Pavement Maintenance & Reconstruction May 2020

THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF NATIONAL PAVEMENT EXPO

Can You Ask Salary History When Hiring?

MAINTENANCE & RECONSTRUCTION MAY 2020

IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY

LONGITUDINAL JOINTS:

Relies on Gilsonite Sealer

Should You Rake Them?

VRAM’s Gaining Popularity

Is Your DRUG-TESTING Policy Up to Date?

CONTRIBUTORS RESPOND TO

COVID-19

STRIPING

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Tips to Improve Striping Productivity

› › › www.ForConstructionPros.com/Pavement

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Striping a 250,000-sq.-ft.

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What’s Inside May 2020

PAVEMENT

FEATURES 14

How One Person Striped a 250,000 Warehouse Floor

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16 Tips to Improve Striping Productivity How planning, organization and equipment selection can help you get more work done.

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Void-reducing Asphalt Membranes

Permeable Coating Solutions installs recycled rubber material nationwide to control stormwater runoff.

G-Force Parking Lot Striping of Tampa, pavement marking franchise for veterans, uses technology to improve productivity.

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42 Contractors’ Choice:

Porous Surface Installed at Humane Society

Pre-paving sealant can protect longitudinal joints.

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Protecting Pavement with Gilsonite at Iowa State University Iowa-based Gee Asphalt Systems and ISU plan maintenance every five years.

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ON THE COVER Driving the Titan PowrLiner 3500 is Titan’s Lazy Liner Elite ride-on driver, which offers a traveling speed of 0-12 mph (forward) and 0-7 mph

(reverse), outfitted with the optional accessory tray. The PowrLiner 3500 offers a max operating pressure of 3300 psi and delivers paint at 0.75 gpm. Photo courtesy Titan Tool, Plymouth, MN.

Vol. 33, No. 4 May 2020

Published and copyrighted 2019 by AC Business Media. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any information storage or retrieval system, without written permission from the publisher.

PAVEMENT

Subscription policy: Individual subscriptions are available without charge in the U.S. only to pavement maintenance contractors, producers and government employees involved in paving or pavement maintenance; dealers, and distributors of pavement maintenance equipment or materials; and others with similar business activities. Complete the subscription form at www. forconstructionpros.com or use your company letterhead giving all the information requested. Publisher reserves the right to reject nonqualified subscribers. One year subscriptions for nonqualified individuals: $35.00 U.S.A., $60.00 Canada and Mexico, and $85.00 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). Pavement Maintenance & Reconstruction (ISSN 1098-5875), is published eight times per year: January, February, March/April, May, June/July, August/ September, October/November, December by AC Business Media, 201 N. Main St., Fifth Floor, Fort Atkinson, WI 53538. Periodicals postage paid at Fort Atkinson, WI and additional entry offices.

POSTMASTER: Please send change of address to Pavement, PO Box 3605, Northbrook, IL 60065-3605. Printed in the USA. PAVEMENT MAINTENANCE & RECONSTRUCTION is proudly supported by these associations:

www.ForConstructionPros.com/Pavement • Pavement Maintenance & Reconstruction • May 2020

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What’s Inside May 2020

DEPARTMENTS 6

Editorial We’re the Lucky Ones.

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Hot Mix The Latest News in the Industry

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NPE Buzz National Pavement Expo planned for Jan. 20-23 in Nashville

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Just In

10

Select New Products and Upgrades 26

Pavement Profit Center

44

Classified Ads

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On the Job How, When -- and If – You Should Rake Longitudinal Joints.

50

From the Owner’s Desk Life As We Know It...

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Your Business Matters Drug & Alcohol Testing Policies Changing in 2020...and Why You Can’t Ask Salary History in 17 States.

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48

Technology Update Striping Technologies Tested in Georgia and Canada.

54

NAPSA Report Power Sweepers Respond to the Pandemic.

54

WSA Update WSA Opens COVID Page to Industry.

55

PCTC Dispatch More Sealcoating Answers.

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53

Contractor Snapshot New York’s Seal of Approval Makes it Easy for Customers to Provide Positive Reviews.

57

Index

58

Tailgate Talk What’s a Contractor to Do ... with COVID-19?.

4

51

Get fast, relevant product information in the Buyers Guide at ForConstructionPros.com

May 2020 • Pavement Maintenance & Reconstruction • www.ForConstructionPros.com/Pavement

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Editorial

Allan Heydorn, Editor

We're the Lucky Ones IN THIS unprecedented, potentially dangerous time when so many businesses and industries are shut down, the paving and pavement maintenance industry is still on the job. Anecdotal research (we’ve made a lot of contacts) indicates that as of mid-April most – not all but most – contractors are getting the job done.

And why not? Work in the field is not only conducive to social distancing, it’s almost a requirement of the job. Pavers, sealcoaters and stripers alike generally are quite a bit farther apart than 6 ft., and

in those instances where they need to work more closely, that 6-ft. distance is still workable. Sweeper operators are flying solo (virtually no difference for them), many sweepers report an increased number of sweeps, and some have added some type of cleaning, such as power washing carts, to their operation.

So, many paving and pavement maintenance workers remain employed. They’re getting paid and cash is still flowing into the business.

Most in this industry aren’t trying to figure out how to make their next mortgage

payment or equipment payment. They’re not having to rely on unemployment insurance to stay afloat – essentially contractors are one of the engines that is keeping the economy chugging along until it can pick back up.

And make no mistake, this pandemic will end, health and peace of mind will return for friends, families and businesses alike.

But until then, let’s not take this work or the jobs in this industry for granted. Continue social distancing; have workers drive separately to jobsites to reduce contact;

reach out to prospects via video, phone and e-mail; encourage (and don’t penalize) employees for taking time off when feeling ill or when they need to for family reasons; and don’t forget those who are less fortunate, those who can’t work, who no longer have a steady income, who might not have a job to go back to. Be thankful and help where you can.

Remember, we’re the lucky ones.

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May 2020 • Pavement Maintenance & Reconstruction • www.ForConstructionPros.com/Pavement

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Hot Mix

GemSeal Makes 2 Texas Acquisitions

GemSeal, Charlotte, NC, has acquired two pavement maintenance stores in Texas, both in San Antonio.

According to Lee Lowis, GemSeal president, the company acquired Sealcoating Supplies and The Parking Lot Store. The two will combine to form GemSeal’s newest and largest One Stop Shop at the current PLS location. “We will build on their success and add new products and opportunities for our customers,” Lowis said.

Sealcoating Supplies, owned and operated by Nancy Navarrete, had been a GemSeal distributor for many years. “She has a large and loyal following due to the level of the service that she has provided, and the quality line of products,” Lowis said.

He said Navarrete will continue with GemSeal and will be moving her business to combine with The Parking Lot Store.

“Jim Craven has built a great team in Jordan Latham, Ivan Sanford, and Darwin Lowe,” Lowis said. “Jordan, Ivan, and Darwin have provided excellent service and industry knowledge to their customers. And they will continue to operate The Parking Lot Store.”

Bergkamp Acquires Pavement Testing Manufacturer Benedict Slurry Seal Bergkamp Inc. announces the acquisition of Benedict Slurry Seal, a manufacturer of laboratory products for the asphalt pavement preservation industry. The acquisition positions Bergkamp as the premiere provider of slurry seal and micro surfacing laboratory equipment in the United States.

Bergkamp will also be taking its laboratory products into the future by making them available through an e-commerce website, which will be available

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ATSSA Honors 3 Companies with Innovation Awards Three exhibitors at ATSSA’s 50th Annual Convention & Traffic Expo, Jan. 24-28 in New Orleans, received Innovation Awards in recognition of new products that contribute to the industry’s mission of advancing roadway safety.

The products, introduced in 2019, were evaluated by a panel of Department of Innovation Award winners are Transportation judges who voted on them (from left), Todd Melin and Ricky from among 20 products selected for the Stone, Ver-Mac (third place); Jessica Traffic Expo’s New Products Rollout.

Roy, Royal Innovative Solutions The award-winning products from Royal (first place); and Adam Selevan, Pi Innovative Solutions, Pi Variables and Ver-Mac Variables (second place). were chosen based on the criteria of lifesaving qualities, degree of need, innovation, design and eligibility under the Highway Safety Improvement Program. Company representatives had the opportunity to talk about their products during ATSSA’s Circle of Innovation event.

Details on the 2019 ATSSA Innovation Award winners are: First Place was awarded to Royal Innovative Solutions, Coopersburg, PA, for its Virtual Reality Training interactive programs that simulate real-life scenarios such as retrieving cones from the roadway with traffic passing at low to high speeds.

Second Place was awarded to Pi Variables, Tustin, CA, for its AIMS product, a small electronic device that attaches to any attenuator and, upon impact, sends a text message and email to predefined personnel.

Third Place was awarded to Ver-Mac, Quebec, Canada, for its Smart Arrow Board/Work Zone Location Sensor System, which is designed to inform government agencies and the motoring public they are entering a work zone.

“We look forward to the New Product Rollout each year to see the latest ideas for improving roadway safety,” said Eric Perry, ATSSA’s director of innovation & technical services. “These three products clearly stood out to the judges as exceptional ideas.”

starting in the second quarter of the year.

Until then, customers should visit www. benedictslurry.com.

Founded by Ben Benedict in 1968, Dayton, OH-based Benedict Slurry Seal gained recognition over the years through its design of innovative tests that measured slurry and micro surfacing performance on the roadway. Many of these tests are still used today.

The Benedict Slurry by Bergkamp line of laboratory and testing equipment includes: • Cohesion Tester for establishing the minimum cure rate of a slurry or micro surfacing mix, allowing determination of the set and trafficability times.

• Loaded Wheel Tester for measurement of excess bitumen and multilayer rutting potential in slurries and micro surfacing.

• Wet Track Abrasion Tester for testing the lower limit of bitumen content and abrasion resistance in slurries and micro surfacing; also for use in chip seal abrasion testing.

• Flexural Tension Tester, which will measure the cracking resistance of slurry seal and micro surfacing materials.

• Schulze-Breuer Test Machine, which is used to measure aggregate for integrity and compatibility in micro surfacing.

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May 2020 • Pavement Maintenance & Reconstruction • www.ForConstructionPros.com/Pavement

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Engineered Innovation.

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

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

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NPE Buzz

EA

Better Times, Better Pavement in National Pavement Expo planned for Jan. 20-23 in Nashville WHILE THE WORLD deals with the unprecedented effects of a global pandemic, organizers for the National Pavement Expo (NPE) are casting an optimistic gaze toward Nashville where the show aims to convene once again from Jan. 20-23, 2021, at the Music City Center.

Attendees who make the trip to NPE routinely report a vibrant show that consistently brings asphalt and concrete vendors together in one place to share best practices for: sealcoating; striping; sweeping; crack repair; pavement repair; and snow removal.

“It’s a chance to network with other paving professionals, attend industry workshops, and learn new ideas at our leadership boot camp,” says Porscha Brooks, marketing manager, NPE. “In addition to hosting 200+ leading brands

10

2021

from the paving and pavement maintenance industry, NPE delivers more than 55 conference sessions over a five-day span.”

Housing reservations for the 2021 NPE will open in early summer 2021, and reservations are provided by EventSphere, NPE’s official housing partner. Benefits of booking within the official housing block include: discounted rates for guests; flexible cancellation policies; exclusive promotions and perks; discounted rates on upgrades; and more. Prospective attendees may contact EventSphere at pavement@eventsphere.com with questions.

