Asphalt Contractor January 2021

JANUARY 2021

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THE LEADER IN PERFORMANCE AND EFFICIENCY

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At Gencor®, we’ve led the industry with the most fuel-efficient, environmentally clean and lowest-maintenance design available to the hot mix industry. Gencor Industries remains focused on proactively serving and satisfying its customers from all aspects.

Through improved cost-effectiveness, and quality of its products and services, Gencor’s personnel are dedicated to the principle of providing the highest quality to the industry to maintain a sustainable competitive advantage for Gencor®.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS |

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JANUARY 2021

COVER STORY A New Road for the New President Every four years, Fort Myer Construction mills and paves Pennsylvania Avenue to ready it for the President’s Inaugural Procession. | 34 TECHNOLOGY MATTERS

10 10 Technologies Improving Construction Technologies can help you enhance jobsite efficiency and maintain your fleet.

22 What are the Temperatures Impacting Hot Mix Asphalt Production?

What are the various key temperatures influencing the production process and the final placement of hot mix asphalt?

JOBSITE INNOVATIONS

52 Preservation Products Milling machines, reclaimers, infrared equipment & more.

42 Jobsite Products Pavers, rollers, MTVs & more.

PRODUCTION NOTES

14 Use Plant Downtime to Improve Uptime Scheduled maintenance at the asphalt plant helps to prevent failure while also ensuring the facility is running at peak performance.

32 Production Products Plants, baghouses, mixers, dryers, automation systems & more to measure the quality of their asphalt.

PRESERVATION UPDATE

44 E&B Paving Pushes RAP Content to 40%

IN EVERY ISSUE 8

Editor’s Perspective

58 The Last Exit

Trial with sustainable rejuvenator proves workability, durability of a high-RAP mix.

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THE LEGEND IS BACK

With over a century of innovation to its credit, Blaw-Knox pavers have earned a reputation for quality, durability and performance unmatched in the industry. Today, with its new and improved highway-class designs, Blaw-Knox continues to deliver on its promise with all the performance features you’ve come to expect from an industry leader.

BLAW-KNOX, THE LEGACY LIVES ON. Blaw-Knox Corporation 1280 Superior Avenue Chambersburg, PA 17201 Tel. 717-400-7900 www.blawknox.com

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DIGITAL CONNECTION www.ForConstructionPros.com/Asphalt

Report: How to Fix Surface Transportation Funding

Catch Up On Hops & Highways

CEI says the current structure features a long-term funding shortfall (with inevitable bailouts) and a mismatch between who pays for roads and who uses them and there are better, more accurate and equitable ways to pay for them than a federal gas tax.

Search: 21205811

World of Asphalt 2021 Announces Digital Education Platform

Hops & Highways is your weekly newscast dedicated to the road building industry. Catch episodes each Friday on Asphalt Contractor’s Facebook page and watch videos on demand at ForConstructionPros.com.

ForConstructionPros.com/Videos/ Hops-Highways

ARTBA Report Forecasts Modest Declines in 2021 Transportation Construction Market Market is expected to shrink 5.5% next year, driven primarily by the severe economic recession caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

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The People, Plants and Paving Digital Conference, March 9-11, features a variety of educational sessions and a live question-and-answer portion with the instructors.

Registration opens January 14 WWW.FORCONSTRUCTIONPROS.COM/ASPHALT

Search: 21206437

CONTRACTOR WWW.FORCONSTRUCTIONPROS.COM/ASPHALT WWW.FORCONSTRUCTIONPROS.COM/ASPHALT

Get social with us! Share pictures of what you’re working with over 28,000 other asphalt contractors on our Facebook page: Facebook.com/ Asphalt.Contractor/

CONTRACTOR LATEST INNOVATIONS FOR ASPHALT PROFESSIONALS

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JANUARY 2021 Vol. 35, No. 1

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Published by AC Business Media.

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Published and copyrighted 2021 by AC Business Media. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any information storage or retrieval system, without written permission from the publisher.

Asphalt Contractor (ISSN 1055-9205, USPS 0020-688): is published ten times per year: January, February, March/April, May, June/July, August, September, October, November, December, with an additional Buyer’s Guide issue published in August by AC Business Media, 201 N. Main Street, Fifth Floor, Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin 53538.

Periodicals postage paid at Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin and additional entry offices.

POSTMASTER: Please send change of address to ASPHALT CONTRACTOR, PO Box 3605, Northbrook, Illinois 60065-3605.

Printed in the U.S.A. SUBSCRIPTION POLICY: Individual subscriptions are available without charge only in the USA. The Publisher reserves the right to reject nonqualifying subscribers. One-year subscription to nonqualifying individuals: U.S. $45.00, Canada & Mexico $65.00, and $95.00 all other countries (payable in U.S. funds, drawn on U.S. bank). Single copies available (prepaid only) $10.00 each (U.S., Canada & Mexico), $15.00 each (International).

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EDITOR’S PERSPECTIVE

Jessica Lombardo, Editor

INFRASTRUCTURE BILL IN 2021?

Looking ahead to the next administration, modernizing our infrastructure has broad support and can drive the growth and jobs we need now. If the Biden administration prioritizes something that can—and must—be done in a collaborative manner, it can set the tone for good governance on other priorities essential to rebuilding our economy.

Experts believe that members of the 117th Congress and the President-elect heard loud and clear what the voters want. Voters want action to bring the pandemic under control, put people

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back to work and keep our economy open, while rebuilding communities and working together towards a stronger future for our country.

A key part of the legislative agenda in 2021 will be enactment of a multi-year surface transportation authorization bill before the FAST Act extension expires on September 30, 2021. Lawmakers know that investments in infrastructure get people quickly back to work and strengthen the economy and we expect to see significant increases in infrastructure investments that will positively impact the road building market.

Biden has made it clear he is ready to work with Congress to deliver results for all Americans on infrastructure and many other issues. He is planning bold investments in infrastructure that help everyone, from large metro areas dealing with unreliable transit and soon to be jam-packed highways, to rural communities that suffer from bridges in poor condition and deteriorating roads.

Biden's ‘Build Back Better' plan has lofty goals that his campaign states will move our infrastructure into the 21st century while creating millions of family wage jobs that support U.S. manufacturing and harness American engineering and ingenuity. Whether or not this administration can make them a reality is yet to be seen, but if experts can be hopeful, then so can we.

Happy New Year everyone and have a safe and healthy 2021. Contact me anytime with job stories, article ideas or just to say hello.

You can reach me at jlombardo@acbusinessmedia.com.

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LATEST INNOVATIONS FOR ASPHALT PROFESSIONALS PROFESSIONALS LATEST LATEST INNOVATIONS INNOVATIONS FOR ASPHALT PROFESSIONALS

JANUARY 2021 • Vol. 35, No. 1

ASPHALT

CONTRACTOR Published by AC Business Media

The Construction Industry is Hopeful for a Successful 2021

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ith 2020 behind us, we are more than ready to move on to what we hope is a much brighter 2021.

Luckily for the construction industry, experts are optimistic that 2021 will bring some positive news for our crumbling infrastructure.

In our State of the Industry report last month, our experts were committed to being ready and willing to work with the Biden administration and leaders on both sides of the aisle to restore public health, revitalize our economy and help rebuild American lives and communities. During the 2020 election, Americans voted in historic numbers and many of them made it clear they wanted infrastructure to be a priority.

Voters in 18 states approved a recordhigh 94 percent of transportation-related ballot measures across the country, including Arkansas, Michigan, Ohio, Texas and Washington. Transportation has traditionally been a bipartisan issue and one area where members of Congress can come together.

Voters continue to show this at the ballot box and it's time for Washington to listen.

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TECHNOLOGY MATTERS |

BY SPENCER CHIN

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Trimble Earthworks Grade Control version 2.0 features Horizontal Steering Control, which automatically controls the machine to follow any horizontal alignment. Photo Credit: Trimble

that leads to costly delays. NIST estimates these costs could amount to $8.4 billion for engineers to answer questions and create additional drawings, and $3.8 billion for machinists to do the same.

Technologies Improving Construction

Sarcos Robotics’ Guardian XO exoskeleton enables a worker to lift loads up to 20 times his or her lifting capacity.

Photo Credit: Sarcos Robotics

Technologies can help enhance jobsite efficiency

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n recent years, a spate of digital-based technologies have turned construction into a hotbed of high technology.

These technologies are enabling operators to more precisely survey and plan the elements of a construction project, perform various construction tasks and develop and maintain a vital database of construction fleet data.

Whether it be high-tech grade positioning, Building Information Modeling (BIM) systems, telematics, remote control or 3D printing, these technologies are available now. The initial investments construction companies make in these technologies will be repaid in faster, more streamlined project deployment, fewer errors in the field, improved fleet maintenance and more efficient labor deployment.

BIM EASES PROJECT PLANNING With construction projects becoming more complex and desired time

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windows to completion getting tighter, an integrated means of displaying all facets of a project is needed. BIM systems are providing a means for all stakeholders in a project, from architects to construction crews, to have a close-up look at the project workflow to streamline planning and project coordination.

