Best Paving Practices
Stay Safe Plan Ahead
Strung Out?
Mark the project for success
Mill for Fill Paving Around Smooth Futures It Happens in Vegas february 2014
contents
Departments Letter from the Editor 5 What Does It Cost?
20
Around the Globe 6
20
Safety Spotlight 8 Battle Burnout: Motivate Safety By Erick Lauber, Ph.D. That’s a Good Idea 10 Protect Mat Smoothness Cleaning Push Rollers By John Ball Project Management 12 String Theory By John Ball
Articles 32 Choose Your Smooth Technology By Jarrett Welch
Producer Profile 20 The Flights Down in Africa Adjust what’s in the drum to adjust burner efficiency By Cliff Mansfield
40 Roundabout Revolution By Tom Kuennen
Here’s How it Works 62 Willow’s Safety Edge System Resource Directory 65
46 Remove Tons NovaPick™ diamonds meet tight airport deadline By Pete Kennedy
52
52 Asphalt’s Happening in Vegas Preview latest technology, updates for your construction niche By Sandy Lender
Last Cut 66 PAA Projects Growth By AsphaltPro Staff
46
Best Paving Practices
12 On the Cover
Stay Safe Plan Ahead
STRUNG OUT?
Mark the project for success
Mill for Fill Paving Around Smooth Futures It Happens in Vegas FEBRUARY 2014
The APAC South team working on this new construction paving project in Florida enjoyed a closed work zone, but still took good safety precautions while lining out the job for the surface course. See related article on page 12. Photo courtesy of John Ball, proprietor of Top Quality Paving, Manchester, N.H.
editor's note
February 2014 • Vol. 7 No. 5
What Does it Cost?
2001 Corporate Place Columbia, MO 65202 573-499-1830 • 573-499-1831 www.theasphaltpro.com Group publisher
Chris Harrison publisher
Sally Shoemaker sally@theasphaltpro.com (573) 823-6297 editor
Sandy Lender sandy@theasphaltpro.com (239) 272-8613 Art Director
Kristin Branscom operations/circulation manager
Cindy Sheridan business manager
Renea Sapp AsphaltPro is published 10 times per year: January, February, March, April, May, June/July, August/September, October, November and December by The Business Times Company, 2001 Corporate Place, Columbia, MO 65202 Writers expressing views in AsphaltPro Magazine or on the AsphaltPro website are professionals with sound, professional advice. Views expressed herein are not necessarily the same as the views of AsphaltPro or Business Times Company staff, thus producers/contractors are still encouraged to use best practices when implementing new advice. Subscription Policy: Individual subscriptions are available without charge in the United Sates, Canada and Mexico to qualified individuals. One year subscription to non-qualifying Individuals: United States $90, Canada and Mexico $125.00. For the international digital edition, visit theasphaltpro.com/subscribe-2. Single copies available $17 each.
In this issue of AsphaltPro, you’ll find an article about the nifty stuff you can see and learn at CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2014 this March 4 through 8. Before that huge event, I’ll have attended the Asphalt Pavement Association of Indiana’s annual conference and trade show, a veterinary conference in Orlando, the National Asphalt Pavement Association’s 59th annual meeting in Boca Raton, the Rocky Mountain Asphalt Conference and Equipment Show in Denver, the Marine Turtle Permit Holders annual meeting in Orlando, and a rainforest parrot summit meeting in the Ft. Lauderdale area. I don’t list these things to make myself look busy. I list them so we can discuss costs. There’s an episode of Little House on the Prairie in which Pa Ingalls attends a national farmers meeting representing his county. He and his daughter Mary are overwhelmed by the grand suite the association has paid for them to stay in. The main room of the suite is the size of their house and the bed Mary gets to sleep in is bigger than the bed she shares with sister Laura in the loft back home. Many of the representatives Pa meets with are dressed in suits and wear nice shoes instead of worn leather boots like his. He quickly figures out that the lavish food and amenities are paid for with his county’s dues—as well as the other counties’ dues—while the farmers in his county struggle to keep their families alive. I won’t tell you how the episode ends, but I will tell you that membership in the many associations to which I belong is down, along with fancy amenities. Be it asphalt, sea turtle conservation, parrot rescue, writer’s guilds, Society of Professional Journalists—you name it. With lower memberships come fewer dollars and greater onus on the remaining members and leadership to be wise stewards of the treasury, efficient workers and effective messengers. From legislative issues to pressures from competition, associations such as NAPA are under as much if not more stress to perform for their memberships than in years past. What’s difficult to embrace is the dwindling resources in the face of mounting stressors. When the sea turtle conservation group asked members to cough up extra registration fees for roundtable discussions during a breakfast, I handed over my extra fee without grumbling. The group can’t afford to pay for everyone’s extra meal in light of economic times and reduced numbers. When NAPA announced locations of upcoming annual meetings and none of them included the lovely Hawaii, I moaned inwardly at my first-world problem and went on about my business. As it was in Pa Ingalls’ day, there are many asphalt professionals who can’t afford to send multiple employees to an exotic locale for a meeting/vacation. As it was in Pa Ingalls’ day, the association has to be a wise steward of the treasury, an efficient workforce leading our industry and an effective messenger for the asphalt professionals in her membership. There are competitors who would like to take our market share. By spending our pennies wisely and focusing on the important issues in our industry, the costs of doing business won’t be quite as costly. That brings me back to CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2014. Not every asphalt professional can afford to send all the plant and paving personnel to attend all the sessions and see all the new items available this year. It’s time to pick and choose which employees will benefit the most from the learning experience and bring the most back to the rest of the crew. As you make decisions about whether or not to attend one meeting over another, whether or not to purchase a new piece of equipment versus limping through production with something on its fifth or sixth repair, consider the true cost. It may cost a pretty penny to send a worker to a meeting for training, but what does it cost to leave that worker at home with no new ideas and no inspiration? It may cost research time and thousands of dollars to put a new piece of equipment in the lineup, but what does it cost to leave a damaged piece of equipment in the paving train? I look forward to seeing readers at CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2014. We can talk about your ideas for cutting costs while keeping quality up. Stay Safe,
Sandy Lender www.theasphaltpro.com | ASPHALT PRO 5
around the globe
Industry News and Happenings from Around the World China
In the provinces of Guangdong, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Shanghai, Shandong, Anhui, Beijing and Chongqing, suppliers selling through Alibaba are reducing prices of asphalt mix and asphalt emulsion production equipment.
Dubai
• You can plan ahead for international business write-off travel. The 3rd annual Base Oil and Lubes Middle East Conference will be held in Dubai April 16 through 17. • According to the Emirates News Agency, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will build a 3.1mile (5-kilometer) roadway in Abu Dhabi using the most efficient and environmentally friendly technologies for reducing carbon emissions during and after construction. Of course, they’ll use asphalt. Specifically, the construction material will include recycled asphalt/concrete aggregates and scrap rubber tires. Source: Trade Arabia Business News Information
Thailand
Exports of Bitumen from Thailand were down toward the end of the year along with prices, according to Petrosil’s Bitumart report. The news report said Thailand’s exports of bitumen were down by 29 percent in October 2013 as compared to September and the FOB bitumen prices were down USD 35 PMT in December 2013 as compared to its January 2013 price.
United States
• Construction employment expanded in 211 metro areas, and remained stable in 61, between November 2012 and November 2013, according to a new analysis of federal employment data released by AGC of America. Association officials said the employment gains were encouraging, but cautioned that future gains were dependent on continued economic growth and new investments in aging domestic infrastructure. “Construction employment continued to expand in many parts of the country in November, but most areas have a long way to go before reaching prior peak levels,” CEO Stephen E. Sandherr said. “It will take many more months of strong economic growth and new investments in public infrastructure before many places experience construction employment levels close to their prior peaks.” Luckily, economists are predicting 2014 will be year of steady job gains across the U.S. economy, supported by rising gross domestic product, industrial production and construction. Further impetus is expected from pent-up consumer demand, restrained in recent years by the job market and debt deleveraging. Source: AGC 6 february 2014
• For up-to-the-minute info and updates that impact the asphalt industry, follow http://twitter. com/AsphaltPro.
Alabama
The National Center for Asphalt Technology offers a five-day Asphalt Technology Course at Auburn University Feb. 24 through 28, 2014. The one-week course provides a general understanding of all phases of asphalt technology.
