ACPA Concrete Pavement Progress Quarter 3 2020

Concrete Pavement Progress www.acpa.org A C P A N E W S 16 ONE OF THE FIRST, MOST IMMEDIATE NEEDS FOR CONCRETE PAVEMENT contractors in the spring of 2020 was quickly putting in place processes and strategies to protect employees’ health while continuing to work. In addi- tion to finding masks and hand sanitizers, developing cleaning protocols, and rearranging office space and jobsites to allow for social distancing, contractors quickly became experienced with a variety of tools, technology, and processes that some experts expect to become the “norm” in the industry moving forward. Although construction was deemed an essential service inmost areas, the impact on project starts and funding for future jobs varies from state to state. InColorado, a number of landside projects at the Denver International Airport were canceled or delayed as air traffic and airport revenue decreased, but Colorado DOT projects for which funds were already allocated moved ahead as planned, says Angela James Folkestad, P.E., executive director of the Colorado/Wyoming chapter of ACPA. “Even though the state is still letting bids for future projects, we don’t know what will the overall impact will be because state revenue has dropped dramatically and the state is looking for alternative sources and mechanisms of funding for the multi-year projects that have already been awarded.” New York State has a projected budget deficit of $13 billion for fiscal year 2020 due, in large part, to COVID-19, says Bill Cuerdon, ACPA-New York State chapter executive director. The budget shortfall and shutdown of state offices has him concerned about the pavement letting program— specifically, concrete pavement lettings—and the ability to meet with executives at agencies. “Our ability to promote concrete paving has been compromised due to the inability to meet with executives,” says Cuerdon. “I imagine that they have their own internal management challenges.” The combination of management challenges, em- ployees working remotely, and gear up of consistent video technology has hampered efforts to initiate conversations, he says. “Projects that are under- way seem to be funded and there have been no problems meeting with construction teams and folks at the technical level.” Some of the practices put into place on jobsites, such as one person to a truck, which increases fuel use and one person to a hotel room increase the cost of doing business. As contractors re-visit projects that they will begin in the future, these extra expenses, whichmay continue for an unknown time, will have to be considered. How the 2020 Pandemic Might Change the Concrete Pavement Industry By Sheryl S. Jackson “Our ability to promote concrete paving has been compromised due to the inability to meet with executives.”