Asphalt Additives, Liquids, Terminals
WITH NEW TERMINAL
Century Asphalt Unloads AC In Any Season
The Eyes Have It PCA Maligns WMA Stop Bearing Myths Strengthen Thin Overlays Oklahoma Doubles Fog Seal JUNE/JULY 2014
contents
Departments Letter from the Editor 5 Filter Your Source Around the Globe 6
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Safety Spotlight 8 Protect Eyes When Working in Rugged Environments By Honeywell Safety Products Mix It Up 10 A Tale of Two Testing Companies By AsphaltPro Staff
Articles
Producer Profile 16 Century Asphalt Expands its Materials Asphalt producer, supplier takes advantage of spot pricing with terminal growth plans By Sandy Lender Equipment Maintenance 24 Grease Squeaky Wheel Myths By Ian A. Rubin Equipment Gallery 46 CEI Boosts Liquid Movement
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26 Double Fog Seal Elevates the Results of Combined Preservation Treatments By Russell Heritage 30 Provide Clarity in Light of PCA’s Objections Warm-mix asphalt saves more than taxpayer money By Sandy Lender 40 Fortify Your Thin Overlay Sustain smooth, safe roads with tested, thin asphalt By Scott Nazar
Here's How It Works 58 Butler-Justice’s Blue Smoke Control® System 60 ECCO’s Gemineye™ Camera Systems
44 That's a Good Idea Dry Pavement Before Paving By John Ball
The Last Cut 64 Petroleum Past and Present By AsphaltPro Staff
54 Grow Economy with American Infrastructure Funding By AsphaltPro Staff
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52 International Paradise
Asphalt Additives, Liquids, Terminals
26 30
On the Cover WITH NEW TERMINAL
Century Asphalt Unloads AC In Any Season
The Eyes Have It PCA Maligns WMA Stop Bearing Myths Strengthen Thin Overlays Oklahoma Doubles Fog Seal JUNE/JULY 2014
Century Asphalt Materials new terminal in Baytown, Texas, takes delivery from a barge on the Gulf Coast. Terminal Manager Bill Lee shared that purchasing in bulk would comprise two to three barges, each one bringing 17 to 20,000 barrels of material that is conveyed through the 3,000 feet of electrically lined piping you see leading back to the terminal. Photo courtesy of Heatec, Chattanooga.
Every thing you want for asphalt storage: Complete systems. Vertical tanks. Horizontal. Portable. High efficiency. Low emissions. Hot oil. Direct-fired. Electric. 5,000 – 40,000 gallons. Worldwide parts & service support. 800.545.4034. ceienterprises.com.
CEI ENTERPRISES,INC.
an Astec Industries Company
245 WOODWARD RD, SE • ALBUQUERQUE, NM 87102 USA • 800.545.4034 • FAX 505.243.1422 • ceienterprises.com
editor's note
June/July 2014 • Vol. 7 No. 8
Filter Your Source
2001 Corporate Place Columbia, MO 65202 573-499-1830 • 573-499-1831 www.theasphaltpro.com Group publisher
Chris Harrison publisher
Sally Shoemaker sally@theasphaltpro.com (573) 823-6297 editor
Sandy Lender sandy@theasphaltpro.com (239) 272-8613 Art Director
Kristin Branscom operations/circulation manager
Cindy Sheridan business manager
Renea Sapp AsphaltPro is published 10 times per year: January, February, March, April, May, June/July, August/September, October, November and December by The Business Times Company, 2001 Corporate Place, Columbia, MO 65202 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 or Business Times Company staff, 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-2. Single copies available $17 each.
A few months ago, one of the regular participants in a journalism group on LinkedIn asked how the influx of company-sponsored print newsletters, electronic newsletters and “pumped up” catalogs targeting clients instead of employees affected B2B publishing. In other words, a manufacturing company that once printed a catalog with listings of its products customers could order now prints a 36-page newsletter in which customers can read a dozen or so items that use or include their products in action. A handful of the commenters in the LinkedIn group had useful information on the topic of potential advertisers providing their own content to their own readers. What I learned about the topic included this: it’s happening in all industries. As magazines and trade papers that once catered to niche industries drown in the pile of publications that refused to learn how to best leverage online platforms, the companies that once advertised in their pages are scrambling to win back page views. Here’s an easy example: A woman who makes hide-away huts for pets told me that her sales of huts plummeted when a popular pet-bird magazine went out of business; she no longer had anywhere to place her advertisements. As a small business owner, she doesn’t have the time or resources to create a hide-away hut newsletter to send out to her own email list every month, so she wants the convenience of a publication that reaches a target audience for her. Let’s apply that to the asphalt industry and look at the plethora of messages hitting your email box these days. If you’re reading this page, you’re in some aspect of the asphalt industry. While that’s a sizeable group of folks who move and store liquid product, design and produce paving mixes, place and compact pavements, repair and maintain infrastructure, recycle and reclaim resources, etc., it’s a niche market that not every Tom, Dick and Harry writes about. When an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) sends you a 20-page electronic newsletter with gorgeous pictures of a set-up you’d like to have some day, you feel obliged to read it and learn from the info therein. Yet you want information that pertains to your business without a specific manufacturer’s bias overshadowing that information. Here’s an easy example: If you pick up a magazine the American Dairy Farmers publish, you can bet it’s not going to contain an article on the benefits of drinking almond milk. If you pick up Telematics Manufacturer A’s newsletter, you can bet it’s not going to contain an article on the benefits of Telematics Manufacturer B’s latest product. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. If you’re on a certain OEM’s mailing list and that company’s quarterly magazine or newsletter arrives, you know the information inside will be geared toward the good things that company can do to help you in your business. We all want that. When you stop to think of the myriad companies out there, it becomes absolutely overwhelming. You need one of two things: a personal assistant who can sit in your office and read for you all day; or a filter. Feel free to consider AsphaltPro magazine your filter. Of course we include some information straight from OEMs, but you’ll find the information has gone through a filter. We tend to question everything here. We want to present you facts and information you can trust. But AsphaltPro provides something a specific company e-magazine or newsletter will not. We provide stories from around the industry with a variety of viewpoints within one article or within one edition. When you look at the Equipment Gallery department, you’ll find a number of machines from different OEMs included. When you read through the pages, you’ll see a host of information about processes, machines and technologies that have been developed, engineered and promoted by companies and individuals who may or may not be advertisers in our pages. You can be sure the information will always pertain to your business and will be packaged in a manner that makes it easy for you to improve your bottom line. You may receive a few company-specific newsletters or magazines in the mail or electronically. These are excellent resources to learn about product capabilities from the OEMs directly. At AsphaltPro, we encourage you to keep reading this resource as well, where a variety of information is filtered with care.
Stay Safe,
Sandy Lender www.theasphaltpro.com | ASPHALT PRO 5
around the globe
Industry News and Happenings from Around the World Africa
The Sept. 15 to 18, 2015, trade show to be held in Johannesburg now has the name bauma CONEXPO Africa. As part of their cooperation on international construction machinery events, Messe Munchen and the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) announced in 2013 their intention to set up a joint venture in Africa. CEO Elaine Crewe oversaw the first event held under the name of bauma Africa, which boasted 754 exhibitors from 38 countries and 14,700 visitors from more than 100 countries. Visit www.bcafrica.com for more information.
ers will appeal the ruling from the ICC. He has stated that the ICC approved a pipeline of 36 inches circumference that could bring hundreds of thousands of barrels of petroleum to the region, but the pipeline has been changed to 24 inches with crude oil that will end up going to China. The attorney also states that Enbridge will bus workers from Michigan to build the pipeline rather than giving jobs to workers in the region.
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United States •
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Readers from the aggregate portion of our industry can become a Boy Scouts of America Mining in Society Merit Badge counselor by contacting a local council. Visit www.scouting.org/LocalCouncilLocator.aspx and check out the Succession Plan for Consistency article in the April/May issue of AsphaltPro for more information. Like us at www.facebook.com/AsphaltProMagazine. Follow us @AsphaltPro.
Idaho
ECCO Group has acquired Public Safety Equipment (PSE), creating the newly formed ECCO Safety Group (ESG), headquartered in Boise, Idaho. The organization now has manufacturing in nine locations on four continents with four additional sales offices in Europe, Australia and China.
Illinois
Enbridge Inc. (ENB.TO) has permission from the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) but not from the almost 100 landowners along the proposed route for the company’s planned 167-mile pipeline to proceed. According to the Pantagraph online news source, an attorney for the landown6 June/july 2014
Nevada •
Louisiana
Canada
Scott Builders, Inc., of Red Deer, Alberta, won the Innovator Award from Dexter + Chaney of Seattle at the software company’s 18th annual Connect 2014 Users’ Conference in late April. Scott Builders’ CEO Murray Cunningham shared that his company uses the advanced cloud-based Spectrum® construction software as “an important part of our plans for continued growth.” Scott Builders specializes in total construction service from site selection and planning to construction, etc.
the House approves it, voters will see the transportation funding measure on the ballet in November. Source: Kansas City Star online
Sempra International, New Orleans, received the final permit necessary from the Energy Department for a proposed expansion of its Cameron liquefied natural gas terminal in Hackberry, La., but still needed approval from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission as of Feb. 12. According to the Associated Press, Sempra intends to add liquefaction plants and other elements—to the tune of $10 billion—to turn the import terminal into an export terminal. If construction begins this year as planned, the company expects full commercial operation by 2019. The 2014 Asphalt Sustainability Conference takes place at the Omni Royal Orleans in New Orleans Nov. 4 through 5. Visit www. asphaltpavement.org for more information.
Maryland •
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“Cracking concrete has plagued the Silver Spring Transit Center in Maryland, and now there are also ‘a structural integrity issue as well as a potential local safety issue for the general public,’ according to a report from an independent advisory committee.” Source: American General Contractors and multiple others Working with the National Center for Asphalt Technology and state asphalt pavement associations, NAPA is testing several localized Thinlay mixes with a high level of recycled materials, which will be used to craft guidelines states can use to develop sustainable thin overlays to best meet their local conditions and materials. Check out the new paper from NAPA, “Thinlays: The Pavement Preservation Tool of Choice,” at www.AsphaltPavement.org/ThinIsIn.
Missouri
Missouri representatives have a chance to improve road funding. The Senate voted April 29 in favor of a less than one cent sales tax increase. If
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The Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada has announced the list of design and construction projects approved by the RTC board October 2013. The 183 projects owned by Boulder City, Clark County, Henderson, Las Vegas, Mesquite, Nevada DOT, North Las Vegas, RTC and RTC Fast range from $67,725 (there are eight at that price) to $180,000,000 for a total of $693,528,300. A handful of pedestrian-related projects are under $20,000. Seventeen projects are priced at, or greater than $10 million. They’re listed at www.rtcsnv.com/ fri/docs/RPT_ApprovedList.pdf. Save the date for the Trimble Dimensions 2014 conference this Nov. 3 through 5 at the Mirage Hotel & Events Center in Las Vegas. Visit www.TrimbleDimensions.com.
Tennessee
The National Asphalt Pavement Association Midyear Meeting takes place at the Renaissance Nashville Hotel in Nashville, Tenn., this July 14 through 16. The theme is “The Center of Innovation.” Visit www.asphaltpavement.org and the meetings tab to register.
Virginia
The AGC of America hosts its 2014 Contractors Environmental Conference June 12 through 13 in Arlington. Get up-to-date information on environmental compliance and sustainability issues from federal agency reps onsite. Visit www.agc. org/cs/events.
Washington
Dexter + Chaney of Seattle has released the mobile app Payroll Time Entry, which is developed for Android and Apple tablets and smart phones to let supervisors and project managers enter labor and equipment hours directly from the job site. Visit www.dexterchaney.com.
Washington, D.C.
The NAPA Fly-In in cooperation with the National Stone, Sand and Gravel Association takes place Sept. 9 through 10 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel. Visit www.asphaltpavement.org and the meetings tab.
Ad name
safety spotlight This worker models the red mirror lens tint of the Uvex Hypershock™ lenses.
Protect Eyes When Working in Rugged Environments
By Honeywell Safety Products
I
f workers hesitate to wear safety glasses because they don’t like the look of the glasses or they find them uncomfortable, they put their eye health at risk and the company’s insurance premium at risk. To address comfort, style and safety, Honeywell of Smithfield, R.I., has introduced Uvex Hypershock™ safety eyewear. The manufacturer states this eyewear combines premium sport-inspired style and best-in-class lens performance for appeal and protection. “Workers are more likely to wear protective eyewear when it looks good and 8 June/july 2014
is comfortable, so we designed Uvex Hypershock with progressive sport styling to support worker acceptance and promote all-day wear,” David Iannelli, senior eyewear product manager for Honeywell Safety Products, said. “With so many frame and lens tint options plus our most advanced lens coating technology, Uvex Hypershock delivers the good looks workers want and the high performance protection safety managers demand.” The eyewear has specific features that perform in the work zone as well. “Uvex Hypershock is perfect for all-day wear in
Workers are more likely to wear protective eyewear when it looks good and is comfortable.”—David Iannelli, Honeywell Safety Products extreme environments,” Iannelli told AsphaltPro. “With the industry’s leading scratch resistant lens coating that stands up in dirty, gritty applications and an advanced anti-fog coating that ensures prolonged fog-free vision in hot, steamy environments, Uvex Hypershock is ideally suited to those working in the asphalt and related industries.” The eyewear’s lightweight, wrap-around frame design is engineered to fit a wide range of workers while providing increased coverage, side protection and superior peripheral vision. Streamlined padded temples and a molded nosepiece deliver a secure, comfortable fit. Integrated hinge mechanisms with dual cam action promote precision operation and durability. Uvex Hypershock lenses feature proprietary Uvextreme Plus anti-fog coating for superior protection against fog and scratches. Lenses are also available with scratch-resistant hardcoat for longer lasting protection from scuffing, scratching and a variety of chemicals. The ten available lens tints— Clear Ice, Gray, Amber, SCT-Reflect 50, SCT Blue, Red Mirror, Blue Mirror, Espresso Polarized, Espresso and Gold Mirror— meet the needs of nearly any lighting application. Uvex Hypershock lenses provide 99.99 percent UV protection. Uvex Hypershock meets the ANSI Z87.1-2010 standard and is 100 percent dielectric for safe wear in environments where electrical hazards exist. For more information, contact the Honeywell Safety Products customer care department at (800) 430-5490 or visit www.uvex.us. Let them know you saw it in AsphaltPro magazine. *Comparative lens life test performed using a Bayer Abrasion Test method and may vary between environment and application. Anti-fog performance based on independent lab test results.
mix it up
Pine was one of two companies selected to deliver gyratory compactors under a contract with FHWA. Photo courtesy of Tom Harman of FHWA.
