. That metal can rust and come up through the rubberized coating on the surface.” Most of the vendors Schlouch works with do not have magnets where the material is entering the plant
Schlouch has several roller operators with 10 or more years of experience and one with more than 20 years of experience. “These jobs are not the jobs you want to put a new roller operator on,” Powell said. “They definitely call for someone seasoned.”
process, King added. Although it’s mostly a matter of aesthetics, he said, it could delaminate the coating from the pavement. Powell said they usually don’t have problems sourcing virgin mix for these jobs within a reasonable distance to the project. However, he added, it is a consideration the company needs to make in the bidding stage. One challenge Schlouch’s crews often face when paving tracks is access, often a fence with only one entry/exit. In the case of Bensalem
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High School, the track had only one entry point and was otherwise surrounded by a 30-foot berm. “We only had one spot to get in and out and it wasn't the best spot to get in and out,” King said. “It limited the way we could pull the job, and the way we ended up having to pull it wasn’t the best to maintain tolerances so it required more handwork.” The optimal way to pave a track, King added, is to end at the edge of the sprint track. “If you imagine the track as an oval, there’s a section where the 100-meter race is run that extends straight past the radius of the oval,” he said. “That’s usually where you want to finish your pull.” Powell said the crew is typically matching a concrete curb or drainage system on the inside of the track, which makes paving the curves of the track easier.
In terms of density, Powell said the crew is aiming for the same density as road jobs, between 94 and 96%. However, he added, the compaction process must also factor in tolerances: “As you compact, you have to be very careful you don’t overcompact in some areas to the point that you’re out of that tolerance.” “It really comes down to having good roller operators,” Powell said, adding that Schlouch has several roller operators with 10 or more years of experience and one with more than 20 years of experience. “These jobs are not the jobs you want to put a new roller operator on. They definitely call for someone seasoned.”
“That goes for every role on the crew,” King added. “The whole team you assemble for these types of jobs needs to have experience for a job like this to come out to spec.” Slow and Steady Hits the Spec Powell said it usually takes three days for Schlouch to pave the average running track. “To be competitive in paving, you often have to pave fast and look for high production,” Powell said. “But paving tracks is the complete opposite. You can’t bid on a running track like highway paving.” He estimates they’re paving at about 20% of the speed they’d usually pave on a highway job. However, Reinhart said, being able to pave running tracks well is a matter of prestige for Schlouch. “Not everyone takes the time to do this type of work,” he said. “Our company is proud that we have the skills to do this type of work. ” “You have to take pride in what you're doing,” Reinhart said. “The more pride the crew has, the better the job will be. The better the job will be, the more people will notice and the more referrals we’ll get.” Often, Powell added, this type of work leads to other maintenance activities at local colleges and schools. “It’s not uncommon that we pave a running track and then get called back to repave the parking lot a year later,” he said. “Good work leads to more work.” However, he added, “it’s important to remember even though you’re paving on a track, it’s not a race.”
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Indus Uses Bio-based Fogseal to Prove Rejuvenation When a contractor can show the merits of a plant-based pavement preservation strategy, it’s a win for the whole community. By Sandy Lender
The picturesque, island community of Nantucket, Massachusetts, includes nearly 30 miles of bike paths that the Department of Public Works (DPW) is responsible for maintaining.* Way back in November 2020, DPW hired BETA Group Inc., based in New England, to assess the island’s bike paths, which resulted in a Pavement Preservation Capital Improvement Plan (PPCIP). As part of that plan, BETA Group reported, the town would see two phases of improvement on its bike paths—a crack sealing phase and an asphalt rejuvenating fogsealing phase. The town’s contractor, indus, went a step above and beyond for the town when it came to implementing the fogseal. “A unique part of the project was the aesthetics,” said Alan Viall, a regional manager for indus. “This is a traditional island. They like the old, weathered look. They don’t like the black crack sealing.” Because Viall understood the mindset of the community and could assess the pavement before work was to begin, he had the opportunity to advise DPW and BETA. “Indus had been contacted to look at 21 miles of bike paths for crack sealing purposes,” he explained. “This third path [Madaket] was a perfect pavement preservation candidate to use the Delta Mist.” Delta Mist is a liquid, plant-based penetrating asphalt spray rejuvenator from Collaborative Aggregates LLC (CollAgg) of Lowell, Massachusetts, which indus has applied to preservation projects since 2016. The product goes down as a white, almost opaque spray, but once dry, it leaves a transparent “seal” over the pavement that doesn’t require the contractor or agency to restripe pavement markings. By using Delta Mist, indus would be able to preserve the pavement while leaving Nantucket’s old-fashioned look intact. “I had a Zoom call with the DPW director and the town’s consultant, and I explained the process,” Viall said. “They liked the idea.” What Viall and team provided the Nantucket community was more than what industry refers to as the “right treatment on the right pavement at the right time.” They provided the right product on the right pavement at the right time. Here’s how they protected the Madaket Bike Path on Nantucket Island with Delta Mist. The town handled communications with the homeowners along the pavement to be treated in early September 2021, but all members of indus crews know their product is a human safe and environmentally safe, plant-based rejuvenator that won’t stain or mar landscaping features. When tourists or residents have questions, indus crewmembers are able to answer their questions and set the public at ease. But Viall has found a few extra steps can help keep the public from walking up to an active work zone—they cover catch basins and grates before spraying, even though their product poses no danger to waterways.
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*The https://www.nantucket-ma.gov/ website lists eight bike paths, which tourist sites agree total about 30 miles on the island. 52 MAY 2022
The liquid, plant-based Delta Mist penetrating asphalt rejuvenator from Collaborative Aggregates LLC, Lowell, Massachusetts, sprays white but cures transparent in up to 60 minutes, depending on ambient conditions, which means pavement markings remain visible. All photos courtesy of John Giammatteo
The crew couldn’t drive the distributor truck across the footbridge due to weight concerns. Instead, they used the hand wand to apply the fogseal to the pavement because the plant-based Delta Mist alleviates any environmental concerns, Alan Viall explained.
LEFT: Viall describes the Delta Mist as having a very natural scent, similar to linseed oil. RIGHT: When bystanders ask questions, indus crewmembers explain that Delta Mist is a plant-based product.
