eTXAPA Newsletter
Up Front
TXAPA 2020 Fall Focus is a content-rich web series throughout the month of September, offering viewers the chance to join in as we focus on a variety of topics with several special guests. Beginning the second week of September, we will be broadcasting live each Tuesday and Thursday from 2-3 PM. Every day will have a new focus, including topics such as safety, liquid asphalt, ethics, and more. The Fall Focus series will wrap up with two extra special episodes you won’t want to miss: a Hollywood Squares-style game show (9/24) and the announcement of Quality Asphalt Pavement Award winners (9/29).
 
Registration for the first annual TXAPA Virtual Golf Tournament opens Wednesday, August 5. All proceeds will directly benefit the TXAPA Scholarship Program. Rules and information can be found at the registration link below.
 
We're excited to announce plans to re-open the HMAC on Tuesday, September 1, for in-person classes! All safety protocols will continue to be followed to ensure the safety of all students and staff. The HMAC will send a notification by email when new class dates are available.
 
Be sure to check out the newly rennovated HMAC website, which is now more dynamic and user-friendly than ever. There, you can easily sign up for virtual or in-person classes, access helpful tools, and more.
 
Certification Extension: If your certification expired or will expire between 03/16/2020 and 10/01/2020, your certification will be extended through 01/02/2021.
 
Over the past few weeks, Jim Warren has been discussing ways to optimize mix design, plant production, and paving practices to improve quality and maximize bonuses. There was such great information and so many questions during the Optimize Paving Practices webinar that it had to be split into two parts.
 
If you missed Optimize Paving Practices Part 1 the first time around, you can watch it here. Click here to register for Optimize Paving Practices Part 2 on Tuesday, August 11.
 
I come to you today to share the decision of our board of directors to cancel the 2020 Annual Meeting. Perhaps you expected this, and as a fellow TXAPA member, I believe you know how very difficult a decision it was to make. We wanted to avoid a cancellation, and went through multiple scenarios that we felt might make the Annual Meeting a success. I am personally saddened that circumstances won’t allow us to meet safely and responsibly, but I am confident in knowing we’re making the right call.
 
TXAPA has developed a custom education program to set our contractor members up for success by offering a clear, comprehensive look at each of the 73 changes in the new specs that may impact your projects.
 
Chuck Fuller, Jim Warren, and Harold Mullen have begun leading members through the changes to SS 3076, SS 3077, and the Liquid Asphalt Binder Sampling and Testing Program. To schedule your private consultation, please contact Chuck, Jim, or Harold, or call TXAPA at (512) 312-2099.
 
TXAPA Live airs on Thursdays, three times a month, skipping a week on the date of the TxDOT highway letting. You only need to register for TXAPA Live once, and a reminder email with a link to join will be sent to you an hour before each broadcast. Watch all previous broadcasts here.
 
August Schedule:
Thursday, Aug. 13: TXAPA Live News & Updates with HMAC Director Corey Schwarz
Thursday, Aug. 20: TXAPA Live Seal Coat Committee Activities with Chair Kevin King
Thursday, Aug. 27: TXAPA Live CTRMA Projects with Justin Word (1 PDH) 
 
Naylor Association Solutions
Lhoist North America
TXAPA worked with TxDOT, the AGC, the FHWA, and other industry partners to develop a plan for construction workplace safety. Please review the attached document and refer to it as needed to provide a safe and effective workplace for your employees during these unprecedented times.
 
Download and share these infographics breaking down the Texas Joint Workforce Safety Plan to help provide a safe and effective workplace for your employees in a clear and simple manner. 
 
MTD is providing the following guidelines to address the QAP and support the needs for Construction and Materials testing during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Naylor Association Solutions
Naylor Association Solutions
Technically Speaking

The TxDOT Highway Letting is emailed to all members and posted to the TXAPA website on the 25th day of the month. If you did not recieve this month's letting information, click the link below. 

Heat exhaustion results from the body’s inability to cool down and regulate its internal temperature. It is usually caused by continuous exposure to excessive heat that dehydrates the body. If left unattended, heat exhaustion can worsen and turn into heat stroke. Heat strokes have the potential to be life-threatening. It’s crucial to inform everyone about the signs,symptoms, and prevention of heat stroke, as it can happen to anyone.
 
During construction, put the project over personalities for the good of the project. Approaching the project with a non-adversarial attitude and realizing we all share a common goal of project success is critical for completing a project on time and on budget. 
 
In The Works
The TxDOT-TXAPA Awards Committee is set to meet and decide the award-winning projects on August 20 at TXAPA in Buda. Winners will be announced during the final Fall Focus episode on Tuesday, September 29.
 
TXAPA’s Associate Member Advisory Committee, led by Chair Nathali Parker of KLP Construction Supply, has named The Woodlands as host of the 2021 Managing Asphalt Pavements (MAPS) Conference and Technology Showcase on February 24-25. Site selection is underway with the venue to be announced mid-summer 2020. 
 
Welcome New Members
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In the Know
  
Distributed to nearly 5,000 industry professionals, Texas Asphalt magazine features articles about environmental issues, safety, new technology, best business practices, and more.
 
Texas Asphalt is distributed in both print and an interactive, digital format. Subscribers do not have to be members of TXAPA to receive Texas Asphalt.
 
 
 
  
Search for up-to-date information including addresses, contact information, and more with our online TXAPA Member Directory.
 
If you notice any information that has changed, you can log in to TexasAsphalt.org and update it to ensure we have the correct information on file moving forward. Instructions on how to do so can be found in the "Maximize Your Membership" section below. 
 
 
TXAPA will continue to move the needle for quality in the coming decade by promoting a new concept in asphalt paving communication, a gathering of key personnel just prior to placement and compaction called the “All-Hands.” Chuck Fuller has discussed the All-Hands on TXAPA Live, and the All-Hands section of our website is packed with helpful resources and information.
 
Did you know about PaveXpress, a scoping tool to help you create simplified pavement designs while taking into account key engineering inputs?
 
  
Explore and analyze IRI data in the FHWA Long Term Pavement Performance (LTPP) database to gain insights into the factors that have historically governed and/or influenced the change in pavement IRI over time.
Maximize Your Membership
Click the link below to visit a new section on TexasAsphalt.org called "What's New." This page contains a frequently updated list of all new content on the website, so you can find the important new information fast!
Are you working with an exemplary company that would be a good fit for TXAPA? Send them the link to our new, fillable, application available at the link below:
Make sure you are receiving important information from TXAPA. Double check your email address and update your email preferences. 
If you have been having trouble accessing the TXAPA website there are two things you can try.
Cancel or add subscriptions and update your address—it's as easy as logging into TexasAsphalt.org!
Certification News From The HMAC
On June 1, TXAPA’s HMAC Training & Certification launched HMAC Now, an online program allowing for remote certification. HMAC Now has started offering virtual classes for Level 1A Certification, Level 1B Training, Level 1B Certification, and SB102 Certification. In order to certify online, a technician must have access to the necessary equipment as specified in the test procedures being evaluated. Virtual certification will not replace in-person certifications, rather it will provide new options for those who meet the requirements. Online class registration is now open for both in-person and virtual classes.
 
Certification and training classes through the HMAC are filling up fast! Check the schedule online.

TXAPA provides a range of resources for your employees and technicians whether they are studying to become certified, or just need a refresher. Please share these helpful tools: