APAM NEWS
Volume 11, Issue 3 June 23, 2016
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Save the Date! APAM 10th Annual Scholarship Fund Golf Outing
Wednesday, August 17, 2016 is the date! Bucks Run Golf Club, 1559 South Chippewa Road, Mt. Pleasant, Michigan is the place! This is a gorgeous course and we have a really good time socializing/networking with our industry friends and associates! 100% of the proceeds go to awarding scholarships to those that are pursuing an education in the Asphalt Pavement or Construction Industry. Click here to register and view sponsorship opportunities. Hope to see you on the course.
APAM Website is Under Construction
We appreciate your patience while we work on revamping our website. We hope to be fully operational soon! In the meantime, if you have any issues trying to access something please contact Beth. Thank you.
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Roads Innovation Task Force Report Published
The MDOT Roads Innovation Task Force Report has been posted on the MDOT website.
The Report was required by Public Act 175 of 2015 which directed the Department to form an internal task force to create a comprehensive public report that does all of the following (in part):
1. Evaluates road materials and construction methods that, when implemented, could
allow the Department to build high-quality roads that last longer than those
typically constructed by the Department, with a goal of roads lasting at least 50
years, higher quality roads, and reduced maintenance costs.
2. Focuses on materials and processes that may cost more in initial up-front spending
but that still produce life-cycle construction and maintenance savings.
3. Focuses on longer-term time frames that seek to maximize value to the taxpayers on a total cost basis.
The Report's Conclusion on pg. 4 states:
"Based on current funding levels, including the new revenues provided by the Legislature beginning in 2017, MDOT would not be able to construct these long life pavements and sustain 2015 level pavement condition. The following graph depicts the impact to the state trunkline condition level based on current practices (standard 20-year design life) and proposed 30- and 50-year design life. Trunkline pavement condition will decline in each scenario but will decline more under the proposed 30- and 50-year design life scenarios."
Engineering Operations Committee Minutes
Item 3. Project Pavement Designs/Interim Pavement Design Procedure
"The EOC directed that all life-cycled reconstruction projects be designed using the Mechanistic-Empirical (ME) pavement design method as of March 2015. Subsequent to this decision, errors have been identified with certain models in the ME design software. Recently, the ME software was updated from version 2.0 to 2.2 to correct the errors".
"The EOC directs that all new projects utilize the AASHTO 1993 pavement design procedure. The use of AASHTO 1993 will be contingent upon concurrence from the FHWA Michigan Division office. The EOC will determine, at a future meeting, when the ME pavement design procedure will be reinstituted subsequent to additional research on the concrete ride quality model. "
For more details and additional discussion see the minutes.
Item 4. The use of a Design-Build contracting approach on I-75 in North Region.
Route/Location: I-75, Arenac County Line to Cook Road, Ogemaw County.
"Alternate pavement bidding was previously approved by the EOC in April 2015."
Item 2. Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA) Material Transfer Device (MTD) Usage Policy
The policy on the use of an MTD was established at the October 1, 2009 EOC meeting.
"There are two (2) major issues related to the current policy:
a. The Asphalt Pavement Association of Michigan requested clarification on the definition of a limited access route.
b. Current policy does not allow for use on shoulders paved in a separate operation. This prevented the Grand Region from using an MTD on a project where they wanted to require an MTD to limit shoulder traffic on a job with poor shoulder conditions." "ACTION: Returned to the Hot Mix Asphalt Operations Committee (HMAOC) for
clarification and industry input. Parameters will need to be established for shoulder
conditions that warrant the use of an MTD in order to minimize impacts from construction equipment. A definition of limited access routes will also be included as part of the clarification." For more details and additional discussion see the minutes.
Items 7 & 8. Pavement Selections
Route/Location: M-59, East of M-53 to Hayes Road, Macomb County
Route/Location: US-23: from the M-14 Tri-Level to M-36, Washtenaw & Livingston
EOC approved the selection of the Asphalt Alternative for both projects.
MDOT System Operations Advisories
SOA 2016-02 Fluorescent Sheeting Implementation
The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) has been working with MITA and its industry partners on the use of a 6-inch wide angle prismatic lens reflective sheeting for reflectorizing reboundable traffic control devices such as drums and 42-inch channelizing devices. A "phase-in" period schedule is detailed in the advisory. Click on link above to view document.
