Enhance Safety Culture
Make Work Zone Picture-Perfect Racetrack Mix Revealed
Mix in Slag Bid One of These Secure Plant Safety Protect Workers’ Eyes February 2013
contents
Departments
26
Letter from the Editor 5 Copy Safety Around the Globe 6
Articles
Safety Spotlight 8 Watch Out for Combined Plant Dangers by Cliff Mansfield
20 Enhance Safety at the Plant By Sandy Lender
Mix it Up 10 NBTC Anniversary Approaches by Mark Homer Project Management 12 Improve Your Operation in Texas By AsphaltPro Staff Equipment Maintenance 18 Maintain the Baghouse By Greg Bullis Equipment Gallery 64 FHWA Studies Asphalt Intelligent Compaction Field Demos Here’s How It Works 70 D&H Equipment’s American Blender Model Resource Directory 73
24 People You Should Know Meet NAPA’s 2013 Chairman John J. Keating By AsphaltPro Staff 26 Stay Safe in the Work Zone By John Ball
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38 Protect Workers’ Eyes Understand what goes into protective eyewear, eye safety By Phil Johnson 42 Mix in Slag By Timothy R. Murphy 46 International Mix Innovation By AsphaltPro Staff 48 Racetrack Mixes Require Perfection By Jeff Winke 56 Find Projects You Want to Bid By AsphaltPro Staff
Last Cut 74 EIA Foresees Increased U.S. Crude Production
62 Put a Flag on It By John Ball
20 Enhance Safety Culture
42 Make Work Zone Picture-Perfect Racetrack Mix Revealed
Mix in Slag Bid One of These Secure Plant Safety Protect Workers’ Eyes FEBRUARY 20313
On the Cover Safety orange and reflective tape stands out in the daytime when a crew paves in foggy, rainy conditions in Canada. Learn more tips for protecting crew members in the work zone or enhancing your current safety culture. See related article on page 26. Photo courtesy of EZ Street, Miami.
editor's note February 2013 • Vol. 6 No. 5
Copy Safety
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 10 times per year: January, February, March, April, May, June/July, August/September, October, November and December by The Business Times Company, 2001 Corporate Place, Columbia, MO 65202 Writers expressing views in AsphaltPro Magazine or on the AsphaltPro website are professionals with sound, professional advice. Views expressed herein are not necessarily the same as the views of AsphaltPro or Business Times Company staff, thus producers/contractors are still encouraged to use best practices when implementing new advice. Subscription Policy: Individual subscriptions are available without charge in the United Sates, Canada and Mexico to qualified individuals. One year subscription to non-qualifying Individuals: United States $90, Canada and Mexico $125.00. For the international digital edition, visit theasphaltpro.com/subscribe-2. Single copies available $17 each.
Many years ago, I worked with a producer on an article for an asphalt magazine. When I called his office to review the piece, he was unable to talk. He was shaken. There had been a localized explosion at the tank farm during unloading. One of his employees had lost his life. The producer to whom I spoke was devastated by this loss. A family had lost a father. A company had lost a coworker and colleague. To help prevent that kind of tragedy elsewhere, AsphaltPro shares safety information in every issue we publish. I encourage consultants to share stories that might make them sad because the tragedies they’ve witnessed can offer From left, Proprietor of Top Quality Paving John Ball, warnings to others. I enAsphaltPro Editor Sandy Lender and Asphalt Pavement courage producers and Association of Indiana (APAI) Director Bill Knopf visit contractors to step outbefore the luncheon where Lender served as Master of Ceremonies for the annual pavement awards. side their comfort zones and give information— whether it’s anonymously or not—that can help a colleague on the other side of the country avoid an accident. I even encourage companies that wish to pimp their products to give advice, even if it’s self-serving advice, because there’s good information in what they have to say. This month, we devote the entire February issue to safety, and we ask you to read it more than once. We ask you to share it with more people than you usually do. I’ve heard again and again how company owners photocopy two and three and four articles out of each edition of AsphaltPro and send them out to different branches and departments of their companies. I think that’s great. (Note that you can point folks to the website at www.TheAsphaltPro.com where the digital issue goes live and select articles get front page treatment.) But I want this to be the issue from which you copy and share more than usual. If there’s something in here you want to have reprinted in a professional manner, please contact Sally Shoemaker and discuss the options. Our hope is that we can help you and your safety departments identify problem areas and enhance safe protocols as you develop the all-important safety culture in your companies. My thanks goes out to the crews who were willing to stage photos and share information for this issue. Not everyone wanted to be identified, and that’s okay. You have my thanks for helping the industry as a whole be a safer place for all. Stay Safe,
Sandy Lender www.theasphaltpro.com | ASPHALT PRO 5
around the globe
Industry News and Happenings from Around the World Asia According to Petrosil’s Bitumart, freight rates of Asia Bitumen remained steady from the end of December into the first week of January. The rates are reported in the range of USD 47 to 60 PMT. Rates from Singapore to East China also remained steady. The freight rates from Thailand to South China fluctuated just a bit between the USD 47 and 60 PMT.
China Wake Marine of Britain reports that China is expected to account for 28 percent of all new global asphalt demand during 2013. The company tracks the tanker segment of the world’s merchant fleet and reports that the bitumen carrier demand is up, specifically in the Asia/Pacific region. “The tanker segment represents about 30 percent of the world’s total merchant fleet,” they report. “But we’ve noticed bitumen carrier demand steadily rising as a proportion of that figure since 2008….The rising global demand for asphalt will mean an exponential increase in demand for brokers shipping liquid bitumen to Asia and the Pacific.” Source: wakemarine. co.uk
Germany Hirschmann Automation and Control (PAT), Ettlingen, Germany, gave up its application software engineer, Khachig Arjinian, to join the Chambersburg, Pa., team as engineering manager of the Mobile Machine Control Solutions (MCS) division. The division supplies information, monitoring and control systems for lifting applications.
United States • You have the chance to show off your company’s young talent in the American Road & Transportation Builders (ARTBA) Transportation Development Foundation’s 2013 Young Executive Development Program (YEDP). Before Friday, March 15, nominate someone who is less than 40 years of age but has at least three years of experience in the transportation design and construction industry and has shown evidence of strong leadership potential for 6 february 2013
the industry. Get a copy of the application form and more information at www.artbatdf.org or contact Sara Jones at sjones@ artba.org with questions. • For up-to-the-minute info and updates that impact the asphalt industry, follow http://twitter.com/AsphaltPro.
California The California Transportation Commission has recently allocated $64 million to 43 projects designed to reduce traffic congestion and repair highways, local streets and bridges. Caltrans Director Malcolm Dougherty said in a press release “We are putting transportation dollars to work supporting jobs and making improvements that will benefit Californians now and for decades to come.” The allocations include $42 million from Proposition 1B that voters approved in 2006.
Colorado Everyone can register for the 40th annual Rocky Mountain Asphalt Conference and Equipment Show taking place Feb. 27 through March 1, 2013, at the Crown Plaza Denver International Airport. The theme this year is “Asphalt Pavement: A Life Cycle of Performance.” Visit www.rmaces.org for more information.
Maryland It’s never too soon to plan for the future. The NAPA Legislative Committee met in mid-December to formally establish its MAP-21 reauthorization task force. John Hay of Oldcastle Materials will serve as chairman and Kevin Kelly of Walsh & Kelly will serve as vice chairman. The task force will develop NAPA’s legislative recommendations to Congress, which will be release during the NAPA asphalt fly-in in September 2013.
Oregon Terex announces Valley Equipment Company, Inc., Salem, Ore., is an authorized distributor of the Roadbuilding segment’s asphalt paving equipment line for the western states of Washington, Oregon, northern Idaho and Hawaii. Check out www.valleyequip.com.
South Dakota Get your training on with KPI-JCI and Astec Mobile Screens March 19 through 21, and again throughout the year with PRO Service Training courses. Visit www.kpijci.com to look up dates and courses. Contact Terry Haas at (605) 668-2545 or terryhaas@kpijci.com or Erik Schmidt at (800) 314-4656 or Tim Mandrell at (800) 545-2125.
Texas AsphaltPro editor Sandy Lender leads the workshop “Using Online Resources to Grow Your Asphalt Business” Thursday, March 21, at 7:30 a.m. during the World of Asphalt’s People Plants and Paving Training Program to be held March 19-21, 2013, in San Antonio. It’s early, but it’s packed with information on how to use social media efficiently to network and to expand your asphalt business specifically. Visit http://www.worldofasphalt.com/ for all your registration needs.
Virginia ESI International, Arlington, Va., announced the top 10 trends in business for 2013 include the growing importance of the business analyst. Nancy Y. Nee, vice president of global product strategy for ESI said, “In 2013, business analysts will sharpen their business acumen and become responsible for communicating messages up and across an organization. They will not only be responsible for the classic ‘hard’ skills, but also…they will need new, soft skills to partner more effectively with product owners, stakeholders and other members of the Agile team.”
Washington, D.C. Air regulations passed before the end of 2012 give asphalt professionals something to watch. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) wishes to strengthen Clean Air Act emissions standards. While that’s an admirable goal on the surface, the agency has issued the Soot Rule, which requires a 20 percent reduction in airborne fine particulate matter. Read a white paper that NAPA has prepared about the Soot Rule and the way entities measure fine particulates in asphalt plant dryer stacks (and elsewhere) at www.asphaltpavement.org.
safety spotlight
Watch Out for Combined Plant Dangers by Cliff Mansfield
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he asphalt plant and surrounding yard can be a dangerous work environment. Accidents happen far too often when workers don’t pay attention to details, aren’t taught good safety practices or become complacent over time. Most accidents can be traced to the same root cause: production needs supersede common sense safety practices. Let’s take a look at one such case in the northwestern United States. The crew oriented the Madsen 6,000-pound batch plant with the dryer running north to south and the hot-stone elevator on the east side. Under the pressure of spring start-up production quotas, the plant had been operating 16 hours a day for almost two weeks when a terrible accident occurred. Sometime in the week prior to the accident, the burner fuel pump had developed a leak. The leak was located within 10 feet of the burner and had spilled enough fuel to soak the ground under the burner. At high production rates, the seals on the hot-stone elevator leaked prodigious amounts of fines. On the day of the accident, a 40 mph east wind drove these fines into the burner air stream where the extreme heat vitrified it. Finally, a glowing red-hot clinker fell onto the diesel-soaked ground, igniting the soil. The flames rapidly burned through the fuel lines that fed the burner fuel pump. The spreading flames quickly consumed the wiring that fed everything from the dryer back. 8 february 2013
Luckily, the operator had the presence of mind to run out and close the valve on his burner fuel tank. The good news in this story is that no one was hurt. The bad news is the plant was out of action for almost a week. As has been the case in recent articles, the accident at this plant can be traced directly to a lack of proper maintenance. In this story, two events combined to create a hazardous condition—the leaking fuel line and the leaking hot-stone elevator shaft seal. By itself, neither problem would be life-threatening. The leaking fuel line would get a rise out of any environmental inspector. Together the leaks were a blueprint for disaster. With a simple walk-around maintenance schedule, the crew could have caught these problems and scheduled them for immediate repair. The ground would have remained clean and clear; the personnel would have been safe from life-threatening burns or explosions; the equipment would have been saved from expensive damage. Two things can work together at your asphalt plant to increase safety: common sense and a safety program that includes mandatory meetings to discuss safety protocols. Management should make an effort to discuss other issues in addition to the basic things such as the need for hard hats, eye protection and proper clothing. Just keep in mind that common sense and safety rules can get pushed aside when
LEFT: Performing regular walk-arounds to find and repair problems at the plant can prevent minor leaks or alignment issues from becoming major catastrophes. Make sure something as simple as hotstone elevator seals look as good as they do in this photo. On their own, a few leaking seals might cost some money in fuel use, or they might throw off quality control and add to other problems ground personnel need to address immediately. Photo courtesy of Gencor ABOVE: Here’s the back side of the hot stone elevator seal. Again, cleanliness lets you see if any leaks or problems that need attention have developed. Photo courtesy of Gencor
employees feel the pressure for production. Make sure employees know that your company values their safety above production quotas. A common thread in asphalt plant accidents is a disregard for safety issues in deference to production pressures. Asphalt plant operators often feel tremendous pressure to produce by any means possible. Unfortunately, this shifts the focus off safety and onto money without anyone realizing it’s happened. A clear-cut set of guidelines dealing with the company’s policy on safety issues should be drawn up and distributed to everyone involved with the plant. Be sure to include the paving superintendent so he or she doesn’t unknowingly exert pressure on the plant operator. Remember: Everyone wants to do a good job that the state inspector or owner/agency will approve. Sometimes employees go to great lengths to get results. To that end, conditions are overlooked that would never be overlooked or forgotten under normal circumstances. When dealing with safety issues, one must keep in mind the fact that you need to be safe all the time; you need only be careless once for tragedy to strike. 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.
www.theasphaltpro.com | ASPHALT PRO 9
mix it up
NBTC Anniversary Approaches by Mark Homer
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ASCAR® fans know that a great race car is only part of a winning team. The same can be said of testing in an asphalt binder lab; agencies want to be sure equipment is operated at peak performance levels with no variability in results. To that end, the Northeast Asphalt User Producer Group (NEAUPG) set up a binder technician certification program called the North East Technician Training Certification Program (NETTCP). Members of NEAUPG, which include officials from the state departments of transportation in the northeast region of the United States, require an NETTCP certified technician to write or review asphalt binder Certificates of Analysis. Training and certification for those technicians wasn’t regularly available until the Asphalt Institute started the National Binder Technician Certification (NBTC) program in 2008. Mike Beavin is a 15-year veteran of the Asphalt Institute and the instructor for this three-day class. He said the member companies voted to develop this course in response to test result variability.
