CalAPA's winter technical training season kicks off with the scheduling of two of the association's most popular classes: "Asphalt Pavement 101" will be held on Nov. 19 in Alameda in the San Francisco Bay Area, followed by "Quality Asphalt Paving on Nov. 20 at the same location. CalAPA members should also consult a "Member Alert" that was sent out last week that includes details about an upcoming "Airfield Asphalt Certification" class being held in Southern California.

The "Asphalt Pavement 101" class is scheduled to take place on Tuesday, Nov. 19 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. It is a good overview of all things asphalt, from planning and design, construction, testing and inspection. The class it taught by Roger Smith, a former senior materials engineer for the California Department of Transportation who also previously worked for the Asphalt Institute and CalAPA. All attendees to the class will receive a reference book and certificate of completion. Lunch and refreshments will be included. The class will be held at McGuire & Hester, 2810 Harbor Bay Parkway in Alameda. Space for the class is limited and must be completed on line HERE.

CalAPA's "Quality Asphalt Paving" class will be held the following day, Wednesday, Nov. 20 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the same location. The class is taught by longtime paving boss Pete Lambert. The class has a "boots on the ground" emphasis and delves into best practices for quality paving in the field, including project phasing, operation of the paving machine, rollers and other elements of the paving train, proper compaction and inspection. A workbook, construction checklist brochure and certificate of completion will be handed out to all class participants. Lunch and refreshments also will be served. On-line registration for the "Quality Asphalt Paving" class is HERE.

Both classes help meet the requirements to earn CalAPA's Quality Paving Certificate, the gold standard for excellence in the asphalt paving industry in California. Learn more about the Quality Paving Certificate HERE.

CalAPA members were sent information last week via "Member Alert" about an upcoming "Airfield Asphalt Certification" class being held in Southern California in conjunction with the National Center for Asphalt Technology at Auburn University. For information on that offering, contact Sophie You of CalAPA at (916) 791-5044.

The use of modest amounts of Recycled Asphalt Pavement (RAP) in Gap-graded Rubberized Hot Mix Asphalt (RHMA) had no impact on performance compared to RHMA with no RAP content, a new report by the University of California Pavement Research Center (UCPRC) has found. The Technical Memorandum can be downloaded HERE.

The 70-page report was done at the behest of the joint Caltrans-industry Pavement & Materials Partnering Committee (PMPC), which is working on revisions to Caltrans specifications to allow some RAP in rubber mixes. It is dated April 2024 but was under review until officially released by the department last week.

The technical memorandum titled, "Use of Recycled Asphalt Pavement in Rubberized Hot Mix Asphalt-Gap-Graded," was distributed by Caltrans to its industry partners last week. A PMPC Work Product Group, comprised of Caltrans and industry representatives, continues to develop specification language to increase the percentage of RAP in asphalt mixtures. One of the active Work Product Groups is focused specifically on the inclusion of 10% RAP in Caltrans asphalt rubber mixes.

The published findings include laboratory analysis, Heavy Vehicle Simulator (HVS) test sections and field projects constructed throughout the state. In general, the research did not find a significant difference between RHMA-G with or without 10% RAP.

"The impact of the RAP addition on the cracking performance of the pavement was either negligible or comparable to project-to-project differences," the report concluded. The recommendations in the report include monitoring the initial pilot projects, building additional projects throughout the state, and conducting additional pilot projects in geographic areas not covered by the initial pilot projects.

For more information on this topic, contact CalAPA Technical Director Brandon Milar, P.E., a member of the PMPC Executive Committee, at (916) 791-5044.

The Caltrans Mentor-Protege Program (CMPP) for construction recently has expanded statewide, and is seeking to recruit established mentor firms as well as small and disadvantaged firms seeking to perform work for the department, which recently topped a record $15 billion worth of active construction projects.

Launched in 2007 in the San Francisco Bay Area, the industry-agency program was expanded statewide last year and has already graduated 89 small and emerging contractors hailing from all 12 of Caltrans' regional districts, according to Bonny Nyaga, Construction DBE-SBE Support Manager for the Caltrans' Director's Office. The CMPP website is HERE.

