A special Caltrans-industry task force looking for ways to improve the timely reporting of material test results is seeking input from contractors on projects that may have been negatively impacted due to the tardy reporting. Click HERE to download and complete a survey designed to gather this information.

A letter sent in 2014 to California State Transportation Secretary Brian Kelly, signed by CalAPA and seven other associations, expressed concerns that delays in receiving material test results was adding needless cost, delay and risk to contractors working on transportation improvement projects.

As a result, Caltrans and industry formed the Test Turnaround Task Group to examine the process for gathering, testing and reporting results on lab tests of construction materials. The department issued a Construction Policy Bulletin last year to change the policy on material testing and tighten the time-frames to deliver test results. The memo, CPB15-1, can be found HERE.

The survey form lists the various construction materials tests and is modeled by a Caltrans form, 6-1.2. It has spaces for project number, dates and a place for comments. Complete a separate form for each project. Data will be compiled without reference to names, companies or projects.

Return completed forms by July 1 to Courtney Orozco of CalCIMA via e-mail at corozco(at)calcima(dot)org , or you may call her at (916) 554-1042.

Editor's note: the "@" symbol and "." in the e-mail address above have been replaced by (at) and (dot) to help deter malicious spam software.

CalAPA's enormously popular "Asphalt Pavement 101" class is back and will be held Wednesday, July 13 in San Diego and again on Thursday, July 14 in Cerritos. Click HERE to download a flier that provides more detail about the class.

The class is a good overview of everything asphalt, touching on how asphalt pavements are designed, constructed and maintained. It is taught by Roger Smith, a former senior materials engineer with Caltrans and the Asphalt Institute, as well as a former executive director of CalAPA.

Although the class is just a half-day it is packed with loads of useful information for

	Roger Smith

contractor and agency paving crews, quality control specialists, lab personnel and others who interact with asphalt pavements. The class will cover pavement structure and terminologies, asphalt binders, aggregates, asphalt mixes, plant operations and mix delivery, paving and rolling, acceptance specifications and testing.

Because so much is changing in the world of asphalt pavements, the class is an excellent refresher course for veterans in the industry as well as providing a good overview for those new or just returning to asphalt pavements.

"Asphalt Pavement 101" is a recommended prerequisite for other CalAPA technical classes, such as "Caltrans Section 39 Specifications," "Essentials of Pavement Smoothness" and "Quality HMA Paving."

All class attendees will receive a reference booklet that includes copies of the slide presentation, key acronyms, glossary and other reference items for future use. Attendees will also receive a handsome certificate of completion documenting that they have completed four (4) Professional Development Hours (PDH) of technical instruction.

For more information or to register for the July 13 class in San Diego, click HERE. For more information or to register for the July 14 class in Cerritos, click HERE.

CalAPA can also bring technical classes to your location. For more information on hosted CalAPA technical classes, contact Ritha Nhorn of CalAPA at (916) 791-5044. For an on-line calendar of all CalAPA classes and events, click HERE.

 

 

View the complete infographic HERE.