A Tale of Two Testing Companies By AsphaltPro Staff
T
he Asphalt industry takes quality control/quality assurance (QC/ QA) seriously and has done so for more than a century. Among the companies that assist technicians and inspectors to develop excellent mix designs and test them for long-term performance, two have submitted history lessons for readers. Don’t worry: there’s no quiz at the end. Instead, Brookfield Engineering of Middle-
10 June/july 2014
boro, Mass., and Pine Instrument Company and have provided a quick and easy look at testing design with a focus on the people behind the machines. Enjoy this look back at asphalt’s commitment to excellence.
Brookfield Celebrates 80th Anniversary In 1933 Donald Brookfield, Sr., envisioned an unconventional approach to
measuring viscosity. His experimentation with motors and springs in the basement of his family’s home resulted in the creation of a single-speed instrument that would ultimately become known as “the world standard” in viscosity measurement and control. A year later, Don Brookfield founded the business. Over the years he demonstrated a commitment to service by offering his
mix it up oped a complete range of in-line process viscometers that enabled manufacturers to measure viscosity continuously during production. In 2004 Brookfield entered the texture analysis market, complimenting its line of R&D and QC testing instrumentation. The CT3 texture analyzer initially targeted the food manufacturing industry, but was later expanded to measure the mechanical flow properties of a wide variety of products in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and packaging. In 2010 the PFT powder flow tester made its debut, providing quick and easy analysis of powder flow behavior in industrial equipment. Most recently: Brookfield has added touch screen technology to several of the company's most popular instruments. ABOVE Donald Brookfield began his company in 1934. Photo courtesy of Brookfield Engineering.
ABOVE Pine is in the process of designing new electronic controls to replace obsolete components. Photo courtesy of Pine Instruments.
loyal customers his newest innovations at little to no cost. Through the middle years Brookfield Engineering addressed issues of temperature control, small sample volumes and very low viscosities, continually adapting to the changing needs of industry. As technology marched forward, Brookfield produced a wide range of digital and programmable viscometers and rheometers that operated in stand-alone or PC controlled modes. Brookfield engineers also devel12 June/july 2014
Count on Pine Since 1962 When Ted Hines entered the asphalt testing market, his mission was to design and build equipment that would withstand the rigors of field operation, operate continuously and accurately, and have an expert technical team behind it to keep the customer up and running when a problem did arise. What Ted Hines didn’t know was that the original equipment his fledgling company built in 1962 would still be operational after he retired in 2013 when he handed the reins of the company over to his son, Joe. Pine’s original products for the asphalt industry were Marshal mix design products, and the company continues to sell these products today. In the mid 1990s Pine began offering Superpave gyratory compactors. Superior Performing Asphalt Pavements (Superpave) is the most commonly used method of asphalt mix design in the country today. It evolved from the Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP), an initiative set forth by the U.S. Congress in 1987, which earmarked $150 million for improving the quality of American roads. During the past 20 years, nearly every state has adopted a form of Superpave mix design. While the origins of asphalt mixing dates back to the 1890s, the most popular were the Marshal and Hveem design methods. Francis Hveem, who was a resident engineer in California in the
late 1920s and early 1930s, developed the Hveem method. The Marshall method was developed by Bruce Marshall of the Mississippi Department of Highways in the 1940s. Both of these mix design methods are still used today although Superpave is now the predominant method. Pine’s first gyratory compactor was the model AFGC125. It was designed and built as part of a Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) pooled fund purchase that was placed at the conclusion of SHARP. Pine was one of two companies selected to deliver gyratory compactors under the contract. In addition to design improvements over the years, many Pine customers want to keep their compactors working as long as possible. Pine technicians have traveled the country to repair units that have been in fires, in floods and exposed to decades of hard use. On Sept. 11, 2001, a Pine tech was on his way to the west coast to repair a compactor. He had gotten as far as Kansas City when all flights were cancelled so he rented a car and drove to Oregon to repair the unit and get the customer back up and running. The City of Los Angeles has developed an Accelerated Performance Test, performed with a rotary asphalt wheel tester that Pine sold to them a decade ago. The test has reduced the time to determine if a mix is suitable for a specific application from 10+ hours to about two hours. The engineers and technicians at the city know that if a mix design passes their test, it will perform well in the field. Most recently: Pine is in the process of refurbishing their units. A 20-yearold gyratory compactor working in the field has components that will need replaced at some point. It’s not difficult to replace mechanical parts, but it’s another matter to replace electronic parts if a manufacturer no longer supports them in the constantly evolving world of electronics. Pine is in the process of designing new electronic controls to replace obsolete components. For more information about Brookfield Engineering, visit www.brookfieldengineering.com or call (800) 628-8139 or (508) 946-6200. For more information on Pine Instruments, visit www.pineinstrument.com or call (724) 458-6391.
producer profile
“At the dock, we would bring in a barge typically around 40 feet wide, 300 feet long, holding 17 to 20,000 barrels of asphalt,” Terminal Manager Bill Lee said. The pump for moving the liquid material is aboard the barge, but a Century Asphalt crew member hooks up the hose from the dock. “We have about 3,000 feet of electrically traced piping going back to the terminal,” Lee continued. “Typically it takes about 8 to 12 hours to unload each barge. We always have one person on site sitting in the doghouse monitoring the unloading process. If there’s any problem, they can shut everything down. It’s a pretty straight-forward process, though.”
Century Asphalt Expands its Materials
By Sandy Lender
Asphalt producer, supplier takes advantage of spot pricing with terminal growth plans 16 June/july 2014
ABOVE: Bill Lee is the terminal manager for Century Asphalt and shared that the site has 20 rail car slots—10 on the west side and 10 on the east. “Typically what we do is bring in 10 to 20 cars at a time,” Lee said. “We then hook them to our steam system to melt the cars so we’re able to unload them. We have a series of four pumps that we can use in series to unload the rail cars depending on how many cars we’re unloading and how fast we can unload the material. We will typically heat 10 cars at a time; it’ll take us one to two days depending on the material we’ve brought in.”
P
roviding twelve hot-mix asphalt (HMA) and warm-mix asphalt (WMA) products, four sealcoat products, and eight construction aggregate products throughout Southeast Texas requires a steady supply of base ingredients. To make those products, Century Asphalt Materials™ operates 10 HMA plants and a concrete crushing plant located throughout Houston and the Hill Country of Texas, and samples and tests all of its materials daily in its own lab in Houston. Those products begin at Century Asphalt’s new terminal located in Baytown, Texas. Bill Lee is the terminal manager of Century Asphalt Terminal. He began his career in the asphalt industry in research and then went into quality control and production. He’s worked with Century Asphalt for about three years now. He
explained that the company worked with Heatec of Chattanooga to make the terminal a reality; Heatec personnel did the engineering and programming. “I would sum it up to say we got the whole package from Heatec instead of having to go out and subcontract various things,” Lee said. What they acquired included six 54,000-barrel inventory tanks and two 5,000-barrel day tanks as well as the piping and heaters to bring in, heat, store, transfer, load out material and more. A spokesperson for Heatec said, “The jobsite was developed from scratch. No existing structures were used or refurbished.” “Having over 300,000 barrels of storage allows us to make spot purchases and gives us the luxury of being able to buy material when it’s at its lowest price,” Lee said. “This will help us pay back the cost
of the terminal and of course reduces our material cost and allows us to make lower bids and win more jobs.” With liquid material delivered by rail from the north and by barge from the Gulf, Century Asphalt can purchase ingredients when the price is right. “During any given year, we typically move between 120,000 and 150,000 tons of asphalt, which translates into 600,000 to 700,000 barrels of asphalt,” Lee said. “Our typical purchase on a barge scale would be two to three barges, each one bringing 17 to 20,000 barrels. With rail cars, we typically bring in 80 to 120 rail cars a month, each one of those being 90 tons or maybe 500 barrels of asphalt. “We’ll move the majority of that material through here during the months of March through October. Our volumes certainly decrease from October through the www.theasphaltpro.com | ASPHALT PRO 17
producer profile
ABOVE: The pipe rack holds all the piping necessary for moving materials between the tanks and for unloading material from rail cars or barges. It also carries the hot oil through the system for heating the tanks as well as the piping. BELOW: This is the automated truck loading rack at the Asphalt Century terminal. At this time, it has two active scales, but the company has room—and tentative plans—to install another set.
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producer profile
The Century Asphalt terminal has room for expansion with plans for an emulsion tank and possibly more inventory tanks.
end of February when the paving season decreases, but that’s a good time to make a spot purchase if we can to buy material.” During the summer, it’s more advantageous to bring material in by water in bulk; during the winter, it’s more advantageous to bring material in by rail from the continent. “It’s important that we have access to the water,” Lee said. “Typically the asphalt market swings from season to season so the material that’s available during the summertime is traditionally lower priced when it’s coming in by water by bulk. The majority of the material is produced along the Gulf and moved around in barges or ships. During the offseason, the material comes in by rail from the northern part of the country where it’s the paving off-season and there’s an excess of material. So we switch back and forth between those two supply markets. If you’re restricted to one of those two 20 June/july 2014
markets, it will limit your options and raise your costs at the end of the day.” At the end of the day, the materials are coming in for the purpose of going back out for customers or company use. That means Century Asphalt also invested in loadout structures and automation from Heatec to make the system as user-friendly as possible. “The automated truck loading rack at the terminal has two active scales,” Lee said. “Trucks pull onto one of the scales. The driver chalks the wheels of the truck [as a safety protocol—this practice alerts personnel if there’s any movement of the truck]. They will go upstairs. They lock down a loading ramp. They go inside to answer a series of questions. They use their loading number to unlock the system. Then one final safety stop—they have a pedal they have to step on to be able to load the truck. The entire process takes about 25 to 30 minutes from stop to finish, which means we can load some-
where around 80 to 90 trucks per day, depending on arrival times of the trucks.” The series of steps Lee described is in place to assist in safety and accountability. “It’s run with Astec programming, which allows it to be a hands-off process as far as the personnel are concerned here. It’s all done by the truck drivers when they come in, which makes this a 24-hour, 7-day-aweek, 365-day-a-year process.” The rail line requires a bit more attention from personnel. When the cars arrive, workers hook them to the terminal’s steam system to melt the product inside to enable unloading. “We have a series of four pumps here that we can hook in series to unload the rail cars depending on how many cars we’re unloading and how fast we can unload the material,” Lee said. “We will typically heat 10 cars at a time. It’ll take us one to two days depending on the material we’ve brought in. We can switch those cars out while we’re heating the other set
Unloading the barges takes 8 to 12 hours.
of rail cars and go back and forth like that. This allows us to bring in and unload up to 120 to 140 cars a month of rail material. This translates into about 500 barrels per car, which I’d say is about half of the supply of the material that we bring into this terminal on a year-to-year basis.” Century Asphalt’s goal is not to stay with the status quo. They’ve recently completed the construction of two 10,000-barrel tanks to store and ship out polymer-modified asphalts. “We see this terminal as an evolving process,” Lee said. “As we get used to the processes that we already have capabilities for, we’re adding new capabilities. …We have the ability to add more of the 54,000-barrel inventory tanks or any other size tanks. We already have the engineering done to add emulsion capabilities here at the terminal. Again, we see this as an evolving process so that we can become a totally vertically integrated company.” www.theasphaltpro.com | ASPHALT PRO 21
equipment maintenance
THIS PHOTO: Before lubricating a bearing, make sure the grease fitting is clean. You don’t want to introduce contamination into the bearing during relubrication. RIGHT: Scratching, gouging and general wear in the bore of an inner ring and on the OD of a shaft indicate loss of lock. Sometimes the setscrew tips will also be worn. Fretting wear can be present on the surfaces and is sometimes a precursor form of wear prior to loss of lock. This can be caused by improper tightening of the locking mechanism, undersized, worn or damaged shafting; frequent start, stop operation; or hardened or stainless steel shafting that prevents set screw penetration or holding.
Grease Squeaky Wheel Myths
T
he wheels of industry turn on bearings, so why do the wheels often vibrate, clatter, squeak, drag and overheat? Bearings can fail for lots of reasons. Most failures (as shown in Figure 1) are related to lubrication and contamination, but myths and misconceptions handed from one generation of maintenance engineers to the next perpetuate many avoidable problems. These myths fall into three general areas of bearing use: installation, misapplication and lubrication.
Installation myth #1: It’s okay to hammer a bearing into position if needed – FALSE. Never strike a direct blow to a bearing. The rolling elements and raceway are hardened, but can still be damaged. A hammer blow can leave dents in the raceway that can cause noise and dramatically reduce bearing life. If installation is difficult, first check the shaft diameter, look for burrs, dirt or corrosion on the shaft. If needed, use a press to slide the bearing on. Apply pressure equally on the 24 June/july 2014
By Ian A. Rubin
face of the inner ring to avoid damaging the raceways and rolling elements.
screw to the full torque, then go back to the first setscrew and apply full torque. l
Installation myth #2: Off-theshelf TGP shafting is the best option – FALSE.
Application myth #1: Bearings can be hot to the touch – TRUE.
It’s more important to know the shaft’s tolerance range to be sure it meets your bearing manufacturer’s spec for diameter and roundness. Review the bearing manufacturer’s recommendations and measure/specify the correct shaft diameter.
Normal bearing operating temperatures can range from 80°F to 150°F, but certain applications may run higher or lower. Most bearings are rated for -20 to 220°F, but can be supplied with special grease, seals or heat stabilizing processes that allow them to op-
Installation myth #3: It’s fine to hand-tighten setscrews one at a time – FALSE. Setscrews should be tightened to the manufacturer’s recommended torque. Undertightening can allow the bearing to slip on the shaft. Over-tightening can distort the raceway or crack the inner ring. Use the “half-full/full” rule for tightening setscrews—tighten the first setscrew to half the recommended torque, the second set-
Figure 1. Sources of Bearing Wear or Failures
erate at higher temperatures. Bearings normally run hotter at start-up or right after relubrication because excess grease increases drag and friction in the bearing. Spikes up to 50°F are normal at start-up and 30°F after re-lubrication. As the rolling elements purge excess grease through the seals, the bearings return to steady-state temperatures.
Application myth #2: Bigger bearings are always better – FALSE. Bigger bearings with a higher load capacity may show a higher fatigue life, but if the load does not achieve the minimum requirement, the rolling elements can skid along the raceway instead of rolling. This can cause high temperatures, excessive wear, lubrication breakdown and bearing failure.
Application myth #3: Sealed/ lubed-for-life bearings will not last forever – TRUE. Bearing life depends on grease life, which is affected by the operating conditions (speed and load) and environment (temperature and contamination). Grease life can be improved with enhanced seals, proper installation and proper grease selection. Ultimately, the best bearing is the properly lubricated bearing.