Topics Addressed at Conference Leadership Boot Camp, workshops, and education sessions will cover a variety of topics led by leaders in the paving industry highlighting critical issues such as: • Management Skills • Operator Performance and Safety • Risk Management • Leadership Strategies • Asphalt Design

Hotel reservations for NPE 2021, Jan. 20-23 in Nashville, will be available in early summer.

SmartSaver conference discounts will be available in early fall.

• • • • •

Cracksealing Paving Sealcoating Striping Sweeping SmartSaver rates offer the absolute lowest (and earliest) rates available for prospective attendees. For those who are making plans to attend the show, as well as add-on events, it makes sense to sign up early. SmartSaver rates begin early fall 2020.

“It’s true that 2020 has proven to be an extremely challenging year, in the United States and throughout the world,” adds Brooks. “However, we are actively planning NPE, and it’s our intention to get back to business in 2021. After all, there is still a lot of ground to cover—literally and figuratively.”

May 2020 • Pavement Maintenance & Reconstruction • www.ForConstructionPros.com/Pavement

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Just In

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Whirlwind1 Vacuum Sweeper Elgin Sweeper Company The Whirlwind1 vacuum sweeper is the first vacuum sweeper in North America to feature variablespeed-device (VSD) technology, enabling the single-engine machine to simultaneously power both the truck and the sweeper.

• VSD installed between chassis and engine • Switch between road and work modes by pushing a button, no need to stop and engage the parking brake • Eliminates belts, fluid coupler and exhaust after-treatments • Sweep uneven, patched roads; jobs involving dirt, sand, millings; road debris

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• Contractors who have suffered a not-at-fault accident with their fleet vehicle can be reimbursed for what they are entitled to • Recover the full value of lost revenue or use, as opposed to the limitations within your policy • Applies to spare vehicles

Falcon Asphalt Repair Equipment Falcon’s 2-ton Hot Box & Recycler is available as a trailer-mounted machine or slip-in machine (truck-mounted/hook lift) to keep cold mix workable all day, hot mix hot all day and keep it overnight.

• Reclaim and recycle asphalt chunks and millings • 4,000-lb. capacity • Triple-wall insulated, air jacketed • Heated shoveling platform • Options include hydraulic dump function, dual burner recycling package and 30-gal. tack tank with spray system and hose reel

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May 2020 • Pavement Maintenance & Reconstruction • www.ForConstructionPros.com/Pavement

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Clean Routed Cracks Using the Crafco Crack-VacTM Our Crack-Vac is the most powerful and effective in the industry. It disrupts and removes dirt and debris quickly with compressed air, ensuring proper preparation. Plus, it keeps workers safe from excessive dust and particulates.

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Striping

Allan Heydorn, Editor

How One Person Striped a 250,000-sq.-ft.

WAREHOUSE F

G-Force Parking Lot Striping of Tampa, pavement marking franchise for veterans, uses technology to improve productivity STRIPING WAREHOUSE FLOORS wasn’t in Vish Munusami’s plans when he separated after five years in the military, including two tours in Iraq.

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But last summer he found himself in an empty 250,000-sq.-ft. warehouse with a sealed concrete floor. He’d just won the bid to layout and stripe more than 1,700 yellow stalls, which would ultimately require 39,000 linear feet of 4-in.-wide lines. He completed the job in 22 hours over two days – by far the largest job he’d ever done in his first year in the striping business.

In the army, Munusami had been

Over two days Vish Munusami, G-Force Parking Lot Striping of Tampa, laid out and striped 1,800 stalls and put down 39,000 linear feet of 4-in.wide striping throughout the 250,000-sq.-ft. warehouse.

A a mechanic working on the Bradley Fighting Vehicle and had been a maintenance supervisor, but when he got out and came home to the United States, he wasn’t sure what he wanted to do.

May 2020 • Pavement Maintenance & Reconstruction • www.ForConstructionPros.com/Pavement

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well as re-stripe work. He’s also striped a seven-story parking garage.

“Basically, I saw an opportunity to get a start on my own and make some money and grow,” he says. “I’m pretty good at learning new things and anything with your hands I’m good at.

Once I got familiar with the striping machine it all just fell into place.”

Child says G-Force Franchises for Veterans provides hands-on training for new franchise owners and has research led him to G-Force Franchises developed systems, procedures and for Veterans, the umbrella company for even standardized equipment packages G-Force Parking Lot Striping, and the to make starting a striping business as first franchise system to offer franchises easy as possible. exclusively to veterans.

“We take as much responsi“Being a veteran that struck bility for the day-to-day me right away. It stood things business ownout with me,” he ers often overlook says. off their plate,” He Child says. “We researched put as much G-Force and of the busitalked with ness on autofounder, pilot as we Jack Child. can so they Then he can focus on researched the day-tothe paveday operation ment marking and customer industry and service.” the Tampa, FL, Among the sermarket to detervices G-Force promine if there was a vides to franchises are niche for another In January 2019 Vish Munusami and online pay-per-click pavement marking his wife, Melanie, became co-owners campaigns, producing contractor. He sought of G-Force Parking Lot Striping of and managing marketout local contractors Tampa, the first G-Force franchise. ing materials, search and talked with them They set a goal of generating $150,000 in sales by the end of their engine optimization, and determined there first year in business. By October they a customized quotwas room in the marhad almost reached that total. “I will ing program and an ket for another stripmeet that goal for the year and should e-mail follow-up caming business. be exceeding that goal,” he says. paign once a prospect So in January 2019 requests a quote.

Munusami and his “We take care of many tasks most wife, Melanie, became co-owners of owners don’t have time for and do G-Force Parking Lot Striping of Tampa, that for them at a really high level. the first G-Force franchise. As an owner/ We give them all the tools to succeed operator he handles sales and the field and we provide extensive support. But work, while Melanie, who is still in at the end of the day it really falls on the military, takes care of office tasks. their shoulders. Their success will be G-Force Parking Lot Striping of Tampa based on the way they interact with the generates revenue from new layout as

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“At that point in my life I felt a little stuck,” he says. “I had a pretty decent job as a maintenance manager, but I just wanted something more.”

A Franchise for Veterans He started thinking about going into business for himself, so he investigated businesses with a low-cost barrier to entry, looked into franchises, and then into businesses that were veteran-focused. His

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Striping

Vish Munusami striped the 250,000-sq.-ft. warehouse in 22 working hours over two days.

customers, how quickly they get the bids out, how they perform the work and how they follow up,” Child says.

“We don’t expect (or want) people to hire us simply because we’re veterans but because we are industry leaders and accountable. Just like in the military we wear our uniforms with pride, we show up on time, we get the job done, and we are there for the customer if there’s a problem.”

Warehouse Striping Options Munusami says the lead to stripe the 250,000-sq.-ft. warehouse came from the G-Force franchise group. He contacted the customer, provided an estimate and it was quickly approved.

“I gave the customer several options for the warehouse striping because with a concrete sealer the bond of traffic paint is not going to last that long,” he says.

Those options included: • Use of a different paint, then applying a clear sealer on top of it. But the paint was more expensive, and the use of sealer was more costly, so the customer rejected the option.

• Grinding, etching, or scarifying the concrete surface where the lines were

going to be painted, then applying paint over the prepared area. But on a job this big that process would have quadrupled the cost of the project.

The customer opted for the least-expensive option: applying a waterborne traffic paint on top of the concrete sealer.

Blueprints Don’t Match the Jobsite On the first day Munusami arrived on site by 8:00 a.m. and after unloading his equipment and organizing his staging area he met with the customer and walked the warehouse.

“We went through the plans again to make sure I knew exactly what they wanted done. We worked from a blueprint the client provided,” Munusami says. He took his own measurements to make sure that what was on the blueprint was accurate – and it wasn’t.

“It was off by a few inches here and there,” Munusami says. “Once I realized that, I discussed it with the customer and explained the few inches that it was off. I explained why the space deviated from the blueprint and what we had to do to fix it.”

The blueprint called for laying out and striping 34 stalls in which the owner would place pallets, but Munusami’s measurements showed there was space only for 33 stalls. He revised the measurements and design to accommodate 33 stalls. What was the problem?

“The blueprint didn’t account for the 4-in. width of the striping itself. When you add those extra inches, you’re losing a lot of space over the entire warehouse.”

The customer approved the changes, and with the revised plan in hand, Munusami began work taking measurements with a tape measure to establish a baseline.

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Blueprints for the layout were off slightly because the architect didn’t account for the width of the stripes when determining the number of stalls.

16 May 2020 • Pavement Maintenance & Reconstruction • www.ForConstructionPros.com/Pavement

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“For the baseline they had some good reference points to measure from,” he says. “There were large support beams, so we had measurements going off those beams in both directions. And we had a stopping point for the top, bottom and middle portion of the warehouse and those gave us some good starting points.”

He also used concrete expansion joints for starting and stopping points and to measure from. He said that throughout the entire job he chalked only two lines, snapping a chalk line in the middle aisles.

Striping Productivity Tips Once Munusami got the measurements he went outside to his staging area to ready his machine and to get the laser ready to shoot long distances. Because he was going to stripe the entire job using the Graco auto-layout and the laser, he had to make sure calibration on the laser was as accurate as possible.

He calibrated it out to 100 ft., which he says means it would be accurate to between 500 and 800 ft.

Then, with his striper in auto-layout mode, he walked from the baseline and measured out the stalls. The auto-layout system relies on a digital display where the operator can enter dimensions of the area to be striped and line intervals.

Once the information is entered, an operator can walk the pavement and the striping machine will automatically spray dots on the pavement based on the information previously entered into the system. Munusami walked up and down the entire warehouse using his initial measurement, and all the while the machine was spraying a dot at the start and stop location of each stall (every 4 ft., 2 in.)

He also bought a 15-gal. paint hopper because he knew he was going to be putting down a significant amount of paint in a short time. “The 15-gal. hopper was a productivity decision,” he says.

“I have one already that I use for white paint because most of my bigger jobs have been done with white paint. On this job it was clear it was going to be a lot

more productive to dump three 5-gallon buckets into the hopper than to stop and change out the bucket every 5 gallons.”

He strained the paint into the hopper, set out the reflective “shadow boxes” needed at the end of each stripe for the laser, and he was ready to put paint on concrete and connect the dots.

On that first day Munusami completed a bit more than one-third of the warehouse floor striping. On the second day he finished the job, putting in total of 22 working hours. It was only his second warehouse (the first required less than 30 gal. of paint). To protect himself from the noise he wore a head set with Bluetooth communication. Bay doors throughout were opened to create a crosswind for ventilation.

“This job was very straightforward because once you get some of the baseline measurements, you’re just striping a bunch of boxes,” he says. “The challenge was the size of the job; other than that, it was kind of easy.”

Munusami says the G-Force system, which includes use of the auto-layout striper and the self-propelled LineDriver attachment, enabled him to complete this job on his own.

“It greatly increased productivity because if someone has to go snap every line and every measurement, I think the layout itself might have taken two days,” he says. “Plus, it’s a lot nicer to sit down and paint than stand and do it. It increases productivity as well because I can move faster, and it saves wear and tear on the body.”

Growth of G-Force Franchises Child says the franchisees’ customers respond to the veteran branding. “Either they’re veterans themselves or there’s

G-Force Parking Lot Striping of Tampa snapped only two chalk lines for the entire job, relying instead on Graco’s auto-layout machine equipped with a laser.

a member in the family who’s in the service or who’s been in the service,” Child says. “As a veteran-owned and veteran-branded service we have an extra duty to our fellow veterans to represent veterans well and to provide the very best in service and quality the customer expects based on our brand.”

