Asphalt Pro - March 2012

Best Paving Practices Make Best Roads

Perfect RAS Grinding Stay Safe: Prevent Explosions Get the Bond Talk in Terms of Tons Maintain Your Broom Beamish Uses Hot on Hot March 2012

contents

Departments Letter from the Editor 5 This Isn’t Practice Around the Globe 6

Articles

Safety Spotlight 8 Prevent Plant Explosions

by Cliff Mansfield

30 NCAT Gives Compaction Primer from Mix Perspective

by Dr. Ray Brown

Mix It Up 14 Low Temperatures Retain Moisture in Sweden from Nils Ulmgren, Roger Lundberg, Lorentz Lundqvist

34 Support Winners at World of Asphalt

by AsphaltPro Staff 36 Here’s How to Talk to the Crew

by John Ball

Project Management 18 Manage Repair Projects with Infrared Technology

by Del Williams Equipment Maintenance 20 Extend Broom’s Life Cycle

by Donna Campbell Producer Profile 26 GOH Improves Long Joints with WMA

by Gary E. Gulick Equipment Gallery 74 Look for Roadtec’s Tier 4i Pavers at WOA Here’s How It Works 80 Terex’s CR652RX Mainline Paver Last Cut 82 Fix the Price

by AsphaltPro Staff

70

38 DeFino Paves Over PCC Garden State contractor uses sturdy asphalt mixes, solid screed to cover DOT’s underlying problem

by Tom Kuennen 46 Update Your RAS Info From mobility tips to QC tidbits, asphalt shingle grinding ideas help contractors dive into the RAS arena

by Sandy Lender 50 European Paving Practice Melds Ontario Lifts

by Sandy Lender 54 Screamin’ Screed Chicken

by Carl McKenzie 56 Get Bonded for Your First Government Project

by Robert Berman

26

58 International Production

by AsphaltPro Staff 62 Use Best Paving Practices for Crumb Rubber Mix Success

by Cliff Ashcroft

Resource Directory 81

64

8

64 Duininck Offers S-Mix Success Story from Caterpillar Paving Products

Best Paving Practices Make Best Roads

70 Grasan Barges Rock Solutions to Oscar Brugmann Sand & Gravel

by Carl Emigh 77 Top 10 Products of 2012

Perfect RAS Grinding Stay Safe: Prevent Explosions Get the Bond Talk in Terms of Tons Maintain Your Broom Beamish Uses Hot on Hot MARCH 2012

On The Cover…An asphalt shingle grinder makes quick work of tear-offs at a recycle facility. See related article on page 46. Photo courtesy of Peterson Pacific.

38 www.theasphaltpro.com | ASPHALT PRO 3

editor's note March 2012 • Vol. 5 No. 6

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

Chris Harrison associate publisher

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

editor

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

Art Director

Kristin Branscom operations/circulation manager

Cindy Sheridan business manager

Renea Sapp AsphaltPro is published nine times per year: January, February, March, April/May, June/July, August/September, October, November and December by The Business Times Company, 2001 Corporate Place, Columbia, MO 65202 Writers expressing views in AsphaltPro Magazine or on the AsphaltPro website are professionals with sound, professional advice. Views expressed herein are not necessarily the same as the views of AsphaltPro or Business Times Company staff, thus producers/contractors are still encouraged to use best practices when implementing new advice.

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 and $175.00 all other countries (payable in U.S. funds, drawn on U.S. bank).

Single copies available $17 each.

This Isn’t Practice In this, the Best Paving Practices issue of AsphaltPro Magazine, we’ve lined up a number of articles that address good paving and compaction techniques among our usual good production ideas. There’s something I find a bit odd about this phrasing— best paving practices. This stuff isn’t practice. The asphalt professionals by your side day in and day out are colleagues who don’t “practice” their craft. They apply it.

The tips and tidbits that various industry veterans and experts offer to you in these pages aren’t for you to practice. They’re for you to try out, apply, and use to get bigger bonuses and better pavements for the driving public.

What surprises me is the misinformation seeming professionals in the construction field in general can provide as fact concerning the pavements this industry places with its best applications. For instance, there are incredibly smooth asphalt pavements that physics proves reduce the amount of fuel a vehicle consumes while driving on them. It’s hard, factual science, yet there are special interest groups whose members would argue it.

As another example, the talented yet misled researchers at MIT took some information and extrapolated what they think road-building materials will cost in the future. Unfortunately, they thought asphalt professionals put 34 percent liquid binder in an asphalt pavement instead of 7 percent—or less. My, my, my. Can you imagine what a mess that would be? Can you imagine how much that would cost today?

Just take a gander at the liquid AC prices in this month’s Last Cut on page 82 to get an idea. Given the collusion found in South African bitumen price fixing, it might be difficult to predict what AC will cost in the future. You can read Engineering News Record’s description of pavement life cycle cost analysis and my response to it at http://bit.ly/vZHkl6.

You see, the asphalt industry is made up of professionals who work diligently to provide safe, cost-effective, perpetual pavements. The nice thing is we don’t merely practice our craft. We apply it.

If you would like to help spread the good message of asphalt’s excellent applications, please follow @AsphaltPro on Twitter, like our page on facebook, subscribe to our RSS feed and our print edition on our webpage at www.TheAsphaltPro.com and send a note to me for more information about any of the above at sandy@theasphaltpro.com. We’d love to connect with you more often.

Stay Safe

Sandy Lender

To read ENR’s MIT LCCA article and AsphaltPro’s editorial response, visit http://bit.ly/vZHkl6. www.theasphaltpro.com | ASPHALT PRO 5

around the globe

Industry News and Happenings from Around the World Australia/Oceania

Construction machinery exports from the United State to Australia/Oceania led the way in 2011 with a 73-percent gain as the region took delivery of $2.8 billion of U.S.made construction equipment. Source: Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM)

China

Asia’s bitumen freight rates went unchanged for a few weeks in February, which Vietnam can be thankful for. According to Petrosil’s Bitumart, China exported 30,850 megatonnes of bitumen during the month of December 2011; 45 percent of that total went to Vietnam with no end to that flow in sight.

Spain

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

United States

• U.S. construction equipment exports increased 43 percent in 2011 compared to the previous year for a total $23.5 billion of machinery shipped to other nations, according to AEM. This follows growth of 28 percent in 2010 after a 2009 decline of 38 percent in the depths of the recession.

• The Equipment Leasing & Finance Foundation announced the February Monthly Confidence Index (MCI) was 59.6, up from 59.0 in January.

• As of press time, lawmakers were ready to hit the House transportation bill with revisions. That’s the $260 billion, five-year bill.

Sources: Various • For up-to-the-minute funding and legislative updates that impact the asphalt industry, follow http://twitter.com/AsphaltPro.

Colorado

The Rocky Mountain Asphalt Conference and Equipment Show attracted more than 1,200 attendees to its 39th event Feb. 22 through 24. Check out highlights from the 6 February 2012

conference and excellent projects from the 18th annual “Best in Colorado” Asphalt Pavement Awards program at www.rmaces. org and www.co-asphalt.net.

Indiana

Deister Machine Co., Ft. Wayne, Ind., celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2012. Deister has remained a family-owned business since its founding in 1912, specializing in feeding, scalping and screening equipment for the aggregate, mining, coal, asphalt and recycle industries.

Louisiana

Gov. Bobby Jindal wants to generate $325 million in bonds so Louisiana can fix up about 1,000 miles of roads all across the state. Source: Louisiana Department of Transportation & Development

Minnesota

The latest to jump on the vehicle-milestraveled bandwagon for raising transportation funds is Minnesota Public Radio. The entity looks at how motorists like the idea at http://minnesotapublicradio.org/.

Missouri

The AsphaltPro Magazine continues its support of the industry with a clever presentation of our positive environmental message. Check out the new children’s activity book on display for the first time at World of Asphalt. Asphalt Lane™ can be customized to service your community and spread asphalt’s good name. Also check it out at www.TheAsphaltPro.com.

Ohio

Joe Engelhart joins Grasan, Mansfield, Ohio, as a central states sales manager. You can reach him at (419) 526-4440.

Oregon

The Portland Division of Lakeside Industries, Inc., won a 2011 first place Excellence in Paving Award from the Asphalt Pavement Association of Oregon for an urban arterial project. Congratulations!

Pennsylvania

Eriez®, Erie, Pa., brings Craig Lorei, Christopher Ramsdell and Jayne Corey to the technical sales rep team. You can reach them at (888) 300-3743.

Washington, D.C.

Have you been concerned about your spill prevention containment (SPCC) regulations? Maybe you wonder about the length of time it will take to get a highway resurfacing project approved if it’s alongside a ditch or canal.

You can breathe a little easier now that the definition of a navigable water has been made reasonable. According to a press release from the American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) in late February, all nine justices on the U.S. Supreme Court refused to widen the scope of the federal Clean Water Act (CWA) and unanimously declined to expand the definition of what is considered “navigable” under federal law.

For purposes of transportation development, once something is considered “navigable” it is under federal control, and subject to the permitting authority of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Army Corps of Engineers (Corps). An expanded definition of “navigability” could have resulted in a scenario where the EPA and Corps would have the option of exerting jurisdiction over roadside ditches, potentially adding years to already expansive review and approval process for transportation infrastructure projects that are needed for increased mobility and improved safety.

A full text of the association’s brief can be found in the “current advocacy efforts” section of www.artba.org.

Source: ARTBA

safety spotlight

Prevent Plant Explosions

by Cliff Mansfield

I

wish it wasn’t a true story, but tragedy once struck a plant team at the end of a long day, in a month of long days. Their Astec portable drum mix plant had produced nearly 5,000 tons of asphalt since daylight and the operator—we’ll call him John—had shut the plant down and loaded out what he hoped was the last truck of the evening. He sat at his desk, head down on his forearms, clearly exhausted.

His radio crackled to life. “21 to plant, we’ve got enough mix. Go ahead and clean out. Same schedule for tomorrow.”

John keyed the mic, “Okay, thanks.” He keyed his walkie-talkie and told his ground man, “Switch the dieseling valves on the asphalt pump and then diesel out the silo.”

As John spoke, he switched off the asphalt pump.

The ground man—we’ll call him Joe—went to the asphalt tank and saw that the pump was stopped. He closed the suction line from the pump to the tank and opened another valve that led to a 55-gallon drum full of diesel.

With this done, Joe climbed the ladder to the silo top and grabbed a dieseling hose installed to allow him to clean the asphalt out of the corners of the silo. He heard the drag conveyor and drum start up as he directed the diesel to the corner of the silo.

My recommendation for dealing with asphalt sticking in silos is to first identify the reasons for material build-up.

This ADM factory installation is an example of beat and safe AC pump plumbing.

8 February 2012

This home-built AC pump skid is properly jacketed and heated for safe operation.

Back at the control room, John reached down and turned on the “inject” valve to send the diesel to the drum, then started his asphalt pump. Immediately he saw a small puff of white smoke at the drum discharge. It dissipated quickly, but was soon followed by a massive explosion.

The blast traveled out the drum discharge, up the drag conveyor and down into the silo where Joe sprayed the silo with his dieseling hose. A huge fireball engulfed Joe and ignited the diesel in the silo, covering him in flames.

He surged back to escape the flames and all but fell down the ladder to the ground.

The water truck happened to be making its rounds when the driver saw the explosion. Thinking fast he raced his truck to the plant and directed a stream of water onto the victim writhing on the ground. The flames subsided and as the water cooled Joe’s skin his cries diminished. It was a difficult 15 minutes for everyone while they waited for the ambulance to arrive.

At the hospital the extent of Joe’s injuries was realized.

He had been severely burned over a large portion of his body. The burns ended his career. He’d be on disability the rest of his life.

The damage to the asphalt plant was also severe. The baghouse was completely destroyed. Down each side of this unit a 14-inch x 3/8-inch thick structural beam ran the full length. The force of the explosion blasted these crosswelded beams 3-foot out of straight. The lids on top of the baghouse landed nearly a mile away. The flames burned away most of the wiring to the asphalt tank, drum and silo. As a result of this accident this asphalt plant was out of action for many months.

The first thing that jumped out was the plant personnel were using diesel in their clean-out routine.

What Went Wrong?

An attorney for the plant owner’s insurance company called me in as part of an accident investigation team.

My job was to try and shed some light on what went wrong. Was there a design flaw in the asphalt plant that caused the explosion or did the plant personnel’s actions cause the accident?

The first thing that jumped out at me when I read the accident report was the fact that the plant personnel were using diesel in their clean-out routine.

Diesel is a volatile fuel with a flash point around 165 degrees F. Why would you inject it into a 300-degree environment such as the mixing chamber of a portable asphalt plant?

To answer this question we need to understand how the asphalt injection system works on the contemporary asphalt plant. Liquid asphalt is held in a storage tank where it is maintained at an elevated temperature—somewhere around 300 degrees. If the liquid falls below 270 degrees, depending on the asphalt, it becomes too viscous to pump. When this happens, nothing short of heat will lower the viscosity enough for pumping.

When we want to make hot mix we heat our rocks to the desired temperature, then we use a pump to inject the liquid asphalt into the mixing chamber.

This process requires a pump and a series of pipes in which the temperature of the asphalt must be maintained above the 275-degree threshold. To do this, factories “jacket” all the oil lines and the pump, then force a heated liquid—heat transfer oil—through the system. At the end of the mixing session, most plant operators simply reverse the direction of the pump rotation, which sucks the asphalt out of the lines and the pump.

With this in mind, the question becomes: Why were these men injecting diesel rather than simply sucking out the oil by reversing the pump? To answer this question I began by examining the asphalt injection system.

The first thing I noticed was where the plant personnel had added a 55-gallon drum onto the pump pallet and plumbed it into the suction side of the pump.

This was the device the men used to add diesel to the pump and introduce it into the injection system.

