Increase Tons with Best Practices
Bevilacqua Returns Asphalt Plant Takes Root in Family Business
Safety and Function Automate Profit Center Gaunt Produces on Strengths Control Stack Temperatures Prep Back-up Operators January 2014
contents
Departments Letter from the Editor 5 My Ectomatic Processor Principle Around the Globe 6
26
Safety Spotlight 8 Increase Straight Edge’s Safety, Function By John Ball
32
Mix it Up 10 Create Stronger Bonds From National Center for Asphalt Technology Equipment Maintenance 14 Preserve Parts, Environment with Powder Process By Sandy Lender Producer Profile 16 Staying Power Gaunt & Son Asphalt proves commercial merit in Indiana By Sandy Lender
Articles 26 Willets Points to Temperature Control With increases in mix types, producer increases stack temperature control from within the drum By Dan Brown
42
International Snapshot 30 International Variety From Caterpillar
Project Management 20 Shelly Company Puts Central Software in the Mix From Libra Systems
32 Cross Train Plant Personnel By Cliff Mansfield
Equipment Gallery 54 Astec Offers New Controls By AsphaltPro Staff
42 Asphalt Encore Three years after selling his successful asphalt paving business and retiring, Steve Bevilacqua returns to the industry with a brand new plant, new business model By Larry Trojak
Here’s How it Works 62 Gencor’s Ultraflo Baghouse Resource Directory 65 Last Cut 66 Gulf Coast Imports Lessen Light Grades From Energy Information Administration
That’s a Good Idea 52 Protect Mat Smoothness Starting at Hopper By John Ball
14
Increase Tons with Best Practices
16 BEVILACQUA RETURNS
Asphalt Plant Takes Root in Family Business
Safety and Function Automate Profit Center Gaunt Produces on Strengths Control Stack Temperatures Prep Back-up Operators JANUARY 2014
On the Cover In his second round in the asphalt industry, Steve Bevilacqua puts a host of skills into play to build a family business that caters to the commercial asphalt contractors in his area. See related article on page 40. Photo courtesy ADM, Huntertown, Ind.
editor's note January 2014 • Vol. 7 No. 4
My Ectomatic Processor Principle
2001 Corporate Place Columbia, MO 65202 573-499-1830 • 573-499-1831 www.theasphaltpro.com Group publisher
Chris Harrison publisher
Sally Shoemaker sally@theasphaltpro.com (573) 823-6297 editor
Sandy Lender sandy@theasphaltpro.com (239) 272-8613 Art Director
Kristin Branscom operations/circulation manager
Cindy Sheridan business manager
Renea Sapp AsphaltPro is published 10 times per year: January, February, March, April, May, June/July, August/September, October, November and December by The Business Times Company, 2001 Corporate Place, Columbia, MO 65202 Writers expressing views in AsphaltPro Magazine or on the AsphaltPro website are professionals with sound, professional advice. Views expressed herein are not necessarily the same as the views of AsphaltPro or Business Times Company staff, thus producers/contractors are still encouraged to use best practices when implementing new advice. Subscription Policy: Individual subscriptions are available without charge in the United Sates, Canada and Mexico to qualified individuals. One year subscription to non-qualifying Individuals: United States $90, Canada and Mexico $125.00. For the international digital edition, visit theasphaltpro.com/subscribe-2. Single copies available $17 each.
Given the production schedule of a monthly magazine, I write the AsphaltPro editor’s note well in advance of you reading it. For this one, I sit in a doctor’s office while I type, thinking about germane topics for a first-of-the-year letter to the industry. A part of my brain wonders how this will influence my blood-pressure reading. The rest of my mind is focused on what we will still consider relevant when this edition of the magazine appears beneath the hotel room doors of the National Asphalt Pavement Association’s annual meeting in Boca Raton. I wonder if we’ll be planning ahead for the remainder of 2014. I believe the competition started planning ahead years ago when they saw the writing on the wall: Asphalt is the environmentally wise choice for sustainable, longterm, perpetual, cost-efficient paving. Now will we collectively grab the opportunity to set Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) as outlined in the December issue so a competing industry doesn’t try to do it for us? Will we fund the marketing campaigns NAPA and Asphalt Pavement Alliance prepares to show the agencies and MPOs around the country that reflective pavements exacerbate UHI effects while dark pavements such as asphalt reduce overall temperatures in urban environments? As a group, the asphalt industry has an opportunity to prove its quality before “someone” embeds misinformation and confusion so firmly in the minds of transportation officials and materials engineers that we can’t recover their senses. It’s reminiscent of planning for catastrophic business changes in any industry. We can see right now that we have a sustainable product with a low carbon footprint. We can see right now that the future demands an environmentally positive and sustainable product for roadway paving. It’s a match made in Heaven—if we proactively make the match obvious to the right people. When I began my career in magazine publishing, one of the many tasks I performed for production was developing black and white images for use in the layouts. I’d spend an hour or so in the dark room listening to the hum of the Ectomatic processor. It wasn’t long before that machine became obsolete because our creative services department purchased a scanner that took a couple steps out of the process and freed an hour or so of my time each month. Digital publishing had arrived and Kodak was about to take a hit to its stock. The chemical companies who supplied the liquids necessary for developing the black and white pictures I sent through the Ectomatic machine took a hit to their profits as well. That kind of hit is what the concrete industry faces in the coming years as the asphalt industry markets its positive story. While the ready-mix folks can still find statues and such to pour, their use as a pavement option is growing obsolete. They face extinction in the face of asphalt’s scientific truths. Why aren’t we shouting those truths from the rooftops? Are we planning ahead for the day when every road project is let as asphalt? When every bridge deck is overlaid with asphalt and every repair job is marked for an efficient overlay, our industry is going to be very busy. We have to plan ahead for the busy years to come, but first we have to plan how to get the message out. I hope to see you at industry events in 2014 to share ideas and get our good news in front of end users. Stay Safe,
Sandy Lender www.theasphaltpro.com | ASPHALT PRO 5
around the globe
Industry News and Happenings from Around the World China
According to end-of-year Petrosil Bitumart Reports, China imported more than half a million megatonnes of bitumen from Singapore from January to September of 2013. During that same time period, Japan’s bitumen export to China comprised 83 percent of its total exports.
United States
• Make sure new employees know what the Hazard Communication (HazCom) pictograms look like. OSHA required companies to have all workers trained to recognize the symbols for the Global Harmonization System (GHS) by Dec. 1, 2013. If you have new employees or need to reactivate employees after the seasonal break, check out the on-demand training module from the National Asphalt Paving Association (NAPA). • For up-to-the-minute info and updates that impact the asphalt industry, follow http://twitter.com/AsphaltPro.
Alabama
The National Center for Asphalt Technology offers a five-day Asphalt Technology Course at Auburn University Feb. 24 through 28, 2014. The one-week course provides a general understanding of all phases of asphalt technology.
Florida
Attend the National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA) 59th annual meeting Feb. 2 through 5, 2014, at the Boca Raton Resort and Club in Florida. The theme is “Driving Decisions” and NAPA staff plans to launch the Go-To-Market Plan that every asphalt professional needs to be a part of. Visit www.asphaltpavement.org for meeting registration information.
Iowa
Gov. Terry Branstad announced in late November that he could support using state sales tax monies to pay for roadway maintenance even though the tax isn’t constitutionally protected to be used that way. According to the QC Times online reporting, Gov. Branstad would propose applying 10 percent of the first 2 cents from the state’s 6-cent sales tax to road repair work. It’s not without precedent. The online news source reports the state split the sales tax in this manner prior to 1975.
Kentucky
AsphaltPro sends condolences to the family and friends of longtime industry leader Morley Chase, formerly of Oxnard Refining. Chase was 85. Source: CalAPA’s Asphalt Insider
To become a Certified Binder Technician, a candidate must have work experience with the testing of asphalt binders for compliance with the PG spec (AASHTO M320); either 6 months experience or 60 days working under an NBTC certified tech; and a completed application form and approval for the certification class. Get the NBTC Certification Application at www.asphaltinstitute.org to begin the registration process for the March 4 through 6, 2014, program at Asphalt Institute headquarters in Lexington, Ky.
Colorado
North Carolina
California
• The September flooding in Colorado left many drivers without access to vital roadways. The Loveland Reporter-Herald newspaper touted the benefits of a temporary asphalt road that went up in a hurry to take on the duties of US 34 while it’s rebuilt. • Register now for the 41st Rocky Mountain Asphalt Conference & Equipment Show at the Denver International Airport Crowne Plaza taking place Feb. 19 through 21, 2014. Visit www.rmaces.org. 6 January 2014
The Carolina Asphalt Paving Association (CAPA) proudly co-hosts the International Society for Asphalt Paving (ISAP) 2014 with the North Carolina DOT and others June 1 through 5 in Raleigh.
Pennsylvania
Gov. Tom Corbett (R-Pa.) signed a comprehensive, five-year package Nov. 25, 2013, that will generate significant new revenues for new transportation infrastructure improvements. Source: ARTBA
Tennessee
It looks like mass transit and bus plans are among those feeling the pinch in Tennessee. Because the state has almost $8.5 billion in projects “backlogged” and waiting for funds to free up, the department of transportation is asking local governments to scale back their project needs. Source: The Tennessean.com.
Texas
• The Texas legislature approved a measure that would redirect $1.2 billion annually in oil and gas revenue from the state’s general Rainy Day Fund to support transportation improvements. Texas voters will decide on the measure in 2014. Source: ARTBA • The Argus Americas Asphalt Summit celebrates its seventh year March 26 through 28, 2014, at the Woodlands Waterway Marriott Hotel in The Woodlands, Texas. The summit will include topics such as how new crudes impact the asphalt supply, the logistical constraints and availability of rail cars, how new asphalt pavement preservation techniques are impacting the crude and asphalt market, and what issues are impacting the supply and demand in the Americas and the international asphalt market. Visit www.argusmedia.com or contact antonette.jones@argusmedia. com for more information.
Washington, D.C.
The American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) forecasts the overall U.S. transportation infrastructure construction market will grow 5 percent from $129 billion in 2013 to $135.8 billion in 2014. ARTBA Chief Economist Dr. Alison Premo Black said the market will be led by expected double-digit growth in airport runway and terminal work. Black forecasts the pavement market will grow to $54.4 billion in 2014, which is up 2.6 percent nationally. This includes $42.7 billion in public and private investment in highways, roads and streets, and $11.6 billion in largely private investments in parking lots, driveways and related structures.
safety spotlight
Here the straight edge is used to assess the milling job prior to paving. You can make sure you have the proper crown in the road by measuring the gap beneath the end of the straight edge at the pavement edge and centerline edge. Notice that the straight edge in this picture has been painted safety yellow and a strip of the safety tape that haul truck drivers put on their vehicles is on it. INSET: This picture demonstrates how important it is to check the job longitudinally as well as transversely with the straight edge. When you look at the worker’s boots, you can see clearly that a dip has been cut in the roadway. This will affect the paving crew’s yield. The paving foreman will need to be aware of a problem like this before paving begins so he can address it. The straight edge serves its function well for this crew right here.
