Asphalt Pro - November 2019

The Big Paving Issue

asphaltPRO PRODUCTION – PROFESSIONALS – PRODUCTS

Performance Hits Specs for Pit Road

Test Strips

• For Training the Paving Crew • Transverse Joints on Purpose • Intercounty Goes All In for IC

NOVEMBER 2019 WWW.THEASPHALTPRO.COM

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CONTENTS

asphaltPRO november 2019

departments

20

Editor’s Letter 6 – Test Your Flexible Surface

Safety Spotlight 8 – Safety Climate Affects Safety Culture

By Sarah Redohl

MIX IT UP 10 – Test Track Shares Results, Expectations

By AsphaltPro Staff

TRAINING

16

16 – Train New Operators to Pave

By John Ball

30

PAVEMENT MAINTENANCE 20 – Pavecon Goes Digital for Maintenance From Sparkhound

PROJECT MANAGEMENT 22 – How the Lakeside Team Waterproofed a Washington State Bridge

By AsphaltPro Staff

PRODUCT GALLERY 54 – Production Through Autumn

OFF THE MAT 60 – Cash Flow Management Tips for a Healthy Business With Aditya Narula

NEW TECH 66 – Tenna Tracks Entire Fleets

By Jolene Pierangeli

Feature articles

40

30 – Build the Test Section for Validation of Plant Produced Mixture

By Ray Brown, PhD, P.E. 34 – Performance Paving Performs at Phoenix International Raceway

By Sarah Redohl 40 – Engineer Suggests Controlling Cracks with Jointed Asphalt Pavements

By Sandy Lender 46 – Intercounty Dives into IC

By Tom Kuennen 48 – Use What You Document at the Plant—Part 3 A Way Forward

The Big Paving Issue

asphaltPRO PRODUCTION – PROFESSIONALS – PRODUCTS

Performance Hits Specs for Pit Road

Test Strips

• For Training the Paving Crew • Transverse Joints on Purpose • Intercounty Goes All In for IC

NOVEMBER 2019 WWW.THEASPHALTPRO.COM

on the cover

A unique challenge to Performance Paving’s racetrack job was dealing with the heat of the Sonoran Desert at the height of summer.

See related article on page 34. Photo courtesy of Carlson Paving Products, Tacoma, Washington

editor’s Letter Test Your Flexible Surface

I will admit up front to being skeptical of adding transverse joints to a flexible pavement for any reason. Yet the argument behind the concept of “telling cracks where to go” can be presented to those with engineering degrees and a better understanding of freeze-thaw ramifications on horizontal planes than I have. You can then decide if slicing, but not sealing, a narrow trough into fresh, hot asphalt surface course is a wise course to take. See the related article on page 40 to learn of a 26-year-old jointed asphalt surface in Wisconsin that’s getting a mill-andreplace in 2020.

Pictures of the existing roadway are out there, and I encourage engineers and other interested parties to seek clarification on those if you can’t get to the site for an in-person visit.

No matter what you do during execution of Editor Sandy Lender the surface, intermediate or base course, this edition of AsphaltPro is looking at the good paving techniques and projects that have succeeded, either because of or despite the parameters set for them. Let’s face it, there are times when the specs set down on paper make a foreman scratch his head and wonder how someone in the DOT office thought the real world would work out that way. But asphalt professionals have a way of making it work. Call it fortuitiveness. Or gumption.

One way to make sure the process will work “in the real world” is to place a test strip at the plant. Dr. Ray Brown gives us an in-depth look at the test strip starting on page 30.

This lift of asphalt gives the whole crew a chance to trouble-shoot the process.

The mix designer gets to prove his theory. The plant operator gets to test the ingredients on hand, how they’ve been added and the temperature at which they’re mixing in. The foreman gets to double-check how the mix moves through the paver and under the screed. The roller operators go for density and set the rolling pattern they’ll use in the field. This is the chance to make everything right, fix what’s wrong and write down equipment settings for use in the field.

Keep in mind, it’s best to use the in-field equipment that will be used on the project when you build the test strip. You want to have as many variables under control as possible.

Sometimes that’s not feasible. It may sound like one of those #FirstWorldProblems, but there are some companies that have multiple pavers in so many locations that they can’t have the exact paving machine at the yard for the test strip. You may have to make do with whichever paver was back at the yard in between its “calls of duty.” But you must match settings and you must have the right rollers setting up your rolling pattern. Industry Consultant John Ball shared with us that having the same equipment performing the test strip and performing the project is the ideal way to go. This is the moment when you set your compaction train up for success. Check out Brown’s article for more information and make your plans to have equipment where you need it for all facets of the full project.

Stay Safe,

Sandy Lender

6 // november 2019

November 2019 • Vol. 13 No. 2

asphaltPRO

602 W. Morrison, Box 6a • Fayette, MO 65248

(573) 823-6297 • www.theasphaltpro.com GROUP PUBLISHER Chris Harrison chris@ theasphaltpro.com PUBLISHER Sally Shoemaker sally@theasphaltpro.com (573) 823-6297 EDITOR Sandy Lender sandy@theasphaltpro.com (239) 272-8613 ASSOCIATE EDITOR Sarah Redohl sarah@theasphaltpro.com (573) 355-9775 MEDIA SALES Cara Owings cara@theasphaltpro.com (660) 537-0778 ART DIRECTOR Kristin Branscom BUSINESS MANAGER Susan Campbell (660) 728-5007

AsphaltPro is published 11 times per year.

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, 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/.

safety spotlight

Safety Climate Affects Safety Culture D

Does everyone in your company feel responsible for safety and pursue it on a daily basis? Do employees go above and beyond to identify unsafe conditions and behaviors, intervene, and correct them?

If the answer is no, your company may not have a strong safety culture (as defined by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration). Although developing a culture of safety is something to strive for, its abstract nature can be difficult to achieve.

Definitions, like the one above from OSHA, can put us on the right track. So can tools such as the Center for Construction Research and Training (CPWR)’s Safety Climate Assessment Tool (S-CAT).

S-CAT was jointly developed by researchers at CPWR and Washington State University—Vancouver.

According to CPWR, the safety climate on a construction jobsite “refers to management’s and workers’ shared perceptions about the extent to which safety is rewarded, expected, valued and reinforced.”

“These safety perceptions provide a snapshot view of the company’s jobsite safety climate,” reads CPWR’s S-CAT website. “A strong jobsite safety climate has a positive impact on a company’s overall safety culture, just as a strong safety culture positively affects jobsite safety climate.”

The free online test allows contractors large and small, in English or in Spanish, to obtain information regarding employee safety perceptions and self-assess their own safety and health programs.

LEADING VS. LAGGING INDICATORS

According to CPWR, construction companies often rely on lagging indicators to evaluate safety, such as the number and types of injuries.

This approach, while important, doesn’t prevent those injuries from happening in the first place. S-CAT focuses on eight leading indicators of a company’s safety climate to enable companies to “proactively prevent accidents and improve future safety outcomes.”

Here are the eight leading indicators: 1. Management regularly demonstrates its commitment to keeping workers safe through words and actions.

2. Safety is a core value integrated into all company activities. Safety is never compromised for productivity.

3. Everyone, from top to bottom, is held accountable for safety.

4. Supervisors are empowered with the authority and ability to correct hazards on the jobsite.

5. Workers are involved in safety-related planning and decision making. They are encouraged to discuss potential hazards.

6. The organization effectively communicates about safety, formally and informally, by talking and by listening, through words and actions.

7. All employees receive effective training specific to their roles and responsibilities.

8 // november 2019

8. Clients and project owners are also involved in the safety climate.

To better understand the eight leading indicators of safety climate, CPWR has developed a workbook, available online at https:// www.cpwr.com/safety-culture/strengthening-jobsite-safety-climate.

GET RESULTS, MAKE CHANGES

S-CAT requests the user to answer a number of questions about each of those eight leading indicators. Based on the user’s responses, S-CAT will generate a personalized feedback report outlining the company’s safety climate, opportunities and ideas for improvement, and benchmarking information to compare results to other construction companies.

To receive a report based on responses from multiple employees, contact the S-CAT team via the S-CAT website, safetyclimateassessment.com, for a unique survey link to share with employees. CPWR suggests having employees take the S-CAT periodically to track how the organization’s changes are affecting its safety climate.

“Upon receiving your S-CAT report, it is important to take time to review it and think about what the scores mean for you and your company,” reads the S-CAT website. “If the scores indicate there is room to move one or more of the indicators closer to being exemplary, think about realistic ways that can be done.”

The recommendations within the report offer some opportunities to improve your safety climate, establish your company’s safety culture, and—most importantly—keep your employees safe every day.

– BY SARAH REDOHL

Take the S-CAT today at safetyclimateassessment.com to get started improving your safety climate.

Patent-Protect Your Head According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the construction industry has the most fatal and nonfatal traumatic brain injuries among U.S. workplaces. To address this unfortunate reality, MIPs, Stockholm, Sweden, and Guardio, Skogås, Sweden, have partnered to create the Guardio Armet MIPS helmet.

The MIPS brain protection system relies on a low-friction layer within the helmet, which allows it to slide 10 to 15 millimeters in all directions, absorbing and redirecting that force and reducing rotational motion to the brain caused by angled impacts to the head.

MIPS’ brain protection system is sold to the global helmet industry, cooperating with 78 helmet brands offering 448 safety helmet models.

The Guardio Armet MIPS helmet launched in summer 2019. For more information, visit guardiosafety.com.

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mix it up

Test Track Shares Results, Expectations If you’ve been in the asphalt industry for any length of time, you’re familiar with the test track at the National Center for Asphalt Technology (NCAT) at Auburn University. Phase VII is underway now and results from Phase VI were released in July. The results show how the 46 sections on the 1.7-mile track performed under the 10 million accumulated equivalent single axle loads (ESALs).

During the first research cycle beginning in 2000, the team tested surface mixes. Structural experiments started in 2003 for the second cycle. Now that NCAT has published Report 18-04, “Phase VI (2015-2017) NCAT Test Track Findings,” the industry has information, statistics, and verifiable data on porous friction courses with cellulose fiber, with synthetic fiber, and with ground tire rubber; on a surface mix containing bio-based rejuvenators with high RAP percentages; on high friction surface treatments; on the cracking performance of surface mixes containing different RAP percentages with PG76-22 and PG58-28 binders; on the reflective cracking potential of a triple chip seal and an open-graded interlayer (OGI); on different longitudinal joint performances; on different thin overlay performances; on the effect of tack coat rate on bond strength; and more. There are seven participants in the cracking group experiment test sections alone. For this issue of AsphaltPro that looks at plant controls, checking out the materials that producers may someday be specified to feed to plants is highly productive.

Here are just a few of the conclusions, as written in July’s report, alongside upcoming tests, as discussed on the NCAT website. You can read the full 197-page report on http://eng.auburn. edu/research/centers/ncat/files/technical-reports/rep18-04.pdf.

I

CRACKING GROUP FINDINGS

For several years, a recurring topic at paving conventions has been cracking tests. While engineers in different freeze-thaw zones of North America have different views on which test should be labeled “best,” the NCAT Test Track and Minnesota DOT partner test site (MnROAD) have mixes on the ground undergoing specific testing.

In the Report 18-04, the authors share: “After two years of trafficking with 10 million accumulated ESALs, only one of the seven test sections in the top-down cracking group experiment on the NCAT Test Track had a substantial amount of cracking. Section N8 containing 20 percent RAP and 5 percent RAS with a PG67-22 binder has cracking in nearly 17 percent of the lane area.”

We all know this doesn’t mean Section N8 failed. It means Section N8 has provided valuable information.

10 // november 2019

Asphalt Rubber (AR) Stress Absorbing Membrane Interlayer (SAMI) application and construction at the NCAT Test Track. Photos courtesy of Blacklidge Emulsions

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mix it up “Limited coring showed that the cracking in N8 was confined to the surface layer with no evidence of debonding between layers,” the report states. “Structural analysis based on back-calculated asphalt concrete moduli also indicated that the wheel path cracking in this section has resulted in damage to the pavement structure.”

Three other test sections with low-severity cracking on the surface were cored, but showed the cracks had not gotten beyond the surface. Researchers saw no damage to the pavement structures in Sections N1, N2 or N5. Researchers found the following truths, quoted from the report: • Based on the results of this project, the Energy Ratio (ER) method has several significant shortcomings. In its current procedure, it is not possible to properly characterize the variability of the ER parameter. The equipment cost and test complexity also render it impractical for routine use.

• The OT results (both the Texas method and the NCAT-modified method) ranked the mixtures largely in accordance with their anticipated level of field cracking. Results of the two test methods were highly correlated….However, one of the disadvantages of the OT methods is their relatively high variability.

• The SCB (Louisiana method) and Jc criteria was able to identify the mixture from N8 as susceptible to cracking, but it also indicated very similar results for four of the other mixtures, two of which have no signs of cracking to date.

• The I-FIT method yielded a relatively large spread of Flexibility Index results for the seven mixtures. This kind of statistical spread in results for different mixtures would allow users to better assess how to improve mix designs and adjust field mixtures….The IDEAL-CT data showed the same trends as the I-FIT data in most respects.

The good news is the sponsors will support the testing through Phase VII so we can learn more. “The laboratory test results presented in this interim report represent only about one fourth of the total testing plan associated with this study,” the report states.

CRACKING GROUP GOING FORWARD

NCAT’s website states: “The aim of the cracking group experiment is to develop and implement asphalt performance tests to predict cracking for common pavement distresses found in North America. There are several lab tests that claim to relate to one or more modes of cracking. However, most of these tests lack robust validation outside of the state where the method was developed.

“Both MnROAD and NCAT have developed test sections to validate laboratory cracking tests by establishing correlations between test results and measured cracking performance in real pavement test sections within a very short timeframe. This research will provide much needed data on where to set criteria for specifications.

