A PUBLICATION OF THE VIRGINIA ASPHALT ASSOCIATION // FALL & WINTER ISSUE 2024 PLUS Not All Aggregates Are the Same Unlocking its Friction Potential Bringing Home More Hardware Virginia’s Latest Perpetual Pavement Winner More Than Meets the Eye Understanding LCCA and LCA
Fall/Winter 2024 INSIDE THIS ISSUE Visit vaasphalt.org and follow us on Facebook and LinkedIn for up to date industry and association news. COLUMNS 06 CHAIRMAN’S PERSPECTIVE 08 PRESIDENT’S PERSPECTIVE DEPARTMENTS 30 VAA 2024 PARTNERS 31 AFFILIATE MEMBER SPOTLIGHT: ASPHALT TESTING SOLUTIONS & ENGINEERING, LLC 31 AFFILIATE MEMBER SPOTLIGHT: RELIABLE ASPHALT PRODUCTS, INC. NOT ALL AGGREGATES ARE THE SAME 10 VDOT is developing criteria for evaluating the polishing characteristics of aggregates used in surface asphalt mixtures in a laboratory setting. MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE 12 A comprehensive LCCA requires considering all factors, not just the cost. BRINGING HOME MORE HARDWARE 18 Virginia wins a Perpetual Pavement by Design award for I-66 Outside the Beltway Express Lanes project. BACK TO BASICS: MILLING FOR QUALITY 22 Milling can be the unsung hero or the root of all evil. BACK TO BASICS: CONTROLLING STOCKPILE MOISTURE 24 Aggregate moisture measurement and its impacts on environmental product declarations (EPDs). ROLLING OUT THE GREEN CARPET 26 ES&H HAS HIT ITS STRIDE 27 LEAD: WE’RE PASSIONATE ABOUT OUR MISSION 28 VIRGINIA ASPHALT A PUBLICATION OF THE VIRGINIA ASPHALT ASSOCIATION 7814 Carousel Lane, Suite 310 Richmond, VA 23294 Phone: (804) 288-3169 Email: [email protected] OFFICERS Chairman Bobby Hedrick Vice Chairman Tim Boone Secretary David Branscome, Jr. Treasurer Buddy League Immediate Past Chair David White Immediate Immediate Past Chair Chris Blevins Directors Ken Arthur; Danny Bartges; David Branscome, Sr.; Ed Dalrymple, Jr.; David Horton; Harry King; C.R. Langhorne III; Ben Miller; Lonnie Minson; Rob Schwear; Blair Williamson STAFF President Trenton M. Clark, PE Vice President David T. Lee, PE Director Mike C. Dudley Administration Caroline R. Fahed Member Relations Specialist Tigre J. Fortune DESIGN & ADVERTISING Advertising Sales: Ronnie Jacko Design & Layout: Jon Cannon ©2024 Virginia Asphalt Association All rights reserved. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced by any means, in whole or in part, without the prior written consent of the publisher. PUBLISHED NOVEMBER 2024 VAASPHALT.ORG 05
It is an exciting time to be involved with the Virginia Asphalt Association as we evolve to address ever-changing concerns and challenges faced by the asphalt industry. Our Environmental Safety and Health Committee (ES&H) is at the forefront, working with government agencies to stay ahead of the permitting processes and the more stringent regulations the industry must comply with daily. Then there are the EPDs (Environmental Product Declarations). We all know they’re coming, but we must continue collecting data to ensure the regulations developed are realistic and attainable. Every industry is challenged to reduce its carbon footprint, and our ES&H Committee is helping lead the way for the asphalt industry. We have an enthusiastic and energetic Leadership Engagement and Development Committee (LEAD) that helps organize and promote VAA events, develop innovative options to improve work zone safety and create a mentor program for the association. LEAD is instrumental to the success of VAA and our industry since they are the future. I am excited to see what ideas come out of this committee as they continue to evolve and relate to the next-generation workforce. Our Legislative Committee is continuing to navigate its way through uncharted waters as VAA is only a couple of years into lobbying efforts. Fortunately, we have skilled committee members who have been involved in lobbying through other associations. This past February, we had our first VAA day at the Virginia State Legislature. Members met with delegates to enlighten them about the asphalt industry and extend invitations to our plant facilities. Legislators need to hear our story firsthand. We are the largest recycling industry in the country, and we need to ensure that it is heard. The Education Committee has developed a Build Your Future (BYF) Scholarship to accompany the Richard J. Shreck Scholarship awarded over the years. BYF aims to offer financial assistance to employees pursuing credentials in welding, electrical, diesel mechanics, or heavy equipment operators who are already in our industry or interested in obtaining a career in construction. We continue to educate and train our workforce through opportunities with the Virginia Education Center for Asphalt Technology (VECAT) and working with CHAIRMAN’S PERSPECTIVE Learn from the Past, Plan, and Live in the Moment Bobby Hedrick, Director of Asphalt Operations, Branscome local community colleges and the Virginia Infrastructure Academy. Women of Asphalt is growing, but we can still do more to advocate and foster relationships for women working in the asphalt industry. Our industry has some spectacular women working as truck drivers, plant operators, paver operators, lab technicians, accountants, sales representatives, and senior management. Although women are a minority in construction, we have many success stories that need to be heard as we continue to support and promote women in our industry. We have a lot of exciting, positive developments in the asphalt industry, but we also need to continue to address threats. It’s human nature to worry about all the challenges and changes that life throws at us. One quote I have tried to practice over the years to help calm some of the anxiety is, “There is no need to worry. If you can’t control something, don’t worry about it; if you can control it, do something about it.” As you have read above, there are plenty of opportunities for members to get involved in determining the industry’s future. You only get out of the association what you put into it, so I challenge you to engage. As we learn from the past, plan the future, and live in the moment. It’s human nature to worry about all the challenges and changes that life throws at us. One quote I have tried to practice over the years to help calm some of the anxiety is, “There is no need to worry. If you can’t control something, don’t worry about it; if you can control it, do something about it.”
