A content-rich program attracted asphalt influencers from near and far to the CalAPA Spring Asphalt Pavement Conference & Equipment Expo held last week in Pomona.

Those with Ph.D's on their resumes, and there were plenty in attendance, may have felt like they were reliving their doctoral dissertation defense presentations as each subject-matter expert who took to the stage faced polite but pointed questions and commentary from the knowledgeable audience of practitioners about the information delivered. All attendees benefitted from the interactions.

The 14th annual conference, held Feb. 25-26 at a new location in Southern California, the Sheraton Fairplex Hotel & Conference Center in Pomona, also featured a trade-show floor, and a sprawling outdoor heavy equipment exhibit area, where attendees got an up-close look at the latest equipment and technology shaping the future of the asphalt pavement industry. A timed agenda of the event program is HERE.

Jhony Habbouche, regional engineer with the Asphalt Institute and presenting at his first CalAPA conference, touched on a theme mentioned by others when he noted the "collaborative work" between industry, agencies and academia "on deployment of innovative strategies" in asphalt pavements that ultimately will become mainstream and benefit the taxpayer and traveling public.

Also attending her first CalAPA Spring conference was new Caltrans State Pavement Engineer Tigi Thomas, who gave an overview on Day 1 of her office's recent work on specification development, pilot projects and supporting project delivery. Her comments were a fitting bookend to remarks delivered on Day 2 of the conference by State Materials Engineer Tim Greutert, making a return engagement to the event to provide an update on various materials-centric initiatives that are in the implementation pipeline.

"Durable and sustainable pavements -- that's what the public wants," Greutert intoned. He implored conference attendees to "help people maintain that asset" and challenged his own department and other agency personnel in attendance, "Don't over-specify," which he said can stifle innovation. Both Thomas and Greutert are on the Pavement & Materials Partnering Committee, a collaborative effort between the department and industry, supported by field-tested academic research, that refines and updates Caltrans specifications, construction standards and test methods that are adopted by many others. In keeping with the sustainability theme, technical presentations at the event delved into aspects of Reclaimed Asphalt Pavements (RAP), Recycled Asphalt Shingles (RAS) , rubberized asphalt pavement mixes (RHMA) and in-place recycling, as well as the latest in the Caltrans move toward Balanced Mix Design implementation. Collaboration was further in evidence during a presentation by Richard Hibbard of Caltrans and Shadi Saadeh of California State University, Long Beach, on the Joint Training & Certification Program for construction materials technicians.

CalAPA 2025 Chairman Scott Metcalf with Ergon Asphalt & Emulsions kicked off the conference by noting how the event is aligned with the CalAPA educational mission as well as its commitment to sharing knowledge widely with the industry and agency personnel alike. CalAPA also sponsored the attendance at the conference of several undergraduate students pursuing careers in engineering and construction management. That workforce development and recruitment commitment was the inspiration in the creation by CalAPA of the California Asphalt Research & Education (CARE) Foundation.

Once again the indefatigable Women of Asphalt California Branch volunteers were well-represented at the event, delivering a presentation on branch activities, holding a separate organizing meeting and staffing an informational booth. The WofA CA Branch presentation, delivered by Mimi Li with MCK Services and new Branch Co-Chair Sarah Hartz, chief of the Caltrans Southern Regional Lab, can be viewed HERE. The WofA CA Branch activities are supported by the CARE Foundation. Providing a compelling example of how women leaders are increasingly helping to shape the industry, several prominent women delivered informative technical presentations during the two-day event. The conference agenda is HERE. Additional photos from the event were posted on CalAPA's various social media feeds.