“Test sections with differing asphalt mixtures that have a range of expected cracking susceptibilities have been constructed at MnROAD. A suite of laboratory cracking tests conducted on the mixes will identify which test results best correlate with field cracking as well as consider their variability, utility and practicality of implementation for both mix design approval and quality control testing. A crucial component of the study is regular performance monitoring of the pavement test sections for ride quality, distresses, strength and response.”

REJUVENATOR FINDINGS

Section N7 included a surface mix designed with 35 percent RAP treated with the bio-based rejuvenator Delta S from Collaborative Aggregates LLC, Wilmington, Massachusetts. See the article, “NCAT Forensics: Section N7 Contributes to Silo Storage Recs, RAP Content Suggestions” for a full story on the project, which was compared with two other surface mixes as part of the cracking group experiment. All three mixes used PG67-22, but Section N1 had 20 percent RAP and Section N8 had 20 percent RAP and 5 percent RAS. Among the results, the report states: “Section N7 with Delta S had a ride quality that would be classified as good condition in the pavement performance measures recommended by the FHWA, and it was similar to those of the other two sections.”

More information is available in the full report and in the article previously published in AsphaltPro, but the bottom line is, “Overall, Delta S did not produce any negative effects on the ride quality and rutting performance of the mixture. The cracking performance of the mixture was acceptable at the end of the

12 // november 2019

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mix it up

After two years of trafficking with 10 million accumulated ESALs, only one of the seven test sections in the topdown cracking group experiment on the NCAT Test Track had a substantial amount of cracking.

2015 research cycle. Delta S could be considered an alternative in the design and production of asphalt mixtures with high RAP contents. Section N7, as well as Sections N1 and N8, will be kept in place for continuing traffic for another research cycle to allow for a thorough field performance evaluation.”

REJUVENATORS GOING FORWARD

NCAT’s website states: “Cargill is sponsoring parallel testing at the NCAT Test Track and the Minnesota Department of Transportation’s MnROAD test highway to determine how to best implement balanced mix design procedures in asphalt mixes containing rejuvenators and high levels of reclaimed asphalt pavement. As part of the project, test sections made with Cargill’s Anova rejuvenator and a 45 percent reclaimed asphalt mix will be compared to control sections with lower recycled contents, measuring factors such as pavement ride quality, cracking and rutting. By conducting experiments at both the Test Track and MnROAD, researchers will be able to monitor results in both northern and southern climate extremes.

“As part of the current research cycle, the Mississippi and Tennessee Departments of Transportation have both sponsored rejuvenating seal experiments,” the website reports. “NCAT conducted a preliminary screening study to evaluate seven rejuvenating seals to determine which products would be used on the Test Track sections. The products were ranked based on their rheological properties and friction test results. The Mississippi DOT selected ReGenXTM (Blacklidge Emulsions) and Delta MistTM (Collaborative Aggregates LLC) to be evaluated on its S3 Test Track section. The Tennessee DOT selected Reclamite® (Ergon) and an experimental product, e-Fog S (Ergon), to be evaluated on its S4 Test Track section. The field performance of these four rejuvenating fog seals will be evaluated for the entire two-year Test Track cycle.

“While not new construction, Section N7 with Delta S®, sponsored by Collaborative Aggregates LLC, continues to be monitored

by NCAT following completion of the 2015-2017 research cycle.”

BALANCED MIX DESIGN GOING FORWARD

NCAT’s website states: “Four test sections on the Test Track focus on the balanced mix design of asphalt mixtures. These sections are sponsored by the Oklahoma and Texas Departments of Transportation. Oklahoma’s balanced mix design approach

14 // november 2019

requires the use of the Hamburg wheel tracking test to evaluate rutting resistance and the Illinois flexibility index to evaluate cracking resistance. The overall objective of Oklahoma’s experiments is to implement performance testing and criteria for balanced mix design. Texas recently developed a special specification for balanced mix design that requires using the Hamburg wheel tracking test to evaluate rutting and moisture damage resistance and the overlay test for assessment of cracking resistance. Their objective is to compare the field performance of asphalt mixes designed using the proposed balanced mix design approach versus the Superpave volumetric approach under accelerated loading conditions.”

PAVEMENT PRESERVATION GOING FORWARD

NCAT’s website states: “Many of the same pavement preservation treatments installed in Alabama are being investigated in Minnesota using MnDOT materials and construction methods.

The northern pavement preservation experiment sections are located on U.S. Route 169, a high-volume road, and County State Aid Highway (CSAH) 8 in Mille Lacs County, a low-volume road.

This study includes treatment selection, test site selection and layout, scheduling, construction, performance monitoring, and data activities to quantify the life-extending benefits of pavement preservation treatments.”

– BY ASPHALTPRO STAFF

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Sponsors of the 2015-2017 Track Alabama Department of Environmental Management Alabama Department of Transportation Collaborative Aggregates Colorado Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration Florida Department of Transportation FP2 for Pavement Preservation Georgia Department of Transportation Illinois Department of Transportation Kentucky Transportation Cabinet Michigan Department of Transportation Minnesota Department of Transportation Mississippi Department of Transportation Missouri Department of Transportation New York Department of Transportation North Carolina Department of Transportation Oklahoma Department of Transportation South Carolina Department of Transportation Tennessee Department of Transportation Virginia Department of Transportation Wisconsin Department of Transportation

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Training

Train New Operators to Pave While working with a company during the 2019 construction season, I needed to show a young man how to set up the screed for the day’s paving. He’d been on the job for about three weeks and had learned a few shortcuts that could cause a poor end product.

When I asked him to hand me the straight edge so we could check the crown of the screed and match height, he got frustrated. He threw his hat down, said “I quit,” and stomped away. This fellow didn’t want to learn to use a straight edge. He didn’t want to “waste time” nulling out the screed and re-setting the tow arms. He didn’t want to unlearn his bad habits and learn the right way to do it.

After a few minutes, he calmed down and came back to the task, but his kind of attitude can be detrimental to an operation. That kind of attitude can be avoided by weeding out the bad apples when hiring and it can be avoided by training the right steps from the first day. His frustration came from not knowing.

If you have long-time paver operators who are set in their ways, maybe they aren’t the right guys to teach the new workers coming in. Or maybe they can be mentors who help alongside your training director and foreman. Either way, you want to teach the basics to the new workers so they understand why you’re asking them to use a straight edge—or any other tool—before they get to start up a machine and pave.

The first thing you want the new guy to know how to do on the back of the paver is how to null out the screed or set it up. Number One, he’s going to zero out the tow point cylinders or find the halfway point. Number Two, he’s going to go to the depth crank and find neutral to null out the screed. Number Three, he’s going to lift his endgates so they’re level with the end of the screed. Number Four, now he can lift the screed up to check the crown and match height. That means that the screed is balanced.

The second thing you want the new guy to know is to look at the depth crank as if he’s looking at the face of a clock. Think of the top—or north—as 12 o’clock. The far right will be 3 o’clock. The bottom—or south—will be 6 o’clock. The far left will be 9 o’clock.

One whole turn around the clock will cause the screed to rise about an eighth of an inch. This is where Windmill Johnny comes in—we don’t want him making two and three turns at a time. They travel one length of a paver—and then some—before we get a reaction in the mat. In other words, one turn of the depth crank will get a 66 percent reaction in one length of the paver.

The third thing you want the new guy to know is to make sure the endgate and shoe are clean. The shoe is about an inch and a half wide. You’ve got to have clean equipment for proper operation, of course, but the shoe must be clean for it to glide smoothly and not tear the mat or disturb the joint. This is where, if you have the option to get a heated endgate, by all means, make it happen.

Of course, teach him to “pave by the numbers,” as our industry has been practicing for years, but the three basics listed here will help get him talking the same language as the rest of the crew.

You will all talk about nulling out the screed. You will all talk about

W

16 // november 2019

One of the top items to teach the new member of the crew is to keep endgates and shoes clean so the screed can glide smoothly along a joint.

Photos courtesy of John Ball

FAMILY OWNED, CUSTOMER DRIVEN. As a family-owned and operated business offering state-of-the art portable and stationary asphalt plant equipment, having a personal touch with our customers is important to us. People always come first. When you call, you can speak to an owner. We are large enough to supply your equipment needs, while still being flexible and responsive. Contact us today to learn more about how CWMF Corporation goes the extra mile.

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877.457.3938 sales@cwmfcorp.com

• Customer-Driven Equipment & Solutions • Unparalleled Service After the Sale • Complete Product Line Designed & Built In-House

cwmfcorp.com

701 Julep Rd. Waite Park, MN 56387

Training

ENGINEERING

CONSTRUCTIO

One of the top items to teach the new member of the crew is to keep endgates and shoes clean so the screed can glide smoothly along a joint.

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cleaning the shoe or endgate. These are aspects of the equipment he must learn and understand. This is a guide for some of the basics we do out there.

TO PAVE BY THE NUMBERS, FOLLOW THIS LIST: 1. Heat the screed 2. Set the tow point cylinders 3. Set the paving width 4. Set the crown height 5. Set the extender height 6. Set the extender slope 7. Set the screed and remove slack 8. Null the screed 9. Position the endgates 10. Set the auger height (at 2 inches above what you’re going to lay) 11. Position the feed sensors 12. While in low idle, fill the auger chamber 13. Adjust the feeder controls (once you get going) 14. Set accessory functions 15. Pull off the starter plates – BY JOHN BALL

John Ball is the proprietor of Top Quality Paving & Training, Manchester, New Hampshire. He provides personal, on-site paving consulting services around the United States and into Canada. For more information, contact him at (603) 493-1458 or tqpaving@yahoo.com.

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Define Their Tools

Maybe you need to have a tailgate talk where you just go over some of the tools of the trade. Define these tools for the new guys. It’s not enough to tell aENGINEERING guy on his first day CONSTRUCTIO to grab the starter plate. He doesn’t know what that is or what it’s for. Heck, your veteran operator might not know what starter plates are if he hasn’t been using them. And don’t assume the screed operator uses a straight edge to match height. He might be using a piece of string. While that’s fine for some projects, it’s not exact. Teach your crew how to use these tools correctly; but first make sure they know what they are. Here are justENGINEERING a few tools that CONSTRUCTIO you will be familiar with, but you should make a point of showing to the newest members of the crew. Don’t leave them in the dark.

• Straight edge, 4-foot level or smart level • Starter plate • Lute • Asphalt rake ENGINEERING CONSTRUCTIO • Putty knife • Depth gauge rod • Measuring wheel and 30-foot measuring tape • Adjustable wrench • Spray paint wand

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AND WE DO THIS...

SERVICE & TRAINING

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A commitment to service is a commitment to your success. For the Astec service team, education is an integral part of demonstrating that commitment. From PARTS the renowned Astec customer schools, to on-site training sessions, Astec service makes education a priority.

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SERVICE & ENGINEERING CONSTRUCTION No other North American manufacturer TRAINING & offers more ENGINEERING options than Astec. SERVICE CONSTRUCTION TRAINING

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4 DRUM OPTIONS ENGINEERING CONSTRUCTION

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Phantom / Talon II / Fury / Whisper Jet CONSTRUCTION

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2 BAGHOUSE OPTIONSSERVICE & ENGINEERING CONSTRUCTION Pulse Jet / Reverse Pulse

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Pavement maintenance

Pavecon Goes Digital for Maintenance For about three decades, Pavecon of Grand Prairie, Texas, has delivered top-of-the-line asphalt and concrete services. Today, the company is an industry leader, operating four companies and nine divisions, serving multiple states throughout the United States with asphalt services include asphalt paving, repair and full pavement maintenance.

When it comes to embracing technology, the construction industry often finds itself lagging behind other markets. Physical paperwork and Excel spreadsheets dominate the back office landscape while foremen handpick crews and struggle to manually fill out required forms as they recall a week’s worth of information. Pavecon’s process was no exception.

Although Pavecon achieved astounding growth, they were still relying on pen, paper and a recall process to run the business; the accounting department was manually scanning 1,000 timesheets for payroll.

Thousands of jobs were being scheduled on magnetic whiteboards and information was printed, stapled to additional forms and hand-keyed into separate data systems.

“Our clients are evolving, but the construction industry is not evolving as quickly,” CEO Daniel Kilman said. “The foremen were picking crew members, ordering the concrete or asphalt and reserving the needed equipment all in manual, pen and paper format. Pavecon needed to improve the process and create a solid platform to evolve the company into the next business phase.”

To improve data gathering from on-site locations through the back office processing, Pavecon turned to Sparkhound to optimize workflows through a complete digital transformation.

According to Kilman, Sparkhound focused on how the new digital programs would function inside the specific Pavecon environment. “You can have the best processing program in the world but it may not work for us,” Kilman said. “We need to

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“Sparkhound has provided us with a solid platform that prepares Pavecon for future growth.

Whether it is a new division, a brick-and-mortar location or helping capture additional market share, there are all kinds of ways to look at a growing company and now we can leverage the best systems to help us do this,” Pavecon CEO Daniel Kilman said. stay completely focused on what serves the ultimate need of our Pavecon economy as well as serving the needs of our employees.

Sparkhound took this seriously.”

To lay the foundation for Pavecon’s digital journey, Sparkhound selected a complete Microsoft support environment, including Office 365, SharePoint, Azure SQL database, Active Directory as well as Power BI for business analytics and PowerApps to create Mobile Apps that run on Android, iOS and Windows platforms.

Once the Microsoft foundation was in place, Sparkhound began a process to systematically roll out new, digital services supported by mobile devices and smartphones. The services include a payroll system, a program to automate the job-rating process for foremen, and a customer value creation digital scheduling and logistics program.

User interfaces that include simple “slider” or “wheel” options for data input make it easy for workers to engage with the new systems, taking a proposal or evaluation process from several weeks to complete down to a few hours. The prior paper trail of submitting a document to the foreman and hoping he or she fills it out and returns to the supervisor, has been entirely automated. Now, employees interact with apps on smart devices to rate a particular piece of equipment or confirm their participation in a required “morning huddle.” All information is instantly sent to the cloud/database where it can be combined with additional data, to create what Kilman refers to as a “bird’s-eye view of the company.”

