TXAPA 60-Year Anniversary

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THE STORY OF ASPHALT PAVEMENT IN TEXAS

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he last decade has been a time of incredible progress for the Texas Asphalt Pavement Association. At about this time in 2012, we were working around the clock to publish a chronology called “50 Years of Quality,” written by our official historian, Gary Corley, a TXAPA member of more than 30 years. The meticulously researched book would reach more than 100 pages. Readers might say it is the story not only of our association, but of the of the Texas asphalt pavement industry. It’s mind boggling to think that was 10 years ago, and 50 years of quality has now become 60.

To commemorate this milestone, TXAPA is excited to partner with Construction Equipment Guide on a special edition magazine. As we thought about what to include, we decided it was best to focus on the present with a deep bow of respect to the past. I think it’s fair to say, and I think Mr. Corley would agree, that TXAPA has experienced more growth and has evolved more in the last 10 to 15 years than at any other time. We are excited about what we now offer our members, our partners and the people of Texas who use our product every day of their lives.

In these pages you will read about TXAPA’s achievements, from education and training to working groups and asphalt pavement quality initiatives. These are the achievements of very dedicated individuals — our members. They work to build safe, long-lasting roads and deliver value to their customers, be it the state of Texas, a rural county or a bustling subdivision. They work for heavy-highway contractors, asphalt producers, liquid asphalt suppliers, aggregates suppliers and equipment dealers, to name a few. They volunteer on our committees, evaluate our award-winning projects, speak at our conferences and they fund the future of our industry through their generous support of our scholarship and workforce development programs. The story we continue to write is and has always been about our members. Because of them, we are celebrating 60 years of TXAPA. If you are a member of TXAPA, I and our staff sincerely thank you for your membership. If you are considering becoming a member, I hope what you learn here provides some inspiration. I am excited to see what story we write together. 

Harold Mullen Executive Vice President Texas Asphalt Pavement Association

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DEDICATED TO QUALITY

By Gary Corley

(L-R): Harold Mullen; Gene Carrier III, East Texas Asphalt Co. Ltd, Pres. 1996; and Albert Schlather, Hunter Industries, Ltd., Pres. 2018.

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Special to CEG

s we commemorate TXAPA’s 60th Anniversary, it’s startling to realize we celebrated purchasing our first building and moving into our facility on I-35 in Buda 20 years ago.

Perhaps more astonishing is how substantially we have grown since then. Our footprint, calendar of events and mission have expanded so much so that the TXAPA of today is hardly recognizable.

The TXAPA of 2002 and even 2012 were but shadows of our current organization. We should not lose sight of how extraordinary this growth has been or how much we have enjoyed the ride. TXAPA acquired a second building in 2018, creating the TXAPA Campus.

Doubling the size of our operations was indeed the launch pad for the TXAPA of today. Even four years after this visionary move, the association continues to realize new dreams made possible by this splendid facility.

Bold moves such as TXAPA has made in the past 20 years requires bold leadership. Over the years, outstanding leadership has been a blessing we have not taken for granted. The right set of skills and qualities seemingly have manifested in our presidents and boards of direc-

The Intersection of Two TXAPA Visionaries and the Road Ahead 6

BOLD MOVES SUCH AS TXAPA HAS MADE IN THE PAST 20 YEARS REQUIRES BOLD LEADERSHIP Pictured: Harold C. Mullen TXAPA Campus. Front: Gene V. Carrier HMAC building; Back: Albert F. Schlather, Jr. building.

tors appropriate to the challenges of the times. The rhythm of this change has happened annually for the past 60 years. A new president is elected, a new board is appointed and they come to serve the association for the specified time. When the last board meeting ends, their terms expire and our board members return home to their companies and the challenges awaiting them.

The executive vice president remains to navigate the course charted by the board and must be the steady hand on the tiller. This ongoing guidance is his charge every day. What has set TXAPA apart and made for this incredible story is the skill of two executive vice presidents.

Charlie Smoot and Harold Mullen have served as our rudder for nearly 60 years. Smoot helmed the first half of our existence; Mullen is nearing 30 years of the second half.

Smoot came to TXAPA at a time of great need. The economic stagnation of the 1970s certainly did not escape the asphalt paving industry in Texas. Coupled with the hard times were many technical changes in the asphalt paving world during that period. Smoot was hired as a technical assistant in May 1974 by then-executive director Hamm. The “50

Years of Quality” historiography described Smoot’s arrival – “Charlie was an instant success and would become a great ambassador for the Texas Hot Mix Asphalt Pavement Association. Smoot was everywhere, speaking to the Texas Municipal League and the American Public Works Association and becoming very hands-on with TxDOT.” The fact is, Smoot’s impact was such that in August 1974, he was elevated to the executive director by the board of directors.

The challenge that Smoot inherited was no prize. As mentioned, the mid-1970s were tough times. The industry faced numerous problems, many of which especially resonate in our current environment. Extreme inflation, soaring oil and fuel costs, shortages and climbing interest rates were the rules of the day in 1974. The difficulty was such that by 1975, TXAPA barely escaped the brink of financial ruin, saved by its leadership with cool heads and steady hands. Also, during this period, an avalanche of new environmental regulations from Washington and Austin further complicated conditions. Smoot’s unenviable task was to decipher these new rules and negotiate the best terms of implementation with bureaucrats who understood even less about them than he did.

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The Hamburg rut test is TxDOT’s preferred method of measuring rut depth in a lab.

Another hallmark of Smoot’s legacy was an article he dubbed “My Nickel,” which appeared regularly in the Texas Hot Mix News, the association newsletter. As was related in a previous piece about Smoot, “Most of these articles were industry-related, but not always. Sometimes he would offer up a slice of Americana. He was a fierce advocate for our industry. He would frame his arguments in such a fashion that made us a part of the fabric of America.”

However, as the years have borne out, Smoot’s most significant legacy was the recruitment of Mullen, setting the stage for the next 25 years.