“What we have found is that we cover every catch basin to alleviate any worries of the residents. It’s not so much protection as it is a way to avoid unnecessary concerns.” With the pavement swept and blown free of debris and dirt, the crew covered the catch basins. The material is applied at ambient temperatures, so the crew could easily use a hand wand to take care of edge work. They used their E.D. Etnyre 3,000-gallon distributor truck to spray 7 gallons per minute—or 0.055 gallons per square yard. This rate falls
within the 0.05 to 0.135 gallons per square yard that CollAgg recommends, based on the pavement surface condition. Viall had personally assessed the pavement of the paths, finding no heaving or structural problems that would indicate subbase issues, thus he felt comfortable allowing the 26,000-pound distributor truck to drive on the path. “The town uses trucks to plow the pavement during the winter,” he said, indicating the base held up to more abuse than their truck offered. Spraying on a sunny day with a light breeze allowed the rejuvenating fogseal to dry within 30 to 60 minutes and allowed foot and
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LEFT: A unique aspect of the Madaket Bike Path project was retaining an old, weathered look to the pavement. Delta Mist’s transparent coating provided the solution with no add-ons like sand or aggregate coverings. RIGHT: The crew cleans the pavement in preparation for a rejuvenating fogseal.
bike traffic back on immediately. “It was perfect weather,” Viall said. “If someone was riding 300 to 400 yards behind us, they were fine.” The goal of applying a rejuvenator to the pavement surface is to revitalize the surface binder, which can potentially extend the lifetime of the pavement. That’s what Delta Mist penetrating asphalt rejuvenator is designed to do. It penetrates the top 3/8 inch of the surface pavement and slows the oxidation of the asphalt binder. It minimizes the loss of fines and aggregates, giving the binder the opportunity to hold the aggregates for a longer time, offering a longer service life to the treated pavement.
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And that’s what Nantucket DPW wants. In fact, Viall said, the department is pleased with the project and interested in applying it to mainline roadways in the future. By end of the day, the Nantucket community had a preserved pavement for Madaket Bike Path, sealed against the elements, looking as good as old. And the town had proof of an environmentally friendly technology providing a transparent surface treatment for future pavement preservation work.
Texas Assesses LiDAR to Adjust Seal Rates By AsphaltPro Staff
Editor’s Note: For this article, keep in mind the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) refers to the method of scattering aggregate immediately atop a freshly sprayed emulsion as a seal coat. To stay true to the technical report upon which this article is based, we will use TxDOT’s nomenclature of “seal coat” and “rock” in place of “chip seal” and “aggregate,” respectively.
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TxDOT wished to solve the continuing problems of rock loss, flushing and bleeding its seal coats have been experiencing over the years. But with experienced inspectors leaving the industry, among other complications, the department foresaw the opportunity for increased problems, rather than improvement. Enter Project 5-6963-01, which allowed researchers from Texas A&M Transportation Institute, College Station, to evaluate 21 projects in three Texas districts over the period from May 2019 to April 2021. Here’s a synopsis of the report 5-6963-01-R1 “Seal Coat Binder Rate Adjustments Using LiDAR Data,” published June 2021 by Darlene Goehl, Charles Gurganus, Kai-Wei Liu and Jia-Lin Hsu. The authors begin by intimating the project has been a success: “Better methods to identify changing pavement conditions and subsequently adjust construction binder rates have become available through the recently completed research project 0-6963 by using mobile light detecting and ranging (LiDAR) reflectivity data.” According to the report, about 16,000 lane miles in Texas are resurfaced annually with seal coats through the preventive maintenance program and another 3,000 lane miles of seal coats are placed annually with “state forces.” The report states that seal coats are also used in intermediate layers during pavement construction to seal the pavement structure and this “is a significant investment of over $300 million annually.” To address recurring problems in a system that has seen little change in design, construction practices, or equipment, TxDOT looked at two recently completed research projects. Project 0-6989: Update Seal Coat Application Rate Design Method offered an updated procedure to design seal coat application rates. The authors suggested the adjustment factors were subjective and more research could provide measures for those rates. Project 0-6963: Planning the Next Generation of Seal Coat Equipment showed the LiDAR system could remove much of the subjectivity when determining variations in surface conditions, which is vital for adjusting seal coat binder rates on the fly. And that was one of the points of Project 5-6963-01: remove subjectivity to reduce risk for TxDOT. “Researchers used LiDAR reflectivity data to describe pavement condition changes through an efficient and effective automated data analysis method,” the authors shared. “Researchers reviewed the projects identified in research project 0-6963 and worked with the Bryan District on six summer 2019 seal coat projects to identify pavement condition changes and binder rate adjustments. For the
2020 seal coat projects, researchers worked with the Bryan District and two additional districts (Waco and Brownwood) to select five projects from each district. Researchers collected data on the selected locations, applied the algorithm, and provided the district with suggested application rate adjustments.” Here’s what they recommended, from the report: “Determine the starting rate from the design procedure developed in TxDOT research project 0-6989, and then determine the binder rate adjustments from LiDAR data analysis. This process can help field engineers make real-time decisions and can lead to better seal coat performance.” The authors also recommended DOT work with contractors to make adjustments, pointing out coordination with the contractor can help fine-tune the shot length to coincide with reality. “Work with the contractor to determine the shot length, and then use the LiDAR data to summarize adjustments based on the proposed shot length instead of a typical length.” Quick Tip: The report authors highly recommended using a variable-rate nozzle “[w]hen the difference in the median rate between wheel paths or between the wheel paths and outside the wheel paths is greater than 0.03 gallons per square yard.”
