Newsletter

Bay Area Technical Committee

The Asphalt Pavement Association of California’s Bay Area Technical Committee Meeting will be held on Tuesday, June 2^nd beginning at 10:00 am. The meeting will be held in the offices of Vulcan Materials Company in Livermore. The office is located at 365 North Canyons Parkway, Livermore, CA. This months meeting will focus on recent updates to Caltrans Section 39, revisions to California Test Methods and Warm Mix Asphalt (WMA). These are Joint Agency / Industry discussions - Agency representatives are encouraged to participate in these meetings to share their views and concerns with Association members.

For additional information on the meeting, please contact Committee Co-Chairs Margie Valdez @ (925) 335-3665 or Greg Vinson @ (925) 485-5977 or Rita Leahy (APACA) @ (916) 239-8315.

Warm-Mix Asphalt and Recycling Symposium in California!!

The huge momentum of warm-mix asphalt (WMA) has captured the attention of both industry and agencies alike. Characteristics of WMA include lower emissions, reduced fuel costs during production, wider temperature windows and extending the paving season. The June 8-10 event will be an opportunity not only to learn about warm-mix technologies, but also to gain information about RAP and recycling. Together, RAP and warm mix can help your company operate in a more environmentally friendly manner, while at the same time being cost-efficient.

The conference kicks off at 1 p.m. on Monday, June 8, with a focus on asphalt supply, aggregate supply, and RAP. June 9 will be devoted to warm-mix asphalt and will include best practices at the plant and paving site, results of field trials, accelerated performance testing, energy conservation, emission reductions, and plant operations. Perspectives from contractors, state DOTs, the FHWA, and the U.S. EPA will be included. The conference will wrap up at 5 p.m on Wednesday, June 10. The registration price includes a reception Monday evening, and four of NAPA's popular publications on the subjects.

Make plans today to attend this ground-breaking event, June 8-10, in Sacramento, Calif., at the Hyatt Regency Hotel. For more information, or to register, go to www.hotmix.org. The early-bird discount expires on May 22.

Rough Roads Costing Motorists Hundreds More Per Year

Driving on rough roads costs the average American motorist approximately $400 a year in extra vehicle operating costs. Drivers living in urban areas with populations over 250,000 are paying upwards of $750 more annually because of accelerated vehicle deterioration, increased maintenance, additional fuel consumption, and tire wear caused by poor road conditions.

Rough Roads Ahead: Fix Them Now or Pay for It Later, a report released today by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) and TRIP, reports that one-third of the nation’s major highways, including Interstates, freeways and major roads, are in poor or mediocre condition. Roads in urban areas, which carry 66 percent of the traffic, are in much worse shape.

“The American people are paying for rough roads multiple times,” said Kirk T. Steudle, Director of the Michigan Department of Transportation, at a news conference held to release the report. “Rough roads lead to diminished safety, higher vehicle operating costs and more expensive road repairs. It costs $1 to keep a road in good shape for every $7 you would have to spend on reconstruction. It’s another drag on the economy.”

The report uses the latest government statistics to show pavement conditions in all 50 states and vehicle operating costs by state and urban areas. The report also finds that:

· 30 to 60 percent of the roads in the nation’s largest urban areas are in poor condition.

· 36 percent of the roads in the Detroit urban area are in poor condition compared to the Los Angeles area and surrounding communities, which have 64 percent of their roads in poor condition.

· 61 percent of rural roads are in good condition.

· 72 percent of the Interstate Highway System is in good condition, but age, weather conditions and burgeoning traffic are eroding ride quality.

“Our nation has invested $1.75 trillion in our public highway system over the past 50 years,” said John Horsley, AASHTO Executive Director. “We hope Congress will make it possible for the federal government to sustain its share of the increased investment needed to keep America’s roads in good condition. If not, it will cost the American people billions more later.”

The report points out that traffic growth has far outpaced highway construction,

particularly in major metropolitan areas. The number of miles driven in this country jumped more than 41 percent from 1990 to 2007 -- from 2.1 trillion miles in 1990 to 3 trillion in 2007. In some parts of the country, dramatic population growth has occurred without a corresponding increase in road capacity, placing enormous pressure on roads that, in many cases, were built 50 years ago.

“The federal stimulus program is providing a helpful down payment towards repairing some of the nation’s rough roads,” said Frank Moretti, TRIP’s Director of Policy and Research. “But it will take a significant long-term boost in investment by all levels of government to provide Americans with a smooth ride.”

The full report is available at http://roughroads.transportation.org, along with examples from states working to improve their highway systems, charts and photographs. Rough Roads is part of Are We There Yet? We Can Be!, AASHTO’s effort to build awareness and support for the nation’s transportation system.

High Desert Technical Committee Meeting

This months APA of California's High Desert Technical Committee meeting will be held on Thursday, June 18^th beginning at 9:30 am at the offices of the City of Victorville. This months meeting will include a special presentation on Microsurfacing, Slurry Seals and Chip Seals by Iain Jack, the Technical Director for Western Emulsions. The meeting will be held in Conference Room C at the City of Victorville. For additional information, please contact the Association office.

LA Contractors Dinner Meeting

The Los Angeles Contractors Committee will be holding their bi-monthly Dinner Meeting on Tuesday, June 16^th at the Dal Rea Restaurant in Pico Rivera. The meeting will feature a presentation on Warm Mix Asphalt (WMA), one of the newest technologies in the Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA) industry. Scott Dmytrow, who is with Telfer Companies, will be the Guest Speaker and will cover all of the various technologies and methods that are currently being used for this new approach to the production and construction of HMA pavements.

The meeting will begin with a social hour at 5:30 pm, to be followed by the dinner and program at 6:30pm. The Dal Rea is located at 9023 W. Washington Blvd., Pico Rivera, CA, 90660. Reservations are recommended – please contact the Association office @ 949-855-6489 if you are planning to attend.

LA Contractors Announce Plans for Day at the Races

The Los Angeles Contractors Committee has announced the date for this year’s Del Mar Day at the Races. Plans are being finalized for Saturday, July 25^th. A skybox has again been reserved for this year’s event. Generally, one package will be available for the track. For those interested, transportation will be coordinated on the regular Amtrack schedule – for others, they will simply meet at the track. Reservations are Required! If you are interested in this year’s event please watch for the official announcement in the mail, or you can call the Association office @ 949-855-6489 for more information.

Cal / OSH Standards Board Member Appointed

Gov. Schwarzenegger has appointed Guy Prescott, safety director for Operating Engineers Local 3, as the second labor member on the California Occupational Safety & Health Standards Board. Prescott, 54, replaces former member Steve Rank, who recently resigned the board after being appointed to the board of directors for State Compensation Insurance Fund. The Standards Board now has all of its seven seats filled. Prescott joins Jose Moreno of the Laborers International Union in the two labor positions.

Prescott, a Citrus Heights resident, has worked as the director of safety for Local 3 since 2005. Prior to that, he was the president of Common Sense Safety, construction safety program manager for Sandia National Laboratories and a safety consultant and fire prevention specialist. Early in his career, Prescott was a safety coordinator and a part-time senior fire fighter for the Byron Fire Protection District.

The appointment does not require state Senate confirmation.

Looking For Work?

New job listings posted on www.asphalt.jobs.com. Opportunities abound all over the country, and they are listed at www.asphaltjobs.com. New job listings this week include: General Manager, Maryland; Construction Manager, Massachusetts; QC Technician, Connecticut; Maintenance Supervisor, Alabama; Bottom Dump Truck Driver, California; and many more. Be sure to check it out today!!