Mixing serious technical content with fun networking opportunities is a hallmark of the CalAPA Spring Asphalt Pavement Conference, in its 14th year, but the reception-live rock concert at the hotel-adjacent Wally Parks hot-rod museum will no doubt be talked about for many years to come. Surrounded by some of the most famous pavement-pounding dragsters, fire-breathing funny cars and muscular hot rods of racing legend (which broke records on asphalt pavements, it should be noted), "Shakedown," a local Bob Seger tribute band, rampaged through a set of toe-tapping tunes that inspired spontaneous dancing, clapping and chanting from the reception attendees. As they played, a top-fuel dragster once piloted by Don "Big Daddy" Garlits, considered the father of modern drag racing, hung over the stage.

"Shakedown" Lead Singer Brian Hoover has a special connection to the asphalt industry as co-owner of Construction Marketing Services and CMS Media Pros, which has produced CalAPA's highly regarded association magazine for nearly three decades. His co-owner/spouse, Kerry Hoover, was once again providing photography services at the event. A fun preview video of the band produced prior to the conference is HERE. CMS Media Pros also produced the official conference promotional video, which is HERE.

The conference was sponsored by CalAPA members CRH, G3 Quality, Knife River and Valero. A poster of the various exhibitors at the conference is HERE.

All registered conference attendees were sent a link to a special conference resources web page that includes a list of all attendees, timed agenda, and PDF copies of all presentations delivered at the two-day event. Watch this newsletter for announcements about next year's Spring Conference. For sponsorship and exhibitor information, contact Sophie You of CalAPA at (916) 791-5044.

A special forecast-themed issue of CalAPA's official association magazine, "California Asphalt," is arriving in mailboxes this week. The issue can also be viewed on-line HERE.

The centerpiece of the issue is the annual economic forecast for California and the nation produced by the UCLA Anderson School of Business and reprinted via special arrangement with the institution. The issue also includes an update on how the state's economy could be impacted by the recent wildfires that devastated parts of Southern California. The issue is a perfect companion to the CalAPA Annual Asphalt Market Forecast for California, which was sent to all CalAPA members last December.

The issue also features a tribute to Carl Monismith, former University of California professor of engineering and internationally recognized expert on asphalt pavements, who passed away Jan. 7 in Montana at the age of 98. A memorial service for Monismith is scheduled to take place March 21 in El Cerrito.

"California Asphalt" magazine is published six times per year and distributed to CalAPA members and others in the industry, as well as agency personnel and others interested in asphalt pavements. It contains in-depth reporting and analysis of the issues, trends and people impacting the asphalt pavement industry in California. For an archive of past issues, as well as advertising information, click HERE. For editorial or advertising inquiries, contact Kerry Hoover of Construction Market Services at (909) 772-3121. 

Proposed tariffs slapped on Mexico and Canada could be announced by the Trump administration this week, which the construction materials industry has previously warned could "significantly increase the cost of both public and private transportation and infrastructure projects."

The tariffs, which are essentially a tax on imported goods, could impact hundreds of billions worth of cross-border trade between the countries. President Trump last week said the tariffs could be announced as early as Tuesday, and that sentiment was echoed over the weekend by U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. How much the tariffs could be has not yet been revealed, although in the past the president has talked about 25% tariffs. What products or industries could be exempt from such tariffs is also not yet known. The president has offered varying reasons for imposing tariffs, from punishing the countries for their role in illegal drug trafficking to unfair trade practices.

The National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA), a CalAPA partner, and other construction materials associations, previously voiced concern about how such tariffs could impact the construction industry. A coalition letter sent to the White House on Jan. 31, outlined those concerns.

"For a variety of reasons, there is not a sufficient domestic supply – in some cases nationally and in some cases regionally – of raw materials within the U.S., creating a demand for imports of aggregates, cement and other components of asphalt and concrete – many of which are from Canada and Mexico," the letter stated. "For example, the U.S. produces roughly 75% of the cement consumed on an annual basis, and there are large geographic areas of the country in which there are not naturally occurring rock suitable for highway construction. Recognition of these realities was the basis for the bipartisan exclusion of these products from expanded Buy America provisions in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act."

The letter goes on to cite specific areas of construction that could be harmed by the president's action, and concludes, "we urge the Administration to judiciously choose which products on which to apply tariffs and respectfully request that you carefully consider the second order effects of the tariffs in increasing federal spending and exacerbating vulnerable sectors of the economy."