Taking computer-aided design (CAD) up the technology ladder, BIM uses tools such as robotic tool stations and 3D laser scanners to give designers more in-depth insights into projects.

These tools are enabling BIM models to be accessible in the field, thus enabling faster, more accurate real-time collaboration on the jobsite without delays waiting for updated designs.

Construction firms have embraced BIM in a big way. In a blog post from BIM software provider Hexagon, the 2019 Sage Construction Hiring and Business Outlook Survey showed only 38% of construction firms do not use BIM. According to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), modeling data from technologies such as BIM reduces duplicate design and production work

VIEWING PROGRESS THROUGH AUGMENTED REALITY While BIM is a great help during construction planning, virtual technologies such as augmented reality (AR) and mixed reality give project stakeholders a clear window to the project as the project goes through all stages and through whatever desktop or mobile device is used. AR is designed to combine the physical and digital worlds by overlaying digital information onto the user’s actual environment.

With AR, all the stakeholders in the construction process can now visualize what a project will look like via a 3D model using the AR tool on their own devices. While viewing the model overlaid on the actual site, people can ask and answer questions, raise concerns and solve problems on the spot.

THE POWER OF SIMULATION FOR TRAINING The intricacies of performing a construction task can often be learned in a virtual manner before applying it on the jobsite.

Simulation combines a powerful computer and software to provide a complete picture of all facets of a construction project in progress. It enables contractors to experiment with construction project variables, helping them to optimize a particular job and providing an added degree of assurance when training new or inexperienced operators.

“Simulation allows operators to train in a safe environment while experiencing challenging situations,” says Curt Leconte, product manager, simulators, John Deere. “Some of the benefits include concentrated seat time, repeatability and experience to a variety of equipment in a cost-effective way. There is no need to

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fuel up the equipment, rope off an area and occupy an instructor. Simulation can be tried again and again.”

UPGRADING GRADE POSITIONING Grade positioning technology enables operators to interactively view what is happening on a jobsite as construction equipment is moving, eliminating guesswork and increasing productivity.

“Grade control systems continue to advance the productivity, accuracy and profitability of a multitude of applications on the jobsite,” says Oscar Cantu, construction content manager for the Americas, Topcon Positioning Systems. “Our X-53x positioning system allows operators to cut grade faster and more accurately; create, cut and check complex designs from the cab, and it increases safety by removing the grade checker from the trench.”

DRONES TO THE RESCUE Sending people to survey a potential construction site costs time and money, so more contractors are using drones to aerially survey a site prior to breaking ground or sending people out for a detailed look. Drones can also be useful in monitoring the progress of a construction project remotely and even for measuring the volume of material stockpiles.

Drones produce measurable 3D site surveys as well as an interactive, visual timeline. The platform also produces on-demand reports that free the user from having to perform data analysis.

THE CASE FOR TELEMATICS Telematics, which uses telecommunications and information processing to monitor vehicle operation, has become an important ally for construction operators to help them maximize their effectiveness in deploying and maintaining often vast fleets of equipment.

Telematics also enables users to keep track of where equipment is at any given time.

“When any piece of equipment goes missing, it can hinder fleet performance and increase insurance costs,” says Steven Berube, senior business development

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manager for off-road and vocational sales, Geotab. “A telematics system enables fleets to create a geofence, a virtual setting that corresponds to a real-world geographic location. Construction companies can use geofencing to determine if a piece of equipment that leaves a jobsite is being stolen or inappropriately moved. Along with theft, there is always the possibility of accidents or collisions at a construction site.”

ROBOTICS MEET LOAD CHALLENGES An ongoing challenge at jobsites is the need for workers to move heavy loads.

The issue becomes exacerbated on some sites where loads must be maneuvered in tight locations that equipment may not be able to easily access. To deal with this, the industry is deploying robotic technology in the form of an exoskeleton, whose robotic features enable safer handling of difficult loads.

Sarcos Robotics has developed a fullbody, powered industrial exoskeleton, called Guardian XO, that enables a worker to lift loads up to 20 times his or her lifting capacity. The Guardian XO reduces the chance of a worker getting injured and gives the worker a high degree of freedom of movement.

REMOTE CONTROL ENABLES SAFER OPERATION Remote control technology that allows equipment to operate without a person physically present can assist contractors where labor is not available and in isolated or dangerous locations where deploying human labor is not practical.

From a labor standpoint, the remote technology has produced ancillary benefits. “We are finding Cat Command Technology opens up the machine operation profession to a whole new range of employees who previously were unable to or not attracted to the machine operation profession,” says Andy Massey, product applications specialist, Caterpillar. “This includes people with physical disabilities who previously could not climb aboard a machine, and tech savvy young professionals who see remote machine operation a highlight career path.”

RUGGEDIZED DEVICES STAND UP TO ABUSE Technology advancements in construction also mean a greater presence of devices such as laptop computers, tablets and smartphones on jobsites. Given their importance in collecting and storing crucial data, it's important these devices stand up to dirt, humidity, temperature extremes and vibration. Ruggedized devices provide better assurance of withstanding severe environments.

For instance, ruggedized laptops have a thicker and stronger housing than a regular laptop and are mainly used for industrial, construction and military purposes. They are designed to stand up to vibration, shock, drop, dust and moisture, yet comply with requirements such as high performance and governmental grade security.

3D PRINTING REVOLUTIONIZING CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS Technology is also changing the face of construction materials. 3D printing potentially allows the fabrication of highstrength construction materials without the challenges of traditional processes.

3D printers used in construction can print materials combining a composite and concrete that is thicker than conventional concrete. Potential advantages include faster construction, lower labor costs, increased complexity and/or accuracy, greater integration of function and less waste produced.

At a time when construction contractors face the challenges of tighter project windows, increased building complexity, a greater need for data and the possibility of less human labor due to budgetary and safety concerns, technologies such as the ones portrayed here will give savvy operators a leg up on the competition. Adopting these technologies can enable companies to plan and carry out complex projects with a higher degree of precision, safety and efficiency.

Smartphones for rugged environments, such as Kyocera’s DuraForce2, are sealed against moisture and humidity and resist shock, vibration, and extreme temperatures.

Photo Credit: Kyocera

For more information on emerging technologies, visit ForConstructionPros. com/21119160

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WE LISTEN TO YOUR COMPLEX NEEDS We’re large enough to understand that every producer’s needs are different. Small enough to personally answer your call, listen to your needs and help with sound solutions, like customizing just the right asphalt plant to meet your specific production goals, or troubleshooting when surprises happen. Tell us how we can help.

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PRODUCTION NOTES |

BY JESSICA LOMBARDO, EDITOR

Promoting a culture of maintenance at your asphalt plant will lead to better plant performance and fewer breakdowns.

Use Plant Downtime to Improve

UPTIME

Scheduled maintenance at the asphalt plant helps to prevent failure while also ensuring the facility is running at peak performance

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ot mix asphalt facilities are complex electrical and mechanical systems with thousands of moving parts. Any electrical or mechanical failure can lead to a plant breakdown. That’s why proactive and preventive facility maintenance is essential for reliable performance at your asphalt plant.

Well-maintained plants encounter fewer extensive repairs and breakdowns while improving operating costs and boosting customer retention and satisfaction.

For this reason, asphalt plant maintenance should be a daily, top of mind task with additional downtime scheduled to inspect and complete needed repairs.

"Asphalt plant owners who develop year-round maintenance processes for their facilities ensure that they will meet

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or exceed customer expectations and promote the growth of their business," Daniel Francisco, group director service, Integrated Process Solutions at Astec Industries, Inc. says. "Neglecting the maintenance of any key plant components will increase the risk of failure."

Scheduling time for maintenance also ensures things are running at peak performance, "Plant maintenance allows you to take some time and see what might be ready to replace or in need of lubrication, adjustments, recalibration, things like that," Carlos Cardenas, sales engineer at Asphalt Drum Mixers (ADM) says. "So plant maintenance has to do with not just maintaining the machine running, but also maintaining it running efficiently and accurately."

Steve Elam, general manager at Stansteel/Hotmix Parts agrees.

"Asphalt plant maintenance is just like what most dentists or their technicians tell patients. Only brush and floss the teeth you want to keep, so if you want the plant to a have high level of uptime, you must have a systematic maintenance plan based on each piece

of plant equipment," he says. "There aren’t any easy how-to books on this topic, but working with your plant manufacturer or another entity that has qualified service personnel or educating plant personnel through a program is certainly a great way to start."

COMPLETE MAINTENANCE CHECKS Every asphalt plant has a scheduled maintenance checklist and it's important to rely on that guide and follow service intervals to ensure your plant is ready to meet the demand that are placed on it each day.

"These plant maintenance checklists systematically step through each piece of equipment, what is checked and measured on thicknesses, conditions of bearings, flighting, wear patterns and many, many more," Elam says.

These checks should be done at the beginning of each day and also periodically throughout production.

"We have maintenance schedule for certain things and they have to be checked or should be checked at different intervals," Cardenas says. "You have things like gearboxes and motors,

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bearings, airlines, cylinders, any mechanical stuff that moves, linkages, limit switches, all your belts, screw conveyors, etc. need to be checked daily.

