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January 11, 2010 |
2010 Asphalt Pavement Conference
Thursday, November 4
Location: TBA
(SAVE THE DATE!!)
Bay Area Technical Committee
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
10:00 am - 12:30 pm
Vulcan Materials
Livermore, CA
California Chip Seal Association
2010 Conference
January 20 - 21, 2010
Embassy Suites
1441 Canyon Del Rey
Seaside, CA 93955
Central Coast Technical Committee
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
10:15 am - 12:45 pm
City of Santa Maria Public Library
Santa Maria, CA
Central Valley Technical
Committee
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
9:30 am - 12:00 noon
Vulcan Materials Company
8517 Panama Lane
Bakersfield, CA
Contractors Committee Dinner Meeting
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
5:30 pm - 9:00 pm
Dal Rae Restaurant
Pico Rivera, CA
Environmental Committee
Friday, February 5, 2010
9:00 am - 11:00 am
Sully Miller Contracting Company
Anaheim, CA
High Desert Technical Committee
Thursday, January 21, 2010
9:30 am - 12:00 noon
Hesperia, CA
1st International Conference on Pavement Preservation
April 12 – 16, 2010
Newport Beach, CA
LA Technical Committee
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
9:30 am - 12:00 noon
Orange County RDMD
Santa Ana, CA
RAC Committee
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Wednesday, March 3, 2010 9:30 am - 11:30 am
Orange County RDMD
Santa Ana, CA
Rock Products Committee
(A Joint Caltrans/Industry Committee)
Thursday, February 25, 2010
1:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Skanska Training Center
Riverside, CA
SD Technical Committee
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
9:30 am - 12:00 noon
District 11 Conf. Room
San Diego, CA |
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For more information about asphalt and the industry:
AASHTO
Asphalt Institute (AI)
Asphalt Pavement Association of California (APACA)
California Transportation Commission (CTC)
National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA)
National Center for Asphalt Technology (NCAT)
Noise Reduction and Asphalt Pavements
Transportation Research Board (TRB)
Warm-Mix Asphalt (WMA)
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Welcome to the APA of California Newsletter!! |
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Representing the California Asphalt Industry Since 1953!
Where Policy Makers and Engineers turn for answers to tough questions!! |
First International Conference on Pavement Preservation
The State of California is facing another major budget shortfall, estimated by the Governor in last weeks State of the State message at $19.9 billion by the close of the 2010-11 fiscal year which ends June 30, 2011. Over the past few years, the deficit numbers have increased beyond projections, so we can reasonably expect this number to grow even larger without a major California economic recovery.
It is important to note the state General Fund totaled $107 billion for the 2007-08 fiscal year, and is currently set at $84.5 billion for the 2009-10 fiscal year. This number includes new tax revenues from a one cent increase in the state sales tax; an increase in the vehicle registration fee, and the broadening and expansion of the state income tax brackets. Those three revenues were valued at $12 billion, but they appear to be under producing. These tax and fee increases expire on July 1, 2011 unless extended by the Legislature. Governor Schwarzenegger has declared a fiscal emergency and called a special legislative session, asking for immediate action on $8.9 billion in solutions in the next 45 days.
While there are a great may proposals that the Governor has offered, the one that could affect the transportation industry the most involves the elimination of the sales tax on gasoline and increasing the gasoline tax by 10.8 cents per gallon beginning in FY 2010-11. This will generate $1.8 billion in savings, buy reducing transportation funding, reducing the guarantee to schools and reducing the cost to consumers by $976 million.
The Governor’s proposals will get much debate in the Legislature and face an uphill battle in many areas. We expect transportation to be one of the most contested areas of discussion.
For a complete copy of the Governors Budget Proposal and Summary, please click here.
Thorpe Named 2010 Asphalt Institute Chairman
 The Asphalt Institute named William L. (Bill) Thorpe, Jr. (pictured) of ALON USA/Paramount Petroleum Corporation as 2010 Chairman of the Board of Directors at the Institute’s annual meeting in Bonita Springs, Florida.
Bill Kirk of Associated Asphalt was named Vice Chairman of the Institute for 2010 at the meeting, where the Institute also celebrated its 90th anniversary.
“I am honored to serve the industry as chairman of the Asphalt Institute,” says Thorpe. “We have reached record high membership in our 90th year with 104 member companies, and we have a bright year ahead of us in 2010.”
The Asphalt Institute was founded in 1919 and is the international trade association of petroleum asphalt producers, manufacturers and affiliated businesses. They promote the use, benefits and quality performance of petroleum asphalt.
Thorpe is Senior Vice President of the asphalt division of ALON USA/Paramount Petroleum Corporation and has been in the petroleum refining and marketing industry for 39 years. He has served in the asphalt industry specifically for 30 years, holding senior management positions with Conoco, Charter Oil Company and Paramount Petroleum Corporation.
