Asphalt Pro - October 2011

Green Practices Set Asphalt Apart

More RAP Means More Performance

Troubleshoot Your WMA Plant Operation

WMA’s True Beginnings in the Upper Northwest Plan the Perfect Plant Upgrade Recycle to the Rescue Colorized Asphalt

OCTOBER 2011

table of contents

22

A German paving crew sets a summery stage in wintry temps with colored asphalt. See related article on page 22. Photo courtesy of Vögele AG.

34

October 2011 Departments

Articles

Letter from the Editor 5 Ignorance is Bliss

22 Color Your Asphalt Eurostyle from Vögele AG

6 Around the Globe

28 Adding Asphalt Builds Big-Sky Business

by Larry Trojak

Safety Spotlight 8 New Safety Fits Under the Hat

by AsphaltPro Staff

34 Make Great Production Decisions Part II

by Cliff Mansfield

Mix it Up 10 Build Lasting Pavements with More RAP NCAT Pavement Test Track shows promising results for high RAP content mixes

by Randy West

42 Apply Training On-The-Job

by Raed S. Haddad

Project Management 14 Warm Mix Operation Guidelines

by Rick Rees

44 Recycle to the Rescue with MARPs

by Robert Moskowitz and AsphaltPro Staff

Producer Profile 18 Did WMA Begin out West?

by Sandy Lender

45 Alternative Funding

by Sandy Lender

Equipment Gallery 46 Akzo Nobel Surfactants Put WMA in the Bag

Batch or drum? Portable or stationary? Cliff Mansfield takes us back to basics for best production. See related article on page 34.

Photo courtesy of CM Consulting, Odell, Ore.

44

Mobile asphalt recycling plants (MARPs) solve winter emergency issues for utility and paving contractors. See related article on page 44. Photo courtesy of PavementGroup, Albany, N.Y.

40 International Rainbow

by AsphaltPro Staff

10

This issue’s mix design department takes a look at higher RAP percentages and softer binders. Photo courtesy of National Center for Asphalt Technology, Auburn.

Green Practices Set Asphalt Apart

Here’s How It Works 50 Dynapac’s F1000T Paver 52 Libra’s Camera ID Last Cut 53 FRAP Takes the Financial Edge off AC

by AsphaltPro Staff 54 Resource Directory

on the cover

More RAP Means More Performance

Troubleshoot

CMG Construction uses its new

Your WMA Plant Operation

WMA’s True Beginnings in the Upper Northwest Plan the Perfect Plant Upgrade Recycle to the Rescue Colorized Asphalt

OCTOBER 2011

Roadbuilder 250 to get a lot of work out of a small footprint. See related article on page 28. Photo courtesy of Asphalt Drum Mixers, Indiana.

www.theasphaltpro.com | ASPHALT PRO 3

OCTOBER 2011 • Vol. 5 No. 1

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

Chris Harrison associate publisher

Sally Shoemaker sally@theasphaltpro.com (573) 499-1830 x1008 editor

Sandy Lender sandy@theasphaltpro.com (239) 272-8613 graphic design

Alisha Moreland Kristin Branscom operations/circulation manager

Cindy Sheridan business manager

Renea Sapp 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 Writers expressing views in AsphaltPro Magazine or on the AsphaltPro website are professionals with sound, professional advice. Views expressed herein are not necessarily the same as the views of AsphaltPro or Business Times Company staff, thus producers/contractors are still encouraged to use best practices when implementing new advice.

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editor’s note

Ignorance is Bliss There’s an episode of NCIS where retired agent Mike Franks tells an injured agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs that he lives in a self-built shanty with a mostly broken-down truck in Mexico. He drinks beer when he wants to and walks to some cantina to visit with the locals when he wants to. He listens to eight-track tapes and avoids television and radio.

For Mike, ignorance was bliss.

It’s like driving across bridges in the United States. The less you know about the structure you’re on, the “more blissful” you remain. Hurricanes zing through the state of Florida at what I’d consider a frequent pace (I live in Florida—it’s frequent to a resident with pets), but our roads and bridges tend to hang in there through the storms.

Twenty-six years after Hurricane Gloria, Hurricane Irene nailed the Northeast and they’ve got washed out roads and dangling bridge parts left in her wake. I’m not saying Florida roads are necessarily the best in the nation, but we’ve got younger roads and bridges built with fabulous mixes and maintained on a schedule that the larger user-fee base of Florida allows.

Planning is empowering.

If you’re like me, making plans is in your blood. When Hurricane Irene was a mere tropical depression with all those spaghetti plots showing all the ways she could go, and Florida was smack in the middle of a few, I got the candles and flashlights into one location and counted how much water I had stored.

If you’re in upper management, you’re probably planning for a six-month fight in Congress right now.

“Robust funding” is part of your vocabulary and you use it in every e-mail you send to your congressman or woman. That’s great and I applaud that effort.

I also applaud efforts you make toward the passage of a realistic funding bill. Maybe Congress only ponies up for two years. Maybe someone figures out what transportation funding means to this country and Congress does something long-term and reliable.

The thing to do is break their bliss bubble. Members of Congress need to hear that the status quo is not adequate and giving themselves six months more to think about it, which looks like the most likely action as we’re preparing for press, means we get a few more months to educate them.

Cutting transportation funding doesn’t give the country anything positive. It sets the country back. You can follow entities like AASHTO and ARTBA and AsphaltPro on Twitter and facebook to see awesome repair stories from Irene and daily developments in Congress and the way Congress’ actions could impact jobs and travel safety in this country.

Are you ready for the projects coming down the pike? Out in the social networks, When Irene left washed out roads and bridges in the you can find us on the following: Northeast, the mainstream media began lamenting what Blogger (http://theasphaltforum.blogspot.com) the onset of winter would do to road repair timelines. In Wordpress (www.theasphaltpro.com) this issue of AsphaltPro, PavementGroup has a machine Twitter (http://twitter.com/AsphaltPro) called a mobile asphalt recycling plant (MARP) that is Facebook (visit & like the Asphalt Pro Magazine page) LinkedIn (http://linkedin.com/in/SandyLender) supposed to slide right in there and churn out HMA with And others… their chunks of torn-up pavement, no matter what the weather. Any asphalt professional up east (or in the floodravaged Midwest) who owns something like a MARP or a Bagela shuttle or a Process Heating Patch King is ready.

How about asphalt professionals running WMA? They’re ready. Options exist that can help truly rebuild areas even if the snow’s flying. Emergency funds are incoming and the asphalt industry needs to stand ready to use them. We’re there to tackle the tough problems. I don’t think it’s time yet to give up and move to a beach in Mexico with your eight-track tapes.

Stay Safe,

Sandy Lender www.theasphaltpro.com | ASPHALT PRO 5

around the globe

Industry News and Happenings from Around the World Africa

Latin America

South African bitumen prices have firmed up by 70 percent since the beginning of the year. Source: Petrosil’s Bitumart.

Astec, Inc., announces the addition of Moises Esquivel as director of sales for Latin America. He’ll be based in Miami and can be reached at mesquivel@astecinc.com.

Canada Eriez Minerals Flotation Group (EMFG), Vancouver, B.C., will move to a new, larger headquarters building in early 2012 to build the company’s larger proprietary equipment in-house. EMFG equipment offerings include mineral processing test equipment.

China Eriez-China has recently added another manufacturing operation in Tianjin to supplement its current Qinhuangdao plant, giving the company 10,905 square meters more space to build hydroflow fluid filtration equipment, suspended magnets, recycling products and other large pieces of equipment.

France FAYAT, France, and Maxam Equipment, Kansas City, Mo., have partnered up to market Maxam’s AQUABlack® warm mix system throughout Europe, Asia and Africa. FAYAT manufactures and markets asphalt plants throughout Europe, Asia and Africa through their wholly owned subsidiaries, Ermont and Marini. For more information, contact Maxam at (800) 292-6070 or visit www. maxamequipment.com.

India • It’s never too early to plan for an international show.

The next BAUMA CONEXPO Show - bC India will be held Feb. 5 through 8, 2013. The second edition of the International Trade Fair for Construction Machinery, Building Material Machines, Mining Machines and Construction Vehicles will take place at the MMRDA Grounds in the Bandra Kurla Complex in Mumbai. The space allocated for the exhibition in 2013 has increased to 130,000 square meters, from 88,000 square meters this year. Visit www.bcindia.com for information.

• Eriez-India is moving to a new two-factory facility with 25,600 square feet of space located near Ambattur industrial estate in Chennai. In addition to the factories, the facility offers an office lab building measuring 8,700 square feet where workers can test both dry and wet type samples for customers using pilot testing equipment by Eriez.

Kazakhstan Petrosil’s Bitumart announced in early August that a large bitumen plant in Kazakhstan launched to supply five different grades of bitumen in the country.

6 october 2011

Singapore • Argus Media’s 7th Argus Bitumen Conference takes place in Singapore this Nov. 9 through 11 at the Swissotel Merchant Court along the banks of the Singapore River. Visit http://www.argusasphalt.com/index.html.

• Singapore imported most of its bitumen from countries like Malaysia and Thailand this summer; it imported 137 MT in June alone. Source: Petrosil’s Bitumart.

means the B3.3 can “up tier” to Tier 4 Final without the need for any change to the engine.

Kentucky Stansteel, Louisville, Ky., welcomes Dennis Weiler—with 25 years in the industry—and Justin Stumberg—with 11 years in the industry—to the sales force. Weiler will be headquartered in Atlanta and will be the equipment territory manager for Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee and Florida. Stumberg will be headquartered in San Antonio and will serve Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico.

Maryland

Argus Media’s Europe/Africa Bitumen Conference takes place in Barcelona, Spain, May 16 through 17, 2012. Visit http://www.argusasphalt.com/index.html.

The International Slurry Surfacing Association (ISSA) partners with the Asphalt Institute (AI) to offer three surfacing webinars in November. Check out the “Combining Preservation Treatments” Nov. 10. Visit www.slurry.org.

Turkey

Oregon

Spain

Ugur Uysal, a 22-year-old engineering student at the Turkish University in Ankara, Turkey, visited the Astec companies of Kolberg-Pioneer, Inc. (KPI-JCI), Johnson Crushers International, Inc. (KPI-JCI) and Telsmith to learn firsthand the practices and design theories employed in building crushing and screening plants.

