California Asphalt Pavement Association
Vol. 15, Issue 23 || June 6, 2022
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Greetings!
This weekly report contains news and information of interest to the asphalt pavement industry, customers and agency partners in California. Please feel free to distribute this newsletter to others who may be interested in asphalt pavements. To provide feedback or story ideas click HERE. Having difficulty viewing this newsletter? View as Webpage
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DeSilva Gates achieves Quality Paving Certificate, demonstrating commitment to industry-recognized standards of excellence in asphalt paving |
The California Asphalt Pavement Association, the voice of the asphalt industry in California since 1953, announced last week that DeSilva Gates Construction has met all requirements to be awarded a Quality Paving Certificate, signifying a commitment to industry-recognized standards of excellence in asphalt paving.
“The Quality Paving Certificate is the gold standard for the asphalt paving industry in California,” said Scott Fraser, Operations Manager of R.J. Noble Co. and current chairman of CalAPA. “Companies that achieve this designation have demonstrated a commitment to the highest standards for quality and integrity in our industry.”
DeSilva Gates Construction, founded in 1932 and based in Dublin in the San Francisco Bay Area, is an award-winning general engineering contractor that also operates asphalt production facilities. DeSilva Gates is the first company in California to achieve the Quality Paving Certificate designation since the program was launched late last year.
Companies that achieve the CalAPA Quality Paving Certificate must first complete an application of qualifications and self-assessment questionnaire, pass a written exam with a passing score of 80% or higher, and provide proof of completion of a series of core-competency classes. Companies must also agree to abide by CalAPA’s Code of Ethics in all of their business operations, and be free of enforcement actions or administrative citations by the Contractors’ State License Board. To ensure that companies stay abreast of the many changes in standards, technology and best practices, there are continuing education requirements and the certificate must be renewed every three years. CalAPA independently verifies that all of the stringent requirements to attain the Quality Paving Certificate have been met.
“We are extremely proud to receive the first Quality Paving Certificate awarded by the California Asphalt Pavement Association. DeSilva Gates Construction is committed to leading our Industry by example. Our paving operations team takes great pride in its workmanship and pavement performance for our customers” said Rich Gates, company president.
DeSilva Gates has been the prime contractor on a number of high-profile projects and industry-elevating initiatives over the years. Their work on the Oakland International Airport reconstruction was profiled in CalAPA's "California Asphalt" magazine HERE. A plant tour the company hosted for local and state air quality regulators made the cover of the magazine HERE.
The program, years in development, builds on CalAPA’s decades of experience in delivering high-quality technical and practical training via veteran instructors recognized as authorities by their peers statewide and nationally. CalAPA classes consistently earn high marks from public agencies and private industry participants. Information on the Quality Paving Certificate can be found on the CalAPA website HERE.
“Even the best specifications or batch of asphalt mix will not result in a long-lasting pavement surface if the asphalt is not placed properly in the field,” said Brandon Milar, P.E., CalAPA’s Director of Technical Services and a nationally recognized expert. “The Quality Paving Certificate has helped establish a standard for excellence to give project owners confidence that the final product will meet or exceed their expectations.”
For more information on the Quality Paving Certificate, or to receive an application, contact CalAPA at (916) 791-5044, or submit an inquiry via our website HERE.
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Successful completion of CalAPA technical training classes are required to obtain a Quality Paving Certificate, which also includes a rigorous self-assessment and exam. |
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CalAPA classes are constantly updated to stay current with the latest standards, technology and techniques. |
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The Quality Paving Certificate program has a continuing education component that can be met by attending CalAPA's popular asphalt pavement conferences. |
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Caltrans wins two national 'Perpetual Pavement Awards' for long-life asphalt pavements |
The Asphalt Pavement Alliance (APA), a CalAPA partner, announced last week that the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) has won two long-life (perpetual) asphalt pavement awards, the latest recognition of the department in deploying the innovative pavement strategy in the Golden State.
The awards are for projects submitted for consideration in 2021. The "Perpetual Pavement Award: By Design (PPA)" and "Perpetual Pavement Award: By Conversion" projects are both located on segments of Interstate 5, the goods-movement workhorse that runs the entire length of the state. The APA said this is Caltrans’ first PPA: By Design and PPA: By Conversion during these awards’ inaugural year. Caltrans previously earned two PPAs: By Performance since that program began in 2001.
To qualify for the PPA: By Design, the pavement must be a newly designed and constructed asphalt road built over new or reconditioned subgrade. The PPA: By Conversion requires the pavement to be a new asphalt road constructed over an existing road. For both prestigious awards, the pavements must meet strict Perpetual Pavement criteria and demonstrate the characteristics expected from long-life asphalt pavements: excellence in design, quality in construction and value for the traveling public with a life-expectancy of 40 or more years with minimal maintenance required. Engineers at the National Center for Asphalt Technology (NCAT) evaluated the nominations and validated the winners, which were announced nationally on June 1.