– FROM SPARKHOUND

For more information, visit Sparkhound at sparkhound.com.

What your plant really needs is what really matters to us.

3 Sure, we can sell you a new asphalt plant, but that might not be what you really need.

We take the time to talk with you and assess your unique situation. It is our goal to evaluate every job differently and give recommendations based on the best way to solve your problem.

We offer new and used components, service on all types of manufacturers, and excellent customer service. That’s why the only call you need to make is to Stansteel/Hotmix Parts & Service. We help your plant run better!

800-826-0223

Stansteel.com | HotmixParts.com

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Project management

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The DOT chose Crafco GeoTac® HS waterproofing membrane composed of fully modified SBS asphalt mastic on non-woven polyester geotextiles, which is seen here ready to be overlaid. All photos courtesy of Crafco Inc., Chandler, Arizona SERVICE & ENGINEERING CONSTRUCTION

How the Lakeside Team Waterproofed a Washington State Bridge ENGINEERING

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All bridges and bridge decks are subject to the National Bridge Inspection Standards (NBIS).

Thus, every bridge within the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) National Bridge Inventory (NBI) undergoes a detailed inspection every two years. When maintenance is required, the area’s average annual 90 days of sunshine allow only brief opportunities for the repairs. Making the most of the state’s funding packages is also imperative in support-

22 // november 2019

ing the transportation system and preserving critical infrastructure.

Washington State’s funding packages include Connecting Washington and the “Nickel” Funding program.

With an average daily traffic load of 22,000 vehicles, the US2/I-5 interchange represents a valuable pipeline for business and commuting.

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“US 2 is a vital cross-state corridor for commuters and freight,” WSDOT Spokesperson Frances Fedoriska said. “Keeping it a reliable route for the thousands of drivers who use it every day is critical to our state’s commerce.”

The bridge’s 16-year-old pavement was finally experiencing potholes, ruts and uneven surface areas that threatened to allow water in to the concrete decking. WSDOT engineers elected to remove the existing asphalt and membrane overlay from the

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AND WE DO THIS...

PARTS

When you call, we answer.

PARTS

Your call links you to the world’s largest inventory of in-stock parts for asphalt plants. It links you to a seasoned team of experts, ready to help. It links you to world-renowned service, ready to deliver. It links you to Astec.

PARTS

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SERVICE & ENGINEERING CONSTRUCTION No other North American manufacturer TRAINING & offers more ENGINEERING options than Astec. SERVICE CONSTRUCTION TRAINING

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4 DRUM OPTIONS ENGINEERING CONSTRUCTION

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Double Barrel / DBX / DBXHR / Dillman UniDrum ENGINEERING

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Phantom / Talon II / Fury / Whisper Jet CONSTRUCTION

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Project management

Lakeside Regional Manager Jamie Lee shared that the temperature drop at night hindered productivity in removing the old asphalt; however, “the cooler temperatures at night were a huge help for laying the waterproofing fabric.”

Because the DOT couldn’t allow milling on the trestle bridge, Lakeside Industries worked with its subcontractors to remove the old asphalt from the deck with excavators and small chipping guns. It was a laborious process to get the deck ready for the GeoTac HS membrane. bridge deck, repair deteriorated areas in the bridge deck, and apply a new membrane and asphalt overlay.

PLANNING THE PROJECT

The venture would include the application of 536,000 square feet of geosynthetics, one of the largest quantities used by WSDOT for a single waterproofing project. The DOT’s Standard Specifications for Road, Bridge, and Municipal Construction called for

24 // november 2019

non-woven geosynthetic materials to exhibit 150 lb. min. tear strength (ASTM D4533), 200 lb. min. grab tensile strength (ASTM D4632), and 220 lb. min. puncture resistance (ASTM D6241).

Planning, design and execution would be complicated. To avoid commuter interruptions, the project allowed for four partial closures and two full closures. Partial closures detoured traffic down to a frontage road and then merged on the bridge

The HMA didn’t have to meet any special temperatures to “melt” the geocomposite. halfway through full closures. The majority of work would occur on weekends (7 p.m. Friday to 4 a.m. Monday), when the westbound lanes could be completely shut off to traffic.

Lakeside Industries Inc., Monroe, Washington, was selected primary contractor.

The company had spearheaded a number of paving projects for the state, partnering with Jonnic Construction, Molalla, Oregon, to do the underlying waterproofing membrane. The crews would collaborate once again and WSDOT chose Crafco GeoTac® HS waterproofing membrane composed of fully modified SBS asphalt mastic on non-woven polyester geotextiles.

WSDOT would not allow milling of the existing asphalt on the trestle bridge, so teams had to remove it with excavators and small chipping guns. Lakeside also teamed up with Interwest Construction, Burlington, Washington, to help with the removal.

Lakeside Regional Manager Jamie Lee explained: “Almost the entire bridge’s asphalt was removed mechanically. We have done this before on smaller bridges in nightly closures, but this was by far the largest project I have seen with this removal method. It is an extremely slow process.”

The existing surface was milled to a depth of 1.8 inches thick. Lee shared that the temperature drop at night hindered productivity in removing the old asphalt; however, “the cooler temperatures at night

60% 330 CO₂

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EMISSIONS ARE MINIMIZED WITH UNIQUE HEATING PROCESS

A PLANT WITH LOWER EMISSIONS? WE’RE NOT BLOWING SMOKE North America has never seen a continuous asphalt-mixing plant like the Ammann ACP ContiHRT. Ammann’s advanced recycling technology helps the plant reduce CO₂ and other pollutants to levels that meet the world’s strictest standards.

The plant also delivers exceptional production – 330 tons per hour, to be exact. It bolsters recycling efforts with RAP utilization of more than 60 % while maintaining quality standards. In addition, the ACP ContiHRT improves profitability due to reduced fuel burn. And it’s capable of handling specialty mixes with fibers, colors and additives.

To learn about all these benefits and more, visit www.ammann.com

Ammann America Inc. 1125 SW 101st Road, Davie, FL 33324, USA Phone + 1 954 493 0010, Fax + 1 954 493 0020, info.aaa@ammann.com Capacities may vary based on the materials, general conditions and other factors.

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Project management were a huge help for laying the waterproofing fabric.”

Crews of 15 to 25 workers laying geocomposites (versus the typical 3 to 6) would be required to meet the massive manual application needs. And dozens more would be

needed to manage pavement preparation and the hot-mix asphalt (HMA) overlay.

With the surface prepared, the teams attached 55-gallon drums of Crafco Asphalt Primer to pumps, spraying it evenly on the area. They then rolled out the 48-inch Geo-

Tac HS across the center, managing the more meticulous edgework with 12-inch GeoTac HS rolls.

While typical geocomposite installs require hot mastic to be laid down between the 1-1/2-inch overlapped seams, Crafco engineers pre-tested the GeoTac HS fabrics, finding that a 4-inch overlap should sufficiently seal out moisture and debris when the HMA was applied. This resulted in savings in materials, and Crafco engineers felt it also helped the teams eliminate extraneous equipment. Workers targeted 80,000 to 100,000 feet of GeoTac HS membrane per closure.

Once installed, Jonnic used Lakeside’s rubber-tired asphalt roller already at the site to press the material down and eliminate bubbles.

Lakeside Industries’ Monroe Asphalt Plant produced a 3/8-inch HMA mix at normal temperatures. The paving crew placed it at a depth of 1.8 inches beginning Sunday morning on each weekend. Lee shared that because of weight restrictions on the bridge, solo trucks couldn’t haul full loads and rollers had to maintain a specified spacing.

Despite the difficult requirements of squeezing that much work in a small window of time, Lakeside and its subcontractors were able to complete the project using only five of the six allowed weekends.

WSDOT officials shared their thoughts about the progress. “All contractors involved with this project are committed to doing the job right, and we’ve been very pleased with their work,” Fedoriska said.

WSDOT Project Engineer Mark Sawyer knows that the proper plan is in place; now it comes down to navigating variables.

“We have a few more segments left,” Sawyer said in fall 2018. “These will be completed with one more full weekend closure. The problem is finding a warm, dry weekend— dry all four days—with no big, traffic-generating events that use this highway.”

The final weekend closure occurred in August 2019, and the project team completed the paving work. A few weeks of bridge joint work and striping during nightly closures ensued and they wrapped the project up during the first week of September.

– BY ASPHALTPRO STAFF

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AND YOU KNOW WE DO THIS...

You know Astec for durable, reliable equipment with proven performance. A pioneering team with decades of experience and a culture committed to putting the customer first has culminated in a range of options including drum styles, baghouse styles, and silo styles which allow you to configure the precise plant for your needs. Only Astec offers a complete line of portable, relocatable and stationary asphalt plants from 80tph to 600tph. Astec manufactures both Astec and Dillman brand equipment.

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No other North American manufacturer offers more options than Astec.

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4 DRUM OPTIONS

Double Barrel / DBX / DBXHR / Dillman UniDrum ENGINEERING ENGINEERING

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SERVICE & SERVICE & TRAINING TRAINING

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4 BURNER OPTIONS ENGINEERING

TRAINING ENGINEERING Phantom / Talon II /CONSTRUCTION Fury / WhisperSERVICE Jet & CONSTRUCTION TRAINING

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2 BAGHOUSE OPTIONS Pulse Jet / Reverse Pulse ENGINEERING ENGINEERING

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Build the Test Section for Validation of Plant Produced Mixture

BY RAY BROWN, PHD, P.E.

This picture shows one method of obtaining a representative sample of plant-produced mix from the back of the loaded truck. It depicts the Hotmix Safe-T-Sampler™ from Stansteel, Louisville, Kentucky, which is designed to keep workers out of harm’s way while getting a homogenous sample from the middle of the load. Learn more about this system in the March 2016 Here’s How it Works feature on theasphaltpro.com. Photo courtesy of Stansteel/Hotmix Parts & Service

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Asphalt mixture is designed in the laboratory to ensure satisfactory aggregate gradation, optimum asphalt content, and satisfactory mix volumetrics including air voids and voids in mineral aggregate (VMA). The aggregate and asphalt binder blending and mixing process in the lab is different than that at the asphalt plant so it is essential to validate that the mix produced during plant production is within the allowable tolerances of the designed mix.

The validation needs to be performed at the beginning of work before a large quantity of mix has been placed. This is normally performed as part of production, place-

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ment and compaction of a test section. The validation can also be performed at any time during construction that changes in the materials or processes occur or when test results are not satisfactory.

Several terms are often used when referring to this test section. Terms that have been used when talking about validation of the mix quality include: test section, test strip and control section/strip. Generally, the term “control section/strip” is used in the evaluation of density and establishing roller patterns. “Test section” or “test strip” can be used interchangeably and this typically includes a control strip for evaluation

of density. The test section may also include validation of the plant produced mix properties, and evaluation of construction methods including tack coat application, surface uniformity, joint construction, etc.

Mix Properties to Evaluate Several items need to be controlled during mix design and construction of asphalt mixes to ensure good performance. The mix design is developed in a lab prior to start of construction. Depending on the agency in charge of the project, there might be detailed spec requirements that the lab

has to meet. For example, some agencies require that the lab be accredited by some organization such as AASHTO Materials Reference Laboratory (AMRL), state DOT, or other organizations involved in accreditation of labs. So be sure that the mix design is conducted in a lab that meets the requirements of the agency. Some steps include conducting a mix design for the asphalt mix to be produced and validating this mix design during mix production to ensure that mix properties are satisfactory.

The mix design consists of proportioning the aggregates and selecting the optimum asphalt content so that satisfactory air voids and VMA are obtained. In some cases, performance tests are conducted in the lab to help ensure desired mix performance is obtained but this varies a lot between agencies.

It is essential to ensure that the plant produced mix meets the properties of the designed mix. Even though satisfactory properties are obtained with materials mixed in the lab, it may take some adjustments in the mix components to satisfactorily meet the mix design requirements during construction. A test section is often used to validate the mix properties with plant produced materials and to ensure that adequate density is obtained on the roadway. If the mix properties are not satisfactory during mix production for the test section, then adjustments of the mix components are required.

Comparison of Laboratory and Plant Produced Mix Conducting the mix design in the lab requires that the materials be proportioned by hand and mixed manually or with lab equipment to provide samples of mix for testing. Mixing in the lab does not create as much aggregate breakdown as occurs during plant proportioning and mixing. At the plant, the aggregate is abraded as a result of handling the materials in the stockpile, when feeding the material into the asphalt plant, and when the material flows through the plant components.

It is not uncommon to produce up to 1 to 2 percent additional material passing the No. 200 sieve (dust) compared to that observed during the mix design process. Hence, the plant produced mix will generally have more dust than the mix designed in the lab. Also, the absorption of the asphalt binder into the aggregate will often be different in the plant than in the lab, especially for aggregates with relatively high absorption values.

These two pictures show Minnesota Department of Transportation personnel and Hennepin County Department of Public Works personnel sampling 35 percent RAP content asphalt mix on County Route 61 in Maple Grove September 2017. While the typical practice is to retrieve a sample of asphalt mix from the back of the truck immediately after it loads at the silo, some agencies request gathering a sample from the paver just in front of the screed, which is happening here. That way, you get a representative specimen of what is definitely on the road.

Some mix designers correct for this lower dust content in the lab by adding dust during mix design to simulate the amount of breakdown that occurs during production. The additional dust is typically collected from the dust collector at the asphalt plant that will be used to produce the mix.