Uysal’s family also owns limestone quarries and other holdings in the western region of Turkey near Bodrum on the Aegean Sea.

United States For updates, opinion and links concerning funding legislation, fast news, quick deadlines, etc., be sure to check the blog at www.TheAsphaltForum.blogspot. com., the website at www.theasphaltpro.com, our facebook page or our twitter account at http://twitter.com/ AsphaltPro. We’d love to connect with you more often!

Colorado Suncor Energy Facilities in Colorado has made arrangements with MeadWestvaco Corp. to offer Evotherm 3G warm mix additive at its facilities throughout Colorado.

Evotherm has been approved for use by CDOT after a successful three-year trial on I-70 at the Eisenhower tunnel. Source: Colorado Asphalt Pavement Association

Indiana Cummins, Inc., Columbus, Ind., announced in early August that the mechanical B3.3 engine will move forward to meet Tier 4 Final emissions standards in 2012 with a particulate filter aftertreatment system developed for use in equipment rated below 75 hp. This

KPI-JCI has hired Jeff Lininger, Medford, Ore., as director of products and sales for Johnson Crushers International. You can contact him at (541) 517-7050 or jlininger@jcieug.com.

Tennessee • Tennessee Department of Transportation Chief Engineer Paul Degges will serve a two-year term as vice chairman of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) standing committee on highways, which develops engineering standards and policies for the highway program.

Degges has served with TDOT for 23 years. Source: Business & Heritage Clarksville online.

• The 18th annual C&D World, which is the annual meeting of the Construction Materials Recycling Association (CMRA), will be March 25 through 27, 2012, at the Nashville Convention Center. Visit www.cdrecycling. org for more information or contact mbohan@miningmedia.com.

Texas • Siemens Industry’s Process Instrumentation and Analytics, Houston, has formed a strategic partnership with S&B Plant Services, Ltd., to support companies in the oil and gas, energy, water and wastewater, and minerals industries.

• The Construction Materials Recycling Association (CMRA) hosts the 5th Asphalt Shingle Recycling Forum this Oct. 27 through 28 at the Doubletree Hotel in Dallas.

Visit www.shinglerecycling.org for registration info.

safety spotlight

Fits Under the Hat

by AsphaltPro Staff

H

oneywell Safety Products, Smithfield, R.I., introduced the Uvex Stealth Goggle Retainer for hard hats Sept. 14. The device is designed to attach to most hard hats by creating a proper, gap-free seal around the eyes whenever goggles and hard hats are required in combination. When not in use, Uvex Stealth® goggles are held securely to the hard hat, keeping them close at hand.

“The Uvex Stealth Goggle Retainer simplifies combination use among workers, which has proven challenging in the past,” Kevin Beckerdite said. He’s the product manager for eye and face protection products for Honeywell Safety Products. “Now workers can focus on their jobs, knowing their goggles are always close at hand and a proper, comfortable fit is quick and easy. That means improved compliance and a safer workforce.”

Ideally suited for use in the oil, gas and chemical manufacturing industries as well as construction, the goggle retainer features innovations to address The Uvex Stealth safety, comfort Goggle Retainer makes and value, according to the combination hard hat and manufacturer. Its goggle use simpler and neoprene straps are designed easier for workers. to be easy to adjust—even while worn—to quickly provide a safe, secure and comfortable fit. The retainer’s durable materials resist chemical and ultraviolet degradation for long-lasting wear.

Not everyone may be aware of the Uvex brand or why it’s important to this safety feature. For more than 60 years, Uvex has delivered advanced coatings, styles and materials to protect workers in every industry. The company’s commitment to testing and research and development ensures that every Uvex style meets or exceeds industry safety standards while delivering unparalleled comfort, according to the manufacturer.

The brand’s service offerings enable safety managers to access Uvex expertise, educational tools, programs and references to build and sustain best-in-class safety platforms. Uvex brand safety eyewear is offered for sale by Sperian Protection, a Honeywell company, exclusively in the Americas.

The Uvex Stealth Goggle Retainer accessory is available in two models to fit standard, cap-style hard hats and full-brim hard hats. For more information, contact your major safety equipment distributor in the United States or Canada or contact the Honeywell customer care department directly at (800) 682-0839.

8 october 2011

mix it up

by Randy West

D

NCAT Pavement Test Track shows promising results for high RAP content mixes

uring the past few years, more than half of the highway agencies in the United States have modified their specifications to allow higher recycled asphalt pavement (RAP) contents. Contractors are using the opportunity to be more competitive. A recent National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA) survey indicates that the average RAP content is about 17 percent.

Meanwhile, research at the National Center for Asphalt Technology (NCAT) pushes the envelop further. On the NCAT Pavement Test Track, four overlays with 45 percent RAP built five years ago still show excellent performance.

After more than 20 million equivalent single-axle loads (ESALS) and some of the hottest summers on record in east Alabama, all four sections have less than 5 millimeters (mm) of rutting and have exhibited texture changes comparable to virgin mixes. Buzz Powell, NCAT’s test track manager, notes that careful inspections reveal a minor amount of cracking in the test sections, which began to appear after four years.

10 october 2011

During construction of the test sections, NCAT researchers observed a slight improvement in compactability with the softer virgin binders, but target densities were obtained even with the mixes containing the stiffer binders.

“These are short, low-severity cracks that would not even be detected with automated pavement evaluation systems,” Powell said. “We’ve mapped the similar cracking in sections with 20 percent RAP.” International Roughness Index (IRI), the standard technique to quantify ride quality, has not changed significantly for the 45 percent RAP sections through five years.

One of the research goals of the four test sections was to determine if it was necessary to use a softer grade of virgin binder with the high RAP mixes. Current AASHTO guidelines recommend using a softer binder when the recycled binder content is between 15 and 25 percent of the total binder content; when the recycled binder content is more than 25 percent, a more detailed analysis is necessary to select the grade of the virgin binder.

The detailed analysis involves performing extraction and recovery of the RAP binder and grading it in the performance grade (PG) system.

Either blending charts or equations are then used to determine what

Through their first virgin binder should be used. The recycled and an unchanging IRI. Low-severity cracks have cycle, all of the binder content for the 45 percent RAP mixes been mapped on the section; however, they Group Experiment was about 42 percent. Based on the blending have a similar pattern and location to cracks test sections have performed extremely chart approach, the virgin binder should be a from previous research cycles, which suggests well: less than 5 mm of PG52-18. That was the lowest grade of binder they are reflective. rutting, no cracking, used in the four test sections.

We also built two structural sections in 2009 steady IRI and minor changes in texture.

The other sections used a PG67-22, a as part of the multi-state Group Experiment, PG76-22 and a PG76-22 with Sasobit. Sasobit, a with 50 percent RAP in each of the three layers well-known warm-mix asphalt (WMA) additive, of the asphalt cross-section. Both sections used was used as a compaction aid in one of the a PG67-22 as the virgin binder, sections because before construcbut one of the sections was tion, it was unknown how diffiproduced using the cult it would be to meet the Astec Double Barrel same density spec with Green WMA asphalt the high RAP mixes that foaming system. applied to virgin mixes.

Production During constructemperature for tion of the test the 50 percent sections, we observed RAP WMA a slight improvement mixes was 275 in compactability with degrees F, while the softer virgin binders, 325 degrees F of the instrumentation data has been that the but target densities were was used for the stiffer RAP mixtures result in 25 to 30 percent obtained even with the 50 percent RAP hot lower tensile strains at the bottom of the asphalt mixes containing the stiffer mix asphalt (HMA). pavement. This highlights the importance of binders. The appearance of The performance of mechanistic pavement design, which takes into low-severity cracking is related both sections is account actual pavement material properties One of the research goals of the four test sections was to the stiffness of the virgin compared to a in determination of the necessary pavement to determine if it was necessary to use a softer grade binder, with stiffer grades control section thickness. of virgin binder with the high RAP mixes. Current exhibiting cracking before containing all AASHTO guidelines recommend using a softer binder Another important finding from the Group softer grades. virgin matewhen the recycled binder content is between 15 Experiment is that most of the popular cracking and 25 percent of the total binder content; when the We also measured rials and built tests that tend to show high RAP mixes perform recycled binder content is more than 25 percent, a very slight differences in with the same poorly may be misleading. The overlay tester, for more detailed analysis is necessary to select the grade texture change related to subgrade, of the virgin binder. example, was designed to evaluate the perforvirgin binder grade. The base and mance of HMA paved on top of jointed concrete section produced using the asphalt crosspavement. Strain levels in the overlay tester are PG52-28 virgin binder has section. unrealistically high for relating results to fatigue exhibited the least change, Through their performance at the bottom of the pavement while the section with first cycle, all of the structure.

Even tests that can be run at different PG76-22 plus Sasobit, Group Experiment strain levels, such as the bending beam fatigue which stiffens the mix as test sections have test or the simplified viscoelastic continuum ambient temperatures, performed extremely has exhibited the most well: less than 5 damage test, must be evaluated at strain levels change. mm of rutting, no that are appropriate for each layer in the paveIn 2009, we built cracking, steady IRI ment structure in consideration of the stiffthree more high RAP and minor changes in nesses of all other layers.

The test track is the best way to thoroughly sections on the test track. texture. These sections The Mississippi Departwill remain in place evaluate materials that are “outside the box,” ment of Transportation and traffic will continue Powell said. “It is a realistic proving ground (DOT) did a “mill and fill” on its through the next research where sponsors can test combinations of mategravel Superpave section from the cycle until the sections reach rials and pavement structures without the previous track research cycle. The RAP a predetermined threshold level of concerns for failure that would exist on a real from the millings was used to produce new distress, at which time a pavement preservation roadway.” mix with 45 percent RAP that was used in both treatment will be applied.

The performance of high RAP content mixes the binder and surface layers. The virgin binder All of the structural sections are instrumented is one example of sponsors pushing the envelop was a PG67-22, which is the standard PG grade with strain gauges, pressure plates and with promising results. for many southeastern states. Like the 2006 temperature probes to capture how the Randy West is the director of NCAT. For more high RAP sections, the Mississippi section has sections respond to loading and environmental information, you can reach him at westran@ performed well with less than 5 mm of rutting changes. One of the key findings from analysis auburn.edu.

by Sandy Lender 12 october 2011

project management

Mix

Operation Guidelines

by Rick Rees

Time to forget the guesswork and experimentation. Warm mix systems are proven and they’re here to stay. Although riding the warm mix wave is inevitable and altogether an exciting opportunity, there are many things you should watch for in the process.