Smoot hired Mulen in 1995 as his eventual replacement, making his intention to retire known. Mullen came to TXAPA after 14 years with the AGC of Texas, where he worked with Tom Johnson and Bill Driskell, so he was well-acquainted with the characteristics that make a quality association. Mullen spent two years getting acclimated, serving as executive director and focusing on marketing. In 1997, he took the reins as executive vice president. Smoot agreed to stay as a technical consultant, which proved valuable in dealing with that period’s many specifications and regulatory changes. Mullen went to work with the priorities of burnishing TXAPA’s image and improving its relationship with TxDOT, which one might have described as less than optimum and even a little strained. During this period, Texas Asphalt magazine was launched and began regular publication. It was an instant success, ele-

vating the industry’s image and creating goodwill. Texas Asphalt is still in circulation today. Nearly 5,000 subscribers receive hard copies each quarter, and several thousand more read the digital edition.

During those first years of Mullen’s administration, TXAPA operated from a less than stellar part of Austin in a rented facility on Brown Lane.

The board discussed the purchase of a free-standing facility that would elevate TXAPA’s profile and enable it to undertake a more significant role in TxDOT’s certification program. Mullen immediately recognized that accomplishing these objectives would require dues to increase.

Even though dues increases are generally unpopular, the increase in 1997 proved to be a very positive move and well received. The members wanted TXAPA to become something more and they were willing to do what was required, Harold recalled. Simply put, expectations changed.

Mullen invited more dialogue among the board, TXAPA staff and key committee members. This open environment gave rise to the first strategic planning session, an annual event that continues today. Strategic planning sessions have been the birthplace of many ideas that have enhanced TXAPA considerably over the years. One session, in particular, paved the way for our facility on I-35 in Buda.

The period between 1997 to 2002 undoubtedly set the stage for the next two decades. For Mullen, this moment could not have been better scripted. The confluence of his arrival and the new facility set a new tone 8

‘THE TXAPA SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM SURPASSED THE $500,000 THRESHOLD IN ANNUAL FUNDRAISING

A total update of the lab equipment throughout the HMAC was recently completed and reflects technological advancements industry-wide.

of confidence in the association and a “can do” attitude. TXAPA was emerging and ready to assume its rightful place in the road building industry in Texas. It was a time in which Mullen would thrive. Once again, expectations changed.

For the last 20 years, Mullen’s dedication, personal charm and unique leadership style have enabled TXAPA to build a legacy. As a leader, he is nuanced and perhaps even understated. Still, his keen ability to recognize and allocate the talent and energy residing in his team has been crucial. I have witnessed the phenomenon of his wisdom and humility for decades and it is a thing of beauty to observe. It’s not an exaggeration to say that Mullen’s leadership has led TXAPA to a place hardly conceived 25 years ago.

TXAPA has reached many milestones over the past 20 years which serve today to keep the association relevant. As our members work to absorb multiple specifications and test procedure changes, the Partners in Quality (PIQ) program, long a priority of Mullen’s, has taken on new significance. The PIQ meetings serve a vital role in facilitating the adoption of these changes and related emerging technologies. The Specification Education program delivers self-guided or one-on-one guidance of the changes in that same vein. Furthering communication and connection, TXAPA now hosts quarterly membership meetings featuring new technology at its campus in Buda. The association has also

expanded its mission to include Texas municipalities and counties more fully. The Managing Asphalt Pavements, or MAPS Conference, is planned for a second year in Waco due to its central location in the state.

This conference has grown to more than 400 city and county attendees in just three short years. It includes instruction on everything from pavement type selection to mix design to best-paving practices. In 2022, TXAPA added a heavy equipment trade show featuring asphalt paving equipment displayed on site.

The TXAPA Scholarship Program has surpassed the $500,000 threshold in annual fundraising. TXAPA now offers 25 scholarships annually to deserving students with aspirations of entering Texas’s asphalt paving and construction industry. However, the crown jewel of these milestones was adding a second building and redesigning our Buda facility in 2017.

The resulting campus is double the size and is appropriately named the Harold C. Mullen TXAPA Campus. It includes the Gene V. Carrier HMAC Building in honor of the past president credited with making that momentous decision and the Albert F. Schlather Administration Building, named for the past president responsible for seeing the campus through to its completion. As mentioned in the introduction, TXAPA has yet to realize the dreams made possible by this beautiful facility fully.

However, we have already seen many beautiful fruits of this endeavor. see page 12 9

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Our vastly expanded HMAC (center) has allowed TXAPA to grow its training and certification program in the four short years since the expansion. A partnership of TxDOT and TXAPA, the center serves as custodian of TxDOT’s training and certification program. Since its 1993 founding, the center has grown to offer three hot mix certifications, one aggregate certification, seven base certifications, a new seal coat asphalt certification and one in liquid asphalt. The association issues an incredible 5,000 certificates a year.

Another annual event the new facility has made possible is the Asphalt Road-eo, a student-design competition attracting engineering students from university engineering and construction sciences programs throughout Texas and the U.S. This event is an incredible thrill for the participating students and a great practical exercise to better prepare them for the careers ahead.

TXAPA was better able to navigate the challenges of COVID by establishing a studio in the new building and

expanding our virtual capabilities. The training and education mission continued through live broadcasts, podcasts and virtual meetings.

During this trying time, these capabilities were a lifeline not only to TXAPA members but also to our TxDOT partners. As we rapidly return to normal activities, this wonderful place has quickly become a haven once again to meet in person and dream big dreams. It seems that expectations have changed again.

None of these accomplishments would have been possible if not for the remarkable leadership of Mullen and his predecessor Smoot. It’s an opinion shared by many, yet Mullen is always quick to deflect. He invariably shines the spotlight on TXAPA’s staff and their ability to turn vision into reality. It’s undoubtedly justified. Against the backdrop of the new facility, the very talented and bustling team keep moving us forward. Director Corey Schwarz’s management of the HMAC has produced numbers that speak for themselves. Director of Engineering and Technology Jim Warren has brought a new dimension to the association by combining his teaching talent and extensive knowledge of asphalt pavements with the latest broadcasting trends. Chuck Fuller’s expertise and understanding of the industry and his flair for conflict resolution and problem-solving are invaluable in the PIQ program. Director of Marketing Emily Adams has established a solid voice for the association and a consistent member experience through quality branding, marketing and event planning. Finance Manager Steve Roensch acts as a stable and steady north star, overseeing financials for TXAPA, the HMAC and the TXAPA Scholarship program.