Lubrication myth #1: Relubrication once a year is sufficient – FALSE. Start by reviewing the bearing manufacturer’s lubrication recommendations. These will give amounts and intervals as suggested starting points, but actual lubrication intervals may vary quite a bit, depending on load, speed, temperature or environmental conditions. Applications with higher speeds, temperatures or heavy contamination sometimes require frequent re-lubrication, possibly weekly or daily. By contrast, a mounted ball bearing in a lightly loaded, low-speed, clean environment may do fine with re-lubrication at 12- to 24-month intervals. Certain applications may need to be monitored and lubrication intervals/amounts adjusted accordingly. Re-lubrication replenishes grease when the current grease breaks down or deteriorates because the base oil breaks down due to temperature. Without this,
the lubricating property is gone and the result is metal-to-metal contact. Re-lubricating the bearing replenishes the oil, maintaining the proper film. Pumping new grease into a bearing also helps flush away contamination. Many mounted bearings are designed to allow grease to enter the bearing cavity as close to the rolling elements as possible. As more grease is added, the old grease is pushed out of the seals (if the seals are purgeable). The purged grease carries out contaminants and keeps dirt away from the seals.
Lubrication myth #2: Always add grease until it purges from the seal – FALSE. If you pump grease into the bearing until it purges out the seal, you probably have completely filled the bearing cavity. Excess grease can increase operating temperature and may create enough pressure to blow the seal out. However, in low-speed or dirty conditions where contamination may easily enter the seals, filling a bearing with grease may help improve performance. Application experience will dictate when the entire bearing cavity should be filled.
These greases are borderline compatible, and depending on the actual make up, may not work together. Grease types can also be incompatible based on the viscosity or type of oil in the grease, so consulting a lubrication supplier is always recommended.
Lubrication myth #5: Just shoot grease through the fitting – FALSE. Always clean grease fittings and the grease gun tip. It’s good practice to put the grease gun tip in an oil bath or wrap it with a plastic cover to protect it. Your plant’s uptime and OEE may “turn” on your bearings’ good health. If you are not achieving the desired operational life for some of them, a bearing manufacturer can assist you with proper selection and troubleshooting. Ian A. Rubin is director of marketing, mounted bearings, for Sealmaster, System Plast and Browning-branded products at Emerson Power Transmission Solutions. For more information, visit powertransmissionsolutions.com.
Lubrication myth #3: If a bearing makes noise, grease should be added – FALSE. If a bearing is making noise, internal damage has likely occurred. This increases over time, with the potential for catastrophic failure. Adding grease may provide temporary relief, but a noisy bearing should be closely monitored and replaced at the first opportunity. The root of the failure should also be investigated either with independent or manufacturer failure analysis (manufacturer analysis requires removal of the bearing as soon as possible to aid in a more accurate diagnosis of the problem).
Lubrication myth #4: Any grease will do – FALSE. Greases DO differ. Some may be incompatible because of the different thickeners (soaps) used. When two incompatible greases are mixed, they may thicken and harden or become thin and leak out of the bearing. For example, many electric motors use a polyurea thickener while some mounted ball bearings use lithium-complex thickeners.
Surface smearing, peeling and skidding are forms of adhesive wear that occur when operating with insufficient oil film thickness. Under these conditions, sliding occurs between the rolling elements and raceways causing surface deformation, cold welding and/or material transfer. Causes include: • Inadequate lubricant properties • Lubrication breakdown • Ineffective relubrication • Mixing of incompatible lubricants • Insufficient load at high speeds • Sudden acceleration/deceleration www.theasphaltpro.com | ASPHALT PRO 25
l Heritage
Double Fog Seal Elevates the Results of Combined Preservation Treatments
The specified fog seal was CQS-1F, an Ergon Asphalt & Emulsions product produced in Catoosa, Okla. The product is designed to cure in lessw than an hour, making the possibility of the double fog seal more tangible. PSI Seal Masters, Inc., shot the CQS-1F in two overlapping layers, each at 0.10 gallons per square yard.
By Russell Heritage
W
hen companies work together, they can excel in ways beyond a single company’s purview. That’s what these companies did when they combined their knowledge and resources for the Chickasaw Nation. Three Ergon owned companies, Ergon Asphalt & Emulsions, Inc. (EA&E), of Lawton, Okla., Paving Maintenance Supply, Inc., of Edmond, Okla. (PMSI), and Crafco, Inc. (Crafco), based in Chandler, Ariz., joined forces to repair and preserve the milelong stretch of asphalt pavement leading to the Chickasaw Children’s Village, which is a residential and educational campus in Kingston, Okla., that houses Native American children. The scenic roadway was constructed more than a decade ago, and its quality was rapidly declining due to lack of maintenance. Adding to the road’s trou26 June/july 2014
bles, a recent two-year drought in the state had hurried the surface’s deterioration and longitudinal cracking. Although Village Road was suffering from a high number of cracks, it was far from beyond repair. Rather than overlay the surface with hot mix asphalt, the existing pavement could be restored using a combination of pavement preservation treatments. To do so effectively, industry best practices needed to be followed. One of the most recommended, but often overlooked, steps in preserving a pavement is to seal the existing cracks. Doing so locks out moisture and prevents the otherwise inevitable decay of the underlying structure. “Crack sealing a pavement before applying a chip seal is a benefit to the road in several ways,” Zach Burkey said. He’s the sales representative for PMSI. “You’re sealing
out the moisture to help protect your base, and you’re filling the voids in between the cracks. That gives the road a smooth surface to apply a chip seal on, which will improve ride quality and prevent reflective cracking in the future. It makes for a better end product that lasts much longer.”
Meet the Team • Ergon Asphalt & Emulsions manufactures emulsions for use in pavement preservation applications. Area Sales Manager Johnny Roe participated in the Chickasaw project. • Crafco manufactures pavement preservation products and equipment. • PMSI distributes Crafco and other products via storefront; rents and sells equipment; and provides face-to-face
equipment demonstrations. Sales Representative Burkey worked with EA&E’s Roe. Chip sealing worn pavements without sealing cracks that are one quarter of an inch or larger can result in poor performance. Cracks of that size need to be filled with crack sealant beforehand to protect the base from moisture. Without taking this step, base damage and reflective cracking are almost guaranteed to occur. You could witness these negative results on many county roads in Oklahoma. Roe recognized the potential to improve the quality of the counties’ chip seals by teaming up with Burkey, the PMSI sales representative. “Zach and I have visited 13 counties to perform crack seal demos, and 12 of those counties have purchased crack seal material through PMSI,” Roe said. Performing crack seals prior to seals has been beneficial to the counties as well, because it has resulted in better chip seals. Previously, reflective cracks were returning to the surface as quickly as two weeks after chip seal applications. Today, they’re being thoroughly sealed out.
Meet the Chickasaw Nation Stretching across 13 counties, the Chickasaw Nation jurisdictional territory covers more than 7,500 square miles in South Central Oklahoma. As part of the Federal Highway Association’s tribal transportation program, the Nation inventories roads that are either lived on by a percentage of the Chickasaw Nation, or used by its citizens to reach school or work. The Chickasaw Nation Roads Department submits this list to the federal government, which provides funds dedicated to reconstructing or repairing the roads. Until four years ago, the tribal transportation program did not offer funds for pavement preservation products. As a result, the Chickasaw Nation was primarily constructionoriented. Once the restriction was lifted, Pontotoc County Commissioner Gary Starns saw an opportunity to bring the tribe up to speed in preservation methodology. “Gary already had a great relationship with the Chickasaws and with Ergon, and knew we would make a great fit,” Roe said. Their relationship with the Chickasaws began during a crack seal demonstration that Burkey performed for Commissioner Starns. He introduced Burkey and Roe to the Chickasaw Nation Roads Department Special Projects Manager Nick Woodward. The trio became fast friends, and began to perform a large volume of work together.
Restore the Road The relationship between EA&E and the Chickasaw Nation resulted in the preservation of the pavement in Kingston, Okla., where three preservation options combined to repair the mile-long stretch of roadway leading to the Chickasaw Children’s Village. The three selected preservation treatments followed industry recommended practices: 1. Crack seal the existing pavement to prevent water intrusion into the base; 2. Follow up with a chip seal to halt oxidation, seal the road against water, and provide a durable high friction surface; 3. Lock in the aggregate and protect the surface with a fog seal. www.theasphaltpro.com | ASPHALT PRO 27
Before: Nick Woodward, special projects manager for the Chickasaw Nation Roads Department, evaluated the Children’s Village road with other officials and decided it was a good candidate to receive federal funding for preservation. “Our inspector, Brad Williams, had recently visited the site and saw that the road was significantly cracked and in need of repair,” Woodward said.
After: Woodward recently gave a presentation detailing the pavement preservation efforts at a meeting of the Five Civilized Tribes. Sharing knowledge and innovative products with a partner like the Chickasaws isn’t a one-way street. They’re excited to share their successes with others. And as innovators seeking new and better ways to preserve their roads, they are always on the lookout for processes and methods that achieve excellent results.
An internal crew from the Chickasaw Nation Roads Department used a Crafco Super Shot 125 melter/applicator purchased from PMSI to crack seal the road with Crafco Road Saver 515 crack sealant. Based on the amount of traffic the road typically saw, as well as the tribe’s prior experience with the product, the polymer-modified emulsion CRS2+ was chosen for use with the chip seal that followed. CRS2+ is produced by EA&A in Lawton, Okla. The aggregate used for the chip seal was a 3/8-inch limestone from the nearby Dolese Quarry. The contractor for the project, PSI Seal Masters, Inc., of Davis, Okla., applied the chip seal emulsion at 0.4 gallons per square yard, but a calibration issue with the distributor’s onboard computer on the front end of the project caused the binder appli28 June/july 2014
cation rate to be lighter than expected. The issue was quickly corrected, but a portion of the pavement only received three quarters of the material needed to securely hold the aggregate to the surface of the roadway. To compensate for the lack of material and provide the dark surface the Chickasaws were looking for, Roe and Woodward planned to apply a single heavy fog seal at 0.15 gallons per square yard. But on the day of application, they came up with a better idea—double the seal. The specified fog seal was CQS-1F, an Ergon Asphalt & Emulsions product produced in Catoosa, Okla. The product is designed to cure in less than an hour, making the possibility of the double fog seal more tangible. PSI Seal Masters, Inc., shot the CQS-1F on one side of the mile-long road at 0.10 gallons per square yard. They then
returned to the starting point and applied the fog seal to the other side of the pavement at the same rate. Ideal weather conditions helped the seal cure in approximately 20 minutes. Once cured, crews immediately applied the second coat of CQS-1F, again at 0.10 gallons per square yard. Dry weather and the engineered cure times helped the material break quickly. Using a double fog seal reduced the risk of runoff, provided better initial and longterm aggregate retention, and gave the road a dark, textured look that meshed with the well-kept grounds of the Children’s Village. The result of that decision, as well as the pavement preservation products and best practices that preceded it, was a high quality surface with 10 to 13 projected years of additional service life and a gorgeous appearance. Chickasaw Roads Director Bo Ellis believes in the benefits of fog seals. “I’ve seen chip seals that are still losing rock a few weeks after they were applied,” he said. “The fog seal really bonds the whole thing together and locks in your driving surface, giving you more bang for your buck.” Crack sealing is booming throughout the Chickasaw Nation. But it’s also taken off in other areas because of what the Chickasaws have done. “I had always been told that crack seals work really well with chip seals,” Burkey said. “But it was with the Chickasaw Nation that we got to see that first-hand. Because they were willing to step out and try it, we were able to show other counties what the Chickasaws had done and how well it was working.” Harmony between products, people and companies delivered a spectacular looking pavement for the residents and staff of the Chickasaw Children’s Village. Roe and Burkey’s partnership, along with the willingness of the Chickasaw Nation to try new techniques, resulted in a fantastic end result. The Chickasaw Nation Roads Department, PSI Seal Masters, Inc., and EA&E received AEMA’s 2014 Past Presidents’ Award for Emulsion Excellence because of their work on this project. The award recognizes specific projects that demonstrate excellence using asphalt emulsions, high quality workmanship and compliance with industry best standards. Russell Heritage is a staff writer for Ergon, Inc. For more information, contact Ergon at 601-933-3000.
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The team sealed the cracks with Crafco Road Saver 515 crack sealant.
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PSI Seal Masters, Inc., of Davis, Okla., applied the chip seal emulsion at 0.4 gallons per square yard.*
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PSI shot CQS-1F on one side of the mile-long road at 0.10 gallons per square yard.
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PSI shot CQS-1F on the second side of the mile-long road at 0.10 gallons per square yard.
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After a 20-minute cure time, PSI immediately applied the second coat of CQS1F to the first side of the mile-long road at a rate of 0.10 gallons per square yard.
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After the 20-minute cure time, PSI immediately applied the second coat of CQS-1F to the second side of the milelong road at a rate of 0.10 gallons per square yard. *a calibration issue with the distributor’s onboard computer on the front end of the project caused the binder application rate to be lighter than expected. The team corrected the issue and compensated for the lack of material on a portion of the pavement by applying the double fog seal.
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5/15/14 12:22 PM
Provide Clarity in Light of PCA’s Objections By Sandy Lender
Warm-mix asphalt saves more than taxpayer money
Warm-mix asphalt allows producers and contractors to extend the paving season. Photo courtesy of the National Center for Asphalt Technology (NCAT) 30 June/july 2014
I
n the Portland Cement Association (PCA) market intelligence report titled Warm-Mix Asphalt Potential dated March 2014, the authors give six key findings that appear to imply financial misunderstanding on the part of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). PCA Chief Economist Edward J. Sullivan and PCA Senior Market Intelligence Analyst Andrew Moss make a number of statements about warm-mix asphalt (WMA) benefits throughout the 11-page draft that could be misleading to readers. Sullivan provided this explanation to AsphaltPro: “The document PCA prepared in March on warm-mix asphalt is not yet finalized. Any copies that may be in circulation are draft documents. The final report is not expected to be available until later this spring. As such, quoting statistics from the report would be premature.” The purpose of this article is not to give a point-by-point rebuttal of information within the PCA’s draft report: statistical or otherwise. Instead, the expert sources herein give an overview of general corrections and facts to assure transportation construction industry owners and agencies that the use of WMA technologies can indeed save taxpayers billions of dollars by fiscal year 2020, and the asphalt industry is already using WMA with excellent performance results. In fact, the Construction Innovation Forum selected the National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA) to receive the 2013 NOVA Award for its work to speed the deployment and uptake of WMA.