The next thing that I saw was that the Astec factory asphalt metering system had been replaced with a “Micro Motion” metering system. I also noticed that www.theasphaltpro.com | ASPHALT PRO 9

safety spotlight the new metering unit and the pipes added during its installation had not been jacketed. I talked with the plant operator and was told that the installation of the “Micro Motion” system was a hurried affair. The contractor’s men had concentrated on getting the plant running again as quickly as possible so some corners were cut. Lines were left un-heated that shouldn’t have been ignored.

Once the installation was complete, the plant personnel discovered that the new metering system had enough internal restriction that the pump could no longer be simply reversed to clean it out. This Astec plant was the first drum mix plant owned by this particular company. All of their other plants had been batch plants. It was a common practice to use diesel to clean out batch plants, so it’s not hard to see why the plant personnel would revert to diesel when normal, but new-to-them, clean-out protocols failed.

The causal factors of this accident were now evident.

Sometime in the past the asphalt plant had been modified from its factory configuration. During these modifications a simple oversight led to the necessity to use diesel to clean the asphalt out of the system. This set the stage for the coming tragedy.

Huge beams similar to these, running the length of the baghouse, were blown three feet outward in the plant explosion.

As it passed its flash point of 165 degrees the only thing the diesel needed was room to expand and oxygen to turn it into a vaporous cloud of explosive.

Avoid This at Your Operation

The first and foremost lesson that this incident teaches us is that there is no circumstance where diesel should be pumped through a heated asphalt injection system and into the heated, enclosed environment of a drum mix asphalt plant. It’s not hard to imagine the diesel heating up as it travels through the sections of pipe that were jacketed. As it passed its flash point of 165 degrees the only thing it needed was room to expand and oxygen to turn it into a vaporous cloud of explosive. It got that needed room as it was injected into the heated atmosphere of the mixing chamber. The only thing missing was a source of ignition. Perhaps it was a rock caught between a mixing paddle and the floor, or maybe a piece of metal rubbing against another piece of metal. Whatever the source, the diesel ignited catastrophically and peoples’ lives were irreversibly altered.

Are your men using diesel at your asphalt plant? The correct way to clean out silo corners is with an environmentally acceptable solvent; there are many on the market. That goes for batch plants, drum plants, hot mixes and warm mixes. But mix sticking in silos is a symptom of another problem and you need to address that underlying problem, not fight with the symptom. My recommendation for 10 February 2012

This is a properly installed and correctly heated Micro-Motion system that functions perfectly without the use of diesel.

dealing with asphalt sticking in silos is to first identify the reasons for material build-up.

For a square silo, are the corners too flat? Are there protrusions that catch and hold the mix? This same question applies to round silos. Protrusions catch mix and as it cools, the build-up can be substantial. Operational issues also lead to build-up. Are you running your mix too cold? Is it excessively oily? Address the problem to eliminate the symptom.

The correct way to reverse the injection system is the way the manufacturer recommends. If something won’t let you reverse the injection system, stop and seek answers from the manufacturer(s).

Cliff Mansfield is an asphalt plant engineer and a freelance writer specializing in asphalt plants. For more information, contact him at (541) 352-7942 or send him your question through the “Ask the Plant Expert” form on the home page at www.TheAsphaltPro.com.

mix it up

Low Temperatures Retain Moisture in Sweden from Nils Ulmgren, Roger Lundberg, Lorentz Lundqvist

Editor’s Note: One of the best places to test and prove the benefits of warm-mix asphalt (WMA) should be a few miles south of the Arctic Circle.

Although WMA has proved its merits time and again for most pavement engineers in the United States, the researchers at NCC Roads AB and NCC Roads Sweden North have been working with an ongoing, 15-mile new construction project for the past two years and have results to share. Nils Ulmgren, the development manager for contractor NCC Roads AB presented findings from the project at the 2nd International WMA Conference in St. Louis in October 2011. Here are some lab practices all engineers can examine from his company’s experiences.

P

rior to the beginning of the project that we’ll examine in this article, officials in Sweden experimented for about a decade with minor low-temperature asphalt (WMA) trials and different techniques. In 2010, they chose to pave a new interstate highway that would have a speed limit of 110 kilometres (km) per hour (68 mph) and a traffic load of 7,500 YDT—23 percent of that is heavy traffic of more than 3.5 tons. The completed project will have two lanes in each direction with a total length of 24.5 km, or 15.2 miles (mi), in the northern part of Sweden at Hudiksvall. That is about 350 km (217 mi) north of Stockholm, which is similar to 100 km (62 mi) north of Anchorage, Alaska.

The contractor for the ongoing asphalt works is NCC Roads AB. The team is using a WMA based on foamtechnique with only amine added as an adhesion agent.

Before production, our team performed a thorough lab study to es-

14 February 2012

tablish the optimal composition of the asphalt. This included all the typical testing such as determination of parameters such as resistance to deformation, stiffness, water sensitivity, workability and, very important in this area, resistance to abrasion against studded tires.

On site, the team performed a test trial of 1,000 meters (m) or 1,094 yards of the WMA alongside a reference section of 3,000 m (3,281 yards).

We performed the same lab tests to these test- and reference-sections as we did in the pre-study. The results from the analyses from the pre-trials show that the quality was as good for the WMA as it was for the HMA. We could proceed.

During 2010 and 2011, we produced about 120,000 tonnes of WMA in a refurbished Astec Double Barrel asphalt plant and paved 19 km in three layers of base, binder and wearing course evenly distributed between the two years. We use the same regimen of testing during paving as we used in pre-production.

The rest of this article will present

experiences from production, but will focus on the quality aspects as shown from our testing of samples from mix design and paving.

To date, the test results show that the WMA is as good as the HMA, but we should pay special attention to the moisture content in the WMA mix as it is somewhat higher than that of the HMA (0.15 percent compared to 0.05 percent). It has an influence on water sensitivity. That makes it vital for us to add an adhesion agent.

The lab analyses results of pavement samples included herein are as of mid-August 2011.

We kept normal hot-mix production above 150oC (302oF) for two reasons. First, we found it necessary in order to have a viscosity of the binder that made it soft enough to cover the aggregate easily. Second, that’s what we had to do to dry the aggregate so no moisture was left.

We found that if the aggregate was heated to no more than 120 to 130oC (248 to 266oF) there was no real guarantee that all moisture had been removed.

Figure 1. Void Content Percent and Resistance Numbers (Cores taken from pavement) HMA

WMA

# of Samples

Avg & Std

# of Samples

Avg & Std

Requirements

Wearing Course

10

2.4±0.7

43

3.2±1.3

1.5-5.0

Binder Course

5

3.9±1.5

45

4.5±1.2

3.0-6.0

Base Course 32

7

4.0±1.2

40

4.1±1.0

3.0-8.0

Base Course 22

5

4.4±0.9

33

5.2±1.3

3.0-8.0

Resistance to Abrasion cm3 Wearing Course

4

32±3

10

31±2.4

≤32

Resistance to Deformation Micro-Stain Binder Course

1

12,600

3

17,930±2,180

≤ 21,000

mix it up Here’s how we handled adding the RAP. We dried the aggregate at a temperature more than 150oC (302oF) and then added the unheated RAP so that the mixed components ended up with a temperature of 120 to 130oC (248 to 266oF). Adding RAP made it easier to produce WMA when the aggregate had been fully dried. The RAP itself contains some moisture so it’s important to keep this as low as possible—less than 2 percent. Even then, we found some moisture left—about 0.1 percent.

We handled that by adding a little more of the anti-stripping agent.

See the percent void content results in the figure on page 14. The number of cores we took to test water sensitivity ITSR were few—a total of four over all HMA courses and 12 over all WMA courses—showing only the WMA binder course failing to meet the owner requirements.

Again when testing the change in softening point from the tank to the pavement, we had few samples— three total for the HMA courses and 13 for the WMA courses. What we learned from the change in softening point numbers is that the RAP content counts for an increase of about 6.6oC (11.9oF) in the AC32 base, which has 30 percent RAP, and for about 2.8oC (3.6oF) in the AC16 binder, which has 20 percent RAP. This means that the increase due to the production is limited to about 2 to 3oC (3.6 to 5.4oF), and it is the same for both WMA and HMA. The difference is normally some degrees higher in batch plants.

The one main risk parameter for WMA seems to be the water sensitivity. Be cautious of higher moisture and higher void content. We have found that RAP is important for the process, but we stress that you must keep it dry.

Take the Temperature in Sweden

by Sandy Lender Roadbuilders first produced low-temperature asphalt (WMA) in Sweden about 10 years ago. Since then they’ve introduced several techniques to produce WMA, which include both process techniques (such as foamed bitumen) and techniques that include adding different chemicals.

In Sweden, you can order up a variety of WMA types, which include a half-warm mix. This has a production temperature of 50 to 100oC (122 to 212oF). Low-temperature asphalt mix, which is called WMA, is defined as one with a production temperature of greater than 120oC (248oF). The savvy reader will notice that is also the defined lower range for hot mixes in Sweden as well, although both hot and warm mixes there are typically produced at temperatures of 150 to 160oC (302 to 320oF).

The National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA) defines WMA as a mix produced below 285oF, which gives little overlap for comparing production, testing and compaction results of WMA

16 February 2012

The pavement structure being built starts with an unbound subbase of 600 mm (23.6 inches) and an unbound base of 80 mm (3.15 inches).

For the slow lane, the base course is 76,000 tons of 86 mm (3.39 inches) of AC 32 with 30 percent RAP. The binder course is 29,000 tons of 50 mm (1.97 inches) of AC 16 with 20 percent RAP. The wearing course is 36,000 tons of 35 mm (1.38 inches) of SMA 11 with 5 percent RAP. Nils Ulmgren was the main author of the presentation at the 2nd International WMA Conference.

For additional information, he can be reached at nils.ulmgren@ncc. se. Roger Lundberg, technical manager for NCC Roads Sweden North, and Lorentz Lundqvist, product manager for NCC Roads AB, were co-authors. They can be reached at roger.lundberg@ncc.se and lorentz. lundqvist@ncc.se respectively.

mixes designed in Sweden and North America. If it seems confusing at first, read what Swedish engineers have to say. “[The agreed-upon definition of WMA] makes a clear distinction between processes with a production temperature above 100oC (212oF) and processes below 100oC (212oF); i.e. the difference between ‘dry’ and ‘wet’ mixes. The definition for low-temperature asphalt is now that the production temperature shall be over 120oC (248oF) and with the same quality criteria in all aspects as for ordinary hot-mix asphalt. The reason for 120oC (248oF) and not 100oC (212oF) is that it is in practice almost impossible to dry the aggregate at a temperature below 120oC (248oF).”

Researchers in the United States, namely those at Advanced Asphalt Technologies, LLC, within the boundaries of the NCHRP Project 9-36 found it appropriate for WMA mix design to mirror that of HMA mix design. Researchers in Sweden seem to have found it appropriate for WMA mix design to be HMA mix design. As Ulmgren stated, “The short conclusion is that we have really produced a WMA similar to a hot-mix asphalt.” Readers can review Uhlgren’s paper at www.asphaltpavement. org to decide for themselves.

Source: Low Temperature Asphalt (WMA) in Sweden by Ulmgren, Lundberg, Lundqvist

project management

Manage Repair Projects with Infrared Technology

by Del Williams

ports his upgraded infrared asphalt repair equipment in Kasi’s Minute Man trailer-mounted system, which has an asphalt reclaimer that keeps asphalt at plant mix temperature in any n an issue focused on best paving practices, one can’t overkind of weather. “We’re busy through the winter because of look simple pavement repair practices. Winter rain and this infrared method and our hot asphalt in the reclaimer box. extreme weather often multiply potholes and pavement “In 20 minutes we can complete an actual demo repair,” damage in roads and parking lots, which puts good mainteJimenez continued. “A lot of people say, ‘I’ll just take 20 minnance management in the spotlight. Snarled traffic, vehicle utes of your time.’ But to literally fix an asphalt problem in 20 damage, injury and even litigation can result if the damage is minutes and have it look better than saw, cut and replace—it not repaired in a timely manner. Many contractors using tradiblows their mind. When I do a demo, I’ve won 99 percent of tional remove-and-replace asphalt repair can’t work in winter. the jobs on everything from tract homes to parking lots to “Municipal engineers typically prohibit asphalt repair in road repair.” cold weather, because if the asphalt goes down cold, it starts The more uniform heat coverage also eliminates potential to ravel or fall apart,” Don Jimenez said. He’s the owner of Ashot or cold spots, making the scarifying of existing asphalt phalt Technology, Clovis, Calif., an asphalt repair company of to remove seams easier. “When the asphalt is heated more public and commercial surfaces. “Water intrusion accelerates evenly with deeper penetration, scarifying takes half the the failure, particularly after the subgrade is compromised.” physical effort even in cold weather,” Jimenez said. “There’s As many have experienced, financial cutbacks have also no bending over, scratching made fixing potholes more at a hard spot that never redifficult. Fortunately, an ally got hot enough. By the upgraded infrared asphalt day’s end, we’re only half as repair technology is making tired and can do more jobs.” short work of potholes, as Unlike traditional “saw, cash-strapped contractors, cut and remove” or “crack homeowners, businesses filler” asphalt repair techand municipalities achieve niques, Kasi’s infrared asseamless cold-weather asphalt repair has no seams phalt repair in less than for water and ice to pen20 minutes at a fraction of etrate. “It’s a more permatraditional remove-and-renent patch that should last place cost. twice as long as removeTypical infrared technique Kasi Infrared’s new, 8-converter chamber allows more asphalt to be and-replace because water shortens asphalt repair by heated more quickly and more evenly than with previous models. intrusion won’t be a factor,” heating, fusing and comJimenez said. Instead, the pacting recycled asphalt infrared restorations fuse to the existing pavement, creating with minimal equipment, labor and new material. Jimenez, a continuous surface. however, turned to an upgraded infrared asphalt repair opThe infrared repair’s continuous surface also eliminates the tion from Kasi Infrared. The process is designed to make reneed for tack-coating the edges and allows roads to be opened pairs faster, deeper and more uniform, which can accelerate to traffic immediately. It makes the repair process less expenwinter asphalt restoration. sive, because existing asphalt is recycled, crew size is typically The infrared chamber upgrade of the Kasi process is delimited to two, and only a single truck or trailer is used. signed to enable seamless asphalt repair in less than 20 min“With Kasi’s upgraded infrared asphalt repair equipment, utes (of a typical 5- by 5-foot patch including preparation and we have about a 3 to 1 savings ratio in equipment, material clean-up), and to double infrared chamber longevity to more and labor over traditional remove-and-replace asphalt repair, than 10 years. At the heart of what makes this possible is a so my bids are about 20 percent lower and my profit 30 pernew, deeper, eight-converter heat chamber that is designed cent higher than the competition. My business has doubled to allow more asphalt to be heated quickly, deeply and evenin two years, and referrals are 80 percent of my business.” ly. The greater heating coverage softens existing asphalt to Del Williams is a technical writer based in Torrance, Calif. be patched, up to a 3-inch depth, in as little as four minutes.

