Asphalt Contractor February 2024

FEBRUARY 2024

HOW TO: EXTREME HEAT SAFETY PLANS

THE GROWING DEMAND FOR

ROLLER COMPACTED CONCRETE ★

www.ForConstructionPros.com/Asphalt

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GENCOR, YOUR TRUSTED CHOICE!

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.

LEADER IN PERFORMANCE AND EFFICIENCY Call 407-290-6000 or visit www.gencor.com

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TABLE OF CONTENTS | FEBRUARY 2024

COVER STORY The Best of Both Worlds There’s a growing market for roller compacted concrete, a type of zero-slump mix that is paved and rolled just like asphalt, and the demand for it is higher than ever. | 22 TECHNOLOGY MATTERS

PRODUCTION NOTES

12 A Data Standard for Grade Control As the AEMP Telematics standard paved the way for equipment performance data to cross boundaries, the industry next grapples with topographical data for 3D machine control.

WWW.FORCONSTRUCTIONPROS.COM/ASPHALT

16 Entering The Big Leagues Tips for buying your first plant, or upgrading your current operation.

FACE OF THE INDUSTRY

28 Slaking Your Thirst: Heat-Related Illness Prevention In 2023 there were more “extreme heat” days in the United States than any previous year on record, and 2024 might still top even that.

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

CONTRACTOR

JOBSITE INNOVATION

32 Measuring Moisture

INVESTIGATING INFRASTRUCTURE

36 Indivisible: Liberty & Justice For All

To ensure asphalt producers get the correct mix automated, instant moisture measurement is critical to achieving asphalt quality, durability, and performance.

When the people who design transportation infrastructure and the people who build it are on the same page, the future of America’s cities will be much brighter than its past.

IN EVERY ISSUE 8 Editor’s Perspective

LATEST INNOVATIONS FOR ASPHALT PROFESSIONALS

41 Last Exit

LATEST INNOVATIONS INNOVATIONS FOR FOR ASPHALT ASPHALT PROFESSIONALS PROFESSIONALS LATEST

ASPHALT ASPHALT

FEBRUARY 2024 Vol. 38, No. 2

CONTRACTOR CONTRACTOR LATEST INNOVATIONS FOR ASPHALT PROFESSIONALS

LATEST INNOVATIONS FOR ASPHALT PROFESSIONALS LATEST INNOVATIONS FOR ASPHALT PROFESSIONALS

Published by IRONMARKETS

Asphalt

Asphalt CONTRACTOR

CONTRACTOR

LATEST INNOVATIONS INNOVATIONS FOR ASPHALT ASPHALT PROFESSIONALS 201 N. Main Street Ste 350, Fort Atkinson, WIFOR 53538 LATEST PROFESSIONALS (800) 538-5544 • WWW.IRON.MARKETS www.ForConstructionPros.com/Asphalt LATEST INNOVATIONS FOR ASPHALT PROFESSIONALS

Published and copyrighted 2024 by IRONMARKETS. 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 IRONMARKETS, 201 N. Main St. Ste 350, 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 600653605. 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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DIGITAL CONNECTION www.ForConstructionPros.com/Asphalt

Submit New, Innovative Products for Asphalt Contractor’s 2024 Top 30 Asphalt Contractor’s 2024 Top 30 Editor’s Choice Products award highlights the Top 30 innovations and technologies available to help asphalt contractors and producers work more efficiently, safely, sustainably, and profitably.

Submit product at https://asph.link/ top302024

APA Selects New Executive Director

Improving Access To Financing

Reed Ryan, executive director of the Utah Asphalt Pavement Association (UAPA) and immediate past chair of the State Asphalt Pavement Associations, Inc. (SAPAs) is taking the helm of the Asphalt Pavement Alliance (APA), effective Feb. 7.

BigRentz and Billd have developed a strategic partnership to provide flexible financial solutions and terms to free up capital and help contractors overcome costs, cash flow issues and labor shortages to deliver quality orojects.

Read more at: https://asph. link/77tzbkbb

Read more at: https://asph. link/krq3csu8

CAT, CRH Sign Agreement for Electric Off-highway Trucks, Charging

Conflicting Economic Reports Paint Hazy Picture of Construction Industry

The agreement is focused on accelerating the deployment of Caterpillar’s 70 to 100-ton-class battery electric off-highway trucks and charging solutions at a CRH site in North America.

Out of the gate in 2024, various economic indicators are pointing in different directions for the economic health of the construction industry.

Read more at: https://asph. link/0nxl0awq

Read more at: https://asph. link/8poc397c

Get social with us! Share pictures of what you’re working with over 29,000 other asphalt contractors on our Facebook page: Facebook.com/Asphalt.Contractor

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ASTEC SERVICE

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Astec’s commitment to its customers extends beyond making the sale.

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From the beginning, our service team has provided construction services for the equipment we build. Astec construction and relocation services for asphalt plants include plant and equipment installs, plant tear-downs and moves, silo repairs, and industrial piping and tank farm installs.

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Efficient planning minimizes downtime, local regulations and permits also play a key role. Astec has an extensive history and experience with permitting and regulations.

Safety, efficiency, and compliance are paramount throughout the process.

Scan QR code to see Astec’s Asphalt Service & Construction offerings.

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EDITOR’S PERSPECTIVE EDITORIAL

Brandon Noel, Editor

Editor ............................................................................. Brandon Noel bnoel@iron.markets

Contributing Editor .............................................Jessica Lombardo

bNoel@iron.markets 234-600-8983

jlombardo@iron.markets

Managing Editor ............................................................... Gigi Wood gwood@iron.markets

Bait & Switch

Senior Editor, Construction Technology, IRONPROS .................................. Charles Rathmann

Was that ...concrete on the cover of Asphalt Contractor?

Yes, but don’t worry!

Junior Editor .............................................................. Merina Shriver

I

‘m sure I have your attention now! Before you get too up-in-arms, don’t expect to start seeing any consistent coverage of concrete applications here. We have a great sister publication for that kind of content: Concrete Contractor. Trust me when I say that this month’s cover story about Roller Compacted Concrete (RCC) is worth taking the time to check out! Because here’s the thing: I’ve come to find out that a lot of this audience doesn’t just work in asphalt.

RCC first caught my attention last summer during our annual Summer Snapshot contest.

For three months during the summer, we host a picture contest where companies can submit photos of their josbite to win a free lunch for their entire crew.

One of the photos we used for the Summer Snapshot Paving series was of a Vögele asphalt paver, but it was trailing what definitely looked like a grey concrete surface behind it.

When I posted the picture to social media, I was inundated with comments and messages confirming my suspicion, that it was, indeed, concrete. I knew that I was going to have to investigate further.

Fast forward to February 2024, and here we are, diving into the strange but surprisingly not-that-new world of roller compacted concrete, where asphalt pavers and tandem rollers (the tools of our familiar trade) are able to quickly lay down a special mix designed concrete in certain applications, achieve high levels of density, and then have it ready for residential use in just 24 hours, or most commercial uses in 48 hours.

To find out the finer details, make sure to read the Special Report section!

crathmann@iron.markets

Senior Editor, Equipment & Workwear, IRONPROS .......................................... Michael Cheng mcheng@iron.markets mshriver@iron.markets

AUDIENCE Audience Development Manager ........................ Angela Franks

FACE OF THE INDUSTRY This month, our contributor for this newly launched feature is Coral Todd, the environment, health and safety director at Duval Asphalt in Jacksonville, Fla. I first met her at the 2023 NAPA mid-year conference in Kansas City, when I sat in on her session about mitigating heat-related illness. I made it a point to go to her session, because 2023 was the hottest year on record for the United States. For as long as we’ve been keeping track of it, the temperatures were hotter than they’ve ever been. Some parts of the Southwest had sustained extreme temperatures in excess of 100° for as many as 50 days in a row.

All scientific forecasts indicate that 2024 will be worse. Todd’s session was only 15 minutes long, but she was clearly passionate about the subject matter, as well as the safety of the employees that she’s charged with protecting. This is why I felt compelled to invite her to write this month’s feature, and share those passions with our audience, on how to properly build a heat mitigation plan.

PRODUCTION Senior Production Manger ........................................ Cindy Rusch crusch@iron.markets

Art Director ............................................................... April Van Etten ADVERTISING/SALES Brand Director ........................................................... Amy Schwandt aschwandt@iron.markets

Brand Manager ..................................................... Megan Perleberg mperleberg@iron.markets

Sales Representative .................................................... Sean Dunphy sdunphy@iron.markets

Sales Representative ..................................................... Kris Flitcroft kflitcroft@iron.markets

IRONMARKETS Chief Executive Officer....................................................Ron Spink Chief Financial Officer .......................................... JoAnn Breuchel Chief Revenue Officer ............................................. Amy Schwandt Corporate Director of Sales ................................... Jason DeSarle Brand Director, Construction, OEM & IRONPROS ......................................................Sean Dunphy VP, Audience Development ................................... Ronda Hughes VP, Operations & IT ..................................................... Nick Raether Content Director ....................................................... Marina Mayer Director, Online & Marketing Services ...... Bethany Chambers Director, Demand Generation & Education ............. Jim Bagan Content Director, Marketing Services ...............Jess Lombardo CIRCULATION & SUBSCRIPTIONS P.O. Box 3605, Northbrook, IL 60065-3605 (877) 201-3915 | Fax: (847)-291-4816 circ.asphaltcontractor@omeda.com

LIST RENTAL Sr. Account Manager ....................................Bart Piccirillo | Data Axle (518) 339 4511 | bart.piccirillo@infogroup.com

INVESTIGATING INFRASTRUCTURE In this issue, building on last month’s investigation into the Highway Trust Fund, we explore the economic impacts of transportation infrastructure on the communities where they are built. How can we rethink and retool the way we do things, so that the future we’re building is brighter than the past? Shoot me an email and share your thoughts.

See you on the road!

REPRINT SERVICES Brand Manager ..................................................... Megan Perleberg mperleberg@iron.markets | (800) 538-5544 Published and copyrighted 2024 by IRONMARKETS. 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.

@ASPHALTCONTRACTOR @ASPHALTCONTRCTR @ASPHALTCONTRACTOR @ASPHALT-CONTRACTOR-MAGAZINE

Published by IRONMARKETS 201 N. Main St. Ste 350, Fort Atkinson, WI 53538 (800) 538-5544 • WWW.IRON.MARKETS

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We’ve built our business and reputation through our unparalleled focus on equipment durability, attention to detail, and the ability to customize our products for each customer. We apply these foundations to our complete range of asphalt mixing plants and asphalt plant equipment designed for producers of all sizes.

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10106 SMITH ROAD, FORT WAYNE, IN 46809 | (260) 672-3004 | www.ALmix.com

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NEW PRODUCTS Brass Knuckle SmartCut BKCR4420 Gloves

Makinex 6kW Portable Power Box Makinex has launched the Portable Power Box (PPB) for construction projects. As industries and consumers globally pivot towards sustainable energy, the PPB emerges as a solution for clean and green power. This product is equipped with heavy-duty wheels, facilitating transport around the jobsite. It has a capacity of 6kw of output power combined with up to 15kWh of storage. It powers up in seven hours and can charge with 240V mains or solar PV. Its design includes a durable frame for storage and maneuverability. For safety, the PPB includes RCD protection, with thermal overload protection; this IP44-rated unit provides weather resistance.

The SmartCut BKCR4420 gloves offer A4 cut resistance with double-coated protection that combines slip resistance and permeation protection in a dexterous glove.

• Foam nitrile top coat adds grip security for oils, petrochemicals, fuels and most acids • Sandy grip finish increases abrasion resistance and cut protection while providing breathability and flexibility • High-density polyethylene (HDPE) shell with a water-based polyurethane (WBPU) coating for the palm and finger helps reduce penetration of liquids, including light oil • Full knit, seamless and stretchable wrist prevents dirt, debris from getting inside

Haulhub EDOT Platform EDOT brings together a suite of features that support roadway construction management and sustainability. The EDOT platform is now evolving into a platform companion for the public works sector. The EDOT platform builds off the genesis of e-Ticketing into new areas such as work zone safety, scheduling, vendor submittals, environmental product tracking, compliance reporting and digital inspection. The EDOT platform is designed to meet the needs of DOT agencies while also catering to the demands of contractors who require a direct and collaborative link with these agencies in future projects.

JCB 3CX and 4CX Platinum Edition

Takeuchi TB2150R Excavator This new 15t model is one of Takeuchi’s largest excavators, second only to the TB2150. The primary difference between the TB2150R and the TB2150 unit is the TB2150R’s fixed boom arrangement and reduced tail swing design. The TB2150R has an operating weight of 34,215 lbs. (rubber track), a maximum bucket breakout force of 22,256 lbs. and a maximum arm digging force of 13,490 lbs. It is powered by a 114 hp DEUTZ TCD3.6L4 turbocharged engine that delivers 338 ft-lb of torque and features a DOC+SCR diesel exhaust aftertreatment system.

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The Platinum Edition models highlight the company’s 70 years of innovation in manufacturing backhoe loaders. A total of 70 limited-edition 70th birthday 3CX PRO and 4CX PRO machines will be manufactured. The Platinum Edition models will have servo excavator controls, Powerslide, air conditioning and bi-directional auxiliary flow hydraulics. The machines will also have limited edition platinum decals and grill badge and platinum-colored wheels.

Each machine will also have a special plaque and customers will receive a special platinum gift pack with the backhoe loader.

SANY SSR200AC-8 and SSR220AC-8 Single-drum Rollers SANY has recently launched the 20 ton and 22 ton hydraulic single drum rollers that give operators access to new technology and make work more efficient.

• The new SSR200AC-8 and SSR220AC-8, both with 83.6-in. width, are equipped with Bosch Rexroth vibration pump • New dual frequency and double amplitude vibratory mode • The WeiChai WP6G200E331 engine is deployed • The Dynamic Systematic Thermal Conduction Control Technology www.ForConstructionPros.com/Asphalt

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TECHNOLOGY MATTERS | By Charles Rathmann, Senior Editor, Construction Technology, IRONPROS

The Progression Toward a Grade Control Data

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STANDARD As the AEMP Telematics standard has paved the way for some equipment performance data to cross proprietary boundaries, the industry next grapples with topographical data for 3D machine control.

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lmost 35% of construction contractors are using or budgeting for machine control technologies according to a 2023 study by IRONPROS and ForConstructionPros.

This includes solutions from original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and aftermarket providers.

Each machine control solution vendor providing systems to OEMs or directly to end users in the aftermarket have unique and proprietary specifications for the topographic data used to communicate the design for earthmoving machines to render and as-built data returned once work is completed.

For several reasons, this is a challenge the industry is working together to solve: • The growth of machine control for earthmoving • The prevalence of mixed equipment fleets • Increased reliance on rental assets • The fact that subcontractors often have different machine control technologies than the prime contractor

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S a Topcon Vice President Jason Hallett and Global Director of Business Development and Marketing, Integration Services Scott Langbein.

The Association of Equipment Management Professionals (AEMP)backed ISO 15143 Standard pushed the needle toward greater interoperability of telematics data, and Part 4 of the proposed ISO/AWI TS 15143 standard could do the same for topographic data relied on by earthmoving machines that automate the completion of a design to a specified grading plan.

A MANUAL PROCESS According to Caterpillar Engineering Manager Chad Brickner, Cat and other companies in the grade control sector are working on a solution, but there are currently no easy answers.

“We’re excited about that because it’s interesting seeing a lot of different players from manufacturers like ourselves showing control companies, that are also participating, that everybody is coming together,” Brickner said. “I’ve looked through the AEMP standard that was

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put out a few years ago, and that delivers great interoperability on the management side. It has really set up a lot of other things that are desperately needed in this machine control stuff so that I can use it.

That’s the only way forward that I see.”

According to Brickner, the current solution to this lack of interoperability is manual work.

“From what I’ve seen, they’re using people, the people that are willing to put in the work,” Brickner said.

“Contractors are using the different pieces of technology that all of us offer.

They are solutions that work. But they’re all unique to a specific vendor.”

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TOPCON APTIX PRIORITIZES TOPOGRAPHIC DATA In July 2023, Topcon launched its Aptix integration platform-as-a-service (IPaaS) application for field and site data.

Aptix automates and orchestrates the distribution of data, including:

www.ForConstructionPros.com/Asphalt

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You

Small Size, BIG Impact

Dynapac’s CC900G/CC950, are modern small tandem rollers

designed for small-scale compaction work such as patching, bicycle paths, parking lots, driveways, etc.

These machines are equipped with reliable Honda gas or Kubota diesel engines and the largest drum diameter in the class (23 inches). The drive motors connected in series, together with the large drum diameter provide excellent gradeability and productivity.

Go the extra mile with a pressurized water system and spring loaded scrapers

Service components are easily accessible

Simple and easy operating controls

Foldable ROPS for easy transport and working under low height jobs

Reliable Honda gas (900G) or Kubota diesel (950) engine

Longer paving time between refills with large capacity water tank (50 gal)

Maintenance free heavy duty articulation hitch

Pave against walls with high curb clearance (18 in)

Long lasting drum with the thickest drum shell in its class. (0.4 in)

Better quality mat with the largest drum diameter in its class (23 in).

Highest rated operator comfort with insulated front and rear drums

available with $ Now industry-leading finance options

See you at PAVE/X! Visit us booth 226

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TECHNOLOGY MATTERS • Machine control files • Constructible models • Project schedules • Reports on actuals It shows, in near real-time, the location of machines with the ability to aggregate as-built data from mixed fleet telematics. It provides real-time reports on people, materials, machine, and carbon dioxide emissions, creating greater visibility for carbon footprint and sustainability initiatives.

Topcon Global Director of Business Development and Marketing, Integration Services Scott Langbein said that while this is an iPaaS product, it focuses on earthwork, connected equipment and models rather than the business transactional processes iPaaS offerings like Agave or Trimble Integrations will streamline.

The Aptix platform will not be everything to all people—there are, according to Langbein, no plans to extend the solution to takeoffs, for instance. In a September 2023 IRONPROS discovery call, Langbein said that the focus was on capturing data from takeoff tools in products from partners including Autodesk, HCSS, or AgTek. The initial focus, according to Langbein, has been on 3D machine control. Starting with 3D machine control makes sense because contractors may be using equipment with multiple machine control systems from different manufacturers, each with their proprietary software.