10 february 2013
Mark Homer received his NBTC in 2010.
Beavin said, “The classroom portion reinforces good lab technique and knowledge of procedures.” The program provides some hands on experience in the lab. To receive certification, the tech must successfully demonstrate knowledge and lab proficiency. The class uses publication MS-25, Asphalt Binder Testing: Technician’s Manual for Specification Testing of Asphalt Binders. Dr. Dave Anderson wrote a similar manual while working on Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP) A-369. This manual supplements a training program for the AASHTO M320 test procedures for performance graded (PG) asphalt binders. The book provides helpful techniques and pictures that complement AASHTO procedures. The MS-25 manual is also available separately from the Asphalt Institute website. Anderson said, “The industry was lacking in training, especially with ‘new’ SHRP test procedures.” He added, “Technicians needed to know why a test is run a certain way.” This course was first offered in January 2008. Since then it has produced about 200 certified binder technicians. The first graduates are now almost ready for their five-year recertification. After achieving AMRL accreditation for my laboratory, this program seemed a natural next step. I attended the National Binder Technician Certification program in 2010 to find ways to review and improve technique. I achieved this goal to the benefit of my staff, my employer and the state agencies with which we work, and recently took a review course. I highly recommend this program to anyone who wants to reduce testing variability. Mark Homer, P.E., is a manager, Ajax Asphalt Terminal, Detroit. For more information, contact him at (248) 244-3356 or mhomer@ajaxat.com.
www.theasphaltpro.com | ASPHALT PRO 11
project management
Improve Your Operation in Texas By AsphaltPro Staff
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ou send your crew members to tradeshows and conferences to pick up more than cheaply-stitched safety vests and on-the-spot laminated luggage tags. You want them to return to the plant, quarry, lab or paving crew with new information in their brains and new skills in their hands. Maybe a new attitude for quality and safety can jump-start the season after an event like World of Asphalt and AGG1. If the bean counter comes into your office with a scowl, you want to point to real revenue your newly trained crew has added to 2013’s bottom line because you improved your operation in San Antonio during March 19 through 21. One of the more obvious ways to increase education is through the training seminars and sessions that the various co-located conferences and meetings will offer that week. While there are a host of classes we could list here, we encourage you to visit the site at www. worldofasphalt.com and click on the “Education” tab—third from the right
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in the blue bar. You’ll find a menu for the Beyond Compliance: Achieving EH&S Excellence section; the People, Plants and Paving Training Sessions (during which our editor teaches TH11); the AGG1 Academy; the ARTBA Safety Seminar “Safety in the Work Zone”; and the Co-Located Events & Meetings section. When your personnel aren’t in classes, you’ll probably have them perusing the tradeshow floor for additional tips and information on new technology. To make that maze more fun, the AsphaltPro staff has coordinated the Amazing Road Race again this year. Stop by booth 216 at the outset of the show on Tuesday noon to hear Top Quality Paving Consultant John Ball give a free toolbox talk to anyone within the range of our booth. At any time, pick up your race card for the "Amazing Road Race" at the AsphaltPro booth No. 216. A Craftsman toolbox will be given away to every race player, courtesy of AsphaltPro
magazine, along with seven other hand tools. Our sponsors have sprung for them and all you have to do is stop by and open the toolbox for them to put the prize in. At the end of our race, you can win cold, hard cash and more prizes that you can use. That’s all good stuff, but you can also pick up knowledge while you’re running around the tradeshow floor. Mix design is on the industry’s collective mind as we strengthen our position as superior to the concrete industry. One of the many products we offer is warm-mix and it’s evolving before our eyes. MeadWestvaco will be stationed at booth 2813 to discuss how its Evotherm warm-mix asphalt (WMA) technologies work with recycled asphalt pavement (RAP) and recycled asphalt shingles (RAS). Check for Technical Director Everett Crews at the booth to discuss how job mixes using Evotherm WMA conform to new Texas Department of Transportation specs.
left: This 350 TPH plant from Tarmac is indicative of the products the team can discuss at the show. right: In addition to the BM500/15 and BM600/15 milling machines, BOMAG will showcase the BW190AD-4 AM roller with Asphalt Manager II technology in booth 1534. right top middle: In new reclaiming/stabilizing technology advances, the team from Terex Roadbuilding in booth 2009 will have the new RS446D on display. Ask about its increased torque to the mechanical cutter drive and how the new engine configuration improves efficiency over previous models. Climb aboard to check out the improved operator line-of-sight now that there’s shorter engine cowling. right bottom middle: Dynapac plans to feature the new F1000 paver at WOA along with its new PL 350TD cold planer. right bottom: Hercules Sealing Products will have an assortment of hydraulic and pneumatic cylinder repair seals and seal kits for the paving industry at booth 3215. Stop by to purchase what you need on-site or to learn about ordering through their Seals on Demand Program. Pick up a free seal, kit or cylinder catalog or get one by phone or online.
The folks from PQ Corporation will be in booth 721 to discuss the way Advera® WMA is being used not only for WMA production, but also as a stockpile aid for RAS and RAP. The manufacturer explained that not only do the piles stay clump-free for months, the Advera acts as a compaction and workability aid for asphalt mixes produced hot or warm. Visit with Ed Myszak, Annette Smith or Guy Bobbora to learn about it. EZ Street of Miami will be well represented at the show. The EZ Street mix isn’t just a patch for potholes. This environmentally friendly cold mix has been tested time and again in applications in extreme environments like the one pictured on page 46. Stop by booth 703 to see Dag Seagren and Lars Seagren and to talk about the product. Plant crew members will find a helpful crew with automation answers at a number of booths including Libra Systems—booth 1413. Ken Cardy, Jerry Baldwin, Rich Tumin and Dan Faubel will be on hand to demonstrate the Plantwise Blending Control System, pictured herein, and walk attendees through the benefits of the company’s Generation3 and Enterprise Information Server.
The team from Astec, Inc., will be able to discuss the DASH automation controls in booth 1635. Of course they’ll have plenty of staff on hand to help you with a bevy of plant and mix solutions. Another aspect to monitor at the plant is the flow of RAS and RAP. Clarence Richard Company will be in booth 2460 to show how the new RAS Feeder Scale works, how it retrofits into most RAP bin systems with no hardware or software changes to give producers confidence in their material flow and mix design quality control. Tarmac International will be at the show with Ron Heap, Dale Callahan, Brian Tann, Stephen Latenser, Richard Klein and Rann Robinson to discuss plant schematics. Visit them in booth 2852. If you’d like to see a plant in all its glory, stop by the ADM booth to see the new EX Series drum. They launched the mixer in 2012 and can show you its tapered-middle design that allows lower velocities for drying and icreased areas for mixing. You can see a Here’s How it Works feature of the product in last month’s issue of AsphaltPro or stop by booth 2853 to visit with Mike Devine, Steve Shawd and others about the technology. Stansteel/Hotmix Parts will be in the 300 square foot space of booth 945 where they’ll display production units to show you how to save fuel with flighting, RAP use, controls and more. They’ll have a full scale unit Accu-Shear including its metering system on display with illustrations and video
footage to help engineers and sales people walk you through the benefits and use of WMA technology. The manufacturer explained that they’ve seen a tendency to make multiple products with the unit—not just foamed asphalt but also polymer modifieds and cutbacks. Ask for Steve Elam, Rick Rees and other Stansteel/Hotmix personnel you’ve come to know because they’ll be there to discuss modifying your plant to run higher percentages of RAP www.theasphaltpro.com | ASPHALT PRO 13
project management left top: Libra Enterprises will have a team on hand at booth 1413 to demonstrate the Plantwise Blending Control System and other company automation, ticketing and monitoring solutions. left bottom: ADM will have their new EX Series drum at booth 2853.
and to use electronic analysis to pick your own costs for materials and computations. For your heating needs, Process Heating Co. will display its Lo-Density® asphalt line internal pipe tracing and Lo-Density “All-In-One” heater kit in booth 714. Ron Jay and Mike Peringer will be on hand to discuss these and other heating solutions. If you’re looking for a fiber reinforcement for asphalt and want to discuss the cost benefits of longer design life and thinner lifts, the team from FORTA will be in booth 3053 presenting FORTA-FI. The company has had three new models of Hi-Tech Asphalt Solutions’ Fiber Metering Devices certified recently. Stop by the booth to see the new Hi-Tech Model 4K-F with hydraulic lift platform for uninterrupted runs on display. Tracy Lang, Martin Doody, Chase Eyster, Natasha Ozybko, Tom Baggett, 14 february 2013
Michael Frey, Joseph Schmidlin, Joseph Sturtevant and Andy Schulte will be in the booth to answer questions. Introduced in late 2012, the RS44D reclaimer/stabilizer from Terex Roadbuilding will make an appearance at the show in booth 2009. What’s this mean for your operators? The machine offers a number of upgrades from the C Series that you can discuss with Aron Sweeney at the booth, but one piece of technology of interest is the increased torque to the mechanical cutter drive system and a redesigned water/emulsion system that moves major components to underneath the hood. This places the system’s pump and plumbing in a more concealed location to reduce the chance for damage. Roadtec will have the SX-4e stabilizer/reclaimer with its four selectable drum speeds on display. When you stop by their booth, be sure to ask
about “variable geometry cutter housing,” because this allows proper sizing without sacrificing performance. Roadtec’s also set up to share automation and ease-of-maintenance with attendees. They’ll have the Guardian telematics system on display. This technology is a remote diagnostics and alert system available on their “e” series milling machines and pavers that allows either the company or the customer to login the machine and view its electrical system in real time. The Guardian automatically sends alert emails when it detects a fault or when it’s time for routine service. Also check out the RP-190e 10-foot paver and the MB-85 self-propelled broom from Roadtec. Dynapac will feature its newest paver, the F1000. Ask for product line managers Sean Cheney and Bill Willcox at the booth for information. Need to make repairs? Dave Strassman and Krystal Strassman of Asphalt Reheat Systems LLC will be in booth 3212 to discuss the low maintenance costs and simplicity and durability of their units. As reported in the pages of AsphaltPro before, the ARS machines can reheat and blend asphalt material onsite or at the plant with a quick move of the unit. Visit with the Strassmans to see how. Obviously this article doesn’t give an exhaustive list of everything new at this year’s WOA and AGG1 show. Some companies are holding back surprises to blow you away—remember what Maxam did with their new silo loading system last year. We encourage you to check out the “Exhibits” tab at the WOA page and use the interactive show planner to make a map for who you want to see. And watch for the special WOA Equipment Gallery in our March edition for details on new technology you’ll be interested in. We’ll see you in San Antonio!
equipment maintenance
Maintain the Baghouse W
hat does your baghouse maintenance program look like? You want maintenance personnel paying attention to this vital plant component on a regular basis. This keeps emissions at bay and use of baghouse dust in control. Let’s take a look at what your crew should do.
Dust on the Bags I recommend the maintenance person use a magnahelic gauge, which reads in inches of water, to measure when the bags might be blinding. A higher reading on the gauge probably means he has problems in the baghouse; he should tell the owner if maintenance is needed. During a visual inspection, if he sees buildup of dust on a row or rows of bags, this means something isn’t working. The type of problem he has depends on which system he has. A pulser might not be working or a limit switch might have gone out on a reverse air. Whatever the case, he needs to find out where the problem is and repair it. If he is having air pressure trouble, this means he has a problem with a goyen valve—or equivalent—and the valve needs to be rebuilt.
Dust on the Floor At least once a month, the maintenance crew should open the baghouse and look for dust buildup, which will indicate whether or not the auger system is working properly. Some plants will have an auger system that will take dust to a blower where it is blown into the drum. Other plants will have an auger that takes dust out of the baghouse into another auger. From there it goes to the drum. If the maintenance personnel find dust in the baghouse, they will want to look at the hanger bearings on the auger to make sure they are okay. These hanger bearings sit with bolts on replaceable shafts that are in the augers. The bolts sometimes will 18 february 2013
break due to pressure on the auger. If these two things look good, then personnel can continue outside the baghouse to the motor and to make sure the v-belts are still on. Next, they double-check to make sure everything is still connected outside. If so, the problem might be a backup in the other auger. The reason for backups could be that the producer is getting wet dust in the augers, which will indicate one of two things. The production system is either not getting all the moisture out of the material, which will then indicate that there are problems in the drum, or the system is letting rain in somewhere, which means the system isn’t weather tight.
Something at the Stack There are daily checks that either the plant operator or loader operator can take care of to keep the baghouse properly maintained. One thing they can do is look at what’s coming out of the stack. This will give everyone a read on how the bags are doing. If there’s a hole in a bag, dust coming out of the exhaust fan will be visible. If a producer sees dust this way he will want to get the problem fixed as soon as he shuts down at the end of the shift or it can bring consequences. Nobody wants an environmental fine. If the problem puts dust on exhaust fan blades, it will cause an out-of-balance fan, which will vibrate the whole fan assembly. If the crew doesn’t take care of a wobbling fan, it will result in failure of the exhaust fan system, which will cause an unnecessary shutdown. Another way to check for dust is to open the top covers after running for the day and look for dust on the tubesheet. Personnel might be able to tell where a problem is this way. If they see visible emission and can’t find a problem or can’t find which bag is the culprit, they can invest in some visualite, which all the bag companies
By Greg Bullis
Prevent Baghouse Emission
Step 1. Feed visualite into the air suction going to the baghouse. Step 2. Shut down the plant. Step 3. Use appropriate confined space entry protocol and the buddy system to enter the baghouse with a black light. Step 4. Shine the black light on each bag; the fluorescent color of the visualite will reveal the “bad” bag(s). Step 5. Replace the problem bag(s).
stock, to seek out the problem (see sidebar).