"Listen to equipment and visually inspect it. There should be a walkthrough in the morning to make sure nothing has come loose or there is nothing broken.

At the end of the day, when you're shut down, you should also look at things so you know what they should look like and can tell if things are in order."

Daily maintenance checks are only as good as the people who are completing them however.

"You need to staff the plant with adequate personnel that are capable of executing a prescribed maintenance plan," Elam says.

"Years ago, on a much simpler and not as high a visibility asphalt plant, it would not have been uncommon to have four or five people working at the asphalt plant.

Now, probably a preponderance of plants in North America have three people: the plant operator, the loader operator and a ground or maintenance person that’s multi-duty. There are literally hundreds of plants that have only two people at the plant - the plant operator and the loader operator – and they must do everything. While adequate maintenance staff may seem a costly overhead, the alternative cost of a catastrophic breakdown is an increasingly risky gamble."

You also need to be sure you keep documentation of your maintenance processes in order to ensure the plan is being followed.

"Promoting a good maintenance culture leads to fewer plant breakdowns," Fransisco says.

"Documenting and maintaining maintenance records from your plant site is another important process in reducing plant breakdowns. Using a hands-on approach and conducting thorough plant assessments and inspections, allows plant owners/ operators to better manage and plan maintenance."

Elam agrees.

"These plans are only worthwhile if they are followed and the inspections

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End of Life Components The frequency of maintenance varies for every component in a plant and maintenance records should help you tailor a maintenance schedule that matches your facility. In addition to daily maintenance, each plant component has an end of life and that’s an important consideration when it comes to components such as bearings, chains, sprockets, dryer flighting and other heavy wear parts.

“While no plant operation mindfully runs with a plan to break down, many plants inadvertently operate with a ‘run until its breaks’ approach to maintenance,” Elam says. “Unless high priority is assigned to plant maintenance, the inevitable conclusion will be unscheduled downtime or, even worse, breakdowns. Plants break down because components have not been properly maintained, or aligned, or even monitored.”

Common failures include: • Sprockets on drag conveyors or bucket elevators • Rotary airlocks that are metering dust material back to the process • Bearings in all assorted areas • Liquid A.C. pumps, unloading, metering and others • Electronic control components or process controls • Burners and associated components • Gear boxes • Hot oil heating systems There are a number of predictive items including thickness measurements and monitoring and comparison. Items such as vibration analysis of motors or gear boxes; temperature readings of bearings, motors, and even drum shell profiles; oil analysis of gear boxes and hot oil heating systems, etc. should also be monitored.

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PRODUCTION NOTES

Your plant manufacturer will be a great partner with parts on hand to get your facility up and running in the event of a breakdown.

are done and compared to the prior inspections," he says. "We have customers that have Stansteel complete asphalt plants that are proud to report less than 10 hours of downtime in a season with over half a million tons of production," he continues. "These companies are thorough, they do not spare expense during their shutdown period, and they are living testimony to what constitutes a good program by checking all mechanical and electronic components.

It is not inexpensive for them to do this, but it’s one of the fastest paybacks that a company investment could have."

SAFETY MATTERS When your equipment is operating correctly, it will also improve safety at the plant.

"Poorly maintained plants lead to serious injuries and workplace fatalities," Francisco says. "Well-maintained plants that invest in personnel training for OSHA, MSHA, Lock Out-Tag Out,

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etc. promote a safer work environment that can reduce and/or eliminate those injuries and deaths."

And this can also help your overall operations as well.

"If plant maintenance, appearance and functionality are very good, it’s often easy for safety to follow," Elam adds. "It’s a matter of knowing what the safety regulations are and following them closely. This includes everything from Lock Out/Tag Out procedures to making certain that guards are in place and are safely accessible in order to check for adjustment and wear. If there is a breakdown that is an emergency situation, the reaction is often done in haste, rather than having a plan and procedure. Most companies that have a good maintenance program also look for items to help avoid putting their plant personnel at risk."

Elam says an example of such an item is a Safe-T Station to extract the

hot liquid asphalt samples in a locked, shielded, and secured manner, rather than just having the plant personnel open a valve and take a liquid sample.

"Just as in planning maintenance, you plan safety and have a philosophy of an excellent operation," he says. "As an example, we recently received a report from a customer that has logged over 1 million hours of operation without a safety violation or without a safety incident. It is no surprise that this same company also has an excellent maintenance program."

It boils down to ensuring those who work at the plant are given the time to make maintenance a priority.

"You have to leave time for maintenance and you also have to give your people enough time to do the kind of maintenance that is necessary to keep your plant running smoothly and safely," Cardenas says.

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En g i n e e r e d In n o v a t i o n .

From innovative designs to Caterpillar dealer service and support, Weiler is paving the way to success for contractors across North America. Weiler’s material transfer vehicles, commercial pavers, road wideners, windrow elevators, static split-drum compactors, soil stabilizers, rock drills, tack distributors and front mount screeds are engineered with innovative features to increase productivity while reducing operating costs.

Weiler equipment is sold and serviced exclusively at Caterpillar dealers throughout North America.

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PRODUCTION NOTES UPGRADES CAN IMPROVE QUALITY Conducting maintenance in the past used to be an incredibly manual process, but technology today has improved and therefore so has tracking and scheduling maintenance.

"There are several items and tools that help the plant to manage downtime," Elam says. "Several technology measures such as the newest control

systems called Asphalt Automated Intelligence and new technology, such as the Accu-Track Advantage Control, has ways of monitoring items on the plant on a continuous basis and checking key areas and components hundreds of times per second. While older control systems would send a signal to a piece of equipment (such as an asphalt pump) and instruct the pump to operate at a certain level or volume, the Accu-Track

Asphalt plant owners need to give their crew ample time to complete the needed maintenance tasks to keep the plant running.

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Advantage Control System not only sends a signal to operate, but also has a separate and independent verification that the pump is indeed operating in that manner.

"If it is not operating properly, the system will alert the operator and, in some cases, even sequentially shut down the plant. This precise monitoring is for all type components, including belt scale readings for calibration verification and interlocks on material feeding the process, even to the point of proofing flow of product or levels of liquid A.C. tanks, silos or other items to avoid spillage or pluggage.

These new systems help control downtime so your plant can be up and running as soon as maintenance is conducted.

"Advanced technologies such as plant control systems and automation are on the cutting edge of downtime mitigation," Fransisco says. "As an example, the powerful computer/ PLC-based control systems from Astec allow customers to easily and efficiently monitor data and manage plant operations. As for predictive maintenance items, plant managers, if they have cultivated a strong maintenance culture, could address several of these items during downtime."

PARTNERING FOR SUCCESS If your asphalt plant does breakdown, having a good partner is key to getting back up and running quickly.

"If your plant goes down, one of the first things you want to do is figure out what is wrong so you want to call your manufacturer right away," Cardenas says. "Talk to the service technicians who can help you troubleshoot the issue faster. This also gives the manufacturer time to either put together or find whatever it is that you need to correct the issue. The sooner you call, the better it is going to be for you to get up and running."

It's also very important to be as prepared as possible in the event of a breakdown.

"Getting a plant up and running quickly doesn’t happen if plant owners

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PRODUCTION NOTES

are thinking reactively," Fransisco says.

"If plant owners want to get a plant up and running in the shortest amount of time possible, they need to think proactively. Having an inventory of parts and skilled personnel trained and ready before a plant breakdown is critical to minimizing downtime.

Partnering with a good manufacturer not only assures quality products and superior engineering, but it offers the parts and service expertise needed to limit downtime."

Having a good partner can also help you determine what other issues the plant may be having and recommend further repairs at the same time.

"Plant owners should have a very trustworthy supplier for parts and components for the plant, particularly one that stocks items for all brands and all types of plants," Elam says. "The first thing that owners should do is to make sure the problem is extremely welldefined as to the cause of the specific breakdown. Just fixing one item might be akin to putting your finger in a dike, the flood of a bigger system problem might be lurking. They should know to call companies that have a lot of knowledge and experience with this to help them diagnose the fundamental root cause of the problem, not just the manifestation of the breakdown."

At the end of the day, companies who put a high value on proper maintenance and stick to it, will be more successful as their plant will be less likely to breakdown "The proper maintenance is a 'Pay me now or pay me later,�' Elam says.

"If customers truly evaluate their plant,

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they will become more and more familiar about its characteristics and how their individual plant operates. Whether you apply a simple maintenance plan or a more comprehensive predictive analytics program, the bottom line is to execute the plan."

If that plan is properly executed, your asphalt plant should see a lifetime of successful operation.

"Leveraging a strong maintenance culture at your facilities will reduce downtime and maximize your profit margins," Francisco concludes.

For more information on plant maintenance, visit ForConstructionPros. com/21094426

Innovations like the Safe-T Station allow plant operators to extract the hot liquid asphalt samples in a locked, shielded and secured manner, helping to keep them safe.

www.ForConstructionPros.com/Asphalt

12/23/20 8:06 AM

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PRODUCTION NOTES

What is your What are the various key temperatures influencing the production process and the final placement of hot mix asphalt?

