Asphalt Pro - February 2010

Best Planning to Start RAS Right

C.W. Matthews

Ensures Asphalt Supply WMA Mix Design Update Non-nuclear: Quality Culture from Lab to Pavement Keep Moisture out of Lab Pumps Smooth Paving FEBRUARY 2010

World of Asphalt

Show Me the Money!

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February 2010 Departments Letter From the Editor 5 Save the Dragonflies Around the Globe 6 Industry News and Happenings from Around the World People You Should Know 8 Spotlight on: 2010 Asphalt Institute Chairman Bill Thorpe Safety Spotlight 10 Stay Safe Around Electricity Know what to do if equipment brings down a power line With information from the Energy Education Council

Project Management 14 Position Crews for Smooth Paving

by John Ball

Equipment Maintenance 18 Silo Maintenance Revisited Running WMA doesn’t have to upset your schedule

by AsphaltPro Staff

Producer Profile 20 Terminal Fixes Supply for C.W. Matthews

by Sandy Lender

18 Left: AI Chairman Bill Thorpe knows where to go for some rest and relaxation. See related article on page 8. Photo courtesy of Bill Thorpe.

Above: Some routine maintenance items need a refresher course to make sure personnel keep them in proper rotation. See related article on page 18. Photo courtesy of ADM, Huntertown, Ind.

Equipment Gallery 40 Here’s How It Works 42 Etnyre’s Blacktopper Electric Heat System Last Cut 44 Oil From Sand

by AsphaltPro Staff

Resource Directory 46

Articles 24 Take Care of Lab Vacuum Pumps Construction Opportunities

by Maurice Arbelaez

25 Bring QC/QA In

14 Line up the job for proper grading, smooth paving. See related article on page 14. Photo courtesy of Topcon Positioning Systems, Livermore, Calif.

by Ron Berube

26 WMA Mix Design Nears Completion

by Sandy Lender

28 How to Incorporate Shingle Recycling

by Sandy Lender

30 WMA on the Sly Adams Construction proves WMA to employees, LEED skeptics

by Raluca Loher

36 HMA Proves Accessible, Flexible for Urban Reconstruction

by Daniel C. Brown

Stop by the AsphaltPro Booth at WOA AGG1 for your chance to win $1,000.

See related article on the Reliable Asphalt insert.

About the Cover

A threat to supply sometimes means you take matters into your own hands.

C.W. Matthews Construction Co., Marietta, Ga., built their own asphalt terminal to supply their 26 plants, and others. Photo courtesy of Heatec, Chattanooga.

ASPHALT PRO 3

February 2010 • Vol. 3 No. 5

Save the Dragonflies editor’s note

2001 Corporate Place Columbia, MO 65202 573-499-1830 • 573-499-1831 www.theasphaltpro.com

publisher Chris Harrison

associate publisher Sally Shoemaker editor Sandy Lender operations/circulation manager Cindy Sheridan business manager Renea Sapp graphic design Alisha Moreland Sarah Handelman creative services Betsy Bell AsphaltPro is published nine 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 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 and $175.00 all other countries (payable in U.S. funds, drawn on U.S. bank). Single copies available $17 each.

We could talk about funding all day long and keep telling each other the same thing. We need alternative funding methods and we need to keep that message in front of Congress.

Jay Hansen will iterate that more eloquently for you in the March issue.

Right now, I want to touch on something environmental that sparked my interest recently.

Dragonflies.

Now, I’ve made it clear to everyone that I’m an environmentalist and a conservationist, as all members of the asphalt industry are. At the recent National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA) 55th annual meeting, talk of our environmental excellence brought our good message to light time and time again. We’ll be covering those good messages in the pages of AsphaltPro, as you’ve become accustomed to, throughout 2010. But right now, I want to talk specifically about dragonflies in Illinois.

The folks at the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) sent out a note about the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority (ISTHA) discovering a problem with a rare insect—the endangered Hine’s emerald dragonfly. It sounds gorgeous. And expensive.

It cost ISTHA $6 million to build man-made ponds and “rivulets” and little insect condos along a highway in the dragonfly’s habitat. They also made sure a $355-million bridge going up across the Will County’s Keepataw Preserve and Black Partridge Woods in Cook County went up “higher” than usual so cars would be above splatter range, if you catch my drift. This means fewer dragonflies find themselves in conflict with windshields.

Personally, I think $6 million is a hefty price to pay to save an insect species. But I won’t begrudge these bugs their place in our world. If the sea turtles needed $6 million, I’d be the first in line to help raise the funds. So I’ll raise my glass to the folks in the ISTHA who came up with the plan to build little homes for the dragonflies and ponds for their better breeding practices. How else do you save a species but by encouraging good breeding, right?

I’m one of those crazy people who frets over the animals when the weather does something unexpected. I let a lizard come live in my house when the weather dipped into the 30s and 40s here in Florida in early January. (I might have fed him a non-endangered species of fly if one had been available.) So, yes, I feel sympathy for dragonflies that teeter on the edge of extinction, and applaud the agency workers who came up with a solution that protected the dragonflies while keeping commerce, economy and American motorists moving.

It’s something asphalt contractors and department of transportation engineers have to throw in the design plans once in a while—making special accommodations for animals in the area or for habitats “downstream.” It’s environmentally responsible. It’s the right thing to do. Sometimes it’s expensive. However it’s worked out, there are members of the industry like me who applaud you for protecting the parts and pieces of our world on one level while protecting the motoring public on another.

Stay Safe,

Sandy Lender, Editor ASPHALT PRO 5

AROUND THE GLOBE Industry News and Happenings from Around the World Canada

• Canada’s largest energy takeover of 2009 has turned out to be a profitable scenario for Suncor Energy, Inc., Calgary. Suncor bought Petro-Canada in August for a little under $19 billion (U.S. dollars). The company showed fourth quarter (Q409) net income of 29 cents a share compared to Q408 net loss of 24 cents a share.

• According to the Dow Jones Newswires, Canadian Natural Resources, Ltd., has agreed to acquire 50 percent of North West Upgrading, Inc., Calgary, for the purpose of forming a partnership to build and operate a bitumen finery near Redwater, Alberta. The companies have already submitted a joint proposal to the Alberta government to begin the refinery’s construction with closing targeted for later this year. The facility is expected to process 50,000 barrels of bitumen per day.

Source: Dow Jones Newswires

China

One of China’s largest producers of hot mix asphalt (HMA) plants, Xi’an Road Construction Machinery Company Limited (XRMC), Xian, China, has signed a license agreement with Astec, Inc., Chattanooga, to fabricate select Astec plant components in their new state of the art manufacturing facility.

In 2009 XRMC celebrated its 50th year in business. Their new manufacturing facility exceeds 780,000 square feet, providing them with the necessary capacity to meet the needs of the significant growth projections needed to build China’s expanding road infrastructure.

Ecuador

Robert Friedland, co-chairman and CEO of Ivanhoe Energy, Inc., and David Martin, president and CEO of Ivanhoe Energy Latin America announced today that the company’s first appraisal well (IP-15) in the Pungarayacu field in Ecuador has reached total depth with extensive oil shows in both the Napo and Hollin formations. The initial results from this well are significant and, as a result, Ivanhoe Energy will defer releasing any information until independent lab analysis is received. The cores have arrived at Core Labs in Bogota, Colombia, for testing and analysis and results are expected shortly. Physical testing of the well began at the end of January and preparations for the second appraisal well location are under way.

Germany

Get ready for the BAUMA Fair in Germany from April 19 through 25. Visit http://www.bauma.de/en.

India

During the Excon India show in Bangalore, India, this past 6 FEBRUARY 2010

November, TIL announced it is now a licensee for Astec, Inc., Chattanooga, to fabricate select Astec plant components and serve as the Astec agent for India. For more than 63 years, TIL has been a growth partner to India’s infrastructure sectors and is one of the leading providers of a wide range of state-of-theart equipment for infrastructure development. Information provided was unclear whether the Astec plants to be built and sold in India will be from Astec’s HMA or concrete lines.

Indiana

Japan

South Dakota

The 11th International Conference on Asphalt Pavements takes place in Nagoya, Aichi, Japan, this Aug. 1 through 6, 2010.

It’s going to be an encounter in Nagoya! Visit www.isapnagoya2010.jp for information.

United Kingdom

Eurobitume has published a new Registration, Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals (REACH) guidance table at www. eurobitume.org/health_safety/reach-bitumen-uses.html. The pdf translates the current list of bitumen use descriptors, prepared by CONCAWE for the REACH registration process, into the relevant uses and applications commonly understood throughout the industry. REACH is a European Regulation, made into law summer 2007, governing the control of chemicals in the European Union, which replaces more than 40 existing pieces of legislation. With the Global Harmonization Initiative taking place, industry experts expect U.S. entities such as OSHA and NIOSH to watch the results of REACH.

Alabama

Join the National Center for Asphalt Technology (NCAT) for its Asphalt Technology Course Feb. 22 through 26. The cost is $850 per person. The intensive one-week curriculum will cover asphalt binders, aggregate, hot mix asphalt, construction, and HMA design/rehabilitation. Visit http://eng.auburn.edu or contact kerrlin@auburn.edu.

Colorado

Join CAPA for the 37th Annual Rocky Mountain Asphalt Conference & Equipment Show Feb. 24 through 26. Former Denver Broncos All Pro Defensive Star Karl Mecklenburg will be the keynote speaker. For more information and registration, visit www.rmaces.org.

Florida

Watch www.murphypavetech.com for registration and further information about a one-day conference on Hot Mix Asphalt— Materials, Machinery, and Methods. Industry expert and consultant Tim Murphy puts together an all asphalt, all day, all you need to know conference in Orlando.

Cummins, Inc., Columbus, Ind., announced in January, the initial results of a Tier 4 Interim/Stage IIIB field test program after reaching a cumulative 20,000 hours of testing with equipment operators. The testing confirmed up to 5 percent higher fuel efficiency and improved productivity, with equipment operating on commercial service repowered with Cummins integrated air-intake-to-exhaust aftertreatment system.

KPI-JCI and Astec Mobile Screens, Yankton, S.D., have announced the election and appointment of two new board members to its Dealer Advisory Council—Kevin Kientz and David Johnson.

Texas

• Be aware that the Foundation for Pavement Preservation (FP2) has undergone a legal restructuring as of Jan. 1. FP2, Inc., is now an entity that can take advocacy positions in favor of pavement preservation in ongoing funding legislation. J. Baxter Burns, II, 2010 president of FP2, and executive vice president of Ergon Asphalt & Emulsions, Jackson, Miss., has declared that the entity’s mission is “to advocate national policies, and support promotional activities and research programs that advance pavement preservation…. We’ll define a beneficial pavement preservation policy and advocate its adoption at all levels of government.” The original statement did not mention types of preservation that will be advocated.

• The next Paving Smarter With Asphalt conference will take place in Austin, Texas, May 4 through 5. Early bird registration is available through April 2. Visit www.hotmix.org for details.