Perhaps one of the most misunderstood areas in warm mix is the actual process. Should it involve various chemicals or a water foaming system? The customer doesn’t have to choose anymore. With the increased demand for the flexibility of warm mix systems, some systems are now able to handle both chemicals and water, as well as anti-strips, cutback asphalts, polymers and other ingredients. This is important when evaluating how systems work and a first step in working your system.

Next, get the aggregates and material dry. Whether you own and operate an older plant or you just purchased one of the latest models, it’s important that the ingredients be dry—the aggregate, RAP, RAS and more. Keep in mind that some materials are harder to dry than others and you may have to especially be cautious of internal moisture; any moisture present in the materials must be accounted for in the foaming or warm mix agents being used. Conduct cohesive tests to determine the dryness of your materials and make certain to avoid any dramatic loss of temperature along the process.

Temperature is something to watch in your original materials as well. We can all agree that one of the goals of making WMA is to reduce energy and total fuel usage. With this in mind, you don’t want to significantly elevate the temperature of the liquid asphalt cement (AC). Be 14 october 2011

A nozzle opening is comparable in size to a pencil lead. Be sure proper maintenance keeps it from becoming plugged.

There are two types of foaming/water systems: one based upon temperature or thermal mixing and the second, using dynamic and mechanical blending. Every OEM will trust its own system best, and Stansteel believes the latter to be the more advanced and beneficial of the two. The dynamic blending system features a proven process similar to that of an emulsion manufacturing and blending facility. During this process, small quantities of water and liquid asphalt are combined under pressure or horsepower to achieve a colloid-blended mix and foam material. The life of the foam is extended with this model and producers have seen 1 gallon of liquid asphalt converted into 3 1/2 gallons using 1 to 1.5 percent water, promoting foaming and coating. In this picture, the AccuShear from Stansteel is illustrated with multiple totes, giving the contractor a customized approach to having a variety of materials for in-line blending.

careful. This can certainly oxidize AC, shorten its life and prove to be an energy guzzler in the end.

Any WMA system that you’ve selected will require maintenance, but you can limit your time spent on this activity. Some products on the market require daily work to keep the correct flow of materials. That flow is vital.

Whether you’re working with chemicals, water or other agents, it’s critical that that exact amount of material is being delivered into the process.

We have seen customers who didn’t use an actual metering system, producing what they thought was WMA. The product turned out to be nothing more than a colder hot mix. Because there was no way to register the lack of additive being introduced from the electronics or from the actual pump device, the contractor was stuck with a substandard product and the maintenance costs that follow such results.

Partial flow of additives can pose a major concern. Unless the system is designed to introduce the additive in a dynamic fashion, you cannot be assured that the desired rate of flow, whether it’s 3 percent, 2 percent or 1 percent is being delivered.

As an example, if a nozzle or injector device experiences plugging and restrictions in the flow, maintenance may be needed to get the flow working properly again. With such a unit, problems can occur when regular hot mix is made through the same pipe and near the same nozzle or injector as for warm mix. Material builds up and has to be thoroughly cleaned out before operating. On the other hand, the AccuShear warm mix system employs a bypass mode to completely separate the additive circuit and thus does not contaminate any of the nozzles or injectors as the plant is being operated.

All in all, as the use of WMA increases around the country, it is critical that product quality be maintained to ensure the integrity of the asphalt products provided to the larger driving public. Make sure you do your homework when researching industry warm-mix options: use the above recommendations or call an expert company for help with your system.

Rick Rees is the director, technology application with Stansteel/Hotmix Parts, Louisville, Ky. For more information, contact him at (502) 245-1977 or rrees@stansteel.com.

Some products on the market require daily work to keep the correct flow of materials. That flow is vital.

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www.theasphaltpro.com | ASPHALT PRO 15

producer profile

did

Begin out West?

Family in Washington State can give the short-term life of warmmix asphalt a run for its money

by Sandy Lender

18 october 2011

T

here exists a Canadian paper prepared for the “Warm Asphalt Technology as a Sustainable Strategy for Pavements” Session of the 2008 Annual Conference of the Transportation Association of Canada in which authors Jean-Martin Croteau, P.E., and Bernard Tessier, P.E., MBA, write: “The world focus on the development of WMA technologies may be traced back to two distinctive events: the 1992 United Nations’ discussions on the environment and the 1996 Germany’s consideration to review asphalt fumes exposure limits.” A few sentences later the paper states: “The first application on a public road was carried out in Germany in 1999 using the Aspha-min® zeolite system.”

I think they’ve got it all wrong—a little “late,” if you will. While those events certainly took place when Croteau and Tessier outline, I posit that warm-mix asphalt (WMA) production and laydown began not in Europe in the mid-1990s, but in the far Northwest United States in the early 1970s. Let’s take a look at that good ol’ American ingenuity.

It started as most innovations will—an entrepreneur looked for a solution to an upcoming problem.

“My father, Herbert (Tim) Shearer, started the drum mix project driven by a change in pollution requirements in and around the Puget Sound area,” Tim Shearer said. “He had been an employee of Washington Asphalt Company, which later became Lakeside Industries. I’m not sure how he got on his own, but with the help of many companies around the Sound, they gathered spare gear and built a plant.”

The team first planned to use a process that included an oil additive that was thought to allow reduced mix temperatures, but before that could be installed, Herbert Shearer was forced to start his first project at Port Ludlow, Wash.

Tim Shearer remembered Woodworth and Company, Associated Sand and Gravel, Lakeside Industries and Washington Machinery working on the project. He said the team first planned to use a process that included an oil additive that was thought to allow reduced mix temperatures, but before that could be The team first installed, Herbert Shearer was planned to use a forced to start his first project at Port Ludlow, Wash. process that included “It was found that adding an oil additive that the asphalt to the wet aggregate prior to the drum’s heating was thought to created a foam as the moisture allow reduced mix was removed and it coated very well at a low temperature. This temperatures, but is the process he patented.” before that could be Tim Shearer and some of Herbert Shearer’s contempoinstalled, Herbert raries discussed the process Shearer was forced to and how it progressed.

“My dad had a patent in start his first project at 1972 on a drum mix product,” Port Ludlow, Wash.

Tim Shearer said. “He sold his rights to that process to Boeing.”

The process that Tim Shearer described is one in which Herbert Shearer created a parallel-flow scenario. He inserted a pipe near the front end of the drum—the burner end—through which hot AC entered the dryer.

Aggregate at that end of the drum still had enough moisture to cause the foaming action he desired.

Steve Malloy of Aesco/Madsen concurred that the Shearer team back then was trying to foam asphalt in a counterflow drum, but to no avail.

They turned the drum around so it was running parallel and installed an injection pipe in the aggregate feed chute at the burner end of the drum. www.theasphaltpro.com | ASPHALT PRO 19

Until a year or so ago, Tim Shearer worked for Woodworth and Company.

They sold to Miles Sand and Gravel. This plant makes up part of the Miles Resources contracting arm of the new ownership.

This allowed the asphalt to mix with the rock while it was still wet, which produced the foaming action they were looking for. This allowed them to produce asphalt mixes at production temperatures as low as 230 to 240 degrees F, which was the beginning of the Shearer Process.

The secret of the Shearer Process, according to Malloy, was the wet aggregate. “The asphalt would hit the wet rock and start foaming, about a third of the way down the drum.”

John Ferris of Aesco/Madsen remembers this process well because he worked for Herbert Shearer during this exciting time in the industry. He stated that the mix coming out of the dryer discharge chute acted “alive” because it would foam itself completely out of a sample shovel. Ferris also stated that almost all of the same benefits we achieve today using the various warm-mix processes were achieved with the Shearer Process.

“The only difference back then was that we simply called it drum mix asphalt,” Ferris said.

When Herbert Shearer sold the rights to his process to When Herbert Shearer sold the rights to the Boeing Corporation, the “drum mix asphalt” began his process to the Boeing Corporation, the “drum mix asphalt” began a long journey. Ferris a long journey. remembers not only the process, but also its history.

“Boeing had a plant construction division [BCEC] that built about 150 Shearer Process Asphalt Plants,” Ferris explained. “After that, the division sort of handed off the rights to BMG Corporation. BMG eventually sold it to Dillman. Then Dillman sold it to Gencor.”

Gencor seemed an excellent stopping point for the system as GenCo (General Combustion Co.) was the main burner supplier for Boeing, according to Ferris.

Not every technology can stay in its original form, of course. “Eventually, everybody went away from injecting AC in the front of the drum,” Ferris said. Savvy producers can think of many reasons for this.

20 october 2011

TOP: This hard-working plant features a counterflow drum.

LEFT: The Eco-Foam II from Aesco/ Madsen is a static inline vortex mixer. In this WMA technology, fluids are injected and rapidly mixed by a combination of alternate vortex shedding and shearinduced turbulence. Here the foamed AC enters the drum.

Nowadays Tim Shearer and his son work for the Miles Resources contracting arm of Miles Sand & Gravel, Tacoma, Wash. The privately owned company purchased Woodworth and Company a year or so ago, according to Tim Shearer. His son Nick runs a Cedarapids plant with an Aesco/Madsen Eco-Foam II. The Eco-Foam II is a static inline vortex mixer, in which fluids are injected and rapidly mixed by a combination of alternate vortex shedding and shear-induced turbulence. It may sound more evolved than the Shearer Process, but most WMA processes today are.

“We’re running the warm-mix process at all temperatures,” Tim Shearer said. “It’s been a 40-year deal up here.”

The purpose of Croteau and Tessier’s “Warm Asphalt Technology as a Sustainable Strategy for Pavements” paper wasn’t to quibble over timelines, of course. The paper’s abstract states: “The immediate benefit of producing and placing asphalt mixes at a lower temperature is the reduction in energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, fumes, and odors generated at the plant and the paving site. Furthermore, the technical benefits are substantial including reduction of short term binder hardening, reduction of mixture tenderness, possible increase of percentage of reclaimed asphalt pavement in new asphalt pavement mixes and possible extension of the construction season.”