Child says G-Force now has six locations – two in Florida, one serving New Hampshire and Massachusetts, one each in Alabama, Pennsylvania and Upstate New York, one in Atlanta, and four in Texas.

“That’s just since we started selling franchises in 2018,” Child says, adding that he expects to have 15 locations by the end of 2020 and 25 locations by the end of 2021. “Our goal is to have the largest geographic reach of any striping company in the country within the next 18 months.

“We’re very excited about where this is going,” Child says. “Once we hit around 15 locations that gives us a really big reach. We can then selfperform throughout large parts of the country.

“Also, if a G-Force franchisee gets a job that’s too big to handle, we can fly in people from other franchise locations to work with them. And the people we fly in will already be trained on the same machines, and in the same exact processes and systems. None of our franchisees ever has to say no because of the size of the job. We can just call in the cavalry, so to speak.”

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Striping

Allan Heydorn, Editor

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Tips to Improve Striping Productivity

How planning, organization and equipment selection can help you get more work done WHILE THE CORONAVIRUS might not have shut down operations, it's sure to have slowed them, creating a backlog of work. That, combined with a tight labor market, makes productivity key to the profitability for pavement marking contractors. The quicker you can get off (or on) a job, the more jobs you can do, the more revenue you can bring in and the more clients you can keep happy.

The important thing to keep in mind when examining productivity is that the changes don’t have to be major. Obviously, a big change – adding a crew, for

example – will significantly improve the number of jobs your company is going to complete. But often as important are the small changes that, while possibly insignificant in and of themselves, can make a huge impact when compounded over numerous employees and numerous jobs. Something that can save one worker 10 minutes on a job, multiplied by three people on site, saves 30 minutes per job. If your crews complete three jobs a day, that’s 90 minutes – or 7.5 hours over a five-day work week, adding almost a full workday to your week.

Stripers such as this Graco LineLazer 3900 V, feature auto-layout, which eliminates measuring and chalking of a parking lot.

So while looking for ways to improve your production, don’t overlook the tweaks that can really add up over a week, a month and a season.

Planning & Preparation 1. Take advantage of drones to better prepare your crew. Drones aren’t only for marketing. While sky-high photos and before-and-after videos

18 May 2020 • Pavement Maintenance & Reconstruction • www.ForConstructionPros.com/Pavement

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Striping

of the great work you’ve done certainly showcase your company, using a drone in advance to walk a crew through a job from start to finish can make the job go quicker once on site.

Workers will be familiar with the site, they’ll know where to start and where to end each day (assuming it’s not a one-day job), they can be made aware of troublesome or challenging areas, safety issues for them and for pedestrians and traffic can be highlighted, and barrier locations can be shown so crews know exactly what to put where when they pull up on the job. Areas where two-color striping is needed can be highlighted, along with crosswalks, fire lanes and other specialty markings.

And when combined with other measuring technology, you can compare actual measurements with blueprints to avoid any last-minute surprises.

2. Organize your truck. This might seem like a suggestion that won’t have much impact, but how you organize your tools and equipment in the truck you take to the jobsite can cause downtime – if, for example, you left a tool at the yard, you don’t have enough paint, or everything was thrown in the back and a tool or stencil or part of a machine was broken. Most contractors use their pickup truck to haul a trailer outfitted for striping. Some contractors opt for vans or box trucks, but whichever approach you use, organize the truck so everything – paint, tools, stencils, buckets, cloths, tips, brooms, blowers – has a place and is locked down so it doesn’t slide around during transport.

Create racks for stencils, locks for stripers, hangers for blowers. Make sure paint buckets are secure. If you have more than one striping crew it can be helpful if all your trucks are organized and outfitted the same so that a person moving from one crew to another knows where everything is.

3. Assign an organizer. Along with organizing your trucks, it’s a good idea to assign someone to make sure each truck is outfitted and ready to go for the next day’s work. This can be someone on the crew that’s using the truck or someone who stays at the yard with other duties but who checks and replenishes the trucks when they come back. Crews need to tell this person if there’s a problem with a piece of equipment, but otherwise the responsibilities should be to make sure stencils are clean and ready to use, tools are clean, paint is mixed, the right colors and correct amounts are in the truck for the next job. While this job could be done prior to heading out, it’s best to do it the day or night before so there’s time to solve any problems that come up.

4. Mix paint beforehand. There’s no reason to waste time on a jobsite mixing paint in 5-gal. buckets by hand. Invest in a tumbler or shaker that can handle 5-gal. buckets and assign someone the job of keeping paint mixed for the crews. Paint should last at least a week or two before remixing is needed.

5. Take measurements yourself. Spend some time talking with veteran stripers and just about all of them have a war story about a job where they followed the blueprints – only to find the blueprint measurements and the actual measurements didn’t match.

If they were lucky, they discovered the problem before applying paint, but often that’s not the case. Take the extra few minutes to do your own measuring. It might slow productivity on the front end of the job but it can be a huge savings on the back end of the job if you learn too late that the layout you striped and the plans you were given don’t match.

There are line stripers on the market today that have "measure mode" which will measure while you push the striper – or better yet ride along on a driver (see below).

6. Don’t avoid chalking a layout. Veteran stripers who insist on measuring and snapping chalk lines might have a point, especially on complex or large jobs. While chalking a layout certainly is time consuming, it does enable contractors to step back and view the entire job to see if there are

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Chalking a layout enables contractors to step back and view the entire job to see if there are any layout problems or any mistakes – before putting any paint on pavement.

20 May 2020 • Pavement Maintenance & Reconstruction • www.ForConstructionPros.com/Pavement

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any layout problems or any mistakes – before putting any paint on pavement. Preventing mistakes and reducing call-backs increase productivity, too!

7. Buy a premarked tape. Regardless of how you approach layout, a colorcoded premarked tape should be a staple of every striping crew.

8. Join “the chain gang.” An easy-tomake, easy-to-learn chain tool makes laying out parking stalls of any angle a quick and error-free process for three people. Invented by Mick Vinckier, Miktom Parking Lot Maintenance, and introduced in his “How to Stripe the Tough Jobs” seminar in the 1990s at National Pavement Expo, the chains enable laying out of 90-degree stalls without using the 3-4-5 triangle method and 60-degree stalls without a tape measure. The chains are particularly valuable when striping inside or outside a curve or laying out stalls on a circle – all with no math. The conventional method of measuring and marking outside stall width and inside stall width is time consuming and math intensive. It’s easy to make a mistake in the calculations or layout. Plus, because curves often aren’t consistent, contractors end up eyeballing, which creates its own problems. The chain tool saves striping contractors countless hours, eliminates layout headaches, and most importantly results in a nearperfect striping job on curves. The tool can be made easily and inexpensively using two chains (18 ft. each is good) with a snap hook on each end.

If you’ve never used one, ask a striper who has.

The Right Equipment Speeds Layout & Striping 9. Consider auto-layout machines.

Auto-layout devices, which operate similar to a skip-timer, are designed to eliminate measuring and chalking of a parking lot. Contractors either enter information from blueprints into a calculation system on the striper or

walk the lot and let the striper do the measuring. The auto-layout calculates the measurements for the parking lot and determines the number of stalls needed. It then directs the operator to spray dots on the pavement to create the layout. Once all the dots are marked, the striping then becomes a game of “connect the dots.”

10. Look into lasers. The most-recent innovation in pavement marking, lasers can help layout and can also

Line-generating lasers produce accurate lines on the parking lot.

improve accuracy – to say nothing of saving time. Lasers are available to be retrofitted on older stripers and some new stripers are available with lasers already on them or as options. When it comes to lasers you have two options – dot lasers and line generating lasers. The dot lasers

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Striping

are best used to mark your start and stop when placed directly under the spray gun – eliminating the need for shingles. Line-generating lasers, on the other hand, are best for producing laser-accurate lines on the parking lot – eliminating the need for string lines.

11. Pay attention to ergonomics & convenience. Part of productivity is helping your workers maintain their energy and keeping them from getting worn out as the day progresses and as days turn into weeks and hot summer months. Manufacturers are paying closer attention to ergonomic features that make operating a striper easier, including controls within easy reach of the operator’s fingers, handlebars that can be easily adjusted for the comfort of each operator, and gun mounts that are easier to change.

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Just as ergonomics is important, in this day and age comfort is the name of the game, too, and manufacturers are including features such as cup holders, storage trays and phone charging ports. Your operators spend much of their day walking behind (or riding behind, see below!) units that weigh up to 300 lbs. when full with paint, so the easier and more comfortable you can make it for them the greater their productivity will be – especially at the end of a long day in the sun.

12. A machine for every color. While this does require significant investment, if you’re striping large enough properties and you’re regularly faced with striping two or even three colors, dedicating a machine to each color eliminates cleanout at the site,

Attaching a driver, such as this Titan Lazy Liner attached to a PowrLiner 6995 walk-behind striper, enables you to put down more paint in less time and reduces worker fatigue.

saving time on the job, and avoids the problem of how to dispose of the cleaned out paint. Dual color machines are also available – saving you not only money on equipment but also room in the trailer.

13. Get some wheels. Introduced to the industry in 1996, attachments that convert a walk-behind striper to a ride-on striper are probably the mostimportant productivity development to come along since striping contractors went from hand rollers to spray machines (or from nails and string to chalk lines). Attaching a driver to a walk-behind striper enables you to

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Above: Manufacturers offer features and accessories that make operating a striper easier, such as Titan’s Smartarm assembly that pivots and lifts, making line adjustment quick and easy, locks in at any angle for curb striping, and offers easy-to-adjust gun height.

Above Left: Manufacturers are paying closer attention to ergonomic features that make operating a striper easier, including handlebars that can be easily adjusted for the comfort of each operator.

Above: Some equipment, such as Graco’s LineLazer V 250DC, can stripe two colors simultaneously, not only eliminating an additional piece of equipment but reducing striping application time.

Right: If you’re striping multiple colors but don’t want to dedicate a machine to each color, dual color machines, such as Graco’s LineLazer V 200DC, are also available, saving you money on equipment and room in the trailer.

stripe much faster. You can put down more paint in less time than by walking. Productivity, anyone? They’re also a big advantage on a large parking lot where the staging area (and paint) is at one location and the striping is done clear across the lot. Driving back (they travel up to 12 mph) to get more paint takes less time and is way easier for operators. Contractors who rely on driver attachments get so used to them they rarely get off the unit – even on small lots. Users become adept at maneuvering and striping cleanly and accurately even in tight spaces. Use of a driver attachment reduces the

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wear and tear on your operators because at day’s end they’re less tired and less tired means they’re likely to more productive. Plus, the accumulated wear and tear on operators is reduced so they’re likely to more productive over the following days.

Equipment manufacturers now make

Time-saving for Thermoplastic Markings While more costly to property managers and communities, thermoplastic markings are becoming increasingly common, and there are some productivity-related tips to help there, too.

14. Factor in thermo start-up time.

Unlike paint, crews can’t just arrive on a job, pour in the thermoplastic and start striping. The machine and material have gone cold overnight so must be heated before work can begin. Don’t wait until arriving at the jobsite to start warming equipment and melting material. You’re assuring yourself of 90 minutes or more of standing around checking the material. Instead, assign a crew member to arrive at the yard early to start heating the thermoplastic.

Saving 90 minutes of crew time on every thermoplastic installation can have a significant impact not only on productivity but on job costs. And at the end of the day don’t forget a cooldown process. Don’t just shut the machine off and leave it – you might find some difficulties the next morning or the next time you need it.

their own driver attachments and sell units designed specifically for the attachment and with the attachment already included. The drivers are available either gasoline or battery powered.

