Asphalt Contractor January 2024 by ForConstructionPros.com

JANUARY 2024

A FUTURE WITHOUT THE HIGHWAY TRUST FUND?

MAKING WARM MIX ASPHALT WORK FOR

www.ForConstructionPros.com/Asphalt

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YOU

THE CHANGING FACE OF THE INDUSTRY 12/27/23 11:19 AM

LEADING THE WAY Weiler Material Transfer Vehicles lead the way with proven innovations to provide the lowest cost per ton of operation.

Variable speed elevator and conveyors meet production requirements while minimizing wear.

Innovative and reliable operator friendly features such as paver hopper management system with distance to paver, storage hopper management and auto chain tensioning.

Clam shell doors and full width drop down floors provide unmatched access for cleanout and maintenance.

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The multiple, incremental improvements to the 4th generation of chains, sprockets and augers are retrofittable to all machines and provide increased wear life.

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12/27/23 8:44 AM

GENCOR, YOUR TRUSTED CHOICE!

At Gencor, we’ve led the industry with the most fuel-efficient, environmentally clean and lowest-maintenance design available to the hot mix industry. Gencor Industries remains focused on proactively serving and satisfying its customers from all aspects. Through improved cost-effectiveness, and quality of its products and services, Gencor’s personnel are dedicated to the principle of providing the highest quality to the industry to maintain a sustainable competitive advantage for Gencor. LEADER IN PERFORMANCE AND EFFICIENCY Call 407-290-6000 or visit www.gencor.com

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TABLE OF CONTENTS | JANUARY 2024

COVER STORY Warm Mix Asphalt Slight Of Hand Developed in the 1990s, Warm Mix Asphalt is anything but a new technology. However, there’s still a fair amount of stigma associated with it in the road building industry. | 18 TECHNOLOGY MATTERS

SPECIAL REPORT

12 The Future of Electrification is Now Electric vehicles and machines have begun to transform the heavy equipment industry—and will continue to do so.

24 Not Your Typical Workforce Solution

28 Finding Good Hires From The Outside

The competition for workers is steep, but what is the solution if you can’t attract the talent necessary to grow your business, or at a minimum, meet your existing business needs?

Often the best employees in the industry have come from other backgrounds. JOBSITE INNOVATION

34 Construction Machine Control Selection Considerations

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Depending on your use case, different construction equipment machine control options may be a better fit than others.

CONTRACTOR WWW.FORCONSTRUCTIONPROS.COM/ASPHALT WWW.FORCONSTRUCTIONPROS.COM/ASPHALT

CONTRACTOR LATEST INNOVATIONS FOR ASPHALT PROFESSIONALS

LATEST INNOVATIONS INNOVATIONS FOR FOR ASPHALT ASPHALT PROFESSIONALS PROFESSIONALS LATEST

ASPHALT ASPHALT

JANUARY 2024 Vol. 38, No. 1

CONTRACTOR CONTRACTOR LATEST INNOVATIONS FOR ASPHALT PROFESSIONALS

LATEST INNOVATIONS FOR ASPHALT PROFESSIONALS LATEST INNOVATIONS FOR ASPHALT PROFESSIONALS

Published by IRONMARKETS

Asphalt

Asphalt CONTRACTOR

CONTRACTOR

LATEST INNOVATIONS INNOVATIONS FOR ASPHALT ASPHALT PROFESSIONALS 201 N. Main Street Ste 350, Fort Atkinson, WIFOR 53538 LATEST PROFESSIONALS (800) 538-5544 • WWW.IRON.MARKETS www.ForConstructionPros.com/Asphalt LATEST INNOVATIONS FOR ASPHALT PROFESSIONALS

INVESTIGATING INFRASTRUCTURE

36 The Highway Trust Fund’s Solvency Problem Electric vehicle ownership saw its biggest single year increase in 2023, and that trend is expected to continue, along with the decline of fossil fuel tax revenue. There’s a ticking clock in Washington: The IIJA expires in 2026. Then what?

IN EVERY ISSUE 8 Editor’s Perspective 42 Last Exit

Published and copyrighted 2024 by IRONMARKETS. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any information storage or retrieval system, without written permission from the publisher. Asphalt Contractor (ISSN 1055-9205, USPS 0020-688): is published ten times per year: January, February, March/April, May, June/July, August, September, October, November, December, with an additional Buyer’s Guide issue published in August by IRONMARKETS, 201 N. Main St. Ste 350, Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin 53538. Periodicals postage paid at Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin and additional entry offices. POSTMASTER: Please send change of address to ASPHALT CONTRACTOR, PO Box 3605, Northbrook, Illinois 600653605. Printed in the U.S.A. SUBSCRIPTION POLICY: Individual subscriptions are available without charge only in the USA. The Publisher reserves the right to reject nonqualifying subscribers. One-year subscription to nonqualifying individuals: U.S. $45.00, Canada & Mexico $65.00, and $95.00 all other countries (payable in U.S. funds, drawn on U.S. bank). Single copies available (prepaid only) $10.00 each (U.S., Canada & Mexico), $15.00 each (International).

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FACE OF THE INDUSTRY

www.ForConstructionPros.com/Asphalt

12/27/23 9:00 AM

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DETAILS Details can be found at www.blawknox. com/training or call us at 407-290-6000 ext. 342.

The Blaw-Knox University, now in its 58th season, is dedicated to training paver operators and foreman on proper Paver Operation and Maintenance and applied Best Paving Practices through classroom-style and hands-on application courses. For over a half a decade Blaw-Knox has earned its reputation as the go to source of training and instruction on hot mix paving. Blaw-Knox provides improved technical and problem solving skills on a variety of paver operations and maintenance topics. Course instructors share decades of field and teaching experience with attendees, including training on the latest DOT requirements. Blaw-Knox offers multiple dates to satisfy the demand for its popular courses.

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DIGITAL CONNECTION www.ForConstructionPros.com/Asphalt

Paving Big Philly Style | No Edge Lines Season 1 Episode 3 Brandon heads to the “City of Brotherly Love” and tries his hand at a number of new asphalt and pavement maintenance jobs for the first time, while also getting the chance to see some of what makes Philadelphia great.

Watch the video at: https://asph.link/sgwjt3f2

NAPA’s Big Moves Ahead of Annual Sharks and Chefs Take Stage Alongside Asphalt Pavement Industry Leaders and Award Winners at Upcoming Meeting. Read more at: https://asph.link/ bp5uqgf5

The Big Tech Roundtable: Asphalt Software Comes of Age The Big Tech Round Table is meant to provide an opportunity for industry leaders of tech companies to answer the frequently asked questions of contractors looking to adopt technology. Read more at: https://asph. link/ajtsfyby

Best Construction Contractors to Work For List Revealed ForConstructionPros.com reveals its annual list of the best construction contractor employers in the country. Read more at: https://asph.link/ ptmw3hvh

How Construction Companies Can Make Diversity Part of Their DNA Construction workplaces embracing DE&I not as an isolated initiative but as an integral part of their identity pave the way for a more fair and prosperous future for their employees and their organization. Read more at: https://asph.link/ iog3nnc4

Get social with us! Share pictures of what you’re working with over 29,000 other asphalt contractors on our Facebook page: Facebook.com/Asphalt.Contractor

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www.ForConstructionPros.com/Asphalt

12/26/23 12:17 PM

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Astec’s commitment to its customers extends beyond making the sale. From the beginning, our service team has provided construction services for the equipment we build. Astec construction and relocation services for asphalt plants include plant and equipment installs, plant tear-downs and moves, silo repairs, and industrial piping and tank farm installs. Efficient planning minimizes downtime, local regulations and permits also play a key role. Astec has an extensive history and experience with permitting and regulations. Safety, efficiency, and compliance are paramount throughout the process.

Scan QR code to see Astec’s Asphalt Service & Construction offerings.