These last 20 years speak for themselves in importance. Further, they are proof of Mullen’s skill and understanding of the asphalt industry. They are also a testament to Mullen’s ability to develop leadership chemistry with incoming TXAPA presidents for the last 25 years. Mullen’s career has catalyzed a very productive and vital time for TXAPA. He has been the man for this hour. The good news for the membership is that we continue to benefit from his experienced leadership.

As the past is prologue, the last two decades have given us a glimpse of the road ahead.

Adapting to the changes that are certain to come will again allow us to achieve a future that is beyond our ability to conceive in the present tense. But what the past is saying to us is that bold leadership and dreaming big will once again secure our future because, as we know, expectations will change.

Gary Corley has been a longtime TXAPA member and employee of Kirby-Smith Machinery. He serves as TXAPA’s official historian. His love for the industry and TXAPA yielded the comprehensive 50 Years of Quality, published in 2012. Corley and Mullen share a friendship now in its fourth decade.  Fractioned aggregates ready for use by technicians attending training courses at the HMAC facility located in Buda, Texas.

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EDUCATING TECHNICIANS

By Jenna Nyberg, HMAC & TXAPA

The HMAC develops and maintains a pool of well-trained specialists for the state and contractors to design, test and manage hot mix asphalt pavements.

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Special to CEG

exas has an exceptional history of providing a quality, safe and efficient highway transportation system for the traveling public. The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) and asphalt paving industry in Texas, through the Hot Mix Asphalt Center (HMAC) and Texas Asphalt Pavement Association (TXAPA), have partnered together for many years to build, rehabilitate and maintain more than 80,000 miles of roadways that exist on the state’s system today.

Since 1993, nearly 11,000 field inspectors and laboratory technicians have attended certification courses at the center. Currently, the HMAC provides three levels of certification for inspection and testing of hot mix asphalt: field laboratory testing (Level 1A), quality management and mix design (Level 2) and roadway testing (Level 1B). In 2019, aggregates specialist (AGG 101) was implemented. The HMAC also administers TxDOT’s approved training and certification for individuals in five levels of Soils and Base certification: SB 101, SB 102, SB 103, SB 201 and SB 202.

TxDOT has always been a stellar partner in quality to both the

Elevating Asphalt Pavement Quality in Texas Since 1993 15

HMAC Director Corey Schwarz demonstrates virtual proficiency testing for the HMAC Now virtual certification program.

An inside look at one of the HMAC aggregate labs.

HMAC and TXAPA — and the center has long relied on the oversight of the joint TxDOT/TXAPA Steering Committee. As of late, the committee has refocused the HMAC from a reactive body to one that is more proactive in creating systems and policies that streamline the center in regard to proficiency programs, investigations and putting tools in technicians’ hands that make them successful.

Over the past few years, the HMAC has seen significant changes to its training and certification programs — one of which was separating the two so that students have a vital window of time after their training to study and practice to become more proficient before attending a certification course. Additionally, the certification exam is now taken on a

web-based platform instead of using paper and pencil of the past.

But the most significant change in recent years took place in June 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. One of the early challenges we faced during this time was making the decision to close the Gene Carrier III HMAC Building. This caused a backlog of inspectors and technicians who needed to be trained and certified in order to keep Texas moving. With a large quantity of certifications needing to be completed by the end of the year, TXAPA and the HMAC worked together to find a solution that could allow for safe and efficient testing. This solution was HMAC Now: an online certification platform that allows TXAPA members, TxDOT and other industry partners to take certification 16

THE COMMITTEE HAS REFOCUSED THE HMAC FROM A REACTIVE BODY TO ONE THAT’S MORE PROACTIVE

Level 1B Roadway Specialists ensuring the construction of a smooth, quiet, and durable asphalt pavement.

Certified Level 1B Roadway Specialist performing Tex-207-F, Part 5 on a Texas roadway.

accommodate the needs of HMAC Now, our staff has grown over the past few years from just two full-time employees and four instructors to six full-time employees and nine instructors. One of the new roles created and filled in the past year was that of creative director to help improve the quality of printed and digital content to make the HMAC stand out as a state-of-the-art facility. Because of this new position, the HMAC also has been propelled into the public sphere of social media with new accounts on LinkedIn, Twitter, a revamped Facebook page and YouTube channel. When it comes to our online presence, we also worked with a web developer in 2020 to deliver on our vision of a mod-

courses remotely.

Despite the reopening of the center in Buda, HMAC Now has remained a popular alternative to in-person classes, with nearly 3,000 students opting for virtual certification since the program’s implementation. From 2020 to 2021, the HMAC saw an overall attendance increase of approximately 2,500 students, with more than 5,000 technicians enrolling in certification courses in 2021 alone. Just last year, we saw a monthly average of approximately 500 students come through the center — a number that once served as a target but now falls below the new bar we have set for attendance.

To meet the demands of an ever-expanding student pool and to

see page 22 17

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SB202 class instructor Pat Kram watches a student conducting a test.

With all the new technology we have to offer, it is the HMAC’s goal to continue to develop and provide students with what they need to succeed for many years to come. Outside of the labs, this might look like an expanded video catalog, educational Quick Facts sheets for each certification level and a Learning Management System (LMS) for our training courses to help eliminate time away from the workplace.

Our future plans also include new certification opportunities for technicians in Texas. Over the past year, we have been partnering with TxDOT and the Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) in the development of two seal coat certification courses: seal coat inspector (geared toward TxDOT inspectors) and seal coat specialist (geared toward both TxDOT

ern, easy-to-navigate website. Now more than ever, txhmac.org acts as a great tool for students looking to register for courses, find useful forms, log in to their accounts, gain valuable knowledge from blog posts and more.