The authors reminded its readers that the existing pavement surface type will influence the LiDAR data received for analysis. “There is a control section for a seal coat surface and one for a hot mix surface. If the wrong control section is used, the adjustment algorithm will not produce accurate results. There is potential for inaccurate adjustments when long sections of level-up exist on a typical seal coat roadway due to the algorithm if the reference control section is not changed.” Finally, the authors recommended monitoring and documenting projects where the difference between the proposed and actual shot rate is more than 0.02 gallons per square yard. “Evaluations of as-built projects will help designers and inspectors understand field adjustments.” Overall, the authors concluded that the “study validated the finding in project 0-6963 that the mobile LiDAR system shows much promise to remove a significant amount of subjectivity when determining variations in surface conditions...The LiDAR data method of rate adjustment along with the new design method developed in project 0-6989 are the initial steps in implementing the newest technologies for seal coat rate design.” Read the full report on the project “Implementation of Seal Coat Binder Rate Adjustments Using LiDAR Data” at http://tti.tamu.edu/ documents/5-6963-01-R1.pdf. WWW.THEASPHALTPRO.COM 55
WashDOT Extends Pavement Life Through Patching and Sealing
WashDOT looks to strategic preservation to see the agency through until IIJA provides more funding for full road rehabilitation. By Sarah Redohl
Although departments of transportation (DOTs) know the importance of treating the right road at the right time with the right treatment, funding availability is often a deciding factor. “Our pavement preservation funding is at 50% or less of what we actually need,” said Kim Schofield, state pavement engineer for Washington State DOT (WashDOT) during a recent webinar from the Transportation Research Board. “We were really struggling to fund everything we needed for rehabilitation projects.” That’s why WashDOT started its one-touch policy in 2008, which is a plan to deliberately use proven pavement maintenance methods to extend the life cycle of the entire paving inventory for at least two years. “We looked for cost effective alternatives to rehabilitating the entire roadway that could still hold that pavement together,” Schofield said, adding that the strategic preservation maintenance plan relies heavily on crack sealing, chip sealing and patching, performed either by WashDOT’s own maintenance forces or contractors. For example, Schofield said, a 2-inch mill-and-fill patch may be all that’s needed to repair an area experiencing top-down cracking. “Instead of paying $150,000 per lane mile for a full mill-andfill, we can patch in isolated locations to extend the entire pavement life if we don’t have a structural failure there,” she said. “Or, if the cracking isn’t so bad, we could even chip seal it instead to get some extended life from the pavement.” This strategic preservation maintenance, Schofield said, grants pavements an extended life of anywhere from two to six years. WashDOT’s minimum pavement life extension, she added, is two years, “and everything we have been using is easily reaching that.” For example, WashDOT has seen in its research and more than 10 years doing this type of work that crack sealing is extending pavement life a minimum of three to four years and sometimes as long as five or six years.
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The Right Roads for Strategic Maintenance To determine which pavements are most in need, WashDOT works closely with its regional materials engineers and pavement offices to look at its prioritization list, pavement distress data in its pavement management system, and the pavement itself. 56 MAY 2022
“Part of the reason we’re spending that much money is because we don’t have enough money to do rehabilitation. Hopefully with the passage of IIJA, we will soon be able to switch this up a bit.” —Kim Schofield
“We also work hand in hand with our maintenance and roadway operations crews to make sure we’re doing what they’re seeing as issues,” Schofield said. “We’re not funding strategic preservation for reactive things, like a pothole here and a pothole there.” But, if there are enough potholes, and WashDOT thinks it can extend the life of that pavement, then the road becomes a candidate for strategic preservation. It’s also a matter of cost, Schofield said. “What we do to gauge if [our strategic preservation treatments] are still cost-effective or not is figure out if they’re giving us an annualized cost that’s less than what we’d do for rehabilitation,” she added. WashDOT’s data estimates an asphalt overlay lasts anywhere from 10 to 17 years and has a typical annualized cost of $18,000, while its strategic preservation maintenance extends pavement life by two to six years at typical annualized costs between $1,500 and $5,500. However, those costs continue to increase. “Lately, we’ve been seeing our costs [for strategic preservation treatment] go up because the pavements are in such poor condition,” Schofield said. “But, even at these higher costs, we’re still seeing cheaper annualized costs of maintenance.” WashDOT had a budget of $2.4 million for its one-touch policy when it began in 2008/2009. From 2021 to 2023, WashDOT has a budget of $30 million for strategic preservation. “Part of the reason we’re spending that much money is because we don’t have enough money to do rehabilitation,” Schofield said. “Hopefully with the passage of IIJA, we will soon be able to switch this up a bit.” Although WashDOT’s strategic preservation maintenance plan has proven to be a cost-effective method to extend pavement life while they wait for ample rehabilitation funding, the ultimate goal remains to rehabilitate the roads in need.
Crafco Modifies Cold Patch From Crafco
Crafco Inc., an Ergon company, Chandler, Arizona, offers cold-mix asphalt producers another design option. They can now make Crafco’s eco-friendly, high performance cold patch using the new HP ER Enhancer mix design and quality assurance provided by Crafco’s team of lab and field technicians. The new HP ER Enhancer is designed to provide producers with a simple, safe and cost-effective asphalt modifier to produce Crafco’s signature HP ER Asphalt Cold Patch™ in any hot-mix plant or pugmill. The company states: “An organic, no VOC base viscosity modifier with a proprietary blend of rejuvenating and adhesion-promoting additives, HP ER Enhancer is designed to blend with paving grade asphalt to produce Crafco’s HP ER Binder for high-performance cold patch production. Packaged in premeasured totes for easy shipping and storage, HP ER Enhancer is safe to blend and produce
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Asphalt mix producers will be able to create HP ER Asphalt Cold Patch via the program from Crafco with the new HP ER Enhancer modifier.
in all types of hot-mix plants and pugmills with a higher flash point than conventional cutback blends. HP Enhancer requires lower binder content than traditional cold mix
binders, which equates to a higher yield in tonnage.” Tom Kelly, vice president of national sales & marketing, said: “Our new HP ER Enhancer program provides any producer with simple asphalt blending capabilities, the ability to produce the highest quality asphalt cold patch anywhere in the world, trouble-free, in their plant.” With the HP ER Enhancer Program, Crafco and its materials development team are providing the signature formula, analysis and expert instruction to bulk produce an asphalt repair material that is cost-effective, safe and eco-friendly while offering superior performance, according to the manufacturer. “We are committed to delivering an innovative product that will transform how producers meet the needs of their customers,” Kelly said. “We cannot wait to connect with producers looking to partner with Crafco’s winning team.”
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WWW.THEASPHALTPRO.COM 57
Her e ’ s how i t wor ks
Step 1 The user takes a pavement survey with an MFV, RSP, and LCMS.
Step 2 DDC software collects the survey data from the survey and exports it into the DE pavement analysis program.
Step 3 Dynatest Explorer evaluates the functional pavement condition, giving the user access to all information, including PCI values.
Step 4 The system can display PCI values or export them to a spreadsheet or Google Earth map.
