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January 18, 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)
For members of the community to learn about asphalt plants
Increasing percentage of RAP
Jobs in the Asphalt Industry
National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA)
National Center for Asphalt Technology (NCAT)
Noise Reduction and Asphalt Pavements
Porous Asphalt Pavements
Roadway Work Zone Safety
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
Senate Returns This Week; Jobs Bill High on Agenda as Layoffs Continue
Weaker-than-expected December employment figures released last Friday are giving President Barack Obama and his Democratic allies in Congress more ammunition to push for enactment of a job-creation bill after the Senate returns to Washington next week.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that U.S. payrolls dropped by 85,000 jobs in December and the unemployment rate remains at 10 percent. The House of Representatives passed in December a jobs bill that would include $37.3 billion for transportation. The Senate is likely to consider the measure during the next few weeks.
Job creation was high on the agenda during the House Democrats' annual issues conference, which began Thursday in the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center. Rep. John Larson, D-CT and chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, said lawmakers will focus on infrastructure, manufacturing, and technology as three key sectors that the government can help support to create new jobs.
The administration supports additional transportation funding in a jobs bill. U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood told the Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting in Washington this week that a job-creation measure is an opportunity to put more Americans to work on ready-to-go infrastructure improvements.
"We know that robust investments in highways, transit, aviation, and rail result in good-paying jobs and in projects that will benefit us all," LaHood said. "And at DOT we received many, many more applications for our recovery act programs than we could possibly fund. So we think the final bill should feature more infrastructure investments."
State transportation departments have identified more than 9,500 highway, bridge, transit, rail, port, aviation, and intermodal projects worth $70 billion that, if funded by Congress, could be used to create hundreds of thousands of jobs across the country. (Courtesy of AASHTO) (Return to Top)
The 2010-11 Budget proposal unveiled by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger on January 8 includes provisions that will divert State support for public transit and rearrange and revamp the structure of fuel sales and excise taxes.
Provisions of the Budget proposal prepared by the State Department of Finance include:
- Elimination of the State sales tax on gasoline—the revenue source for Proposition 42
- Enactment of additional 10 cents per gallon excise taxes to cover lost STIP and local roads revenue and debt service
- Annual gas tax increases to cover the growth in debt service
- Carry-over of Public Transit Account funds to cover future debt service on Proposition 1B transit and High Speed Rail bonds
- Maximum implementation of Proposition 1B projects
Transportation California Executive Director Mark Watts has issued the following statement assessing the impact of the Department of Finance proposals on transportation.
“Governor Schwarzenegger has been a staunch advocate for transportation infrastructure as essential to
California
’s economy and quality of life. Clearly, the State faces a daunting fiscal challenge, but it is particularly concerning that the budget being proposed by the Department of Finance appears to be a giant step backward. This is a time when we need to focus more resources on transportation—not less. This budget scheme is out of synch with the Governor’s policies and direction over the past five years.
“The Finance Budget plan would eviscerate public transportation and could leave our highway programs on extremely shaky financial ground. With regards to the Budget and transportation, we hope that the Administration and the Legislature will go back to the drawing board. The answer is not to resort to fiscal gimmickry, but rather to put in place significant new revenue sources to rebuild our transportation system and, in the process, rebuild our economy.
“A recent study of The Road Information Program—a national transportation think tank—showed that our over-crowded and inadequately maintained streets and roads are costing the average California motorist upwards of $2,000 a year in added repair costs, reduced fuel efficiency, wear and tear and lost time. For about a quarter of that amount, we could finance what needs to be done to once again have a first-class transportation system in this
state.” (Return to Top)
CARB - Off-Road Equipment Visibility Guide Released and
On-Road Truck Workshops Scheduled
CARB releases guide addressing visibility impairment of off-road equipment and how to apply for an exemption from the 2010 retrofit requirements. A link to the CARB webpage with information is included in the notice below.
CARB has also scheduled three public workshops to discuss proposed amendments to the On-Road Truck Regulation. A copy of the meeting notice can be found with the link below. The workshops will be held in:
El Monte
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Air Resources Board
Auditorium, Annex 4
9530 Telstar Ave.
El Monte, CA 91731
Sacramento (will also be webcast)
Monday, January 25, 2010
10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Byron Sher Auditorium
Air Resources Board
1001 I Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
Central Valley
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
1:00 - 4:00 p.m.
San Joaquin Valley APCD
1990 E. Gettysburg
Fresno, CA 93726
(see notice for two alternative locations with live video feed)
CARB Notice 1-14-2010: ordiesel -- Retrofit Visibility Guide and Exemption Process Released
ARB has released a guide detailing how some off-road diesel vehicles may be retrofit without visibility impairment, and how to apply for an exemption from the 2010 retrofit requirements if there is no way to retrofit a vehicle without impairing visibility. In October, 2009, ARB and Cal/OSHA released a joint Interim Visibility Policy stating that any vehicle that could not be retrofit without impairing visibility would be exempt from the March 1, 2010, retrofit requirements in the off-road diesel vehicle regulation.
To provide further explanation on retrofit visibility, and explain what constitutes visibility masking and how some vehicles may be retrofit without visibility impairment, ARB staff has, in consultation with Cal/OSHA staff, released a Retrofit Visibility
Guide, available on:
http://www.arb.ca.gov/msprog/ordiesel/vdecssafety.htm
On that same page, ARB staff has also posted the Exemption Application for visibility or other safety exemptions. Finally, staff has added answers to frequently asked questions regarding how retrofit visibility issues will affect fleets with existing retrofits or with retrofits on order. This page also presents examples of vehicles that have been retrofit without impairing visibility, and - once visibility exemptions have been granted - will host a list of exempt vehicle makes and models.