Considering the dramatic change and growth that has taken place at the HMAC, a unanimous decision was made by the TXAPA board of directors that it was time to update our labs to provide the highest possible quality environment and equipment for our students. From tables, ovens and scales to Hamburg, overlay and ideal CT, every single piece of equipment was replaced in the head-to-toe renovation which took place earlier this year.

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OUR FUTURE PLANS ALSO INCLUDE NEW CERTIFICATION OPPORTUNITIES FOR TECHNICIANS IN TEXAS

Echelon paving is the practice of paving multiple lanes side-by-side with the adjacent paving machines slightly offset and was the technique used to pave the award-winning Georgetown Airport

A technician conducts a permeability test on the roadway.

Touring an asphalt plant.

and contractors). We conducted pilot courses in early 2022 and plan on a full launch in early 2023. The goal of this program is the same as the goal for all other certification levels: to develop and maintain a pool of well-trained specialists for the state and contractors to design, test, and manage hot mix asphalt pavements.

The teamwork philosophy that TxDOT and TXAPA used to develop the certification program has enabled the HMAC to gain national recognition as a superior program. Many states have visited the Center and have used it as a model to develop their own certification programs, and we are committed to continuing to raise the bar for quality in Texas and across the country. 

Scan to visit txhmac.org 23

InstroTek & TXAPA working together to drive Balanced Mix Design forward InstroTek, Inc., celebrating its 25th Anniversary in 2022, continues to lead the industry through new product innovation and design. “Our asphalt testing product line grows each year,” says Matt Wheatley – Director of Business Development at InstroTek / HMA Lab Supply. “The development and release of equipment is designed around industry needs, producing more comparable results and increasing time savings for contractors and government agencies.”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racker and SmartLoader Universal Load Frame.

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26

CBA@?>A@=<@?BA;?@:>B98@?@>A7>665432>310/.>-7?,+*)>C+A8>+*9;(A?'>(AB,@87&9@?(>+*>0%$#>"*(A?73@,> +*A?79;!@9>A8@>5=B?A>" 6 3> +) >B>(AB*9B&7*@> +)>A8BA>B&&7C@9>&@)B!'>&7B9> ?B=@(> !7=<BA+ &@>C+A8> 653 > 00 :>A7>!B??'>7;A>A8@>" 6 3>A@(A.>38+(> 7?=@9><B?A>7 >B>(;+A@>7 ><?79;!A(> 7!;(@9>7*> B&B*!@> + @9> @(+)*. "*>A8@>@B?&'>0%%% ( >"*(A?73@,>CB(>A8@> ?(A>!7=<B*'>A7>+*A?79;!@> B!;;=>9?'+*)>7 > B(<8B&A>!7?@(.>38@> 7?@ ?' > ;+!,&'> @!B=@>7*@>7 >"*(A?73@, (> B)(8+<><?79;!A(> and now the name is synonymous with asphalt core drying. For over 15 years, the 7?@ ?'>8B(> @@*>8@&<+*)>!7*A?B!A7?(>B*9>B)@*!+@(>B!8+@ @>;&A?B B(A>9?'+*)>7 > asphalt cores, usually in less than 15 minutes. Users agree it is one of the most utilized pieces of equipment in the asphalt lab. " >A8@> 7?@ ?'>+(>"*(A?73@, (> B)(8+<><?79;!A >A8@> 7?@ 7, >+(>*7A> B?> @8+*9.> +?(A> ?@&@B(@9>+*>$## >A8@> 7?@ 7,>B99?@((@9>9@ !+@*!+@(>7 >A?B9+A+7*B&> ;&,>)?B +A'>A@(A(.> The CoreLok uses a polymer bag to seal asphalt specimens prior to water submersion keeping cores dry and unharmed. Soon after its release, "*(A?73@,>+*A?79;!@9>A8@>=B +=;=>(<@!+ !>)?B +A' >B))?@)BA@>(<@!+ !>)?B +A' >B*9><7?7(+A'>A@(A(>=B,+*)> the CoreLok one of the most versatile pieces of equipment in the asphalt lab.

In 2015, InstroTek acquired HMA Lab Supply. With the addition of HMA, InstroTek is *7C>!B<B &@>7 ><?7 +9+*)>*7A>7*&'> >&B >A@(A+*)>@ ;+<=@*A>A7>3@ B(>!7*A?B!A7?( > agencies, testing labs and University labs need, but also a full range of consumables <?79;!A(>B*9>&B 7?BA7?'>B!!@((7?+@(> 7?> B&B*!@9> + > @(+)*>A@(A+*).

38@>"*(A?73@,> 7 ;,@>*7* *;!&@B?>6(<8B&A> @*(+A'> B;)@ >B*9>A8@>")*+A+7* > 63> ;?*B!@> ?7*A> B*@&>B?@> "*(A?73@, (>&BA@(A><?79;!A>+**7 BA+7*(.> 7 ;,@>7 @?(>B> *7* *;!&@B?>7<A+7*> 7?>9@*(+A'>A@(A+*)>7 >B(<8B&A><B @=@*A(.> 7 ;,@>+(>(+=<&@>A7>;(@ >97@(>*7A>?@ ;+?@>B>*;!&@B?>&+!@*(@> and is highly accurate. This lightweight gauge can help establish rolling patterns and be used as a QC A77&>9;?+*)><B +*).>38@>")*+A+7*> 63> ?7*A> B*@&>!7=<&@A@&'>A?B*( 7?=(>A8@> 63> ;?*B!@>C+A8>B&&> new electronics, large 7” touchscreen LCD display, 8GBs of internal storage, improved diagnostics, and Bluetooth connectivity. All these products are now available from InstroTek. "*(A?7A@,><?79;!A(>!B*> @> 7;*9>+*>=7(A>@ @?'>!7*A?B!A7? > 23 >3@(A+*)>B*9> *+ @?(+A'>&B (>+*>3@ B(> +*!&;9+*)>3@ B(>6 > *+ @?(+A'>7 >3@ B(> &> B(7 >6;(A+* >6?&+*)A7*> >5B*>6*A7*+7.>-+A8>(+ >7 !@(>B!?7((> A8@>!7;*A?'> 3 > > " > 6 > 2>B*9> 6:>C@>B?@>B&CB'(>B B+&B &@>A7>B*(C@?>B*'> ;@(A+7*(.