Before you get too excited about the title of my message in this edition of Virginia Asphalt magazine, I am not going anywhere, at least at the time of writing this article. Still, I do serve at the pleasure of the board! Those who know me well know I have a problem with patience and sitting still. I have not improved with age, like a fine bourbon or wine but instead have gotten worse. I find sitting behind a desk all day to be torture. Excluding the company, a five- or six-hour round of golf is brutal. Doing something because we have always done it seems self-defeating. Do you ask yourself the fundamental question—why are we doing this? I do. And I require my staff to do the same. If that question cannot be answered, it’s re-examined. Time is finite, as is our time to make a difference, or at least try to make a difference. We all have a purpose! Each year, VAA staff retreat to a location in Virginia and spend quality time together, away from the hectic office setting. With staff scattered across the Commonwealth, we see each other virtually more often than we see each other in person. A retreat brings us together unless a personal reason prevents someone from attending (i.e., David’s back or Caroline’s cat). One focus of the retreat is to ask that fundamental question—why are we doing this [activity]? The litmus test is simple—does our activity fulfill VAA’s Mission and Vision? If the activity does, then how can we do it better? If it doesn’t, then there better be an excellent reason for us to spend finite time on that activity. Then, there is the tougher situation—the activity does support the mission and vision of VAA, but should it be continued? In business terms, what is the Return on Investment for that activity? All activities involve a cost, but how do we measure the benefits? During this year’s VAA Board of Directors strategic retreat, staff presented several recommendations developed during the August staff retreat. Potential improvements to the future Mid-Atlantic Asphalt Expo and Safety Summit were presented. PRESIDENT’S PERSPECTIVE Time for a Change Trenton M. Clark, P.E., President, Virginia Asphalt Association We outlined our thoughts on a possible 2026 Asphalt Seminars and Paving Symposium. And we recommended sunsetting Virginia Asphalt magazine after the Fall/ Winter 2024 edition. This was a tough recommendation to make. VAA has published this magazine for nearly a decade in one form or another. We have been blessed to have members, industry, VTRC, and VDOT partners in the production of this twice-a-year magazine. After each edition is released, we receive positive feedback on the articles. But those who produce magazines like Virginia Asphalt know they are time-consuming. The costs of magazine printing are increasing, and the revenue is decreasing. And while we get positive feedback, is there a way we can share this information more effectively? We believe the answer to that last question is “yes.” So, it is time to change how we share all the great things happening in Virginia. Technology is evolving, and so are we. Stay tuned. In closing, we truly appreciate all the partners and readers of Virginia Asphalt. It was a hard decision, but it was the right decision. Stay safe. The litmus test is simple—does our activity fulfill VAA’s Mission and Vision? If the activity does, then how can we do it better? If it doesn’t, then there better be an excellent reason for us to spend finite time on that activity. 08 FALL/WINTER 2024
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Trenton M. Clark, P.E., President, Virginia Asphalt Association More Than Meets the Eye: Understanding LCCA and LCA I-81 Perpetual Pavement Award Winner 12 FALL/WINTER 2024
implications on the traveling public and economy. Assumptions on future maintenance activities and cycles must be made in all instances. Where or how are these assumptions made? NEW TERM ON THE BLOCK, LCA While LCCA has been used for decades, Life-Cycle Assessment, or LCA, in a transportation infrastructure context is relatively new. Think of LCA as LCCA with an environmental twist. Per the European Environment Agency (www.eea.europa.eu), LCA is: “a process of evaluating the effects that a product has on the environment over the entire period of its life, thereby increasing resource-use efficiency and decreasing liabilities.” So, where LCCA is looking at the initial and long-term costs of constructing, maintaining, and rehabilitating an asset, LCA looks at the environmental components in much the same way. What materials are used to construct an asset such as pavement, and what are their associated environmental impacts? For asphalt pavement construction, the components are raw materials, transportation, production, and paving operations. During the life of the pavement, what materials are used for maintenance and resurfacing, what continues on page 14 △ Unlike buildings, dams, or other civil engineering structures, highway transportation assets can be challenging due to numerous unknowns. Bridges and pavements are designed based on structural performance life. Today, many bridges are designed for a 100-year life. When the interstate system construction began in the 1950s and 1960s, bridges were designed to last 50 years. Many of those bridges are being replaced or substantially rehabilitated. Can engineers take what those 50-year-old bridges have taught us and translate it into today’s 100-year designs? This uncertainty highlights the need for continuous improvement and innovation in our design and construction processes. Like bridges, the early pavements on the interstate system were based on 20-year traffic projections using the common construction materials of the day—asphalt concrete and jointed concrete pavement. By reviewing current records, we can see how many pavements that were constructed early in the interstate system period are still in place. Many asphalt pavement sections around the U.S. and Virginia are still performing. They may not have the original surface, but routine maintenance has restored their functional characteristics and, in some instances, increased their structural capacity. Many miles of pavement have been in service for 50 or 60 years, two and a half or three times longer than ever designed. This longevity and the lessons we can learn from it should be reflected in an LCCA, emphasizing the value of historical data in enhancing our initial designs. COMMON DEFINITION FOR LCCA The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has promoted using LCCA on projects for several decades. Per the FHWA website: “FHWA promotes Life-Cycle Cost Analysis (LCCA) as an engineering economic analysis tool that allows transportation officials to quantify the differential costs of alternative investment options