Twenty twenty-two is here and we are off to quite the start! The month we are first recognizing two impressive anniversaries. Weekley Asphalt Paving, Inc. is celebrating their 75th year in business. They continue to be Florida's oldest family owned Asphalt Producer. Not far behind them is Ajax Paving Industries of Florida who celebrates 40 years this month.
Longevity in this wildly competitive business is never due to chance, and every Floridian in South and West Florida has benefited from the risks these road builders took 1947 and 1982. Congratulations!
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Congratulations to Weekley Asphalt Paving, Inc. for their 75th Anniversary in the Asphalt Industry!
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Congratulations to Ajax Paving Industries on their 40th Anniversary!
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Applications Due March 1st
Last year we had an exceptionally competitive pavement award program with over 50 projects submitted. With 20 of those 50+ projects receiving an ACAF award.
Any project your company completed during 2021 that was exceptionally well done should be submitted for consideration. The State of Florida's pavements are widely regarded as the best in the Nation, so these awards truly showcase the best of the best.
This year we are continuing the online application process that worked well last year. Click through to see the award descriptions, the criteria for paving projects, and the active application. If you have any issues with the application process, please reach out to our Technical Director, David Allain (dallain@acaf.org).
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Our friends at Asphalt Testing Solutions & Engineering are opening a new Binder Lab. There will be a open house of February 17th in Jacksonville to celebrate this new addition.
Reservations are required for this event which will include bourbon tasting, live music, and industry networking. Come join us by registering here. |
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Flexible Pavement Committee Meeting Announced |
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The Flexible Pavement Committee will meet again on February 16th, 2022 at the State Materials Office in Gainesville. The meeting is open to everyone. You can learn more about the committee and view previous year's minutes here.
If you would like the Committee to consider a specific topic, please reach out to the Association's Technical Director, David Allain (dallain@acaf.org).
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FHWA to Bring Mobile Asphalt Technology Center to Florida |
On February 17th, 2022, the Mobile Asphalt Technology Center (MATC) will visit the State Materials Office in Gainesville. You can learn more about the FHWA's MATC center here. The trailer will be open to the entire industry.
The Mobile Asphalt Technology Center is committed to spreading the awareness and accessibility to the latest asphalt pavement innovations.
The MATC brings hands-on education, technology demonstrations, field pavement evaluations, and asphalt materials and mixture testing straight to transportation departments and their partners. We work to introduce new and emerging asphalt materials and construction technologies to State agencies and industry — bridging the gap between research and implementation. The desired outcomes from the MATC program include:
• Longer-Life Pavements
• Safer, More Sustainable Methods and Quality Results
• More Informed and Better Connected Pavement Workforce
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The February 2022 FDOT Letting
The FDOT will let 657,000 tons of asphalt in January. A project-level breakdown is here. Good luck!
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FDOT Release Approved Facilities Application |
The Department has developed an application that can be used by anyone on the Internet to query and map Production Facilities for all materials. The app has built in query fields for the user to customize searches. Results appear in map and table formats. The link to the application along with an Instruction Manual is here.
The image here is queried to show Approved Asphalt Plants. Although this is the most important query one can use this map for, it is far from alone. Congratulations to the Department for continuing to live up to their "Innovation" value.
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Key Dates to Look Forward To |
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Webinars &
Virtual Training
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An all-new program at Florida Memorial University is opening doors for a wide range of construction jobs.
Source: CBS Miami
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The Iowa Department of Transportation is experimenting with recycled plastic in asphalt — an innovation that could make roads last longer.
Source: KCRG.com
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The Florida Department of Transportation wants to hear from the community before widening parts of I-295. The goal is to give drivers more space, especially during peak travel times.
Source: News4Jax
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Here are the top trends impacting construction labor in 2022, from an influx in public spending to vaccine debates and continuous social change.
Source: Construction Dive
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An asphalt-based transformation is underway on the famous Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, which has hosted two Olympics and a Super Bowl.
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Effective leadership calls leads to actively engaged employees. How can you build a team of engaged leaders?
Source: Forbes
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Crews paved almost 34,000 square feet with about 3,900 tons of asphalt.
Image credit: Duval Asphalt
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During the event, the company discussed mental health, wellness, and training initiatives, survey feedback, and awards won in 2021. Ajax also celebrated employee service awards and retirements in 2022.
Image credit: Ajax Paving
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