“We connect most heavy equipment: excavators, motor graders, dozers and scrapers,” Langbein said. “For the most part, these types of equipment have several options in themselves as to what GPS control or total station machine control technology they have access to.

We have a tier of all heavy equipment that is machine controlled. And then the next tier down is heavy equipment that is only telematics controlled. And the telematics, we like to simplify that and track just location on and off, and that—that’s just telematics. But over and above that, Topcon’s sweet spot is really the machine control where you’re controlling the blade, and you’re

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automating the blade to the model.

You’re telling the operator to follow the task based on the schedule.”

Apart from capturing data from and relaying models to the machine, Aptix can tie execution in the field into the project schedule.

“The schedule has the task. The task has the model. The machine has the hydraulic control, and the operator is performing in line with the plan—that is the top tier,” Langbein said.

COMPACT EQUIPMENT & ATTACHMENT AUTOMATION Aptix is not just focused on heavy iron— it is encompassing data flows with more compact machines and attachments.

“The trend has been towards compact machine control,” Langbein said.

“The smaller Bobcats, you know, compact track loaders, machines that run around on a little track, one guy driving a little bucket. The industry’s made a number of attachments for these devices—drag boxes for grading, backhoe arms, different solar power pile drivers and things. We’re also pursuing that because those have machine control or telematics as well. And that’s where the numbers are. John Deere, Komatsu, Topcon and Trimble and, like, everybody is pursuing that space with those compact machine controls.”

Proprietary barriers are falling between other business applications, including enterprise resource planning and other back-office tools as application programming interfaces (APIs) enable what Gartner called the composable enterprise of integrated but separate software products underpinning business processes.

“There are some technical hurdles that we just need to negotiate and work through as a partner,” Langbein said.

SELECTING GRADE CONTROL FOR INTEROPERABILITY Even without an ISO standard, some grade control technologies will be able to at least make available an open file or APIs that can enable topographic

data to cross over into other software environments, according to Topcon Vice President Jason Hallett.

“A contractor can go to the manufacturer or at least the representative of the manufacturer and say, ‘What are you guys doing with regard to your API’s and access to the data?’ How do I get access to that because I have a system that is going to need to integrate with that,” Hallett said. “And if you make your choice at that level, your choices become clearer because there’s going to be a handful of them out there that say, yep, we have a program for that; it’s priced like this, and this is how you do it. That’s a conversation you have to have if you’re planning [to buy] a machine today because the average life is approximately seven years.”

Access to APIs is typically not free.

As grade control technology vendors prepare to support data management for mixed fleets and as standardization takes hold, Hallett and Langbein say fee structures and contractual arrangements will take shape to bring this interoperability to market.

SEVER THE TIE WITH HARDWARE? The AEMP telematics standard has enough data flowing from one equipment nameplate and the other that companies like Trackunit report that many of their customers are not using any of their hardware. While a small percentage of very large fleets can negotiate for more of the diagnostic and other data that go beyond the standard, standardization has made a difference.

Companies like Clue Insights, meanwhile, worry less about the standard and more about standardizing and harmonizing data from multiple other OEM and independent equipment tracking technologies. The company offers no tracking hardware, suggesting that the technology used to manage grade control systems may become more open, enabling data to flow across multiple equipment, operational and design software products.

For more information visit https://asph.link/b5xdw5

www.ForConstructionPros.com/Asphalt

1/24/24 9:29 AM

EAGLE INNOVATION ‘24

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Discover the MaxRap® 25 Portable on display at World of Asphalt. Eagle Crusher’s latest new-product innovation for the asphalt industry. Featuring Eagle’s UltraMax® 25 impactor with its high reduction ratio and North America lifetime rotor warranty, the MaxRap 25 Portable provides the same precision crushing of the stationary MaxRap, allowing operators to crush RAP at multiple locations with ease.

Experience the benefits of multi-feature deck selection, blending, and bypass; sampling to verify the mix-design spec requirement is correct, and ability to use the system for screening, direct-to-stockpile only. Discover even more RAP benefits. Plus, this versatile plant may be used as a secondary unit for recycled concrete and aggregate by removing the diverter chutework to become two plants in one.

TRUST THE STRENGTH OF EAGLE CRUSHER

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JOIN US IN BOOTH 1931 MARCH 25-27, 2024 • NASHVILLE, TN

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PRODUCTION NOTES

Nielsen Blacktopping & Concrete in Kasota, Minn.

Provided by ADM

THE BIG LEAGUES

Tips for buying your first asphalt plant, or upgrading your current operation.

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eturning from PAVE/X and considering whether it makes sense for your paving business to begin producing your own asphalt?

This is a common scenario for many paving companies that do not currently produce for themselves, and there are numerous considerations before deciding to make the investment.

Likewise, it is just as important for paving companies that already produce their own asphalt to understand when it may be right to upsize their current asphalt plant. Through the eyes of one paving business that recently took the leap to produce its own asphalt, this article will help you explore whether your business could benefit from adding an asphalt plant to your operation.

Trent Nielsen, president and owneroperator, Nielsen Blacktopping & Concrete in Kasota, Minn. asserts, “As an asphalt and concrete paving company, owning your own asphalt plant is a real game-changer.”

A third-generation, medium-size business, started by Trent’s grandfather,

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Carl Nielsen, in 1969, and passed to Trent’s father, Craig Nielsen, and ultimately to Trent and his brother, Chad Larson, in 2006. The company operates within a 60-mile radius in southern Minnesota.

As a third-generation contractor, Nielsen Blacktopping and Concrete provides expert service in asphalt paving and concrete, excavation and preparation, and maintenance and restoration. Trent stated, “Purchasing our own asphalt plant enabled our business to expand from a mostly residential and commercial paving company to a major player in municipal/ public projects by completely changing the bidding process.”

He continued, “Pretty much all of our competitors in the area produce their own asphalt. Now that we produce ours, our pricing is more efficient and competitive to begin winning bids. Buying our product outside at higher prices and iffy availability was previously a big issue when it came to winning bids over our competition.”

Trent further remarked, “Producing our own asphalt even helped our residential and commercial projects because we’re easily able to get the different mixes we need for paving and patching driveways and parking lots.

Not being in the metro area, it’s really

important to be able to supply your own asphalt. Otherwise you don’t have control of your market.”

Trent explained, “Realizing control over your schedules, mix qualities, and mix specs makes a big difference in the number of jobs we can handle. When we bought our asphalt through outside sources, there were often quality control issues with the product due to labor shortages, and it was difficult to get the turnaround on the product we needed to get our jobs done when customers needed them done.”

After completing their research and getting a number of pre-prep items in place, Nielsen Blacktopping & Concrete purchased an ADM EX 7636 counterflow asphalt plant. Asphalt production started in June 2022 with two silos. By Spring 2023, Nielsen added a third silo to supply asphalt to other businesses, and in June of that same year, the company had its own lab operational.

With the lab, Nielsen was able to test the mix and show customers the results.

Trent said, “So far, this has been a big plus. Showing test results really gets the decision made for customers to go with the project. Our local cities do testing as well, and being able to offer companion testing has given us a real competitive advantage. Our plant operator, Troy Borwege, has his Bituminous Mix

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Designer Certification (BMDC) and is able to make quick adjustments for quality control of the mix.”

In making the purchase decision to buy a plant, Trent stated, “Setting up your own asphalt plant is not for the weak of heart, but with the right asphalt-plant manufacturer, one that focuses as much on service as on the sale of the plant, the payoff is worth it,” Trent remarked.

Many considerations come into play to help determine whether the purchase of an asphalt plant is right for a particular asphalt paving business. Some of those key considerations in making that decision to purchase a plant includes: • A paving company’s market size • Location • Start-up expense • Plant features • Return on investment (ROI) • Understanding when to upsize Assessing your market size is the first place to start to determine whether buying an asphalt plant is advantageous to a paving company. Trent remarked, “One of the first factors in making our purchase decision was knowing we would have a reliable aggregate source for making our asphalt. We developed a relationship with an aggregate producer who was expanding his gravel business.

Having an aggregate source was as key to deciding to buy a plant as being able to control our own mix.”

Market size also includes such factors as your company’s annual asphalt usage and cost to your business, estimating the number of additional jobs your business could accommodate annually without

18 ASPHALT CONTRACTOR FEBRUARY 2024 ACON0224_16-21_Production_BN gw.indd 18

the wait time, and the potential for selling the asphalt you produce to outside businesses.

Trent completed a cost-per-ton analysis, and because he knew pavers go to the closest plant to get product, he would be able to draw cities and counties to buy Nielsen’s asphalt, in addition to making the company’s own.

The location of where a company plans to put its asphalt plant impacts permitting for the plant, transport of the plant, plant size, and even the appropriate plant type. Permitting rules and fees vary greatly from one locality to another and are different state-bystate, as well.

Trent said, “Once we knew market size was viable, we pulled off application and permitting before making our plant purchase. We checked compliancy with Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) regulations, a big factor for us since hot-mix asphalt facilities in our locale, including portable plants, must have a permit for stormwater and wastewater activities.”