For more info about Kasi Infrared, call (800) 450-8602, e-mail “With the greater heat coverage, we can put down more asinfo@kasiinfrared.com or visit www.kasiinfrared.com. phalt in half the time, even in winter,” Jimenez said. He trans-

I

18 February 2012

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equipment maintenance

Extend Broom’s Life Cycle

by Donna Campbell

W

hen it comes to rebuilding thousands of miles of America’s roadways, sweeper operators play a vital role. Almost every department of transportation (DOT) requires newly milled surfaces to be cleaned before being resurfaced with asphalt. Having a clean, solid base promotes longevity of the resurfaced roads and highways.

During the milling process, particles and remnants of the old pavement are left behind on the road surface. This debris must be swept away prior to the placement of asphalt. If the roadway is not swept properly, the fine dust particles settle into the milled grooves and prevent a solid bond between the surface and the fresh mix, compromising its potential long life.

To tackle the roadway surface cleaning, many original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), such as Roadtec, Inc., Chattanooga, offer self-propelled brooms. Roadtec most recently released the FB-85 Self-Propelled Broom at the 2011 CONEXPO-CON/ AGG. According to John Irvine, vice president sales and marketing for Roadtec, there are 10 to 20 Roadtec brooms currently working in the field across the United States, and the number is growing.

Mike Starr, equipment manager of Jas. W. Glover, Ltd., Hilo, Hawaii, stated, “We bought the second machine off the line and we’ve been very happy with it. It has a lot of power. It’s a stout, heavy-built machine—that’s important given the dust and dirt it tackles. Everything under the hood is very accessible for maintenance.”

The problem all brooms face is that leftover millings create a dusty environment. A heavy-duty, self-propelled broom is constructed to withstand such tough working conditions.

20 February 2012

But how do you ensure the long life of your broom? Regular maintenance and safety checks can extend the broom’s life cycle. The following are checklists to help with preventive maintenance.

DAILY SAFETY CHECKS

• Clean all windows, especially the rear windows, for clear visibility.

• Adjust the mirrors for optimal viewing around the machine.

• Check to make sure the strobes are operational so the machine can be seen in traffic.

• Check tire pressures.

• Check tire sidewalls for potential wear from being up against the curb.

• Maintain spare tire on the bottom of the machine (front left tire).

• If not using a cyclone pre-cleaner on the A/C system, check A/C filter and blow it out.

• Check the level of the engine oil.

• Grease the brush shaft bearing.

• If there are no sealed bushings, check all hinge points up front on broom and grease.

• Check hydraulic oil levels.

• Check radiator coolant levels.

• Check and blow out the radiator.

• Check the brake fluid level.

• Make sure water filter and brush spray bar are clean and operational to keep the dust down.

• Check the float or down pressure adjustment before every job.

Billy Joe Taylor, equipment manager of Pavement Products & Services (PP&S) in Piedmont, South Carolina, noted that daily safety checks and maintenance aren’t difficult on this particular broom. “It has a roomy cab for operator comfort and it’s easy to service—just lift the hood.”

Keep in mind that all OEMs want to make safety and maintenance easy for equipment personnel. In this ex-

A temperature-controlled, pressurized cab, with steering wheel tractor control and fingertipcontrol lever with push button controls, contributes to operator productivity in the Roadtec FB-85 Self-Propelled Broom. The operator can control down-pressure from the cab, which contributes to longevity of the broom.

The raised hood of the Roadtec FB-85 Self-Propelled Broom allows for easy access to maintenance points.

ample, the Roadtec FB-85 Self-Propelled Broom has sealed bushings and an oversized radiator. The sealed bushings keep dust and debris from being collected in the grease. The sealed bushings protect the hinge points from excessive wear due to dirt exposure. The radiator is 25 to 30 percent larger than the industry standard, making it easier for the engine to run cooler. Look for these types of components on any broom when making a purchase, and watch them during scheduled maintenance.

WEEKLY CHECKS

• Check the engine air filter and clean it.

• Check the carburetor air filter.

• Check the hydraulic filters.

• Check the engine oil level and filter.

• Grease the axle kingpin.

• Check the battery.

• If the brakes are not sealed, check the brake shoes for debris build-up and clean them. Dirty brake shoes can lock up or wear prematurely.

MONTHLY CHECKS

• Replace the engine air filter.

• Check engine oil and filter.

• Check fuel filter.

• Check hydraulic filters.

• Check drive and steering axles.

• Check A/C system; treat with cyclone pre-cleaner. www.theasphaltpro.com | ASPHALT PRO 21

equipment maintenance Replacing the engine air filter on a monthly basis for the Roadtec broom may be a little more accelerated than the standard replacement time. But due to the level of dust the equipment is exposed to over the course of operation, it is best to have a regularly changedout air filter for continued long life. Be sure to use the manufacturer’s recommendation for your broom.

ANNUAL CHECKS

• Drain, clean and refill the hydraulic oil tank, which is 40 gallons on the FB-85.

• Drain, clean and refill the radiator coolant.

• Drain, flush and refill the drive axle gear box.

• Drain, flush and refill the steering axel gear box.

A latch on either side of the hood holds everything nicely in place until the maintenance man flips it easily for access to the engine.

Roadtec ships the FB-85 Self-Propelled Broom with blue-colored hydraulic oil versus the usual tan color.

This allows the Roadtec service crew to know if the hydraulic oil has been changed, which needs to take place after 1,000 hours of operation—the average usage in one year. Equipment managers may want to alternate hydraulic oil color for the same purpose—a maintenance check to make sure the oil is being changed on a regular basis.

At the beginning of every job, check the float or down pressure adjustment on the broom head to ensure an accurate amount of down pressure. If adjusted too high, it will wear the broom heads prematurely. Roadtec’s broom has an in-cab down pressure adjustment, so the broom can be adjusted as needed while in operation.

No matter what make or model of broom you use for your pavement maintenance projects, keeping the unit clean and well-maintained keeps your paving practices at their best.

From daily to weekly to monthly and annual checks and services, the selfpropelled broom deserves time on your equipment manager’s schedule to keep it in tip-top shape and to keep your milled surfaces swept clean of imperfections.

Donna Campbell is the internal editor for Roadtec’s HotMix Magazine. For more information about the Roadtec FB-85 Self-Propelled Broom or general broom maintenance techniques, contact your Roadtec regional sales manager at (800) 272-7100 or sales@roadtec.com.

22 February 2012

producer profile WMA properties make compaction of longitudinal joints easier for the Glenn O. Hawbaker paving crew.

GOH Improves Long Joints with WMA

by Gary E. Gulick

P

ennsylvania’s fracking industry has led to a number of innovations, including the use of warmmix asphalt (WMA) to extend the paving season and improve joint compaction for contractors in the Northeast. In particular, Glenn O. Hawbaker, Inc., State College, Pa., (GOH) has found a way to use WMA methodology in the area.

26 February 2012

The term fracking is short for “hydraulic fracturing”—a process used by energy companies when drilling for natural gas in areas made up of rocks or shale. One area that sees much natural-gas drilling is the Marcellus Formation of shale in the Allegheny Plateau region of the northern Appalachian Basin. As reported in the November 2011 issue of AsphaltPro Magazine, this natural-gas drilling activity has created opportunities for

PennDOT and local municipalities with respect to outdated roads. Paving contractors like GOH have stepped in to help with those opportunities.

GOH was founded in 1952 and has grown steadily to reach its current organizational structure of 20-plus quarries and 8 asphalt plants in Pennsylvania and southern New York. Tom Abbey, director of quality control for GOH, said that the heavy traffic on the country roads in the Marcellus

very high-pressure water injection to create microbubbles that improve the workability of the mix. In fact, our next asphalt plant will also have this system.”

Get Long Joint Density

Abbey and Troy Franks, the company’s director of paving operations, are both convinced that WMA technology is a big step forward for the paving industry. One of the more recent discoveries by GOH is the way that WMA helps improve longitudinal joint density, thereby improving overall job quality and reducing the need for longitudinal joint repairs.

GOH produced and paved more than half a million tons of WMA last year.

Formation area is somewhat degrading the pavement.

“There are heavy drilling rigs moving along those roads,” Abbey said.

“There are also trucks hauling millions and millions of gallons of water that is used for drilling and fracking the shale. Years ago, when the roads were originally constructed, there was no heavy-truck traffic. But now, with the significant increase in heavy-truck traffic, the roads have experienced some major damage. Consequently, the gas companies began an aggressive repair effort. They had to bond the roads for PennDOT and part of that bonding stated that they had to bring the roads back to the PennDOT specification.

“They had to bond the roads for PennDOT and part of that bonding stated that they had to bring the roads back to the PennDOT specification.”

—Tom Abbey

We were one of the contractors who did a lot of work up there.”

GOH did much of the work contracted to repair or repave the roads to the drilling sites with WMA. As a matter of fact, GOH has produced almost 840,000 tons of WMA in the past four years—more than 585,000 of that in 2011 alone.

“We are obviously dedicated to warm mix,” Abbey said. “We try to do it as often as we can on our private work. And whenever PennDOT contracts require it, we do it. There have even been times when something was bid as hot mix and we asked that it be changed to warm mix. WMA has met our expectations and we believe in it.”

Abbey said that the company has been active with WMA for several years now. “The first two WMA units we purchased in 2008 were Gencor UltraFoam foaming systems. In 2010, we purchased our first Maxam AQUABlack® WMA system. Since then, we have purchased five more Maxam AQUABlack WMA systems from Maxam. Today, every one of our eight asphalt plants has a WMA foaming system. We are extremely pleased with the AQUABlack® WMA systems from Maxam because they use

GOH produced and paved more than half a million tons of WMA last year.

In 2010, PennDOT initiated a jointdensity incentive/disincentive spec.

“No matter where you go in North America,” Abbey said, “the longitudinal joint always seems to be the weakest link in pavements. PennDOT believed that if they took action, they could influence contractors to get better joint density.”

PennDOT’s spec leaves the method up to the contractor. Instead of dictating a best practice, PennDOT details the performance it wants out of the longitudinal joint. It places an incentive and disincentive on the result. If the contractor gets high density at the joint, he can earn an incentive. If he gets low density at the joint, he could lose money.

Abbey said that GOH’s use of WMA has been a big advantage in achieving higher joint density. “This past year, we had five contract jobs that had a jointdensity specification,” he said. “Two of the jobs involved hot mixes and the other three were warm mixes. All five jobs required cores to measure longitudinal density. On the jobs where we used WMA, we saw a 1.4 percent density increase based on joint-density acceptance cores that were tested by www.theasphaltpro.com | ASPHALT PRO 27

producer profile

Temperatures in February of 2011 were cold outside and snow covered the landscape. That didn’t keep GOH from working. With the advent of WMA, producers just have a little steam to deal with but production temperatures below 285oF.

“If you do the math, you’ll find that our 2011 paving season was 355 days long!”

—Tony Franks PennDOT Materials Testing Laboratory in Harrisburg, Pa. As far as longitudinal joints are concerned, we are getting a 1.4 percent increase in joint density with warm-mix.”

“As far as mat density is concerned, our WMA has been equal to HMA,” Franks said. “Our paving crews seem to be consistent in getting the same mat density, no matter what type of mix they are using.”

To build the longitudinal joint, Franks detailed the crews’ best practices. “We use the notched-wedge joint instead of the butt joint. Using 28 February 2012

best paving practices and good equipment, along with WMA, we have better results with the notched-wedge for the centerline joint or for the shoulder joint than we have with the conventional butt joints.”

Longer Season

As mentioned above, GOH produced and paved more than half a million tons of WMA last year. Abbey and Franks explained that the repairs and repaving on those back roads could happen almost anywhere and at any time—spring, summer, fall or winter.

For those reasons, the WMA mixes proved beneficial.

“Some of the work we were doing was in remote parts of north-central Pennsylvania,” Abbey said. “But with the WMA, we were able to ship the mix as far as 149 miles one way and still get a smooth, nice-looking mat.

For example, we could haul a mix with

a tri-axle from our plant in State College to the Bradford County area near Mansfield about 2.5 hours one-way.”

“The WMA allows us to truck the material further,” Franks said, “because the material stays more fluid.

That gives the paving crew more time for compaction while getting the same density results.”

The material also stays warm. “The temperature at time of production varies from 260°F to 300°F, depending on the ambient temperature,” Abbey said. “The temperature behind the screed also varies but is usually about 30° less than the production temperature.”

Franks also said that WMA gives the company an extended paving season.

“Last year, our first day of paving was January 10…and our last day was December 30. If you do the math, you’ll find that our 2011 paving season was 355 days long!”