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W

ith today’s concerns for knowing your temperature as an indicator of health, it got me thinking about the key temperatures of your hot mix plant and I thought it would be a great time to discuss the various key temperatures influencing the production process and the final placement.

It is taken for granted that hot mix (it is

right there in the name) is produced at a given temperature. In most cases the mix discharge temperature is preset and only becomes a factor when it goes higher or lower than the expected normal.

Like many, I subscribed to the rule of thumb that a successful project is a 60/40 split between the plant and the lay down crew. Key to this success ratio is mix temperature.

Before we go any further, it may be useful to review the two major factors effecting the mix temperature. ➊ Moisture content of the cold feed and aggregates including RAP. High moisture content is a killer of production. In order to maintain an acceptable

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12/23/20 8:09 AM

mix temperature, in most cases, the rate of production in mixes with high moisture content must be reduced.

Moisture content is not a static figure, it will move up or down throughout the production run. The key is to anticipate the moisture to enable you to project production rates. One key component of high moisture content is blend sands.

Finer mixes with higher content of blend sand normally have a higher moisture content. It is wise to work with the QC dept. to moderate this issue. âž‹ The Btu output of the main burner.

A burner has a range of temp in which it operates

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efficiently. In an effort to maintain an acceptable discharge mix temp, the burner may be called on to perform at the top end of its ability. As the demand for the burner to produce heat goes up, the efficiency is reduced. We all have been in a situation in which the demand for the mix is greater than the capacity of the plant to produce. The use of surge storage has reduced this problem, but it still happens. Plants with historically

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A burner has a range of temperatures in which it operates efficiently. In an effort to maintain an acceptable discharge mix temperature, the burner needs to perform at the top end of its ability.

high moisture content may consider a larger burner. However, prior to this decision, you will need to work with engineering to ensure the other components of the plant can handle the upgraded burner.

Let us take a moment to examine two key temperatures that will affect the outcome of a successful project. ➊ Discharge Mix temperature: This is the key control temperature on a day-to-day basis in the production of hot mix. Discharge temperature is established based on a few factors. ➊ Historical mix design testing and data In the development or review of a design mix the optimal compaction temp would be established. Ideal discharge mix temp is influenced

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by various factors which all must be considered. As suggested above, working with your QC dept. will enable you to better match your production rate based on discharge mix temp with the demand of the projects ➋ Historic data demonstrating the amount of heat loss from point of discharge to the point of placement on the job site.

Many times, the plant operator is focused solely on the discharge temp. Ignoring the temp at the point of placement. In order to provide a product with the greatest potential for success, the discharge temp needs to be monitored and controlled on a continuous basis. In addition to discharge, additional temperatures must be recorded at 3 key areas:

➊ Discharge from storage silo ➋ In the truck bed at the point of job site ➌ Mat temp, just behind the paving machine Too many times the operator relies on the high or low limits of the mix discharge alone. In reality, this key temperature should be a coordinated effort with input from the QC team, field service techs, along with the placement superintendent. In order to allow the final placement to be compacted to its maximum potential, the temp at the mat must be in line with the recommendation of the pre-job testing.

Changes in discharge temperature should be documented both at the time of change and at summery end of the day report.

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PRODUCTION NOTES The ratio of temperature between the liquid AC and the discharge aggregate.

In order to maximize the mixing effort, the temperature between the liquid AC and the aggregate must be considered and controlled. Today’s plant has the ability to control liquid AC temp.

The only time you may have trouble is in the event your inventory becomes low and you receive an extremely high temp delivery from the refinery. ➋ Baghouse Temperature: This is a key control in the production and rate of the plant. Ever since the “Clean Air Act” of the 1970’s hot mix plants have been fitted with a dust control system known as a baghouse. There is no need to go over how technically the baghouse works at this time. The important take away is the effect of air temp has on its performance. Two key concerns in

performance of the bag house are: • Air velocity: the movement of the air allowing for the dust from the dryer to be carried to the bag house.

• Air temperature: which controls the ability of the bag house to function.

Too cold and the bag house will become clogged and no longer be able to process the collected dust Too hot and you have a potential for serious failure.

In addition to the above, by tracking the velocity and temperature, the operator will be able to identify and correct issues in the drying and mixing portion of the process.

Modern hot mix plants have state of the art controls, sensors and monitors which allow the operator to produce a wide variety of mixes in a safe environment. Key to this control

equipment is the ability to monitor the plant temp at various locations throughout the process. With the help of bells, buzzers and other attention getting aids, the operator is alerted to problems prior to failure.

Based on the importance of what we are discussing in this writing, many plant sites also use a standalone, redundant system to monitor key temperature readings. The use of a two-pen digital temperature recorder is an inexpensive back up to the control system. These temp recorders use their own sensors and provide confirmation of dashboard data. From and operational perspective, it independently documents key performance data such as: • Start-up and preheat time • Time of mix changes

Large swings in baghouse temperature are indicators of more serious problems, make sure these are consistent.

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PRODUCTION NOTES High moisture content is a killer of production and to maintain an acceptable mix temperature, moisture content must be reduced.

We’ and asph

• Plant down time • Baghouse and mix discharge temperatures throughout the production run I would highly recommend this type of back-up in addition to your current control system. When used correctly, a temperature recorder will confirm the end of run summery generated by the dashboard. It will allow the operator quickly to confirm key information. It will become part of the production run record. When reviewed timely and filed correctly this record will be a great resource in the case of material failure or other concerns.

One final word on the use of an independent data recorder. In order to be effective and provide accurate data, the recorder requires daily routine upkeep. Such things as correctly replacing the paper recording disk and calibrating the sensors.

CONCLUSION In today’s world of hi-tech automation and controls, it is easy to become too

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complacent with the actual operation of the plant. With so much to do, even the best plant manager or operator may need to be reminded of the significance of the mix temperature and the need to control the baghouse temperature. Yes, the onboard computer is monitoring in real time, nevertheless it is the operator that needs to factor in the many outside variables that will affect the final mix performance.

Input from QC and field service techs must be evaluated in order to provide a product with the greatest chance for a successful placement.

Such things as truck travel and standby time must be considered. A line of communication and feedback with the placement crew will assist with changes in temp at the plant. One cannot forget the loss of mix temp in the startup phase. Especially if the early morning run is placed in surge storage. This loss must be accounted for.

As far as the baghouse temperature goes, large swings in temp are indicators

of more serious problems. Forcing the plant to run at a high rate of production while losing baghouse temperature is a recipe for failure.

From a management point of view, always remember to document any changes or overrides to the plant.

Connect these changes to a mix or a job. Assign a time and date along with any supporting reason for the change. From time to time during the production run compare data from the dashboard to that of the stand-alone recorder.

Never forget the importance of temperature to the product you supply.

For more information on hot mix production, visit ForConstructionPros.com/ 21121969 Ken Monlux is a retired hot mix asphalt executive and can be reached at kenmonlux@yahoo.com

www.ForConstructionPros.com/Asphalt

12/23/20 8:10 AM

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PRODUCTION NOTES ALMix UF Series Drum Mixers The ALmix UF Series Drum Mixers feature an elongated single drum incorporating the latest technology in counterflow drying and mixing.

• 160- to 400-tph capacities • Skid mounted or extreme portability • High RAP percentages • Warm mix capability • Rugged design throughout • Total control automation • New generation burner system ForConstructionPros.com/10280200

System features precise control of RAP while the unique weighing system allows for higher RAP percentages in mix • Positive control of stem release • Steep sloped bin walls on rap bins for trouble free operation • PLC touch screen controls

ADM’s digitized fuel meter linked to the control house provides an easier and safer way to measure fuel consumption than having a worker stand on top of the tank and use a stick and tape measure to read fuel levels • Accurate to a fraction of a gallon, it’s also more reliable and easier to read than a sight gauge

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Astec Voyager 120 Plant Astec introduces the 120 MTPH Voyager plant.

• Compact, highly portable design • Ability to run up to 30% RAP

Gencor MEGAPLANT Gencor designs and builds the biggest installed base of Megaplants across North America each producing over 50% RAP and achieving production levels of over 800 tph.

• Incorporates the Ultradrum design which maximizes heat transfer • Use RAP and RAS • Patented positive reclaim system

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bi br w be •

Stansteel Hotmix Parts & Service Accu-Track Advantage Control

•

Accu-Track Advantage Control is a comprehensive system for controlling your entire plant, from proportioning the cold feed bins to selecting the storage silos and everything in between.

• With high production rates and stringent state specifications, it is essential that all possible control be provided to insure maximum plant operation ForConstructionPros.com/21205088

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•

CMI Portable Split-Level Control House The portable split-level control house incorporates an individual motor control center and operators control room on one chassis.

• Control room is designed so that the operator has a higher vantage point to oversee plant operations with extra space underneath for storage ForConstructionPros.com/21109875

• Built around a counter flow drum featuring v-fights, which provide greater uniformity of the aggregate veil during the drying process and results in better heat transfer, a reduction of fuel use and increased productivity • Hydraulically driven swing out drag and batcher can be set and ready to go in about 10 minutes

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Meeker Patriot Hot Oil Heater Meeker's heavy-duty helical coil thermal fluid heater features a sabre stack heat recovery system.