Begin with January As widely reported in January of this year, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx announced his top priorities for the USDOT at the Transportation Research Board (TRB) annual meeting in Washington. One of his priorities “is to work on a bipartisan basis with Congress and to show them that our most fiscally responsible path forward is to create sustainable investments in infrastructure now.” Make note of the word bipartisan from Secretary Foxx’s speech, which can be found at www.dot.gov/briefing-room. We’ll call on that concept later in this article. Using “warm-mix asphalt” as his mantra, Secretary Foxx told the TRB audience, “…this new kind of asphalt doesn’t have to be heated as hot to pave roads. And while 32 June/july 2014
“These devices inject a small amount of water (1 to 3 percent by weight of the liquid AC) into the asphalt binder before it is introduced to the aggregate.”— David Newcomb, P.E., Ph.D., Senior Research Engineer, Texas A&M Transportation Institute that may sound not that interesting, the savings are very interesting. By 2020, we’ll save $3.6 billion by using warm-mix asphalt: another example of how innovation will help us create more capacity.” After Secretary Foxx’s presentation, members of the PCA examined those three sentences from his speech. “When Secretary Foxx recently discussed potential paving solutions, he focused on one paving material,” Sullivan shared with AsphaltPro. “PCA believes to have a robust infrastructure and economy, departments of transportation must encourage competition in the road construction marketplace.” Secretary Foxx did mention WMA by name in his speech, but FHWA recognizes other paving solutions in its Every Day Counts program, including precast paving systems. What members of the PCA included in their draft document referenced herein provides an excellent opportunity to fortify our collective understanding of the WMA processes and efficiencies for FHWA’s Every Day Counts program. Let’s take a look.
It’s Not About Money NAPA prepared information about the beginnings of WMA and how it’s more than a cash-saving mechanism. “Initial investigations of warm-mix asphalt were spurred by concerns about ensuring the long-term vitality of the industry and reducing its greenhouse gas emissions; it was quickly realized that warm mix can make paving sites more comfortable in terms of temperatures and fumes for both workers and the general public.”
Past Asphalt Emulsion Manufacturers Association (AEMA) President and board member of the Asphalt Pavement Alliance Mike O’Leary got specific for us. “About eight to ten years ago, we needed to be prepared to address how we reduced fumes in the event the IARC study found a need to reclassify asphalt,” O’Leary said. “As an industry, we needed to protect our workers. To stop fumes, you lower temperature. You have to keep the quality of the mix and the pavement even while lowering the temperature.” In fact, in 2013, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) published its evaluation of the health effects from working with asphalt across all industries. The agency also recognized the emissions reductions taking place in the industry. From the IARC Monograph volume 103: Recent research reported significant reductions in exposure levels among paving workers in Europe since 1960 (Burstyn et al., 2003). The discontinuance of coaltar use in Europe and technological advances in bitumen manufacture have contributed to reducing worker exposures. Application temperature is widely recognized as an important parameter in the generation of bitumen fume. More recently, warm-mix asphalt has been developed as a method that allows asphalt to be produced and placed on the road at significantly lower temperatures than conventional asphalt mixes. Lowering the mixing and application temperature by 10-38 oC (50-100 oF) has the potential to reduce emissions surrounding paving workers. However, these technologies may take time to introduce, particularly in low- and medium-resource countries. Source: http://monographs.iarc.fr/ ENG/Monographs/vol103/mono103F07.pdf. IARC’s findings indicated that asphalt paving workers faced a health risk from asphalt fume exposure comparable to that from drinking coffee or using a cellphone. However, the industry knew that it could further improve worker comfort by reducing asphalt mix temperatures
and reducing emissions—an important and added benefit with WMA. “Warm-mix asphalt is a fantastic success story, for both taxpayers and the asphalt industry,” NAPA provided. “As Secretary Foxx has noted, the temperature reductions currently attainable through the use of warm-mix technology reduce the amount of fuel needed to produce asphalt pavements. In fact, producers have reported fuel reductions ranging from 11 to 35 percent through the use of warm mix. This saves money and energy, and it reduces emissions. Because most plant CO2 emissions, for example, are the result of fuel combustion, reducing the amount of fuel needed to produce a ton of asphalt has a corresponding reduction in CO2 emissions.” Carolina Rodezno, Ph.D., is an assistant research professor at the National Center for Asphalt Technology (NCAT) at Auburn University, Alabama. She shared information from the recent National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) 9-47A: Properties and Performance of Warm Mix Asphalt Technolo-
gies. The program is sponsored by the state departments of transportation in cooperation with FHWA. “Stack emissions were measured on three multi-technology projects consisting of a total of eight WMA mixes and three corresponding HMA control mixes: • Reduced fuel consumption resulted in reduced CO2 emissions for all of the WMA mixes. • On average, a 52oF reduction in temperature resulted in a 21 percent reduction in fuel usage and a 20 percent reduction in CO2 emissions.”
Do It Right Here’s how emissions reduction comes about: David E. Newcomb, P.E., Ph.D., is a senior research scientist in the Materials and Pavements Division of the Texas A&M Transportation Institute, College Station, Texas. He prepared a piece for the Colorado Asphalt Pavement Association (CAPA) High Road spring 2014 newsletter that explains the plant foaming technology involves “devices that can be mounted on batch and continuous plants. These de-
vices inject a small amount of water (1 to 3 percent by weight of the liquid AC) into the asphalt binder before it is introduced to the aggregate….As water comes into contact with the hot asphalt binder in an expansion chamber, it vaporizes and expands to about 1,700 times its liquid volume, causing the binder to expand by 5 to 20 times. This increase in volume reduces the viscosity of the liquid binder and allows more thorough coating of the aggregate particles. Production temperatures for mechanical foaming systems range from 250 to 275oF, though contractors have benefitted from using foaming systems at higher temperatures. The financial benefit of plant foaming systems to other WMA technologies is that they are a one-time capital cost to the plant owner.” One of the statistics that the PCA needs to fix in its report is that of the number of WMA technologies available. The report gave the number of 22. Newcomb’s article gives the number 30. Another source for this article mentioned 35. The point is that since WMA became a clear emissions-reducing concept for the industry,
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The Portland Cement Association (PCA) listed specific research papers and presentations to show its concern for the durability of warm-mix asphalt (WMA) pavements. When AsphaltPro took a look at the list PCA provided us, it appeared that the PCA had examined test sections and research work the asphalt industry has performed to create the WMA methodologies we know work today. “There are numerous academic and government studies, that raised durability concerns about pavements constructed with warmmix asphalt,” Edward Sullivan, PCA group vice president and chief economist shared with us. “As we state in the current version of the draft report, most of the conclusions were mixed and suggested more research is needed before wide-spread use of the material.” Sullivan is correct that papers prepared in 2010, 2009 and 2006, based on statistics from test pavements placed prior to those years, did call for more research. The asphalt in34 June/july 2014
dustry has moved forward and continued its work toward best pavement practices with WMA, and today FHWA and most state specs allow or encourage its use. As the designers of test track sections will attest, the purpose of the WMA pavements placed for research is to study the materials in the field under actual loading and environmental conditions. The investment in pavement research made by state DOTs allows researchers to understand materials and structural issues so that pavements can be improved. That understanding is then translated into changes in specs and design methods. This process saves taxpayers money and headaches by allowing proven pavements to hit the roads. In this image, courtesy of the National Center for Asphalt Testing (NCAT), a skilled crew places a WMA test section for the purpose of research so the sponsoring agency can learn from it.
“And the fact is: fixing those roads and bridges and transit systems that I just mentioned could put people back to work.”—U.S. Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx Photo courtesy of the National Center for Asphalt Technology (NCAT)
innovators and entrepreneurs have lined up to perfect the methods they prefer. Newcomb clarified the two basic methods for producing WMA are through 1) asphalt foaming by water injection or a mineral additive called zeolite and 2) the use of liquid additives. Of the liquid additive methods, there are chemical and organic additives available. Within the PCA document, the authors raise two concerns with the methods that we can clarify to give owners/agencies confidence in their WMA solution. From the conclusions portion of the PCA draft report: Furthermore, there are durability concerns with warm-mix asphalt. Because temperatures are lower than normal hot-mix production levels, the risk for incomplete aggregate drying is increased. Incomplete aggregate drying can lead to increased moisture susceptibility. Excessive moisture in asphalt pavements can cause a phenomenon called “stripping,” in which the aggregate separates from the binder. This can cause the asphalt pavement to fail struc36 June/july 2014
turally. More research, however, is required to fully understand the connection between warm-mix asphalt and the need for moisture susceptibility countermeasures. NAPA Vice President Engineering, Research & Technology Audrey Copeland, P.E., Ph.D., explained these last two sentences point to the PCA’s lack of knowledge of the subject. Moisture susceptibility is not a structural concern. Furthermore, stripping takes place as a function of aggregate surface chemistry and aggregate drying in asphalt mix production. Even with WMA, the production temperatures remain greater than the boiling point of water and, at these temperatures, drying is a function of the dwell time and aggregate flow in the drum. Studies comparing the field moisture damage of WMA to HMA have found that they perform equally well. The only section of many WMA sections where field moisture damage was noted contained a quartzite aggregate, which is known for stripping, with no anti-stripping additives. “Lowering the temperature has nothing to do with drying,” Rick Tapia, P.E.,
Stansteel Asphalt Plant Products of Louisville, Ky., explained. “It has everything to do with saving fuel and the reason you can save fuel [with foaming] is because you’ve expanded the asphalt so you get better coating of all materials. “First of all, drying aggregates has to do with the efficiency of the process,” Tapia continued. “In fact, the material can be dried if it is theoretically above 212oF because, at that point, the moisture in the aggregate has been transformed from a liquid to a gas and is then removed in the heating and drying process. In hot-mix asphalt and in many other process industries as supplied by Stansteel, Louisville Dryer and other professional companies in the business, they have many drying processes that heat the materials up to 220 or 240oF and the material is dry at that point. It’s important not to confuse the process of drying material with the temperature.” Another aspect of temperature that might catch an asphalt reader by surprise is the range of HMA production listed in the PCA report. Sullivan confirmed for us: “PCA referenced www.fhwa.dot.gov/ EveryDayCounts for its data on asphalt’s high-end temperature. Specifically…
‘WMA is produced at temperatures that are 30oF to 120oF lower than the typical HMA temperatures of 300oF to 350oF.’” While it’s possible to reach those temperatures, it’s not advised. Malcolm Swanson, P.E., president of Astec, Inc., Chattanooga, has been in the asphalt industry since 1989 and has been in a hands-on position working at HMA plants in the field around the world. He shared the best practices asphalt producers typically follow. “I have seen mix made at 340oF, but that is definitely not the norm,” Swanson explained. “The typical HMA production temperature is 300oF….High drying temperatures can be used to overcome dryer deficiencies, but good dryers in proper condition can do an excellent job of drying almost any aggregate at temperatures substantially below 300oF. “Residual moisture is always internal— inside individual aggregate stones—and is typically only found with porous aggregates. But most dryers today are capable of effectively removing internal moisture at temperatures in the range of 250oF and even lower in many cases. It is more a
matter of how the stone is handled in the dryer than of final temperature.” What both Tapia and Swanson allude to is the concept of different material types influencing methodology. Remember that owner/agencies specify anti-strips, mix design parameters or performancegraded binders based on the conditions and materials available in their states or regions of the country when letting an HMA project. Those same owner/agencies have tested WMA methods and variations to decide what—if any—anti-strips or special additives need to be included to accommodate their available aggregates. For instance, Western Slope Representative Jim Fife of the Colorado Asphalt Pavement Association (CAPA) told AsphaltPro that there are several regional asphalt specs in his state. He explained that Superpave provided a mix design methodology that was lean on AC to solve rutting problems in areas where pavements experienced rutting. But that provided a too-lean mix for some colder climates and allowed thermal cracking in some areas. Mixes with lower voids and
“Although asphalt plants are more efficient and more environmentally friendly than ever before, an FHWA Scan Tour of European countries showed that carbon dioxide emissions were reduced between 23 and 40 percent and NOx emissions dropped anywhere from 18 to 70 percent. It was also noted that particulate (dust) emissions were reduced 25 to 55 percent.”—FHWA Report No. FHWA-PL-08-007
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higher AC content often prove ideal for higher altitudes. The concept of making the mix more dependent on the area and altitude lets the contractor in the area put his expertise to work and puts regional AC specs into play. The same concept is true of WMA. If an HMA mix design requires an anti-strip agent for best aggregate bonding, then it stands to reason the anti-strip will be a good idea when lowering the temperature as well. When the PCA document calls this an unplanned cost, it’s mistaken. When it assigns a wide range of price tags to anti-strips and WMA additives, PCA again provides information that requires additional clarification. Arlis Kadrmas, P.E., of BASF in Wichita, Kan., explained that WMA additives often come with anti-strip properties already built in. “The latex (polymer) added to systems does have an ability to aid anti-strip properties of mixtures. Chemical additives from companies such as Akzo Nobel or Road Science-ArrMaz are specifically formulated for asphalt-aggregate combina-
tions that provide benefit to systems that have a high risk for stripping potential.” Sundaram Logaraj, Ph.D., of Akzo Nobel also discussed the components already in WMA mixes. “Anti-strips are widely used in mixes already. Warm-mix additives like our Rediset LQ and Rediset WMX function both as warm-mix additives and anti-strips so there is no additional cost. A few of our competitors in the warm-mix arena also have additives that perform both functions.” Even when a producer finds it necessary to add a separate anti-strip to an HMA or WMA mix, Logaraj suggested a price range well below the suggested prices in the PCA
“By 2020, we’ll save $3.6 billion by using warm-mix asphalt.”— U.S. Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx
draft document. “Typical anti-strip costs per ton would be around $0.65 per ton. It could range from $0.50 to $1.0 per ton of mix, but it is never above $1.0 per ton.” Sources explained that the use of an anti-strip in WMA production also incurs no increase in fuel consumption. O’Leary stated clearly, “Anti-strips have minimal, if any effect on mix cost, and no effect on fuel efficiency.” Equipment manufacturers in the business of perfecting burners and dryers agreed. “Anti-strip material, whether it’s liquid, hydrated lime or anything else has zero, absolutely zero, influence on fuel efficiency,” Stansteel’s Tapia said. “The addition of anti-strip is based upon, again, the aggregate and sand materials and has nothing at all to do with fuel efficiency or fuel cost.”
