California Asphalt Magazine - 2024 Pavement Preservation Issue

PROTECTING YOUR MOST VALUABLE ASSET

Publisher’s Letter

Paving the way toward prosperity

I’m pleased to introduce this special pavement preservation-themed issue of California Asphalt, the Journal of the California Asphalt Pavement Association. When I first was nominated by my peers to serve on the CalAPA Board of Directors, back in 2021, I wrote in this space that I was truly honored to serve our industry. Now that I have been elevated to Chairman of the Board of Directors, I am doubly so. I continue to marvel at all the association does to ensure the success of companies in the asphalt space, and we appreciate all of our members that make this important work possible.

California has one of the most impressive networks of streets, highways and other paved surfaces in the world. California’s cities and counties own and maintain over 144,000 centerline miles of local streets and roads. The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) owns and maintains another 58,000 miles of freeways and highways. And that doesn’t even mention all the bike lanes, parking lots, cart paths, airfields and other paved surfaces that are the connective tissue that unites our communities across our vast state.

Keeping those pavement assets in a state of good repair is no small undertaking. My company and many other CalAPA members take this matter very seriously. In addition to new construction and reconstruction, there are many different approaches to helping pavement owners get the maximum value for their pavement maintenance dollars. We like to refer to this as a “holistic approach” to asset management, and a major emphasis for our association is getting high-quality information into the hands of engineers and other asset managers to help them make the best decisions possible on allocating their pavement maintenance dollars. Elsewhere in this issue you will also read of the impressive work being done by the California Pavement Preservation Center at California State University, Chico. Caltrans and other public agencies have been important supporters of the CP2 Center, and my company, CalAPA, and many other CalAPA members are proud to support their efforts.

Much like maintaining healthy bodies, one of the truisms of an effective pavement maintenance strategy is to be proactive and do more preventative activities early on. Unfortunately, to the untrained eye, or those who are not steeped in asset management best practices, pavements are allowed to deteriorate to a state where they are failing (rutting, alligator cracking and other bad outcomes) before they are addressed. This is not only short-sighted, it also is frustrating to motorists who must bump along poor roads, and also to fiscal managers, who see costs escalating without an appreciable improvement in pavement condition even when more dollars are invested. As grandma used to say, “Penny wise and pound foolish.”

The CP2 Center has been at the forefront of disseminating knowledge in this area. Our association, too, is always hard at work developing new educational materials, tools and best practices to help asset managers zero in on the right strategies at the right time, to maximize those scarce pavement maintenance dollars. Like many of our CalAPA training fliers say, “What you don’t know can cost you!” I was proud to host a meeting at CalAPA offices recently of pavement preservation professionals to compare notes and brainstorm ideas to continue to get this important information in the hands of those who could benefit from it most. We’re confident that, when engineers are armed with high-quality information, they will make good decisions. And that will be good for budgets, good for motorists, and good for our quality of life. Our parents, grandparents and great-grandparents paid for this amazing transportation system we enjoy today. The least we can do is maintain it for future generations.

Scott Metcalf Chairman Ergon Asphalt & Emulsions

Astec/Carlson

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EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: Russell W. Snyder, CAE, rsnyder@calapa.net

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CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Brian Hoover, CMS, Mimi Le, MCK Services, Inc. / WofA-CA Branch, Co-Chair, Mustafa Mahmood and Jeff Roberts, VSS International and Russell W. Snyder, CAE, CalAPA

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A proactive approach to safety and environmental protection

The city of San Diego balances management of roadway network with environmental sustainability

By Jeff Roberts & Mustafa Mahmood

Building and maintaining a resilient infrastructure is a vital component for the functionality of today’s global economy. However, the material demands for this infrastructure can be hard on the Earth’s depleting resources and the environment. As our society becomes more environmentally conscious, there is a growing focus on sustainability in all aspects of our infrastructure, including our roadways and how our road networks are managed and maintained. One solution that has gained momentum in recent years is pavement preservation. Many public agencies throughout the United States have adopted pavement preservation programs due to their environmental and economic benefits. None are larger than the pavement preservation implemented by the United States’ eighth largest city, the city of San Diego in Southern California.

City of San Diego Complex Road Network:

The city of San Diego has an extensive road network that includes highways, interstates, and local streets. It is home to various intersecting interstates, such as I-5 that goes all the way to Washington State and the Canadian borders, I-8 that connects California to Arizona, and I-15 which passes through five different states. The city’s local road network, which consists of residential streets, arterial streets, and major thoroughfares, has a variety of different street layouts

including one-way streets, diagonal intersections, roundabouts, shared bike lanes, and dedicated bus lanes. This road network connects San Diego residents and its visitors to the city’s gorgeous beaches, vital cultural centers, and several attraction sites. Despite this network complexity, the city does a great job maintaining the roads and ensuring they are in a good condition through the supervision of its Transportation Department. San Diego’s Transportation Department is responsible for managing and maintaining 6,600 miles of streets and alleys, 4,500 miles of sidewalk, 50,000 street signs, 250,000 trees, and much more. The Transportation Department oversees multiple operations, including resurfacing and sealing streets, repairing potholes, enhancing striping layouts. To ensure the safety and efficiency of San Diego’s road network, the Transportation Department has developed a comprehensive pavement management program that generates several projects a year. These maintenance and street protection projects have a focused approach with sustainability at core. "The City of San Diego works to reduce waste in all of its endeavors and the Transportation Department's road resurfacing and preservation program is no different," says Anthony Santacroce, Transportation Department Spokesman. "We'll continue to put sustainability and climate resiliency at the forefront of our operations."

The street selection process utilizes a variety of advanced technologies, including geographic information systems (GIS) and software co-designed by the city to analyze the condition of the streets slated for repair and prioritize them based on need. Additionally, these streets were selected using several factors including Pavement Condition Index (PCI), traffic volume, maintenance history, proximity to emergency facilities, schools and tourist attractions, available funding, and input from the City Council. Once the street selection process is completed, each street will be allocated to either an asphalt overlay project or a slurry seal project based on the pavement distresses it is exhibiting, such as roughness and cracks. For pothole pavement distresses, the city counts on its field staff and crews to detect and repair them. The city also created an online and mobile application tool for residents to report potholes using their ‘Get It Done’ system. In this system, residents can report the location of potholes and even upload images. These reports are sent to the city crews to be scheduled for repair. In the months of January and February of 2023, San Diego crews filled approximately 17,000 potholes with hot patch compound and bagged asphalt.