15. Buy a pre-melter kettle. Conventional thermoplastic application equipment can consist of separate pieces of equipment: a melter and a handliner. Melter/ applicators combined are available and cost less than separate components, and they are becoming more common.

While melter/applicators are fine for small thermoplastic installations, for large projects buying a separate melter can save significant time because the material is being turned molten (from beads or blocks) while the operator is putting down markings. When the handliner is empty they simply go to the melter and refill the tank, then replenish the material to be melted. Melters that are part of the applicator are simply not as efficient in heating material. Material can’t be heated and melted while the operator is putting material down, so the operator has to wait until the tank is empty, then fill it with beads or blocks of material and stand around waiting for that material to melt – probably 45-60 minutes. Keeping material melting and available to the operator keeps the job moving and keeps productivity high.

16. Use infrared for preformed thermoplastic. Preformed thermoplastic markings that require heating in place on the pavement are available in a broad variety of colors, widths and material thickness, and contractors who don’t want to invest in dedicated thermoplastic marking equipment often turn to For large thermoplastic projects, buying a separate melter, such as this unit from MRL Equipment Co., can save significant time because the material is being turned molten (from beads or blocks) while the operator is putting down markings.

A melter/applicator, such as M-B Companies' Apollo II handliner, can be used successfully on small jobs, but as soon as you need to push out a significant amount of material in a day, productivity becomes more important and a pre-melter should be considered.

preformed markings. Using an infrared pavement heater – as opposed to a heat lance, for example – makes installation of preformed thermoplastic go much more quickly. This is especially true when installing larger pieces of material. Infrared also has the advantage of not burning the preformed material by accidentally holding a lance over an area too long.

While you’d have to be installing quite a bit of preformed thermoplastic to justify the cost of a large infrared unit, smaller machines are available to handle this as well as pavement repair work. If you already own an infrared unit, this would be just another use you could put it to.

Using an infrared pavement heater, such as this unit from KM International, speeds installation of preformed thermoplastic, especially when installing larger markings.

24 May 2020 • Pavement Maintenance & Reconstruction • www.ForConstructionPros.com/Pavement

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Paving

Allan Heydorn, Editor

Porous Surface Installed at Humane Society

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Permeable Coating Solutions installs recycled rubber material nationwide to control stormwater runoff WHEN THE HUMANE SOCIETY of Elkhart, IN, decided to construct almost 6,000 sq. ft. of eight new outdoor play and exercise areas for dogs waiting for adoption, they wanted a material that was easy to clean, comfortable for the animals, and porous.

The material they chose was Porous Pave XL, a three-component, pour-inplace permeable paving material that has been used across North America on a wide variety of projects where control of stormwater and runoff is a concern.

Jesse Angel, southern district manager for Permeable Coating Solutions, Greenwood, IN, which completed the Humane Society A Specialist job, says the product Contractor consists of 50% recycled The eight-person tire rubber chips, 50% Permeable Coating granite aggregate, and Solutions specializes a proprietary liquid in constructing Used on a variety of applications – sidewalks and walkways, binder. He says it installs permeable surfaces, courtyards and patios, trails and just like concrete (its with crews traveling cart paths – the Porous Pave XL main competitors are throughout the can also be used on driveways permeable concrete and country. According and parking lots and was recently permeable pavers) and to Angel, while many used to extend a parking lot near the ocean where runoff was a when installed properly contractors install particular concern. the finished surface is porous pavement 27% porous, making it products, most ideal for areas where install no more runoff needs to be controlled. than 3,000 sq. ft. at a time. Permeable Coating Solutions, on the other hand, “If you’re looking to shed water it’s installs jobs as large as 100,000 sq. ft. the most porous product on the market,” in addition to smaller projects. He says Angel says, adding that while it’s often the company installs between 300,000 installed on patios and walkways, it can and 500,000 sq. ft. of permeable surface be driven on once cured so it can be each year. installed on parking areas and driveways.

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Permeable Coating Solutions Inc., a Greenwood, IN, installation contractor, recently completed a 6,000-sq.-ft. job at the Humane Society of Elkhart, IN, using Porous Pave XL, which consists of 50% recycled rubber chips and 50% aggregate mixed on site with a liquid binder.

“Most contractors install it as one of three or four other things they do.

And they only do it on small projects because it can be labor intensive,” Angel says. “We install permeable surface on any size job because it’s the only thing we do. We specialize in it.”

And because they specialize in it, Angel has developed customized equipment that enables the company to perform large installations, including a large mixer, a slipform paver and a long-handle roller. He says that in many cases the material can be placed by just about any power screed on the market,

36 May 2020 • Pavement Maintenance & Reconstruction • www.ForConstructionPros.com/Pavement

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which he says is an essential piece of equipment for this material. He recently completed an 8-ft.-wide path, 2 ½ miles long. “You don’t want to be on your hands and knees with a 2 x 4 smoothing out that job!”

Working with the Material The three components are mixed on site in a mortar mixer, then transported to the location via wheelbarrow or transport buggy. Angel has an 8-cu.-yd. mixer for small jobs and a specially designed, one-of-a-kind 20-cu.-yd. plant for larger jobs. Mounted on a trailer, the plant has a crane that can lift 2,500-lb. sacks of material into two hoppers. The two hoppers calibrate and feed the correct amount of rubber, stone and binder, creating the product that is put down.

Angel says the large mixer can produce a 400-lb. batch in 45 seconds.

Once the material is poured (usually 1 in. to 2 in. deep), Angel’s crew uses a combination of its customized slipform paver, power screed and bull float to spread and level the material. The type of equipment is determined by the space available in which to work.

“It’s cold and it’s gooey,” Angel says. “If you’ve ever made Rice Krispy treats, that’s what it’s like.”

Once the material is level, Angel’s crew compacts it with a custom-made roller. The material can cure in as little as six hours (depending on the level of humidity).

Permeable Coating Solutions, which specializes in constructing permeable surfaces, completed the installation at the Humane Society of Elkhart in three days – longer than normal because they had to work around post, fencing and in small enclosures.

“This was an especially labor-intensive job because we had to work around fencing, pens, and the individual kennels,” he says. “Most of the areas were small and very tight to work in.”

Angel says that when properly maintained – including reapplying the binder every three-to-five years – the rubberized porous material can last up to 15 years or longer, depending on the use.

“The Humane Society liked its permeability. They can just hose off the outdoor pens for the animals. It is now a much easier process for them,” he says.

Labor-intensive Humane Society Job At the Humane Society, Angel installed the porous rubberrock surface on top of 1 ½ in. of ¾-in. crushed aggregate.

The aggregate had been installed and compacted by a subcontractor using a plate compactor.

Angel and his crew mixed the material in the 8-cu.-yd. mixer, poured and then leveled the material using hand towels and a bull float. He says that normally his crew can put down between 4,000 and 5,000 sq. ft. in a typical day on an open area. But this project took three days.

“It can be overpoured on asphalt or concrete or wood,” says Jesse Angel.

“All you need is a clean surface. So we just blow the surface clean and it will adhere to any surface that holds the product together.”

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Sealcoating

Jon Klein

Protecting Pavement with Gilsonite at Iowa State University

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Iowa-based Gee Asphalt Systems and ISU plan maintenance every five years

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G ASPHALT PRESERVATION IS like changing the oil in a car. If it’s done at regularly scheduled intervals with the recommended oil blend, it will considerably extend the vehicle’s life.

The same holds true with pavement.

Preventative maintenance, with the right treatment at the right time, is a proactive strategy employed to maximize the benefit and extend the life of good pavement for as long as possible. A strategic preservation plan

can mean the difference between extending the life of this valuable asset or having it prematurely fall into disrepair.

A Shift in Mind-set Although pavement maintenance is not a new concept and is seemingly straightforward, it is not as simple as it sounds.

Proactive maintenance necessitates a shift in the way people think about pavement. It requires commitment to taking

care of the good pavement along the way, and not just reacting to neglected or damaged pavement.

Too much money is spent on patching pavements in parking lots, roads and runways. This is a very costly, reactive approach. Instead of patching and replacing asphalt pavements, being proactive – taking care of pavement that is still in good shape – is a much more cost-effective approach. To put it in perspective, studies, including the U.S.

38 May 2020 • Pavement Maintenance & Reconstruction • www.ForConstructionPros.com/Pavement

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Edging along the wall inside Jack Trice Stadium, Iowa State University.

Department of Transportation’s “A Pocket Guide to Asphalt Pavement Preservation,” show that every additional dollar spent on preventative maintenance treatments saves up to $10 in future rehabilitation costs.

The Facilities Planning & Management Department at Iowa State University is responsible for the pavement throughout the campus, including Jack Trice Stadium. The department has been proactive in protecting the school’s investment and making it last. Looking for a way to maintain and extend the life of the valuable pavement around the stadium, the university works with Gee Asphalt Systems, Cedar Rapids, IA. The contractor works across the United States with airports, highways and Fortune 500 companies, helping to preserve their valuable pavements.

Over the years, and after assessing an array of pavement around the stadium in varying conditions, Gee Asphalt has helped to develop a pavement preservation plan for the university. The plan is to reseal the pavement with gilsonite sealer-binder (GSB) every four to five years, as well as sealing cracks in the parking lots surrounding the stadium.

Pavement 45 Years Old… and Counting The original pavement around Iowa State’s Jack Trice Stadium may be in its final stages of useful life – after all, it is nearly 45 years old, dating back to

Gilsonite at a Glance

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-

o-

Gilsonite is a naturally occurring resinous hydrocarbon soluble in aromatic and aliphatic solvents and petroleum asphalts that is often used to harden softer petroleum products. This naturally occurring ore – only found in Utah and Saudi Arabia – is 99.85% pure mineral petroleum asphalt.

Here’s a quick look at the gilsonite-based emulsified asphalt sealer Iowa State University uses to preserve the asphalt pavement around its football stadium.

• When melted into a resin, it is used as a preservation treatment with bonding properties and as a modifier in road-building materials.

• Applying this specific sealer very early in the life of a pavement with repeat applications at prescribed intervals can eliminate surface oxidation as a significant factor in pavement deterioration.

• Gilsonite does not have to undergo any oil-refining process. Its emissions are nonflammable, non-carcinogenic and non-toxic.

• The average treatment cycle is four to seven years

October 1973 when ground breaking began for the stadium. A well-designed, well-built and well-maintained asphalt parking lot has a typical life expectancy between 15 to 30 years; but oxidation is active immediately, and it can begin deteriorating the pavement in as few as five to seven years without preventative maintenance. The age of this stadium’s pavement is unusual, however, thanks to regular, scheduled pavement preservation efforts every four to five years.

Iowa State has continued to add new parking sections as the facilities have grown and developed throughout the years. As new pavement is laid, Gee Asphalt works with the facilities management team to examine and assess Photo Left: Strategic asphalt preservation, such as sealing pavement cracks, is used by Gee Asphalt Systems at Iowa State University to extend the life of asphalt pavement.

Photo Right: Where the turf meets the pavement; a clean edging job.

www.ForConstructionPros.com/Pavement • Pavement Maintenance & Reconstruction • May 2020 39

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Sealcoating

As part of Gee Asphalt Systems' pavement preservation plan, repairs are made to the asphalt pavement prior to application of the gilsonitebased sealer.

_

the different pavements, identify why some are in better condition than others, and create a plan to preserve the pavement in the best condition possible.

Pavement failure may be simply due to age. Alternatively, the pavement may have been installed on a poor base, or it

40

may have been affected by water issues underneath the ground where it was laid.

Understanding the “why” is vital when developing a pavement preservation plan.