for a given project. LCCA can be used to study either new construction projects or to examine preservation strategies for existing transportation assets.” Chapter 3 of the 1993 “Guide for the Design of Pavement Structures” is devoted to economic analysis in project selection. Factors such as initial cost, analysis period, maintenance schedules, salvage value, and discount rate are outlined. In 1998, FHWA issued an interim guidance document on “Life-Cycle Cost Analysis in Pavement Design.” Since then, many probabilistic and deterministic cost analysis tools have been developed. In recent years, tools such as RealCost have been expanded to understand better the impacts of construction duration and maintenance cycles and their Life-Cycle Cost Analysis, or LCCA, is an approach that evaluates various viable options for the most economical solution. This economic analysis approach considers the initial costs associated with a project and the costs during an asset’s life until the end of its usefulness. When looking at various options, LCCA is a tool to aid in determining which option to select. It’s important to remember that if all other factors are equal, then the lowest LCCA for a project may be the determining factor. However, seldom are all factors equivalent. Considering all factors, not just the cost, is crucial when conducting a comprehensive LCCA. The future performance of an asset may be assumed based on past data or future predictions. With some assets, historical data, design approaches, and specified maintenance/rehabilitation schedules and activities aid in predicting future costs. However, with others, the future is much more uncertain. Figure 1: LCA Concept as outlined at the Pavement LCA Conference in Illinois. MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE: UNDERSTANDING LCCA AND LCA VAASPHALT.ORG 13
is the speed of rehabilitation that impacts traffic congestion and subsequent tailpipe emissions, and what does end of life mean? Figure 1 from the Pavement LCA Conference in Illinois outlines the LCA concept. Just like LCCA, the assumptions used in an LCA will impact the analysis outcomes. CONCEPTS IN PRACTICE With any analysis, the owner must evaluate the known and the unknown before making a decision. For a single structure or asset, the analysis may be straightforward. A toll road operator must consider the cost of building the pavement and maintaining a minimum functional service level. If a user pays to save time by using a toll road, they expect it to be smooth and safe with infrequent interruptions due to maintenance. For a transportation agency with numerous roads, bridges, tunnels, sound walls, etc., over thousands if not tens of thousands of MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE: UNDERSTANDING LCCA AND LCA △ continued from page 13 continues on page 16 △ Many asphalt pavement sections around the U.S. and Virginia are still performing. They may not have the original surface, but routine maintenance has restored their functional characteristics and, in some instances, increased their structural capacity. Many miles of pavement have been in service for 50 or 60 years, two and a half or three times longer than ever designed. Robert O. Norris Bridge Deck Overlay 14 FALL/WINTER 2024
MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE: UNDERSTANDING LCCA AND LCA VAASPHALT.ORG 15
roadway miles, LCCA and LCA concepts get more complicated. A single asset can no longer be considered without considering its impact on the overall network. Transportation agencies have more needs than funds allow. Overspending on one project during initial construction can have a ripple effect on new and maintenance projects. Agencies must look at a balance of conditions over years or decades, but the funding is generally in 5- to 7-year intervals. Even then, funding levels can swing wildly within 18 to 24 months. LCA has the same challenges as LCCA when it comes to use in decision-making. The materials and processes used today will be different in 10 years. Consider the impact of warm-mix technology on plant fuel use. How about the development of high-performance asphalt binders? Ten or twenty years ago, these advancements were conceptual and in the early deployment stages. How could they be considered in an LCA when not implemented and understood? And despite their wider use today, they are in many ways still data gaps in our LCAs. As more innovations are created to drive down greenhouse gas emissions and improve material/pavement performance, an LCA decision today may not provide the lowest carbon solution tomorrow. PAST PERFORMANCE AND INDICATOR OF FUTURE RETURNS So, what does an agency do? Should they ignore LCCA and LCA? Should an owner focus on what is known while recognizing the unknown circumstances and innovations that will impact the longterm performance of a pavement? Let us start with what we know. First, many pavements built during the interstate construction era are still in service. Most of Virginia’s asphalt pavements on the interstate system are still in service. Some sections have been removed and rebuilt, but the overwhelming majority have the same base asphalt produced in the 1960s and 1970s. These mixes were laid long before implementing many quality measures and metrics we use today. The concrete sections have been overlaid with asphalt or removed and replaced. We know how these pavements performed, but did the initial designers know? Today, we have more sophisticated pavement design software tools to predict performance. These tools account for material properties, environmental impacts, and truck loadings. Many of these tools rely on past performance to indicate future returns or performance. Arguably, this is the best information available for decision-making, and the output from these tools can be incorporated into an LCCA and LCA. Nevertheless, the unknown still exists and will impact a pavement design’s actual economic and environmental cost over the analysis life (i.e., cradle to grave). WHAT DO WE DO? “What do we do?” is a common question transportation agencies ask. Agencies are encouraged or even mandated to use LCCA and LCA outputs in pavement type decisions. As pointed out earlier, these decisions are not independent but vary dependent on funding and other network asset needs. Agencies cannot proceed with a very cheap or costly pavement choice, but pavement that meets △ continued from page 14 MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE: UNDERSTANDING LCCA AND LCA US 340 Bridge Replacement 16 FALL/WINTER 2024