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27

LEARNING THE ROPES

Students running gradation tests.

A slab being prepared for the cracking test at the Asphalt Road-eo student engineering competition.

C

lassroom learning and asphalt paving are a lot alike. In each case, you start with good material, periodically test to confirm you’re putting it together right and ultimately apply it in a way that smooths the future.

“I’m a lifelong student of learning,” said Jim Warren, director of engineering and technology of the Texas Asphalt Pavement Association. “I am continually trying to learn and there is always something to learn.”

Though he is not quite a lifelong asphalt educator, he has been teaching correct practices in the industry across the country for 35 years.

In the last two-plus years at the association, Warren has developed and implemented teaching modules for TXAPA members and customers. It is the continuation of an educational effort begun by the association in 1993. That was the year the state Department of Transportation introduced stringent asphalt pavement standards and needed a certifying agency to ensure they were being uniformly followed.

“They needed someone to certify technicians on how to do these

‘Asphalt Paving Can Be More of an Art Than a Science’ 28

Understanding which mix types are appropriate for different applications is the key to understanding asphalt.

tests correctly,” said Harold Mullen, TXAPA executive vice president responsible for day-to-day operations. “Our association stood up and took on that challenge, that certification program. That was the genesis of our training program.”

From the beginning, the association has partnered with the state Department of Transportation. From certifying test technicians, Mullen said the association moved into training the people working where the asphalt meets the road, those responsible for actually laying and compacting the pavement.

“That’s when we started our education programing, for our members first, then city and county roads people who indicated they wanted to participate. We invited them in and developed programs just for them and that opened the gates.”

Today, the association’s curriculum continues to evolve. The mainstay programs include an engineering essentials course of study and a similar one for inspectors. Warren presides over those virtual classrooms as well as one on specifications. The distance learning format being used was a result of COVID-19.

“COVID created a whole bunch of opportunities for us to develop programming that truly was live,” Warren said. “It created a little bit of strain on us, but we are getting better all the time. We’ve set up a whole studio here. We’re just trying to get the word out to a broader mass.”

The size of Texas contributed to this teaching model. Warren said it can be difficult for people to travel halfway across the state just to sit in a classroom for couple of hours at TXAPA headquarters in Buda, just south of Austin.

“Now we see people in our classes sitting in their trucks participating on their laptops. After class, they get back to work.”

Another TXAPA teaching venue is half-day seminars conducted by Chuck Fuller, who has been working with asphalt his whole life. His father was in the asphalt business — and then his brothers — and he was president of Ramming Paving for 19 years. Upon his retirement, the 62year-old industry veteran became TXAPA’s industrial relations consultant and instructor.

His in-person seminars range widely. They include communications in asphalt projects, including resolving conflicts, constructing joints in pavement, selecting a proper mix, regulating heat in a mat being placed and evaluating a finished product. Fuller also facilitates “Partners in Quality” meetings, which are held at least once a year in each Texas DOT district. The meetings feature exchanges of information that keep all the transportation partners on the same page.

The association has a YouTube channel with weekly videos on new technical developments. That channel also hosts “TXAPA Live!” interviews and events. Mullen said the diverse programming has proven valuable to a cross-section of the industry.

“They all are popular,” Mullen said. “Every time we put a new mod-

ule out — on specs training or paving or achieving density — we have a good turnout. On the certification side, the classes always are full.”

The certifications are good for three years and participants in non-certified programs receive certificates of completion.

One might think that, once crucial fundamental principles of asphalt construction are taught, the demand for such programming would wane.

One would be wrong.

“The information keeps changing,” Mullen said. “Specifications change. Test procedures change. In the last few months, we have had 12to-18 changes in test procedures. We have to keep up with them so that everyone is on the same page.”

Aside from the engineering of paving, said Fuller, there are variables that make every job different. He tries to prepare people in his classes for the intangibles.

“Asphalt paving can be more of an art than a science,” he said. “There can be mix or design issues, of course, but the weather also can be a factor — is it cloudy? What’s the temperature? Wind can have a big effect on asphalt temperatures. All of these go into whether you are going to have good compaction and pavement that will last for 10-12 years before maintenance is needed.”

How many people are touched by all this association education? The inspector training impacts approximately 125 people a year, Warren said, the engineering classes another 100. Each half-day seminar might have up to 50 people in it, the PIQ meetings in each of the 25 DOT districts perhaps 30. Its YouTube channel has generated more than 25,000 views where numerous technical content is covered.

“In our education outreach, we are just trying to identify challenges and build solutions,” Mullen said. “That’s what we are focusing on and the DOT is a great partner in our efforts.” He said an identifiable fruit of the programs — besides premier pavement being laid — are the awards handed out to Texas pavers by the National Asphalt Pavement Association. Every year our nominees win awards. Our training and education must be working pretty well.”

Warren believes the classes are valuable because of how participants respond to them — they send other people to the next class.

“Which means they see value in what we are doing,” he said. “I give people my cell number and e-mail address and tell them to contact me if I can help. They do. I think our stuff is as good or better than anyone else’s in the country.”

Warren said the challenge for asphalt paving professionals is to stay focused.

“As an industry in Texas, we need to be very consistent in operation and material selection,” he said. “From a quality perspective, the goal is not to produce and lay a ton of good asphalt, but to produce and lay 40 million tons of good asphalt a year. Creating that amount of asphalt paving with consistent quality is the challenge we face.”  29

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MANAGING ASPHALT PAVEMENT

Kevin King (L), Missouri Petroleum and chair of the Quality Seal Coat Committee presents Dr. Jon Epps with a plaque announcing the creation of the TXAPA-TxDOT Dr. Jon Epps Quality Seal Coat Awards Program in his honor.

Attendees could listen to asphalt experts at the latest MAPS Conference and Trade Show in Waco.

T

he seemingly endless lanes of asphalt pavement crisscrossing the United States come to mind when roadway paving is the topic, but those state and federal highways are the least of it. Locally owned roadways, streets, public parking spaces and biking paths constitute approximately three-quarters of the 4.1 million miles of pavement in the country.

