Practical tools and information that can be used right way. Trends in asphalt design and construction. Eye-popping technology and new equipment. The CalAPA Spring Asphalt Pavement Conference week of activities held last week in Ontario had all that and more, attracting hundreds of professionals to learn the very latest, network and have fun.

The annual event, held at the DoubleTree Hotel in Ontario, kicked off March 6 with an "Asphalt Pavement 101" class taught by former senior Caltrans materials engineer Roger Smith, attended by industry and agency personnel. Later in the evening, pre-conference festivities kicked off with a networking event at the nearby Topgolf sports and entertainment complex, providing rain-proof golf and fun. The Women of Asphalt California Branch, meanwhile, sponsored a tour of a Pavement Recycling Systems (PRS) facility in Colton. The tour came on the heals of PRS hosting a joint Caltrans-industry liaison meeting at their Headquarters in Jurupa Valley on March 5.

Day 1 of the Spring Conference, on March 7, featured presentations by Caltrans Deputy District 8 Director Haissam Yahya, outlining department priorities and the construction program for the Inland Empire. Sean Devine, CEO of X-B-E, Inc., followed up with an eye-popping demonstration of the capabilities of the "Hey NAPA" AI-powered research tool, and other AI capabilities. At one point he ran a video of himself through a translator that converted his speech and facial expressions to Spanish as if he was fluent in the language (he isn't). "That's bonkers, right?" He said as a communications tool, AI-powered technology can help "meet people where they are" to enhance learning and communications. The "Hey NAPA" tool, with strictly curated content linked to original source material, is just one example of the man practical applications that are coming on line.

Erik Updyke, P.E., Program Manager for the SB1-funded City & County Pavement Improvement Center, walked attendees through the wealth of resources developed to help local agencies manage their pavement assets, including many educational resources, model specifications and more. A detailed cover story in a recent issue of CalAPA's association magazine, California Asphalt, profiled the CCPIC HERE. The CCPIC website is HERE.

Dr, Shadi Saadeh with Cal State Long Beach, program manager of the Joint Training & Certification Program for construction materials technicians, a joint effort between Caltrans, academia and the construction industry, discussed how the program has trained thousands of technicians since the program's inception in 208,, and summarized new enhancements to the classes coming up this year. CalAPA in 2014 spearheaded the effort to create the JTCP, and is a member of the JTCP Advisory Council. A California Asphalt magazine story about a tour of the JTCP program in Long Beach conducted for a member of the Legislature is HERE. The main JTCP website is HERE.

Innovation was a recurring theme of the conference, with presentations by Alex Richardson with HaulHub and Joseph Dongo of Caltrans on eTicketing technology, and Scott Dmytrow with PavementACES demonstrating pavement preservation tools that are benefitting by new technology. Sustainability was also prominently featured in presentations by Dan Staebell with Cargill, delving into Warm Mix Asphalt and best practices with regard to the use or rejuvinators in the use of Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement. Chris Sparks with MacRebur provided an update on the use of reclaimed plastic in asphalt pavement mixes. Amlan Mukherjee with WAP Sustainability, a noted national expert on Environmental Product Declarations, provided the latest information on this high-interest topic. EPDs were featured on the cover of California Asphalt magazine's most recent environment-themed issue HERE.

The Women of Asphalt California Branch once again dazzled with a presentation of the group's many workforce-elevating activities in the past year as outlined by Cathrina Barros, Chief of the Caltrans Office of Asphalt Pavements and co-chair of the Women of Asphalt California Branch. CalAPA 2024 Chairman Scott Metcalf announced at the conference that CalAPA was establishing a non-profit charitable foundation, in part, to support Women of Asphalt California Branch activities, and a special WofACA Branch raffle raised more than $700. To learn more about the Women of Asphalt California Branch, click HERE.

Day 2 of the conference featured presentations from Buzz Powell (pictured), recently named technical director of the CalAPA-supported Asphalt Pavement Alliance, drawing from his many years of managing the test track at the National Center for Asphalt Technology at Auburn University. Dr. John Harvey, Director of the University of California Pavement Research Center (UCPRC) joined Updyke for informative presentations targeting pavement performance, as well as the latest research on the use of RAP and Rubberized Hot Mix Asphalt.

