APAM NEWS
Volume 9, Issue 7 November 26, 2014
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Happy Thanksgiving from the APAM Staff: John, Chuck & Beth. Enjoy time with your family and friends! Please note that the office will be closed Thursday and Friday for the Holiday.
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APAM/MDOT Annual Holiday Banquest and Presentation of the 2014 Asphalt Paving Awards
Thursday, December 11, 2014 at the Kellogg Hotel & Conference Center, East Lansing. Click for Member Signup. Member registration deadline is Tuesday, December 2, 2014.
59th Annual Asphalt Paving Conference
Please note that due to a scheduling conflict, we have changed our conference dates! The new dates our
April 21-22, 2015 at the Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort, Mt. Pleasant, Michigan. Hope to see you there!
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MDOT Spec change to Fine Graded Mixes
As part of APAM's quality improvement initiative with MDOT, changes have been made to the Superpave final aggregate blend requirements. These changes will effectively make all top and leveling course Superpave mixes fine-graded mixes.
Click Here to view the special provision that contains the changes (highlighted) by MDOT to require fine-graded mixes for top and leveling.
Here is an overview of the changes:
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Removed the restricted zone (and footnotes referencing it in tables 902-5 and 902-6 of the standard specification)
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Raised the limits of the percent passing the no. 8 sieve (Table 902-5)
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For 5 mixes, the lower limit for the no. 8 sieve has been moved up from 32 to 47%.
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For 4 mixes, the lower limit for the no. 8 sieve has been moved up from 28 to 39%.
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For 3 mixes, used as leveling, the lower limit for the no. 8 sieve has been moved up from 23 to 35%.
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For 3 mixes, used as base, no change
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Set the fine aggregate angularity for E3 mixes used as top and leveling at 43 minimum (Table 902-6)
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Corrected table 902-6 heading for LA Abrasion to read "maximum" % Loss
This special provision has been posted on the MDOT website, and will be effective with the January 9th, 2015 letting.
MDOT's Mi Drive Site is now a Free App for Motorists
Novemebr 14, 2014--Just in time for the winter and holiday driving, the Michigan Department of Transportation's (MDOT) popular Mi Drive traffic information website is now available as an app. Available free for iPhones, iPads and Android phones and tablets, the new app offers real-time road and traffic information, including incidents, lane closures, work zones, message boards, camera views, and weather-related road conditions on I, M and US routes across the state. MDOT has posted a video on its YouTube channel showing the new app in action.
"We are responding to popular demand," said State Transportation Director Kirk T. Steudle. "As MDOT continues to do more work with less, we understand that time is money for busy travelers. Motorists liked the mobile version of the Mi Drive site but what they really wanted was an app."
MDOT Construction Advisories
CA 2014-11 Uniform Price Adjustment - Regular Dry Paint and Low Temperature Waterborne Paint
This construction advisory is to notify field staff of a uniform price adjustment when regular dry or low temperature waterborne paint is substituted for waterborne paint due to seasonal limitations.
CA 2014-12 Alternate to Geotextile Silt Fence
The purpose of this construction advisory is to provide clarification on the frequently used Special Provision for Sediment Filter Fence, 12SP208(B). The Special Provision for Sediment Filter Fence is included in all projects that
have the pay item, Erosion Control, Silt Fence.
CA 2014-13 Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Subcontracting The purpose of this construction advisory is to provide clarification on the requirement for approval when replacing or removing a Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Company.
July EOC Minutes Released
The minutes from the July 10th MDOT Engineering Operations Committee have been recently released. MDOT has released a provision for clarifications and limitation for CMCG (Construction Manager/General Contractor) projects. They have also approved a guide document for Design-Build projects.
Click Here to view the July 10, 2014 EOC minutes.
