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CALENDAR
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NEW DATE AND PLACE
Board of Directors Meeting
Wednesday, April 15, 9 a.m. to noon
Doubletree Hotel, 222 N. Vineyard Ave., Strawberry Peak Room, Ontario, CA
Contact: Russell Snyder (916) 791-5044
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2015 CalAPA Spring Conference & Equipment Expo
April 15-16, 2015
Doubletree Hotel, 222 N. Vineyard Ave., Ontario, Calif.
Contact: Sophie You (916) 791-5044
Click HERE for details and to register.
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SAVE THE DATE!
Annual 'Day at the Races' at Del Mar Race Track in Del Mar, Calif.
Saturday, July 18
Details soon!
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CLICK & GO!View our interactive, "At a Glance" event calendar HERE.
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SOCIALIZE
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| CHOOSE ASPHALT | |
Asphalt is used on about 94 percent of paved roads in America. Why? Because it's smooth, quiet, safe, durable and 100 percent recyclable. Visit the Asphalt Pavement Alliance website learn more about why asphalt is the right choice now more than ever. |
| GET TECHNICAL | |
Are you an engineer, designer or technical professional who makes decisions on pavement type selection? The DriveAsphalt website has technical reports and other resources may be just what you're looking for. Click HERE for more information.
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| CalAPA | | |
California Asphalt Pavement Association (CalAPA)
Mailing address:
P.O. Box 981300
West Sacramento, CA 95798
Main office:
1550 Harbor Blvd., Suite 211
West Sacramento, CA 95691
(916) 791-5044 (phone)
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| BACK ISSUES | |
Did you miss an issue of the California Asphalt Insider? No problem! Past editions of the newsletter are available at the CalAPA newsletter archive page.
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| MAGAZINE |  |
CalAPA produces a highly regarded magazine, California Asphalt, and an annual membership directory. To view back issues of the magazine, click HERE. For advertising sales in the magazine and directory, click HERE or call Kerry Hoover with Construction Marketing Services at (909) 772-3121.
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| STAY INFORMED |  |
Click HERE to receive California Asphalt Insider each week via e-mail FREE! Or visit our website at:
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WATCH
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Click HERE to visit our video page.
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DESIGN!
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Click HERE to visit the PavExpress website.
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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. |
 | Caltrans addresses timeliness of distributing lab test results in policy memo
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Responding to recurring instances of contractors not receiving timely lab results from Caltrans on testing of construction materials, Caltrans has published a policy bulletin providing more detailed guidance on the matter in the form of an internal Construction Policy Bulletin (CPB). The publication of the memo, which is distributed widely to all Caltrans personnel involved in the construction process, is an outgrowth of a special task force that formed last year to address industry-expressed concerns about timeliness and variability of test results  and how it impacts contractors and suppliers building and rehabilitating roads for the state transportation agency. The guidance to Caltrans personnel contained in the March 23 memo includes references to to role of quality control and acceptance sampling at pre-construction meetings, the timeliness of transporting samples to laboratories, laboratory processing times by test method, the importance of promptly notifying the contractor of test results, record-keeping and tracking of samples. The guidance also introduces for the first time an option of utilizing commercial shipping services if necessary to deliver samples in time to meet targeted deadlines.
The memo, titled CPB-15-1, also states in unprecedented detail the expectations for how long it should take for the Caltrans to return its quality assurance test results to the contractor.
"The CPB 15-1 is the first step by Caltrans to move toward requirements for test turnaround times," said task force participant Jack Van Kirk with George Reed/Basic Resources, who is also the industry co-chair of the joint industry-agency Asphalt Task Group. "There is currently no requirement in the specifications for test turnaround times for Caltrans acceptance tests. This is a good start in the overall process. We have agreed in our Sub-Task Group that our ultimate goal is to work toward a three-day test turnaround standard." The joint industry-agency task force was created July 8 by
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| | Caltrans Deputy Director for Maintenance & Operations Steve Takigawa (standing at right) addresses the materials "summit" last year. |
CaltransDirector Malcolm Dougherty in response to an unprecedented, multi-association letter sent to state Transportation Secretary Brian Kelly earlier that year on test variability and the publication of timely test results.
A materials testing "summit" was held Sept. 10 in Sacramento to delve into test turnaround times, lab procedures, testing accuracy and technician qualifications, and two task forces sprang forth from that meeting. In addition to the test turnaround task force, a second group is working on a joint training and certification program for lab technicians."it is my opinion that the success of this effort is due to the commitment of the construction industry and Caltrans working as partners to make advancements in material testing turnaround processes that hold promise in reducing impacts and improving contractual relationships," said John Stayton, assistant chief of the Caltrans Division of Construction and a co-sponsor of the Caltrans-industry Rock Products Committee. To read the complete Caltrans memo, click HERE. |
| The equipment utilized to run the Hamburg Wheel Track Test.
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| Annual CalAPA Membership Directory & Buyers' Guide hitting mailboxes
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The annual CalAPA Membership Directory & Buyers' Guide will be hitting mailboxes in the coming days.
The handy reference publication, which is an exclusive benefit of CalAPA membership, includes contact information on all members,  plus an exhaustive reference section of key people, positions and contact information. It is only available in print format.
The guide also includes a popular "Buyer's Guide" section to encourage members to do business with other member firms who support the industry through their dues and participation.
The cover photo of Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca is meant to highlight the fact that smooth asphalt pavements are the pavement of choice for all major race tracks in California. Special thanks to all members who responded to requests to update their information so that the guide could be as valuable and up-to-date as possible.
For information on advertising in future directories, or in CalAPA's official magazine, California Asphalt, contact Kerry Hoover of Construction Marketing Services at (909) 772-3121.
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| | Initial reaction (admittedly biased) to the new directory. |
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| Airport pavement technical workshop set for May 5-7 in Newport Beach |
The Asphalt Institute, a CalAPA partner, will hold an "Airport Pavement Technical Workshop" May 5-7 in Newport Beach. The comprehensive workshop provides the most current information for those designing and managing asphalt airport pavements. To view a flier for the class, click HERE. To register, click HERE. The focus of the workshop is current Federal Aviation Administration
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| | Young traveler Allie Lebanieh approves of the smooth asphalt tarmac at a California airport. |
and other applicable industry standards, including specifications, advisory circulars, criteria and policy. The class will earn attendees 22 PDHs. The workshop will take place at the Radisson Hotel Newport Beach, 4545 MacArthur Blvd. in Newport Beach, near John Wayne Airport. The fee to attend the workshop is $1,195 per person, or $795 for FAA personnel. The FAA is co-sponsor of the workshop. For more information, call the Asphalt Institute at (859) 288-4960. |
| Tallying the savings of smooth roads
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The latest eye-catching info-graphic from the CalAPA-supported Asphalt Pavement Alliance highlights the money savings that are derived from smooth asphalt pavements. It's a good starting point for policy discussions on the importance of prudent investments in  pavements.
The graphic draws upon surveys of pavement engineers and state transportation officials, and numerous other technical studies and reports.
Smooth asphalt pavements can result in 4.5 percent lower fuel consumption, or about 13 cents per gallon. And the savings really add up. If roads across the nation were smoother and maintained in good condition, the annual fuel consumption nationally would be reduced by about 7 billion gallons. That's billions with a "B."
To view the and download the full info-graphic, click HERE.
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| Quote of the Week
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"If you don't have time to do it right, when will you have time to do it over?" John Wooden
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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.
Sincerely,
Russell W. SnyderExecutive Director California Asphalt Pavement Association (CalAPA) |
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