charles county asphalt is opening up - mixequipmentmag.com · (113,500-liter) vertical liquid-ac...

Charles County Asphalt is opening upa new market area for itself near Washington, DC

with this Astec Turbo 500 M-Pack™ plant

“GOOD IRON!”

HOT-MIX MAGAZINE 6 VOLUME 3, NUMBER 2

[Opposite page] Charles County Asphalt, a part of the Francis O. Day Com-pany, started up its new Astec Turbo 500 M-Pack plant in early Septemberof this year. Although the plant is rated at 500 tph (455 metric tph), the planthas yet to be operated at anywhere near its rated production capacity.[1] Storage silos for Astec M-Pack plants are available in capacities from 100to 300 tons (90 to 270 metric tons). These silos are especially designed toprevent oxidation and segregation of the mix. [2] The Astec M-Pack plant is modular in design—which means that allmajor components of the plant are shipped in complete modules and comecomplete with their own built-in steel foundations and bulkheads. Becauseof the modular design, Astec M-Pack plants require far less time and cost forset-up. There is no need to install concrete foundations and permanent con-duit, except for the storage silos. The plant is also considered to be relocat-able from one site to another.[3] The Turbo Double Barrel drum mixer combines the functions of a dryerand a continuous-process pugmill in one compact, efficient system. Theinner drum rotates inside an insulated, stationary shell, allowing the virginaggregate to dry efficiently before it moves to the outer mixing chamberwhere it is combined with the liquid AC.


WHAT’S THE BEST WAY toenter a new market area?Do you move in some of

your older equipment in an effortto keep your initial costs downuntil you’ve been able to build upthe gross billings? Or do you goahead and invest in a brand-newplant that will be able to deliverthe level of production you hopeto achieve in a year or two?

This was never really a questionfor the management of Francis O.Day Company, Inc. of Rockville,Maryland. According to them, yousimply invest in good equipmentthat reflects the latest in technologyand the best craftsmanship—andthen you put that equipment towork doing what it does best.This past summer, the companydid exactly that when they formedCharles County Asphalt Companyto purchase a new relocatableAstec Turbo 500 M-Pack plant in

Waldorf, Maryland. The new plantwas installed in one of the area’smajor growth sectors, about 22miles southeast of Washington, DC.According to Mike Day, presidentof the parent company, one of thebig considerations when shoppingfor a new plant was how advancedthe design might be. He said Astecscored quite high in that regard.“I believe Astec is on the cuttingedge of our industry’s technology,”said Day. “The company is theleader in the field when it comesto technology.”Day’s comments are based on aknowledgeable assessment of theindustry. Francis O. Day Companyhas been in the paving businessfor 52 years, spanning three gen-erations of the family. In additionto the new Astec plant in Waldorf,the company operates three otherplants in Maryland: in Rockville,Frederick, and Forestville.

The new facility was installed inWaldorf because that is where alarge part of the Washington, DCexpansion will take place in thenear future. Day says the area ofsouthern Maryland is beginningto move into a boom phase, withresidential and commercial devel-opment already getting underway.

The company’s new Astec Turbo500 M-Pack plant is a relocatablehot-mix facility whose structuralcomponents are designed as sep-arate modules so they can bequickly and easily assembled atthe plant site. If necessary, such aplant can be moved from one siteto another. In this case, however,Day says there are no plans torelocate the plant.At the core of the new facility is a9 x 47-ft. (2.7 x 14.3-m) AstecDouble Barrel drum mixer with asilent burner enclosure and twoliquid-AC injection ports. The drum

mixer is rated by the factory at500 tph (455 metric tph). The installation also includes arelocatable six-compartmentcold-feed system with 9 x 14-ft.(2.7 x 4.3-m) cold-feed bins, alongwith a two-compartment crusherand feed system for reclaimedasphalt pavement (RAP).The 900-ton (810-metric ton) NewGeneration storage system fromAstec is composed of three 300-ton (270-metric ton) storage silos,each of which is equipped with ablue-smoke package to captureany fugitive mix emissions. Thereare also two stationary 30,000-gal.(113,500-liter) vertical liquid-ACstorage tanks and a helical coilhot-oil heater from Heatec. With a production rating of 500tph (455 metric tph), the plant isone of the largest on the market.But according to Gene Yokum,general plant superintendent, this

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size is not an unusual one for thecompany’s operations.

“Sure, it’s a big machine,” saidYokum. “But we’re in a big metro-politan area so we need big plants.We operate four plants. And all ofthem are 450 or 500 tph (410 or455 metric tph) plants.”

Yokum’s advice for anyone who isplanning to purchase a plant ofthis size is to look around andcheck out what is available.

“We started shopping for our newplant a little more than a year ago,”said Yokum. “I put together a specand sent it out to three of the hot-mix manufacturers so we couldcompare apples to apples. And asa result of our study, we endedup picking the Astec plant as theone that best met our needs.”During the selection process, Daysaid they were invited to Astec’sheadquarters in Chattanooga,

Tennessee to take a tour of themanufacturing facility and to get aclose-up look at what a new Astecplant would look like.

“We went down there and checkedit out,” said Day. “It looked like itwas very well-designed, well-builtequipment. We talked with theAstec people and they seemed tobe very knowledgeable. And theygave us a good price.

Now that the plant is installed andoperational, Day was asked, whatdoes he think about it?

“We like our new Astec plant,” Daysaid. “We like everything about it,as a matter of fact. The plant, thesilos, the controls. And the peoplehave been very nice. They’ve beenvery timely in getting things done.”Yokum has also made a favorablejudgment about the new plantfrom his own perspective, onethat includes a lot of years with

hands-on experience of operatingand maintaining HMA equipment.“Every piece of equipment youlook at is going to have its prosand cons,” said Yokum. “But thisplant seems to have the bestaverage of pros of any of themout there. I’ve been looking atplants for quite a few years. Andthis is a real good plant.“I am very impressed by the factthat someone still manufacturessomething with more in mindthan their own bottom line,” saidYokum emphatically. “There seemsto be plenty of iron in this plant.Astec has not cut any corners tosave money or make their bottomline look better. That’s the point Iwould brag on as much as any-thing, I think.”Yokum’s observation about qualityconstruction was echoed by TimFox, the plant superintendent forthe Charles County plant and the

one who is in charge of the plant’sday-to-day operation:

“My first comment about Astec,”said Fox, “is simply this: It hasgood iron! Astec engineered a lotof braces and structural steel inplaces that other manufacturerstend to ignore. I’ve been around alot of plants in the last 20 years,and I can say quite honestly: Thisis good iron!

“Structurally, Astec has gone theextra mile. Everything is built toheavy-duty levels.”

But the plant is much more thana big chunk of awkward steel,according to Fox. It is also quiteuser-friendly, thanks to Astec’sProcess Mate 96 computerizedcontrol system.“I’ve seen computerization comeinto our industry,” said Fox. “Ilearned about the business stand-ing up on a batch plant, pulling

[4] Cold-feed bins for Astec M-Pack plants have built-in steel foundations,retaining walls, and hinged wing walls. The bin walls are extremely steep anda self-relieving bottom opening virtually eliminates bridging and ensuresuniform feeding. Bin components have easy access for maintenance. Thetubular-steel foundations support the bins and collecting conveyor in a waythat allows you to walk the entire length of the bins between the retainingwall and the belt feeders without obstruction.[5] The key maintenance items on the burner of the Turbo Double Barreldrum mixer are easily accessible. The eye, pilot, and all other controls arelocated outside for easy adjustment.[6] The high-quality, heavy-duty drive components on Astec's Turbo DoubleBarrel drum mixer include trunnions with oversized double-spherical rollerbearings that are guaranteed for a life of one-million tons of mix. The drumtires that encompass the inner drum and support the Double Barrel mixer areare extra-large, solid-steel tires that are made of 1030 carbon steel.[7] The split-level control center is equipped with state-of-the-art controls,including Astec’s process Mate 96 control system. This control system effec-tively automates all major functions of the plant, from cold-feed blending tomix load-out from the silos.