Save a Bundle Using WMA is what influences fuel efficiency and fuel cost, but the WMA benefits don’t stop there. As Maxam Equipment’s Roger Sandberg pointed out, “Fuel savings is eighth or ninth down the list of warm-mix asphalt benefits.” In other words, Secretary
Foxx has more reasons than just taxpayer savings to recommend WMA. Astec’s Swanson shared, “The referenced PCA report correctly acknowledges that substantial fuel savings result from the making of WMA in place of HMA. However, it seems that it has been incorrectly assumed that fuel savings are the only savings associated with that change. In fact, because of a fundamental difference in the way WMA behaves in production and placement, it is usually more easily compacted. This results in a better road surface with less effort. The lower required effort sometimes reduces the size of crew and amount of equipment needed at the paving site. “Another unmentioned cost advantage is that paving jobs can proceed faster with WMA,” Swanson continued. “Most asphalt plants are limited in their production capacity by exhaust system limitations. Making mix at a lower temperature requires less fuel burning and produces less exhaust, thereby relieving the exhaust system and allowing the plant to run faster. Faster production reduces days on
a project. Certain fixed costs at the plant and at the road as well as in trucking are avoided in proportion to the number of days by which the duration of the project is reduced. The increased use of RAP is another major savings. Also, more durable roads may very well result and resurfacing will become less frequent.” Tapia stated: “One other very positive consequence of WMA is the overall improvement in quality of the end result product both at the production plant site and after roadway compaction.”
Fund the Party Line Let’s return to Secretary Foxx’s speech at the TRB meeting. Remember that he used the word bipartisan. Whether members of the asphalt and concrete industries agree on the finer points of how to repair and build new infrastructure, we have a common purpose in securing funding to make repair and expansion possible. WMA is a proven, NOVA-award-winning technology recognized by FHWA and state DOTs and successfully implemented to improve our nation’s infrastructure while saving money.
“To that end, PCA and NAPA continue to work together to urge Congress to pass a multi-year, fully funding surface transportation authorization bill and a longterm fix for the Highway Trust Fund,” Sullivan shared. Secretary Foxx not only spoke about fixing the deficit when it comes to maintaining and repairing our nation’s infrastructure, he spoke about mending something at the core of our economy: “And the fact is: fixing those roads and bridges and transit systems that I just mentioned could put people back to work.” I’m proud to be part of an industry that can put hundreds of thousands of people to work. At the end of a day laying WMA, crew members can look back and see drivers already using the product. That kind of instant gratification is worth a pat on the back. And it’s worth more when we know that yes we saved some taxpayer money, but we also saved extra emissions, saved extra fuel, saved natural resources, kept the work zone more comfortable for each other, and made an honest paycheck.
Fortify Your Thin Overlay
Sustain smooth, safe roads with tested, thin asphalt By Scott Nazar
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E
very decade or so, a homeowner will reluctantly shell out thousands of dollars to replace the roof on his or her home. The outer protective surface of the residence has finally succumbed to the snow, ice, rain, heat and humidity that combine to create the annual freeze-thaw cycle. As expensive as it is to replace a roof, it’s nothing compared to what it would take to build a new house. The same logic holds true for preserving and maintaining the safety and longterm stability of many roads and highways. The top layer of a highway is like a roof. If the roof leaked continually without being repaired, eventually the entire house underneath it would get ruined. According to the July 2009 IS-135 report from the National Asphalt Paving Association (NAPA), the emphasis on transportation infrastructure has shifted from new construction to preservation and rehabilitation. After years of reviewing the asphalt pavement construction process, engineers have discovered that structural stability of the roads hasn’t been nearly as much of a concern as the ability to maintain their overall safety, particularly when it comes to the smoothness of the surface. Assuming that damage is confined to only about 10 percent of the upper layer, it’s usually effective to remove a layer or two and replace them in a mill-and-fill operation. The evolution of warm-mix asphalt (WMA) has improved the sustainability and life cycle of road surfaces while also adding a tangible environmental benefit: Lower temperatures decrease alreadylow emissions and fuel consumption during asphalt mix production. Thin asphalt overlays are increasingly popular approaches to pavement preservation for many reasons, such as their ability to provide improved ride quality, and to reduce pavement distresses, noise levels and life cycle costs. NAPA estimates that thin overlays can be expected www.theasphaltpro.com | ASPHALT PRO 41
This crew paves a test section of thin asphalt overlay with FORTA-FI in the mix.
to provide 10 years or more of sustainable performance on asphalt surfaces.
Thin Overlays Evolve More recently, synthetic fibers such as FORTA Corporation’s “FORTA-FI” have provided additional sustainability benefits to asphalt paving projects. Mixing in these fibers as secondary support offers enough potential benefits to increase the lifespan of surfaces. Industry experts are exploring the feasibility of making it a more common additive. Buzz Powell is the assistant director of the National Center for Asphalt Technology (NCAT) and manager of the Pavement Test Track at Auburn University. Sponsors predominantly made of up state departments of transportation (DOTs) cooperatively fund experimental sections on the Pavement Test Track, with subsequent operation and research managed by NCAT. The NCAT Pavement Test Track administers research on asphalt mixes, structures and preservation treatments designed to reduce the life cycle cost of flexible pavements. Completed in 2000, the track performs the research over the course of three-year test periods, with the fifth research cycle ending in 2015. Sponsors typically fund research on two or more sections so they can compare life cycle costs of common paving alternatives. That way, they can assess public investment in flexible pavements by choosing mixes that cost less over the life of the structure. Because recent winters across the southeast have been harsher than usual, the Alabama DOT enlisted the Pavement Test Track to engage in research to improve the durability of open graded (drainable) friction course (OGFC) thin 42 June/july 2014
overlays. Alabama funded research on three OGFC sections of the 46 total sections along the 1.7-mile track. One section has no fiber reinforcement; another has cellulose fibers; and the final section features FORTA-FI synthetic fiber secondary support added to the mix. Tests began on each section October 2012 and will end this fall. Although Pavement Test Track research protocol dictates no final conclusions can be made until the completion of the two-year cycle, Powell said the synthetic fiber performance of FORTA-FI has been positive thus far. “My expectation is we will continue testing traffic on the FORTA-FI section during the next test cycle, but ultimately that decision rests with the state DOT funding the project after it reviews the research,” Powell said. He also noted the final results of the current cycle of testing will be released during an NCAT conference March 3 through 5, 2015. “We think results will be good because we observed a different consistency of the FORTA-FI mix in laboratory quality control (QC) tests. Some additional experiments using FORTA-FI on patches for the track compared to patches without fibers did appear to
Thin overlays have demonstrated their value as a safe, sustainable and affordable way to help preserve asphalt surfaces.
show an improvement in the cracking performance for the mix with FORTA-FI.” Pennsylvania has been taking a closer look at fibers as well. PennDOT has contracted with the Northeast Center of Excellence for Pavement Technology (NECEPT) at Penn State University to evaluate the performance of thin overlay projects over a four-year period. The institute is currently in year two of the evaluation period. Until last September, none of the projects contained fibers. That month, engineers placed two 1-inch thick mixes of asphalt on two different stretches of State Route 220 in northern Pennsylvania. One section contained fibers and the other didn’t. It’s too early in the evaluation process to make definitive comparisons. However, NECEPT Director Dr. Mansour Solaimanian said he hopes to see the fibers show greater resistance to cracking and greater long-term stability, as has been observed in laboratory performance testing of FORTA-FI mixes. “It’s obvious adding fibers increases the initial cost of an overlay project,” he said. “But will it save money in the long-term? If you can reduce the number of times you have to go back on the road to maintain it, that translates into cost savings.”
Maintain Stability Thin overlays have demonstrated their value as a safe, sustainable and affordable way to help preserve asphalt surfaces. But thin doesn’t have to mean unstable. A thorough cost-benefit analysis might determine the benefits of adding fibers to mixes will preserve thin overlays even longer. Budget and cost issues are keeping thousands of road maintenance and rehabilitation projects in limbo. With dollars at a premium, politicians don’t want to turn around and ask for more money to reconstruct roads if options exist to extend the life cycle of a highway section for several more years. If you could spend a little more up front to install a better roof that would last several years longer than taking a short cut, wouldn’t it be worth it? Shouldn’t that type of thinking inform the decisions behind maintaining this country’s infrastructure and the health of our highways? . Scott Nazar is technical manager of asphalt for FORTA Corporation. Prior to FORTA, he spent 13 years working for Pennsylvania’s DOT and four more at an asphalt pavement producer. For more information, contact him at snazar@fortacorp.com
that's a good idea
Dry Pavement Before Paving
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ith spring paving comes the possibility of rain and stormy weather. This crew was in too big of a hurry to get started with the project after a rain storm in Southwest Florida and this pavement will suffer because of it. Sandy mixes tend to shove if you roll them too much. The 3/8-inch sand mix needs to set up and get smooth compaction to bond. If you place it on a wet pavement, it’s not going to bond. In this case, the cars driving through the puddle at the intersection splashing water onto the fresh mat will result in delamination. When the breakdown roller
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operator drove the machine off the edge of the mat and into the edge of the puddle, he brought problems back up onto the mat. An inspector would return to this site and look for cracking in the mat as well as tearing where it’s shoved by the drum. Instead of paving immediately after the rain, the crew should wait for the pavement to start to dry. They could use a broom to help the drying process along. A vacuum sweeper would be ideal. On important projects, contractors can bring in a jet dryer, which is what my crew did on the Maine Turnpike project
By John Ball
several years ago. If paving must go on, do it right and get the surface ready first. One thing the crew has done correctly here is deciding to leave the rubber-tire roller off the project. Pneumatic rollers must have hot tires when they get on the mat to avoid picking up material. On this overcast day, the asphalt material was wet and cooling too quickly. They made the right decision to use just the breakdown and finish rollers. The rubber-tire roller operator waited in the wings for the end of the shift. John Ball is the proprietor of Top Quality Paving. For more information, contact him at (603) 493-1458.
equipment gallery
ABOVE: This asphalt terminal in Arizona uses a heating system from CEI Enterprises that includes an external expansion tank. ABOVE INSET: In this picture, the asphalt booster heater is on the front of an asphalt-rubber blending system. Liquid AC is heated to higher-than-normal temperatures for rubber-modifying or polymer-modifying processes. In this case, the booster heater is a three-pass coil design in order to heat more asphalt in a smaller space than can be accomplished with a two-pass heater of equivalent physical size. The heated asphalt is piped from the booster heater to the mixing tank, where it’s blended with ground tire rubber that is fed from the hopper into the mixing tank. BELOW: The vertical version of the booster heater has a smaller footprint than the horizontal one.
CEI Boosts Liquid Movement
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hen you have multiple storage tanks of liquid asphalt cement (AC), polymer-modified asphalt (PMA) or other mix ingredient to load out incrementally, you don’t necessarily want to spend loads of money keeping the material at a high temperature. CEI Enterprises, Albequerque, N.M., provides booster heaters and tanks through which material can travel for a necessary temperature rise to facilitate loadout. In this photo, an asphalt terminal in Arizona uses a CEI heating system, which is comprised of two hot oil heaters, an external expansion tank, controls and piping. The system is designed so that both heaters can be used in tandem or one at a time, depending on the heat demand the terminal needs at any given time. Each heater is fitted with an exhaust stack Economizer to boost the thermal efficiency of the system,
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which provides heat to several million gallons of liquid asphalt stored in the bulk storage tanks in the background. CEI offers the booster heaters in horizontal and vertical configurations. Both heaters boost the temperature of AC as it flows through them. The horizontal unit has finned pipes heated by hot oil that flows through them. The hot oil must be provided by an external source, such as a thermal fluid heater. The vertical unit is a helical coil heater that has a burner and requires no other heat source. It heats the AC as it flows through the helical coil. Both are used to boost the temperature of AC when it is lower than required for making mix. The vertical configuration allows the heater to take up a smaller ground footprint than an equivalently-sized horizontal heater. For more information, contact 800-5454034. Let them know you saw it in AsphaltPro magazine.
equipment gallery
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1. The manufacturer states the Super 2100-3i is the most powerful paver of the new Dash 3 generation. 2. The large paver is designed to take on major paving projects, including those with wide paving lanes.
ASGCO Keeps Belts in Place When a facility was processing crushed ore that was the consistency of sand on a 36-inch-wide belt, its conventional guide roller trackers kept failing. Due to the design of the guide rollers, they continually came into contact with the belt’s edge. This made them slow to react, which caused premature side wear on the belt. When the facility operators tried to solve the problem by tying the guide rolls off, the guides could no longer train or align the belt properly. The team at ASGCO, Allentown, Pa., provided the ASGCO® 36-inch Troughing Tru-Trainer® in an effort to provide a belt tracking idler that could react more quickly without freezing up or causing belt damage in the harsh environment. The Tru-Trainer troughing idler has a unique center roller that does all the belt’s steering. It includes an internal sealed pivot that is protected from the elements, thus from fugitive build-up. The Tru-Trainer is able to detect when the belt is going askew with the internal pivot and corrects the movement of the belt. The Tru-Trainer is based on a loadcarrying design. For more information, contact ASGCO at (800) 344-4000. Let them know you saw it in AsphaltPro magazine.
Vögele Super 2100-3i Saves Fuel The new Vögele Super 2100-3i tracked paver was introduced to North America at Conexpo-Con/Agg 2014 in Las Vegas. The Super 2100-3i is 47,179 pounds and designed for major paving projects that incorporate all types of hot mix asphalt (HMA)—including mixes such as stone matrix asphalt—in a variety of widths from 8 feet 4 inches to 42 feet 6 inches. The theme of the Dash 3 generation is that lower fuel consumption leads to lower emissions which leads to lower
costs. The Vögele EcoPlus low-emissions package combines a number of individual measures which distinctly reduce the fuel consumption and noise of the Dash 3 pavers: • Fuel consumption is minimized in a number of ways. When the paver is stationary while waiting, all hydraulic pumps for traction, conveyors and augers and compacting systems are automatically disengaged after about one minute. Reducing drag also makes it easier to start the paver at low outside temperatures. • The tamper is driven by a variable displacement pump, which is designed to deliver exactly the amount of oil needed for the current tamper speed, also saving fuel. • The speed of the variable-speed fan automatically adjusts in line with engine load and ambient temperature, as well as the temperature of the oil and cooling water. The fan is driven via a viscous coupling in accordance with temperature and engine load. The Super 2100-3i’s AutoSet Plus feature has two automatic functions. The automatic repositioning function facilitates the continuation of work when moving on the job site from one work section to another, or after the paver has been transported. The automatic function for paving programs in Vögele pavers, on the other hand, allows operating personnel to store specific paving programs in the paving process. Values for tamper and vibration speed, conveyor and auger speed, height of the auger and paving speed are stored at the push of a button. Once stored, the program can then be retrieved and reused whenever needed. For more information, contact Bruce Monical at (615) 501-0600 or bmonical@ wirtgenamerica.com. Let them know you saw it in AsphaltPro magazine.
