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CALENDAR
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*L.A. Area Technical Committee Meeting
Wednesday, Jan. 6, 9:30 a.m. to noon County of Orange RDMD Conference Room, 1152 Fruit Street, Santa Ana Contact: Tony Grasso (909) 362-9192 Details HERE
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CALAPA MEMBERS ONLY'FAST Act federal highway bill impact on CA' WebinarTuesday, Jan. 1210 a.m. to 11 a.m. PST (See CalAPA's Dec. 11 "Member Alert" or contact CalAPA for details on how to participate) *
REGISTRATION OPEN!
CalAPA Annual Dinner
Thursday, Jan. 21 The Jonathan Club
545 S. Figueroa St.
Los Angeles
Details HERE
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"Critical Changes to Caltrans Section 39 HMA Specifications" class
Tuesday, Feb. 2, 8 a.m. to noon Caltrans Construction Field Office, 3401 Regatta Blvd., Richmond
Contact: Ritha Nhorn (916) 791-5044
Register HERE.
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"Critical Changes to Caltrans Section 39 HMA Specifications" class
Wednesday, Feb. 3, 8 a.m. to noon Caltrans Construction Field Office, 3401 Regatta Blvd., Richmond
Contact: Ritha Nhorn (916) 791-5044
Register HERE.
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"Critical Changes to Caltrans Section 39 HMA Specifications" class
Tuesday, Feb. 23 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
City of West Sacramento City offices, 1110 West Capitol Avenue, First Floor, West Sacramento
Contact: Ritha Nhorn (916) 791-5044
Register HERE
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"Critical Changes to Caltrans Section 39 HMA Specifications" class
Wednesday, Feb. 24
8 a.m. to noon
City of West Sacramento City offices, 1110 West Capitol Avenue, First Floor, West Sacramento
Contact: Ritha Nhorn (916) 791-5044
Register HERE
 View our interactive, "At a Glance" event calendar HERE.
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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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CalAPA produces a highly regarded magazine, California Asphalt, and an annual membership directory. To view current and past issues of the magazine, click HERE. For advertising sales information, click HERE or call Kerry Hoover with Construction Marketing Services at (909) 772-3121.
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Click HERE to visit our video page.
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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. |
 | A look ahead: Our predictions for the Top 10 stories that will impact the asphalt pavement industry in California in 2016 |
Editor's Note: In last week's Asphalt Insider, we offered up our completely subjective picks for the Top 10 news stores that impacted the asphalt industry in 2015. You can read it HERE. This week we offer our predictions of the Top 10 stories that will be making headlines in 2016. If you're curious how our prognosticators fared with last year's predictions, you can read them HERE. For more detailed information and analysis, sure to look for the 2016 annual forecast issue of CalAPA's official magazine, "California Asphalt," which will hit mailboxes later this month.
1. The Legislature passes, and the governor signs, a long-term funding package for transportation, including an infusion of cash for road maintenance and rehabilitation, that is a blend of new fees and reforms. Although it is touted as a far-looking investment in the future, the funding levels still fall far short of what is needed to return crumbling roads and bridges to good condition quickly. All eyes, meanwhile, will be on a pilot program to test out a mileage-based user fee that could eventually replace the state's beleaguered fuel tax. 2. Oil prices will continue to be the top global business story in 2016, with a worldwide glut in oil keeping prices down for most of the year, cheering consumers and businesses, by reducing vehicle operating costs, but forcing oil refiners and asphalt producers to scramble to price their product and decipher the "new normal," at least for now. 3. It continues to be a rough road for smooth pavements in 2016.  It's an objective everyone wants, but evolving specifications and new technology combine to create headaches for contractors struggling to meet the new standards. On the heels of an asphalt pavement smoothness technology form held in 2015, the asphalt pavement association rolls out classes in 2016 to help contractors avoid problems and achieve spec-compliant pavements. 4. A lawsuit filed by an environmental group aimed at the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) over its long-term transportation plan sends tremors across municipal transportation planning agencies statewide. The lawsuit, which prevailed in lower courts and was eventually appealed by SANDAG to the state Supreme Court, challenges SANDAG's 40-year, $200 billion transportation plan as not doing enough to reduce greenhouse gases that are linked to global climate change. About half of GHGs are generated by mobile sources, including cars and trucks. The lawsuit prompts San Diego and other municipalities to take a fresh look at how their transportation programs measure up against GHG objectives. 5. The first classes are held in 2016 as part of a joint Caltrans-industry Training and Certification program for asphalt lab technicians. Industry had pressed Caltrans for nearly two decades to go to the joint industry-agency training and certification model to reduce test variability and claims over materials test results. Most other states have already gone to similar programs. Caltrans, operating on an inter-agency agreement with a local academic institution, will roll out the first classes by year's end. 6. Consolidation in the construction industry will continue to make news in 2015, with several high-profile mergers and acquisitions making headlines, as well as some company surprising leadership changes. 7. Public works agencies, particularly at the local level, will face increasing pressure to implement environmentally friendly practices in their operations and in their transportation improvement and maintenance programs. Citizen activism on this front becomes increasingly more sophisticated, and will require additional time and resources from companies and agencies to respond. 