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 SCAPA News and Events
We’re excited to host SC Asphalt Pavement Association’s 2024 Winter Conference and Trade Show next Tuesday and Wednesday, February 20-21, at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center. Here are our top five #ProTips to help you get ready for a successful conference: 1. Get connected in Whova. This is the best way to plug into the conference, meet fellow attendees *and* earn extra chances at door prizes! Download the Whova Event App. After downloading, use this email address when signing up on Whova mobile apps or web portal. Make sure you choose a strong password. Once you have signed up, you should be taken directly to SCAPA’s Winter Conference. Our team will be ready to help you onsite. 2. Browse the agenda and speaker bios (and make your own personalized agenda!). This year's educational tracks are: Emerging and Innovative Technologies, Best Practices and Workforce and Leadership Development, along with special workshops on artificial intelligence and sustainability, as well key updates from leaders of SCDOT, FWHA and SCDHEC. Up to five professional development hours are available for attendees. 3. Pack your bag. It’s going to be 65 and sunny in Columbia! Dress is casual. Comfortable shoes highly recommended. Don’t forget an extra layer and your business cards! 5. Plug the Columbia Convention Center into your favorite maps app: Apple Maps | Google Maps We’re looking forward to having you. Let us know of any questions to help you get ready. Wishing you safe travels and see you in a few days! PS - Did you forget to register? We have just a few seats left. SCAPA has aligned two industry experts, Tim Kowalski and Laikhram "Nars" Narsingh, who will share beneficial information on how to make your roads smoother, long lasting, and more durable by using best practices in milling, paving, and compaction. This is a great chance to learn in a smaller group setting, and ask questions with field placement that you may be experiencing with your crews every day. Together We Know More! If you are already attending the 2024 SCAPA Winter Conference, this two-hour training event is scheduled at the Convention Center on February 20th, 2-4 pm, just ahead of the welcome reception at 5pm. Attendees will come away with practical knowledge that will improve our asphalt pavements here in SC. There is no fee for attending this workshop and we will stop an hour early so you can check into your hotel ahead of the reception. SCAPA would like to continue to provide your staff with these types of training opportunities in the future as we also work towards further consideration for continuing education series for our certification classes.
SCAPA and SCDOT held Partners In Quality (PIQ) meeting series this winter. Partnering between Industry, SCDOT and CE&I staff has been tremendous and will continue as we move towards a very busy paving season in 2024. Many inportant topics have been discussed and with this collaboration and open discussion, we are better together!
Membership Services
Greetings! As a member of the Women of Asphalt SC Branch, I first want to say welcome and thank you for your support. I hope you are as excited as I am about our SC Chapter coming to fruition!
We will be staffing a Women of Asphalt Booth at the SCAPA Winter Conference during break times on the 21st in the morning and the afternoon, as well as before the SCAPA dinner on the 20th. Your WofA Steering Committee would absolutely love if a few of you are available to volunteer and help during your downtime at the Conference. If you are attending the SCAPA Winter Conference and would like to help staff the booth, please register. We will reach out to you with more information once registered. You will be staffing the booth alongside one of the WofA Steering Committee Members, so let’s hang out and help spread the mission together! P.S. – There is also a Women of Asphalt dinner that will be held at Motor Supply Co. on February 20th. Seats are limited. Please join us for a special dinner. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me: DukesSR@scdot.org. Shared by: Susan Dukes Snyder, Asphalt Materials Lab Supervisor, SCDOT - Office of Materials and Research and Women of Asphalt SC Branch Secretary
Deadlines for the 2024 SCAPA Membership Directory are quickly approaching. Please reach out to Katherine Hilton to update your company's listing.
Industry News
Discover the Driving Forces Behind Asphalt Manufacturing Industry Performance The newly published report on the Asphalt Manufacturing industry in the United States offers in-depth analysis and detailed insight into the market, alongside forecasts and trends affecting the sector. This research provides stakeholders with a robust understanding of the key factors influencing industry dynamics. Key Developments and Growth Trajectory Explored With a close look into the primary elements shaping market landscapes, including government infrastructure spending, construction trends, and competitive pricing, the report reveals vital information for industry participants. It navigates the complexities related to material costs, particularly the link to oil prices, and how recent global events have intensified market volatility.
Source: Yahoo Finance Government Affairs
SCAPA Leadership Talks Tort Reform & Recycling with Legislators SCAPA President Shawn Godwin and Executive Director Jayson Jordan took time to visit with key members of the Legislature to discuss tort reform and tire recycling, including discussions with House Agricultural and Resources Committee Chairman Bill Hixon, a Republican from North Augusta, and the Chairman of the Liquor Liability Insurance Ad-Hoc Committee, Representative Jason Elliott from Greenville. They also met with Senator Dwight Loftis, a Republican from Greenville who is the primary sponsor of tire recycling legislation. These meetings will set the stage for more discussions when the SCAPA Board and membership visit the State House in April. State House Day Set for April 17th Make sure you save the date to visit your South Carolina State House on April 17th. You will have the opportunity to meet with Legislative leaders and others to discuss issues important to your business. Secretary of Transportation Update Since Secretary Hall announced she would be stepping down from her post effective March 31, the DOT Commission nominated Justin Powell as her replacement. Last week, the Senate Transportation Committee chaired by Larry Grooms (R-Berkeley) unanimously approved the Commission’s appointment of Powell who currently serves as the Chief Operating Officer for the Department. His nomination now moves to the full Senate for its consideration. Governor Budget Highlights Infrastructure Last month, Governor Henry McMaster released his budget, which includes funding for infrastructure and workforce needs: > $850M for bridges, repaving, I-73 and other projects > $95M to support Workforce Industry Needs Scholarships (SCWINS) The House Ways and Means Committee will debate the budget beginning the week of February 19. The budget will be debated on the floor of the House the week of March 11. Submitted by Sunnie Harmon and John DeWorken, LobbySC
Transportation funding continues to stream out from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act as the $1.2 trillion, five-year bill nears its halfway mark. The latest major development came January 25 with the U.S. Dept. of Transportation’s announcement of $4.9 billion for major highway, bridge and other types of projects. In the latest round of the programs, DOT awarded 39 grants to 37 projects, with two projects receiving two grants each. Eleven projects fall under the Mega category and 28 are INFRA projects. The funding comes from two programs: Mega, created in the IIJA, and Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA), established in 2015 and greatly expanded by IIJA. INFRA's total funding for fiscal years 2022 through 2026 is $8 billion. Mega's formal name is the National Infrastructure Project Assistance program. Its funding totals $5 billion for the fiscal 2022-2026 period.