I think Mr. Shearer and all those who worked with those early WMA developments in the 1970s would agree. It’s merely interesting to see other methods of WMA in development in other places at other times.

Why, Mr. John McAdam may have gotten a foamed product on a rainy day back in Briton’s road-building history. Imagine a macadam paving engineer driving a team of horses across foamed asphalt and looking out the back of the chip spreader to see those rocks being coated in it.

Whatever the true first date of WMA, it’s a pleasure to see our industry embracing its environmentally friendly attributes. It’s a pleasure to know so many have been involved in bringing it to fruition. www.theasphaltpro.com | ASPHALT PRO 21

t l a h p s A Your

o r u E

e l y st

le AG

ge from Vö

The Möllmann Straßen- und Tiefbau GmbH, Dortmund, Germany, paving crew placed the colored asphalt surface “hot to hot” with three Super 1800-2 pavers in a single pass in chilly weather.

R

arely seen in North America, colored asphalt pavements are popular of 8 m (26 ft.). A base layer of crushed stone 15 centimeters (approximately in Europe. There, a sand-colored asphalt pavement set the right 6 inches) thick was placed on an existing frost-proof layer, followed by 8 tone for a promenade for the State Garden Show in cm (approx. 3 in.) of asphalt base on the crushed stone.

For 2011’s garden Hemer, Germany. For this work, three Super 1800-2 pavers Once the base courses were complete, two more from the Vögele AG division of Wirtgen Group paved the Super 1800-2 pavers arrived. To achieve smooth longitushow in Hemer in asphalt “hot to hot” across a width of 24 meters (79 feet). dinal joints, the three machines paved the sand-colored the German federal That’s the widest area of colored asphalt ever paved at the mix 3 cm (1.2 in.) thick, “hot to hot,” to ensure a good state of North same time. bond of layers despite the low temperatures. For that the Rhine-Westphalia, For 2011’s garden show in Hemer in the German base course was heated up prior to paving the wearing the widest-ever course. federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia, the widestsurfacing made of For grade and slope control, the first paver tracked the ever surfacing made of colored asphalt transformed the curbstone with a variable mechanical grade sensor. The city’s “Forumsplatz” square into what resembles a beach. colored asphalt other pavers used multi-cell sonic sensors referencing What’s ironic is the conditions under which the crew from transformed the from the previously placed layer. For the wearing course, Möllmann Straßen- und Tiefbau GmbH from Dortmund, city’s “Forumsplatz” too, all three AB 500-2 extending screeds in tamping/ Germany, had to pave this beach. With ambient temperasquare into what vibration (TV) mode were set to pave widths of 8 m tures near freezing point, Site Manager Hans-Joachim resembles a beach.

(26 ft.). The paving team made swift work of laying the Greitemeier gave the go-ahead for the paving work and yellow asphalt, conjuring the perfect illusion of a 4,700 creation of a summery promenade.

Möllmann’s team first paved base courses. The men tackled this job square meter (5,621 square yard) sandy beach in central Germany in just using a Super 1800-2 with AB 500-2 extending screed set at a paving width two hours.

22 october 2011

LEFT: Sand-colored asphalt is placed on the intermediate course on the grounds of the State Garden Show in Hemer, Germany. Notice that the color permeates the mix; the producer won’t have to worry about the color “wearing off” from too much foot traffic.

BELOW: The team used the Niveltronic Plus to effect perfect evenness and accurate layer thickness.

Creating colored asphalt requires an extra step when preparing the mix, according to the Asphalt Institute. The association’s Maintenance and Rehabilitation FAQs section of its website offers three methods for getting a colorized asphalt surface, one of which suggests using an iron compound additive in the asphalt binder.

“Various iron compounds can impart a red, green, yellow or orange tint to a pavement, while other colors can be achieved using different metal additives,” the site spells out.

“A special ‘synthetic’ binder that contains no asphaltenes has been used because it takes color more readily.” www.theasphaltpro.com | ASPHALT PRO 23

The AI site also explains that this method allows the color to permeate the entire depth of the material, as shown in the pictures here. That eliminates surface wear-off concerns that producers may have with a coating method, which merely paints the black pavement with an epoxy-fortified acrylic emulsion or other such substance to the color of choice. While that material penetrates the voids in the pavement and bonds to the pavement, regular traffic will cause wear.

Paving colored asphalt also requires an extra step when preparing the paver for the job. “We clean the paver as usual and then run hot chippings of 200 degrees C (392 deg F) through the machine,” Greitemeier said. “The black bituminous residues stick to the chippings. Then the machine is ready for paving the light-colored mix.” Everything else proceeds in the same way as when paving conventional black mix.

What the team ended up with in North Rhine-Westphalia was a promenade they could be proud of and new equipment. After renting the Super 1800-2s from Vögele for this project, Greitemeier and the paving team were impressed with the laydown rate, the efficient and economical drive system, the easy supply with mix, as well as the logical and ergonomic operation of the machine. After completion of the project, the company ordered a new Super 1800-2 from Vögele in its white company livery.

26 october 2011

The sand-colored asphalt area is used as a promenade and for presentation of exhibits.

The Möllman n team was pleased wit Super 1800 h its new -2 asphalt paver from Vögele AG.

Builds Big-Sky Business

by Larry Trojak

If one had to look for a silver lining in the cloud that’s been the economic downturn of the last few years, it might be that companies have streamlined many processes to help them cope. For companies like CMG Construction, Billings, Mont., it was an opportunity to make changes necessary to add a new capability and reach out for newer, more diverse contracts.

They did so by augmenting their existing strengths in site work with a new ADM Roadbuilder 250 asphalt plant. Today, not only are they virtually self-sufficient in their asphalt work, they’ve begun carving a niche for themselves with projects that, in the past, would not have even been considered.

28 october 2011

The parts and pieces of the new ADM Roadbuilder 250 came together a little differently on one of CMG’s first projects, but the team made it work. “Once the crushing plant and other components were in place, the actual area for us to set up in was roughly 300 by 160 feet,” Operator Scott Horn said.

Bringing it In-House

CMG Construction crews have done a fairly broad range of work since the company was established in 2004: everything from heavy and civil construction to paving, to concrete flatwork, to curb and gutter, and more. For paving projects, the company generally purchased asphalt from local producers in the areas in which they worked. While effective, they realized that it really went contrary to their strengths, according to Co-owner Kevin McGovern.

“Because most of us involved in starting up CMG have a history of working within the asphalt business, we felt we had the expertise to bring that function in house,” he said. “So, in 2009, we began looking at what was out there in terms of asphalt plants. We had a couple criteria for what we needed, including size and portability, and one of the key personnel we’d added had a good deal of experience running hot mix plants, so we felt pretty good that we would get what we needed.”

McGovern said the demand for portability stems from a couple of factors. First, there are plenty of larger, fixed-plant producers in Billings from whom CMG can buy asphalt for less money than they could produce it themselves.

Second, and perhaps more importantly, having a mobile plant would allow them to bid on mid-

size paving projects—those generally less than 50,000 tons—around the state.

“We ran the numbers and found that, while we can’t get our investment return off a plant locally, once we get 60-75 miles away from Billings, we gain a competitive edge,” he said. “That, coupled with the fact that we aren’t striving to be a huge highway paving firm, drove the decision to by a mid-sized portable plant. So, based on recommendations from Scott Horn, our current hot plant manager, we chose the ADM Roadbuilder 250.”

Built to Travel

CMG took delivery of its plant in August of 2010 and immediately put it to work doing a couple smaller projects before the paving season ended. The plant, as delivered, included portable designs of: a 7- by 38-foot drum, a 45,000 acfm baghouse, an 8- by 16-foot control room, a 30,000-gallon asphalt tank, four 20-ton cold feed bins, a weigh conveyor and scalping screen, a 500-bbl self-erecting lime silo, and a 75-ton self-erecting storage silo.

“We were really impressed, not just with the portability of the system, but also with the ease of setup and use,” Horn said. “I can have this plant moved and up and running in about four days. That includes everything from spotting

www.theasphaltpro.com | ASPHALT PRO 29

Behind the 7- by 38-foot drum, the lime silo pulls itself into position without crane assistance.

30 october 2011

equipment in place, to getting power to all components, to getting final calibration before loading trucks. From my standpoint, that’s pretty impressive.”

Horn said he also likes the fact that while the plant is designed for long life, it is not grossly overbuilt, as he has seen with other plants he’s run. “The Roadbuilder is wellbuilt, but it is also designed to be portable, and ADM has balanced those two approaches nicely.”

Big Sky, Small Footprint

“If we can run 60,000 to 100,000 tons a year through the plant, that’s more than what we need in terms of return on investment,” Co-owner Kevin McGovern said.

As anyone who operates portable plants will attest, getting to the site is half the battle. Often, finding the room to set up and efficiently operate the plant is the real challenge. At one of CMG’s most recent projects, a 24,000-ton paving job for a 12-mile stretch of road in Wyola, Mont., the company met that challenge head-on.

“This job, because of the availability of aggregate, called for us to set up on something of a bluff located a couple miles from the start of the paving site,” Horn said.

“Once the crushing plant and other components were in place, the actual area for us to set up in was roughly 300 by 160 feet. That’s even less than what the company [ADM] specs the footprint of the plant to be; it was tough but we made it fit.”

To do so, Horn said he rotated some of the components from their original designed configuration: turning the asphalt tank, which is designed to be at a 90-degree angle from the drum, to a smaller angle. Moving the

www.theasphaltpro.com | ASPHALT PRO 31

With the new plant up and running, CMG is not only poised to tap into the small to mid-sized contracts that were not feasible in the past, it also allows them to set their sights on work for several of Montana’s Native American tribes.

weigh belt, which is supposed to be straight in line with the swinger in the bins, was another adjustment.

“That not only reduced the footprint, it also allowed us to put our propane tank in a better position for filling,” he said. “On the project before this one, we had our tanks set up in such a way that one truck—say the one delivering lime—would have to wait while another was unloading. Now, if we get lime, oil and propane in all at once, they can each unload without stepping on each other’s toes. It’s important to realize that those drivers don’t get paid when they’re sitting—they expect to come in, unload and be on their way. The flexibility of the plant design allows us to do that.”