Unique Pavement Preservation Approach:

Pavement preservation is a proactive strategy that aims to prolong the lifetime of pavement

surfaces, to enhance pavement performance, and to improve road safety and sustainability by implementing cost-effective solutions. These solutions include products such as slurry seal, micro surfacing, chip seal, and multilayered systems. When it comes to pavement preservation, the city of San Diego is a leader in implementing a program that has kept the city’s road network alive and vibrant. Each year, the city spends approximately $30 million on slurry seal projects to repair around 150 miles of roadway. The city generates around six projects a year including streets that have been qualified for slurry seal during the street selection process. These repairs are often grouped within a neighborhood to include streets that are in similar condition or performed after other projects, such as pipeline replacement.

The city of San Diego walks the extra mile to make sure its streets are fully protected by integrating multi-layered pavement preservation systems enhanced with additives. A multi-layered system is a

combination of several pavement preservation solutions implemented for improving the conditions of highly distressed road surfaces. Examples of multi-layered systems include cape seal, double and triple slurry seal, and fiberized layered systems. The city further advances these solutions by adding recycled rubber to the mix. The ground rubber is typically resourced from shredding and recycling old tires.

On many of its slurry seal projects, the city specifies the use of Rubber Polymer Modified Slurry Seal (RPMS) products. This product consists of fine rock, polymer modified asphaltic emulsion, finely ground rubber, and carbon black. VSS International completed more than 1,380,162 square yards of RPMS on the Slurry Seal Group 2122 project. Single layer and multi-layered systems were both utilized for the treatment of the roads. The product applied varied based on the street type and pavement condition. Most residential streets received double slurry seal with Type II RPMS for the bottom layer and Type I RPMS for the top final

layer. This ensures that the final surface is smooth for light residential use. Some residential streets with better conditions received either a single layer of Type I RPMS or a single layer of Type II RPMS. Major thoroughfares received double RPMS with Type III as the bottom layer and a Type II as the top layer. A third layer of Type I RPMS was applied on bike lanes. This is specifically manifested in its award-winning project Slurry Seal Group 2122.

The city of San Diego and VSS International have partnered to complete the Slurry Seal Group 2122 project in early 2022. This project focused on resurfacing around 39 miles of the city’s roads. The project spread out from near the Mexican border in the south, all the way to Route 56 in the north. In addition to the many residential neighborhoods, VSS International resurfaced streets near some of the most iconic hot spots the city has to offer. The project preserved streets around Petco Park, the home stadium for the San Diego Padres. It also resurfaced streets in the

VSS International resurfaced streets near some of San Diego’s iconic locations like Petco Park.

VSS International’s team places a rubber-polymer modified slurry seal at various locations in downtown San Diego, including the Gaslamp District.

Gaslamp Quarter, one of San Diego’s most attractive tourist destinations with several dining and shopping options. In total, around 1.4 million square yards and 120 lane miles were preserved on this project at a contract value of $4,210,000 with funding provided by the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017, better known as Senate Bill 1 (SB 1):

• 121,180 SY of Type I slurry seal placed on bike lanes and other select residential streets.

• 52,000 SY of stand-alone Type II slurry seal placed on various streets.

• 140,000 SY of Type II slurry seal placed over Type III slurry seal for a multi-layer application on various major streets.

• 465,000 SY of Type I slurry seal placed over Type II slurry seal for a multi-layer application on various major streets.

Overall, VSS International worked over a period of 4 months to complete all the surfacing work.

Positive Environmental Impact:

As our environment struggles with sustaining itself due to our heavy use of its non-renewable resources, it is crucial for any infrastructure investment to meet today’s sustainability demands. Pavement preservation techniques like the ones used by VSS International on the city of San Diego Group 2122 project have proven their worth and value when it comes to environmental benefits especially when compared to conventional paving techniques.

One of the most significant environmental benefits of pavement preservation techniques is the reduction in the use of raw materials. Traditional paving techniques require a significant amount of rock and asphalt.

Pavement preservation techniques like the RPMS specified by the city of San Diego, on the other hand, use less asphalt and rock and incorporate recycled materials like the ground rubber, reducing the amount of new materials needed. To demonstrate the difference, for the 1.4 million square yards that

was preserved on the Slurry Seal Group 2122 project, a 1.5 inch hot mix overlay would have used the equivalent of 118,150 tons of material. On the other hand, the RPMS technique only used around 8,400 tons of material. That’s 93% decrease in materials used.

To put this into perspective, VSS used a total of around 7,200 tons of rock and around 1,100 tons of asphaltic emulsion, provided by Ergon Asphalt & Emulsions out of Fontana, to complete this project. On this project alone, the city’s use of thinner pavement preservation techniques vs. conventional mill and fill solutions saved local quarries over 100,000 tons of virgin aggregate materials and kept approximately 6,200 large truck loads of aggregate, RAP and liquid asphalt off of local city streets. Additionally, the pavement preservation techniques and materials were placed at ambient temperatures and required much less energy and time to produce, transport and place than the manufacturing, transport and [ Continued on page 12 ]

Many of San Diego’s arterial roadways received a combination treatment of a Type III leveling course followed by a Type II surface course.

[ Continued from page 10 ]

placement of the alternative hot mix asphalt treatment. Imagine the overall savings over the collective amount of work being performed on all four city contracts.

Another environmental benefit is the reduction in waste and greenhouse gas emissions. Traditional paving techniques generate a large amount of waste, including the removal of existing pavement and excess asphalt. This waste often ends up in landfills, contributing to greenhouse gas emissions. Pavement preservation techniques minimize waste and reduce the need for transportation, resulting in fewer emissions. Per the RoadResource.org Green Calculator, it is estimated that the San Diego Slurry Seal Group 2122 project has reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 92%. That’s the green equivalent of removing 1,446 passenger vehicles from U.S. roadways for a year. This reduction in energy use makes the pavement preservation approach taken by city of San Diego and implemented by VSS International a no brainer for a greener future.