Washington, D.C. NAPA President Mike Acott delivered the keynote address at the Making Green Jobs Safe workshop, held in Washington Dec. 14, where the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) featured the asphalt industry as the example of an industry that has made worker health and safety its number one priority, and has therefore achieved breakthroughs. NIOSH created the conference was created to provide a forum for ensuring that the new “green jobs” that are being created in today’s economy are also safe jobs for workers. See the related safety article in the August/September 2009 issue of AsphaltPro. If you know of something important happening in your state, contact our editor with the information at sandy@theasphaltpro.com.

people you should know Spotlight on:

2010 Asphalt Institute Chairman Bill Thorpe Name: William L. (Bill) Thorpe Age: 63 Title and company/organization: Sr. Vice President - Asphalt Division Alon USA/Paramount Petroleum Corporation Job description: Thorpe is responsible for the management and oversight of the asphalt division of Alon USA and Paramount Petroleum Corporation. This includes asphalt production, manufacturing, distribution, quality control, product research and development, terminal operation, product marketing, and customer service.

Years in the asphalt industry: 35+ Education: Thorpe has a BS/MS degree in Economics and Marketing Management Community involvement: Thorpe served on the Laguna Hills City organization committee and helped organize the first city management.

He is chairman of the Laguna Hills Transportation and Public Works Committee, counselor and advisor for church youth and young adult groups, and a member of Big Brothers of America.

Professional background: 1) At Conoco, Thorpe held various management positions in the transportation and supply organizations; 2) at Charter Oil Company, he was senior management in planning, mergers and acquisitions, and marketing development; 3) at Pacific Resources, Inc., he was the vice-president marketing and development; 4) at Paramount Petroleum Corporation/Alon USA, he is the senior vice president of the asphalt division.

A businessperson I admire: “Jack Welch— hardworking, honest in dealing with employees and customers, old school work ethics. A person I would most like to emulate is Gordon B. Hinckley—honesty in all things, worked 8 FEBRUARY 2010

and traveled every day until his death at 94 years old. He helped countless less fortunate people and spread love around the world, a beloved leader of millions around the world.”

If I weren’t doing this for a living, I would: “be fly fishing on the Green River, Utah.”

Biggest career or personal obstacle I’ve overcome: “Surviving two corporate bankruptcies.”

What’s currently on my iPod: “Sorry, I don’t own an iPod, but if I did, it would have bluegrass and country western music, intermixed with some neo-classical.”

feet, the cabin is surrounded by Douglas Fir and Aspen trees, wildlife (moose and deer), the Bear River and literally hundreds of mountain lakes within a 150-mile radius. There’s hiking, fishing and just enjoying the beautiful scenery.”

Family: “Married to Kathie for 45 years.”

What I’m most proud of: “My two children (Michael and Shelby Marie) and four grandchildren (Heatherlee 19; Katie 18, Conner 17 and Colder 6). In addition to what I’ve mentioned before, I built an asphalt manufacturing, blending, terminaling and distribution business from scratch which now includes four asphalt producing refineries and 12 asphalt distribution, storage and QA/QC facilities in the Western United States. We have led the way on asphalt product development, especially polymer modification, grade blending and terminal manufactured/blended rubberized asphalt products.”

Favorite place in my hometown: “My favorite place would be our mountain retreat, located in the Uintah range of the Rocky Mountains in North Utah. Located at an elevation of 8,400

Most people don’t know that I: “am a semiprofessional banjo picker. That is why bluegrass would be on my iPod (if I had an iPod).”

Favorite movie: Cool Hand Luke Most well-worn book in my library: A Brief History of Time by Steven Hawkins My pets: “My Boxer, Sadie.”

What I do for fun: “Fly fishing, snowmobiling, ATV riding in the mountains of N. Utah at my cabin and most of all, spending as much time as possible with and supporting the scholastic and athletic endeavors of my four grandchildren.”

SAFETY SPOTLIGHT Stay Safe Around Electricity Know what to do if equipment brings down a power line with information from the Energy Education Council

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awareness about the dangers when power ccidents involving power lines happen and Safety Administration (NHTSA), in 2008 lines are brought down in vehicular accidents. in and out of work zones for motorists. almost 2,000 people were killed in collisions “You have to remember that you can’t smell, involving utility poles. There are tens of thouWhen an accident happens within the hear or see electricity, but the power in that work zone with a piece of construction equipsands of incidents each year in which cars or line is tremendous and can be deadly,” Finley ment, do your workers know how to handle large equipment strike power poles. Each one said. “The safest place after a crash is inside the situation? Do your tailgate talks prepare of these accidents has the potential to bring the vehicle, and the operators for life-saving down power lines. Without awareness of the There are tens of thou- best thing you can do right moves to make, surviving the accident measures whether it’s a for [someone] who is haul truck bringing down itself might not be enough to stay alive. sands of incidents each trapped is to stay back a power line or a swerving In the vast majority of those accidents, year in which cars or and call the utility to motorist taking out a inside the vehicle is the safest place to be, as disconnect power to utility pole? the teens in our example knew. Only in the rare large equipment strike the line.”

Teenagers Lee Whitinstance of fire should the operator exit the power poles.

There were injuries taker and Ashley Taylor vehicle. Then, he or she must know how to do when the car the teens so safely, jumping free and clear of the vehicle, didn’t have the advantage were traveling in crashed into the utility pole, of a paving crew’s morning safety talks, but landing with feet together and hopping away. bringing a power line down on the car, but they saw a power line safety demonstration at It’s difficult to get out without creating a path they knew not to get out and their high school a mere five days before they for electrical current to informed those who approached Only in the rare inand two classmates were in a car that crashed flow, which is why one the scene to keep their distance. into a utility pole. The accident brought live should get out only if stance of fire should forced to.

They waited more than 30 power lines to the ground. minutes for line crews to arrive the operator exit the Fortunately, all four survived because they “When people are and deactivate the power line. followed the advice of safety expert Kyle Finley involved in a car accivehicle.

Thirty minutes may seem at from his Live Line Demo program as part of dent, electricity is usually first like a long time to wait when Safe Electricity’s 2010 Teach Learn Care (TLC) the last thing on anyone’s you have a perishable product like hot mix campaign. The campaign strives to increase mind,” Safe Electricity Executive Director Molly asphalt (HMA) in Hall said. “We’re often more concerned about a growing line of whether anyone was injured, or how badly the waiting haul trucks, vehicle is damaged. We often forget that by but the most exiting the vehicle, we’re risking bodily expoimportant asset in sure to thousands of volts of electricity from your company is downed power lines.” the man or woman To learn more about power line safety trapped and in during vehicular accidents, see the video danger. A quick call on www.SafeElectricity.org. Visitors can also to the plant stops watch a streamed live power line demonstraproduction. Earlier tion, just like the one the Indiana teens saw at safety training their school. keeps other crew Safe Electricity is a public awareness program of members out of the Energy Education Council at www.Enerharm’s way. gyEdCouncil.org, a registered 501c3 non-profit According Four Indiana teens crashed their car into a utility pole just five days after viewing a power line dedicated to promoting electrical safety and to the National safety demonstration at their high school. For workers on your paving crew or subcontractors hauling material to your paving site, a safety talk that discusses the tips and advice offered by the energy efficiency.

Highway Traffic Energy Education Council could protect them the way it protected these teenagers.

ASPHALT PRO 11

PROJECT MANAGEMENT Position Crews for Smooth Paving

by John Ball

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Milling to grade takes on new accuracy with the Millimeter-GPS.

fter the survey crew prepares a site and the grading crew smoothes it out for paving, what exactly does your paving crew expect to see? Are you in one of those areas where everything has gone the technical route?

You arrive to find not a single stake or flag. There’s no orange ribbon or string alerting you to the start of the project or the slope of the lot. This is going to take some pretty serious project management.

Never fear. A global positioning system (GPS) was here.

Grading crews used to set up stakes and strings, and the paving crew could get a lot of information off what was at each station. Now GPS surveying equipment offers more. I’ll give you an overview of what happens, using a commercial project for an example.

The survey crew comes in to a new parking lot project with a tripod and sets up an electronic grid that shows the islands, curbs, gutters, drains, etcetera for the project. They set down a battery-operated “total station” that takes a reading off a receptacle in a rod. By sliding the rod’s slide ruler up and down, they know when it alerts that it’s on grade. It gives a digital readout that tells how much the grading crew needs to cut or grade. continued on Page 16

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PROJECT MANAGEMENT

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5 1,2: Wide, deep, slow paving in Europe also benefits from GPS accuracy.

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3: The PZL-1 from Topcon Positioning Systems, Inc., Livermore, Calif., rotates atop its pole, transmitting a signal in a beam of light that reaches 33 feet (10 m) in height from the ground. This creates a measuring area that feeds devices all around the project site despite curves, slopes, and dips in the surface.

4: For high-accuracy tolerance applications such as asphalt paving for smoothness bonus, this crew uses Millimeter-GPS.

2 John Dice, Sr., of Topcon Positioning Systems, Inc., Livermore, Calif., explained why. “The GPS tells us where on Earth we are, within an inch or so, horizontally and vertically.

Anywhere we drive a motor grader, bulldozer, etcetera, we know where we are.”

Getting back to our example, when a grader operator moves across the surveyed area with a blade-full of product, the GPS system tells the blade when to go up or down. There’s a receptacle in the blade receiving the information, learning where the fall of the land is.

After rolling and compacting the dirt, there may be some forgiveness in it due to soft spots or weakness in the soil. The grade may be compromised. If it’s been opened to traffic before the paving crew’s arrival, vehicles have influenced its integrity or hooligans may have done donuts in the dirt. You never know what may have taken place between grading and 16 FEBRUARY 2010

4 paving. You can rely on the GPS to help the paver correct with fill.

If the paving crew doesn’t have a GPS system, they’re at the mercy of the grading crew. They’ll ask the surveying/grading crew to return and mark the spots that appear weak or in need of fill. Then the paver will lay 2 inches here, 2 ¼ inches there and manually adjust as necessary. Working with a GPS is different from working with a ski system for guidance because of the manner of information gathering. The ski systems reflect off the ground or subbase. The GPS reads off the satellite.

As Dice explained, there’s a margin of error—a tolerance—with GPS that needed some improvement. “We can control grade to about an inch. That works very well for dirt.

That tolerance isn’t good enough for asphalt.

For high-accuracy tolerance applications, we have a millimeter-GPS. With millimeter-GPS, a 30-foot vertical wall beam of light sweeps

5: Caterpillar CEO Jim Owens announced at the National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA) 55th annual meeting the company’s alignment with Trimble for GPS technology in Cat paving. Here a crew shows the AP-1000B’s versatility with the Millimeter-GPS system from Topcon.

around the site. Now when we’re on the construction site, as we go up and down hills and slopes, we still have laser control. We still get our x and y position on the job site with laser accuracy results.”

The wall of light that Dice referred to is from Topcon’s PZL-1 with the company’s Lazer Zone™ technology. It operates similarly to a rotating laser in that it transmits a signal that creates a measuring area 33 feet (10 m) in height around the pole on which the PZL-1 device sits. With this level of information being fed to receivers on survey equipment and machinery, Dice said contractors are able to get a higher level of accuracy on different places of surfaces. And that means a smoother job with better quality.

John Ball is the proprietor of Top Quality Paving, Manchester, N.H. You can reach him at (603) 493-1458 or tqpaving@yahoo.com.

equipment maintenance

Silo Maintenance Revisited Running WMA doesn’t have to upset your schedule

Photo courtesy of ADM, Huntertown, Ind.