Fuel on the Bags
If the producer uses waste oil to fire the burner, but the burner isn’t adjusted perfectly, loose seals allow fuel oil to get on the bags. That will take life out of the bags. The maintenance crew will want to make sure that the tip for the burner is clean and that it’s burning correctly. They want to learn how to tune the burner and they’ll want to check this monthly to make sure it hasn’t gone out of tune. This is one problem that will take years off the bags. When visually inspected, bags will have a light black color to them if there are problems with the burner. When they have this color, it means they have fuel embedded in their fibers. As producers know, the baghouse is a vital part of the asphalt plant and must be maintained to help the bottom line and keep surprises at bay. With some surprises costing thousands of dollars, anything the maintenance personnel can do to minimize them will make the asphalt producer that much more successful. Greg Bullis is a co-founder of Bullis Fabrication, LLC, Orlando. For more information on baghouse or other plant parts, call (321) 439-0359 or visit www.BullisFabrication.com.
Enhance Safety at the Plant By Sandy Lender
20 february 2013
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ith the advent of plant controls and automation, owners have been able to keep plant operators out of harm’s way to a degree. Consider the benefit of self-greasing joints and bearings. While a member of the ground personnel must fill the canisters at regular intervals, that worker’s no longer putting his hands next to dangerous equipment on a daily basis—no longer running the risk of forgetting to lock out and tag out a component before bringing the grease gun into contact with a chain or sprocket that might spring into motion. With automatic asphalt release agent spray systems, automated tarping arms on trucks, and ticketing kiosks at or near the loadout
area, truck drivers have little reason to leave the haul truck cab while at the plant. This minimizes foot traffic and the confusion of where to park, where to walk, where to stand when the loader operator needs to drive past in a hurry with a load of aggregate from the stockpile to the cold feed for a high-production day. Not every safety aspect can be tucked neatly to the back of your mind because automation or wellkeyed controls have the plant operating at maximum efficiency. Personnel must still watch out for each other. Personnel must still adhere to a safety culture that requires vigilance and attention to detail. Check out a few of the details shared here and see how they pertain to your operation.
opposite page: How well is your plant yard marked for truck and other equipment traffic? A simple stop sign in areas where traffic intersects can go a long way toward preventing accidents. Photo courtesy of Stansteel/ Hotmix Parts, Lexington, Ky. above: Getting to high places at the plant doesn’t always require a piece of lift equipment. Whether or not the component or platform you need to access has a guard rail, make sure you use three points of contact when climbing its ladder. That means slow down and have three of four limbs in contact with the ladder and/or railing at all times as you ascend or descend to keep surprise slips or missteps from becoming serious falls. The silo access ladder in this picture from Gencor Industries, Orlando, Fla., shows proper guarding for a worker, but a slip or fall could still cause a sprain or break that could put a worker out of commission for a period of time. Follow best practices for best safety.
www.theasphaltpro.com | ASPHALT PRO 21
above Left: While it’s great to have truck drivers wear their hard hats and safety vests when out of the driver’s cab, it’s not great to have them out of the cab. Whether the drivers are your own or subcontracted labor, they have no business wandering the plant site or job site. If you can afford a ticketing system at the plant that keeps drivers in their trucks during the entire loadout process, then that ticketing system is a good investment. Automated tarps and self-lifting bodies that are controlled from within the cab and automated release agent spray systems and other controls that keep drivers in their trucks also keep drivers out of danger. (Also note that the drivers in this photo have posed with their safety vests open. Regulations require vests be closed.) Photo courtesy of John Ball, Top Quality Paving, Manchester, N.H. Above Right top: The work truck delivers personnel and basic tools around the plant site, job site and in between. Not only is the worn tread a safety hazard on wet concrete pavements that don’t drain well, this is a sign of a bent axle. Above Right bottom: Using a release agent at the plant or in the field is good for keeping equipment clean and easier to manage. Make sure a material safety data sheet like this is posted on the chemical’s drum or other container so workers have quick and easy access to instructions. right: Large totes of bulk fiber, WMA additive, crumb rubber or other products can save a producer on materials costs. Make sure personnel know proper handling methods for the material. Notice the guard rails in this photo are designed to protect workers from falls, but a safety harness is a tripping hazard if left on a platform rather than secured properly around a worker. Also make sure personnel at the plant—no matter the type of plant—understand the necessity for wearing hard hats in addition to closed safety vests. Heavy totes like the one in this picture will be lifted by gantries, forklifts and other appropriate machinery; workers must exercise caution when hooking up and guiding such loads. Safety gloves, which are difficult to see in this image, and short or buttoned sleeves keep skin or limbs from being snagged in belts and hooks. As always, use the material supplier’s recommendations for handling such loads and best safety practices for an injury-free work shift. 22 february 2013
people you should know
Meet NAPA’s 2013 Chairman John J. Keating
By AsphaltPro Staff
If I Weren’t Doing This for a Living, I Would: “probably be a lawyer because I love the art of the deal.” The Biggest Challenge I See For the Asphalt Industry During my Year as Chairman: “is creating the right go-to market framework in order to preserve and grow our market share. We have a great product and the science that proves this out. We need to do a better job at getting our story to our customers.” What I Look Forward to Most for my Year as Chairman: “is getting out and meeting our members, stakeholders and customers across the country.” LEFT: Keating, in red, participated in NAPA meetings during 2012 as a vice chairman for the association. RIGHT: Keating enjoys being a part of sporting events such as the Augusta National during the summer of 2012.
Title & Company/Organization: President and COO, East Sector, Oldcastle Materials Inc., and 2013 Chairman of the National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA) Age: 51 Brief Job Description: Mr. Keating has full management, P&L and growth responsibility for all Oldcastle Materials companies east of the Mississippi River, excluding those in Mississippi. Years in the Construction Industry: 30 Education: BS Mechanical Engineering, University of Notre Dame; MBA, Northeastern University A Businessperson I Admire: “is Jack Welch because he reinvented an already hugely successful company and made them more competitive and more profitable. In essence, he separated GE from all the rest.” 24 february 2013
Brief Professional Background: Mr. Keating joined Oldcastle in 1994 through the acquisition of his family’s business. Prior to 1994 he held various leadership positions in sales, quality control, construction and facility operations. Upon joining Oldcastle’s management team in 1994, he became the president of its operations in Massachusetts and Rhode Island with full P&L and management responsibilities. Keating was promoted to division president of Oldcastle’s New England division in 2005 as a result of an overall restructuring of business reporting lines. His responsibility in this role involved full P&L accountability, growth and management of Oldcastle’s operations in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Vermont and Maryland. In 2007, Keating was promoted to his current position with full management, P&L and growth responsibility for Oldcastle’s Northeast, Central, Mid-Atlantic and Southeast divisions.
Accomplishment I’m Most Proud of: “Raising my three children and watching them grow into the young adults they are today.” Favorite Movie: The Godfather Trilogy Most Well-Worn Book in my Library: The Dictionary (or The Innocent Man by John Grisham) What I Do for Fun: “I play golf, enjoy time with my family and enjoy sporting events.” Family: Wife Kathy; Children Kevin, Emily and Alison My Pets: “I only had one pet—Roxy, a yellow lab. She died a few years ago after living 14 years. She will always be a part of our family.” Favorite Place in my Hometown: “is Wallace Civic Center—home of many great hockey competitions.” Most People Don’t Know That I: “am an avid hockey player and fan.”
Stay Safe in the Work Zone E
veryone’s safety is everyone’s responsibility. Your boss may be in charge of setting the rules and giving you a handbook, but every worker from the lab tech at the plant to the finish roller operator is an integral part of the company’s safety culture. That means we all look out for ourselves and we all look out for each other. 26 february 2013
If you see something that looks unsafe out on the job, speak up and get it corrected before there’s an accident or injury. You don’t have to be the foreman to notice something’s wrong; you don’t have to be the superintendent to make a correction that saves someone’s life. You just have to be observant and careful. On these next
By John Ball
few pages, we’ll take a look at some scenes that show safe and unsafe situations and we’ll discuss how to go about correcting or enhancing each one. John Ball is the proprietor of Top Quality Paving, Manchester, N.H. For more information, contact him at (603) 493-1458.
opposite page: This crew for Rea Construction agreed to stage some of our photos. They work hard to build top quality asphalt pavements and to keep each other safe while doing it. They wear their personal protective equipment (PPE) according to specs when on the job and use some clever innovations to add extra safety features to their equipment and their day. It’s part of their safety culture to look out for each other and I’m proud to have the chance to work with them. RIGHT: This operator works under the shade of an umbrella to protect him from heat exhaustion. Notice that he’s using the C.B. radio to communicate with the haul truck driver to eliminate confusion or errors. Below: This roller operator demonstrates proper use of the seat belt. This keeps the operator in place in the event of a roll-over so the ROPS can do its job of protecting him.
above: The operator of this Vogele paver has a great platform that can swing out and let him see the edge of the pavement. Notice that the platform is lined with a strip of reflective safety tape that will help motorists see him. It might even keep ground personnel from bumping their heads against the platform. He has a strobe light right behind his shoulder so it won’t blind him at night, but will alert traffic and other construction vehicles to his position at any time of day. The problem with this picture is what the operator has forgotten. He’s not wearing a safety vest or a hard hat. Given the daylight, he could justify wearing the safety yellow shirt he has on in place of a vest, if he knows that it’s a regulation yellow color. Being without a hat of any kind is bad practice. Not only can this worker get sun burned or suffer from heat exhaustion, a fall from the top of the tractor could mean a concussion or worse. Left Middle: Systems that let you talk to other personnel at the touch of a button make communication easier when you’re around loud paving equipment. Note that voice-activated systems are not the best for the paving site because the many noises around you trigger them. By selecting a system that lets you put your dump man or paver operator or breakdown roller on specific channels, you can reduce some confusion around production. Left below: We all know how loud the work zone gets. It’s easy for truck drivers in the haul truck cab to miss the sound of a whistle or a yell while they’re listening to music or talking on the cell phone or what have you. You can’t always train those bad habits out of subcontracted workers, but you can get their attention another way. The crews at Rea Construction use an air-horn-in-a-can to alert truck drivers when there’s an immediate need to stop. www.theasphaltpro.com | ASPHALT PRO 27
right top: This screed is neat and tidy with the hand tools organized, clean and held in place to reduce the chance for tripping over them while working. right middle: This worker keeps the screed free of debris by cleaning it off with a leaf blower. Of course you’ll need scrapers and release agent to get asphalt or big material off, but a high powered blower can take care of leaves, twigs, trash and other debris that you don’t want getting in the way of a good mat or causing someone to trip or slip.
left top: While this area presents a tripping hazard for workers, the higher danger is the fire danger. Electrical wires and gas cans shouldn’t be stored together. Trash bags should be disposed of properly and not left next to flammable material. You might be thinking that no member of your crew would do something like this, but take a look around the work trucks and edges of your paving site for similar situations. Accumulated trash and gas cans with plenty of fume inside are a recipe for disaster. left top middle: Could you grab the fire extinguisher quickly from this mess? How easy would it be to cut yourself on a tool reaching in for a shovel or measuring wheel? Do you think you could ignite the fumes from one of those gas cans pretty easily? How safe would you feel trying to stand back here to look for something? The bed of this truck is a pile of safety hazards. No foreman should let a worker on site with a mess like this. Clean it up to make your job not just safer, but also easier. left bottom middle: Never hang off the side of the haul truck to chat with the driver. left bottom: This is something every new worker does, but you want to catch them and correct them before they lose a finger. Notice that the worker in the middle of this picture has his hands wrapped over the side of the paver’s hopper. This is a dangerous position. If checking material temperature, hold your hand just to the side of the hopper, out of the truck body’s way. Don’t lean on the paver hopper or place hands in a position where they can be pinched by heavy equipment. I also recommend wearing heavy work gloves to shield hands from hot material. 28 february 2013
Below top: Don’t hitch a ride on the side of the haul truck and don’t turn your back to oncoming traffic.below left: Something as simple as filling a water tank on a roller may not need both safety gloves, but it still needs your attention. This isn’t the time to visit with friends on the phone.below right: While this photo was obviously staged for effect, workers these days check their personal mail too frequently out on the job. The worker who’s texting a message to someone off the job doesn’t have his mind on the job. On a positive note, these workers show good examples of how to wear personal protective equipment including closed safety vests, eye protection and hard hats.