Dynatest’s PCI Calculation Tool The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Research Lab developed in 1976 an empirical metric for rating a pavement’s condition taking all types and severities of distresses into consideration. The international standard ASTM D643320 (and ASTM D-5340-20 for airports) uses the resulting pavement condition index (PCI) to determine the current condition of a pavement network, but the calculations of the PCI value can be time consuming and difficult to perform. To do all the PCI calculations based on ASTM D6433-20 and with the functional pavement condition data within the sam-
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ple unit that a user defines, Dynatest A/S, headquartered in Denmark, has launched its automated PCI calculation function as a licensed module within the Dynatest pavement analysis program, Dynatest Explorer (DE). Here’s how it works: Because the PCI calculation tool is a module of DE, the user first takes readings of the pavement in question with the Dynatest Multi Functional Vehicle (MFV) equipped with the Road Surface Profiler (RSP) system and Laser Crack Measuring System (LCMS®), which collect pavement data. Dynatest Data Collection (DDC) software stores and controls the data from the
MFV’s survey. The data is displayed while testing or stored for export into the DE program. The DE program analyzes the data, evaluating the functional pavement condition. DE then gives the user access to all the data, images and distresses acquired during the survey, allowing for visualization, verification, calculation and reviewing of results, which now include the PCI values. The system can display the PCI values on a table or a graph, export them to Excel, or show them on a map exported to Google Earth. For more information, contact Dynatest through Oline Westerdahl at owl@dynatest.com.
P R O D U C T GA L L E RY
Don’t Let Shortages Get You Down BY ASPHALTPRO STAFF
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s discussed in the January 2022 article “Alternatives Exist to Source Parts,” some producers and contractors in North America may have found themselves in a pickle when it came to winter equipment repair if they hadn’t planned months in advance. For the 2022 season, the possibility of postponing repairs, upgrades, and maintenance until parts and components could be made available had become reality. Luckily, as the article detailed, there are ways around bottlenecks and blockages. The team at Albarrie, a vertically integrated filter bag supplier in North America, detailed another option for asphalt producers and baghouse manufacturers who are enduring a global Nomex/meta-aramid fiber shortage. Their staff writer explained two of the global issues factoring into the supply shortage that’s affecting the availability of high-heat fabrics for particulate dust filtration. “Factories belonging to two of the four major suppliers in Zheng Zhou, China, have been part of the city-wide lockdown since 2021,” they wrote. “The city-wide lockdown...[added] to the strain on supply in September/October 2021. The shutdowns are responsible for the raw material shortage of polymers and finishing agents for coating fibers.” The Albarrie team also cited the Dow and Dupont merger and subsequent expansion of America’s 5G wireless network as contributing to the shortage of fibers. “Dow and Dupont; one of the largest manufacturers of plastics, and finishing agents are unable to meet their usual demand for raw materials needed to manufacture fibers,” they wrote. An alternative solution for 2022, according to Richard Watson, a purchasing manager at Albarrie Canada, is to replace your meta-aramid filter bags with “Polyphenylene Sulfide (PPS) or Polyimide (P84) fabrics, depending on the plant’s environmental conditions and materials processing.” Albarrie also offers a cleaning service designed to prolong existing baghouse filter bag life while the bags remain in place. The company offers virtual consultations. For more information, visit the Albarrie website. Not all aramid fiber types have been affected by the shortages discussed above. Mike Scardina of Surface Tech explained the aramid fibers required for the company’s ACE XP Polymer Fiber® and other asphalt mix-strengthening aramids are a different grade than the one in short supply. “From a raw materials standpoint, we’re in very good shape,” he said. “We don’t expect any problems in 2022.” Industry professionals seeking alternatives for binder modification in areas where polymers have become difficult to attain are seeing fibers—for binder modification—as an alternative. “We are a viable tool as we address supply for the asphalt indus60 | MAY 2022
CITY-WIDE LOCKDOWNS IN CHINA ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE RAW MATERIAL SHORTAGE OF POLYMERS AND FINISHING AGENTS FOR COATING FIBERS. try,” Scardina said. For more information, visit surface-tech.com/ asphalt-ace-xp. While discussions of alternatives to what a producer or mix designer is accustomed may not be comfortable, it’s good to know suppliers are thinking ahead to provide options and solutions to help producers and contractors through supply chain issues. For this month’s product gallery, take a look at some products and services lined up to help you with your day-to-day goals.
ASPHALT UNLIMITED
Liquid Asphalt must compete with other products that are refined from crude oil and energy prices are currently soaring due to inflation. Imagine bidding today’s cash price plus the cost of the hedge instead of guessing at some future price. A new app that forecasts future liquid asphalt prices is designed to assist with that. Created by Brian Lawrence, president of Asphalt Unlimited LLC, Kennesaw, Georgia, a 30+ industry expert, the app is designed to help asphalt producers and highway contractors bid future work. The app is based on Asphalt Unlimited’s proprietary algorithm that pulls the daily closing prices of a variety of energy products from the NYMEX and provides an asphalt projection that mirrors the coker values of asphalt. It has been back-tested against 13 years of published coker values and it produced a correlation (r-value) of 0.988041. Almost a perfect, positive correlation. This gives the projection an actual basis in reality because it is based on today’s closing futures prices. “The algorithm never predicted a value below the published value,” stated Lawrence, creator of the algorithm. “To me, that fact along with the high degree of correlation (0.988041), provides a lot of confidence when either producing a financial outcome or predicting a future price, whether up or down. I think in the near future, coker values will probably provide the floor for wholesale asphalt pricing anyway.” The values produced by the app are a retail (rack) projection and are also tailored to specific geographic areas in the 48 contiguous United States. The prices are given in ranges and are suggestive of what is a reasonable value to possibly include in a bid. The app is subscription based and all annual subscribers receive private asphalt pricing consultation with Lawrence, if desired. For more information, contact Sherry Butler at (602) 703-3659.
ASTEC
During the World of Asphalt 2022 tradeshow, Astec displayed a host of new or updated equipment, including a model of its new Astec SESS, which is a self-erect storage silo, designed to work hand in hand with portable plants. The silo is certified by the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s National Type Evaluation Program (NTEP) and designed for easier ticketing and loadout. Check with Astec for available tonnages. For more information, visit astecindustries.com.