NCAT Gives Compaction Primer from Mix Perspective

Left: Dr. Ray Brown, Director Emeritus, NCAT. Above: This intermediate roller operator has no existing structures to impede his pattern. We can deduce by his apparel that this sunny day is warm, so the thickness of the mat he’s rolling is probably the only variable he has to be concerned about influencing mat temperature. We all know the importance of monitoring temperature in the intermediate zone for Superpave mixes. For any pavement type, thicker layers take longer to cool, hence more rolling time is available to properly compact the lift. If the lift is relatively thin, say less than 1.5 inches, the cooling rate is higher and extra rollers may be required so that the mat can be adequately compacted before cooling.

by Dr. Ray Brown

G

ood compaction of asphalt mixes is one of the most important steps in ensuring good performance of asphalt pavements. If the density of the compacted mat is low—typically less than approximately 92 percent of theoretical maximum density—the resulting pavement will tend to be permeable to air and water. This can result in moisture susceptibility problems and more rapid oxidation of the asphalt cement (AC).

This often results in raveling of the pavement in areas that have not been properly compacted. Also, when the density of the compacted mat is lower than desired, densification under traffic will likely occur resulting in initial minor rutting in the wheel paths.

Paving crews sometimes compromise compaction for the sake of expediency.

Management may place more emphasis on producing a high tonnage rate than on good construction techniques.

However, a good construction crew can achieve both.

30 February 2012

The most common way to discuss density today is in terms of percentage of theoretical maximum density, which allows an operator to quickly know the percentage of air voids in the mix. For example, if 92 percent of theoretical maximum density is obtained, this is equal to 8 percent air voids in the mix.

Most mixes become permeable to air and water at about 8 percent air voids, but this depends on the mix.

Coarse-graded mixes tend to become permeable to air and water at lower air voids, while fine-graded mixes tend to require higher air voids before they become permeable. So if the gradation is below the maximum density line, the mix is likely to be permeable at less than 8 percent air voids. When the mix is above the maximum density line, it is likely to not be permeable unless the air voids are greater than approximately 8 percent.

Most mixes are designed with 4 percent air voids in lab-compacted samples. If properly controlled during construction, one would expect the mix to eventually close up to about 4 percent

air voids after traffic. Hence, if the initial in-place air void level is about 8 percent, this is expected to result in some minor consolidation, which can form a small rut or a bump especially when placed adjacent to bridges and other structures.

In fact, adequate density is often not obtained immediately adjacent to existing structures, and in these areas the consolidation may be greater because the mix starts out at a higher void level.

This lack of good compaction adjacent to structures is primarily caused by the difficulty in adequately rolling this area especially with steel wheel rollers.

Ultimately, low density is likely to lead to raveling of the asphalt mix. Raveling generally begins in localized areas that have the lowest density. These areas include longitudinal and transverse joints, material adjacent to bridges or other structures, those with mix or temperature segregation, and other localized areas that were not sufficiently compacted.

This low density in localized areas can often be observed as an open surface texture after compaction has been com-

pleted. These deficiencies are more obvious shortly after rainfall, as the rainwater begins to dry. The more open areas will absorb water and stay wet for a longer period of time. And in most cases these areas that do stay wet longer have higher air voids and end up showing performance problems much sooner.

Data from a recent national study (Figure 1) performed by the National Center for Asphalt Technology (NCAT) has shown that density of completed pavements is often lower than desired.

The data shown in the figure is average density, which means that much of the pavement has lower densities than shown in the figure. This is especially true in difficult-to-build areas, where lower density would be expected, making the mix porous and susceptible to many types of performance problems.

The figure shows that more than 50 percent of the constructed asphalt mixes have greater than an average of 8 percent air voids and hence, localized areas would have even higher air voids.

There are a number of factors that affect density. Some of these factors include quality and quantity of tack coat, temperature or aggregate segregation, roller pattern, air temperature, wind, roller size, layer thickness, nominal maximum aggregate size, and longitudinal joints.

It is essential that tack coat be properly applied to the pavement surface. The tack coat is often applied in a way that produces an uneven application, resulting in too much tack coat in some areas and little or no tack in others. If a good, even application is not obtained, it is more difficult to obtain adequate density. Generally the optimum rate of application is approximately 0.05 gallons per square yard but this is affected by the surface texture and porosity.

Temperature and aggregate segregation also make it more difficult to obtain a compacted mix that is not porous to air and water. Temperature segregation generally occurs when hauling the mix long distances in cooler weather. The mix tends to cool more quickly on the outer surfaces around the top, bottom and sides of the truck. When this ma32 February 2012

terial is fed through the paver it does not always completely mix the colder and warmer materials, resulting in temperature segregation. Steps that can be used to minimize this problem include using insulated trucks, minimizing haul distance, paving in warmer weather or using a material transfer vehicle. Also, the use of warm-mix asphalt has potential in reducing the temperature segregation problem.

Segregation of the aggregate can occur at any point in the mix production, hauling or placing operations. Using good standard practices in handling stockpiles, producing and storing the mix, loading trucks and unloading the mix into the paver will help to minimize segregation.

The contractor usually establishes rolling patterns based on past experience.

The width of the rollers is typically more than half the width of the paving lane, which means that the center portion of the mat will be rolled with each pass of the roller, and the outside portions will be rolled less often. Thus, the rolling pattern needs to be established so that adequate density is obtained at the middle of the mat as well as near the edge of the mat. (See the article “Rolling Patterns by Chuck Deahl� at http://bit.ly/ iwLM1y on www.TheAsphaltPro.com.)

Air temperature and wind have a significant effect on the ability to compact an asphalt mat. When air temperature is low or wind velocity is high, rapid cooling of the asphalt mix may occur. This cooling rate is a function of the thickness of the asphalt lift. Thicker layers take longer to cool, hence more rolling

time is available to properly compact the lift. If the lift is relatively thin, say 1.5 inches or less, the cooling rate is higher and extra rollers may be required so that the mat can be adequately compacted before cooling.

The size of rollers and rolling pattern are also important for obtaining adequate density. Density gauges are useful for verifying an established rolling pattern or for establishing a new rolling pattern. Quick readings of density can be obtained after each pass of each roller to determine the number of passes needed to obtain optimum density.

Generally, the thickness to nominal maximum aggregate size ratio has to be a minimum of 3 for fine-graded mixes to allow best compaction. The recommended ratio is 4 for coarse-graded mixes. If the ratio size is less than these minimum recommended numbers, bridging of the mix occurs during rolling and it becomes more difficult to achieve adequate compaction.

Areas that have aggregate segregation are often difficult to compact to acceptable density.

These areas are typically small, so taking random density measurements is not likely to result in a test being taken in these segregated areas. When segregation occurs, it is normally identified visually and not by testing. Steps should be taken immediately to solve any segregation problems; otherwise, high air voids will be produced in these areas, resulting in some loss in performance.

Longitudinal and transverse joint areas offer challenges for roller operators, and performance problems are likely to occur in these areas due to low density. Care must be used during construction to ensure these locations are properly compacted. There are several approaches to improve joint density but the only way to ensure improved joint density is to specify and monitor it during construction.

In summary, density is critical to ensuring good performance of asphalt pavements. By using good compaction techniques, adequate density can be achieved while maintaining high production rates.

Support Winners at World of Asphalt Everyone on the tradeshow floor is someone who can help you with your bottom line, so where do you start? Here at AsphaltPro Magazine, we recommend you start with the companies that get their name and technology on the front lines every month. This list of companies advertises in your technical resource and we’ve highlighted the ones that are participating in this year’s Amazing Road Race. Make sure these asphalt professionals are on your visit list for sure!

ACE GROUP Surrey, BC, CANADA #1401 ASPHALT DRUM MIXERS, INC Huntertown, IN #1545 ASPHALTPRO Columbia, MO #2310 ASPHALT SOLUTIONS New River, AZ #2371 ASTEC, INC Chattanooga, TN #1427 BOMAG AMERICAS, INC Delano, MN #1009 DYNAPAC USA Commerce City, CO #1739 E.D. ETNYRE Oregon, IL #727 EZ STREET Miami, FL #1932 34 February 2012

GILSON COMPANY Lewis Center, OH #1105

PINE INSTRUMENTS Grove City, PA #2064

HAUCK MANUFACTURING Lebanon, PA #2044

PROCESS HEATING Seattle, WA #1955

HEATEC, INC Chattanooga, TN # 1427 HERMAN GRANT COMPANY, INC. Chattanooga, TN #2164 HUMBOLDT Rolling Meadows, IL #1000 KENCO ENGINEERING Roseville, CA #1513 KPI/JCI City, State #1421 LIBRA SYSTEMS, INC. Harleysville, PA 1831

RELIABLE ASPHALT Shelbyville, KY #1621 ROADTEC, INC Chattanooga, TN #1221 ROTOCHOPPER St. Martin, MN # 2194 STANSTEEL USED EQUIPment Louisville, KY #1911 TARMAC INTERNATIONAL Lees Summit, MO #2052

MAXAM EQUIPMENT Kansas City, MO #1977

TRANS TECH SYSTEMS, INC. Schenectady, NY #712

MEADWESTTVACO North Charleston, SC #1500

Wirtgen AMERICA Antioch, TN #639

Here’s How to Talk to the Crew

by John Ball

ow many times has your paving foreman been at the end of a project or the end of a shift with a couple extra loads of asphalt he can’t use? How many times has the plant operator at your company failed to tell the paving foreman that a problem has shut the plant down for an hour or so? How many times have you gone out to the work zone to see 10 or 12 trucks lined up in front of the paver with a foreman scratching his head in disbelief? Problems like this can be chalked up to poor planning, which we’ll address in next month’s article, or they can be the result of poor communication. We’ve got to learn how to talk to each other out there.

The paving foreman has to know how to communicate with the plant operator or the project will have tonnage problems. Whether it’s a routine day or a day with plant or paver breakdowns, the crew has to know how to talk to each other to communicate their needs. Here’s what I mean.

The plant operator’s job is to produce mix. His concern will be to get the product out. At the beginning of the shift, the paving foreman places her order, but must do so in a manner that will ensure the right product is delivered at the right time. When she makes her initial call to the plant, she doesn’t want to order up the whole day’s tonnage. Instead, she wants to phrase her order carefully.

She should know exactly how much mix she’ll need for her shift’s project.

Let’s say that’s 270 tons. When she speaks to the plant operator for the first time, she needs to say, “I’m looking for about 270 tons today. When you get to 140 tons, please give me a call.”

This serves two purposes. It lets the plant operator know about how much the paving foreman will need overall and it gives them both a half-way

point at which they can touch base.

This communication is also important so the foreman can track trucks and tons. Remember that not all trucks haul the same number of tons, so talking in terms of trucks can lead both the plant operator and the paving foreman astray.

Let’s say the job has four trucks hauling mix. The foreman sees that she has 150 tons on the ground and one truck in front of the paver with 25 tons in it.

Two hours have passed since the crew began the job so she calls the plant to check in.

The question she wants to ask is phrased in terms of tons. “How many tons do you have out to me?” The plant operator will give an answer of at least 175. Let’s say it’s 200 tons.

The foreman’s follow-up question is “How many trucks are in the yard?”

If the plant operator answers with “none,” then the foreman can do a quick calculation to know where every truck is.

There’s one in front of the paver with 25 tons. That means one truck is on its way to the site with 25 tons in it and two trucks are empty on their way back to the plant.

It’s vital to ask the right questions and be specific or you won’t know where you are. You won’t know your tonnage, which can lead to being under or going over on the project. The workers on the back of the screed, specifically the one on the left side, should be able to track yield and let the foreman know if something’s amiss. Ultimately, it’s up to the foreman to watch the width and depth of passes to know if the crew is maintaining proper yield.

Something to watch carefully is “the unexpected.” If the plant needs to shut down for some reason, the plant operator will, understandably, suddenly have a lot on his mind. The foreman can help herself if she can help the operator keep track of what’s already been loaded.

In the example above, 200 tons had gone out. If the plant broke down then, would the plant operator remember he’d sent out 200 tons of a binder course mix? When the plant gets up and running again, does he send another 25 tons of that same mix; does he send 70 tons of a surface course mix? The foreman can help get the right tons of the right material if the crew talks to each other correctly.

➊ The worker on the left

➋ The worker on the right

➌ The foreman has to take

side of the screed should set and measure the depth.

side of the screed should match the joint/prior pass.

control and monitor yield at all times.

36 February 2012

➍ Know how many tons are down and how many tons you’ve yet to lay.

Communicate Clearly

It’s All About Tons When the paving foreman and plant operator get on the phone, they must talk about tons, not trucks or loads. Different trucks carry different weights, so make sure your communication is clear. Talk about tons.

Above: The plant operator has many tasks on his mind while the plant is running. The paving foreman needs to stay in touch by picking up the phone and calling to check on tonnage. Photo courtesy of Tarmac.

Left: Marking out the job is the first and best way to ensure you don’t run over.

Then communicate what you need to the plant. We’ll cover this extensively in the April/May issue of AsphaltPro. Photo courtesy of Top Quality Paving.

www.theasphaltpro.com | ASPHALT PRO 37

DeFino Paves Over PCC Garden State contractor uses sturdy asphalt mixes, solid screed to cover DOT’s underlying problem 38 February 2012

by Tom Kuennen

T

he New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) has a slew of partners in the war on crumbling pavements. DeFino Contracting Company, Inc., Old Bridge, N.J., recently used a new screed from VĂśgele America to place two demanding, high-performance asphalt mixes over problematic Portland cement concrete (PCC) for the department.

The end of the compaction train is the HD+ 140 VO in finish mode.

A material transfer vehicle feeds SMA to a Vision 5200-2.

The Partners DeFino Contracting Company is placing binder-rich intermediate course (BRIC) and stone matrix asphalt (SMA) to critical specifications on congested state routes near the famous “Jersey Shore” and elsewhere in the Garden State. Binder-rich intermediate course has small, No. 10 (1/4-inch or 6-mm) stone with 8 percent of PG76-22 binder. It’s compacted to 1 to 7 percent air voids.

The state intends BRIC to be placed over existing PCC pavements at the bottom of a hot mix asphalt (HMA) overlay on composite pavements.

There it withstands cracking due to PCC horizontal joint movement and vertical joint movement. The DOT cautions that any mix placed over BRIC still needs to be flexible enough to resist residual vertical bending.