For example, if a newer pavement – i.e., less than five years old – has cracks and rutting, using a GSB product won’t help correct any of these problems. A gilsonite sealer is a tool used to help delay the aging process and slow oxidation on good pavement.

The same is true if shortcuts were taken with base prep or grading. A roadway is only as good as its base and prep. Gilsonite isn’t a magic wand. It won’t patch or repair potholes, but it does help prevent them.

During the summer of 2018, Gee Asphalt sealed several parking lots north of the Iowa State campus using GSB-88, produced by Asphalt Systems Inc. In Summer 2019, an additional 24 pavements are slated to be sealed on campus, including the parking areas around student housing, the veterinary medicine building and sections of Jack Trice Stadium. By rotating to a new location each year, the pavement being sealed is kept on a regular, prescribed cycle to protect it.

Jon Klein is a sales and marketing manager and project estimator with Gee Asphalt Systems Inc., a Cedar Rapids, IA-based pavement preservation contractor. He evaluates large formats of pavement – such as county highways, city streets, airports and parking for Fortune 500 companies – and creates proposals for preventative maintenance strategies. He may be reached at jklein@geeasphalt.com.

May 2020 • Pavement Maintenance & Reconstruction • www.ForConstructionPros.com/Pavement

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Contractors ’ Choice: Pre-paving Joint Sealants Allan Heydorn, Editor

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Pre-paving Sealant Can Protect Longitudinal Joints

LONGITUDINAL JOINTS ARE recognized as one of the most difficult aspects of paving to construct. As a result, these joints often fail prematurely and rarely last the life of the asphalt mat itself. Not only that, but their failure triggers additional maintenance events and failure beyond the joint, pavement-wide.

The Asphalt Institute notes that the problem is that the joint edge is difficult to compact – partly because it’s a cold joint by the time the adjacent lane of mix is placed. The result is the joint area has a higher percentage of air voids than does the rest of the mat. In fact, Asphalt Institute research, which is supported by other studies, has found that 10% or higher air voids at the joint are not uncommon.

The higher the percentage of air voids, the greater the permeability of the asphalt mat and the greater the likelihood the asphalt – or longitudinal

42

Why do joints fail early?

100

Perfect Service Life

Longitudinal joint sealants — also called void-reducing asphalt membranes — are sprayed prior to paving

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Figure 1: Reference study from Washington DOT correlating in-situ air voids to decreased service life.

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a typical crack sealant or crack filler that is applied after the asphalt mat is placed and compacted, the VRAM is a liquid that is sprayed onto a milled surface or onto old asphalt accepting an overlay – directly beneath where the longitudinal joint will be – prior to paving as a part of the paving process.

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*Washington State DOT Study

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In-situ Air Voids, % 93%

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*Effect of In-Place Voids on Service Life”

joint – will fail (see Figure 1).

Research and a variety of techniques and recommendations have been made to increase the life of the longitudinal joint, and one of the most-recent efforts that is generating increased interest is a Longitudinal Joint Sealant (LJS), also termed a Void-Reducing Asphalt Membrane (VRAM). VRAMs are a highly polymer modified asphalt cement that go down hot, in the area of 300°F. Unlike

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May 2020 • Pavement Maintenance & Reconstruction • www.ForConstructionPros.com/Pavement

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What’s unique about a void-reducing asphalt membrane is that it is applied beneath the asphalt mat before the mat is placed. It is sprayed beneath where the longitudinal joint will be.

“The reality is, if you have 10% voids, the odds are that the joint is likely to only last 10 years instead of 15,” says Dave Henderson, vice president of specialty products at Asphalt Materials Inc. (A Heritage Group Company), which produces a VRAM called J-Band. “Our goal was to find a way, using traditional construction methods, where the joint would last as long as the rest of the roadway.”

He says VRAMs are being tested or used in 13 states and three states – Illinois, Ohio and Indiana – are specifying a VRAM on select state paving jobs. The research lab at Heritage began working alongside IDOT towards a solution in early 2000s. Henderson says the hypothesis was that if you could eliminate premature failure at the longitudinal joint, you could significantly extend the life of pavement, eliminate the need for additional maintenance triggers, create significant savings for agencies, and decrease downtime to the traveling public.

He says that because of the heat of the hot mix asphalt overlay and the compactive effort of the roller, the VRAM sealer wicks up into the asphalt mat, filling air voids. “The hot asphalt mix liquefies the sealant material and the roller forces the mat and rock down into the sealant, and the sealant wicks up into the mix filling the air voids.”

Because the material is hot, a specialized piece of equipment that can handle hot material must be used (though some trucks can be retrofitted). A spray bar extends perpendicular to the spray tank and puts down a fan of material 12-18 in. wide, with equal material on both sides of where the joint will be.

Henderson says that J-Band, for example, is applied at an average application rate of 1.5 lb. per foot. “But the rate depends on a variety of factors such as the mix design volumetrics, and mat thickness,” he says.

Henderson says that when combined with proper paving techniques, a VRAM can help extend the life of a longitudinal pavement joint to 15 years or more. he says studies comparing VRAM with traditional joint repair practices over past years have found that for every $1 invested in a VRAM, $2 are saved on pavement maintenance costs.

He says VRAM holds up well under traffic, adding that the sealant can stay on the pavement as long as the public agency is comfortable allowing it to be open to traffic. “We’ve had the material down as long as a week on roads with low traffic volume and it’s performed well,” he says. “But most use is on highvolume roads and most agencies don’t want to leave it on the road in those circumstances. It’s ready in under 30 minutes to accept the HMA, so in most cases the paver follows soon after the J-Band is sprayed.”

He says VRAMs are being tested or used in 13 states and three states – Illinois, Ohio and Indiana – are specifying a VRAM on select state paving jobs.

The research lab at Heritage began working alongside IDOT towards a solution in early 2000s, with a single goal: to solve a pavement owner’s largest problem: the longitudinal joint.

“The vast majority of the time the longitudinal joint fails first, but what if the joint wasn’t the first place of failure? VRAM answers that question, and I believe we’ll see more and more states specifying it in the next few years, ” says Dave Henderson.

Henderson says the hypothesis was that if you could eliminate premature failure at the longitudinal joint, you could significantly extend the life of pavement, eliminate the need for additional maintenance triggers, create significant savings for agencies, and decrease downtime to the traveling public.

Specialized equipment, such as Cimline’s new MA4 VRAM applicator, is needed to spray apply the material.

“In 2016 Illinois implemented it on two projects in each DOT district,” Henderson says. “It was included on 50% of state projects in 2017, and in 2018 it was required on all state paving jobs, though I don’t know if the state actually reached that 100% level.”

In Ohio, the recently passed House Bill 51 requires ODOT to install centerline rumble strips for all two-lane state highways with a speed limit of more than 45 mph. He says many believe this preventative approach to safety is likely to gain ground nationwide. However, it’s important for pavement managers to recognize that rumble strips further compromise the already-vulnerable longitudinal joint, and take proactive measures to protect the joint. “VRAM is one of the options the state is requiring contractors to use in order to protect the joint after the installation of centerline rumble strips,” he says.

Henderson says that tests have shown VRAM’s effectiveness when used alone, but some agencies spec it beneath that overlay and also spec using a joint sealant from the top. “I’ve seen it done with and without joint sealant,” Henderson says. “I’d never discourage anyone putting sealant on top. It probably depends on the agency’s preference.”

www.ForConstructionPros.com/Pavement • Pavement Maintenance & Reconstruction • May 2020 43

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On The Job

Allan Heydorn, Editor

How, When – and If – You Should Rake Longitudinal Joints

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If you place mix properly you don’t have to rake ... and longitudinal joints will perform better If the proper amount of mix is placed in the proper place, no raking of the mix at the longitudinal joint is necessary.

Should You “Bump the Joint”?

Jim Scherocman says that sometimes a raker will attempt to “bump the joint” with the rake. That means the mix in the overlap of lane 2 on lane 1 is not pushed over the top of lane 2 but merely “humped up” at the joint.

“If the new mix is at the proper height, the extra material right at the joint will have no place to go vertically.

This will result in a bump or ridge along the joint,” Scherocman says. “The rollers will then have a tendency to ride on the ridge of extra mix and not be able to properly compact the hot mix immediately adjacent to the ridge.”

FIRST THINGS FIRST: You shouldn’t need to rake the hot mix asphalt you place. If you follow proper paving procedures, the amount of mix you’ll leave at the longitudinal joint will be within an acceptable range that enables proper compaction and makes it easier for the roller operator to achieve proper density.

“If you’re paving a second lane and the paver operator places the correct amount of new material over the first lane do not move the material. Leave it there!” says John Ball, Top Quality Paving. “Put the right amount of material in the right spot and leave it alone.”

Jim Scherocman, consulting engineer, agrees that if the proper amount of mix is placed in the proper place, no raking of the mix at the longitudinal joint is necessary. In fact, Scherocman says that virtually any raking done makes it less likely the roller operator will be able to achieve the necessary density, and the result will be premature failure of the joint.

Manage Overlap Thickness & Width If the proper amount of mix is placed overlapping the longitudinal joint, raking is unnecessary. Scherocman says

two factors need to be considered when determining the overlap of the screed’s end or edger plate over the edge of lane 1 when placing mix for lane 2. First is the thickness of the uncompacted mix from lane 2 over the top of the compacted mix at the edge of lane 1. Second is the width of the overlap of the mix from lane 2 over the top of lane 1.

Scherocman says that dense-graded mix typically compacts at a rate of 1/4 in. per inch of final thickness. So to achieve a compacted thickness of 1 in., the mix usually must be placed at an uncompacted thickness of about 1-1/4 in. To obtain a compacted thickness of 2 in.,

48 May 2020 • Pavement Maintenance & Reconstruction • www.ForConstructionPros.com/Pavement

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the uncompacted mix must be placed to a thickness of approximately 2-1/2 in.

“When mix from lane 2 is placed over the top of the compacted mix on lane 1, the mix needs to be higher by the amount of compaction that will occur,” Scherocman says.

The width of overlap of mix from lane 2 onto lane 1 is also critical. “If an excessive amount of mix is placed over the edge of lane 1, it will have to be removed by raking the joint or it will be crushed by the rollers,” Scherocman says. “If not enough mix is placed over the edge of the first lane, a depression or dip will occur on the lane 2 side of the longitudinal joint. In either case, the joint will not perform properly.”

“If the overlap is too much and you push the material from the compacted first lane to the uncompacted second lane, you don’t have enough material at the joint in the second lane to get density at the joint,” Ball says. “Failure will result.”

Scherocman recommends a “best practice” of placing the overlap in the range of 1 to 1-1/2 in. wide to avoid raking (and for proper longitudinal joint construction).

Raking Can Cause Raveling Jim Scherocman says that if raveling occurs at the longitudinal joint, it is most often caused by the raking of the joint and the transverse movement of mix needed at the joint into the interior of the second lane. Raveling typically occurs due to a lack of material to be compacted.

But if You Do Need to Rake...

Scherocman says that if too much mix is placed over the top of lane 1– if the paver operator didn’t do a good job, in other words, and the mix is too thick – the excess material should be removed with a shovel, moving longitudinally along the joint, instead of pushing or raking the material transversely across the joint.

Straight or Curved Tines?

John Ball says a rake that has straight teeth is preferred to curved teeth. “If the rake has curved teeth the asphalt builds up and it’s difficult to release it from the tines,” Ball says. “And rakes with longer teeth are better as they dig in easier and make it easier to work and move the mix.”

“That’s not how most people do it because it’s not convenient,” Scherocman says. “The easy way and the most convenient way is to broadcast the excess mix across the uncompacted mat, but that’s incorrect also.”