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FOR MOREINFORMATION

about Astec’sTurbo Double Barrel®

drum-mix facilities,call and ask to speak with

Diane Hunt:

423-867-4210(FAX: 423-867-3570)

levers. But the controls on thisplant are nicely laid out. You cansee everything that’s happening.because everything is right there,on your main screen: feeder per-centages, silo inventory—every-thing. And if you want to changecomputer screens—go from aproduction screen to a load-outscreen, for instance—all of youractual running systems are stilldisplayed on the top half of thescreen, so you don’t lose sight ofwhat you’re doing. I like that a lot.”

Fox said the new plant has beendoing a nice job of producinghot-mix so far. “What impressesme about the plant’s performanceis that our mix designs have beenright down the middle. The asphaltcontent and all of our tests havebeen good, so far.“We haven’t really had a chanceyet to crank up the plant and seewhat it can really do as far as

maximum production,” Fox said.“I think our biggest day so far hasbeen about 1,600 tons (1,450metric tons)—but I could just purrthis thing along at idle-speed toget that much output. This comingSaturday, we’re supposed to crankit up and do 2,400 tons (2,200metric tons). And I don’t anticipateany problems.”Although Fox seemed to be happywith the performance of the plantitself, he reserved some of hismost enthusiastic comments forAstec’s service capabilities.“The thing that really stands outin my mind is the great servicewe’ve been getting from Astec,”Fox said. Unfortunately, that isnot his opinion of the majority ofequipment manufacturers acrossthe industry.“In the past 20 years that I’ve beenaround hot-mix plants,” he said,“the one place where I have seen

a lot of really radical change is inthe area of technical service andproduct support. A lot of thesecompanies have been down-sizingor something—and it seems likethe whole concept of good serviceand good support has gone bythe wayside. But with Astec, theystill make service Number One.

“Whenever we have any littleproblem, we call Astec’s servicedepartment. It doesn’t matterwhen. It can be in the daytime,evenings, or on weekends. Theyjust answer the phone and askwhich kind of specialist we wantto talk with—and right away, we’rein touch with some expert whoknows what they’re doing andwho can really help us.“Believe me, that gives the plantoperator a good, comfortablefeeling, knowing that help andback-up is just a phone call away.For us out here in the field, service

is the key. And in my opinion,Astec has simply surpassed everyother manufacturer in the industrywhen it comes to service!”Fox was asked if there was anyone thing he would tell anotherproducer who was thinking aboutbuying a new hot-mix plant. Hisreply was quick and simple:“I’d tell them that I think an Astecplant is a good investment—thatthey would definitely be gettingtheir money’s worth.” ▼▲▼

[8] A large access door on the side of the drum mixer raises hydraulically toprovide full access to the mixing chamber. The ease of servicing componentsin the mixing chamber is not equalled by any other drum mixer on the mar-ket. Personnel can replace mixing shanks and tips while standing safely onthe ground. The inner drum can be accessed through a large access door atthe inlet chute.[9] The horizontal cyclone collects coarse fines and returns them to the mixerbefore they can enter the baghouse. This lets the baghouse collect smallerdust particles more efficiently. It also increases the life of the baghouse com-ponents by protecting them from wear that might be caused by coarse fines.[10] Helical-coil heaters from Heatec keep the liquid AC in the storage tanksat the proper temperature. These heating coils are made from rugged Schedule40 seamless pipe and they are arranged to provide the most efficient heat-ing effect possible. [11] Components of the Astec M-Pack baghouse are packaged as fullyassembled modules—which means they can be set up much faster and easierthan a stationary baghouse. Filter bags provide optimum air-to-cloth ratiosof approximately 5.5 to 1. This ensures that the baghouse exhaust will meeteven the most stringent clean-air standards.

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The ribbon of Superpaveflows smooth behind the paver—and that’s why Florida DOThappily pays cash incentivesto contractors who are ableto maintain a consistently

high level of quality


A SMOOTHCASH-FLOWSITUATION

IT WAS IN MID-1997 that theFlorida DOT decided to useincentive and decentive clauses

to motivate contractors into help-ing them solve density problemsthey were experiencing on Super-pave projects. What the depart-ment came up with was a way forcontractors to improve their cashflow by helping the departmentmaintain the goals of its Superpavemixes. In an article that was in theMarch issue of Roads & Bridgesmagazine, FDOT material engineerD.R. Turner detailed their incen-tive and decentive arrangementwith these words:

“If the contractor obtained 94%to 95% of maximum lab density,payment was at 100% of unit bidprice per lot of roadway paving.For roadway densities of 95% orgreater, the contractor could earn105% payment.” Densities below94%, Turner explained, wouldprompt penalties down to 93%.

One of the first contractors to takeup FDOT’s challenge was theNorth Florida Division of CouchConstruction, L.P. of Shalimar,Florida. The parent company,Couch Construction, operates inFlorida, Alabama, and Georgia.

According to Turner, the first pro-ject Couch completed under thenew incentive/decentive terms—a10-mile (16-km) stretch of Inter-state 10 in northern Florida—wasentirely successful. Couchreceived 105% payment for about95% of the work that was done onthe project, and the rest of thework received 100% payment.“This is truly a win-win situation,”

Turner wrote, “where Couch isbeing enviably successful andFDOT is quite satisfied with thefinal product.”Although the North Florida Divisionof Couch Construction maintainsheadquarters in Shalimar, Florida,the HMA plant and paving equip-ment used on these recent Super-pave projects are located inGreenville, Florida. According toCloyce Darnell, president of theNorth Florida Division, the com-pany’s new Greenville plant wasintended to serve a market areathat includes almost anythingwithin a 50-mile (80 km) radius.“We have six plants in our division,”Darnell said. “But the Greenvilleplant is new. It became opera-tional in October of 1997—aboutthe same time we did our firstSuperpave job on Interstate 10.”Darnell explained that the newSuperpave guidelines were a bigconsideration when the companywas purchasing its new productionand paving equipment.“Superpave is an entirely differentanimal than what most companiesare accustomed to,” Darnell said.“You must have the right kind ofplant and the right kind of pavingequipment if you’re going to meetthe very strict quality assurancerequirements—the density andthe compaction—of Superpavespecifications. You’ve got to havethe very best equipment you canget. That’s why we bought anAstec hot-mix plant and Roadtecpaving equipment.”Darnell was referring to their newAstec Double Barrel drum mixer.

A SMOOTHCASH-FLOWSITUATION

Photographs on this page and at the top of the opposite pagewere taken by Russell Williams of Action Photography.


Managers at the North Florida Division of Couch Construction give part of thecredit for their success with Superpave to their new Astec Double Barreldrum-mixer plant—although Cloyce Darnell, president, points out that theyare fortunate to have the right mix of elements: “When you get the right peopleand the right equipment and the right aggregate, it’s not really a problem.”

And the Roadtec RP180-10 rubber-tired paving machine. And theRoadtec SB-2500 Shuttle Buggy®material-transfer vehicle.No matter who you talk to in thecompany, you are likely to heargood comments about the newequipment. For example:The paving superintendent, Bar-ney Kimmons, recalls that theygot the Roadtec equipment intime to start that first Superpaveproject back in October.“Yes, sir! I like that Shuttle Buggy,”Kimmons exclaimed. “It worksvery well for us. Does it help usdo a better job? Well, accordingto FDOT officials, we’ve put downprobably the best Superpave jobin the state of Florida. That’s prettyimpressive, by itself. Almosteveryone who rides that stretchof highway notices how smooth itis. We’ve actually had people callus to compliment us on it. Andthat makes us feel good.”Buck Roberts, project managerfor Couch, tends to agree:“That Roadtec RP-180 paver didan excellent job on the new FC-5friction course that FDOT cameout with, the one with a lot offiber in it. The RP-180 is excellentfor that type of mix.”Roadtec’s FXS fume-extractionsystem drew favorable commentsfrom both Roberts and Kimmons:“One thing we like,” said Roberts,“is the fume-extraction device thatdiverts the fumes and heat awayfrom the operator. It’s keeps it alot cooler up there—and that’sbeen important this summer.”

