CalAPA instructors Skip Brown(left) and Roger Smith chat during

a break in the Visalia asphaltclasses last week.

CALIFORNIA ASPHALT INSIDERThe latest news and views from the California Asphalt Pavement Association

Feb. 20, 2017

www.calapa.net

IN THIS ISSUE

ndustry, agencyrepresentatives get the latest

practical information atCalAPA 'on demand' asphalt

classes held in Visalia

CalAPA-supported researchand communication efforts

outlined in new NAPApublication

Dan Speer named to actingposition over materials

engineering & testing atCaltrans

'Road Age:' When neglectbecomes a pothole, and apothole becomes a sinkhole

NAPA 'Back to Basics' webinarFeb. 16 to focus on asphalt

binders; free for CalAPAmembers, agency personnel

Tech Term of the Week:Mineral Dust

Quote of the Week: GeorgeWashington

CALENDAR

(Always on-line HERE)

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SAVE THE DATES!CalAPA Spring Asphalt

Greetings!

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

Industry, agency representatives get thelatest practical information at CalAPA 'ondemand' asphalt classes held in Visalia

Two CalAPA asphalt classes held last week in Tulare County provedpopular with industry and agency representatives.

The half-day classes, taught back-to-back and hosted by TulareCounty, covered a broad spectrum of information, including updates onasphalt specifications, best practices in paving and other tips and tricksthat can pay dividends all year long.

CalAPA instructor Roger Smith, a former Caltrans materials engineer,reprised his popular "AsphaltPavement 101" class, whichprovides an overview ofasphalt mix design, testingand acceptance, as well assome best practices in thefield. Skip Brown followedSmith's Feb. 16 class with his"Quality Asphalt Paving," a"boots on the ground"perspective filled withpractical cost-saving tipsfrom a veteran pavingcontractor and consultant.

Both classes, which werehosted by Tulare County andheld at the countyadministrative building inVisalia, were brought to theSouthern San Joaquin Valleyat the request of the county.

In addition to its publiclyadvertised classes that are held around the state, CalAPA offersmember companies and public agencies the opportunity to schedule aclass at their own facility and attended by their own personnel.Agencies, in particular, have found this to be a useful and cost-effectiveway to train a large number of personnel at once to ensure everyone isreceiving the same information and that the agency's approach toasphalt pavements is consistent with the most modern standards andbest-practices.

For more information on setting up a hosted CalAPA asphalt class, click

Pavement Conference &Equipment Expo

April 12-13Doubletree Hotel, 222 N.Vineyard Ave., Ontario

Contact Sophie You at CalAPAat (916) 791-5044 for

sponsorship and exhibitoropportunities.Details soon!

SOCIALIZE

CHOOSE ASPHALT

Asphalt is used on about 93percent of paved roads in

California and across the U.S.Why? Because it's smooth,

quiet, safe, durable and 100percent recyclable. Visit theAsphalt Pavement Alliance

website learn more about whyasphalt is the right choice now

more than ever.

GET TECHNICAL

Are you an engineer, designeror technical professionalwho makes decisions on

pavement type selection? TheDriveAsphalt website has

technical reports and other

HERE to view our flier, or contact Ritha Nhorn or Sophie You at CalAPAat (916) 791-5044.

CalAPA instructor Skip Brown (standing at white board) explainsthe various factors necessary to achieve an optimal paving

operation at the Fweb. 16 class held in Visalia.

CalAPA-supported research andcommunication efforts outlined in newNAPA publication

In addition to the various programs put on by CalAPA to serve theasphalt industry and our industry partners in California, CalAPA alsounderwrites national research and communication activities.

An annual publication that summarizes many of the activities wasrecently published by the National Asphalt Pavement Association(NAPA), which acknowledges the"cooperative partnerships with industryand with the State Asphalt PavementAssociations, who play a vital role inthe work of the Pavement EconomicsCommittee and who help drive ourmessages forward in a unifiedmanner."

Click HERE to read the publication,which is titled "Research ProjectSummary."

Representing a state that producesmore asphalt than any other, theCalAPA Board of Directors has as partof its strategic plan a goal ofsupporting national and internationalefforts to elevate the industry and contribute to advancements intechnical knowledge creation and dissemination. This is also called outin CalAPA's Code of Ethics, which is reprinted in CalAPA publications onposted on the association's website HERE.

Dan Speer

resources may be just whatyou're looking for. Click HERE

for more information.

CalAPA

California Asphalt PavementAssociation (CalAPA)

Mailing address:P.O. Box 981300

West Sacramento, CA 95798

Main office:1550 Harbor Blvd., Suite 211West Sacramento, CA 95691

(916) 791-5044 (phone)

BACK ISSUES

Did you miss an issue of theCalifornia Asphalt Insider? Noproblem! Past editions of thenewsletter are available at

the CalAPA newsletter archivepage.

MAGAZINE

CalAPA produces a highlyregarded magazine,

California Asphalt, and anannual membership directory.To view current and past issues

Dan Speer named to acting position overmaterials engineering & testing at Caltrans

A familiar figure to the asphalt pavement industry in California, DanSpeer was recently named to take over as the Division of EngineeringServices, Deputy Division Chief of Materials Engineering Testing Services& Geotechnical Services (METS/GS) in an out-of-class assignment.

He fills in for Phil Stolarski, who continues to serve as Acting DivisionChief for Environmental Analysis. Stolarski's METS/GS position was filledfor a year by Roberto Lacalle until it was announced that Speer wouldmove into the position effective Jan. 19.