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12/26/23 12:17 PM

EDITOR’S PERSPECTIVE EDITORIAL

Brandon Noel, Editor

Editor ............................................................................. Brandon Noel bnoel@iron.markets

Contributing Editor .............................................Jessica Lombardo

bNoel@iron.markets 234-600-8983

jlombardo@iron.markets

Managing Editor ............................................................... Gigi Wood

Big Changes In These Pages Will it ever be the same again? No...but it can keep getting better.

his year, the magazine is going to look a little different on the inside. When I came into this role in 2022, the major editorial plans were already laid out for the next year, and that was good for me to inherit, because I needed to get my sea-legs before I started to steer the boat. When it came time to take the wheel, and start laying the groundwork for 2024, I knew there were some things I wanted to try and bring to Asphalt Contractor. This is the first issue with these changes, and I am excited to hear your thoughts. The reason for that is due, in part, because they are features that you might find yourself wanting to, and being able to, contribute toward. I’ve been trying to foster more relationships with experts and other knowledgeable parties within the industry, to enrich the content of each issue. I hope to hear from readers about these new changes (bnoel@iron.markets), and more importantly, to hear from readers who might want to work together on future articles. INVESTIGATING INFRASTRUCTURE One of the earliest facets of the asphalt and road-building industry that I became passionate about was the role it plays in our country’s vast infrastructure. The purpose of this feature is to highlight the greater political, historical, and contextual importance that our industry exists within. Issue to issue, topics might range from legislative changes or regulatory topics to keep you informed, as well as topics related to city planning and sustainability. Our industry is part of this greater system of transportation infrastructure, and that’s a point of pride for sure, and it’s something worth talking about.

crathmann@iron.markets

Senior Editor, Equipment & Workwear, IRONPROS .......................................... Michael Cheng mcheng@iron.markets

Junior Editor .............................................................. Merina Shriver mshriver@iron.markets

AUDIENCE Audience Development Manager ........................ Angela Franks PRODUCTION Senior Production Manger ........................................ Cindy Rusch crusch@iron.markets

Art Director ............................................................... April Van Etten

In this month’s issue the topic is related to the Highway Trust Fund, how it works (or doesn’t), and what funding changes in Washington might impact future opportunities.

ADVERTISING/SALES Brand Director ........................................................... Amy Schwandt aschwandt@iron.markets

Brand Manager ..................................................... Megan Perleberg mperleberg@iron.markets

Sales Representative .................................................... Sean Dunphy sdunphy@iron.markets

FACE OF THE INDUSTRY It’s impossible to have a conversation with a contractor or business owner without the topic of labor and hiring challenges coming up. In parallel with that, I’ve consistently heard people discuss the, “changing face of the industry,” in regard to looking for new labor pools outside of what may have been traditional in decades past. Every time I hear someone talk about this, I always wonder, “What does that really mean?” So, I decided to try and find them, and let them tell their story. Each issue, this new feature will contain pieces written by people from minority and/ or marginalized groups in our industry, rather than just a profile of them. I didn’t want to write about them. I wanted to listen to what they have to say. I’ve asked each person to focus on sharing from their expertise or their personal experience in the industry. This issue’s first feature is by Kerianne Melillo, who works for Green Asphalt. This is her first position in the asphalt industry, and her story brings to light something that’s been an important topic: Hiring from outside the industry. If you’ve got an idea and want to share it, send me an email at bnoel@iron.markets and let’s talk! See you on the road!

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gwood@iron.markets

Senior Editor, Construction Technology, IRONPROS .................................. Charles Rathmann

Sales Representative ..................................................... Kris Flitcroft kflitcroft@iron.markets

IRONMARKETS Chief Executive Officer....................................................Ron Spink Chief Financial Officer .......................................... JoAnn Breuchel Chief Revenue Officer ............................................. Amy Schwandt Corporate Director of Sales ................................... Jason DeSarle Brand Director, Construction, OEM & IRONPROS ......................................................Sean Dunphy VP, Audience Development ................................... Ronda Hughes VP, Operations & IT ..................................................... Nick Raether Content Director ....................................................... Marina Mayer Director, Online & Marketing Services ...... Bethany Chambers Director, Demand Generation & Education ............. Jim Bagan Content Director, Marketing Services ...............Jess Lombardo CIRCULATION & SUBSCRIPTIONS P.O. Box 3605, Northbrook, IL 60065-3605 (877) 201-3915 | Fax: (847)-291-4816 circ.asphaltcontractor@omeda.com

LIST RENTAL Sr. Account Manager ....................................Bart Piccirillo | Data Axle (518) 339 4511 | bart.piccirillo@infogroup.com

REPRINT SERVICES Brand Manager ..................................................... Megan Perleberg mperleberg@iron.markets | (800) 538-5544 Published and copyrighted 2024 by IRONMARKETS. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system, without written permission from the publisher.

@ASPHALTCONTRACTOR @ASPHALTCONTRCTR @ASPHALTCONTRACTOR @ASPHALT-CONTRACTOR-MAGAZINE

Published by IRONMARKETS 201 N. Main St. Ste 350, Fort Atkinson, WI 53538 (800) 538-5544 • WWW.IRON.MARKETS

www.ForConstructionPros.com/Asphalt

12/26/23 12:18 PM

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NEW PRODUCTS Wirtgen WRC 240(i) Rock Crusher

Philippi-Hagenbuch Custom HiVol Hard Rock Body for Haul Trucks The components are compatible with articulated John Deere 260E haul trucks. The design maximizes each truck’s hauling capacity, while allowing for safe loading to account for environmental constraints, such as clearance and visibility. Each Hard Rock Body has a total volumetric capacity of 23.9 cu. yd., an increase over the OEM body capacity of 19.6 cu. yd. The custom design features a hoisted, lowside body in which the passenger side is taller than the driver’s to factor in loading conditions such as the loader itself, mine height, loading direction and cycle time.

DEVELON DX225LC-7X The DX225LC-7X is the first electronically controlled crawler excavator from DEVELON. The system enables machine guidance and machine control systems, including 2D grading for accurate earthmoving and grading work. The DX225LC-7X offers reliable hydraulics and workgroup to deliver power and durability to the arm and bucket, maximizing lifting capability. Equipped with a 162.3-hp engine, the excavator offers a maximum dig depth of 21 ft., 7 in. An optional dozer blade and the standard counterweight design provide strength and stability. Operators can also activate the tiltrotator mode for precision.

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This machine breaks coarse rocks in-situ, as found in hand-packed pavement layers (e.g. Telford bases) or stony soils and produces a homogeneous mix in a continuous process. A working width of 2,320 mm and a working depth of up to 510 mm enables an output of up to 600 tons per hour. In addition to the crushing of rocks and stones with an edge length of up to 300 mm and strength up to 200 MPa, the machine can add cement and water in the same pass. Here, the cement is pre-spread with a binding agent spreader and the water required is sprayed into the mixing chamber of the Rock Crusher via the machine’s Varioinjection bar.

Yanmar V7 Compact Wheel Loader

Mack Trucks ElectriFi Subscription ElectriFi Subscription allows customers to pay as they go for miles driven with chassis and body, charging, applicable incentives, physical damage insurance and maintenance costs for the term of the agreement. Terms are flexible starting at three years. The ElectriFi Subscription also comes with access to Mack’s suite of Uptime services, including telematics and Mack OneCall, Mack’s 24/7 roadside service and support offering experienced personnel at the Mack Uptime Center who will assist customers with the scheduling of their repair.

The 9,370-lb. machine fills the gap in the Yanmar wheel loader line between the V4-7 and the V8 and features a low operating weight and high bucket capacity. Yanmar’s V7 features a 0.92cu.-yd. bucket capacity for its weight. An optional light material bucket brings that bucket capacity to more than a full cubic yard with each scoop. The compact wheel loader also includes a Tier 4 Final Yanmar engine allowing for a lifting capacity of 7,981 lbf. The V7 features ±40 degrees of articulation and ±10 degrees of oscillation. The machine includes a new articulation oscillation joint allowing oscillation in the center of the wheel loader instead of the rear. This maximizes ground contact with all four wheels for tractive force.

Trackunit Emissions Reporting Software Trackunit has launched its new Emissions Reporting software which will support fleet owners’ ability to meet CO² targets and acquire contracts with sustainability criteria. Emissions Reporting harnesses synthesized machine metadata and individual equipment profiling to unlock fleet emissions reporting for off-highway machines and equipment. The new software will minimize ‘guesstimating’ emissions numbers. Government- or state-mandated projects now typically require a raft of emissions-reporting stipulations that put an onus on contractors to demonstrate they are not just tracking, but also reducing their emissions. www.ForConstructionPros.com/Asphalt

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TECHNOLOGY MATTERS

The Future of Electrification is

NOW

Electric vehicles and machines continue transforming the industry.

hile reflecting on the key differences between maintaining electric vehicles in comparison to diesel vehicles, Lars Arnold, product manager, sustainable power, Volvo Construction Equipment (CE), says one straightforward, yet primary distinction stands out: electric machines don’t have engines to maintain. But there are other benefits. “Battery electric construction equipment actually performs much better at higher altitudes, compared to diesel combustion engines,” Arnold stressed. “A naturally aspirated diesel engine will lose 3% of power for every 1,000 feet of elevation gain over sea level.” The

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electric powertrain on electric vehicles is not affected by high altitude. Diesel engines require regular maintenance, such as fuel filter and oil changes. So, as altitudes increase, their performance may be further affected, leading to additional maintenance. Electric vehicles have fewer moving parts than diesel vehicles. Hence, they’ll never require the same amount of maintenance. Alongside their minimal maintenance requirements, electric machines perform well in cold temperatures too, as they’re rated for a range of 14º F to 104º F (-10°C to 40°C). Some have even operated in colder temperatures as well, all the way down to -13º F. “Our advice is to store the vehicles inside so that their batteries reach indoor temperatures,” Arnold said. “Then, when you take them out in the cold, their battery packs—which weigh about 114 pounds each—will take

BOMAG’s electric light tandem rollers have fewer service requirements than traditional machines. BOMAG

longer to reach whatever the outdoor ambient temperature is, which means operators have more time to use them.” If the batteries are stored outside, they aren’t likely to be affected or damaged by a light frost. In fact, due to Volvo machines’ designs, the batteries remain protected at all times. And, as a result, the machines simply won’t power up or accept any charging until the batteries warm back up. According to Arnold, diesel vehicles take longer to warm up to operating temperatures than electric vehicles. Not to mention, diesel engines typically don’t start up very easily in cold temperatures, as water tends to freeze up in their water separators. On electric vehicles, operators don’t have to service anything around their

www.ForConstructionPros.com/Asphalt

12/26/23 12:24 PM

The Bonus Round

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TECHNOLOGY MATTERS

By offering a new lineup of electric light tandem rollers, BOMAG has reduced operators’ maintenance requirements. BOMAG

electric parts, aside from conducting visual inspections. “Although electric machines are much easier to maintain, it’s important to remember that they’re heavier, so their tires may wear out a little faster, depending on where and how they’re used,” Arnold stated. “Snow tires can extend tire life though, while also enhancing operators’ safety in slippery conditions.” LOW MAINTENANCE LEADS TO HIGHER FINANCIAL ASSETS In the past, BOMAG Americas, Inc. has been committed to decreasing its operators’ maintenance tasks, as it has introduced features like maintenancefree articulation joints on its machines. With this dedication in mind, the manufacturer has minimized operators’ maintenance requirements even further by offering a new lineup of electric light tandem rollers, which features the BW 100 ADe-5 and BW 120 ADe-5. “Operators will no longer need to perform daily maintenance tasks like checking engine oil,” emphasized John Gravatt, product marketing manager. “Periodic maintenance items, such as cleaning air filters and changing engine oil, along with engine oil filters, will be eliminated, too.”

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Therefore, according to Gravatt, operators only have to perform one major component of maintenance now: hydraulic oil changes. “The bottom line? When compared to internal combustion engine (ICE)equipped machines, BOMAG’s electric light tandem rollers’ maintenance is considerably lower,” he said. As further examples of electric machines’ maintenance simplicity, they don’t have any diesel exhaust fluid, fuel filters or internal combustion engines either. Of course, although their electrical components hardly require any maintenance, their non-electrical components, including hydraulic pumps and hoses, will need consistent maintenance. “Prior to performing maintenance on non-electrical components, technicians must implement the same risk assessment processes that they would for their electrical components,” Arnold stated. “Still, operators have been happy about how straightforward the maintenance is.” Contractors prefer to utilize electric machines like BOMAG’s electric light tandem rollers more than traditional machines for one key reason. Since they have fewer service requirements, the rollers ensure contractors’ machines’ uptime will rise, as they won’t spend nearly as much time or money on maintenance and service as they otherwise would have. In addition to their maintenance simplicity, electric machines will shut off whenever they’re not being used. In doing so, their idle hours won’t accumulate, as is the case with diesel machines and vehicles. “For those who worry about electric machines’ higher purchase prices, Volvo Construction Equipment focuses on the bigger picture instead: the total cost of ownership,” Arnold stressed. “Since electric machines greatly reduce maintenance requirements while enabling their operators to also take on zero-emissions work, owners’ initial investments will be offset quickly.”

He added, “And, since electric machines don’t have any idle time, they’ll accumulate fewer operating hours, which supports resale value.” In an interview with Rental Magazine, Eric Booth, product marketing manager for compaction at Dynapac, acknowledged that electric machines are more expensive upfront, but companies can typically find incentives to bring down the price point. “We’re seeing more and more incentives for companies to use alternative power. In some places, you can get a voucher to make it cheaper to acquire,” Booth says. “In places that don’t have a voucher system, they get a bid incentive, where they get a 15 percent credit on their bid.” Booth notes some fear that batterypowered equipment doesn’t provide the same performance as other fuel sources. “With our rollers, you’re getting the same type of performance metrics that you need—you’re just getting it from a different power source,” Booth says.

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TECHNOLOGY MATTERS OVERCOME THE “NEWNESS” OF ELECTRIC OFFERINGS Although Volvo CE has received considerable positive feedback, with regards to its electrical offerings’ simpler maintenance, operators must bear in mind that the products are new. As Arnold notes, change can be difficult at times. Furthermore, electric machines require time, aside from when they’re being used, for some electrical training as well. “Since electrification is an evolution that all heavy equipment owners and operators will eventually experience, they have an opportunity to learn now and continue to do so, ensuring they’re ready for the future,” Arnold said. Gravatt agreed, adding that the introduction of new technologies like electric vehicles to fleets may lead to discomfort among operators. This discomfort is particularly due to their freshness, along with changes in

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components and the ways in which they operate, when compared to traditional diesel vehicles. “But BOMAG’s electric light tandem rollers give our customers a way to introduce electric vehicles to their fleets with minimal pushback since their hydraulic systems are very similar to their ICE equivalents,” he explained.

Volvo CE’s DD25 Electric asphalt compactor utilizes a maintenance-free 48-volt battery, leading to 24 kWh of power. Volvo Construction Equipment

To overcome the “newness” of electric vehicles, Arnold advises operators to focus on their lack of complexity above

www.ForConstructionPros.com/Asphalt

12/26/23 12:24 PM

all else. For example, unlike diesel vehicles, electric vehicles only need grease and hydraulic oil. Moreover, they don’t require daily component, filter and fluid examinations. On the other hand, when it comes to aspects of electric vehicles that are more challenging to manage, in comparison to diesel vehicles, Arnold believes it’s important for operators to realize they can receive training on a consistent basis—often from manufacturers themselves. Thus, they’ll never have to feel like they’re learning about their electric vehicles’ components completely on their own. “Electric vehicles’ electrical components are sealed and guarded, so service technicians should be trained on how to properly disconnect high-voltage power from any parts before they’re removed or replaced,” Arnold said. “Volvo Construction Equipment offers stringent training to certify technicians

www.ForConstructionPros.com/Asphalt

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for electrical and non-electrical components, prior to utilizing its electric vehicles.” Just as importantly, electric components, such as AC to DC power converters, battery management units, charging plugs, inverters and lithiumion batteries only require visual and functional inspections. If any of these components happen to stop working, operators will never have to worry about repairing them. Instead, each component can be replaced when necessary. In addition, whenever diagnostics reveal the need for component removal, qualified technicians should conduct risk assessments, while traction voltage systems should be disconnected and decommissioned. Each of these tasks must be conducted only by individuals who have completed thorough, certified training programs. “Most training will focus on safety. Although electrification is a big shift,

it’s part of the ever-evolving heavy equipment industry, much like when telematics and in-cab displays became more prominent,” Arnold concluded. “When technicians consider the complexity of internal combustion engines—along with the differences between diesel and gasoline engines and two- or four-stroke engines, on top of the fact that engines have an average of 2,000 moving parts—electric machines don’t seem so complicated.” He added, “In fact, when all is said and done, electrification will simplify operators’ daily responsibilities, enabling them to focus more on other tasks, resulting in higher productivity long term.” Chris Lewis is a freelance writer for Asphalt Contractor.

For more information visit https://asph.link/b5xdw5

JANUARY 2024 ASPHALT CONTRACTOR

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PRODUCTION NOTES | By Brandon Noel, Editor

DOING WARM MIX ASPHALT SLIGHT OF HAND Developed in the 1990s, Warm Mix Asphalt is anything but a new technology. However, there’s still a fair amount of stigma associated with it in the road building industry, despite the FHWA pivot in 2010.

f you have ever attended an asphalt conference, or signed up for any webinars as part of your state’s asphalt pavement association, or you’ve ever heard of environmental product declarations (EPD), then warm mix asphalt (WMA) has probably been a concept you’ve heard a lot about.

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For the possibly uninitiated, however, WMA as a process was first experimented with and pioneered in the United States in 1956 at Iowa State University by Professor Ladis Csanyi. Although the modern foaming techniques utilized today were developed in the European market in the late 1990s, it wasn’t until 2010, when the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) incorporated WMA as part of its Every Day Counts project, that the process began to find a bigger foothold in domestic markets. Around the same time, chemical additive technologies were introduced and now make up for 60% of all WMA produced. The process is defined by the FHWA as asphalt produced anywhere between 30 °-120 ° below the standard hot mix asphalt (HMA) production

temperatures, and that ranges anywhere from 300 °-350 °. However, according to the Asphalt Pavement Industry Survey on Recycled Materials and Warm-Mix Asphalt Usage 2021 created by the National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA), “The weighted average temperature reduction achieved among asphalt mix produced at reduced temperature was 23.5°.” That appears to indicate that, on the weighted average, the production of WMA is not falling into the FHWA defined range. The NAPA survey went on to show that almost 84 percent of the WMA produced fell between 10°30° reduced production temperature. That means the vast majority of WMA made in 2021 potentially just reached the minimum end of the temperature spectrum.

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While even a small temperature reduction still has energy and environmental significance, who are the asphalt producers that are sitting well above that minimum temperature reduction threshold? Who is taking the big swings? Maybe more importantly, how do they set about to make the transition from HMA in the first place? REALLY BIG SWINGS When Carmine Pace, the Quality Control (QC) manager at Hubbard Construction’s Tampa and Lakeland, Florida asphalt plant locations, decided to bring WMA to their facilities, he chose to do it in what might be considered an unconventional way. “In January 2023, I went to management, and told them that I wanted to try it,” Pace said, somewhat expecting a little pushback. To his surprise, they were nothing but supportive and encouraging of the experiment. “They told me to go for it, and to see how it might work for us,” he said. Hubbard’s parent company, VINCI, has set Group Environmental Goals to reach by 2030, and WMA is a big step to achieving those reduction goals. That was one hurdle, and in some ways you might think the more difficult obstruction, but Pace knew the truth. Getting the office to sign-off on the idea was one thing, but bringing that same idea to the paving and plant crews was going to be another task entirely. “Historically, you get pushback when there’s change,” Pace said. “That’s the way it is in any industry, you try to make a change, you’re going to get some pushback. We wanted to find a way to get around that, and see what would happen without people not even giving it a fair chance.” Making the switch to WMA wouldn’t be as easy as flipping a

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switch. Perhaps, when it comes to the asphalt plant itself, sure, but as with all changes in a company team structure, things will go much smoother if you can get broader buy-in from ground level stakeholders. Plus, you’ll have a lot greater chance of success that way, rather than simply forcing a change from the top down. “My biggest challenge, was that I wanted to initially try it out on a project, but I didn’t want to tell the paving crew ahead of time,” Pace recalled. “We were dropping the mix 45° from the usual target. Thankfully, our plant superintendent used to run warm mix years ago, so he was on board for making the adjustments. At the time, of course, we were still running hot mix, and we had to be careful not to clog up the plant while we figured out the ideal temperature. We quickly discovered there is more of a tender zone, and you want consistency in that zone in the production of the warm mix.” Once the warm mix design was approved by the owner, Hubbard put their plan into place. For two consecutive days, they produced warm mix for one of their county projects, and their laydown crew was none the wiser. This was despite the fact that the mix temperature was around 265°, a distinct difference from their usual target temperatures ranging between 310°-320°. “They had no idea,” Pace said. “The first few days went so good, that we immediately went and had official mix designs made.” The warm mix designs were performing as well as he hoped they would, and, for the most part, they had conducted their experiment without the knowledge of field personnel. However, that wasn’t to say that it was completely devoid of suspicion.

Photos provided by Hubbard Construction

BENEFITS AND OPPORTUNITIES Veteran asphalt paving crew members have seen just about everything, and there was one visual cue that did at least raise an eyebrow or two. According to Pace, his foreman noticed that the smoke coming off the mix wasn’t as heavy as it normally was, especially for January in Florida. Pace’s foreman revealed that he’d noticed it, only after the warm mix trial was successfully completed. This is consistent with what asphalt science says about the production of WMA. According to the European Asphalt Pavement Association’s website, there is a direct causation between the reduction of temperatures and the fumes and odors released by the final product. For approximately every 50° the temperature is reduced, the fumes released are reduced by ~50 percent. That’s not just an environmental benefit, it’s a direct benefit to the people on the crew itself. “The workability of the asphalt was exactly the same,” Pace said, which probably contributed to the crew’s suspicions not being raised any further. “They paved on a couple cul de sacs, as well as making some straight pulls, and it was a total success.” Their initial warm mix project saw about a half of a percent jump in density. As they’ve continued to refine the process their compaction averages jumped from between 90-92 percent, to upwards of 93-94 percent, on a regular basis.

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PRODUCTION NOTES In addition, Pace was able to compare the previous day’s hot mix runs side-by-side with the warm mix, and the results were stunning. “We actually saw that the warm mix side was a darker, deeper color,” said Pace. “It took a longer time to oxidize than the hot mix.” Now, after seeing it perform in the field, the majority of Pace’s team was satisfied with how its worked out. That doesn’t mean they were content to sit back and coast from there on out. In fact, the success of this warm mix experiment seems to only have amplified their motivations toward further experimentation. “We were already using Ingevity’s Evotherm WMA additive as a liquid anti-strip, we just were not taking advantage of its full potential,” Pace said. “Now, we are seeing just how low we can get the warm mix target temperature. We’ve pushed it down as low as the mid 260s, and we had no issues while doing some straight pulls.” That’s nearly a drop of 45° from their original HMA productions temperatures, which would result in an astounding ~75 percent drop in fumes and odors released. According to the National Asphalt Pavement Association’s 2021 Industry Survey on Recycled Materials and WarmMix Asphalt Usage, only 2.4 percent of reported WMA was produced at a reduced temperature greater than 50.1°.  This would place the WMA produced by Pace’s team in Tampa in the top 3 percentile of producers in the country. They’re on the cutting edge of WMA production. If you are considering adopting WMA or increasing the production of WMA at your plant, but need something to sweeten the deal for those making the key decisions, here’s something to consider. While you would need to do a more detailed lifecycle analysis to get an exact figure, NAPA’s research suggests that for every 10° of production temperature reduction, there is between a 2 and 3 percent fuel consumption savings. Using Pace’s team’s warm mix production temperature reduction, they