the structural and functional requirements for a specified life. The focus for an agency should be on the initial cost of constructing the pavement and the environmental costs from the “cradle to construction” phases of LCA. While quantifying environmental costs or savings may include environmental product declarations and other parameters, the focus is on the initial stage of a pavement’s life. Fortunately, FHWA and others are working on defining those processes defensibly. By focusing on the cradle-to-constructed phase for equivalently designed pavement structures, an agency can confidently discern both the economic and environmental costs of various options using established methods. LCCA and LCA are tools, but their effectiveness and impact are asset-specific. As the number of assets an agency maintains increases, the challenge of using LCCA and LCA for a single asset increases. For pavement, the key must be designing and selecting a structure at the lowest economic and environmental cost to the agency. The structure must meet the owner’s structural and functional criteria. Then, over the life of the pavement, the maintenance and rehabilitation activities and cycles by the agency will impact the true cost. Contractors do not have an impact on these decisions. Funding availability and other factors will determine what is done and when. Traffic and maintenance of traffic impacts the speed of future maintenance/repairs. Industry must provide their services and materials with quality at the best value. Properly evaluating and implementing innovations will impact a pavement’s economic and environmental costs. The key to real LCCA and LCA is selecting the best-value pavement at the point of initial construction, and then making the future decisions required to best serve the public. Industry must provide their services and materials with quality at the best value. Properly evaluating and implementing innovations will impact a pavement’s economic and environmental costs. The key to real LCCA and LCA is selecting the best-value pavement at the point of initial construction, and then making the future decisions required to best serve the public. MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE: UNDERSTANDING LCCA AND LCA VAASPHALT.ORG 17
David T. Lee, P.E., Vice President Virginia Asphalt Association BRINGING HOME MORE HARDWARE: VIRGINIA'S LATEST PERPETUAL PAVEMENT WINNER 18 FALL/WINTER 2024
PERPETUAL PAVEMENT BY DESIGN: EXCELLENCE IN VIRGINIA continues on page 20 △ PERPETUAL PAVEMENTS: these long-lasting pavement designs are one of the best investments a transportation department can make for its infrastructure program. As is said, “Build it right up front, and it will pay dividends for the life of the pavement.” Perpetual pavement is a concept for asphalt roads that are designed and built to last for decades without major repairs or reconstruction. The model is based on the belief that using a thick layer of asphalt over a strong foundation, with three distinct characteristics, builds a long-lasting pavement. A Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA) base layer is designed to prevent fatigue cracking; an intermediate layer is then designed to support traffic load, and a wearing surface is designed to resist surface-level issues like rutting and top-down cracking. The FHWA, in its paper Improved Asphalt Pavement Sustainability Through Perpetual Pavement Design, states, “Even though the initial cost for the perpetual design was higher, the LCCA shows that its longer life offsets those higher initial costs. Regarding life-cycle costs, the perpetual pavement shows savings ranging from 17 to 28%…” (FHWA-HIF-19-080). A Perpetual Asphalt Pavement, properly designed and constructed, lasts over 50 years without requiring major structural rehabilitation or reconstruction; thus, it needs only periodic surface renewal in response to distresses confined to the top of the pavement (Newcomb, 2002). VAASPHALT.ORG 19
PERPETUAL PAVEMENT BY DESIGN: EXCELLENCE IN VIRGINIA The Asphalt Pavement Alliance (APA) began recognizing pavements that exhibited the principles of Perpetual Pavement concepts in 2001. Since then, the APA’s Perpetual Pavement Award (PPA) program has recognized over 181 long-life pavements in 32 U.S. states and one Canadian province. Initially, this program focused on existing long-lasting pavements that exhibited these principles through performance. In 2022, APA initiated the “By Design” category to recognize newly designed and constructed asphalt roads built over new subgrades that meet Perpetual Pavement criteria. The APA accepts nominations for new roads that meet perpetual design. The National Center for Asphalt Technology (NCAT) reviews and approves the nominations, and qualified projects receive the Perpetual Pavement Award: By Design. In 2023, “PPAs: By Design” were awarded to nine state departments of transportation (DOTs). VDOT submitted the I-66 Outside the Beltway Express Lanes project for consideration in late 2023. This 3.7-billion-dollar project spans over 22 miles, in both east and westbound directions from Route 29 in Gainesville to I-495. The construction project consisted △ continued from page 19 Perpetual pavement concepts represent a forward-thinking approach to road construction, focusing on long-term durability and minimal maintenance. By leveraging advanced design principles, high-quality materials, and strategic maintenance practices, perpetual pavements offer a sustainable and cost-effective solution for roadway infrastructure needs. 20 FALL/WINTER 2024
PERPETUAL PAVEMENT BY DESIGN: EXCELLENCE IN VIRGINIA of three general-purpose lanes and one auxiliary lane with fullwidth shoulders in each direction. Anyone traveling through this area of Northern Virginia can attest to the extremely high traffic volumes. Estimated 2023 traffic volumes in this section of I-66 can exceed 200,000 vehicles per day, with around 7% of those vehicles being trucks. From a pavement loading perspective, this equates to nearly 4.0 million Equivalent Single Axle Loads (ESAL) per year. For these reasons alone, designing a long-lasting pavement structure is critical not only to the long-term performance of the pavement but also to ensure minimal disruption to the users of this heavily traveled roadway. David Shiells, VDOT Northern Virginia District Materials Engineer and pavement design engineer of record, states, “I-66 is a major commuter and commercial artery in Northern Virginia, so it was extremely important that the pavement design requires minimal maintenance. This pavement structure will only require resurfacing on a periodic basis, and the use of a high-quality surface mix will ensure that disruption to the traveling public is minimized.” VDOT began developing a design from the subgrade up. Further supporting the need for a robust pavement design, this area is plagued with poor soils, with an average subgrade modulus of 3,000 psi. The pavement structure was designed to consist