New Dynapac Paver Atlas Copco, Commerce City, Colo., added a new 8-foot tracked paver www.theasphaltpro.com | ASPHALT PRO 49
equipment gallery
The Atlas Copco Dynapac F800T tracked paver’s six-cylinder engine is Tier 4 Final compliant.
to its existing highway class paver range. This one is the Dynapac F800T and is designed specifically for North American customers and Tier 4 Final emission regs, according to the manufacturer. The F800T has a working width of 8 feet to 19 feet and paves up to 12 inches thick, according to the manufacturer. It includes features such as a patented safe-impact push-roller system, chamfered hoppers to prevent material sticking, dual bar feed conveyors and a thin auger chain box for smooth and continuous flow of material. The hopper holds up to 13.5 tons of mix and the F800 series pavers can be equipped with hydraulically operated aprons to prevent spillage at the front. Both auger and conveyor speed control are achieved through an integrated feed control system using four ultrasonic sensors. The integrated hydraulic tunnel option eliminates material spillage toward the track. The Atlas Copco Dynapac F800T tracked paver’s six-cylinder, 173-horsepower Cummins QSB 6.7 Tier 4 Final engine provides less strain on engine components and increased longevity. The ECO mode setting further reduces fuel consumption during paving operations. Hydraulic components on the F800T match the F1000 10-foot paver range, which ensures availability of parts. The oversized hydraulic components also generate less heat, which reduces fatigue loading and increases component life. 50 June/july 2014
The Dynapac F800T paver is equipped with a frictional undercarriage system; oscillating bogie wheels allow the paver to run on uneven surfaces without affecting mat quality. A heavy duty torque hub combined with a two-speed hydraulic motor provides ample torque while paving, with travel speeds up to 8.5 mph for transportation from job to job. The low deck height and balanced center of gravity combine for a smooth ride.] The low operating deck and engine cover height, dual swing-out operator consoles and position of the operator station closer to the auger compartment are designed for best operator visibility. In addition, the Dynapac F800 series’ dual swing-out operator consoles are fitted with simple toggles and controls that permit the operator to focus on the paving process. The controls are assembled in operation-specific groups by frequency of use, allowing operators to respond instantly to varying conditions. Both operator consoles have electronic displays. The F800 series pavers are equipped with Carlson EZIV08-15 front mounted electrical screed. Options like safety edges, berm attachments and bolt-on extensions are also available. Controls for the screed operator are fitted with simplified toggles. The load-sensing hydraulic system consumes less power and provides a faster response to varying widths and slope changes.
Power for screed electrical heating is provided by a tractor-mounted 34 kV hydraulically-driven generator. The generator also provides ample reserve power to connect night lighting accessories and wide width packages. The generator maintains a frequency control at 60 Hz. This control allows frequency-dependent tools or accessories to connect to the generator. The ECO Mode combined with an improved common rail technology engine reduces the fuel consumption significantly over previous generation engines. For more information, contact Sofie Gielen at (720) 235-2325 or sofie.gielen@ us.atlascopco.com. Let them know you saw it in AsphaltPro magazine.
Spectra Scopes Your Project Spectra Precision has introduced its nextgeneration Spectra Precision® SP80 GNSS receiver. Designed to meet the evolving needs of the survey market, the new SP80 is an innovative survey solution that combines GNSS technology and a combination of communication capabilities. The SP80 is an ideal GNSS receiver specifically designed for mainstream surveying and construction applications such as cadastral, topographic, control, stakeout and network RTK. Spectra Precision SP80 features exclusive Z-Blade™ GNSS-centric technology running on a new-generation, 240-channel 6G chipset. The SP80 is capable of using all six available GNSS systems (GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo, QZSS and SBAS), but can also be configured to use only selected constellations in an RTK solution (GPS-only, GLONASS-only or BeiDou-only).The SP80 is also the first GNSS receiver on the market to be compliant with the new RTCM 3.2 standard, including the recently approved MSM RTCM messages, which also makes it the only receiver ready to support all available GNSS corrections. The extended communication capabilities of the SP80 receiver provide a combination of a 3.5G GSM/UMTS modem, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, and an optional transmit UHF radio. The receiver’s built-in WiFi and 3.5G modem can provide an Internet connection for RTK
corrections and also send SMS or emails with system alerts. The SP80 features a unique anti-theft technology to safeguard the receiver and can detect if it is has been disturbed while in the field (for example, when operating as a GNSS base). The anti-theft protection feature informs the surveyor via SMS or e-mail if the SP80 receiver is moved and can provide its position to facilitate recovery. For more information, contact sales@ spectraprecision.com. Let them know you saw it in AsphaltPro magazine.
Roadtec’s Rubber Paves the Road Roadtec, Inc., Chattanooga, introduced the new rubber-tire RP-190e asphalt paver. The new machine is designed to offer the operator comfort and safety with 360-degree visibility, fingertip controls, fully adjustable seats, low noise levels and fume extraction systems. The Roadtec anti-segregation design is in place to give consistent pavement quality. The redesigned operator stations not only offer greater efficiency, but also include hydraulic pivot consoles and selectable seat positions. Among the design refinements are a new adjustable delta plate design, redesigned hydraulic tunnel panels for improved accessibility, and lower deck height. Oversized variable displacement pumps are used for propel and feed systems on all Roadtec pavers. The highcapacity pumps can run at optimum speed to keep components cool, leading to longer component life. Access to hydraulic filters and test ports has been improved by clustering these components in one easily accessed location. Release agent spray-down systems are now standard and include a dual system; one for diesel and the other for release agent. A heavy-duty, anti-segregation feed system is standard on the RP-190e. A Cummins® Tier 4 Interim, 230-horsepower engine powers the new paver. The standard cooling package includes a variable speed, hy-
draulically driven fan. The RP-190e is also compatible with the Guardian remote telematics system. With Guardian, the machine’s electrical system, hydraulic system, engine, pressure transducers, auger speed sensors, flow gate height, and fuel consumption can be closely monitored in realtime via cellular signal. For more information, contact Jeff Richmond at (423) 265-0600 or visit www.roadtec.com. Let them know you saw it in AsphaltPro magazine.
Pre-Owned, Prepared Back in January, online auction powerhouse IronPlanet of Pleasanton, Calif., formed a strategic alliance with Mascus, a similar online marketplace headquartered in the Netherlands. The agreement included an integration of the two sites with new remarketing services to aid in the availability of equipment. Advertisers on Mascus can now push items listed there to IronPlanet for auction. In addition, buyers on IronPlanet have greater access to the entire inventory of listings on Mascus. Since pioneering online equipment auctions more than a decade ago, IronPlanet has successfully sold more than $3 billion of used equipment online and has built an audience of 1 million registered users representing nearly every country on the planet. In fact, the company surpassed 1 million users who had registered to view equipment for sale and participate in online auctions as of Feb. 19, 2014. “This is an exciting milestone for us because it demonstrates that more than 1 million users recognize IronPlanet as a trusted marketplace for buying and selling equipment,” IronPlanet CEO Greg Owens said. “We’ve attracted these users because of our ongoing dedication to innovation, customer service and delivering what they need: a convenient and reliable equipment solution.” For more information, visit www. IronPlanet.com. Let them know you saw it in AsphaltPro magazine. www.theasphaltpro.com | ASPHALT PRO 51
international snapshot
International Paradise
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himarafushi is part of the Thaa Atoll that sits in the brilliant blue water of the Indian Ocean. White, sandy beaches surround the natural beauty of the coral reef. Because of the effort required to reach the island, few have been able to witness that beauty in person—until September 2013. The Maldives government seeks to lure tourists, knowing that the country’s natural beauty is a key attraction. Crucial to those efforts is improving the island’s air transportation. Most visitors land at one of the country’s two international airports, and from there take flights to one of the country’s six domestic airports. While that tourism helps the country’s economy, it limits travel to only a few of the country’s 1,192 islands. Reaching most of the islands requires travel by boat. A few years ago, the government began to build its seventh domestic airport on the island of Thimarafushi. Maldives Transport and Contracting Co. PLC (MTCC) is a customer of Cat dealer Tractors Singapore Limited, and won the contract to develop the Thimarafushi Airport in May 2012. The project began with 31 hectares of land being reclaimed both for
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the construction of the airport and to provide adequate housing for the islanders. The reclamation portion of the airport project was completed in 2011. Project plans called for a 1200-meter by 30-meter runway and taxiway, with an asphalt surface. MTCC used a fleet of Cat equipment through most phases of the project, including a 336D L hydraulic excavator, M313C wheeled hydraulic excavator, 120K motor grader and 924Gz wheel loader. Logistics posed a challenge. Equipment had to be delivered by landing craft and barge. That included the hot mix plant, which was transported component-by-component. Operators were hard to find. Tractors Singapore Limited provided training to the customer and operators before the project started. During the building of the runway, a Tractors Singapore Limited product application expert and an engineer visited the jobsite to provide assistance. The runway is surrounded by sea on the reclaimed land. Site preparation included the placement and compaction of aggregate. Project specifications required that 100 percent compaction densities were achieved on four layers. A 200-mm sub-
Story and photo courtesy of Cat Paving
base was placed first, and the Cat CS533E soil compactor compacted it to 150 mm. The same process was followed for the second layer. The third layer consisted of binding material that was placed at 130 mm and compacted to 100 mm. A Cat AP655D asphalt paver with AS4251 screed placed the fourth layer, which consisted of 12.5-mm, 9-mm and 6-mm aggregates. It was placed at 60 mm and compacted to 50 mm. Paving production was limited because of the hot mix plant’s capacity of 50 tons. During the average day, the paver placed a strip that was 5 m wide and 700 m long. Dump trucks hauled the mix the short distance from the plant to the runway. President Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik visited Thimarafushi Sept. 3, 2013, a few days before the airport opened. He spoke of the commitment required to complete the airport project, and the cooperation that occurred between many organizations. President Waheed’s speech included many references to the importance of tourism, and how the airport would help bring visitors from far away.
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By AsphaltPro Staff
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here’s new terminology in the quest to keep the United States economy intact. The Generating Renewal, Opportunity, and Work with Accelerated Mobility, Efficiency, and Rebuilding of Infrastructure and Communities throughout America (GROW AMERICA) Act, will do the following, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation: • It will support millions of American jobs repairing and modernizing our roads, bridges, railways, and transit systems; • It will help ensure that American businesses can compete effectively in the global economy and grow; and • It will pave the way forward by increasing access to the ladders of opportunity that help Americans get ahead. The board of directors of the Association for the Improvement of American Infrastructure (AIAI) supports all initiatives that promote the rebuilding and growth of infrastructure in the United States. Therefore, AIAI has announced that it supports the principles and concepts of the GROW AMERICA Act. The GROW AMERICA Act intends to improve and expand American infrastructure. It will support millions of jobs by repairing and modernizing America’s roads, bridges, railways and transit systems. It is also structured to ensure that American businesses can compete and
grow effectively in the global economy while increasing opportunities for communities across the country. The GROW AMERICA Act also supports effective, existing finance tools that are imperative to the rebuilding of America’s infrastructure. More specifically, the Act looks to expand financing options under TIFIA, strengthen the Railroad Rehabilitation and Improvement Financing (RRIF) Program and increase the availability of Private Activity Bonds (PABs). AIAI finds these tools essential to rebuilding America’s infrastructure. In addition, the GROW AMERICA Act will provide critical investment to fix America’s older roads and bridges through its promotion of Public Private Partnerships (P3s), which is in line with AIAI’s mission. Currently, American infrastructure is not keeping pace with our growing economy, our growing population and the traveling needs of the American public. As an innovative financing and project delivery model, P3s provide the vital link between what is possible and what is needed to rebuild and expand our infrastructure. The Act encourages the private sector to create strong partnerships with the public sector, thereby promoting P3s and strengthening our country with the substantial benefits that P3s offer. To learn more about The Grow America Act, please visit www.dot.gov/growamerica. You can also learn more about AIAI by visiting www.aiai-infra.org. AIAI is a non-profit organization formed to help shape the direction of the national P3 marketplace. AIAI serves as a national proponent of P3s to facilitate education and legislation through targeted advocacy. Its board is comprised of Michael McNally, president and CEO of SKANSKA USA; John McArthur, president of Kiewit Development Company; Juan Santamaria, CEO of ACS Infrastructure Development; Chairman William A. Marino, CEO of Star America; Gregory A. Kelly, P.E., global COO of Parsons Brinckerhoff; Richard Fierce, senior vice president of Fluor; Nicolas Rubio, president of Cintra US; and Vice Chairman Salvatore Mancini, chairman of Star America. www.theasphaltpro.com | ASPHALT PRO 55
The coolest thing to happen to asphalt, since the road trip. Proven performance. Easy to use. Lowest temperatures. The road trips you love happen on smooth asphalt. Evotherm速 warm mix asphalt technology allows paving 60 to 90oF lower than traditional hot mix asphalt. Lower temperatures save fuel while producing quality pavement with reduced reflective cracking due to crack filler expansion. Pave longer, cooler, and greener with Evotherm and enjoy the smooth ride.
behindthescreed.com
here's how it works Step 4 The clean air plenum rises to the clean air outlet.
Step 1 The air plenum with its microscopic AC droplets travels through the vertical filters.
Clean Air
Stage 6 & 7 Filters
Stage 5 Filters Stage 4 Filters Stage 3 Filters Stage 2 Filters Stage 1 Filters
Drain
Step 2 The AC droplets collect on the proprietary Pleatloc media of the filters.
Step 3 Gravity allows droplets to “drain.”
Butler-Justice’s Blue Smoke Control® System
A
sphalt plant owners strive to be good neighbors on many levels. Even state of the art, modern-day facilities with the most current electronics and controls can improve public relations and trace emissions outputs with additional blue smoke control systems, and older facilities experiencing some blue haze can greatly enhance regulatory compliance and good-neighbor status by installing new systems. For either end of the spectrum, the engineers at Butler-Justice in Anaheim, Calif., created the multifilter Blue Smoke Control® system for solutions at the top of silos, drag slat conveyor transfer points and truck loadout areas. Here’s how it works. 58 June/july 2014
The blue smoke control filter system is placed “inline” with the air plenum where the asphalt plant owner wishes to resolve any compliance issues. The unit sits at ground level; ductwork brings the hot air plenum to the filters. A hot air plenum with tiny asphalt cement (AC) droplets, which make up the blue haze, travels vertically through a series of filters. The first, second and third washable filters, and fourth stage replaceable filter sit vertically inside the collector, which allows gravity to aid in the drainage process. The fifth stage filter is also replaceable and is a wrap around the sixth and seventh stage replaceable filters. The sixth stage also rests vertically in the collector to assist in the drainage process.