“BRIC was designed to be placed over old concrete roads to minimize reflective cracking from joints,” Hector J. DeFino, president and CEO of DeFino Contracting, said. “On N.J. 88 we are milling 3 inches, and putting 3 inches back, but there are some spots where the existing concrete is exposed, and the BRIC will protect the new surface course because of the potential for underlying slabs to move.”

Stiff Screed

As New Jersey began to adopt BRIC and SMA mixes for secondary roads, DeFino adapted his equipment mix, and in 2011 acquired a Vögele Vision 5200-2 10-foot tracked paver with a new VR 600-2 screed from distributor

Binder Machinery Company, S. Plainfield, N.J. “One of the reasons we purchased the 5200 was its screed,” DeFino said.

“It allows us to place specialty mixes like SMAs and binder-rich intermediate courses for the New Jersey DOT. We wanted a very stiff screed to produce rideability.”

In particular, DeFino purchased the VR 600-2 for its compactive capability. “We get better compaction off the back of the screed while attaining rideability,” DeFino said. “We supplement this screed with two Hamm HD+ 140s, one high-frequency, and one oscillation. You hear horror stories about compacting SMA mixes but we have not had one problem with getting compaction.”

Getting as much compaction as possible at the screed means less reliance on the rollers to achieve rideability specs. “We don’t have to use the rollers for as long a period,” DeFino said. “This eliminates the introduction of any human error. This very heavy, stiff screed gives us the rideability we’re looking for in that very first lift, plus it reduces the time it takes to get www.theasphaltpro.com | ASPHALT PRO 39

compaction of 93 to 99 percent using the rollers.”

Dave Salzmann, a regional sales manager for Wirtgen America voiced his opinion of the screed’s efficacy.

“The VR 600-2 is heavier and stiffer than its predecessor, and will be less reactive to changes in the head of material, speed and things that affect

rideability. It also has a stronger vibration system in it so it can impart more dynamic force into the mix. It retains its rigidity and ‘parallelism’ through the full range of extension and retraction motions. The net result is a better quality mat, better rideability, and better initial density ahead of the rollers, which is critical with the increasing use

of SMA mixes, where contractors may struggle to achieve initial high density early in the rolling pattern. Whatever density that can be achieved at the screed is a huge benefit.”

Oscillation compaction using his Hamm roller also helps get final compaction densities. “DeFino believes the VR 600-2 screed gives him an advantage in performance on SMA-type jobs, and he believes firmly in oscillation compaction as a key factor in performance,” Salzmann said. “He uses oscillation on everything, but it’s critical in his ultimate ability to execute these types of applications.”

Paving Jersey Shore

Top: The DeFino crew began the N.J. 88 project by milling 3 inches off the poor PCC pavement with a W 2200 machine. Above: It takes a stiff, heavy screed to handle the BRIC mix in New Jersey.

40 February 2012

When visited late summer of 2011, DeFino was milling and paving N.J. Route 88 in Lakewood, N.J., just miles from the “Jersey Shore” popularized in the TV show. Due to urban obstacles and the restrictions the DOT placed on the contractor, DeFino was averaging one lane-mile per night.

There DeFino was milling existing asphalt 3 inches deep with his own Wirtgen W 2200, in tandem with another W 2200 of subcontractor Stavola Contracting Company, Tinton Falls, N.J. “We will come back with 1 inch of BRIC and 2 inches of SMA on top,” DeFino said. Work would begin no earlier than 9 p.m. with traffic closures, with milling beginning about 9:30 p.m. By 11 to 11:30 p.m. paving would begin.

“It’s one of a host of DOT jobs that use specialty mixes,” DeFino said.

“They’re part of our niche market of single-lane DOT jobs, where the project is a little more tricky, with less production at the end of the night because of all the restrictions that the DOT gives us. We go not for high-production jobs, but jobs that are limited in production, but carry a high standard of quality. We succeed in this niche by marrying the 5200-2 with a Vögele Super 700. We’re not trying to pave the world 40 feet wide, but to pave a 12-foot lane with superb rideability and a shoulder that complements it.”

For breakdown on the BRIC, DeFino uses its HD+ 140 VV HF roller in highfrequency, high-amplitude mode.

“The concept is to put it down and continued on page 44

Figure 1.

Anatomy of a saved pavement

continued from page 40

get compaction fast before it cools,” DeFino said. It’s followed by the HD+ 140 VO in finish mode.

In addition to the Vision 5200-2, DeFino also owns a Vögele 2219T paver from the pre-Vision era. “We bought our first 2219T in 2005, another in 44 February 2012

2007, and our Vision paver in 2011,” DeFino said.

The Super 700 is used for shoulder work so the mainline pavers don’t have to get involved.

“When you have roads with variablewidth shoulders, every time you try to pave the shoulder in the same pass as

the main line you put the rideability of the main line mat at risk,” Salzmann said. “DeFino’s solution is rather than hoping for the best, he stays in the main line with the Vision paver to get his rideability, and use the Super 700 to pave shoulders 4, 5, 6, 8 feet wide at a later time.”

A cross-belt magnet removes the last ferrous material so the ground shingles come off the conveyor in a clean flow. Photo courtesy of Peterson Pacific.

Update Your RAS Info From mobility tips to QC tidbits, asphalt shingle grinding ideas help contractors dive into the RAS arena

by Sandy Lender

A

s recycled asphalt shingle (RAS) producers have confirmed in past issues of AsphaltPro Magazine, they remove both manufacturer waste and tear-off roofing shingles from the waste stream by recycling these slabs of asphalt gold. Turning the shingle into a well-ground ingredient for an asphalt mix requires proper equipment and processes. Two original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) took time out of their preparations for World of Asphalt to discuss how you can make the most of your asphalt shingle grinding (ASG) operation.

The discussion starts with the grinder’s heart—the rotor. Michael Spreadbury of Peterson Pacific reported that drum rotors with minimal wear hardware are a popular type of 46 February 2012

drum contractors go for when seeking a shingle grinder. He offered a good reason for that. “[The drum rotor offers] uniform quality product with minimal wear and the rotor doesn’t have pockets where the material can build up,” Spreadbury said.

Another popular and effective rotor is a high speed one with fixed hammers, according to Monte Hight of Rotochopper.

“The most important features to look for when comparing rotor styles are how the rotor distributes material in the grinding chamber and how quickly the rotor teeth can be accessed, inspected and replaced, which depends on the grinding chamber design not just the rotor style,” Hight offered.

In terms of material distribution within the chamber, Hight suggested that rotors with spiral tooth placement

patterns can push loose material into the grinding chamber walls, which will accelerate the wear on one side of the machine.

“The rotor should keep abrasive wear focused on the teeth and screens, not on any permanent structure of the grinder, like the grinding chamber walls.

Material should be distributed evenly across the whole width of the grinding chamber.”

During the past few years, Peterson engineers have offered a rotor with additional hammers and bits for what Spreadbury called “improved performance with more resistance to abrasion.” Rotochopper engineers have left their grinding chamber design largely the same since its inception, but have added a new rotor option that has replaceable tooth mounts.

Within the last two years, the Ro-

tochopper team has begun to offer horizontal grinders with asphalt shingle grinding packages for companies that grind more than just shingles.

As producers know, quality control is an important facet of preparing well-ground RAS material. That means contractors must get deleterious material out of the picture.

“Cross-belt conveyors are usually more effective for removing roofing nails and other light ferrous metal,” Hight said. “Pre-processing tear-off shingles with a picking station (or sorting line) is common. Sorting equipment may have magnets for removing steel prior to the grinder. Cross-belt magnetic conveyors are effective at removing ferrous metal from ground-up shingles.”

Spreadbury also recommended cross-belt magnets after the grinding process. “It removes almost 100 percent of the iron-based metal products and the metal is much cleaner, which helps resale of the scrap metal.”

There’s more to QC than getting the metal out. Don’t forget that RAS should be sized as carefully as any other ingredient in an asphalt mix.

“Size requirements have gone from ½-inch minus product to, in some cases, ¼-inch minus with the goal to make a finer, more consistent product,” Spreadbury said.

Hight reported that the major changes in QC during the past few years have related to particle size, the increased use of tear-offs and the diversification of companies involved in ASG. “Of course, asphalt companies have always needed to

maintain strict standards, but with the diversification of the market, asphalt companies are adopting new strategies for maintaining standards,” he said.

“For instance, with the increased use of tear-offs, asphalt companies that incorporate RAS have been adopting new strategies to ensure an end product that is free of deleterious materials such as debris, tar paper and other foreign materials that aren’t found in manufacturer’s scrap. More types of companies, including waste transfer stations and large roofing contractors, are grinding shingles and selling the RAS to the asphalt companies. An integral part of QC is education and communication to ensure the proper specifications of the RAS.” One way the ASG company can ensure it receives clean shingles is to offer financial incentives, such as lower tipping fees, to roofing contractors that pre-sort shingles. Keep in mind, charging a tipping fee may put your business in a different classification, depending on your county’s zoning rules.

Check into the consequences before deciding to charge fees for taking in waste rather than merely accepting it.

Another item that a producer should keep in mind when considering the dive into ASG is location. While many grinding companies have a grinder set up in one location, there are others that take the grinder on the road. Both options have their positives and their hidden costs to plan for.

Spreadbury reminded readers to check on what department of transportation permits are required concerning

www.theasphaltpro.com | ASPHALT PRO 47

While ground shingles are often heavy enough that they don’t blow in the wind, owners may still opt to use covers or other dust-control measures to prevent any pick-up at the end of conveyors. Photo courtesy of Peterson Pacific.

48 February 2012

width and weight for moving the machine. Stop and think about whether you need portability.

“If a grinder will only operate in one location that has an adequate 3-phase electricity supply, a stationary or semiportable electric-powered grinder may offer significant savings over a portable diesel unit,” Hight said.

If a producer does elect to set up a portable operation, keep all manner of costs in mind, including those that lurk in shadow. Downtime happens more often than just during moves.

“Some companies starting out in shingle recycling are tempted to save money up front on a used machine that was never intended for grinding shingles,” Hight said. “If a grinder is not designed to handle the abrasiveness of shingles, the lost profits associated with downtime can outweigh the more obvious costs of part replacement.”

Spreadbury also reminded producers of wear part life expectancy, and mentioned other costs. For instance, you

have to be sure each site has the basics, such as water supply.

As more contractors and producers grasp the economic and environmental benefits of grinding asphalt shingles for use in asphalt mixes, the ideas offered here will help bring success in their operations.

above: This RG-1 from Rotochopper is hard at work for a recycling facility in Manitoba.

Photo courtesy of Rotochopper. Right: Most state DOTs have been requiring asphalt shingle grinder companies get material down to 95 percent passing ½-inch minus. Lately, more are seeking Ÿ-inch or 3/8-inch. Photo courtesy of Peterson Pacific.

www.theasphaltpro.com | ASPHALT PRO 49

European Paving Practice Melds Ontario Lifts

by Sandy Lender

A

s seen in the March 2010 issue of AsphaltPro Magazine, Vogele’s InLine Pave® train gave the paving team of contractor Strabag AG, Direktion Straßenbau Sachsen in Germany the opportunity to pave two layers of hot mix asphalt (HMA) almost simultaneously (See Figure 1 xxxx from the “Hot on Hot European Paving Option” article). While Dynapac isn’t marketing its 50 February 2012

DF145CS paver with CM2500 module or Compactasphalt® road paving technology in the United States yet, according to Marketing Communications Director Chris Fisher, the similar concept of paving hot on hot asphalt layers sounds a familiar chord with European and Canadian contractors. The Ministry of Transportation of Ontario (MTO) reported on the paving practice in the Ontario Hot Mix Producers Association (OHMPA) Fall 2011 newsletter Asphaltopics.

Here’s how contractor K.J. Beamish Construction Co. used the Dynapac technology to place about 18,000 tons of HMA with this process for MTO on Highway 12 near Midland, Ontario, in September 2011. As one might expect, the differences in European and North American paving practices gave pavement engineers some ideas and some challenges to consider. Let’s start by checking out the hot on hot technique, which is designed to produce a strong,

Paving two lifts may save time, but it can also create quite a drop for the traveling public. Agencies may wish to consider the type of edgemaking device to be used if lanes are to be opened to traffic before full travel lane paving is completed. Here’s what Fernando Magisano, vice president of technical services for Beamish, stated in the Asphaltopics report. “Laying two lifts at once is more efficient when you are paving, but it presents some problems when it comes time to switch the traffic. We have some safety concerns about leaving a 140-millimetre drop at the edge of pavement. You can’t allow traffic on and off partially paved lanes of roadway.”.

durable road in abbreviated construction time.

According to Dynapac officials, the Compactasphalt road paving technology combines both the binder and wearing courses simultaneously, thus the abbreviated construction time. At the core of the process is the Dynapac DF145CS paver with an added Dynapac CM2500 module. This combination means the paving crew has two material hoppers and two screeds in use at once.

A material transfer vehicle feeds the binder material to the funnel-shaped, 31-ton front hopper of the DF145CS, which is designed for uniform emptying without segregation. The upper hopper of the CM2500 has a 17-ton capacity and takes wearing course material from the MTV. That changeover of material requires good communication between and coordination with the truck drivers and dump man.

The first, high-compaction screed applies the binder course. The second screed applies the wearing course directly after the first. Dynapac officials recommend a roller with a low linear load to get initial compaction of this “double” mat.

As mentioned in the “Hot on Hot European Paving Option” article two years ago, this technology allows the surface—or wearing—course to be laid on top of a non-compacted binder course. Both are able to meld together because the binder—or lower—course is still hot and pliable. As Dynapac’s Bill Willcox told OHMPA’s Asphaltopics, this allows the multi-layer interlock.

Willcox pointed out that this also allows pavement engineers to design with a thinner top lift, saving on materials costs, while still providing a good interlock between lifts.