Although almost everyone in thecompany originally had somereservations about whether theywould be able to deal with the newSuperpave mixes, those reserva-tions have evaporated into nothing.“When we first started out, we didhave some problems with the mixdesign and the compaction,” saidRoberts. “But we made someadjustments in our mix and in ourrolling pattern—and everythingfell into place. Since then, we’vehad really good luck with it. Andof course, Couch Construction isall for anything that gives longerlife to the pavement.”And it definitely looks like Super-pave will be around for awhile. “This Superpave pavement is goingto last a long time, in my opinion,”said Kimmons. “It’s different thananything I’ve ever seen—and I’vebeen in the business for 30 years.“And that stretch of Interstate 10does ride good! Anybody is wel-come to come on down here andsee for themselves what a reallysmooth road it is!” ▼▲▼

“Yes. The operators love it,” saidKimmons. “They absolutely lovethat fume-extraction system.”Darnell seemed to be favorablyimpressed with the performanceof the Shuttle Buggy® material-transfer vehicle.“The Shuttle Buggy has workedperfectly,” Darnell said. “It keepsthe mix consistent. It preventssegregation—both in the aggre-gate and in the temperature—sothat the mix that is delivered to thepaver is extremely uniform. Andsince it holds 25 tons (22 metrictons) of mix, we are able to elimi-nate two trucks in our haul plan.”As far as the Astec Double BarrelHMA plant is concerned, the plantmanager, Richard Fletcher, saidhe has been quite pleased with thequality of the plant’s mix.

“It has done a very good job ofmaintaining the proper level of ACcontent throughout the day,” saidFletcher. “And that is really impor-tant with these Superpave mixes.We’ll take four or five samples aday and the AC content staysright where it’s supposed to be—even when we’re running up to2,500 tons (2,300 metric tons) ofSuperpave a day.”

Darren Phillips, plant superinten-dent, is in full agreement aboutthe accuracy of the plant.

“This plant responds to every lit-tle adjustment we make. We’vemade adjustments to the AC aslow as 0.05%—and we’ve beenable to document those changesaccurately with our NCAT oven.This plant turns out a quality mix!There’s no question about it.”

FOR MOREINFORMATION

about Roadtec’s full lineof cold planers, pavers,

and material-transfer vehicles,call and ask to speak with your

Regional Sales Manageror with Carmen Billingsley:

800-272-7100(FAX: 423-265-7521)


Since installing its new Telsmith crushing plant,this quarry has almost tripled its production.“We think that’s a very nice improvement,”

said the operations manager.

IT WAS JUST AN OLD QUARRYwhen they bought it. Oh, it wasoperational, all right. But the

ancient rock-crushing equipmentthat came with the quarry was abewildering assortment that wasprobably close to being retired.“We bought the whole thing,” saidRob Turner, operations managerfor Tiger Rock, Inc. of Ft. Gibson,Oklahoma. “We bought the leas-es, permits, and equipment. Theyhad all kinds of crushing equipmentout here: Universal, Cedarapids,Tyler, Pioneer. This old quarry hadbeen going for quite awhile.“When we took it over, it wasprobably doing about 100,000 tons(90,700 metric tons) per year. Andwe knew right away that it was

going to have to do much better.We wanted to at least double that.”Tiger Rock, Inc. is a family ownedbusiness that has been in opera-tion since 1978. In addition toRob Turner, there are two otherfamily members in the company:Dick Turner, Rob’s brother, is incharge of purchasing and trucking,and Charles Turner, their father, ispresident. For the first six yearsof its existence, the company wasengaged primarily in coal mining.But in 1984, the company diversi-fied into general constructionwork. And in 1995, it entered thepaving market.“We started out with just a smallhot-mix plant,” Turner explained.

“That’s when we started usingthis quarry here in Enterprise,Oklahoma. The whole property isabout 60 acres (24 hectares) insize, although we haven’t eventouched most of it. We’re downabout 100 feet (30 m) deep now—and 120 feet (36 m) is about asdeep as we’ll be able to go. Sowe’re starting to spread out ouroperations now.”Tiger Rock’s market area extendsover a 50-mile (80-k) radius andincludes most of four counties.On the paving side, the companyis very versatile.“We do a little bit of everything,”said Turner. “We do drivewaysand parking lots, in addition to alot of roadwork for the counties

and the Oklahoma DOT. It’s acompetitive market, so we’reready to handle anything.”In their planning for the future,Tiger Rock devised an innovativemarketing strategy. “We decided a couple of yearsago that if we were going to bereally successful, we were goingto have to develop our own marketfor the rock that comes out of ourquarry. So we bought a largerasphalt plant—a used Astec SixPack plant—and brought it on-lineto give us a place to use a lot ofthe rock. But then we discoveredthat our crusher capacity wasn’tbig enough to keep up with ourhot-mix plant. So we had to startthinking about a new crusher.”

TigerRock


FOR MOREINFORMATION

about state-of-the-artaggregate-processing

equipment fromTelsmith, just call

and ask to speak withBob Meyers:

414-242-6600(FAX: 414-242-5812)

The coordinated installation of equipment from different manufacturers wasno problem for Tiger Rock. The Astec control house and Telsmith 3055 jawcrusher (top photo) are connected by Telsmith conveyors to the Telsmith5252 HSI impact crusher (middle photo) and the PEP Duo-Vibe® finesscreening unit (bottom photo). The Telsmith 5252 HSI and the PEP unit canalso be seen (far left photo), along with the Telsmith 44-FC Gyrasphere®

crusher and several of the Kolberg-Pioneer stacking conveyors. According tooperations manager Rob Turner, this is the design Telsmith recommended.“Is it working out well for us? Yes, absolutely!”

Tiger Rock eventually contactedTelsmith to see if they had anyideas about configuring a newcrusher assembly for their quarry.After studying the company’soperations and business plan, theTelsmith representative presenteddrawings that included special-ized equipment from four of theAstec Industries family of compa-nies: Telsmith, Kolberg-Pioneer,PEP, and Astec. ❏ The primary crushing plant is aTelsmith 3055 jaw crusher thathas a 54-in. x 20-ft. (1.4 x 6 m)vibrating grizzly feeder and a 70-ton(63 metric ton) rock box hopper.❏ The secondary crushing plantis a Telsmith 5252 HSI (horizontalshaft impactor) impact crusherwith a 6-ft. x 20 ft. (1.8 x 6 m)triple-deck Wet Road-King hori-zontal screen.❏ There is also a Telsmith 44-FCGyrasphere® crusher.❏ Because of the nature of therock being crushed (blue-jacketsandstone), the company optedto install a PEP Duo-Vibe® unitthat removes most of the finesbefore the material goes to thewet screens. ❏ The installation uses three 24-in. x 100-ft. (7.3 x 30) stackingconveyors that were built andsupplied by Kolberg-Pioneer.❏ Finally, the motor-control centerand operator’s console is locatedinside an Astec-designed andAstec-built control house.When asked how they like theirnew crushing plant, Turner isquick to reply:“It’s a good, all-around plant forour needs,” Turner said. “We toldTelsmith that we needed some-thing that would make chips forour asphalt operation. And that isthe design they came up with. “Is it working out well for us?Yes, absolutely! It is doing the jobthey said it would do.”The new Tiger Rock plant has beenoperating almost non-stop sinceit became operational in May ofthis year, Turner said. “We like the complete turnkeypackage Telsmith gave us, whereeverything was included,” Turnersaid. “They specified the design,

electrical requirements, layout,and financing. They laid it all outfor us—the whole thing. Then weinstalled it ourselves.“The equipment they provided isvery high quality. You can tell justby looking at it that it’s well-builtand structurally sound. Telsmithdoes an excellent job of manufac-turing their equipment. I’d say thatTelsmith equipment is over-built, ifanything. It’s sure not under-built.”And Telsmith’s service-support?“The people we worked with atTelsmith have been great. They’vetried to work with us at every stepof the way and do whatever weasked them to do. If we had anyproblems, they got right on them.The follow-up has been excellent.”