“It is truly remarkable to see how much impact the CMPP has had on the communities we serve across the state," Nyaga told Asphalt Insider. "Many small and emerging firms have now developed the knowledge and confidence to bid and complete Caltrans construction projects. This truly serves to meet our equity goals here at Caltrans while improving their economic prosperity, thereby contributing to California’s leading economy.”

One of the early mentor firms was led by Miguel Galarza, owner of San Francisco-based Yerba Buena Engineering & Construction, who is now vice chair of the Contractors State License Board. His official bio is HERE.

Since its inception, the CMPP has graduated over 166 firms. Many protégé firms have successfully bid for and secured contracts with Caltrans or other public agencies. The relationships built between prime contractors and smaller firms through the program have also helped in finding them subcontractors.

Each CMPP session runs for six to eight months and includes interactive workshops and one-on-one mentoring sessions. There are no fees charged for participating in the program. Recruitment to participate as a mentor or protege is ongoing. The qualifications for prospective protégé firms in the CMPP are:

• Business Experience: Protégés should have been in business for at least one year.
• Certification Eligibility: Protégés must be certified or eligible for DBE (Disadvantaged Business Enterprise), DVBE (Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise), and/or SB (Small Business) certification.
• Active CSLB License: Protégés must hold an active Contractors State License Board (CSLB) license with one of the following classifications: A - General Engineering Contractor: Eligible as a standalone license classification; B - General Building Contractor: Eligible with additional C - Specialty Contractor license classifications typical for Caltrans transportation construction contracts. C - Specialty Contractors are eligible as a standalone license classification if the classification applies to work typical for Caltrans transportation construction contracts.

To learn more and apply, visit our the CMPP website HERE. Nyaga says those who know of a firm that would benefit from participating in the CMPP are asked to complete a short reference survey to help program managers connect with emerging construction contractors in your community. That survey is HERE.

Questions on the program should be directed to Nyaga at (925) 260-5513, or may be sent to the program via the following e-mail: constructionmentorprotege@dot.ca.gov

CalAPA is pleased to welcome its newest producer member, Porterville Asphalt Inc. / Porterville Rock & Recycle.

Established in 1980, the company started out as an aggregate producer and has expanded over the years, adding multiple locations and two sister companies, Mitchell Brown General Engineering and Mitch Brown Construction, to offer premier construction and construction materials services in the south San Joaquin Valley. The company’s Porterville Asphalt operation produces Hot Mix Asphalt for multiple applications. The company also offers trucking services, paving and construction equipment rental services.

To learn more, visit the company’s website HERE, or call Jerry Cobb at (559) 781-6389.

Prominent construction materials technician training and certification programs, including one run in California, will be spotlighted in a free educational webinar to be held Nov. 13. On-line registration is HERE.

The webinar, which will take place from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. PST, is being organized by the State Asphalt Pavement Associations, Inc. (SAPA) and hosted by CalAPA. Presenters will include representatives from successful programs in California, Colorado, Oregon, Texas and Virginia.

Such programs have gained prominence in recent years for elevating technician competence and promoting accountability and collaboration. The California Joint Training & Certification Program (JTCP), co-managed by Caltrans and Cal State Long Beach since 2017, has trained thousands of technicians in Hot Mix Asphalt and soils and aggregates tests, plus in collaboration with the American Concrete Institute, concrete certification classes.

To learn more about SAPA, click HERE. To learn more about the California Joint Training & Certification Program, click HERE. An article about the California JTCP appeared on the cover of CalAPA's "California Asphalt" magazine HERE.

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

XYLENE EQUIVALENT: The test to determine whether an asphalt has been cracked or injured by overheating during the refining process.

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.

SUBSOIL: Is the base layer/subsoil firm and unyielding under the pressure of repeated construction trucks? Is the soil dry enough to support heavy construction? Can the soil hold its shape under loaded trucks? If the site is wet, postpone until the site is sufficiently dry and can be proof rolled and uniform stability is obtained.

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.

RENEWABLE ENERGY: Electricity supplied from renewable sources.

"Power over others is weakness disguised as strength. True power is within and available to you now."



– Eckhart Tolle

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.

Sincerely,

Russell W. Snyder, CAE

Executive Director

The California Asphalt Pavement Association (CalAPA)®