O

ne of the most prominent features on a hot mix asphalt (HMA) manufacturing facility is the silo loadout area. Its high profile rises over the landscape majestically announcing your business is prospering and providing a quality product to enhance the infrastructure of the community nearby.

Keeping the loadout area in top condition isn’t just a good public relations statement. Yes, when the plant looks good, your name stands apart from some other businesses, but having a clean, well-maintained silo and silo gate system keeps loadout running efficiently and, above all, safely.

With the advent of warm mix asphalt (WMA) production, producers look to customer service centers to find out what changes to make in routine maintenance schedules and routine maintenance practices. When it comes to the silo and silo gates, we’ve got good news.

Rick Tapia, professional engineer at Stansteel, Lexington, Ky., explained that WMA production doesn’t add as much water to mix production as one might initially think, thus doesn’t offer opportunities for rust buildup that one might initially fear. In fact, when liquid asphalt acts as a lubricant, Tapia said, slat conveyors, chains and sprockets receive very little rust and corrosion attacks.

Tapia explained that for most areas where agencies require aggregate to be dried to one half of 1 percent of the aggregate weight, you end up with roughly 95 pounds of water for every 1,900 pounds of aggregate. In a warm mix system, you’re only adding about 2 pounds of water for every ton of liquid asphalt weight.

Thus the additional water in the WMA mix is insignificant compared to the water that’s already in the system, or what your maintenance crew is already used to guarding against.

“This is inconsequential compared to how much retained moisture might be in a ton of hot mix just based on getting the material dry or not completely dry,” Tapia said.

In addition to the relatively insignificant increase in water volume, Tapia reminded producers that the water’s purpose in the WMA system is to “disappear.”

18 FEBRUARY 2010

“The next thing to look at is that because the water is put in and the mix is still anywhere from 230 to 240 degrees F, but always above 212 degrees F, the water after it has done its mixing and coating turns to steam and evaporate. It’s basically at a non-detect level.

That’s why many customers have reported storing mix for a similar time as regular hot mix and have seen such good results from this. The water functions as a foaming and turbulent mixing arrangement, but isn’t present when it’s taken down to the road, laydown, etc.”

Sources also reminded us that when preparing a routine maintenance regimen for the silos, whether you’ve been running WMA or HMA, safety must be foremost in the plant operator’s mind. Make sure all personnel wear proper personal protective equipment (PPE) and employ the buddy system when performing inspection, cleaning and maintenance tasks. Any work done under the silo should only be performed when the silo is known to be empty. If an empty silo can’t be arranged (in the event the silo has become plugged), it’s time to call in cleaning professionals or take measures to be sure personnel can’t inadvertently step beneath the silo, placing themselves in line with a dangerous load of heavy, hot material. These tips and more will be discussed as service managers and experts from three of the industry’s plant manufacturers share sound advice for proper silo and silo gate maintenance.

Keith Lerch, a service manager for Dillman Equipment, Inc., Prairie du Chien, Wis., reminded producers and plant maintenance personnel that you should lubricate air powered components and open hinge pins frequently when performing routine maintenance on silos and silo gates. He considered the lack of maintenance and the failure to keep air line lubricators filled and hinge pins greased a No. 1 cause of silo gate malfunction. Air valve, cylinder and hinge pin premature failure are problems that crop up when moisture is allowed to collect on silo gates, which is why Lerch considered preventing air line moisture and hinge pin moisture of vital importance.

by AsphaltPro Staff

“Valve and cylinder failure may be a result of excess moisture,” Lerch said. “On hinge pins, moisture can cause rusting of surfaces.”

On main wear surfaces, Lerch said, material flow can help keep surfaces clean, but for gate components, he suggested, “Keep everything lubricated. Air line oil in all line lubricators, keep hinge pins greased regularly. This is a very easy process.”

Bill Walkington, an equipment service manager for Maxam Equipment, Inc., Kansas City, Mo., agreed that moisture in the air system will deteriorate the air cylinder and air valve. He suggested adding a good quality moisture trap on the oiler.

“Make sure mix is dried properly before it is put into the silo,” Walkington said. “Moisture coming from the gate is most likely from moisture retained in the mix. Flight modifications may be required to improve the drying zone efficiency in the drum or dryer.”

Jim Grida, field diagnostics and sales representative for Reliable Asphalt Products, Shelbyville, Ky., also warned against letting moisture collect on specific parts of the silo.

“For sure, solenoid valves and cylinders do not like any kind of moisture. Pay close attention to your compressed air system water separators and air line oilers.” He said one way to keep moisture from collecting on components is to practice regular draining of water from air storage tanks and separators.”

Of course, there’s more to consider when performing silo maintenance than moisture.

Daily use means daily wear, and plant manufacturers recommended a variety of ways to minimize the effects of daily wear. Think about morning start-up. When the operator hits the control to drop the first load of mix for the morning and the gates don’t open, he has to be careful to protect the expensive equipment and the valuable co-workers around him.

“When gates stick, the first thing an operator does is try to open and close the gate, putting a lot of unnecessary wear and tear on pins and bushings,” Grida said. “One thing that has worked for me is, especially when we’re running a polymer type mix, at the end of the

day, clean the silos out as much as possible.

Then take a 2 by 4 that can reach the open silo gate while you’re standing on the ground, and place the 2 by 4 in the gate opening. Then close the gate on it. The 2 by 4 stuck in the gate will not let the gates touch or stick together. In the morning, just open your silo gates.

“The same can also be done with the batcher,” Grida recommended. “Just place a block in the gate opening at the end of the day. Then first thing in the morning, trip your batcher and your block should end up in your silo cone. Then open up your silo gate and your batcher block, along with the one that was in your silo gate, will come out.”

Please note that Grida has suggested placing these items in the silo gate after the employees have made certain the silo is cleaned out as much as possible. He’s only suggesting someone stand beneath a silo when that someone (and his buddy) knows the silo is empty.

Another measure to take, according to Maxam’s Walkington, is to keep a close eye on temperature. He believes the No. 1 cause of silo gate malfunction is the improper storing of mix, resulting in a plug, and the way to solve that problem is to prevent it. “Eliminate the plug by not creating it,” he said. “Do not run the silo empty before you fill it if you’re going to be storing mix overnight.”

Walkington also recommended temperature monitoring practices for daytime running.

“Maintain good temperature control on the gate. Don’t overheat. Take a gate temperature reading on a normal day while running. The gate temperature should not be higher than the mix temperature. For storage overnight,

elevate slightly. More than 5 degrees can cause problems with coking.”

In the event material does become stuck in the silo cone, getting it out can be a dangerous proposition. Personnel must exercise caution to avoid catastrophe. Dillman’s Lerch advised against performing the dislodging of material without a professional service. “There are not any entirely safe ways that I am aware of,” he said. He liked the concept that the preventive is the cure.

“The best thing that can be done to prevent clogged material is to take material out periodically while storing to keep a good flow.”

Maxam’s Walkington knows a way to get non-solidified material out, but reminded personnel to use extreme caution and to have spotters to watch the worker performing the actual unclogging. “With an asphalt truck under the gate, stand beside the truck and use a long rod to dislodge the plug. Do not get in the truck.”

The truck’s purpose is to catch the mix falling out of the silo, obviously, but it also serves as a barrier to keep the worker from accidentally getting under the silo. Make sure the worker is wearing appropriate PPE for working near dispensing HMA. There are original equipment manufacturers who disagree with this concept. No matter what kind of hurry the crew might be in, waiting for a professional cleaning team to come in and unclog the silo is the safest route for your workers. By extending any kind of device into the silo from underneath, you court danger, whether you’re standing off to the side or not.

Remember the idea that the preventive is the cure? Grida had that concept in mind when

he reminded us that proper loadout methods can prolong silo life. “Proper loading of trucks from silos seems to be the biggest piece of advice I can give,” he said. “When the batcher opens dropping 2 to 4 tons of material from 30 to 50 feet in the air impacting on the silo cone, that will destroy a silo cone. I recommend leaving about 20 to 40 tons or more in the cone. When the silo gate is opened, dropping 2 to 3 tons at a time and emptying your silo out, it lets the material impact on itself. It takes the same amount of time to load a truck if you open your silo gate every time a batch drops or if you wait until there is 20 tons in your silo. If you start to load a truck when there is 40 tons in your silo, you will have 20 tons left, leaving your cone full.”

Even with all the best operating practices in effect, the normal wear and tear of daily operations will take its toll on HMA manufacturing equipment. When silo tub walls get wear spots of ¼-inch thickness (or less), it’s time for patches that personnel will be watching closely during routine inspections. Silo cones will take their daily morning blows when startup introduces the first heavy drop of the day. Gates will open and close multiple times per job and air cylinders will be called upon to keep things moving smoothly. This is the nature of the beast. Keeping the beast running without a hitch is up to plant personnel with keen eyes who check the equipment daily and who notice when something has a bit of a leak. Plant personnel who stay on top of daily inspections and maintenance can keep the silo loadout area looking good, performing well and operating safely for maximized uptime and a positive profile.

Maintain the Silo Safely

• Set up ladders properly and put spotters in position • Be sure safety gates are closed for initial work • Shut off main silo control power; lock it out; doublecheck this • Bleed air off the system; get out all air pressure that may be in the supply lines to the silos • Drain water separators • Chain gates open to perform lubrication, etc.

• Use a daily cone, gate and silo inspection sheet to verify inspections • Make sure oilers are adjusted properly and full • Check pins and bushings for any wear • Check limit switches on safety gate • Grease bearings • Check the width of silo tub walls

• Anything less than ¼-inch action should be documented for repair • Breaker bars should be welded at the cone seam where the cone meets the silo and on top of any silo tub wall liners,” Reliable Asphalt’s Jim Grida said.

Remember to check the patch regularly during plant inspection and maintenance • After maintenance and lubrication is complete, ensure all personnel are cleared from the area and from all safety hazards before turning on any air or power.

All maintenance steps below should be performed when the batcher, silo and silo cone are known to be completely empty. This compilation of maintenance checkpoints comes from the sources cited below and represents a list of highlights plant personnel can add to their maintenance arsenal for a more efficient loadout operation. AsphaltPro staff reminds workers to always rely on OSHA and NIOSH standards first when performing plant inspections and maintenance.

Steps • Block off all truck traffic to the loadout and scale area(s)

Sources: Dillman Equipment, Inc., Prairie du Chien, Wis.; Maxam Equipment, Inc., Kansas City, Mo.; and Reliable Asphalt Products, Shelbyville, Ky. ASPHALT PRO 19

producer profile

Terminal Fixes Supply for C.W. Matthews

by Sandy Lender

20 FEBRUARY 2010

H

eadquartered in Marietta, Ga., the C.W. Matthews Contracting Co., Inc., used to acquire about 85 percent of its liquid asphalt cement (AC) for all 26 of its hot mix asphalt (HMA) plants in the north and northwest quadrant of Georgia from one supplier, according to Vice President Brian Lawrence.

That supplier had a topping refinery making asphalt and gas-oil. When C.W. Matthews’ top officials learned that their supplier was being shopped for sale, they realized they had too many eggs in one basket. Lawrence said Bob Matthews, the chairman of the board, was concerned about getting asphalt when he needed it. As any producer would be.

“In 2007, we became concerned with supply for a variety of reasons,” Lawrence said.