Additionally, there is an added eco-friendly impact resulting from the use of this approach and it concerns water conservation. Poorly maintained roads are more susceptible to water damage from rain. Water damage leads to

pavement rutting and erosion which can contribute to stormwater runoff pollution. The runoff can carry pollutants such as grease and sediment to nearby waterways. This will harm aquatic life and negatively impact the quality of our water supply. By maintaining the roads with pavement preservation techniques, the city of San Diego preserved its water resources. Additionally, VSS International field crew implemented Best Management Practices, in accordance with the Water Pollution Control Plan approved by the city, by protecting all drainage inlets to avoid any contamination risks to the stormwater system.

Project Achievements:

As the demand for using sustainable resources, finding eco-friendly approaches, and building greener grows due to status quo of the climate and the depleting nature of some of earth’s resources used in building infrastructure, pavement preservation offers an ideal solution. When creative agencies like the city of San Diego and environment focused contractors like VSS International combine efforts, it leads to the green implementation of projects like the Slurry Seal Group 2122.

While the Slurry Seal Group 2122 project is primarily focused on improving San Diego's infrastructure,

the efforts to minimize the environmental impact of the project are commendable. By using eco-friendly materials and implementing measures to protect resources, San Diego and VSS International are setting an example for other agencies and builders on how to balance development with environmental sustainability.

This project was the recipient of several prestigious industry awards as it won the 2024 President’s Award from the International Slurry Surfacing Association and the 2023 Excellence in Contracting Award from the Western Regional Association for Pavement Preservation which recognizes work performed to the highest standards of the pavement preservation industry. VSS International’s experienced personnel rose to meet every challenge through excellent communication and superior field supervision. The success of this project has created a favorable legacy for future low bidders to follow by finishing ahead of time, under budget and with no safety related issues. CA

Jeff Roberts is the Senior Vice President and General Manager at VSS International, Inc. Mustafa Mahmood is a Construction Manager for VSS.

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Q&A with Dr. DingXin Cheng,

Ph.D., P.E.,

Director, California Pavement Preservation Center at CSU Chico

By Russell W. Snyder

Editor’s Note: Dr. DingXin (Ding) Cheng is well-known to the asphalt industry in California, and has delivered presentations to past CalAPA asphalt pavement conferences and helped with other knowledge-sharing activities. He is a professor of the department of civil engineering at the California State University, Chico, director of the California Pavement Preservation (CP2) Center, and the director of the Tire Derived Aggregate Technology Center. He has worked actively with the CP2 Center since he joined the department of civil engineering of CSU Chico in 2006. He obtained his Ph.D. in the areas of pavement materials and transportation from Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas in 2002. He worked in private industry for Parsons Brinckerhoff in Houston, TX before joining the Chico State University faculty. He has extensive experience in Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA) materials and pavement preservation on both asphalt and concrete pavements. He has more than 75 peer-reviewed publications related to pavement materials and preservation in Transportation Research Board, AAPT, ASCE, and other conferences. He has comanaged or managed more than $10 million in research projects funded by California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle), Metropolitan Transportation Commissions (MTC) of San Francisco Bay Area, and other agencies and industry. He

Dr. DingXin Cheng, Ph.D., P.E., Director, California Pavement Preservation Center at CSU Chico presents at the 2018 CalAPA Fall Conference.

has helped the CP2 Center in developing an asphalt pavement lab, which includes Superpave binder testing equipment, BBR, DSR, and HMA testing equipment such as Superpave Gyratory Compactor and Hamburg tester. He Co-Chaired Caltrans’s Pavement Preservation Task Group strategy selection subgroup in the past and developed a series of online programs including Strategy Selection Program, Innovation Database, and Pavement Preservation Database. Dr. Cheng serves as the chair of the TRB Pavement Preservation Committee. In the past, he served on the FHWA Pavement Preservation Expert Task Group, TRB Pavement Maintenance Committee, and several NCHRP panels. Due to his distinguished performance at the Chico State University, he

was awarded O’Connell Endowed Faculty Chair in 2016, Professional Achievement Honors in 2016 and 2010, Outstanding Research Mentor in 2012, and Outstanding Project Director in 2011 by the California State University, Chico. He took time recently to answer some questions posed to him from “California Asphalt” magazine.

California Asphalt Magazine: Thanks for making the time to share with us the mission of the CP2 Center, and why its work is important to agencies and the construction industry.

DingXin Cheng: The State of California, Department of Transportation (Caltrans) established the California Pavement Preservation Center (CP2C) at California State University, Chico in July 2006 and fully funded the Center in January

2007. So, we are in our 17th year! The mission of the Center is to serve as a leader in a partnered effort between government, industry, and academia to advance and improve pavement preservation practices through education, innovation, applied and practical research, technology transfer, and implementation. This includes developing and advancing innovative approaches to pavement preservation and pavement materials. Specific objectives of the Center include: Serving as a technical resource for pavement preservation activities; Educating others about the benefits of pavement preservation, through partnership with public agencies and industry, educational offerings and a newsletter; Conducting research to support pavement preservation knowledge; and providing assistance to others in establishing a pavement preservation program.

CAM: Please tell us about the materials lab on campus and how it is utilized.

DC: Civil engineering materials (CEMs) are essential components for public infrastructure. The practice of using CEMs in civil engineering include, first, applications of asphalt materials for highway paving and maintenance; second, uses of concrete and steel materials for the construction of buildings and bridges; and third, compaction of soils for preparing foundations, etc. With the adequate knowledge of these CEMs, students, the future designers and builders for public works, are better equipped to design and build more sustainable and resilient infrastructure to meet the emerging challenges for civil engineering. Additionally, development of the workforce is a critical task for many fields related to design and management of public works projects. California’s Employment Development

Department (EDD) estimates that the employment of civil engineers in California is projected to increase by 10.4 % from 2016 to 2026 with 354,300 job openings.

CAM: And the materials lab is a way for students to get hands-on experience in this area, right?

DC: Right. The materials lab is shared with multiple departments and programs on campus including civil engineering, construction management, concrete industry management, and the California Pavement Preservation Center. It is used for both teaching and research purposes because we want to maximize the benefits of having the materials lab at Chico State University.

CAM: And we are particularly interested in the asphalt-related aspects of the lab.