Location also factored in for Nielsen Blacktopping & Paving. The company made sure that the planned plant location was strategic in being able to sell asphalt in the western counties and the southwest edge of Mankako, Minn.

ADM says that start-up expense is another consideration in whether it is advantageous to supply your own asphalt. It’s important to determine factors such as the additional labor your business will need and cost of mix components, both of which will help you to determine how much you will need to charge per ton to turn a profit, if you are

selling to competitive pavers, and how much you will save on your own material costs, using asphalt you produce instead of purchasing from an outside source.

Obviously, a major factor in startup expense is the price of the plant. It’s important, however, according to ADM, to stay focused on what type of plant makes the most sense for the current market situation and future potential. A plant may cost less initially, but if it isn’t fuelefficient or doesn’t produce enough tons per hour for efficient operation, it will cost more over the course of its lifetime.

A fourth consideration in determining whether your paving company can benefit from the addition of an asphalt plant, comes down to plant features.

Plants with counterflow technology, like the ADM EX Series plant which Nielsen purchased, will maximize fuel efficiency while minimizing hydrocarbon pollution. Clean-burning plants will also extend the life of the baghouse, and the efficiency of counterflow technology will result in increased production.

Easy calibration of a plant is another important feature, both when purchasing a plant for the first time or expanding to a larger plant. This will lower the risk of drifting out of spec, which in turn gives producers confidence in the product they are producing while helping to guarantee customer satisfaction. Easy calibration is especially important when producing mix for Superpave jobs as Nielsen does for its municipal customers. Nielsen produces Minnesota DOT Superpave product in six different mix designs.

As a paving company compares plant prices and determines what is included with each model, it’s important to also consider the plant’s operating costs and production capacities.

Realizing a paving company’s ROI expectations from the purchase of its own asphalt plant, the business needs to project its potential bottom line improvements to help make an informed decision to purchase. Trent explained, “It’s a numbers game. We looked at how much our labor efficiency would be improved. We understood we wouldn’t have an outside asphalt bill. We knew we would have better cash flow because we

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could produce as we went, rather than making up-front product purchases. Our outside costs were going up due to inflation with fuel and aggregate.”

Trent continued, “In the end, making our own asphalt in the first-year cost as much as going outside for asphalt the previous year, but product availability was king. We weren’t cut off by the oil contractors which was a real concern before we made our own asphalt. When it comes to ROI, it was also important to look at how fast we could pay the plant off. Again, it’s a numbers game.”

For paving companies that already have an asphalt plant, it is important to know when and if the time is right to upsize. If you’re already in the asphalt production business, you may be considering a newer, larger capacity plant.

Just as you did before buying your first plant, consider your market size, location, long-term expenses, and plant features when examining the costs and potential savings of buying a new plant.

A more efficient, larger capacity plant will not only allow your company to take on more projects (if your market size allows it), but bigger projects, as well. Plus, a newer plant will reduce maintenance costs and emissions while offering a better mix consistency.

If you’re a plant owner looking to upgrade components, it’s worthwhile to consider newer, high-quality parts.

Improved components such as baghouses will help you reduce emissions.

Recycle systems allow cost-efficient RAP to be used at higher percentages.

Better quality storage tanks in modern plants offer a more economical way to store and monitor pricey liquid asphalt cement, while newer storage silos provide a way to keep freshly mixed asphalt at an ideal, constant temperature until it is ready to be discharged.

A big part of Trent’s initial homework in deciding to make the asphalt plant purchase for Nielsen was a visit to an asphalt plant that already had the brand

and model he was considering. French Broad Paving/ Madison Asphalt, located in Madison County, N.C. had recently purchased an EX 7636 counterflow plant to begin producing their paving company’s own asphalt.

“I was comfortable with their operation and equipment. They basically operate similar to how Nielsen operates,” Trent said. “We liked what we saw, so the trip was helpful in making our decision. Now that we produce our own asphalt, our trucks are no longer waiting in line for asphalt supply or unable to work on projects because we’re cut off at 5:30 p.m. With our own asphalt, we can work through the weekend like we did recently for a local hospital parking lot, producing 2,400 tons in a two-day period to get the job done.”

Cindy Carvour is director of client services at 300M.

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SPECIAL REPORT | By Brandon Noel, Editor

THE BEST OF BO There’s no reason to deny something that can increase your market appeal, broaden the scope of your work, and provide new business opportunities.

P

erhaps, you never thought you’d see the day when concrete was the subject of a feature in Asphalt Contractor magazine, much less putting it on the cover of an issue! However, roller compacted concrete (RCC) is an exciting product and process, growing quickly in popularity among industrial, commercial, and even some residential markets. It’s sturdy, versatile, and asphalt paving crews already have 90 percent of the skills to utilize RCC, because it utilizes the toolset, machinery, and much of the knowhow from the asphalt side of the pavement world. Whereas concrete contractors implement slipform pavers, RCC requires asphalt pavers, tandem rollers, and density gauge testing.

Of course, it isn’t as simple as going to the nearest concrete plant, placing an order for whatever they have on hand that day, and dumping it into your asphalt paver. I don’t want to undersell the nuance and complexity of RCC, because using it requires all the characteristics and technicality of an experienced asphalt paver. But I do want to make the case to you that, comparatively, it appears to me to make more sense for traditional asphalt contractors to take an interest in RCC and add it to their offerings. There’s more crossover here than you might expect, and there’s even ways to bring asphalt in and combine them.

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Provided by the RCC Pavement Council

Also, it’s important to note that RCC is not an asphalt replacement, or even an alternative, because it’s biggest opportunities are mostly for jobs that asphalt isn’t well suited to.

It isn’t a solution for long stretches of highway with fast moving, heavy traffic.

Learning about RCC and potentially adding it to your wheelhouse is about broadening your market potential into whole new areas.

WHAT IS RCC, AND WHY SHOULD YOU KNOW ABOUT IT? Its origins lie in Canada in the 1970s, and it was initially utilized in the same situations it is predominantly used in today: large industrial areas with lots of traffic, but where that traffic is slow moving or mostly static. The pavements met their needs well, as they were lowcost and quite resilient in standing up to extreme loads and the specialized equipment used by loggers. It would be an understatement, however, to say that the technique didn’t exactly catch on in a big way or set the world on fire.

RCC is not an asphalt replacement, the biggest opportunities it provides are mostly for jobs that asphalt isn’t well suited to.

“The whole proposition behind RCC is that it’s incredibly durable for big intermodal facilities with extremely high static loads,” said David Zuehlke, who works in the role as dealer sales manager, South-Central, for Dynapac North America.

To put it into perspective, from 1975 to 2010, there were only 172 documented projects. Then there was a massive period of growth in the number of applications starting in 2011. In just four years (2011-2015) there were 369 projects, which more than doubled the number of projects performed during the previous 35 years. Similarly, the next four-year span grew that number to 453 RCC projects, and this trend is expected to continue.1 Historically, industrial and commercial jobs have dominated the bulk of RCC jobs. Ports, large distribution centers for retail and

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BOTH WORLDS Provided by the RCC Pavement Council

Vögele offers two models capable of performing RCC successfully, the Super 2100 and Super 3000, with the 2100 being their more popular model equipped with the AB 600 TP2 screed.

The SD 2550 CS dual tamping foot paver taking RCC for a test drive.

big-box stores, and some commercial work. In 2021, however, roadways became the leading sector, more than doubling in demand year-over-year. A large portion of that growth was driven by contractors in the asphalt industry discovering RCC and getting into the field with it. It’s growth periods have also been somewhat tied to periods where oil prices were particularly volatile.

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Provided by Dynapac NA

“You can think of it as a blend of asphalt, concrete, and soil technology,” said Corey Zollinger, chairman of the RCC Pavement Council. “It is really a blend of those three and understanding that as a contractor is the key to being successful at it.” This blending of technology is similar to Zollinger’s background, because he received his master’s degree in asphalt, while his dad was a professor who taught about

concrete. This gives him a unique perspective into the two worlds that collide to make RCC a reality.

“From the asphalt contractors’ perspective, we’re using all their same equipment,” Zollinger continued. “The asphalt paver and the rollers are the same, the basic skill sets behind using those machines are essentially the same.” The entire paving train should look familiar to any asphalt crew.

Dump trucks carrying the mix, backed up to the asphalt paver, with large tandem vibratory rollers initially behind the screed, and smaller finishing rollers behind them. The density is even measured using the same types of gauges.

How do asphalt pavers achieve this, and how can rollers ride on top of concrete that’s just been laid down without sinking into the surface?

NOT YOUR TYPICAL MIX DESIGN The type of concrete you see coming out of the large spinning barrel trucks is worlds apart from RCC. What separates the traditional type of concrete

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SPECIAL REPORT from RCC, is that it is a much drier, aggregate dense material, more akin to what you would see with asphalt. In the concrete world, the amount of moisture, and therefore its liquidity, is referred to as a mixes’ slump. The higher the slump, the more flow to its state.

“Moisture content is definitely the biggest difference,” said Brodie Hutchins, vice president, head of sales, Vögele Products. “It’s the difference between pouring concrete and placing concrete.