Increase Straight Edge’s Safety, Function W
hen you purchase an aluminum straight edge, it arrives in the color gray. This makes the quality control device easy to lose at the side of the road when grasses and weeds are tall or when you’re working a night time paving job. This also makes it easy for any piece of equipment or vehicle in the work zone to
8 January 2014
run over the straight edge. To improve the straight edge’s safety and function, the crew in these pictures painted it with a vibrant safety yellow paint and then placed safety tape on it. Also notice the simple brackets the mechanic affixed to the side of the paver so the straight edge has
By John Ball
an out-of-the-way place to rest when not in use. No one trips over the straight edge or leaves it behind in the work zone when it’s put away on the side of the paver. John Ball is the proprietor of Top Quality Paving, Manchester, N.H. For more information, contact him at (603) 493-1458 or tqpaving@yahoo.com.
ABOVE: The mechanic can bolt or weld bent metal brackets onto the paver to hold the straight edge when it’s not in use. RIGHT: The gray aluminum of this straight edge is visible here. Notice the metal bracket that cradles the device when it’s not in use. This is great for keeping the tool out of workers’ way yet easy to access.
www.theasphaltpro.com | ASPHALT PRO 9
mix it up
Create Stronger Bonds W
e know a strong bond between pavement layers is a critical component in long-lasting asphalt pavements. Bond failures have occurred in experimental sections—such as S5 on the National Center for Asphalt Technology (NCAT) pavement test track—at accelerated pavement testing (APT) facilities. This gives researchers the opportunity to investigate the phenomenon. Based on measured strain levels and lab beam fatigue results, NCAT had high expectations for the high RAP-focused section S5 in the 2012 pavement test track cycle. However, this section, with a 35 percent RAP and highly polymer-modified (HiMA) base mix, was the first section in the Green Group to crack. A forensic investigation revealed that the failure mechanism was debonding between the base and binder layer, causing cracking to propagate upward from the bottom of the 50 percent RAP binder layer through the 25 percent RAP SMA surface. Due to the weakened condition of the pavement structure, the base mix also cracked. “We knew we shot a textbook tack coat at a target rate of 0.05 gallons per square yard of Trackless tack,” NCAT Assistant Director and Test Track Manager Dr. Buzz Powell said. However, visual inspection of the failed areas showed that the binder layer had absorbed tack from the interface. To compound the problem, both base and binder mixes were stiff, with little natural interlock between them. According to Powell, “We conducted a small laboratory study using actual plantsampled material from these layers and found the rate needed to be doubled to 0.10 gallons per square yard to optimize the bond strength.” Section S5 was rebuilt using the same HiMA base mix and a few modifications elsewhere, including the increased application rate of Trackless tack. The new binder mix, while still using foamed asphalt, was produced at a higher temperature (325°F rather than 275°F) for optimal mixing of the new and aged binder, and the asphalt content was increased by 0.2 percent. Section N8 in the 2003 NCAT pavement test track cycle was intended to investigate the ability of a rich-bottom 10 January 2014
layer to resist fatigue cracking. However, the section experienced early fatigue failure in a fairly localized area, leading researchers to suspect that debonding was to blame. Tack coats had been applied between each lift of the 7-inch cross-section, using PG 67-22 binder at a rate of 0.03 gallons per square yard. Yet trenches cut through the area of severe fatigue cracking confirmed that debonding had occurred at the interface below the SMA surface layer. Cracking was more prevalent in the upper 5 inches of the pavement than in the rich-bottom layer, and cores revealed that bond strength was greater near the bottom of the pavement than at the top.
FHWA Pavement Test Facility
At the Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) researchers use two Accelerated Loading Facility (ALF) machines to apply traffic load¬ing to test pavements at controlled temperatures. Each ALF machine operates at a wheel speed of up to 11 mph and features variable wheel loading, with interchangeable tire configurations and programmable lateral wander. The pavement test facility has 12 fullscale pavement lanes, each of which can be subdivided into four test sites. A recently completed research project evaluated the perfor¬mance of both modified and unmodified asphalt binders. Each dense-graded 12.5-mm NMAS mix was placed in two lifts on the same day, and no tack coat was used. Seven lanes had a total asphalt thickness of 100 mm, while the rest had 150 mm. All sec¬tions were loaded to failure. Of the 12 sections, only one—the 150-mm unmodified PG 70-22 section—experienced delamination, but there was no indication of debonding until cores were cut at the end of the project. Interestingly, the delaminated area did not extend throughout the entire test lane, only the portion that was tested at 19°C. No debonding was observed in the other sites within the lane, which were tested at 64°C and 74°C for rutting and again at 19°C in an aged condition. Cores from the other test lanes were evaluated
From National Center for Asphalt Technology
for bond strength using Kansas DOT test method KT-78. “This is a direct tension test, which we chose because we could easily implement the test method using the Asphalt Mixture Performance Tester (AMPT),” Nelson Gibson, a research civil engineer with FHWA said. In each case, the bond strength was found to be greater than that of the mix itself, as none of the samples failed at the layer interface. Gibson said bond strength will be tested immediately after construction during the next research project at the FHWA pavement test facility.
Tack to Prevent Failures
Tack coats are used to create a good bond between asphalt pavement layers, thus transferring shear stresses throughout the pavement cross-section. While some states do not require tack coats, many consider it essential. For example, Heavy Vehicle Simu¬lator (HVS) testing at the University of California Pavement Research Center in the 1990s showed that a weak bond between asphalt layers that were not tacked significantly impaired performance. Caltrans later began specifying tack coats. Appropriate selection of tack coat material and application rate, as well as uniformity of cov¬erage, are necessary to ensure adequate bond strength. Tack coats are typically asphalt emulsions or paving grade asphalt binders. Emulsions are often used because they tend to spray easily, which makes uniform application easier to achieve. Polymermodified tack coat materials are sometimes used in high-stress applications for increased strength and durabil¬ity. Another material choice is Trackless tack, a proprietary emulsion that sets quickly, prevent¬ing the loss of material by tire pickup from con¬struction traffic and thus improving bond. The texture of the underlying surface plays a role in achieving a good bond. NCHRP 9-40 found that milled surfaces improve shear strength. An appropriate tack application rate should be selected based on the condition of the underlying surface. A higher application rate is needed on milled surfaces and existing
mix it up pavement than between two new layers, due to increased surface area. While too little tack inhibits a good bond, too much also has a negative effect on bond strength by acting as a lubricant and creating a slip plane between layers. Uniformity of coverage is also a key consideration for successful tack coat application. Uneven streaks or puddles of tack material should be avoided to facilitate optimum bonding. Non-uniform tack coverage can be the result of clogged nozzles on the distributor, and the height of the spray bar should also be properly adjusted to provide double lap or triple lap coverage. Tire pickup should be minimized by keeping equipment off the tacked surface as much as possible until the tack material has set. Dust, dirt or moisture on the existing surface should be avoided as well.
“Our new specifications target the final product— what we really want is bond performance in the constructed mat.”—Aaron Gillispie Although tack has traditionally been applied using a distributor, spray pavers are also used to apply tack immediately prior to spreading the mix. This specialized equipment eliminates the possibility of tire pickup, allowing for uniform tack application and an improved bond. During the 2009 research cycle at the NCAT pavement test track, a spray paver was used in Florida’s open-graded friction course (OGFC) evaluation. Section N1 incorporated a heavier polymermodified tack coat applied using a spray paver, while section N2 used Trackless tack applied at a typical rate with a distributor. The heavier tack coat applied with a spray paver was shown to improve cracking resistance in the OGFC, but the tack filled some of the OGFC void space and reduced its drainage capacity in heavy rains.
Quantify Bond Strength
Bond strength between pavement layers can be quantified using destructive testing, such as the bond strength test devel¬oped at NCAT in a study funded 12 January 2014
by the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT). This method, which has been adopted as ALDOT Procedure 430, shares some similarities to bond strength tests used in Europe and some states, including Florida and West Virginia. In this procedure, cores are placed in a bond strength loading frame, and the layers are sheared apart using the Marshall load frame apparatus at a loading rate of 2 inches per minute. Interface bond strength is then calculated by dividing the maxi¬mum shear load by the crosssectional area of the core. The ALDOT study included a field investigation of pavements exhibiting both good performance and premature failure. Cores were taken at five sites that had been in service for more than four years and showed no signs of debonding. These pavements had been constructed with asphalt emulsion and asphalt binder tack coats placed on new and milled asphalt surfaces, as well as old Portland cement concrete. The average bond strengths for these five sites were all greater than 100 psi. Nine pavement sections with slippage failures were also examined. Cores were extracted in the delaminated areas and from intact areas nearby. Average bond strengths for the intact areas were all in excess of 87 psi. In the areas with slippage failures, some specimens broke during coring, and the remainder of the cores from the failed areas had bond strengths ranging from approximately 25 to 60 psi. Based on these results, a preliminary bond strength requirement of 100 psi, tested according to the ALDOT-430 procedure, was recommended for evaluation of the interface bond between the surface and underlying layers. West Virginia implemented bond strength testing in their specs after experiencing delaminations on interstate highways—including a severe failure that required an emergency repair project during the winter. “Although tack was required, we just weren’t getting the results we wanted,” Aaron Gillispie, West Virginia Division of Highways State Materials Engineer said. “We looked at different bond strength tests using torsion, tension and shear, and decided to go with shear testing using the Marshall stabilometer.” This year, bond strength testing will be conducted on cores from nine interstate projects. Gillispie said they are primarily gathering data to evaluate the preliminary requirement of 100 psi. However,
four of the projects do not include a separate pay item for tack coat, and for those projects, penalties will be assessed for bond strengths less than 100 psi only if the contractor chooses not to apply tack. According to Gillispie, “Our traditional prescriptive emphasis on specifying tack resulted in insufficient, inconsistent tack and several post-construction debonding failures. But our new specifications target the final product—what we really want is bond performance in the constructed mat.”