of 12 inches of a highly drainable open-graded aggregate (VDOT #2/#3) wrapped in geotextile drainage fabric and connected to a UD-4 edge drain for all new construction and widening sections. Asphalt layers consist of 14 inches of Base (VDOT BM-25.0A), 2 inches of intermediate (SMA 12.5 used for traffic during construction) and 1.5 inches of final surface (SMA 9.5). Both the intermediate and surface layers utilized a polymer modified 64E-22 (PG76-22). As noted, perpetual pavement concepts represent a forward-thinking approach to road construction, focusing on long-term durability and minimal maintenance. By leveraging advanced design principles, high-quality materials, and strategic maintenance practices, perpetual pavements offer a sustainable and cost-effective solution for roadway infrastructure needs. While the initial investment and technical requirements may be higher, the long-term benefits in terms of reduced lifecycle costs, enhanced performance, and sustainability make it an attractive option for highway and urban road projects. The APA and the Virginia Asphalt Association (VAA) proudly recognize VDOT and the I-66 Outside the Beltway Express Lanes project with this Perpetual Pavement by Design award. VAASPHALT.ORG 21
BACK TO BASICS: Milling for Quality Milling can be the unsung hero or the root of all evil. What makes the difference? Quality. Milling can fill many roles for an existing pavement ready to be overlaid. It can remove distresses such as cracking, rutting, and bleeding. It can also establish or re-establish a pavement’s transverse and longitudinal profile to improve drainage and ride quality. Milling can be the blank canvas for a paving crew to paint an asphalt masterpiece. Or milling can mar a surface and lead to compaction, smoothness, and bonding issues. The choice is yours! Basics of a Milling Machine Today’s milling machines come in all shapes and sizes. Some machines are designed for narrow uses like pavement patching and widening; others are designed to remove an entire travel lane in one pass. For the sake of this article, the focus will be on machines used to make one or two passes to remove an existing asphalt layer or layers. The cutting drum removes asphalt in depths ranging from ¼" to as much as 14". The depth is a function of the project requirements; not all drums can perform at all depths. Many milling machines will use a standard or fine-cut drum. The primary difference is in the number of teeth and the wrap spacing (See Figure 1). While a standard drum can be used at minimal depths (i.e., less than 2"), a fine drum cannot mill 14" deep due to the design. Therefore, it is important to match the drum to the project. Many carbide-tipped teeth are mounted on the cutting drum. Standard drums have substantially less teeth than fine drums. These teeth cut the asphalt, and as the drum turns, move the cuttings or milling to the machine’s center for removal via a conveyor depth. Milled surfaces, as seen in Figure 2, are an indicator that one or more teeth may be missing or need replacing. This uneven surface impacts the final quality of the asphalt surface. Along with the cutting head, various forms of grade control are available on today’s milling machine. When a milling machine is used for demolition, the side plates ride along the adjacent surface and will reflect the ups and downs on that surface. While acceptable for demolition, using only side plates will copy the existing pavement profile—not improve it. When a project calls for a strict depth for milling, dips and bumps in the old surface will be there with the new surface. Fortunately, much of the grade and profile technology available on pavers is available on milling machines. This can result in a much more uniform paving surface. Slow Down Tiger Ever heard the phrase—speed kills? While driving a car too fast can be dangerous, so can running a milling machine too fast. Milling fast may get the job done quicker, but it leads to quality issues for the paving crew, impacts the size of the millings, and increases equipment costs. As the cutting drum rotates, the teeth remove asphalt. Observing the pattern of the milled surface is a good indicator of the milling speed. Figure 3 shows the differences in surface texture by the same cutting drum operated at two different speeds. The larger chevron pattern indicates a forward speed exceeding 150 feet per minute. This texture produces larger milling particles that must be processed at the asphalt plant and less surface area for bonding the new asphalt overlay. It may also lead to asphalt tonnage quantities being off and excessive wear and tear on the equipment. Instead of racing to finish the shift, slow the process to 90 feet per minute and allow the cutting head to do its job. Conclusion First and foremost, milling machines must be maintained. The cutting or milling teeth should be inspected daily. Because of the temperatures generated from the friction between the tooth and the asphalt surface, inspection and maintenance should occur at the beginning of the shift. Once an abnormal pattern is observed, milling should be halted, and corrective action should be taken. Unlike Ricky Bobby in Talladega Nights, who only “wanted to go fast,” slowing the milling machine while maintaining the cutting drum speed produces higher quality. A slower speed allows the Figure 1 Figure 2 22 FALL/WINTER 2024
BACK TO BASICS: MILLING FOR QUALITY machine to adjust to the longitudinal and transverse profile of the road. A slower speed allows for many more cuts on the existing surface to provide a more uniform texture. A slower speed provides a uniform milling material for use at the asphalt plant. Finally, make sure the milling crew knows the specifics of the project. A project calling for deep milling and multiple lift paving will differ greatly from a thin AC wearing course. While the machine may be the same, the crew’s approach to the project should be very different. Understanding and communicating the project’s requirements allows the crew to approach the task appropriately. This article was based on a video provided by Mr. Tom Chastain, Milling Product Manager for Wirtgen America. The entire video can be viewed on VAA’s YouTube channel. Figure 3 STANDARD MILLING DRUM FB 2000_LA 15 Advanced Speed: 40 m/min (theory) Drum Rotation = Const. STANDARD MILLING DRUM FB 2000_LA 15 Advanced Speed: 20 m/min (theory) VAASPHALT.ORG 23