He says the excess material should be considered waste and should be removed and recycled.

If raking is required, it’s essential that enough mix is left at the joint to facilitate compaction.

“The problem is, the raker often rakes the joint flat, meaning the compacted first lane is equal in height to the uncompacted second lane,” Ball says. “If you rake the joint flat there isn’t anything for the roller to compact because the raker has pushed all the material away from the joint.”

Scherocman says the raking process almost always results in the mix being too low at the joint on the lane 2 side.

“Essentially, the mix ends up at the same elevation of each side of the joint.

The problem is that the mix on one side of the joint is compacted (lane 1) and the mix on the other side of the joint is not yet compacted (lane 2),” Scherocman says. “This will result in very low density at the longitudinal joint on the lane 2 side of the joint,” Scherocman says.

In addition, by broadcasting the excess mix across the uncompacted mat you’re creating mat problems because that mix hasn’t been set in the mat by the paver; it’s sitting on top of a mat that’s been partially compacted by the paver’s screed and, depending on the amount and

gradation of the mix, might not become part of the mat even after compaction.

Scherocman says if raking is absolutely necessary, the excess material should be raked onto the compacted mat, then removed and recycled.

“The bottom line is, you don’t need to rake the joint at all if you put the right amount of material in the right spot,” Scherocman says.

Ball adds that sometimes rakers are just doing what they’re told.

“Often rakers rake because they’re told to rake and they don’t want to be seen doing nothing. But sometimes the best thing a raker can do is stand there,” Ball says.

If a joint is raked flat there is no mix for the roller to compact, and the result will be premature failure of the longitudinal joint.

Constructing a Joint on a Milled Edge When you mill an existing asphalt concrete pavement surface, a vertical face is formed along the edge of the cutting head on the milling machine.

“This is significantly different than the slope that is formed by the edger plate on the paver screed,” says Jim Scherocman.

“In this case, due to the vertical edge of the adjacent lane of compacted mix, the amount of overlap must be controlled very carefully.”

He recommends the amount of overlap of mix from lane 2 over the non-milled surface should be only 1/4 to 1/2 in. – as opposed to the 1 to 1-1/2 in. overlap recommended when paving against a screed-constructed edge. In addition, no raking should be done.

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Nick Howell

From the Owner’s Desk

As We Know It...

WOW, WHAT A roller coaster the last few weeks have been. For most all the world, the COVID-19 virus has changed life in such a way that most of us have never seen before. Some things are eerily reminiscent of 9/11/2001 where in just that one day, life and business drastically changed. To add to the current situation, I’m in Utah, and we recently experienced an earthquake as well. Dare I ask, what else?

Get an Emergency Checkup As a business owner, the flood of emotions of the recent events are wide ranging. We all need to be prepared to deal with things that wouldn’t ever have seemed possible. It’s prudent to have plans in place for how to deal with all sorts of events from a virus to earthquake and more.

I recommend initiating a company emergency checkup. Check with your insurance agent on specific policies or riders that may cover disasters. Then, create a simple, standard operating plan to handle specific situations, and add that to your company policies or handbook. Even if you are a single-person operation, having a plan will help.

• Make a list – including contact information – of people, support services, and clients you may need to contact.

• List tasks – in order of importance – to be done should a disaster happen.

• If you continue to work, be sure to job cost properly as you estimate. It's important you are profitable – and that you not bid below costs just to generate quick cash. Sometimes in an emergency, panic sets in, and we don't think as smart as we should.

Planning and preparation are always

key and will help keep you a step ahead.

First and foremost, the health and safety of you and your crew is vital to your business, so don't take unneeded risks. The Center for Disease Control has outlined several precautionary measures that should be taken, including social distancing of 6 ft., washing your hands often, and not touching your face. This is great advice for any illness, honestly, and has been said to reduce your chances of getting sick by over 50% alone. Encourage hand sanitizer use and social distancing while on the job. Fortunately for our industry, there shouldn’t be much change, but don't be afraid to innovate so that you can take care of customers as you are able.

Can You Market Now? Normal marketing may seem a little illtimed right now, but you still have a small business to run. One would never want to take advantage of the current situation, but we also have to keep our businesses rolling. So yes, there are ways to approach marketing while being sensitive to the many people and businesses that are struggling.

1. Send out or post on your website a COVID-19 update from your company. This is a simple way to let clients know you are still in business, that you are monitoring the situation, and that you are using safe practices.

2. Switch estimating policies to “meeting-less,” virtual site visits.

3. Send an additional letter from the CEO or company president. Let customers know that you personally are there for them and will work as hard as you can to ensure that your firm is able to handle all their needs.

4. Look for opportunities to help restaurants that are only open for drive-through operations. You can offer striping changes, signage, temporary signage etc. Also, with an increased traffic load, many grocery stores and drive-ups might need emergency patching or other repair.

5. Consider offering personnel for onsite traffic control to help with the general flow of a busy lot.

6. Those of you with pressure washers could offer shopping cart, trash can, or public space sanitizing.

7. For those in warm climates, now would be that chance in a lifetime to potentially work on a lot that won’t have many or any cars, so look at all of your clients and consider all options. We have scheduled some concrete work on pool decks because pools aren’t planning to open anytime soon.

Fortunately for most of us in the pavement industry, our business shouldn’t be as affected as much as our favorite restaurant has been. And most of us are still in the start-up phase of the year, so hopefully the impact can be minimal as compared to if this would have hit in the summer.

Nick Howell, president of T & N Asphalt Services, Salt Lake City, UT, has been a regular presenter at National Pavement Expo since 2008 and a member of the Pavement Advisory Board since 2007. Let him know your thoughts on “From the Owner’s Desk,” and if you have a question or topic you’d like covered – let him know! You can reach Nick at nick@tnasphaltservices.com.

50 May 2020 • Pavement Maintenance & Reconstruction • www.ForConstructionPros.com/Pavement

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4/20/20 1:37 PM

Your Business Matters

On January 1 several states began allowing recreational use of marijuana, calling into question the effects of legalization on drug policies ON JAN. 1, 2020, several states began to allow recreational use of marijuana, calling into question the effects of legalization on employer drug policies.

Although none of the state-specific laws affect federal drug testing policies for CDL holders, they may affect companies' zero-tolerance policies.

New legislation in Illinois prohibits employers from refusing to hire or discharge any individual who uses lawful products off the premises during nonworking hours. Nevada has similar legislation banning employers from refusing to hire an applicant for failing a preemployment drug test for marijuana.

In some states where recreational marijuana is legal, employers can still take action; however, impairment can't necessarily be determined by a drug test.

Employers need to review their statespecific recreational and medicinal marijuana laws and develop appropriate workplace impairment and drug testing policies. Here's a brief overview of the new legislation.

FMCSA Clearinghouse Began in January Commercial driver's license (CDL) holders and their employers are required to register with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA)

Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse beginning Jan. 6, 2020. This means all FMCSA-covered employers must use the Clearinghouse to report commercial motor vehicle drivers’ drug and alcohol program violations (identified in the final rule). They must also query the Clearinghouse for new hires upon hire and annually for current employees.

Employers are required to revise their drug and alcohol testing policies to list the drug and alcohol violations that will be reported to the Clearinghouse.

While this rule does not change any existing requirements under DOT workplace drug and alcohol testing requirements, the program streamlines access to information. The clearinghouse is a secure online database that will give employers, FMCSA, state driver licensing agencies and state law enforcement personnel real-time information about CDL and commercial learner's permit holders' drug and alcohol program violations.

Illinois The Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act allows anyone over the age of 21 to possess, use or buy marijuana. More significantly, marijuana will be considered a “lawful product” for purposes of the Illinois Right to Privacy Act, which bars discrimination against employees and applicants for using lawful products offduty and off of the employer’s premises.

According to the Jackson Lewis law firm, even though marijuana will be considered a “lawful product,” the Act expressly permits employers to conduct “reasonable suspicion” and postaccident drug testing for marijuana, in

Pixabay

Drug & Alcohol Testing Policies Change in 2020: Is Your Construction Business Ready?

accordance with the requirements of the Act. The Act says: “An employer may consider an employee to be impaired or under the influence of cannabis if the employer has a good faith belief that an employee manifests specific, articulable symptoms while working that decrease or lessen the employee’s performance of the duties or tasks of the employee’s job position, including symptoms of the employee’s speech, physical dexterity, agility, coordination, demeanor, irrational or unusual behavior, or negligence or carelessness in operating equipment or machinery; disregard for the safety of the employee or other, or involvement in any accident that results in serious damage to equipment or property; disruption of a production or manufacturing process; or carelessness that results in any injury to the employee or others.

If an employer elects to discipline any employee on the basis that the employee is under the influence or impaired by cannabis, the employer must afford the employee a reasonable opportunity to contest the basis of the determination.”

Nevada Effective January 1, 2020, preemployment drug testing for marijuana

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Your Business Matters

You Can’t Ask Salary History in 17 States

by Joshua Ferguson In 2017 Philadelphia passed the Wage Equity Law, and in doing so became the first city in the nation to forbid employers from asking about salary history of a potential employee.

As further detailed later, many other states and localities have followed suit since that time.

The Philadelphia Ordinance was challenged by the Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, which argued amongst other things that it violated employers’ constitutional right to free speech. The U.S. District Court sitting in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania issued an opinion that the ordinance did in fact violate the First Amendment and partially overturned the ordinance. The Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia v. The City of Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations, No. 2:17-cv-01548 (E.D. Pa. April 30, 2018).

On February 6, 2020, the Third Circuit Court of Appeals reversed the lower court’s ruling and held that employers cannot rely on salary history in setting wages. Circuit Court Judge Theodore McKee noted that this limitation “prevents the tentacles of any past wage discrimination from attaching to an employee’s subsequent salary.” Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce v. The City of Philadelphia, et al., Nos. 18-2175 & 18-2176 (3d Cir, February 6, 2020).

Similar salary history bans have been passed in 17 states (Alabama, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Utah, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin) and 20 localities (including Philadelphia). The scope, effective date and geographic areas in which they apply vary jurisdiction to jurisdiction.

For further information or for further inquiries contact Joshua Ferguson of Freeman Mathis & Gary, LLP, at jferguson@fmglaw.com.

is illegal in the state of Nevada. The law does not apply to applicants who apply for positions as firefighters, emergency medical technicians, operators of motor vehicles who are required to submit to drug tests, or other positions that “in the determination of the employer, could adversely affect the safety of others.”

The law does not apply if it conflicts with an employment contract or a collective bargaining agreement, if it is inconsistent with provisions of federal law, and it does not apply to positions funded by a federal grant.

The law further provides that if an employer requires an employee to submit to a drug test within the first 30 days of employment, the employee shall have the right to submit to an additional drug test, at his or her own expense, to rebut the results of the initial test. The employer “shall accept and give appropriate consideration to the result of such a screening test.”

collective bargaining agreement that specifically addresses the pre-employment drug testing of such applicants.

New Jersey In New Jersey, the medical marijuana law was amended in July 2019 to prohibit employment discrimination against medical marijuana users. It is still permissible for New Jersey employers to prohibit marijuana use during work time and on company premises. However, the law now requires employers to provide written notice to all applicants and employees who test positive for marijuana. The written notice must give the applicant or employee an opportunity to provide a “legitimate medical explanation for the positive test result.” Thereafter, within three working days after the employee or applicant receives the written notice, the employee or applicant may either provide a legitimate medical reason for the positive test result, or may request retesting of the original specimen at the employee or applicant’s expense. The medical reason can be authorization for medical marijuana use by a health care provider or proof of registration for medical marijuana use.