NDT Detects Delamination Project R06(D) of the second Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP II) investigated nondestructive testing (NDT) methods that potentially could be used to identify delamination between asphalt layers before surface distresses appear. Agencies need a rapid NDT method that can identify and quantify delaminations following construction or as part of a pavement management system so that repair or rehabilitation can be considered before pavement distress occurs. Originally, the project goal was to find a technology capable of testing an entire lane width in a single pass at safe operating speeds, but the scope was broadened to examine more technologies. The NDT technologies evaluated at the NCAT pavement test track included ground penetrating radar (GPR), infrared thermography, mechanical wave methods and deflection measurement methods. Two technologies were selected for further evaluation—a GPR unit with a multiple-antenna array (manufactured by 3-D Radar) and a mechanical wave technology with a traveling point-load system (developed by Olson Engineering). Each vendor developed equipment and software improvements prior to evaluation in uncontrolled field conditions at sites in Maine, Kansas and Florida. These NDT technologies can be useful tools in project-level assessments. With further improvements in data analysis software, the technologies could also be used in network-level pavement evaluations. While these NDT methods can identify pavement discontinuities, coring must still be used to conclusively determine the cause of the discontinuity. Reprinted with permission from the Fall 2013 issue of NCAT’s Asphalt Technology News
equipment maintenance
Preserve Parts, Environment with Powder Process
O
ne component of equipment maintenance we can’t overlook is preventing corrosion. A variety of parts and pieces from underbody automotive parts to hydraulic cylinders are eligible for the Zirconization™ pretreatment and powder-coating process. Such a finish also serves the asphalt and crushing industry, and the engineers at Kolberg-Pioneer, Inc. (KPI-JCI), Yankton, S.D., have developed the process for more than the typical plant features you’d expect. Bruce Dunham of DuBois Chemical Company explained that it’s not new to powder-coat components, but it is novel of KPI-JCI to use infra-red (IR) heat as a boost to help cure thick parts. “What’s unique or rare is the combination of the technologies—zirconization pretreatment, powder coat and IR boost to help curing,” Dunham said. The zirconization that Dunham mentions is the specific washing and pretreating process a part goes through. KPI-JCI hangs the component on a conveyor that carries it through a five-stage washer where Production Manager Mark Folkers said the DuBois zirconization process happens. If this sounds
14 January 2014
familiar, AsphaltPro magazine featured the process in our Here’s How it Works department more than a year ago. Let’s take a look from an equipment maintenance standpoint now. Dunham explained that the washing system uses ambient process temperatures instead of 120 to 140-degree temperatures used in some pretreating processes. Also, the DuBois zirconization process is devoid of phosphates, which eliminates eutrophication, and devoid of heavy metals that require expensive waste water treatment. “Zirconization…has higher corrosion resistance for a longer lasting durable good,” Dunham said. “There’s a reduction in sludge generation with our zirconization compared to iron or zinc phosphate process.” Randy Heying, a manufacturing engineer at KPI-JCI, pointed out additional environmental benefits to the process. “In addition to the benefits of the zirconization process used in the washer, other powder coating process benefits that KPI realized include an estimated 17 percent reduction of HAPS and VOCs emitted to the atmosphere.
By Sandy Lender
“Liquid paint required a primer application before the top coat,” Heying continued. “A primer application is not required with powder paint. Cost ratio of powder paint to liquid paint is about 1 to 5. Parts that were sprayed with liquid paint frequently required touch up after the assembly process was complete. That task is eliminated completely with powder coated parts. Finally, throughput has increased dramatically. Small parts painting used to be a significant bottleneck in our process—not any longer.” With savings in time, energy, cost and environmental concerns, KPI-JCI uses its innovative combination of technologies to create corrosion-resistant components for its customers.
ABOVE LEFT: Mark Folkers, production manager at Kolberg-Pioneer, Inc., stands in front of a painted part that is waiting to be fully-cured and sent to assembly. ABOVE RIGHT: One of the steps KPI-JCI uses during its process is to cure the powder coat in an infra-red (IR) chamber. The part is subjected to one minute in front of an 850-degree IR heater and 50 minutes in a 350-degree oven.
producer profile
The Gaunt & Son Asphalt Inc. paving crew handles residential and commercial projects. They place base, intermediate and surface asphalt mixes produced in their own Custom-Built batch plant. Here the crew uses its Blaw-Knox PF 161 paver to take care of a long drive. Photos courtesy of Sam Knight.
Staying Power
Gaunt & Son Asphalt proves commercial merit in Indiana
T
he Asphalt Pavement Association of Indiana values the service of all its board members. Executive Director Bill Knopf recently shared that Sam Knight, vice president of Gaunt & Son Asphalt, Inc., in Wabash, Ind., is one of those board members. As Knopf listed off the committees and activities in which Knight participates, I naturally assumed Gaunt & Son must be a sizeable company that produces 300,000+ tons a year out of two or three plants with a few paving crews I should recognize by their interstate awards. To the contrary, Gaunt & Son is a smaller, family-run firm with a custom-built batch plant rated at 150 tons per hour, 25 employees during season and a crew that works hard at multiple jobs in a day. 16 January 2014
“Sam Knight is on our board of directors and will be the new chair of our environmental affairs committee starting in January,” Knopf said. “He’s also on our safety committee and technical committee. Sam comes to our winter conference. He’s extremely knowledgeable, but very humble; he’s not big on public speaking. He’s a blue collar, smart, working class man who gets the job done right the first time.” Knopf was right on the money. Talking with Knight was a pleasure. He shared that longtime contractor Mike Hileman and his wife Georgianna started the company in 1981. At that time, Hileman had a partner who owned Gaunt & Son. “They were a general contractor
By Sandy Lender
that had a gravel pit,” Knight explained. “After a year, Mike bought out the partner but kept the Gaunt & Son Asphalt Inc. name because they had already gotten state highway prequalification in that name.” When it came time to add an asphalt plant to the operation in 1981, it was an easy decision to place it in the gravel pit. The plant produces hot mix asphalt base, intermediate and surface mixes for customers and its own paving crew. Knight joined the company in 1986 as an estimator. His responsibilities then included job management. “Mike passed away in 2009 and Georgianna took over as president,” Knight shared. “I run the day-to-day operations for her.”
producer profile
The Gaunt & Son Asphalt Inc. paving crew tackles projects from sealcoating to striping, from mill and fills to overlays. Vice President Sam Knight is proud of the team for the quality work they do. “Our biggest strength is having a crew that can do excellent work on private and commercial jobs. It takes a special type of crew to do the jobs that we do. We have to pay attention to detail so the job results are something the owners and we are proud of. We don’t do many large highway projects so our crews do the private and commercial work daily; they have the knowhow and skills needed for the jobs.”
He may wear many hats for the company now, but Knight is comfortable giving accolades to the team around him. For instance, Jim Rule runs the paving crew and has been with the company since 1981. Knight commends Rule’s “ability to coordinate the many jobs we may do in a day’s time.” Another example: Adam Heckard is the plant operator who’s been with the company for 14 years. “He started out as a loader operator, learned how to operate the plant during that time and when our plant operator passed away, he took over the plant operations. [His biggest strength is] his ability to provide mixes to our crews and our FOB customers, which at times can require switching the plant many times in a day as well as keeping the raw material inventories at the proper levels.” 18 January 2014
It sounds as though Knight appreciates the technical abilities of the team, and there’s a reason for that. As Knopf mentioned, Knight is on the APAI technical committee. “I like the technical part the most to keep up with all of the current changes. I was in the original classes at RoseHulman when InDOT started the Certified Technician Program in the ‘80s. I feel that the safety of our workers and the workplace is our ultimate goal along with a quality product.” Being involved at the state level takes time away from the day-today operations and the many hats Knight juggles at Gaunt & Son Asphalt, but he has a positive outlook for his participation. He shared that the environmental affairs committee of APAI has helped keep the members of the association up to date on current issues and requirements.
One example is getting federal permits taken care of. “The environmental committee was crucial for many of us to file for our first FESOP [Federally Enforceable State Operating Permit]. We had a ‘generic’ permit, and then in 1996 we had to switch to the new permit. Old and new facilities switched. The committee provided the skills and knowledge to have the understanding to perform such a huge task initially.” Whether the task is serving on a state committee, filing vital forms for federal permits or making the dayto-day decisions that impact a family asphalt business, Knight represents the asphalt industry in a professional manner. Gaunt & Son Asphalt Inc. has a straight-forward message for getting a quality job done and a nononsense vice president taking care of that message in the industry.
project management
Shelly Company Puts Central Software in the Mix T
he Shelly Company, a division of Oldcastle Materials, operates more than 40 asphalt production facilities serving virtually every county in Ohio. As part of their continuous improvement strategy, The Shelly Company recently sought a solution to more efficiently manage their jobs, plants and trucks. They found their answer with a central dispatching software 20 January 2014
that manages asphalt production. The product they chose is the Libra Dispatch Module. In addition to central order taking, Shelly uses the Dispatch Module to manage job and truck scheduling, as well as plant utilization to make the most efficient use of their resources. “With the Libra Dispatch Module, we are able to satisfy the demand at the
From Libra Systems
job sites with a minimum number of trucks while optimizing plant usage,� Operations Manager Tom Slane said. For many years, dispatch software has been available for the ready mix industry; however these packages have proved ineffective for asphalt and aggregate operations where plant capacity and job delivery rates are more of a gating item than the number of trucks
ABOVE: Chuck Zelenka works in the control house at The Shelly Company's Allied plant 76. Oppostie Page LEFT: Kathy and Alice are dispatchers at The Shelly Company and use Libra's Dispatch Software. OPPOSITE PAGE RIGHT: Bob McGarvey mans the controls at The Shelly Company's Allied plant. Photos courtesy of The Shelly Company.
www.theasphaltpro.com | ASPHALT PRO 21
project management
Tom Slane, The Shelly Company
Computer screens in the control house show plant operators the vital stats for the asphalt plant. The Dispatch Review screen shows Shelly personnel all dispatches, including color coding to show pending dispatches, dispatches that need or have extra trucks, and completion status. Trucks may be assigned to dispatches by dragging and dropping the truck icon. The Truck Demand Graph shows truck demand versus truck assignments to show Shelly’s dispatchers potential truck shortages. Simple checkboxes allow them to select the type of graph, time interval and shipment weight. 22 January 2014
available. Researchers at Libra developed dispatch software specifically targeted to the needs of asphalt and aggregate producers. “All asphalt and aggregate companies are performing the dispatch functions in some manner; they take orders and make decisions on how to fulfill them,” President of Libra Systems Ken Cardy said. “Some use post-it notes; others have developed sophisticated spreadsheets. The Libra Dispatch Module provides a shared utility for order takers, plant managers, operators, job foremen, etc. Further, it provides a key component that in-house solutions do not—real time feedback. Dispatchers can see how the day is actually going versus planned.” The Shelly Company uses the Dispatch module to view scheduled jobs by date and plant, to see what is coming up at each plant, how plant capacity is being used, and how balanced the scheduling is across dates and plants. They are able to assign trucks to scheduled jobs using a drag and drop interface. The software helps Shelly coordinate transportation by reporting load-by-load truck schedules where trucks are needed, and any truck schedule conflicts. “Ultimately,” Slane said, “the Dispatch Module allows us to run and perform at peak efficiencies.”
Willets Points to Temperature Control With increases in mix types, producer increases stack temperature control from within the drum By Dan Brown
S
ome asphalt plant operators have found it challenging to run the wide range of mixes the industry demands these days. For instance, mixes with high percentages of reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) can overheat the bags in baghouses. That is because the standard way to dry the RAP is to mix it with superheated virgin aggregate. When you run 50 percent RAP in a mix, you have less superheated virgin aggregate to mix with the RAP. The veil of showering
26 January 2014
virgin aggregate in the drum is less dense in the drying zone than what you would typically experience. So you get a hole in the veil and the hot exhaust gases pass through the drum and vent into the baghouse, increasing its ambient temperature. Let’s look at ways to prevent a baghouse temperature fluctuation. You can add more flights inside the drum to increase the density of the veil. That will reduce the stack gas temperature to the point that you can
run mixes with a high percentage of RAP. But a problem arises when you try to take the same drum, with the added flights, and run a mix with 100 percent virgin aggregate. The veil becomes much too heavy with virgin mixes and not enough heat will pass through to keep your baghouse temperature up. A baghouse that cools too much will cause mud deposits to build on the bags because of moisture condensation. What’s more, mud may build up in the feed end
While the plant pictured here with Double Barrel Green technology prepared mix for the F1 racing world's Circuit of the Americas (COTA) track outside of Austin, other Double Barrel Greens are performing the day-to-day mixmaking that keeps motorists safe and content around the country. To keep the environment clean, the baghouse must operate efficiently with finely controlled stack temperatures as part of the plan. The flights and controls discussed in this article are designed to keep temperatures consistent for optimum efficiency in all aspects of the production process. Photo courtesy of Astec Industries.
of a counterflow dryer or within the exhaust ductwork itself. With mud amassing throughout the system, the plant’s operation may slog to a halt. At Willets Point Asphalt Corp., Flushing, N.Y., owner Ken Tully uses his Astec Double Barrel Green plant to run both virgin mixes and mixes with 40 to 45 percent RAP—or more— in them. Until recently, he would get high stack gas temperatures with the high-RAP mixes, and low stack temperatures with virgin mixes.