Colorado
• The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) released The Colorado Transportation Story video at http://coloradotransportationmatters.com/video/ as part of its ongoing Statewide Transportation Plan development effort and extended the response deadline for its transportation online survey until the end of December due to a “great response” from the public. The video provides an overview of current and future transportation issues in the state, explains the importance of the Statewide Transportation Plan and invites members of the public to become active participants in the collaborative plan development process. The survey gives CDOT officials an idea of how the public would like to see the department invest in the future of the transportation system. The plan will be released in mid-2014. • CDOT has also released its planned 2014 Surface Treatment Program, which has identified 42 individual projects totaling approximately $262.29 million and a status report of the $87.5 million Accelerated Surface Treatment Projects. The agency has increased its projection of how much asphalt will be used in 2014 to 1.35 million tons. Source: Colorado Asphalt Paving Association
North Carolina
The Carolina Asphalt Paving Association (CAPA) proudly co-hosts the International Society for Asphalt Paving (ISAP) 2014 with the North Carolina DOT and others June 1 through 5 in Raleigh.
Pennsylvania
With deep sadness, the Libra Systems team in Harleysville, Pa., shares the passing of their founder Lewis S. Cardy, Jr., at the age of 82. Cardy founded Libra Systems Corporation in 1969, and served as president and CEO until his retirement in 1993. His vision and ingenuity helped propel the asphalt industry into the 21st century as he introduced many innovations for asphalt plant control systems. The company Cardy founded now has thousands of installations throughout North America and in many other countries. The staff at AsphaltPro sends condolences to our friends at Libra Systems.
Texas
Learn how to use life cycle cost analysis on low volume roads and what are five keys to design and construct the perfect project at the 2014 Greater Iowa Asphalt Conference. Register at www.apai.net for the Feb. 27 through 28 event, which takes place at the Airport Holiday Inn, Des Moines.
• The Texas Transportation Commission awarded Dec. 19 a $150 million contract to Austin-Angel, JV for much-needed road work resulting from the state’s oil and gas boom. The funding, part of the $225 million provided by the Legislature through House Bill 1025 for energy sector road improvements, will allow the Texas Department of Transportation to begin repairing and rehabilitating roadways damaged by heavy trucks and increased traffic in these regions. • The Argus Americas Asphalt Summit celebrates its seventh year March 26 through 28, 2014, at the Woodlands Waterway Marriott Hotel in The Woodlands, Texas. The summit will include topics such as how new crudes impact the asphalt supply, the logistical constraints and availability of rail cars, how new asphalt pavement preservation techniques are impacting the crude and asphalt market, and what issues are impacting the supply and demand in the Americas and the international asphalt market. Visit www.argusmedia.com or contact antonette.jones@argusmedia.com for more information.
Kentucky
Washington, D.C.
Iowa
To become a Certified Binder Technician, a candidate must have work experience with the testing of asphalt binders for compliance with the PG spec (AASHTO M320); either 6 months experience or 60 days working under an NBTC certified tech; and a completed application form and approval for the certification class. Get the NBTC Certification Application at www.asphaltinstitute.org to begin the registration process for the March 4 through 6, 2014, program at Asphalt Institute headquarters in Lexington, Ky.
A House bill containing three environmental measures seeks to reduce the coverage of environmental regulations from the Environmental Protection Agency and urge compliance with rules made at the state level. The House Energy and Commerce Committee approved the measures separately, and the bill could advance to the House floor. However, the House Rules Committee still needs to schedule a date for writing procedures for voting on the bill. Source: AGC
safety spotlight
Battle Burnout: Motivate Safety By Erick Lauber, Ph.D.
E
mployees around the world sometimes lose sight of what makes their work worthwhile. They get run down, burnt out and de-motivated. At times like these it can be difficult for anyone to enjoy work, find the old levels of motivation and energy, and above all stay safe. To help employees, look at the underlying causes. Why do any of us enjoy work? Can we re-ignite those causes in our own work environment? The answer is yes, there are at least six different reasons why we enjoy work, ignoring money, of course.
Inner Accomplishment—Give Employees View of the Goal The remarkable time and energy some people put into their work can only be understood as an “inner drive.” They simply want to achieve that goal. It can be described as “taking pride in one’s work” or a sense that “this is what I was meant to do.” Whether the objectives are shortterm or long-term, making progress toward a goal makes all of us feel good.
The Greater Good Many of us are also motivated by a sense of community. The feeling that we are part of something larger and that life isn’t just about our own individual needs and wants. This particular joy and peace is experienced by millions as they volunteer for church or service club tasks, but it can also be encouraged in the workplace. For example, it is claimed many Asian/Eastern companies reinforce this message. Clearly many Americans are also motivated by community considerations.
Personal Relationships Many get enjoyment from the individual relationships they experience at work. It helps them look forward to each day. The laughter, the camaraderie, the forgiveness and even the occasional stress are all something they enjoy and know they wouldn’t want to live without. But not everyone is the same, and certainly we’re not all our best self every single day. En8 february 2014
lightened managers respect this basic human need to connect with others and allow it, if not encourage it, in their workplace. Have your managers given your employees the opportunities to connect with others?
Asphalt professionals typically aren’t lacking in the area of physical exertion. Sense of Team Similarly, some people enjoy a special sense of completeness and wholeness by experiencing “team.” In the workplace, many employers work hard to encourage this shared identity by conducting internal public relations and messaging campaigns. For quieter teammates, a sense of camaraderie might provide an extremely important opportunity to connect and feel like they belong.
Physical Exertion For some, a special sense of joy comes from physical exertion, and the absence of it makes any job less appealing. It just doesn’t feel like work if they aren’t breaking a sweat or doing battle with the weather. Asphalt professionals typically aren’t lacking in this area. We all know how endorphins can give us a slight high. And everyone knows about the stress-management benefits from working out. For the members of your team who do have more sedentary jobs, do you offer a “get in shape” program?
Mental Challenges Finally, a great many of us enjoy the special mental feeling that comes from exercising our creativity or satisfying our curiosity. The small euphoria that comes from developing something new or conquering a complex problem can be for a big part of enjoying work for some. Do you know whether your employees are incredibly bored or frustrated by their tasks? Is it time for a promotion, or perhaps a little job engineering to offer a chance at being more creative?
“Why” is the Answer to “How” What can be done more generally to help employees enjoy their work? The answer is simple: treat the cause, not the symptoms. Instead of worrying about symptoms like aggressive behavior or poor attitude, employees and employers can create a more enjoyable work environment by directly addressing one or more of these common denominators. Why not casually interview an employee about whether he or she feels connected to coworkers? Why not ask “is this job challenging enough?” or “would you like the opportunity to be more creative?” Stepping back and reflecting on each of these six motivators can guide any manager or employee toward a more enjoyable work place. Getting employees tuned into the workplace and excited about their performance can bring them back to a more alert and safer mindset. Erick Lauber, Ph.D., is an applied psychologist and faculty member at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. He speaks and consults on leadership, personal growth and development. He has won 19 educational TV/film awards and has been published in numerous psychology journals. His video log is located at www.LifeFraming.org. For more information, contact him at www.ErickLauber.com or (724) 464-7460.
Did You Know? The Dec. 9, 2013, online edition of Claims Journal reported that the Wisconsin legislature is working on a bill that would ban motorists’ use of cell phones in construction zones. Marathon County Highway Commissioner James Griesbach requested the bill; Republican Senator Jerry Petrowski drafted the proposal. Its intent, according to Claims Journal, is to protect road workers and reduce distracted driving. “The ban would only be in place when workers are present in the construction zones….Under his proposal, violators could face fines of between $20 and $40 for a first offense and up to $100 for a second offense.”
that's a good idea
Protect Mat Smoothness Cleaning Push Rollers
G
iven the importance of smooth pavements for the end user, paving crews must be extra careful about keeping the asphalt mat clean and smooth. You don’t want cool, dry, chunks of mix to fall off the push rollers of the paver onto the lane where your new mat is about to be laid. That chunk will represent an area of low density or missed compaction. Consider also how difficult it is for push rollers to turn if they’re caked with asphalt mix or material you haven’t cleaned in recent weeks. The rollers’ job is to roll and facilitate
10 february 2014
the easy movement of the haul truck and tractor as the paver pushes the raised truck down the paving lane. If the push rollers don’t roll because they’re caked with gunk, you’ll have slips and catches that jar the machines; this not only causes loose material to fall resulting in material segregation, but also transfers ripples to the mat under the screed. Neither is good for smoothness. One way to keep push rollers clean and operating well is to spray them with a proper release agent before and throughout the paving shift.
By John Ball
The other important item is maintenance. Clean up the paver, tractor, screed, etc., and don’t forget the push rollers. A hot mix will soften the material that’s caked to the machine and you can remove it with a putty knife, but if you’re working with cooled equipment at the end of a shift, you may need to take a sledgehammer to chip off the old, chunked asphalt. The goal is to have push rollers that turn easily with no interference. John Ball is the proprietor of Top Quality Paving, Manchester, N.H. For more information, contact him at (603) 493-1458 or tqpaving@ yahoo.com.
project management
12 february 2014
LEFT and ABOVE: Adrian Hernandez, a screed operator for the crew, stands on one end of the string. We don’t mark from one dot to another dot; we mark from a fixed point. Adrian is holding that fixed point in position. At any time, a crew member can look back and guide easily from him.