32 october 2011

Carving a Niche With the new plant up and running, CMG is not only poised to tap into the small to mid-sized contracts that were not feasible in the past, it also allows them to set their sights on work for several of Montana’s Native American tribes.

“The Wyola road paving job was one such project,” Horn said. “There is a lot of infrastructure work to be done for the State’s tribes; we are better equipped to go after that work now.

And it’s really a good situation for the tribes as well since they not only get the improvements that are needed, but, by law, we have to employ 90 percent of our outside workforce—our truck drivers, loader operators and so on—through

the Tribal Employment Rights Office or TERO. Needless to say, work is scarce in rural areas like this, so jobs like this are welcomed. Adding the ADM plant has really allowed us to carve out something of a niche for ourselves.”

McGovern adds that, despite the need the plant has filled for them, they have no intention of focusing exclusively on the paving side of the business.

“If we can run 60,000 to 100,000 tons a year through the plant, that’s more than what we need in terms of return on investment. We have three jobs slated for it for this season; everything after that is a bonus for us. It’s really been a nice addition to the business.”

Make Great

Production Decisions

Editor’s Note: An earlier version of this article appeared in another publication in the mid ’90s. Cliff Mansfield and AsphaltPro staff have updated the information for today’s producer with today’s mix products and equipment marketplace in mind.

by Cliff Mansfield

Part 2

In today’s climate, one important criterion for success is control of your own destiny. When it comes to paving projects, it’s difficult to have any type of control if you’re at the mercy of just a few hot mix suppliers. In the August/September issue, we looked at types and styles of plants, as well as configurations and needs. Now let’s take a look at size, new versus used, and budgets when selecting the right move to make.

after

Before: This combination batch and drum—dratch—plant for Refined Products retains the versatility of a batch while offering the high production of a drum plant. As a 3,000-pound batch plant, this facility could run 100 tph at best.

AFTER: We added a rotary mixer above the truck drive-through area for Refined Products. Now when running in the drum plant mode, this plant can easily operate at 225 tph.

before 34 october 2011

Size

One of the fundamental mistakes I often see is a new company trying to size its plant to what the owner thinks will be its highest production days. I recommend that a plant be sized to the average for a company’s busiest month.

New companies without a track record for mix production must analyze the market and decide from there. If you feel that you can sell 3,000 tons per day 10 percent of the time and 1,000 tons per day the rest of the production season, I would suggest that a 200 ton per hour plant is more appropriate than a more expensive 400 tph unit.

Thinking along the same lines, it’s difficult to justify the multi-million dollar cost of a new 350 tph plant if you plan on making 40,000 tons a year, regardless of how fast you can make it.

Plant sizing is a function of market demand. Try not to size the plant so small that in a year or so you’ll be looking to upgrade to a bigger facility. But then again, don’t go so big that the thing is idle for long periods of time. In general, a plant is most efficient when it’s running at about 80 percent of its rated capacity and components last longer when they’re not stopped and restarted constantly.

Another thought: A smaller AC plant with lots of storage capacity can often turn out as much mix on a given paving day because it might not have to stop while waiting for trucks, while the larger plant fills its silo in a hurry and then must wait for the silo level to go down. This dead time takes away from productivity and adds to the cost per ton of mix because some of your expenses continue to accrue even though the plant is not in production.

New Vs. Used

No matter what size you go for, you want a plant that’s capable of being up anytime you want it.

No matter what size you go for, you want a plant that’s capable of being up anytime you want it. That doesn’t necessarily mean you have to purchase a new plant from an original equipment manufacturer (OEM), although that decision has its advantages. Because it’s new, there are no guesses as to its condition. It likely comes with full factory support, which is vital when it comes to air quality compliance, trouble-shooting, set-up and startup.

It’s not the purpose of this article to hype any one OEM’s product. When you compare features, configurations, support services and product sheets, any two brands of plant will do the same job—produce hot mix.

Be sure you compare the spec sheets on each plant you’re considering carefully and remember— the cheapest is not always the least expensive.

If you elect to go with a used plant, you will find them considerably less expensive than their shiny new counterparts. The trick is to find a used plant that hasn’t been abused and that is offered direct from the owner or his primary broker. This is important because a plant may be listed through numerous brokers who work together; if you don’t pick the primary listing agent, you may have to pay finder’s fees to several and not realize it.

In general, try to find out as much information as possible about a particular plant if it catches your eye. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Most brokers are willing to help you. If they aren’t, find another plant. www.theasphaltpro.com | ASPHALT PRO 35

Once you decide on a particular piece of equipment, have it appraised. Get an impartial opinion of the plant. Several companies offer this service. It is money well spent and quite possibly could save you from major repair bills in the future.

Costs of Asphalt Plants

While considering repair bills of the future, don’t let the wide variety of starting prices overwhelm you. A popular small manufacturer offers a 30 tph portable plant for less than $175,000 complete. That same manufacturer offers a 325 tph counter-flow double drum with RAP capability for around $1.8 million.

Other OEMs offer similar pricing and prices soar when the larger sizes are considered. A 500 tph plant with counter-flow technology and RAP capability set up to run in sunny California can exceed $4.5 million. The best advice I can offer is to do your homework, and then shop for pricing. If you can’t foresee a need for a certain option, don’t buy it. Keep your plant as simple and basic as you can. This will aid you in troubleshooting and repairs.

The used AC plant market is usually good. There are more plants for sale than there are buyers. This is good for the contractor looking to buy a used plant, but it also makes the choice more confusing.

Most brokers will bury a prospective customer in information. The list of available plants can quickly overwhelm the average guy and render any possibility of making an informed decision virtually impossible without a large investment in time and airfare. I suggest you find a broker you trust and have him do the legwork to find a piece of equipment that fits your needs.

When it comes to pricing used plants, once again, the numbers vary from season to season.

What I present here is a sampling from the start of the 2011 paving season.

As you can see from these prices, there’s a wide spread, even among similar equipment. For this reason, it’s imperative that you inspect and analyze in detail any piece of equipment that you’re interested in. When in doubt, seek the help of an industry specialist.

Other Factors

There are numerous other factors past price and size that you’ll need to consider when choosing a plant. Some of these things are included here.

A) AC Tank Size: How far away from your proposed plant site is the nearest oil supplier?

How long does it take to lap a truck from your plant to the refinery and back? These are questions that need to be answered before you can decide on oil storage capacity. In general, a 300 tph plant will use about 17.4 tons of oil per hour at a mix design percentage of 5.8 percent.

A 30,000 gallon tank holds roughly 116.7 tons of oil at 7.78 ppg (approximate weight of PG A-58-22 at 300 degrees). Since we cannot pull all of the oil out of the tank because they are set up so that the heaters stay immersed in oil (electric models) let’s assume we can use 114 tons of liquid. At 17.4 tons per hour, we can run approximately 6.5 hours on the oil we have. To stay even with our rate of consumption, we will need to get a 35-ton load of oil every 2 hours. If this isn’t possible, we need to increase our oil storage capacity. In general, I advise using as much storage as you can afford. This means you aren’t as much at the mercy of your oil supplier and his trucks.

B) Hot Mix Storage: Larger silos generally mean less truck turn-around time in the yard, which equates to more money on the bottom line. A large capacity silo can also help a smaller plant perform with the big boys as far as mix shipped per hour; when the trucks are gone the plant can run longer, refilling the silo. If you start the plant early enough in the morning to have the silo full when the first truck loads, it will help the plant stay ahead of the trucking for several hours. In general, buy as much storage as you can afford. I tell contractors that it’s easy to put 50 tons in a 200-ton silo; it’s tough to put 60 tons in a 50-ton silo.

36 october 2011

C) Cold Feeds: Does your state use mixes that require the aggregates to be broken down into more than one or two stockpiles? If so, you’ll need to make sure your new plant accommodates all the materials you’ll need to be using. If you have to blend sand into your mixes, you could find that you need five feed bins.

D) Wet Wash Vs. Baghouse: It’s no great secret that an asphalt plant costs considerably more when equipped with a baghouse as opposed to a wet-scrubber. What may not be so well known is the fact that within a few short years, the Federal DEG regulations may obviate the use of wet scrubbers through default by making their use so expensive that the small operator can’t afford to comply. As an example, in the Northwest, Washington State has enacted a law requiring all wet-scrubber operators to line all ponds with an impermeable membrane and perform water testing on a weekly basis of any discharged liquid. In the near future, I foresee a wave of states following in Washington’s footsteps. If you can afford it, I recommend you buy a plant with a baghouse; at least price a baghouse to fit the plant you’re considering. If the Feds mandate baghouses in the near future, the cost of these units will skyrocket.

Current portable units, sized for a 200 tph plant, sell for around $180,000 new and $70,000 or more used. It costs additional money to retrofit a baghouse to a plant. It’s quite possible that, in light of imminent near future government actions, you’ll have no choice but to buy a baghouse or operate at an economic disadvantage to those who have one.

Diving In To summarize, buying an asphalt plant is a big step. The best advice I can think of is to be thorough. Research your market and know your potential customers. Ask yourself the tough questions such as what will it take to get business from those who will be your competitors and what will you have to offer that “the other guy” doesn’t?

If you plan to buy a plant to service your own paving operation, ask yourself how a plant will aid in the overall operation. Will it give you access to mixes you can’t get elsewhere? Do you have enough yearly volume to support the payments on such a large investment?

Once you have a solid understanding of these issues, you’re ready to proceed with the purchase of a plant—if it’s warranted. Be just as thorough in your investigations of potential pieces of equipment. Ask questions and seek advice from anyone knowledgeable in the subject.

Money spent on plant appraisals and consulting help could turn out to be the best investment you make.

One last bit of advice is to hire a consulting firm to start on the air quality permit process the minute you decide to get a plant. This process, under adverse conditions, can drag on for months and, in dire situations, can kill the entire project. Know your prospects for getting all the needed permits first!

Cliff Mansfield is the proprietor of CM Consulting, Odell, Ore. For more information, contact him at (541) 354-6188 or send him your question through the “Ask the Plant Expert” form on the home page at www.

TheAsphaltPro.com.