DC: We are especially proud of our asphalt materials lab, which is state-of-the-art in its ability to test asphalt binders, as well as aggregates and hot mix asphalt

(HMA) mixes. It is one of only a few labs in California with the high-tech equipment required for performing ‘SuperPave’ tests for determining a binder’s ‘PG grade’. We can also do tests on asphalt-rubber binders, now the workhorse binder in Caltrans paving work.

CAM: Tell us about the CSU curriculum as it relates to asphalt.

DC: Chico State’s Civil Engineering program currently offers extensive course work relevant to asphalt, from the freshmen level to a Senior ‘Capstone Project’. These courses include CIVL 140 - Transportation Planning, Surveying and Graphics, CIVL 212 - Civil Engineering Materials, CIVL 311 Strength of Materials, CIVL 441 - Transportation Engineering, CIVL 586 - Advanced Transportation Engineering Design (Capstone), and CIVL 682 - Asphalt Pavement Preservation.

CAM: What are your thoughts on strengthening the connection between your university and potential employers of your graduating students?

CSU Chico representatives (from left): Kimberly Joslin, research assistant, DingXin Cheng, professor, Christopher Jensen, laboratory assistant, and Brandon Fraser, technician, in a June 2018 photo.

DC: We would like to build a strong connection with industry associations such as CalAPA and the Western Regional Association for Pavement Preservation (WRAPP), and to partner with agencies such as Caltrans, cities and counties in California. After all, these will be the future employers of many of our engineering students. The CP2 Center publishes a quarterly Pavement Preservation Newsletter, which features articles about pavement preservation from public agencies and industry. Our Civil Engineering department also has restarted its newsletters to make more connections with civil engineering alumni.

CAM: What are your students telling you with regard to their willingness to consider careers in the asphalt industry?

DC: The more our students learn about asphalt paving materials, the more they are interested in working for the asphalt industry. In recent years, there has been a clear upward trend for our graduates to work for Caltrans, cities and

counties, asphalt paving construction contractors, and consulting engineering design firms. After their extensive involvement with asphalt materials technology at CSU Chico, several of our graduating students have been hired directly by asphalt industry companies.

CAM: What important research has come out of CSUC in recent years to advance knowledge for our industry and agency partners?

DC: Over the years, we have been fortunate to provide research support for agencies like Caltrans, CalRecycle, and the Bay Area’s Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC). Our research work for CalRecycle has helped advance the usage of recycled materials in the paving industry. We have done numerous laboratory testing and field pilot studies on using asphalt rubber binder and terminal blend rubber binder, and also recycled crumb rubber materials used in sports field and recycled plastic including ocean plastic waste, recycled cooking oil, etc.

CAM: What trends do you see for the future in terms of the utilization of asphalt and asphalt-related products?

DC: Asphalt and asphalt-related products and services continue to play an important role in various infrastructure projects and industry development. I think that we will see more sustainable asphalt pavement technologies, including pavement preservation and recycling strategies, and exploring asphalt binder modifiers that reduce the reliance on traditional asphalt. Asphalt paving materials will be further advanced with enhanced properties such as longer durability, increased resistance to rutting and cracking, improved ride quality, and catering to the needs of different functional classifications and climate conditions of pavements.

CAM: Very interesting. What are some other trends to you see?

DC: There will also be increased use of Long-Life Pavement Designs, especially in busy urban areas where road closures for pavement maintenance must be minimized. Besides their field performance, pavement designs and construction projects will also be evaluated based on Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs), Green House Gases (GHG) emissions, Life Cycle Cost Analysis (LCCA) and an all-encompassing Life Cycle Analysis (LCA).

CAM: What are you hearing from Public Agency personnel?

DC: Agencies are eager to find better and innovative solutions to improve pavement conditions and bolster their Pavement Management Programs in the interest of making their limited funding go further. The funding arriving from SB1 (Senate Bill 1, the Road Repair &

[ Continued on page 18 ]

Dr. DingXin Cheng, CSU Chico, Tim Gruetert, Caltrans, Brandon Fraser, CSU Chico, Kimberly Joslin, CSU Chico, Christopher Jensen, CSU Chico, Scott Metcalf, Ergon Asphalt & Emulsion, Doug Mason, Caltrans, Marcella Wiebke, Caltrans, and Kuo-Wei Lee, Caltrans during a 2018 CSU Chico lab tour.

DingXing Cheng, Ph.D., P.E., Director of the Pavement Preservation Center at California State University, Chico (left), is pictured May 2 with Kun Zhang, Ph.D., P.E., associate professor of engineering at California State University, Chico in the university’s construction materials laboratory.

[ Continued from page 16 ]

Accountability Act of 2017) has already made a difference. Also, they know there is a shortage of a trained workforce for the paving industry. Therefore, the CP2 Center has developed a five-day ‘Pavement Preservation Academy’ sponsored by SB1 funds, which is now being offered for the fourth year. Also, our Civil Engineering department has offered APWA-sponsored summer workshops on asphalt pavement technology and material testing. We’ve also participated in the City and County Pavement Improvement Center (CCPIC), sponsored by University of California Pavement Research Center at UC Davis, ITS at UC Berkeley, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, CSU Long Beach, and the Mineta Transportation Institute (MTI) at CSU San Jose.

CAM: How has pavement preservation knowledge, tools, techniques and acceptance changed over the years?

DC: The concept of pavement preservation started in the 1970s and 1980s when agencies started to recognize the benefits of preserving existing roads rather than focusing solely on reconstruction

or rehabilitation. In the 1990s and 2000s, there was a gradual shift towards adopting preventive maintenance techniques. DOTs began incorporating pavement preservation into their pavement management programs, recognizing its role in reducing life-cycle costs and extending pavement service life. Pavement preservation has evolved from reactive to proactive maintenance, focusing on extending pavement life and reducing environmental impact. Advances in research, technology, and a shift towards preventive preservation strategies like chip sealing, slurry surfacing, Cape seals, Bonded Wearing Courses, and better quality control and testing tools have improved pavement preservation strategies. There's now greater emphasis on sustainability, datadriven decisions, and acceptance of these cost-effective practices for extending pavement lives.

CAM: What can our association do to help advance knowledge in this area?

