LaHood Warns Super Committee Failure Will Hit Transportation Programs

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood decried the failure of the congressional super committee to reach an agreement on budget reductions on Monday, warning the collapse of the effort could lead to major cuts in transportation and infrastructure programs.

a^??We now face across-the-board cuts to programs that are critical to rebuilding our crumbling transportation infrastructure and putting Americans back to work,a^?? LaHood said in a statement.

He did not detail the cuts that may happen, but the DOT controls billions of dollars in ongoing spending on projects ranging from highways to airport and seaport improvements.

Those infrastructure plans have been at the heart of efforts to stimulate the U.S. economy and create jobs as private business has staggered out of the steep 2008-2009 recession.

Whatever cuts may come are at least a year away.  Failure by the joint Republican-Democratic committee to agreement on a budget blueprint means $1.2 trillion in cuts could kick in starting in the 2013 fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1, 2012.

LaHood, a Republican, said there is still time for Congress to act.

a^??The American people want common-sense, bipartisan solutions that take a balanced approach to reducing the deficit while protecting critical transportation investments that create jobs and allow our economy to grow,a^?? he said in a statement.

a^??When Congress comes back next month, I urge them to set aside politics and get to work on a bipartisan plan that will allow us to live within our means, while also meeting our responsibility to rebuild Americaa^??s critical transportation infrastructure.a^??

(Journal of Commerce)

Interlayers a^?? General Construction Guidelines

The following are general guidelines to ensure a successful installation of material interlayers (paving fabric, paving mat, paving grid, paving composite grid and composite strip membranes).

Surface Preparation

• Potholes, cracks greater than A^1/4- inch, and/or local distresses related to structural or subgrade failures should be repaired.
• The pavement should be free of dirt, water, oil, and other foreign materials.  It is recommended that the surface be broomed and vacuumed.  This is critical as a dirty surface will prevent the interlayer from adhering to the existing surface and may result in delamination.
• Rutting should be corrected through milling or by placing a leveling course prior to placement of the interlayer.
• If a finish or profile milling is performed, a leveling course is not required prior to placement of the interlayer.  This will depend on the smoothness of the surface created during the milling operation and the specific interlayer material being placed.
• If cold planing is performed, a leveling course is typically required prior to placement of the interlayer, other than paving fabric.  This will depend on the smoothness of the surface created during the milling operation.
• With the exception of using composite strip membranes, a leveling course is recommended over all Portland cement concrete pavements.  Typical practice for rigid pavements is to crack and seat prior to a rehabilitation overlay using interlayer.
• A leveling course is recommended for all grid applications, except for composite grids.
• The grade and cross-slope should be established.
• Manholes, catch basins, and utility appurtenances should be raised to the level of the new overlay.

Road Surface Condition (Before Installation)

• The pavement should be moisture free, and interlayers should not be installed during precipitation.
• The ambient air temperature should be 50A^?F and rising.
• The pavement temperature should be 40A^?F and rising.

On newly placed asphalt surfaces, the surface temperature should be allowed to cool to 130A^?F before placement.  If necessary, the leveling course may be opened to traffic prior to placement of the interlayer to allow the tires to further knit the surface.

Binder Materials and Application

The binder should be delivered from an approved source within the specified temperature ranged with the grade identified on the delivery ticket.

The binder should be uniformly applied to a clean surface using a distributor truck with a current calibration.  The truck should be clean with uniformly angled and properly sized nozzles.  The spray bar height should be set to ensure a triple overlap spray pattern.  Edge nozzles should be clog free and angled perpendicular to the spray bar to ensure a clean edge.

For paving fabric, mat, and composite grid, a PG 64 a^?? XX or PG 70 a^?? XX should be used to saturate and/or bond the interlayer material to the existing pavement.  PG 70 a^?? XX or higher is recommended for job sites that are exposed to high ambient temperatures during the calendar year.

Material Application General Guidelines

• Using mechanical placement equipment, or manually, embed the interlayer in the hot PG tack coat before the asphalt cools.  If using an emulsion for placement of a paving grid, allow the tack to break completely before placing the grid.
• Keep the interlayer material taut and wrinkle free.  Providing tension during application will help to achieve this.  Brooming pressure will also assist in reducing wrinkles.
• For sharp curves, materials should be cut from the roll to desired length and positioned by hand to avoid wrinkles.
• For paving fabric and mat, transverse overlaps should be 4 to 6 inches.  Longitudinal overlaps should be 2 to 4 inches.
• For paving grid and composite grid, transverse overlaps should be 3 to 6 inches.  Longitudinal overlaps should be 1 to 2 inches.
• Transverse overlaps should be lapped in the direction of paving to minimize the risk of being picked up by the paving equipment and process.  All overlaps should receive an application of tack coat.
• Longitudinal joints should be placed on lane delineation if possible.

Next week a^?? specific construction guidelines for fabrics, mats and grids.

References:

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

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California Gets $1 Billion for High Speed Rail Construction

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood today awarded a $928.6 million grant to the California High-Speed Rail Authority for initial construction of California High-Speed Rail.  Construction will begin next year in Fresno, creating tens of thousands of jobs in California.

a^??Californiaa^??s population will grow by 60 percent over the next 40 years,a^?? said Secretary LaHood.  a^??Investing in a green, job creating high-speed rail network is less expensive and more practical than paying for all of the expansions to already congested highways and airports that would be necessary to accommodate the statea^??s projected population boom.a^??