BLUE SMOKE CONTROL
Blue Smoke Control, a division of Butler-Justice Inc., Anaheim, California, has introduced the X-VOCS™ system for eradicating odor-causing emissions that can be produced as a byproduct during hot-mix asphalt (HMA) production. The X-VOCS system features proprietary carbon absorption technology designed to filter and remove up to 99% of odors and VOCs, such as Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S), from tanks. X-VOCS incorporates a five-stage filtration system. In the first three stages, a series of filters remove more than 95% of targeted particulates down to 0.3 microns. In the final two stages, carbon filtration beds remove remaining odors and volatiles. While designed for new plants, the X-VOCS system can also be retrofittable into existing operations, with minimal modifications to the plant. When the X-VOCS technology is coupled with the company’s Blue Smoke Control system, emissions from HMA plants can be
The patent-pending technology of X-VOCS combines with the Blue Smoke Control system to reduce both odor and blue smoke.
reduced to nearly zero, providing owners with the means to achieve the highest level of environmental stewardship. Implementation of this technology has been proven to virtually end calls from nearby neighbors regarding odor and visual emissions. Similar to X-VOCS, the Blue Smoke Control system is retrofittable with few plant modifications. For more information, contact Butler-Justice at (714) 696-7599 or mikeb@butlerjustice.com.
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P R O D U C T GA L L E RY
The Brock Chattanooga location has 108,000 square feet under roof on 23 acres of land and now allows a second shift for manufacturing operations.
BROCK
BROCK, a manufacturer and supplier of equipment, parts and onsite services to the hot-mix asphalt (HMA) plant industry, is pleased to announce the addition of a second shift team to its manufacturing operations in Chattanooga. The second shift team started operating Monday, March 21, 2022. Commenting on the announcement Ben Brock, president and CEO, said, “We couldn’t be happier with the people we have added for our new second shift. While the shift is new to our company, the new team itself averages nearly nine years’ experience per person in building hot-mix asphalt equipment. As a result, we have great confidence in our ability to have the quality we want and need in our new shift team. We thank our customers for putting us in the position to add the second shift team at our Chattanooga facility.” For more information, visit www.brock.llc
CLARENCE RICHARD
Clarence Richard Co., Minnetonka, Minnesota, offers the Ez-Flo continuous weigh feeder bin. The manufacturer states you “set it and forget it.” Step 1. Pull up, position the load cells on the solid ground and jack the wheels up off the ground. Step 2. Batch or blend
The EZ-Flo continuous weigh feeder bin is designed so the Ez-Weigh Loss finds its setpoint from the blending control tach signal with no hardware or software changes needed from your existing control system. 62 | MAY 2022
your material most accurately at rates as low as pounds per minute (lbs/min) or as high as tons per hour (TPH). The bins can discharge into a feeder belt or auger or vane feeder. Ez-Weigh Loss finds its setpoint from the blending control tach signal. No hardware software changes to your existing control system are required. For more information, visit https://ezfloweighing.com/.
COLAS USA
Colas USA, Morristown, New Jersey, a leader in road construction, materials, and innovation appointed John Harrington as president and chief executive officer, assuming responsibilities as of March 1, 2022. Harrington succeeds Thierry Le Roch’. Harrington began his career at Colas USA in 2015 as executive vice president of Western Operations, overseeing the subsidiaries of Colaska Inc., Simon Contractors and Sully-Miller Contracting Co. His strong experience, not only in the construction and engineering fields, but in leadership operations, has helped grow this area of the U.S. business for Colas.
CONTROLS
CONTROLS Inc., Tucker, Georgia, has released its AUTOTRIAXQube, which is an all-in-one, automatic, triaxial testing system for the lab at your production facility. It is designed to make triaxial testing easier on lab personnel while fitting neatly in any lab and complimenting existing testing capabilities. The manufacturer states all existing accessories already in use with the 70-mm banded triaxial cell (28-WF4070) are compatible with the AUTOTRIAXQube. The manufacturer states there’s no need for external panels, tank or hydraulic connection; connect the AUTOTRIAXQube to water and power supply and start testing. The built-in vacuum pump, tank, control valves and cavitation system are designed to de-air the water quickly and efficiently down to levels of dissolved air acceptable for triaxial test methods. A secure triaxial cell lifting system incorporates a new lifting mechanism that allows the operator to raise the cell to its highest position and rotate it through 90 degrees, until it’s safely held in place with a magnetic latch. A built-in hydraulic system speeds up the time required to set up the system correctly (water circuit saturation, pressure system and triaxial cell), thus avoiding possible damage to a sample already positioned in the triaxial cell. For more information, visit the CONTROLS group website.
CWMF
CWMF Corp., Waite Park, Minnesota, is pleased to announce its recent acquisition of Eagle Electric Service of St. Cloud, a UL listed panel build company and full-service provider of HMA plant equipment controls, automation, installation, service, and maintenance. Management stated: “Our corporate mission has been to go the extra mile to provide exceptional asphalt equipment solutions and service. The acquisition of Eagle Electric Service brings us closer to accomplishing this goal. For the past 10 years, CWMF and Eagle Electric Service have been industry partners, working toward turnkey solutions for our customers. These solutions will now be offered under one company, making that commitment even stronger.” For more information, visit https://cwmfcorp.com/
PUGMILL SYSTEMS We’ve been designing and manufacturing custom mixing solutions in Tennessee for nearly 40 years.
ERIEZ
Eriez, Erie, Pennsylvania, has invested millions into spare parts inventory within its recently expanded service and repair center, according to John Klinge, Eriez director of strategic sales-aftermarket. Klinge explained that Eriez stocks parts that integrate with Eriez equipment as well as competitors’ products. He said, “We maintain a balance of stock components—such as motors, reducers, bearings and plastic chain belts—which are applicable to most standard equipment, as well as custom parts for Eriez state-of-art products specially designed to meet a customer’s specific application requirements.” While Eriez can ship parts quickly, sometimes next-day, the company’s service team encourages customers to be proactive to ensure they maintain optimum productivity. “We always suggest that customers keep a supply of wear parts and highly customized components on-hand,” said Klinge. The Eriez Service and Repair Center is located at the company’s Wager Road plant near its corporate headquarters in Erie. In addition to spare parts, Eriez’ Service and Repair Center offers a 24/7 service hotline, on-site field service equipment remanufacturing and full “as new” warranties.
RCC • CTB • Pugmix • Stabilized Sand
Coldmix • Fly Ash • Salt Treatment
HAVER & BOECKER
Haver & Boecker Niagara, St. Catharines, Ontario, named Jon Cheladyn the certified sales manager for Northeastern United States. He brings more than 13 years of industry experience with Haver & Boecker Niagara to his role. In his new position, Cheladyn will serve producers in Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Michigan, New Jersey, Maryland and Delaware.