BACK TO BASICS: Controlling Stockpile Moisture In 2020, Dr. Shane Buchanan, P.E. of CRH Americas Materials Inc., wrote a member-to-member article for NAPA on “Aggregate Moisture Measurement.” Instead of writing a new article, why not update the original to include aggregate moisture impacts on environmental product declarations (EPDs) as well? Aggregate stockpile moisture content can significantly influence drying energy cost, plant production rates, and mix volumetric properties and performance. Additionally, the amount of moisture in aggregates impacts fuel usage, which, in turn, impacts the A3 factor for asphalt materials’ EPD. Along with using recycled asphalt pavement (RAP) in new mixes to control costs and lower global warming potential (GWP), moisture is perhaps the most influential production variable—its importance and impact should not be discounted. The 1–11–11 Moisture Rule The exact relationships between moisture, drying energy, and production cost vary based on plant and material conditions; however, general rules apply. A 1% increase in moisture will increase the drying energy by approximately 11% and will decrease the plant production rate by approximately 11%. The “1–11–11 Moisture Rule” is an easy way to remember this. Moisture Impact on Plant Asphalt Binder Content Addition When the aggregate blend moisture content differs from the plant moisture content setting, substantial impacts on the added binder content may result. For example, if the plant’s moisture setting is 5% and the actual moisture is 7%, the plant will add binder based on the weight of the 7% moisture aggregate, resulting in an over- asphalted mix. Likewise, if the actual moisture is 3%, the added binder will be too low, and the mix will be under-asphalted. This affects mix economics, measured AC content, mix volumetrics, and lab performance. With the adoption of Ideal CT for a cracking test, Figure 1: Stockpile Covering (Allan Myers New Kent Plant) 24 FALL/WINTER 2024
Asphalt Pavement Analyzer for rutting susceptibility, and Cantabro for durability, a deviation up or down on production AC content versus design AC content can have dramatic impacts. Minimizing Aggregate Moisture The first step in minimizing moisture in aggregate stockpiles is good stockpile practices. If possible, consider covering (preferred) and/or paving underneath aggregate stockpiles (Figures 1 and 2). This is especially critical for fine aggregate and recycled products (RAP and RAS). Fine aggregate (e.g., screenings and manufactured sand) will likely be more prone to moisture retention than clean stone. Water retention will be maximized with well-graded fine aggregate with high minus No. 200 contents. The stockpile area should be sloped to ensure moisture drains away from the stockpile. While paving under stockpiles is a good practice, covering the aggregate is ideal (i.e., keeping the water out instead of draining water away). When considering a covered or paved stockpile area, evaluate the payback period by calculating the decreased moisture content’s impact on plant production rate, drying energy, and overall mix variability. Aggregate Moisture Measurement Methods Most commonly, moisture content is measured with direct or gravimetric methods in which the sample dry mass and water are measured using conventional oven (ASTM D2216) or microwave (ASTM D4643) methods. However, some locations have had success measuring moisture with indirect methods, such as a nuclear moisture content gauge. APAC Central, A CRH Co. (Tulsa, Okla.), has used a nuclear gauge to provide results that align with conventional oven measurements for a variety of materials (clean stone to fine aggregate) and moisture contents (0.5 to >7%). It should be noted that difficulties were experienced when using the nuclear gauge for recycled materials’ moisture contents due to the hydrogen atoms in the asphalt binder. APAC Central’s method of using the nuclear gauge for moisture testing is briefly described below. Such a protocol should be strongly considered as a way to obtain accurate moisture contents in a more time-efficient manner. 1. Build a miniature stockpile. 2. Back drag a smooth surface. 3. Place the nuclear gauge on the surface. A 6-inch probe depth and 1-minute count time has been used successfully by APAC Central. 4. Ideally, the moisture content will be checked at three or more locations, and the average will be taken as the stockpile moisture. Impacts Aggregate moisture significantly impacts the production, cost, and GWP of asphalt mixes. With lower aggregate moisture, plants can run at lower burner temperatures while still maintaining production rates. Just as has been seen with the GWP reductions using warm mix asphalt technologies through lower plant temperatures, the same exists with lower aggregate and RAP moisture levels—up to 6% GWP reduction at 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Therefore. reduce and control aggregate moisture; reduce and control RAP moisture; monitor moisture content frequently, especially for fine aggregates and fine RAP materials. References Oldcastle Quality Bulletin #PRD-012015. Aggregate Moisture Importance and Measurement. Oldcastle Materials. Asphalt National Performance Committee. GWP Levers for EPDs. SAPA EPD Workshop 18 May 2023. National Asphalt Pavement Association. Joseph Shacet (formerly NAPA Director of Sustainable Pavements). BACK TO BASICS: CONTROLLING STOCKPILE MOISTURE Figure 2: Paved Aggregate Stockpiles VAASPHALT.ORG 25
ROLLING OUT THE GREEN CARPET On February 5, 2024, Spotts Fain Consulting (SPC) organized the first-ever VAA Day at the Virginia General Assembly. Over several hours of meeting with numerous State Senators and Delegates, one theme was common—elected officials knew very little about Virginia’s asphalt industry. They didn’t know about the number of Virginians employed by industry or asphalt’s $3 billion annual contribution to the economy. This new knowledge was a call to action for VAA and members to roll out the green carpet. That call to action led to numerous asphalt plant tours over the Summer, starting with Delegate Buddy Fowler at the Allan Myers facility in Rockville and ending with Delegate Josh Cole at the Superior Paving Corporation Powell Lane Plant north of Fredericksburg. In between, plant tours were held from Abingdon to Norfolk to NOVA with Delegate Israel O’Quinn, Delegate Joe McNamara, Senator Danica Roem, Senator Angelia Williams-Graves, and Delegate Tim Griffin. While this was the initial round of plant visits, more are in the planning phase. Working with SPC, each visit was approximately two hours in length. The plant host welcomed the elected officials and their staff. The host discussed the company’s history and how they fit into the local community. Each person spoke about their tenure and role with the company. The elected officials spoke about their platforms and what they thought mattered. VAA provided an overview of the association and industry. Finally, the group talked about HB1524, introduced by Del. Lopez, the legislative study to look at ways to increase RAP in VDOT mixes, the environmental efforts undertaken by the company, and stressed the need to protect roadway workers. These issues were well received, and more discussions on these topics and initiatives will be held. The officials and staff were shown how an asphalt plant operates, and the asphalt mixes tested for quality. VAA Day and the 2024 Plant Tours were just the beginning for the asphalt industry. Efforts are underway to hold VAA Day 2025 at the General Assembly and attend events for elected officials throughout the year. As a large employer and contributor to local, regional and state economies, companies must share their stories with those elected to represent them. Delegate Buddy Fowler at Allan Myers Senator Angelia Williams-Graves at Virginia Paving's Norfolk Plant 26 FALL/WINTER 2024
