November: Around The Globe
BY AsphaltPro Staff
Australia
Austroads, Sydney, Australia, has released its most recent Pavement Work Tips on Taking Representative Samples of Bituminous Binders. You can download the free pdf here.
China
Petrosil’s Bitumart reported in late September that China had imported 400,000 tons of bitumen in just the month of July, with cargoes from South Korea, Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia. The report also showed Thailand’s bitumen was up 30 percent that month—at 47,000 tons—with material going to Australia, Vietnam and Cambodia in addition to China.
Germany
Need an excuse to look at pretty cars going fast? Billed as the world’s biggest BMW event, Asphaltfieber 2018 is coming up July 12 through 15 on high-performance asphalt. Get all the details here.
Netherlands
They’re assessing life cycles across the pond. The University of Antwerp’s Energy & Materials in Infrastructure & Buildings research group, a new associate member to Eurobitume, hosted a bitumen Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) symposium this summer. Eurobitume’s Technical Director Mike Southern attended and found a mix of research-based, technical, application and academic presentations as well as discussion panels. Source: Eurobitume.eu
United States
The National Taxpayers Union (NTU) President Pete Sepp and the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) President Dennis Slater issued statements late September in support of the unified tax reform framework members of Congress put forward Sept. 27. Slater said, “The current debate over tax reform is a moment of truth for our elected leaders. We will work in the coming months to encourage members of Congress in both parties to deliver on their pledge to advance pro-growth tax reform that supports manufacturing in America.”
Colorado
Agency and industry reps who would like to attend the NCAT Technology course at Auburn University in March 2018 can apply for one of the scholarships offered through the Colorado Asphalt Pavement Association’s (CAPA) scholarship program. At the recent 26th annual golf tournament & scholarship fundraiser, 180 golfers helped raise over $10,000 for the program. Sponsors of the event included Moody Insurance, Brannan Sand and Gravel, Wagner Equipment, Alpha Milling, Faris Machinery, Honnen Equipment, Westest, Mark Ryan Inc., and a host of others. Source: CAPA
Florida
- The Southeastern Asphalt User/Producer Group meeting will be at the Omni Jacksonville Hotel this Nov. 13 through 16. Visit www.seaupg.org.
- Due to Hurricane Irma’s trek through Florida in September, the Asphalt Contractors Association of Florida (ACAF) moved its annual asphalt conference to Nov. 29 through 30 at the Wyndham Orlando Resort. The schedule of events remains the same. Fees and registration are automatically transferred. If you did not register for the September event, and would like to attend, visit www.acaf.org for details.
Hawaii
The Hawaii Asphalt Paving Industry (HAPI) conducted a training session Aug. 26 for those taking the Field Sampling & Testing Module Bituminous Unit Exam with Brent Ishikawa of HAPI member Geolabs Inc. as the instructor. All attendees reported passing the exam. The next workshop is scheduled for February 2018 in preparation for the March exam.
Indiana
The AsphaltPro publishing team of Chris Harrison and Sally Shoemaker attended the APAI Full Technical Committee Meeting Sept. 19 to share details of the Asphalt Paving 101 online training course. Make sure the next Indiana event, the winter conference and expo taking place Dec. 14 and 15, is on your calendar.
Missouri
Your AsphaltPro staff, Fayette, Missouri, has teamed up with hall-of-famer industry consultant John S. Ball III of Top Quality Paving & Training, Manchester, New Hampshire, to bring you an online training course for each member of your asphalt paving crew. Check out free previews of lessons or get started by clicking the green “enroll” button at http://training.theasphaltpro.com/p/asphalt-paving-101.
Pennsylvania
- Applied Test Systems, Butler, Pennsylvania, has finalized its purchase of the Virtech Inc. creep/stress rupture product line. ATS and Virtech have worked together for nearly three decades on the development and application of the WinCCS system, and now ATS has control of the system from product inception to delivery. All Virtech employees have been retained and will maintain an active role in continuing advancement of the creep/stress rupture product line.
- The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) took delivery and received training on its third ALLU Transformer™ Screener Crusher bucket attachment, from ALLU Inc. of East Brunswick, New Jersey. All three of PennDOT’s ALLU units are DH-17-40 models used to crush and screen asphalt millings, size gravel, crush soil and clay, and more.
Texas
Pemamek LLC’s new sales office officially opened in Houston. Customer service operations are planned to follow before the end of the year. Thomas Poehlein will join the team as North America sales director. He can be reached at (214) 662-8812.
Wisconsin
The International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE) recognized Megan Tanel, the senior vice president exhibitions and events of the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) as the 2017 recipient of the IAEE Distinguished Service Award. Tanel’s 20-plus-year career with AEM includes show director of the Association’s CONEXPO-CON/AGG, ICUEE-The Demo Expo and World of Asphalt exhibitions.