Turner also had some good thingsto say about the financial side ofhis company’s plant acquisition:

“Astec Financial helped us quite abit in getting this plant,” he said.“They have a very positive attitudetoward producers. They will dotheir best to figure out a way tomake it work for all of the partiesinvolved. We certainly appreciatewhat they’ve done for us.”The bottom line, of course, isalways production. And Turner isalso happy in that category:“When we took over the quarry, itwas doing about 100,000 tons(90 metric tons) per year. Now,with the new plant up and run-ning, we’re turning out rock at therate of about 250,000 to 300,000tons (227,000 to 272,000 metrictons) per year. “We’ve almost tripled our produc-tion. And we think that’s a verynice improvement.” ▼▲▼


HOW TO GETA FREE COPY:You can ask for your copyof the Hot Mix Glossary

simply by contactingSharlene Burney at Heatec:

800-235-5200(FAX: 423-821-7673)

YOU REALLY SHOULD ASKfor a free copy of the newHot Mix Glossary that was

recently published by Heatec. It isa neat little book, with 68 pagesof clear, concise definitions formore than 400 words or terms thatare used in the HMA industry.Even if you already know everyword that is listed in the Glossary,you could give it to your compa-ny’s new employees so they canquickly pick up the language.Most of the 400-plus words andterms are names of equipment,materials, and processes used inthe industry. You won’t find mostof them in standard dictionaries—and as far as we know, this is theonly such book in the industry.There are four general types ofwords or terms in the glossary:definitions, unusual words, tradenames, and examples of processes.

DefinitionsYou will find simple definitions ofcommon and obscure words, aswell as acronyms:boot end. The foot or bottom of a hot

elevator where the hot aggregateenters the elevator.

HHV. High heating value. The grossamount of heat (Btu) produced bya fuel. No. 2 fuel oil, which is wide-ly used in the HMA industry, has aHHV of approximately 140,000Btu per gallon. Natural gas has aHHV of approximately 1,040 Btuper cubic foot.

Unusual wordsYou will also find definitions forwords you may not have everheard before—or words whosedefinitions might be fuzzy: sock filter. A type of filter used in the

hot oil line of a hot oil heater. Thefilter is long and shaped some-what like a sock. It is made of afine fabric mesh which collects dirt

flow drum mixer produced exclu-sively by Astec.

Fireye. Brand name for a burnerflame monitor system commonlyused on hot oil heaters.

Heli-Tank. A trademark of Heatec fora type of heated tank used to storeasphalt cement. The Heli-Tank isusually portable, mounted on achassis with suspension andwheels. It is virtually the same as acoiled tank except it has a hot oilheater mounted on the goose neckof the chassis.

Examples of processesSome words or terms whichinvolve complex processes mightrequire a more detailed definition:air-to-cloth ratio. The numerical ratio

of air flow to total filter surfacearea in a baghouse. Air flow isusually stated in cubic feet perminute (cfm). The total filter sur-face area is usually stated insquare feet, determined by totalingthe surface area of all filter bags inthe baghouse. (The glossary thengives a example of how to calcu-late air-to-cloth ratio.)

The new book is free—and itmakes sense to get your copy soyou can stay up to date on all theindustry terminology.By the way: In the HMA industry,an “acoustician” specializes inacoustics. One practical applicationof an acoustician’s skills is to helpdevelop effective noise control forHMA equipment. ▼▲▼

term applies to the screw of ascrew auger, to the threads ofordinary screws, etc.

Trade namesOther commonly used words aretradenames whose prominencejustifies inclusion in this glossary:Bindicator. A registered trademark of

the Bindicator Company for a binlevel indicator.

Cor-Ten. A trademark of United SteelCorporation for a high-strength,low alloy steel plate.

Double Barrel. A trademark of AstecIndustries for a unique counter-

and debris from the hot oil flowingthrough it. Sock filters are veryeffective and are highly recom-mended for use with hot oilheaters to protect the hot oilpump. They are especially recom-mended for new installations andwhen replacing an old heater witha new one.

RAM. Acronym for Reclaimed Aggre-gate Material, which is removedpavement materials containing noreusable binding agent (asphaltcement).

helicoid. Shown in dictionaries as ageneric term for objects that havea spiral or helical shape. Thus, the

You hear words like this all the time.But what do they really mean?

“acoustician”


?FOR MORE

INFORMATIONCall the toll-free numberand ask to speak with

one of these Kolberg-Pioneerproduct managers:

Al Egge—Kolberg productsKen Scheid—Pioneer products

800-542-9311(FAX: 605-665-8858)

WHO IS THIS

EVERYBODY ISTALKING ABOUT?

KOLBERG-PIONEER

One example of Kolberg-Pioneer’s innovative thinking and engineering is theportable Pioneer 2500 Ultra-Spec vertical-shaft impactor (above). This designoffers the traditional fully autogenous (or rock-on-rock) crushing method(Key Number 2 at right) or the semi-autogenous (or rock-on-steel) crushingmethod (Key Number 1). The Pioneer 2500 Ultra-Spec produces a very cubi-cal product that contains fewer fines than the product turned out by ordinarycompression crushers—and it does this while recording much lower wearcosts per ton than traditional VSIs.

ABOUT A YEAR AGO, AstecIndustries added a newname to its growing family

of manufacturing and financialcompanies: Kolberg-Pioneer, Inc.Although the name is new to theAstec organization, this companyhas a proud history of manufac-turing bulk material-handling andprocessing equipment, includingrock crushers and aggregatescreening plants.The Kolberg part of the companygot its start in 1964 as GellhausManufacturing Company, althoughwithin a year it was incorporatedas Kolberg Manufacturing Corpo-ration. In 1965, Kolberg and itsstaff of 15 employees moved toYankton, South Dakota, where thecompany began turning out linesof vibrating screens, portablescreening plants, portable and sta-tionary conveyors, and radialstacking conveyors. The companyis still located in Yankton.Kolberg was acquired by Portec,Inc. in 1978. In 1987, the Kolbergoperation was expanded to mergewith the Pioneer product line.Pioneer—which had been a partof Portec since the mid-1950s—brought with it more than 70 yearsof experience in manufacturingboth portable and stationary rock-crushing plants, concrete- andasphalt-recycling plants, portablescreening plants, and vibratingfeeders. The joining of the two

that is necessary for an entireprocessing operation—and thisunique capability led to the firm’scurrent advertising slogan:

Kolberg-Pioneerhas all the pieces™

The fact that Kolberg-Pioneer offersall these “pieces” from one sourcegives the customer a surprisingnumber of unique and worthwhileconveniences. For example: WithKolberg-Pioneer, the customerhas the opportunity to workdirectly with the single source forhis system’s design, engineering,manufacturing, quality control,customer service, installation,parts, and service support.And because all of the pieces aremanufactured with the entire systemin mind, all of the componentswork together to give the customerexcellent performance and genuinelong-term value. ▼▲▼

companies seemed to be a perfectmatch, and it created one of thelargest manufacturing facilities inSouth Dakota.In December 1997, the assets ofPortec CED were purchased byAstec Industries. The resultingcompany began doing businessas Kolberg-Pioneer, Inc., a whollyowned subsidiary of Astec Indus-tries. Today, Kolberg-Pioneer’sexperience and Astec’s provenstrength and leadership have beencombined to offer the industry areliable and complete source foraggregate-processing equipment.On the Kolberg side of the equation,the customer will find a divisionwith a reputation for superioraggregate and environmentalequipment. In addition to thecompany’s line of portable screen-ing plants, conveyor systems, radial

stackers, pugmill plants, andvibrating screens, Kolberg alsomanufactures aggregate washingand classifying systems, fine-material washers, coarse-materialwashers, and blade mills.

