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"Quality in California" is an interactive blog that covers the materials industry in California. It is written by Toni Carroll of CalAPA member Syar Industries. Click HERE to join the discussion. 

This weekly bulletin contains the latest news and information of interest to the asphalt pavement industry in California. Please feel free to distribute this newsletter to others who may be interested in asphalt pavements.

 

It took years of meetings, pilot projects, stacks of studies and even a bill signed into law by the governor, but the California Department of Transportation finally published a new specification last month permitting the use of up to 25 percent Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement (RAP) in pavement mixes. But not without some strings attached.

 

CalAPA has long encouraged the department to follow most other states and countless municipalities in embracing the sustainable nature of asphalt pavements by utilizing more RAP in mixes. The department had previously limited RAP to 15 percent.

 

The cause was taken up last year by Assembly Speaker Pro Tem Fiona

A RAP sptockpile awaits reuse.

Ma, D-San Francisco, whose bill, AB812, called for the department to make more use of RAP as a way to make paving more sustainable and keep pavement grindings out of California's overflowing landfills. The aspirational bill, sponsored by the California Construction & Industrial Materials Association (CalCIMA) and endorsed by CalAPA, was signed into law by Gov. Jerry Brown. At about the same time the department announced it planned to move toward a 25 percent RAP standard, and included a high-RAP content in its Long-life Asphalt Pavement project specifications on Interstate 5 in the North State and Interstate 80 in the Bay Area.

 

On Feb. 22, the department finally made it official, publishing a "Revised Standard Specification" (RSS) on its website with the new RAP standard. However, the higher standard is not without numerous new requirements, including additional sampling, fractionalization and a reference to the new (for California) Hamburg Wheel Track Test. Industry opposed most of the new requirements as unnecessary when RAP utilization is under 30 percent.

 

A good write-up about the specification can be found in the "Quality in California" materials blog authored by Toni Carroll of CalAPA member Syar Industries. Click HERE to read her post. To read the full RSS published by Caltrans, click HERE and then click on "Revised Standard Specifications (RSS)." The new specification, in a Microsoft Word document, begins at Section 39-1.02F. Having trouble deciphering all the changes to the Caltrans specifications? Consult the CalAPA "Member Alert" that was sent out on Jan. 29. Members may contact CalAPA to request a copy.

 

The implications of the new specification will be covered in CalAPA's upcoming "Understanding the Job Mix Formula" classes.

  

Of all the technical inquiries that come in to the offices of the California Asphalt Pavement Association, the No. 1 by far is regarding porous asphalt pavements. Developers and designers looking for ways to "green" their projects are increasingly incorporating porous asphalt pavements in parking lots for a more sustainable way to manage storm-water runoff.

 

One of the most high-profile examples of this design turns 5-years-old this year in Modesto. At a cost of $436 million, the 50-acre

The Kaiser Permanente Modesto Medical Center porous asphalt parking lot is still going strong five years later.

Kaiser-Permanente Modesto Medical Center was touted as the first new hospital in the Central Valley in 40 years when it opened in 2008. It also utilized the latest in sustainable designs, including, the health system boasted, the largest use of porous asphalt pavements west of the Mississippi.

 

Five years later, the fanfare may have subsided but the parking utilizing materials supplied by Granite Construction continues to perform as designed. It was constructed with a permeable asphalt paving system that will last more than 20 years and acts as a natural filter to break down chemicals and oils that leak from cars. The permeable material absorbs up to 8 inches of rainwater per hour without pooling or requiring the need for water to be pumped into storm drains.

 

For more information on porous asphalt pavements for storm-water control, click HERE to visit a special CalAPA web page devoted to the topic. A recent addition to the page is a presentation delivered at last month's National Asphalt Pavement Association meeting that details a successful porous asphalt application in Colorado. Click HERE to view the presentation.

  

Registration is now open for CalAPA's Spring Asphalt Pavement Conference April 25 in Ontario.

  

California Transportation Commission member Carl Guardino will be the keynote speaker, and Hasan Ikhrata, Executive Director of the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) will also be on the program. They will give a statewide and regional perspective on transportation infrastructure funding, policy and future trends.

  

There also will be numerous technical topics addressed at the

Former Caltrans Director Randy Iwasaki is interviewed by a TV news crew at a previous CalAPA conference.

conference, including the latest changes in Caltrans specifications and the department's planned move to the national "Superpave" standard, a Greenbook update, Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement (RAP) best-practices and other technical presentations.

  

The conference also will feature a mini-trade show where attendees will get to learn more about the latest products and services from the many companies that support the industry. More than 275 people attended the Northern California asphalt conference last fall in Sacramento.

  

Click HERE to visit the event website and to register on-line. Sponsors should contact Sophie You of CalAPA at (916) 791-5044 to reserve your display table at the event. Space is limited and the tables will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.

CalAPA's popular asphalt training classes are back. Registrations are now being accepted for the introductory "Asphalt Pavement 101" class, and the "Quality Asphalt Paving" class designed for paving crews and field inspectors. An advanced "Understanding the Job Mix Formula" class has just been added to the menu and on-line registration is open.

  

Click HERE to visit the CalAPA Training & Education page to learn more and to register for classes.

  

The poplar "Asphalt Pavement 101" class is a good overview of

CalAPA classes offer ample opportunity for interaction between agency and industry peers.

everything asphalt, touching on how asphalt pavements are designed, constructed and maintained. It is taught by Roger Smith, a former senior engineer with Caltrans and the Asphalt Institute. Initial classes were scheduled for San Leandro, Riverside and  Bakersfield. Click HERE to visit CalAPA's Facebook page to view photos of Smith's class held Feb. 20 in San Leandro.

  

"Quality Asphalt Paving," taught by longtime road-builder Skip Brown of Asphalt Consulting Services, is a popular "boots on the ground" look at best practices for paving crews, inspectors and anyone else interested in what makes a good paving job. The class is scheduled for March 12 in San Leandro. New classes were just added for March 20 in Riverside and March 21 in Bakersfield.

  

An advanced class in development, "Understanding the Job Mix Formula," will be taught by Paul Curren of Pavement Engineering. The curriculum is being designed under the direction of the CalAPA Technical Advisory Committee. Curren taught the popular "Caltrans Section 39 Asphalt Specifications" class for CalAPA the past two years at numerous locations across the state. The first round of JMF classes are scheduled for April 9 in San Leandro, April 17 in Sacramento and April 23 in Bakersfield.

  

For more information about CalAPA training classes, including opportunities to host a class at your facility, contact Russell Snyder of CalAPA at (915) 791-5044.

 

  

Fact #93: When asphalt pavement is reclaimed, the stone and asphalt binder in it are just as valuable as all-new materials.

  

   

"Don't look where you fell, but where you slipped." 
                                       

We hope you enjoy CalAPA's Asphalt Insider. We are committed to providing you with the most up-to-date information on technical issues, regulation, news and events in California that may impact the asphalt pavement industry. Click HERE to contact us with any comments or suggestions.