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1: We stopped the equipment to stage these photos and show what a dangerous job the dump man—and other ground personnel—has. Never step between the hopper and the vehicle feeding the hopper, even if it’s just to grab a hand tool. No one can see you when you’re between these machines; either the paver’s forward motion or the haul truck or MTV’s backing motion can crush this worker. 2: Never step in front of the MTV’s hopper to clean it out. Having no operator in the machine doesn’t mean you’re safe. The machine may be locked out and tagged out, but haul truck drivers may not have gotten the message that the machine is idle. With construction noise and the confusion of multiple vehicles in the work zone, it’s easy for a worker to miss a back truck coming his way. Clean out machines at the end of the shift and out of the paving zone. 3: How many problems can you spot in this picture? The most obvious should be the position of the dump man. Never place yourself between the paver and a backing vehicle. The truck driver cannot see you there and you can’t depend on clear communication between the paver operator and truck driver to keep you safe. Stay out of this zone. Also notice the ground workers distracting the truck driver in this staged image. That’s the last thing we need out on the job. 4: This staged photo shows the dump man not only working in a dangerous place between the hopper and backing feed vehicles, but putting his leg in a bad position. Never let an extremity get beneath a moving vehicle. I had to give a safety talk to a team that had lost a crew member to disability when his foot got caught in a storm drain underneath the paver. The machine continued to move forward as the dump man fell and struggled beneath it. The paver operator stopped and drove backward, mangling and removing the worker’s lower leg. It was a terrible accident that left everyone shook up and that worker’s life changed forever. Make sure you and your co-workers keep legs and arms out from under equipment that’s turned on and never put yourself in front of the paver. 5: Never get between the haul truck and the material transfer vehicle. Use gloves if you’ll be near hot asphalt mix.
1: Unless the roller is locked out and tagged out in a mechanic’s garage, you never want to have any part of your body in one of its pinch points. You certainly don’t want to hunker down to perform maintenance or checks on it where the operator can’t see you. If you slip while trying to jump out of the way, you can easily be harmed. Take the time to lock out and tag out the machine, have your buddy watch your back, and have the machine’s operator alerted to the fact that someone is performing maintenance.. 2: You’ll need to clean the conveyors and other parts of the paver, but only do so when the machine has been locked out and tagged out. Don’t stand on parts that can move and pull a worker’s feet into dangerous places where an ankle can get twisted or broken. 3: Even during a day shift, a missing headlight is a safety problem. The operator can avoid issues like this by doing the routine equipment walk-around before his shift. This should have been scheduled for maintenance and fixed. If you have an accident at night, you’ll be liable.
below: This dump man wears his safety gear correctly, but doesn’t take personal safety or his crew members’ safety seriously. This was the third time he’d been caught taking a personal phone call while on the job. Notice that he’s chatting with a friend with a hand in his pocket while a haul truck dumps 14 tons of hot asphalt into a hopper within a few feet of his bare arms. Not only could a mistake mean severe burns or injury to himself, his inattention could end up in trucks backing over fellow workers or diverting to other projects. Perishable product, production schedules and peoples’ lives are at risk. This worker was fired for his third strike.
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above: The safety hazard here is not just the heavy insert falling out of the hopper, but also the heavy and hot material that will dump all over the site. This could have been avoided if the operator had double-checked his equipment before the shift began and if the chains had been going the right way.
above: As I’ve stated in the pages of AsphaltPro before, your work zone is only as far as you can see at night. You want to light it up, as this crew has done with the lights on the top of the paver operator’s station, over the hopper and other areas. The best lighting they’ve done is on themselves. Each worker has reflective stickers on his hard hat and the required reflective tape on and around his safety vest. These workers have taken illumination a step further by using reflective Velcro tape around their ankles and wrists. LEFT: Make sure crew members have easy access to fire extinguishers in work trucks, on the tack wagon, on paver operator platforms, on the screed, on MTVs and so on. Part of monthly routine maintenance is to check the extinguisher’s tag and make sure it’s not expired. BELOW left: Not only does this work area have some stray items tossed around where a worker could trip, this operator is descending the ladder improperly. Always face the tractor to ascend or descend the ladder and use three points of contact for safety. BELOW RIGHT Guiding the hopper insert shouldn’t involve a worker on top of the tractor. Not only could he fall in and injure himself, if the chain breaks, the hook could swing toward him with great force. If you think you need a worker on top, at least station him to the side where the ground workers will notice immediately if something happens to him. Also make sure everyone has on safety gloves and knows to keep fingers, hands and arms away from pinch points. This is not an ideal way to guide heavy machinery. Let skilled lift-equipment operators handle the heavy loads and use the buddy system when securing straps and chains.
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Protect Workers’ Eyes
Understand what goes into protective eyewear, eye safety By Phil Johnson
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t first glance, all protective eyewear may look essentially the same. This is a popular and costly misconception. Workplace eye injuries cost U.S. businesses more than $934 million in direct and indirect costs each year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), 90 percent of those injuries can be prevented with proper eye protection. Thus it should come as no surprise that in a 2009 Uvex® industry research survey of 300 safety directors in the United States and Canada, one of the top priorities was making sure employees “Use the right type of eye protection for the hazards [they faced].” While different eye safety products may look similar to one another, many have very different features, and understanding these features is a vital step in creating an injury-free workplace.
Government standards
Recognizing the toll that workplace injuries take, not only on the employer but also the injured worker, the U.S. Government has set forth national safety standards to help guide protective measures. The OSHA directive 29 CFR 1910.132 states that, “Protective equipment … shall be provided, used, and maintained [by the employer] in a sanitary and reliable condition wherever it is necessary by reason of hazards … encountered in a manner capable of causing injury or impairment in the function of any part of the body through absorption, inhalation or physical contact.” Specific to eye safety, the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standard Z87.1-2010 details the elements for workplace eye safety, including a thorough workplace hazard assessment. Specifically, it details the performance requirements for eye and face protection used by workers 38 february 2013
The SP 0510 Fulcrum eyewear is designed to protect eyes in outdoor work applications. Notice how the eyewear is a part of the personal protective equipment.
exposed to any hazard that can be injurious to the eyes, including flying objects, particles, chemicals, vapors and harmful light radiation. When selecting eyewear for use in any asphalt-related application, be sure that the Z87 monogram appears on every major component of every
piece of eyewear to ensure it complies with these standards. ANSI Z87.1 provides a valuable guideline, but represents only the minimum protective requirements. Many jobs in the asphalt industry require protection above and beyond this threshold. Workers oftentimes
face a variety of eye hazards, ranging from impact, heat, chemical splash and particulate matter to ultraviolet glare and infrared radiation. Eye protection should be selected with features that stand up to all the hazards present.
Lenses and Frames
The selection of lens material is an important step in choosing the right eye protection. Lenses are typically made of either glass or polycarbonate. Glass is resistant to scratches and chemical exposure, but provides minimal impact resistance. Glass lenses with minor damage may be compromised and should be replaced. Polycarbonate is lighter weight than glass, and more resistant to impact. Additionally, polycarbonate lenses tend to maintain their structural integrity when scratched or pitted. Lenses can be coated or tinted in various ways to meet the demands of extreme work environments. In paving applications involving high heat and humidity, eyewear with an antifog lens coating can ensure greater visibility; in sweeping applications with flying debris, anti-scratch coatings should be used to extend the life of the lens. All outdoor applications should make use of full-spectrum UV protection, and IR protective lenses should be selected for high-heat applications. Once the proper lenses are selected, they must be mounted in a frame. The most common form of eye protection features non-prescription lenses mounted on a lightweight frame that rests on the nose and ears. It may also feature sideshields to increase angular coverage and added protection from airborne debris. In more hazardous work environments, especially those with chemical splash hazards or vapors, goggles are required. They sit flush to the face and form a protective seal around the eyes; this provides increased impact protection and insulates the eyes from airborne and splash hazards. Sealed eyewear is a sub-category of protective eyewear that is rapidly growing in popularity among multihazard workplaces. Sealed eyewear 40 february 2013
This worker models the Honeywell Uvex® Specific SolarPro eyewear for use in outdoor work applications.
is available with a variety of lens coatings and optional headbands to meet the demands of nearly any application. Finally, face shields and helmets can offer additional protection against heat, impact and chemical exposure. However, because they are considered secondary protectors, face shields should always be worn in conjunction with primary eye protection underneath.
corrections, fitting over the glasses (OTG); or safety frames may be fit directly with prescription lenses. Style may be less vital than comfort, but it is still an important factor in encouraging employees to wear their eye protection. Eyewear that looks good and feels good will be worn and can perform its job properly.
Comfort and Style
While eye protection is widely recognized as a vital part of workplace safety, more can be done to prevent the more than 700,000 occupational eye injuries each year. Care must be taken to ensure that asphalt professionals have the right eyewear for the specific hazards they face on the job. By understanding national safety standards as well as the variety of styles and features available, employers can provide their workers with the safest options for eye protection. That can mean valuable savings to employers—and invaluable savings to employees who maintain their health and safety on the job every day. Phil Johnson is the director of technology Eye & Face Protection Group at Honeywell Safety Products, Smithfield, R.I.
There is more to protective eyewear than safety features. To do its job, eye protection must be worn and fitted properly. Even the most durable, high-quality eyewear is useless if an employee is reluctant to wear it. Employers should consider comfort, style and individual requirements when selecting safety eyewear. Improper fit may cause eyewear to loosen or slip out of position. Therefore, eyewear should be selected to fit an employee’s face shape comfortably and securely. Look for adjustable models that are designed to fit a broad range of the workforce. For employees with less than perfect vision, eyewear needs to protect the eyes and correct vision. Some models accommodate existing prescription
More Than Meets the Eye
www.theasphaltpro.com | ASPHALT PRO 41
Mix in Slag By Timothy R. Murphy
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e work in an evolving industry whose members are aware of the need for continual quality improvement. Quality asphalt pavements begin with the aggregates. During the past decade, the asphalt industry has increased its successful use of reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP), warm-mix asphalt (WMA), reclaimed asphalt shingles (RAS), and ferrous, iron and steel slag (slag). According to the National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA), “Cost savings have driven some of these mix-design changes, but the adoption of sustainable practices by the asphalt industry are also a source of pride.” Ensuring the excellent performance 42 february 2013
of asphalt pavements while increasing the recycled content, and maintaining safety, is the successful measure of these green initiatives. As a virgin product the initial use of iron and steel slag meets the requirements of green initiatives; it eliminates the use of additional mineral resources in construction applications. That includes asphalt pavements. Slag is a sustainable product that can be recycled and reused multiple times. Today, approximately 8 million tons of steel slag is used annually in the United States. The primary applications for steel slag in the United States are as a granular base or as an aggregate material in construction
applications. Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) publication (FHWA-RD-97-148) gives some origin, management options, market sources, highway uses, processing requirements and material properties. Additionally, steel furnace slag’s primary use is as premium asphalt aggregate. Once slag is in the mix, it makes a good recycled component. RAP of any nature, be it limestone, dolomite, crushed gravel or slag, comes from the crushing and screening of excavated or cold milled asphalt pavements. This processed RAP contains high quality, well-graded aggregates that have been coated with asphalt. In 2009, the Illinois Department of
Transportation and the Illinois Center for Transportation at the University of Illinois published their findings concerning the expansive characteristics of RAP used as base materials. Their conclusions led to the acceptance of the use of steel slag RAP as pavement base course aggregate and the allowable use of steel slag in all asphalt mixes—base, intermediate and surface.
project in the 1970s. The FHWA policy on the reuse of materials states, “…recycled materials should get first consideration in materials selection…and…Restrictions that prohibit the use of recycled materials without technical basis should be removed from specifications.” Today there is a renewed effort to grow the asphalt recycling program in the United States because
it is economically practical, environmentally prudent and an engineered product. Agencies are committed to increasing the use of RAP, WMA, RAS and recycled slag successfully through proper engineering and production controls. As endorsed by the FHWA, volumetric, aggregate and asphalt characteristics must meet or exceed the current specification requirements.
Get Your Materials
When agencies engage contractors to build asphalt projects, quite often these days they are built as Percent Within Limits (PWL) projects. With this change to payment schedules, the aggregate supplier has become even more actively engaged in the bidding and building processes. Consistency of the aggregate materials is paramount to success. Material suppliers won’t be paid for an inconsistent product because, as FHWA states for a quality assurance program, “confidence that a product or facility will perform satisfactorily in service” is the basis of payment. Material found to be non-compliant won’t be allowed for use in the roadway. The agency won’t pay the contractor. The contractor won’t pay the aggregate producer. Before an aggregate is considered for use on an agency project, whether it’s for an aggregate base or one of the asphalt layers, the quality of the mined materials must go through rigorous agency evaluation to determine a variety of qualitative measures, including: • safety—friction testing • angularity—fracture testing • hardness—LA abrasion test • durability—soundness • absorption—specific gravity Slag meets and exceeds these quality measures time after time.
haulk
Future Sustainability
As we continue to improve our design, manufacturing and construction processes for asphalt paving, new opportunities present themselves. Reusing materials multiple times is a bustling industry that has been growing since the first asphalt recycling www.theasphaltpro.com | ASPHALT PRO 43
Typically, to be considered for use by the agency, reprocessed material must exhibit the desired engineering characteristics of consistently satisfying specification requirements, providing an acceptable level of performance, being economically competitive with available materials, and being consistent, much like aggregate from a quarry and asphalt from a refinery. Consistency comes
from knowledge of crushing and screening practices, building stockpiles and loadout. Most experienced contractors realize that establishing a top size of ½-inch assists in accomplishing these goals. These specification requirements and sizing tips will guide the future development and enhancements of the recycling specifications across the nation, leading to expanded use.
Paving Contractors Use Slag
While blast furnace slag and steel slag have multiple uses in the construction industry as a whole, the asphalt industry’s interests are quite focused. Here are the ways you could find yourself saving on costs, incorporating more “green” and upping quality control with slag. According to the National Slag Association, air-cooled, blast furnace slag is used as an asphalt aggregate. The pelletized and granulated blast furnace slags are used for road base. Steel slag is also used as an asphalt aggregate and for road base. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Greenroads™ Manual suggests blast furnace slag, coal boiler slag, nonferrous slags and steel slag for use in granular bases. If you need to place an embankment or fill, FHWA lists nonferrous slags again.