“We had some problems in the baghouse with mudding of the bags,” Tully said. Astec personnel installed on the Willets Point plant equipment that comprises its patent-pending VPack™ Stack Temperature Control System and stainless steel combustion flights. Those elements, plus some changes to the binder injection location, make up the Double Barrel ER (Enhanced RAP). Tully’s plant has been retrofitted with the
Enhanced RAP system, which is designed to take RAP capability into the 60 to 70 percent range. A key element of the V-Pack Stack Temperature Control System is the “Vflights,” which are patent-pending drum flights with a deep V-shape. They are assembled to produce a uniform veil of virgin aggregate across the drum. The system monitors the exhaust gas temperatures at the baghouse inlet as the primary reference for control. www.theasphaltpro.com | ASPHALT PRO 27
This familiar illustration shows two veils of aggregate in a drum. On the left, standard combustion flights allow the superheated air to pass through holes in the veil. On the right, V-flights shower aggregate in a more uniform veil across the interior of the drum, preventing superheated air from stealing production efficiency. Illustration courtesy of Astec Inc., Chattanooga.
As the exhaust gas temperature rises, the control system checks it against a set point. When the control system senses the temperature exceeding the set point, it speeds up the drum’s rotation. The veil thickens, which brings down the stack gas temperature. The drum speed can be varied from a minimum of about seven revolutions per minute (rpm) to a maximum of about 12 rpm. Because the V-flights are arranged to shower material uniformly without regard for how much material is in them, the veil should never have a hole for heat to sneak through. More revolutions per minute place more aggregate in the air.
More revolutions per minute place more aggregate in the air. “When you manually adjust your flighting with a virgin mix it’s very hard to maintain (stack gas) temperature because you have a lot of material in the drum,” Tully said. “And then to go to a high percentage RAP mix you have just 60 percent of the virgin aggregate that would be in there at 100 percent virgin. With this V-Pack, it enables you to run the target temperature that you’re looking for. “We set the stack temperature at 250 degrees F,” Tully said. “Previously we would be running like 350 28 January 2014
degrees on a high-RAP mixture. And we would struggle to maintain 220 or 230 degrees on a virgin mix. The V-Pack system improves our production for high-RAP mixes and even for virgin mixes because it allows you to maintain that temperature and you can run it at higher speeds. Normally we would run like 300 tons per hour on a virgin mix, and now we can run 375 tons per hour with the V-Pack.” Previously, Tully had had some problems with heat deforming the flights in the combustion zone. The answer to that, he said, was to install stainless steel flights in the combustion zone; those are not V-shaped flights. Stainless steel can withstand more heat than mild steel. Tully also runs warm-mix asphalt (WMA) technology with RAP in his Astec plant using the Double Barrel Green® system. He goes through the motions; he typically activates the foaming attachment on the plant that injects a tiny amount of water into the liquid binder, yet Tully heats the asphalt up to 325 degrees. He can achieve the same 375 tons per hour as with a virgin mix. The WMA foaming technology enables Willets Point to maintain workability of the asphalt mix to a lower temperature than with conventional hot mix. “Conventional mix will be difficult to use after the temperature drops to
250 degrees or so,” Tully said. “But the warm mix will allow another 20 to 30 degrees of workability. If a regular mix has a problem at 250 degrees, warm mix will be workable up to 230 or 220 degrees. You’ll still be able to shovel it, rake it, and get your compaction. If we ship out the warm mix at 325 degrees, that will give them [the truck drivers] another hour and a half or two hours in the truck to allow them [the paving crew] to use it.” The combination of V-flights, variable frequency drive and specialized automatic controls the Astec team installed for Willets Point afforded Tully fewer stack temperature fluctuations when producing mixes of all types. He has also maximized his fuel efficiency through the dryer’s heat transfer efficiency.
C.R. Jackson Increases OGFC Control C.R. Jackson, Inc., of Columbia, S.C., runs as wide a variety of mixes as Willets Point Asphalt does. The types include traditional hot mix, warm-mix asphalt (WMA), mixes with reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) and without, high-RAP mixes and open-graded friction courses (OGFC). As can be expected, they sought a way to control temperature fluctuations in the baghouse and leaving the stack. The V-Pack System produced the desired advancement on an Astec Double Barrel for C.R. Jackson, Malcolm Swanson said. He’s the vice president of engineering at Astec. “We first saw this when making OGFC for an Interstate highway project,” Swanson said. “Whereas the plant previously had been unable to make more than 150 tons per hour of this particular mix, after the V-Pack was installed, the plant easily produced 350 tons per hour of the same mix.”
international snapshot
International Variety E
very day and every job creates a new challenge for paving contractors. “Your crews and equipment have to be able to adjust,” David Francis said. He’s the owner of MP Paver Hire & Surfacing Ltd., located in Powys, Mid Wales, United Kingdom. Francis recently handled a variety of projects, and counted on the versatility of his crew and the new Cat® AP300D asphalt paver to complete the work in a timely, productive and profitable manner. His crew first put the wheeled AP300D to work on a car park access road, which connects to a train station in Luton. Francis appreciated the paver’s “maneuver” mode, enabling it to rotate almost within its own footprint. Another helpful feature was the ability to set the engine to 1800 rpm. Francis liked the paver’s performance at the lower throttle position, and also was impressed by the pushing power of the AP300D. The paver placed a 10-mm wearing course, and had to perform in a confined and congested area, as public access had to be maintained throughout the project. The MP Paver crew members found themselves on a very different job—a nighttime project—a short time later. The project was the surfacing of a car park. While that is routine 30 January 2014
From Caterpillar
work, the project had to be completed in only six hours. A total of 240 tons of asphalt had to be placed in that time, and crews also had to work around obstructions. That project gave Francis a chance gauge the paver’s fuel use. “It’s a powerful machine, with very good grip,” Francis said. “We worked at a depth of 50 mm, and placed 240 tons in four hours. We didn’t have to use the full six hours. The mat was exceptional, too.” The time savings and the fuel efficiency pleased Francis. He expects that will pay off handsomely going forward. “It only took 5.5 liters of fuel per hour in that four hours,” he said. “To use that little fuel while laying 240 tons, and moving as quickly as we did, is exceptional.” The lower sound levels, meanwhile, are a good match for night paving. “We noticed this machine is quieter,” Francis said. “There’s a lot less engine noise. The exhaust is well above the driver,” he added. “The fumes are away from him.” Reduced fumes to the screeds were reported as well. It was a typical job for MP Paver Hire & Surfacing, which means it is the kind where efficiencies must be found, and a profit must be turned. The crew and AP300D must be prepared for whatever type of work comes next.
The Cat速 AP300D asphalt paver works on an access road for MP Paver Hire & Surfacing in the United Kingdom during daytime paving.
www.theasphaltpro.com | ASPHALT PRO 31
This set-up provides a clear view of the loadout operations. Out the side windows the feeders and stockpiles are also clearly visible. Photo courtesy of Cliff Mansfield.
32 January 2014
Cross Train Plant Personnel By Cliff Mansfield
W
hen it’s the Sunday evening before a new paving contract starts, you don’t necessarily want a call from your project superintendent. He could be calling with bad news about the plant operator. Something as simple—but horrible—as a weekend traffic accident could put any member of the crew in the hospital for days or weeks. Maybe a competitor hired your veteran plant operator away and he’s not giving you two weeks of notice. Now what do you do? For the larger paving companies, the answer to this question is relatively simple. Management either brings in an operator from one of the other plants or has a temporary replacement trained as part of an ongoing in-house training program. What if your company is small? If you have one asphalt plant, maybe a small crusher and a seasonal paving crew, and you borrow elements for one from other areas of your company, you might have a problem when an integral person such as the plant operator leaves the team. There are companies that provide personnel for daily operations and training, but these services aren’t always available at the time the need arises. I’ve found myself at numerous small paving organizations with scenarios like the one above. In most instances, the asphalt plant operator was one of the company’s key people and one the owner thought he would be around forever. Management simply never saw a need to cross-train someone for his job.
www.theasphaltpro.com | ASPHALT PRO 33
Even with automation and the latest in controls technology, the modern control house is a busy-looking place. Don’t be intimidated. Find order in the chaos; teach that order to the new employee. Photo courtesy of Cliff Mansfield.
When things went wrong, they found themselves scrambling for a solution. This is why an in-house training regimen is essential for even the smallest of paving companies. For some companies, the hardest part is making the decision to begin a training program. Either management is unsure of the need, the personnel aren’t available, or the existing plant operator sees such a program as a threat to his job and stands in adamant opposition to the proposal. Soothing words can often ease the plant operator’s fears, but the personnel issue and management reluctance are more difficult to address. Money issues can be bantered about and potential lost time discussed, but the only compelling argument will come in a situation like that described above. A frank discussion 34 January 2014
on the effects of such an occurrence should serve to dispel any reluctance. One point to consider is the fact that a back-up operator can be used to reduce the amount of overtime at the company’s hot mix facility. Once the decision is made to proceed, implementing a training program even if you don’t have a person to commit full time shouldn’t prove that difficult, given the potential benefits of such a program. What follows is a synopsis of the course I use to train operators for my clients. There are four phases of an operator’s training. 1. Repair, maintenance and equipment familiarity 2. Control room and daily operations 3. Mix designs and specifications 4. Mechanical and electrical troubleshooting
I recommend finding a candidate with a mechanical background. Welding and electrical experience can be a plus; they aren’t essential if others in the company possess the requisite skills. Not all small companies have sufficient staffing to provide a person dedicated full-time to the asphalt plant. Under those circumstances, a person from the company’s shop is a good choice. These people normally have an interest in mechanical things and are less likely to be intimidated by the noisy environment of an asphalt plant where many things are happening at once. If a full-time employee is unavailable and a part-time employee is chosen, then, in addition to the trainee’s normal duties within the company, he or she should be assigned to the asphalt plant as a ground-man/oiler for
Train for Tank Knowledge From Heatec
Pressure transmitters have become a popular method of determining liquid levels in asphalt tanks, but do all plant operators understand their ins and outs? Plant operators need to know just how much asphalt is in a tank. They must avoid overfilling and avoid heating the asphalt when product level is too low to cover the heating coils. Climbing atop the tank to peer through its manway to watch the level rise as the tank is filled can be risky. During 2014 training schools, Heatec instructors will discuss systems that offer safer alternatives and provide needed reliability, including how to use pressure transmitters. The company built a large working model to demonstrate how various safety devices work when filling and empting tanks. Water is pumped to and from a plexiglass tank that simulates a real asphalt storage tank and its internal parts. Students will also work in small groups with other training aids to learn how to properly set controls for accurate level readouts for their asphalt tanks. The training class on heater controls will cover each limit device on hot oil heaters and how it ensures safe operation of the heater. It will also cover burner sequence of operation and how it relates to safety. The importance of various messages that appear on the burner management controls will be explained. How to adjust burner modulation motors will also be covered.