On the Pioneer side, the customergets 70 years of experience and atrack record of more than 10,000plants and components soldsince the 1920s. (Some of thoseearly plants are still operatingtoday.) Today, the Pioneer prod-uct line includes a broad selectionof jaw crushers, primary impactors,secondary horizontal shaftimpactors, cone and roll crushers,vertical shaft impactors, feeders,and screens of various sizes andapplications. Together, Kolberg-Pioneer, Inc.can supply all of the equipment

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Warren Paving, Inc.’snew Astec Double Barrel plant

in Gulfport, Mississippiputs a lid on the area’s

afternoon showers

THE TOTAL ANNUAL RAINFALLin Gulfport, Mississippi is avery impressive 62 inches (157

cm)—but from a hot-mix produc-er’s point of view, that is only partof the story. A large percentage ofthat rainfall comes down as littleafternoon showers that move inand then move out, lasting onlylong enough to dampen aggre-gate stockpiles and increase themoisture ratio.“We don’t get a lot of all-day, wash-out rains,” said B. J. Sellers, man-ager of the Gulf Coast Division ofWarren Paving, Inc. “Instead, it’s alot of little showers. The heat andhumidity build up in the afternoon.And before long, the showers rollin and everything gets wet. That’sthe main reason we covered ouraggregate stockpiles.”When Warren Paving was planningits new Gulfport plant, one of thefirst things the engineers laid outwas a metal building that wouldcover the stockpile and protect it

of the building is 32 ft. (10 m)—asignificant figure because it allowstrucks plenty of vertical space todump their loads without hittingthe structure of the building.Sellers said the plant crew usuallymaintains three separate aggregatestockpiles under the roof of thebuilding: crushed gravel, sand,and RAP. “Depending on the job,we could have as much as 5,000tons (4,500 metric tons) of gravelin there,” said Sellers. “The RAPpile probably has about 2,500 tons(2,200 metric tons). And of course,the sand is a much smaller pile:maybe only 1,000 tons (900 metrictons) at any one time.”The company’s experience withthe Hattiesburg stockpile buildingcaused them to install the cold-feed bins in a concrete-lined pitthat is sunken 5-ft. (1.5 m) belowthe level of the building’s floor.“This way, we don’t need a rampinside the building for our loader,”Sellers explained. “We didn’t put

from those costly afternoon rainshowers. The company had earlierput up a similar structure at itsheadquarters plant in Hattiesburg,Mississippi. Their experience thereconvinced them that a building atthe Gulfport facility could totallypay for itself in only 18 months

with the savings they would real-ize from reduced drying costs.The stockpile building is 165 ft.(50 m) long and 150 ft. (46 m)wide. It is open on all four sides,although there are eight cold-feedbins located at the end closest tothe drum-mixer. The eave height

AGGREGATEMOISTURE CONTROL


FOR MOREINFORMATION

about Astec’srelocatable Double Barrel

drum-mixer system,call and ask to speak with

Diane Hunt:

423-867-4210(FAX: 423-867-3570)

the feeder bins in a pit at our Hat-tiesburg plant—and a big part ofthe space inside the building isSo this time, we put them in a pit.You’ll notice that the feeder beltsare actually below ground level.”Warren Paving’s new plant is arelocatable Astec Double Barrelplant with an 8 x 40-ft. (2.4 x 12.1-m) drum mixer that has a silentburner enclosure. In addition to theeight-compartment cold-feedsystem, the plant also has a 650-barrel dry-additive system for lime.Astec also supplied a relocatablebaghouse and a horizontal cyclonewith ceramic wear liners. The AstecNew Generation storage systemconsists of three 300-ton (270-metric-ton) silos with ceramic wearliners in the cones. All three silosare equipped with Astec’s Blue-Smoke Package. Control for theplant is maintained from the 10 x20-ft. (3 x 6-m) Astec CommandIV Control Center, where a ProcessMate 96 control system offers

automatic silo loadout capability.

Sellers said the company has notyet pushed its new plant to its fullAstec rating. “The most we’veever run so far is about 300 tons(270 metric tons) per hour,” hesaid. “That’s because we haven’tneeded to go any more than that.Since the plant became operationallast spring, we’ve been focusingon the airport job. This is a newmarket for us. We haven’t evenstarted to build our FOB business.”The “airport job” Sellers referredto is part of an $8.1 million run-way reconstruction project at theGulfport-Biloxi Regional Airport.The prime contractor, APAC ofGeorgia, Inc., employed WarrenPaving of Gulfport as its mainsubcontractor. “We’re doing an asphalt overlayon 5,500 ft. (1,700 m) of the main9,000-ft. (2,800 m) runway,” saidSellers. “They’re putting concretethresholds at each end and we’re

doing the center section. The jobis planned at about 40,000 tons(36,000 metric tons) of hot-mix.”Sellers said the company is usingtwo Roadtec RP-180-10 paverson the airport project.“This is entirely a night job,” hesaid. “They close the runway at10:30 at night and our crews haveto be off by 6:30 in the morning.So we pave the full 150-ft. (46-m)width of the runway as far as wecan go. Before we quit for the day,we put in a 30-ft. (9-m) taper—and then we have to mill that offbefore we can start paving againthe next night.”The new plant components weredelivered in January of this yearand the plant became operationalin early April. Sellers gave Astecgood grades for support. “I’ve been very impressed withthe technical support from Astec.It’s been superb. I understand thateverybody who works at Astec has

their home telephone numbersprinted on their business cards—just in case you need some helpafter normal business hours. Asfar as I’m concerned, that onefact speaks for itself!“As a matter of fact, the wholetime we were erecting the newplant and later during start-up,there wasn’t a time when I calledthem that I didn’t get a goodresponse. It didn’t matter whatthe problem was. That kind ofsupport means a lot.” ▼▲▼

Interesting points about Warren Paving’s new operation (clockwise from topleft): The cold-feed bins are 5-ft. (1.5 m) below ground level; a lightningarrestor protects the storage bins; and one of the first jobs for the new plantwas an airport-runway paving project that was conducted entirely at night.

Ankara, Turkey


Ankara, TurkeyAnkara, Turkey

Ankara Metropolitan Municipality upgraded its paving programwith a high-efficiency, high-productivity batch plant

that recently produced 6,700 metric tons in a single day

IT IS AN IMPRESSIVE SIGHT:The brand-new batch plant sitsproudly on a shelf of the quarry

with the rock dust swirling behindit. You notice the large dust-controlbaghouse. And the four storagesilos lined up neatly nearby. Andthe two additive silos. There is evena modern system for processingreclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP).This is the state-of-the-art Astechot-mix asphalt (HMA) plant thatis owned by the efficient AnkaraMetropolitan Municipality.

“The new Astec batch plant beganoperating in early August of thisyear,” said Engin Tataroglu, thegeneral manager of the companythat serves as Astec Internation-

al’s agent in Turkey. “The demandfor hot-mix asphalt is so high inthe Ankara area that the plant hasbeen producing mix 24 hours aday. At times, the productioncapacity of the plant has beengreater than the quarry’s ability tosupply it with the necessaryaggregate.”

Tataroglu said that the plant israted at 400 metric tph (440 tph,US), although it was tested at 435metric tph (480 tph, US) duringthe initial start-up period. He saidthat the daily production capacityof the new plant is equal to abouthalf of the total capacity of eightother hot-mix plants the city ofAnkara is currently operating.

“The record daily production todate was reached on 21 Augustof this year,” said Tataroglu. “Onthat day, the new Astec plant pro-duced a total of 6,700 metric tons(7,400 tons, US) of hot-mix.”

The new plant that is turning outsuch impressive production figuresis a 6.5 metric ton (14,000 lb., US)Astec batch plant that has five hotbins with a capacity of 100 metrictons (110 tons, US). The planthas a 320-metric-ton (350-ton,US) surge system and four Astec90-metric-ton (100-ton, US) surgebins or silos. There is also anAstec baghouse. Other plantcomponents were supplied byAstec International’s joint-venture

partner, Aydin Insaat ve MakinaTicaret, Ltd., a Turkish company.

