 For some, summer means vacations and meeting up with family and friends. For others, summer brings trips abroad to learn and gather information. The VAA has done this with trips to Germany to learn about SMA and the related technologies. In June, a group of Chinese engineers came to the US to learn about current paving and materials technologies. Members of the VAA met with the General Manager, Chief Engineer and other officials of the Guangdong Huala Communications Technology Co., Ltd. at the Superior Paving office in Bristow. Their company is a multi-discipline engineering firm that includes design, testing and construction services for the Guangdong Province. The three hour meeting included a brief presentation by VAA Director of Engineering Trenton Clark, but most of the time was spent in general discussion. The Chinese Delegation was very interested in learning how to implement new technologies and what technologies are being used in Virginia.
Prior to visiting the VAA, the delegation met with Texas DOT and Maryland State Highway Administration. Afterwards, the group boarded a plane at Dulles airport and headed to Toronto for more meetings.
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The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) was awarded a $400,000 grant by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). This funding will be used to purchase asphalt lab equipment needed for asphalt mix design and testing in the Virginia Education Center for Asphalt Technology (VECAT). VECAT is a partnership between VDOT, Germanna Community College and VAA to provide asphalt-related training in the materials certification schools, the asphalt technology apprenticeship program and the asphalt technology associate’s degree program. The equipment purchased with the FHWA grant and VDOT match will provide hands-on and classroom instruction regarding asphalt technologies in Virginia community colleges to address a statewide worker shortage.
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Parts of this article were taken from the Culpeper Star Exponent article by Allison Brophy Champion. Picture credits to Peter Cihelka, the Free Lance-Star.
Cedar Mountain Stone was host to a recent demonstration of what the future may hold for our Industry. Senator Mark Warner was invited to watch as drones hovered over a 50 acre pit at the quarry, recording an explosive blast that whisked away a large chunk of granite.
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 Congratulations to Chuck Ingram and wife Christina, on the arrival of their 4th grandchild Sadie Rai Gilbreath. Sadie was born on July 8th in Greenville, SC to Christina's daughter Corey and husband Tim Gilbreath. She is their second child. Sadie joins big brother, Levi (2 yrs old) and Chuck's daughter VIcki and husband John Hobson's two children Taylor, 4 & Charlie, 2 yrs, that live in Crozet. The only girl in the bunch, she will have to learn to be rough and tumble pretty quickly!
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It is with great sadness we inform you of the passing of Mr. Jeff Richmond, Sr. Jeff was a long-time employee and leader at Roadtec as well as a great friend to VAA and members of our Association. Please keep his family in your thoughts and prayers.
Jeffery Lee Richmond Sr., 60, of Chattanooga, passed away June 30th, 2016 surrounded by his wife and sons while on a family vacation in Charleston, South Carolina.
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Our thoughts and prayers are with B & S Contracting in the wake of a tragic accident that occurred Tuesday, July 12th. B & S lost two of their employees, Felimon Aizpuro II and Debbie Huffman, in a work zone accident on US 11 near Greenville, VA. As you can imagine, there is extreme grief in the B&S family and with the families of the deceased. Please join us in extending sympathy to all.
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Welcome to Spotlight on VECAT, Asphalt News' recently launched section dedicated to sharing information about the VECAT program and other training-related news. Keep an eye on this section to learn What's New and What's Coming as we continue to broaden the reach of the VECAT curriculum.
Training and career development are vital in any industry or organization that aims at progressing. Training simply refers to the process of acquiring the essential skills required for a certain job. It targets specific goals; for instance, learning about materials and mix designs. Career development, on the other side, puts emphasis on broader soft skills.
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Going forward, this section will be included each month to keep you current on course offerings and information including classroom course dates, online course updates, and the addition of other training and development opportunities to the program as they become available.
For the month of July, VECAT is proud to report that it now has the following 6 classes available for online access through Germanna’s website:
- Asphalt Plant Level I
- Asphalt Plant Level II
- Asphalt Field Level I
- Asphalt Field Level II
- Slurry Surfacing
- Surface Treatment
To access these courses click here. For questions about course registration, contact Dave Laraway, VECAT Coordinator at 540-937-2902
For all other questions, contact Carter Iseman, VAA Director of Training and Development at ciseman@vaasphalt.com or 804-288-3169.
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1. Citizen Boards.
During June, each of the three environmental citizen boards held meetings. None of the meetings involved issues likely to impact the asphalt industry.
The State Air Pollution Control Board met on June 17. The primary action taken by the Board was the adoption of changes to Virginia's regulations to incorporate recent changes in the federal definition of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). The next Board meeting will take place on September 9.
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 In June, Dr. Jose Gomez, P.E. announced his retirement from VDOT after nearly 30 years of service. Jose is the Director for the Virginia Transportation Research Council located in Charlottesville. He has served in various research and management roles over his career. While a structural/bridge engineer by training, Jose has worked with the asphalt industry through the oversight of various materials and pavement related research projects – first as the Associate Director at VTRC responsible for pavements and structures and later as the VTRC Director.
Jose’s last day at VTRC will be September 1st. While retired, he will not be sitting still. Jose will rejoin the academic ranks as a professor at UVa. The VAA would like to thank Jose for his years of service and wish him well in his new endeavor.
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NOVA Assistant District Administrator for Maintenance, Branco Vlacich was named State Maintenance Engineer in June. Branco replaces E. Kevin Gregg who was named the Assistant District Administrator for the Hampton Roads District earlier in the year. Branco has partnered with the asphalt paving industry for many years in NOVA. The VAA looks forward to working with Branco and his staff in the Central Office and Districts to continue to improve the health of the Virginia roadway network. Congratulations Branco on your new position!
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Three times a year, VDOT and VAA meet to discuss technical issues related to asphalt, pavements and traffic engineering items. The next Cooperative meeting is planned for July 28th. The Cooperative Committee is comprised of VDOT Central Office Materials, Maintenance, Construction and Traffic Engineering along with District operations and construction personnel as well as VAA members and staff. The July meeting will cover proposed specification changes for the 2017 paving schedules as well as a review of 2016 paving initiatives. The August newsletter will cover outcomes from the Statewide Co-Op.
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 The 2016 Fall Asphalt Conference is expanding to include an equipment and services expo. The new, expanded conference will come with a new home – the Richmond Marriott Downtown. The Marriott provides space for more attendees and 65 exhibitor booths. If you are interested in exhibiting, visit the VAA website ( www.vaasphalt.org) to learn more and take advantage of the early booth registration fees.
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October 5, 2016
New Kent, VA
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July 18-20, 2016
Seattle, WA
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August 16-17, 2016
Lake Geneva, WI
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August 27-30, 2016
White Sulphur Springs, WV
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October 24-25, 2016
Richmond VA
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January 8 - 12, 2017
Washington, DC
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January 26 - February 2, 2017
Orlando, FL
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