In an internal announcement by Michael Keever, Caltrans Division Chiefof the Division of Engineering Services,sent on Jan. 18, Keever said, "DanSpeer has 33 years of experience atCaltrans. He has served inmanagement positions in METS,Structure Construction, and over thelast year in Structure Policy andInnovation. He has also served theDepartment in increasing roles ofresponsibility in disciplines related togeotechnical, foundation, bridgeengineering, materials engineering,and quality management."

Speer is a graduate of U.C. Davis andis both a registered civil engineer andregistered geotechnical engineer in California. The genial andunflappable Speer has served on a number of sub-task groupcommittees on the joint Caltrans-industry Rock Products Committeethat reviews and recommends changes to Caltrans constructionmaterials specifications and construction practices.

In January of 2016, Speer, who was then chief of the Caltrans Office ofStructural Materials, was named to temporarily fill in Lacalle's positionas Office Chief for Structure Quality Management. At that time, TomOstrom, Deputy Division Chief for Structure Policy and Innovation, saidof Speer's tenure at OSM, "Dan has established business practices,increased efficiencies, enhanced credibility, developed new specificationsand pioneered far-reaching, risk-based overall of California 's qualitymanagement program."

'Road Age:' When neglect becomes apothole, and a pothole becomes a sinkhole

After years of drought in California, a series of Winter storms rapidlyapproaching historic proportions has battered the Golden State in recentweeks, wrecking havoc on under-maintained roadways across theGolden State.

In some cases, dangerous potholes have developed into potentiallydeadly sinkholes, as evidenced late Friday in the Studio City area of LosAngeles. A rapidly-developingsinkhole near the intersectionof Laurel Canyon Boulevardand Woodbridge Streetquickly swallowed twovehicles before emergencyresponders were able to get tothe scene, rescuing one 48-

The driver of this SUV escapedwith her life after it was

swallowed by a sinkhole in theStudio City area of Los Angeles.

The photo was taken after the SUVwas pulled from the hole.

of the magazine, click HERE.For advertising sales

information, click HERE orcall Kerry Hoover withConstruction Marketing

Services at (909) 772-3121.

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DESIGN!

LEARN! We can bring CalAPA's

popular training classes toyour facility at a date and

time convenient to you! ClickHERE to view our "hosted"

training class flier, or contactCalAPA at (916) 791-5044 for

details. This service isavailable to public agenciesand CalAPA members only.

year-old woman who,according to an L.A. FireDepartment account,"thought she was going todie." You can read the reportHERE.

The photos of the sinkhole andvehicles were provided to"Asphalt Insider" by StudioCity resident Bill Wright.

Sadly, photos such as theseare becoming all to commonacross California as theLegislature and the governordebate the merits ofadditional investments inCalifornia 's neglectedinfrastructure, includingroads, bridges, water andpower systems. A reportdetailing the latest efforts inthe Legislature to pass acomprehensive transportationbill was sent to CalAPAmembers last week in the form of a "Member Alert."

The "Fix Our Roads" coalition is among those calling attention to thissad state of affairs. You can view their website HERE. On Twitter, the#FixCAroads stream is filled with more examples of battered roadssuccumbing to the wrath of Mother Nature. As the Fix Our Roadscoalition says, "We all pay, the more they delay."

For more grassroots resources, including how to contact your electedofficials, click HERE to visit the CalAPA Legislative Action page. Electedofficials tally how many calls from constituents come in by topic, andprioritize their attention accordingly. If they don't hear from you, don'texpect them to act. And, most importantly, be careful out there.

Meanwhile, a brief but compelling video that outlines the phenomenonof "Road Age," a play on the familiar term "road rage," can be foundHERE.

An entire city street was blocked off after an SUV-swallowing

sinkhole developed in the Studio City area of Los Angeles Fridaynight. Two vehicles were pulled from the hole, and firefighters

needed a ladder to rescue one motorist from the hole.Photography by Bill Wright - used with permission.

NAPA 'Back to Basics' webinar Feb. 16 tofocus on asphalt binders; free for CalAPAmembers, agency personnel

The National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA), a CalAPA partner,is offering a series of educational webinars dubbed "Back to Basics." Thewebinars are free to NAPA and CalAPA members and agency personnel.Non-members are $129.

The next webinar will focus on asphalt binders and be held onThursday, Feb. 16 from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.PST. Click HERE for more information on thewebinars and to sign up.

The Feb. 16 webinar looks at the properties ofasphalt binders, how binders are produced, andhow to choose the right binder for the job,including considering modified binders. The presenter is Ron Corun,Axeon Specialty Products LLC.

Other "Back to Basics" webinars will include topics such as volumetrics,mix design, compaction, Quality Control/Quality Assurance and more.The full schedule of webinars can be found HERE.

Tech Term of the Week

Each week we highlight a word, acronym or other referencecommonly used in the asphalt pavement industry in California.

MINERAL DUST: The portion of the fine aggregate passing a No. 200sieve.

Quote of the Week

"It is better to offer no excuse than a bad one."

George Washington

CalAPA offices closed Feb. 20 forPresident's Day Holiday

CalAPA offices will be closed on Monday, Feb. 20 in observance of thePresident's Day Holiday. The offices will reopen on Tuesday, Feb. 21during normal business hours.

We hope you enjoy CalAPA's Asphalt Insider. We are committed toproviding you with the most up-to-date information on technical issues,

regulation, news, analysis and events in California that may impactthe asphalt pavement industry. Click HERE to contact us with anycomments or suggestions. Sincerely,

Russell W. Snyder, CAE Executive DirectorCalifornia Asphalt Pavement Association (CalAPA)

The California Asphalt Insider is an official publication of the California Asphalt Pavement Association. For more information orto inquire about membership, call (916) 791-5044, or click HERE to send us an e-mail.

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