According to Colin Green, AstecInternational’s sales manager inthat area of the world, the plant ispart of a very well-conceived andwell-executed road-constructionand road-maintenance operation. “The plant was acquired primarilyfor the purpose of supplying hot-mix to the Ankara municipal area,”said Green during a recent inter-view. “The hot-mix is being usedon the main arteries of Ankara’scity center. The paving projectsare mostly the resurfacing of theexisting streets and roadways,instead of new construction. Mostof the major highways have already


FOR MOREINFORMATION

about the availabilityof Astec products in markets

outside the U.S. borders,please call

Astec Internationaland ask to speak with

Johnnie Grimes:

423-867-4210(FAX: 423-867-4636)

The new Astec batch plant that was recently pur-chased by Ankara Metropolitan Municipalityincludes the equipment shown in these photos.Above, left: There is an Astec 9 x 40-ft. (2.7 x 12-m) aggregate dryer with a chain drive. The photoalso shows part of the RAP system, the bag-house, and some of the other air-pollution-con-trol equipment. Above, right: There are fourAstec 100-metric-ton (110-ton, US) storage binsor silos adjacent to the batch plant. Right: Thecenterpiece of the new plant is this 6.5 metric ton(14,000 lb., US) Astec batch plant that has five hotbins with a hot-mix storage capacity of 100 metrictons (110 tons, US).

Ankara is the capital of Turkey and is second insize only to Istanbul. The population of the met-ropolitan area of Ankara is approximately 2.5million. The city is a major center for the pro-cessing of food and the prouduction of farmequipment, building materials, and machinery.The addition of the Astec batch plant signals anew age of efficiency for the street-maintenancedepartments in the city of Ankara, as well as inthe surrounding towns that look to Ankara formaintenance and construction.

been completed in that area. Muchof the hot-mix is being used onthe streets of towns adjacent toAnkara, such as Yenimahalle,Kecioren, Mamak, Pursaklar,Etimesgut, Sincan, and Altindag.”

Green pointed out that the newAstec plant is a very modern andstate-of-the-art system, one thatis even equipped with a recycling(RAP) system. “They have not yethad an opportunity to start usingthe RAP system,” said Green,“but that part of the plant is readyto go on line whenever they are.”

Elected officials and engineerswith the Ankara MetropolitanMunicipality began looking for anew HMA plant several years ago.One of the individuals who was aparticipant in the original searchis still actively involved in mattersof street and roadway paving:Irfan Kaya, technical director forAnkara Metropolitan Municipality.(Kaya was also recently involved

in the selection and purchase oftwo Roadtec SB-1500 ShuttleBuggy® material-transfer vehicles.Those two devices will be shippedto Ankara later this fall.)

As impressive as this new plantmight be when viewed either upclose or from a distance, it almostdid not become a reality. The storyof how the Ankara MetropolitanMunicipality got its new plant hasliterally become “one for therecord books”—mainly becauseof the engineering and negotiationsthat took place over a period oftime. Here is the condensed formof that story:

The acquisition and installation ofan HMA plant for Ankara startedout as a joint venture betweenAydin Insaat ve Makina Ticaret,Ltd. and another company. Thosetwo companies were responsiblefor all of the early planning andengineering. But when the othercompany withdrew from the joint

venture, Astec International wasquick to step forward to assumethe other company’s role in thejoint venture and to help save theproject from failure.

There were a few problems thatwere associated with this changein the joint venture—and thoseproblems became apparent almostfrom the start. The original designof the plant, for instance, wastotally different from what Astechad to offer. But Astec was willingto work closely with the officialsof Ankara Metropolitan Municipal-ity to design and specify a plantthat would meet or exceed all oftheir expectations. Over a period of time, Astec, Aydin,and Ankara were able to work outthe differences in plant designand equipment. Today, everyoneinvolved is well-satisfied with theway the project came together. Andthis episode has created historyin Turkey because a cooperative

effort like this had never beforebeen successfully accomplished.“Astec International is quite proudof the way this project was con-cluded,” said Green. “We hopethat this example will serve as asignal to other potential customersaround the world that Astec Inter-national is ready and willing to helpsolve their problems and providethem with state-of-the-art hot-mixequipment. Just as we were ableto do in Ankara, Turkey.” ▼▲▼


EFFICIENCY: That is the keyword you encounter today inalmost any discussion about

how to cut costs and save moneyin the HMA industry. Producerseverywhere are aggressivelyseeking new ways to increase theefficiency of their operations. Andsome of them are finding newefficiency potential in placeswhere nobody ever bothered tolook before.Here’s an example:Heatec calibration tanks that helpyou calibrate the liquid-AC meter-ing system of your plant. Soundlike a fancy frill you can’t afford?Wait ‘til you hear the sales pitch.Most producers use a distributortruck to achieve calibration oftheir metering systems. That sortof thing was not really a bad pro-cedure back when they only hadto calibrate it every month or so.But today, some states requirethat HMA producers calibrate theirmetering systems every week. Andwhat was once a mildly inefficientprocedure has suddenly becomea tremendously inefficient andexpensive one.

The old, inefficient wayto calibrate your system:You get an empty distributor truck,drive it across a truck scale, recordthe weight, and drive it to yourplant. You connect it to your ACtank, pump 1,000 or 2,000 gal.(3,800 or 7,600 L) of AC into thetruck as indicated by your meter-ing system. Now you disconnectthe lines, drive the truck backacross the weigh scale, andrecord its weight again. Subtractthe empty weight from the loadedweight. Adjust your metering sys-tem readouts so they agree withyour calculations. And then pumpall that liquid AC back into thetank.Some people even go through this

procedure twice to make sure thesystem is properly calibrated.And then they do the very samething again the next week. And thenext week. And the next. Etcetera.But there is a more efficient, moreeconomical way: with a calibrationtank from Heatec. These tankshave built-in load cells and digitalreadouts that provide you with aquick and precise determinationof the accuracy of your liquid-ACmetering system. It’s a very simpleand uncomplicated procedure.

The new, efficient wayto calibrate your system:You simply open the valves to theHeatec calibration tank and pumpabout 1,000 gal. (3,800 L) of ACinto the calibration tank as indi-cated by your metering system.Note the weight that is shown onthe calibration tank’s readout.Adjust the metering system toagree with the weight shown onthe readout. And then pump theliquid AC back into the tank.That’s it. You can run three cyclesof the calibration tank in less timethan it takes you to make onecycle with a truck. Some producerssay they are able to save at leasttwo to three hours every time theycalibrate their metering systems.Heatec calibration tanks are avail-able in two configurations: verticalor horizontal tank. The choice isyours—and it is purely a matterof personal preference. ▼▲▼

Calibration tanks will save you money

[1] Steel tank. Available ineither a vertical or ahorizontal configuration.

[2] Lifting lugs.

[3] Vent line.

[4] Digital readout.

[5] Load cell.

[6] Asphalt line equippedwith a hot-oil jacket.

The Anatomy of a Calibration Tank

FOR MOREINFORMATION

about Heatec’snew calibration tanks,just call this number

and ask forSharlene Burney:

800-235-5200(FAX: 423-821-7673)

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IT HAS ONLY BEEN TWO YEARSsince Pavement Technologyopened its doors for business

with the declared single purposeof “...making new technology forasphalt-pavement testing readilyavailable to producers and usersnationwide.” In those two years,Pavement Technology, Inc. (or PTI,as most people know it) has intro-duced a wide variety of testing-related products, including amobile laboratory for Superpavemix designing and another for thequality-control or quality-assurance(QC/QA) of HMA producers.There are now three basic mobile-laboratory configurations availablefrom PTI: a 65-ft. (20-m) version,a 50-ft. (15-m) version, and a 35-ft.(11-m) version. The labs can beskid-mounted for relocatable instal-lation, or they can be equipped witha fifth-wheel suspension systemthat lets them be moved betweenjob sites as easily as a contractormoves the control house of hisportable HMA plant.The construction of PTI’s mobilelabs surprises most first-timeobservers, mainly because of theway the company’s engineers haveused large steel I-beams and steelcrossbeams for the understructure,along with thick steel plate for thefloor. The outer frame is made oftubular steel and the exterior wallsare covered with sheet metal. It isobvious even to the untrained eyethat these mobile labs are muchmore than trailer-park boxes-on-wheels. They are made to last.But beyond the basic structure, alot of the final configuration andoutfitting of PTI’s labs depends onthe customer’s preferences. It ishelpful if the customer spendssome time with PTI’s staff in layingout the eventual floorplan.“Be sure to do your homeworkbefore you buy,” cautioned DavidLee, district materials engineer forVirginia DOT. Lee’s department

purchased a 65 x 12-ft. (20 x 3.5-m)mobile lab from PTI earlier this year.