8. The "brain drain" of qualified and experienced engineers and  technical personnel at public agencies at all levels will continue in 2016, resulting in increased pressure to recruit, train and develop the next generation of pavement experts. The expected "silver tsunami" of retirements at Caltrans, postponed so those near retirement could take advantage of a pay raise to sweeten pensions, will make landfall near the end of the year as an increasing number of retirements are announced. 9. The implementation of AB219, an unprecedented expansion of California's prevailing wage laws to cover concrete deliveries on public works projects, will cause widespread confusion and conflict on construction projects statewide in the second half of 2016, when it is scheduled to be implemented. The union-backed bill, sponsored by construction trade unions and opposed by employer groups, was amended on its way to the governor's desk last year to remove all references to asphalt. In 2016 unions will return to the Legislature with another bill to include asphalt deliveries in prevailing wage laws, but it will be deemed cost-prohibitive and will not make it out of the Legislature. 10. The leviathan California economy, which if it were treated as a separate country would be the world's eighth largest, will continue to outpace the nation in 2016 in economic growth, job-creation and potshots from other states for its Byzantine system of laws, rules and regulations that confound business interests at every turn. Honorable mention: A story that won't be making many headlines in 2016, similar to recent years, is the growing power of the California Air Resources Board (CARB), which already wields vast powers virtually unchecked by California's representative form of government. All 12 members of the CARB board are appointed by, and serve "at the pleasure" of Gov. Jerry Brown, although board appointees must be approved by the Senate. CARB's diesel and off-road emission regulations have already forced construction businesses to invest millions of dollars on new equipment and costly retrofits, while drastically reducing the value of thousands of pieces of equipment, evaporating company assets and bonding capacity in the process. The CARB-controled carbon credits program made the agency gatekeeper of hundreds of millions of dollars, a substantial portion of which was funneled to the governor's controversial pet project, High Speed Rail. The rise of CARB has been often cited by Capitol insiders as the biggest under-reported story in California politics. |
| Melendez to be keynote speaker at CalAPA Annual Dinner Jan. 21 in Los Angeles
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Assemblywoman Melissa Melendez will be the keynote speaker at the the most prestigious industry event of the year: CalAPA's Annual Dinner Jan. 21 at the historic Jonathan Club in downtown Los Angeles. Click HERE for details.
Melendez, a Republican who represents the 67th Assembly District in Southern California, is vice chair of the powerful Assembly Budget Committee and also is a member of the Assembly Transportation
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| | Assemblywoman Melissa Melendez |
Committee. She's provide valuable insight to the state of the state's finances and transportation funding.
Traditionally one of CalAPA's most popular events, attendees will be able to re-connect with colleagues, meet new industry leaders and enjoy sumptuous food in one of the most elegant settings in California. This is a member-only event, but spouses and invited guests are welcome if paid for and accompanied by a member.
The festivities will take place at the elegant venue, 545 S. Figueroa St. in Los Angeles. The reception begins at 5:30 p.m., with the dinner program following. The CalAPA Board of Directors meets earlier in the day.
For more information, including sponsorship opportunities, contact Sophie You of CalAPA at (916) 791-5044.
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| 2 new 'Caltrans Section 39 HMA Specs' classes set for Feb 2 & 3 in the Bay Area
| By popular demand, two new "Critical Changes to Caltrans Section 39 HMA Specifications" classes have been added to the CalAPA training calendar for the Bay Area. The two previous classes in the Bay Area sold out quickly, so early registration is strongly recommended.
The class will be held on Tuesday, Feb. 2 from 8 a.m. to noon at the Caltrans Richmond Construction Field Office, 3401 Regatta Boulevard in Richmond. Click HERE for details and to sign up.
The class will be repeated at the same location on Wednesday, Feb. 3
from 8 a.m. to noon. Click HERE to sign up for the Wednesday class.
The class is taught by Paul Curren, P.E., a private consultant who has presented the curriculum at various locations across the state since 2010. The updated class will highlight recent changes to the Caltrans asphalt specifications, as well as information on "Superpave" language and requirements now making its way into projects.
The class content was developed under the guidance of the CalAPA Technical Advisory Committee and reviewed by Caltrans.
For a complete schedule of all upcoming CalAPA training classes and meetings, click HERE. For more information on the CalAPA training program, contact Ritha Nhorn at (916) 791-5044.
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| Tech Term of the Week
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Each week we highlight a word, acronym or other reference commonly used in the asphalt pavement industry in California.
OPEN-GRADED FRICTION COURSE (OGFC): A thin HMA surface course consisting of a mix of an asphalt binder and open-graded aggregate. An OGFC helps to eliminate standing water on a pavement surface thereby reducing tire spray and hydroplaning potential.
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| Quote of the Week
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"A certain amount of opposition is a great help to a man. Kites rise against, not with, the wind."
Lewis Mumford
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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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