Thorpe is currently responsible for all aspects of the ALON USA/Paramount Petroleum Corporation’s asphalt operations, including oversight of supply and transportation, technical services, asphalt product research and development and the company's 12 asphalt terminals and refineries, primarily located in the western U.S. and west Texas.
A long-time, active member of the Institute, Thorpe has served as a board officer, including Vice President and on a number of AI committees. He chaired the Personnel Advisory committee and the Public Policy/Relationships committee and served on the Meetings Task Force, Marketing and Technical Advisory committees. In addition, Thorpe has been a long time member of the APA of California and an active member of the Board of Directors.
Thorpe completed his undergraduate degree in Economics and Marketing. He currently resides in Laguna Hills, California. (Return to Top)
APA of California Annual Dinner Meeting
 The APA of California’s Annual Dinner Meeting last week was a huge success! The standing room only crowd witnessed the installation of the 2010 APACA Officers and Committee Chair’s which included 3 year Chairman Dan Chapman from Vulcan Materials stepping down as Chairman and John Holliday with Holliday Rock accepting the Chairman’s role for 2010. Dan’s service as Chairman was widely applauded and recognized by the membership!
This years Keynote Speaker was Kern County Fifth District Supervisor, Michael J. Rubio. Michael is viewed as one of the young up-and-comers in California politics and is a candidate for California Senate this year. He offered some of his ideas and views on current California politics, the current fiscal crisis that faces the State of California and answered questions from the assembled crowd. His comments were appreciated by everyone in attendance.
California Chip Seal Association 2010 Conference
The California Chip Seal Association will be holding their 23rd Annual Conference on January 20th and 21st. The event will take pace at the Embassy Suites in Seaside, CA. The conference will have a variety of presentations by Industry/Agency/Academics over the two days on pavement preservation techniques and innovative processes. Also, updates on Caltrans by Director Randy Iwasaki, CP2 by Gary Hicks, PPTG by Larry Rouen, Academics from UN Reno and UC Davis discussing the latest innovations and technical research docs.
For a copy of the tentative agenda please click here.
by Rita Leahy, APACA Technical Director
Reducing Costs = Greater Revenue: $aving Money on Energy
Energy efficiency and fuel savings are an excellent place to begin your cost-cutting campaign. Recent increases and volatility in the price of oil make us painfully aware of the need to reduce the consumption of all types of fuel.
- In hot-mix production, most of the energy is used in three areas:
- Drying aggregate with some form of fossil fuel in an open-fired burner;
- Heating stored asphalt cement and HMA, primarily through fossil fuel burners that heat oil used to transfer heat to asphalt storage tanks, storage silos and the network of pipes and valves used to transport hot liquid asphalt cement; and
- Electricity, for the numerous motors used in the production process.
There are many ways an HMA producer can reduce energy consumption or costs. The following offer the largest potential savings:
- reducing moisture content of aggregate;
- insulating effectively (tanks, silos, piping, surfaces and shells of dryers);
- reducing the temperature of exit gases materials;
- using alternative fuels;
- using more efficient hot-oil heaters; and
- using variable-frequency drives for large motors.
Let’s look at just three of these cost-reduction opportunities.
Reducing Aggregate Moisture Content
The energy required to dry aggregate is substantial. Therefore, any practice that reduces the moisture content of the aggregate will have a dramatic and predictable effect on energy consumption. Consider the following:
- sloping the grade under the stockpile to promote drainage away from the face being used to feed the plant;
- paving under the stockpile to accelerate drainage, reduce standing water and prevent it from “wicking up” into the stockpile; and
- covering the stockpiles so precipitation does not infiltrate the aggregate stockpiles (This is especially important for fine aggregate, which does not drain as readily as coarse aggregate.)
Reducing the moisture content by as little as 1% can save about 10% of fuel cost. For example, if the average moisture content of a plant producing 250,000 tons per year at an average drying cost of $2.50/ton is reduced by 1%, the annual savings would be about $94,000.
Using Alternative Fuels
Because of the volatility of fuel prices, producers often change fuel types within a relatively short period of time. Most burners on aggregate dryers are designed to burn both liquid and gaseous fuels, and many are equipped with manifolds so they can easily switch between these fuel types.
The cost-saving potential of an alternative fuel can easily be calculated. For example, switching from No. 2 diesel fuel with an energy value of 132,000 BTUs per gal at $2 per gal to a reclaimed fuel oil with an energy value of 143,250 BTUs per gal at $1.20 per gal would save about 45%.
Insulating Effectively
Transferring heat into hot oil effectively is one issue. Using it efficiently is another. Without adequate insulation on storage tanks, silos, piping, pumps and valves, heat is lost to the atmosphere. Insulation has a rapid payback when fuel costs are high. For example, a long-radius 4-inch elbow is approximately equivalent to one linear foot of pipe. An uninsulated elbow requires 351 gal of fuel to compensate for the net heat loss over a 270-day production year. Assuming $2.50 per gal for No. 2 diesel, this means $878/year in lost energy.