“We have 26 hot mix asphalt plants and our foremost concern was keeping them supplied with liquid asphalt. We knew that we could be ahead of the game if we had the ability to store about six months projected usage.”

What the officials decided to do was nothing short of monumental in business planning. They decided to become their own asphalt supplier.

“In May 2008, Bob Matthews decided to build a liquid asphalt terminal in Rockmart, Ga., at the confluence of both Norfolk-Southern and CSX rail lines,” Lawrence said. “We broke ground June 1, 2008, and put the first product into the facility Dec. 2, 2008. The whole process was conducted at lightning speed to take advantage of the 2008-2009 winter buy opportunities. We are currently finishing up the last two tanks that are 54,000-barrel (bbl) capacity each, which will give the terminal the storage capability of almost 400,000 barrels. Oil’s a commodity and we’re ensuring supply of that commodity.”

If a May-December conception to completion sounds a bit rushed to readers, Lawrence agrees. “The speed at which this occurred is unprecedented,” he said with pride. “It moved at warp speed. We started with a blank sheet of paper in March.

“The learning curve was pretty steep as none of us had ever done this before. We put together a great team of designers and builders and never looked back.”

They hired an engineering firm to draw up the schematics for the terminal and brought in the experts at Heatec, Chattanooga, to assist

with piping and layout as well as build two heaters and the polymer plant system.

Rockmart’s placement and the city’s assistance was instrumental in making the project reality, Lawrence pointed out. “We couldn’t have moved that fast if permitting hadn’t been easy. The site layout was done in-house. Heatec helped at that stage fitting in the paperwork, etc. They had good suggestions for how to orient things to maximize use of the property.”

One of the aspects of construction that management found important was including future workers from conception to completion.

“The terminal manager is Wayne West,” Lawrence said. “Prior to running the terminal, he was an asphalt plant foreman. We had Wayne on site during the construction so he could learn how everything went together. We wanted him to be there while it was being constructed so he knew the nuts and bolts of it.”

From what Lawrence described, West got quite the education.

The terminal includes two asphalt reserve tanks—one 54,000-bbl and one 26,000-bbl.

There are two 5,000-bbl day tanks designed to heat asphalt more quickly than the reserve tanks and to store mix that will be loaded out daily. By having different-sized tanks, C.W. Matthews personnel can keep the tanks, and thus the asphalt, at different temperatures as needed, thus saving on fuel/heating costs. The reserve tanks are typically kept at 280 degrees F (138 degrees C) and the day tanks are typically kept at 350 degrees F (177 degrees C). In total, there are six 54,000-bbl asphalt storage tanks, three 26,000-bbl asphalt storage tanks, and three 5,000-bbl asphalt storage tanks.

Tanks also feature proportionate numbers of mixers to ensure uniform temperature and/or to keep PMAs properly blended. Each tank also has a gauge board, a thermocouple, a pressure transducer to indicate the level of liquid inside, a sampling valve, an overflow pipe, an emer-

gency air vent, two thermometers, and a spiral stairway from ground to top outside the tank.

Information is fed to a controller that reports signals to a computer. The PLC-based automation system is from Heatec’s sister company, Astec.

Two hot oil heaters with an output of 8 million BTU/hour each are located in an enclosed building with space for a third in the event C.W. Matthews officers decide to expand.

The heaters heat thermal fluid that carries heat to all asphalt tanks, two fuel tanks, the polymer blending system, and a steam generator.

A booster heater is on site to take temperatures up for load-out when an asphalt’s storage temperature is too low for a particular job. The booster also preps asphalt for the polymer blending system. It can boost temperatures up to 40 degrees F at 500 gallons per minute.

The hot oil piping system circulates thermal fluid with three centrifugal pumps that are connected in parallel with each other. The system circulates about 12,000 gallons of hot oil at a temperature of 425 to 450 degrees F (218 to 232 degrees C). A warm-oil skid pump is also connected to the main supply and return lines where the temperature is maintained at about 350 degrees F (177 degrees C).

“The warm-oil skid lets you regulate how much heat goes around the plant,” Lawrence said. “This terminal has a lot of flexibility in it that way.

C.W. Matthews produced 20,000 tons of polymer-modified asphalt in its first year producing PMA. Here the polymer blending system from Heatec resides in a protective building.

Coils heat the stored liquid and mixers keep it moving. Each tank features the requisite coil, mixers, valves and gauges to keep asphalt storage at optimum efficiency.

ASPHALT PRO 21

Just What Does BBL Mean?

Everything from Bird Banding Laboratory to Bachelor of Business Laws, the abbreviation of BBL has a storied past. For the asphalt industry’s purposes, we call it a Barrel or a Blue Barrel. The Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported on Ticker Sense in 2006 that BBL (or bbl) is an abbreviation for barrel with an extra b to indicate color and capacity. Here’s EIA’s direct quote from the site.

In the early 1860s, when oil production began, there was no standard container for oil, so oil and petroleum products were stored and transported in barrels of all different shapes and sizes (beer barrels, fish barrels, molasses barrels, turpentine barrels, etc.). By the early 1870s, the 42-gallon barrel had been adopted as the standard for oil trade.

This was 2 gallons per barrel more than the 40-gallon standard used by many other industries at the time. The extra 2 gallons was to allow for evaporation and leaking during transport (most barrels were made of wood). Standard Oil began manufacturing 42-gallon barrels that were blue to be used for transporting petroleum. The use of a blue barrel, abbreviated “bbl,” guaranteed a buyer that this was a 42-gallon barrel.

Lisa Denke with California State University, Bakersfield, once stated that the blue designation comes from the blue X that workers would put on a “good” container. “After the first oil well in the [United States] was drilled in Pennsylvania, they were having trouble with the barrels they hauled the oil in. So the guys checked the barrels for holes, and the ones that were good, they marked with a blue X. So the abbreviation bbl actually stands for blue barrel.”

The general consensus is bbl stands for 42 American gallons of crude oil in a blue barrel.

You can choose the lore you like concerning how the abbreviation and the barrel color came into play.

Lawrence explained that Heatec helped fit in the pipework during the planning stage. The original equipment manufacturer supplied two heaters, the polymer plant system and the piping for the facility.

22 FEBRUARY 2010

Brian Lawrence, vice president for C.W. Matthews, said the facility can typically turn 20 rail cars in 48 hours. With the right heat conditions in the summer, when the product is “nice and hot,” he said the Rockmart facility can turn that many in less than 24 hours.

The warm oil pump skid allows personnel to regulate how much heat goes around the plant, allowing some cost savings. “This terminal has a lot of flexibility in it that way,” Lawrence said. Notice the insulation on these pipes and joints. Lawrence reminded producers that “you want everything insulated.”

“The terminal is state of the art as far as controls go and everything was designed specifically for this terminal,” C.W. Matthews Vice President Brian Lawrence said. Here, the PLC automation system from Astec sends the message for loadout. At left, a tanker truck receives liquid material for transport.

“I’m proud of the versatility of the place,” he continued. “It’s not a headache to run because of all the technology. Most impressive is the ease of operation. Wayne has a crew of three hourly employees, and in season, we’re open 24/7. I can see everything on my monitors in Marietta.

“Loadout is automated. The PLC automation is from Astec. This is the first time they put it on a polymer plant and we did 20,000 liquid tons of polymer-modified asphalt in our first year of production. In terms of labor costs, I see the day when running an HMA plant happens at the headquarters. Today’s automation is fantastic.”

It might be a gamble to take on such a large project with substantial upfront investment, but C.W. Matthews now controls its own destiny as best it can when it comes to liquid asphalt supply.

“The effect on procurement is profound,” Lawrence said. With state of the art technology and a well-thought-out plan in place, the team at C.W. Matthews charges ahead as its own supplier.

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Take Care of Lab Vacuum Pumps

InstroTek, Inc., offers the PumpSaver electronic desiccation system for vacuum pumps, which traps water vapor that is produced during the vacuuming process in a super-cooled chamber for condensing, collection and easy removal.

by Maurice Arbelaez

H

ow often have you been in an asphalt lab where a multitude of broken or run down vacuum pumps has taken over a small part of the lab? It’s a common sight.

The Rice Test—also known as the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) T-209—and the TSR test—also known as AASHTO T-283—require vacuum pumps for either the extraction of air or the saturation of asphalt samples. In

First, change your oil frequently. Oil is the life blood of a vacuum pump. If left unchanged, debris, water vapor and heat from the pump will break down the oil’s ability to lubricate the pump’s motor and seals, causing them to fail. A good rule of thumb is to change the oil every three to six months, depending on usage. If the color of the oil appears darker than the original color (or black), it’s probably a good time to change the oil.

There are a few simple rules that you can follow to make your laboratory vacuum pumps run efficiently and without problems. each case, vacuum pumps are subjected to damaging water vapors that can ultimately ruin the pump and render it useless. However, with a bit of care, the right equipment and annual maintenance, vacuum pumps can run effectively for years.

There are a few simple rules that you can follow to make your laboratory vacuum pumps run efficiently and without problems.

The PumpSaver doesn’t require recharging or replacing of drying material.

24 February 2010

Second, most oil vacuum pumps have an oil filter, commonly referred to as the exhaust filter or pump filter. As pumps age, the filter can become clogged, which reduces pump efficiency. Most pump filters are inexpensive and only take a few minutes to change. Pump filters should be changed every year.

Finally, one of the most important but least looked-after items of pump maintenance doesn’t even concern the pump itself.

Because both T-209 and T-283 require the vacuum pump to be in-line with water filled containers, damaging water vapors can quickly pass through to the pump. In most cases, asphalt labs will use a calcium sulfate desiccant canister/flask or a dewatering filter to reduce the amount of water vapor that enters the vacuum pump. Desiccants must be monitored carefully and replaced or dried often.

Color-changing desiccants are the best option to use for this application because a change in color gives a visual indication that it’s time to replace or dry the desiccant material.

Drying the material can be tedious and must be done correctly in order to regain the material’s full drying capacity. Dewatering filters are not often considered the best option because they are generally designed for compressed air systems and only remove very small amounts of water.

Technicians have found an excellent alternative to both desiccants and dewatering filters is the latest innovation from InstroTek, Inc., Raleigh, N.C. Designed with asphalt labs in mind, the PumpSaver is an electronic desiccation system for vacuum pumps. The device uses a high performance thermoelectric cooling system to trap water vapor produced during the vacuuming process. Because air can pass freely through the PumpSaver, pressure is reached almost immediately. The PumpSaver is designed to eliminate the need for desiccant canisters, in-line moisture filters that wear out, and significantly reduces vacuum oil changes, decreasing waste, disposal and operating costs.

To operate the PumpSaver, the technician turns the unit on a few minutes prior to the beginning of the vacuum process to allow the chamber to cool to -3.5 degrees Celsius. As moisture passes through the unit, it is condensed and collected in the moisture trap. Once done, any moisture accumulated in the cooling chamber is easily removed by taking the lid off the chamber and wiping out the moisture with a dry cloth. The PumpSaver is safe, easy to use and because it does not require recharging or replacing of the drying material it is ready to be 100 percent effective.

Maurice Arbelaez is with InstroTek, Inc., and can be reached for further information at (919) 875-8371. Or visit www.instrotek.com/ pumpsaver.php.