ABOVE: Instructors Mike Ritchie (left) and Bryan Eley (right) pose alongside a training aid that simulates a burner and related controls used on a hot oil heater. The device is rigged to simulate burner firing sequences and how safety devices work when heating asphalt and related systems. Photo courtesy of Heatec. LEFT: Instructor Ron Henry poses alongside a training aid each student will use at the Heatec training school. It simulates how pressure transmitters work in conjunction with controllers and remote displays. A number of these devices will be arranged throughout the classrooms so each student can get familiar with setting the controls and seeing the results. Photo courtesy of Heatec.
36 January 2014
a certain number of hours per day. Under these circumstances, the more hours he can spend around the plant, the better. Primary activities should include all phases of oiling and preventive maintenance, with a healthy explanation of “why things work this way,” from the plant’s lead operator. Take care to fully explain each and every question the person asks. The answers he receives at this point in his training bears heavily on his attitude later on. Additionally, it’s essential that the trainee be involved in all plant repairs from the mundane to the critical. This is important because it gives the prospective operator a feeling of being involved in, and a sense of belonging to the plant. It seems reasonable that a person who feels a part of something greater will do a better job than one who is marking time until payday. The most important part of the job to teach a prospective operator is the repair and maintenance phase. Anyone can pick up the fundamentals of the control room in relatively short order; it’s simply a matter of pressing the right buttons in the correct sequence, given a certain set of circumstances. What separates exceptional asphalt plant operators from the rest is the ability to address problems before they mushroom into a crisis that causes major downtime. To do that an operator must be intimately familiar with the machine to be operated. Familiarity only comes from hands-on experience. As with any training program, the length of time a trainee works as a ground man is directly proportional to the amount of time they spend in that environment each day. I’ve encountered situations where companies have streamlined this phase of the operator’s training. Their logic was that the person was a backup operator; therefore, they
needn’t have as thorough an understanding of the equipment as the primary operator. I disagree with this premise. Under certain circumstances, the back-up operator could quickly become the primary and any gaps in his training could surface in costly manifestations of shattered parts. Broken machinery costs money to repair. But more importantly, the plant fails to make money while it’s idle. Some people shrug off that argument, but I’d like to point out that in reality it’s the only reason for a paving company to own a plant. On the other hand, an argument can be made to lightly cover such issues as conveyor troughing rolls and the like where the daily maintenance schedule is limited to visual inspection and instead concentrate on things like dryer trunnions, slat conveyors, belt tensions and a comprehensive greasing routine. This issue is one best decided by individual companies, but bear in mind that the more the trainee learns in this period of their training the more successful their transition to lead operator will be at some future date. Once the trainee begins to demonstrate an understanding of the hot mix processes and the function of the different components, try to move them into the control room for short stints in the driver’s seat. During this time, it’s essential to fix in the trainee’s mind the fact that if things don’t work outside, there’s no need for anyone to occupy the operator’s chair in the air-conditioned comfort of the control room. At this point, it’s advantageous to insulate the trainee from the worry of mix designs of specs. It’s best to let someone else address these issues until such time as the new operator has a firm grasp on the job at hand. Most companies have a member of management whose www.theasphaltpro.com | ASPHALT PRO 37
Keith is a service tech with Asphalt Drum Mixers. He helped get this new EX-250 up and running for Maui X-IV on Maui. Photo courtesy of Cliff Mansfield.
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attention is firmly focused on mix designs and quality control and, should the need arise, will be able to guide the trainee through any adjustments that need to be made. As time goes on, gradually allow the trainee more and more time in the control room. Make sure his training doesn’t proceed at such a pace as to confuse him. A clear focus on the phases of the job will produce a better trained employee in the long run than will rushing through his training. As the trainee becomes more familiar with the day-to-day plant operations and begins to feel comfortable at the controls, it might be a good idea to send them out with the paving crew for a few days. This would give him a sense of purpose for what he’s learning. It would also allow him to see what his product is used for, and the reasons why the pavers sometimes call for hotter/cooler temperatures or courser/finer mixes under certain conditions. The best plant operators have a certain amount of empathy
for the crews who are using their mix, and again, experience is an unparalleled instructor. Once the trainee is competent to operate the plant, it’s time to begin training in mix design specs. Most operators don’t get involved in the actual submission of mix designs. Their job is to make the plant produce a product that satisfies those designs. While this skill is only acquired with time and experience, a few days working in the company’s quality control lab will go a long way toward helping the individual understand what effect, for instance, a 2 percent change in the sand ratio has on the percent passing the quarter screen. To someone who has never been exposed to them, these principles are as alien as brain surgery and only a bit less intimidating. Lab time can go a long way toward de-mystifying this phase of the job. The skill that will take the most effort to acquire is the ability to
troubleshoot the plant. Most times mechanical problems are self-explanatory. It’s not hard to see why the dryer won’t turn when the drive belts are lying on the ground under the gearbox. But electronic troubleshooting is a different story. For example, some operators, even after years of experience still find themselves at a loss to figure out why a belt scale suddenly loses its read-out. Unless the wiring is ripped out of the belt speed sensor or something equally as obvious, these people have to call for help. Repair companies specializing in electronics abound for good reason. In the past decades, advances in computerized controls have simplified plant operations immeasurably, but in doing so those systems have become complicated enough that it takes an experienced plant operator to diagnose issues. Remember that an asphalt plant is a complex facility, which is probably why not everyone can operate one.
To train a good plant operator requires patience and a willingness to risk a certain amount of money. Few plant operators can say that, early in their careers, they didn’t at one time or another make mistakes that resulted in wasted time and product. This is to be expected. But the more thorough the person’s primary training, the less likely it is that the person will experience a catastrophic problem of his own making. Once you have an individual trained as a back-up plant operator, try to give him or her some hours each week in the operator’s chair. This will help keep newly acquired skills sharp. Cliff Mansfield is an asphalt plant engineer and a freelance writer specializing in asphalt plants. For more information, contact him at (541) 352-7941 or send him your question through the “Ask the Expert” form on the home page at www.TheAsphaltPro.com.
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Three years after selling his successful asphalt paving business and retiring, Steve Bevilacqua returns to the industry with a brand new plant, new business model By Larry Trojak
42 January 2014
Bevilacqua Asphalt in Uxbridge, Mass., may be a start-up company, but owner Steve Bevilacqua knew what he wanted to build and was planning ahead for growth. He admitted that a 300-ton-per-hour plant was probably overkill at this stage, but he is optimistic. “My dad always says, ‘If you need a 10-ton buy a 20-ton. You will always outgrow and overtax a small one.’”
T
hink of Steve Bevilacqua’s new business venture as the ultimate do-over. Retired at 45, flush with success from the recent sale of his paving business (and having apparently fished the Chesapeake Bay and Gulf of Mexico dry), he reassessed his priorities and decided he’d had enough . . . of retirement. Armed with newfound enthusiasm and a desire to do some things differently this time around, he acquired a small parcel of land in Uxbridge, Mass., bought a 300-ton-per-hour (TPH) EX 10248 asphalt plant from Asphalt Drum Mixers (ADM) of Huntertown, Ind., and founded Bevilacqua Asphalt. Today, just months into the endeavor, he has established himself not just as a supplier of asphalt product, but also as a company that, through some unconventional approaches, is helping ensure the success of smaller and mid-size companies in the area. www.theasphaltpro.com | ASPHALT PRO 43
The plant in place at Uxbridge, Mass., is rated at 300 tons per hour and has a rotary drum that’s 8 ½ feet in diameter and 48 feet long.
44 January 2014
ABOVE: From left, Nick Bevilacqua is working in the family business with dad Steve Bevilacqua at right. RIGHT: Steve Bevilacqua can take the stairs from the office to the control tower to oversee plant operations. Notice the security cameras and lights on the corners of the building to increase safety and accountability around the site.
Put Everything in its Place To see Bevilacqua’s new site is to witness efficiency. Set on a mere three acres, the operation effectively segregates traffic between the hot mix plant and the aggregate operation that supports it. Doing so ensures a smooth flow into and out of the new facility, according to company owner and president, Steve Bevilacqua. “Efficiency was one of my major focuses when I designed this new facility,” he said. “I am an engineer and enjoy doing layout projects like this, so I designed it myself, then went to an architect and site planner and told them what I wanted. We worked hard to make certain that the entire construction process was an organized effort and it paid off. Most
people said getting a new plant up and running would take a year or better—it was six months from the day we broke ground to our grand opening.” He said he learned a lot running his previous operation, Bevilacqua Paving which, after 15 years in business, had grown to be one of the largest and most in-demand companies in the area. “When I sold the company, we had more than 80 trucks and were putting down better than 300,000 tons a year,” he said. “Despite being that big and having some real clout, there were many times when I wished there was a company that really cared about us and our needs. Even back then I remember thinking that, if I ever had to do this again, I
would be that company. I guess this is my chance to do so.”
Approach Business Differently Bevilacqua has distinguished himself from other asphalt companies by taking the traditional paver-to-supplier scenario—in which companies start out doing paving, then build an asphalt plant to meet their needs— and standing it on its head. “Before we opened, we purchased a small fleet of hot mix transport trucks and created a separate business unit called Hot Mix Onsite Delivery dedicated to delivering asphalt to companies that pave. The concept is very much like what happens with concrete paving: customers— everyone from driveway pavers to www.theasphaltpro.com | ASPHALT PRO 45
Bevilacqua keeps the aggregate piles separated and protected from the elements.
contractors doing parking lots—call us to order what they want, when they want it. We felt that by offering this service we could broaden the scope of projects available to smaller and mid-size companies.” Bevilacqua wanted to make certain that his company wasn’t seen as competing against those smaller companies and contractors, but would instead become the go-to resource for them. To ensure that, he also began offering paving equipment on a rental basis. “In addition to those trucks, I also bought a nice selection of paving equipment including LeeBoy pavers, large and small rollers from Cat and Bomag, a Salsco sidewalk paver, Miller berm machines, and more. And we will deliver and pick it all up. So if a company has only marginal paving equipment (or none at all), we offer it to them along with the asphalt. The bottom line is we want to see them 46 January 2014
succeed and grow. With our services, a guy that normally does small work can now get into medium sized work or larger. He doesn’t need to buy a fleet of trucks or paving equipment to compete.” The new approach was an uncertain commodity when Bevilacqua Asphalt opened its doors, but has since more than proven itself. Steve Bevilacqua says the paving equipment is almost continually out on rental and the Hot Mix Onsite Delivery trucks haven’t stopped moving since startup. “Catering to smaller contractors now represents about 35 percent of our overall business and we feel we’ve only scratched the surface. This is obviously a niche that needed to be filled.”