“The biggest advice I’d give some-one,” Lee said “is to make sure youspecify everything you need andget it all organized on paper. Youmay not be able to cover all thebases. But you can do all the littlethings—like making sure the scalesare properly located in the trailer soyou won’t have to make any moresteps than necessary from the ovento the scales to the ignition furnaceto the shakers. That sort of thing.”

The versatility of interior design orconfiguration is something thatattracts most organizations whenthey are shopping for a mobile lab.But most of the time, they are alsolooking for structural integrity andquality construction.

One example is Vulcan MaterialsCompany. The company recentlypurchased a 35 x 12-ft. (10.5 x 3.5-m) skid-mounted PTI lab to use asa QC/QA lab for a large Superpaveproject at one of the company’splants in Blacksburg, South Caroli-na. According to Kevin Vaughn,quality-control supervisor, they arevery happy with their purchase.

“We love it,” said Vaughn. “Every-one who comes in here—includingpeople from the state DOT and fromother contractors—comments onhow much they like it.”Vaughn explained the company’sreasons for buying a PTI mobilelab while the labs at most of theirplants are either concrete-blockbuildings or pre-manufacturedmetal buildings:“Those buildings are nice. But wewere looking for something wecould pick up and move if we need-ed to. We don’t plan on movingthis lab anytime soon, but we want-ed that option. After all, there is noway we can easily move one ofthose concrete-block buildings.”Another recent customer was theWest Virginia DOT. Larry Barker,acting asphalt and hot-mix unitleader with that agency said theywere happy with the way their PTIlab worked out last year. “We had good results with it,” saidBarker. “It really worked out wellhaving a mobile lab right at the jobsite like that. We were able to runa lot more samples than if we werecarrying them a long way.”

The West Virginia DOT’s lab is a50 x 12-ft. (15 x 3.5-m) mobile labthat they bought last year in con-nection with that state’s very firstSuperpave project. Their unit isequipped with a fifth-wheel and airbags above the rear axles thatfacilitate the portability of the unit.

“Our central lab facilities are a littlerestricted in size,” said Barker, “soit’s really nice when we bring themobile lab back from the job site—because it gives us some additionalroom to do our work. The guys inthe lab like it fine. We have actuallyhad people volunteering to go workin this lab.”

Vulcan Materials is also gettinggood use from its mobile lab, saidVaughn. “We’ve been putting downa special mix all this summer on aSuperpave project that is about 25miles (40 km) long,” said Vaughn.“Right now, we’re running nightand day—almost 24 hours a day—trying to finish the project beforewinter sets in. So this lab has beengetting a lot of activity.”

Sooner or later, almost anyone youtalk to will comment favorably onhow solidly built the PTI mobilelabs are. Vaughn said that the basicconstruction of the unit was onereason Vulcan Materials bought itslab. “It seemed like it was builtmuch better than a simple officetrailer,” he said. “It’s a big, steelbox, basically—and that makes ita lot more stable than anythingelse on the market.

“When you first look at the pricetag on this lab from PTI,” Vaughnsaid, “you will probably think it’spretty expensive—especially if youcompare it to getting an officetrailer and trying to outfit that as alab. But when you start looking atthe quality and how it’s built, thereis really no comparison between aPTI mobile lab and an office trailer.

“I think it was built by people whoknow asphalt.” ▼▲▼

HERE’S WHAT THEY’RE SAYING ABOUT PTI’S

MOBILE LABS“When you start looking

at the quality and how it’s built,there is really no comparison

between a PTI mobile laband an office trailer.

I think it was built by peoplewho know asphalt.”

FOR MORE INFORMATIONabout Pavement Technology’s growing line of testing equipment,

call and ask to speak with Wade Collins:

770-388-0909(FAX: 770-388-0149)


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Here is the “inside” story on some of the PTI mobile laboratories that are cur-rently working for contractors and state DOTs in the field: This [1] is a 65-ft.(20-m) skid-mounted lab from PTI and this [2] is a 65-ft. (20-m) lab that hasbeen equipped with a fifth-wheel suspension system to make it easy to movefrom one job site to another. Inside, the labs can be configured to meet yourneeds: [3] This area contains a Mary Ann shaker sieve and a Marshall ham-mer. [4] This photo shows a part of the stainless steel counter top, a wash-up sink, and the articulated fume-extraction exhaust hoods. [5] Here is thearea for the water bath, with a stack of core samples sitting to the left. [6] Inthis area of a Superpave lab from PTI, you can see a Troxler Superpave gyra-tory compactor (far right of the photo) and a PTI asphalt vibratory com-pactor (left) that is capable of making both beam and cylindrical specimens.


TOUGHTRENCHINGON LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN

MANY PEOPLE WILL AGREEthat the job being tackledby Mayse Construction

Company up on Lookout Mountainin northwestern Georgia is one ofthe toughest sewer-trenching jobsthat has ever been let—if notabsolutely the toughest.On the surface, it didn’t look tootough. Yes, it would involve some87,000 ft. (26,500 m) of pipe, mostof it PVC pipe that ranged in sizefrom 1.25 in. to 8 in. (3 cm to 20cm)—but that was not too unusual.And Yes, the project would requiredigging a trench down the middleof several up-scale residentialneighborhoods—but that’s doneall the time. And Yes, everybodywanted the contractor to avoid alot of blasting—mainly because ofthose up-scale residential streets.That’s all fairly standard.But the one thing that makes theLookout Mountain project tough—really tough—is the rock that thecontractor has to dig through inorder to lay that PVC pipe.

“That rock up on the mountain isalmost solid sandstone in spots,”said Bill Mayse, president ofMayse Construction Company ofChattanooga, Tennessee. “But it isan extremely hard sandstone. Ithas an abrasive factor of between90 and 95%. Now, that’s high, nomatter where you’re digging!”

Mayse said that once the rock isbroken, it comes out in chips.

“You can rub it between your fin-gers and it just turns to sand. Butthe problem is just getting it tothat chip stage.”

Mayse Construction Company hasbeen working in Chattanooga andthe surrounding area since thecompany was formed 13 years ago.