ES&H HAS HIT ITS STRIDE Jonathan Dearth, Chair, Environmental Safety & Health Committee What an exciting time for the VAA Environmental Safety and Health (ES&H) Committee. ES&H has established bylaws, continues to recruit committee members to bring in as much expertise as possible and has set goals to guide our future endeavors. One of those goals is to raise awareness of environmental, safety, and health within the Virginia Asphalt Association (VAA) membership and the asphalt industry. ES&H consistently meets that goal through industry outreach, increased visibility, and interactions with regulators and consulting professionals. The more ES&H performs, the better it gets, and it’s in a great position to be effective. The partnership with Troutman Pepper has led to a better understanding of potential & upcoming issues, how to be prepared for changes that can’t be controlled, and how to interact with the right people when these scenarios are more pliable. VAA and the asphalt paving industry have become known players in the environmental regulatory space through this committee. Another of the committee’s goals was to be more visible and memorable with regulators, and it continues to exercise that objective. ES&H committee members have built relationships and have had meaningful, memorable interactions with DEQ senior leadership. As a culmination of last year’s efforts, a DEQ senior leadership round table discussion was held with members of VAA at Troutman Pepper in Richmond. ES&H provided good points for discussion and received valuable information about how DEQ leadership approaches compliance and permitting, where we might focus on improving our relationships with their employees, and some permit and online resource updates. Representatives attended the Environment Virginia Symposium at VMI in the spring and learned a lot about PFAS, testing for PFAS, and the ever-changing regulatory landscape and how that can impact our industry. After new environmental regulations were enacted in July, the committee shifted focus to sharing the pertinent regulation changes and then turned toward safety. Through the committee vice-chair Ken Olsen’s leadership and his relationships in the industry, ES&H established a working relationship with ATSSA. From there, the committee worked to integrate this year’s Mid Atlantic Asphalt Expo with ATSSA and is offering a safety summit to the content provided at the December event. This is a terrific opportunity for those with a day pass to get in front of state-of-the-art workplace safety methods and technology. Lastly, partnering with Troutman Pepper and DEQ, ES&H has put together content for an air permit and environmental justice workshop following this year’s Discussion with the department on October 11. The committee has really hit its stride this year. We invite you to join the committee, attend meetings, and take part meaningfully. Your participation ensures ES&H moves in the right direction on behalf of the association. This committee will leave footprints in the industry, and with the association’s support, we will shape the future of asphalt in Virginia. 2024 Air Permitting Workshop VAASPHALT.ORG 27
LEAD: WE’RE PASSIONATE ABOUT OUR MISSION Cody Sullivan, Chair, Leadership Engagement & Development Committee Over the past several months, LEAD members have been hard at work determining practical actions that will positively impact the association and provide value to its members and the industry at large. Understanding that it is important to start any journey on firm footing, LEAD took the time to establish a formal mission and vision that provides clarity and focus when making decisions and provides a beacon to guide us into the future. MISSION: To foster a culture of leadership, engagement, and continuous development among rising leaders in the asphalt industry to drive innovation, sustainability, and industry excellence. VISION: To equip rising leaders with the trust, confidence, and opportunities to steer the success of the asphalt industry by uniting people and ideas for a better future. The committee has formed three working groups: the Mid-Atlantic Asphalt Expo, the LEAD Workshop, and the Highway Worker Safety Awareness Campaign. The Mid-Atlantic Asphalt Expo (MAAE) team has focused on raising awareness of LEAD and its mission and recruiting future members at this event. LEAD members will moderate many sessions, and a LEAD booth will be set up in the expo where attendees can meet current members. Stop by and talk to us about our mission and learn how you or others at your firm can get involved! The LEAD workshop team is developing an event that provides great value to rising leaders of the asphalt industry. You can expect a guest speaker who will delve into leadership, what it takes to achieve success and insight into technological and general industry developments. Since engagement is a founding tenet of LEAD, time to connect with industry peers and build your personal and professional network will also be an important element of this event. The workshop is tentatively planned for the day before the 2025 regional Asphalt Seminar in Fredericksburg. This opportunity will be open to all, so watch for registration to open in the coming months. During one of the early LEAD meetings, before the committee decided how LEAD would function, a lively discussion took place around the dangers highway workers face during their everyday duties and the limited awareness of the public. Understandably, this ignited a passionate response from the committee and a drive to make a difference for the highway workforce. LEAD’s last working group has moved to initiate a campaign to increase public awareness of highway worker safety. The campaign’s firsthand stories told by highway workers are testimonials of near 28 FALL/WINTER 2024