KENCO
Kenco Engineering Inc., Roseville, California, offers the UniMix System to provide long wear life and quick installation of Uni-Mix parts for your pugmill operations. The recessed bolt heads minimize wear on mounting hardware, and notched shanks allow tips to fit either left or right-hand throw positions, which means no separate inventories for left and right hands. The streamlined shank design reduces drag and wear; tips are held in place by a single roll pin with no bolt heads. The shanks are made of high-strength, heat-treated alloy steel for maximum durability. Tips are made of Kenco Alloy-K
Rental Plants Available
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931-388-0626 WWW.THEASPHALTPRO.COM | 63
P R O D U C T GA L L E RY help deliver aggressive production growth goals to meet ever growing demand for its products. With the positive changes to MDS ongoing, the company launched its rebranding with new livery offering a consistent look across all its models. As part of this rebrand, the company launched a new website and changed all its social handles to @mds.terex across all social media channels. For more information, visit the terex.com/mds website.
MESA
Uni-Mix shanks from Kenco Engineering are mounted with bolts rotated 90 degrees from OEM designs. Uni-Shrouds, which cover the front of the shank, reduce wear in the highest abrasion zone.
for maximum wear life. The manufacturer explained: “The UniMix shank, shroud and tip are specially contoured to slice through the asphalt, aiding the mixing operation while minimizing wear. The tip is free of bolt holes, which can initiate wear and disturb material flow. The streamlined design reduces drag and the amperage required for efficient mixing.” For more information, contact Kenco at (800) 363-9859 or visit www.kencoengineering.com.
MCCLOSKEY McCloskey International, Keene, Ontario, launched in February its 365SiteConnex connectivity solution for monitoring of McCloskey products. Monitoring a fleet is key to reducing downtime and maintaining efficiency and profitability. With 365SiteConnex, key information for machines can be obtained in just a few clicks, allowing users to review faults or status issues from a single notification feed, monitor fuel use across all machines, and monitor service schedules and requirements. Additionally, with GeoData, a machine’s current and previous locations can be tracked, from maneuvers on a work site to being transported halfway across a continent. Geofences can be programmed to be notified if a machine goes outside its designated area. 365SiteConnex will be available in the first quarter of 2022 through McCloskey dealerships as a subscribed service. The software will offer remote software updates to deliver the latest program upgrades, as well as remote support from the 365SiteConnex service team. For more information, contact your local McCloskey dealer.
MDS MDS is undergoing changes following the acquisition by Terex in 2021. Along with significant investment in its facilities and expanding its distribution footprint, the company has added to its team to 64 | MAY 2022
Mesa Systems Co., town, state, introduced its HD2-Kit to provide aggregates suppliers and plant managers with a stockpile moisture measurement system. To measure the moisture content of construction aggregates—including sand, gravel and crushed stone up to 1.25 inches—the user inserts the SONO-M1 probe into the pile. The HD2 meter then reads and displays the level of moisture within two seconds, according to the manufacturer. For more information, visit the Mesa Systems website.
MINDS
Astec Industries, Chattanooga, announced March 23 and finalized April 1, the acquisition of MINDS Automation Group Inc. (MINDS), headquartered in British Columbia, Canada, with locations in the United States, United Kingdom, France and Belgium. The company develops customizable plant automation control systems for drum, batch, combo/hybrid hot-mix plants, emulsion plants, liquid terminals, silo load-out, ticketing and data management for the asphalt industry. MINDS Inc. CEO Pierre Vidaillac and the leadership team will stay with Astec to support the advancement of its automation and controls technology and the overall Rock to Road™ digital platform. A spokesperson for Astec stated current MINDS customers will continue to communicate through any established channels without change as there is no plan to change the communication structure at press time.
ROTOCHOPPER
Rotochopper equipment owners and operators gathered at Rotochopper’s manufacturing facility in St. Martin, Minnesota, for training the third week of February. The customer service department hosts Rotochopper University annually for companies that have purchased Rotochopper equipment during the past year. The two-day class includes a manufacturing facility tour, equipment operation best practice training, a hands-on demonstration and networking opportunities allowing machine owners to learn from each other as well. This year the education focused on how to properly feed your grinder, how to perform preventive maintenance and how to troubleshoot. The hands-on demonstrations showed attendees how to install the main rotor bearings and how to adjust the sheave and tension the drive belt on a Rotochopper grinder. Rotochopper was able to host over 20 students during the two-day event from various companies across the United States.
RUBBLE MASTER
Rubble Master, Ennis, Texas, has launched the RM XSMART telemetry and fleet management app to help contractors get more clarity
about their operation, to identify blind spots and improve processes. It also assists operators with more information about the condition of their machines to become more proactive and accelerate service processes. RM XSMART is available as an app on your phone or your desktop computer to access machine data anywhere, at any time. Operators can monitor fuel levels, reset belt scales, and track their tonnages with an optional belt scale conveniently from their cab. For more information, visit the Rubble Master website.
SURFACE TECH
Surface Tech has completed the verification process to achieve an environmental product declaration (EPD) for ACE XP Polymer Fiber®, its advanced aramid polymer fiber additive. An EPD is a transparent, objective report that details what a product is made of and how it impacts the environment across its entire lifecycle. The EPD is an independently verified and registered document that can help construction projects earn credits for green building rating systems. EPDs satisfy the requirements of product category rules (PCR) and follow international standards, including ISO 14044, ISO 14025, and ISO 21930. EPD-listed products are gaining in importance as producers seek new ways to validate the assertions made by companies about the environmentally beneficial qualities of their products. Architects and designers also increasingly specify products with transparent lifecycle-assessment-based environmental impact reports.
The ACE XP Polymer Fiber® from Surface Tech has completed the third-party verification process to achieve its EPD.
WWW.THEASPHALTPRO.COM | 65
P R O D U C T GA L L E RY “We are pleased to be EPD-certifying our flagship product/technology and joining the ranks of other proven, sustainable solutions,” said Steve Santa Cruz, president of Surface Tech. ACE XP uses the tensile strength of aramid to address the performance distresses of cracking and rutting. It disperses over 19 million para-aramid fibers throughout each ton of mix, providing a three-dimensional reinforcement that increases the asphalt’s resistance to reflective cracking, rutting and fatigue. ACE XP is designed to make asphalt pavement stronger and last longer, thus increasing the pavement’s life expectancy, reducing maintenance costs, and providing enhanced sustainability to asphalt pavements. ACE XP can be added to any mix design with no needed changes at both batch and drum plants, according to the manufacturer. For more information, visit surface-tech.com/asphalt-ace-xp.