Reach Your Destination
The process of quality control and increasing the use of sustainable material in our products is part of the journey to improving the quality of pavements for agencies and our fellow travelers. Over the past 30 years I’ve worked with slag aggregates from around the world. My professional experience has included working with agencies, contractors, consultants, material suppliers, associations, and academia. Slag aggregates are successfully used on roadways and airfields including interstates, heavy duty intersections, and intermodal facilities. Slag is a sustainable material that is paving the way to a future filled with quality pavement and environmental responsibility and accountability from our industry. Timothy R. Murphy, P.E., is the president of Murphy Pavement Technology, Inc., Chicago. For more information, contact him at www.murphypavetech.com. 44 february 2013
international snapshot
International Mix Innovation W
hen the British Columbia Ministry of Transportation & Infrastructure signed its Service Area 01 Highway Maintenance Contract with Mainroad South Island Contracting, it required the contractor to rehabilitate the timber Deering Bridge. That involved removing and replacing an existing asphalt surface along a 600-foot (185-meter) long and 20-foot (6-m) wide bridge deck that is about 2 to 2 ½ hours from the nearest asphalt plant. The bridge is part of the main ring road around the area of Vancouver; the contractor advertised to the public
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By AsphaltPro Staff
that no logging trucks or heavy traffic could use it on the day of paving. The crew used a 9-foot (3-m) wide paver to pave in two passes, allowing light oneway vehicle traffic across the bridge throughout the day. As a first for Canada, the mix for the project was EZ Street asphalt made using bio-fuel produced from waste vegetable oil. The plant produced the mix three weeks in advance of paving, stockpiled it and then delivered it to Mainroad’s Duncan yard the day prior to paving. Photo courtesy of EZ Street, Miami.
Racetrack Mixes Require Perfection By Jeff Winke
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ust as not all paving projects are the same, not all auto racing is the same. The most popular racing series in America, NASCAR, has very little in common with the most popular racing series in the world, Formula 1. NASCAR tracks are oval, while F1 circuits are road courses featuring a combination of twists, fast turns, and long straights followed by heavy braking zones. F1 circuits in48 february 2013
clude purpose built racetracks and converted street courses. Now that the United States has joined the F1 world with the new Circuit of the Americas (COTA) purposebuilt track outside of Austin, it’s time to take a look at the paving and the mix involved there. As expected, the paving of a racetrack presented an opportunity for asphalt professional Austin Bridge & Road, an Austin Industries Company, based in Dallas. The
racetrack building industry is notoriously secretive with its mix designs, but we’ll reveal this one here. Let’s look at how it all came together. The Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) oversees the Grand Prix series of races and has exacting specifications for the design and construction of any new tracks, all with an eye on driver safety. Nothing is perhaps more critical than the asphaltpaved surface. Imagine achieving
left: The mixes for the COTA project had to meet stringent specs. above top: Check out Austin Bridge & Road’s good paving practices with chalklines marking out their paving pattern. With a high profile project with high standards of specifications, crew members remember attention to detail.above bottom: For the intermediate and surface courses, MTVs fed pavers working in echelon.
speeds of 200 mph and heading into a 90-degree turn or tighter. The road surface has to work for the driver. “We were awarded the construction contract for the COTA track, specifically the construction of the top four layers of the track, which includes the flex base, an asphalt base course, an intermediate course and the wearing course,” Richard Mills said. He’s the vice president of operations for Austin Bridge & Road. “We also completed
subgrade preparation, flex base and asphalt for the side roads, parking lots, the pit lanes and the service roads inside the track.” The approximately $33 million project for Austin Bridge & Road required a total of 380,000 tons of flex base and asphalt paving throughout the 900acre site. The racetrack itself required 90,000 tons of asphalt. “The amount of stress this pavement will undergo is tremendous,”
Mills said. “It’s not downward stress, it’s shear stress. As a result the specifications for paving are extremely stringent. These include very tight gradation requirements on the aggregate and extremely high performance requirements for the bitumen or liquid asphalt and we had very tight control factors relative to temperature and consistency of the material itself—it was a big challenge to accomplish all of that.” www.theasphaltpro.com | ASPHALT PRO 49
Austin Bridge & Road focused on three critical areas of the overall paving specifications: 1. Consistency and quality of the material 2. Consistent paving practices 3. Smoothness and compaction requirements “We needed consistent practices throughout,” Mills said. “We needed to deliver the asphalt to the pavers at the exact temperature and without interrupting them. It was critical that we continuously progress the pavers, making sure the paver consistently placed a thickness that did not exceed 1/8 of an inch tolerance. That was a big challenge.” To help maintain the material’s required minimum temperature consistency of 302 degrees F and to help ensure that a continuous flow of asphalt fed to the three high density pavers, Austin Bridge & Road used two Roadtec SB-2500D Shuttle Buggy® MTVs (material transfer vehicles). The Roadtec Shuttle Buggy MTV is designed to deliver the asphalt from the haul truck to the paver. 50 february 2013
The Shuttle Buggy features a patented anti-segregation auger that remixes materials to eliminate aggregate segregation and temperature differences. The Shuttle Buggy MTV also supports non-stop, continuous paving, which was critical for Austin Bridge & Road’s ability to meet the pavement specifications. “There was no wiggle room in the specs,” Mills said. “We needed the paved surface to be smoother than smooth throughout the race course.” The 25-ton (22.7 metric ton) capacity of the larger Roadtec SB-2500D Shuttle Buggy, compared to the smaller units in the company’s MTV product line, gave Austin Bridge & Road the ability to deliver an incredibly smooth pavement. “We took advantage of the Shuttle Buggy’s ample storage capacity to smooth out our truck cycles and prevent paving disruptions,” Mills said. “The Roadtec MTVs helped give us confidence that we knew we always had enough material there to feed the pavers.”
The Roadtec Shuttle Buggy’s truck unloading capacity is rated at 1,000 tons per hour (907 metric tons/hour) and paver loading capacity at 600 tons per hour (544 metric tons/hour). Once the mix got to the paver, the word that the engineering consulting firm used to describe it was “homogeneous.” The engineers’ visual and testing evaluations specifically looked for the asphalt texture to be homogeneous and maintain temperature consistency in delivering the asphalt mix to the pavers at the right temperature. The expectation was for uninterrupted paving. Plus, the elevation of the paver screeds needed to maintain thickness tolerances that did not exceed 1/8inch requirement. For Austin Bridge & Road, the fourlayer project started with a flex base layer lift placed over a bed of six inches of crushed concrete. The flex base was crushed limestone processed through a pug mill adding 8 percent moisture and was laid with a paver. The density was to be 97 percent of maximum density. The company achieved a
Split-Drum Compactors Smooth the Track
by Tom Kuennen
Unique split-drum compactors—rarely seen in the United States—provided an essential component to obtaining optimum smoothness for the demanding asphalt mixes at the Circuit of The Americas (COTA) Formula 1 track just southeast of Austin. The $400 million facility’s 3.4-mile track features 20 turns plus inclines and a straightaway. Width varies from 32 to 52.5 feet and it’s designed to accommodate speeds approaching 200 mph. The maximum change in elevation is nearly 133 feet. Each of three lifts of asphalt was specifically designed to meet the standards of the sanctioning body, the FIA or Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile, and the rigors of the central Texas climate. Specs demanded that the two top courses be placed in echelon to eliminate cold joints.
Split-Drums for Tight Curves
On the project were four HD+ 90 VV-S compactors with split drums for compaction without tearing on curved sections; five HD+ 120 VV HF rollers, used on the wearing course; three GRW 280 pneumatic rollers; and one HD 14 VV Compact Line roller, all from Hamm. The specified split-drum rollers enabled the drum sections to turn at slightly different speeds on tight radii. “Because of the sharp corners that we had to pave and compact, the splitdrum was ideal for making those tight turns,” Tom Byrum said. He’s a management team member for Austin Industries. “If you don’t use the split-drum, the mat will shove and push and cut on those sharp turns.” Outside of the sharp turns on the binder course, the HD+ 90 VV-S splitdrum compactors also served as breakdown rollers in back of three to four Vögele Super 2100-2 pavers for all three courses. The pneumatic rollers served as intermediate rollers. “They kneaded and fixed the surface of the mat,” Byrum said. “This mix was somewhat tender so we kneaded it using those rollers. But on the wearing course, the pneumatic rollers were not allowed, except at the very end of the rolling train, and that was a whole other challenge.” Compaction at the paver was required in advance of the rolling train. For this critical, high-visibility application Austin selected four Super 21002 asphalt pavers from Vögele with AB 600-2 TP2 screeds, the pavers being fed by material transfer vehicles.
TOP: The Austin Bridge & Road team of Austin Industries completed the track in the allotted 391 days. Photo courtesy of Wirtgen Americas. MIDDLE AND BOTTOM: The HD+ 90 VV-S compactor with split drum lets the drum sections turn at slightly different speeds on the tight radii of track curves, precluding tearing of the mat. Photos courtesy of Wirtgen Americas.
The AB 600-2 TP2 screeds on the Super 2100-2 pavers have a leadingedge tamper bar, and two trailing-edge pressure bars. The pressure bars were used in conjunction with the tamper bar in placing the limestone flex base and base course, but not the binder and wearing courses. “For the binder and wearing courses we used the tamper bar in front, but not the pressure bars in back,” Byrum said. “When we didn’t use the pressure bars we got about 88 to 89 percent density. When we turned them on we got 91 to 92. But our consultant preferred that we not use the pressure bars as the aggregate might fracture. In response we rolled it a little bit more.” Specification for the binder course breakdown rolling was 94 to 97 percent density, and the rollers were getting 96s. In general, density specs for each lift were in that range, with the wearing course a little higher.
Demanding Smoothness Specs
The smoothness spec was the toughest aspect of the job, Byrum said. “More than anything, the flatness spec is what made this a huge challenge,” he said. “The surface course has a very tight specification for smoothness, 2 mm over 4 meters [0.08 in. over 13 ft.].”
Meeting those specs on the top layer meant each lift below also had to be super-smooth. The 3.1-inch-deep base course has a PG 64-22 binder with a smoothness spec of 4 mm over 4 meters (0.18 inch over 13 feet), while the 2-inchdeep intermediate “binder” lift in the middle has PG 76-22 liquid asphalt, with a little SBS modifier in it, and a smoothness spec of 3 mm over 4 meters (0.11 inch over 13 feet). While the base course was placed by a single paver, the binder and wearing courses were placed by pavers in echelon. “We had a V-shaped paving operation, with two pavers on the outside, trailed by a third paver in the middle,” Byrum said. “This had to be a continuous process and we could not stop throughout the pass. The transverse joints were placed at intervals where cars will be driving slowest, and the longitudinal joints are virtually nonexistent due to the echelon formation. A fourth paver was used in echelon with the other three where ramps widened the paving width for verges and run-offs.” They used a Wirtgen W 210 cold mill to correct pavement smoothness, remove obstructions and as a trimmer. “We used it for ‘smart’ repairs, very minute repairs to the surface that will allow us to meet specification,” Byrum said. “The W 210 was used to shave off infinitesimally thin layers to make the lift as smooth as it can be.” www.theasphaltpro.com | ASPHALT PRO 51
above: Richard Mills is the vice president of operations for Austin Bridge & Road, a division of Austin Industries, and he credits the project’s success to the high level of collaboration among the technical people, the materials people, the mix producer, the crew members and everyone involved in bringing quality to the table. left: Austin Bridge & Road team members watched every element of quality control. left middle: An aerial view of the COTA track shows its 3.4 mile twists and turns. left middle: Richard Mills credits the company’s competitor in the market for supplying great mix for good collaboration on the project.
smoothness on the flex base layer of less than or equal to 4/10 of an inch. “Typically we would lay flex base using blades and rollers but we were after tighter control,” Mills said. “We needed to control the thickness, density, consistency, smoothness and we achieved that by using the paver.” The second layer placed on top of the flex base was a 3.1-inch course asphalt base—a standard HMA mix, which was placed by the paver. For the binder and final wear lifts, the engineering firm spelled out all of the proprietary custom-mix physical properties of the material, the control requirements, and the finish results required for a high-speed precision racecourse. “We’ve never worked on a paving project before that has this level of control and specificity,” Mills said. “It makes sense that they’re expecting near perfect conditions to optimize the performance of these elite F1 drivers. If you were to show these requirements to most paving companies, they’ll likely say the third course is near impossible to achieve, while the top, final course would be impossible. These paving factors are very, very 52 february 2013
stringent and just meeting the specifications is an accomplishment—we’re proud to have done so.” Mills credits Brian Arent, quality control manager for Austin Bridge & Road, for developing a plan that requires precision execution and then taking responsibility for executing it. “There are two keys to the success of the project,” Mills said. “The first was the unwavering commitment to succeed on the part of our people. Everyone wanted to make sure we met these stringent specs. And the second, was a very high level of collaboration among the technical people on how to execute the project, the materials people on meeting the specifications, our competitor in our market who we subcontracted the mixing portion, and the equipment suppliers to ensure we had the right machines, support and contingency plans should there be equipment failure.“ Supplied by Closner Equipment, San Antonio, Texas, the Roadtec SB-2500D Shuttle Buggy MTVs played a significant role in Austin Bridge & Road’s success according to Arent. “The Roadtec Shuttle Buggies were not a requirement in our specs but for us they were necessary on this project,” Arent said. “They gave us additional mixing activity to ensure the critical material consistency we needed and they gave us additional storage that minimized the possibility the pavers would stop during the paving process. It was clear to everyone that the pavers could not pause or stop if we had hoped to achieve the smoothness we wanted and needed. Considering the end-result specifications on this project, I would have felt less confident and extremely nervous about achieving the results if we did without the Roadtec Shuttle Buggies.” Austin Bridge & Road had three pavers and two shuttle buggies effectively working side-by-side. They were staggered but functionally sideby-side. They completed the project within the 391 days allotted. The newly completed Circuit of the Americas F1 track is not only a welcome addition to the global FIA Formula One World Championship Race Calendar but locally as well.