DC: CalAPA has been a great resource to support asphalt pavement preservation. You’ve invited us to give presentations on

strategy selection and life cycle cost analysis at your annual meetings. You also regularly contribute information to our newsletters and incorporate pavement preservation information in your training classes. We are also very fortunate to have the Knife River Construction, a key member of CalAPA, here in Chico. They’ve provided tremendous support to our material testing, asphalt plant tours, and technical support. We would like to continue partnering with CalAPA on research, student education, and workforce development in the asphalt paving industry.

CAM: Anything else you would like to add?

DC: In summary, the California Pavement Preservation Center at CSU Chico is funded by various clients — primarily by Caltrans, CalRecycle, MTC, other agencies, and by industry. We hope to continue partnering with CalAPA and other industry associations to advance the knowledge of asphalt pavements and materials. We also want to help educate more civil engineering students, providing them with asphalt pavement engineering and research experiences. Thank you for the opportunity to tell our story on the role we’re playing in the world of pavements. CA

Russell W. Snyder, CAE, is executive director of the California Asphalt Pavement Association.

REFERENCES:

Snyder, R. (2018) “Spotlight on the Pavement Preservation Center at CSU Chico,” California Asphalt, Journal of the California Asphalt Pavement Association, Vol. 22, Issue 4, PP 14-16.

The California Pavement Preservation Center website is here: https://www.csuchico.edu/cp2c/

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THE KEY TO REDUCING THE LIFE CYCLE

Nigerian road official brings international perspective to CalAPA events

The roster of attendees of the 2014 CalAPA Spring Asphalt Pavement Conference reads like you might expect: representatives from asphalt producers, paving contractors, local, state and federal public works officials and a smattering of researchers from academia. There are lots of engineers, technicians, and representatives from various companies. Most are from California, with a few hailing from other states. Traveling the longest to be a presenter at the conference was Randy West, director of the National Center for Pavement Technology at Alabama’s Auburn University, and Heather Dylla, who at the time was employed by the Marylandbased National Asphalt Pavement Association.

But in scanning the roster one name really jumps off the page, a civil engineer who traveled half way around the globe to attend the conference: Andrew Onoja, a civil engineer representing the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency of Nigeria. That’s right, Nigeria, Africa.

In round numbers, Onoja traveled more than 7,000 miles to attend the conference, and made a very favorable impression with everyone

By Russell W. Snyder

he met. But how did he learn about CalAPA? One of his longtime mentors has that part of the story.

Michael Esenwa, P.E., is an engineer from McAsphalt Industries LTD of Canada. He had heard about CalAPA and recommended Onoja follow the association, and even helped facilitate payment for Onoja’s CalAPA conference fees in 2014.

“It’s correct he heard about CalAPA through me, and I have been his professional mentor, and support his professional growth. I completed all of his registrations with my credit card over three years since it is a bit of a challenge for him making use of bank facilities in Nigeria.”

“Andrew is a promising young engineer. I constantly work with him on projects back in Nigeria,” Esenwa said. Following his attendance at the 2014 conference, Onoja subscribed to the CalAPA weekly “Asphalt Insider” e-mail newsletter, and followed closely various reports on advances in asphalt pavement standards, technology and techniques in the Golden State. But his California adventure wasn’t just a one-off.

In 2022, Onoja returned to attend the CalAPA Fall Asphalt Pavement Conference held Oct. 24 in Sacramento. There he continued to strike up friendships, impress attendees with his expanding knowledge of asphalt pavements

and the varied experiences his career has afforded him in his home country. One of those friendships that was kindled was with Mike Herlax, a veteran of the California asphalt industry and a past chairman of CalAPA. The two stayed in touch, and they reconnected when Onoja returned to attend the CalAPA Spring Asphalt Conference in Ontario in March. Herlax says the two had wide-ranging conversations about the similarities and differences between the asphalt industry in California and in Nigeria. They also discussed Andrew’s long-term goal of eventually relocating to California. Herlax was impressed with the varied skills Onoja acquired in his time in Nigeria.

“Andrew is a very competent individual,” Herlax said in an interview. “He performs engineering work, Quality Control testing, he can operate a hot plant. He trains other engineers, and he can blend emulsions. In the past two years Andrew and I have developed a strong relationship. We talk a lot about asphalt. He is very passionate about all things asphalt. During his time in Nigeria he has performed lots of QC/QA testing and engineering. He has produced HMA and he knows how to pave. When Andrew relocates to the U.S. he will become a very valuable asset to any California company. To all of you, don’t waste any time -- hire this man!”

When Andrew relocates to the U.S.? More on that shortly. But back to Andrew and the impression he made during his time in California.

Photos courtesy of CalAPA and the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans). Photos from Nigeria courtesy of Andrew Onoja

Left: Andrew Onoja, Federal Roads Maintenance Agency, Nigeria.

In recognition of the arduous journey he endured to attend CalAPA events, the association in 2022 presented Onoja with a cheeky gift – a CalAPA-branded YETI commuter mug – in recognition of all the frequent flier miles he was piling up. He proudly showed off the gift in a photo later sent to the association. By the time 2024 rolled around, Onoja was becoming a minor celebrity at CalAPA. He returned to the state to attend the Spring Asphalt Pavement Conference, once again in Ontario, and it seemed as though everyone wanted to get to know him. This time he added a few days to his California trip and visited Sacramento, where he met various officials and attended an all-hands meeting of the Caltrans Materials Engineering & Testing Services branch at the invitation of METS Chief Tim Greutert. At that time Onoja was presented with an unofficial “Asphalt Ambassador” commendation in recognition of his engagement with CalAPA and the asphalt industry. In his spare time, Onoja read the latest edition of the Caltrans Standard Specifications, which is no small feat as the book is more than 1,000 pages. The asphalt section alone, Section 39, is well over 100 pages, and filled with tiny tables and footnotes. Talk about dedication. He enthusiastically quoted from it to anyone who would listen.

Left: Andrew Ojoja, center, is presented with an unofficial “Asphalt Ambassador” commendation March 13 by CalAPA Executive Director Russell Snyder (right) as Tim Greutert, Chief of the Caltrans Materials Engineering & Testing Services (METS) Branch looks on. The presentation took place at the METS “All Hands” meeting held in Sacramento where Onoja was invited to attend as an observer.

Right: Andrew Onoja (left) meetings with Caltrans official Bonny Nyaga March 13 in Sacramento. Born in Kenya, Nyaga made a new life for himself in California after college.