That statistic alone was sufficient reason for the Texas Asphalt Pavement Association to roll out an annual conference solely for city, county and other local stakeholders in the paving industry. The Managing Asphalt Pavements Conference and Trade Show — MAPS — held its third event in March in Waco. The 2021 event was cancelled because of COVID-19.

“It was a pretty nice crowd this year,” said Dr. Jon Epps, who participated in the conference as the day-two keynote speaker. An estimated 400 city and county managers, engineers and other local officials along with asphalt and equipment vendors and suppliers crowded the Waco Convention Center for the conference, the largest MAPS crowd to date.

Dr. Jon Epps Discusses Evolving Asphalt Technologies 32

One of the attractions was Epps, who is an asphalt “expert,” a term he gently resists applying to himself. The evidence suggests otherwise. For more than a half century, the native Californian has built up an incomparable base of knowledge in the paving industry.

In the 1960s, he earned a civil engineering degree from University of California-Berkley before adding a master’s degree in Portland cementconcrete, and a doctorate in asphalt. He subsequently was a professor in the discipline at Texas A&M University and the University of NevadaReno and currently is executive associate director of Texas A&M Transportation Institute. He received the 2020 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Associated Modified Asphalt Producers.

Epps took to the podium at this year’s MAPS conference. In his presentation, he noted that 350-to-500 million tons of hot mix asphalt are laid annually across the country. At $70 a ton, laying it as efficiently as possible is in the best interest of taxpayers. The dollar figure for Texas alone is impressive: $1 billion is expended annually by the state Department of Transportation — with local governments spending twice that much.

Epps walked conference participants through evolving asphalt technologies, from binders to recycling technologies to accelerated pavement testing as well as new generations of paving and asphalt-handling equipment.

This year’s MAPS show specifically addressed the equipment component by expanding the trade show aspect of the conference. At the inaugural MAPS conference in 2019, five heavy and specialized asphalt paving equipment exhibitors presented their machinery. This year, 37 manufacturers and dealers displayed and demonstrated equipment.

“Binders and specs have changed over the years,” Epps said, taking a long retrospective look at the industry, “with different kinds of mixtures for engineered applications. There is so much more knowledge now on construction methods and pavement rehabilitation and recycling.”

The MAPS conference came about as way to give local Texas asphalt stakeholders the same experience that the Texas Asphalt Pavement Association has developed with the Texas Department of Transportation.

Locally owned roadways, streets, public parking spaces and biking paths constitute approximately three-quarters of the 4.1 million miles of pavement in the country.

The four-day TXAPA meeting in San Antonio each September has become an annual highlight of industry members after its inception in 1974 — and has been moderated by Epps for 47 years.

The idea is to build the MAPS conference into a similar signature event.

“I think local government officials always are thirsting for knowledge,” Epps said. “They want to improve their performance on local paving projects. Recognizing that desire was the genesis for MAPS.” One of the differences between state and local pavement partners is the scale of work undertaken.

“Local governments typically have smaller projects, obviously,” Epps said. “They generally do not have any engineering staff, or a large staff, anyway. So, the work they can do is more limited.”

He believes the presentations at MAPS were well-targeted for the concerns of that segment of the paving industry, with the variety of speakers, material-handling equipment representatives and consultants able to answer questions of conference participants.

“They learned from industry people as well as from other city and county officials in attendance,” he said.

And the learning must continue by industry members at every level, Epps said. He can’t predict what the next major innovation in equipment will be for paving professionals, perhaps it will be some new-concept machine akin to the cold-milling equipment introduced in 1974 — which Epps calls “a major, major breakthrough.”

But he sees issues of significant magnitude that asphalt producers, pavers and customers face in the immediate years ahead. Some of them revolve around recurring worries about climate change and the response of humankind to it.

“The biggest threat to the industry right now is the push for electrification of equipment and switching to the various renewable sources of energy,” he said. He doesn’t oppose such alternatives on principle — as previously noted, the industry leads in recycling — but he notes the renewable trend could impact the asphalt industry in a major negative way.

“Because asphalt binders are a product of crude oil, if public reliance on the other sources develops, the potential is high that we won’t have enough crude oil to refine into asphalt products,” he added. “Where will the binder come from to glue the rocks together?”

He said discussion of that issue has begun within the industry. While he is not an alarmist, Epps freely acknowledges this “biggest cloud” hovering over the industry because he has confidence that the upcoming generation of engineers is up to the challenge.

“There are a lot of good people in the field that are a lot younger than I am and they know what they’re doing,” Epps said. 

Brandon Kelly, assistant street division manager of the city of Kerrville, tells the crowd at MAPS about winning a quality asphalt pavement award with help from TXAPA’s educators.

33

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WOMEN OF ASPHALT TEXAS

I

n 2018, the first meeting of Women of Asphalt convened at the World of Asphalt trade show. Three years later, a Texas branch of the organization was formed. One year into the life of the statewide organization, its leaders believe they are smoothing the way for women to advance within the Texas asphalt industry, perhaps tweaking its character in the process.

“I think the character has already changed somewhat just having women at the table,” said Nathali Parker Weisman, Woman of Asphalt chairwoman. “More women are being hired and more men are realizing that we bring a different perspective. Will it change everything?

No, but it will enhance the industry. God made men and women different and both men and women in the industry will be enhanced by what we are doing.”

Weisman is president of KLP Construction Supply, a woman owner of a business in a male-dominated industry. She worked for companies large and small from one coast to the other before starting the construction materials business in the state where she grew up and earned a degree from Southwest Texas State University.

(L-R, back row): Lindsey R. Geeslin, Lhoist North America; Luiza Barros, chair, education and mentorship of Texas Materials, A CRH Company; Penny Hughs, KLP Construction Supply, fundraising and events; Emily Adams, Texas Asphalt Pavement Association; Aimee Busby, Austin White Lime Co. Ltd.; Becky Schaeffer, Texas Asphalt Pavement Association. (L-R, front row): Jennifer Blaylock, CSA Materials, WofA Texas vice chair; Nathali Parker Weisman, KLP Construction Supply, WofA Texas chair; and Amy Nicholls, Westward Environmental Inc. treasurer.