If additional dust is not added during mix design, the measured air voids and VMA will almost always be higher during the mix design than during plant production. Hence, the mix proportions will have to be adjusted during field production to produce satisfactory volumetrics. One of

the problems that often occurs is the VMA during mix design is on the low side of requirements. If the VMA drops below the minimum limit during plant production, it may be difficult to meet the VMA requirements during production without significant changes in the mix proportions. In fact, low VMA is one of the biggest problems that asphalt producers face during production of asphalt mix. The test section, where a small amount of material is produced and placed, is an ideal procedure to evaluate the properties of the designed mix with minimal effect on production.

www.THeAsphaltpro.com // 31

Mix Sampling from Plant Production Most samples are obtained from loaded trucks, but this must be done very carefully.

Some say to take a random sample out of the truck and others suggest that a representative sample be taken. Most agree that the preferred method is to take a representative sample from the truck. Most loaded trucks will have three cone-shaped peaks when the truck is loaded as recommended (front first, back second, and middle third). The technician should dig down below the surface in each of these three peaks and combine these samples into one to obtain a representative sample from the truck.

Theoretical Maximum Density One of the mix properties determined during mix design and one that must be determined in the test section is theoretical maximum density (TMD), according to ASTM D 2041 or AASHTO T 209. This is a very important property for controlling the quality of the produced and compacted mix. The TMD is compared to the laboratory bulk density (Figure 2) to determine air voids and compared to the in-place bulk density to determine percent compaction. The laboratory bulk density is determined from the specified laboratory compaction procedure. Most now specify the Superpave gyratory compactor (Figure 1) but there are several other methods including Marshall hammer and kneading compactor that can also be used if specified.

While it is not satisfactory to use the TMD determined during mix design to measure air voids during production or to determine inplace density during construction, this practice has sometimes been used. The TMD has to be determined from samples of plant produced mix that is representative of the mix being evaluated. One should never use the TMD determined during mix design for determining air voids or in-place compaction of plant produced mix.

Factors to Consider when Deciding Whether to Construct a Test Section The agency does not always require the construction of a test section, but this is a good idea for the contractor whether or not it is required by the agency. There are times when a specific mix design has been produced through the same asphalt plant for previous 32 // november 2019

jobs. In this case, there is a lot of data on the mix design and some tweaking of the mix has likely already occurred. Therefore, there is a lot of data on the properties of the specific mix design produced through the asphalt plant and hence there is little need to validate the lab properties of the mix. If the sources of aggregate change or another plant is used to produce the mix, then another test section will be required to help evaluate the mix properties.

At the startup of the plant, a significant amount of material must be fed through the plant before the gradation, asphalt content and mix temperature become stable enough for a representative sample of the mix can be obtained. Typically, at least one or two truckloads of mix must be produced before sampling is performed.

Most agencies specify that the test section be at least a few hundred feet long and sometimes as much as one day of production. Generally, it is desirable to keep the test section small enough so that if there is a problem in mix volumetrics or compaction of the asphalt mix, the time/cost for repair or rebuild, if necessary, is not too great. On the other hand, if the test section is too small, it is difficult to obtain a sample of mix representative of normal production and density of mix that will be representative of full-scale production.

The asphalt ignition test (AASHTO T308) is almost always used to measure asphalt content of plant produced mix. This test requires a calibration to correct for the aggregate weight loss during the test. This calibration can be performed during the plant production to ensure that the lab is set up to accurately measure the asphalt content as soon as full scale production begins.

At any time during the project, changes in aggregate sources or significant changes in the mix volumetrics may require that a new test section be constructed. While it is not desirable to have to stop full scale production and construct another test section, this may be the most cost effective procedure in some cases. The agency often provides spec requirements related to when additional test sections are required. If guidance is not provided, it is up to the contractor to determine the need for additional sections.

The volumetrics and other mix properties of the plant produced asphalt mix can be evaluated without having to place the mix in a test section. However, the in-place density is typically evaluated along with the mix properties so a test section is usually constructed.

The laboratory bulk density is determined from the specified laboratory compaction procedure. Most now specify the Superpave gyratory compactor. Photo courtesy Bluegrass Testing, Louisville, Kentucky

The asphalt ignition test requires a calibration to correct for the aggregate weight loss during the test. Photo courtesy of Bluegrass Testing Ray Brown, PhD, P.E., received his BS and MS degrees in civil engineering at Mississippi State University and his PhD from Texas A&M University. He retired after working for approximately 20 years for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and approximately 20 years for the National Center for Asphalt Technology (NCAT).

He has honorary titles from Auburn University including Professor Emeritus of Civil Engineering and Director Emeritus of NCAT.

PERFORMANCE PAVING PERFORMS AT PHOENIX INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY

BY SARAH REDOHL

For the last 15 years, Performance Paving has been handling maintenance on the ISM Raceway track. When it was time to pave a new pit road, Performance Paving was chosen as the right team for the job. All photos courtesy of Carlson Paving Products, Tacoma, Washington.

“Asphalt is for racing. Concrete is for sidewalks.”—Dale Earnhardt Jr.

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ISM Raceway, formerly known as Phoenix Raceway, is a 1-mile low banking oval track in the Sonoran Desert. First built in 1964, the raceway hosts tens of thousands of racing fans for both NASCAR and INDYCAR race.

In 2018, ISM raceway and parent company International Speedway Corporation decided the facility was in need of a few updates to accommodate an increasing num-

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ber of racing fans and a greater variety of fan experiences. They earmarked $178 million for these efforts.

A large portion of that funding went to expanding seating, parking and the infield, with a significant amount devoted to improving the team garages and constructing a new pit road. Construction, which began April 8, 2018, had a 214-day completion window so the raceway would be ready for its largest race weekend, Can-Am 500 NASCAR weekend, in November.

Performance Paving Performs Performance Paving, Fountain Hills, Arizona, was chosen to pave the entire pit road, and also secured a secondary contract to pave the majority of the parking lot expansion.

For the last 15 years, Performance Paving has taken care of any required maintenance on the track twice a year. “We also do pre-race and post-race inspections on the track to identify any deficiencies that could be coming up,” said Managing Member Tommy

Performance Paving also rented a Roadtec SB2500 Shuttle Buggy to assist with the non-stop nature of this paving job and improve rideability by never risking trucks bumping the paver and creating a dip in the mat.

Tuttle. Performance Paving also has a history of completing similar high profile projects, including the Toyota Proving Grounds and the Barrett Jackson pavilions in Scottsdale.

Tuttle is a fourth generation Tuttle in the asphalt industry. He worked alongside his father, uncle, grandfather and great grandfather in the family paving business in Wisconsin. He’s observed job sites since he was 5 years old and began cleaning shovels and lutes at age 8.

“I will never forget my 10th birthday, when my grandfather said I was old enough and had enough experience to start becoming the roller man,” Tuttle recalled. In 2006, he and his wife, Danielle, started Performance Paving.

Today, Performance Paving employs 38 people and runs two paving crews, one sealcoating crew, one slurry sealing crew, one striping crew and two earthmoving crews. Roughly 70 percent of Performance Paving’s operations are asphalt paving.

Succeeding Under Strict Specs For non-racing fans, the pit road is how race cars get into and out of the pit, where they fill up on gas and change tires.

Before paving could begin, Performance Paving had to do the earthwork required to relocate the pit road with its entrance at the backstretch of the final turn and its exit, prior to the relocated start/finish line. Ad-

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ditionally, the length of the pit road was extended from ¼ of a mile to ¾ of a mile.

According to Tuttle, the new pit road setup improves visibility for fans and enabled the owner to construct glass buildings so fans can watch their team in the pit.

Although the pit road is not part of the track proper, which accommodates cars traveling up to 194 miles per hour during INDYCAR races, it still must meet stringent specs.

“Because of the speeds these roads are traveled, the tolerances for rideability are much tighter,” Tuttle said.

For example, the surface of the pit road should not vary more than 1/8 of an inch over a 16-foot straightedge, and the maximum allowable profile index of 0.1 inch blanking band for a 0.1 mile section is equivalent to only 12 inches per mile on the mid course; the final course, just 8 inches per mile. The pit road also had to meet a minimum density of 95 percent.

The stringent specs also pertained to the actual paving process. The Performance Paving crew had to pave non-stop from the start of each pass to its completion with a maximum paving speed of only 15 feet per minute.

“The extremely slow pace of paving is one of the primary differences of this job compared to our typical jobs,” Tuttle said.

“On our typical street paving job, we’re moving 8 to 10 times faster. You really have

to gear all of your equipment and people to go at a much slower pace.”

The pit road required 5,000 tons of asphalt laid in three lifts: 2 inches, 2 inches and 1 ½ inches thick. It was paved in five 14-foot-wide passes over the course of seven days.

Equipped to Pave Pit Road Performance Paving purchased a new Carlson CP100 II with EZCSS front-mounted screed in July 2018 specifically to complete this project. It’s Performance Paving’s second Carlson paver.

The company’s older Carlson CP100 was used to pave approximately 14,000 tons of asphalt used for the secondary contract for the parking lot expansion. The parking lot expansion was paved with the same crew, which bounced back and forth between paving the pit road and the parking lot, sometimes within the same day.

“We decided on the CP100 II for paving the pit road because of the features it offers,” Tuttle said. “For example, you’re able to control the paving speed electronically.”

The screed quality and resulting mat finish were also contributing factors. The CP100 II was also equipped with TF Technologies grade sensors to achieve profile and smoothness.

Performance Paving also rented a Roadtec SB2500 Shuttle Buggy to assist with the

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Performance Paving purchased a new Carlson CP100 II with EZCSS front-mounted screed specifically to complete this project, touting its ability to control paving speed electronically, grade sensors for profile and smoothness and screed quality and resulting mat finish.

The pit road is how race cars get into and out of the pit. The new pit road paved by Performance Paving was set up to improve the pit’s visibility to racing fans.

Although the pit road is not part of the track proper, which accommodates cars traveling up to 194 miles per hour during INDYCAR races, it still has to meet stringent specs.

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non-stop nature of this paving job and improve rideability by never risking trucks bumping the paver and creating a dip in the mat.

Because the crew could not stop midpass, Tuttle ensured that there were always two full haul trucks ahead of the paver. They also did a few tests to determine how long it would take the haul trucks to get from the asphalt plant to the job site in various traffic conditions.

Performance Paving purchased the asphalt for this project from a Vulcan Materials plant located approximately 20 minutes’ haul from the job site.

“The mix design contained a special type of AC with a harder softening point than normal,” Tuttle said, adding that it was ½-inch Superpave mix design made with 76-22TR SBS AC. “The pit road had to be incredibly strong to withstand the intensity of cars accelerating and decelerating on it coming in and out of the pit.”

Performance Paving used three rollers from Caterpillar, Peoria, Illinois, to compact the pit road. The CB44 was used as a breakdown roller, typically doing four vibratory passes and three static passes. The CB34 made three static passes, and then the CB24 finished with two static passes.

The owners also didn’t want to ever see a roller start or stop on the mat, so it was integral that the rollers ended only on cold asphalt.

Another unique challenge on this job was dealing with the heat of paving a job in the middle of the Sonoran Desert at the height of summer, with ambient temperatures averaging 115 degrees Fahrenheit.

Tuttle estimated the 10-person crew was going through 18 cases of water and eight cases of Gatorade per day.

“We had to keep the crew hydrated and really take care of everyone working in those conditions,” he said.

Racing Toward Specs Performance Paving was able to meet all specifications on ISM Raceway’s new pit road with an average of 96.3 percent compaction and a rideability profile index of 0.081 inch on the blanking band.

With the right mindset, the right equipment for the job, and a dedication to perfection, Performance Paving won its own race against time to pave a high-performing pit road in time for November’s CanAm 500 NASCAR weekend.

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Tom Amon referred to making the joints as “turning the pavement into blocks.” He said, “When a groove is sliced in the mat behind the paver and rolled shut with the hot roller, a practically invisible joint is created. This was first done with a screwdriver and can be repeated easily by anyone. This started the question in 1989 that with the correct spacing could the temperature movement be controlled similar to a brick pavement?”

ENGINEER SUGGESTS CONTROLLING CRACKS WITH JOINTED ASPHALT PAVEMENTS

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BY SANDY LENDER

While pavement engineers understand the weakest portion of a pavement structure is the joint, one gentleman wants to make use of that area. Tom Amon of Elkhorn, Wisconsin, wants to pioneer a movement to design joints in the surface course of asphalt mats for the purpose of directing and controlling future low-temperature cracking.

Amon currently works for Bob Kordus at Asphalt Contractors Inc., Union Grove, but he’s been involved in the asphalt industry for more than 50 years. He started out working with his grandfather at B.R. Amon & Sons Inc., of Elkhorn, and served as the chairman of the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) asphalt spec writing committee for 26 years.

During his tenure with WisDOT, “I began to see that thinking the liquid could be made to prevent long-term low temperature crack-

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ing was not going to work as it aged past five or 10 years,” Amon said.

“That led me to look at how joints could be placed in the pavement.

After a series of events, I discovered a method to do it behind the paver without any sealer…The results could be compared to sawand-seal, but the spacing is 3 to 4 feet without crack filler. I used this on portions of several DOT roads I paved.”

Amon’s explanation hits a number of concepts we can explore when discussing the theory of placing joints in an asphalt mat for the purposes of: • controlling future thermal cracking in pavement systems, which can then reduce pavement maintenance costs; • simplifying liquid asphalt binder selection; and • reducing requirement of some modifiers, thus higher mixing temperatures.

SAW-AND-SEAL OF THE PAST

While reducing cracks and costs are laudable goals, Amon has an uphill battle when suggesting we put joints in asphalt pavements. Amon mentioned comparing the jointed flexible pavement results to those of saw-and-seal, which is a process whereby joints are built by sawing into the pavement and then sealing the resulting gap with an adhesive product. The technical report “Sawing and Sealing Joints in Bituminous Pavements to Control Cracking” by David W. Janisch and Curtis M. Turgeon, published March 1996, provides a review of more than 50 saw-andseal test sections in Minnesota. Those test sections were constructed from 1969 to 1990 and included hot-mix asphalt (HMA) overlays of jointed concrete pavement, HMA overlays of HMA pavements, and newly constructed HMA pavements.