The PPA: By Design award-winning section is for both directions of a section of Interstate 5 from postmile marker 9.7 to postmile marker 24.9 in Sacramento County. Granite Construction Co. and Teichert Aggregates, each focusing on the southbound and the northbound lanes simultaneously, completed the 67 lane miles Long-Life Pavement in 2021. In addition to being designed as a Perpetual Pavement, recycled crumb rubber, aggregate base and reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) was used during construction. All this added up to a successful fiscally and environmentally responsible project, the APA said in a press release.
“Caltrans is honored to receive this prestigious, nationally recognized award for the extraordinary paving project on Interstate 5 in Sacramento,” said Caltrans District 3 Director Amarjeet S. Benipal, who is also the former Caltrans State Pavement Engineer. “This route is the major north-south freight corridor on the West Coast, and durable pavement is essential to minimize disruptions to both commuters and goods movement. While this project was the vision of dedicated engineers from the department, it was only made possible by the hard work of construction professionals and extraordinary details of our university partners.”
In the North State, the reconstruction of 18 lane miles of Interstate 5 from postmile marker 37.1 to postmile marker 41.6 both northbound and southbound in Tehama County earned Caltrans the department's first PPA: By Conversion Award. With close communication among the contractor Redding-based Tullis, Inc., Caltrans and University of California Pavement Research Center (UCPRC), the project consisted of three layers, with the top two layers containing Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement (RAP), and it was opened to traffic in 2012.
“The Caltrans team for the Red Bluff Long Life Pavement Rehabilitation project on I-5 in Tehama County in District 2 is honored to have been selected for the 2021 Perpetual Pavement Award: By Conversion,” said Caltrans engineer Sri Holikatti. “This project rehabilitated a critical link on Interstate 5. I-5 is the most important North-South route on the West Coast of United States, connecting the three Pacific coast states as well as Mexico and Canada for trade and commerce. This extraordinary project was only made possible through the teamwork between government vision, university innovation and industry commitment to turning those into a built project.”
The Red Bluff project was previously recognized in 2015 in the "Transportation Innovations" category of the annual Caltrans "Excellence in Transportation" awards. The $31 million, 14.5-mile project broke new ground in terms of mix design and testing, and also utilized a higher percentage of RAP than was the standard for Caltrans at the time.
According to Caltrans, a life-cycle cost analysis completed during the North Red Bluff project showed a savings of $5 million to $10 million over the service life of the project versus conventional pavement rehabilitation. Road user costs, such as traffic delays from maintenance and construction activities, could add up to another $1 million in savings.
“The long-life asphalt pavement strategy is a great strategy, and the taxpayers are really getting a better bang for the buck,” Chris Handley with CalAPA member Tullis Inc., told Asphalt Insider.
“It required us to obtain recycled asphalt pavement from the project, do mix designs, and work collaboratively with Caltrans and the University of California Pavement Research Center,” Handley said. “Some of the testing was really new then to industry and to Caltrans, so we partnered with them and the UCPRC and came up with a stellar mix. It has performed flawlessly for more than 10 years now.”
Caltrans has designed and constructed numerous high-profile long-live asphalt pavement projects in California on some of the busiest and truck-punished routes in California, including on the 710 Freeway in Los Angeles County, Interstate 80 between Sacramento and the San Francisco Bay Area, and multiple projects on Interstate 5. The department continues to evaluate other locations on its massive but aging 58,000-mile system to deploy long-life asphalt pavement designs. The department's ground-breaking work in this area earned it a "Pavement Pioneer" award by the APA in 2012. Current Caltrans District 7 Director Tony Tavares, then head of the Caltrans Division of Maintenance, accepted the "Pavement Pioneer" award from Mike Acott, then-CEO of the National Asphalt Pavement Association, at the CalAPA 2012 Fall Asphalt Pavement Conference in Sacramento.
Additional information on the awards can be found on the APA website HERE.
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Then-NAPA CEO Mike Acott (left) presents Tony Tavares with Caltrans with a "Pavement Pioneer Award" at the CalAPA Fall Asphalt Pavement Conference in 2012. |
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This bumpy stretch of Interstate 80 in Solano County, between Sacramento and the San Francisco Bay Area, got the Long-life (Perpetual) pavement treatment in 2013. |
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A night paving operation gets underway on Interstate 5 near Sacramento in 2020. The Caltrans District 3 project was awarded a Perpetual Pavement award last week by the Asphalt Pavement Alliance. |
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Highway worker death a grim reminder of the need for drivers to drive safely in work zones |
As you read this, a 9-year-old girl from Vallejo is trying to cope with the unthinkable: life without mom.