36

IN 2018, THE FIRST MEETING OF WOMEN OF ASPHALT CONVENED AT THE WORLD OF ASPHALT TRADE SHOW

Nathali Parker Weisman addresses the crowd at the Women of Asphalt launch party,

The launch party featured a wall of signatures.

Like many of the estimated 150 women in the state organization, all of whom are employed by companies that supply, mix, transport or lay asphalt, Weisman has encountered resistance in the workplace from male colleagues. Such experiences can run the gamut from sexual harassment and open insults to chronic underestimation and unconscious slights.

Weisman seems to have deflected the male put-downs without lingering on them.

“There are bad people in every industry, but they represent a very small percentage of the whole. I don’t take such things to heart. And sometimes the comments actually are coming from a nice place. They are spoken more from admiration than resentment. Women have to understand that.

“What I have found in the industry is that if you work hard, the men respect you,” she added. “They just want to know that you are going to be there and not leave them hanging. I have all kinds of idiosyncrasies and they embrace me as I am, and I accept them. It’s like a gorgeous garden with all these varied and interesting flowers. I’m not going to get

caught up in the sound of a word or a word itself.”

Luiza Barros has a similar cup-half-full view of the friction between genders. Barros has a master’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Texas-El Paso and manages quality control of aggregates at Texas Materials. In her professional life, she has chosen to attribute perceived insults to misunderstanding.

“I try not to think on the negative side and try not to see it as genderrelated,” she said. “Some of the men just haven’t had the experience of dealing with working side by side with women and they don’t understand how to deal with it. So, rather than relate it to gender, I see it more about personality and leadership issues, a combination of things.”

Such magnanimous attitudes may help explain why the Texas branch of Women of Asphalt welcomes men into the organization. While committee chairs and other leadership positions are reserved for women, men are encouraged to be members. Barros said the support of men is vital to the future of the organization.

“If we are to be successful, it is paramount for the Texas branch of see page 40 37

38

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TXAPA members gathered from all over the state to kick off the Texas branch of Women of Asphalt.

(L-R): Martin Asphalt Company Sales Representative Victoria Espino; Nathali Parker Weisman, and Martin Resource Management Corporation Assistant Lab Director Zineb Hafassa pose for a snap at the Women of Asphalt Texas Launch Party.

Women of Asphalt to reach men and show them what we are trying to accomplish. We embrace anyone who wants to be part of it.”

The umbrella goal of the organization is to support women in the industry as well as attract women to it by showing the opportunities that exist in it. Empowerment is central.

“When you get the support you need, you feel empowered,” said Jennifer Blaylock, production and materials coordinator of CSA Materials. “You go from walking into a room and noticing you are the only woman in the room to walking in and saying, ‘I can do this,’” said Blaylock.

“What we want to see is more of us in that room helping each other.”

So the Texas organization is trying to move ahead on two fronts.

“It is important for women to be supported in the industry and there are exciting mentorship opportunities for women,” said Weisman. “But at the same time, it is about bridging the gap between men and women, not about creating a divide. It is about us coming together and, as men and women, growing our industry.”

Along with mentorship programs, Women of Asphalt also partners with a number of other committees on numerous causes. Women of Asphalt has partnered with Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s Office, and TxDOT, as well as the Governor’s Commission on Women to combat human trafficking. Because of its long border with Mexico, Texas is a haven for traffickers. Current dysfunctional border policies are feeding the problem of organizations bringing in adults and children for the sex trade and illicit labor markets, and kidnappings in this country by traffickers are increasing, too.

Weisman wants the asphalt industry to be a part of the solution.

“Our industry members cover every inch of the state and we could singlehandedly help slow the momentum of trafficking,” she said. “If we do not do something, it will worsen. It has gone unchecked for so long and appetites have grown. Children are being lured out of their yards by traffickers.”

To help stem this tide, Women of Asphalt proposes training for indus40

‘WHEN YOU GET THE SUPPORT YOU NEED, YOU FEEL EMPOWERED’

WHO CAN JOIN WOMEN OF ASPHALT TEXAS?

Lindsey Geeslin (L), Lhoist North America, and Penny Hughs,KLP Construction Supply show off Women of Asphalt Texas merch at the 2022 TXAPA membership meeting.

The short answer is — anyone! The fact is it will take all of us working together to build a sustainable asphalt pavement industry of the future. So, whether you are TXAPA member, a city or county employee, a TxDOT employee or work in any field related to the industry, the only real requirement for membership is a passion for sharing your love for your work and the desire to share the opportunity with others. Wives, if your husband is in the industry, you are welcome here!

Men, if you support women in the industry, you are welcome here! Let’s bridge the gap and bring everyone together for a common cause. 

Luiza Barros gives an update about her subcommittee’s activities at the 2022 TXAPA Membership Meeting.

try members so that suspicious situations can be recognized in the course of a workday and acted upon through an I Watch Texas app. The idea is to report things “when you think, ‘This just doesn’t seem right,’” said Weisman. “We want to promote this neighborhood watch and get the watching on steroids.”

Added Blaylock, “If you think about how remote some of the industry operations are, we can see so much. If we can get some training so we know what we are looking for, we can help eliminate the problem.”

All in all, Women of Asphalt leaders are satisfied with the progress they have made in the last year. Sort of.

“My eyes tend to be bigger than my stomach,” said Weisman. “I think we are doing some real neat things, but at the same time, I want us to lay a really solid foundation. To that end, we have initiatives we are working on through some really strong committees. Perhaps our biggest achievement is that we have made waves in all the directions we have been wanting to go.”

In other words, Women of Asphalt is just getting started.  41

Scan to learn more about Women of Asphalt Texas.

42

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BACK TO BASICS

During the COVID-19 pandemic, TXAPA hosted TXAPA Live!, a weekly broadcast designed to keep members connected and informed during difficult times. Harold Mullen and guest Gary Corley, Kirby-Smith Machinery Inc. share a laugh before going on-air as Jim Warren makes some last minute adjustments.