String Theory
A
ny paving crew will agree that marking out your boundaries before milling or paving is important. In this article, we’ll take a look at how to mark the job correctly so that the whole project flows more smoothly. Lining out the first pass is vital because it sets up the subsequent passes for success or failure. The images in this article show the APAC South crew preparing for the first pass of open-graded friction course (OGFC) for the surface course of Alexander Street, which is a new construction of full depth asphalt in Florida from the summer of 2013. There are three more passes after this one. By lining out this first pass correctly, with straight lines that start and stop where they should, the crew sets itself up to line out the next pass and the pass after that correctly as well. But if the crew makes a mistake or
does sloppy work on this first pass, the mistakes will carry through the job with a domino effect. There’s a lot to marking line that you wouldn’t think of unless you’ve done it before. You can’t send the new guy out there with a can of paint and expect him to create a flawless pattern for your paver operator to follow. In fact, the crew members in these examples have worked together for a few years now and help one another learn proper techniques. A team member who has a couple years of experience can teach a new guy how to line out a job in less than a day; then they can work together to hone the new employee’s skills. Normally only three workers mark the lines and that is sufficient to get the job done correctly and efficiently. You’ll see in these examples that the APAC crew worked in a closed work zone and had sev-
By John Ball
en workers marking lines because we had two sections of the project being marked at the same time. Keep in mind that your company can subcontract the marking. Oftentimes, the subcontractor who will do the striping at the end of the job is asked to mark out the project as well. Only the bigger striping companies are going to have the arsenal of equipment required to do marking of lines as well as striping. These different applications require different nozzle tips and spray widths for the paint guns or walk-behind paint machines. They also use different types of paint. Striping paint will last a long time, even through rain, because it’s permanent paint. Your marking paint doesn’t need to be permanent, but it does need to be vibrant. For daytime milling or paving, I recommend red or pink paint. For nighttime milling or paving, you want www.theasphaltpro.com | ASPHALT PRO 13
project management
LEFT: Pat Longstreet is the paving foreman for this great crew, but he didn’t join them for their photo opp. From left, back row: Martin Hernandez used to only dump trucks and now runs the broom, runs the back roller and dumps trucks; Mike Raley is a new guy on the crew; Javier Argega is the breakdown roller operator; Hans Hoth is the rubber-tire roller operator; and Chris Longstreet is the right-hand screed operator. From left, front row: Lani Mojado is the paver operator; Adrian Hernandez is the left-hand screed operator. The crew has been together several years and did a great job on this new construction project. ABOVE: Javier Argega is the breakdown roller operator on the crew, but he knows how to mark lines to help get the passes straight. BELOW: A clean surface makes a smooth surface easier to attain.
14 february 2014
project management
These 34-inch marking wands are plastic and can break easily so you want to have several on your job site when it’s paving day.
ABOVE LEFT: You want 1/8-inch-thick or ¼-inch-thick nylon string, which doesn’t break or knot up easily. What we have here is bailing wire that knotted up. When material knots up, it’s difficult to get a straight line. The nylon string that I recommend actually slides on the pavement—and you want it to lie on the pavement and slide easily for ease of use. When dispensing the string, your best tool is a wheel. If you leave the string in a ball, it can get loose or form a knot or become a mess. I recommend a wheel to make dispensing easier. ABOVE RIGHT: The whole crew worked together to mark lines at one point. They were double-marking the lane and met in the middle. This is obviously faster than using only two or three workers to mark. You can see that the pink string is already down on the lane. It’s a couple of inches from the bottom joint because we will offset the joints as we pave. The two men in the foreground are painting on top of the string, walking toward each other. The brand of paint they’re using is called Aervoe.
207 white ground traffic paint because you can’t see the red or pink. The brands of paint I typically recommend are Aervoe from Gardenville, Nevada, and Krylon from Solon, Ohio. They come upside down. They’re 17 ounces each. You can get paint anywhere, but this is special paint and has a special tip. It’s not for painting sideways. It’s for painting upside down. When you put the paint can into the marking stick, it has the knob on it with a trigger and it paints. Usually, the marking stick has a wheel on it, but you’re not always on a flat surface when you’re marking out a job. That’s the first thing we throw away when we take it out of the box. I don’t know how many times I’ve been out in the field and I’ve seen guys with16 february 2014
out the marking stick. They just bend over and spray the line. That’s crazy. They need the marking stick to sight the line. You cannot mark a line bending over for any distance. You want to have one of these marking sticks to get a straight line and save your back. The most difficult part of marking out the lines is going around corners. Think of the turn like a jump rope laying on the ground rather than a right angle. You have to put the string down in that u-shape for the corner for the curve. You need more than one worker to get this maneuver right. Think of it as painting a radius— that’s why you have a couple of workers to help you. One worker holds his position at the beginning of the turn; one worker
holds his position at the end of the turn. The third worker lays the string in the ushape—or semi-circle—between them and paints the line along the string. Once the crew has the first pass lined out with string and paint, the team members can prepare the second, third and subsequent passes. Because they judge where the subsequent passes begin and end based off the initial measurements and lines, that first pass must be perfect. Make sure you use the right tools for the job and employ best practices to get it right for a top quality pavement. John Ball is the proprietor of Top Quality Paving, Manchester, N.H. For more information, contact him at (603) 493-1458 or tqpaving@yahoo.com.
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producer profile
20 february 2014
Anton, East Coast Asphalt’s plant manager gazes with well-deserved pride at his operation. Almost all of Much Asphalt’s plants that I visited were of the same configuration as this plant. They could run at 90 to 150 tonne per hour with an elevated parallel flow drum mixer feeding into a cable skip loader. All photos courtesy of Cliff Mansfield
The Flights Down in Africa Adjust what’s in the drum to adjust burner efficiency By Cliff Mansfield
S
ometimes my job affords me the opportunity to travel to some truly special places. One such place is South Africa where Brian Neville with Much Asphalt Ltd. in Benoni invited me to analyze their operations on a day-to-day basis. My work began in East London, S.A. This little jewel is the prettiest city I visited in South Africa. It’s on the southeastern coast right on the ocean. The next bit of land to the south is Antarctica. This area of South Africa is famous for viewing the Southern Right Whale and I saw a number of the majestic creatures. We went to the East Coast Asphalt division offices first. Almost all of Much Asphalt’s plants that I visited were of the same configuration as this plant. They run 90 to 150 tonne per hour, with an elevated parallel flow drum mixer feeding into a cable skip loader. www.theasphaltpro.com | ASPHALT PRO 21
producer profile
The skip loaders are essentially large buckets mounted on four steel wheeled carts. They hold eight to twelve tons of hot mix, depending on the size of the plant. At its lowered position the skip loader parks under a large drum discharge hopper. This hopper is built to contain the drum’s hot mix discharge while the skip loader is in transit and also build up a sufficient load to fill the skip loader. When there is enough material to fill the loader this hopper discharges, filling the loader. Then a cable wench system pulls the loader up to the appropriate silo and empties it. At that point the loader returns to the loadout position and awaits another batch to transport. This type of silo loader is rare in the United States, but very common in Eu22 february 2014
rope and Africa. I have seen a few in South America, but not many. I had one on a plant I operated in the mid ’70s, but the cable broke and the whole thing came crashing down and destroyed itself. We replaced it with a drag conveyor. At this point I would like to mention that every one of the plants I visited was clean, squared away and very well maintained by Much Asphalt’s highly professional staff. It’s my job to find—and help fix—flaws in the most well maintained facilities. None of my comments are meant to cast any doubt on the abilities of these fine people. Almost every one of them impressed me with their knowledge of their plants and their ability to operate and maintain them.