Bring QC/QA In

by Ron Berube

A

s long as there has been construction and design, there has been quality ensurance. These three aspects are part of any project. Quality ensurance is really just the combination of quality control and quality assurance (QC/QA) and used to be called “construction support.”

I’m combining them to make the point that quality is part of everybody’s every day life.

It’s not broken up into separate responsibilities and acceptance or control testing. It’s simply the owner making sure he gets what he’s paying for and the contractor making sure he delivers what was promised. That’s it. No more. No less.

We have let ourselves get carried away with all the intricacies of a complex project and statistics and probabilities. Somehow we think by having more arms on our organization chart that we are somehow better or more organized. Maybe we do need to assign responsibilities within our own organization, but should quality be off on its own instead of being an integral part of every branch?

It’s simply the owner making sure he gets what he’s paying for and the contractor making sure he delivers what was promised.

In Ancient Egypt, it was the architect and the laborer attendant that performed the most basic inspections by simply observing the progress and ensuring the intent of the designer was being carried out. The architect provided quality assurance and the attendants provided quality control.

They were part of the project and still provided the guidance and oversight needed to get some of the most recognized structures in world history built. Many of them are still standing today.

Today we have lost much of that conscientiousness. It has been stripped away or disregarded to avoid liability, save money or some other cockamamie cop out. For asphalt contractors it should be most comforting to know that your own personnel are making sure they are meeting the requirements of a project. Why rely on someone that’s subcontracted and over whom you have little or no control? That “independent inspector” really has his own problems and needs to be concerned with at his company. You need to look out for what’s in your best interest. After all, don’t your people spend the most time on asphalt projects and know the mixes and the equipment the best anyway?

That’s actually the hardest part of inspection and quality control; the mixes and equipment.

Operating a density gauge and recording information is really the easy part. Even if you’re required by contract to have that “independent third party,” why do you have to rely solely on them? By simply having a density gauge and one or two people trained to use it, you can reduce your dependence on subcontractors, be more confident with your work, and in the end reduce costs by avoiding delays and preventing conflict.

Now don’t get me wrong, third party inspectors have their place. They fill a vital need that has been created by our industry, and really by our society, over the past 3,000 years. The right firm can provide a conscientious contractor with unbiased insight based on a broad base of experience that the contractor or supplier may not be familiar with.

The downside is that the third party inspector can rarely integrate into your project team. That can cause reliability concerns, trust and communication issues, and ultimately production slowdown and costly errors.

Now while you can use your own people and probably already have them on staff, you want to make sure you’re not putting a person into conflicting rolls. Quality and production are two sides of the same coin; without one you will never get the other. But it’s also a balancing act that few individuals can execute alone. Your paving foreman may be great at managing the operations around the paver, but he needs to be there with the paver. Your quality control technician needs to be checking densities throughout the rolling pattern to ensure the roller operators are achieving the compaction they need before the mat cools. Both of these individuals need to compare notes and communicate their needs to the plant personnel. This is simply too much for a single person to manage.

Construction Design Quality Ensurance

Performing your own quality control is easier now than ever before. The introduction of non-nuclear gauges relieves owners from the licensing and badging requirements that are typically associated with nuclear gauges. Although nuclear gauges may have a lower initial purchase price, you need to account for the additional costs throughout the years.

Now consider what you’re paying for third party inspections. (Don’t forget to add in the cost of aspirin and heartburn medications because they don’t show up, they’re late, or the technician they send knows nothing about asphalt paving.) A little bit of training that can easily be provided by contractor organizations or labor unions will most likely get you an asphalt technician far better than any you’ve ever worked with. Now all you need to do is give that person a little time and the authority to do the best job for you.

For more information, contact Ron Berube of TransTech Systems at (518) 370-5558 or rberube@ transtechsys.com.

The next generation of TransTech Systems’ non-nuclear asphalt density gauges is the PQI 380, which is equipped with a touch screen and graphical menu interface. It also features GPS to enable position and a USB port to download data.

ASPHALT PRO 25

WMA Mix Design Nears Completion

M

ix design practices for warm mix asphalt (WMA) received $500,000 in funding so the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) could develop a mix design for WMA. This will lead to specifications for state departments of transportation (DOTs) and agencies to adopt.

As reported in a past issue of AsphaltPro, the model NCHRP is following for the WMA mix design in its project NCHRP 9-43 closely follows that of the American Association of State Highway Official’s R35 for HMA design. In other words, they’re not starting from scratch or forcing asphalt producers and contractors to start from scratch either.

At the National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA) 55th annual meeting in Maui, Hawaii, Matthew Corrigan, Mobile Asphalt Laboratory Program manager and Warm Mix Asphalt Program manager of the Federal Highway Administration’s Office of Pavement Technology reiterated that bit of good news and updated attendees on researchers’ progress.

He stated that next month—March 2010— researchers will submit their final report on NCHRP 9-43. At that time, they’ll request a

three-month extension to review and revise their “deliverables.” As it stands, the mix design for WMA uses criteria for HMA from AASHTO M323 with a few caveats, and includes mandatory testing for rutting resistance using the asphalt mixture performance tester (AMPT) flow number (Fn) test. For mix analysis, right now researchers offer three optional performance tests: modulus, fatigue cracking and thermal cracking.

We already know the WMA advantages such as energy savings, decreased emissions, and others that Corrigan and other presenters reminded attendees of at the meeting, but those benefits mean nothing to state DOTs and specifying agencies if the industry doesn’t show a product that performs consistently and reliably. Corrigan made it clear in the beginning of his presentation that investigation and testing are integral to WMA’s successful implementation across the United States.

“Although there are many factors driving the development and implementation of WMA technologies globally, in order for WMA to succeed in the United States, WMA pavements must have equal or better performance when compared to traditional HMA pavements.” To

by Sandy Lender

get evidence of that equal or better performance, WMA needs a standard mix design and reliable, repeatable testing practices.

Here are some criteria differences Corrigan showed between the WMA mix design researchers are preparing and the M323 mentioned above. First, the process-specific specimen fabrication procedures for WMA have, so far, used a modified Wirtgen foaming device. Second, researchers recommend binder grade changes based on production temperature—a binder ageing index. Third, the recommended maximum RAP stiffness is based on compaction temperature. Next, asphalt coating is evaluated at production temperature. Finally, rutting resistance is evaluated at 3 million ESALs or greater.

The binder ageing index table mentioned in these criteria shows a PG high temperature performance grade and its minimum WMA mixing temperature that doesn’t require a PG bump (or increase) as it ages.

What Corrigan reported is that the Phase II work of 9-49 is nearing completion. The expanded RAP mixing experiment, low temperature binder grade experiment and fatigue experiment are ongoing, but the mixture

Mixture Design Experiment Data design experiment (see table on right) and field validation are complete. Using the dynamic modulus E* evaluation criteria developed by Advanced Asphalt Technologies, researchers expanded the RAP mixing study.

Now other research from NCHRP shows longer timelines coming up. NCHRP 9-47A is still in preliminary planning stages. Under the heading of “Engineering Properties, Emissions, and Field Performance,” the National Center for Asphalt Technology (NCAT) will have $900,000 to work with if the panel approves the state of the practice report and research plan the center has submitted. Another $450,000 in funds are available for NCHRP 9-49 research on moisture susceptibility (phase I) and longterm performance (phase II) in these mixes.

The request for proposals closed Jan. 14 and the contract for “Long Term Field Performance of Warm Mix Asphalt Technologies” is to be awarded this spring.

As WMA mix design education moves forward, the industry moves toward a future with WMA specifications. As Corrigan pointed out in his presentation, any spec for WMA will emphasize “performance.” The AMPT will factor into quality measurements. Producers and contractors should not be surprised to see mixture rutting potential measured with the

Using 25 percent RAP in the RAP mixes, researchers gathered the following data on WMA mix designs in their study.

Mixture Identification Process No.

Ndesign

Aggregate Absorption

RAP

HMA

WMA Organic

WMA Foaming

WMA Chemical

1

50

high

yes

320/310

270/260

225/215

225/215

2

50

low

no

320/310

225/215

270/260

270/260

3

75

low

yes

320/310

270/260

270/260

225/215

4

75

high

no

320/310

225/215

225/215

270/260

5

100

high

yes

320/310

225/215

270/260

270/260

6

100

low

no

320/310

270/260

225/215

225/215

Binder Ageing Index Table Ageing Index PG High Temp Grade

52

1.4

1.6

1.8

2.0

2.2

2.4

2.6

2.8

3.0

3.2

3.4

3.6

220

220

225

225

230

230

minimum WMA mixing temp before PG bump (degrees F) 170

190

200

205

210

215

58

185

205

215

220

225

230

235

235

240

240

245

245

64

190

210

220

230

235

235

240

245

245

250

250

250

67

200

220

230

235

240

245

250

255

255

255

260

260

70

200

220

230

240

245

245

250

255

255

260

260

260

76

210

225

235

245

250

255

260

260

265

265

265

270

82

215

235

245

250

255

260

265

265

270

270

275

275

flow number (Fn) and mixture stiffness determined by dynamic modulus (E*). Watch also for compression/fatigue cracking to be measured by cyclic tension tests. IDT creep and strength

tests can show fatigue and thermal cracking while the Hamburg or APA will be recommended for loaded wheel rut testing. Moisture susceptibility testing is still in process.

How to Incorporate Shingle Recycling N

The “sugar and spice” of a shingle asphalt = 19-22% felt = 2-15% mineral agg = 20-38% filler = 8-40%

The Energy & Recycling Task Force reported during its Jan. 18 meeting that the NAPA strategic plan’s goal for increased RAP use in 2010 looks much the same as the plan for 2009 but now incorporates the use of RAS. 28 February 2010

ot all European roofs use asphalt shingles, but our colleagues in the Eurobitume association could benefit greatly if they did. Asphalt shingles in Europe contain roughly 40 to 60 percent asphalt content. In the United States, newer shingles contain about 19 to 22 percent asphalt. How can an asphalt professional mine this black gold and use it to his or her benefit? Kent Hansen, the director of engineering for the National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA), spoke at length about the topic at the 55th annual meeting in Maui, Hawaii. Here are some good ideas he brought up to augment information you’ve found in the pages of AsphaltPro before.

Also, please note that NAPA has a new publication titled Guidelines for the Use of Reclaimed Asphalt Shingles in Asphalt Pavements available.

First, bringing state departments of transportation (DOTs) and other agencies up to speed on the benefits of recycled asphalt shingle (RAS) use in asphalt mix design is a battle researchers have already begun. The Energy & Recycling Task Force reported during its Jan. 18 meeting that the NAPA strategic plan’s goal for increased recycled asphalt pavement (RAP) use in 2010 looks much the same as the plan for 2009 but now incorporates the use of RAS. Industry members in Iowa are taking part in a pooled fund study to test the benefits and use of RAS. Other states, mostly in the East, according to Hansen, bring their findings to the table as well. Hansen stated that it takes conversations and cooperation among regulators, DOT officials and contractors to bring good specifications for RAS use into agency documents.

Next, look at the way RAS can enhance your bottom line. As experts have pointed out, there’s a significant amount of asphalt in an asphalt shingle (see sidebar at left). While not every state has manufacturers of asphalt shingles, those that do contribute to the approximately 1 million tons of manufacturers’ waste produced annually, according to Hansen. The other source of asphalt shingle material is in tear offs, which producers can find everywhere. That amounts to 10 million tons per year.