New York City

Oklahoma

As of May 10, the New York City Human Rights Law prohibits pre-employment marijuana drug tests. The law does not apply to drug testing required by: • Any regulations promulgated by the U.S. Department of Transportation that require pre-employment drug testing, as well as any state or city regulations that adopt the DOT rules; • Any contract entered into between the federal government and an employer or any grant of financial assistance from the federal government to an employer that requires drug testing of prospective employees as a condition of receiving the contract or grant; • Any federal or state statute, regulation, or order that requires drug testing of prospective employees for purposes of safety or security; or • Any applicants whose prospective employer is a party to a valid

Under Oklahoma’s amended medical marijuana law, employers cannot discipline, discharge, otherwise penalize or refuse to hire an applicant or employee solely on the basis of their status as a medical marijuana licensee. An employer may not discipline, discharge, penalize or refuse to hire a person solely on the basis of a positive drug test, unless: • The individual is not in possession of a valid medical marijuana license; • The licensee possesses, consumes or is under the influence of medical marijuana or medical marijuana product while at the place of employment or fulfilling employment obligations; • The position involves safety-sensitive job duties. “Safety-sensitive” means any job that includes tasks or duties that the employer reasonably believes could affect the safety and health of the employee or others.

52 May 2020 • Pavement Maintenance & Reconstruction • www.ForConstructionPros.com/Pavement

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4/20/20 1:41 PM

Allan Heydorn , Editor

Technology

Striping Technologies Tested in Georgia and Canada 3M provides higher-visibility product and marking tape IN AN EFFORT to improve driver safety and enhance the use of driverless vehicles, 3M is participating in two pilot programs to measure the effectiveness of a new pavement marking product and a new pavement marking tape.

3M was invited to supply its Connected Roads All Weather Elements striping technology in a Georgia Dept. of Transportation test on The Ray, a 13-mile test project in the southern part of the state. The Ray is an 18-mile stretch of Georgia’s I-85 created by the state to honor Ray C. Anderson, a Georgia businessman and environmentalist. A publicprivate-philanthropic partnership, The Ray is “a test bed for connected vehicle technology, including vehicle to infrastructure technologies and to create a foundation to study future connected highway technologies.”

According to Elizabeth Dunlap, global portfolio manager for 3M’s Pavement Marking Group, 3M’s Connected Roads All Weather Elements striping technology was installed last November.

The product is designed specifically for high visibility in day, night, and all weather conditions for humans and camera systems used in

connected and automated vehicles.

“If humans can’t see the markings on the road then cameras in a vehicle can’t see them either,” Dunlap says.

“What we’ve developed is a marking technology that will make it easier for humans and cameras to see markings in a variety of weather conditions.”

Connected Roads All Weather Elements are compatible with most pavement marking binders including paint, epoxy, methyl methacrylate and thermoplastic.

The elements are dropped only the binder as part of a double-drop system, along with glass beads. Beads, embedded in the marking material, are what largely determine the reflectivity of pavement markings.

Markings without beads are generally used only on pavements that don’t experience night traffic – such as parks that close at dusk. All other road markings require reflective beads and most current specifications call for a material with a 1.5 refractive index (RI).

Dunlap says the 3M product is available in two configurations, the Series 50 (installed on the The Ray test area) and Series 90. The Series 50 product is made up of elements that are 50%

3M's Connected Roads All Weather Elements are compatible with most pavement marking binders including paint, epoxy, methyl methacrylate and thermoplastic. The elements are dropped on the binder as part of a double-drop system, along with glass beads.

1.9 RI beads and 50% 2.5 RI beads which allows for optimal performance in both wet and dry conditions. The Series 90 product is made up of elements that have 80% 2.4 RI beads and 20% 1.9 RI beads. In comparison to Series 50, Series 90 provides additional wet reflectivity, good for areas with heavy rainfall,” Dunlap says.

Tape Being Tested in Canada 3M’s Stamark Series 380 marking tape is installed on Highway 407 in Canada.

Available in white, yellow and black, the tape is available in a broad variety of widths from 2 in to 24 in. depending on the series and the marking needs.

The Canadian installation involved 2 in. of black on either side of a 6-in.-wide

white strip in the center.

Dunlap says the various configurations are available so any agency can customize the tape they’re putting down.

“The idea is to contrast the black on either side of the white or yellow marking; to make the delineation of the marking more visible to both human drivers and camera systems, especially on light-colored surfaces like concrete, Dunlap says.

Dunlap says Stamark tapes are a premium product that offers excellent visibility and durability.

Unlike preformed thermoplastic, the Stamark tape does not require heating. It’s applied by hand, followed by a tamper cart, or with a truck-mounted application unit for larger jobs. Stamark tape comes with an aggressive, pressuresensitive adhesive and before putting the tape down an added surface preparation adhesive may be used.

www.ForConstructionPros.com/Pavement • Pavement Maintenance & Reconstruction • May 2020 53

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P U C b d

NAPSA

WSA

Power Sweepers Respond to the Pandemic

WSA Opens COVID Page to Industry

By now you may know that power sweeping is an essential service and if not, well, it is. Despite that being the case, we are finding that many local officials are unaware and could possibly cause issues with drivers being on the road during the shelter in place mandates. This is just one issue that power sweepers are dealing with during this challenging time.

The power sweeping industry is essential for a variety of reasons under the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) list of Essential Services. The ability to keep the hazardous waste off the surfaces allows for supply lines to continue to flow. Power sweeping also removes the “newly created” hazardous waste that is creeping into our environment.

This waste would include the additional gloves, masks and wipes that are being tossed down on the ground daily. So, what would happen if those were left on the ground? Just like fugitive dust or toxic particulate, those hazardous waste products would find their way into our water sources. Do you really want to drink water that has been filtered through a face mask or cleaning wipe? Power sweeping is probably needed more now than ever in our history.

Just like those heroes on the front lines (medical staff), another superpower is power sweeping.

Power sweeping has always enforced social distancing. Drivers are typically by themselves running their equipment and cleaning the world discretely. Power sweeping companies are cleaning their trucks and equipment before and after service. Using gloves, pickers and

by Ranger Kidwell-Ross

masks have always been a best practice protocol due to the nature of this business. Unfortunately, now, those personal protection items are in demand, so the power sweeping superhero struggles to keep themselves and those they love, protected. Despite this short come, they continue to do their work.

The North American Power Sweeping Association has developed a COVID-19 information page (https://www. powersweeping.org/covid-19/) for sweepers. Under government information, there is a sample letter for state and local government.

We are asking folks to use this template and contact your local and state government and ask that the words “power sweeping” be added to the essential services list. By doing so, this will make the critical work of power sweepers easier to perform and perhaps easier to get the personal protection equipment that they need to be safe. In the end, everyone needs to work together to get through the challenges we are facing. Helping educate the public and government officials about this critical service will help everyone and the environment.

The North American Power Sweeping Association (NAPSA) is a nonprofit association made up of 200+ contract sweepers, service providers and sweeping equipment dealers, manufacturers and suppliers. NAPSA is committed to promoting and educating the power sweeping community while enhancing the environment. For more information on NAPSA membership, please visit www.powersweeping.org or call (888) 757-0130.

As I write this column, half the population of the U.S. has been issued stay-at-home orders due to COVID-19. During the pandemics spread, many questions have been directed at WSA from our sweeping contractor members, from “Are contractors considered essential services?” to “Can we sweep Walmarts earlier than midnight since they’re closing early?”

I’m proud to report that WSA has provided the answers to these and many other member questions, as well as provided links to informational webinars and more via a series of breaking news e-mail bulletins.

WSA also developed, in collaboration with WorldSweeper.com, the industry’s first — and most comprehensive —sweepingcentric online resource, which was provided as an effort to help all in the industry understand best practices, rights and obligations, tips for operational safety, etc. As long as the pandemic is an issue, you’ll find the frequently updated page linked at both the WorldSweeper and WSA website (www.

WorldSweepingPros.org).

However, even in normal times, the benefits of group sharing of information is invaluable. Shared knowledge will become even more important in the economy that will emerge after the COVID-19 pandemic leaves us. In its wake will emerge new varieties of "business as usual."

What have been taken as normal business practices may never be seen again.

Conversely, I expect new industry opportunities to develop, first in specific, isolated, sections of the U.S. and then, like the virus, spreading gradually to everywhere in the country.

The best way to learn about these — as well as emerging new pitfalls — is to leverage the information resources that can best be provided by membership in an industry association like WSA. Eleanor Roosevelt is famously quoted as saying we need to “Learn from the mistakes of others. You can’t live long enough to make them all yourself.”

At WSA, we look forward to continuing to lead the sweeping industry in providing the info you need to keep your business viable, now and in the years to come.

WSA contributor Ranger Kidwell-Ross has been providing information to the power sweeping industry since 1988. He is editor of WorldSweeper.com, an information resource for power sweeping, as well as founder and executive director of the World Sweeping Association. For more information about WSA visit www.WorldSweepingPros.org or contact Kidwell-Ross at director@ worldsweepingpros.org.

54 May 2020 • Pavement Maintenance & Reconstruction • www.ForConstructionPros.com/Pavement

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PCTC

Establishing a Policy on Reducing the Spread of Disease Do you have a policy to help reduce the spread of disease? Here are some PCTC recommendations to help contractors adopt best practices to prioritize their own health and the health of their communities.

PRIORITIZE EMPLOYEE WELL-BEING According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), clear communication promotes confidence in an employer’s ability to protect workers.

Instill this confidence by crafting wellness policies that allow your people to take care of themselves and urging employees to use these benefits when needed. If you can, start by offering sick days and encouraging employees not to come to work if sick.

During times of “social distancing,” consider establishing options for self-transport to and

from jobsites and, for office staff, working remotely. Allow shift- or part-time-workers to make up missed time through extra hours later.

PROVIDE ACCESS TO CREDIBLE RESOURCES Let employees know how to reduce risk of infection and promote wellness. Outline resources such as CDC and OSHA that address how workers can protect themselves and others. As an added measure, make it a standard practice to stock work trucks with tissues, disinfectant wipes, gloves, face shields, hand sanitizers and other essentials recommended by these health organizations.

Remember to use the wipes to sanitize tools and sealcoating equipment between use, as well as any personal equipment that may come in contact with clients – including

For more about PCTC visit www.pavementcouncil.org.

pens, clipboards or tablets used to obtain customer signature at the end of a project.

SEEK HONEST FEEDBACK Gaining buy-in from workers can make your plan even more successful, encouraging them to make healthy choices. Consider hosting an internal roundtable that allows your employees to share feedback, ideas and experiences, then adapt your policy to address employee needs. Ensure workers understand expectations for complying with wellness policies and to outline how you intend to enforce the plan. Professionals who convey just how seriously they take precautionary measures will have greater success in running safe, healthy and thriving businesses that employees and clients can trust.

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www.ForConstructionPros.com/Pavement • Pavement Maintenance & Reconstruction • May 2020

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55

4/20/20 2:23 PM

Contractor Snapshot

Allan Heydorn, Editor

Automated System Improves Customer Service New York’s Seal of Approval keeps in touch and makes it easy for customers to provide positive reviews

Seal of Approval does sealcoating, striping, cold patching, and hot patching using a hot box reclaimer. They run two commercial trucks and two residential trucks, with the hot box on a trailer brought out as needed.

Each truck supports a two-person crew, giving the company 8-10 people during peak season.