As a reminder, any fleet considering whether they need to perform retrofits should make sure they have reviewed the guide to new reduced horsepower and reduced activity credits. This guide is available on the Knowledge Center at:
http://www.arb.ca.gov/msprog/ordiesel/faq/faq-early-credit.pdf
CARB Notice 1-14-2010: onrdiesel -- Correction to website link for the workshop to discuss proposed amendments to the Truck and Bus regulation
Truck and Bus regulation workshop on proposed amendments (correction to web link). The California Air Resources Board has set the dates for workshops to discuss proposed amendments to the Truck and Bus regulation. The dates and locations are January 20, 2010 in El Monte, January 25, 2010 in Sacramento and January 26, 2010 in Fresno. The Sacramento workshop will be webcast, and live video feed has been setup for alternative locations to telecast the Fresno workshop.
At the December 9, 2009, Board meeting, staff presented an update on the impact of the economy on emissions from Trucks and Buses. At that meeting, the Board determined additional flexibility could be provided for fleets adversely affected by the economy, and discussed three alternatives to provide additional flexibility. At the workshops, staff will present proposed amendments including the three alternatives, and other proposed modifications to the regulation.
The workshop notice is available at: http://www.arb.ca.gov/dieseltruck
Some recent changes have been made to the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) and some webinars will be conducted to focus on some of the specific issues and changes. A one hour webinar will be conducted on Wednesday, January 27th on Temporary Traffic Control in Urban Work Zones. Additionally, an overview of Part IV of the MUTCD will be conducted on Thursday, January 28th. Information on these two webinars is shown below:
Temporary Traffic Control In Urban Work Zones
This one-hour presentation will cover the basics of Urban Work Zone for Temporary Traffic Control. This presentation will focus on individuals who are new in the industry or need to have a more thorough understanding of TTC procedures needed on our roadways in a constrained environment.
This webinar will discuss: signing, roadways marking, delineation, warning devices, longitudinal buffer space, mobile & short duration, tapers, traffic safety vests.
This is a webinar that is being offerred by the American Traffic Safety Services Association (ATSSA). It is being offerred to ATSSA members for $100/ea and to non-ATSSA members for $125/ea. Registration information can be found at:
American Traffic Safety Services Association
15 Riverside Parkway
Suite 100
Fredericksburg, Virginia 22406-1022
Phone: (800) 272-8772
Fax: (540) 368-1717
Overview of Part VI of the Recently Revised MUTCD
The webinar will be held on January 28, 1-2:30 pm EST (Check your time zone)
Speakers:
Hari Kalla and Ken Wood of FHWA
Cost: Free
For Registration Please Click Here
Contact:
Jim Colleton
Events & Special Projects Manager
American Road & Transportation Builders Association
1219 28th Street, N.W.
Washington, District of Columbia 20007-3389
Phone: (202) 289-4434
Fax: (202) 289-4435
Email: jcolleton@artba.org (Return to Top)
by Rita Leahy, APACA Technical Director
Reducing Costs = Greater Revenue: $aving Money on Transportation and Trucking
Trucks ? whether you own, rent or hire ? are a major expense. Fortunately, there are opportunities for significant savings.[1] Consider the following:
Minimize truck time at the plant.
- Stagger the trucks loading out first thing in the morning. Have the truck drivers show up at different times to avoid waiting to load at the plant and then waiting again to unload at the site. A good rule of thumb is to have no more than 5 trucks in line at any time during loading/unloading.
- Don’t let the truck drivers’ feet hit the ground! Keep them in the truck and save time.
* Use an automatic release agent spray system and save at least 3 minutes.
* Install an automatic tarping mechanism and save an additional 2 to 3 minutes.
* Install an automatic ticket writer at the load-out station. This eliminates the need for the dispatcher to print, tear and deliver the ticket to the driver.
* Give the driver a map to the job site as part of the ticketing process.
This reduces the chance that the driver gets lost, wasting time in both trucking and paving. If these measures save only 10 minutes per truck load at a cost of $75/hour, you can save $182,000 per year. Assuming initial costs for the spray system, tarping mechanism and ticket-writer are $62,000, the net savings the first year would be $120,000.
Use vegetable oil as a release agent. Often, it can be obtained from restaurants for free as it is a waste product for them.
On mill-and fill jobs use the trucks delivery trucks to back-haul RAP to your plant.
Put block heaters on trucks in cold weather. This saves time and reduces engine wear.
Using a larger pump and upsizing the piping on an asphalt tanker truck from 3-inches to 5-inches will save both time and money. Offloading time can be reduced by 15 minutes. At a cost of $90/hour per tanker, you could save as much as $13,000 per year. Assuming initial costs of $10,000 to upgrade the pump and piping, the net savings for the first year would be $3,000.
With better utilization of trucks and reduced maintenance costs you may not need to buy as many trucks. Fewer trucks mean lower costs for liability insurance.
Next week we’ll discuss cost-cutting measures related to material selection and quality control.
[1] NAPA Quality Improvement Series 127, 101 Ideas to Reduce Costs and Enhance Revenue (Return to Top)
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)
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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