How-to Design a Pavement for High Travel Speeds, Turns, Hard Braking By AsphaltPro Staff While the racing speeds of a NASCAR track are a bit higher than the typical motorist employs on North American, and even most European roadways, the driving experience on the Formula One (F1) racetrack mimics the real-world a little more closely. Speeds are still high and racers still take curves and inclines at aggressive speeds that would stop a soccer mom’s heart, but there’s logic in comparing the design of an F1 track with the design of highways. Safety is paramount in both situations. The mother or father taking the family on vacation has the same right to a safe, smooth, well-designed surface as the driver entertaining the masses at breakneck speeds around tight turns and long straight-aways. The design used for the COTA project, compiled from the sources used in the article and sidebar on these pages, is as follows: The crew excavated 10 feet of clay for the length of the track. They placed a 30-mil polyethylene liner along the length of the grade. They placed the following: 7 feet of loam fill, 1.5 feet of pit-run sand, 6 inches of crushed recycled concrete aggregate. On top of this they placed 6 inches of crushed limestone flex base.
For the 6.7-inch Asphalt Pavement All aggregates used were hard limestone-dolomite with a sandstone from Marble Falls. Cube-shaped or rounded aggregates were favored; flat and elongated aggregates were suppressed to avoid skid and shear problems. Base: PG64-22 binder; 50,000 tons placed at 3.1 inches compacted; smoothness spec of 4 mm over 4 meters—designed to support vertical forces Intermediate: PG76-22 modified with minimal SBS polymer; 18,000 tons placed at 2 inches compacted; smoothness spec of 3 mm over 4 meters—designed to support horizontal forces Surface: PG82-22 at 6.5% modified with SBS polymer and gap-graded aggregate, minimal fines for a high level of skid resistance; 22,000 tons placed at 1.6 inches compacted; smoothness spec of 2 mm over 4 meters—designed to provide grip The cost to COTA was $33 million. That may seem a little steep for a state DOT to spend on 3.4 miles of highway, but what price tag does an agency put on safety?
Austin Bridge & Road designed a meticulous paving plan to place a demanding mix regimen.
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Find ProjectsYou Want to Bid By AsphaltPro Staff
56 february 2013
O
ne of the topics I include in my online seminars is how to make your website or blog easy to navigate. The more clutter on your home page, the more confused your visitor will be. With state agencies taking business online, asphalt professionals are forced to submit bid proposals via Internet; finding the exact button to click to upload that perfectly saved pdf can drive your estimator, bean counter, and top vice presidents collectively insane. State departments of transportation (DOTs) have multiple missions to serve multiple masters, and that leaves asphalt professionals clicking around to find the parts and places they need. The good news is you can submit your bids through cyberspace with the mere click of a button rather than driving a few hours through the rain, racing the contractor from across the county to the DOT office to turn in your bid packet before the deadline. You can also peruse the bid opportunities on your laptop screen or iPhone from the comfort of your easy chair, or from the seat of your pickup truck while you wait for someone to trouble-shoot the latest situation at the plant. You miss out on coffee with your competitors on bid-letting day, but you save a great deal of gas money (read: Federal Highway Funding dollars) by staying at the office when you can use this list to find your next project. In the event you find yourself stumped at one of these sites, fall back on the “Doing Business” tab. Most DOT sites have a tab or link on the home page titled “Doing Business” or “Contracting” that will eventually lead to a list of projects or instructions for bidding. You may even stumble upon an asphalt pricing index. Where such a thing was obvious, I’ve mentioned it in the descriptions below. Consider first that Congress passed H.R. 4348, the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21), June 29, 2012. It became law and now we’re in the midst of extended federal highway funding and federal transit funding. MAP-21 gives the total authorizations of $40.968 billion for highways in fiscal year (FY) 2013. In FY 2014, total authorizations for highways are $41.025 billion. All around the highway
industry we hear pundits stating that this isn’t enough money to solve all the nation’s infrastructure woes. That means state agencies are using every penny they get wisely. But they’re using every penny they get. Projects are cropping up all over the country. While every state has projects, not every state makes a pretty website. Here are portals that offer a snapshot of what’s going on around the nation. The first URL will be the agency’s home page. The second, short URL will be the page we recommend for deeper investigation. Again, if you have trouble with any links, go to the state’s home page and seek out “doing business” or “contracting” information. <endmark>
Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department
www.arkansashighways.com or http://tinyurl.com/ARKasphaltpro This page of the Arkansas website provides names and contact information for heads of the programs and contract administration division.
Colorado DOT
www.coloradodot.info or http://tinyurl.com/CDOTasphaltpro The Colorado DOT website has a live link labeled “Invitation to Bidders” under the Scheduled Bid Openings where visitors can request paper bids. New ads are typically posted, and can be sent automatically to your e-mail if you merely sign up for the RSS feed, each Wednesday afternoon on the website, though. Ask questions at (303) 757-9313. Use Bid Express to send in your bids.
Connecticut DOT
www.ct.gov/dot or http://tinyurl.com/CONNasphaltpro The webmaster posts a list of state projects and municipality projects available for bid, refreshing the lists monthly, at the address above. These lists provide a year-long snapshot for the contractor making long-term plans. http://www.biznet.ct.gov/scp_ search/BidResults.aspx?groupid=64
A weekly list of all projects with bid openings and bid results is found at the address here.
Delaware DOT
www.deldot.gov/ or http://bids.delaware.gov/ The Bid Solicitation Directory for Delaware DOT has a different URL from the main site. Although the webmaster updates it regularly, you can click on the orange RSS button on the right-hand side of the page to be taken to a page where you will be asked to confirm that you want to subscribe to the Directory’s RSS Feed. That will allow you to receive automatic updates when new projects are listed or addendums are made to existing projects. Since April 16, 2012, Delaware DOT requires contractors to use Expedite Bid Disc 5.9a (which is a “new” version of EBS) to submit bids. Not to worry: The installation file and instructions come with bid documents for projects and DelDOT officials are happy to help at DOT-ask@state.de.us. Make sure you’re asking your questions in advance of deadline! To see liquid asphalt cement prices, updated monthly, visit http://www. deldot.gov/information/business/ bids/asphalt_cement_english.shtml or watch the Last Cut department of AsphaltPro.
Florida DOT
www.dot.state.fl.us or http://tinyurl.com/FLAasphaltpro Letting and posting dates for 2013 and 2014 are listed at this link. Projects, bid solicitations, plans and specs, postings and more are listed at http:// www.dot.state.fl.us/cc-admin/Letting_ Project_Info.shtm. Juanita Moore, the manager at the contracts administration office, can assist with questions. Contact her at (850) 414-4000 or contracts.admin@ dot.state.fl.us. Through TIFIA Credit Assistance Program, a repeal of the SAFETEA-LU prohibited tolling on Interstate 4 and P3 funding, the state is getting innovative in the financing arena of road construction. According to the website, www.theasphaltpro.com | ASPHALT PRO 57
Florida will spend the following in FY 2013, 2014 respectively: • $1.116, $1.126 billion on National Highway Performance Program • $514, $518 million on Surface Transportation Program • $123, 124 million on Highway Safety Improvement Program • $13, $13 million on Congestion Mitigation • $19.6, $19.8 million on Metropolitan Planning • $49.2, $50.0 million on Transportation Alternatives
Georgia DOT
www.dot.state.ga.us or http://tinyurl.com/GAasphaltpro The Georgia DOT has a page full of information for its electronic bidding system called the “Office of Construction Bidding Administration.” There you’ll find everything from software to links and instructions for using Bid Express. Be sure to visit the third tab from the left at the top of the page labeled “News Flash” to find special notices, price increases, new letting information, etc. Regular bid letting information and contract amendments and announcements are located under the third tab from the right labeled “Bid Notices/Reports.” If you have questions about the site or information posted therein, contact David Hoge in the office of Construction Bidding Administration at (404) 6311147 or dhoge@dot.ga.gov.
Maine DOT
Kentucky Transportation Cabinet
www.mdot.maryland.gov/ or http://tinyurl.com/MDasphaltpro At this link, you’ll find live links under the “Contracts Available” heading and the “Business Opportunities” heading.
http://transportation.ky.gov/ or http://tinyurl.com/KYasphaltpro When visiting the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet site, notice the menu of useful live links on the righthand side of the page, beneath the color-coded calendar. These online tools will help contractors through the bidding process, including the use of Bid Express and Expedite Software. Upcoming letting dates for Kentucky are as follows: Feb. 22, March 22, April 19, May 24, June 14, July 12, Aug. 16, Sept. 27, Oct. 25, Nov. 22 and Dec. 13. Federal-Aid projects will 58 february 2013
be advertised at the site on or before Feb. 1 (for February), March 1, March 29, May 3, May 24, June 21, July 26, Sept. 6, Oct. 4, Nov. 1 and Nov. 22. State-funded projects will be advertised at the site on or before Feb. 15 (for February), March 15, April 12, May 17, June 6, July 5, Aug. 9, Sept. 20, Oct. 18, Nov. 15 and Dec. 6. Direct questions to the Contract Administration Branch’s Stephanie Rich at (502) 564-4780 or Stephanie.rich@ky.gov. http://tinyurl.com/KYacfuel Find fuel and asphalt adjustment prices for Kentucky at this link.
www.maine.gov or http://tinyurl.com/MAINEasphaltpro Projects are posted/refreshed at the first of each month. If you have any trouble downloading the information, contact Jerry Casey at Maine DOT at (207) 624-3344 or jerry.casey@ maine.gov. As of press time, the most recent projects available for bid were a $1.3 to $1.5 million multimodal new construction of a bicycle and pedestrian safety facility to connect Paper Mill Trail toward downtown Lisbon and a $289,000 to $326,000 ten- to twelvefoot wide paved bike and pedestrian trail from the Belfast Pedestrian Bridge, along the waterfront and connecting through downtown to the boathouse at Steamboat Landing.
Maryland DOT
Massachusetts DOT
www.mhd.state.ma.us or http://tinyurl.com/MASSasphaltpro If that address gives your browser any troubles, go instead to www.massdot.state.ma.us/highway/Main.aspx and click on the dark blue “Projects” tab in the center of the page. When the new window opens within that
center structure of the page, click on the “Advertised Projects Bid Opening Schedule” (or “Bid opportunities”) link for a list of items you’ll be interested in. At press time, the site had 14 pavement-related projects coming up for bid in the February and March time frame, including project number 605223, which is an interchange reconstruction at Fall River estimated at $215 million and project number 605597, which is a resurfacing of a section of I-95 estimated at $10.5 million. To bid on Massachusetts DOT projects, contractors must use the Bid Express application, which can’t be accessed from the DOT website with confidence. If you wish to bid on a project, make sure you check into the process ahead of time.
bid in the month of January were estimated at less than $500,000 and had nothing to do with asphalt paving. According to the 20122014 advertising schedule at the site, a variety of interstate resurfacing projects are coming up for bid in February, March, April and so on. The projects range in estimated contract prices from $171,000 to $5.5 million and include resurfacing I-93 northbound and southbound from Bow mile marker 29.8 to 31 and Hooksett mile marker 26.1 to 28.2 and Nashua Exit 5 & 7 ramps; replacing a signalized intersection at NH 122 and NH 130; and pavement and bridge rehabilitation on NH 12 from South Village Road North to north of NH 63.
Montana DOT
New Jersey DOT
www.mdt.mt.gov/ or http://tinyurl.com/MONTasphaltpro While Montana DOT uses the Trns*Port system endorsed by AASHTO, they incorporate Bid Express and Expedite software in the process. Check out the link above for a host of live links to tools to help in the bidding process and project listings.
Nebraska Department of Roads
http://www.nebraskatransportation.org/letting/lettings.htm Visit the site and click on the red “Subscribe Now!” link to get on the e-mail list to receive highway, bridge and local project contract letting updates as they’re posted.
Nevada DOT
www.nevadadot.com or http://tinyurl.com/NVasphaltpro
New Hampshire DOT
www.nh.gov.dot/ or http://tinyurl.com/NHasphaltpro To bid on road and bridge and public works construction projects, visit the link above. At press time, the three projects coming up for
www.state.nj.us or http://tinyurl.com/NJasphaltpro At this link, the New Jersey DOT had 20 road and bridge related projects open for bid in its Capital Program Management category during February, March, April and May. These projects ranged from a $10+ million pavement rehabilitation of Route 9 in Middlesex and Monmouth Counties involving a 2.5-inch mill and pave to a $5 to $10 million project along Route 322 in Atlantic County, Hamilton Township and Folsom Boro for milling, resurfacing and rehabilitation. The site also has about nine Operations projects listed after January that include a $1 to $5 million pavement preservation contract and $1 to $5 million intersection improvement at Route 18 and South Woodland Avenue in East Brunswick Township. A few utility projects appear to require repaving afterward as well. Be aware that New Jersey DOT makes it a point to keep the legal statement right up front when posting its available work. Check that out at http://www.state.nj.us/transportation/legal/.