As I looked over the plant in East London I came upon what became a ubiquitous problem with all of the company’s asphalt plants: poor flight design. At this facility the flighting design was so inefficient that the personnel devised a door at the baghouse inlet to bleed cold air into the exhaust system to prevent overheating the baghouse and burning the bags. A Problem: Imagine the drum in Picture A (below) is the face of a clock, with the drum rotating counter-clockwise. By looking closely at the flights you will notice that they will all empty their load of aggregate by about 11:00. The veil will be very dense on the uphill side of drum rotation, leaving the flights empty not far past straight up. That will leave a gaping hole
LEFT: The view of the Pomona plant in the Much Asphalt Ltd. family clearly illustrates the skip loader system used on the drum plant—instead of a slat conveyor—to load material into the silo. BELOW: The Pomona plant in the Much Asphalt Ltd. family uses a single touch-screen control system.
on the left side for superheated air to get through to the baghouse inlet. A Solution: This should be addressed immediately because this superheated air is overheating the baghouse and simply wasting whatever heat goes out the exhaust stack. Wasted heat equals wasted money. A proper flight design would have stages of flights that empty at various stages around the drum. I recommend shallow flights that start spilling at about 3:00 and empty at about 1:00. Medium “L” flights start spilling at about 1:00 and empty at about 11:00. Hooked “J” flights start spilling at about 11:00 and empty at about 9:00. In this configuration the area of veil covers the entire cross-section of the drum and does not allow a free path for the superheated airstream to reach the baghouse. A Problem: If you look at the mixing end of the drum you will notice that they are using veiling flights to mix the aggregate and asphalt cement (AC). I do not recommend this. As the asphalt coated rock is veiled through the superheated airstream from the poor flight design in the drying zone, the liquid asphalt is burned and produces blue smoke. (Keep in mind, the airstream would not be superheated with an efficient flighting design.) A Solution: I design “Finger” flights to simply roll the hot mix around on the drum shell and blend it together. This keeps it out of the airstream and almost eliminates the blue smoke. As it happened Much Asphalt Ltd. was in the process of building a new drum to go on the East London plant and had just finished the shell. I love a blank canvas, so I designed them a set of flights and in the process I convinced them to build a combustion bell on the burner end. The larger area inside this bell allows more volume for the combustion process to take place, which contributes to fuel efficiency and emissions control. The company is also installing a new Hauck burner. At the next facility, the company’s Eikenhof batch plant, I was impressed www.theasphaltpro.com | ASPHALT PRO 23
producer profile
above: Brian Neville of Much Asphalt Ltd.
again with the cleanliness of the facility and with its operational maintenance. However it didn’t take long to discover a flaw at this facility. A Problem: The plant was running and I noticed that the burner was blowing flame back out of the breeching. Also, the flame color was dark orange. This generally indicates over-fueling, but other things also contribute to the condition, such as low air-flow through the baghouse. One major contributor to these conditions is aggregate veiling through the flame. As the aggregate rains through the flame, it disrupts the combustion process and causes poor fuel economy. 24 february 2014
A Solution: Because the combustion flights in the drum were worn out and the same inefficient design as the East London plant’s drum was in place, the solution to get the burner tuned was to fix the flight configuration. We spent the rest of the day at the Eikenhof plant discussing operational problems. One issue that we discussed was the difficulty of getting liquid AC during the peak demand season. This is an issue for the smaller suppliers, but Much Asphalt is a very large company; management was able to increase the liquid storage capacity at each facility. Some of the plants have as much as 500 tonnes of liq-
uid storage, which allows them to make almost 9,000 tonnes of hot mix uninterrupted. Keep in mind; most of their plants produce less than 200 tonnes per hour so this gives them a full week of operations at these plants. Much Asphalt Ltd. has managed to mitigate the downtime due to shortages in this way, but Neville said that occasionally they are forced to bring in a shipload of AC from outside the area. Let that sink in. A shipload of AC from outside the area. I cannot even imagine what that must cost. For most companies I know of, that would simply not be an option. The next day we travelled to one of their highest producing facilities in Pomona.
producer profile
The Eikenhof batch plant in the Much Asphalt Ltd. family is clean and squared away. It’s a pleasure to work on plants like this.
26 february 2014
Like the East London plant this one is a drum plant. It has the same configuration, except this one is a counter-flow dryer with a mixing drum. As I watched it run it became clear that I was seeing a pattern. Look at the burner in Picture D. You can see the tendrils of flame blowing backward and the resulting heat damage to the heat shields. This prompted me to examine the flighting in this drum as well. As before, I saw the same flawed flight design. This drum is a bit larger than the East London plant’s drum so I needed to design a little different flight pattern for it, but the concept was the same: create a veil that covered the cross-section of the drum and prevented overheated air from passing through to the baghouse. I visited other plants in the Much Asphalt Ltd. family while I was there and they exhibited similar burner/flighting issues. As a result of what I saw I’m confident that I’ll be able to help this company become more competitive in their market. One of the things that stands out in my memory is the company’s emphasis on
Safety is depicted in many ways, including the use of toothy reptiles! Stairs…they be tougher in some places.
www.theasphaltpro.com | ASPHALT PRO 27
producer profile
A
B
C
Picture A. The East Coast Asphalt drum rotates counter-clockwise. If you look closely at the original flight design pictured here, you can see that the flights are empty by 11:00, which leaves a hole in the veil. Picture B. In this picture, you can see an open door the plant crew created at the point where the ductwork enters the baghouse. That air bleed is designed to cool down high air temperatures exiting the drum and entering the baghouse. This addressed a symptom, not the problem East Coast Asphalt had. Picture C. In this view, imagine the drum rotating clockwise. You can see veiling flights in the mixing zone, which is not the best place for them. You want to keep the hot mix next to the drum; not in the hot airstream.
D
E
F
Picture D. The heat from this badly tuned burner is distorting the heat shield and the drum end plate. Vitrified sand is piled up under the burner. Turned to glass by heat, this material offers a clue to what is wrong. Picture E. You can see the flame tendril reaching back at the base of the burner’s overly-orange flame. This is the original problem we set out to solve. Picture F. These worn out combustion flights allow aggregate to rain through the burner flame. This disrupts the burner process and can cause flame to blow back out of the drum, as in the accompanying pictures D and E.
This is a drying drum that rotates counter-clockwise. The first two rows of flights are combustion flights, which isn’t the configuration I typically recommend. Look closely at the drying flights to see that they will be empty when they reach about 11:00. As with the configuration in Picture A on page xx, this will leave a hole in the veil down the left side of the drum through which superheated air can pass to the baghouse. You don’t want a situation like that occurring. 28 february 2014
safety. In the states, we have danger signs and, as of Dec. 1, 2013, companies were to have employees trained in the recognition of hazard communication pictograms to be in compliance with OSHA’s Global Harmonization System (GHS). In South Africa they want to be sure you get the point with extra flair! Apparently the universal sign of danger there is a crocodile. Even stairs present a challenge in some places (See pictures on page xx). All fun aside, they exhibit a level of safety awareness that I would like to see at all asphalt plants around the world Cliff Mansfield is an asphalt plant engineer and a freelance writer specializing in asphalt plants. For more information, contact him at (541) 352-7941 or send him your question through the “Ask the Expert” form on the home page at www.TheAsphaltPro.com.
32 february 2014
Two of the best “old� technologies still in use are the straight edge and the lute. Paving crews who commonly use these tools properly tend to build quality, smooth roads. Photo courtesy of John Ball, Top Quality Paving.
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Choose Your Smooth Technology By Jarrett Welch
echnology is a driving force in every facet of our industry today. With new technology comes new specifications that will help us, and the roadways perform as desired and expected. Smoothness of the road is a great example of how technology and specifications have merged to deliver better, quality roads. With the development and implementation of the high-speed inertial profiler (HSP), we have seen numerous agencies adopt specs using this improved profile technology. The HSP uses data measured by laser-based height sensors in combination with an inertial system to calculate values in relation to the International Roughness Index (IRI). The device also has the ability to identify areas of localized roughness, as well as the bumps and dips that may be present in the pavement surface. With the capability to measure and define the roughness of a pavement surface to near exactness, we in the asphalt pavement industry have to use good quality practices in in all aspects of the design and construction processes to build a smooth pavement for the traveling public. Building a smooth pavement should begin in the project design process with the specifying agency having a keen understanding of their specified criteria, and its influence on constructability. There are many factors that can influence smoothness, and how well a contractor can deliver a smooth pavement will depend on the thought process used during the design development. For overlays, an important item to identify is the type and condition of the existing pavement. This step determines what type of action is necessary on how to best improve the roadway. Several questions need to be raised during the design development; does the pavement need to be milled, cracks to be repaired, are there curb lines to match? Are there structural deficiencies present
www.theasphaltpro.com | ASPHALT PRO 33
Using the straight edge to check transverse joints and the roller’s gauges to monitor impacts per foot, the crew with its collective mind on quality control has a better chance at meeting smoothness specs than the crew who forgets about attention to detail. Photos courtesy of John Ball, Top Quality Paving.