38 october 2011

International Rainbow

by AsphaltPro Staff

A

s 2011 nears an end, so does the construction work on China’s Qingdao Bay Bridge, known as the “lying rainbow over the sea.” The bridge is the longest cross-sea bridge in the world and is being constructed in two phases. Paving the bridge has involved approximately 51,000 tons of hard asphalt sand, 154,000 tons of SMA-13 for the load-bearing layer, 98,000 tons of SMA-10 for the wearing layer and 6,000 tons of epoxy asphalt for paving, according to Dynapac. The company’s machines were on the job and handled a vibratory challenge when it came time for compaction.

Everybody knows a bridge deck affects vibration frequency and amplitude when you turn the vibratory rollers on. As Dynapac sources pointed out, the resonant frequency of the bridge structure is generally less than 5 Hz. If the roller’s vibration frequency is also low, the damping passed by the vibration wave through the bridge is lower, which causes slower fading of the vibration force impacting the bridge.

To roll the “rainbow over the sea,” Shandong Expressway Bridge Group found the vibration frequency of a high frequency roller came close to 40 october 2011

the resonant frequency of the compacted material with high compaction efficiency. The lab and practical tests showed that the compactive effectiveness got better as the frequency went from 50 to 70 Hz. It would deteriorate after 70 Hz. Keeping a low amplitude, the crew used two sets of Dynapac road rollers with high frequency vibratory compaction up to 67 Hz. These were the Dynapac CC424, CC524 and CC624 rollers. Photo courtesy of Dynapac.

Apply Training On-The-Job

by Raed S. Haddad

Training is often required for the certifications and knowledge an employee needs to progress in his or her career. While organizations may take the time to prepare an employee for training and budget for him or her to attend a learning course, most organizations still struggle to assess and support the transfer of learning from training programs into the workplace.

According to the American Society for Training & Development, there is a 70/20/10 rule when it comes to learning and development. Research shows employees learn: • 70 percent through real-life and on-the-job experiences; • 20 percent through mentoring or coaching; and • 10 percent through formal training.

Therefore, organizations must ensure that learning be applied on-the-job – in an immediate way - to improve actual employee performance and generate a positive business impact.

The need to transfer training to the workplace has intensified in recent years due to economic challenges, an evolving workforce, and increased organizational focus on measuring and justifying training investments.

In general, the transfer of learning takes place when organizations: • develop an overall learning transfer plan; • implement tools and processes to reinforce the application of learning post-training; • measure if and to what extent learning is applied on the job; and • advocate for full manager support and involvement.

To identify breakdowns in the transfer of learning and develop best practices for addressing these gaps, ESI International, an international provider of project management centric learning, conducted a survey in March 2011. Titled Applying Training and Transferring Learning to the Workplace: How to Turn Hope into Reality, the global study highlights the shortfalls in applying training and opportunities for improvement.

Survey Says

More than 3,000 government and commercial training-related managers assessed three key phases in the application and transfer of learning: pre-training strategies, post-training 42 october 2011

reinforcement and rewards or incentives used to motivate employees.

Overall, the study highlights several weak areas in the on-the-job application of learning, including manager support, trainee preparation, incentives, and an overall formal design and measurement process. Findings show that: • 60 percent of those surveyed do not have a systematic approach to preparing a trainee to transfer, or apply, learning on-the-job.

• When asked what specific rewards motivate trainees, almost 60 percent say the “possibility of more responsibility,” followed closely by an impact on their HR/performance review.

Only 20 percent indicate that there is any financial reward or other incentives.

• 63 percent say managers formally endorse the program, while only 23 percent of managers hold more formal pre- and posttraining discussions.

Most surprising, the study suggests that organizations start out optimistic and hopeful that they are fully committed and engaged in the transfer of learning, but upon further questioning, one finds that hope and reality are two very different things when it comes to the transfer of learning in the workplace.

For example, while two-thirds of respondents estimate that they apply more than 25 percent of training knowledge back on-the-job, they have little proof. Almost 60 percent say the primary method for proving or measuring this estimate is either informal/anecdotal feedback or “simply a guess.”

The study points out some striking contradictions in how well organizations think they transfer learning and the lack of proof to back up their estimate of learning transfer or on-thejob application. Client experience at ESI shows us that organizations often fail to establish success criteria or identify expectations for learning engagements. This is a key pre-training strategy in order to measure trainee performance against agreed upon standards.

On the other hand, when it comes to postlearning tools and programs, survey responses show employees leveraging an ever-expanding array of tactics to recall information learned during training, including post course discussions with the manager or team leader, on-thejob tools, informal support such as social

networks or online forums, and communities of practice such as peer groups and coaching.

The top three strategies indicated as the most important for the transfer of learning are that trainees have the time, resources and responsibility to apply learning; trainees have manager support; and the instruction approach simulates the actual work environment.

Employees need to know that the application of learning is a priority for management. Management can show this by aligning training with company strategy and motivating employees by setting expectations beforehand and offering incentives for them to succeed.

Increase the Learning Application

Through open-ended questions, the survey also asked respondents to share specific learning transfer tactics and identify best practices. The responses resemble a wish list of actions that management or sponsors should do more of, and they fall broadly into the following areas: • Incorporate real projects in the training • Conduct more training and/or better marketing and communication on what exists • Communicate a transparent measurement strategy • Establish change management guidelines • Increase managers’ involvement before and after training • Make training more relevant Trainees should understand that the organization or sponsor expects them to apply what is learned and that there will be an assessment of training impact by collecting data from them and other stakeholders, such as clients.

In the end, holding employees accountable for learning transfer means the onus is on organizations to communicate the vision and reasons why a change in knowledge/ skills/ competencies is needed to support the company’s growth.

Raed S. Haddad is the senior vice president, Global Delivery Services, ESI International, and has more than 25 years of multi-cultural, project management expertise across a range of industries. For a free copy of the full ESI study, “Applying Training and Transferring Learning to the Workplace: How to Turn Hope into Reality,” visit www. esi-intl.com/learningtransfer.

TOP: The PT-Pro series recycler from PavementGroup, Albany, N.Y., allows paving and utility contractors to process RAP into durable HMA. Photo courtesy of PavementGroup.

RIGHT: The Patch King comes in a variety of models that contractors can use for pothole patching or emergency repairs. Photo courtesy of Process Heating, Seattle.

BELOW: This section of roadway will of course have to be built up before layers of asphalt can finish the repair. This is a section of Route 4 near Route 100 south of Killington in Vermont a few days after Irene and raging waters took out the roadway. Photo courtesy of Photographer Lars Gange and Mansfield Heliflight.

Recycle to the Rescue

with MARPs

by Robert Moskowitz and AsphaltPro Staff

W

ith winter approaching and many Northern producers preparing to shut down hot mix asphalt (HMA) plants, paving contractors and municipalities find themselves with fewer points of access to HMA. Rather than putting off needed road repairs, like those in the wake of Tropical Storm Irene, until springtime, contractors can tap into the green process of recycling and take care of potholes, utility trenches and other paving emergencies with a mobile asphalt recycling plant (MARP).

Seasoned crews know how to use a Bagela shuttle, Process Heating Patch King or PavementGroup MARP to get mix where it’s needed.

Set up at or near almost any job, MARPs provide DOT, paving and utility contractors with a dedicated source of HMA exactly when and where it’s needed. Crews can fill potholes with hot mix in the dead of winter when local HMA 44 october 2011

plants are shut down. PavementGroup, Albany, N.Y., has developed the PT-Pro series recycler to do just that.

“In the Four Corners area, the only two asphalt plants shut down from December to March,” Phil McKinney said. He’s the owner of Dirt Bandit Sweeping, a full service asphalt maintenance and paving company in Farmington, N.M. “I couldn’t take on any jobs when they were closed. Now that I’ve got my own mini-plant from PavementGroup, we’re the only paving company that can make asphalt during the winter. We use it for our own jobs, but we also sell RAP to municipalities that need it.”

A well-designed MARP requires only one person to load and operate, and every 20 minutes can deliver as much as five tons of HMA ready for laydown. MARPs like PavementGroup’s PT-Pro series recyclers provide immediate,

on-site access to HMA wherever RAP is available. Material torn up from streets, highways, runways, parking lots, driveways and other asphalt surfaces goes directly into the MARP for reheating. Small quantities of pelletized asphalt and/or rejuvenators can also be added.

The resulting HMA is used for paving repair work. PavementGroup President Mark Reeves

noted, “With good stockpile management, RAP can be recycled into a good quality top course.

Our customers making top course are generally screening and crushing their RAP and generally use our additive to improve workability and performance.”

The additive he refers to is NiPac, a pelletized DOT 64-22 asphalt available in meltable bags for blending with reclaimed asphalt. This increases the asphalt content while improving workability and functional performance of the final mix.

“In 2009, we used the PT-Pro to recycle my driveway,” Reeves said. “Whatever came up went back down. We documented the project so we could show off the results and I’d say the resulting job was a better binder than a top.

She’s holding well although for a finer smooth finish, I’d have needed to control the RAP by screening or crushing.”

Some mobile recyclers also second as a portable asphalt plant, making virgin hot mix on a smaller scale. The U.S. Air Force, working with the National Center for Asphalt Technology (NCAT), developed and tested the system for airfield repairs. The USAF embraced the technology and is using a system of prepackaged pelletized asphalt from NiTech Corp., South Pomfret, Vt., along with small skid-steer mounted mixers for high mobility and PavementGroup’s PT-Pro series recycler for larger volume HMA delivery.

“They [USAF] spent millions testing products and equipment,” Reeves said. “They even constructed a runway then…blew it up…for testing purposes. Our equipment worked well because the PT-Pro produces a homogenous mix of whatever goes in and its size and output capacity make for an ideal fit. The real secret was NiTech’s pelletized asphalt.”

Dirt Bandit Sweeping has its specific uses for the MARP, too. “We generally load the machine with chunk asphalt that’s been torn up from previous pavings,” McKinney said. “Depending on temperatures, we may have to add up to a gallon of SS1H per ton for better binding. The machine rejuvenates and reheats the asphalt until it comes out as a nice, new, beautiful material.”

McKinney said he’s excited about the financial impact his MARP will have on his business.

“Over the past six months, this recycler has saved me nearly $100,000.00,” he said. “This next year is going to be gangbusters for us. It’s an awesome machine.”

Robert Moskowitz is a construction writer. For more information about the PT-Pro series recycler, contact Carlo Chatman at (310) 787-1940 x126 or cchatman@powerpr.com.