North Carolina DOT www.ncdot.gov/ or
http://tinyurl.com/NCasphaltpro Find the 12-month letting list, which is updated regularly, at this link. Also find resources, recent lets and upcoming projects divided by region or price here.
South Carolina DOT
www.scdot.org or http://tinyurl.com/SCasphaltpro
Note that some areas of the bidding and letting arena require the contractor to register (for free) and use a user name and password to access free files and information. Lettings take place at SCDOT headquarters at 955 Park Street, Columbia, S.C., Feb. 12, March 12, April 9, May 14, June 11, July 9, Aug. 13, Sept. 10, Oct. 8, Nov. 13 and Dec. 10 in 2013. To see advertised projects, visit the site
to get electronic bid system (EBS) files and proposals for projects available on the Bid Express website (http://www. bidx.com) four weeks prior to the letting. SCDOT only accepts electronic bids for highway construction lettings. If you have any problems or questions, call the Contract Administration Office at (803) 737-1249.
North Dakota DOT
https://www.dot.nd.gov/business/ bidinfo.htm
South Dakota DOT
www.sddot.com or http://tinyurl.com/SDasphaltpro Check out the bid letting information link on this page and various forms that are available for both online and snail mail submissions.
Oklahoma DOT
http://www.okladot.state.ok.us/ cnstrctengr.htm
Rhode Island DOT
www.dot.ri.gov or http://tinyurl.com/RIasphaltpro At press time, Rhode Island DOT only had two construction-related projects out for bid—both were for pavement striping. The site implies contracts are advertised weekly, so it pays to check back, but the better option is to subscribe to RIDOT’s RSS feed, which you can find at the link listed above. Scroll to the end of the advertised projects where you find the text “Subscribe to RIDOT’s RSS Bid Opportunity Feed…” and click on the live link. This takes you to a page where you will be directed to click on a link confirming you’re subscribing to the feed and you’ll be automatically notified when contracts are posted or amended. If you intend to bid on projects in Rhode Island, you will need to register at http://www. purchasing.ri.gov/ and follow the rules posted there.
Tennessee DOT
http://www.tdot.state.tn.us/construction/specs.htm Notice that we’re providing the direct link to the specs page for the 60 february 2013
Tennessee DOT. On the left-hand side of the page, you’ll see the link for Bid Lettings as well as live links to contractor information and alternative contracting.
Utah DOT
www.udot.utah.gov or http://tinyurl.com/UTAHasphaltpro The Utah DOT directs contractors to this Project Explorer site and Project Development information to view what’s available and submit bids. There’s a demonstration video on the right-hand side of the page to walk you through the steps.
Washington DOT
www.wsdot.wa.gov or http://tinyurl.com/WAasphaltpro This page is the one-stop shop for all the information you need to bid state projects in the state of Washington. From contractor resources to prequalification instructions to
project listings, all the live links are right here. There’s even a box of menu items that are “Most Requested” on the right-hand side of the page. If you’re looking for a bridge project, you can choose from something in the less than $1 million range to the $10 to $15 million range to bid being advertised from March through December. If major construction is more your bag, there are 16 projects being advertised from March through December. Resurfacing projects number 53 from February through November with 24 of those estimated at more than $1 to $2 million in value. Additional projects are considered “safety” and “unique.” Check out the list and get your estimating hat on.
West Virginia
www.transportation.wv.gov or http://tinyurl.com/WVasphaltpro This link not only gives you live links to the upcoming bid opportunities, it also provides a menu of
bid-related helps for contractors in the state. Some of the information is exclusive to West Virginia, of course, but has a foundation that applies in any state. Contractors new to the system could benefit from perusing these pdfs and taking some notes on “Prequalifications,” “Value Engineering,” “Surety Search” and more. www.bidx.com/wv/letting As of press time, WVDOT-DOH had six projects open for bid through the Bid Express website. The agencies no longer sell paper copies of plans and proposals and no longer accept paper bids. Grab the info you need at the Bid Express link above or call (304) 558-2874. Check the WVDOT site at the lettings page for opportunities for electronic bid training. Classes appear to be about $20 per attendee, but are limited to 40 attendees per session. Pat MacDonald took care of registration for the two classes offered in December. You can reach MacDonald at (304) 3421166.
www.theasphaltpro.com | ASPHALT PRO 61
that's a good idea
Put a Flag on It By John Ball
T
his crew enhances motorist safety and decreases the risk of damage to equipment by placing a flag on the outside of the ski. Its handle fits perfectly down in the hollow of this 4-inch aluminum pipe, which the mechanic screwed to the ski. This not only alerts passing drivers to the edge of the equipment that may otherwise be difficult to see, it also helps ground workers avoid tripping and allows the paver and screed operators to keep track of the all-important joint. The crew placed one on the front end and one on the back end of the ski. Photo courtesy of Top Quality Paving, Manchester, N.H. 62 february 2013
Help educate future generations about the value of asphalt roads while providing a positive community message about your asphalt facility!!!!! Asphalt Pro magazine is proud to announce the launch of Asphalt Lane: A children’s activity book designed to deliver a positive educational message to your local school children. Told through the eyes of Chuck the Truck and his sidekick Chuck Jr. the story of Asphalt Lane is a perfect opportunity for you to use as a public relations tool.
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.
Call Sally Shoemaker to order yours today!
573-499-1830 ext 1008
Order yours today, shipped direct to your facility on
www.theasphaltpro.com or www.asphaltlane.com Only $1.00 per copy + shipping. Special pricing available on quantities over 5,000, call for pricing
equipment gallery
FHWA Studies Asphalt Intelligent Compaction Field Demos I
n 2012, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) ramped up its field studies of intelligent compaction (IC) for asphalt pavements. The administration lists the following as advantages of IC devices for highway projects: • Optimized labor deployment and construction time. Contractors can roll the right amount of material with the right amount of compactive effort on each pass to ensure long-term performance. • Reduced compaction costs and maintenance requirements. The flexibility to make fewer passes to achieve the correct compaction level minimizes fuel use and equipment wear and tear. • The ability to make midcourse corrections. Adjusting during compaction of one layer before additional layers are put over it ensures subsurface problems don’t affect the entire road surface. • The ability to maintain construction records. Data from the IC, along with global positioning system (GPS) coordinates of compaction activity, can be downloaded into construction quality databases and stored for future reference.
Intelligent compaction technology is applicable to soil compaction as well. “Intelligent Compaction is an equipment-based technology for better quality control that results in longer pavement lives,” according to the FHWA. “IC machines are vibratory rollers with accelerometers mounted on the axle of the front drums, global positioning system, infrared temperature sensors (for asphalt), and on-board computers that can display color-coded maps in real-time to track roller passes, asphalt surface temperatures, and stiffness of compacted materials.” In August 2012, IC field equipment was evaluated at a near-week-long field demonstration on an urban state highway in Provo, Utah, just south of Salt Lake City. The demo included a Hamm HD+ 120 VV HF roller incorporating the Hamm Compaction Quality (HCQ) system. In mid-October, a Hamm HD+ 120 VV HF with HCQ again was used on I-95 in Brevard County, Fla. These two demonstrations were undertaken by the FHWA’s Intelligent Compaction research team in its effort to bring intelligent compaction to implementation, and the Utah and Florida departments of transportation were cosponsors. Additional workshops are scheduled for 2013; More information is available at www.intelligentcompaction.com. 64 february 2013
Field applications of IC technology have not been limited to the FHWA demos. In the first week of August, HCQ was demonstrated for UCM (United Contractors Midwest) with a Hamm HD+ 120 VV HF roller on an asphalt paving project on I-155 in central Illinois just south of Peoria. “HCQ is the latest intelligent compaction system from Hamm,” Tim Kowalski, Hamm applications support manager, said. “We now have upgraded the system to provide pre-installation kits for any Hamm roller. The pre-installation kit helps the receiver and computer tablet identify what type of roller on which the system is mounted.” This enables easy transfer of the HCQ receiver and tablet PC from roller to roller, minimizing costs.
above TOP: The Hamm HCQ module was tested on I-155 in Illinois in August of 2012. above: The removable computer tablet displays compaction parameters for the roller operator on a split screen. She can see her own pattern as well as that of other rollers in the compaction train with the right settings. left: At the Utah DOT Region 3 office in Orem, Utah, Hamm applications support manager Tim Kowalski described the HCQ system to IC workshop delegates.
“We can transfer the receiver and computer tablet 2 one machine to the next to identify the size and from type of roller to correct the offset from where the receiver is mounted on the roof, to the center of the front drum,” Kowalski said. “This provides extreme accuracy for position and better utilization for the contractor, and is a Hamm exclusive for HD+ Series asphalt rollers and all our soil compactors.”
Modular IC System
As of now, new Hamm rollers can be delivered with the HCQ pre-installation kit. This applies to soil compactors and asphalt rollers, as well as machines with a cabin or ROPS canopy. Retrofitting is also possible for all soil compactors and HD+ machines. The manufacturer states the system is extremely flexible: All of the other HCQ modules can be retrofitted individually and exchanged as required among different machines and construction sites. Clear dialogues and icons are designed to make the HCQ system simple to operate. The plug-and-play solution with automatic machine detection eliminates complicated parameter settings. Once work is complete, the data that were generated can be backed up via the USB interface. The resulting data provide documentation of the continuous compaction control with no need for transformation or further processing. Data collection and backup also serve as a basis for individual evaluation and preparation of statistics. The HCQ Indicator enables monitoring of asphalt stiffness. It also measures the asphalt temperature continuously in front of and behind the roller and shows the temperatures on the display. A split screen capability enables the operator to view two functions at the same time. At the core of the application is a rugged panel touch-screen PC with USB interface. This computer provides processing power as well as a monitor and data storage facilities. It is based on military standards, has a fully enclosed metal case, and is protected against water and vibrations. The differential global positioning system (DGPS) receiver in a heavy-duty version with magnetic feet takes seconds to mount on the roller, and dispenses with the need for a base station. This device receives satellite signals along with a DGPS correction signal. Licenses for these signals are available in different accuracy classes by subscription. The HCQ Navigator retains the GPS signal for up to 16 hours even after the machine is shut down; this eliminates wait time for system initialization when starting work, after breaks, at the start of shifts, etc. When compacting under bridges or in locations with radio shadowing, sensors combine with the intelligent software to bridge over insufficient GPS signals for up to one minute. www.theasphaltpro.com | ASPHALT PRO 65
equipment gallery The mobile system components are kept in a rugged hard-shell case for safely stow-away for transport.
Connecting Multiple Rollers
A WLAN data network can be used to interconnect a group of rollers so
they can exchange measurement results continuously. Each of the roller operators can watch the current progress of the group’s work, e.g. the number of passes by all of the rollers or the temperature. During the compaction process, the panel PC shows the operator
how stiffness is progressing. Separate graphics depict, for example, the number of completed passes or the current asphalt temperature, and the operator has the ability to monitor two of these functions simultaneously on the split screen. For better orientation, guidelines can also be displayed in the system for the operator. During compaction of asphalt, for example, this might be the required pass frequency, the desired compaction result or the temperature window for compaction.
Painting Service
Does your site need a facelift before your next state inspection? You can make an older plant look new again with a fresh coat of paint, but only if you use the right kind of paint atop the right primer atop the right preparation. With that kind of worry, you can also leave it to professionals like Reliable Plant Maintenance, Shelbyville, Ky. They advertise their complete plant painting services to take care of the following: • batch plants • drum plants • silo systems • baghouses • drum and dryers • tanks • bin and conveyors They offer free estimates for their fully insured personnel to use modern equipment and high grade, heatresistant paint. Their experienced, licensed technicians are available to handle signs and decals, according to the company. For more information, contact Reliable Plant Maintenance at (866) 6471782. Tell them you saw it in AsphaltPro Magazine.
Post Safely with Pexco
The DP 200 EFX City Post is an ultrahigh performance post that features a slim profile and quick “spin-in” deployment to create a polyurethane, 1-piece channelizer. In addition to the strength and durability improvements Pexco, Tacoma, Wash., has made to the post, they’ve also added a new top-cap for it. Four air holes in the cap allow air to 66 february 2013
Pave your way to cash and prizes at Asphalt Proâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 3rd Annual Amazing Road Race World of Asphalt in San Antonio, TX! Register and pick up your race packet at the Asphalt Pro booth #216. Visit each pit stop to stock your toolbox with essential tools of the trade. Drop off your completed map back at the Asphalt Pro booth to be entered to win additional prizes and cash giveaways. Not attending the show this year? Enter to win anyway at www.asphaltpro.com/RoadRace2013
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equipment gallery escape when the post is impacted. The post overall has improved cosmetics with a higher sheen. For more information, contact Davidson Traffic Control Products, a division of Pexco LLC, at (253) 284-8000. Tell them you saw it in AsphaltPro Magazine.
Patch in the Cold
Whether it’s repairing utility cuts or patching a pothole, HP Asphalt Cold Patch from Crafco Inc., an Ergon Company, offers a remedy in 50-pound easy-open bags like the one pictured here, 1-ton re-sealable super sacks or in bulk. To use HP Asphalt Cold Patch, the manufacturer recommends you follow these steps. • Step 1. Clean out the pothole or area to be repaired. • Step 2. Clean and square the edges of the hole if possible. • Step 3. Fill in 2-inch lifts at a time, compacting each lift as you go. • Step 4. If you have soft soil under the area being filled or paved in, place the material so that it forms a ½-inch crown atop the completed fill; this will allow for latent compaction by traffic. • Step 5. In soft-base conditions, you may return later after some settlement has occurred to bring the repair level with the existing pavement surface.
above: The HP Asphalt Cold Patch from Crafco showed less springiness than the grey product. Left: HP Asphalt Cold Patch comes in 50-pound bags, 1-ton super sacks or in bulk.