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NAPA Webinar Series
Title: Aggregate Management for Asphalt Plants
Date: December 11, 2014, 2:30-4:30 pm EST
Speaker: Dale S. Decker
Ninety-five percent of an asphalt mixture consists of aggregate. Once the aggregate is produced, proper handling of the material is critical to ensuring the uniformity of the asphalt mixture. This session focuses on proper aggregate handling techniques. Well-known asphalt industry educator Dale Decker shares his 35 years of knowledge working with the leading asphalt companies in the U.S. on the tried and true practices that produce the best results.
Who Should Attend: Producers, Plant Managers, and Quality Control Managers
When: Thursday, Dec.11, 2014 (2:30-4:30 pm EST)
Cost: $85 NAPA Members and $125 Non-members (to see the member discount code, you must be logged in to the NAPA website)
Register: Click here to register
2 PDHs are available for this webinar upon successful completion of the post-webinar test.
Read Asphalt Pavement Online
Features include work zone safety; lighting best practices; a look at how NAPA members modify their practices for cold weather construction; the Annual Meeting preview; and a Q&A with T. Boone Pickens, NAPA's 2015 Annual Meeting's closing keynote speaker.
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NCAT Report Offers Layers Coefficient Guidance 
A new report from NCAT outlines how to recalibrate the structural asphalt layer coefficient in the AASHTO 1993 Design Guide to better match modern pavement performance. Although newer mechanistic-empirical design methods have been developed, empirical design methods, primarily based on AASHTO 93, are still widely used. However, it is commonly recognized that the AASHTO 93 design method tends to result in an overdesign of pavement thicknesses for high traffic levels, which can add unnecessarily to the cost of a pavement.
The PaveXpress web-based pavement scoping tool allows users to put NCAT's guidance to use by changing the layer coefficient in the design of a flexible pavement to match a recalibrated layer coefficient. Both the NCAT report and PaveXpress were developed with funding from NAPA and the state asphalt pavement associations through the Pavement Economics Committee.
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Upcoming Training
OHMPA's Fall Asphalt Seminar - Tuesday, December 9, 2014
Ontario Asphalt's fall seminar is North America's largest single-day asphalt educational seminar. This seminar will provide attendees with a great opportunity to meet industry experts from across North America, to network with industry leaders and road owners, and learn how asphalt is paving the way for the future. Click to view the Brochure and registration information.
Ferris State University - Institute for Construction Education and Training (ICET)
ICET currently offers technician training programs in cooperation with the Michigan Department of Transportation for the following certification programs:
*Certified Aggregate Technician Level One
*Certified Aggregate Technician Level Two
*Certified Hot Mix Asphalt Lab Technician Level One
*Certified Density Control Technician
*Certified Hot Mix Asphalt Paving Operations Technician
*Certified Hot Mix Asphalt QC/QA Technician
Classes for the 2015 season are now open for registration. Click here.
2015 MDOT Certification Training for Superpave Asphalt Mix Designers Course
This certification course is required for Mix Designers who submit MDOT designs.
Date: March 23-26, 2015
Location: Horatio S. Earle Center (Formally MDOT Secondary Center)
7575 Crowner Drive, Dimondale, MI.
For flyer and registration information, click here.
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Steve Davis
We are sad to inform you of the passing of Steve Davis, longtime employee of Central Asphalt, Inc. on Wednesday, October 29, 2014.
Steve began his career with Central Asphalt, Inc. in 1984, and was their Asphalt Plant Manager for the last 15 years. He retired this past winter. Steve was a Vietnam veteran having proudly served in the United States Navy aboard the USS Hornet. Steve will be dearly missed. View obituary
Patricia Schafer
Pat Schafer was a longtime MDOT employee, who APAM has worked with for many years, passed away November 15, 2014 from a long battle with cancer. For the last several years Pat served as the Manager of the Pavement Management Section of the Construction Field Services division. View obituary
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APAM's 59th Annual Asphalt Paving Conference April 21-22, 2015, Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort, Mt. Pleasant, Michigan.
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