When roofing contractors and shingle manufacturers take waste to a landfill, they must pay a tipping fee to leave the waste there. If you can offer them a lower tipping fee, they should be interested in bringing that product to you. But Hansen suggested a variety of factors to consider before going into business collecting trash—even if it’s valuable trash.

Permits and licenses for accepting shingle material vary by state and county. You’ll be required to test for contaminants such as asbestos. While asbestos has been banned from shingle manufacturing since the early 1980s, there are old roofs out there with product that could find its way into your stockpile. There are some mastics and caulking that have trace amounts of asbestos, and you don’t want to accept those into your facility. You need to decide if you’ll accept tear offs with that looming—albeit miniscule—threat. If you choose only to accept manufacturers’ waste, you limit your sources and product availability, but also limit some of the processing worries that we’ll discuss next.

Accepting tear offs opens up your sources and product availability, but also opens up testing and processing challenges. You’ll need to make decisions regarding the condition tear offs must be in when you accept them, and make those conditions clear to suppliers. Will you accept material with flashing and wood attached? Or will you require roofers to remove this excess waste before delivering tear offs? You’ll never get shingles devoid of nails, so be prepared for that element of cleanup in your own facility.

Decide if you’ll restrict supply to only tear offs from private residential homes. This is another way to ensure the shingles you receive are of post-1980s manufacture. You can work with roofers to ensure you get clean material for your operation.

Tear offs must be certified free of hazardous substances and suppliers will arrive with some notice of certification from their testing. This won’t clear you of responsibility. In some states or counties, you’ll need to test the product when it arrives and again at various stages of your operation. For instance, the state of Maryland is reported to have three layers of testing for asbestos once shingles are at the asphalt facility.

NAPA Guide for RAS The publication Guidelines for the Use of Reclaimed Asphalt Shingles in Asphalt Pavements from NAPA offers information on waste roofing shingle sources, inspection and testing protocol, processing practices, and mix design. From binder replacement to rutting It’s wise to pave the area where tear offs will be received and processed on your property, not just for aesthetic reasons, but also to make your job of cleanup easier if a hazardous substance is ever detected. For processing, the first thing to do with shingles is send them through a picking conveyor to remove obvious missed waste. Next is grinding and the article in the August/September 2009 issue of AsphaltPro refers to a variety of grinding machines available at this time. After grinding, the material goes to a screen or may go back through for grinding again. Next it goes to a mix or a stockpile.

Asphalt shingle surface granules and fill are hard and abrasive on equipment; they wear grinding chamber equipment and create heat. Hansen reminded audience members to balance the amount of water used in cooling equipment. Also be sure you perform grinding in optimal conditions. When ambient conditions are too hot, you risk melting and chunking of material in the equipment.

This leads to thoughts on the stockpiles. As with RAP piles, you want to keep the RAS pile out of direct sunlight if possible to prevent re-agglomeration. An 80/20 blend of sand or RAP in the pile can also help keep re-agglomeration down. Cover the pile to protect it from the weather. When it’s time to make mix, pass the RAS material through a lump breaker or grind it again before feeding it into the plant. The goal is not to grind it further or resize it, but merely to break up any chunks and keep it at its proper size for mixing.

From the testing Hansen reported in January, getting density has proved easier with an RAS mix than expected while providing “a significantly stiffer binder.”

Field emission testing has shown SO2 and Formaldehyde “to be non-issues,” although workers reported some odor. There are more tests to do and more to report on, but getting started is the first step. For contractors and producers ready to add RAS to their cost-savings arsenal, the news is good. With the decline in tear offs that contain asbestos, the industry sees another recycled product that can enhance the HMA or WMA mix while keeping waste out of landfills and materials costs under control.

resistance, the 24-page document gives helps on not just starting RAS at your plant, but also doing the volumetrics right. There’s also a quick section on paving with RAS mixes. To order this publication, visit www.hotmix.org and check out Information Series 136.

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WMA on the

Sly

by Raluca Loher

Adams Construction proves WMA to employees, LEED skeptics

LEFT: The Accu-Shear’s ability to work on any brand plant was demonstrated at Adams Construction, where the skids have been or will be installed on one Stansteel counterflow drum conversion, two CMI plants as well as an Astec and a Gencor plant.

ABOVE: The site doesn’t have to be pristine for installation. The Accu-Shear was set up and ready to go in one day for Adams Construction.

W

hen Rick James, P.E., the executive vice president of Adams Construction, Roanoke, Va., ran his first paving job with warm mix asphalt (WMA), he needed to run a small experiment. After sending hot mix asphalt (HMA) to the site at 320 degrees F, he began replacing it with loads of WMA. The crew had put the temperature guns away and were not checking the numbers.

James explained that he went to the job site after the crew had been working with the WMA for some time. “So I got out on the job about 2 in the morning and the superintendent told me, ‘I’m glad you didn’t run that warm mix.’ And I said, ‘Why is that? Were you concerned about it?’ and he said, ‘Yeah, I don’t think it’ll work.’ So I pulled my temperature gun out of the pocket, shot it behind the screed, it was about 270 degrees F.” 30 February 2010

The superintendent didn’t know it, but he had been running WMA. James continued, “It’s a good story because this superintendent— he’s the old school. The guy does outstanding work, he just wants his mix hot. So we had this stuff as cool as 236 degrees F coming off the back of the screed.”

The job went extremely well according to James, who explained that his experiment was intended as a way to help others who might have pre-determined opinions about WMA see the results that can be achieved using new technology. And after much research, James credits this success to the new warm-mix technology inside the skid purchased from Stansteel®--the Accu-Shear(tm).

The Accu-Shear is a comprehensive assembly custom engineered by Stansteel to offer the advantages of accurately injecting

water, other liquid additives or a combination of these materials.

“Liquid asphalt and water do not mix naturally,” explained Chet Reinle, Stansteel technical director. “In fact they will separate if possible.

The principle that the Accu-Shear operates under is the shearing process of forcing the two (or more) liquids to mix together. The colloidal pump and the mixing action that takes place with the application of horsepower is similar to an emulsion process. By mechanically blending in lieu of simply injecting, the producer avoids the inherent nature of laminar fluid flow. By positively blending the additives with the liquid asphalt the foaming action is dramatically increased. More importantly, the fusion is maintained for a longer period.”

James admitted that this technology caught his attention during his research. “I shopped extensively and have been observing the

ASPHALT PRO 31

Accu-Shear’s WMA Facts The Accu-Shear positively blends additives with liquid asphalt to create a foaming action.

It Provides Low Maintenance

* Proven components for repeatability and long-term performance. * No valves, nozzles or screens to plug. * No downtime for component clean out. * Operates over a full range of production without manual adjustment.

It Offers Ultimate Liquid Blending * Eliminates laminar flow and separation of liquids. * Uses horsepower and a shearing process to force the two (or more) liquids to mix together. Facilitates much lower mix temperatures. * The variable speed drive permits adjusting the speed of the shear to dynamically foam the materials. Mix with regular AC or polymers.

It’s Custom-Engineered

* A complete bypass is built in for regular HMA production. * Industrial heavy duty components. * Quality is assured by proper metering and monitoring. * Comprehensive three module system.

32 February 2010

technology for the last couple of years,” he said.

“After considering all the different systems, I just didn’t feel comfortable going with a static mixing system. The mechanical blending system that Stansteel offered is tried and true, as previously used in emulsion manufacturing.

I really felt it was a more viable option for this project. After having tried it with both the polymer asphalt and the regular asphalt, I became a believer in the technology.”

Adams Construction has now purchased a total of five units and James plans to use them to better the company’s WMA production. The Accu-Shear’s ability to work on any brand plant was demonstrated at Adams Construction, where the skids have been or will be installed on one Stansteel counterflow drum conversion, two CMI plants as well as an Astec and a Gencor plant.

Reinle has observed an increase in demand for the Accu-Shear. “The results that we’re hearing back are that once you do fuse the liquid AC and water together and you get good blending, it basically operates just like 320-degree asphalt,” Reinle explained. “We’ve heard that some people are saying that it actually rolls better, you can do it in a single pass or instead of having multiple rollers, you can just basically take a roller off the job.”

James agreed. “The first several jobs I did were all polymer asphalt. And the lead roller operator did indicate to me that the mix was rolling better.” Polymer asphalt is a hot button issue for Adams Construction and for other contractors in the state of Virginia. “You’re looking for 93 percent average density on polymerized asphalt in Virginia,” according to James. “If you’re 92.9 percent, you suffer a 15 percent penalty. So you have got to take it pretty seriously.” Polymerized asphalt that is too brittle also gets penalized at 98 percent density or over. With the help of the technology of the Accu-Shear, James said the company achieved 95 percent density and at cooler temperatures than ever before.

All test results such as voids, density or compaction were identical to that of HMA using the same mix design, Reinle added. But in Virginia there is concern about the tensile strength ratio (TSR) results when running warm mix technology. The TSR, which is the ratio of the preconditioned strength to the dry strength, is used to predict stripping. A TSR of

1.0 indicates that a mix does not have a stripping potential, while a TSR less than 1.0 indicates that it does. On the basis of experience, a TSR less than 0.8 is considered unsatisfactory for a reference. The Accu-Shear results were 0.9 and well within acceptable range.

There is also the concern for laying asphalt in cold weather. “In Virginia, Superpave mix cannot be laid on a base that’s less than 50 degrees,” James said. “By going with the warm mix system, we’ve dropped that to 40-degree base temperature.”

James concluded that the Accu-Shear not only helps prevent any density issues, but has successfully extended the paving season in a state that is known for harsh winters.

Using the Accu-Shear has also proven helpful for environmentally sensitive projects, such as Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified building jobs. According to the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) Web site, LEED standards were developed in 1998 as a Green Building Rating System by the council. As he had with other jobs in which he used warm-mix, James ran into skeptics. They didn’t think the mix would lay at such low temperatures and were concerned about density as well. The project was another success for Adams Construction, James explained.

“We ran the whole job and I ended up having to have a post-paving meeting to explain what technology I used to be able to pave at temperatures far lower than any of these guys have ever seen.” Those involved in the job also noticed fewer emissions with the use of this innovative technology.

“There are clearly less visible emissions going up the drag; less emissions at the top of the silo; less emissions at load-out; and even when the truck is pulling away from the plant,” James said.

The benefits of choosing the technology behind the Accu-Shear system were also enhanced by the positive overall experience dealing with professionals at Stansteel. The installation of the unit went smoothly and only took one day. James complimented the staff. “Certainly, they were more than willing to accommodate any request or need that I had and I’m speaking from field service to engineering to sales support. I’m going to call it ‘unparalleled service.’”

34 February 2010

HMA Proves Accessible, Flexible for

Reconstruction Editor’s Note: At the recent National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA) 55th Annual Meeting in Maui, NAPA Executive Director Mike Acott spoke to attendees about the asphalt industry’s market share issues. He reminded us that our main competition lies in the cement and concrete industry and in pavement preservation treatments, especially as we seek dollars from agencies in the current economic climate. In good news, Acott announced that “The Asphalt Pavement Alliance (APA) has an incredible energy now.”

This entity has set a new strategic plan to broadcast the National Center for Asphalt Technology (NCAT) studies that prove asphalt’s good strength numbers and so much more.