Slip-form paving will oftentimes refer to pour and it’s more of a liquid versus zero-slump, which is really dry. The consistency is very similar to asphalt. It has fines to keep the aggregates together.”

Provided by the RCC Pavement Council

High density pavers are essential to achieving the necessary goals and specifications for RCC paving.

Zolllinger describes its slump value as even less than zero. “I call it a negative slump concrete,” he said. “I say that because if it even comes close to flowing, you’ve got a problem. It kind of has the consistency of wet gravel.”

Typical mixes use a 50-50 ratio of sand and aggregate, and preferably a washed river sand instead of manufactured types. No rebar or other reinforcement is used either. One of the benefits of this dry mix design, is that it can open to pedestrian and light traffic in just 24 hours, as well as to commercial traffic in 48 hours. Who can produce this type of mix design? Can you call up your nearest concrete plant and have them flip the switch? The answer is, it’s slightly more specialized.

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“We recommend it be done mixed with a twin shaft pugmill,” said Zollinger. “however, it has been done with wet batch plants on other types for smaller projects, we don’t recommend ready-mix trucks except for trial batches.”

This brings up a very important detail concerning the paving of RCC. Up until this point, we’ve highlighted the crossover it has with the asphalt industry. However, just like there is a preferable plant type to produce the mix, there’s also a specialized type of asphalt paver that is logistically the primary choice for those serious about exploring RCC as a new product they can offer their clients.

HIGH DENSITY PAVING In 2023, we covered the differences between the types of asphalt screeds that are primarily used in the U.S. market versus the screeds typically used in Europe. As it turned out, the tamper bar and pressure bar, high compaction screeds that Europe uses have a small but growing share of the work here domestically. That is likely due, in no small part, to the burgeoning demand for RCC; because it requires: • a high level of initial compaction off the screed, • a low amount of roll-down, and • a desired finished density greater than 98 percent.

High density pavers, like those that have variations of tamper-bars and/or pressure bars, in addition to vibratory screeds, are essential to achieving the necessary goals for RCC paving. In fact, it’s possible that in the early decades following the invention of RCC, its usage and popularity stalled due to the use of commercial pavers that couldn’t achieve the proper level of density off the screed.

Contractors gave it a shot, tried it out on their pavers, experienced integrity failures, and decided it wasn’t viable. However, the problem was simply that they weren’t using the proper instruments.

“The finished density is absolutely key,” Zuehlke emphasized. “For every 1 percent of air voids left in RCC you’re losing 5 percent of your strength. For example: if you only achieve 95 percent

compaction, you will only have 75 percent of your original intended design strength.”

“First, you must understand the application, because, just like asphalt, each job is a little different,” said Hutchins. “Before we get to the equipment, it is more of a consultative thing, to understand: how wide, how deep, what’s the mix, and what’s the timeframe? Because in a high-density screed, the tamper stroke goes up and down based on the thickness of the mat. It’s a lot like amplitude on a roller. If a contractor is placing 8 inches of RCC, we’ll make sure that that screed tamper is set for a higher stroke adjustment and we adjust the pressure bars which are located behind the screed plate. You’ve got to have more force to push down 8 inches versus pushing down 2 inches.

Other than that, the lay down process is exactly the same.”

The most important detail is that the screed contains two or more compacting devices of some kind. Most highway contractors laying down a 2-inch asphalt overlay typically are not using compacting devices. Although they probably incorporate vibration, the real final smoothness is coming from the rollers. That isn’t a feasible approach at 6 or 8 inches of RCC placed in one lift, without some kind of compaction element within the screed. It wouldn’t achieve proper rideability.

The good news is that a high density style paver isn’t so specialized that it will collect dust when you’re not doing RCC jobs. It’s still excellent at producing high quality asphalt mat and there are no changeovers needed. One day it can run RCC and asphalt the next. And there’s some indication that the winds of the industry itself might shift in the future to favor the high density screeds, thus, such an investment would be ahead of any coming curve.

“I don’t know that we’re not at an inflection point,” said Dynapac’s Zuehlke. “The way the market is going, with initiatives to lower stack temperatures at the asphalt plant, I think it might create some changes. We may look to higher density pavers to do things like they do

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SPECIAL REPORT in Europe. Case-in-point, a contractor chasing after airport work, bought a high density paver, the same paver that we’re doing RCC with. He could lay cement treated base with it, and handle the really stiff asphalt mix designs that airport’s require, and he could pave wider.”

Despite all the overlap there are still a lot of technical hurdles to overcome for those contractors who want to enter into RCC. As is the case with incorporating any new technology, machine, or application, training is key.

not exclusively, Vögele, and Dynapac.

Although, in the past, Volvo also had a model capable of doing RCC with the ABG7820C; which were only produced from 2005-2015. For Dynapac it’s the SD 2550 CS dual tamping foot paver.

Vögele offers two models, the Super 2100 and Super 3000, with the 2100 being their more popular model with the AB 600 TP2 screed. Both Dynapac and Vögele’s screeds are capable of achieving post-paver densities in the mid-90s under the operation of a trained crew.

KNOWING ENOUGH TO BE DANGEROUS One thing is for certain. You don’t want to invest in a high density paver, source a good quality RCC mix design, and then show up on a large jobsite for the first time thinking that your asphalt crew can get ‘er done, transferring their asphalt expertise one-to-one.

“What I normally tell contractors to do, is to pave in their own backyard,” said Zollinger, warning that attempts to learn on-the-job can be costly. “Do test sections in your backyard with with a consultant, someone who knows how to handle the materials, how to do the mix designs, and find areas where you can just just pave. Get some experience putting the material down, and then find a project that’s as square as possible.”

Currently, the market options for high density pavers in the United States is a fairly thin playing field. The two biggest players are primarily, but

WHY NOT BOTH? THE BENEFITS OF RCC When it comes to selecting a pavement material, asphalt is still king. That is especially the case when considering ride quality, smoothness, road noise (especially at highway speeds), flexibility, texture, and the ease and speed with which it can be repaired or replaced.

We should all understand, however, that road building shouldn’t be an either/or conversation. It should be about what product works best for a given scenario: • What’s most cost effective for the client?

• What will best suit their needs?

• What’s the most sustainable and environmentally conscious design?

• What material will be more resilient for a given climate region?

Given that ideal criteria, RCC has some legitimate credentials to consider.

Firstly, RCC is extremely durable, as we’ve already established in looking at its primary historic use cases. It can take

a beating, and that’s why places like the Port of Houston decided to use it. But it can play an even more direct role in a city’s infrastructural selection, especially in places like Houston that have borne witness to extreme meteorological catastrophe in recent history.

“When you look at places like Houston or New Orleans, and the greater Gulf coast area, and you see the kind of battering that the roads get, it’s pretty undeniable,” said Zuehlke. “We (Houston) had two massive flood events fairly close together, between April 2016 and then Hurricane Harvey (August 2017).”

More and more climate events like these do significant damage to roads by washing out the base, and destabilizing the soil. RCC fares better in these settings due to its monolithic structure. Compared to conventional concrete solutions, RCC is put down much faster (up to 48 hours for commercial traffic), costs about 15 percent less, and produces between 10-15 percent less emissions.

It’s also more versatile than traditional concrete surfaces. It can also be treated through various methods to give it different surfaces finishes, and perhaps most importantly, it can be given with an asphalt cap. This option literally delivers the best of both worlds.

“RCC is a really structurally sound base,” said Vögele’s Hutchins. “There’s hardly any curing time, so you’re able to get back on the mat or get traffic opened up right away. If you put an asphalt cap on these zero-slump mixes for applications, such as a freeway, then you’re going to get all the benefits of asphalt, as well.”

For more information visit https://asph.link/workforce 1. P.E. Zollinger, Corey. Recent Advances in RCC Roadway Construction in the USA, 2024.

Provided by the RCC Pavement Council

Despite overlap, there are still technical challenges for contractors to learn RCC.

26 ASPHALT CONTRACTOR FEBRUARY 2024 ACON0224_22-27_SpecialReport_BN gw.indd 26

2. https://rccpavementcouncil.org/ what-is-roller-compacted-concrete-pavement/ 3. https://www.volvoce.com/global/ en/products-and-services/pastproducts/pavers/volvo-tracked/ abg7820/

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FACE OF THE INDUSTRY

SLAKING YOUR THIRST: Heat-Related Illness Prevention

In 2023, there were more “extreme heat” days in the United States that any previous year on record, and 2024 could potentially top it. Facing facts about heat-related illness, and properly protecting asphalt workers is more important than ever before.

I

n the American working industry, some of us are familiar with what we know as OSHA and their famous statement that is used when the agency does not have a specific standard to address a safety infraction; referred to as the General Duty Clause, which states the following: “Each employer shall furnish to each of his employees’ employment and a place of employment which are free from recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm to his employees.”

Although we are familiar with this statement, do we always successfully recognize all of those hazards? What if we don’t correctly identify hazards because of an incorrect perspective or unhealthy risk appetite? For example, what about thirst as an indicator of systemic dehydration?

Did you know that despite living in a nation with ready access to clean drinking water, a shocking 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated? This statistic is not just a number, but a nationwide health concern that needs to be addressed.

This article will address these issues and contribute to some practical measures we can do for workers in the road construction industry specifically.

It’s easy to state that we should equip all work areas with accessible and visible cool water (less than 60° F). Encourage workers to drink at least 1 cup (8 ounces) of water every 15-20 minutes while working in the heat, not just when

they’re thirsty. Maintain a cool or shaded location for rest breaks. HOLISTIC APPROACHES TO HEAT-RELATED ILLNESS PREVENTION ON THE ROAD One perspective that should be adopted is to be a proactive, generative leadperformer on these issues, rather than simply complying with minimum requirements. This will help us go above and beyond the norm.

When I entered the asphalt industry, I quickly learned what the laborers and road crews must endure to pave what we, as citizens, all too often take for granted.

Our road crews face many risks and hazards such as: working around heavy equipment, distracted drivers, and more, but what can we, as producers and business owners, do to bring down the heat-related risks and reduce the resulting illness?

Provided by Duval Asphalt

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FACE OF THE INDUSTRY

First, you can and should evaluate your current plans, best practices, and proactive measures. Then increase the importance of communication and question the execution of your team’s implementation of those plans. Ultimately, much of the success of a plan lies within the individual worker, but the care their leaders have for them makes a serious impact.

One item that could be easily overlooked is proper record keeping and documentation. Sometimes, we might overlook it when our employees are experiencing a heat-related illness just to keep moving forward with the day’s work. In today’s era, hard work is sometimes not as valued as it was before. So, in response, we must bring back the human care aspect of it all. We should not need OSHA or any other agency to be the driver for our change, because WE should be the agents of positive change within our own companies.

That should go from the tons of asphalt being laid and the profits made from it, all the way to the very health of our employees.

WHEN YOU CAN’T STAND THE HEAT, BUT YOU CAN’T GET OUT OF THE KITCHEN The first step to developing your heatrelated illness prevention plan is to

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recognize the gaps in your current way of addressing this hazard. Since, in the asphalt industry, heat is everywhere, you might think that we cannot do anything different to avoid the consequences.

The asphalt is hot, the pavers generate heat, then the weather is hot, and that can increase and compound the heat of asphalt in general.

When I came into the industry, one thing that didn’t take long to realize, is that asphalt is historically a, “geter-done,” type of environment that is seemingly facing a different generation that doesn’t adopt the same attitudes and values. Because of this, we have asked a different generation to push past their feelings without plans that address them, and this has been to our own detriment—often felt in our teams, morale, and succession planning goals.

However, understanding the importance of recognizing heat-illness and its symptoms, considering the voice of the employee, and measuring the practicality of implementation in our unique industry is the key. I am sure many companies throughout the United States have great programs that are being maintained, but there are surely some companies that need a fresh look in order to revitalize and protect the health of their employees.

One way of doing that is to familiarize our teams on heat-related triggers. The keys are both prevention and planning. If you see a heat wave coming, you should be creative and think ahead. Why? For one, nothing stops a job, quicker than having to call an ambulance.

Make the heat plan part of your normal work plan for the day. Some practical items that you need to consider concerning our industry: • Inspect what you expect • Implementation and execution: Is it making a difference?

• Compliance vs. specificity • State-specific requirements • Resources and training materials The topic surrounding heat illness prevention might be considered a small topic, but it has a big impact. I came

from the plastics manufacturing industry, within which heat, and heat exhaustion was a constant struggle, due to the nature of a 24-hour operation. I carried a passion for it with me into our asphalt teams. The first year was about spending a lot of time with the crews, driving with the foreman, walking alongside the road crews, and standing on the screed in the heat. I experienced intense sweating, endured headaches, achy muscles, and complete exhaustion so that I could understand the challenges our workers face every day. It gave me real empathy for the situation, and out of that, Iproposed an initiative to boost morale and health awareness.

How did we accomplish this? From my position I cast vision of how we can implement additional heat-related safety measures. I coordinated with our local safety equipment distributor to coordinate the following: Hot Summer Kits: This would be a cooler or easy transportable box with all the cooling PPE a crew might need for the week: • Sweatbands • Cooling towels • Hard hat cooling pads or hard hat visors • Ball caps Cooling Tours: Biweekly site visits to the jobs to promote and provide heat relief: • Company safety leaders could partner up with local safety equipment distributors to cover an approximately 25 mile radius of the total job locations.

• Hydration product distribution • Tool talks • Educational awareness of heat stress and facts / prizes Hydration Stations: These could be strategically set up during hot months at the jobsite. It would provide the crew members a place they could take a quick cooling break in between waves of paving. Umbrellas and coolers with fresh cold fruit and water to eat and drink.

Also, it will have a barometric meter to measure humidity, to ensure our guys are hydrating frequently enough: • Set up

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• Pop-up tent / umbrella • Coolers : Ice pop/ squinchers / cold fruit cups / watermelon chunks • Chairs: If you have guys that need to sit in the shade they can at this station.

• At this hydration station the tail-gate talk / pre-shift huddle can occur: • Water cooler • Electrolytes and Ice jugs • Encourage the tricks of the trade: pickles and coconut water!

• Discuss the days project/quality aspects/safety tool talk • Promote stretching before starting the job Appreciation: Monthly Health Vital Checks: Coordinated with local healthcare company to promote wellness. Held at a monthly frequency and accompanied by an appreciation lunch: • Partner with independent providers for their services to improve companies in our industry.

• Provide education and awareness GETTING EVERYONE INVOLVED The other approach we took at Duval Asphalt was focused on employee engagement. During our safety team meetings, we would brainstorm new ideas for creating shade in difficult areas where setting up a tent might not be possible. This increased management commitment. We coordinated with our plant manager who designed a clever extension that is used on the foreman trucks, as well as, another extension that works for the service trucks. It was there that we placed a portable umbrella for when the crew needed a break and some extra shade.

Something we must always consider is: Are we truly adhering to what we have written down? Do you have a plan? Does it fit the bill?

What is your stake in it? Do you have skin in the game? What are the challenges that agencies and state plans present for you? How are you addressing them?

As business owners and producers, we should embrace every aspect of what it takes to make the business run. The health and safety of our employees plays a major role, specifically in an industry where our workforce is aging, and every slight innovation and implementation could boost morale, preserve health, increase productivity, and contribute to the longevity of the art of making roads. Stay safe and stay cool!

ASPHALT PLANTS AND

COMPONENTS

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Coral Todd is the environmental, health and safety director at Duval Asphalt.

For more information visit http://asphalt.com/kk3fi1

1. https://voliwellness.com/blogs/news/ the-thirsty-nation-unmasking-americas-hydration-crisis 2. https://worknwearsalem.com/ tips-to-prevent-dehydration-in-construction-employees

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JOBSITE INNOVATIONS

To ensure the moisture content remains consistent, operators would ideally test the moisture content every step of the way.

MEASURING MOISTURE

AdobeStock_ andrew_shots

Ensures Asphalt Producers Get the Right Mix To ensure asphalt producers get the right mix automated, instant moisture measurement is critical to achieving asphalt quality, durability, and performance. n the asphalt pavement industry, accurate moisture measurement is vital to producing and laying down a durable, quality surface at all stages of the process, whether for the construction of roads, streets, highways, parking lots, and airports or environmental and recreational facilities. The reason is that most asphalt mixes contain petroleum additives and water, and the ratio of moisture to solids is critical to the curing process.

To pave roads and parking lots, hot mix asphalt (HMA) is widely used because it hardens quickly and provides

good traction. HMA is a combination To ensure the moisture content of approximately 95% stone, sand, or remains consistent, operators would gravel that is bound together by asphalt ideally test the moisture content at cement (a product of crude oil). HMA every step of the way. Unfortunately, is typically mixed at an asphalt plant moisture measurement tests are rarely or before transportation to the site by truck inconsistently conducted. In addition, or rail car. Then operators dump many moisture meters require the mix into hoppers calibration, sampling, and time. and then dispense Many of the tools are not where needed portable or durable enough before heavy rollto be used on heavy ers compact it. construction job sites.

Now with the During availability of costthis journey, effective, automated, the moisture and instant moisture content can vary measurement due to environmental devices, the conditions or water vapor industry is turning loss as the HMA mix is to these options to heated, stored, and dispensed ensure optimal moisture at temperatures up to Many of the tools levels from the plant to the 350° F. This variability are not portable or paving site to dramatically can be disastrous to the durable enough to improve their outcomes. quality, finish, longevity, be used on heavy “Asphalt producers are and even safety of the construction job sites. beginning to understand finished asphalt.

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JOBSITE INNOVATIONS

Instant moisture testing promotes superior quality and performance.

that the cliché, ‘you can’t expect what you don’t inspect,’ applies to moisture measurement. And with new, more accurate, easy-to-use, real-time moisture measurement devices they can improve asphalt quality and longevity by adjusting the mixture at any step from the plant to the ground,” says John Bogart, managing director of Kett US, a manufacturer of a full range of moisture and organic composition analyzers.