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s a trade association, one of TXAPA’s most basic responsibilities is to provide education about asphalt pavement, the product its members have built their business around. It has always been the association’s stance that any asphalt pavement is an opportunity. That’s why since the days of Charlie Smoot, TXAPA has offered free seminars to teach Texans the fundamentals of asphalt and best practices for paving and compaction. Until the disruption created by the COVID-19 pandemic, these seminars were held regionally throughout the state. With lockdowns, TXAPA had to adapt to the new virtual environment quickly. The result was TXAPA Live! a kind of webinar on steroids. As an essential industry, heavy highway construction was booming. Without traffic to work around, contractors were completing projects in a fraction of the time. Utilizing a newly built studio complete with multiple cameras and professional lighting and sound, the TXAPA team supported members remotely with a steady stream of educational content mixed with human interest stories and industry updates. As we enter the second half of 2022, TXAPA’s aspirations have come full circle. Thanks to TXAPA Live! the association now has a robust compendium of videos hosted on its YouTube channel. Digital content is all well and good, but the asphalt pavement industry is at its heart, built on relationships. In the next era of TXAPA’s educational initiatives, it will employ a tactic known colloquially as “regionalization.” As the past would confirm, this is not a new direction but rather a return to the basics.

Since TXAPA held its first fundamentals of asphalt and best practices for paving and compaction seminars, they have evolved significantly. In

the mid-2000s, TXAPA’s training and education committee, led by Gary Corley of Kirby-Smith Machinery kicked off the creation of a supporting document called the Texas Asphalt Pavement User Guide. TXAPA’s marketing committee, led by Eddie Updike of Longview Asphalt, worked with the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) to develop the guide which comprises 166 pages and took several years to produce.

Along with the guide, TTI delivered a companion presentation for each chapter. The presentations served as the foundation for a year-long webinar series posted on TXAPA’s website for easy public access. After seeing the guide through to its completion, the marketing committee concentrated on getting it into as many hands as possible. The committee decided the most effective way was to upload the user guide to a TXAPA-branded flash drive and hand it out at meetings, workshops, seminars and trade shows. Modest estimates put the number of user guides distributed in the thousands (since 2017). TXAPA instructors began attending some of the state’s most popular trade shows to reach even more people. Often exhibiting and speaking at these events, the strategy was to promote TXAPA’s educational resources and establish the association as a trusted authority for anyone undertaking an asphalt paving project.

These efforts were successful to say the least. Before lockdown, the seminars had grown to attract crowds of 100-to-150 people or more.

They were open to anyone, but cities and counties constituted most of the audience. The distribution of the user guide and trade show presence was likely a factor. The information presented at the seminars evolved as well. TXAPA enlisted the help of area member firms to present a new 44

technology section of the fundamentals program covering advancements in asphalt pavement construction, from the design and use of Super Pave Mixes to details of the Overlay Test Procedure, the Hamburg Test Procedure and the Shear Test Procedure. Seminar Leader Chuck Fuller presented the fundamentals of asphalt and new technology on the first day. The content targeted engineers, designers and city managers.

The day started with a module on planning for success, covering key topics a paving contractor should discuss at the pre-paving meeting, followed by additional modules covering asphalt binders, asphalt aggregates, asphalt mix design and asphalt pavement mix types. On the second day, road crews, field supervisors and superintendents, aka the “boots on the ground,” could gain a solid foundation for asphalt pavement construction at the paving and compaction portion of the seminar.

In 2019, the seminars evolved once again. This time, the format was expanded to become a two-day conference called MAPS (Managing Asphalt Pavements). TXAPA’s Associate Member Advisory Committee led by Kyle Riggs of Texas Lime Company, spearheaded the effort. The committee structured the MAPS conference specifically for its biggest audience, the local governments of Texas. The first MAPS was held in Grapevine and was a runaway success. In 2020, the second MAPS narrowed its focus to concentrate on city and county officials and added tabletop exhibitors. After a preempted third conference, MAPS 2022 returned as a full-fledged heavy equipment show with three breakout tracks and a general session track. This time, the association contracted the Waco Convention Center and drew a record crowd of more than 400.

The success of TXAPA’s seminars and the MAPS conference reaffirmed a long-held TXAPA belief that the best way to connect with people doesn’t happen via a screen.

As COVID-19 slowly exits the daily headlines and life returns to “normal,” TXAPA is taking inventory of several programs it developed during the pandemic. These programs served their purpose but TXAPA’s leadership is firmly convicted that the best opportunities to conduct successful outreach to members and other stakeholders is still with a personal touch. The 2022 board of directors decided to pare back some COVID-era programs so TXAPA could return to its roots. It was unanimous that the TXAPA team needed to get back out on the roadways of Texas and get back to the basics of building relationships the tried-andtrue way. Enter the concept of regionalization.

TXAPA has divided the state of Texas into regions with the intent to visit member companies personally. The idea is that these companies can put a face with a name and interact directly with a person who cares about their member experience. An added benefit is that the association can conduct a little field research and see what is happening on the ground across the state. This data will inform what the association prioritizes in the future. It also will be vital to the health the Partners in Quality Program (PIQ) which seeks to bring asphalt pavement contractors and producers together with TxDOT leadership to partner in the identification and resolution of issues. By gaining a better understanding of the climate in the TxDOT districts, PIQ facilitators will be better prepared to initiate meaningful dialogue.

Along with regionalization, TXAPA programs like the seminars, the MAPS conference, PIQ meetings, and other opportunities for connection will continue. Even TXAPA Live!, which has a large following, will continue on a monthly basis. The lessons of the pandemic can’t be ignored – most everyone is online and as a service organization, TXAPA’s leadership knows it needs to cater to multitaskers with busy schedules. But there is a certain appeal to shaking a hand, touring a facility, and giving someone your undivided attention. That’s what TXAPA leadership wants to provide to its members. Getting back to basics is an appreciation of the simple things, and the simplest answer is often the correct one. 

Congratulations

TXAPA!

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