The Women of Asphalt California Branch demonstrated their technical chops by moderating an expert panel discussion on recycling asphalt in-place, utilizing various techniques. Barros moderated the panel discussion, which also featured Larry Hernandez with Caltrans, Dr. Dave Jones with the UCPRC and Marco Estrada with PRS. A detailed agenda of all the topics and presenters is HERE. Presentations delivered at the conference are available on-line via the CalAPA SlideShare page HERE. A list of attendees registered as of Feb. 19 is HERE.

The Spring Conference would not be possible without the generous support of the event sponsors and exhibitors. The reception sponsor was Ergon Asphalt & Emulsions, and the Lanyard Sponsor was Pavement Recycling Systems. Sponsors of the Spring Conference included G3 Quality, Knife River Construction, R.J. Noble Co. and Valero. The event exhibitors were All States Materials Group, Arkema, Crafco, D&H Equipment, Humboldt Equipment, Ingevity, InstroTek Inc., Maxwell Products, Nixon-Egli Equipment Co., Quinn CAT, the Reed Family Companies, the RMA Companies, Structure Groups, WRAPP and the Women of Asphalt California Branch, which also sponsored a 1970s-themed dance contest at the hotel nightclub featuring flamboyant costumes and even more flamboyant dance moves. The fun and inclusive aspects of the Women of Asphalt California Branch were highlighted in a recent issue of California Asphalt magazine HERE.

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The asphalt pavement industry in California and across the nation was shocked and saddened last week to learn of the passing of industry giant Dave Newcomb. In a note sent March 4 by National Asphalt Pavement Association President & Chief Executive Officer Audrey Copleand, she said "it is with great sadness" that she shared the news of Newcomb's passing over the weekend from a heart attack. Newcomb was NAPA's vice president of Engineering, Research and Technology from 1999 to 2011. Copeland followed him into that position before ascending to the top position at NAPA.

Newcomb was most recently a part-time senior research engineer at the Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) after retiring from his position of TTI Division Head-Materials & Pavements.

"Dave was an asphalt pavement expert and staunch advocate for our industry, research excellence, quality, and for the people in our industry," Copeland said in her note.

Newcomb, of Kerrville, Texas, was 68 when he passed away March 2 at a local hospital, according to a local funeral home that is handling his final arrangements. He was a familiar name to many in the asphalt industry in California, having provided technical expertise that informed many initiatives over the years to advance specifications, test methods and various asphalt design strategies. In addition to his vast storehouse of knowledge and expertise, his unfailing good humor earned him fans far and wide.

"I thought Dave was a real gentleman and a valuable piece of the technical puzzle at NAPA," said longtime asphalt association executive Jim St. Martin, P.E., a member of the CalAPA "Hall of Fame." "I always valued his opinion and input."

Current CalAPA Technical Director, Brandon Milar, P.E., also worked closely with Newcomb over the years. "He was very helpful and I enjoyed our interactions," Milar commented.

Dr. Rita Leahy, former CalAPA Technical Director who also previously worked for the Asphalt Institute and is enshrined in both the CalAPA Hall of Fame and recognized as the "Original Woman of Asphalt" by the national Women of Asphalt organization, told Asphalt Insider that Newsome "a prince of a fellow," a "tremendous asset" and a "captain of industry."

"He had that unique ability to engage an audience at all levels, from the most sophisticated technical expert to the boots-on-the-ground paving contractor," Leahy said. "He could take a very difficult concept and make it relatable to an academician and a practitioner. That is a very rare gift."

Mike Anderson with the Association of Asphalt Paving Technologists, noted that Newcomb was a past president of AAPT in 2012 and was named an Honorary Member in 2019. "Those are important accomplishments that speak to his passion for AAPT and impact in the asphalt industry, but they don't really touch on who he was and what he meant to so many in our small community." Anderson shared some brief remarks Newcomb made when he accepted his honorary AAPT membership:

“In this day and age, when so much of our communication is via electronic devices and we spend so much time trying to interpret the messages and often misinterpreting both them and the tone of voice, take a few minutes a day or a couple of hours a month to sit down and discuss things with the people around you. This investment in others will have big dividends in terms of how they view the world and how they view work.”