Alternative Funding

by Sandy Lender

T

hanks to $3 billion or so in rescissions last year, the baseline for transportation funding essentially received a 7 percent cut across the board when Congress passed the eighth extension of SAFETEA-LU in September. Sadly, we already know the Highway Trust Fund can’t support SAFETEA-LU levels for more than a couple of years anyway. A 7 percent cut should seem paltry in light of what the infrastructure in this nation requires. According to Jack Schenendorf, “What’s needed in transportation is spending.”

Many will recognize Schenendorf’s name from the National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Study Commission, where he served as vice-chairman. He is Of Counsel with the law firm of Covington & Burling LLP in Washington where his practice concentrates on transportation and government affairs with a particular focus on legislative strategy, legislative procedure and the federal budget process.

In mid-September, the National Stone, Sand and Gravel Association (NSSGA) hosted Schenendorf for a webinar titled “Modernizing the U.S. Surface Transportation System: Inaction is Not an Option.” During that webinar, Schenendorf stated, while a spending bill is exactly what our nation needs right now, it’s not what we’re going to get.

“A bill like that, as necessary as that would be, would be swimming upstream.”

Instead, he outlined a funding recommendation that would be an alternative to the gasoline user fee that could be consistent in its core principles. The alternative he outlined uses a Federal Interstate User Fee, a Federal Motor Carrier User Fee and the existing Highway Trust Fund in combination. For additional information on these fees and their structures, visit the Alternative Funding note on the “Asphalt Pro Magazine” facebook page. An interactive discussion of the fees is welcome there.

Schenendorf also outlined the core principles of what he called The Credible Alternative to current funding practices.

1. Transportation is essential to our national security, economy and way of life.

2. Generating funding is critical to our solving our deficit/debt problem.

3. We have a need for a Federal program capable of making sustained investment across the network.

4. Increased investment is essential.

5. The gas tax remains our best option now and for the next 10 to 15 years.

In other words, a consistent reiteration of the core principles of an alternative funding option keeps conversation flowing. Rather than admitting the gasoline user fee will someday be obsolete, and then staring at our Congressmen for help, it behooves all members of the transportation construction community to take up the conversation with a viable option for funding that is consistent.

The option Schenendorf outlined during the NSSGA webinar may not be the one you agree with, but he offered advantages and disadvantages to its implementation. A discussion of those points can be found at the Alternative Funding note on the “Asphalt Pro Magazine” facebook page.

What the U.S. infrastructure system may need right now hangs somewhere between a 25 and 40-cent increase in the gasoline user fee, but most lobbyists agree that recommendation will fall on deaf ears in the current political playhouse. To read more about Schenendorf’s alternative funding idea and to share your thoughts on it, please visit “Asphalt Pro Magazine” on facebook and respond to the note titled “Alternative Funding.” www.theasphaltpro.com | ASPHALT PRO 45

equipment gallery

Akzo Nobel Surfactants Put WMA in the Bag

A

kzo Nobel Surfactants, Chicago, announces its new Rediset™ WMX additive is an adhesion promoter with both active and passive properties to facilitate good coating during mixing and to extend life expectancy. The product is designed to maintain the performance grade (PG) grading of the bitumen without introducing moisture to the mix and is formulated to suit a wide range of mix types and aggregates.

Rediset WMX is formulated to improve the adhesion between the aggregate and the bitumen, thereby prolonging the service life of the pavement and reducing the maintenance needed during its lifetime. Akzo Nobel

Komptech’s Crambo HD No matter what demolition’s in your way, Crambo has a heavy duty version of the Crambo Dual-Shaft Low-Speed Shredder with souped up features to help out. The Crambo shredder has long been proving its mettle shredding wood, C&D waste and MSW, for recycling and waste-derived fuel, according to the manufacturer. For users with especially tough shredding challenges, Komptech has now developed a heavy duty version.

New features include an armored drum, armored teeth, 10 percent more horsepower, 46 october 2011

researchers state the new Rediset WMX system enables the production of hot mix at temperatures at least, or more than, 54 degrees F lower than normal. This sees a fuel reduction of at least 20 percent and significantly lower emissions not only at the hot mix asphalt (HMA) plant, but also at the paving site.

Rediset WMX comes in free flowing pastille form and is added to the binder or to the mixer at a dosage of 1 to 2 percent of the bitumen.

The HMA plant doesn’t have to be modified; nor does the mix design. Rediset WMX maintains the PG grading of the bitumen and promotes less aging of bitumen due to the low temperature and anti-oxidant feature of the product.

Rediset WMX is designed to reduce rutting and moisture sensitivity of the mix and in the pavement, showing improved cohesive strength.

The under water Hamburg Wheel Tracking test shows that Rediset WMX will improve the adhesion and cohesion properties on par with or better than lime or cement, according to Akzo Nobel.

The pastilles are packaged in 25-kilogram bags or 500-kilogram super sacks.

For more information about Rediset WMX, contact Akzo Nobel Surfactants at (800) 906-9977 or CSRUSA@akzonobel.com. Or visit www.surfactants.akzonobel.com/asphalt. Tell them you saw it in AsphaltPro Magazine.

Etnyre’s Crude Oil Tanks

a heavy duty gear box, a heavy duty drum bearing and a two-year guarantee if Komptechserviced.

It’s designed for shredding extremely large or difficult materials such as massive hardwood stumps with or without embedded rocks and for shredding shear-resistant materials.

In addition to this good equipment news, Komptech USA announces it’s added another major dealer, Powerscreen Florida, to serve the Southeast United States and Caribbean.

To round out its lineup, Powerscreen Florida has added Komptech screeners, shredders and compost turners to its portfolio. Komptech specializes in waste handling and recycling technology, including asphalt shingle recycling machines. Its machines are made in Austria.

For more information about this machine or any of Komptech’s asphalt shingle recycling machines, call (720) 890-9090. Tell them you saw it in AsphaltPro Magazine.

Etnyre’s Crude Oil Tanks

E.D. Etnyre & Co., Oregon, Ill., discovered a strong demand, but short supply, in the oil marketplace for crude oil transport tanks. With its expertise in building primarily asphalt transport tanks in the past, Etnyre personnel stepped up to the plate.

The tanks built for the U.S. market range from 8,400 to 9,400 gallons. B-trains going to Canada carry up to 16,000 gallons. The crude oil tanks are double conical, aluminum construction, 407 code. Many are equipped with pumps and are lined with a protective interior barrier.

For more information, contact E.D. Etnyre & Co. at (800) 995-2116. Tell them you saw it in AsphaltPro Magazine.

KPI-JCI Color Monitors

KPI-JCI, Yankton, S.D., introduces new color monitors as standard in its track-mounted equipment line. The color monitors, which have been engineered to enhance performance, navigation and diagnostics for operators and technicians, feature improved display resolution and a more user-friendly design, said Ron Griess, crushing and tracks product manager at KPI-JCI. The new displays offer easy-to-understand symbol navigation. The icon-driven design eliminates the need to scroll through tech48 october 2011

KPI-JCI Color Monitors

“MS-4, The Asphalt Handbook,” “MS-19, The Basic Asphalt Emulsion Manual” and others.

MS-26 also features new information on Multiple-Stress Creep Recovery tests, the generation of mastercurves, testing variability and more.

For more information, contact Brian Clark at bclark@asphaltinstitute.org or (859) 288-4963 or visit www.asphaltinstitute.org. Tell them you saw it in AsphaltPro Magazine. nical menus, thereby reducing downtime and improving plant performance.

“The new color monitors will provide more diagnostics of the electrical system and the hydraulic system than we have had in the past,” Griess said. “The monitors also allow for better engine diagnostics with more information including fuel PSI, intake manifold temperature, boost PSI and an onscreen manual fuel prime feature.”

For more information about KPI-JCI products, contact Ron Griess at (605) 668-2510 or rongriess@kolbergpioneer.com or visit http:// www.kpijci.com/track-mount/. Tell them you saw it in AsphaltPro Magazine.

AI’s MS26 on Binders

The 223-page book titled MS-26, The Asphalt Binder Handbook from the Asphalt Institute is devoted entirely to information about asphalt binders or bitumen. R. Michael Anderson, P.E., is the director of research and laboratory services at A.I. and the author of the book.

“This book brings together, in one location, everything about asphalt binder that the Asphalt Institute has,” he said. The book is a compilation of information previously found in titles such as “SP-1, Superpave Performance Graded Asphalt Binder Specification Testing,”

Femco’s Knurled Rollers

In addition to providing parts, Femco and Spencer Harris have more than 75 years of technical experience in repairing and rebuilding equipment used in Oil & Gas drilling.

Check out their discounted pricing on ST-80 Iron Roughneck Knurled Rollers. Tightened clearance between knurled roller and roller shafting solves the problem of premature wear on roller and shaft keyways.

Ask for part # IR/ ST80/3016061. Also check out other oil & gas drilling parts such as drawworks, mud pumps, topdrives, blocks and swivels, rotary tables, and derricks.

For more information, contact Brian Bowser at (800) 458-3445 x287 or visit www.femcomachine. com. Tell them you saw it in AsphaltPro Magazine.

here's how it works

Dynapac’s F1000T Paver

N

ot all pavers are built alike. The Dynapac tracked and wheeled pavers in the highway-class F1000 series are designed specifically for the North American market and are built to handle extreme conditions in remote locations. Here’s how they work.

As with a typical paving train, a haul truck or material transfer vehicle charges the F1000T’s 207-cubic-foot-capacity hopper. A Cummins QSB-220 Tier III diesel engine with 230 horsepower at 1,800 revolutions per minute powers the paver.

If working up an extreme grade, the paver is designed to have reserve capacity in the engine, auger drive system, slat conveyor, etc. The 34-kilowat generator is designed to provide ample capacity for lights and heated screed extensions.

In the event you work in high altitude or high ambient temperature conditions or with wide50 october 2011

width applications, you can take advantage of the extra capacity in the cooling system.

The hopper’s ¾-inch formed hopper wings fold to deliver asphalt to the slat conveyor in the hopper floor. The floor features a wide material tunnel and extra heavy chains and slats that feed material to the augers. Dynapac’s proprietary outboard drive auger allows material to flow unencumbered through the tractor and to the head of material at a rate of up to 600 tons per hour. The lack of a center drive box or other obstructions is responsible for eliminating center-line segregation, according to the manufacturer.