“The results show that in over 76 percent of the test sections, the formation of cracking was controlled by the sawing of joints,” the authors summarized. “The unsuccessful sections were those where a deep saw cut was not made, those where the existing joints were badly deteriorated and those where the underlying joints were poorly re-located. All of these factors can be minimized through proper project selection and good design.”

Depth of the saw cut is a factor in past success. For the slices Amon proposes making behind the screed today, depths of ½ to 1 inch are recommended. He has designed a prototype machine to create the creases rather than running the pizza cutter/wheel across the lane behind the paver. Let’s look at how else this concept has matured over the years.

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BRINGING DESIGN TO THE PRESENT

About 26 years ago, WisDOT paved a 10-mile section of Highway 12 near Lake Geneva, including a 1,000-foot test section of surface course with joints. Amon has learned that the road is scheduled for mill-and-fill in 2020, and is, according to Amon, the only surviving example of jointed asphalt’s success.

“In 1993, we put a 3 ½-inch asphalt overlay on the concrete,” Amon said. “Now there’s cracks all over the place outside the 1,000-foot test section, but very little cracking in between the pre-determined asphalt joints. The test section shows that it can control low-temperature cracking, and with only a 3 ½-inch overlay on a concrete that was placed in the 1960s, it shows that it may help in reflective cracking.”

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PINPOINT THE PRESSURE

Amon pointed to the research of Cliff Richardson, who wrote in his 1910 book “Modern Asphalt Pavements” that when asphalt contracts under cold temperatures, it does so horizontally. When it expands under heat, it does so vertically. As Richardson observed, “[t]he familiar transverse cracks in northern climates generally begin with low temperatures but do not completely close again when temperatures increase.”

This is reiterated by Janisch and Turgeon in their technical report: “When a new bituminous pavement is subjected to cold temperatures, it contracts according to its coefficient of thermal contraction. This contraction causes tensile stresses to develop in the pavement. As the temperature decreases, these tensile stresses increase. If the thermal tensile stress exceeds the tensile strength of the bituminous material, a crack will form.”

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A far cry from the labor of dragging a screwdriver across the mat, Amon created a device to create the transverse joint—or “cut impression”— immediately behind the screed.

We turn the methodology over to Dr. Hussain Bahia, professor and director of the Modified Asphalt Research Center (MARC) at the University of Wisconsin, and to Dr. Ray Brown, director emeritus of the National Center for Asphalt Technology (NCAT) at Auburn University. Both shared the mechanics of cold-weather cracking, confirming pavement will shrink in all directions, but has a tendency to contract along the horizontal plane.

“The lower the temperature, the greater the tensile stress within the pavement and the greater the chance for cracking and the greater the stress on the pavement,” Brown said. “The cracking relieves the tensile stress caused by reduced temperature.”

“Come summer, the pavement is trying to expand back,” Bahia said.

“The molecules don’t understand direction, so they just start vibrating.” They take the path of least resistance, which is upward.

“Another theory is that when the cracks open in the winter, they get filled with sand and dirt and salts,” Bahia said. “Over the years, there is an accumulation that gets locked in under seals and maintenance.”

MECHANICS VS BINDER SELECTION

For the 2001 Transportation Research Board (TRB) annual meeting, Amon submitted an abstract titled “A Method to Construct Thermal Stress Relief Joints in Asphalt Pavement.” Included in Report 01-0266 were conclusions from comparisons of thermal contraction in HMA and PCC pavements on the useful properties of pavement joints. Specifically, he used points from the 1995 report “Temperature and Thermal Contraction Measurements as Related to the Development of Temperature Cracking on the Lamont Test Road” to show how average values for 12 studies proved movements in pavement tend to follow joints.

Bahia seemed to concur, explaining, “We build asphalt continuous.

The length builds up friction with the base.” He listed the spacing of joints at 12 to 15 feet apart as offering a lessening of the friction with the subbase and lower layers, “theoretically.”

By providing a release for the friction, joints offer a place from which cracks can form their track. Different spacing between joints has been tried. The technical report from Janisch and Turgeon showed joint spacings of 40, 60 and 100 feet, but ultimately recommended “[s]aw cuts should be spaced 12 m (40 ft) apart. Pavements on granular soils may benefit from having the joints spaced at 9 m (30 ft) apart. Further research is needed in this area to determine what joint spacing will work best for a given pavement.”

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Amon’s 1,000-foot test section in Wisconsin has joints spaced at 3 to 4 feet apart.

“You have to put the cuts close enough together to relieve the stress for it to prevent cracks from occurring in between the joints,” Brown said.

Janisch and Turgeon’s 1996 technical report stated: “The frequency of these thermal cracks primarily depends on the asphalt stiffness…the frequency of thermal cracking increases each year until some optimum spacing is achieved. This spacing is the distance at which tensile stresses that develop between successive cracks is below the tensile strength of the bituminous.

“A saw cut in a bituminous pavement produces a weakened plane, due to the pavement’s reduced cross section. When thermal stresses develop, the pavement will crack at the sawed joint because this weakened plane cannot withstand the same stresses as the unsawed portion of the pavement without cracking.”

The orientation of the transverse joint may influence the thermal cracking as well. Amon said he cut joints at both right angles to the centerline and at 30-degree angles to the centerline. He states that both have performed similarly—in other words, both have fewer cracks than the control section of pavement without transverse joints. “We designed the pavement to crack where it was directed,” he said.

Amon believes directing and controlling potential cracks may be more reliable than designing mixes that are crack-proof. In Report 010266, he stated: “By providing a mechanical method to control transverse cracking, the selection process of the asphalt binder can be changed. The criteria would be simplified to allow other performance properties to be chosen when disregarding the thermal cracking characteristics. The effects of climate on oxidation or aging of the asphalt binder may not be so critical to the pavement performance. By not relying on the chemical properties of the binder to resist thermal cracking, higher viscosity asphalt binders could improve performance.”

He also sees a reduction in maintenance work for crack filling if the pavement is designed with optimum cracking spacing. One cannot deny that reducing cracks is a good goal. “We need to work more on not letting the crack even start,” Bahia said.

CONTROL THE PRESSURE

“If the asphalt wants to crack, let’s control where it cracks,” Amon said.

“Let’s control those pressures. The mixes don’t have to change.”

For engineers considering the danger of cutting into pavement joints that will allow water to infiltrate the system, Amon has an answer. He refers to the cutting as a slice-and-seal without the sealer.

“It’s similar to a saw-and-seal, but the hot mix seals itself,” Amon explained. “We have a pavement that heals itself because of the liquid asphalt in the mixture. The pavement structure remains undisturbed.”

Amon’s Report 01-0266 explained, “[t]he depth of the cut impressions placed in the hot mat is generally ½-inch to 1-inch deep. The hot roller compresses the joint closed with little evidence of the installation left behind. After several months, the evidence of a joint becomes difficult to see by a person walking along the pavement.”

Bahia doesn’t consider the slice action as benign as that, and offers an aspect of the process to be studied and perfected.

“They [the cuts] are joints,” Bahia said. “They are certainly joints. These joints have not been successful in even concrete pavements because they are weakness points and offer very little load transfer, and could allow water to go inside the pavement. Many engineers look at it as a plan for disaster. We can’t even build a good

PlantManager Enterprise Level Production Monitoring Software This figure is from a paper that the MARC lab published and it is used here with permission. Dr. Bahia shared that it depicts: “Alfa (l) which is the vertical axis is inch contraction per inch of length of pavement for each one degree Celsius change in temperature.

One degree Celsius change equals 1.8 degree Fahrenheit change,” he explained. This shows Amon’s numbers in the field “are 4 to 6 times lower than what we measure in the lab.” long-lasting longitudinal joint, so it’s very unlikely that we can verify that the joint Mr. Amon is building is actually closing.”

Amon did, however, have a core of asphalt with a joint in it sent to the FHWA lab at Turner Fairbanks in 2000. “There was a detailed scan on various layers in the mix and found no visible disturbance of the aggregate or binder matrix,” Amon explained. “This helps to explain that the load is carried across the joint and it could remain waterproof if it remained closed.”

The technical report from Janisch and Turgeon brings up the question of whether or not the healing action is desirable. In the section “Timing of Saw Cut,” the authors describe problems with adhesion failure on two saw-and-seal projects that “were sawed less than 24 hours after the mix was placed.”

Considering the key to closing the transverse joint behind the screed is to do so immediately, timing is critical to the success of the slice-and-seal concept of jointed asphalt pavement. Janisch and Turgeon found: “It is believed that the saw blade did not ‘cut’ through the aggregate particles in the fresh mix but ‘plowed’ through them instead.”

Again, plowing—or moving—the aggregate particles appears to be what is desired in the concept Amon has proposed. Janisch and Turgeon found the opposite to be preferred. “This resulted in spalling along the edge of the joint and led to adhesion failure. The special provisions were changed to require 72 hours between the time the HMA is placed and when it can be sawed.”

Keep in mind, the timing discussed there is for joints that are being sealed with an adhesive product and not merely rolling closed to re-seal and heal the joint.

At this time, of course, agencies and contractors work together to decide the best way to build longitudinal joints for various projects. The transverse joint may require more engineering or a better public relations campaign. Either way, adding a cutter behind the screed, but before the breakdown roller, will ask for careful planning and timing on the part of the contractor who wants to try out joints in flexible pavements. In the meantime, Hwy 12 near Lake Geneva in Wisconsin has a 26-year-old test section to be studied before the 2020 paving season sees it milled away.

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Intercounty Paving Associates LLC, Westbury, New York, milled 13 lane miles over a 2-mile distance. Photos courtesy of Hamm, a division of Wirtgen Americas

Intercounty Dives into IC

BY TOM KUENNEN

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When New York State Department of Transportation (NYDOT) specs began requiring intelligent compaction (IC) technology for asphalt paving, a major paving contractor in the Northeast got into it in a big way, acquiring eight new articulated tandem rollers equipped with IC systems.

The Hamm tandem rollers from Hamm, a division of Wirtgen Americas, Antioch, Tennessee, were each outfitted with Hamm Compaction Quality (HCQ) technology, incorporating the Hamm Compaction Meter and Hamm Temperature Meter within the Hamm Navigator system. As AsphaltPro readers know, IC—as it applies to asphalt and soil compaction—describes compaction of road materials using rollers equipped with an integrated measurement system, an onboard computer reporting system, GPS-based mapping, and optional feedback control, according to Federal Highway Administration consultant The Transtec Group, Austin.

IC rollers allow real-time compaction monitoring and timely adjustments to compaction by integrating measurement, documentation and control systems. IC rollers also maintain a continuous record of plots (typically color-coded), allowing the operator to view plots of the precise location of the roller, the number of roller passes, mat temperature, and material stiffness measurements.

Intercounty Paving Associates LLC, Westbury, New York, was using its new rollers with HCQ Navigator on State Route 24 (Hempstead Turnpike in Nassau County) in the shadow of Belmont Park race track, and on the Saw Mill Parkway in Westchester County north of New York City.

Hempstead Turnpike

On Hempstead Turnpike, in a congested urban location in central Long Island, Hamm HCQ Navigator system components were mounted on two HD+ 140i VV-HF rollers, and one on an HD+ 120i VV HF tandem roller. A third HD+ 140i VV-HF HCQ Navigator system-equipped compactor was on location as a backup. On the Saw Mill Parkway project, two new 140s and two 120s were used. On these projects the 120s are used for main line paving, but also intersections and radii.

On New York State Route 24, Intercounty spent two weeks repairing the pavement, resetting castings, and replacing deteriorated concrete panels beneath the existing asphalt layers. Frank C. Lizza Jr., general manager for Intercounty, explained that the crews milled out a lane and immediately paved behind it each night during the mill-and-fill phase.

Using two new W 250i cold mills, Intercounty was milling 2 inches, then placing 2 inches of 9.5 mm NMAS PG64E-22 Superpave mix as a single driving course, all in one night. The mix contained a polymer modifier and asphalt content ranged from 4.5 to 5 percent. “Our 9.5 mm mix is approximately 60 percent 1/4-inch material, and 40 percent stone sand,” Lizza said. “Granular material includes 20 percent reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP).”

The Route 24 project was being done in phases, beginning in mid-October 2017 and continuing into June 2018. The early November segment involved 13 lane-miles over a 2-mile distance. Each night, Intercounty was milling 2,200 tons of RAP, and replacing with 2,200 tons of asphalt mix. In total 18,000 tons of asphalt was milled and placed in this segment.

Milling of the approximately 15- to 16-foot-wide lanes was done by a W 250i with 12.5-foot drum, followed by a W 250i with 8-foot drum picking up the remaining width along the curb. Milling moved forward at 100 fpm.

“RAP is delivered to our facility in Cedarhurst,” Lizza said. “Up to 20 percent will be re-incorporated into this mix, and the rest barged up the Hudson River to other facilities, where it will be sold.”

TOP: The Hamm Compaction Meter measures the stiffness of asphalt or soil beneath the drum, and consists of an accelerometer mounted on the drum framework inside the rubber buffers, a processor and a display. With the accelerometer mounted this way, users get the actual reaction of the drum against the material it is compacting. Based on these data, the processor calculates the HMV (HAMM Measurement Value) – indicating the degree of compaction as a stiffness measurement derived from the measured signals – and displays this value to the driver in the cab. MIDDLE: During the compaction process, the panel PC shows the roller operator how stiffness is progressing.