Services for Newcomb are pending. More information can be found HERE.

Fifty street segments in the desert oasis town of Palm Springs will be paved with asphalt this year following a vote of the City Council. The $9 million worth of work is a direct result of Measure J, a 2011 sales tax increase approved by voters in 2011. A press release from the city heralds the work as another example of Measure J continuing to "improve quality of life in our community!"

The Feb. 29 vote of the city council to allocate the funding for the paving work means the improvements will begin this Spring, the city says.

"This is fantastic news for our residents and neighborhoods," Mayor Jeffrey Bernstein said in a press release. "This is the most money ever allocated for annual street paving -- and its all thanks to Measure J, which continues to be a huge economic booster for the City of Palm Springs. Perhaps most importantly, this is money that primarily comes from tourist dollars and not our residents. It's a win-win."

Measure J has funded numerous civic improvement projects, including improvements to hundreds of miles of city streets. To read the city's press release, click HERE. The list of streets to be improved during the most recently approved batch of work is HERE.

Asphalt covers about 95% of paved surfaces in California, including nearly all city and county streets because it is durable, quiet, safe, cost-effective and 100% recyclable. It also stands up to the most punishing conditions. In the case of Palm Springs, a resort city located in the Coachella Valley in Riverside County that is a worldwide tourist destination, summertime temperatures routinely surpass 100 degrees.

One closely watched result from the March 5 primary elections in California was Measure HLA on the City of Los Angeles Ballot. The measure, which appeared to be winning by a comfortable margin, would require the construction of hundreds of miles of bike lanes, bus lanes and pedestrian-friendly enhancements. The most recent tabulation from the Los Angeles County Clerk-Registrar Recorder, found the measure winning 64.4% of the vote to 35.5% of the vote in the low-turnout election. The measure only required a simple majority to pass. Local officials must complete final tally of ballots by April 4, and the California Secretary of State will certify the results of the election on April 12.

The measure was supported by various environmental groups, including the Sierra Club, labor groups and some business interests.

The measure will put into place a local law that when the City of Los Angeles makes a qualifying improvement to a city-owned street, the city must also install certain street enhancements described in the city's mobility plan network of pedestrian, bicycle, transit and vehicle routes. The measure also has various public disclosure provisions. The vote tally mirrors the uneven campaign over the measure, with an organized "Yes on HLA" campaign overwhelming token opposition to the measure. The "Yes on HLA" website is HERE. The Los Angeles Daily News newspaper was one of the notable institutions that recommended a "no" vote on the measure. The newspaper said the total cost of implementing the measure could exceed $2.6 billion over 10 years, citing the City Administrative Officer's financial impact statement in the voter guide. The Measure HLA victory is prompted a bicycle coalition to boast that it "won the primary."

The measure is clearly another example of how transportation policy and investments in fixing roads is being usurped by activists that want to move beyond fixing potholes to changing the shape and character of local and state transportation systems. Increasingly, dollars traditionally intended to fix pavements are diverted to other uses, such as "active transportation" enhancements, "traffic calming" and other non-pavement priorities. To read more about the City of Los Angeles Mobility Plan, click HERE.

For our analysis on how the election will influence who has control of Congress next year, which ran in last week's Asphalt Insider newsletter, click HERE. To participate in CalAPA's annual Legislative "Fly-in" to the State Capitol, scheduled to take place March 19-20, click HERE.

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

ASPHALT CONCRETE: High quality, thoroughly controlled hot mixture of asphalt cement and well-graded, high quality aggregate, thoroughly compacted into a uniform dense mass typified by the Missouri Department of Transportation Type B and C and Superpave mixes. This term has largely been replaced in specifications by “Hot Mix Asphalt.”

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.

RECORD RETENTION AFTER PROJECT COMPLETION: Take a final photograph of the site for your records and retain all records from the project including: copies of all truck delivery tickets and record of all the temperature recordings and compaction readings you took during the project.

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.

WILDLIFE HABITAT: Wildlife areas that provide opportunities for food, water, and nesting. 

"Remember no one can make you feel inferior without your consent."

– Eleanor Roosevelt

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, 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.

Sincerely,

Russell W. Snyder, CAE

Executive Director

The California Asphalt Pavement Association (CalAPA)®