Hey, a guy can dream, can he not? Oh, that such a proverbial “silver bullet” existed when it comes specifying, producing, and constructing quality asphalt mixes. It would simplify production, reduce waste, and increase proficiency across the board from design to construction and even preservation!
Unfortunately, no such specification to rule them all exists (at least not one that I am aware of!), but I do believe that industry and owners, by working together, have taken a much-needed critical step in the right direction over the course of the last few years. Indeed, after many meetings, lots of discussions, and maybe even a few shed tears (mostly on my part), I firmly believe that UAPA, UDOT, and particularly the Utah Chapter of the APWA have worked very hard to produce a set of 2017 standard asphalt specifications that will meet the needs of Utah. So while our bullet is not quite silver, I do believe that now, more so than ever before, we have developed quality specifications that can and should drive our industry as the “go-to standards” in Utah for the years to come.
If I may, I would like to focus on just the APWA Standards. By simplifying the APWA Specifications through, among other things, targeting air voids, changing calculations for the absorptiveness of virgin aggregate and RAP, and bumping binder grades to account for the use of RAP in your mix according national standards, we now have standard specifications that will meet the needs of every city and county in Utah. By narrowing our specs to five or six go-to mixes based on the application, we can and, by all accounts, we will build better roads, reduce waste, and become more efficient both as industry and owners in what we do. By working together, we can go from the over four hundred iterations of city and county specifications across the state to under ten mixes that will handle most, if not all, applications for cities and counties in the state.
It is that sentiment that drove us last week to hold the fist UAPA Lunch and Learn of 2017. At that meeting, we had over one hundred people in attendance to discuss opportunities and challenges in specifying, producing, and constructing asphalt mixes along the Wasatch Front. I am very grateful to Waylund Ludlow (Geneva Rock Products), James Inglis (Granite Construction), Doug Watson (CMT Engineering), and many others who offered valuable insight and time as we prepared for the May Lunch and Learn presentation. As Waylund, James, and Doug led the discussion, I was impressed with their candor and willingness to share their perspective on what has happened in the Utah market over the course of the last ten to fifteen years. I was also really taken back by the slides Doug shared that illustrated the unbelievably high amount of mixes you could produce across the Wasatch Front based on previous specifications. Simply put, such a continued proliferation of different specifications is not sustainable, nor warranted.
That’s why UAPA’s invitation to take a fresh look at the 2017 APWA Standards for the production of hot mix asphalt (HMA) for cities and counties in Utah is a key priority for our association in 2017. So much so, we have even shared a letter from either the presidents or vice presidents of all of the major companies (or parent companies) that produce asphalt in the state. Click HERE to view the letter.
My invitation and challenge to you, if you are representative from a city or county (including consulting engineering firms that represent cities and counties!) that builds, designs, bids, preserves, or manages roads, is to take a look at this letter and then give me a call. I am happy to visit with you about this development in specifications, talk to you about where your current specifications may be improved, and, more important than anything else, just be with you to listen to you speak about your roads, understand what you are seeing, and work together to meet the challenges and opportunities you are facing – in a nutshell, that is UAPA’s commitment to industry and that is my commitment to any of you that would like to take me up on this invitation.
We are off to a great start to the construction season. Stay safe. Be aware. And be sure to come home to the ones you love each night.
Best regards,
Reed
W. Reed Ryan
Executive Director
The Utah Asphalt Pavement Association
Tuesday, May 23, 2017
Friday, April 28, 2017
Executive Director Message - April 2017
Snow, Snow, Go Away (for now)...
Welcome to Springtime in Utah! What a winter we had this past year! I, like many Utahns, think we all had our fair share of snow this past winter. The moisture, however, is certainly welcome, and I'm grateful that we may not face the same extreme conditions this summer that we've experienced in recent years.
All of the snow this year has certainly kept UDOT, cities, counties, and others busily engaged in maintenance, plowing, and keeping the traveling public safe. It's no secret that in all of this, our roads have taken nothing short of a beating.
That's why I am excited for our first UAPA Lunch and Learn event this year happening on the 18th of May. I hope you will join us for an important presentation and discussion on New and Important Changes to Standard Specifications for 2017. Each of these changes, geared towards an eye on durability, should help each of us in our jobs to specify, produce, and inspect asphalt mixes across the Wasatch Front. If you are a city, county, or private owner that would like to know more about how to improve your specifications, I would strongly encourage you to attend this Lunch and Learn in May. By working together, as industry and owners, I am confident these new specifications will produce great asphalt mixes that are both stable and durable for applications across the Wasatch Front and all of Utah. Come learn more on the 18th! See you there!
-Reed Ryan
Thursday, December 22, 2016
Executive Director Message - December 2016 - Go Ahead, It's OK to Brag a Little...
As we close in on the year that was 2016, I can't help but be grateful for another incredible year of growth and support for the Utah Asphalt Pavement Association (UAPA). Come January, it will be five years since I took this job. The time has flown by, but the lessons have been many and we have accomplished much together.
That's why I hope you will take some time in the New Year to look back and nominate either a project or one of your peers for the awards that will be given out at the 2017 Utah Asphalt Conference (Feb. 22 - 23 at the South Towne Expo Center). Awards for nomination include the Industry Leader of the Year Award, Project of the Year (Small), and Project of the Year (Large).
Over the past five years, I've learned we are an industry that quietly and professionally goes about doing the best work possible without much fanfare and without much publicity (unless something goes wrong!), so I think it is important that we use the awards at the Utah Asphalt Conference to go ahead and brag a little. Simply put, we work hard. Many of you give your entire professional careers to this industry and you certainly give countless hours over the course of the season year in and year out to ensure the very best for your project, your company, and the state of Utah. So, go ahead, it's OK to brag a little . . . just click on the links below to find out how you can help to showcase our very best at the Utah Asphalt Conference in 2017!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
-Reed
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