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Ammann ACP 300 ContiHRT Asphalt Plant

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The Ammann ACP 300 ContiHRT Asphalt-Mixing Plant is capable of producing mix consisting of more than 60% RAP. • The continuous plant features Ammann’s recycling technology which maximizes RAP utilization and meets the world’s most stringent emissions guidelines • Gentle pre-heating of RAP, compared to traditional cold feed to superheated virgin aggregates, prevents thermal stress on the AC content and ensures a highly homogenous final mix

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Gencor RAP Feed Bins Gencor RAP feed bins are designed to eliminate material bridging, with steep sided ¼-in. tapered walls, self-relieving throat and welded beater plates on the sides of the bins.

• With the rack and pinion gate design, material height can be easily adjusted to suit any feed rate • Variable speed drives assure steady consistent flow at varying production rates • Feature unitized heavy I-beam construction and are available in portable, stationary, or skid-mounted configurations • Dual no-flow sensors ForConstructionPros. com/20988323

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JOBSITE INNOVATIONS |

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A New Road for the New

PRESIDENT

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12/23/20 10:17 AM

Every four years, Fort Myer Construction mills and paves Pennsylvania Avenue to ready it for the President’s Inaugural Procession

S

ince 1937, the Presidential inauguration ceremony has taken place at noon on January 20, the first day of the new term. After the oath of office is taken and the president gives his inaugural address, there is a procession of the new president from our nation's capitol to the White House.

Since Thomas Jefferson’s second inaugural on March 4, 1805, it has become a tradition for the president to parade down Pennsylvania Avenue from the Capitol to the White House.

Following the arrival of the presidential entourage to the White House, it’s customary for the president, vice-president, their respective families and leading members of the government and military to watch the Inaugural Parade. This parade proceeds along 1.5 miles of Pennsylvania Avenue and features both military and civilian participants from all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

As the world watches the event unfold, most are unaware of all that has happened behind the scenes to make the procession look flawless. Many are especially unaware of what events have unfolded below their feet in order for the new president to have a nice, smooth ride.

Fort Myer Construction worked at night on the project to minimize disruptions on the busy Washington D.C. corridor.

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A FACELIFT FOR PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE Fort Myer Construction is a leading contractor in the Washington D.C. metropolitan area, focusing on an array of infrastructure construction disciplines.

Founded in 1972 as a small masonry and concrete contractor, the company now employs nearly 900 people who proudly help 'Build the American

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JOBSITE INNOVATIONS

Fort Myer Construction has been completing the work on Pennsylvania Avenue for over 30 years, ensuring the road looks its best for inauguration day.

Dream' for the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia. The company owns and operates two asphalt plants in the D.C. area and offers customers various federal and state approved mixes.

Every four years, Fort Myer Construction has the opportunity to provide milling and paving work along Pennsylvania Avenue for the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) to prepare the route for Inauguration Day. This past November,

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they tackled the project again. The opportunity came to the company because Fort Myer is a subcontractor to Capital Paving performing all asphalt operations under the National Highway Systems (NHS) routes contract, which contains a task order to resurface Pennsylvania Avenue every four years.

"When the eyes of the world are on the Nation’s Capitol during presidential inaugurations, for more than three decades, Fort Myer Construction has

been called upon to ensure the historic Pennsylvania Avenue corridor looks its best," Julie Breedlove, marketing director at Fort Myer says. "Our paving extends from the U.S. Capitol to the White House."

The team at Fort Myer was tasked with removing the existing pavement and putting down a new surface course.

They were to complete the work over a two-week timeframe from October 20, 2020 to November 3, 2020 and perform

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Fun facts about the inaugural procession & parade • The only president not to parade down Pennsylvania Avenue was Ronald Reagan during his second inauguration in 1985, due to freezing cold temperatures and dangerous high winds.

• In 1977, Jimmy Carter walked from the Capitol to the White House, although for security reasons, subsequent presidents have walked only part of the way.

• The parade largely evolved from the postinaugural procession to the White House, and occurred as far back as the second Jefferson inauguration, when shipmen from the Washington Navy Yard and musicians accompanied Jefferson on foot as he rode on horseback from the Capitol to the White House.

• The 1885 inauguration of Grover Cleveland saw the post-inaugural Open House evolve into a presidential review of the troops from a grandstand in front of the White House. Since 1885, the presidential review has included both military and civilian contingencies.

• The 1953 parade for Dwight D. Eisenhower was the largest and most elaborate ever staged.

• The 1865 parade was the first to include African-Americans; the 1917 parade was the first to include women; and the 2009 parade was the first to include openly lesbian and gay participants.

all work between the hours of 7 p.m. and 5 a.m. to minimize disruption for those who travel along the corridor.

In all, Fort Myer performed 55,000 square yards of milling and paving work, totaling 5,000 tons of asphalt, at a 1.5-in. depth. The asphalt mix type was a District Department of Transportation approved 9.5mm warm mix with 14% RAP and 70-22 binder.

"This 9.5mm surface mix is preferred due to its finer gradation and cosmetic appearance," Breedlove says. "All the asphalt came from our asphalt plants located in the District of Columbia and much of it was recycled from local roadways."

PLANNING & PRECISION KEY TO SUCCESS To complete the work along this busy corridor, Fort Myer had to ensure their traffic control plans were set in advance and executed precisely to keep their crews safe and help ensure the project proceeded as planned and on schedule.

"Our teams have extensive experience coordinating traffic control in sensitive areas around the U.S. Capitol and White House," Breedlove says. "We setup and maintained multiple work zones over 13 blocks of Pennsylvania Avenue to protect our crews and the public and to maintain constant vehicle and pedestrian service. The crew also contemporaneously maintained several key thoroughfare intersections and a 20-ft. wide bicycle lane running through the middle of the entire corridor."

Crew members were also cognizant of following all CDC recommended guidelines for keeping their crews safe from COVID-19 exposure.

"As an essential infrastructure contractor, we implemented COVID-19 prevention measures that we continue to practice such as wearing face covers, additional sanitization measures and practicing social distancing when possible," Breedlove adds.

Then the real work could begin.

To complete the milling work, the crew used two Wirtgen 200i

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After milling, crews cleaned the pavement of debris before paving could begin.

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7-ft. milling machines supported by two 7-person crews and twelve trucks. Each crew consisted of a milling operator, truck spotter responsible for guiding the trucks and backing them to the milling machine, and a sensor operator monitoring the cutting depth and alerting the milling machine operator of any obstructions in the pavement.

The milling crew was filled out with Caterpillar 262D skid steers and a John Deere 710 backhoe operated with attention to the detailed work around the many utility structures and brick paver crosswalks. When milling was completed, the milled sections were swept and the exposed manholes and brick crosswalks were padded with temporary asphalt. The crew used Broce Broom RCT350 and Elgin Broom Bear sweepers and laborers to complete this important step.

The traffic control team applied temporary pavement markings replicating the original striping before the road was reopened to traffic each morning.

When paving began, a 12-person crew used a 10-ft. Caterpillar 1055F paver with automatic leveling sensors and bolt-on auger extensions to pave two lanes wide and mitigate longitudinal joints. To achieve compaction, the crew used two rollers, a 12-ton BOMAG BW191AD and a 5-ton BOMAG BW 138AD. "The work was straightforward, completed much like paving any other road in the region, except for the brick paver crosswalks at each of the 13 intersections along the corridor," Breedlove says.

"To ensure smoothness through the intersections, we utilized a 10-ft. straightedge when starting operations and tying into each

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12/23/20 10:26 AM

Crews worked through the night and then placed temporary pavement markings before the road way was opened to traffic each morning.

crosswalk. We protected the crosswalks from tracking tack and asphalt truck tire marks using plastic sheets, sand and plywood. Our plant and field quality control technicians continuously communicated with the foreman regarding mix temperature, density numbers, smoothness and core sample thickness to ensure compliance with the specifications."

As you watch the inauguration this year, make sure you pay attention to all the details, especially that smooth asphalt the president will be driving on for the next four years.

"Working on behalf of our partners with the District Department of Transportation in connection with the National Highway System, our crews possess a tremendous feeling of pride

that we are able to help our nation celebrate these historic events, and we are grateful to give back to the city and country that has given so much to all of us," Breedlove concludes.

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JOBSITE INNOVATIONS VÖGELE ErgoPlus 3 Operating App

Hamm HD 12 VO Tandem Roller The Hamm HD 12 VO articulated tandem roller features both oscillation and vibration.

• 3-point swivel joint for optimum driving comfort • Low machine height • Optimum front view due to concaving front end • Central suspension point • Operating hours counter • Spring-mounted driver seat • Crab steering up to 50 mm • Kubota D1503-M-E3B three-cylinder Tier 4 Interim engine • Operating weight: 765,135 lbs.