Separate graphics depict, for example, the number of completed passes or the current asphalt temperature, and the operator has the ability to monitor two of these functions simultaneously on the split screen. BOTTOM: “If IC is the direction the DOT is going, we want to be the ones with the rollers,” Frank C. Lizza Jr., general manager for Intercounty, said. “We want to be ahead of the curve. These projects have allowed us to begin to absorb the cost of the new specifications and will allow us to have an advantage in the future.” www.THeAsphaltpro.com // 47

Use What You Document at the Plant—Part 3 A Way Forward

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BY KEN MONLUX

This is part three in our discussion of plant reporting and documentation. Here, we will look at the steps needed to provide the log— which we discussed in depth in Part 2—to your plant sites.

Let’s suppose you are ready to either install or transition to a logbased platform. Let’s take a look at what’s involved.

You first want to choose which arrangement would work best for your company.

1. A Log-based subscription service provided by an outside contractor typically provides all aspects of the platform.

2. A fully designed log-based platform created by a contractor on behalf of the plant, then managed internally, requires the position of “log editor” be an in-house employee with access to outside training and support.

3. A modified log-based platform using current in-house data collection and managed internally would have an outside contractor to manage the transition phase. As with Option Two, the position of log editor is filled by an in-house employee.

The position of log editor is significant to the success of the program. The editor must have deep knowledge of the hot mix process.

They must have attention to detail and be diligent in their work effort. They require the ability to work with various platforms via the Internet and other methods of data collection. The right log editor will make or break the log.

Let’s look at the steps, which include holding a pre-setup meeting, executing a site visit, preparing the design, and preparing a mockup.

THE PRE-SETUP MEETING

This meeting needs to be presented by the development team of the log-based platform to provide answers and direction to the project.

There are two management levels that would benefit from this initial presentation—executive management and the local manager.

The executive managerial group will be provided with an overview of the process and framework of the steps needed to be installed at the plant site. The development team should use this meeting to establish a project timeline; get permission from the executive group to access various resources to establish the log; and request a “point of contact” from corporate that would be assigned as a liaison. The development team will give the local manager insight into the log, which can be part of the site visit.

THE SITE VISIT

Before the site visit, it may be helpful to get a view of the plant site via Google Earth or drone footage. It’s amazing what you can discover by taking the time to study this photo. Such things as stockpile management, housekeeping and truck routes are just a few. Prior to arriving on site, the development team would have a general idea of the operation.

The site visit is paramount to the success of the program. It is part interview, part data collection and part plant site inspection. The site visit would be conducted over a single day, preferably during a production run.

The objective of the site visit would be to get a feel for the layout of the plant and the personality of the crew. The team would start to de-

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velop a relationship and line of communication with the local management. In addition, it would allow the local manager to better understand the roll of the log editor. Armed with a successful site visit, the development team walks away with the knowledge of the day-today flow: Listen to the manager: • How does he view the plant?

• What are his priorities?

• What changes would he make?

Inventory: • Stockpiles of aggregates, RAP, and tank storage • Flow of production process • Silo storage: number and configuration Typical times of operation: • days per week • hours per day and/or per night Crew jobs description: • Observe the interaction within the crew • Response of the crew to such things as, hours of operation, breakdowns, and night work • Interview of quality control tech. assigned to plant • Interview with sales/service assigned to plant Perform a Data inventory: • List all forms of data generation at the site • Start to formulate site-specific forms and vital signs • Take note of current data recording, dashboards and other methods of documentation on site

DESIGN

Map out the design of the log-based platform for this site.

Based on the site visit, a recap report is written. This recap is generated from notes, interviews and questionnaires collected during the site visit. This document is distributed to the local manager and point of contact for comment and corrections. Once corrections are made, the recap will become the foundation of the log.

At this point, the development team starts to: • Design the plant report form • Establish vital signs • Contact utility company (in the case of smart meters) • Work with the point of contact who can provide additional statistics such as QC reports, inventory control and summary of truck tags, etc.

The design phase goes on until all parties are satisfied and agree that the log will meet the needs of the plant. Once done, the team starts to look at the remainder of raw data sources in an effort to integrate with the log. This step is to develop the balance of the log’s narrative. Once reviewed and approved, a mock-up of the log will be produced. The purpose of the mock-up is twofold: It will be a training tool for the log editor and an education device for the local manager.

In an effort to be brief, we will only look at page one of the log in mock-up form. The other portions will be provided in summary only.

PLANT LOG Plant name or number: ABC123 Log date: September 2018 Production: Days: 22 Nights: 15 Other: 0 Average TPH shipped: 320 Avg. TPD shipped: 1,500 Avg. TPN shipped: 800 Tons shipped/month: 47,500 Tons year to date shipped: 485,000 Usage natural gas/ton shipped: xxxx cubic feet (data supplied by utility) VITAL SIGNS: 1. Tons per man hours

Current days: 36 Current nights: 27 Avg: 36.3 2. Average production rate as a % of maximum design of plant

Avg TPH: 360 Design TPH: 500 %: 72 Goal: 80% 3. Mix Temp. vs Shipped Temp. vs Job Site Temp.

Days Mix: 330 Shipped: 322 Job Site: 305

Nights Mix 335 Shipped: 327 Job Site: 315

Goal Temp. at Job Site: 290 4. Mix changes per day/Start-ups per day

Mix changes days: 6 Start-ups: 3

Mix changes nights: 1 Start-ups: 2 5. Uptime availability: total shift hours/total of hours plant operators

Total shift hours: 10.5 Total plant production hours: 7.5 Uptime: 71.5% Goal: 85% *Support data and worksheets could be provided upon request

Goal: 40

MOCK-UP

Let’s take a moment to examine the mock-up. By design, the mockup provides a lot of information that can be absorbed quickly. The top of the page is laid out to give the manager summary information of the production. This information is formatted in such a way as to provide a framework of the outcomes of the vital signs. It establishes where the plant is at that point in time.

Moving down the page, we are directed to the vital signs. Set in no particular order, the vital signs indicate the health of the plant. It is interesting to remember that the vital signs do not find fault. Their function is to: • make the data understandable; • make the data relevant; and • challenge the manager.

Of the three, the challenge may need a little more discussion. By identifying areas where a goal is not met, the manager can start to look for ways to improve. For example: Looking at the mix temperature, the manager could work with the plant operator in an attempt to get closer to the desired job site mix temperature goal.

From time to time, the log editor may elect to exchange a satisfied vital sign for a new and different sign. In this way, the log continues to challenge the local manager.

The balance of the log platform can be easily summarized by sections and appendices as follows: 1. Narrative overview from the plant performance 2. Recap of conversations between the log editor and the manager 3. Day-to-day summary of weather 4. Appendix I: Daily Shift Plant Report, which is an electronic copy of the plant reports/date

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5. Appendix II: Inventory 6. Appendix III: List of in-house or outside major projects supplied 7. Appendix IV: QC spreadsheet, based on data supplied by in-house QC dept The log-based platform, as delivered to the local manager, makes good in its commitment to provide a simple to read, easy to understand document. The log also works well as an archive testimony of the operational performance. Once digested, it can be filed and retrieved as needed.

We performed our site visit, developed site-specific forms and spreadsheets integrating various platforms and reports. We then produced a mock-up of what the log should look like. It’s time to put all this effort into practice. Prior to going on-line, with all sites, we will perform a trial run at a single site. We will be looking for how well the collected data, forms and other platforms are combined to provide the desired outcome; seeking to verify that the log editor will be able to perform and deliver the log in a timely manner; and using the beta site as a training tool for the in-house editor.

CONCLUSION:

In this series, we have seen the lesson provided by Major League Baseball in the area of statistical evaluation. In an effort to make their teams better, MLB managers moved away from traditional reporting.

We started to define what is meant by a “log-based documentation” platform and how it differs from traditional production reports currently being used.

In part two, we took a deeper look at what is at the core of the log.

We learned what vital signs are, and how best to use them. By adding

The site visit would be conducted over a single day, preferably during a production run. the evaluation step, we are able to support the manager’s ability to quickly digest the data. The log is formatted to provide an advantage in having a straightforward technique to reconstruct any given day.

The takeaways from a log-based documentation platform are that it: • is site-specific, interactive, and directed at local management; • quickly provides a distilled version of the health of the plant; • challenges the manager toward positive improvement; • adds the extra step of evaluation of data, looking for trends; and • provides an archive of operational performance that can be referred to at any time.

If you are not content with your current production reporting, or with how that reporting is used to improve the overall operation, you have another option. You can consider the log-based platform to drill down to and use the vital signs of your site.

Ken Monlux is an asphalt industry veteran with 30 years experience in all areas of operational management. For more information, contact him at (209) 495-1017 or kenmonlux@yahoo.com.

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product Gallery

Production Through Autumn W

With winter coming on, producers are finishing up in many parts of North America. Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and services providers still have components and particulars to help you get through end-of-season and beyond. To follow is a sampling of products and services folks wanted you to know about as you wind down the 2019 calendar year.

Roads Across America Get Their Vegetables

BY MATT MERRITT, FOR POET

A vegetable oil-derived product is now proving to be an effective asphalt rejuvenator and performance-grade modifier. POET’s new product is called “JIVE,” and it is improving performance and economics for more asphalt producers every day, according to the manufacturer.

It is all-natural, renewable, affordable, and proving its resilience and reliability today in roads ranging from high-traffic highways in New Jersey to fierce conditions in Utah and parts of Canada. According to Matt Reiners, vice president of business development for POET Nutrition, asphalt producers have been attracted to the product for three reasons.

• JIVE has proven to improve the resiliency of roads in extremely low temperatures.

• It is more affordable than alternatives in its space.

• It is a renewable product, and it is safe for the environment and public health.

Reiners said the company started with a few trials in 2016. From there, the task was to prove JIVE’s performance and earn trust more broadly within the industry. Asphalt providers are extremely riskaverse, he said, and with good reason. There’s no room for error.

With time and many commercial trials, business has taken off this year.

“We are either active in the commercial phase or in the middle of trials with nearly every big provider of asphalt in the country,” Reiners said. “It’s become popular. Not only do you get a price and performance advantage, but we’re renewable.”

Getting the word out can be tough in an industry that likes to keep its ingredients secret. However, a number of customers agreed to submit testimonials anonymously.

“We have been asked by many agencies to eliminate the use of recycled engine oil as a component of asphalt cement for use in hot mixed paving applications,” one customer reported. “We find the use of JIVE to be a good fit for this replacement. JIVE is an environmentally safe replacement and seems to react well with most asphalt and polymer blends.”

“JIVE is a sustainable product that allows contractors to use more reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) in their hot mix asphalt,” another reported. “It helps restore some performance properties of the aged asphalt binder in the RAP, resulting in improved performance of a new recycled mixture.”

JIVE has been subjected to the battery of tests to ensure it meets the necessary specifications for use in roads and other projects in the Unit-

54 // november 2019

ed States. That includes TSR for moisture sensitivity, Hamburg Wheel Tracking tests against rutting, cracking resistance at intermediate and low temperatures and long-term aging tests.

Dr. Alex McCurdy, senior research scientist at POET, said the results show JIVE is a reliable ingredient for asphalt, and they also revealed specific advantages, especially in cold climates and where softer asphalts are not available.

By using Jive at 3.5 percent by weight, a producer can modify the performance grade of an asphalt from PG64-22 to PG58-28. The low temperature improvement at such low inclusions has created a lot of interest, McCurdy said.

“For a lot of producers, it’s actually surprising to them to find that we out-perform many of the petroleum-based materials,” he said. “JIVE improves the asphalt performance at a low dose in a more cost-competitive manner.”

In addition, it allows producers to use more RAP. “It’s going to get in there and allow for RAP material to blend better with the virgin materials,” McCurdy said. “A lot of producers would like to increase RAP as much as they can while not sacrificing mix performance.”

That improved performance is due in part to the ability of JIVE to replace maltenes, which can be lost over time in aging roadways.

“JIVE doesn’t contain asphaltic maltenes,” McCurdy said. “But JIVE contains renewable, non-toxic components that replace the lost maltenes that serve to disperse asphaltenes.”

While performance and price are most relevant to the bottom line, the asphalt industry is not immune to the growing awareness of environment and health concerns from consumers in the United States and around the world. As a green solution for asphalt rejuvenation and performance-grade modification, Reiners sees a unique role for JIVE to fulfill many of those efforts.

“We’re seeing more and more green projects,” he said. “With JIVE, you get the green benefit bolted on.”

While today that might still be a niche, the trends are undeniable.

This is an issue that will grow in every industry in the future. The early adopters, those producers starting to use more environmentally sound ingredients today, will have an advantage.

“They’re already going to know how to use this product, where to get it,” Reiners said. “They’ll already be a preferred customer.”

POET is no stranger to competing with petroleum products. Their primary business has been biofuel production from 28 plant locations across the Midwest that replace chemicals in gasoline. For more than 30 years, they have been fueling America’s vehicles. Now they’re paving America’s roads.

For more information, contact Ashley Hummel at (605) 965-6232.

AMMANN

Ammann, Langenthal, Switzerland introduces the ACP 300 ContiHRT asphalt-mix plant to the North American market. This continuous plant is capable of producing mix consisting of more than 60 percent RAP, according to the manufacturer.

Installation and relocation of the new ACP 300 ContiHRT from Ammann is quick and uncomplicated, according to the manufacturer. “Optional quick cabling and steel skids further speed the relocation process.”

“We have been in the North American market for several years, learning what the customers need and then creating a product that delivers it: the Ammann AP 300 ContiHRT Asphalt-Mix Plant,” said Gilvan Pereira, region director Americas.

The new continuous plant features Ammann’s unique recycling technology, which is designed to maximize RAP use and meet the world’s most stringent emissions guidelines. The gentle pre-heating of the RAP prevents thermal stress on the asphalt concrete (AC) content to ensure a highly homogenous final mix.

The plant incorporates a RAP dryer for the addition of recycled materials and a separate cold recycling feed.

“Separate drying and mixing processes ensure the highest quality and versatility—even with complex designs utilizing RAP and additives,” said Gunter Tesch, commercial support manager plants.