and if so, what is the method of remedy? What is the mix type and thickness, and is the road to be constructed during the day or night? Answering these and potentially many more questions will help the overall objective of constructing a smooth, quality road. The design process is a factor that the contracting community typically does not have a voice in unless it is a design-build project, it will ultimately be the contractor who will have to construct the roadway to the specified criteria. For a contractor bidding a project, there are several factors that need to be considered for producing a smooth pavement. Having a pre-bid meeting not only to determine what the estimated cost will be, but also how to efficiently and effectively produce the best desired results, would be a good idea. Have the project estimator interact with key personnel involved in this process—the construction manager, paving superintendent, quality control manager, asphalt plant manager, equipment manager, etc. This will help in determining both cost and constructability. A forum of these key players will result in good conversation and idea sharing that will be invaluable. Also take into consideration the crew size, production targets, equipment and phasing as it relates to smoothness. A well thought out plan going into the bid is just as important as submitting an estimated cost to construct the project. Once the contract is awarded, the contractor has a pretty good idea of how he is going to construct the project overall. Now is the time to hammer out the details, and put the plan into action. One big detail that shouldn’t be overlooked is the mix design; the designer should always take smoothness into account when designing the asphalt to be used. Developing an asphalt mix design that is of high quality and workability for the crew placing the material correctly will pay dividends. When you have the flexibility, you want mixes that compact well, require little handwork and are less prone to segregation. This will help the paving crew focus 34 february 2014
The high-speed inertial profiler is great technology that not only measures pavement smoothness, but also shows us where we are deficient in our process. Using this technology prior to, during and after construction with known best practices enables us as an industry to build quality, smooth asphalt pavement for the enjoyment of the traveling public. Photos courtesy Jarrett Welch, Quality Paving Consultants.
on other pertinent factors, and make for a better product. Much of the criteria for a mix design are outlined in specs; however, job mix formulas can be developed to account for workability and constructability, and reduce issues up front. Having a good asphalt mix design is a good starting point, but will mean very little if it can’t be produced in a consistent manner. The aggregate crushing, handling of the material by transferring and stockpiling, and the loading and feeding of the material during the production of the asphalt mix is critical. Aggregate crushing should be monitored throughout the process to assure for uniformity of its physical characteristics. As materials are handled they are prone to segregation, and care should be taken to mini36 february 2014
mize the amount that will inevitably take place. Building stockpiles that are kept separate of one another will provide for good uniformity, and for drainage too, which is a must. When handling the material from the stockpile and loading feeder bins at the plant, the operator needs to work the full face of the pile and keep the materials from intermingling in the bins. Should the aggregates have differential moisture conditions or segregation present in the pile, pre-blending with the loader will help homogenize the material and make for more consistent production. The asphalt plant in itself has a tremendous effect on roadway smoothness. When the plant is having issues consistently producing the mix, the paving crew undoubtedly will have consistency issues
on its end. If plant production rates are sporadic and the paving crew attempts to match productions at the plant, bad things happen. Plant speeds that are fluctuating will also mean that the material is fluctuating, and could adversely affect the mix properties, yielding differential compaction. Drastic changes in speed will attribute to erratic screed adjustments and rolling patterns, and will in turn affect the smoothness. Matching a consistent plant speed with the placement speed is critical in producing a smooth pavement. The paving superintendent and the plant operator will need to be on the same page for targeting tons per hour, throughout the day. When both the plant and crew are in harmony, so will be the quality.
The high-speed inertial profiler uses data measured by laser-based height sensors in combination with an inertial system to calculate values in relation to the International Roughness Index (IRI). Photo courtesy Jarrett Welch, Quality Paving Consultants.
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Booth 50327
When it comes down to whether or not the pavement ends up award-winning smooth, it is the entire paving crew who it will ultimately depend upon. There are a lot of good paving crews in our industry that can work miracles with all of the variables that exist during the production and placement of asphalt. These crews know what the best practices are, and follow them; however, this depends on existing roadway conditions and a general rule of thumb is a 50 percent IRI improvement for each pavement layer used for smoothness correction. Using the HSP initially prior to construction will benefit the contractor in knowing the IRI values up front and will enable them to develop a plan during construction. Going back to the pre-bid meeting for a moment, the crew needs to be properly equipped to perform their task in building smooth, quality pavement. In building a smooth pavement, a material transfer vehicle (MTV) is highly recommended for those projects that can sufficiently use it. Having the right equipment such as an MTV on a project can be very useful and beneficial. An MTV helps decrease the mix variability, and
eliminates trucks from impacting the paver when backing up. When a truck makes contact with a paver, it will cause the screed to rise and fall creating an irregularity in the pavement, which an HSP will pick up during the profile. Grade controls for the paving machine are another type of technology that has benefited our industry, and proper paver setup is critical. Grade controls that use sonic trackers, slope sensors, laser receivers, or sonic averaging lasers that have contact or non-contact with skis, have significantly contributed to smoother pavements. These sensors recognize changes on the surface of the grade and allow the paver to automatically make adjustments to correct for proper elevation. In addition to grade controls, the paving machine needs to be well maintained, and checked over to assure that all the components are in good working order. If the paving crew has a good paver with good grade control, it will help build smoothness. The size, type and number of rollers used in the compaction process will also contribute to smoothness. Roller opera-
tors with the help of quality control need to establish a pattern that is conducive to both compaction and smoothness requirements. Having a double drum vibratory roller with amplitude and frequency settings that result in impacts per foot outside of the recommended 10 to 14 impacts per foot zone, can create chatter in the pavement and be seen on a profile. Operators have to be cognizant of their speed, settings and location within the pattern at all times. Sudden starts and stops or sharp turns with a roller can detrimentally impact the smoothness of the pavement. Again, consistency is key, and especially so with the rolling process. Two of the best “old� technologies still in use are the straight edge and the lute. Paving crews who commonly use these tools properly tend to build quality, smooth roads. Transverse joints or the tie-ins to existing pavement from a take-off are common sources of abnormalities that present themselves not only on a profile, but also in the seat of your pants. A paving crew who uses a straight edge while constructing these transverse joints can resolve a prob-
lem before there is one. Using a straight edge transversely across the pavement behind the paver periodically, will also assure the screed is adjusted and operating properly. Using the lute can be a double-edged sword. A lute operator who feels the need to stay busy by bumping and broadcasting material across the mat will contribute to poor smoothness. On the other hand, a lute operator who knows when to use it to fix surface irregularities, adjust tie-in grades from a take-off, or bump material for longitudinal joints without broadcasting, will contribute in achieving the end goal. The high-speed inertial profiler is great technology that not only measures pavement smoothness, but also shows us where we are deficient in our process. Using this technology prior to, during and after construction with known best practices, enables us as an industry to build a quality, smooth asphalt pavement for the enjoyment of the traveling public. Jarrett Welch is the proprietor of Quality Paving Consultants in Colorado. For more information, contact him at (970) 361-1525 or qualitypavingconsultants@gmail.com.
Dillman builds tough equipment. Equipment that performs reliably for years. Equipment you can count on to produce high quality asphalt mix. Full plants. Single components. Individual parts.
Dillman gets the job done
Roundabout Revolution By Tom Kuennen
40 february 2014
LEFT: The Blythe crew matches the joint of the inner lane with the outer lane of the roundabout with the wheeled Vögele Vision 5203-2 paver as they place the final 3 inches of surface course. BELOW: There’s nothing prettier than a smooth asphalt mat to create a scenic and safe center-of-town roundabout. All photos courtesy of Wirtgen Americas, Nashville.
A
road feature constructed in suburban Charlotte, N.C., last summer is part of a trend in the United States toward replacing conventional crossstreet intersections with congestion- and accident-reducing roundabouts. The roundabout is a type of intersection that requires entering traffic to yield the right of way to traffic already in the roundabout. This keeps the traffic in the roundabout flowing and prevents traffic backups and delays. Modern roundabouts tend to be considerably smaller than traffic circles we see in the United States, and require vehicles to travel at lower speeds, reports the North Carolina Department of Transportation (DOT). Because of the higher speeds of the vehicles in traffic circles, generally they operate less efficiently and have higher crash rates than roundabouts. As an alternative to the classic intersection, roundabouts have benefits, according to a new study from the Michigan DOT. “They’re prized for their ability to control speeds, reduce congestion and enhance safety compared with traditional intersections,” the DOT reported in its November 2013 newsletter, Research Update.
Enhance Town Hall As of this summer, North Carolina has one more roundabout in the Town of Weddington just south of Charlotte, and Blythe Brothers Asphalt Company and its new Vögele Vision 5203-2 paver had a big hand in it. There, the North Carolina DOT replaced a T-intersection with a roundabout. www.theasphaltpro.com | ASPHALT PRO 41
“We are building a new roundabout in front of the Weddington town hall,” Gaylor “Gator” Rattz, paving foreman for Blythe Brothers, said. Blythe placed 3,200 tons of base and binder, and 1,200 tons of surface mix. The roundabout is two lanes in width, with a foot of hot-mix asphalt, including 5 inches of base mix, 4 inches of binder mix and 3 inches of surface mix. The new roundabout showcases the area in front of the Weddington town hall, and adjacent elegant Southernstyle buildings, and features new concrete curbs and gutters and a fountain in the center. 42 february 2014
For this work Blythe preferred the 10-foot wheeled paver over a tracked paver for a couple of reasons. “We don’t get stuck nearly as much with the rubber tires,” Rattz said. “You can run back across the mix without making the marks a tracked paver would.” Bob McKinney, the Blythe asphalt operations manager explained his preference of a wheeled paver. “The machine is more versatile for our operations than a track paver would be. We need maneuverability plus flotation in our operation, which is why we went with a wheeled paver.” Blythe acquired the 10-foot paver in early 2013 and had good luck with it right away, according to Rattz. “Pulling-wise,
the visual of the mat looks a lot better. We demo’ed one and decided to keep it. The crew picked right up on it, and had the hang of it after a half-day.” Nonetheless advisors from distributor Linder Industrial Machinery Company and Wirtgen America stayed on several days to keep the break-in process smooth. Although Blythe had owned other types of leveling systems, company management selected the Niveltronic leveling system from Vögele for its new paver. “We thought it was better integrated with the paver,” Rattz said. “It’s a great automatic system, and is easy to set up and easy to run without screed men.”