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are likely seeing between 14 and 21 percent fuel consumption reductions. Those type of savings for costly fuels and their unpredictable changes in price and availability can translate into millions of dollars in savings. With temperatures as low as Pace is currently trialing, it might make you concerned about travel and storage times, but Pace says the opposite has been true, reporting no issues with that at all. In fact, they report improved overall workability with their product due to the use of the WMA additives. They’ve stored the mix overnight sometimes up to 24 hours, and also sent warm mix out to some jobsites with haul distances reaching up to an hour from plant to pavement. This is consistent with long established science on WMA, but there are many other documented benefits, as well. Due to the decrease in temperature, WMA compliments mixes utilizing higher reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP). That’s good news, because RAP stockpiles have been on the rise, trending upward since 2016. The NAPA industry survey from 2021 reported that, ever since then, more RAP has been stockpiled by asphalt plants than was utilized in production. The reported 2021 stockpile level reached a national high of 137.5 million tons, which was approximately a 2 percent increase from the previous year. It’s important to note that overall asphalt production has also increased during that same period by 57.5 million tons, or a 13.3 percent rise from the period between 2016 and 2021. For those looking to up their percentages of RAP and make a dent in their current stock, while additionally reducing their need for expensive virgin aggregates, WMA should absolultely as be considered as an option. IT HASN’T BEEN ALL SMOOTH SAILING. “Producing warm mix has had its issues,” said Pace. “There was a learning curve, adjusting temperatures up and down and between multiple mixes throughout a shift can lead to mistakes.”

One of the biggest challenges they faced was how to handle the volume of outside sales, and how their customers would react. “That took a lot of education, communication, and continued followup with our FOB customers across our market,” he continued. “They’ve only paved with hot mix their entire careers. We have mostly had success, but we still have to be proactive, checking on the customers while championing the technology.” Pace concluded by saying, “Hubbard is pleased with this year’s successful venture into warm mix and establishing themselves as a warm mix producer in the state of Florida.”

For more information visit https://asph.link/warmmix

AdobeStock_232125571

1. https://eapa.org/ warm-mix-asphalt 2. https://www.asphaltpavement.org/expertise/sustainability/ sustainability-resources/ warm-mix-asphalt 3. Asphalt Pavement Industry Survey on Recycled Materials and Warm-Mix Asphalt Usage 2021 (NAPA) 4. Hot-Mix Asphalt vs. WarmMix Asphalt, 2018 Illinois Asphalt Pavement Association Scholarship. January 29, 2019. Benjamin Jennings & Ryne Wirtjes. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. 5. https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/ innovation/everydaycounts/ edc-1/wma-faqs.cfm#

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SPECIAL REPORT

Not Your Typical

WORKFORCE SOLUTION

The competition for workers is steep, but what is the solution if you can’t attract the talent necessary to grow your business, or at a minimum, meet your existing business needs?

s with other industries, asphalt and pavement companies are not immune from challenges that compete for time and resources. Between supply chain shortages, the industry-wide push to go green, and the existing demands on the business, many are feeling the pressure to compete. Those pressure points are even more acute when it comes to the workforce challenges across this and other bluecollar industries. At the 2022 IGNITE

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Summit, our team heard from many industry leaders about the labor shortages they face, and some of the creative things they are doing to retain staff. One of the often-discussed outcomes of the COVID-19 pandemic was the impact to workforce that many industries still face today. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce reported in late 2021 that “Almost all (92%) contractors report some level of difficulty finding skilled workers, but this quarter, 55% indicate high levels of difficulty… This lack of workers is having an impact on contractors’ bottom lines.” In the same report, those contractors that reported struggling to find skilled labor had to turn down work, and experienced difficulty meeting project deadline requirements. And, because of the impact this is having on their bottom line, more than half have increased their bids for projects. We often tell clients who face these kinds of challenges that there are

The competition for workers is steep, but what is the solution if you can’t attract the talent necessary to grow your business, or at a minimum, meet your existing business needs? ©phoderstock – stock.adobe.com

things they can do to keep their current workforce and bolster loyalty, and many employers are often doing these things already. This can include healthcare and retirement benefits, training and educational opportunities, and professional development, including performance review structures. NEW STRATEGIES FOR AN OLD PROBLEM Many are starting to push for blue collar jobs to receive some of these traditionally white-collar benefits. An example is professional development opportunities. Business Insider explains

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SPECIAL REPORT

that companies should consider, “creating a pipeline that allows entrylevel workers to gain skills and advance into harder-to-fill, specialized roles.” And while this may help keep the employees you do have, it is only part of a solution for filling your labor gaps. An often forgotten or seemingly overwhelming fix to this workforce problem is immigration. In fact, there are various avenues for solutions based on business needs, especially if you have specialized needs that require education, and some solutions can lead to a more permanent workforce solution. The H-2B Visa is the most commonly utilized visa for companies in the asphalt and pavement industry. This is a non-agricultural, non-immigrant visa so there is a limit on how long these individuals can stay in the country. The length of stay in the U.S. varies based on the seasonal justification for work. Like other visa types for

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business-based immigration, there are various requirements for the employers, which is why it is valuable for employers to hire skilled immigration attorneys to ensure compliance. And, there are other things to consider with the H-2B Visa, such as the annual cap of 66,000 visas and the amount of time necessary to go through the application process. But for many, this can prove to be a great solution for companies who face

A perennial problem in the industry, contractors continue to have problems finding skilled workers. @Sergii - adobe.stock.com

seasonally fluctuating labor demands and are looking to try immigration. For more specialized and skilled labor, the TN Visa is an additional solution. Created through NAFTA, the TN Visa is a non-immigrant visa for certain

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qualified Canadian and Mexican citizens for professional roles. Both the job title and responsibilities, as well as the candidate, must fit within certain qualifications for specifically identified professions. One of the benefits of the TN Visa is that it allows for candidates to remain in the United States for up to three years with additional extensions available. This is critical for providing long-term employment for companies in need of specialized labor, ensuring your business can focus on business rather than spending time on hiring for positions that require professional qualifications. As with the H-2B Visa, there are requirements for the employer to sponsor a TN candidate, so utilizing an experienced attorney is important to maintain compliance. And, there are other options for more permanent solutions, such as the PERM (or EB-3). This employment-based visa allows for long-term employment

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opportunities in the United States. A candidates’ eligibility for the EB-3 is determined based on education, specialized skills, and relevant experience. There are three types of EB-3 Visas, all of which may be relevant for the asphalt and construction industry: Skilled, Professional, and Unskilled. Each year, roughly 40,000 EB-3 green cards are issued. But similar to the H-2B Visa, there is an annual cap on the number of EB-3 green cards (140,000 per year). The process to apply for and be approved for this type of visa varies on a number of things, including visa availability, if the application is audited, among other reasons. As with other visa types and the application process, it is important to consult a skilled attorney to guide you through the process. PERMs can be a great solution for companies that do not have a seasonally fluctuating demand for labor, but face a perpetual labor shortage. The process for any of these visas

are often perceived as time consuming and costly, especially at first glance. But there are resources to help you determine the right course for your business and understand all the available options. You know first-hand that your workforce is one of your greatest assets, but if you keep trying the same recruitment tactics, you’ll likely end up with the same results. This labor shortage is expected to continue, and many have gone as far as to argue that the worker shortage in the U.S. may be an immigration shortage. The solution to your workforce problem may not be as simple as it once was, and the answer to growing your business could be via immigration. Vas Sakamuri is senior vice president and chief revenue officer at Farmer Law PC.