misses, incidents, and why the public should care about the safety of highway workers. It will also incorporate educational briefs from frontline workers to inform the public of safety measures used in roadway work zones and the importance of awareness as they’re driving. Future evolutions of this initiative could push enhancements to driver education programs that include more robust content on navigating a work zone safely. The initial goal is to create media content to reach family, friends, and broader networks through social media, provide easy-to-access, digestible content for policy and decision-makers, and ultimately create a unified position on highway worker safety that will drive meaningful change in driver behavior and policy. LEAD members are developing a toolkit to facilitate interviews with employees of member firms to build a content library. We need your help, so please contact us if you have ideas, know someone who should be interviewed, or can offer any other assistance. The goal is to launch an inaugural ad campaign during the 2025 National Work Zone Awareness Week (April 21–25). Finally, LEAD is working on developing a mentorship and ambassador program. The mentorship program allows the VAA Board of Directors to mentor LEAD members, providing valuable insight into professional development, overcoming challenges, technical expertise, and being a good steward of our amazing industry. The ambassador program will allow LEAD members to welcome new members to the association and help connect different people from those firms with all the various resources the association offers. This is a particularly exciting development for me, as I believe it creates a network and system that will not only sustain our industry and the association but will allow an even greater exchange of ideas, making the industry more innovative and resilient than ever. As you can see, LEAD is passionate about its mission. Starting a group like LEAD is no small task: the committee has built a foundation to keep it grounded and established a vision to guide it forward. It’s identified meaningful initiatives to allow it to start making a difference while staying true to the founding principles and incorporated elements of sustainability and resilience for the group centered around connecting the great people in our industry. None of this would have been possible without the support of the industry leaders who initiated the program or the great people serving as LEAD’s inaugural members. Every time I work with this group, I’m impressed with the dedication and talent that it’s blessed with. Thank you all for your help and support! And for those who want to get to know some amazing people, learn about what we’re doing, and perhaps even get involved, find us at any of the upcoming VAA events! LEAD: WE’RE PASSIONATE ABOUT OUR MISSION VAASPHALT.ORG 29
Diamond Plus Asphalt Emulsion Industries Associated Asphalt Bitumar Boxley Branscome Paving Company Chemung Contracting Corp. Colony Construction, Inc. National Asphalt Mfg. Corp. Superior Paving Corp. Virginia Paving Company W-L Construction & Paving, Inc. Diamond Ingevity Kickin’ Asphalt Paving & Excavating S. L. Williamson Co, Inc. THANK YOU 2024 PARTNERS Platinum B & S Contracting, Inc. Carter Machinery Mullen’s Markings Slurry Pavers, Inc. THANK YOU 2024 PARTNERS 30 FALL/WINTER 2024
AFFILIATE MEMBER SPOTLIGHT Asphalt Testing Solutions & Engineering, LLC Reliable Asphalt Products, Inc. Asphalt Testing Solutions & Engineering, LLC (ATS) is an independent asphalt materials testing company with multiple AASHTO accredited laboratories in Jacksonville, Florida. ATS technicians hold Florida DOT, NCAT, NICET, ACI and AI certifications. ATS offers a variety of services including performance testing, asphalt binder testing, emulsion testing, mix design (BMD, Superpave, Marshall, FAA), engineering consulting, quality control testing, quality assurance, and product approval and development. With extensive knowledge and continuous learning, ATS team members are the backbone of our operations. They stay abreast of the latest industry technologies and specifications through active involvement in national and international committees and organizations. This commitment to staying at the forefront of the industry allows ATS to serve its clientele with cutting-edge knowledge. ATS shares its expertise through speaking engagements nationwide and offers training programs at its headquarters. Our team members also work closely with personnel from multiple state agencies, fostering relationships that help clients navigate the vetting process when introducing new products and technologies. Reliable Asphalt Products, Inc. is excited to present Vulcan Burners to the U.S. hot mix industry. These versatile burners ensure stable flames while offering a broad range of operational fuels. Each Vulcan Burner is not just a product but a solution that can be customized to suit the client’s needs, factoring in variables such as the size of the aggregate dryer or drum mixer and the type of material used. Engineered for optimal efficiency, the Vulcan Burner aims to cut per-ton fuel expenses and minimize production costs for the customer. They are compatible with various grades of fuel oil, natural gas, and LP gas. Reliable Asphalt Products, Inc. was established in 2001 to offer equipment, parts, and services to all asphalt plant clients. Situated in Shelbyville, Kentucky, Reliable Asphalt Products stands out as a top supplier of asphalt plant equipment in the hotmix asphalt industry. We are known for our unwavering commitment to quality, excellence, and dependability, ensuring that our clients receive the best products and services in the industry. At Reliable Asphalt Products, Inc., you will discover a wide range of new and used asphalt plant equipment and have access to a team of skilled and professional technicians. Our expert crews, extensively trained in-house, are prepared to support every aspect of your asphalt plant needs, including planning, design, equipment selection, and maintenance. Count on us to enhance your plant’s production efficiency, reduce downtime, and increase your company’s profitability. AFFILIATE MEMBER SPOTLIGHT ATS is not just a standalone entity; we are part of a larger network within the asphalt industry. Our unique location, housed on the property of an asphalt producer/contractor, sets us apart and gives us a competitive edge by allowing us to schedule and run research mixes through the asphalt plant, coupled with our resources for field testing and analysis. Our personnel are committed to working with our partners to continuously advance the asphalt industry, towards our common goal of safe, environmentally friendly, economical, long-lasting pavements worldwide. To learn more about Reliable Asphalt, feel free to contact us; we are always here to answer your call. VAASPHALT.ORG 31
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