ENSURING CRITICAL MOISTURE LEVELS According to Bogart, one traditional approach to test for moisture content involves Loss on Drying testing. This uses a moisture balance to measure the total change in the material weight change of a mixture after drying. However, such tests typically require technicians to prepare a sample to be brought to a lab. Each test takes upward of 15

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minutes to several hours to perform.

“Another challenge with moisture balances is that there is a limit to the weight of the sample you can place in one, which can be an issue with asphalt.

Larger samples require a big drying oven, a big pan, and often overnight drying,” says Bogart.

To ensure consistent moisture content at HMA plants, the industry now uses Near-Infrared (NIR) light equipment for a highly accurate, non-contact, secondary-measurement method that delivers immediate, laboratory-quality moisture readings.

“NIR moisture meters allow very accurate instant measurement of solids, slurries, and liquids without contact or sample preparation and come in desktop, handheld portable, and inline models,” says Bogart. “When integrated with data collection and analysis software, inconsistencies can be quickly detected and corrected.”

For real-time testing of HMA, either during plant processing or dispensed to and from trucks or rail cars, inline tools can be used for 100% inspection of all mixed materials without having to take samples offline for testing. Moisture analyzers can provide an instant, noncontact, non-destructive measurement of liquids and solids while the product is moving. The unit’s small form factor allows for simple placement when updating or retrofitting existing process lines.

For frequent spot checks of various materials anywhere in the process, operators can use portable, handheld, and instant moisture meters. The design of these types of units allow them to be used wherever necessary on both stationary and moving materials, including those on a process line. The user simply points the instrument at the material and the moisture content is instantly shown on a digital display, with results accurate to .01% in a

0-100% measurement range. Desktop NIR Moisture Analyzers display results immediately, and are suitable for jobsites that need continuous sample measurements.

Once technicians lay the asphalt, these handeld meters can instantly measure not only the road surface but also sublayer moisture to ensure proper curing.

For asphalt producers or contractors that also want to analyze the composition of the mix, NIR composition analyzers are available which can instantly verify the correct quantity of additives and binders, as well as recycled materials in the mix such as tire rubber, reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP), asphalt shingles (RAS), slags, glass, and even pig manure.

“As recycled materials become a larger percentage of the inputs for asphalt production, composition analyzers will also play a role,” says Bogart.

For those in the industry who may be less familiar with moisture measurement, or previously considered it impractical, Bogart points out that recent advancements now make it quite affordable.

“It is a misconception that moisture measurement [of asphalt and pavement products] is difficult or costly today.

Automated inline moisture measurement for the plant or haul truck, for example, costs as little as $10 per business day on lease for 100% inspection of all materials and can free an operator from spot checking to perform other higher-value tasks. Compare that to paying an hourly rate to an employee to do occasional spot checks of small amounts of material,” says Bogart.

As the asphalt industry strives to improve the bottom line, a growing number of professionals will utilize automated, instant moisture testing and composition analysis to promote superior quality and performance, which ultimately translate into greater profitability.

Del Williams is a technical writer based in Torrance, Calif.

For more information visit http://asphalt.com/kk3fi1

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INVESTIGATING INFRASTRUCTURE | By Brandon Noel, Editor

INDIVISIBLE:

trongnguyen/adobestock

Liberty & Justice For All

When the people who design transportation infrastructure and the people who build it are on the same page, the future of America’s cities will be much brighter.

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oad building doesn’t exist in a vacuum. It is one system that exists alongside many others, and examining what influences these interconnected groups is known as, “systems thinking.”

“Systems thinking is about investigating what set of factors and interactions are contributing to or could contribute to a possible outcome,” said Steve Brown, deputy director of collaborative learning and strategic insight at Southern New Hampshire University’s (SNHU). “Systems thinking is useful in helping teams become more aware of how they’re interacting with each other and within the team, and it helps them understand the outcomes they’re producing.”

Taking this holistic approach to your business, to your organization, your crews, and even the designs of roads themselves has a broad amount of applicability. Christina Dumeng, associate dean of business programs at SNHU, said, “Thinking about the impact of any system as it relates to decision making is important in understanding the broader scope of how all of the pieces in your organization connect.” FROM INSTITUTION TO APPLICATION One example of systems thinking in asphalt production, a very complex system in and of itself, is that of aggregate

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sourcing. Think about the production of asphalt at the plant as one system. All the factors contained at the plant are apart of it. The source of aggregates is another outside system, and changes in regulation, environmental conditions, permitting, availability, quality, usage of reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP), etc., can suddenly and without warning, affect your internal asphalt production system. The better you grasp how systems like these create a greater paradigm can mean the difference between efficiency and profitability.

While significant investments are often made on the front-end of our industry systems (materials, production, training, efficiency, etc.), there’s not as much attention paid to the back-end systems, i.e. what happens after in the down-stream. What are the systems that our product impacts? The communities.

Infrastructure influences not just the economic futures of a city or a town, they have a material effect on the lives of people who live in the aftermath.

Understanding our industry’s place in the broader scope of trasnportation systems at work in our communities’ infrastructure means being a responsible actor within it. To become more aware of how what we build plays a role in our community’s economic health, as well as the wellbeing of its people, means reckoning with its history in order to ensure a better future.

THE TIES THAT BIND In July of 2023, the report,“Divided By Design,” detailed the damage caused to low-income and communities of color by the federal highway program in a new context.

A press release by Smart Growth North America, a national nonprofit that works on issues of land use, transportation, and economic development policy, explained that, “Through novel analysis, the report illustrates the historic inequities created by and in the federal transportation program, examines how current practices continue to exacerbate those inequities today, and shares recommendations.”

These aren’t baseless or purely ideological concepts. A bipartisan congress built $1 billion into the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) for the Reconnecting Communities program, the first federal program of its kind, which explicitly acknowledged the role of the interstate system in creating historic inequities across the country.

From the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) February 2023 press release describing the project: “Transportation infrastructure should help people get where they need to be, but, too often in our nation’s history, transportation infrastructure has done the opposite by dividing neighborhoods and cutting off

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communities from opportunity. For RETHINKING OLD example, highways and rail lines can be CLASSIFICATIONS physical barriers, preventing residents Davis said part of the problem lies in from easy access to social and economic the very way the government talks about opportunities. This burden is often felt infrastructure. “We’re fond of saying most by communities of color.” that things like highways are assets, but they are not assets. They are liabilities,” The response to the program has he said. “We treat them as assets on the been positive. A total of 435 project balance sheet, when we really should be proposals were submitted from treating them as liabilities.” throughout the country. The funding total in these requests was in excess of $2 Davis continued by explaining how billion, doubling the program’s budget the systems of the past directly influence through 2026. Of these 435 proposals, the systems of the present.

45 were approved in 2023 and were set “The models, measures, and the to receive the first batch of funding to standards that every transportation the tune of $185 million. The awards agency uses today were not created break down into 39 Planning Grants whole cloth in the 2000s or in the and six Capital Construction grants.

2010s. They all have their roots in the These monies will still end up providing jobs for the road construciton industry, just in a slightly different way.

“It’s a huge step forward to recognize both the mistakes and the damage created in the past, and then setting aside money to try and fix those problems,” said Steven Davis, vice president of transportation strategy and assistant VP at Smart Growth. “However, it’s like trying to fill in a hole with a teaspoon that was dug with a excavator. It’s not going to make a meaningful dent in a problem that’s still being created, but it is absolutely a step in the right direction.”

Davis continued, “It’s Breakdown of funding per type of project. sort of endemic of the way that From the Reconnecting Communities Institute Congress tries to solve problems in transportation, creating small new programs to address the problems that same systems, models, and measures are still being created by the bulk of the from the 1960s,” he said. “We plowed large programs.” through black, low-income, and any All this funding, the program, and neighborhoods that had the lowest the speeches made about it are worthamount of political power to be able less if on the other end of the spectrum, to resist. Today, you can have the best the very same methods that got us here intentions possible, but if you are using in the first place are continuing on. To the broken tools, you will be doing really understand what needs to change damage and creating broken places.” and why, it requires a new taxonomy; a In addition to these types of neighnew set of definitions for the work. borhoods being the primary targets for

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INVESTIGATING INFRASTRUCTURE How the funding actually works.

From the Reconnecting Communities Institute

redevelopment, there are other types of bias built into these old systems that persists today. An example from the Divided By Design report: Any benefit-cost analysis for competitive federal funding (grant programs, etc.) will include the value

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of time for drivers, while neglecting the impact on the value of time for all other people, like those who walk, bike, or use other means of public transit. Their proejct estimates are related solely to vehicle speed of travel along a particular stretch of a corridor.

In looking at speed in only this way, the federal government allows a project sponsor to take credit for saving travelers’ time even if the project: • Lengthens the distance of travel for drivers on the corridor and adds to travel time (e.g. disallowing left-hand turns, requiring a roundabout trip); • Creates delays for people traveling across the corridor (e.g. creating gaps or disconnections in the adjacent street network); • Creates delays for people crossing the corridor on foot or bike (e.g. removing crosswalks or intersections producing longer trips on foot, increasing the road width).

Considering that in many urban areas, a greater share of people walking or taking transit are more likely to be lower- income or people of color, it’s easy

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to see how this value of time measure prioritizes certain groups over others.