• Options include: two spotlights on ROPS, back-up alarm, edge pressing and cutting equipment, rotating beacon, sound insulation, and more ForConstructionPros. com/11272707

This specially developed mobile app and the associated web special enables you to adopt the ErgoPlus 3 operating concept quickly and easily with the aid of numerous animations.

• Enables paver operators to know precisely when to use specific operating functions and which automatic functions will make work simpler and faster • Step-by-step videos demonstrate entire work steps such as setting up the screed or requirements such as varying pave widths, as well as comprehensive automatic functions ForConstructionPros.com/21040136

Roadtec SB-2500e Shuttle Buggy Material Transfer Vehicle The SB-2500e Shuttle Buggy is powered by a Tier 4 Final-compliant engine.

• Autotracking option automatically adjusts speed to keep a constant distance from the paver • Bindicator option indicates to the operating crew when the hopper is getting full or empty • Sliding platform on the operator’s

LeeBoy 4130 Road Widener The 22,670-lb. 4130 road widener has a 2.2-cu.-yd. hopper capacity and a width of spread up to 8 ft.

• Shiftable conveyor and foldable hopper wings allow precise placement of material to either side of the machine • Contoured strike-off enables controlled spread of material width, depth and slope with minimum side draft and minimum segregation of materials • Tilting front hopper improves the trailer load angle to 14.5°. to the strike-off

station contributes to greater visibility • Full-width cleanout door included on the C-1 conveyor and bomb bay-style cleanout doors included on the C-2 conveyor

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Mauldin 6000 Asphalt Roller The Mauldin 6000 Asphalt Roller features a 24-hp Kubota engine.

• Adjustable 2 -in. drum offset • Largest diameter drum in class • 54- gal. pressurized water system ForConstructionPros. com/21206878

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Carlson CP100 II Asphalt Paver The CP100 II paver has a 9.5-ton hopper capacity and has travel speeds up to 255 fpm.

• Cummins QSF 3.8 turbocharged Tier 4 Final engine produces 100 hp at 2,200 rpm • Flip-up apron, high hopper lift angles and between-the-tracks conveyors simplify hopper cleanout • Horizontally sliding damper doors keeps obstructions from damaging them while open

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Weiler P395 Commercial Asphalt Paver The P395 incorporates a 4,400-lb., 7-ft. 8-in. front mount screed that is hydraulically extendable to 15 ft. 4 in.

• 96-in. track length with 74-in. of ground contact and 140 mm track chain pitch and automatic track tensioning • Swing-out consoles for optimal visibility and adjustable, magneticresistance intelligent steering system for reliable control • Joystick allows for automatic functions • Highway-class chains, conveyor and auger bearings ForConstructionPros. com/21119006

Volvo P4410B Tracked Paver The P4410B tracked paver comes factory fit with the 6,500-lb. Ultimat 16 front-mount screed, which can hydraulically extend to a full 16 ft. or up to 18 ft. with added extensions.

• 155-hp Deutz Tier 4 Final engine • Ergonomically placed dual screed consoles and remote controls allow optimal visibility and precise speed control • Includes power slope and power crown, a large hopper capacity and durable rolled hopper wings that prevent material buildup ForConstructionPros. com/20865647

The 8530 asphalt paver comes with a 125-hp turbocharged engine, enhanced cooling systems, independent hopper wings, reversible augers and conveyors, hydraulic tow point cylinders, material cutoffs that automatically close in reverse and quick change auger assemblies.

• Weighing 4,150 lbs, the Legend HD PRO Screed standard features include heavy-duty flight screws, heavy-duty crown and valley mechanism an angle-of-attack adjuster with vertical height adjustment, sloping screed extensions and pre-strike off adjustment ForConstructionPros.com/21115855

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Dynapac CC1400 VI Asphalt Roller The CC1400VI roller follows the same great concept as the previous generation VI rollers to provide a robust, comfortable and modern machine with a unique design, cross-mounted engine and excellent drum edge visibility.

• 9,480 Ibs. class with 54-in. drum width • Cross-mounted engine provides excellent visibility over the drums while the robust engine hood is designed for optimal view over the front drum to provide outstanding visibility and to maximize operator control • Increased water-tank volume includes as much as 79.2 gal.

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Thermal Mapping monitors the surface temperatures of the asphalt utilizing an infra-red camera and a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) enabled by RTK accuracy helping asphalt contractors achieve higher quality results and earn more incentive pay by exceeding quality targets.

• Viewing real-time temperatures, contractors can identify variations and take action to manage the plant to paver delivery process and fine-tune paving practices for more uniform lay-down temperatures ForConstructionPros. com/21121909

Case E Series Compact Vibratory Rollers The E Series includes seven compact vibratory rollers ranging from 33.5 to 43.9 hp and from 4,920 to 9,520 lbs.

• They come in double-drum and combination configurations with drum widths from 39 to 54 in.

• Redesigned operator interface includes an electronic travel lever and rpm settings, drive settings, sprinkler system controls and more at the operator's fingertips ForConstructionPros.com/21120047

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PRESERVATION UPDATE

E&B Paving

Pushes RAP Content to 40% Trial with sustainable rejuvenator proves workability, durability of a high-RAP mix

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sphalt is a green product. Not only does it make excellent economic sense for agencies, producers and contractors, it is green in its sustainability. Asphalt is the top

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recycled product in the United States with nearly 100 million tons going back into mixes each year.

There’s sound economic reason for this. According to the National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA), using recycled asphalt pavement (RAP) saves American taxpayers and consumers more than $2.8 billion annually. Additionally, running as much RAP as possible, “can certainly benefit our members,

our industry, taxpayers and the general public,” says Kirsten Pauley, executive director of the Asphalt Pavement Association of Indiana (APAI).

There is, however, a balancing act between higher RAP mixes and final product durability. RAP binder is old, oxidized, brittle, and, if not treated properly, can lead to workability issues when paving and premature cracking.

“You really want to push that envelope

www.ForConstructionPros.com/Asphalt

12/23/20 10:32 AM

Mixtures that allow for more RAP decrease waste and increase the sustainability of the roadway.

At the job site, the E&B Paving crew pours and rolls the RAP and Invigorate rejuvenator mixture, creating a smooth surface for the parking lot.

of including as much RAP as possible but also make sure that you’re going to maintain that long-term performance of the asphalt pavement,” continues Pauley.

For this reason, states typically cap the amount of RAP used on major roadway projects. “In Indiana, we are limited to a maximum of 25% binder replacement in our asphalt mixes,” explains Elizabeth Pastuszka, HMA design and Q.C. coordinator – north, for E&B Paving, LLC, Anderson, IN.

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At this level, asphalt producers can offer the balance of sustainability and a workable asphalt with acceptable lowtemperature cracking resistance.

REJUVENATOR HELPS PRODUCERS LEVEL-UP This presents problems for producers, since 100% of the asphalt road can be milled and brought back to the plant but only 25% or so can be put back into the mix. “This can lead to a surplus of RAP at some plants, and we have to find alternative applications or, worstcase scenario, it may end up in a landfill it if we run out of space,” says Pastuszka.

“If we could put more RAP into the mix, it would allow space to open up at our plants, therefore causing less waste.”

At issue with increasing RAP is the brittle, oxidized binder that makes a stiffer mix that can crack prematurely if not modified with a rejuvenator. Traditional rejuvenators currently available work by injecting maltene-rich material into the oxidized binder, changing its viscosity and, therefore, crack resistance.

Researchers at Iowa State University (ISU) in Ames, IA, along with Amesbased Colorbiotics, a brand of the MBCC Group, have been studying rejuvenator performance. They have found that traditional rejuvenators create a viscosity change that do nothing to address or reverse the adverse effects of the aging process.

Asphalt binder composition includes two primary components: asphaltenes, which give it its structure to prevent rutting; and maltenes, which give it wax and liquid-like properties for flowing and aggregate coating. “As binder ages, the asphaltenes get larger and agglomerate, which leads to asphalt brittleness and cracking,” says Chris Williams, professor of Civil Engineering at Iowa State University. He says that adding more maltenes without addressing the asphaltenes does not fully address the low-temperature cracking issues from the aging and asphaltene

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PRESERVATION UPDATE

PRESERVATION UPDATE

Invigorate rejuvenator gets tested in the E&B Paving lab.

agglomeration in the binder, which is where rejuvenators can fall short on performance.

Researchers at ISU have developed a new soybean oil-derived rejuvenator – Invigorate – that triggers a chemical reaction inside the stiff RAP binder to break down asphaltene aggregation to reverse the effects of oxidation in the aged binder. Invigorate, developed by researchers at ISU, is marketed and sold by Colorbiotics. “This breakthrough technology improves asphalt’s recyclability, while still meeting performance-grade binder specifications,” says Dan Staebell, Colorbiotics asphalt business development manager.

This has major implications for asphalt producers and contractors, offering the potential to increase RAP content in mixes while improving the

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asphalt’s workability and longevity. “With the Invigorate rejuvenator, we have been able to meet specifications and increase RAP content to as much as 50%, which is well beyond the standard current limits,” adds Staebell.

“This not only delivers environmental and economic benefits by allowing higher RAP content in mixes, but it also offers the added sustainability dimension, since it is a renewable resource and soybean-derived.”