Greutert is one of many who was impressed with Onoja.

“I enjoyed connecting with Andrew and we have a shared purpose – to provide safe and reliable roads for our users,” Greutert said in an interview later. “At METS, we value diverse perspectives and experiences. Often we may feel like we are the only ones facing certain challenges when, in fact, there are others who face the same challenges on the other side of the world.”

During this visit to California, Onoja made his desire known that he would like to emigrate to California. He also met with another Caltrans official, Bonny Nyaga, a principal engineer in the Director’s Office who has gained prominence for deploying the Caltrans-industry mentor-protégé for construction. Nyaga traces his roots back to Kenya, where he grew up and attended college before emigrating to the United States. He advised Onoja on the opportunities in his adopted country, and in California, and the formidable process that is ahead for any foreign citizen seeking to emigrate to the United States.

“I had the privilege of meeting Mr. Onoja through our mutual acquaintance, Mr. Russell Snyder,” Nyaga told California Asphalt magazine. “Mr. Onaji, hailing from Nigeria, has admirably risen above the challenges he faced in his home country. He has wholeheartedly

immersed himself in continuous learning, amassing an impressive resume of degrees and certifications. Most importantly, he seeks growth and opportunities to utilize his talents for the betterment of the civil engineering fraternity. His extensive knowledge in his field is matched only by his humility and grounded demeanor. I extend my best wishes to him on his journey.”

Nyaga is no stranger to helping people from difficult circumstances on their journey to claim a piece of the American dream. Recently he has been involved in assisting former Afghanistan interpreters who served alongside U.S. forces during the Afghan War. “These individuals have migrated to the U.S. and hold engineering degrees,” Nyaga said. “I collaborate with Ms. Penny Gold, an individual I connect with on LinkedIn and is associated with an organization that does that work. I am committed to doing good. I attribute my current position to the opportunities I’ve been fortunate enough to receive.”

This level of generosity is not uncommon for industry and agency personnel in the asphalt world. Another familiar name to the asphalt pavement industry in California, Phil Stolarski, former chief of the Materials Engineering & Testing Services branch for Caltrans, is another one who has been assisting a former Afghan refugee, Nasratullah

“Nasrat” Khuram, get assimilated into the United States.

“I met Nasrat in 2019 through our church group who were helping Afghan refugees find employment in Sacramento as our city has many Afghan refugees,” Stolarski told California Asphalt magazine. “Once I learned that Nasrat worked for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as a Construction Quality Assurance Representative and Civil Engineer, I immediately connected with him and began the process to find employment as a Transportation Engineering Technician or a TE Civil at Caltrans. He attended Kabul University and he did receive documentation that his foreign education equivalency to a USA BS in Civil Engineering. I want to help Nasrat reach employment in the construction industry because he sacrificed a great deal in supporting America in the rebuilding of Afghanistan. We need to give him a hand up for what he did for us as this will be transformable for him and his family.”

For his part, during his visits to California, Onoja spoke mostly of his passion for asphalt and his varied experiences in his home country. But based on his multiple visits to California, he views the state as his adopted home, and

when pressed will talk about his long-term goal of furthering his engineering career in California. Like the Afghan refugees fleeting a war-torn country, Onoja’s desire to come to California is much more than seeking a change of scenery or economic advancement. It could be a matter of his family’s safety.

Behind every person is a story, and in the case of Onoja, a large part of that story is his native country. Nigeria, situated in central Africa, sits in the crook of the content abutting the Atlantic Ocean. It is the most populous country in Africa, and boasts the second largest economy on the continent, and is the sixth most populous country in the world. Like much of Africa, Nigeria has a history steeped in colonialism, including the British colonialism in the 19th century. The country formally became an independent country in 1960. Although there are hundreds of ethic groups living in the country, speaking some 500 distinct languages, the official language of the country is English.

Since the 1960s Nigeria has been rocked by civil war and military coups. In recent years, terrorism and kidnappings in Nigeria have made international news, including

violence by the notorious Boko Haram insurgency, which shocked the world with massacres and the Chibok schoolgirl kidnapping in 2014.

During the preparation for this story, California Asphalt magazine reached out to consular affairs personnel in Nigeria. While unable to provide official comment for the record, staff provided general guidance that was nonetheless helpful. Navigating through the FAQs and other information on the consular affairs website is its own education on the kinds of issues being faced by people who live and visit Nigeria.

The United States Department of State issues travel advisories for all foreign countries, and currently lists Nigeria as “Level 3 (Orange) –Reconsider Travel.”

“Reconsider travel to Nigeria due to crime, terrorism, civil unrest, kidnapping and armed gangs,” the State Department advisory reads, noting that some parts of the country are more dangerous than others. “Violent crime – such as armed robbery, assault, carjacking, kidnapping, hostage taking, roadside banditry, and rape – is common throughout the country. Kidnappings for ransom occur frequently, often [ Continued on page 26 ]

Far Left: Andrew Onoja, Federal Roads Maintenance Agency, Nigeria (left), Mike Herlax and CalAPA Vice Chair Frank Costa at the CalAPA Spring Asphalt Pavement Conference held March 7-8 at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Ontario.

Left: Andrew Onoja of the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency, Nigeria won the Apple Airpods prize.

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[ Continued from page 24 ]

targeting dual national citizens who have returned to Nigeria for a visit, as well as U.S. citizens with perceived wealth. Kidnapping gangs have also stopped victims on interstate roads.”

“Terrorists continue plotting and carrying out attacks in Nigeria,” the State Department bulletin notes.

“Terrorists may attack with little or no warning, targeting shopping centers, malls, markets, hotels, places of worship, restaurants, bars, schools, government installations, transportation hubs, and other places where crowds gather. Terrorists are known to work with local gangs to expand their reach. There is civil unrest and armed gangs in parts of Southern Nigeria, especially in the Niger Delta and Southeast regions. Armed criminality and gangs, including kidnapping and assaults on Nigerian security services is also pervasive in this region.”

As if the above advisory isn’t enough of a deterrent, the State Department reminds U.S. citizens chillingly, “The U.S. government has limited ability to provide emergency services to U.S. citizens in many

areas of Nigeria due to security conditions.”

Something to think about the next time you’re tempted to gripe about the long line at Starbucks.