Policies and guidance like these, and many others, were put in place in the post World War II era, when the makeup of cities began to rapidly change. This was largely due to the influence of the G.I. Bill and the National Housing Act, which contributed to the well-known effect of, “white flight,” and in-turn made city and state officials concerned about potentially negative impacts on urban economic centers.

Here we have a great example of how three very large systems interacted: • An influx of wealth and housing drove population migration to the suburbs. • City and state officials used federal highway construction funds to build freeways connecting the suburbs to city centers favoring that population group, while simultaneously demolishing and cutting off marginalized communities from those

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same opportunities and resources. • The large-scale replacement of population-dense housing and local businesses that generate economic value, taxes, etc., (assets) in urban areas, with freeways and other infrastructure (liabilities) gradually produced a world that resembles what we know today: A. An affordable housing crisis B. Erosion of public transit C. Municipalities that can’t afford maintenance of existing roadways, bridges, etc.

to everyday needs. The daily work commute has long been the only metric taken into consideration when it comes to time savings. It’s time to expand that data using modern technology to measure all trips. This would allow for a more accurate view of the entire transportation system. How is infrastructure or potential infrastructure impacting the way people live in a particular community? Before new roadways can be built, the negative impacts on the economic and housing situations must be taken into account.

PROPOSITIONS FOR A DIFFERENT FUTURE All of this has one goal in mind: advocacy. What changes can we advocate for? Here is a summary of changes that could transform our infrastructure:

Learn From History

Measure What Matters State DOTs should measure access

The historic damage done and briefly written about in this article must not continue. To further your understanding of these issues, the source list for this article is a good starting point, but, by no means is it exhaustive. More funding from this point forward must be dedicated to connecting communities

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INVESTIGATING INFRASTRUCTURE

in equitable ways. The focus of transportation funding should shift away from building new highways to repair and maintenance.

Prioritize Safety Over Speed The federal government has invested money and resources into roadway safety under it’s Vision Zero initiative. Unfortunately, traffic deaths continue to increase. There are a host of reasons for that, which don’t pertain to the road building industry, but the aspect of safety that does involve us is in regard to engineered safety designs that promote traffic calming, improved crosswalks, and other models that prioritize safety over speed. The recently updated Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways (MUTCD), makes some significant leaps forward in this regard9, and will now be updated on a more frequent schedule.

Examine Land Use and Transportation Together There are some fairly archaic zoning laws that limit the construction of certain housing in areas. A multi-use zoning approach could improve access to transit, services, and economic activation.

The National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA), is part of a large, influential body representing the majority of the industry.

NAPA and State Asphalt Pavement Associations (SAPA) are ways to get involved with advocacy. Joining a committee, signing up for various opportunities, and attending to the annual and mid-year meetings are great ways to engage with these systems in new and active ways. Members’ voices make a difference, and they direct the future of the industry itself by engaging with the Departments of Transportation at every level.

For more information visit http://asphalt.com/kk3fi1 1. https://www.snhu.edu/about-us/newsroom/business/ what-is-systems-thinking# 2. Divided By Design, July 2023. Smart Growth America. https://smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Divided-by-Design-2023.pdf 3. https://www.transportation.gov/grants/rcnprogram/about-rcp 4. https://www.transportation.gov/briefing-room/biden-harris-administrationannounces-first-ever-awards-program-reconnect-communities 5. https://www.transportation.gov/grants/rcnprogram/ reconnecting-communities-institute-rci 6. Shmitt, Angie, Metro Detroit’s Highway Fixation Explains Why Our Infrastructure Is Broken (March 13, 2018).

StreetBlog USA https://usa.streetsblog.org/2018/03/13/ metro-detroits-highway-fixation-explains-why-our-infrastructure-is-broken 7. Hughes, Chad, The Road to Affordable Housing: How to Replace Highways with Homes in New York City (May 1, 2021). Chad Hughes, The Road to Affordable Housing: How to Replace Highways with Homes in New York City, 42 Pace L. Rev. 68 (2021), Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3898752 8. English, Jonathan, Why Did America Give Up on Mass Transit? Don’t Blame Cars (August 31, 2018). Bloomberg: CityLab. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2018-08-31/ why-is-american-mass-transit-so-bad-it-s-a-long-story 9. FWHA, National Standards for Traffic Control Devices; the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways; Revision (Dec. 19, 2023). https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2023/12/19/2023-27178/nationalstandards-for-traffic-control-devices-the-manual-on-uniform-traffic-controldevices-for

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THE LAST EXIT

@Degimages - adobe.stock.com

How Feeding Your Hungry Construction Workers Improves Your Bottom Line

Ensuring your crews have the personal resources they need to complete projects successfully and safely can benefit both workers and the whole organization.

C

onstruction workers are tough, powering through long shifts, and handling working conditions that can change day-to-day, site-to-site.

From dealing with extreme weather, such as this summer’s record breaking heat, to taking on longer work hours to compensate for the construction worker shortage, today’s construction crews have a lot on their figurative plates.

Because they work so hard, and worker safety is always top of mind, ensuring construction crews have the resources they need to complete projects successfully and safely can benefit both workers and the whole organization.

But there is one aspect of the work day that employers are overlooking: 87% of construction workers reported being hungry on the job, according to a recent survey published by ezCater.

In addition, respondents shared that not taking time to fuel up properly throughout their workday ends up decreasing their output and making them more susceptible to errors and overlooked details – over half (51%) said they worried that they or a coworker could make a mistake on the job as a result. In other words, when workers skip meals or try to get by on just coffee and energy drinks, it could negatively impact projects and company ROI. Luckily, the solution is a simple one: make food available at the jobsite. ezCater’s survey of construction professionals revealed what’s actually deterring many from eating during their shifts and the impact food has on their performance. Construction employers

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can learn how to turn this challenge into an opportunity to fuel, motivate, and incentivize employees to do their best work.

LACK OF OPTIONS, TIME, $$ KEEP EATING ON BACK BURNER Unlike an office setting that might have a designated break room with a full refrigerator and microwave set-up, construction workers on jobsites tend to grab a bite when and where they can, if at all.

In our survey, construction workers shared the three main root causes preventing them from eating on the job: the price of food, limited options near their jobsites, and not enough break time to buy and eat food.

Let’s dig into these findings a bit more. Regarding cost, 37% say it’s too expensive for them to buy lunch near their jobsites – and food-away-fromhome prices keep rising. Plus there may not always be adequate food options close to every jobsite, as 29% of workers said. Finally, many construction workers report getting less than 30 minutes for lunch, which explains why more than a third of respondents say there isn’t ample time to both go get something and break to eat it.

Besides not consuming a healthy lunch, the majority of construction workers are skipping breakfast as well – 57% say they opt for just coffee or an energy drink to start their day at least three days per week.

When you put all the facts together,

you have a workforce that’s performing skilled labor for long hours, oftentimes while running on empty. Just imagine how much more efficient and energized construction crews could be after a real break, where they are actually sitting down and having a balanced meal? @pressmaster - adobe.stock.com

WELL-FED WORKERS GET JOBS DONE FASTER The research is clear that across all industries and job types, being hungry makes us less productive. In construction specifically, without lunch, workers in the survey share that they feel sleepy or have low energy (44%), are less focused (39%) and unmotivated (35%) on the job.

When people are lacking energy and motivation, the quality and timeliness of their projects will suffer as well.

So what would happen if construction employers flipped the script and began offering their workers free meals on the job? 65% of workers say subsidized food would motivate them to work harder.

The three main root causes preventing workers from eating on the job: the price of food, limited options near their jobsites, and not enough break time to buy and eat food..

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Add to that the fact that workers would be getting the calories and nutrients they need to stay alert and energized no matter what the day throws at them.

FEEDING WORKERS A MEANINGFUL PERK With the industry in the midst of a construction worker shortage, employers need to do all they can to attract and retain top talent. While there are various benefits you can invest in as an employer, lunch can be a particularly impactful perk in a competitive hiring climate.

First, it’s a good recruiting tool. In our survey, six out of 10 workers said they’d be more willing to take a job at a company that gives free lunch. Even better, it can help companies retain the workforce they already have, as 75% said they’d stay with an employer that provides free meals.

While free food is universally appealing, it’s even more valuable

for this particular workforce who has limited options and no access to an office kitchen. In fact, 90% of construction pros say that free food is their most appreciated work perk — making them 60% more likely than the average worker in America to say so.

work quality. When productivity and standards go up, everyone wins. Plus, unlike some other benefits that may only appeal to a portion of workers, free food is inclusive of all.

For employers seeking ways to build loyalty and increase employee satisfaction, catering for the crew could be a cost-effective solution to try.

Employers can make food easy for their crews with catering or make it fun with food trucks. Regardless of what they chose, one thing is clear: Workers who fuel up are more likely to stay focused and be more productive. And at the very least, employers can feel good knowing their crews will have access to a nutritious meal, no matter where they hang their hard hats.

@Degimages - adobe.stock.com

FOOD FOR WORK A STRATEGIC BUSINESS TOOL In an industry with demanding work conditions, investing in food can have both an immediate and a long-term payoff. Properly fueling construction workers helps them feel valued and appreciated, while also improving their

Diane Swint is chief revenue officer at ezCater.

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