Round Out Motorist Safety The next time a traditional concrete intersection in your county needs to be replaced with a full-depth, perpetual asphalt pavement, take the design a step further. Talk to city planners about turning the typical T-intersection into something Michigan DOT has found to be safer and not pricy. Michigan DOT’s safety analysis of roundabouts built from 2001 to 2009 found that all types of roundabout conversions led to a decrease in injury crashes. The economic benefits were clear with reduced road user delays valued at more than $500,000 per year for a single-lane roundabout, with greater benefits for larger roundabouts such as the one Blythe Brothers Asphalt Company paved for North Carolina. While the initial cost of a roundabout can be greater than a conventional intersection, Michigan DOT’s consultant calculated a return on investment of less than two years for all sizes of roundabouts. He attributed this quick ROI to the large reduction in crashes at many of the intersections and the benefits associated with reduced congestion. The cumulative number of roundabouts has increased dramatically since their introduction to the United States, according to a 2010 report, An Analytical Review of Statewide Roundabout Programs and Policies, by Georgia Tech’s Alek Pochowski. He found that since 1990, several states have stood out as leaders in the construction of
roundabouts, including Washington, California, Colorado, Florida, North Carolina, Virginia and Maryland, with each having more than 50 roundabouts as of 2007.
Michigan DOT’s consultant calculated a return on investment of less than two years for all sizes of roundabouts. “Roundabouts help address safety and congestion concerns at intersections,” according to the North Carolina DOT. “They are designed to enhance traffic efficiency, safety and aesthetics, and minimize delay and cost for all users including motorists, pedestrians and bicyclists.” Roundabouts enhance safety compared to conventional stop intersections because with roundabouts, “t-bone,” left turn and head-on collisions are reduced because vehicles travel in the same direction at a lower speed, the DOT says in a brochure. “In North Carolina, crashes of all types have been reduced by almost half where roundabouts have been installed at existing intersection locations,” the DOT says.
With automation in place and a wheeled paver to maneuver the turns of the roundabout, the Blythe crew created a smooth and fancy traffic-moving feature for the Town of Weddington.
ABOVE: Blythe crew members take quality control seriously and check each lift of the 12-inch asphalt structure for excellent compaction numbers. SIDEBAR: To replace a T-intersection with a roundabout may take a few extra dollars upfront, but the installations are shown to pay for themselves in reduced accident costs and reduced congestion in approximately two years. Here a couple members of the Blythe Brothers Asphalt Paving crew place the 3-inch surface course of the outer lane of a two-lane roundabout in the City of Weddington, N.C. www.theasphaltpro.com | ASPHALT PRO 43
removetons NovaPick™ diamonds meet tight airport deadline By Pete Kennedy
46 february 2014
LEFT: To mill 14,000 tons in less than 20 hours, Delta Contracting of Haw River, N.C., put seven of its 18 milling machines on the job. BELOW: NovaPick™ Diamond Picks consist of manufactured polycrystalline diamonds, or PCD. Proprietary technology uses high pressure (1 million pounds per square inch) and high temperature (3000o F) to interlock the diamond grains into the stinger tip, which is set on the carbide body. The NovaPick is non-rotating. It’s one piece that fits several drum types and doesn’t require an additional tool holder.
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he Tri-Cities Regional Airport milling job in Johnson City, Tenn., sounded like a good one: Work with a reputable, organized general contractor and remove the kind of tonnage that helps a company maximize its fleet investment. But there was a challenge, too. The team had to remove the required 14,000 tons in 20 hours. The general contractor, Summers-Taylor, knew the time constraint was significant and turned to milling firm Delta Contracting of Haw River, N.C., for help. Delta has worked with Summers-Taylor on a number of interstate jobs, and Delta’s productivity—not to mention its fleet size of 18 mills—is well known in the region. Eric P. Long, vice president of Delta, met with Summers-Taylor, and the two firms decided using diamond mill bits was the best milling practice given the timeframe. They made the decision to equip
five of the seven mills on the jobsite with NovaPick™ Diamond Picks, which are designed and manufactured by Novatek. The mills went to work on a Friday night and finished in 19 hours—an hour ahead of schedule. “There is no way that job would have been completed in that time without the diamond picks,” Long said. “They made the difference.”
Best Practices The Delta crew found many advantages to using NovaPicks on display on the Johnson City jobsite. For Long, fuel savings is at the top of the list. “The diamond picks reduce fuel consumption anywhere from 10 percent to 15 percent,” he said. “The diamonds stay sharp, and that’s easier on the engine. It doesn’t have to work as hard, and therefore doesn’t burn as much fuel. The engine runs at consistent RPMs.” www.theasphaltpro.com | ASPHALT PRO 47
48 february 2014
LEFT: The diamond picks leave behind a surface that appears micro-milled, Eric Long said. “It’s a tight pattern,” he said. “The milling surface looks a whole lot better, and that leads to better smoothness when the surface is placed.” RIGHT: Eric Long is the vice president of Delta Contracting, Haw River, N.C. BELOW: When improving your paving practices, look to the efficiency of the preparation-topave. When you improve the engagement time of the mill, you will have more efficient use of support equipment as well. The trucks, brooms and clean-up crew don’t sit idle if you have well-maintained and consistently performing mills running in echelon or in an organized manner.
The consistent height of the picks offered benefits for Long as well. “We ran GPS on the airport job,” Long said. “From the beginning, we had to measure height to set stations. If we had run carbide, we would have been wearing teeth down, and would have had to adjust during the night. With NovaPicks, we just set sail because we never lost height on our tools. They stayed the same.”
Diamond Past Long and his team started working with NovaPick diamond bits two years before the airport milling job. Their inaugura-
“Two of the four teeth we lost were damaged while taking the mill off the trailer. We had two teeth go down that entire job.”
tion occurred on a job with abrasive, river-rock material. The required cut was 2.5 inches, and the team removed 450,000 square yards. At first Delta used carbide bits, but they only lasted a few hours. Change-outs were required two or three times per day. “It was really tough material,” Long said, describing the river-rock job. “We struggled with productivity. We seemed to spend more time changing bits than actually milling.” Delta then switched to NovaPick. “We changed out four teeth the rest of the job, which lasted a few more weeks,” Long said.
“Two of the four teeth we lost were damaged while taking the mill off the trailer. We had two teeth go down that entire job.” The bits remained productive after the river-rock job. Some of the bits used on the regional airport job more than a year later were at work on that first job—and many other jobs in between. For the airport project, the bits proved valuable in keeping the subcontractor moving. The Tri-Cities Regional Airport job was what the team would call an unqualified success. Productivity, fuel savings and consistency came together to deliver great results for Summers-Taylor, Delta Contracting and the airport. www.theasphaltpro.com | ASPHALT PRO 49
conexpo preview
Asphalt’s Happening in Vegas Preview latest technology, updates for your construction niche
By Sandy Lender
Powerscreen launches three new items at CONEXPO-CON/ AGG, including this Premiertrak 300 HA hydrostatic jaw crusher featuring a vibrating grizzly feeder.
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ith a trade show as expansive as CONEXPO-CON/AGG, attendees must make a game plan in advance of arrival or surrender to the overwhelming experience and end up missing a majority of the educational sessions and vendor booths that would have been of value to them. If you want to make the most of this particular trade show, you must map out what you want to 52 february 2014
see, what you want to do, what you want to learn, and what you want to take away from the seminars, meetings and exhibits before you step through the gates. Let me warn you now: if you step through the gates and stop to check your show map, someone with a full-fledged itinerary will knock you down. And while you’re trying to get up, a crowd of people looking up at the cranes will trample you.
Trade Show Hours Tuesday, March 4........... 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Wednesday, March 5..... 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Thursday, March 6......... 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Friday, March 7............... 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Saturday, March 8.......... 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
www.theasphaltpro.com | ASPHALT PRO 53
conexpo preview
54 february 2014
OPPOSITE PAGE: The oldest scale company in the United States will proudly display the Talon HVX scale and the system designed to keep workers safe using it.
