The National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA), a CalAPA partner, unveiled a handy new tool this month to access credible information about asphalt pavements utilizing Artificial Intelligence technology. The tool, which is free and publicly available, is HERE.

The media has been saturated in recent months with breathless coverage of how Artificial Intelligence technology will change our world, including tales of AI passing the Bar Exam to AI bots "hallucinating" and returning inaccurate or downright bizarre answers. What sets the NAPA tool apart is that it draws from a highly controlled pool of credible information that is curated by subject-matter experts.

This information is presented in a user-friendly manner that is easily accessible by anyone. Significantly, the AI bot includes citations to original source material so users can have confidence on the information presented and access additional information if needed.

The tool, a collaboration between NAPA and XBE, a leading software company, was unveiled earlier this month at the NAPA Mid-year meeting in Kansas City.

"Our partnership with XBE is a testament to our shared commitment to provide NAPA members with superior resources and tools. We're excited to see the positive impact Hay NAPA will have on our members and the industry as a whole," said NAPA Director of Engineering & Technical Support in an official announcement. The full press release can be found HERE.

XBE created and will maintain the search engine, and NAPA will provide the necessary publications and data and ensure the search engine remains current and produces relevant answers. The tool is publicly available to anyone via NAPA's public website.

A previous Asphalt Insider article on Artificial Intelligence and asphalt can be found HERE.

Safety regulators have proposed citations and fines in the case of four asphalt paving crew workers who where hospitalized in California after being severely burned on the job by hot asphalt.

The Sept. 27 accident, which occurred in Douglas County in Northern Nevada, is a fresh reminder for all workers who work near liquid asphalt that is often heated to high temperatures for crack-sealing and other work, either at the plant or out in the field.

The four employees of Nevada Paving Co. injured in the accident were Cuitlahuac Magana, Sergio Lepe, James Wright and Jesus Hernandez. They face a long and painful recovery from their injuries.

The Nevada Occupational Safety & Health Administration investigation and report on the incident, obtained by Asphalt Insider, recommended citations and fines of $87,000 largely related to proper safety training and procedures, as well as proper use of personal protective equipment and proper maintenance of equipment. The company has indicated it is contesting the conclusions.

You can support the workers and their families in this difficult time by joining CalAPA and donating to a special GoFundMe campaign set up to assist them and their families HERE.

A previous Asphalt Insider story about this incident is HERE.

Women of Asphalt California Branch volunteers, supported by CalAPA, participated in a Caltrans District 10 "Kids Day" event in Stockton, inspiring the next generation of workers in our field.

The volunteers set up a hands-on booth were youngsters learned about the various ingredients that go into asphalt pavement mixtures, and how they are measured and tested. Toy dinosaurs helped make the connection for the youth of the origin of fossil-based materials that make up a key ingredient in asphalt.

More than 100 children participated in the Jan. 18 event. Joining CalAPA staff Sophie You and CalAPA Summer Intern Allie Labanieh at the asphalt display table were Women of Asphalt California Branch Co-Chair Mimi Le with MCK Services, and Karen Monnetti-Ramirez with Caltrans District 10.

“I was very excited to have the Women of Asphalt participate with a booth at our Kids Day event," Caltrans District 10 Director Dennis T. Agar told Asphalt Insider. "Caltrans is very supportive of any young people, especially women, who see engineering and construction as a future career, and (Caltrans) wants to play an active role to usher these talented and enthusiastic young people into the transportation industry.” Agar, third from left, is pictured with (left to right) Labanieh, Monnetti-Ramierez and You.

Le, who was named Women of Asphalt California Branch co-chair earlier this year, said the kids that visited the asphalt table were very enthusiastic.

"I think the kids learned something new," she said. "They never knew fossil fuels were made from dinosaur remains, basically. Some were very, very excited. Some said, 'Are we driving on dinosaurs?' It helped ignite some interest in the industry. Even the adults learned something new."

Participating in the event is part of an initiative by the Women of Asphalt California Branch, supported by CalAPA, to help recruit and develop the next generation of workers in the asphalt pavement industry.

Labanieh, the CalAPA summer intern who was closest in age to many of the kids at the event, said, "The kids of all age groups were very engaged and happily recited information as well as asked a bunch of questions. Most were very interested in the dinosaur connection to asphalt."

More photos from the event were posted to CalAPA's various social media channels. To learn more about the Women of Asphalt California Branch, click HERE.

The State of California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery, known as CalRecycle, has announced another round of funding for public agencies to apply for grants of up to $250,000 for asphalt pavement projects that utilize recycled tire rubber. The agency says more than $5 million is available and the deadline to apply is Sept. 13. Details are HERE.

The CalRecycle Rubberized Pavement Grant Program is intended to promote markets for recycled-content resurfacing products derived from waste tires generated in California, as well as to decrease the adverse environmental impacts created by unlawful disposal and stockpiling of waste tires. The competitive grant program is open to public entities, including cities, counties, regional park districts, special districts, state agencies and other qualified entities. About $5 million is available in the current grant cycle. Details on the program can be found HERE.

The grant program reimburses agencies for hot mix asphalt projects that utilize recycled tire rubber, as well as chip seals. According to the CalRecycle website, Rubberized Asphalt Concrete "is a proven road paving material that has been used in California since the 1970s. It is made by blending ground tire rubber with asphalt binder, which is then mixed with conventional aggregate materials." The grant program is intended to encourage first-time or limited users of the materials, and various educational material is available. Money for the program comes from fees added to the sale of tires in California.

In a nod to today's environmental sensitivities, the CalRecycle website notes that the use of recycled tires in construction does not pose a health risk, "does not emit any harmful chemicals, and studies have shown the process has no adverse health effects." However, illegally stored or stockpiled tires, the department notes, "pose a fire risk and can be attractive habitats for rodents and insects, which allow for diseases such as the West Nile Virus to spread more readily."

Processing tires for use in asphalt pavements helps find a home for "thousands of tires per pavement mile." A previous Asphalt Insider story about the use of recycled tire rubber in asphalt pavements in California is HERE.

CalAPA held a highly successful day-long workshop April 18 on the use of recycled rubber in asphalt mixes. Presentations from the workshop can be found on CalAPA's SlideShare page HERE.

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

ADHESION: Adhesion is the interaction between two substrates such as the bond between a sealant material and the crack or joint sidewall or the bond between asphalt cement and aggregate. This may be physical, chemical or physiochemical in nature.

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.

CLIMATE CHANGE: Change in temperature, precipitation or wind for longer than 10 years. 

"Everything is perfect in the universe: even your desire to improve it."

– Wayne Dyer