The high recycling technology (HRT) plant’s gentle preheating prevents AC oxidation, enabling both the aggregate and the coating to be reused, according to the manufacturer. The preheating process also minimizes fuel consumption.

The plant is capable of incorporating shingles, liquid additives, fiber granulate and foam AC. It can access a recycling system for RAP use up to 60 percent; a separate cold recycling system for 30 percent; or a combination of the two. The ACP 300 ContiHRT can also produce high amounts of mix without any RAP. Warm mix can be produced with or without RAP. Continuous production capacity is 330 U.S. tons per hour.

The plant uses the proprietary as1 Control System.

Ammann’s North American hub is in Davie, Florida.

For more information, contact Simone Franz at simone.franz@ ammann.com.

ASV

ASV Holdings Inc., Grand Rapids, Minnesota, has added C.N. Wood Co. Inc. to its dealer network. With six locations across Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut and Maine, the dealer will offer all ASV Posi-Track® compact track loaders. C.N. Wood will also carry ASV’s full line of skid steer loaders.

For more information, contact sales@asvi.com.

www.THeAsphaltpro.com // 55

product Gallery CONVEYOR COMPONENTS

Conveyor Components Company, a division of Material Control Inc., Croswell, Michigan, offers the Model BR brush style conveyor belt cleaner to remove fines and carry-back material from a conveyor belt. The belt cleaner uses an electric motor to drive a helical shaped, open face brush to remove build-up from conveyor belts. The hanger rail mounting and oversized width allows for mounting on most conveyors. When mounted under the head pulley, the excess material is thrown into the discharge stream.

For more information, call (800) 233-3233 and check out the Here’s How it Works feature from 2017.

ENERPAC The Honey Badger Rap Crusher is designed to crush RAP in any asphalt location.

CWMF

CWMF Corp, Minnesota, announced this summer the official release of its new product line, the Honey Badger Rap Crusher. The Honey Badger Rap Crusher is equipped with replaceable AR steel wear liners and a ½-inch steel pulverizing hopper. The Honey Badger rotor assembly includes 3-inch premium grade cast carbide hammers, a precision-machined shaft, ¾-inch rotor disks and grease lubricated pillow block bearings. Included is a two-way valve hydraulic power pack that allows for easy interior access but, most importantly, performs a controlled close of the hopper top so that safety is never compromised.

CWMF offers two models, the HB-30 and HB-40. The HB-30 has a feed opening of 23 x 31 inches, a 50-horsepower TEFC motor, and rated at 20-50 tons per hour. The HB-40 has a feed opening of 23 x 35 inches, a 60-hp TEFC motor, and rated at 30-60 TPH. To get the RAP to the proper size, CWMF offers ½-inch, ¾-inch, 1-inch, 1-1/4-inch and 1-1/2inch AR steel grates in both models.

Portable and stationary setups are available. The Honey Badger portable chassis is also equipped with a CWMF Tremor shaker and conveyor to get RAP processed on-site at any asphalt location.

For more information, call (877) 457-3938 Caption for image saved as PG CWMF Honey Badger

CONTINENTAL

Continental, a division of ContiTech, Fairlawn, Ohio, has introduced a new heavy-duty air hose to the construction and mining markets.

The Super Rock Drill 600 HT is designed for applications that require a high working pressure hose in a high temperature environment. The hose offers a working pressure of 600 psi and complies with Association for Rubber Products Manufacturers (ARPM) guidelines on a 4:1 safety factory, according to the manufacturer. The Super Rock Drill 600 HT is characterized as a heat-resistant CPE tube, ARPM class B, which is medium oil resistance and withstands an operating temperature of 275 degrees F, according to the manufacturer.

For more information, contact Anthony.DiGiacobbe@continental.com.

56 // november 2019

Enerpac, headquartered in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, now offers a new lineup of industrial cutters. The new line includes five families of tools designed to cut metal bar, industrial chain, wire rope and cables, metal tubes, profiles, and similar materials. The new Enerpac cutters are designed to provide quick, safe and cost-effective solutions for the construction, mining, manufacturing and other industries. The cutters are built to handle industrial-grade materials on a daily basis. For example: ECC-Series Chain Cutters offer a solution for cutting industrial chains. The cutting process takes place behind a protective transparent shield, enhancing safety for users and bystanders. The ECC is ideal for use in chain cutting applications found in rigging, mining, oil and gas, and other environments.

EWC-Series Wire and Cable Cutters offer a controlled cutting process to enhance operator safety and produce minimal vibration to help prevent Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS).

EFB-Series Flat Bar Cutters are designed to cut high-tensile flat bar with ease in seconds. The deep cutting head design accommodates metal bar up to 2¾ inches high and over half an inch thick, according to the manufacturer.

For more information, visit www.Enerpac.com.

HAVER & BOECKER

Haver & Boecker Niagara, Munster, Germany, offers the Hydro-Clean™ washing system to clean deleterious material from aggregates and minerals while reducing water consumption and energy costs over traditional washing systems. Taking feed material as large as 6 inches into its vertical drum, the Hydro-Clean employs high-pressure nozzles, rotating at 90 rpm, to spray as much as 90 percent recycled water on the material with pressures as high as 2,000 psi. The washing system is designed to remove silt and clay particles as small as 63 microns from mineral mixtures. The washer comes in four model sizes that process 18 to 400 tons per hour, depending on the model and application.

Water consumption ranges from 27 to 211 gpm, depending on application and model size.

During the cleaning process, the washed material works its way down the drum and exits onto a discharge conveyor that leads to a wash screen. The screen removes remaining dirt or clay still on the stone as it fractionates the material.

For more information, contact Kristen Randall at (905) 688-2644 or krandall@havercanada.com.

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Send them a letter at dontletamericadeadend.us

Portable equipment for where the rubber meets the road. Literally.

• Unloading Pumps • Metering Systems • Emissions Control • Gensets • Mixers • Multi-Compartment • Ladders & Catwalks

He has also run and managed plants, at one point managing six asphalt plants across the state of Texas.

Doug is an avid country music fan who likes to hunt, play golf, spend time with his dogs, and as he puts it: “do what makes my wife happy!”

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E IN U

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• AC Tanks • Fuel Tanks • Reaction Tanks • Calibration • Liquid Additive • Hot Oil Heaters • Loading Pumps

With 31 years industry experience, Doug has worked for multiple manufacturers, building asphalt plants & equipment, as well as doing service work on asphalt and concrete plants.

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With engineering, manufacturing, setup, training, worldwide parts & service support... all here for your needs, we’ve got you covered.

CEI’s Doug Jurey is based in Texas and covers Texas, New Mexico and Arizona.

UQ

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EX

If you’ve ever built roads out west, you know the vast distances that can be between one job and another. So do we. CEI has supplied construction equipment from our Albuquerque, New Mexico facility to all points in the Americas and beyond — since 1969. We know portable equipment.

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product Gallery KESPRY

Kespry, Menlo Park, California, and DroneBase announced a partnership this summer. Kespry customers will now be able to leverage DroneBase to manage their Kespry deployments as part of Kespry’s Bring Your Own Drone (BYOD) program. The program includes a new platform pricing model.

Kespry’s BYOD program is designed to give companies flexibility in how they source their aerial data. DroneBase can either manage customers’ Kespry deployments or have DroneBase’s global pilot network fly their missions, which can be turned around in 48-72 hours. Kespry now offers a single fee for its platform.

For more information, visit http://kespry.com

KLEEMANN

Kleemann, a division of Wirtgen Group, Antioch, Tennessee, offers the Mobirex mobile impact crushers which are designed to produce accurately-sized, cubical-shaped end product. The crushers work well as stand-alone plants, or are an ideal choice for smaller-scale recycling operations, on-site recycling, or for tight-space urban and roadside recycling, according to the manufacturer.

Kleemann’s Mobirex MR 130 Zi EVO2 mobile impact crusher has a crusher inlet size of 52 by 36 inches. Maximum input capacity of 496 tons per hour can easily be attained, according to the manufacturer.

The smaller MR 110 Zi EVO2 crusher has an inlet size of 44 by 32 inches and input capacity up to 386 tph.

For more information, contact Matt Graves at (615) 501-0600 or matt. graves@wirtgen-group.com.

The MR 130 Zi EVO2 mobile impact crusher from Kleemann

LIBRA

Libra Systems Inc, Harleysville, Pennsylvania, hosts its inaugural Libra Systems 2020 User Conference this Jan. 22-24 at the Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center in Orlando. Libra professionals will offer three days of knowledge sharing, networking and hands-on experience with Libra Systems products while enjoying fun in the sun in central Florida. The main User Conference begins with an optional golf tournament at the Celebration Golf Club, sculpted by Robert Trent Jones Sr. and Jr. through a natural wetland environment, creating a truly serene golf experience. The conference will be filled with world-class meals and over 30 informative and unique breakout sessions featuring everything you’ll want to

58 // november 2019

know about Libra’s products. You’ll be able to meet in-house experts at the hands-on, product-based “Libra Lab” solution center. AsphaltPro magazine is proud to be a sponsor of this educational event.

For more information, visit www.librasystems.com or contact Michael Sherin at msherin@librasystems.com.

MAJOR

Major, Candiac, Quebec, has introduced a new crown curve calculation and updated crown curve adaptors to offer customers greater performance from its tensioned Flex-Mat® high vibration wire screens and other screen media products on screen decks originally designed for modular panels. A proper curve on the screen deck will allow producers to tension the screen media correctly, which is vital to best performance and wear life.

Major’s crown curve adaptors are designed to allow producers to modify a flat vibrating screen deck for use with tensioned screed media and to try tensioned media out without the time and expense of a deck conversion.

For more information, contact (450) 659-7681.

MINDS

Minds Inc., Kelowna, British Columbia, is pleased to showcase its PlantManager multi-plant dashboard software.

PlantManager, an enterprise asset management software, is designed to allow asphalt plant managers to gain a 30,000-foot level view of their company’s plants, all in one dashboard. Managers then spot issues at a glance and drill down into critical production and job data.

The PlantManager software has opened windows into multiple plant processes, according to the manufacturer, thanks to the use of aggregated data and Minds’ software development. The software allows all the Minds-equipped plants in a company’s arsenal to share relevant data, which gives management teams a one-stop shop for viewing plant production, configuring and generating reports, tracking plant health, and more. Managers can use this asphalt plant control system to look deeper into their individual plants, where analog-style gauges make it easier than ever to track the temperature, energy consumption and mix rate of production, according to the manufacturer.

The PlantManager asphalt plant software is available to managers who operate multiple sites that use Minds’ individual plant management systems, and can be used on tablets and PCs. “PlantManager is one of the very exciting applications we have launched in 2019,” said Pierre Vidaillac, CEO of Minds Inc. “Customers who have many systems from us wanted a simple, meaningful dashboard to monitor all their asphalt production assets in real time. PlantManager does exactly that, and will also be used as an entry point to dive into more granular layers of information.”

Some of the PlantManager features include: • Production rates from each of your plants, and information on whether they meet your benchmarks • View of the current mix design name in production • Current mix temperatures from each of your plants and whether they fall within your chosen range • An extensive log of plant production, which includes a custom date/ time range and is sortable by mix

MINDS Inc. launched the PlantManager software in 2019.

• Energy output per ton of mix produced, using theoretical numbers unless additional sensors are purchased, installed and configured, as well as a log of that output over time • All logs can be exported as spreadsheets to other departments • All units and tolerances for PlantManager are customizable within the software • Ability to look into trucking details with a subscription to JobLink • Ability to look into liquid asphalt tanks with a subscription to TankFarm, including hot mix silo storage amounts For more information, contact MINDS USA, (833) 646-3787 or contact@mindsusa.com.

STOCKPILE REPORTS

Stockpile Reports, Redmond, Washington, offers solutions to make completing inventory measurements easier, according to the manufacturer. Stockpile Reports offers the patented iPhone app for measuring bulk materials, such as sand and crushed rock.

The process of measuring the materials is this: All you have to do is walk the perimeter of the stockpile, pointing the iPhone camera at the pile surface. The measurement uploads to the Stockpile Reports system. You’ll have your stockpile volume results in a few hours, according to the manufacturer.

For companies with larger stockpiles or worksites with a high concentration of stockpiles, Stockpile Reports uses drones to measure inventory. In most cases, companies opt for a combined solution of drones and iPhones to ensure that all of their worksite’s inventory is being measured frequently and consistently. This enables companies to measure all of their stockpiles at once. Having a full toolkit for measuring from the air with drones or from the ground with iPhones gives you the flexibility and power to get inventory done quickly, safely, and efficiently.

For more information, contact (425) 285-4303.

UNIFIED

When the Unified Screening & Crushing company began in Minnesota in 1869, the First Transcontinental Railroad had just been completed. As one of the few remaining family-owned companies in the industry—and certainly one of the oldest—Unified celebrates 150 years of innovation and growth by reflecting on the products and services that have made the company a leader in its field.

For example, Tufflex™ wire is a wire screen cloth that is designed to boost production for in-demand abrasive rock and now celebrates its 25th year.

“It’s really the workhorse of Unified’s woven wire product line,” said Andrew Lentsch, Chief Operating Officer for Unified. “Especially for customers who are screening highly abrasive rock.”

Tufflex wire is an alternative to oil tempered and high carbon wire. The difference is in the chemical makeup and the manufacturing process: • Two strength-building steps to create a higher tensile strength than a single-step process • Finer grain structure decreases the surface rust and corrosion, making it less susceptible to breakage with increased ductility • Greater consistency and flexibility throughout the wire • Lower per ton screening costs The wire is one of many products that the Unified Screening & Crushing company has produced throughout its 150 year history.

What began in 1869 as a small shop that sold fences, Unified expanded its product line and services to keep up with demands and technological changes.

By 1911, the business added security mesh, machine guards, chain link fences, and steel railings and stairway products, and just a decade later added sand and gravel screening products. It wasn’t until the mid-80s the company made the leap to expand outside Minnesota.