“WHAT SEPARATES US from our competition and has a lot to do with our growth is that we really pride ourselves on our customer service,” says Dorian Wilson, partner with Damian Wilson in Seal of Approval, Wading River, NY. “The last couple of years we made a big push to increase our presence on Google and other social media sites, and the result has been more work and a lot of five-star reviews.”

The way they’ve increased their social media presence and generated reviews is by putting in place an automated system that makes communicating with the customer simple and that keeps the customer in the work loop from beginning to end.

Started in 2007 as a residential sealcoating business, Seal of Approval has become a fullservice pavement maintenance operation, generating 60% of sales from residential work, 30% from commercial work and 10% from what Wilson terms “town work” – primarily recreational surface maintenance for local Suffolk County townships.

Automatic Customer Updates

56

Wilson says Seal of Approval wanted to become more involved with social media, but they wanted to make that involvement meaningful to the customer. So after much research, Seal of Approval put in place a system that keeps the customer informed throughout the entire process from bid through job completion, and that makes it easy for customers to review the contractor. The process – which is automated – keeps everyone in touch and makes answering customer questions and communicating schedule changes simple.

“It’s technology that really keeps the client informed and up to date on where we are in the process,” Wilson says. “We took a business that a lot of people do out of the back of a pickup truck with buckets and who write their bids by hand on a piece of paper and we upgraded it.

“At the end of the day it’s just customer service. We just want to treat people the way we would like to be treated and

when we do that, we have Seal of A p p rova l u customers who p lo a d s “b p ic tu re s e fo re ” a n and once give us great d “a ft e r” a a re a u to m jo b is c o m p le te d b o th p h o to a ti c a ll y s e n reviews.” s t to th e c li e n t.

Customers who accept a bid from Seal of almost immediately. They Approval receive an immediate don’t have to call in.” text message and e-mail thanking them, confirming the bid Wilson says all trucks are details and providing the date equipped with GPS, which is tied and time the job will be done. directly into the customer com“It’s just like when you munications system. When a schedule an appointment at crew is finished with a job, they the doctor’s office. You get simply click a “finished” button in a confirmation with all the their system. The system then caldetails,” Wilson says. “We culates the distance from that job know people’s time is importo the next one, factors in traffic, tant to them and we don’t and sends an e-mail and text to want them wondering what the next customer, telling them day we’re going to show up Seal of Approval will be there in and we don’t want them sit“X” minutes. ting there waiting all day for us to show up. So, we give them Generating Reviews a date and a time within the When Seal of Approval arrives hour when we’ll be there.” at a job, one of the first things And that’s just the first step they do is take a “before” picin the process. Twenty-four ture. When the job is done they hours before the scheduled take an “after” picture and start, the system automatiupload both to their system. cally sends another e-mail and When the job is closed out, text message reminding the the system automatically sends customer of the date and time both pictures to the customer. and asking them to respond. If Beneath the photos are links to they don’t respond they receive all of Seal of Approval’s social a phone call. To make it even media sites, making it easy for easier for customers, e-mails customers to click and leave a contain a message board where review and rate the contractor. customers can communicate “We don’t actively seek if they have any concerns or if reviews, we just do high-quality they just need to change the work and provide a very good date of the work. customer experience,” Wilson “All they have to do is type says. “Then we make it easy for in the message board and send them to review us if they want it to us and they get a response to.”

May 2020 • Pavement Maintenance & Reconstruction • www.ForConstructionPros.com/Pavement

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PAVEMENT Published by AC Business Media.

201 N. Main Street | Fort Atkinson, WI 53538 800.538-5544 • www.ACBusinessMedia.com www.ForConstructionPros.com/Pavement Editorial Office: Allan Heydorn, 2339 Stratford, Westchester, IL 60154 (920)-542-1302 | Fax: (920) 542-1133 | aheydorn@ACBusinessMedia.com PUBLICATION STAFF: Publisher: Amy Schwandt Associate Publisher: Cathy Somers Editor/Conference Manager: Allan Heydorn Art Director: April Van Etten Ad Production Manager: Patti Brown Sr. Audience Development Manager: Wendy Chady Audience Development Manager: Angela Franks ADVERTISING SALES: (800) 538-5544 Tom Lutzke, Eric Servais, Sean Dunphy, Amy Schwandt, Erica Finger, Denise Singsime, Kris Flitcroft FORCONSTRUCTIONPROS.COM WEBSITE: Digital Operations Manager: Nick Raether Director of Digital Strategy: Joel Franke Editor: Larry Stewart Managing Editor: Kimberly Hegeman CHANGE OF ADDRESS & SUBSCRIPTIONS PO Box 3257, Northbrook, IL 60065-3257, Phone: (877) 201-3915 Fax: 847-291-4816 • circ.pavement@omeda.com REPRINTS Denise Singsime at (800) 538-5544 ext. 1245 dsingsime@ACBusinessMedia.com.

LIST RENTAL Jeff Moriarty, SVP, Business & Media Solutions, Infogroup Phone: (518) 339-4511 • Email: jeff.moriarty@infogroup.com AC BUSINESS MEDIA INC.: Chief Executive Officer: Barry Lovette Chief Financial Officer: JoAnn Breuchel Chief Digital Officer: Kris Heineman Chief Revenue Officer: Amy Schwandt VP Audience Development: Ronda Hughes Director of Digital Operations & IT: Nick Raether Director of Digital Strategy: Joel Franke Group Content Director: Jon Minnick ADVISORY BOARD: Agua Trucks Inc., Wickenburg, AZ, Scott Duscher Asphalt Contractors Inc., Union Grove, WI: Robert Kordus Asphalt Restoration Technology Systems, Orlando, FL: Connie Lorenz Brahney Paving, Hillsborough, NJ: Steven Brahney Eosso Brothers Paving; Hazlet, NJ: Tom Eosso Maul Paving/Concrete/Sealcoating, PLainfield, IL: Chris Maul Pacific Sweeping, San Marcos, CA: Lee Miller Parking Lot Maintenance, Lake St. Louis, MO: Todd Bruening Petra Paving, Hampstead, NH: Chris Tammany Pioneer Paving, Albuquerque, NM: Don Rooney Robert Liles Parking Lot Service, Tyler, TX: Robert Liles Roberts Traffic, Hollywood, FL: Lisa Birchfield Roccie’s Asphalt Paving, Stamford, CT: Vincent Engongoro Show Striping Inc. (SSI), Wisconsin Dells, WI: Amber Showalter T&N Asphalt Services, Salt Lake City, UT: Nick Howell The Rabine Group, Schaumburg, IL: Gary Rabine Young Sealcoating Inc, Lynchburg, VA: Steve Young ASSOCIATION REPRESENTATIVES: Pavement Coatings Technology Council: Anne LeHuray, Executive Director

Index Advertiser Index

PAGE

Auto Loc Transport Systems

31

B & E Seal Coat Products Inc.

26

Billy Goat

28

Buffalo Turbine

30

Calculated Industries

37

Carlson an Astec Industries Company

59

Crafco Preservation Product Inc.

13

DTC

30

Elgin

25

EZ Liner

31

Graco

2

Hog Technologies

29

Keystone

28

Keystone Engineering

26

LaserLine Manufacturing Inc.

34

LeeBoy

11

Limntech Scientific Inc.

34

Mesabi

30

MRL Equipment Company Inc.

33

Neal a Division of Blastcrete Equip.

19

Neyra

27

Newstripe Inc.

26

N. I. Wilson Mfg. Co. Inc.

31

RAE

32

Rubberform Recycled Products LLC

55

Schwarze Industries

5

SealMaster

60

Skip-Line LLC

12

Star

6

Stepp Mfg.

32

Tymco

40

Unique Paving Materials Corp.

35

Weiler

9

Wirtgen America Inc.

7

Get fast, relevant product information in the Buyers Guide at

ForConstructionPros.com

www.ForConstructionPros.com/Pavement • Pavement Maintenance & Reconstruction • May 2020

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Tailgate Talk | Brad Humphrey

What’s a Contractor to Do…with COVID-19?

OK, YOU HAVE heard all the same prevention steps I’ve heard regarding slowing down and eventually stopping this incredible virus that has seemingly taken over the world. I’m not being sarcastic, the more I learn about this incredible “enemy,” it’s no wonder that our political leaders, including our president, have called this time, a war.

But what sort of war do we want to fight? If we want to fight a war such as the Vietnam War, or more recently, the “war” in Afghanistan, are we willing to stretch this COVID-19 War some eight, 10, even 12 years or more?

Instead, do we want to go the route of the war with Iraq, when in less than almost a few days, General Norman Schwarzkopf led the U.S. Troops to completely take out the Iraqi military?

Well, as contractors, we don’t fight wars of the kind mentioned above. But we have a war of sorts in battling against the potential that customer might hold back a bit from making business decisions about maintaining their property.

Let’s take a few steps toward addressing this reality for many contractors, who are simply trying to keep their companies alive during this questionable time period.

1. Remember, Many Customers Have Moved to Working Remotely Many organizations have

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recommended, if not required, their workers to work remotely from their home. For contractors, this might mean that the property manager, who hasn’t been to their office in one or more weeks, is still answering the phone.

Don’t stop the calling… they are simply doing more of their work via their cell phone, Skype, Facetime, etc.

2. Look to Keep Your Own Workers Healthy…Practice Smart Healthy Guidelines Since most states, to date, appear to be including construction as an essential service, this doesn’t mean that suddenly our entire industry is completely immune from the virus. As much as possible, put the 5-10 people in a confined area into practice, encourage the guys not to stand right over other workers, wash the hands, etc. If your workers complain about symptoms that eerily sound like the flu, or the COVID-19 Virus…get them to stay home, if not get tested.

You simply can’t take the chance that one, or more workers, might have the virus and stand the chance to infect others. No workers…no work!

3. Keep a Vigilant Watch Over Workers in the Critical Categories Any of your workers, office or field, who fit any

of the “at risk” descriptions, be extra cautious about their working.

Older employees, and our industry still has many, those in the mid-to-late sixties (and up), are easy to address. However, even some of our younger workers, should they have serious ailments, such as asthma, can be at great risk if they get the virus.

As we know, our industry has its share of workers, some whom have not taken great care of themselves over the years.

Such past behavior will not miraculously change now; encourage all your workers to “cool it” on the drinking, smoking, partying, etc. as these efforts can put them, and others at risk.

4. Remind Customers that Your Crews are “Essential” Some of your customers may actually think that since they are down, that you are too. Call them and let them know that there is a reason why most state government, modeling the national focus, have deemed construction as an essential, therefore, an allowed industry to work. Why? Because maintaining the infrastructure and costs associated with construction is less expensive now, than waiting another year to fix cracks, deteriorating

parking lots, badly fading handicap parking markers, etc. Plus, with our 90% of our work, or higher, being completed outside, the risk to catch the virus is greatly reduced due to our workers being spread out across a job site.

Stay atop of the warnings and guidelines that our health professionals put out. Unless you have a medical background, demonstrate prudent decision making in how you treat your workers and how the public views your own behavior. This is not the time to be cavalier, stepping out and taking unneeded risks.

The potential consequences are simply too high.

If ever the term “Work Smart” fit a time, that time is now!

Work Smart…and Wash Your Hands!

Brad Humphrey, Pavecon’s Vice President of Human Resources & Employee Development, is known throughout the industry as The Contractor’s Best Friend. In addition to reading Brad’s articles and subscribing to his e-newsletter, be sure to listen to The Contractor’s Best Friend podcasts, sponsored by Caterpillar and AC Business Media at www. forconstructionpros.com.

May 2020 • Pavement Maintenance & Reconstruction • www.ForConstructionPros.com/Pavement

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