Bipartisan Push for Transportation Bill

While Republicans and Democrats fight over how to pay for the extension of a payroll tax cut a^?? or whether to let it continue at all a^?? a bipartisan cadre of House members has quietly been coalescing around the notion of a large-scale, long-term transportation bill to address the countrya^??s myriad infrastructure needs.

In a letter to President Obama, more than 110 House members from both sides of the aisle are asking the White House to support a six-year transportation measure that would cover a wide array of transportation projects.

The letter does not specify how much those projects would cost.

In a nod to the austerity measures currently in vogue on the Hill when it comes to new projects, the letter says that a^??given our fiscal challenges, we recognize that a six-year transportation authorization will need to be paid for.a^??

a^??We stand willing to work with your administration on a variety of funding options,a^?? it said.

Transportation funding is popular across party lines, as most districts have significant needs, and transportation projects create jobs, help attract businesses and reduce traffic.

The letter is signed by an unusual array of lawmakers, including Representative Jerrold Nadler, a liberal Democrat from New York, and Representative Tim Scott of South Carolina, one of the most conservative Republican freshmen.

The idea for the letter belongs to two Democratic representatives, John Carney of Delaware and Jim Cooper of Tennessee, and two Republicans, Aaron Schock of Illinois and Pat Meehan of Pennsylvania.

Speaker John A. Boehner of Ohio has resisted transportation authorization bills, because they are known vehicles for earmarks, but earlier this year offered a bill without earmarks that would authorize transportation funding for five years. The legislation would be paid for by expanding domestic energy production, including opening the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska for drilling and shale oil exploration.

To read the complete article and a copy of the letter click here.

(Courtesy New York Times)

Interlayers a^?? Field Testing

The following narrative addresses field testing for paving fabrics, mats, and composite grids.

Equipment Required

• field Inspection form
• weight to application rate conversion chart (Table 1)
• measuring scale of 2-gram accuracy (preferably portable)
• testing units (12-inch x 12-inch rigid material, a^??-inch or A^1/4 inch hardboard or plywood)

Testing Activities Required for Tack Coat Application Rate Determination

• Pre-weigh the test units and write the weight on underside of test units.
• Have the binder spreader unit pull to level area (both across and down the length of the truck).
• Record starting gallons of asphalt binder taken from spreader truck tank gauge.  Ensure that the truck is parked level for initial and all subsequent readings.  Use the same location if at all possible.
• Instruct the spreader operator not to pump additional binder onto or off the truck without taking readings.
• Record the temperature of the asphalt binder inside the tank.

Calibration

• Have the binder application spray unit locate at the starting point of tack coat placement.
• Instruct the spreader operator to set the application rate of the spreader to the desired rate.
• Place test unit(s) on the pavement (minimum of one, maximum of three) directly in front of truck.  If using one, place it in the center of truck; if using three place them in the center of truck and outside the wheel paths.
• Instruct the operator to apply the asphalt binder until the test unit(s) has been crossed with sprayed asphalt binder.
• Retrieve the test units and re-weigh them.
• Subtract the original weight recorded on the underside of the sample from the gross weight including the sprayed asphalt binder.
• Compare the resulting weight with binder weight application chart.
• If required, have the operator adjust application rate up or down to reach desired rate.
• Retest if necessary until the desired application rate is confirmed.  Note that the same testing units can be re-used by simply recording new tare weights prior to a second application of binder.

Project Monitoring

• All rolls of the interlayer materials should arrive at the job site in a plastic wrapper.  This indicates the roll is complete and has been protected from sun and water.  (If partial rolls are brought to the jobsite, these should be set aside and all placed at the same time as the length will have to be calculated to determine total square yardage).  On partial rolls, the inspector should request one or two wraps of the exposed fabric to be removed to ensure that no ultraviolet degradation has occurred.  The manufacture tags each roll both outside on that wrapper as well as inside on the cardboard core.  These tags provide all necessary information regarding the manufacturer, manufacturer tracking number, the weight per square yard, and the width and length of that roll.
• If the inspector is not with the interlayer laydown operations at all times the spreader operator should retain the tags as the rolls are applied, for determination of the total square yards placed.
• At any time during the project the inspector may take another reading on the tank at the completion of a full fabric roll.
• Subtract the current tank reading from the beginning to determine total gallons of paving grade asphalt binder placed.
• Retrieve the roll tags from the spreader operator to determine number of rolls installed.
• Multiply the number of rolls times the square yards in the roll to get total square yardage.
• Divide the total gallons of paving grade asphalt binder placed by the total square yards placed and determine tack coat application rate to that point.

Next week a^?? troubleshooting.

References:

• Caltrans, Maintenance Technical Advisory Guide, Volume I, Flexible Pavement Preservation, Second Edition, 2009.

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