The CM2500 module is powered by a Deutz TCD2013 engine. The drive system is located in front of the paver, which allows it to act as a counterweight for optimized balance, according to the manufacturer. To carry the module, the DF145CS is built with various modifications and reinforcements and special control units that sound “proprietary,” but the DF145CS can be used with the module to facilitate compactasphalt paving and without the module to facilitate conventional road paving. In fact, Dynapac officials said several pavers can share the same module, so it’s possible to alternate between paving methods on each machine to increase your paving options.

As you can imagine, the combined machine is quite large. A spokesperson for Dynapac said it was like having two pavers on top of each other, which one can see in the picture on page xx.

When a member of the paving crew describes the mainline paver as “a bit

like an ocean liner,” you probably need a backup plan for turns, intersections and sandy substrate areas. That’s where the DF145CS’s options came in handy for the Beamish paving team. According to the Asphaltopics article, the crew was able to “revert to conventional paving equipment at intersections, turning lanes and lane widenings.”

Fernando Magisano, vice president of technical services for Beamish, explained to Asphaltopics that Europeans don’t use the hot on hot technology with its weighty equipment on granular subbases. When the Beamish team got to a section that was supposed to have a specific substrate beneath it and discovered it instead had a very sandy material, they feared the material wouldn’t support the machine. Clever conventional paving saved the day and the crew went on with the hot on hot method from there on out.

That’s just one way paving practices can get interesting. For conventional paving options on the DF145CS, screeds with gas heating can be used for working widths up to 44 feet. With compactasphalt methods, the manufacturer says working widths of up to 25 feet are achievable. As any paving superintendent will tell you, the wider paving pulls in Europe mean fewer longitudinal joint worries. In the United States, longitudinal joints and thicker layers of a combined binder and surface course lift present one of the challenges alluded to above.

According to the article in the Fall 2011 Asphaltopics, MTO asked Beamish crews to construct part of the Hwy. 12 project with a chamfered joint.

They, too, it seems, had concerns about constructing a durable longitudinal joint with a thick mat in play. The article states specifically: “Typically the longitudinal joint was formed with the edge press compactor. However, the contract also called for a one-kilometre trial of a chamfered joint cut at an angle of between 70 and 80 degrees after final compaction. The joint would be cut after the mat had been compacted. The contractor, however, was not able to form the joint as required. The first attempt using a hydraulic controlled edge compactor was abandoned because the machine was www.theasphaltpro.com | ASPHALT PRO 51

Above: Strabag AG, Direktion Straßenbau Sachsen, in Germany placed the 19.4mile (5.9-km) stretch of B 178 (n) Federal highway near Löbau in the German Free State of Saxony with the inline paving method. Crews from Wilhelm Faber GmbH & Co. and Eurovia GmbH rehabilitated the A 61 motorway between Ludwigshafen junction and Frankenthal with the InLine Pave train from Vogele in just four nights.

As you can see in this figure, the machines have some size and bulk to them. To tackle bridge deck paving, the crew from Strabag AG uncoupled the MT 1000-1 Mobile Feeder and the Super 2100-2 IP paver from the Vogele InLine Pave train, letting only the Super 1600-2 pave the deck in the specified thickness of 1.6 inches (4 cm), in the conventional manner. Left: Hot on hot paving allows crews to place the surface course immediately after the binder course.

not able to cut through 140 millimetres of cooled mix. The second attempt using a commercial diamond saw proved equally unsuccessful. The saw left marks in the finished surface. The chamfered joint trial was abandoned and Beamish used a milling machine to cut the joint.”

Of course the agency took plenty of core samples at the joint and will evaluate those over time. Speaking of time, one of the benefits MTO, Beamish and Dynapac worked toward showcasing with the Hwy. 12 project was that of saving lane-closure time, thus aggravation for the traveling public. As Dynapac of52 February 2012

ficials pointed out, use of the compactasphalt road paving technology in Germany has shown reduced construction times of up to 50 percent. That makes sense when you consider two lifts are being placed at one time.

The agency has also set the traveling public up for reduced aggravation in the future. According to Dynapac officials, the prolonged durability of the wearing course goes up to 25 years. That means reduced maintenance, reduced governmental budgets and reduced carbon footprint for a road’s lifecycle compared to conventional paving methods.

Contractors and agencies around the globe can get more information about the Dynapac DF145CS paver with CM2500 module and the compactasphalt technology at www.dynapac.us or contact Shawn Cheney, vice president of road construction for Dynapac USA, Inc., at shawn. cheney@us.atlascopco.com. For the entire Fall 2011 Asphaltopics article on J.K. Beamish’s Hwy. 12 project with Dynapac Compactasphalt® paving, request it from OHMPA at http:// www.ohmpa.org/contact.asp.

Screamin’ Screed Chicken 1 roll of duct tape or wire 4 limes, juiced 1 teaspoon salt & pepper 2 teaspoons dried thyme 2 onions, chopped 6 cloves garlic, chopped

P

12 boneless chicken thighs 1 cup water 1 teaspoon brown sugar 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 cup chopped green onions 2 habanera peppers, chopped

lace chicken in a medium bowl. Cover with lime juice and water.

Set aside. In a blender or food processor, place salt, brown sugar, thyme, pepper and vegetable oil. Blend well and then mix in onions, green onions, garlic and habanera peppers until almost smooth.

Pour the blended marinade mixture into bowl with chicken. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. Get an old pot and use wire to wrap the pot so the lid cannot come off. DO NOT USE DUCT TAPE as the heat will make it real hard to get the glue off the pot and the wife is bound to notice when you bring the pot back. (Single guys go ahead and use duct tape). Take to work and put the pot over the screed burner. Cook until lunchtime.

Don’t have a burner screed anymore? Cook the night before and bring your lunch in aluminum foil for warming just about anywhere on the electric screed or tractor. All those spices really soak in overnight.

Recipe courtesy of ACE Group. For more—and equipment, too—visit www.asphaltace.com. Visit ACE Group at booth #1401 at World of Asphalt as part of The AsphaltPro Amazing Race.

54 February 2012

by Carl McKenzie

Above: Share the spoils of your roadside foraging with your paver operator as this South Florida screed operator does. Photo courtesy of John Ball, Manchester, N.H. Below: Sometimes you can take a break for fresh fruit along the paving project.

Photo courtesy of John Ball, Manchester, N.H.

Get Bonded for Your First Government Project

by Robert Berman

F

rom road builders to road cleaners, small contractors who want public work need two things they usually can’t get—a surety bond and working capital. Both are difficult to get for the same reason: the contractor doesn’t have an adequate credit score. We’ll discuss how that’s changing later in this article. For the moment, let’s take a closer look at surety bonds and credit.

Many contractors think of surety bonds as insurance.

That’s true for the government agency that requires them. But for the contractor and (most) bonding companies, surety bonds are more like a line of credit.

Here’s why. When a city, for example, requires a surety bond for a $1 million road project, the surety company says it will make sure the road is done properly and the vendors are paid. If not, the surety company will do it, and then turn around and pursue the original contractor for reimbursement.

If the officer at the surety believes your poor credit will prevent the company from recovering its money, he or

56 February 2012

she is probably not going to write you a bond. That means today, more than ever, surety bonds are based on credit scores. If you have a good credit score, you get the bond. If you have a poor credit score, you don’t get the bond. That affects what projects you can bid on. At least that is the case for most contractors with most surety companies.

Once you get a surety bond, most asphalt contractors need some kind of working capital because a lot of money goes out before any comes back in. Again, it’s all about the credit score.

This double credit whammy stops many small contractors from getting their first government job or from moving up to bigger jobs. But don’t lose heart. Jerome Stocks, Chairman of the San Diego Association of Government (SANDAG), is a national leader in changing the way bonds are handed out. SANDAG is helping companies get their first—or next—government job by cutting up public road work contracts into smaller and smaller packages.

One $6 billion expansion of the interstate in North San Diego is going to take 20 years, but dividing it into smaller dollar amounts gives the overall project a better chance at success. “It is a lot easier to get a $500,000 bond than a $5 million bond,” Stocks said. “Plus, more competition means lower prices. So the project owner—in this case the taxpayer—wins, too.”

That’s a great start, but it leaves companies outside of California out in the cold. One of our (Ox Bonding) clients, for example, was one of the most respected general contractors for public works in the Northeast United States. A Florida real estate deal gone bad left the owner’s personal balance sheet in tatters. After a two-year hiatus, he couldn’t get a surety bond when he bid on his next job.

The surety officers didn’t care about his outstanding record of performance of doing jobs on time and under budget. Nor did they consider great references from clients. All they wanted to see was his credit score. When they saw it, the discussion stopped. No bond.

I saw the same kind of conversation at my kitchen table when I was a teenager. My father was talking to his surety company about getting a bigger bond for bigger jobs. The officer said no, and didn’t much care that my father’s company always did great work and always paid its bills on time.

I started a surety bonding company for people like that in times like these: Good companies that do good work shouldn’t be denied a bond because of a mathematical formula that overlooks their proven ability to deliver a great job. We look under

the hood and see if a company is capable of doing the job it wants to win.

For the contractor whose credit worthiness was still bobbing in the Florida surf, we found he had a perfect 30-year record of running a family business. He always finished the job. We looked at bids, books and people. It soon became apparent this company could do the job it wanted to bid on, so we issued a bond. Just as importantly, we also got them working capital to do the job.

To help us—the surety—manage the risk, public agencies write the checks to us, and we disburse the money for materials and labor. Contractors and public agencies know that the biggest risk for small contractors is taking the money from one job and using it to pay for another. By using this method of funds distribution, we don’t just manage that risk, we eliminate it.

In hundreds of cities all over America, public officials use this tool to help them find more local contractors and reduce the price of their jobs by getting more bidders.

If you went through the financial tsunami of 2008 intact, and your banker still sends you Christmas cards begging for business, then count yourself lucky. And rare. But if not, you can still get that first—or next—government contract by getting a surety bond and working capital. You just have to shop for a surety officer that’s willing to look beyond a mere credit score.

Robert Berman is a co-founder and CEO of Ox Bonding Co., Rock Hill, N.Y.

www.theasphaltpro.com | ASPHALT PRO 57

International Production

by AsphaltPro Staff

T

his SPL110 mobile drum plant from Asphalt Drum Mixers, Huntertown, Ind., is set up to produce EZ Street® cold asphalt in Yellowknife, NWT, Canada,

by Det’on Cho Nuna Asphalt Producers, Ltd., for Nuna Logistics, Ltd., on the Ndilo Community surfacing proj58 February 2012

ect. The project separated production from installation, which took place regardless of time and weather conditions and used minimal crew with optimum results. The producer was Det’on Cho Nuna Asphalt Producers, Ltd. The installation contractor was Nuna Logistics, Ltd. The client was Yellowknives Dene Band. Photo courtesy of Christopher Hunt, EZ Street, Canada.

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Use Best Paving Practices for Crumb Rubber Mix Success

by Cliff Ashcroft

A

t this point in mix design and crumb rubber use, we don’t have any more secrets and proprietary processes to protect.

The patents and products are out there for everyone to use, so let’s take a look at the best practices to use to make all crumb rubber projects the successes agencies—and contractors—want them to be.

Asphalt rubber is 80 percent asphalt binder and 20 percent ground tire rubber. You’ll typically receive the ground tire rubber in 2,000-pound supersacks. At the plant, you deliver the contents of the supersack to a crumb rubber hopper, which feeds into a blender with virgin asphalt cement (AC). From there the mix goes into an asphalt rubber blending tank.

When mixing, storing and working with crumb rubber mix, remember to maintain heat and agitation.

Also remember the concerns operators have when it comes to field blending processes. For instance, you want to limit the production rate at the hot plant when running crumb rubber. The sustainable rate of production is usually between 20 and 30 liquid tons per hour. The heat at the plant gets elevated to deal with the crumb rubber mix, so be sure to enhance safety protocols. Also be aware of additional end-of-project cleanout needs.

Out on the jobsite, asphalt rubber paving can use all the conventional paving techniques, from windrow paving to hopper inserts. Just remember that successful asphalt rubber production and paving is about

62 February 2012

heat management (see sidebar). Just because you don’t want to place AR binder mixes in cold temps doesn’t mean they lose effectiveness. AR performs well in the cold. Be aware that pneumatic rollers are problematic. Rubber picks up rubber. Elevating mix temperatures further isn’t the answer but using limewater in some areas is helpful. No matter what you do, remember that hand work requires attention to detail.

Something else to remember— there are a lot of myths about asphalt rubber out there. For instance, you may have heard that the contractor will need specialized equipment to place and compact an AR mix. Except for leaving the pneumatic roller behind, the equipment you use everyday will work just fine.

One fact you may have heard is AR’s limited shelf life. You can take this one to heart. Don’t delay getting an AR mix to the paving site and through the paver. Get the breakdown roller on it and achieve density as soon as you can.

To achieve a successful AR project, I recommend having an experienced binder designer and an experienced mix designer on the team. Make sure the blender and hot plant have compatible electronics. You also want on-site contractor quality control and a knowledgeable inspector from the agency helping out on-site.

Overall, you want everyone using good common sense.

Good common sense means tarping the loads going to the paving site. If your state requires windrows,

keep them short. Keep the rollers close to the screed. Watch the weather forecast because wind and nighttime temps will suck the heat out of the AR mat in a hurry.

The industry has proved that AR mixes resist reflective cracking and help mitigate noise, as well as take tires out of the waste stream. It’s not the least-expensive option upfront but it’s an environmental “win” and a quiet, smooth, long-lasting asphalt pavement that any crew can place successfully with best paving practices.

Cliff Ashcroft of FNF Construction, Inc., a member of the Rubber Pavements Association, presented this information at the California Asphalt Pavement Association Conference.

AR Temp Matters

Successful AR production and paving is all about heat management.

Start with the ingredients and go from there, paying attention to ambient temps as well.