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View this video to see why Asphalt is your best choice for a sustainable pavement.
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APAM Welcomes New Member
Asphalt Plus, LLC. is an affiliate of CBL Industrial Services, an international specialty chemical and equipment manufacturing concern headquartered near Chicago, IL. CBL is a pioneer, an innovator and leader in the development of sustainability solutions for a wide range of industrial and public service organizations. Asphalt Plus manufactures and markets an engineered crumb rubber for use in modified asphalt production.
The company contact information is:
Asphalt Plus, LCC Redmond Clark, President 760A Industrial Drive Cary, IL 60013 847.639.1176
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EPA TRI Reporting Reminder
On July 1, EPA's annual Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) reports are due. Although, the majority of asphalt plants are not subject to TRI reporting, it is highly recommended that plants conduct an annual review and document a facility's rationale for not reporting. Two triggers may require an individual asphalt plant to report: more than 10 full-time employee equivalents (FTE) and a specific, self-identified designation under the U.S. Census Bureau's NAICS system. Most likely, facilities that filed the report last year are required to file again. For facilities that are unsure of their reporting obligations, have increased their facility employee counts above 10 FTEs, and/or have shifted FOB sales to above 50 percent, NAPA recommends having a company representative view NAPA's webinar on the subject.
NAPA Live, On-Demand Webinars Free to Members, Government Personnel, Educators
NAPA webinars provide an easy way to stay informed about important issues facing the industry, and to expand your technical and industry knowledge. Webinars
are free to NAPA members, government personnel, educators, and students. Many webinars also include an opportunity to earn professional development hours (PDHs). For details, visit www.AsphaltPavement.org/webinar
Upcoming Webinars
* A Practical Approach to Managing Density - Thursday, Aug. 11, 2 p.m. EDT
* Specialization in Asphalt Sustainability Implementation Series: Recycled Materials: RAP and RAS - Thursday, Sept. 1, 2 p.m. EDT
* New and Traditional Marketing to Get Business NOW in the Asphalt Industry - Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2 p.m. EDT
Visit the archive to access past webinars. NAPA has 40+ archived webinars in the online store that you can view on your own schedule. Topics include "Basics of Durable Asphalt Pavements," the "Best Practices in Paving" series, "Introduction to Asphalt Cracking Tests," "Leadership, Communication & Planning in Paving Operations," "MnDOT's Experience with Thermal Profiling," and more.
Asphalt Pavement Magazine - July/August 2016
The digital edition of Asphalt Pavement magazine is now available. Click here. Check out the "Industry News" articles for the latest developments and the other articles including "Creating a Sustainability Program"
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Survey on Rapid Construction / Production
FHWA's Asphalt Mix Expert Task Group has requested that we solicit input from contractors on rapid construction/production practices. We would appreciate it if you could please take a few minutes to complete the survey linked below.
Survey of Rapid Production/Construction: The Louisiana Transportation Research Center is compiling information for FHWA's Asphalt Mix Expert Task Group, through this survey questionnaire, on the use and implementation of new methods/procedures being utilized to speed both the production of asphalt mixtures and the construction of asphalt pavement, as well as improve in-place pavement quality. The results of this questionnaire will be used to create a database on current practices and needs and prepare a white paper. The approximate completion time for the survey is 15 minutes. Your cooperation is greatly appreciated! |
Tack Coat Best Practices Tech Brief Released
The U.S. Federal Highway Administration has released the tech brief "Tack Coat Best Practices," which provides an overview of tack coats, their vital role in bonding multiple asphalt layers, a literature review, best practices, costs, and how to calculate application rates.
NCAT Spring Newsletter Available
The National Center for Asphalt Technology has published their spring 2016 newsletter. Featured is an article addressing in-place density's impact on improving durability and extending service life of asphalt pavements. Also highlighted is state highway agencies local calibration efforts for the Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide (MEPDG) and New Criteria Recommendations for Designing Perpetual Pavements.
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NAPA Mid Year Meeting, July 18-20, 2016, Seattle, WA
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