As the air plenum moves through the filter stages, the AC droplets collect on the proprietary Pleatloc media and “drain” down to the collector. The clean air plenum rises up to the clean air outlet. To maintain the system, the ground man accesses all stages of filters through the filter access doors. Filters or stages are installed two-deep behind each door; the maintenance personnel access the back filter by pulling the filter removal handle. He doesn’t have to reach deep into the collector. He can access the fifth, sixth and seventh stage filters with the filter removal handle. For more information, contact Mike Butler at (714) 696-7599 or mikeb@butlerjustice.com.
here's how it works
EC5605-WM LCD high-resolution monitor. The ECANTE-R remote antenna is replaceable.
EC2014-WC CMOS color infrared camera. The lens angle is 120 degrees.
Step 1 Step 2
The operator uses the touchscreen menu to select camera settings.
The camera(s) sends a streaming wireless signal to the EC5605-WM monitor.
Step 3 The operator can view the vehicle surroundings in real time, giving him or her a heads-up in the event of danger.
ECCO’s Gemineye™ Camera Systems
W
hether your ground personnel spend time around haul trucks, wheel loaders, tack wagons, liquid asphalt cement (AC) tankers, or some combination of mobile construction machinery, backup alarms and flashing lights become part of their everyday surroundings. As much as safety directors try to guard against it, complacency due to consistent stimuli presents a danger to workers. One way to safeguard ground personnel is to make them more visible—even when they’re in a machine operator’s blind spot. To that end, ECCO Safety Group of Boise, Idaho, provides the Gemineye™ camera systems including the EC5605-WK 5.6inch LCD color wireless system. Here’s how it works. 60 June/july 2014
A mechanic or equipment operator installs the EC5605-WM, which is the monitor, in the cab or on the operator’s station of the vehicle. The monitor is 6.32 inches by 4.51 inches by 1.06 inches; it weighs 2.87 pounds and “allows for unobtrusive installation without compromising viewable screen area,” according to the manufacturer. A mechanic or equipment operator then installs the EC2014-WC, which is the color infrared camera, on the back of the vehicle. (If multiple cameras are to be used, the mechanic can place the additional units—up to four total—on the sides or in other troublesome areas where visibility and line of sight is compromised.) Each camera is 2.87 inches by 2.99 inches by 2.98 inches and weighs
0.89 pounds. The lens size is 1/3 inch with an angle of 120 degrees. Each is equipped with a microphone and a day/ night light sensor for added safety. When in use, the 2.4 GHz digital system sends a wireless signal from each camera to the monitor’s ECANTE-R remote antenna. As the operator drives the vehicle, he or she can view items that may be lurking in the machine’s blind spot(s) by looking at the monitor’s screen. The monitor features touchscreen menu control, which is a benefit when the system is used with multiple— up to four—cameras. For more information, contact ECCO Safety Group at (800) 635-5900 or sales@ eccolink.com.
contact us today!
800-826-0223
STANSTEEL Asphalt Plant Products
www.stansteel.com GTB-5026WS Bituma® 200-Ton Mix Storage Silo Late Eighties/Early Nineties Model, Bituma-Stor® stationary hotmix storage silo • Deluxe silo is fully insulated, skirted and includes an anti-segregation batcher, mix waste bypass chute, Low and Mid-Level Bindicators, hot oil heat on the cone and gates and a square top access deck with handrails • A heavy duty support structure manufactured from Wide Flange Beam that allows for an extra large drive-through clearance area • This is a state-of-the-art storage system with dual load out gates to aid in the prevention of mix segregation and horizontal safety gates • Single Bituma-Stor® Bintop Transfer Conveyor included.
GTB-5025WS Stationary Recycle Bins • (2) Nominal 9’ x 14’ Stationary/Skidded design Bins with 36” x 18’ flat Feeder Belt Conveyors. The bins also feature fully guarded heavy duty Drive motors and Foote-Jones Speed Reducers, Mounted Air Cannons to assist material flow on discharge end walls and inclinable Grizzlies. • Feed Conveyors are equipped with Tail Tach Pick-ups and Material “No-Flow” Paddles. • Bolt on Formed Steel Plate Leg Extensions to grade for ease of relocation. • All Mechanical components above have been inspected by Stansteel’s Field Representative who reports them to be in very good to excellent condition. • The Shipping Dimensions for each bin are: 9’-11” wide x 10’ tall (with Grizzlies collapsed) x 20’ long.
GT-5023WS Portable HSI Crushing System - Eagle Model 1400 • 5TH Wheel Hitch assembly • Magnetic Separator • Clutch & Hydraulic PTO • Cummins Diesel Engine powered • Electric motor driven debris conveyor • Side Discharge • Material Inlet Feeder, Vibratory (Grizzly) • Dust suppression system • Water Sprinkler • Belt type Under Conveyor • (1) 42” x 50’ Stacking Conveyor
GTB-5028WS Portable CMI Drum Mix Plant (Model PVM-10 X) • CMI Model PVM 10X 400 TPH portable Drum Mixer with Hauck SJ580 burner and RAP Entry Collar • CMI APM-900 portable Pulsejet Baghouse with a new Sullair 50 HP air compressor and bags installed in 2012. • Barber-Greene portable four bin aggregate feed system with portable scale conveyor with SciTronics Scale and a scalping screen. New motors and VFD’s were installed in 2012. • Astec portable single bin RAP feed system with new motors installed in 2012. • Bituma® 150 ton self-erect storage silo complete with a 500 TPH drag conveyor and 60’ Cardinal scale. • CMI PEC-2U 12’ x 16’ MCC with Allen-Bradley switchgear • Astec control house with office • Astec stationary 600 barrel stationary lime silo • 2012 Meeker portable 30,000 gal. (split 15,000/15,000) AC tank with unloading pump, metering system, automated divert valves and gauges. • Heatec HC120 hot oil heater. • Waste oil preheater and pump with filter assembly.
Many upgrades & improvements implemented in 2012 with approximately 100,000 Tons of mix produced since then.
GTB-5002WS Portable CMI Parallel Flow Drum Mix Plant (Model PVM-10EMS) • Portable CMI Model PAB-432 four (4) bin cold feed bins with 10’ x 14’ bin openings, bin partitions, self-store blocking on legs, 30” wide feeders with 5 HP AC drives and a 30” folding collector conveyor with 10 HP Drive. • Stationary 4 x 12 single deck screen with support stand mounted onto a 30” x nominal 47’ long portable truss conveyor complete with a belt scale. • Portable CMI Model PVM-10 EMS recycle drum mixer with recycle entry collar, Hauck Starjet fuel burner. • Portable CMI Model RA-318P Roto-Air Baghouse. • (2) Portable 25,000 gallon Hy-Way® Model DF25S Direct Fired asphalt tanks. • (1) Portable 25,000 gallon Hy-Way® Model 25STT, split 12,500/12,500 gallon, coiled asphalt tank. • (1) Portable CMI Model PRB-120C24 RAP Bin • (1) Portable CMI RAP Scale Conveyor with 30” Belt x nominal 61’ long. Structural Steel Channel frame construction with 7.5 HP Drive Motor and shaft mounted reducer. • (3) 210 ton CMI Model EMS-210D heated storage silo system with 33” wide main drag slat, bintop slat, CMI Model 2FT-8010-111L, 10’ x 80’ low profile steel deck truck scale and Astec load out controls. Interested in used equipment? Go online to find hundreds of listings with photos at:
www.stansteelused.com
Bituma , Bituma-Stor and Hy-Way are a trademarks of Gencor Industries, Inc. and Stansteel is not related to or licensed by Gencor®. ®
®
®
®
Scan this code with your smart phone for thousands of used equipment listings
Featured Listings
Inc.
1994 400 TPH Astec Double Barrel Plant - RAP 13879
• • • •
8ft Astec Double Barrel Nominal 70,000 CFM Baghouse w/ Horizontal Cyclone 5 Bin Cold Feed System Virgin Screen & Scale Conveyor
• • • •
Rap Bin Rap Screen & Scale Conveyor Control House with Plant Controls (Silo System and AC Storage Not Included)
• • • • •
Virgin Scale Belt Skid Mounted Rap Bin - Lump Breaker and Rap Scale Conveyor Horizontal Fuel Oil Tanks Control House w/ Plant Controls Note: (1) Vertical AC tank not included
Gencor Rotary Mixer Plant - RAP 13971
• • • • •
(2) 200 ton Cedarapids Silo System w/ Slat and Scales Gencor Nominal 6x18 Rotary Mixer - Modified Bucket Elevator 10x50 Dryer w/ Gencor Ultraflame II Burner Standard Havens Baghouse, KO Box, Ductwork 5 Bin Cold Feed System - KPI-JCI Virgin Screen Nominal 4x10
CALL US NOW FOR DETAILS 866.647.1782 VIEW ALL OUR INVENTORY ONLINE AT:
www.ReliableAsphalt.com PO Box 519, Shelbyville KY 40066 • Fax 502.647.1786 62 June/july 2014
See video of these plants at our YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/user/asphaltplantpros
resource directory Ace Group...................................... 43, 59 Contact: Carl McKenzie Tel: 888-878-0898 sales.enquiries@ asphaltacesales.com www.asphaltace.com Asphalt Drum Mixers…................14, 51 Contact: Steve Shawd or Jeff Dunne Tel: 260-637-5729 sales@admasphaltplants.com www.admasphaltplants.com Astec, Inc.............................….22, 29, 45 Contact: Tom Baugh Tel: 423-867-4210 tbaugh@astecinc.com www.astecinc.com BOCA Construction......................... .33 Tel: 419-668-5575 www.bocaconstructioninc.com CEI......................................................... 4 Tel: 800-545-4034 info@ceienterprises.com www.ceienterprises.com
Dillman Equipment...........................38 Tel: 608-326-4820 www.dillmanequipment.com D & H Equipment............................... 53 Contact: Jason Cox Tel: 530-830-5366 www.dhequip.com
Heatec, Inc............Inside Front Cover Contact: Sharlene Burney Tel: 800-235-5200 sburney@heatec.com www.heatec.com Meadwestvaco.................................…56 Tel: 800-458-4034
E.D. Etnyre..........................................49 Contact: sales@etnyre.com Tel: 800-995-2116 www.etnyre.com Ergon, Inc.............................................11 www.Savemyroad.com Fast-Measure......................................63 Tel: 888-876-6050 www.Fast-measure.com
www.evotherm.com www.mvw.com NAPA mid-year…................................57 www.asphaltpavement.org Pine Industries...................................19 Contact: Dave Savage Tel:724-458-6391 Dsavage@pineinst.com www.pineinst.com
Forta Corp........................................... 31 Tel 800-245-0306 www.forta-fi.com Gencor................................................. 13 Contact: Dennis Hunt Dhunt@gencor.com www.gencor.com
Quality Paving Consultants.............63 Contact: Jarrett Welch Tel:970-361-1525 qualitypavingconsultants @gmail.com www.qualitypavingconsultants.com
Reliable Asphalt Products........................62, Back Cover Contact: Charles Grote Tel: 502-647-1782 cgrote@reliableasphalt.com www.reliableasphalt.com Roadtec.............................................. 7, 9 Contact: Sales Tel: 423-265-0600 Sales@roadtec.com www.roadtec.com Rotochopper, Inc...Inside Back Cover Tel: 320-548-3586 Info@rotochopper.com www.rotochopper.com Stansteel AsphaltPlant Products…...................61 Contact: Dave Payne Tel: 800-826-0223 dpayne@stansteel.com www.stansteel.com Stansteel…………………35 Contact: Dawn Kochert Tel: 800-826-0223 dkochert@hotmixparts.com www.hotmixparts.com
Systems Equipment..........................47 Contact: Dave Enyart, Sr. Tel: 563-568-6387 Dlenyart@systemsequipment.com www.systemsequipment.com Tarmac International, Inc................27 Contact: Ron Heap Tel 816-220-0700 info@tarmacinc.com www.tarmacinc.com Top Quality Paving............................37 Contact: John Ball Tel 603-624-8300 Tqpaving@yahoo.com www.tqpaving.com Willow Designs...................................37 Contact: Jerod Willow Tel: 717-919-9828 Eowillow@aol.com www.willowdesignsllc.com WRT Equipment................................ 33 Contact: Dean Taylor Tel: 800-667-2025 Or 306-244-0423 Dtaylor@wrtequipment.com www.wrtequipment.com
AsphaltPro’s Resource Directory is designed for you to have quick access to the manufacturers that can get you the information you need to run your business efficiently. Please support the advertisers that support this magazine and tell them you saw them in AsphaltPro magazine.
www.theasphaltpro.com | ASPHALT PRO 63
the last cut
Petroleum Past and Present By AsphaltPro Staff
D
uring the Rocky Mountain Asphalt Conference and Equipment Show (RMACES) in Denver in February, Colorado State University’s Scott Shuler discussed the complexity of liquid asphalt cement (AC). “This is the most complicated building material we work with,” Shuler told the audience. “We can predict properties of other building materials on paper, but asphalt is less predictable.” The asphalt, AC, bitumen or binder we use as an ingredient in a paving mix can come from the “tar” sands, such as those in Alberta, Canada; from Gilsonite, such as that in the caves in Utah; or from a petroleum source. Shuler reminded us that 98 percent of paving is done with AC from a petroleum source. The crude oil sources our industry prefers—actually needs—are those that have heavy bottoms. When the crude oil is distilled, the heavy bottoms provide the AC we use for mix design and perpetual pavements. According to a series of This Week in Petroleum (TWIP) online articles published by and used with permission from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), U.S. crude oil production has reached new highs. What’s troublesome is the production is of light, sweet crudes that take more effort to get ACs from. Let’s take a look at information from EIA during the first quarter of this year to see what trends they—and we— are watching. The total U.S. crude oil production averaged 7.5 million barrels per day (bbl/d) in 2013, which is 967,000 more bbl/d than 2012 levels and the highest level of U.S. production since 1989, according to EIA. The agency’s Petroleum Supply Monthly newsletter reports in December 2013, U.S. crude oil production reached 7.9 million bbl/d, which represents an increase of 785,000 bbl/d—or 11 percent—compared to December 2012. This uptick had an influence on more than pipeline 64 June/july 2014
capacities; the productivity of the U.S. crude oil industry helped stabilize global crude oil pricing. “As the United States reduced imports, more crude oil became available to the global market, helping to offset significant supply disruptions elsewhere in the world and to stabilize prices. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) spot prices averaged $98 per barrel (bbl) for the year, up 4% from 2012 and the highest annual average since 2008. The Brent spot price averaged $109/bbl, down 3% from 2012.” This is from the Jan. 3, 2014, TWIP EIA report. That same report explained the closing gap between WTI and Brent pricing. “While global crude oil prices were relatively stable, prices in the United States saw more movement in addition to the narrowing differential between midcontinent and Gulf Coast crude prices, the closely watched Brent-WTI differential ranged from $23/bbl in mid-February to under $1 in mid-July, when U.S. refiners raised crude runs to near record high levels. After refinery runs declined due to autumn maintenance, and under the weight of continuing production growth, the spread widened again, reaching $15/ bbl by the end of November.” All the activity resulted in high outputs. “With greater U.S. crude price discounts, more refineries ran at high utilization rates. High refinery output, combined with muted domestic demand for most
of the year, resulted in record U.S. petroleum product exports of 3.7 million bbl/d in third-quarter 2013, up 0.6 million bbl/d compared with the same period in 2012.” When the report states, “China alone accounted for almost 35% of global demand growth and eclipsed the United States to become the world’s largest importer of crude oil,” a reader might draw conclusions about that nation’s use. Keep in mind, the United States’ decrease in crude imports played a large role in the percentages in 2013. EIA expects these trends to continue through 2015. In the Jan. 8, 2014, TWIP report, EIA suggests crude oil production growth in 2014 and 2015. “EIA estimates that U.S. crude oil production averaged 7.5 million barrels per day (bbl/d) in 2013, the highest annual average rate of production since 1989, and a 1.0-million-bbl/d increase from 2012. In the January STEO, which extends the forecast period through 2015, EIA expects continued strong production growth. EIA projects crude oil production to average 8.5 million bbl/d in 2014 and 9.3 million bbl/d in 2015, which would be the highest annual rate of crude oil production since 1972. The record highest annual average crude oil production was 9.6 million bbl/d in 1970.” What’s vital to the forecast is the application of more efficient fracking techniques, the contributions of safe offshore production, and the pipeline availability and capacity that has made certain sweet
In particular, EIA expects most growth through 2015 to result from drilling in the Bakken formation in North Dakota and Montana, the Eagle Ford formation in Texas, and the Permian Basin in Texas and New Mexico.