Source: Engineering News Record Environment & Sustainability
NAPA is pleased to announce that we are extending the asphalt plant benchmarking data collection deadline to March 15, 2024. As a reminder, there is no cost to participate in benchmarking.
The latest benchmarking status progress report is accessible through the link below. During this round of data collection, benchmarking data has been submitted from an additional 42 asphalt plants, with 14 new companies participating. Overall, we have received data from 373 asphalt plants, with 137 companies participating. More importantly, we now have 25 states with at least three companies reporting, the minimum needed to include state-level data in our benchmarking report. The benchmarking data will be used to develop industry averages for FHWA’s $2 billion Low-Carbon Transportation Materials Grants Program. It will also be used to develop the ENERGY STAR Energy Performance Indicator tool for asphalt plants, which will serve as the basis for asphalt plants to achieve ENERGY STAR Certification. With only about 10% of the approximately 3,700 asphalt plants in the U.S. reporting, we need more participation to ensure these programs are representative of the industry as a whole. We appreciate your efforts to prepare and submit benchmarking data. Questions? Contact Joseph Shacat at NAPA.
Are you ready to take the plunge and start making your own mix? Let’s turn to some professionals who have equipment, services, software and tenure to help you expand to mix design, production, hauling and more. This article highlights Astec Industries Inc., located in Chattanooga, TN, and takes an overarching look at the permitting process. There are a few important steps to keep in mind when seeking a permit for a hot-mix asphalt (HMA) facility. Please remember that regulations can vary quite a bit, so the tips we’re providing here are of a general nature. The actual procedures might differ in your area. If you’re ever unsure about how to move forward, it’s a good idea to reach out to a local consultant who has experience with permitting industrial facilities like HMA plants. This guide is meant to offer helpful suggestions, but it’s not a strict rulebook you must follow to the letter. Source: theasphaltpro.com Health & Safety
An employee at McGuire & Hester, Alameda, California, had just arrived home to San Leandro in a company-owned white Ford F-550 one evening in the fall of 2023. Upon exiting the vehicle, several thieves who had apparently followed the employee home from the job site jumped the employee and made off with the company truck. Thankfully, the employee was not seriously injured. It’s common to be told to remain aware of one’s surroundings at the morning toolbox talk, but this event is an important reminder that advice is just as relevant when the workday is over. Protect yourself and your equipment! Source: theasphaltpro.com
During the NAPA 2024 Annual Meeting closing general session, NAPA President and CEO Audrey Copeland and Chairman Brady Meldrem joined the Board of Directors in adding their names to the Suicide in Construction Awareness Proclamation, created by Ajax Paving of Florida's Vince Hafeli. Hafeli has traveled the country collecting as many signatures to the document as possible to raise awareness for the high rates of suicide among construction workers, which is as much as four times higher than the general population. Click the link below for the proclamation and add your name to this important list to support prioritizing mental health.
In 2023 there were more "extreme heat" days in the United States than any previous year on record, and 2024 might still top even that. Facing facts about heat-related illness, and properly protecting asphalt workers, is more important than ever before. In the American working industry, many of us are familiar with what we know as OSHA and their famous statement that is used when the agency does not have a specific standard to address a safety infraction. Referred to as the General Duty Clause, it states the following: “Each employer shall furnish to each of his employees employment and a place of employment which are free from recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm to his employees.” Although we are familiar with this statement, do we always successfully recognize all of those hazards? What if we don’t correctly identify hazards because of an incorrect perspective or unhealthy risk appetite? For example, thirst as an indicator of systemic dehydration? Did you know that despite living in a nation with ready access to clean drinking water, a shocking 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated? This statistic is not just a number, but a nationwide health concern that needs to be addressed. This article addresses these issues and provides practical measures we can do for workers in the road construction industry specifically. It's easy to state that we should equip all work areas with accessible and visible cool water (less than 60° F). Encourage workers to drink at least 1 cup (8 ounces) of water every 15-20 minutes while working in the heat, not just when they're thirsty. Maintain a cool or shaded location for rest breaks. Source: ForConstructionPros.com Asphalt Resources
The 2024 SCDOT certification course schedule has been released. Online registration is available on TCTC's website at www.tctc.edu/scdot. Note that the site will have only one of each course type available for registration at a time, so not all of the sections will show as available.
Asphalt FactsCalendar of Events
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SCAPA Winter Conference - Columbia, SC