In conversations with Onoja, however, he never mentions the strife in his home country, only the opportunities he sees that are in California, as well as the many new friends he is making here. When pressed, however, he will express his concern about the safety and security for his wife and two children. In sharing pictures of his family, particularly his daughter and small son, it is easy to see why he would want them to grow up in a place free from the specter of violence that is a daily fact of life in Nigeria.

Still, it is asphalt that instills a passion in him and drives his ambition.

“From the age of five I started doing engineering stuff. I started doing housing wiring, house projects, and I developed an interest in engineering,” Onoja said in an extended interview with California Asphalt magazine conducted during this year’s Spring Asphalt Pavement Conference. “After college, in my

country we call it college before you enter higher institutions, I decided to choose engineering. I was very skeptical of the field of engineering, because from my basic knowledge I thought you have two types of engineering – you have military engineering and civil engineering. So I decided to choose civil engineering. All the other types of engineering are there – mechanical, electrical, chemical, computer science and the rest of them – so I’m happy I chose civil engineering. In civil engineering, I have a passion. I enjoy doing it, not just for money.”

Onoja is constantly learning from various standards and test methods that are used in California, and comparing them to what is used in Nigeria.

“Now presently I have a Caltrans specification, and I’m going through it, comparing it with Nigerian standards. There are similarities with AASHTO, ASTM, so most of the specifications they are similar,” he said. “Engineering is all about knowing your specifications. If you know your specifications, you are home and dry. Because it is all about implementing the specifications. That is where the professional

Above Left: Andrew Onoja during mix production work at an 80-ton-per-hour batch plant in Kuje, Nigeria in 2019. Onoja notes the plant can produce Hot Mix Asphalt, Warm Mix Asphalt and cold-mix asphalt.

Middle: Road maintenance work along Keffi-Gitata Road in Nasarwa State, Nigeria, in 2018 utilizing cold-mix asphalt.

Above Right: Andrew Onoja using a Leica Dumpy Level for spot level checks during site clearing and earthwork in Gelegele, Edo State, Nigeria in 2019.

comes in. You need to be a professional to interpret the specification. When you apply that to your work, get your work done, you will have quality and quantity.”

Onoja says his interest in faraway California also started at an early age.

“In my early days in high school, most of the analysis we do in Nigeria is all about California. Usually in our base course, when we analyze the soil, and storm base, it is using California information. 30% soaked is a good soil. For the base, a strong base, California’s 80% unsoaked is a good soil. So, every day, in Nigeria, I hear, California, California, California. So I told myself, ‘Where is this California? Why can’t I go to the source to learn?’ So when I got the opportunity to travel abroad, where do I want to travel? I told them, ‘California.’ Somebody told me there is an association here. We have an association also in Nigeria, too. He told me there is an association here that is into asphalt. Of course, I specialized in asphalt in Nigeria. I can analyze, I can design, I can construct and I can maintain asphalt. Cold. Warm Mix, and Hot Mix. I did my master’s thesis on Warm Mix Asphalt. So that’s why I came to California.”

And when it comes to asphalt, he found, California and CalAPA are synonymous.

“So I developed an interest in asphalt, and in my country they told me you have CalAPA, which is the California Asphalt Pavement

Association, and I said, ‘Why not? There’s room for me.’ I came here in 2014, at this very hotel, in Ontario, and I’m here now. And today, in 2024, this is a turning point for me being at a CalAPA event, because after 10 years, I’m beginning to feel at home, and I think I can do more here. I still have 20-25 more years to work, to contribute, to California.”

So what stands out for Onoja during his California visits?

“What stands out for me about what you do in your country and what we do in our country is integrity,” he says. “We are lacking that in my country. We could do more. We are knowledgeable, but professional integrity is lacking. Some work for money. But here you work for results, you don’t work for money. Money will come. You have your professional interests. That’s what I noticed here, and that’s the way I feel it should be. Life should be all about what you can give first, not what you can take. That’s what people will remember.”

“I’ve learned so many things in CalAPA,” he added. “It is like being in school for 10 years – it is more than a degree. I’ve been following CalAPA for 10 years, so I have a lot of knowledge, a lot of modus operandi, a lot of how things are done, in a positive way, with integrity first. That is what I have learned, so it’s very important to me.”

Aside from his country of origin, Onoja’s professional credentials read like any other well-qualified civil engineer in this country. A Masters of Engineering Degree from Bayero University in Kano, Nigeria,

and post-graduate diploma in civil engineering, also from Bayero University. He also holds credentials from Kaduna Polytechnic in Kaduna, Nigeria, and holds a proficiency certificate in management from the Nigerian Institute of Management. Prior to joining the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency in Nigeria in 2013, he worked for Adibeks Engineering as a geotechnical engineer in training in Kaduna, Nigeria. He also has experience with another consulting firm, Yaroson & Partners, on his resume. He’s also not done with his CalAPA educational activities – in April he attended “virtually” CalAPA’s “Asphalt Pavement 101” and “Asphalt Forensics” classes.

Onoja’s quiet determination impressed Gary Houston with CalAPA member Valero, who has a passion for workforce development and helping people succeed in the industry regardless of their background. He even wrote a book on the subject, “The Pie, the Penny and the Pyramid,” on demolishing barriers to workforce entry. Houston also is a member of the CalAPA-supported California Asphalt Research & Education Foundation Board of Directors.

“I think it really speaks to the quality of California that Andrew is so focused on getting over here and learning everything he can from the professionals in our industry,” Houston, a Canadian transplant, said. “This was his third time coming here, to learn and to network, which is a testament to all involved.” CA

Russell W. Snyder, CAE, is executive director of the California Asphalt Pavement Association (CalAPA).

Left: Onoja family photo taken in February of 2024 in Abuja, Nigeria. Pictured, from left: Olivia Olohi Onoja (daughter), Andrew Onoja, Nathan Ekondu Onoja (son) and Evelyn Ene Onoja, wife.

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Women of Asphalt California Branch volunteers busy with various career promotion and recruitment activities

By Mimi Le

Members of the Women of Asphalt California Branch (WofA-CA) continue to respond to the workforce challenge by supporting various activities to develop, educate, and plant the seed to the future generation of workers in the asphalt pavement industry.