TARMAC
Tarmac International Inc., Lee’s Summit, Missouri, launched its new 30NOx burner with PLC controller at WOA 2022. The burner features two fuel valves—a primary in the back and a secondary in the center. “We pre-mix the fuel and air early,” President Ron Heap said. The burner uses early mixing of fuel and air along with internal gas recirculation to reduce NOx from over 100 PPM down to 30 PPM. This 30 PPM NOx is a level that Tarmac’s customers are experiencing in the USA. The new burner controller allows for improved fuel and air valve positioning (parallel positioning) with both manual and auto control. An Allen Bradley PLC with 10-inch touch screen controls the burner and interlocks. Manual operators are seen for backup control should the PLC fail. There is a “dashboard” where management can see burner production, fuel per ton, position of the fuel and air valves, position of the ID fan, negative pressure of the burner faceplate. Over-the-phone service is available with the technician seeing the parameters of the burner controller. For more information, contact any member of the Tarmac team at (816) 220-0700 or info@tarmacinc.com.
ZONAR
Zonar, Seattle, announced the availability of Zonar SightIQ™, which is a real-time analytics solution for construction aggregate operations. The asset productivity and health solution is designed to increase the efficiency and cycle times in pits and quarries by delivering a real-time, consolidated view of—and insights into—an operation’s equipment, machines and vehicles regardless of make, model, year, manufacturer or asset location. With SightIQ, construction aggregate site operators could eliminate the need to manually collect and analyze data from disparate sources and production impact studies. In return, operators can focus on unearthing enhanced profits by leveraging SightIQ insights to avoid breakdowns and fine-tune site processes. For example, SightIQ-driven insights can identify unnecessary idle time, inefficient use of fuel, or non-optimal timing of maintenance across assets. Even a 58-second longer cycle time can cost quarry fleets over $180,000 in lost productivity per day. Additionally, SightIQ meets the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEMP) 2.0 telematics standard, pulling asset data from all major yellow-iron OEMs into a singular, unified view accessible through Zonar Ground Traffic Control®. For more information, visit the Zonar Systems website. 66 | MAY 2022
The new 30-NOx burner from Tarmac features two fuel valves and tight PLC control.
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SNAPSHOTS FROM WORLD OF ASPHALT/AGG 1 2022 World of Asphalt/Agg1 2022 brought together a record-breaking 11,400 asphalt paving and aggregates professionals to its 20th anniversary event. More than 440 companies filled a sold-out Music City Center exhibition floor in Nashville from March 29-31, 2022. Here are a few highlights!
Photo courtesy of AEM
Photo courtesy of AEM
68 | MAY 2022
NEW TECH
B2W’s ONE Platform, Many Applications The ONE Platform from B2W Software, Portsmouth, New Hampshire, aims to enable contractors to win more bids and operate more profitably. BY ASPHALTPRO STAFF
B
2W Software’s ONE Platform connects the office, field and shop through a single operational database and its suite of applications for managing estimating, scheduling and dispatching, field tracking, equipment maintenance, e-forms and business insight workflows. B2W Software’s ONE Platform contains five applications: • B2W Estimate allows contractors to bid with centralized resource databases, templates and cost structures that can be used simultaneously by multiple estimators. • B2W Schedule is a single online system for resource scheduling and dispatching that is also unified with job site and equipment maintenance workflows. • B2W Track is a field tracking solution that enables contractors to record labor, productivity and equipment utilization via electronic field logs and analyze actual versus planned performance on a daily basis. • B2W Maintain can be used to drive automated preventive maintenance, generate and process work orders, track warranties, manage parts and inventory, manage mechanic timecards/payroll, and consolidate historical data and equipment reporting. • B2W Inform can be used to create electronic forms, enabling employees to access and fill out forms on any device, submit them immediately and generate reports.
HOW IT WORKS
The ONE Platform’s latest update, announced in the fall of 2021, introduced new capabilities that enable contractors to identify equipment defects and make repairs quickly. It can now generate repair requests automatically based on data from electronic forms used for completing equipment inspections. The new process relays detailed information from equipment inspections to the maintenance team immediately.
The ONE Platform can be accessed via the Cloud or deployed on-premise with a user’s own servers.
“BECAUSE YOU AREN’T WAITING ON THAT PAPER PROCESS, YOU CAN SCHEDULE MAINTENANCE QUICKER, WHICH TRANSLATES TO LOWER MAINTENANCE COST, MORE UPTIME, BETTER MAINTENANCE SCHEDULING, AND THE ABILITY TO FIX PROBLEMS BEFORE THEY BECOME A BIGGER ISSUE.”—GREG NORRIS B2W Marketing Communications Director Greg Norris reminded us, in years past, companies would note equipment in need of maintenance on paper forms. “Because it was on paper, there was usually some lag time between when the problem arises and when it can be resolved,” Norris said. “With electronic forms, you can connect
the inspection in the field with mechanics in the shop in real time. Because you aren’t waiting on that paper process, you can schedule maintenance quicker.” The API connection for automating the creation and logging of repair requests relies on the ONE Platform’s B2W Inform and B2W Maintain applications. B2W Inform is designed to enable contractors to customize and manage electronic forms for any requirement, including equipment inspections. Form fields can be mapped to the format of equipment repair requests, which are managed in the B2W Maintain application. This connection allows inspection forms to trigger repair requests automatically in the maintenance software and for information from forms—including descriptions and photos— to flow directly to the requests. “Asphalt paving is an equipment-intensive operation where it’s not uncommon for contractors to spend 10% of their revenue maintaining their fleet,” Norris said. “Using equipment maintenance software to shift to a preventive maintenance approach can cut that down to 5%.” WWW.THEASPHALTPRO.COM | 69
NEW TECH GW-EX Inc., an excavating company based in Ontario, Canada, is among the initial companies benefiting from this new workflow. The company has close to 100 pieces of equipment and generates more than 100 requests monthly for emergency and preventive maintenance. Jon Ewart, owner of GW-EX, said they faced efficiency, accountability and visibility challenges when repair requests were generated based on phone calls, text messages or paper forms submitted to the shop supervisor. Drivers or operators frequently claimed to have reported defects, while mechanics claimed they did not receive the information. “Now, there is a record and history of the request being submitted and also investigated by our mechanics,” Ewart said. “We have also been able to prioritize work more effectively, so issues impacting safety and production take priority over less significant, cosmetic requests.”