Invigorate can be incorporated in various economical ways. “Because it is very compatible with asphalt binder, blending and homogeneity is easily achieved,” Staebell explains. “Blending can happen directly in line at hot mix asphalt production facilities, incorporated at terminals or in tanker deliveries.”

EXCELLING IN INDIANA E&B Paving recently worked with Iowa State University and Colorbiotics to test the Invigorate rejuvenator on a tight asphalt parking lot application

in Indianapolis. “We’re always looking for new ways to make good quality pavement that is also sustainable,” explains Pastuszka. “Good for the environment and, if economical for the company, it seemed like a win-win all the way around.”

For the project, E&B Paving ran approximately 300 tons each of a 9.5 mm surface mix with 40% RAP content using Invigorate and a second experimental biopolymer with a rejuvenator. The plant also ran a smaller amount of a standard 9.5 mm surface mix with 25% RAP and no rejuvenator as a control section. The volumetric design targeted 5% air voids for optimum binder content.

E&B used its standard PG 64-22 virgin binder with Invigorate at an add rate of 4.2% by volume of total binder.

“The goal is to get a balanced mix design that includes aggregates with the right percentage of rejuvenator, RAP and binder,” Pastuszka says. “If you get too much rejuvenator, the blended binder in the mix may become too soft, which could lead to rutting. If there is not enough, then the blended binder in the mix may become too stiff and brittle, which could lead to premature cracking.”

Mixed at a temperature between 285- and 300° F by a counterflow plant at E&B Paving’s Noblesville, IN, Stoney Creek plant, the asphalt was trucked 30 minutes to the project site of the Indiana Soybean Alliance. “This soybeanbased rejuvenator for asphalt initially started off as a joint project with Iowa Soybean with some involvement of the United Soybean Board,” mentions Courtney Kingery, CEO of Indiana Soybean and Indiana Corn Marketing Council. “When Indiana heard about it, we knew we needed to get our parking lot repaved, and we wanted to support and move the project forward.”

While not sizable in tonnage, the U-shaped parking lot surrounding the office building posed several challenges for the paving crew, including short pulls, varying paving widths and inverted drains. The crew used an 8-ft.

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The mixture of RAP and Invigorate is poured into a truck, ready to go to the job site.

“Blending of the additive can happen at the plant, be incorporated at the terminal or in tanker deliveries.” paver to lay the mix, followed by its typical parking lot compaction train of a mid-sized vibratory breakdown roller and small steel finish roller.

Prior to paving, the top 1.5 inches of the lot’s asphalt surface was milled and recycled. The paving crew followed with a 1.5-in. overlay compacted of the three different mix designs. Target breakdown rolling temperature ranged between 200 and 240° F.

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“Tight lots are some of the hardest paving there is with offset paving, inverted drains, short pulls and hand work,” says Stephen Perkey, paving foreman in his 12th season with E&B Paving. “It’s nice to have the extra heat in the mix as there are a lot of variables that come into play as far as getting the mix on the ground.”

Even with the challenges posed by the tight application, E&B paving’s crew made quick work of the parking lot. Densities exceeding 95% were achieved with the rolling pattern and the high RAP mix with Invigorate rejuvenator.

Perkey was pleasantly surprised with how workable the Invigorate mix was, even though the RAP content was 40%.

“A lot of times a mix with high RAP content can be tough to work with, and it will lose temperature fast. I’ve noticed this mix has been very easy to

move, it has similar workability to our traditional 9.5-mm mix, and it has a really good shine and looks slick on the top like we want,” he says.

More importantly, the Invigorate mix test samples performed well in the Hamburg Wheel Tracking Test for rutting and CT Index and the Illinois Flexibility Index (I-FIT) test for cracking. “The CT Index and I-FIT results with Invigorate were higher than the control specimens, which indicates a higher cracking tolerance of the mix with Invigorate. The Hamburg Wheel Tracking Test results for all specimens were also very good, with maximum rut depths 6.0 mm or less after 20,000 passes,” explains Pastuszka. “In addition to the performance testing, we analyzed the rejuvenator costs compared to RAP content for the mixes on the project.

With the information yielded from the performance testing and additional

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testing, Invigorate may be a costeffective solution for running higher RAP mixes.”

Commenting on the project, Staebell mentions the performance tests confirm that Invigorate offers producers a successful solution for running more RAP in the mix. “It’s encouraging to see results that show cracking performance better than the standard RAP mix design when incorporating high-RAP content with the standard PG binder,” he says.

APAI’s Pauley was also satisfied in the final product delivered by E&B Paving with the Invigorate high-RAP mix. “We see asphalt laid day-in and day-out, and I wouldn’t say this looks much different. I think of the opportunity of what this could present long-term. In the few phone calls I made to the Indiana Department of Transportation and Indianapolis Department of Public Works, they were excited about the prospect of exploring a new technology and finding a product

E&B Paving crew works to smooth out the RAP and Invigorate rejuvenator mixture.

they could use that is going to avoid some of the cracking and pothole issues that we run into in our state,” she says.

Rick Zettler is a freelance writer based in Cedar Rapids, IA and can be reached at zcomm@mchsi.com

For more information on managing RAP, visit ForConstructionPros. com/21089290

Invigorate rejuvenator sits in a tote, waiting to be mixed with the RAP.

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Wirtgen WR 240i Recycler/Stabilizer The WR 240i stabilizes large areas of incohesive soils utilizing any stabilizing medium and recycles 100% of existing asphalt pavements in situ.

• Working width of 7 ft. 10 in. and maximum working depth of 20 in.

• 600-hp Cummins six-cylinder Tier 4i engine • Nine rotor speeds aided by computer-controlled metering technology with automatic monitoring • All-wheel steering and a separate steering angle on the rear axle for a tight turning radius • All main functions controlled via the multifunctional joystick in the righthand armrest • Automatic lowering and raising of the milling and mixing rotor ForConstructionPros. com/10942294

Crafco Hot Air Lance The Hot Air Lance is used to dry and prepare pavement cracks, potholes and distressed pavement surfaces for repair

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Roadtec offers the ACE Grade and Slope Control System on all half-lane and full-lane milling machines.

• Automates the elevation of the milling machine using a network of grade and slope sensors combined with one central microcontroller • Three graphic displays provide enhanced operation, sensor availability, continuous sensor monitoring and the ability to quickly transition between sensors • Can readily incorporate the additional hardware, sensors and other components needed for single or dual averaging skis • Can be directly connected to the Guardian Telematic System

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Caterpillar PM825 Cold Planer The PM820, PM822 and PM825 have operating weights from 79,630 to 82,650 lb. and cutting widths from 79 to 98.6 in.

• Three electronically controlled cutting settings to match rotor speed/torque with operating conditions • 755-hp Cat C18 ACERT Tier 4 Final engines iso-mounted to reduce vibration

Renova 4000 Asphalt Recycler The RENOVA 4000 is a self-contained, easy to operate, mobile machine that produces hot mix asphalt on site from reclaimed asphalt pavement extracted directly from the repair area or from stockpiled millings, RAP or excess asphalt.

• Appropriate for patching potholes and utility cuts and for making other small asphalt repairs year round regardless of the outside temperature • Produces up to 2 tons of recycled hot mix asphalt per cycle

• Hydrostatic drive with two variabledisplacement propel pumps supplying a variable-displacement motor at each track ForConstructionPros. com/20980992

BioSpan Activate Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement Restoration Agent

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Activate is a 77% biobased solution that restores reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) millings to like-new asphalt, perfect for filling potholes, edge ruts, shoulders and other paved surfaces.

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Wirtgen W 150 CFi Compact Milling Machine The 46,000-lb. W 150 CFi compact milling machine equipped with the optional 1,800-mm milling drum (1,500 mm standard) can take on surface course rehabilitation for medium to large jobsites to a maximum milling depth of 330 mm.

• Center-mounted milling drum has a 980-mm diameter (with tools) and is designed to create optimal weight distribution

• Powered by a 380-hp Cummins QSL9 diesel engine • High-quality camera system comprised of up to five cameras allows for a direct view of important work processes ForConstructionPros. com/21040111

KM International Pro Patch 55 Mastic Melter The Pro Patch 55 is a 55-gal. melter designed specifically to heat both mastic material and rubberized crack filling material. The Pro Patch 55 is similar in design to KM International’s KM 55 rubber melting machine with a few added features and upgrades to make it fully compatible with mastic materials.

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BOMAG BM 2500/75 Milling Machine The BM 2500/75 is a flexible half-lane mill that offers a range of standard, fine, micro and power drum designs to meet a variety of milling needs.

• Powered by a 771-hp diesel engine with efficient mechanical drum drive for the 98.4in. wide cutter to deliver cutting depths reaching 13.8 in.