During the first half of 2024, the WofA-CA Education Committee has participated in a total of four career fair events. Two of the career fairs took place at the high school level in Livermore in the San Francisco Bay Area, and the other two career events took place in Vista in Southern California at the preschool and K-8 grade levels.

On Feb. 1, the WofA-CA Branch attended the Livermore High School Career Fair that occurred during the high-schoolers’ lunch break from 12:30 p.m. to 1 p.m. Randy Cortez with BSK Associates, Mimi Le with MCK Services Inc., and Suzanne Morgan with Structure Groups represented the asphalt pavement industry. Thirteen students signed up to be notified of possible summer internship opportunities in the Bay Area. Structure Groups, a CalAPA member firm, sponsored a lunch at Patxi’s Pizza in Downtown Livermore for the volunteer members who attended this event.

On the same day (Feb. 1) at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic School in Southern California, The Sparks Company, also a CalAPA member firm, educated and provided a hands-on approach for K-8 grade students to experience paving

Above: Melissa Angeles, AASHTO, Karen Bonnetti-Ramirez, Caltrans and Randy Cortez, BSK Associates at Granada High School's Career Fair educating students on the origin of asphalt binders. They also provided information relating to opportunities and career paths within the industry.

equipment. The third-grade class won the raffle for a pizza party sponsored by the WofA-CA Branch. Of the event, Rebeca Sparks with The Sparks Company said, “Students were invited to come and sit in some paving equipment after learning what each piece did, and learned about the different components that make up asphalt, as well as some paving terminology.”

A Coloring Book Series, developed for the WofA-CA Branch by Cortney VanHook with Albat, under the guidance of the WofA-CA Education Committee members, was distributed to the children in the preschool classroom.

On Feb. 28, WofA-CA volunteers also attended the Granada High School Career Fair in Livermore that took place between 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. About 40 highschoolers signed up to be notified of possible summer internship opportunities. Members representing our industry at this event were Melissa Angeles (Contracted Auditor) with the AASHTO re:source Accreditation Program; Karen Bonnetti-Ramirez with Caltrans; Mimi Le with MCK Services; and Randy Cortez with BSK Associates. Cortez commented, “I especially liked having Melissa, Karen, and Mimi, in the same event as BSK. I can’t recall ever having all the sides at a single event, especially the auditor.”

Bonnetti-Ramirez with Caltrans added: “The career fair was truly a wonderful opportunity to share our interest, enthusiasm and love for our professions with highschoolers and even some teachers.”

After clearing the table setup, the volunteers regrouped at Wasabi Bistro in Livermore where MCK Services sponsored lunch for the industry volunteers who attended the career fair.

At each high school event, two lucky students took home $50 gift cards. Other students took home miniature WofA hardhats, buttons, safety traffic cones, candies, and “Why you belong in the asphalt pavement industry” flyers. Cortez, who was able to attend both high school career fairs said, “The comradery is what made the event most enjoyable. All of us are working together for a good cause. It is great to see the kids’ faces light up!”

Both event coordinators were very impressed with the WofA-CA volunteers' dedication.

Paula-Ann Cabading, the College & Career Specialist for Livermore High School and Tri-Valley ROP, mentioned that she was delighted that the WofA-CA volunteers were able to attend the events, and that the two students who won and received the $50 gift cards were thrilled.

Danielle Watson, the College & Career Specialist for Granada High

School said, “Your (WofA-CA) table was a huge hit with the students!”

The WofA-CA Education Committee has developed their first children’s coloring book titled “HMA Drum Plant,” which is the first of a series of books that the group intends to widely distribute soon to elementary schools in California. Another goal this year for the WofA-CA Education Committee is to develop a “lunchand-learn” leadership webinar series for members: The first of these was titled, “Empower-Her Leadership Series: Elevating Women in Asphalt.” Rachael Luciak (Strategic Growth Advisor, a CalAPA member firm), was scheduled to guide these sessions on Strategic Decision Making in May. The sessions are free and open to anyone. Active member volunteers for the Education Committee are: Rachael Luciak (Lead; Strategic Growth Advisor); Cathrina Barros (Caltrans); Karen Bonnetti-Ramirez (Caltrans); Rebeca Sparks (The Sparks Company); Cortney Vanhook (Albat); and Mimi Le, MCK Services.

Cathrina Barros, co-chair for the WofA-CA Branch, says she feels very grateful to be surrounded by intelligent and well-educated women (and men), who have contributed, supported, and donated to our program and activities thus far. She said the

Shriya Bhadra (left) & Vedika Chaudhari

Carla Araujo (left) & Amaya Baca

Women of Asphalt California Branch Career Fair table all set up and ready to educate and promote the next generation.

group of volunteers seem to feed each other’s energy and passion, and in a way, has elevated each of our spirits to a whole new level of love for everything relating to what we do with asphalt. These activities have helped all the volunteers feel like they have made progress toward achieving a more fulfilling work-life balance. Other committees established within the WofA-CA Branch are the Technical Committee, the Events &

Fundraising Committee, and the newly formed Social Media Committee. If you would like to join and learn more about the WofA-CA efforts, please visit the Women of Asphalt California Branch website: https://www. calapa.net/foundation.html. CA

Mimi Le, Quality Engineer with CalAPA member MCK Services, is co-chair of the Women of Asphalt California Branch and also Secretary/Treasurer

of the California Asphalt Research & Education (CARE) Foundation, a 501(c)3 charitable organization (99-1988283) established by CalAPA.

REFERENCES:

Women of Asphalt California Branch Web Page: https://www.calapa.net/ women-of-asphalt.html

California Asphalt Research & Education (CARE) Foundation Web Page: https://www.calapa.net/ foundation.html

C alA

PA’s A nnu al D ay a t the Race s

The association has reserved a luxury suite at the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club for horse racing season at the seaside track. The "il Palio Interior" suite boasts fantastic views of the track, right directly on top of the nish line, with its own betting windows, access to grounds, a fabulous lunch, snacks and a no-host bar. The event is family-friendly.

The suite will be open at noon. The rst race is at 2 p.m., and runs until about 6 p.m.

Tickets for this exclusive event are just $169 (CalAPA Member rate) per person and must be purchased by July 17. Tickets will be mailed in advance to the person who places the order. Tickets purchased after July 17 will incur additional shipping fees.

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