Plant Savings Early on in the planning and decision making process, Bevilacqua says that he was looking at all
the options available to him when choosing a plant, but ultimately chose ADM to provide the centerpiece of the new site. “I had an ADM plant in my former business and had tremendous success with it, so I really saw no reason to look elsewhere,” he said. “We have a very rigid maintenance program that we follow, but I was still blown away by how reliable that plant was for us. I can recall one year when we output better than 330,000 tons of product and had a total of three hours of downtime—that’s impressive by anyone’s standards. So we went back to ADM, had them put together a package for us, we reached agreement on a price and we were off.” The 300 TPH plant in place at Uxbridge features an 8-foot 6-inch diameter by 48-foot long rotary drum; a 60,000 acfm baghouse; five 14-foot by 10-foot cold feed bins, each with
Steve Bevilacqua started his new venture by purchasing a small fleet of haul trucks and creating a separate business unit called Hot Mix Onsite Delivery. Commercial contractors from driveway pavers to contractors doing parking lots call Bevilacqua to order what they want, when they want it. “We felt that by offering this service we could broaden the scope of projects available to smaller and mid-size companies,” Bevilacqua said.
a rated 30-ton capacity; two 30-ton recycle bins, three 150-ton silos with drag conveyor and transfer drags; and system controls that Bevilacqua mounted in his own control tower located one floor above his company offices. “We’ve developed a nice rapport with the folks at ADM and knew that we could depend on their engineering expertise to help make this tight fit possible,” Bevilacqua said. “We weren’t disappointed—the install went smoothly and any bugs that had to be worked out were small ones. It all came together nicely.” Bevilacqua will be the first to admit, given their status as a startup company and their new business focus, a 300-TPH plant was probably overkill. However, he said the reason for going that route was part unbridled optimism about future growth and part a lesson learned from his father. “My dad always says, ‘If you need a 10-ton buy a 20-ton. You will always outgrow and overtax a small one.’ 48 January 2014
He’s a retired professor from MIT and is one of the nine key people who built the guidance system for the Apollo 13 space program. Who am I to argue with him?” Looking at Bevilacqua’s operation, two things become immediately apparent: one is the overall cleanliness of the plant and its surroundings, the other is the aggregate supply bins which have canopies over them. To the first point, Bevilacqua says that he wanted to ensure that people looking at the plant would like what they saw. In addition to more than ¾ of an acre of grass, he planted more than $150,000 of mature trees and shrubs. “There was some initial reluctance from a local group to us starting up an asphalt plant in this area and I wanted to try to prove to people that asphalt and eyesore don’t have to go hand-in-hand. I think we’ve done that. As to the protective coverings over the aggregate bins, that’s something I knew I wanted from the
beginning. It just made sense to me that starting out with a drier aggregate would lower the demand on the drying portion of the process.” Though it’s a bit early to tell, he said that between the coverings, the 100 million Btu/hr NovaStar Low NOx burner from Hauck Manufacturing Co., and the overall improved efficiency of the new ADM plant, he is seeing a significant reduction in fuel costs over that of his previous operation. “We are burning about 40 percent less gas per month now than we were back then and that’s music to my ears,” he said. “People tend to look at the asphalt industry as one that pollutes the earth—we’re here to prove otherwise. I am a certified arborist and an air quality engineer. Through the steps we’ve taken, we’ve dramatically reduced our carbon footprint. The public needs to see that asphalt plants can have a sense of environmental awareness, and I’d like to think we’re playing a role in making that happen.”
Only Astec has the patented Double Barrel Green速 System.
In the Middle of Nowhere, Or in the Middle of Everything.
Astec can configure a plant to fit your site, whether that site is in the middle of nowhere or in the middle of a major metropolitan area. And every Astec plant, no matter where it is located, is also backed by the Astec Service and Parts departments available 24/7 anywhere. Astec is the right choice.
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that's a good idea
Protect Mat Smoothness Starting at Hopper G
iven the importance of smooth pavements for the end user, paving crews must be extra careful about keeping the asphalt mat clean and smooth. You don’t want any mix to spill out the corners of the hopper to throw off the automation sensors or mess with the ride spec. Instead, put scrap material from the plant site to good use. In these images, you can see that the chief mechanic for the paving crew has placed a ½-inch thick slab of old conveyor belt in the front corner of the hopper to create an extra barrier to hold material in. The slab is about 8 inches long 52 January 2014
By John Ball
and is held in place with nuts and bolts drilled through the paver’s metal. To improve upon this idea, I recommend using 1-inch thick conveyor belt material and cut/use a piece that is an additional 4 inches in length so the section reaches all the way to the bottom of the hopper wing. You want the rubber to lock itself into the corner when the mix charges the hopper. John Ball is the proprietor of Top Quality Paving, Manchester, N.H. For more information, contact him at (603) 493-1458 or tqpaving@yahoo.com.
Astec® Parallel Flow Portable 6 Pack Plant
• Portable 8’ x 45’ parallel flow drum with recycle collar: New 8’x 45’ replacement drum shell with two leaf mounted tires, complete set of new flights, four trunnion assemblies with two gear boxes • 5 bin cold feed (1/4” liners on 3 in 2012) • Astec 50,000 cfm baghouse, 2008 bags
• Command 4 control house on gooseneck with PM96 controls • Astec 100 ton silo with 24’ drag, 2011 chain and sprockets • Astec recycle, new in 1995, new belt in 2012 • Astec 30” x 45’ conveyor • Deister 4x10 screen, new in’09 • Heatec double wall bulkhead tank with Heatec ‘08 heater
528
ONLINE #
Joe Clancy
Astec Pre-Owned Equipment
Mobile: 423.240.6968
astecused.com
Zoning and Permitting • Retrofits and Upgrades • Warm Mix Green System Installations • Controls Upgrades • Batch-to-Drum Conversions • Dismantles and Relocations • Set-ups and Repairs • Painting • Shipping • Engineering and Design
ASTEC, INC.
an Astec Industries Company 4101 JEROME AVENUE • CHATTANOOGA, TN 37407 USA • 423.867.4210 • FAX 423.867.4636 • www.astecinc.com
www.theasphaltpro.com | ASPHALT PRO 53
equipment gallery
Astec Offers New Controls R
eaders have seen the Data Acquisition System Hub (DASH) from Astec Industries, which brings relevant plant data to an operator’s fingertips on just about any Flash-enabled device, but a family of asphalt plant controls now supplements DASH to provide something for everyone. Let’s look at what the company is launching and what you’ll be able to discuss with them at the upcoming CONEXPO-CON/AGG. First, the new PMIII controls system implements state-of-the-art automation technology with Astec’s programming. Hard PLCs for process controls, industrial ethernet networks and condensed I/O racks create a powerful, compact system. Streamlined graphics and new features such as extended diagnostics take a lot of burden off the operator. Astec has simplified controls procedures throughout the PMIII, but has also implemented four individual modular processors to control various plant components. With a processor for Burner Controls, Silo Controls, Motor Controls and Mix Process, you can purchase the complete system or only the parts you need for your plant. This makes the PMIII perfect for retrofits or applications where a plant is running certain processes with equipment from another manufacturer, so if all you need is burner controls, all you buy is burner controls. And down the road, when you decide it’s time to upgrade to Astec’s Mix Process III or an entire PMIII system, integration into existing PMIII components will be seamless. Next, the industry standard Total Control II system from Astec has a whole new look. Removing dated icons and taking advantage of new WinCC7 features has produced a sleek, clean feel to the entire system. All configurations and other critical data have been added to the OPC DLOG backup, which stores plant 54 January 2014
PMIII Overview
TCII Overview
information in retrievable data files. Additional diagnostics and process information such as drag stop factors, mix status and alarm logging simplify plant monitoring and troubleshooting. The upgrade includes new interlock configuration for motors, silos and loadout scales, and
configuration flags allow run-time configuration of the plant. New configuration options also enable simultaneous use of silos and a self-erecting bin (SEB) Introducing a motor block allows the use of various motor control devices from the same block without the
ABOVE LEFT: Actress Kristin Davis participated in the Ivory Crush event with Powerscreen. ABOVE: RIGHT: Piles of confiscated and illegal ivory awaits its trip through the Powerscreen crusher.
need to modify the structure of the program code. This makes for easy program scaling and future modifications implementing new devices and device types. Dial gauges displaying Full Load Amps of every motor brings platform standardization. Calibration processes are also simplified with sequential weigh bridge calibration and improved timing accuracy throughout the program. Redefined standards drastically improve and distinguish mineral filler and dust channels. Material tracking from the point of mix allows estimation of travel time to drag dropout and silos or SEBs, improving the accuracy of the tons-tick for mix inventory. Then the time-tested WeighMate2000 brings more to the table. Supporting up to six scales, the WeighMate can be configured to run with practically any scalehead or mixing platform, whether back weigh or batcher. Compatible with virtually any plant, regardless of age, the WeighMate can be configured to support electronic signature capture, traffic control lights and remote
ticket printing, and simplifies book keeping by eliminating the need for duplicate entries and supporting data transfer back to accounting, even from remote locations. The WeighMate’s networking and interface capabilities make it easy to set up with any plant controls as well as myriad scale manufacturers. A variety of optional features such as remote ticket printing, signatures and loadout are available for the WeighMate. Like all of Astec’s products, the WeighMate also comes with professional, 24/7 support that’s just a phone call away. For more information, contact Astec at (423) 827-1227. Let them know you saw it in AsphaltPro Magazine.
Powerscreen Helps Crush Illegal Trade On Nov. 14, U.S. federal officials used a Powerscreen® impact crusher to pulverize 6 tons (5.4 tonnes) of illegal elephant ivory to discourage poachers and wildlife traffickers. The
“Ivory Crush” event took place at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s National Wildlife Property Repository at Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge near Denver, and was attended by representatives of African nations and other countries, dozens of leading conservationists and international media representatives. This was the latest in a series of actions by the U.S. government designed to crack down on international poaching and illegal wildlife trafficking. “Rising demand for ivory is fuelling a renewed and horrific slaughter of elephants in Africa, threatening remaining populations across the continent,” Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell said. “We will continue to work aggressively with the Department of Justice and law enforcement agencies around the world to investigate, arrest and prosecute criminals who traffic in ivory. We encourage other nations to join us in destroying confiscated ivory stockpiles and taking other actions to combat wildlife crime.” www.theasphaltpro.com | ASPHALT PRO 55
equipment gallery The international trade of ivory was banned in 1989 under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and during the past 24 years the United States government has stockpiled tons of confiscated items. In other countries, a variety of methods have been used to try to destroy ivory products including burning and flat rolling. For the Ivory Crush event, a Powerscreen crusher was selected for its capability to reduce the tusks, ornaments and jewellery to a specific size. Given the specialist nature of the application and the required crushed product size of less than ¾-inch, careful consideration had to be given to the machine selection and configuration. The Powerscreen impact crusher at the event featured a recirculating conveyor ensuring that any material that wasn't crushed to spec after a first crush, was passed back through the crusher chamber again. Todd Goss, the general manager of Powerscreen’s North American facility said, “Having been able to be part of something so important underlines Powerscreen’s commitment to meeting our customers’ requirements—from a quarry crushing rock to a contractor processing C&D waste or as in this case, the U.S. government crushing elephant ivory.” Dan Ashe, the director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the agency responsible for organising the event, said “We are grateful for Powerscreen’s willingness to donate their crusher and their time for this cause. Getting this monster of a machine here on time was a complicated effort and we couldn’t have done it without their support.” For more information, contact Michelle Murphy at +44 28 87 718 500 or michelle.murphy@powerscreen. com. Tell them you saw it in AsphaltPro Magazine.