• Three milling speeds including ECO (100 rpm), Universal (112 rpm) and Speed (131 rpm) • 60° left/right swiveling outer conveyor offers up to a 16.4-ft. discharge height and efficiently transfers millings to a truck on either side of the machine ForConstructionPros.com/21121851

Bergkamp M310E Truck-mounted Slurry Seal and Micro Surfacing Paver Bergkamp's M310E Tier 4 truck-mounted slurry seal and micro surfacing paver with EMCAD (Electronic Mix Control And Diagnostic) is developed from the original M210 paver but features PTO-driven hydraulic pumps, eliminating the side engine.

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Neal Manufacturing High-Volume Road Maintenance Vehicle The High-Volume Road Maintenance Vehicle allows for fast, precise sealcoat application, even with larger aggregate mixes.

• Cover up to 13 ft. in one pass • Generation IV pump delivers infinitely variable outputs from 0 to 150 gpm • Truck-mounted 3,000-gal. tank • In-cab controls for on-the-go spray bar height adjustment • Individual nozzles can also be controlled from the truck cab • Heavy-duty construction and industrialgrade hydraulic cylinders ForConstructionPros. com/21093044

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CMI RM-6 Roto-Mill Cold Planer The modular design RM-6 Roto-Mill features a 75-in. cutting width at up to a 13-in. depth.

• Cummins QSX 15 Tier 4 Final engine • Touchscreen control system • Large access doors for inspection, adjustment and repairs.

• High conveyor capacity means less tooth wear and better productivity • Onboard diagnostics and manuals provide ease of maintenance and reduced downtime ForConstructionPros.com/20991198

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                         

219-879-8231 • 800-348-8553 Email: sales@etclancy.com • www.etclancy.com









 

   

E.T. CLANCY COMPANY

  

     

Plant for sale? Call Clancy!

Serving the Asphalt Industry for 50 years

   

Please Call For Complete Inventory

 

     

· Astec (3) 200 ton asphalt silos with drag slat conveyor · Astec 12,000# tower and elevator · Astec 36” x 105’ slat conveyor · Gencor 70,000 CFM baghouse · Astec 400 tph Double Barrel only · Astec 75 ton self-erect silo · ADM 42,000 CFM portable baghouse · Bituma 100 ton silo & slat conveyor · Astec pugmill coater · Dillman mixing drum · Coneco 10 yard portable concrete plant · 15,000 gallon asphalt tank with hot oil heater

 

           

· Gencor 300 TPH counterflow drum mix plant · CMI 350 tph portable drum mix plant · Astec 350 tph Relo Double Barrel plant w/4 silos · Barber Greene 350 tph portable drum mix plant · 350 tph counterflow drum mix plant · Gencor 7’X40’ counterflow plant · Adm 100 tph stationary plant with silo & RAP · ADM 110 tph portable drum plant · Cedarapids 350 tph counterflow drum and baghouse · 150 TPH Stationary drum mix plant · Barber Greene 10,000# Asphalt Batch Plant · Astec 6000# tower and elevator · 80,000 CFM Stationary Baghouse

       

  

CLASSIFIEDS ASPHALT PLANTS

         

DRUM PROBLEMS? BREAKING THRUST IDLERS AND BEARINGS ■ TRUNNION BEARING FAILURE ■ TIRE WEAR AND FLAKING

A

A

HIGH AND UNEVEN AMPERAGE ■ TRUNNION SLIDING ■ VIBRATION AND WASHBOARD

■

■

A

A

A

C

C

WE CAN HELP!

E

E

E

E

G

H

K

K

L

M

TIRE / TRUNNION RESURFACING AND ALIGNMENT SPECIALISTS

M

M

570-779-1982 www.evansanddaniels.com 56

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CLASSIFIEDS

Index Advertiser Index

PAGE

Advertiser Index

PAGE

Ahern Industries Inc.

54

Reliable Asphalt Products

55

ALMix

29

Roadtec

60

Asphalt Drum Mixers Inc. (ADM)

12-13

SealMaster

2

Astec Inc.

30-31

Superior Tire & Rubber Corp

37

Carlson Paving Products Inc.

59

Systems Equipment

27

Clarence Richard Company

54

Tarmac International, Inc.

40

Etnyre International

33

TransTech Systems, Inc.

21

E.T. Clancy Co. Inc.

56

Weiler Products

17

Eager Beaver General Engines

47

Evans & Daniels Inc.

56

Gencor Industries Inc.

3, 5

Homestead Valve

41

Kenco Engineering, Inc.

49

KTP Enterprise. Fast Measure

56

LeeBoy, Inc.

9

Meeker Equipment Co. Inc.

19

Minds, Inc.

39

Musson Rubber Co.

54

Pegasus Vans & Trailers, Inc.

51

R&D Hydraulics Mfg. & Machine Co.

57

Rains-Flo Manufacturing

54

www.ForConstructionPros.com/Asphalt

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Get fast, relevant product information in the Buyers Guide at

ForConstructionPros.com JANUARY 2021 ASPHALT CONTRACTOR

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THE LAST EXIT

5 Professionalgrade work gloves make the job more comfortable and protect your hands to keep you safer on the jobsite. ©Tomasz Zajda – stock.adobe.com

Tips for Choosing the Best Construction Gloves

Y

ou need PPE that is ready to put in just as many hours of labor as you do. Professional-grade work gloves make the job more comfortable while also protecting your hands while keeping you safer on the jobsite.

Finding the right glove for the job is as important as matching any other tool of the trade to the task at hand.

Here’s what you need to consider when choosing your work gloves.

KEEPING YOUR HANDS SAFE The majority of your work revolves around using your hands to build, fix and tear down projects; but while they’re important, they’re also delicate.

The hand is filled with small bones, all held together at numerous joints by ligaments, tendons, cartilage and muscle.

You rely on your experience and the sensitivity of your hands every day. However, we all know someone on the site who has lost a hunk of skin or more, and a good set of gloves may be the last line of defense against a preventable injury.

It’s important to find gloves that will protect your hands against the most dangerous hazards. Whether you need cut-resistant coverings, something that can absorb impacts, protection from inclement weather or corrosive resistance, there’s a glove to fit that need.

Determine the most likely threats to your hands, and look for gloves specifically designed to protect against those dangers.

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PROPER FIT IS IMPORTANT There’s a reason we say something fits “like a glove.” There’s nothing quite like the snug feel of properly fitting gloves.

You want to make sure you find a pair that’s tight enough to not end up with mounds of material that hinders your grip but that’s loose enough to allow your hand a free range of motion.

A well-fitting glove does more than feel good — it’s safer. It means less extra material to snag but just enough give to protect the skin underneath.

GET A GRIP A slip on the job can be dangerous, so safety is key in construction. Whether you’re using hand tools, power tools or just keeping a point of physical contact as you climb a ladder, losing a handle on the situation can lead to injury.

Make sure the gloves you choose have the right surface to allow you to grasp the tools and objects you need on the jobsite. From the smooth palm of a traditional leather work glove to a rubberized palm on a cotton glove, options are available to keep your hands from slipping so you can get the job done safely.

LOOK FOR DURABILITY You know the job lasts until it’s done, and you want gloves that can do the same. Durability is as important to your gloves as it is to the work you do. To be clear, even the best gloves will wear out under use. This comes down to finding the right balance of longevity versus replacement cost and availability.

A cheaper glove may need to be replaced more often, but when a longerlived glove needs to go replacing it may cost you more out of pocket.

DON'T NEGLECT COMFORT The only people who think construction gloves don’t need to feel good are people

tock

/AdobeS

Christine

who have never worn them on a jobsite.

It may not be the most important factor in choosing your gloves, but comfort makes it easier to keep them on and keep going until the project is done.

It’s also a highly personal criteria that involves your preference for padding, absorbency and insulation. So take your time to understand what gloves have felt the best on your hands and why.

PROPER WORK GLOVE CARE AND MAINTENANCE Once you find the perfect gloves, it’s important to keep them wellmaintained so they last longer. Make sure to keep them in a warm, dry place when possible. Leaving them on the worksite, out in the elements, can ruin the materials, leaving you feeling you’re protected when the reality is that they’re one wrong move away from a rip, tear or slip that exposes you to an on-the-job hazard.

Leather gloves should be conditioned occasionally, particularly after long periods of non-use, to keep them soft and supple. Make sure all-natural materials are allowed to dry completely before storage. With a little care, your gloves will last longer and serve you better.

Find the gloves that fit your needs the best. Keep these criteria in mind, and you’ll be able to narrow your search considerably so you can get the perfect pair. Protect your hands and keep them feeling great with a better set of gloves today.

Barb Abrahms is the CEO and co-founder of PalmFlex. She has over 20 years of experience helping individuals in a number of industries find their ideal personal protective equipment (PPE).

For more information on PPE, visit ForConstructionPros. com/21074423

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beStock

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A NEW KIND OF POWER TOOL

THE IDEAL MATERIAL TRANSFER SOLUTION The SB-3000 Shuttle Buggy® MTV is a powerful and efficient Material Transfer Vehicle. Ground level maintenance access, agile four-wheel steer, bright lighting, and a 35-ton storage capacity make the SB-3000 the best choice for your material transfer needs.

See the full range of products at roadtec.com

© 2020 ROADTEC. INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

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1.800.272.7100

Dedicated to Your SuccessSM 1.423.265.0600

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