“As the second-generation of my family’s ownership, my parents had a vision to bring Unified’s brand of customer focus to the western region,” said Lentsch. His parents, Tom and Debbie Lentsch, opened the California office in 1985. California Wire was Unified’s first ever sales office, and then first manufacturing facility, outside of Minnesota.

The company committed to more growth in the 1980s, with partnerships and acquisitions of distributors across the country. In 1995, the company began direct sales into Arizona and opened a new office and factory there just two years later. Gilbert, Arizona, is now the site of Unified’s corporate headquarters with a newly-completed expansion of manufacturing facilities for the Southwest region.

Today, Unified has 14 facilities providing manufacturing, finishing, service and sales.

“Five generations after our founding, we have stuck to one principle: exceeding expectations,” Lentsch said. “Tufflex continues to exceed customer expectations, giving them more throughput and less downtime.”

VITAL SIGNS

Ken Monlux is the proprietor of Vital Signs, his consulting service for the improvement of operational management, including such areas as: • plant log documentation (plant reporting); • management coaching and mentoring; • recruitment and retention; and • special projects.

Monlux is committed to providing a way you can invest in your team members to improve the morale of the team as a whole while retaining managers that will be more devoted to the outcome of your company.

The core of his services is a plant documentation program designed to drive down costs and improve efficiency.

For more information, contact (209) 495-1017 or kenmonlux@yahoo.com.

www.THeAsphaltpro.com // 59

off the mat

Cash Flow Management Tips for a Healthy Business W

When small business loan company Kabbage offered to discuss cash flow management for contractors, AsphaltPro had a few specific questions the team was happy to answer. For asphalt paving or pavement maintenance contractors who have vendors or suppliers to pay in between project completions, cash flow can be an issue. Here are some words of wisdom from Kabbage’s head of customer experience.

Q

For the smaller paving company functioning as a general contractor on a residential or commercial project, what are the pros and cons to paying subcontractors—such as stripers, mills, concrete curbers—in 30 days, whether or not the project is complete or the customer has paid?

A

The biggest con would be that the general contractor may not have been paid by the client within the 30 days and paying subcontractors without working capital on hand can be difficult on finances for the whole company.

On the other hand, making it a policy to pay subcontractors in 30 days can be a great way to enforce healthy cash flow practices. If you pay your subcontractors within 30 days it means you would have to be very on top of your cash flow and finance management. Always being prepared and one step ahead of any cash out scenario is crucial in case of any unexpected expenses or crisis in your business. Since the general contractor is obligated to pay the subcontractor regardless of whether they have been paid by the client, it is important to be on time for your payments so you can avoid your subcontractors filing a mechanic’s lien or suing you for breach of contract as well as avoid violating trust fund law. Enforcing a 30 day rule for your business may keep you accountable.

It can also be helpful during seasonal peaks when subcontractors are high in demand and you are competing with other general contractors for the best talent. If subcontractors trust you more to pay them on time, you may get the advantage in hiring and keeping good talent.

How can the smaller paving company protect itself from financial hardship when a larger project has multiple components, thus multiple subcontractors and vendors to pay?

Q A

With so many components of a project moving simultaneously, it’s important to make sure you have all the moving pieces of your business in check, too. When you have a detailed budget for the year, you will have a clearer picture of how each project component can best contribute to your company’s healthy cash flow and protect it from financial hardship.

Plan to pay your company’s predictable expenses, like quarterly taxes, marketing costs and insurance premiums, when big bills

60 // november 2019

for your project are not due. Additionally, if you invested in capital equipment, you may be able to claim depreciation and other writeoffs to minimize quarterly tax payments and free up cash.

You can also work with your accountant or use tools to analyze your finances and make small adjustments to smooth out the peaks and valleys in your cash flow. An easy place to start is taking advantage of upfront payment discounts and making sure you have access to funding for those inevitable unexpected costs.

There are several options for getting extra funds. Depending on your needs, you may choose an SBA loan, alternate lending, a commercial loan, peer-to-peer lending, a line of credit or asset-based financing.

With so many options, it’s important to know the pros and cons of each. SBA loans and bank loans tend to feature cheaper and more generous loans, but underwriting requirements can be strict. It can take a long time to process a traditional loan. Online lenders are faster and easier than bank loans—though they may come with higher rates.

Do your due diligence to figure out what funding solution is right for your business.

What tips can you suggest for the smaller paving company when planning for seasonal employee wages and benefits so the owner can keep quality/trained personnel on hand during the height of season?

Hiring is essential for any growing business, large or small.

Ineffective hires and employee turnover can potentially cost your business 30 percent of its yearly earnings, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Instead of bargain shopping for employees, use additional funds to invest in the right hiring platforms, post multiple job listings, manage payroll, and cover onboarding and training costs. You could also use funds to give current employees a bonus for referring talent, or simply to help retain them.

A longer cash flow cycle can hurt your cash flow. This applies doubly during the height of the season when you need to invest in your company and personnel to get the bigger contracts that sustain the business for the rest of the year. One way to shorten your cash flow cycle while also improving your customers’ experience, in any season, is to break up your invoices.

Customers appreciate prompt, smaller bills because it helps them manage their own cash flow. John Montijo took several years of trial and error after starting his construction business in Staten Island, New York, to figure out the best way to ease the burden on his business and his customers. Montijo realized that he didn’t have to follow the industry standard of billing in three or four large installments over the course of a job. Instead, he broke his invoices up further, billing after each stage of a job: for

Q A

demolition, sheetrocking, windows, insulation, plumbing, electrical work and so on. Instead of writing a check for $25,000 on a $100,000 job, his customers can pay $10,000 at a time, a cash flow win-win for both sides.

A shorter cash flow cycle helps you have more working capital on hand to make sure you can pay your employees on time and offer them more perks and benefits.

How is Kabbage working in the industry to help small businesses with cash flow challenges?

you borrowed. It’s important for any construction business to have a secure source of funding ready and available for when you need it.

“Kabbage makes life comfortable for me. In 14 years, I’ve never bounced a check or been overdrawn, and I want to keep it that way,” Moloney continued. “I borrow to make sure I’m always looking good.”

Kabbage helps you cut through the red tape to get the construction funding you need to set your business up for success. Funding from Kabbage provides companies with access to a line of credit of up to $250,000 through a fast, simple application that’s fully automated. Provide basic data and Kabbage will review your business performance to give you access to funds.

“The thing with bank loans is that they don’t loan you money unless you don’t need it,” said Dennis Moloney of Best Restorations in Delray, Florida. “Over a year ago, I applied for a Kabbage line of credit and the next day, I was using it for my business. That’s a big deal because sometimes, we don’t get paid until a job is done. It can stretch out for four to five months and we end up waiting a long time.”

A line of credit can allow you to take only the amount you need when you need it, and then pay back just that amount

The number one cash flow concern is simply not having cash on hand to strategically manage your company. It is important to diversify your funding options to reactively guard your business against crisis as well as proactively seek and take advantage of opportunities to grow and prosper.

Buying smaller increments of inventory, hiring staff during busy seasons or requiring payments for orders up-front are all steps you can take to prevent cash flow gaps and maximize the funding you can use to invest back into your business.

Q A

Q A

What is the No.1 cash flow concern to guard against?

And how can the owners protect the company?

– WITH ADITYA NARULA

Aditya Narula is the head of customer experience at Kabbage. Kabbage has pioneered a financial services data and technology platform to provide access to automated funding to small businesses in minutes.

ALL ASPHALT PLANT COMPONENTS 100% BUILT IN USA SPECIALIZING IN

disassembly, relocation, fabricate complete asphalt plants, and startup of asphalt plants

210-240-8395

patrick@Ahernindustries.com P.O. Box 690513 • San Antonio, Texas 78269

www.ahernindustries.com

40 years of experience in the asphalt plant industry! www.THeAsphaltpro.com // 61

Do you have used equipment in your yard?

Let the Stansteel team help you sell it.

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We are the trusted name in the asphalt industry, with hundreds of years of combined experience, 2 state-of-the-art reconditioning facilities and access to a large database of qualified buyers.

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2'-0" 1'-0" 1'-0" 2'-0"

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At this time, we have customers actively looking for: Used Silo Systems - Asphalt Storage or Mineral Fill Silos Used AC Tanks - Portable or Stationary Used Counterflow Drum Mixers - Portable or Stationary

If we can assist you in selling these or other used equipment, please contact us.

stansteelused.com | 1-800-826-0223

PAVING FOR PERFORMANCE: Built to Perform December 3-4, 2019 Austin, Texas Omni Austin Hotel Downtown

Building on the lessons of 2017’s Paving for Performance: Designed to Perform conference, Built to Perform will cover everything from the handling of aggregate in stockpiles to understanding how mapping technology can be used to ensure asphalt coverage, tools and best practices are available at the plant and on the paving train to ensure that contractors are paving for quality and performance.

Join NAPA and peers from across the county in Austin, Texas, to discuss the latest lessons learned and the newest technologies available to ensure our plants, pavers, and rollers maximize what industry customers value most — performance.

www.AsphaltPavement.org/P4P

EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION PRICES UNTIL NOV 4

NORTH AMERICA’S LARGEST CONSTRUCTION TRADE SHOW

CONEXPOCONAGG.COM MARCH 10-14, 2020

| LAS VEGAS, USA

advertiser index Ahern Industries, Inc . . . . . . ..61

KPI-JCI-AMS . Inside Back Cover

Almix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Libra Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Ammann . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Meeker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Asphalt Drum Mixers . . . . . . . 52

Minds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37, 43

Astec, Inc . . . . . 11, 15, 19, 23, 28

Process Heating . . . . . . . . . .50

B & S Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44

Reliable Asphalt Products . . . . . . . . . Back Cover

OPERATIONAL MANAGEMENT

CWMF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Roadtec . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Tapping into a lifetime of experiences

Eagle Crusher . . . . . . . . . . . .39

Stansteel . . . . . . . . . . . . 21, 62

EXECUTIVE ADVISOR

E.D. Etnyre . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66

Systems Equipment . . . . . 27, 35

Fast-Measure . . . . . . . . . . . .65

Tarmac International, Inc . . . . .41

Budgeting · Logistics · Staffing appraisal Research · Special projects

Gencor Industries . . . . . . . . . . 4

Transtech . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55

LOG-BASED DOCUMENTATION

Green Patch . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

Top Quality Paving . . . . . . . . . 12

Design and set-up · Subscription · Manage and train

Heatec, Inc . . Inside Front Cover

Willow Designs . . . . . . . . . . .65

MANAGEMENT TRAINING

Ken Monlux . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

Wirtgen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Coaching and mentoring · Recruitment and retention

CEI Enterprises . . . . . . . . . . . 57

AsphaltPro’s advertiser index 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.

Ken Monlux

kenmonlux@yahoo.com • 209-495-1017

www.THeAsphaltpro.com // 65

new tech

Tenna Tracks Entire Fleets Tenna’s customized fleet management solutions aim to eliminate yard hunts and unnecessary purchases, while improving use and reducing downtime

C

Contractors constantly have vehicles, heavy equipment, mid-sized assets and small tools moving from the shop to the yard and from job site to job site. Contractors may purchase or rent more assets than necessary, simply because they don’t have a way to manage assets and minimize idle hours without leaving any crew ill-equipped for the job.

That’s why the team at Tenna, Edison, New Jersey, has brought together more than 100 years of experience in the construction industry to create a single, centralized solution that enables construction companies to efficiently manage their entire equipment fleet, from heavy equipment to hand tools.

“Construction companies manage their number one cost center, labor, very carefully,” said Austin Conti, CEO and Co-Founder of Tenna. “However, their second largest cost center, equipment and tools, still poses challenges to most contractors.”

Conti’s experience managing projects for his family business illustrated just how difficult fleet management can be.

“Utilization, maintenance, just knowing where something was was a constant battle for us,” he said, “and this rings true for most contractors.”

Tenna uses GPS, cellular, Bluetooth Low Energy and QR technologies coupled with its unified platform to deliver actionable data for every asset in a contractor’s fleet. First launched in 2015, Tenna has updated its Tenna One Platform with a more intuitive user interface with expanded features.

“We’ve taken notes from customers and the construction market,” Conti said. For example, he continues, “Many people we talked to wanted something

66 // november 2019

In the fall of 2019, Tenna updated its One Platform with a more user-friendly interface and additional features to better meet its customers’ fleet management needs. smaller, so we’ve released a new GPS tracking family.” The TennaMINI is a small, ruggedized GPS tracker that is available in solar and battery, with a battery life of up to seven years.

Other updates include Tenna’s utilization reporting feature, which enables users to view utilization by asset both collectively across a mixed fleet and drilled down to a very micro level for a single piece of equipment.

With this data, Tenna enables its users to see equipment use to identify items that may be underutilized (or overutilized), which helps the contractor effectively assign equipment, plan maintenance, and save money on unnecessary purchases and rentals.

Combined with state-of-the-art tracking devices, Tenna’s updated platform can process data from “thousands of projects and millions of assets to drive billions of individual decisions to better manage your equipment fleet.”

– BY JOLENE PIERANGELI

For more information, visit www.tenna.com.

ProSizer Series

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ProSizer® 3600 The all new ProSizer® 3600 is a single-load crushing plant for processing virgin aggregate and recycled materials. Its robust 36” x 46” horizontal shaft impactor can be paired with a 5’ x 20’ conventional screen or a 6’ x 18’ high frequency screen to meet your application needs. This crushing plant can be powered by diesel, electric or hybrid power.

ASTEC MOBILE SCREENS

an Astec Industries Company

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Reliable Asphalt Products offers a full line of liquid AC storage systems, from 10,000 gallons on up.

The tanks are aavailable and skid mount Reliable Asphalt Products offers full line in ofportable, liquid ACstationary, storage systems, from arrangements with options for hot oil, electric and direct fired systems.

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New, Used and Refurbished Asphalt Plant Equipment