For more information visit https://asph.link/workforce

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FACE OF THE INDUSTRY

Finding Good Hires From Outside

THE INDUSTRY

Often the best employees in the industry have come from diverse, nonasphalt backgrounds.

uring my first year in the asphalt industry, I’ve found that my favorite part of the job lies in my initial conversations with people who are also in the industry. More often than not, people ask me “how did you end up in asphalt?” When I relay my

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story, I’m met with a similar story from their end–a person who started their career somewhere else and by some happenstance, ended up here, a bunch of square pegs in round holes who found a home in asphalt. When I was asked to contribute to this new section in Asphalt Contractor magazine, I knew that was what I wanted to focus on: Why is the asphalt industry comprised of a lot of people who came from other industries, and how does that benefit it? I don’t believe it’s an uncommon feeling to be well into your selected career, looking around and asking

ABOVE: Melillo standing next to Green Asphalt general manager and VP Jim McMurray. Green Asphalt

yourself, “Is this for me?” Personally, this took me around seven years to realize. After graduating with a civil engineering degree in 2015 and beginning a career in the construction industry, I knew something was missing. Working on the same project for years on end is tedious; arguing over change orders and delay claims is contentious; and, in the heavy civil construction industry, the

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FACE OF THE INDUSTRY With a patented technology to increase recycled content to 100%, Green Asphalt’s goal is to have all asphalt across the world be green asphalt. Green Asphalt

end product looks pretty much exactly as you found it from the surface. There may be a new sewer or a new water main or a new drainage system, but at the end of the day, the neighborhood you were working in only knows that you’ve disrupted their lives for three to four years, just to have their block turn out looking the same – maybe with a few less trees. I had convinced myself for seven years to stick it out. I was working for a wonderful company, C.A.C. Industries, where I felt supported, got along with my coworkers, and had the flexibility to live life outside of work in a way that didn’t feel constricting. I was doing what I had studied in school, so I convinced myself that I couldn’t let go of all those positives about my job. And even if the day-to-day of managing an infrastructure project wasn’t morally satisfying, I was holding out hope that finishing the job would bring me the fulfillment I needed to keep getting up to that 5 a.m. alarm each morning. But each day I tried, the less hope I felt for that to be true, and finally in May of 2022 I decided I needed to make a change.

A NEW IDEA I took a few months to sit back and reflect on what it was that I needed out of a career to match my personality, my goals, and my overall concept of what it means to contribute to society. I was on the hunt for something that would excite me, where every day I felt I could go home feeling fulfilled and was working toward something larger. I realized how important it was to me to feel like I was making a positive impact on the world, specifically in an environmental and sustainable way. I wanted to work as a team, not just within my company, but within an industry where a common goal was at the forefront – and limit the contentious interactions I’d be subject to. It wouldn’t hurt if the new career I was looking for lent itself to my background in engineering. After spinning my wheels for a few months, I ended up with a unique proposition that I thought had the potential to meet all my needs. C.A.C. is an affiliate company with an asphalt plant, Green Asphalt. With a patented technology to increase recycled content to 100%, Green Asphalt’s goal is to have all asphalt across the world be green asphalt. This lowers carbon emissions significantly, is more cost-effective to

both the producer and the end user, and can be adapted by any asphalt producer. I loved the idea of taking on the industry of asphalt, which has been around for longer than I’ve been alive, and bringing to it a fresh perspective, a new technology, and most importantly, the environmental benefits that, if adopted far and wide, could make a real and significant impact on global carbon emissions. While I was excited to start, I was also nervous. It’s no secret that asphalt pavement has been used for hundreds of years, and has been produced in generally the same process for that entire time. Introducing a new way to make it felt like Steve Jobs introducing the iPhone 1. I decided that the mountain to climb would be worth the view if we were successful, so I went for it. FIRST STEPS My first step for Green Asphalt was to join NAPA, and while I had heard great things, I was immediately met with an email with references specific to Green Asphalt’s goals to help us move the needle. I was impressed and surprised at the immediate helpfulness, and the surprises kept coming. As we became more involved in NAPA, I learned of the “Road Forward” initiative to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, a lofty goal that felt similar to Green Asphalt’s–to make a huge dent in the industry in a relatively short amount of time. We attended our

Asphalt workers bring varied perspectives from their pasts in various industries, that the industry can act as a bit of a lab-grown experiment for diversified views. @Gajus - adobe.stock.com

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FACE OF THE INDUSTRY first annual meeting and were introduced to a number of people who were interested in our technology, who wanted to talk about recycling asphalt, who had questions and curiosities. It was clear that this industry was not afraid of change–and even those who were afraid of change knew that the train was headed that way, and there was no stopping it, so they might as well hop on board. In attending the NAPA meetings and getting introduced to new faces, I’ve come across many “square pegs in round holes,” and I believe this can be attributed to why the industry is setting aggressive goals and getting serious about achieving them. There is something so enticing about looking at an almost ancient technology and thinking, “How can we make this better?” There’s also something satisfying about what seems like such an insurmountable challenge–asphalt is everywhere, and to make a change in one region can end up affecting change in many other regions. I believe that’s not only what draws people to the asphalt industry, but also what keeps them here. SHARED GOALS And once they arrive, they bring such varied perspectives from their pasts in chemistry, in steel working, in construction, in teaching, in government relations, that the industry can act as a bit of a lab-grown experiment for diversified views. Where else have you ever experienced sitting a room with 200 other people with differing backgrounds, differing challenges, and differing opinions, and have them all work toward a single sustainable goal? Because varied experiences, views, and opinions seem to only bring positives to the asphalt industry, it opens the doors for opportunities to hire from places you may not think of. At Green Asphalt, we partner with organizations that provide career services for underprivileged communities and have found success in hiring plant workers from them. In addition, one of our plant operators came from the microtunneling industry, which has helped him in navigating the immense amount of controls that the plant comes with. On the office side, we’ve also hired a supply chain planner to take a detailed look at our operations to identify and address inefficiencies in all of our systems–from plant operations to payroll to sales. It is these individuals filling these unique roles that pushes our organization from good to great, and I can’t reinforce enough how impactful it can be to look outside of the normal avenues to find exceptional employees that fit this industry perfectly. I think the asphalt industry serves as a home for many people who want to make a positive impact on the world. I have high hopes for the direction of the industry as long as we keep recruiting more “square pegs in round holes” to join us. As you review your staffing needs for the year, keep in mind that often the best of us have come from other backgrounds. Asphalt is an industry where everyone can learn to thrive, grow, and create change, no matter where they come from.

d T d d

S a

R o

M h

L t i

H w

Kerianne Melillo is chief marketing officer at C.A.C. Industries | Green Asphalt.

For more information visit https://asph.link/background

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JOBSITE INNOVATIONS | By Charles Rathmann, Senior Editor, Construction Technology, IRONPROS

Construction Machine Control Selection Considerations Depending on your use case, different construction equipment machine control options may be a better fit than others.

onstruction equipment machine control, as it evolves, is extending into more classes of equipment and lighter equipment. Grade control, in particular, is moving beyond dedicated excavation and earthworks. This evolution goes beyond the decision between 2D and 3D grade control. A 2D grade control system uses physical landmarks, stakes or lasers so operators can more easily achieve grade. 3D grade controls use more advanced positioning methods, including GPS and in some cases, local position systems (LPS), particularly when satellite signal is obscured. Contractors need to consider that there is no data standard for topographic data sent to and returned from machine control technology. This could impact mixed fleets or jobsites needing to add subcontractor equipment in a single digital workflow.

➊

MOVABLE VS. HARDWIRED Using a single grade control system across an entire site or project is difficult if you rent machines or if you want to have a single digital workflow that cuts across subcontractors’ equipment. Relying on machine control that can be easily moved from one machine to another is one workaround. Contractors may want to go this route if they want to avoid permanent installation or drilling holes in equipment. Some machine control tools can be installed with no tools, relying often on magnetic sensors that communicate with a control module. Many of these applications, including Trimble Earthworks GO! 2.0 for compact equipment will pair a

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tripod-mounted laser transmitter which communicates to removable sensors affixed to a blade. Native iOS and Android apps enable operators to use their smartphone as their primary interface. The iDig System, meanwhile, adds to the mix solar charging for the sensors. As is the case with other laser-controlled portable grade control solutions, iDig relies on magnetically attached sensors on the boom or blade that communicate with an LED indicator in the cab. Individual attachments, which can be moved from one machine to another, may also come with their own minimally disruptive grade control technologies. Other aftermarket solutions, including those from Unicontrol, enable the smart components to move from one machine to the other, which helps a contractor spend less while using the technology across multiple machines. “There are downsides in terms of accuracy of the sensor itself when it communicates wirelessly,” Unicontrol Managing Director for North America Rich Hilliker said. “I know a lot of those are solar powered, but they’ll have