• virgin asphalt temp: >375oF • binder temp: 375 to 425oF • agg temp: <325oF • at breakdown: 290oF • ambient/surface temp: >55oF

Duininck Offers S-Mix Success Story from Caterpillar Paving Products

L

ast summer, the production and paving crews from Duininck, Inc., Prinsburg, Minn., took on a temperamental mix with some successful paving practices they’re willing to share. The road was Interstate 90 (I-90) in a wide open section of South Dakota and the mix was a form of stone mastic asphalt (SMA) that the South Dakota Department of Transportation

64 February 2012

A Duininck, Inc., paving crew used windrow paving to place an S mix on I-90 last summer.

(SDDOT) refers to as “S mix.” The gapgraded, all crushed material mix is designed for stability and durability, and is typically used on surface lifts of high volume roads to reduce rutting.

Mike Ruether, a paving supervisor for Duininck, started with the basics.

“With this mix, you pave the same, you follow the same processes, but your margin for error shrinks significantly.”

One of the reasons for Ruether’s observation is the high fines content and supplementation of mineral filler in the S mix. In addition, industrial fibers are added to control draindown. SDDOT also requires the addition of hydrated lime in all asphalt mixes including Class S to resist stripping and reduce moisture susceptibility. The asphalt binder spec is PG64-34 or PG64-28. It essen-

The polymer asphalt cement (AC) for the S mix was made with Styrene Butadiene Styrene (SBS), which is a thermoplastic rubber added to the bitumen. The crew produced the mix at 320oF and delivered it to a windrow at 310 to 315oF.

tially means the asphalt resists thermal cracking at -34oC. Ken Swedeen, the executive director of the Dakota Asphalt Pavement Association (DAPA), said mixes that can handle both the high and low ends of South Dakota’s highway temperature extremes require a polymer, such as rubber. The S mix has that polymer, highly crushed and processed aggregate, plus fines, and fibers. “When you add them all together, you have a mix that’s difficult to place,” Swedeen said.

“It’s much more prone to sticking on the pickup machine, in the hopper, on the slat conveyors. It’s going to be more aggressive under the screed, so you have to have a strong angle of attack.”

Even though the S mix arrives at the paving site at a higher temperature than other mixes, the presence of polymer means the mix has to be compacted more quickly than traditional mixes. Swedeen said South Dakota has lessons for any paving crew dealing

with an SMA mix. “Similar mixes are used other places—the South, the East Coast, further west. Those crews face similar types of problems.”

For the I-90 project, the polymer asphalt cement (AC) was made with Styrene Butadiene Styrene (SBS), which is a thermoplastic rubber added to the bitumen. The crew produced the mix at 320oF and delivered it to a windrow at 310 to 315oF. Swedeen explained that South Dakota doesn’t require material transfer devices, but does mandate windrow and pickup machine discharge into the hopper for consistent paver speed.

Considering the S mix is prone to sticking, the Duininck paving crew faced that reality with grace and a good idea.

“We put a hopper insert on the paver to keep material flowing,” Ruether said. “We let the mix build up in the corners, emptying out only at night when the small amount was determined ‘waste.’ It was hauled back to the plant to be used as recycled asphalt pavement. We also used a release agent derived from animal fat that is also used on our truck fleet.”

Paving speed and material build-up aren’t the only concerns when picking the material up. Management of the windrow was crucial for Duininck’s success given the S mix’s sensitivity to temperature. If the windrow is too feathered or too heavy, problems crop up.

“If they dump too much, the asphalt goes cold,” Ruether said. “Then we have to stop and remove it before it gets in the paver. If they don’t dump enough, segregation results, creating an entirely different set of problems.”

Trucks also can’t unload too early or the mix cools on the ground. “If the mix is cold, yet it still runs through the paver, there are problems,” Ruether said. “These are the worst kind because crews might not realize the mix is cool until it’s too late and it’s been behind the screed. The last thing we want is to place material we can’t compact.”

The savvy paving superintendent keeps a skid steer loader on site to remove windrow ends in instances where the material has cooled too quickly.

“We don’t like to use the skid steer,” www.theasphaltpro.com | ASPHALT PRO 65

Ruether said. “But it’s better than having the mix too cool behind the paver.”

On the I-90 project, the Duininck crew didn’t have a density spec to meet, but the crew members did have pride of workmanship to take care of. Ruether suggested contractors jump on the mat directly behind the paver when the temperature is still good and hot. For instance, in South Dakota, the requirement is that breakdown rollers make two passes within 300 feet of the paver, where the temperature of the mat is between 300 and 310oF, and the finish compaction happens within 600 feet of the paver.

Ruether and Swedeen offered some additional best paving practices for working with the tricky mix.

Be Consistent According to Ken Swedeen, the SDDOT requirement for compacting an S mix is that breakdown rollers make two passes within 300 feet of the paver, where the temperature of the mat is between 300 and 310oF. The finish compaction must happen within 600 feet of the paver.

66 February 2012

“You need very consistent stockpiles and very consistent plant operations,” Swedeen said.

Consistency starts with uniformity of materials. Quality control can’t be

compromised for the bins that feed the plant, and there are many because the mix uses crushed aggregate of ¼-inch and 3/8-inch, washed crushed fines, mineral filler, high quality natural sand, and an industrial fiber. Each part of the recipe has to be consistent.

Beyond materials, uniformity also refers to a consistent approach, from the plant to the finish roller. Every step has to include watching temperatures, timing and material build-up.

Factor in Plant Production Crew leaders need to understand the plant’s capacity. S mix requires higher production temperatures and incorporates a high and balanced amount of fine aggregate and filler, which means output is only about 70 percent of typical levels. Swedeen said that plants in South Dakota that normally see production rates of 360 to 380 tons per

hour may slow to an hourly production rate of 300 to 320 tons with the S mix.

Crews have to adjust their paving operation to maintain a uniform paver speed. “They will not be fed mix as quickly as they might on some other jobs,” Swedeen said. “Even though it’s a high yielding, thin lift, wearing course mix.”

Practice Good Housekeeping

S mix can be sticky and thermally sensitive, which means it requires vigilant monitoring and cleaning of equipment.

To prevent material from building up, operators should clean out haul vehicles after every load. Mix caught in the clams of a belly dump eventually soak heat from freshly added material, creating a cool spot in the windrow.

“Housekeeping is really important with the trucks and the haul vehicles,” Swedeen said.

Watch the Paver

The mix will stick to pavers, too, particularly corners and even bevels of the hopper. “That material that’s left behind might be 100 degrees cooler than the windrow, or what’s in the pickup machine,” Swedeen said. The Duininck crew used the Cat AP1055D asphalt paver, which features beveled hopper edges for easy cleanout, but, as mentioned above, came up with a hopper insert and end-of-shift clean-out plan to solve build-up problems.

Crews also should watch slat conveyors to ensure a steady material stream. At the auger chamber, they must be cognizant of any build-up on edger plates or other areas the material might segregate.

Some crew members around the country have reported no worries with SMA mixes, but for the crews that experience sticking, the best practices that Duininck personnel share here can help make paving easier. Beware of temperature extremes and keep an eye on material consistencies. Let plant production be something you don’t push to an extreme. Practice good housekeeping as well as good paving mechanics and you, too, could get through a sticky situation with an SMA mix.

68 February 2012

Here the heavy-duty, all-steel barge with outboard motor powered pusher launch is moored alongside a clamshell dredge to accept oversize rocks down-chute from the hopper. The outside wall of the barge is higher to keep rocks from overshooting. The open ends of the barge allow unloading with an excavator.

Grasan Barges Rock Solutions to Oscar Brugmann Sand & Gravel

by Carl Emigh

I

n honor of the co-located World of Asphalt and Agg1 Aggregates Forum & Expo, we’re taking a quick look at the conveying system Oscar Brugmann Sand & Gravel, Inc., Mantua, Ohio, uses. The family owned and operated company was founded in 1929 and is located near Akron and Cleveland; its crews operate two wash plants* and two floating clamshell dredges to produce about 600,000 tons of material in an average year.

The current 18 Oscar Brugmann employees produce 40 different products. These include everything from concrete and asphalt sand to sand for horserace tracks and golf greens, as well as grit for icy winter roads. They sell dredged-up rocks and boulders mainly as decorative products.

70 February 2012

They separate rocks that are more than 8 inches in diameter in the dredge-vessel’s hopper and deposit them down a steep 20-foot chute into a barge moored alongside each floating dredge. President of Oscar Brugmann, Alan Brugmann explained that the crews first bought metal barges with wooden sides to take in material.

When the larger rocks, which could be more than 36 inches in diameter and weigh more than 5,000 pounds, were brought aboard, they damaged the wooden sides, so the Oscar Brugmann crew graduated to all-steel barges.

“Even then the big rocks were battering the barge sides and bottom so much that we were constantly having to repair them,” Alan said.

He went to Ed Eilenfeld, the vice president of Grasan.

While Grasan is well-known for its crushing solutions, Oscar Brugman’s Grasan wash plants had “never had

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The Oscar Brugmann company converts mined-out pits to scenic parks and other environmentally responsible uses. “Down through the years, we have made a concentrated effort to responsibly reclaim the land and water-filled pits, which are now being used for recreation and picturesque home sites,” President Alan Brugmann said. “In fact, the company has received awards for reclamation achievements. We’re very proud of that.”

The family began almost 90 years ago and is now on its second and third generation of leadership. Alan spelled out the team members. We’ve always been a family owned and operated company,” Alan said. “The company was founded in 1929 by my grandparents, Oscar and Sally Brugmann. The current second generation owners are my father, Roy Brugmann; my aunt Joan (Brugmann) Martin, and my aunt and uncle, Olga (Brugmann) and Don Van Auken; plus third generation owners that include my brother Todd Brugmann and me, plus my two cousins, Jeff and Tom Van Auken. I’m the president; Todd, Jeff and Tom are vice presidents. Together we run the company.”

a speck of trouble,” according to Alan, and he wanted to see what the company could do to help with the barge problem. In the end, Grasan engineers solved that, too.

“They built the barge in a surprisingly short time, trucked it to our site, put it in the water, and…it’s exactly what we need.”

The Grasan all-steel barge measures 35 feet long, 18 feet wide, 8-feet 4-inches high, and weighs about 77,000 pounds. It has a load capacity of about 53,000 pounds.

The deck is constructed of heavily reinforced 1-inch thick plate. When full, the barge is pushed ashore with a flat-nosed, outboard-motor-powered launch. The open-ended design facilitates easy unloading with an excavator. And the barge design is adaptable to other sizes.

Oscar Brugmann’s two clamshell dredges are a seven-yard, 250 TPH luffing jib type and a 10-yard, 350 TPH gantry type, which is used with the Grasan barge. It’s a lot of equip72 February 2012

ment and a lot of power, but Alan explained that the owners put effort in for many reasons—quality for the customer, safety for the employees and good stewardship.

“Nobody works as hard as the owners to please the customers and provide them with the products and service they want,” Alan said. “Our livelihood and good name are on the line with every transaction. If any of our customers has a problem, we always take care of it. We take great pride in the fact that we have so many long-term customers who give us repeat business year after year after year.

“Safety is also very, very important, of course. I’m proud to say that we have had no serious injuries in the entire 82 years we’ve been in business. That’s pretty amazing.

“Civic responsibility is another hallmark of our company,” Alan continued. “We try to be good citizens and give back to the community. For example, we donate our loaders and

operators for snow removal on roads and township properties each winter.

And we have donated materials for making asphalt when no funds were available for paving township roads.

We worked with an asphalt manufacturer nearby that also donated their time and materials.”

With commitment to quality and innovative thinking in their equipment design—and vendors—the Oscar Brugmann family has plenty more years to serve its community. * The two wash plants that Oscar Brugmann workers operate are from Grasan; they purchased the plants between 2001 and 2003.

The wash plants’ equipment includes a 5-foot by 10-foot screen and screen tower with 30-ton hopper and belt feeder, a screen feed conveyor and 20-inch by 80-foot wash screen conveyor, a 5-foot by 14-foot triple-deck wash sizing and rinsing screen, a 6-foot by 12-foot double deck de-watering screen with 24-inch by 70-foot stockpiling conveyor, a sand plant with 6-foot by 16foot triple-deck wet screen with hopper and belt feeder, a screen-feed conveyor, and a 30-inch by 80-foot pit-portable conveyor.

equipment gallery By sandy lender

and other upgrades. The machines feature a CAT® C7.1 Tier 4 Interim, 225-horsepower (168-kW) engine Look for (at 1,800 rpm).

Roadtec’s Tier 4i The pavers offer improved operaPavers at WOA tor visibility from stations that have Both of Roadtec’s 10-foot (3-meter) been redesigned to provide the opstandard asphalt paver models have erator greater efficiency and comreceived a redesign, which comfort than past models, according to prises Tier 4i emission technology the manufacturer.

Among the design refinements are new adjustable delta plate design, redesigned hydraulic tunnel panels and increased fuel capacity to 135 gallons (511 liters).

Engineers beefed up the conveyor chains and floor plates are made from wearresistant chromium carbide.

For more information, contact Roadtec at (423) 2650600 or visit www.roadtec. com. Tell them you saw it in The new RP-195e paver from Roadtec is a highwayAsphaltPro Magazine. class track paver with a Tier4i engine.

74 February 2012

Atlas Copco Generates Tier IV Power

The QAS 45 generator from Atlas Copco, Commerce City, Colo., includes a Kubota Tier IV Interim diesel engine and a Leroy Somer, LSA model, series alternator. It also has a standard multi-voltage selector switch and QC1002 digital control system. A 70-gallon fuel tank is expected to allow a 24-hour run time.

Designed for extreme weather conditions, the QAS 45 portable generator features a Zincor steel enclosure and its frame is designed to be spillage-free. Options available on the Atlas Copco QAS 45 portable generator include a battery charger and battery switch, a coolant heater and a wireless remote start.

For more information, contact Chris Fisher at (303) 253-6922 or chris.fisher@ us.atlascopco.com. Tell them you saw it in AsphaltPro Magazine.