Last Friday, a hit-and-run driver claimed the life of Quanda McGadney, 51, a Caltrans Landscape Maintenance Worker, while she worked near Lagoon Valley Road on Interstate 80 in Solano County. She succumbed of her injuries at the scene following the 10 a.m. crash.
The driver of the white Mazda 3 that struck McGadney fled the scene of the crash, the California Highway Patrol said. A suspect was later apprehended by authorities and identified as Jaje Jakkar Holliman, 31, of San Francisco. He was booked into Solano County Jail on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter, authorities said.
McGadney, who worked for the state for 18 years, joined Caltrans in 2018. She was employed by Caltrans District 4, which covers the San Francisco Bay Area, at the time of her death. She is the first District 4 employee to die on the job since 2017, and the 37th in the history of the regional district. Overall, there have been 190 Caltrans workers who have died in the line of duty since 1921.
Gov. Gavin Newsom issued the following statement following the news: “Jennifer and I were saddened to learn of the death of Caltrans Maintenance Worker Quanda McGadney, a dedicated public servant to the state for more than 18 years. We extend our deepest sympathies to her family, friends and Caltrans colleagues for their loss.” He ordered flags at the Capitol and adjoining office buildings to be flown at half-staff in her memory.
“This tragedy is particularly painful, coming so close to our workers memorial service just a little over a month ago, and drives home how dangerous our work on California’s roadways can be,” said Acting Caltrans Director Steven Keck. “Our focus on safety and the ‘Move Over’ law, and asking the public to increase their awareness of the people working on the highways on their behalf are part of our continued effort to eliminate these tragic incidents.”
In addition to her 9-year-old daughter, Nairobi, McGadney is survived by her sisters, Priscilla Stevenson and Candice McGadney. The California Transportation Foundation has established a fund to assist her family. To learn more and to contribute, click HERE.
Sadly, this is a story covered too often by this publication. A previous Asphalt Insider story on work zone safety, and the tragic consequences when motorists don't do their part, can be found HERE. A link to the governor's statement is HERE. A Caltrans press release about the April 28 observance of the Annual Worker Memorial Day is HERE.
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Each week we highlight a word, acronym or other term commonly used in the asphalt pavement industry in California.
OWNER: A generic term used to describe the owner of the project who generally contracts with a company (contractor) to build or improve something. In Caltrans specifications, the owner is always called the ENGINEER and the company performing the work is called the CONTRACTOR.
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Paving Pointer of the Week |
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.
PAVING OPERATION: Ask yourself: Is the equipment properly maintained and in proper working order? Does the foreman have a paving plan (i.e., the paving lanes and passes are painted out and a roller pattern has been established)?
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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.
BALANCED MIX DESIGN: Use of performance tests to design pavement structure.
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"One day is worth a thousand tomorrows."
-- Benjamin Franklin
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CALAPA CALENDAR:
View all CalAPA events HERE.
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"The Future of Powering Asphalt Plants in California" webinar
Monday, June 20, 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
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"The Future of Powering Our Fleets" webinar
Monday, June 27, 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
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Welcome back!
"Day at the Races" at Del Mar Race Track, Del Mar
Saturday, July 23
Details and registration HERE.
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Save the Dates!
Fall Asphalt Pavement Conference
Oct. 27-28, 2022
Hilton Sacramento Arden West Hotel, 2200 Harvard Street, Sacramento.
For exhibitor and sponsor information, contact Sophie You at (916) 791-5044.
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There's never been a better time to join the California Asphalt Pavement Association! Members receive insight and advanced notice on critical issues that impact every company's bottom line. CalAPA members also receive invitations to exclusive member-only events, in-depth "Member Alerts," our comprehensive asphalt market forecast for California, discounts and industry-specific networking opportunities not available anywhere else. CalAPA's new searchable on-line membership directory helps connect potential customers with member companies. Click HERE to download our Member Service brochure. Click HERE to view Vol. 1 of recent testimonials. Not convinced? Click HERE to view Vol. 2 of recent testimonials. With so much changing in the asphalt pavement industry, what you don't know can cost you! Click HERE to send us an e-mail inquiry, or contact Russell Snyder with CalAPA at (916) 791-5044. |
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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. Click HERE to contact us with any comments or suggestions.
Sincerely,
Russell W. Snyder, CAE
Executive Director
California Asphalt Pavement Association (CalAPA)®
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The "Asphalt Insider" is an official publication of the California Asphalt Pavement Association. For more information or to inquire about membership, call (916) 791-5044, or click HERE to contact us. Copyright © 2022 California Asphalt Pavement Association -- All Rights Reserved. The CalAPA name (No. 5,621,794) and logo (No. 5,621,795) are registered trademarks with the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office.
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P.O. Box 981300, West Sacramento, CA 95798
1550 Harbor Blvd., Suite 211, West Sacramento, CA 95691
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