Moog Construction engineers at a dig site test some automated capabilities and machine control on various compact construction vehicles. Moog

their own limitations built in with that.” While Unicontrol sensors do not move from one piece of equipment to another, the file formats travel easily into different applications, making life easier for contractors dealing with multiple grade control brands. “We’re using XML and DXF,” Hilliker said. “XML is for the surface, and DXF is for the line work, background, points and coloring. And those are the two most open common formats that any of the CAD software or model building software can work with and output into. Trimble Business Center has no problem working with these.” In some cases, contractors will want to watch for metadata that may not be included in a standard file. “I know that sometimes there are file elements that wrap everything together,” Hilliker said. “The Topcon TP3 format, for instance, wraps in a localization

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file that’s buried in there, as well. For localization, we can work with anything. I’ve got a giant list of file types here. For Unicontrol, it’s very, very, very important for us to be able to slide into an existing jobsite that might be using Trimble or Topcon.” Work is proceeding on section four of ISO/TS 15143, which will provide an industry standard for grade control topographical data, most contractors should be able to get by straddling different formats, according to Hilliker. “A standard will be fantastic,” Hilliker said. “Because then, all of the model builders and engineers are going to work to that same standard. And then, the customers don’t have to have to be confused or make sure to ask for a specific format or pay somebody to change it … There are a couple of softwares out there that can change the format.”

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AFTERMARKET VS. OEM IRONPROS.com is following the evolution of machine control, not only in terms of its capabilities, but the route it is following to market. The 2023 State of the Industry Construction Technology Report revealed adoption curves for both OEM and aftermarket machine control. OEM machine control was the approach used most by study respondents, with 27% using it already, 5% budgeting for OEM-based machine control and 11% planning for it at some point. Only 15% of respondents were using aftermarket machine control, 5% had it in their budgets and 12% were planning to roll it out in the future. Original equipment manufacturers (OEM) are including machine control as an option in more products and equipment classes. While this may continue, a lack of data standards and reliance on rental equipment may mean many contractors will want to opt for movable machine control technology or ensure technology their OEM equipment comes equipped with can produce and consume topographic data through open standards. According to Moog Industrial Business Development Manager Scott Scheffler, there are arguments for and against buying equipment with factory-installed

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machine control. Moog works with OEMs to provide machine control. “There is an upside to both options,” Scheffler said. “Factory integration can be easier to setup, less intrusive on the vehicle, and include a factory warranty. Aftermarket options are great as you can utilize your existing fleet and move the solution from machine to machine.” As newer equipment comes standard with electromechanical controls rather than hydraulics, this means factory-supplied grade control can take advantage of the new capabilities these technologies offer. “Advanced capabilities via electromechanical actuators open a new level of control,” Scheffler said. “These actuators are always aware of their position and can leverage assistance features to help operators achieve better results, faster.” Aftermarket machine control may also benefit from electromechanical actuators, but that will limit the applicability of the technology. Unicontrol for instance is releasing a bulldozer product that will only work on newer equipment.

formal subscription option that helps contractors stay current on technology. “We call it Works Plus,” Trimble Sector Vice President for Civil Solutions Elwyn McLachlan said at the Trimble Dimensions 2023 user conference. “It’s a way that you can get involved with machine control and construction surveying, and access our portfolio at an easy monthly subscription rate. We’re seeing smaller contractors, in particular, really taking advantage of that.” While the Trimble Works Plus Subscription may make technology more financially accessible for smaller contractors while reducing complexity, larger contractors are also attracted to subscriptions, according to McLachlan. “What’s interesting to me is we’ve really seen uptake from both ends of the spectrum,” McLachlan said. “We see larger contractors just recently who have got into subscriptions, particularly around big projects that they have been awarded. They may ask themselves, ‘how do I know how to align my spending to the project budget?’ and using subscriptions is a way to do that.’”

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AUTOMATED EQUIPMENT VS. ROBOTICS Construction robotics though are extending beyond automation of traditional digging operations by adding end effectors, attachments, and robotics that extend the utility of equipment, i.e., Moog’s solar Cobot. In part to help contractors manage perceived risk around these new use cases, many vendors are offering robotsas-a-service payment models including Built Robotics, Advanced Construction Robotics and Dusty Robotics. These new use cases may not be on contractors’ radar screens yet but represent new opportunities for productivity and safety improvements. Examples of net new use cases include Sarcos Robotics’ line of robots that can be configured with multiple end effectors and programmed for multiple tasks including scraping, painting, ablation and other repetitive work.

BUY OR SUBSCRIBE While Moog works with OEMs, at CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2023 it demonstrated an autonomous track loader for delivery of solar panels to solar energy generation construction sites. The Moog CrewMate will not be sold as standard equipment, nor is the plan to sell it outright to contractors. Rather, Scheffler said Moog would follow a strategy used by a number of other automation and robotics vendors in construction—robots-as-a-service. “We hope contractors will use our CrewMate solution directly to support solar panel handling during installation of large-scale projects,” Scheffler said. “Our near-term strategy is renting this equipment to EPCs and contractors.” Standard grade control technologies are available either as a subscription or as rental—SITECH offers rentals of a number of Trimble technologies. Dealers of Leica, Topcon and other brands of machine control rentals do the same, but Trimble also offers a more

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For more information visit https://asph.link/tech

JANUARY 2024 ASPHALT CONTRACTOR

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INVESTIGATING INFRASTRUCTURE | By Brandon Noel, Editor

The Highway Trust Fund’s Solvency Problem Electric vehicle ownership saw its biggest single year increase in 2023, and that trend is expected to continue, along with the decline of fossil fuel tax revenue. There’s a ticking clock in Washington: The IIJA expires in 2026. Then what? product of the asphalt road building industry in a few ways: • EV vehicles don’t pay gasoline or diesel-related fuel taxes • A budget shortfall could mean less work for contractors • EV vehicles are significantly heavier than their traditionally fueled counterparts, putting more wear, tear, and stress on roads

asphalt-auto-automotive/Pexels

or the first time in history, an electric vehicle (EV) is the best selling vehicle in the world for the year. The Tesla Model Y dethroned the long-standing king of car sales, the Toyota Corolla. While in the U.S. market, things look a bit different, with Ford’s F-series trucks continuing to outsell every other make and model, two of Tesla’s offerings are in the top 10. The Model Y hit No. 4 in America through the final quarter of 2023. This is a milestone change in the North American car buying habits. While it’s true that EV cars are making news, the bigger headline is that the fastest selling type of electric vehicle in the U.S. are electric bikes. According to an article in Business Insider, “In dollar terms, e-bike retail sales nearly quadrupled in the past four years, rising from $240 million in 2019 to $885.5 million in 2022.” These trends impact the primary

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HTF BACKGROUND The Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) highway trust fund (HTF) gets its funding primarily through the taxes on fossil fuels. You pay it at the pump. These fund are what pay for the big infrastructure and road projects that make up a not-insignificant portion of contractors’ state and federal work. According to FHWA the HTF was created as a user-supported fund: highway users would pay taxes, the tax receipts would flow into the HTF, and HTF balances would be dedicated for use on highway projects (later expanded to surface transportation projects). This overall construct is still in place, but the tax structure has changed since the HTF year was created (1956). The HTF has three long-standing sources of income: • Federal fuel taxes • Other Federal taxes on truck users • Interest on invested balances However, there’s one big problem. These sources have failed to produce enough income to fully cover the expenses incurred for almost the past two decades. The last time gas taxes were increased was 1993. It’s incredibly

unpopular, bordering on political suicide, to discuss increasing the gas tax. Yet, there is clearly a problem that must be addressed. The EV paradigm is here, and the HTF are getting more dire. Another way of looking at this problem, is how the publicly owned road’s construction and maintenance is currently entangled with a specific private industry through a consumption-based tax. The logic of the system is clear: you need gas to drive the car on the road, so tax the fuel. This policy set in motion the current situation we are dealing with. Jeff Davis, senior fellow, Eno Center for Transportation, described how we got here like this, “It became a feature of federal energy and environmental policy to reduce the number of gallons of fossil fuel used on roadways. But it was still federal transportation policy to fund highways and transit based on the number of gallons of fossil fuel used on roadways. In effect, the separate federal policies have been at war with each other since the 1970s, and although it took a while, the Highway Trust Fund eventually paid the price.” It's a complex system and solutions are not simple. The necessity of transportation and mobility (A) and the public good of federal and state roadways (B) became entangled with the success of the private fossil fuels industry (C). This three-point relationship is, in part, why making improvements to either party A or B that might contingently and negatively impact party C has an extreme uphill political battle. In a prepared statement, excerpted here, U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse

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INVESTIGATING INFRASTRUCTURE

(D-RI), chairman of the U.S. Senate Budget Committee, said, “By some estimates, taxpayers pay about $20 billion every year to the fossil fuel industry. What do we get for that? Economists generally agree: not much.” WHAT ARE THE OPTIONS? Highways and Transit Subcommittee Chairman Rick Crawford (R-AR) announced that the subcommittee would hold a hearing focused on the current solvency challenges associated with and the importance of a sustainable, long-term funding solution for the Highway Trust Fund. The hearing, entitled “Running on Empty: The Highway Trust Fund,” was held at Oct. 18, 2023. Crawford said, “The Highway Trust Fund currently finances most federal government spending for highways, transit, and highway safety programs. Since 2001, however, spending from the Trust Fund has exceeded revenue

deposited into the fund. Beginning in 2008, the Trust Fund has relied on a total of $275 billion in transfers, mainly from the General Fund of the Treasury, to remain solvent. Although critical to the Highway Trust Fund’s short-term operations, government bailouts are not a long-term solution, nor do they address the underlying, multifaceted, and structural problem.” The hearing presented alternative forms of funding for road maintenance and repair. Some of the alternatives presented included: • Road Usage Charge (RUC) • Increases to existing taxes and fees • Set spending to maintain current highway conditions and performance • Continue to make general fund transfers • Dissolve the HTF, redirecting the existing tax receipts into the general fund • Create new taxes and/or fees and index their rates to inflation

IF WE DO NOTHING The hearing illustrates how bleak the next few years could be for the industry if nothing happens. “According to the May 2023 Congressional Budget Office (CBO) baseline, annual HTF spending is estimated to exceed receipts by about $24 billion in FY 2028,” said Kris Strickler, a member of the board of directors for the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), as well as the director of the Oregon Department of Transportation. Strickler said that if Congress were to reauthorize federal transportation programs for five years after the expiration of the IIJA, to maintain investment levels from HTF adjusted for inflation, CBO estimates the gap between revenue into the HTF and expenditures from it would $150 billion. The status quo, and the idea of punting this thing further seems imprudent

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FHWA Table FE-1; CBO May 2023 HTF baseline forecast

when faced with numbers like this. However, dealing with it head on is almost equally daunting. Davis put the two most seemingly possible scenarios into context during his testimony. “Before 2021, I would have told you that the, ‘abolish the Trust Fund,’ scenario would leave the authorizing committees out of the funding process and put the Appropriations Committees in complete control,” he said. “But a budget process could be established to allow this committee [Highways and Transit]

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and the Appropriations Committee to split duties for funding these programs out of general revenues. However, given the difficulty of getting eight-way unanimity between House and Senate Budget, Appropriations, tax-writing, and transportation policy committees to establish such a process, draconian spending cuts and/or huge tax increases might be an easier political lift.” Ultimately, these decisions might seem a million miles away, and out of the reach of the industry itself, which

heavily relies on this funding. However, involvement from the industry in the process makes a huge difference. Participating through the National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA), its meetings and political events, like the recent “Hill Days” took place in Washington, D.C., and offered the opportunity to be in the room with some of the very people who do make these decisions. The more the industry works together, through NAPA or the State Asphalt Pavement Associations (SAPA), it increases the collective influence through important events like these, where the future is literally being decided upon. One thing is for certain, the future of the HTF won’t be the same.

For more cited sources and information visit https://asph.link/trust

JANUARY 2024 ASPHALT CONTRACTOR

39 12/26/23 12:46 PM

THE LAST EXIT

The Benefits of Preventive Fleet Maintenance and Equipment Inspections How consistent equipment maintenance and inspections yield safety, productivity and financial benefits for construction companies. Creating and following an equipment maintenance plan can mitigate serious hazards that result from faulty equipment and improve overall worksite safety. @Mak - adobe.stock.com

egular maintenance and inspections are a critical component of equipment operational efficiency. Undermaintaining equipment, especially high-use compact to midsize machinery, can happen for a variety of reasons. However, failing to conduct fleeting maintenance and required inspections comes at a price that includes higher equipment costs, lost productivity and increased safety risks. For too many companies, preventive maintenance tasks and inspections fall through the cracks of busy work schedules and equipment moving from worksite to worksite. A well-executed maintenance and inspection program delivers great value by ensuring equipment is ready to go. It adds structure and visibility to the maintenance of owned equipment so companies can reduce downtime and improve cost control. The program protects equipment

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investment and can extend machinery life, possibly reducing the risk of catastrophic equipment failure that can lead to worksite safety issues. SAFETY, PRODUCTIVITY AND FINANCIAL BENEFITS Here are some key safety, productivity and financial benefits that preventive maintenance programs and regular inspections provide to construction and industrial companies. Safety benefits. Over time, wear and tear on equipment can lead to potentially dangerous mechanical failures. Worn chains and cables, broken pedals or levers and malfunctioning safety lights or audio signals can cause worksite accidents. Creating and following an equipment maintenance plan can mitigate serious hazards that result from faulty equipment and improve overall worksite safety.

Equipment inspections required by ANSI, OSHA and CSA are equally important. For example, aerial lifts, such as boom and scissor lifts, require inspection by qualified mechanics or technicians every three months or every 150 hours, whichever comes first. Aerial lifts must also be inspected annually (every 13 months) and every time the equipment has been out of service for more than three months. It is important to note that only a mechanic or technician qualified to work on the specific make and model of the aerial lift can perform the lift inspection. If a company does not have this expertise in-house, it should consider outsourcing equipment inspections to a qualified vendor. Productivity benefits. Poorly maintained equipment is more likely to break down when it is needed. Companies that follow a preventive maintenance schedule experience less unplanned equipment downtime and better equipment performance, resulting in greater productivity. Inspecting equipment during regular preventative maintenance service can reduce the risk of potentially crippling issues. Financial benefits. Proper maintenance and inspection of equipment can save a company money in numerous

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THE LAST EXIT

ways, including: • Reducing downtime: When a single piece of equipment fails, the costs of lost productivity and wasted wages can be considerable. Preventive maintenance and regular inspections help reduce equipment failures. • Avoiding fines: Failures to perform aerial work platform inspections or inspect other equipment on schedule, such as cranes and derricks, can result in government fines. • Lowering repair costs: A well-executed preventive maintenance program can lower repair costs more than relying on reactive maintenance—waiting until a machine breaks to fix it. The simplest maintenance tasks can prevent expensive engine breakdowns. • Reducing overtime: If equipment breaks during a project with a tight schedule, a company may have to pay workers overtime to make the

Poorly maintained equipment is more likely to break down when it is needed. @Parilov - adobe.stock.com

scheduled deadline. • Extending the useful life of equipment: Well-maintained equipment lasts longer. When regular fleet maintenance is performed, companies can delay the need to purchase new equipment. Outsourcing can be an attractive option for companies that want to gain the benefits of preventive maintenance and inspections but need more internal capabilities or resources. A third-party provider that offers a dependable onestop shop with standardized processes and rates takes the maintenance and

repair burden off fleet owners. This approach can give companies the peace of mind that comes with knowing equipment will be ready to perform when needed. Starting and sticking to a preventive maintenance program isn’t simple or easy, especially when equipment moves from jobsite to jobsite. Outsourcing these tasks to a single vendor with deep experience in equipment maintenance and a large staff of skilled technicians can relieve the burden of fleet maintenance and let companies focus on what they do best. Bret Kasubke is director, customer equipment solutions at United Rentals.

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