crudes more affordable. Let’s turn the next portion of this article over to information from the Jan. 8 TWIP report: “Production from light oil formations in Texas, North Dakota and a handful of other states has driven total crude oil production growth for the past four years. Development activity in these key onshore basins and increasing productivity as companies learn how to apply hydraulic fracturing techniques more effectively and efficiently are central to STEO’s forecast. In particular, EIA expects most growth through 2015 to result from drilling in the Bakken formation in North Dakota and Montana, the Eagle Ford formation in Texas, and the Permian Basin in Texas and New Mexico. Bakken production is expected to rise from the estimated December 2013 level of 1.0 million bbl/d to 1.3 million bbl/d in December 2015. Eagle Ford production is projected to increase from an estimated December 2013 level of 1.2 million bbl/d to 1.5 million bbl/d in December 2015. The Eagle Ford accounts for more than half of the onshore domestic liquids production growth because of a comparatively large amount of liquids coming from both oil and gas wells compared with the other key production basins. “The Permian Basin in West Texas, which includes thick, overlapping formations such as the Spraberry, Bonespring and Wolfcamp, is a third key growth area. EIA estimates that crude oil production from the Permian Basin reached 1.5 million bbl/d in December 2013 and is projected to increase to 1.8 million bbl/d in December 2015. Crude oil producers are investing heavily in research and implementation of hydraulic fracturing in both vertical and horizontal wells. The stacked formations of the Permian allow vertical wells to reach several productive zones, while several horizontal wells drilled from the same surface location can target different formations of several pay zones within the same formation. “While onshore crude oil production is expected to account for the bulk of the total production increase through 2015, projected growth also reflects expected increases in offshore production from the
U.S. federal Gulf of Mexico (GOM). After offshore GOM oil production was flat at 1.3 million bbl/d in 2013, EIA projects GOM crude oil production will increase to 1.6 million bbl/d in 2015. The expected increases from GOM are the result of the following projects that are expected to come on stream: Jack, St. Malo, Entrada, Big Foot, Tubular Bells, Atlantis Phase 2 redevelopment, Hadrian South, and Lucius in 2014; Axe, Cardamom Deep, Dalmation, Deimos South, Kodiak, Pony, Samurai, West Boreas, Winter, and Mars
The productivity of the U.S. crude oil industry helped stabilize global crude oil pricing. B redevelopment in 2015. “These continuing increases in crude oil production are having profound effects on U.S. petroleum balances and global oil prices. EIA expects the discount of the WTI crude oil price to Brent to average $12 per barrel (bbl) in 2014, $3/bbl higher than projected [previously].* This increase in the projected WTI discount reflects increasing uncertainty about existing refinery infrastructure’s ability to absorb growing production of light sweet crude oil in North America at current price levels. Because of pipeline capacity expansions and pipeline reversals, there is now ample capacity to ship crude oil via pipeline from the previous bottleneck in the Midcontinent to the Gulf Coast. As a result, Light Louisiana Sweet (LLS) crude oil on the Gulf Coast, which was priced at a premium to North Sea Brent for much of the past two years, has recently begun tracking WTI prices and selling at a consistent discount to Brent. Thus, EIA expects the recent convergence of Gulf Coast crude oil prices with WTI to persist over the forecast period, with Gulf Coast crude oil
prices moving in step with the WTI prices plus a pipeline transport cost. At this price level, Gulf Coast crudes such as LLS and medium-grade Mars will trade at historically wide discounts to similar international benchmarks such as Brent and Dubai, respectively. The forecast relationship between Brent, WTI and LLS prices in 2015 are similar to those expected in 2014.” One of the things to consider as we move through 2014 and into 2015 is the effect weather has on petroleum markets. For example, the harsh winter-weather conditions throughout most of the United States put a dent in more than DOT maintenance budgets during January and February of 2014. EIA states, “The sustained cold weather that overtook much of the United States…increased demand for space heating fuels, disrupted crude oil and natural gas production as well as refinery, rail, and pipeline operations, and challenged the ability of energy infrastructure to deliver fuel.” Companies trying to expand for 2014— and beyond—saw setbacks. “The cold weather in January resulted in a slowdown in crude oil and natural gas exploration and production activity. EIA’s February STEO expects that the reduced wellcompletion activity because of harsh weather conditions caused oil production to slow. Very cold temperatures require the use of additional heating equipment at drilling sites, which can slow the pace of drilling and completing new wells. In particular, large volumes of water used for hydraulic fracturing must be heated to prevent freezing. Heavy snow has an even greater effect on well-completion activity because poor road conditions restrict the movement of equipment.” It may be difficult to remember now that spring and summer paving are upon us and our plants are making mix to fill potholes and repair pavements damaged by the ice and snowplows of the winter, but even refinery production slowed a few months ago. “Winter weather caused refineries to reduce runs and in some cases suspend operations because of power outages and the effect of extremely low temperatures on unit operations….Refineries in the www.theasphaltpro.com | ASPHALT PRO 65
the last cut Liquid Asphalt Cement Prices—average per ton Company, State
Feb’14
Mar’14
Apr’14
May’14
$540.00
$540.00
$560.00
$560.00
$580.00
Axeon Specialty Products, Ga.
550.00
550.00
540.00
540.00
565.00
Axeon Specialty Products, N.C.
565.00
565.00
555.00
550.00
565.00
Axeon Specialty Products, Va.
560.00
560.00
550.00
540.00
565.00
Assoc’d Asphalt Inman, N.C.
580.00
570.00
570.00
565.00
575.00
Assoc’d Asphalt Inman, S.C.
580.00
570.00
570.00
570.00
580.00
Assoc’d Asphalt Inman, Va.
575.00
570.00
550.00
555.00
575.00
Marathon Petroleum, Tenn.
540.00
540.00
540.00
560.00
580.00
Marathon Petroleum, N.C.
540.00
540.00
540.00
560.00
570.00
Valero Energy, N.C.
545.00
560.00
565.00
565.00
555.00
California Average
537.60
547.30
583.70
553.30
550.10
Delaware Average
560.00
560.00
546.67
541.67
553.33
Kentucky Average
534.38
534.38
539.38
545.63
557.50
Massachusetts Average
640.00
640.00
640.00
615.00
N/A
Missouri Average
532.50
532.50
545.00
550.00
560.00
Phillips 66, Tenn.
Jan’14
Data for Southeast region, Source: ncdot.org; Data for California, Source: dot.ca.gov; Data for Delaware, Source: deldot.gov; Data for Kentucky, Source: transportation.ky.gov; Data for Massachusetts, Source: mass.gov; Data for Missouri, Source: modot.mo.gov
Northeast also faced secondary effects from the cold weather, including those associated with significant increases in the cost of natural gas. On January 22, natural gas spot prices in the Transco Zone 6…reached $124 per million British thermal units (MMBtu), up from $11/ MMBtu one day earlier.” “Weather-related power outages disrupted both crude and product pipelines in the Midwest and East Coast. Along the U.S. Gulf Coast, winter storms and fog temporarily closed the 52-mile Houston Ship Channel, which connects many Houston area refineries and petroleum product terminals to the Gulf of Mexico.” Hostile weather eventually clears and industry carries on. With the resolve to explore, improve and expand, the petroleum industry’s forecast for 2014 and 2015 shows at least the U.S. 66 June/july 2014
crude oil marketplace growing in its ability to support domestic needs. We continue to follow the trends here in the Last Cut department. * EIA adjusted this projection in its Feb. 12, 2014 TWIP report: “In the February Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO), EIA projects that the discount of West Texas Intermediate (WTI) to North Sea Brent crude oil…will average $11/bbl and continue at the same level in 2014 and 2015. This discount reflects the economics of transporting and processing the growing production of light sweet crude oil in U.S. and Canadian refineries. EIA expects this forecast WTI discount to represent the Light Louisiana Sweet (LLS) discount to Brent minus a pipeline transport cost of approximately $4/bbl from Cushing, Oklahoma to the Gulf Coast.”
Diesel Fuel Retail Price (dollars per gallon)
Mar 3
4.016
Mar 10
4.021
Mar 17
4.003
Mar 24
3.988
Mar 31
3.975
Apr 7
3.959
Apr 14
3.952
Apr 21
3.971
Apr 28
3.975
May 5
3.964
May 12
3.948
Sources: Energy Information Administration
Crude Oil Activity (U.S. Crude) futures spot data
stocks
Feb 28
$102.59
363.8 m bbl
Mar 7
$102.58
370.0 m bbl
Mar 14
$98.89
375.9 m bbl
Mar 21
$99.46
382.5 m bbl
Mar 28
$101.67
380.1 m bbl
Apr 4
$101.14
384.1 m bbl
Apr 11
$103.74
394.1 m bbl
Apr 17
$104.30
397.7 m bbl
Apr 25
$100.60
399.4 m bbl
May 2
$99.76
397.6 m bbl
May 9
$99.99
398.5 m bbl
Sources: Energy Information Administration
B-66 MultiPurpose Shingle Grinder
Up-Time vs Up-Keep Each Rotochopper shingle grinder is designed with one simple goal—maximizing the value of your shingle waste by minimizing wear costs and maintenance downtime. • No weekly hardfacing • Less spillage • Most uptime • Best horsepower efficiency RG-1 Purpose-Built Shingle Grinder
320-548-3586 www.rotochopper.com
• Fast tooth & screen changes
• No augers, sprockets, or chains operating in abrasive fines • 350-765 HP, electric or diesel
Which Rotochopper grinder is right for your volume of shingle waste? Contact us today to learn more.
RAP14242 – CMI Portable parallel flow drum plant
375 tph Portable lime silo nom. 500bbl (2) 25k gallon portable oil tanks SEB asphalt silo Truck scale Portable 5 bin cold feed Portable screen conveyor Portable scale conveyor with pug mill 318 BH w/ impulse controls RAP-14257 STANDARAD HAVENS/BITUMA-STOR SILO SYS.
• (2) 200-ton Standard Havens Silos • Bituma-Stor 400-tph Drag Slat
• Nominal 80’ Truck Scale
RAP-13225 CEDARAPIDS PORT. DRUM MIXER PLANT
• 8x43 Parallel Flow Drum Mixer • Cedarapids CR4300500 Baghouse • 150 Ton Standard Havens Silo
• (2) Portable Burke AC Tanks • Portable Control House • 4 Bin Portable Cold Feed
RAP-14256 ADM MILE MAKER-225 DUAL DRUM
• 7ft x 30ft dryer - 6ft x 16ft rotary • Hauck Ecostar 75 burner • Fuel and AC pumps • Control room • BHP585-9 portable baghouse • 5 (14x10) cold feed bins w/ vibrators • Virgin scale conveyor • (2) 100 ton silos w/ truck scale
• 200 tph drag slat • 100 ton capacity • Transfer slat • 14ft x 12ft2in x 56ft • Control house - ADP-100 controls • (2) 20k horizontal coiled AC tanks overall long (legs are • 1.4 mbtu hot oil heater, burns bolt on) fuel oil • Oil seal gates at • Recycle system - bin, conveyor, bottom, knife seal screen • 18k gallon fuel oil tank
RAP-14057 250 TPH PORTABLE ASTEC 6-PACK PLANT
• 7’ x 40’ Parallel Flow Drum Mixer w/ 520 StarJet Burner • Nominal 40,000 CFM Baghouse • 5-Bin Portable Cold Feed
RAP-14150 ASTEC SILO W/ WEIGH BATCHER
• 30,000 Gallon Portable AC Tank w/ 1.0 mbtu Heater • SEB w/ 24 inch Drag Slat and Control House
3Qualified listings 3Complete retrofit capability 3All types of component reconditioning
• Pioneer 7’6” x 46’ Parallel-Flow gates over batcher Drum • Nominal 6 ton weigh • Gencor AF-75 Oil/Gas Combo batcher, steel cone Burner liners recently installed • Smico 5’ x 14’ Double-Deck
RAP-13789 6X18 DILLMAN DUO DRUM
• Single Tire Design • Fugitive Fan
RAP-14062 350 TPH PARALLEL-FLOW DRUM PLANT
Virgin Screen • 70,000 CFM Pulse-Jet Baghouse w/ New York Fan
• (3) 20,000 Gallon Coiled Vertical AC Tanks • (1) 20,000 Gallon Fuel Tank • CEI 200 Gas-Fired Hot Oil Heater • (4) 100-ton Pioneer Storage Silos • Pioneer Drag Slat w/ Single 9856 REX Chain • Set of (9) Cold Feed Bins • One Recycle Bin
RAP-13915 ASTEC 58K CFM BAGHOUSE
• RBH-58:DB 98-007 • Horizontal Cyclone • Auger Dust Return System • Skid Mounted Arrangement
3Custom engineering 3Experience with all types of plants 3Complete plants and stand alone components VIEW ALL OUR INVENTORY ONLINE AT:
Inc.
PO Box 519, Shelbyville KY 40066 • Fax 502.647.1786
www.ReliableAsphalt.com 866.647.1782