In for the Long Haul The MHD G2 SPE with 20 driven axle lines and electronic multi-mode 56 January 2014
The Nicolas MHD G2 SPE with coupled PowerPack has its final function tests before delivery in tropical Nigeria.
steering system has to perform in a tropical climate with salty air, hot ambient temperatures and tough operating conditions for Addax Petroleum in Nigeria. OEM Nicolas Industrie S.A.S. of France said the vehicle is ready for the adverse weather conditions with a zinc dust primer as a base coat and polyurethane overcoat and paint using environmentally compatible high-solid top coat. The modular vehicle has up to 46-t axle load and the ability to accommodate extremely concentrated loads; it’s ready for use in the demanding day-to-day operations in the oil and gas industry, according to the manufacturer. Addax Petroleum will be using the newly-acquired vehicle mainly for loading offshore components onto floating production storage and offloading units (FPSOs), which are used in offshore activities for the extraction, storage and loading of crude oil and natural gas by means of one or more drilling platforms. Addax Petroleum is part of the Sinopec Group, the largest oil refining group of companies in Asia, and operates production facilities in Africa, Middle East and the North Sea. “We were able to deliver at very short notice, and the vehicle precisely fulfilled all payload requirements and the customer was well convinced by the excellent quality
of workmanship,” Pierre Berret said. He’s the area sales manager at Nicolas. “The latest changes in the production process guarantee even higher reliability of our vehicles.” The bogie of the new Nicolas MHD G2 generation, available with mechanical or electronic multi-mode steering, has been specially designed to carry extremely concentrated loads. For road transportation, the MHD G2 can be used as a trailer or semi-trailer combination as well as coupled side-by-side as a 3 or 4-file combination. The MHD G2 is designed to have the lowest driving height on the market when loaded. For more information, contact Christopher Rimmele at +49 07941/691-225 or christopher.rimmele@tii-group.com. Let them know you saw it in AsphaltPro Magazine.
Retirement Plans, Tax Savers It’s not equipment, but pension administrator William H. Black, Jr., offers continuing education to CPAs in 47 states and speaks internationally on retirement plans. His information about qualified retirement plans for the business or professional practice owner gives grounds for income tax deductions, tax deferred growth and asset protection features under the
Registration now available online at
www.rmaces.org
Asphalt Pavement The Road to Quality 41st Annual
Rocky Mountain
Asphalt Conference & Equipment Show
28 BREAKOUT SESSIONS 21 EDUCATIONAL SESSIONS OUTDOOR DEMONSTRATIONS PLANT TOUR ASPHALT LAB TOUR 60,000 SQ. FT. TRADESHOW
FEBRUARY 19-21, 2014
Crowne Plaza I Denver International Airport Denver, Colorado
www.rmaces.org CONFERENCE REGISTRATION BROCHURE
equipment gallery Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA). For 2014, considering a 401k plan, you may have as much as $52,000 contributed to your account, Black writes. “Age 50 and older, the maximum annual contribution can be $57,500. Let’s assume that you are age 52. In 2014 you may defer $17,500 from your salary plus an additional $5,500 ‘catch up’ contribution, for a total salary deferral of $23,000. Add to that the employer contribution and you can achieve a total ‘annual addition’ to your account of $57,500. The entire contribution is income tax deductible….[I]f the $57,500 is not significant enough of a deduction, consider a Defined Benefit (DB) Plan. A DB plan can generate, in some instances, annual tax deductible contributions of up to $250,000. Combine the Defined Benefit with the 401k plan and you can create a strong vehicle for tax savings.” Black also reminds readers that these plans are tax exempt trusts under the Internal Revenue Code Section 401, which means all the capital gains, interest, dividends, etc., are escaping current income tax. “These monies escape taxation until they are withdrawn from the plan. The inevitable tax levy may be delayed until age 70 ½ when one must begin taking Required Minimum Distributions.” Black assures readers RMDs are not as bad as they sound and can walk a businessperson through the forest of terms surrounding them. For more information, contact William H. Black at (888) 412-4120 or bill@ pensionsite.org. Let them know you saw it in AsphaltPro Magazine.
Cat Compaction Knowledge Contractors can explore proper soil and asphalt compaction techniques in two books by Caterpillar Paving Products. The Cat® Paving Products Guide to Soil Compaction was released in 2013. The Cat® Paving Products Guide to Asphalt Compaction was published in 2012. Both 58 January 2014
books are available at Amazon.com or through participating Cat dealers. Without hitting the reader over the head with Caterpillar product references, the books offer a combination of fundamental lessons and real-world jobsite tips. For instance, there’s an introduction to the physics behind compaction and a glossary of terms for the basics. There are lessons and application tips and techniques for adjusting to different challenges on the jobsite. AsphaltPro readers are probably more interested in the Guide to Asphalt Compaction, which features color photos and illustrations. The content includes compaction basics, info on the forces of compaction, discussion of factors that affect compaction, methods and specs, and how to compact a joint. In addition, charts and illustrations help explain approaches to challenging rolling patterns. There’s also a chapter on how to overcome issues such as asphalt pickup, rubber tire marks, inconsistent density, right radius compaction, and working around bends and junctions. The asphalt guide earned the American Graphic Design Award, which honors outstanding work of all kinds and across all media.
For more information, contact Pete Kennedy at (262) 544-6600 or visit www.Amazon.com. Let them know you saw it in AsphaltPro Magazine.
Weigh Your Product As we gear up for CONEXPO-CON/ AGG, the team at Fairbanks Scales, Inc., Kansas City, Mo., weighs in with news. They may be the oldest scale company in the United States but they’ll be showcasing state-of-the-art innovations in industrial scales and weighing equipment in the Gold Lot at the world’s largest construction show. Stop by booth #1320 to see cutting-edge products on display. They will have on display the Talon HVX Series portable vehicle scale, which is constructed with multiple 10-inch and 12-inch structural steel I-beams to produce a rigid and durable portable weighbridge. Also on display will be the FB2550 Driver Assist Terminal, which is designed to speed the vehicle-weighing process by allowing drivers to remain inside their vehicles. They will also have the 1605T Series remote display at the show. Fairbanks’ high-intensity LED remote display with integrated traffic light is designed to save time, space and money by combining several
www.theasphaltpro.com | ASPHALT PRO 59
equipment gallery
Here’s how to install the iGuard.
functions into one device. The technology is also available as a wireless configuration. For more information, call (800) 451-4107. Let them know you saw it in AsphaltPro Magazine.
Equipment Bulldozes India’s Marketplace According to the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM), India continues to be a dynamic market for the global construction machinery industry, but the trend for buying bulldozers is supposed to increase. Here’s what AEM has to say in light of upcoming bC India Dec. 15 through 18, 2014, in Greater Noida/ Delhi, India. Growth in the Indian construction industry has slowed markedly in recent months. But long term the prospects are good. One of the main drivers is the need to invest in improving the infrastructure: If economic growth is to be boosted across the subcontinent, then the transport system has to be expanded, the energy and water supply system improved, and capacity 60 January 2014
expanded at ports and airports. According to the Planning Commission of India, the country is investing one trillion U.S. dollars in its infrastructure as part of the current 12-year plan, a figure that is twice as high as the previous planning period. In building construction, the impetus is likely to continue to come from the demand for affordable housing. In terms of the types of machinery sold most, top of the list in India for many years now have been backhoe loaders, bulldozers and mobile cranes. However, the analysts from Off-Highway Research expect that sales in backhoe loaders, which accounted for more than 50 percent of all construction machinery sold in 2012, will lose ground in the coming years to bulldozers, which will increase their market share. Each of these two types of machine is expected to account for a good third of the Indian construction machinery market in 2016. Many suppliers in this sector will gather at bC India in 2014. The last bC India in Mumbai attracted a total of 710 companies from 33 countries and more than 28,000 trade visitors.
Controls Comes to Atlanta CONTROLS Group out of Milan, Italy, is opening a subsidiary in the United States in January for its materials testing equipment. With a local presence, officers of the company believe they will be in a better position to partner with customers in the United States. Located in the Atlanta metro area, Controls USA will offer a complete line of materials testing products for the soil, asphalt and other sectors for both field and lab work. “The company will focus on what we see as an underserved market segment and offer automatic, computerized test equipment…” Alvaro Belena said. He’s the regional sales and marketing manager for Controls Group and vice president of the new U.S. subsidiary. Controls USA will serve its customers through a combination of direct sales and a distribution network. For more information, contact Belena at info@controls-usa.com. Let them know you saw it in AsphaltPro Magazine.
i-Guard Stops the Thief Strattec® Security Corporation, Milwaukee, has released i-Guard, its latest anti-theft solution, developed specifically for the construction, fleet and rental equipment industries. Equipment theft has escalated over the past decade across North America, with estimated losses ranging from $300 million to $1 billion annually. Of the 1,000 pieces of equipment reported stolen each month to the National Crime Information Center, only 21 percent is ever recovered. A theft-deterrent system now available for heavy equipment, the i-Guard system is based on automotive anti-theft technology. i-Guard is a radio-frequency identification (RFID) electronic immobilizer system that can safeguard costly machinery. With i-Guard, a unique electronic code is programmed into the engine module and into a chip in the key or a fob. The code is transmitted between the two components by a small antenna via difficult-to-mimic radio frequencies. When a key is inserted into the ignition or a fob used with a push-start button, the vehicle requests authorization. If the engine and key or fob codes don’t match, the vehicle will not start. The i-Guard system relies on radio frequencies, which the majority of criminals do not have the skills to disable. For more information, contact (414) 247-3333. Let them know you saw it in AsphaltPro Magazine.
programmed to flash either color option individually or alternate colors. The ED3766 is constructed of durable aluminum and a polycarbonate lens with encapsulated electronics, and is backed by a three-year warranty. The available colors are amber/blue, amber/clear, amber/red or red/blue. For more information, contact ECCO customer service at (800) 6355900. Let them know you saw it in AsphaltPro Magazine.
Do you have products or news that other asphalt professionals would like to hear about? Send your information to our editor at sandy@ theasphaltpro.com
ECCO Colors ECCO of Boise, Idaho, unveils its new duel color directional LED. The ED3766 is a directional light that offers the flexibility of two different color outputs within a single unit. It has 12 high intensity LEDs—six of each color. SAE Class I light output, synchronization capability and the choice of 11 flash patterns allow the creation of an attentiongetting multi-color warning system with half the number of lights typically required. Each model can be www.theasphaltpro.com | ASPHALT PRO 61
here's how it works
Step 3 & E Clean gases exit the top of the bags and enter the discharge plenum.
Step 4 & F Clean, filtered gases leave the baghouse through the exhaust stack.
Step B …and channels it into one row of bags at a time to inflate — pulse — them and remove caked dust.
Step A To facilitate cleaning, the sequential cleaner opening brings in outside air…
Step D The auger removes the dust as waste or fines for reuse in mixes.
Step C Dust falls to the auger at the bottom of the baghouse.
Step 2 Dust collects on hanging bags, forming a caked layer as gases pass through and up the bags.