Trump was elected on a platform that included addressing the cost of living, which has risen sharply in recent years. Economists are divided on what impact, if any, tariffs levied on Canada, Mexico, as well as China, would result in higher retail prices for goods purchased in the United States. In the current issue of CalAPA's association magazine, California Asphalt, economists from UCLA weigh in on the tariff question. That issue is on-line HERE.

In addition to NAPA, the letter is signed by the National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association, the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association and the Portland Cement Association. A copy of the coalition letter is HERE. A previous Asphalt Insider article on this topic is HERE.

California "doubles down" on its transportation-related climate goals, the California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA) announced last week as it released an update of its "Climate Action Plan for Transportation Infrastructure" report, known as CAPTI.

The Feb. 28 press release said state government is "building on the successes of CAPTI 1.0 and identifying 14 new key actions to further reduce harmful emissions released into our environment." The press release includes supportive quotes from Gov. Gavin Newsom and his transportation cabinet secretary, Toks Omishakin (pictured).

CalAPA and other transportation advocates have persistently criticized the first CAPTI report as unrealistic and often redundant, and presented similar comments to the draft update. While reports of deteriorating pavements statewide are legion, the CAPTI press release boasts that "since its release in July 2021 CAPTI has guided billions of discretionary transportation dollars toward investments that aggressively combat and adapt to climate change."

A copy of the press release as it was received by CalAPA* is HERE. The full CAPTI report can be downloaded HERE. A previous Asphalt Insider story on this topic is HERE. CalAPA's comment letter on CAPTI 1.0, which warned the plan could "arbitrarily result in eliminating highway projects desperately needed to improve mobility and the quality of life for so many communities in California," is HERE.

Editor's Note (*): It is the custom of this publication to link to original source material whenever possible. However, in the case of the CalSTA press release referenced above, it was not posted on the CalSTA website at press time, so a copy of the press release as it was received by CalAPA via e-mail on Feb. 28 at 1:22 p.m. was uploaded by CalAPA to a cloud storage site and the link to that copy is provided as a reference HERE.

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

BACKFILL: Material used in filling an excavation or the act of filling an excavation.

Each week we highlight a key point or best practice of interest to asphalt paving crews, inspectors and others working in the field. We welcome suggestions. More tips can be found in our "Asphalt Parking Lot Construction Checklist" HERE. Information on the CalAPA "Quality Paving Certificate" program is HERE.

COMPACTION: Check pavement temperature before compaction begins. Don't rely solely on an

infrared temperature gauge. Have a probe thermometer on hand to check the internal temperature

of the mat. The ability to achieve proper compaction requires a mat temperature of 175 degrees or

greater. Do not let roller operators park equipment on the fresh mat while compaction is ongoing.

Each week we highlight a term that is specific to climate-change issues related to the asphalt pavement industry. This feature is intended to raise awareness of the asphalt industry's climate-change initiatives and the specialized terminology that goes with them. More information on "The Road Forward" asphalt industry climate initiative can be found HERE. A recent CalAPA magazine story on the topic is HERE.

SMOOTHNESS: Pavement quality that ensures high driver satisfaction, and can also reduce fuel

consumption and emissions.

"What seems to us as bitter trials are often blessings in disguise."



– Oscar Wilde

We hope you enjoy CalAPA's Asphalt Insider newsletter. We are committed to providing you with the most up-to-date information on technical issues, regulation, news, analysis, people, events and trends in California that is of interest to the asphalt pavement industry and our various agency partners. To subscribe to the newsletter, click HERE. For comments, questions or to suggest a story idea, click HERE. We are committed to promptly notifying our readers of any errors in this publication. Please click on the comment link above to alert the editor of any errors or omissions.

Sincerely,

Russell W. Snyder, CAE

Executive Director

The California Asphalt Pavement Association (CalAPA)®