Most asphalt storage tanks are now constructed with 6 inches of insulation. An older 30,000-gal tank with only 3 inches of insulation requires about 0.16 gal more fuel per hour to maintain its heat than a tank with 6 inches of insulation. Over a 270-day production year, this will result in the equivalent of 1,037 gal in lost energy.
As noted above, there are many areas where HMA producers can reduce energy costs. The improvements outlined here as well as several others are discussed in detail in NAPA’s Quality Improvement Series # 126 entitled Energy Conservation in Hot-mix Asphalt Production. (Return to Top)
Training Opportunities
Upcoming Asphalt Pavement Classes from the UC Berkekey Technology Transfer Program
The Technology Transfer Program, the continuing education and professional development branch of the Institute of Transportation Studies at UC Berkeley, is presenting two asphalt pavement short courses in upcoming months:
Asphalt Pavement Design, Construction and Rehabilitation (IDM-03)
February 9-11, 2010 :: Richmond
This course provides solid knowledge of pavement design, construction, maintenance, and preservation, while addressing the realities of working in the field.
Instructors: Carl Monismith, Jim St. Martin, Larry Santucci, and Roger Smith
Cost: $425 for public agency employees in California; $695 for all others
Asphalt Pavement Maintenance for Local Agencies (IDM-04)
February 24, 2010 :: Fresno
Intended for local agency maintenance staff, this course teaches practical ways to employ materials and techniques that innovatively restore asphalt roadway pavement.
Instructor: Roger Smith
Cost: $125 for public agency employees in California; $195 for all others
Winter is also the ideal time to train your work crews. Tech Transfer offers several Road Shows to help you enrich your crew’s understanding of maintenance techniques. These courses are typically four-hours, available at low-cost, and can be delivered at your location. Popular titles include Asphalt Pavement Maintenance (IDM-05RS) and Asphalt Materials and their Uses (IDM-16RS). To learn more or to request a road show, visit www.techtransfer.berkeley.edu/roadshows. (Return to Top)
 The National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA) will be holding its 55th Annual Meeting on January 17th – 20th, 2010 in beautiful Maui, Hawaii. The Annual Meeting will be providing programming and presentations specific to current market conditions and issues that are of important significance to the HMA Industry. A few examples of the topics that will be presented:
- Impact of Climate Change and Greenhouse Gas Regulations
- Inheritance Tax and Preserving your Company for the Future
- Warm Mix - Life in the Fast Lane
- Perpetual Pavement Update
- Managing a Lawsuit
- Oil and Asphalt Supply – 2010 Challeng
- The Next Federal Highway Bill & How to Get it Done
The NAPA Annual Meeting continues to be the leading provider of education that brings you the latest technologies and future trends. Prepare yourself for three and a half days filled with events that build business alliances and broaden leadership skills to keep you miles ahead of the competition.
The NAPA Annual Meeting will be preceded by committee meetings on January 16th and 17th. For a complete copy of the agenda and meeting brochures you can click here.
Plan now to participate in these important industry meetings!! (Return to Top)
First International Conference on Pavement Preservation
Plan now to attend the First International Conference on Pavement Preservation (ICPP) which will be held in Newport Beach, CA on April 13 - 15, 2010. The ICPP will bring together researchers and experts working in the field of pavement preservation to exchange ideas, share best practices, and discuss critical issues and concerns impacting the implementation and success of pavement preservation theory and practice. Over 40 peer-reviewed papers will be presented by international experts at this event. Papers will include the follwoing subject areas:
Decisions, Decisions, Decisions - Funding solutions, performance-based decisions, variable condition decision making, surface treatment selection, pay-now or pay-later treatment selection, performance-specified maintenance contracting.
Pavement Management for Pavement Preservation - Remaining life analyses, web-based management systems, agency programs for pavvement management for pavement preservation, whole life analyses, life cycle cost assessments (economical and environmental), estimating treatment life.
Flexible Pavement Preservation Toolbox - Bonded surfaces, slurry seals, chip seals over fabrics, rejuvenator basics, crack sealing and thin overlays.
Rigid Pavement Preservation Toolbox - Ride and noise reduction benefits of rigid pavement preservation techniques, sustainable preservation techniques for cold weather pervious concrete, comparative processes for assessing rigid pavement preservation treatments.
Selecting Materials for Extending Pavement Life - Field performance of new materials, environmentally-based selection of emulsions, influence of crack sealants, thin surface treatments and overlays on pavement life.
Register now! (Return to Top)
Note - If you are not able to receive the full "html" version of the APACA Newsletter with your email provider and/or network server, you can access the full version on the APACA website at www.apaca.org. Enjoy the pictures, graphics, tables, etc. and access the full html version today!!
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