The two HP products pictured here show an asphalt cold patch and a concrete cold patch. In the event that you don’t want to be embarrassed by the copious holes and deterioration of a concrete pavement or sidewalk in your neighborhood or district, using the HP Concrete Cold Patch is supposed to blend the colors of the patch with the existing problem areas. Both products are formulated for a springlike consistency but the sample of HP Concrete Cold Patch had a noticeably more life-like movement to it when disturbed. The HP Asphalt Cold Patch showed some flexibility, as expected, but tended to stay in place. For more information, contact Rex Hedges, president of RejuvTec, Inc., Indianapolis, at (800) 550-5330 or (317) 2419023 or rex@rejuvtec.com. Or contact Paving Maintenance Supply Inc., Wichita, Kan.; Edmond, Okla.; Lee’s Summit, Mo.; and Tulsa at (800) 594-7674. Or visit Crafco at www. crafco.com. (800) 528-8242. Tell them you saw it in AsphaltPro Magazine.
Clean Your Paver
As John Ball pointed out in the “Stay Safe in the Work Zone” article starting on page 26, one way to safeguard an area is to clean the area. Protect against slips and falls by cleaning grease and grime off heavy equipment. The manufacturer of Oil Eater Fleet Wash offers the ecofriendly product to get diesel fuel, grease, dirt, bird droppings and more from trucks and other heavy equipment. Kafko International, Skokie, Ill., states that the ultra-concentrated Oil Eater is a low-VOC cleaner/degreaser that is non-acid, non-corrosive, non-hazardous and biodegradable. It is designed to work in hard or soft water, to clean carbon deposits, to lubricate brushes, to be safe on proportioners, and be ideal for use in automatic and high pressure self-service systems. Kafko also recommends it for use in friction and notouch washing as long as it’s diluted. They say it’s safe for polished aluminum, rubber, vinyl and paint when used as directed. It’s available in a 5-gallon bucket and 30- and 55-gallon drums. You can get a sample if you request it from Bob Kafkis at (800) 528-0334. Tell him AsphaltPro Magazine sent you. 68 february 2013
here's how it works
D&H Equipment’s American Blender I
f you anticipate the need to blend ground tire rubber (GTR) into your next asphalt mix, you’ll want to incorporate a rubber blending plant into your plans. Of the models available, D&H Equipment, Ltd., Blanco, Texas, offers five basic ones that can be customized, including the American Blender. It features one hopper, whereas its counterpart—the American Dual Hopper Blender—has two, and an optional 60 ton per hour (TPH) production rate. For this department’s purposes, we’ll focus on the trailer-mounted unit with 45 TPH standard production. Here’s how it works. First, the operator locates the portable unit on the asphalt plant site. There he can use automated, semi-automated or manual control from the unit’s 70 february 2013
control house to feed GTR into the 600-cubic-foot crumb rubber hopper. Scales on the hopper weigh product as it flows to the vertical (or optional horizontal) mixing chamber, which can be continuous when in semi-automated or automated mode. At the same time, a Bearcat 600 asphalt pump with Coriolis meter sends virgin asphalt cement (AC) to the horizontal or vertical mixing chamber to meet up with the GTR. Paddles blend the materials there. If using a polymer, the blended material goes to a mill next for additional shearing, adding about a minute to the process. Next, a Bearcat AR450 discharge pump sends the blended material through hoses to one of two 15,000-gallon reaction tanks, which are
located on an adjacent trailer. This is where the physical reaction of the rubber softening and diluting takes place. A 0.5M BTU hot oil (or hot oil and direct fire tank) heater keeps each reaction tank hot and a Bearcat 960 pump sends the ready material to the asphalt plant for mix production. A 3-inch Coriolis meter measures the flow from the reaction tank to the plant. International producers will be interested to know the blending plant and reaction tanks come in sea container frame enclosures. For more information about the D&H Equipment American Blender, contact D&H Equipment at (830) 8335366 or info@dhequip.com, or visit www.dhequip.com.
resource directory Almix......................................... 15 Tel: 260-672-3004 sales@almix.com www.almix.com Asphalt Drum Mixers….54-55, 58 Contact: Steve Shawd or Jeff Dunne Tel: 260-637-5729 sales@admasphaltplants.com www.admasphaltplants.com Astec, Inc.......... …..31, 36 - 37, 65 Contact: Tom Baugh Tel: 423-867-4210 tbaugh@astecinc.com www.astecinc.com B & S Light Industries..........16 -17 Contact: Mike Young Tel: 918-342-1181 Sales@bslight.com www.bslight.com BOMAG Industries................... .11 Tel: 800-782-6624 of 309-853-3571 www.bomag.com CEI............................................... 4 Tel: 800-545-4034 info@ceienterprises.com www.ceienterprises.com C.M. Consulting........................ 73 Contact: Cliff Mansfield Tel: 541-354-6188 Cmconsulting@aol.com www.hotplantconsulting.com
Clarence Richard Co.................. 35 Contact: Clarence Richard Tel: 952-939-6000 Carrie@clarencerichard.com www.clarencerichard.com Dillman Equipment.................. .69 Tel: 608-326-4820 www.dillmanequipment.com E.D. Etnyre................................ 59 Contact: sales@etnyre.com Tel: 800-995-2116 www.etnyre.com EZ Street................................... 61 Tel: 800-734-1476 Info@ezstreet-miami.com www.ezstreetasphalt.com Fast-Measure............................. 41 Tel: 888-876-6050 www.Fast-measure.com Hauck Manufacturin.................. 43 Contact: Michael Blantz Tel: 717-272-3051 Mblantz@hauckburner.com www.hauckburner.com Heatec, Inc...... Inside Front Cover Contact: Sharlene Burney Tel: 800-235-5200 sburney@heatec.com www.heatec.com Hercules..................................... 10 Tel: 800-777-5617 or 727-796-1300 www.herculesus.com
Homestead Valve..................... .41 Tel: 610-770-1100 Sales@homesteadvalve.com www.homesteadvalve.com Kenco Engineering…................ 60 Contact: Brad Brad@kencoengineering.com Tel: 800-363-9856 www.kencoengineering.com KPI-JCI and Astec Mobile Screens.......................... 19 Contact: Lisa Carson Tel: 605-668-2425 lisacarson@kpijci.com www.kpijci.com Libra Systems…........................ .66 Contact: Ken Cardy Tel: 225-256-1700 Sales@librasystems.com www.librasystems.com Process Heating…..................... 44 Contact: Rick or Ron Jay Tel: 866-682-1582 Ron@processheating.com Rick@processheating.com www.processheating.com Reliable Asphalt Products......................Back Cover Contact: Charles Grote Tel: 502-647-1782 cgrote@reliableasphalt.com www.reliableasphalt.com
Roadtec................................... 7, 9 Contact: Sales Tel: 423-265-0600 Sales@roadtec.com www.roadtec.com Rocky Mountain Conference & Expo................... 71 Contact: Heather Clark Tel: 303-518-0618 www.rmaces.org Rotochopper, Inc..................... Inside Back Cover Tel: 320-548-3586 Info@rotochopper.com www.rotochopper.com Rushing Enterprises…............... 68 Contact: Darrell Martin Tel: 800-654-8030 Dmartin@rushingenterprises.com www.rushingenterprises.com Stansteel AsphaltPlant Products…..... 45, 47 Contact: Dave Payne Tel: 800-826-0223 dpayne@stansteel.com www.stansteel.com Stansteel…................................ 25 Contact: Dawn Kochert Tel: 800-826-0223 dkochert@hotmixparts.com www.hotmixparts.com
Systems Equipment.................. 38 Contact: Dave Enyart, Sr. Tel: 563-568-6387 Dlenyart@systemsequipment.com www.systemsequipment.com Tarmac International, Inc........... 33 Contact: Ron Heap Tel 816-220-0700 info@tarmacinc.com www.tarmacinc.com Terex Roadbuilding.................. .23 Contact: Aron Sweeney Tel: 605 987 2603 Aron.sweeney@terex.com www.terex.com Top Quality Paving.................... 73 Contact: John Ball Tel 603-624-8300 Tqpaving@yahoo.com www.tqpaving Wirtgen America....................... 29 Tel: 615-501-0600 Info@wirtgenamerica.com www.wirtgenamerica.com World of Asphalt....................... 72 www.worldofasphalt.com www.asphaltpavement.com WRT Equipment........................ 41 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 73
the last cut
EIA Foresees Increased U.S. Crude Production By AsphaltPro Staff
T
he U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)’s Annual Energy Outlook 2013 (AEO2013) shows an increase from the administration’s 2012 AEO in projected domestic crude oil production. EIA stated that petroleum fuels will continue to dominate transportation sector consumption in AEO2013. “However, gasoline consumption is expected to decline both in absolute terms and as a share of total transportation fuel demand, due to the introduction of more stringent corporate average fuel economy standards as well as demographic and economic changes. Petroleum-based diesel fuel is projected to account for a growing share of petroleum-based transportation fuel demand, but growth in its use is moderated by increased use of liquefied natural gas (LNG) or compressed natural gas (CNG) and gas-to-liquids (GTL) fuels in heavy-duty vehicles.”
“Growth is driven largely by a significant increase in onshore production, particularly from shale and other tight formations.” In the Dec. 5, 2012, This Week in Petroleum report, EIA explained that “Crude oil production, particularly from tight oil plays, continues to rise sharply in the AEO2013 projection through 2019, when production reaches 7.5 million barrels per day (bbl/d). Growth is driven largely by a significant increase in onshore production, particularly from shale and other tight formations.” The report shows that after 2019, production is expected to decline gradually, falling to 6.1 million bbl/d in 2040. “This decline reflects a decrease in tight oil production as producers move from sweet spots to less-productive or less-profitable areas. Production of natural gas liquids also grows significantly over the coming decade.” 74 february 2013
Liquid Asphalt Cement Prices—average per ton Company, State
Aug ’12 Sept. ’12
Oct. ’12
Nov. ’12
ConocoPhillips, Tenn.
$585.00
$555.00
$565.00
$565.00
NuStar Energy, Ga.
600.00
575.00
555.00
555.00
NuStar Energy, N.C.
600.00
575.00
565.00
550.00
NuStar Energy, Va.
590.00
570.00
565.00
580.00
Assoc’d Asphalt Inman, N.C.
595.00
570.00
560.00
550.00
Assoc’d Asphalt Inman, S.C.
595.00
570.00
570.00
565.00
Assoc’d Asphalt Inman, Va.
595.00
580.00
570.00
560.00
Marathon Petroleum, Tenn.
575.00
565.00
565.00
565.00
Marathon Petroleum, N.C.
575.00
545.00
545.00
545.00
Valero Petroleum, N.C.
585.00
560.00
560.00
545.00
California Average
544.30
589.10
581.80
554.70
Delaware Average
593.33
571.67
566.67
571.67
Kentucky Average
568.75
563.13
563.13
563.13
Massachusetts Average
610.00
592.50
592.50
592.50
Missouri Average
545.00
516.25
516.25
516.25
Data for Southeast region, Source: ncdot.org; Data for California, Source: dot.ca.gov; Data for Delaware, Source: deldot.gov; Data for Kentucky, Source: transportation.ky.gov; Data for Massachusetts, Source: mass. gov; Data for Missouri, Source: modot.mo.gov
Crude Oil Activity (U.S. Crude) futures spot data
stocks
Oct 5
$89.88
366.4 m bbl
Oct 12
$91.86
369.2 m bbl
Oct 19
$90.05
375.1 m bbl
Oct 26
$86.28
373.1 m bbl
Nov 2
$84.86
374.8 m bbl
Nov 9
$86.07
375.9 m bbl
Nov 16
$86.67
Nov 23 Nov 30
Diesel Fuel Retail Price (dollars per gallon) Oct 1
4.079
Oct 8
4.094
Oct 15
4.150
Oct 22
4.116
Oct 29
4.030
Nov 5
4.010
374.5 m bbl
Nov 12
3.980
$88.28
374.1 m bbl
Nov 19
3.976
$88.91
371.8 m bbl
Nov 26
4.034
Sources: Energy Information Administration
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Dillman 64k CFM Standard Havens Magnum 50k CFM Standard Havens 60k CFM Astec 51k CFM CR Portable 57 k Dusteater Portable 76k CFM Gencor 70k CFM
COLD FEED/RAP RAP-12444 (6) 10 X 14 Cold Feed RAP-12496 (4) 9 X 12 Cold Feed RAP-12531 (4) 10 X 14 Barber Greene Cold Feed RAP-13011 9 X 14 Barber Greene RAP Bin RAP-13224 10 X 15 Gencor RAP Bin DRYERS/DRUMS RAP-13055 Cedarapids E500 CF Drum RAP-13203 Cedarapids Portable 8835 PF Drum RAP-13250 Cedarapids 400 TPH CF Drum RAP-13404 Gencor Ultradrum 300 RAP-12703 H & B 8830 Dryer RAP-13472 Barber Greene 9 X 30 DC70 Dryer
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• 8835 Port. Pflow Drum Mixer • Port. 50k CFM Baghouse • 60 Ton SEB
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PO Box 519, Shelbyville KY 40066 • Fax 502.647.1786
www.ReliableAsphalt.com 866.647.1782