The environment influences agency choices and the asphalt industry has a wonderful environmental story to tell. From recycling, warm mix, perpetual pavements that require no new raw material use over time, porous pavements to open graded friction courses, asphalt is the answer we can give to any agency’s search for an environmentally friendly yet strong and sure pavement surface.

“We’re going to take all the benefits of asphalt and make it the pavement of choice for America,” Acott said proudly.

In the spirit of the APA’s initiative and Acott’s call to action at the annual meeting, we’ve gathered some extra information about an asphalt success story in Flint, Mich.

I

magine that you’ve won the bid to reconstruct 2.3 miles of an urban arterial with up to six lanes, interchanges with two Interstates and driveway access from 200-plus businesses. And those accesses must be kept open during construction.

That’s the job Ace Asphalt & Paving Co., Flint, Mich., faced May 5, 2008, when they began work as a subcontractor to Zito Construction, Grand Blanc, Mich. They were tasked with reconstructing Miller Road, which is the largest commercial thoroughfare in Genesee County, Mich. The roadway has one of the highest traffic volumes of any road in the county, which is home to the cities of Flint, Grand Blanc, Fenton and Burton.

The Genesee County Road Commission (GCRC) chose full-depth hot mix asphalt (HMA) for Miller Road for two reasons, said John Plamondon, construction manager for the commission. “We went with hot mix

36 February 2010

by Daniel C. Brown

Miller Road has one of the highest traffic volumes of any roadway in the county and was completely reconstructed with 10 inches of full-depth asphalt due to the product’s flexibility and ease of maintenance. Photos courtesy of the Asphalt Pavement Association of Michigan.

asphalt because we knew that it would give us the flexibility to maintain traffic in the ways we staged and phased it along Miller Road.

“Secondly, we chose HMA for the ease of future maintenance,” Plamondon continued. “Asphalt will minimize downtime for any future repairs of the road.”

Ace Asphalt & Paving performed its work so well that the project won the company the 2008 Award of Excellence, in the category of Projects over 50,000 tons, from the Asphalt Pavement Association of Michigan (APAM). “The Award of Excellence is our highest scoring project in each category, and this was our highest-scoring road project out of 40 total projects,” said Chuck Mills, APAM director of engineering. Four judges inspected the project and scored it in nine categories.

• Appearance: includes overall neatness, no overspray or left-over materials • Ride: must be smooth; • Texture: uniformity, free of segregation, major surface grinding, roller marks, etc.

• Longitudinal joints: straight, well-blended, smooth and uniform • Transverse joints: straight, well-blended, smooth and uniform • Edges: straight, uniform, true to the contour of the road • Utility covers: flush with the pavement • Approaches: blended well with the mainline pavement • Degree of difficulty: includes exceptional circumstances, maintenance of traffic, night paving, etc.

“Each judge gives the project a score for each of those criteria, and then we average the individual scores,” Mills said.

“We are absolutely happy with hot mix asphalt,” said John Daly, manager/director of the GCRC. “We’ve had nothing but positive comments from the technical teams that evaluated it, from area businesses, from the local governments we support and from Miller Road residents.”

The original roadway, named M-78 in 1931, consisted of two 10-footwide lanes of concrete. According to GCRC project engineer Alexander J. Patsy, the road had been widened to four lanes, then to six lanes in piecemeal fashion from 1965 to 1975, in connection with business development. M-78 was transferred from the Michigan Department

of Transportation (DOT) to the county in 1970, in connection with the opening of the Interstate 69 freeway. Genesee Valley Mall opened in the early 1970s, which significantly boosted traffic volumes. Miller Road had been resurfaced at various times through the 1970s and 1980s, with the last resurfacing in 1989.

So in 2008, it was time to remove and replace the 2.32-mile stretch of Miller Road. “We had wanted to do the project for three years, but the issue was how to arrange the funding to pull this thing off,” Daly said.

The GCRC spent nine months to evaluate funding options for the $10.45-million project. “We broke the project into seven components, and looked at three-tiered financing for each component,” Daly said.

“We evaluated all 21 options, and made the selection of seven sources of funding based on those sources that gave us the lowest cost of money.

“We wound up making use of funds from the state level, the county level, the federal level and the Flint Township level, as well as from our own road commission,” Daly said.

Prior to the reconstruction, Miller Road had reflective cracking from the underlying concrete, severe transverse joint tenting (swelling), full-depth pavement failures and standing water. It needed a total reconstruct.

The scope of the project included removal of the old concrete pavement and subsequent HMA overlays, installation of sub-base drains throughout, an 8- to 10-inch aggregate base, typically 10 inches of HMA, drainage structures, storm sewer, and new concrete curb and gutter.

Other features, according to Patsy, included the installation of dual left turn lanes at I-75 for increased traffic capacity; the widening and resurfacing of the I-75 interchange ramps, traffic signal upgrades, and the designation of bus lanes and bus stops.

Access to businesses had to remain open during paving, so asphalt was an excellent, fast-acting choice for reconstructing Miller Rd.

The prime contractor, Zito Construction, prepared the roadway for paving, said Mark Marshall, assistant general manager for Ace Asphalt & Paving. In several sections there were frontage roads parallel to Miller Road, so that made construction easier. But where no frontage roads existed, Zito would shift traffic to half the road, work on the other half, then shift traffic back to the completed half.

“We had to rebuild all of the approaches from businesses,” Marshall said. When traffic crossed over the construction side, Zito set up temporary access crossings made of recycled asphalt or gravel. “We had to do half the road at a time,” Marshall said. “Zito gave us staged areas to pave.”

Michigan’s great perpetual pavement Mark Marshall, assistant general manager for Ace Asphalt & Paving, Inc., Flint, Mich., explained that the team used nine Superpave mixes in 61,370 tons of HMA for the Miller Road reconstruction project. There was one design for the mix used at the interchanges: “When we got close to I-75, we used a high-stress Superpave mix,” he said. The asphalt cross-section consisted of two lifts of base course, totaling 6 inches, then a 2-inch leveling course, then a wearing course of 1.5 to 2.0 inches thick. The aggregate sizes in those mixes ranged from 100 percent passing 1 inch in the base courses to 100 percent passing the ¾-inch (0.75) sieve in the leveling course to 100 percent passing the ½-inch (0.5) in the top course.

The asphalt cross-section consisted of two lifts of base course, totaling 6 inches, then a 2-inch leveling course, then a wearing course of 1.5 to 2.0 inches thick. The aggregate sizes in those mixes ranged from 100 percent passing 1 inch in the base courses to 100 percent passing the ¾-inch (0.75) sieve in the leveling course to 100 percent passing the ½-inch (0.5) in the top course.

Chuck Mills, the director of engineering for the Asphalt Pavement Association of Michigan, listed some of the other mixes Ace crews tackled, including 6 inches of 3E10 base, 2 inches of 4E10 leveling and 2 inches of 5E10 surface course.

Marshall explained that Ace used nine different Superpave mixes on the project.

“When we got close to I-75, we used a highstress Superpave mix,” Marshall said. “This was probably the highest number of mixes we ever used on any one project.”

Ace paved the base and leveling courses in six stages during the daytime, then opened the road to traffic. The base and leveling courses were paved at 10 to 12 feet wide, and the contractor used electronic automated screed controls on all lifts. “We used a non-contact ski on one side and a joint-matching tracker on the other side,” Marshall said.

As the paver moved along on the base and leveling courses, Zito would take out the crossramps in front of the paver. After the paver had passed, Ace crew members would place hot mix ramps by hand to move traffic onto and off of the new pavement.

Once the base and leveling course were down, Ace crews could pave the wearing course at night. “We would start at 7 or 8 at night, and pave until 6 or 7 o’clock in the morning,” Marshall said. “We paved one lane wide for the whole length of the job, in one night. We did that to improve the ride, so that we didn’t have transverse joints.

The project required 61,370 tons of HMA. Some 107,608 tons of crushed concrete was

trucked into the project. In some cases, old concrete from the project was removed, the steel extracted, and the concrete recycled as aggregate base on the project.

The Miller Road project also included 29,600 feet of new curb and gutter, 8,610 feet of new storm sewer and 181 new drainage structures, according to Patsy of the GCRC. This made up the largest construction project in the history of the Genesee County Road Commission.

This was not a high-production asphalt paving operation. “The base and leveling course went pretty slow because we had to maintain access to the businesses,” Marshall said. “We didn’t have large stretches of road to pave. We’d have a half-mile, or three-quarters of a mile, to pave in one stretch.”

Ace crews did not use a material transfer vehicle to help with the paving. “In our state we can haul close to 50 tons in our trucks, so we can keep the paver moving at a consistent speed,” Marshall said. “The traffic on Miller Road was pretty congested, to move our trucks in and out.” He said the paver moved at about 30 feet per minute.

The road commission is very pleased with the project, which was completed in September 2008. “We were late by a week, but that’s because it rained really hard the last week of the schedule,” Plamondon said. “If it hadn’t rained during that week, we would have been right on time.”

HMA was the right choice at the right time, said John Niemela, director of the County Road Association of Michigan. “The county engineer’s decision to use an HMA pavement surface provided the greatest amount of flexibility in construction and yielded the least impact on motorists and businesses in this highly traveled corridor—a win for the commission, motorists and the local economy,” Niemela said.

Daniel C. Brown is the principal of TechniComm, a communications business based in DelPlaines, Ill.

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Booth 1105

EQUIPMENT GALLERY Entech Adds Asphalt Rubber Savings to the Mix

Entech, Inc., White Pigeon, Mich., poses the question: “What’s not to love about asphalt rubber?” The point is well taken. “Entech’s purpose is to ultimately improve the final asphalt road mix” noted Neal Frey, Operation’s Manager of Entech.

“The manufacturing solution we’ve developed produces consistently-sized, very clean crumb rubber that, when blended with asphalt cement, additives, hot asphalt and aggregate, results in an extremely durable road surface— asphalt rubber,” he said.

The resulting asphalt rubber reduces both the amount of aggregate required for a mix and road maintenance costs. The chemicals contained in the flexible recycled rubber retard aging and oxidation in the asphalt, thus increasing its overall life by preventing it from becoming brittle and cracking. Asphalt rubber

is shown to reduce traffic noise by at least 50 perfect, and reduce vehicle hydroplaning.

Plus, Entech’s asphalt rubber product meets all required specifications, according to the manufacturer.

For more information about Entech’s asphalt rubber product, contact Neal Frey at (269) 483-2318, neal@4entech.com or visit www.crumbrubbersite.com.

ADM’s Baghouses

Asphalt Drum Mixers, Inc., Huntertown, Ind., offers two options of baghouses, which are ideal for use with its line of portable and stationary asphalt plants, and can also be used with similar competitive models of asphalt plants. The baghouses are designed to collect dust created in the production of hot mix and warm mix asphalt. Available in stationary/ relocatable and portable configurations, the baghouses are more than 99.8% efficient, and

comply with strict EPA clean air regulations, according to the manufacturer.

ADM baghouses allow most of the dust to be sent back to the hot aggregate for use in the asphalt mix, resulting in less waste. If unusable, the dust remains in the bags until a periodic pulse of air from the air compressor dislodges it. This excess dust falls into the hopper, where it is collected and removed by the screw conveyors. The 14-ounce capacity, 400-degree Fahrenheit-rated nomex bags are housed in 11-gauge, galvanized steel cages. Internal grids installed above the hopper serve as a bag catcher. Bags are easily removed through the

airtight, lift-off doors in the roof. An optional primary knockout box is available and features a baffle plate incorporated into the housing, which decreases air velocities and prevents premature bag wear.

