Just a quick note to remind everyone that all SCDOT contracts let after January 2022 require the HMA Contractor to provide asphalt load tickets using conventional paper tickets and through e-ticketing software. A suggestion would be to add e-ticketing to your list of topics to discuss at your pre-construction meetings. Ask the RCE to provide a list of certified roadway inspectors that are designated (or possibly could fill in) to work on those contracts. This is simply just getting those inspector's names and email addresses so they can be granted permission to view the e-tickets. SCDOT has asked for updates on how these systems are working, and we should be able to provide this info on its accuracy to develop strategies to transition to paperless ticketing. The systems appear to still have several issues, but we need to ensure these systems are operational to be able to report the overall status.

The 2023 SCAPA Membership Directory & Resource Guide is available! Copies were shipped out last month. To access the digital version, please click the 'Learn More' button below.

Please let Jayson or Cliff know if you have not received a copy or would like a complimentary one mailed or delivered to you.

 

If you have not been in the SCAPA Member Portal lately, you may not have seen the new look! We would like for the Member Portal to be a resource for you and hope to add more members-only content to it. You can get to the Member Portal from the new website at www.scasphalt.org and click Member Login from the menu. Click to learn more about why you need to be on the Member Portal.

The $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) included the Build America, Buy America Act (BABAA), which substantially expanded "Buy America" requirements. BABAA was a subject of discussion during FP2’s visits to Capitol Hill during TRB week. For the first time, BABAA expands the domestic content procurement preferences to construction materials. While the purpose of this expansion was to support U.S. domestic production capacity, Congress was careful in its drafting to limit the expansion, and to avoid hampering the ability of agencies to implement the historic investment in infrastructure authorized under the IIJA. In particular, the expansion of the domestic content procurement preference for construction materials does not extend to "cement and cementitious materials, aggregates such as stone, sand, or gravel, or aggregate binding agents or additives." Similarly, the act prohibits the same enumerated construction materials from being included as "inputs" in "all manufacturing processes" that produce "construction materials." (Source: Pavement Preservation Journal)

If there is one issue that we have all faced recently, it’s labor … or lack of it. This is evident not just in construction but in almost every industry you look at, from manufacturing to restaurants to hospitality. It's honestly unbelievable that we are in such dire straits to find help. I do think things are slowly improving, but there are actions we as owners can take to ease and improve our labor situation. I have found that treating the crews with respect pays dividends down the road. We have a culture at my company that I treat everyone as I want to be treated. I also have an understanding of what they do in their jobs, meaning I get that they are out on triple-digit temperature days working with materials that are even hotter. I know it's not pleasant, yet they do it, and do it well. So, how would I want to be treated if that was me out on the front line? Well, I’d like the company to be empathetic on scheduling–and we are. For example, if a crew has had a long job the day before, their next day might not be packed as full. We also are cognizant of “little” things such as giving breaks and making sure they get some time off each week, even if it's not over the weekend. This can be difficult, as we are in a seasonal business and need to produce as much work as we can in a limited time, but it’s important to do because it lets our workers know that we understand what they go through on a daily basis become more productive, do quality work, and stay with the company. (Source: For Construction Pros)   

Check out last week's article from our friends at SC Fix Our Roads regarding the approval of 2023-2024 Pavement Program.  Readers should remember that the 2024 Primary list was approved as part of a two-year list in 2022.

This month, SCAPA's Jayson Jordan and Reeves Construction's Paul Edwards joined hundreds of transportation construction officials in Washington DC for the TCC Fly-In. The multi-day event brought in policymakers on the federal level to discuss the latest in rule-making that impacts the asphalt industry. In addition, several SCAPA Associate Members, BOMAG & Dynapac participated in Construction on the National Mall. At the tail-end of the week, SCAPA staff participated in training on Environmental Product Declarations and got to visit the NAPA Offices in Greenbelt, MD. (Pictured: SCAPA and APA meets with Sen. Tim Scott.)

Owners of hot-mix asphalt (HMA) sites and quarries can not only upgrade existing facilities for their best environmental performance, but they can also receive government funding—eventually—for a portion of the cost. This was shared in detail during a National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA) member briefing held Sept. 8, 2022. During that briefing, Jay Hansen, executive vice president—advocacy for NAPA, shared information about the $5.8 billion available through the Advanced Industrial Facilities Deployment Program, through which facilities owners can receive rebates of up to 50% of the cost to design and install advanced technology at their plants. (Source: Asphalt Pro)

On May 1, 2023 NAPA submitted its letter to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in response to its Request for Information (RFI) on low carbon construction material programs in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). Over two months, NAPA staff worked with members to develop a consistent and practical message on how to implement portions of the IRA which could impact the asphalt industry.

See the link below for the link to this letter.

Jayson Jordan attended the National Work Zone Safety Event sponsored by RoadSafe on the Campus of The University of South Carolina. RoadSafe went all in with their display promoting safety awareness in our construction zones. They even put out various games to attract students and staff to participate in this important event.

Work zone crashes on highways and roadways continue to be a major public safety concern per U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) data. From 2016 to 2020, there were more than 154,000 injuries due to crashes in work zones, representing an average of 84 per day. Over that same time, more than 4,000 fatalities—two per day—have occurred in work zones. The data also show that work zone crash fatalities decreased by about 18% over this time and, while the trend is heading in the right direction, there is clearly a need for increased emphasis on safety. Enter professional traffic control services that focus on reducing the number of accidents and injuries that occur in work zones. Obviously, effective traffic control measures can provide clear warning and direction to motorists approaching a construction area. Increasingly, these measures benefit from a range of new technologies that are helping to make roads even safer. Reducing risk, distractions and liability are just a few of the advantages contractors can gain from implementing effective traffic control procedures. (Source: Asphalt Pro)

The 2023 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. 

The problem with always thinking about the future is sometimes it sneaks up on you and becomes the present. Just like kids grow up all of a sudden and catch us off guard, policies, legislation, and regulation can do the same thing if we are not paying attention. In the past two months, the asphalt industry has gone from thinking about the low carbon construction materials market as a thing of the future to being its very real present. In January, the Environmental Protection Agency released its interim determination on low carbon construction materials, and a week later, the General Services Administration released its first low carbon construction material standards for monies attached to the Inflation Reduction Act. This is now a world where a contractor can work with agencies to get rebates or reimbursements for construction materials which fall below certain threshold values. Is the standard perfect? No. NAPA sent a letter to GSA to discuss challenges with implementing such a standard; however, the shoe has officially dropped. (Source: Asphalt Pavement)

Many asphalt contractors have some level of familiarity with 2D asphalt paving technology. However, far fewer will be familiar with 3D technology. At CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2023, experts from Topcon Positioning Systems, Livermore, California, and Trimble Inc., Westminster, Colorado, presented an education session titled “The Future of Asphalt Paving Technology,” during which 3D solutions featured prominently. Here, we’ll explain the difference between 2D and 3D, the basic steps required for 3D, and best practices for incorporating 3D on your asphalt projects. (Source: Asphalt Pro)

Approximately 80% of the 3330 runways in the FAA's national airport system are surfaced with asphalt pavement.