Cleveland Tower Shakes it Up

HK Laboratory/Pilot Sieve Towers from Cleveland Vibratory Co., Cleveland, Ohio, have a unique, heavy duty, vibratory design that enables quick sieve analysis of product samples with maximum throughput, according to the manufacturer.

With a choice of an optional electromagnetic jogger table or a standard dual outboard rotary electric drives, the lab tech is equipped with variable speed settings that give him control.

HK Lab/Pilot Sieve Towers accommodate up to eight full height sieves or a set of 16 half-frame sieves for dry or liquid slurry materials. Units are available in 8-, 12- or 17-inch diameter sieve sizes down to 635 mesh (20 micron). The manufacturer states they are ideal for powder chemical, metal powder, ceramic and other applications.

Additional features include electric or air operation for tabletop or caster use, and quick clean-up and assembly. With an ultrasonic vibration upgrade, the device supports mesh sizes down to 10 micron. Sieves are also available for use with HK Lab/ Pilot Sieve Towers in 304 stainless steel or non-metallic material.

For more information, contact Jeff Hochadel at (330) 506-3784 or Jack Steinbuch at (800) 221-3298 or (216) 241-7157, or visit www.clevelandvibrator.com. Tell them you saw it in AsphaltPro Magazine.

of 4,200 vibrations per minute. It’s equipped with Bomag’s intelligent vibration control and is built with travel motors within the vibratory drums.

It includes a 26.4-gallon water tank and pressurized spray system.

For more information, contact Bomag at (309) 853-3571 or (800) 782-6624 or info.bomag@bomag.com. Tell them you saw it in AsphaltPro Magazine.

Bomag Offers New Light Roller

The new BW90AD-5 tandem vibratory roller from BOMAG, Kewanee, Ill., features intuitive controls and is considered ideal for small and medium asphalt compaction projects. It’s powered by a 20.2-horsepower Kubota diesel engine that features ECOMODE, a system that automatically idles the engine to conserve fuel during inactivity.

The roller has a working width of 35.4 inches and delivers 3,822 pounds of centrifugal force at a frequency www.theasphaltpro.com | ASPHALT PRO 75

76 February 2012

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Use Asphalt Lane for: • Curriculum ideas for your local school district or your child’s elementary class • A career day activity at your facility • Company Events- picnics, open houses, plant tours • Tradeshow giveaways • Giveaways to local favorite restaurant, church, synagogue.

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78 February 2012

here's how it works

Terex’s CR652RX Mainline Paver

C

ontractors seeking enhanced tractive effort and wide paving footprints in their remix pavers can check out the new Terex® CR652RX Remix Anti-Segregation system mainline paver from Terex Roadbuilding, Oklahoma City. It features the largest rubber tire drive in the industry, according to the manufacturer, and allows paving widths reaching up to 30 feet (9.1 meters). Many of the same features contractors saw on the Terex CR662RM RoadMix paver/MTV are on the new 10-foot (3-m) CR652RX rubber-tire paver. The new paver is designed to enhance paving quality and efficiency by preventing material and thermal segregation. Here’s how it works.

A truck delivers mix into the standard receiving hopper, which has a capacity of 16.7 tons (15 tonnes) and 80 February 2012

is designed to process more than 900 tons per hour. In the floor of the hopper, two sets of two counter-rotating augers with interleafing flights uniformly draw down material from all areas of the hopper and re-blend the asphalt to produce a homogenous mix.

The entire length of the auger shafts is lined to reduce wear.

Positioned at or below hopper wing level, the augers feature a constant 12inch diameter, thus material is pulled from directly above the full length of the shafts. A large, variable-pitch design—which is 10 inches at the front of the hopper and 12 inches just before the feed tunnel—channels material from the hopper to the spreading augers. The augers’ sloped design results in a larger opening at the end of the feed tunnel, which eliminates material build-up.

Upon exiting the hopper, asphalt enters the feed tunnel’s mixing zone— which is about 8-feet long—under the engine compartment. Here, pugmillstyle mixers mix 100 percent of the material in a figure-eight pattern as it’s channeled to the spreading augers.

The new spreading auger design uses two outboard drive motors mounted to the tractor’s rear bulkhead to deliver material to the left and right sections of the screed via two 5-foot long spread auger sections. Each screw auger features its own speed control. This new drive and screw auger arrangement is to reduce centerline segregation and eliminate the need for reversing augers and the center gearbox.

For more information, contact Aron Sweeney at (605) 987-2603 or Aron.

Sweeney @terex.com. Tell them you saw it in AsphaltPro Magazine.

resource directory Asphalt Drum Mixers..... 20, 60-61 Contact: Steve Shawd or Jeff Dunne Tel: 260-637-5729 sales@admasphaltplants.com www.admasphaltplants.com Asphalt Plant Products..............78 Contact: Tom Holley Tel: 866-595-3268 Cell: 706-466-3678 www.asphaltplantproducts.com Asphalt Solutions.......................29 Contact: Pat Ronyack Tel: 629-853-2273 Nosmellasphalt@msn.com www.asphaltsolutions.com Astec, Inc................. .35, 42-43, 57 Contact: Tom Baugh Tel: 423-867-4210 tbaugh@astecinc.com www.astecinc.com B & S Light Industries................53 Contact: Mike Young Tel: 918-342-1181 Sales@bslight.com www.bslight.com

Dillman Equipment.............. 24-25 Tel: 608-326-4820 www.dillmanequipment.com Dynapac US................................15 Tel: 800-732-6762 www.dynapac.us E.D. Etnyre.................................21 Contact: sales@etnyre.com Tel: 800-995-2116 www.etnyre.com EZ Street............................. 47, 49 Tel: 800-734-1476 Info@ezstreet-miami.com www.ezstreetasphalt.com Gencor Industries Inc.......... 11, 17 Contact: Dennis Hunt Dhunt@gencor.com www.gencor.com Gilson Company.........................66 Contact: Jim Bibler Tel: 740-548-7298 Jbibler@gilsonco.com www.globalgilson.com

BOMAG Americas............... 12-13 Tel: 800-782-6624 309-853-3571 info.bomag@bomag.com www.bomag.com

Hauck Manufacturing….............75 Contact: Michael Blantz Tel: 717-272-3051 Mblantz@hauckburner.com www.hauckburner.com

Bullis Fabrication........................48 Contact: Greg Bullis Tel: 866-981-8965 gregbullis@bullisfabrication.com www.bullisfabrication.com

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

C.M. Consulting.........................78 Contact: Cliff Mansfield Tel: 541-354-6188 CMConslt@aol.com www.hotplantconsulting.com

Herman Grant Co., Inc...............33 Contact: Paula Shuford Tel: 800-472-6826 hg@hermangrant.com www.hermangrant.com

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

Homestead Valve.......................56 Tel: 610-770-1100 Sales@homesteadvalves.com www.homesteadvalves.com

Clarence Richard Co...................76 Contact: Clarence Richard Tel: 952-939-6000 Carrie@clarencerichard.com www.clarencerichard.com

Humboldt Manufacturing..........76 Contact: Robin Bailey Tel: 800-544-7220 Rbailey@humboldtmfg.com www.humboldtmfg.com

Hydronix....................................48 Tel: 888-887-4884 or 231-439-5000 Enquiries@hydronix.com www.hydronix.com Kenco Engineering....................22 Contact: Brad Brad@kencoengineering.com Tel: 800-363-9856 www.kencoengineering.com KPI-JCI and Astec Mobile Screens..........................69 Contact: Lisa Carson Tel: 605-668-2425 lisacarson@kpijci.com www.kpijci.com Libra Systems.............................68 Contact: Ken Cardy Tel: 225-256-1700 Sales@librasystems.com www.librasystems.com Maxam Equipment............. 31, 73 Contact: Lonnie Greene Tel: 800-292-6070 lgreene@maxamequipment.com www.maxamequipment.com Meadwestvaco......................... 67 Tel: 800-458-4034 www.evotherm.com www.mvw.com NAPA..........................................55 Annual Meeting www.asphaltpavements.org Pine Instruments........................23 Contact: Dave Savage Tel: 724-458-6391 Dsavage@pineinst.com www.pineinst.com

Roadte......................................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 AsphaltPlant Products...............59 Contact: Dave Payne Tel: 800-826-0223 dpayne@stansteel.com www.stansteel.com Stansteel…......................... .19, 71 Contact: Dawn Kochert Tel: 800-826-0223 dkochert@hotmixparts.com www.hotmixparts.com Systems Equipment...................45 Contact: Dave Enyart Sr. Tel: 563-568-6387 Dlenyart@systyemsequipment.com www.systemsequipment.com Tarmac International, Inc...........41 Contact: Ron Heap Tel 816-220-0700 info@tarmacinc.com www.tarmacinc.com Top Quality Paving....................78 Contact: John Ball Tel 603-624-8300 Tqpaving@yahoo.com www.tqpaving

Process Heating….....................74 Contact: Rick or Ron Jay Tel: 866-682-1582 Ron@processheating.com Rick@processheating.com www.processheating.com

Wirtgen America…....................63 Tel: 615-501-0600 Info@wirtgenamerica.com www.wirtgenamerica.com

Reliable Asphalt Products................ Back Cover, 79 Contact: Charles Grote Tel: 502-647-1782 cgrote@reliableasphalt.com www.reliableasphalt.com

WRT Equipment.........................66 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 81

the last cut

Fix the Price

by Sandy Lender

N

o one likes the high gas/petrol prices looming in our immediate future. Asphalt producers particularly dislike the high asphalt cement (AC) prices impacting their project costs and throwing their estimates off kilter.

What makes those AC prices harder to take is hearing a story of big oil conglomerates colluding to squeeze more money out of contractors and producers. AC is the exact product you pay for when you put the tanker’s nozzle in the AC tank, and that’s what Shell South African Marketing (Shell) and Engen Petroleum (Engen) decided they needed more cash for the past few years. What’s more aggravating is the powers-that-be in these companies admitted to fixing the price of bitumen (AC) with other oil companies—seven over all.

Strangely enough, the Zimbabwe Metro reported Feb. 10 that Engen Zimbabwe is trying to hire five “suitably qualified entrepreneurs to take up dealerships.”

A variety of reports sprinkle the Internet landscape, but they all come down to this: The Competition Commission of South Africa investigated all parties involved and reached a settlement agreement in late February with two of the major oil parties involved in the naughty behavior of price-fixing—the two mentioned above. Other parties listed in the nearly-decade-long crime include Chevron SA, Total SA and Masana Petroleum Solutions.

One party in the crime, Sasol Ltd. and its subsidiary Tosas Ltd., was said to have applied for leniency with the Commission back in January of 2009. The application sounds like a plea bargain. Apparently, the case against the group took form after Sasol and Tosas gave their information in their leniency application. According to Financial Mail online, the Commission uncovered “collusive conduct” for about nine years ending around December 2009.

The exact quote from that FM Feb. 21 article states: “The conduct included the exchange of competitively sensitive information relating to the pricing of bitumen and associated products, and the use of an agreed pricing formula to set the wholesale list selling price of bitumen.

This was facilitated through meetings convened by the industry association, SABITA [South African Bitumen Association], as well as correspondence through SABITA and direct communication between oil companies.”

A Commission Tribunal shall give orders on how to proceed, but that doesn’t appease everyone. While the fines Shell and Engen must pay total about 33 million Rand (depending on the source), economists such as those talking to Business Report online think the Commission is about as effective at curbing collusion and price-fixing as NATO is at finding weapons of mass destruction. (exaggeration 82 February 2012

mine) The Feb. 23 online article “Collusion continues despite bite of competition watchdog” thumbs its nose at the Commission’s hopes of stopping a group as powerful as “Big Oil” from setting the price it wants to charge for bitumen in South Africa.

Liquid Asphalt Cement Prices—average per ton Company, State

Nov ’11

Dec ’11

Jan ’12

Feb ’12

ConocoPhillips, Tenn.

$550.00

$570.00

$570.00

$600.00

NuStar Energy, Ga.

580.00

580.00

600.00

610.00

NuStar Energy, N.C.

580.00

580.00

600.00

610.00

NuStar Energy, Va.

595.00

600.00

600.00

615.00

Assoc’d Asphalt Inman, N.C.

580.00

600.00

600.00

625.00

Assoc’d Asphalt Inman, S.C.

575.00

600.00

600.00

625.00

Assoc’d Asphalt Inman, Va.

590.00

605.00

605.00

625.00

Marathon Petroleum, Tenn.

540.00

560.00

560.00

600.00

Marathon Petroleum, N.C.

555.00

575.00

575.00

615.00

na

na

610.00

620.00

Valero Petroleum, Va.

580.00

580.00

610.00

na

Massachusetts Average

575.00

575.00

575.00

605.00

California Average

637.00

625.00

595.00

589.70

Missouri Average

510.00

526.25

640.00

557.50

Colorado Average

490.62

485.92

483.03

na

Valero Petroleum, N.C.

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)

Diesel Fuel Retail Price (dollars per gallon)

futures spot data

stocks

Nov 4

$94.26/bbl

338.1 m bbl

Nov 7

3.887

Nov 11

$97.78/bbl

337.0 m bbl

Nov 14

3.987

Nov 18

$97.41/bbl

330.8 m bbl

Nov 21

4.010

Nov 25

$96.77/bbl

334.7 m bbl

Nov 28

3.964 3.931

Dec 2

$100.96/bbl

336.1 m bbl

Dec 5

Dec 9

$99.41/bbl

334.2 m bbl

Dec 12

3.894

Dec 16

$93.53/bbl

323.6 m bbl

Dec 19

3.828

Dec 23

$99.68/bbl

327.5 m bbl

Dec 26

3.791

Dec 30

$98.83/bbl

329.7 m bbl

Jan 2

3.783

Jan 6

$101.56/bbl

334.6 m bbl

Jan 9

3.828

Jan 13

$98.70/bbl

331.2 m bbl

Jan 16

3.854

Jan 20

$98.46/bbl

334.8 m bbl

Jan 23

3.848

Sources: Energy Information Administration