The Extreme Resilience of the Asphalt Industry

Prior to our current website archives, AsphaltPro Magazine prepared an article with Stansteel Hotmix Parts & Service discussing the mechanics of building hot-mix asphalt (HMA) production infrastructure that could withstand violent lateral forces. While combining information about natural disaster impacts on production for this issue (see the intro to the product gallery on page 46), I was reminded of visiting Stansteel’s facility in Louisville a couple summers ago and seeing components ultimately destined for a site in California.

The iron that day took me back to the old conversation. The concept is taking me back again.

We don’t talk about our iron’s resilience as often as we talk about our end product’s resilience. It’s worth mentioning, now that we’re entering the second month of hurricane season, the asphalt industry has taken the responsibility of sustainability seriously for decades. We’ve taken our infrastructure and product resilience seriously before it was mandated that we do so, and I daresay we’ll continue to take it seriously as cooler heads offer sensible solutions to permitting and progressing projects to completion.

Check out this liquid tank article that includes adherence to earthquake-resilient regs. Also, see this article discussing a variety of sustainable accommodations All Roads designed into its British Columbia plant.

Indulge me while I share; I moved to Southwest Florida about a week before Hurricane Charley nailed the community. That was the year four hurricanes (five storms) hit the state in six weeks, offering me quite the “welcome.” Yes, 2004 was tumultuous weather-wise but each year since, as hurricane season has approached, I’ve heard forecasters share the doom and gloom of a planet on the verge of collapse because humans have the audacity to drive cars on highways before engineering a plug for Mount Etna (and others).

Do Your AC Tank Inspection Procedures Pass the Test?

Maybe I’m tempting fate to suggest: the east coast of the USA is still here. As is the asphalt paving industry that works to safeguard the environment and the economy.

The goals of safeguarding the environment while building the economy can and do go hand in hand, even when non-elected staffers lose the ability to mandate egregious rules around it all. As we were preparing this issue for press, the House of Representatives had passed HR1, which, if ratified, will reinstate the 100% bonus depreciation and the increase in Section 179 expensing levels.

Something I didn’t see industry associations talking about at press time were Sections 42111 and 42112, regarding the rescission of greenhouse gas emission (GHG) corporate reporting and environmental product declaration (EPD) assistance. HR1 is set to repeal Section 60112 of Public Law 117-169. If ratified, it will rescind the unobligated funds that were allocated under Section 60112 of that law. It will terminate the program and remove remaining financial support.

Is this devastating? It doesn’t have to be.

All Roads Exceeds Environmental Expectations

There are members of the asphalt industry who have been participating in product category rule (PCR) development and EPD creation because it is for the good of the industry and environment to understand a product’s complete carbon footprint—thus impact—on the world. See my May note for more on this concept. But keep in mind, we can’t control what we haven’t measured.

By instituting EPDs, our industry has created a metric to measure and control. But we don’t need a non-elected bureaucratic agency mandating how we measure and control our product.

As evidenced by the baghouses at asphalt plants, fume extraction systems on pavers and the silica dust controls on milling machines, our industry has been taking care of business, workers and the environment for decades. I bet we continue working as good stewards of the air, land and water after a Big Beautiful Bill gives us permission to do so as responsible humans and not while under duress.

Whether you’re installing earthquake- and flood-resilient components at your HMA plant, designing a flexible asphalt pavement that won’t require new materials for 30+ years, or using intelligent compaction to seal up a perfect density for that long-lived pavement, you’re participating in an industry that has a lengthening track record for environmental excellence and sustainability. You’re engaged in an industry that cares for its communities and functions as a steward of the air, land and water around it. You’re among upstanding people who are resilient themselves.

Stay Safe,

Sandy Lender