Let’s take a look at how to stay untrampled and get the most out of your show this March 4 through 8 in Las Vegas. First, as an asphalt professional, your main interest is in the educational seminars and vendor booths that offer asphalt information and asphalt technology that’s useful to improving your bottom line. That’s a no-brainer. When I tried to narrow down the exhibit halls where you’ll find asphalt exhibitors, I started to lose my mind. Let me save you that stress and state right here that you’ll want to visit every hall and every lot. Yes, there’s something related to your asphalt business in every nook and cranny. See the sidebar tiwww.theasphaltpro.com | ASPHALT PRO 55
conexpo preview
Wirtgen Group will display 41 pieces of equipment, most of them from the i-series like this W 250i milling machine.
tled “O, My Feet” for some helpful hints on surviving all that travel. I encourage you to use the CONEXPOCON/AGG “My Show Planner,” which has a link located at http://bit.ly/1aaqlll. (See the screen capture below.) This will allow you to search for specific products you’re interested in (third icon from left in the center of the page) and set the booth (and its location) on your own personalized map, which you can print out and carry with you or have sent to you with the mobile app. To download the mobile app, go to the home page at www.conexpoconagg.com and click on the Mobile App link on the left-hand side 56 february 2014
conexpo preview
of the screen in the 2014 Planning Toolkit menu box. Adding the mobile app to your smart phone is not difficult. 1. When the app.core-apps.com/ ceca2014 dashboard window appears on your computer screen, click on the bottom red bar labeled “Get this app on your mobile device.” A pop-up window will appear instructing you to enter the phone number of your mobile device. Once you do this, the app.core site will send a text to your chosen device. 2. Open the CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2014 link on your chosen device. 58 february 2014
3. Select install and follow the prompts (if required) to download the app to your device. It should appear as ceca2014-####. apk. Depending on your network service, this should take only a minute or two to complete. 4. Open the app and complete the action of installation with one of the programs/systems your device suggests. This step also takes less than a minute to complete, but requires you to approve a list of actions the app will take on your behalf. For instance, it will allow CONEXPO-CON/AGG’s show planner to send emails to exhibitors you wish to make ap-
ABOVE: To plan ahead, visit this page at http://bit.ly/1aaqlll on the CONEXPO-CON/AGG site to find the exhibitors you want to see during your trip to Vegas or to find out which booths will have the specific tools and technology you’re looking for. For instance, when you land on this page, click on the icon labeled “My Show Planner.” A new window will open on your screen with five tabs/options across the top and some information. If this is your first time to the show planner, you’ll now have the opportunity to sign up so the system can save the information you take the time to work on. When you click on the blue Log In/Sign Up button, a pop-up window will appear. (Even if you used the show planner at CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2011, you are considered a new user this time.) The information the system requests is simple and you can elect to share it with exhibitors you connect to or not. Once you’ve signed up for the show planner, the system welcomes you and automatically changes the screen to offer you a number of choices: to find exhibitors to add to you plan; to add events to your show calendar; to share or print your plan/agenda; etc. If you are unsure of the location for the equipment or technology you seek, visit the link listed above and click on the icon labeled “Search Products.” A new window will open on your screen with an overview of the trade show halls and lots on the right and a menu on the left. The next easiest thing to do is click on the selection asphalt equipment. Please note that pumps, rollers, trucking & hauling, and safety & security have their own overall product categories. If you choose a product such as compactors from the original menu on the left, the product sub-category will offer compactors that are not in the asphalt family, such as refuse and landfill compactors. That’s not the end of the world, but it does clutter your search. I discovered that the best way for my style of searching was to begin with asphalt equipment when seeking an asphalt component or to begin with aggregate equipment when seeking an item for that portion of our industry. I invite you to explore the site and decide what you can add to your plan. www.theasphaltpro.com | ASPHALT PRO 59
conexpo preview
ABOVE: It looks like a picture captured in the Midwest United States this winter, but it’s actually the Scheuerle-Nicolas EuroCompact, which is a new transport trailer from the TII Group in Germany. This specific vehicle is used by French customer Schlichting Transport. While TII Group showcased this model at the SOLUTRANS trade fair in Lyon, they will have a new generation of the vehicle that is even more compact on display.
pointments with. That’s a useful tool. It also pinpoints your location and prevents your phone from “going to sleep.” This means you’ll want to monitor your battery life or doublecheck your energy efficiency settings to force sleep mode. These tips and tidbits to help you navigate the construction industry’s largest trade show make the assumption that you’ve already decided to attend. It is a costly decision for asphalt professionals in the best of times; recent economic difficulties have made the 2014 show a debatable item for many. Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), researchers and 60 february 2014
developers, association execs, and show planners know you face tough financial decisions every day, so they’ve worked diligently to make the offerings at this year’s biggest industry event the best they can be. Companies like Caterpillar are offering big prizes. In the case of Cat, you write up your story and enter to win a portion of $100,000. Powerscreen has held onto a trio of machines to launch at the show— you can check out a new jaw crusher, a new impact crusher and a new screen at booth 1047 in the gold lot. Other companies are pulling out all the stops to bring tons of equipment to Vegas. Wirtgen Group will display 41 machines—most
O, My Feet
CONEXPO-CON/AGG takes place at the Las Vegas Convention Center at 3150 Paradise Road. While it has a single number for its address, it actually consumes several blocks. In fact, the facility is 3.2 million square feet. More than 241,000 square feet are devoted to meeting space; about 2 million square feet are for exhibit space. That means when you walk from your hotel room on The Strip to the front gates of the show, you still have 2 million square feet of walking ahead of you. You’ll want to wear the appropriate shoes. Talk to CONEXPO-CON/AGG veterans and they’ll tell you that well-padded, comfortable walking shoes are worth every penny you spend on them when it comes to a trade show like this. Take advantage of the time standing in line for a taxi or bus to return to your hotel to change into even more comfortable shoes, which you can bring along in your backpack, to give your feet a break from the day’s confinement. If you find yourself truly in pain, remember that companies such as Astec (booth 50327 in the Central Hall), Bomag (booth 50675 in the Central Hall), Caterpillar (indoor booth 1015 in the North Hall), Stansteel-Hotmix Parts (booth 52710 near the back of the Central Hall), Topcon (booth 12966 in the North Hall), and Wirtgen (booth 51021 in the Central Hall) usually have the thick padding beneath the carpeting in their large booths. Go to those booths and ask questions about their equipment while standing on their carpets. They won’t mind.
of them new i-series products—at booth 51021 in the central hall. That booth is 39,600 square feet. The oldest scale company in the United States will be there. Fairbanks Scales, Inc., of Kansas City, Mo., is showcasing its Talon HVX Series portable vehicle scale in booth 1320 in the gold lot as well as its FB2550 driver assist terminal, which I guarantee you want to check out if you’ve got a safety culture to cultivate at your plant. If you need an excuse to go over to the platinum lot, not only will you find ADM with its plant equipment, the folks from SmicoSymons Vibratory Screens will be at booth 90710 showing off the screening industry’s first hydraulically-operated opening and closing clamp rail system for changing out worn tensioned screen media on multiple decks. Personally, I want to see how this works up close. New to the trade show this year is a Demolition & Recycling Pavilion, sponsored by the Construction & Demolition Recycling Association (CDRA). It will showcase exhibits and products specific to C&D recyclers and demolition contractors, including asphalt recycling options from Getz Recycling and Bulk Handling Systems. Show management states, “With CONEXPO-CON/AGG attracting more than 2,000 exhibitors from all facets of the construction industries, the convenience of having demolition and recycling equipment highlighted in one area will be a huge benefit to attendees.” You’ll find this pavilion in the central hall along the south wall across from Wirtgen’s booth. The industry brings out its new technology and launches its new products at a show like this. But you also get in on the new information when you show up for the sessions and seminars. It’s easy to be distracted by the shiny new heavy equipment; take time to plan for note-taking, too. At the 2014 CONEXPO-CON/AGG, you have three options for taking in the 111 sessions currently on tap in 10 tracks from Tuesday through Friday. New for this year, show management has set up the education program pricing so you can use your education tickets for any sessions you wish; you don’t have to choose in advance, unless you’re after a specially priced program. An allsession pass is $395. A one-day pass is $195.
A single session is $65. Visit www.conexpoconagg.com/education/ for the list of tracks and to link to either the schedule-ata-glance or full descriptions of the courses in aggregates, asphalt, business management best practices, concrete, crane & rigging, earthmoving & site development, equipment management & maintenance, recycling & preservation, safety & regulations, or workforce development. (Notice that the recycling & preservation track is new for 2014.)
Whatever catalyst moves you to attend this year’s largest trade show, come prepared to be overwhelmed with new ideas to improve your asphalt business. Check out the official website before you board the plane for Vegas and get your game plan in mind. While you probably won’t really get trampled when the gates open Tuesday morning, you’ll feel better knowing where you’re going and what you want to accomplish during the world’s largest construction event.
www.theasphaltpro.com | ASPHALT PRO 61
here's how it works
Step 3 When the paver approaches a driveway, the screed operator presses a button on the power actuated safety edge system.
The screed operator slides and bolts the safety edge system onto the back of the endgate.
Step 2
Step 3A
As the crew paves, the flow of asphalt mix is metered by the height of the end gate to supply HMA material to the safety edge device.
the safety edge device electronically slides out and back to adjust the width of the sloped edge.
Step 1 Step 4
The operator sprays a release agent on the ski of the safety edge system at the beginning of the shift.
The safety edge strikes off the pavement edge and its weight achieves basic compaction.
Willow’s Safety Edge System
W
ith more and more states specifying the safety edge on new pavements and pavement reconstructions, contractors seek an easy way to create the sloped pavement edge/ safety edge. Jerod Willow of Willow Designs & Fabrication, LLC, East Berlin, Pa., designed a safety edge system that is based off their notch-wedge system design. It offers a narrower screed than the company’s notch wedge systems to accomplish an adjustable 24- to 45-degree standard wedge, and is offered in standard or power actuated units. Here’s how it works. First, the screed operator slides and bolts the Willow safety edge system onto the back of the appropriate endgate, which takes about 30 seconds on average.
62 february 2014
It uses the same mounts as the notchwedge system. Willow recommends the operator spray the device at the beginning of the shift with release agent to help keep material from sticking; the HMA will heat up the device to produce a smooth finish and assist in cleaning the device after the shift. As the paver moves forward, the flow of asphalt mix is metered by the height of the endgate to supply HMA material to the Willow Designs safety edge device as usual. The Willow safety edge system is adjusted to press the HMA on the desired angle. The Willow device also includes a secondary vertical adjustment for thick HMA lift applications, where compaction rates have a tendency to distort the finished safety edge product.
The power actuated safety edge system includes a button the screed operator presses when the paver comes to a driveway or intersecting roadway. By pressing the button, he causes the safety edge system to electrically slide out to create a tie-in for the driveway. As the paver nears the end of the driveway, the screed operator presses the button again to cause the safety edge system to electrically slide back into place. The team continues paving along the original line. The weight of the material and safety edge device, which totals about 90 pounds depending on the model, achieves basic compaction of the sloped edge. For more information visit willowdesignsllc.com or contact Jerod Willow at (717) 919-9828 or eoawillow@aol.com.
Astec® Parallel Flow Portable 6 Pack Plant
• Portable 8’ x 45’ parallel flow drum with recycle collar: New 8’x 45’ replacement drum shell with two leaf mounted tires, complete set of new flights, four trunnion assemblies with two gear boxes • 5 bin cold feed (1/4” liners on 3 in 2012) • Astec 50,000 cfm baghouse, 2008 bags
• Command 4 control house on gooseneck with PM96 controls • Astec 100 ton silo with 24’ drag, 2011 chain and sprockets • Astec recycle, new in 1995, new belt in 2012 • Astec 30” x 45’ conveyor • Deister 4x10 screen, new in’09 • Heatec double wall bulkhead tank with Heatec ‘08 heater
528
ONLINE #
Joe Clancy
Astec Pre-Owned Equipment
Mobile: 423.240.6968
astecused.com
Zoning and Permitting • Retrofits and Upgrades • Warm Mix Green System Installations • Controls Upgrades • Batch-to-Drum Conversions • Dismantles and Relocations • Set-ups and Repairs • Painting • Shipping • Engineering and Design
ASTEC, INC.
an Astec Industries Company 4101 JEROME AVENUE • CHATTANOOGA, TN 37407 USA • 423.867.4210 • FAX 423.867.4636 • www.astecinc.com
www.theasphaltpro.com | ASPHALT PRO 63
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resource directory Almix.......................................................35
AsphaltPro’s Resource Directory is designed for you to have quick access to the manufacturers that can get you the information you need to run your business efficiently. Please support the advertisers that support this magazine and tell them you saw them in AsphaltPro magazine.
www.theasphaltpro.com | ASPHALT PRO 65
the last cut
PAA Projects Growth By AsphaltPro Staff
W
ith the current Administration dragging its feet concerning the TransCanada Keystone XL Pipeline approval, other companies are moving forward with progress for the United States. Plains All American Pipeline LP, based in Houston, announced Dec. 10, 2013, four projects that are part of its plan to increase and expand its Permian Basic pipeline infrastructure by early 2015 to keep pace with rising production volumes. These four projects outlined below, in addition to several projects still under review at press time, are to result in aggregate investments of approximately $400 million to $500 million. The four projects are expected to be completed in stages throughout 2014 and early 2015 and include the construction of three new trunk line pipelines that will increase the Partnership’s takeaway capacity in support of crude oil production growth in the Delaware and South Midland Basins and will support gathering systems the Partnership is constructing in the Avalon, Bone Spring and South Spraberry developments. Project 1: Plains will add pumping capacity to the Partnership’s existing 20-inch Basin pipeline from Jal, N.M., to Wink, Texas, in Winkler County. This will increase the pipeline’s capacity from its current 100,000 bbl/day to 240,000 bbl/day. This first project will also construct a new 40-mile, 12-inch pipeline with a capacity of 100,000 bbl/day from Monahans to Crane, Texas, to supply volumes to the Longhorn pipeline as well as the Partnership’s Cactus pipeline at McCarney. Project 2: Plains will construct a new 62-mile, 16- and 20-inch pipeline with takeaway capacity of 200,000 bbl/day from the South Midland Basin in Central Reagan and Central Upton counties to the origin of the Cactus pipeline at McCarney, Texas. Project 3: Plains will construct a new 80-mile, 20-inch pipeline between Midland and Colorado City, Texas, that will provide an additional 250,000 bbl/day of capacity to supply connecting carriers at Colorado City including the new BridgeTex Pipeline. Project 4: The fourth project reflects the Partnership’s expectation, based on shipper demand, to increase the capacity of its Cactus pipeline project from 200,000 bbl/day to 250,000 bbl/day through the addition of pumping capacity. In addition to these projects in the Permian Basin area, Plains announced it is construction approximately 45 miles of new crude oil pipeline that will complement its existing Mississippian Lime pipelines and will service growing production in that play. The project will extend the PAA’s pipeline infrastructure into Logan County, Okla., and farther into Grant County, Okla., and will deliver crude oil to PAA’s terminal in Cushing, Okla. The project includes the construction of 150,000 barrels of new tankage along the system and is supported by a long-term acreage dedication and a storage lease at PAA’s Cushing terminal from an area producer. If the Cushing location sounds key, remember that it’s host to product from TransCanada and could be a hub for the eventual Keystone XL.
66 february 2014
Liquid Asphalt Cement Prices—average per ton Company, State
Sept ’13
Oct’13
Nov ’13
Dec ’13
ConocoPhillips*, Tenn.
$550.00
$550.00
$540.00
$540.00
NuStar Energy, Ga.
550.00
550.00
550.00
550.00
NuStar Energy, N.C.
567.50
567.50
567.50
562.50
NuStar Energy, Va.
570.00
570.00
570.00
565.00
Assoc’d Asphalt Inman, N.C.
590.00
590.00
590.00
580.00
Assoc’d Asphalt Inman, S.C.
590.00
590.00
590.00
580.00
Assoc’d Asphalt Inman, Va.
590.00
595.00
595.00
575.00
Marathon Petroleum, Tenn.
550.00
550.00
540.00
540.00
Marathon Petroleum, N.C.
565.00
550.00
540.00
540.00
Valero Petroleum, N.C.
605.00
595.00
570.00
550.00
California Average
596.00
552.40
523.90
538.30
Delaware Average
575.00
573.33
563.33
553.33
Kentucky Average
548.75
543.75
536.88
534.38
Massachusetts Average
610.00
610.00
610.00
610.00
Missouri Average
547.50
547.50
540.00
540.00
*ConocoPhillips is Phillips 66 as of Dec. 1, 2013, reporting. 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; Data for Colorado, Source: CDOT and Cenovus
Crude Oil Activity (U.S. Crude) futures spot data
stocks
Oct 4
$103.84
370.5 m bbl
Oct 18
$100.81
379.8 m bbl
Oct 25
$97.85
383.9 m bbl
Nov 1
$94.61
385.4 m bbl
Nov 8
$94.60
388.1 m bbl
Nov 15
$93.84
Nov 22 Nov 29
Diesel Fuel Retail Price (dollars per gallon) Oct 7
3.897
Oct 21
3.886
Oct 28
3.870
Nov 4
3.857
Nov 11
3.832
388.5 m bbl
Nov 18
3.822
$94.84
391.4 m bbl
Nov 25
3.844
$92.72
385.8 m bbl
Dec 2
3.883
Sources: Energy Information Administration
reliable