Todaya^??s grant, when combined with voter-approved state support and previously-awarded federal dollars, will fund the construction of the first usable segment of the California system in the Central Valley.  In the recently released business plan, the Authority embraced a phased implementation similar to those used for international systems.  The first construction project will put more than 100,000 people to work during the next five years.  Over the course of the networka^??s construction, more than one million jobs are expected to be created, and the economic activity spurred by the new system is expected to add up to 450,000 new non-high-speed rail jobs to the California economy by 2040.

Californiaa^??s 220-mph high-speed rail system will connect to the rest of the statea^??s transportation network, improving local, regional and international mobility.  Travelers moving throughout the state will connect to local transit and commuter service to reach their final destinations, reducing the need to add more highway trips through a state that is home to six of the ten most congested metropolitan areas in the nation.  A recent study by the Texas Transportation Institute found Californians consumed more than 38 million gallons of fuel while stuck in traffic last year.

California is one of thirty-two states across the U.S. and the District of Columbia that are laying the foundation for high-speed rail corridors that will link Americans with faster and more energy-efficient travel options.  To date, the US Department of Transportation has invested $10.1 billion to put American communities on track towards new and expanded rail access and improved reliability, speed, and frequency of existing service.

(USDOT)

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NAPA News

FHWA Publishes RAP-RAS-WMA Survey

NAPA announces the publication of a new survey of asphalt pavement usage which it completed under contract to the Federal Highway Administration.  The survey covers the use of reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP), reclaimed asphalt shingles (RAS), and warm-mix asphalt (WMA) in 2009 and 2010.  An appendix also includes state-by-state usage data of RAP, RAS, WMA, and hot-mix asphalt.  The survey shows that the asphalt pavement industry continues to improve its already outstanding record of environmental stewardship through its increasing use of RAP, RAS, and WMA.  These technologies conserve raw materials; conserve energy; cut emissions from production and paving operations; and improve conditions for workers.

RAP:  The asphalt industry remains the countrya^??s number one recycler. The amount of RAP used in HMA/WMA was 56.0 million tons in 2009 and 62.1 million tons in 2010. Assuming 5 percent liquid asphalt in RAP, this represents over 3 million tons (19 million barrels) of asphalt binder conserved. About 96 percent of the contractors/ branches reported using RAP. Less than 1 percent of RAP was sent to landfills.

RAS:  Use of reclaimed asphalt shingles (both manufacturera^??s waste and tear-offs) increased from 702,000 tons to 1.10 million tons from 2009 to 2010, a 57 percent increase. Assuming conservative asphalt content of 20 percent for the shingles, this represents 234,000 tons (1.5 million barrels) of asphalt binder conserved.

WMA:  Total tonnage of WMA is estimated at 19.2 million tons in 2009 and 47.6 million tons in 2010. This was a 148 percent increase. Plant foaming is used most often in producing WMA. Additives accounted for about 17 percent of the total WMA production in 2009 and 8 percent in 2010.

Click here to view/download the survey.  To view Appendix A, click here, and to view Appendix B, click here.  Note - Appendix B is 148 pages long.

 

Asphalt Pavement Alliance Announces New Staff

The Asphalt Pavement Alliance has announced its first full-time staff members.  Mike Kvach, formerly NAPAa^??s Vice President for Product Deployment, is the new Executive Director.  Karen Faber, who has been doubling as a NAPA staff member and the APA Administrator, will retain the Administrator title and will dedicate her efforts totally to the APA.  The APA also plans to recruit a marketing director.

In his two years at NAPA, Kvacha^??s primary role was to lead the delivery and deployment of the asphalt industry's marketing activities.  This involved close cooperation with the State Asphalt Pavement Associations and the Asphalt Institute, NAPAa^??s partners in the APA.  From 2000 to 2008, Kvach was the Executive Vice President of the Asphalt Paving Association of Iowa.  Prior to joining APAI, he was a leader in sales and marketing for asphalt equipment at Cedarapids Inc., Iowa, and was President of Sales & Marketing for Peterson, an Astec Industries Company based in Oregon.

Faber joined the NAPA/APA staff in 2007.  Prior to coming to the asphalt industry, she held various positions in marketing and engineering.  She received her degree in civil engineering from the University of Illinois.

"The first order of business is to build off the momentum the APA has created over its 12 years of successful advocacy for the industry.  Then we will be looking for ways to take our messages deeper into the marketplace. Ia^??m also looking forward to strengthening the partnerships between all sectors of the asphalt paving industry," said Kvach.

 

NCAT Volumetric Properties Research Synopsis Available

Consistency in mix design among different HMA laboratories is important to help ensure uniform results.  However, discrepancies in volumetric properties of compacted asphalt specimens a^?? air void content (Va), voids in mineral aggregate (VMA) and voids filled with asphalt (VFA) of compacted asphalt specimensa^?? have occurred among laboratories.  These properties are necessary in mix design and acceptance testing for specification compliance and pay-factor determination.  Some studies show that differences in volumetric properties may be partially related to each laba^??s compaction temperature and re-heating mixture samples cooled below compaction temperatures.  The National Center for Asphalt Technology (NCAT) evaluated the effects of these two factors on volumetric properties and provided a synopsis of that study.

(Courtesy NAPA)

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Training Opportunities

 
 

 

CalAPA December Training