From the uninterrupted head of material, the auger system feeds either a Carlson EZ III or EZ IV screed to lay mats up to 12 inches deep on new placements, or thin overlays on rehabilitation projects.

Operators can check the work area, as well as the hopper and head of material on dual swingout operator stations and the lowest deck height in the industry, according to the manufacturer.

For more information on the F1000 series of pavers, contact Dynapac through Chris Fisher at (303) 253-6922 or visit www.dynapac.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 features.

Contact our editor at sandy@theasphaltpro.com.

here's how it works

Libra’s Camera ID

T

he researchers at Libra Systems, Harleysville, Pa., have developed another method to streamline operations while providing irrefutable proof of purchase. Camera ID completely eliminates the delays and other costs of paper signatures for asphalt and aggregate suppliers.

Here’s how it works: First the cameras are mounted near the loadout area, pointing at the scale exit point.

Second, a haul truck driver is loaded from the silos or front-end loader. As the truck moves off the scale, the motion sensor in the camera triggers it to take multiple pictures of the scene. The pictures capture the driver, truck number, license plate or other distinguishing features while timeand date-stamping the images and logging them with mix, weight and other information.

52 october 2011

Third, the full-color images are automatically saved locally on the Generation3 software at the plant and sent electronically to the office.

In the event that a customer has a dispute concerning a load, someone in billing can use the Enterprise office software to perform a quick search for the picture that proves that a specific truck received a specific load. The search can be done by customer name, date, mix type, etc.

For aggregate operations, the pictures may be taken while the truck is on the scale. A live feed of the cameras may also be viewed via the web for additional security. When Camera ID is coupled with a remote printer terminal, post-ticket times are slashed.

For more information, contact Ken Cardy at (215) 256-1700 or visit www.librasystems.com/CameraID.

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 features. Contact our editor at sandy@theasphaltpro.com.

the last cut

FRAP Takes the

Financial Edge off AC

by AsphaltPro Staff

W

According to the KPI-JCI and Astec Mobile Screens’ website, a FRAP ready operation that processes 300,000 tons of RAP a year and uses a 25/75 mix of FRAP and virgin aggregate can save more than $2 million per year. That’s enough to pay off the equipment and pocket a tidy sum in the first year.

While contractors and By incorporating a high producers will find more green in their wallets with percentage of FRAP into this profitable practice, their mixes, producers they’ll also discover that will reduce the amount fractionating RAP is in line with “green” environmental of virgin rock mined, principles. By incorporating use less oil, decrease a high percentage of FRAP into their mixes, producers the energy used for will reduce the amount of rock mined, use less processing, conserve the virgin oil, decrease the energy energy used for trucking, used for processing, conserve the energy used and reduce pollution. for trucking, and reduce pollution. Contractors and producers will quickly learn and appreciate that what is good for their businesses is also good for the planet.

By electing to fractionate RAP, producers and contractors not only stabilize some of their costs that we track in the Last Cut department, Aug ’11 they also enhance their mix designs and make a better name for them$560.00 selves in the environmental arena.

590.00

ith crude oil prices fluctuating as radically as other stocks this summer, asphalt contractors and producers will find even more value in recycled products such as recycled asphalt pavement (RAP). Companies such as KPI-JCI, Eugene, Ore., offer sound advice for using fractionated RAP (FRAP) to ready this environmentally friendly material for whatever spec the producer needs to meet. By treating RAP as you would virgin aggregate—thus fractionating it and separating it into specific sizes for mix design—you prepare a more reliable RAPinfused mix in the end. You also save a considerable sum of money.

Engineers at every hot mix asphalt plant and crusher/screening equipment manufacturer have crunched the numbers and can inform their customers how much money can be saved by substituting a percentage of RAP for virgin materials in a mix. When you pull 5 or 6 percent liquid asphalt cement (AC) out of the RAP, that represents a percentage of virgin liquid AC you don’t have to use from the tank. That’s currently $600.00 per ton in some states. The engineers at KPI-JCI and Astec Mobile Screens have prepared a calculator on their www.beFRAPready.com website on the FRAP Advantage page that lets you input your costs while it simultaneously figures your savings by using RAP. It’s a handy device that will convince you just how solid this environmentally friendly practice can be.

Liquid Asphalt Cement Prices—average per ton Company, State

May ’11

June ’11

July ’11

$600.00

$612.50

$565.00

NuStar Energy, Ga.

630.00

615.00

615.00

NuStar Energy, N.C.

630.00

615.00

615.00

600.00

NuStar Energy, S.C.

630.00

615.00

615.00

N/A

NuStar Energy, Va.

630.00

640.00

640.00

620.00

Assoc’d Asphalt Inman, N.C.

625.00

625.00

600.00

590.00

Assoc’d Asphalt Inman, S.C.

625.00

625.00

600.00

Assoc’d Asphalt Inman, Va.

625.00

630.00

615.00

Marathon Petroleum, Tenn.

550.00

565.00

565.00

Marathon Petroleum, N.C.

550.00

595.00

Valero Petroleum, Va.

625.00

Massachusetts Average

ConocoPhillips, Tenn.

Crude Oil Activity (U.S. Crude)

Diesel Fuel Retail Price (dollars per gallon)

futures spot data

stocks

Jul 1

$94.94/bbl

358.6 m bbl

Jul 4

3.850

590.00

Jul 08

$96.20/bbl

355.5 m bbl

Jul 11

3.899

600.00

Jul 15

$97.24/bbl

351.7 m bbl

Jul 18

3.923

555.00

Jul 22

$99.87/bbl

354.0 m bbl

Jul 25

3.949

595.00

565.00

Jul 29

$95.70/bbl

355.0 m bbl

Aug 1

3.937

625.00

615.00

605.00

Aug 5

$86.88/bbl

349.8 m bbl

Aug 8

3.897

587.50

650.00

642.50

617.50

Aug 12

$85.38/bbl

354.0 m bbl

Aug 15

3.835

California Average

667.50

592.20

565.90

570.50

Aug 19

$82.26/bbl

351.8 m bbl

Aug 22

3.810

Missouri Average

555.00

570.00

550.00

525.00

Aug 26

$85.27/bbl

357.1 m bbl

Aug 29

3.820

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

Source: Energy Information Administration

Source: Energy Information Administration

www.theasphaltpro.com | ASPHALT PRO 53

resource directory ACE Group................................ 13, 51 Contact: Carl McKenzie Tel: 888-878-0898 sales.enquiries@ashaltacesales.com www.asphaltace.com

C.M Consulting............................... 15 Contact: Cliff Mansfield Tel: 541-354-6188 CMConslt@aol.com www.hotplantconsulting.com

Heatec, Inc. ..........Inside Front Cover Contact: Sharlene Burney Tel: 800-235-5200 sburney@heatec.com www.heatec.com

Asphalt Drum Mixers..........24-25, 35 Contact: Steve Shawd or Jeff Dunne Tel: 260-637-5729 sales@admasphaltplants.com www.admasphaltplants.com

CEI..................................................... 4 Contact: Andy Guth Tel: 800-545-4034 info@ceienterprises.com www.ceienterprises.com

Iowa Parts....................................... 33 Contact: Jay King Tel: 800-821-6799 Jking@iowapartsusa.com www.iowapartsusa.com

Asphalt Plant Products................. 54 Contact: Tom Holley Tel: 866-595-3268 Cell: 706-466-3678 www.asphaltplantproducts.com

E.D. Etnyre...................................... 23 Contact: sales@etnyre.com Tel: 800-995-2116 www.etnyre.com

Libra Systems................................... 8 Contact: Ken Cardy Tel: 225-256-1700 Sales@librasystems.com www.librasystems.com

B & S Light Industries...............16-17 Contact: Mike Young Tel: 918-342-1181 Sales@bslight.com www.bslight.com Bullis Fabrication........................... 38 Contact: Greg Bullis Tel: 866-981-8965 gregbullis@bullisfabrication.com www.bullisfabrication.com

Eagle Crusher........Inside Back Cover Tel: 800-25-EAGLE Sales@eaglecrusher.com www.eaglecrusher.com EZ Street................................... 29, 31 Tel: 800-734-1476 Info@ezstreet-miami.com www.ezstreetasphalt.com Gencor Industries Inc...................... 7 Contact: Dennis Hunt Dhunt@gencor.com www.gencor.com

Maxam Equipment.......................... 9 Contact: Lonnie Greene Tel: 800-292-6070 lgreene@maxamequipment.com www.maxamequipment.com Meadwestvaco............................... 37 Tel: 800-458-4034 www.evotherm.com www.mwv.com Napa Annual Meeting................... 27 www.asphaltpavement.org

Reliable Asphalt Products.................. ..........................................Back Cover Contact: Charles Grote Tel: 502-647-1782 cgrote@reliableasphalt.com www.reliableasphalt.com Rocky Mountain ACE Show........... 41 Contact: Sue Wagner-Renner Tel: 970-222-4459 Sue@rmaces.org www.rmaces.org Rotochopper, Inc........................... 39 Tel: 320-548-3586 Info@rotochopper.com www.rotochopper.com Stansteel AsphaltPlant Products.................. 47 Contact: Dave Payne Tel: 800-826-0223 dpayne@stansteel.com www.stansteel.com Stansteel......................................... 11 Contact: Dawn Kochert Tel: 800-826-0223 dkochert@hotmixparts.com www.hotmixparts.com

Systems Equipment....................... 49 Contact: Dave Enyart Sr. Tel: 563-568-6387 Dlenyart@systyemsequipment.com www.systemsequipment.com Tarmac International, Inc........ 19, 21 Contact: Ron Heap Tel 816-220-0700 info@tarmacinc.com www.tarmacinc.com Top Quality Paving........................ 26 Contact: John Ball Tel 603-624-8300 Tqpaving@yahoo.com www.tqpaving WRT Equipment............................. 38 Contact: Dean Taylor Tel: 800-667-2025 or 306-244-0423 dtaylor@wrtequipment.com www.wrtequipment.com World of Asphalt............................ 43 Contact: info@worldofasphalt.com Tel: 800-867-6060 www.worldofasphalt.com

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

54 october 2011