For more information, contact ADM at (260) 637-5729 or visit www.admasphaltplants.com.

BLS Stabilizer Pads

BLS Enterprises, Inc., Itasca, Ill., has offered rubber, mid-grade polyurethane, and premium polyurethane stabilizer pads for more than 22 years. The BLS stabilizer pads are available for a variety of machines, including Cat, Case, Dynapac, John Deere and others. The John Deere backhoe stabilizer pads pictured here are available in rubber or premium polyurethane and are one of the company’s most popular BLS stabilizer pads. Noel Madding, shop supervisor for Kieffer Brothers, Mt. Carmel, Ill., has used these pads on his John Deere backhoes since 1995 and stated that the pads don’t cut or tear. He currently has the pads on the John Deere 310C, 310D, 310G, 310J, 310SE and 410G.

The new Terex® RS445C Reclaimer/Stabilizer from Terex Roadbuilding, Oklahoma City, Okla., features hydrostatic planetary drive at each wheel.

With no axles, flow dividers or lock differentials, the RS445C delivers high power and traction required for a wide range of applications that may or may not be in the asphalt contractor’s best interest, such as a deep stabilization with lime slurry to a demanding reclamation cut. For the first time with a Terex® reclaimer/stabilizer, the RS445C features a full-width cab as standard equipment.

For more information about BLS’s products, contact Barry Stoughton at (630) 775-0900 or visit www.tufpads.com.

For more information about Terex’s reclaimers, contact (405) 491-2049 or visit www.terex.com.

Terex’s RS445C Reclaimer/Stabilizer

here's how it works

Etnyre’s Blacktopper Electric Heat System

M

ost asphalt distributors have on-board heating capabilities that use fuel oil or propane burners and heating flues.

As the day wears on, liquid in the tank loses temperature and the volume is reduced to a level below safe burner-flue heating practices. The engineers at E.D. Etnyre, Oregon, Ill., have developed an optional electric belly heat system for their Blacktopper® Centennial® asphalt distributor.

Here’s how it works.

The electric heat strips give the contractor a number of heating choices. First, electric heat strips mount to the bottom of the distributor’s tank.

Next, the contractor plugs the heat strips into a power source for overnight heat maintenance. The heat strips then send heat through

42 February 2010

the liquid material from the bottom of the tank to maintain an already warm product.

If the contractor plugs the strips into the optional onboard hydraulic driven generator, the electric heat strips can be energized in transit or while on the job. Then the heat strips send heat through the liquid material from the bottom of the tank as they do during the night.

The electric heat strips are not intended to heat up cold asphalt or replace the burner-flue system, but to supplement and help maintain temperatures, according to the manufacturer.

To apply heat to the asphalt pump, the contractor merely adds an additional circuit.

This assists in faster startups.

For more information about the Etnyre Blacktopper electric heat system, contact Etnyre at (800) 995-2116 or visit www.etnyre.com.

Show us How it Works If you’re an equipment manufacturer with a complex product, let us help you explain its inner workings to the readers of AsphaltPro magazine. There’s no charge for this editorial department, but our staff reserves the right to decide what equipment fits the parameters of a HHIW feature. Contact our editor at sandy@theasphaltpro.com.

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Booth 1634

here's how it works Oil From Sand

by AsphaltPro Staff

O

Liquid Asphalt Cement Prices

il sands occur in about 70 countries with the largest deposits found in Canada and Venezuela. These are deposits of asphalt (bitumen) that can be processed and treated for conversion to a heavy crude. Then the product is ready for the refinery.

For the oil sands found in Alberta, asphalt makes up about 10 to 12 percent of the deposit. Retrieval methods include surface mining or in-situ technology. According to the Oil Sands Discovery Centre, “Huge hydraulic power shovels dig into the oil sand and dump it into 400-ton heavy hauler trucks. The trucks transport the oil sand to a crusher unit that breaks it up, and then moves it by conveyor to the extraction plant. Only 20 percent of Alberta’s oil sands can be recovered through surface-mining techniques.

If the oil sand layer is deeper than 75 metres from the surface, an in situ technology is used. Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage, or SAGD, is the most common in situ process presently used. This process involves drilling two L-shaped wells parallel to each other into the deposit and injecting steam down through the top well. This warms the oil sand, and causes the bitumen to separate and flow [down]… into the bottom well. It is then pumped to the surface for processing.”

A hot water separation process gets the asphalt out of the sand. “Oil sand is mixed with hot water to form a slurry, which is pipelined to a separation vessel…In the vessel, the slurry separates into three distinct layers: sand settles on the bottom, middlings (sand, clay and water) sit in the middle, and a thin layer of bitumen froth floats on the surface.

The bitumen froth is skimmed off and spun in centrifuges to remove the remaining sand and water, and then goes to the upgrading plant…In the upgrading process, bitumen is chemically and physically changed into lighter products that can be easily refined. The two upgrading methods that are currently used are coking and hydrotreating.”

It takes about 2 tons of oil sands to produce one barrel of oil and there are an estimated 1.7 to 2.5 trillion barrels in the oil sands of Alberta.

Alberta’s new energy minister has asked lawmakers to look into oil sands policies as they apply to sands in the northern part of Alberta. Currently, companies use sound environmental practices to reclaim the land they mine, returning the area to its original level of productivity and health.

Reducing greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) produced during mining is another area companies have focused on. Their goal at the turn of the century was to see a 45 percent reduction of emissions, per barrel, by this year over their 1990 stats.

Company, State

Dec 1, ’09 Avg/ton

Jan 1, ’10 Avg/ton

ConocoPhillips, Tenn.

$425.00

$475.00

NuStar Energy, Ga.

410.00

410.00

NuStar Energy, N.C.

410.00

410.00

NuStar Energy, S.C.

410.00

410.00

NuStar Energy, Va.

422.50

435.00

Associated Asphalt Inman, N.C.

430.00

480.00

Associated Asphalt Inman, S.C.

430.00

480.00

Associated Asphalt Inman, Va.

430.00

480.00

Marathon Petroleum, Tenn.

425.00

445.00

Marathon Petroleum, N.C.

410.00

445.00

Valero Marketing & Supply, N.C.

410.00

N/A

Valero Marketing & Supply, Va.

410.00

N/A

Massachusetts Average

420.00

420.00

California Average

394.70

415.10

Missouri Average

410.00

457.50

Data for Southeast region, Source: ncdot.org Data for Massachusetts, Source: mass.gov Data for California, Source: dot.ca.gov Data for Missouri, Source: modot.mo.gov

Oil Price Report—January 2009 Jan 1, ’10

Diesel Fuel Retail Price (per gallon)

Early Jan '09

Jan 15, '10

Mid Jan '10

Dec. 14, ’09

$2.748

$79.39/barrel

$46.17/barrel

$77.96/barrel

$35.38/barrel

Dec. 21, ’09

2.726

Spot Price Gasoline (NY)

2.049/gal

1.060/gal

2.048/gal

1.166 /gal

Dec. 28, ’09

2.732

Spot Price Diesel Fuel (NY)

2.112/gal

1.465/gal

2.042 /gal

1.459 /gal

Jan. 4, ’10

2.797

Spot Price Heating Oil (NY)

2.109/gal

1.460 /gal

2.034 /gal

1.461 /gal

Jan. 11, ’10

2.879

Spot Price Propane (GC)

1.316/gal

0.663/gal

1.215 /gal

0.732 /gal

Jan. 15, ’10 2.870 Source: Energy Information Administration

Crude Oil (WTI)

Data for Oil Price Report January 2010 and 2009, Source: Energy Information Administration 44 February 2010

ASPHALT PRO 45

resource directory ACE Group................15, 31 Contact: Carl McKenzie Tel: 888 878 0898 sales.enquiries@ashaltacesales.com

www.asphaltace.com Aesco Madsen................26 Contact: John Ferris Tel: (253) 939-4150 Jferris@aescomadsen.com www.aescomadsen.com Asphalt Drum Mixers ............................12, 13, 38 Contact: Steve Shawd or Jeff Dunne Tel: 260-637-5729 sales@admasphaltplants.com www.admasphaltplants.com Asphalt Solutions….23 Contact: Pat Ronyack Tel: (623) 853-2273 nosmellasphalt@msn.com www.asphaltsolutions.com

B & S Light................34, 35 Contact: Mike Young Tel: 918-342-1160 Sales@bslight.com www.bslight.com

Hauck Manufacturing Company........................40 Contact: Larry Santana Tel: 717-272-3051 lsantana@hauckburner.com www.hauckburner.com

Brookfield Engineering…37 sales@brookfieldengineering.com

Tel: 800-628-8139/508-946-6200 www.brookfieldengineering.com

CEI..................................... 4 Contact: Andy Guth Tel: 800-545-4034 info@ceienterprises.com www.ceienterprises.com Eagle Crusher. . . ………..43 Tel: 800-25-EAGLE Sales@eaglecrusher.com www.eaglecrusher.com Entech.............................27 Contact: Neal Frey Tel: 574-612-5031 Neal@4entech.com www.entechcrumbrubber.com

Heatec, Inc. ............. Inside Front Cover Contact: Sharlene Burney Tel: 800-235-5200 sburney@heatec.com www.heatec.com Homestead Valve…..41 Tel: 610-770-1100 Sales@homesteadvalves.com www.homesteadvalves.com Hydronix.........................37 Tel: 888-887-4884 or 231-439-5000 enquiries@hydronix.com www.hydronix.com

Hotmix Parts/Stansteel... 39 Contact: Dawn Kochert Tel: 800-826-0223 dkochert@hotmixparts.com www.hotmixparts.com

Pavesmart......................27 Contact: Bob Holland Tel 404.242.9167 bholland@pavesmart.com www.pavesmart.com

KPI-JCI and Astec Mobile Screens............ Back Cover Contact: Lisa Carson Tel: 605-668-2425 lisacarson@kpijci.com www.kpijci.com

Recycling & Processing Equipment Inc................33 Contact: Jerry Lambert Office Tel 765-472-5500 Cell 765-469-7600 L3048@aol.com

Libra Systems.................29 Contact: Ken Cardy Tel: 215-256-1700 Sales@librasystems.com www.librasystems.com

Reliable Asphalt Products……center insert Contact: Charles Grote Tel: 502-647-1782 charlesg@reliableasphalt.com www.reliableasphalt.com

Maxam Equipment ..............................7, 17, 45 Contact: Lonnie Greene Tel: 800-292-6070 lgreene@maxamequipment.com

www.maxamequipment.com

Stansteel Asphalt Plant Products................. 9 Contact: Tom McCune Tel: 800-826-0223 tmccune@stansteel.com www.stansteel.com

Systems Equipment.......46 Contact: Dave Enyart Sr. Tel: 563-568-6387 Dlenyart@systemsequipment.com www.systemsequipment.com

Tarmac International, Inc ........ 10, Inside Back Cover Contact: Ron Heap Tel 816-220-0700 info@tarmacinc.com www.tarmacinc.com

Asphalt Pro’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.

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