UPDATE & INTEGRATE
Norris said what sets the ONE Platform apart from other software approaches is the integration of its various applications under one
“WE HAVE ALSO BEEN ABLE TO PRIORITIZE WORK MORE EFFECTIVELY, SO ISSUES IMPACTING SAFETY AND PRODUCTION TAKE PRIORITY OVER LESS SIGNIFICANT, COSMETIC REQUESTS.”—JON EWART platform. “The key concept behind our platform approach is the integration between different workflows,” Norris said. “All the elements are designed to work together, versus bits and pieces from different companies being bolted together.” Examples of other integrations include automatically pushing data from B2W Estimate into B2W Track, “so the crew can build the project like it was bid without discrepancies between the way the estimator assumed
"Since making the switch to Meyer Laboratory’s asphalt release agents and drag slat cleaners at all the All States Materials Group plants throughout New England more than 2 plus years ago, we are extremely pleased with the performance of the products and customer service provided. I have also received positive feedback from our paving superintendent that Meyer’s products have performed much better than our previous products used on the tools, transfer machines, rubber tire rollers and pavers in the field. Thank you again for everything - Todd Jarvis, Plant Operations Manager - Trew Stone, LLC a division of All States Material Group
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Specially formulated temporary and semi-permanent release agents and coatings, drag slat cleaners, and extraction solvents. Designed to work on all asphalt mix designs, including on all PG grade asphalt mix designs such as PG-76-22 and 70-22.
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70 | MAY 2022
it would be done and the way the supervisor does it,” Norris said. Another is electronic communication from B2W Track automatically going into B2W Maintain, allowing foremen in the field who notice defects outside of the inspection process to automatically make a repair request from the field. Or, integration between B2W Schedule and B2W Maintain so the maintenance crew can schedule repairs for periods when machinery is not in use, and the dispatcher is aware of when machinery will be out for repair. The next big addition to the ONE Platform is the launch of a new application, the B2W Employee App, which offers individual time and performance tracking. “We have B2W Track, which is geared more toward tracking crews,” Norris said. “But, our customers often find it challenging to track the hours of individual employees working independently, like a grader operator or a truck driver. That’s why we decided to develop an app that individual employees can use to log their hours and performance that integrates with the company’s field logs.”
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BROCK is proudly manufacturing equipment and supplying parts for hot mix asphalt plants. www.brock.llc | 2011 West Polymer Drive, Chattanooga, TN 37421 | 1.800.441.9528 | 1.423.476.9900
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AD INDEX 800 Pavement Network . . . . . . . . 9
Meyer Lab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
ALmix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
Minds, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Asphalt Drum Mixers, Inc . . . . 30, 31
NCCP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Astec Industries
Inside Front Cover, Inside Back Cover, 11
B&S Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Blaw-Knox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Bomag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Olson-Homestead Valve . . . . . . . 39 Polyco . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65 Pugmill Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 Quik Pave Products . . . . . . . . . . 54
BROCK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Reliable Asphalt Products . . . . . . . . . . Back Cover
Cargill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27, 47
Sripath . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
CWMF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3, 44
Stansteel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13, 41
Dynapac . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Systems Equipment . . . . . . . . . .12
Fast Measure . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Tarmac Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Forta . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Top Quality Paving . . . . . . . . . . 73
Gencor Industries, Inc . . . . . . . . . 4
Unique Paving Materials . . . . . . . 50
Greenpatch . . . . . . . . . . . . 23, 53
Weiler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
KM International . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Willow Designs . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Meeker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Wirtgen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
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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H E R E ’ S H OW I T WO R K S
Step 1 Step 2 Polymer pellets from the weighbridge are augered to the mixing chamber.
Heated virgin asphalt enters the system and flows toward the mixing chamber.
If product needs to be remilled, the discharge pump, or extra piping and valving, can recirculate the product back through the mill.
Step
2
Step 3 The D&H horizontal mixing chamber disperses the polymer into the asphalt.
Step 6
Mill
Step 4
From the mill, the material is sent to a concentration tank, where heat and aggressive agitation promote the dilution and even the dispersion of polymer within the asphalt.
Step 4 The discharge pump moves the mixed material through a high shear mill.
Step 5 The mill shears the polymer to increase surface area and reduce dilution time.
D&H Equipment’s PMA Blending Plant BY ASPHALTPRO STAFF
P
olymer-modified asphalt (PMA) is a premium product consisting of liquid asphalt binder combined with polymers to improve overall durability and in-service pavement performance. D&H Equipment, Blanco, Texas, offers production equipment for inline blending, milling and processing of PMA. Here’s how it works: The modified asphalt production process starts by heating the asphalt to dissolve the polymer and to compensate for addition of ambient temperature dry material during the process. Next, polymer pellets are loaded using a bulk bag unloading system into a feed hopper. A weighbridge at the bottom of the polymer feed hopper controls the discharge of dry material into another lift auger for transportation to the mixing chamber. Neat asphalt is metered through a mass flowmeter by a variable speed pump. The 74 | MAY 2022
automated controls manage the flow rate of the incoming liquid asphalt and adjust the feed of desired dry material to meet input ratio specs. As asphalt flows through the system, the polymer feed is managed by the automated controls based on the asphalt flow rate and the desired polymer percentage. Materials then enter the D&H horizontal mixing chamber where polymer is dispersed into asphalt. A discharge pump transfers the mixed material through a high shear mill, which shears the polymer to increase surface area and reduce dilution time. From there, the product is sent to a concentrate tank for processing. Heat and aggressive agitation inside the processing tank promote the dilution and even dispersion of polymer within the asphalt until the polymer has fully dissolved into the asphalt. If a polymer concentrate was produced (typically using around 9-15% SBS by
weight), then it is generally diluted to 6% or less so that it can be safely crosslinked. Crosslinking the final product creates a molecular net that keeps the polymer molecules in suspension and prevents separation of the polymer and asphalt during storage. Typical finished products are further diluted to around 2-4% polymer by weight, based on the desired mix design/specs. For more information, visit https://www. dhequip.com/.
SHOW US HOW IT WORKS
If you’re an original equipment manufacturer with a complex product, let us help you explain its inner workings to asphalt professionals. There’s no charge for this news department, but our editorial staff reserves the right to decide what equipment fits the parameters of a HHIW feature. Contact our editor at sandy@theasphaltpro.com.
BUILT TO CONNECT
Power and Portability Our portable plant configurations feature a variety of components including jaw crushers, cone crushers, impact crushers and a variety of screening plants. Without sacrificing power or productivity, portable options deliver efficient and reliable performance with extra portability and adaptability.
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