Step 1 Exhaust from the drum enters the intake of the Ultraflo baghouse and flows through a distributor gate at the bottom of the hopper.
Gencor’s Ultraflo Baghouse T
he asphalt plant baghouse isn’t new technology, but different manufacturers provide methods of spacing bags and pulsing air for optimum air flow and cleaning inside the structure. The team at Gencor Industries, Inc., Orlando, designed a series of rotating cleaning distributors located on top of the baghouse to facilitate an uninterrupted filtering system in the Ultraflo Baghouse. Here’s how it works. Exhaust gases from the drum enter the lower baghouse section through the intake. A specially designed gas plenum maintains a consistent air flow and pressure across the full length of the baghouse to evenly distribute the incoming gases and their particulates among the bags. The bags capture the dust particles. A dust cake layer forms
62 January 2014
on the outside of each bag. Filtered exhaust air exits the top of the bag and passes through the parked cleaning distributor at the top of the baghouse to the clean air plenum and on to the exhaust stack. During cleaning, the series of rotating cleaning distributors at the top of the baghouse turns in a clockwise direction, stopping in front of each row of bags. It sends a gentle burst of air into the row of bags, which knocks the cake of dust free from the bags. The dust falls to the bottom of the hopper, where a dust auger channels it out of the baghouse. Clean exhaust gases within the bags flow upward into the central plenum. A preset photohelic gauge controls the sequential cleaning distributor so
less than 5 percent of the total house filtration medium is cleaned at one time, allowing for smooth, uninterrupted operation of the filter at constant operating pressure. For more information, contact Dennis Hunt at (407) 290-6000 or visit www.gencor.com. Show us How it Works If you’re an equipment manufacturer with a complex product, let us help you explain its inner workings to the readers of AsphaltPro magazine. There’s no charge for this editorial department, but our staff reserves the right to decide what equipment fits the parameters of a HHIW features. Contact our editor at sandy@theasphaltpro.com.
www.theasphaltpro.com | ASPHALT PRO 63
Featured Listings
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1994 400 TPH Astec Double Barrel Plant - RAP 13879
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8ft Astec Double Barrel Nominal 70,000 CFM Baghouse w/ Horizontal Cyclone 5 Bin Cold Feed System Virgin Screen & Scale Conveyor
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Rap Bin Rap Screen & Scale Conveyor Control House with Plant Controls (Silo System and AC Storage Not Included)
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Virgin Scale Belt Skid Mounted Rap Bin - Lump Breaker and Rap Scale Conveyor Horizontal Fuel Oil Tanks Control House w/ Plant Controls Note: (1) Vertical AC tank not included
Gencor Rotary Mixer Plant - RAP 13971
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(2) 200 ton Cedarapids Silo System w/ Slat and Scales Gencor Nominal 6x18 Rotary Mixer - Modified Bucket Elevator 10x50 Dryer w/ Gencor Ultraflame II Burner Standard Havens Baghouse, KO Box, Ductwork 5 Bin Cold Feed System - KPI-JCI Virgin Screen Nominal 4x10
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See video of these plants at our YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/user/asphaltplantpros
resource directory Almix....................................... 35 Tel: 260-672-3004 Sales@almix.com www.almix.com Asphalt Drum Mixers......... 24,37 Contact: Steve Shawd or Jeff Dunne Tel: 260-637-5729 sales@admasphaltplants.com www.admasphaltplants.com Astec, Inc.....................17, 50, 53 Contact: Tom Baugh Tel: 423-867-4210 tbaugh@astecinc.com www.astecinc.com B & S Light Industries…..40-41 Contact: Mike Young Tel:918-342-1181 Sales@bslight.com www.bslight.com Boca Construction................... 63 Tel: 419-668-5575 www.bocaconstructioninc.com CEI............................................ 4 Tel: 800-545-4034 info@ceienterprises.com www.ceienterprises.com
Clarence Richard Co.......... 53, 63 Contact: Clarence Richard Tel: 952-939-6000 Carrie@clarencerichard.com www.clarencerichard.com ConExpo.................................. 29 C.M. Consulting...................... 59 Contact: Cliff Mansfield Tel: 541-354-6188 cmconsulting@aol.com www.hotplantconsulting.com Dillman Equipment................. 38 Tel: 608-326-4820 www.dillmanequipment.com E.D. Etnyre.............................. 36 Contact: sales@etnyre.com Tel: 800-995-2116 www.etnyre.com Ergon Inc................................ 11 Savemyroad.com E.T. Clancy............................... 63 Tel: 219-879-8231 or 800-348-8553 Sales@etclancy.com www.etclancy.com
Gencor Industries.................... 13 Contact: Dennis Hunt Dhunt@gencor.com www.gencor.com Heatec, Inc.... Inside Front Cover Contact: Sharlene Burney Tel: 800-235-5200 sburney@heatec.com www.heatec.com Libra Systems.......................... 61 Contact: Ken Cardy Tel:225-256-1700 Sales@librasystems.com www.librasystems.com Meadwestvaco........................ 23 Tel: 800-458-4034 www.evotherm.com www.mvw.com Reliable Asphalt Products..............64, Back Cover Contact: Charles Grote Tel: 502-647-1782 cgrote@reliableasphalt.com www.reliableasphalt.com RMACES.................................. 57 www.rmaces.org
Roadtec................................. 7, 9 Contact: Sales Tel: 423-265-0600 Sales@roadtec.com www.roadtec.com Rotochopper, Inc................... Inside Back Cover Tel: 320-548-3586 Info@rotochopper.com www.rotochopper.com Stansteel Asphalt Plant Products............ 49 Contact: Dave Payne Tel: 800-826-0223 dpayne@stansteel.com www.stansteel.com
Tarmac International, Inc......... 59 Contact: Ron Heap Tel 816-220-0700 info@tarmacinc.com www.tarmacinc.com Top Quality Paving.................. 63 Contact: John Ball Tel 603-624-8300 Tqpaving@yahoo.com www.tqpaving Willow Designs........................ 63 Contact: Jerod Willow Tel: 717-919-9828 Eoawillow@aol.com www.willowdesignsllc.com
Stansteel.................................. 19 Contact: Dawn Kochert Tel: 800-826-0223 dkochert@hotmixparts.com www.hotmixparts.com
Wirtgen America..................... 15 Tel: 615-501-0600 Info@wirtgenamerica.com www.wirtgenamerica.com
Systems Equipment................ 47 Contact: Dave Enyart, Sr. Tel: 563-568-6387 Dlenyart@ systemsequipment.com www.systemsequipment.com
WRT Equipment...................... 59 Contact: Dean Taylor Tel: 800-667-2025 Or 306-244-0423 Dtaylor@wrtequipment.com www.wrtequipment.com
AsphaltPro’s Resource Directory is designed for you to have quick access to the manufacturers that can get you the information you need to run your business efficiently. Please support the advertisers that support this magazine and tell them you saw them in AsphaltPro magazine.
www.theasphaltpro.com | ASPHALT PRO 65
the last cut
Gulf Coast Imports Lessen Light Grades
Liquid Asphalt Cement Prices—average per ton
Company, State
Aug ’13
Sept ’13
Oct’13
Nov ’13
ConocoPhillips, Tenn.
$565.00
550.00
$550.00
$540.00
NuStar Energy, Ga.
585.00
550.00
550.00
550.00
NuStar Energy, N.C.
587.50
567.50
567.50
567.50
NuStar Energy, Va.
590.00
570.00
570.00
570.00
Assoc’d Asphalt Inman, N.C.
600.00
590.00
590.00
590.00
Assoc’d Asphalt Inman, S.C.
600.00
590.00
590.00
590.00
Assoc’d Asphalt Inman, Va.
600.00
590.00
595.00
595.00
Marathon Petroleum, Tenn.
565.00
550.00
550.00
540.00
Marathon Petroleum, N.C.
555.00
565.00
550.00
540.00
Valero Petroleum, N.C.
600.00
605.00
595.00
570.00
California Average
592.30
596.00
552.40
523.90
Delaware Average
578.33
575.00
573.33
563.33
Kentucky Average
553.75
548.75
543.75
536.88
Massachusetts Average
592.50
610.00
610.00
610.00
Missouri Average
547.50
547.50
547.50
540.00
From Energy Information Administration
C
rude oil imports to the U.S. Gulf Coast had averaged 3.7 million barrels per day (bbl/d) year-to-date through July. Imports have dropped by more than a third since 2008, according to the Oct. 30, 2013 “This Week in Petroleum” report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. The EIA reported that the decrease of more than 1.9 million bbl/d from the 2008 average of 5.6 million bbl/d has included almost all imports of light, sweet crude oil. This affects global crude oil price relationships, especially when one considers nearly half of U.S. refining capacity is along the Gulf Coast and imports into the Gulf Coast region determine overall U.S. crude oil import trends. Let’s take a closer look, with permission of EIA to reprint. “Much of the decline in imports can be attributed to the significant increase in U.S. crude production over the last five years. In 2008, U.S. crude oil production averaged 5.0 million bbl/d, the lowest level since 1946. Crude production has increased dramatically since then, due largely to the widespread application of advanced techniques combining horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing.” EIA also reported, “Without a need to import significant amounts of light, sweet crude oil to the Gulf Coast, prices for grades such as Light Louisiana Sweet (LLS) have recently traded at record discounts to global benchmark Brent crude. When the Gulf Coast needed imports to balance demand for light, sweet crude, LLS traded at a premium to Brent to make it economic to ship barrels to the Gulf Coast. For the three-year period from August 2010 to July 2013, LLS traded at an average premium of $1 per barrel to Brent. However, since the beginning of August, LLS has priced at an average discount of over $3 to Brent, reaching a record discount of $11 per barrel on October 23.” Heavy crudes are also affected. Reports EIA: “In addition to reduced light-sweet crude oil imports into the Gulf Coast region, New Orleans and Houston are importing significantly less heavy crude.” This trend in imports doesn’t mean the U.S. is self-sufficient yet. “Despite the downward trend in imports to the Gulf Coast region, it is unlikely that domestic crude oil will completely supplant imports,” EIA reported. “Several refineries in the area are either partially or wholly owned by national oil companies and are likely to continue importing crude from ownership countries.” Source: EIA’s This Week in Petroleum
66 January 2014
Data for Southeast region, Source: ncdot.org; Data for Massachusetts, Source: mass.gov; Data for California, Source: dot.ca.gov; Data for Missouri, Source: modot.mo.gov; Data for Colorado, Source: CDOT and Cenovus
Crude Oil Activity (U.S. Crude) futures spot data
stocks
Sep 6
$110.53
360.0 m bbl
Sep 13
$108.21
355.6 m bbl
Sep 20
$104.67
358.3 m bbl
Sep 27
$102.87
363.7 m bbl
Oct 4
$103.84
370.5 m bbl
Oct 18
$100.81
Oct 25 Nov 1
Diesel Fuel Retail Price (dollars per gallon) Sep 9
3.981
Sep 16
3.974
Sep 23
3.949
Sep 30
3.919
Oct 7
3.897
379.8 m bbl
Oct 21
3.886
$97.85
383.9 m bbl
Oct 28
3.870
$94.61
385.4 m bbl
Nov 4
3.857
Sources: Energy Information Administration