“We do site work and grade workfor almost anything underground,”said Mayse. “That includes stormwater, water, and sewer. All thebasic utilities. Except gas. Wedon’t mess with gas.”When Mayse Construction won thebidding on the Lookout Mountainproject, they fully intended to dothe job the way they do most oftheir jobs: drill-and-shoot and digwith a backhoe. But something

happened to change their minds:Don Brock, the chairman of AstecIndustries and a nearby resident,heard about the job and talkedMayse into trying out a Trencor1260HD chain trencher, instead ofusing the backhoes. (Trencor, ofcourse, is a member of the Astecfamily of companies—so Brock’sinterest in the project was natural.)The Trencor 1260HD is a heavy-duty utility trencher equipped witha mechanical powertrain. Depend-ing on the digging-chain equipment,the Trencor 1260HD is capable ofdigging trenches that are from 12to 42 in. (0.3 to 1.0 m) wide. Itcan dig as deep as 12 ft. (3.7 m).“We didn’t just walk into this dealwith our eyes closed,” said Mayse.“We ran that trencher for abouttwo months before we started thejob. We wanted to do some test-ing to see what would work best.“The procedure we settled oninvolved some shooting out infront of the trencher. We don’t putout any heavy charges or blow upanything. It is just some ‘pop’shooting—just enough to crackthat rock to where the trenchercan get a bite. We found out thatwe could shoot it and save a loton tooth wear.“The Trencor 1260HD has workedout real well for us. We’re cuttingabout 16 in. (0.4 m) wide and 48in. (1.2 m) deep, maximum. Mostof the time, we’re going downabout 30 to 36 in. (0.8 to 0.9 m)deep. Our tooth-wear has beenfairly low, compared with what wethought it would be. Believe me,there’s some rock up there thatno normal tooth will stand up to.But Sandvik Rock Tools workedwith us real hard to develop atooth that would stand up to thetough punishment.”As far as production rates areconcerned, Mayse said it is alwaysdifferent from one day to the next,depending on where they happento be trenching. That is becausethe rock type varies from one spoton the mountain to another.“We are usually able to get about275 to 300 ft. (83 to 91 m) perday—but you have to rememberthat this isn’t cross-country

trenching. This is right down themiddle of a narrow and windingresidential street.” Mayse saidthere are a lot of existing utilitiesthey have to avoid at intersections.“It’s been an interesting project,”Mayse said. “But without thatTrencor trencher, it would havebeen a lot tougher. The trencherproduces a good trench in almostimpossible conditions. And Trencorhas been easy to work with.

“But that trencher has also beenvery good for public relations inthe neighborhood. When we hadthe town meeting before startingthe project, we told the neighborswe were going to try to trench itin order to minimize the blasting.And they were 100% behind usafter that.“It has been a positive experience.The neighbors up there are verygood to work with!” ▼▲▼

Imagine trying to cut a trenchthrough sandstone that has anabrasive factor of 90 to 95%

FOR MORE INFORMATIONabout Trencor trenchers and a free copy of the product video,just call this number and ask to speak with Brant Robertson:

800-527-6020(FAX: 817-421-9485)


On this project near Nashville,the milling machine firstmilled the existing pavementto a depth of 50 mm (2 in.).

Then the contractor lightlyswept the milled surface,

leaving a small amount ofmillings in the bottoms of

the grooves.

A Roadtec Shuttle Buggy®material-transfer vehicle (MTV)was used to move the newHMA mixture from thetrucks to the paver.

This photo shows that thecontractor did not use a tack

coat on the freshly milledsurface prior to placing the

new HMA mixture.

NO-TACK

New inlay techniques can reducethe total distance between your

milling machine and paverto as little as 1,000 to 1,500 ft.

with Eubank Asphalt Paving andSealing on a stretch of I-40 justwest of Nashville. A representativeof the National Center for AsphaltTechnology (NCAT) observed theproject and wrote a comprehen-sive report (see facing page).

ONE OF THE BIG PROBLEMSfaced daily by paving con-tractors and state DOTs is

the interruption of traffic flow thatis invariably created during millingand resurfacing projects.

As everyone in the HMA industryknows, the distance between themilling machine and the paver canextend down the highway for ahalf-mile (0.8 km) or more—andthis can result in some almostunmanageable traffic-control delaysand problems. There are a lot ofother negative aspects of thispractice, not the least of which isthe mess that can be caused bythe tack coat itself on the contrac-tor’s equipment, as well as on thepassing automobiles.

Clearly, anything that can be doneto solve these problems shouldbe welcome news to the industry.

Well, it seems that there is some-thing that can be done. It is theso-called “no-tack inlay” procedurethat employs a fairly dramaticchange in the way milled materialis swept up. It also calls for theuse of a material-transfer vehicle.

The concept is quite simple: Ifyou can eliminate the need for atack coat between the freshly milled

surface and the newly depositedhot-mix asphalt, you can alsoeliminate those long paving trainsthat tend to slow down the traffic.

The Tennessee DOT recently hadan opportunity to work closely

One observer of the Nashville testboiled it all down to some simpleand straightforward words:

“This is a big improvement,” hesaid. “In the past, when you hada half-mile or more of pavementopen, you’d have to have a lot oftraffic control all the way alongthe line. But now, if you can pullthe paving train up real close likethis—and if you’re putting downa mix that compacts quickly—then you can put a truck with atraffic arrow on it behind the lastroller and divert the traffic downone lane for just a short distance.And after that brief interruption,the traffic is back to normal.”

A spokesman for Roadtec pointedout some other potential savingswith this type of procedure:

“If the contractor were to use aShuttle Buggy® material-transfervehicle—as Eubank Asphalt Pavingand Sealing did on the Nashvilleproject—then he could have thetruck drivers haul the mix outthere, dump it into the ShuttleBuggy—and then pull on forwardto the milling machine to get aload of material that’s going backto the plant to be used as RAP. Itmakes a lot of sense!” ▼▲▼

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Here is a close-up photoshowing the finished joint.

The core samples proved thestrength of the bond

between the old and newpavement layers.

The new HMA mixture waseasily compacted with

the rollers—leaving a neat,90° joint between the new

and old asphalt surfaces.

The Shuttle Buggy® MTVwas able to move back andforth over the milled areawithout picking up any largeamount of tack coat ormillings on its rubber tires.

This report documents my observa-tion of a construction project west ofNashville, Tennessee that did not usea tack coat during the placement ofthe hot-mix asphalt (HMA). For thisproject, the existing pavement wasmilled approximately 50 mm (2 in.),with the majority of the millings beingused as RAP within the mixture beingproduced.

Instead of sweeping the milled portionclean, the contractor lightly swept themilled surface, leaving a small amountof millings, primarily in the bottomof the grooves. The new HMA mixturewas then placed directly onto themilled surface with no tack coat.

The premise was that the groovedpavement—in conjunction with themelting of the asphalt within the loosemillings by the heat of the placedmixture—would result in a bondbetween the placed mixture and theunderlying pavement. Therefore, atack coat was not needed.

General Project InformationThe construction project consistedof milling approximately 50 mm (2in.) of existing roadway and fillingwith a Tennessee Department ofTransportation (TDOT) BPMB-HMmixture. This type mixture is a poly-

mer modified base mix with a nomi-nal maximum aggregate size (Super-pave definition) of 19.0 mm.

The paving train consisted of a millingmachine capable of milling 3.7 m(12 ft.) of existing roadway. Next, asweeper was used to remove someof the millings from the roadway.Some millings were left in the grooves.

About one hour behind the millingmachine, the contractor was utilizinga material-transfer vehicle (MTV)into which the mixture was unloadedfrom trucks. The MTV then fed mate-rial into the hopper on the paver.

Mixture leaving the paver had a tem-perature of approximately 152°C(305°F). Following the paver, thecontractor was using three rollers toachieve compaction.

Observations❏ The mixture seemed stable underthe rollers. No lateral movement wasnoticed.

❏ Once the breakdown roller hadmade two to three passes, no appre-ciable roller marks were observed inthe pavement. The contractor and aTDOT inspector said that the pavementwas being compacted to 94- 95% oftheoretical maximum density.

❏ The contractor was pleased withthe operation since pick-up prior toplacing the HMA was not a problem.

❏ The tires on the MTV were cleansince no tack coat was used.

❏ The bond between the placedmixture and underlying pavementseemed strong. The contractor hadcut cores to show the strength of thebond. When cutting and removingthe cores from the roadway, theyactually broke in the underlying pave-ment and not at the interface belowthe overlay.

❏ The milling machine was approxi-mately 300 to 460 m (1,000 to 1,500 ft.)in front of the paver. This distance

was used as a cushion just in casemechanical problems occurred.

❏ If the contractor had desired, themilling machine could have been a lotcloser, which would have decreasedthe paving train length. With the 300to 460 m (1,500 ft.) lead, the pavingtrain was about 760 m (2,500 ft.) fromthe milling machine to the finish roller.

❏ Because of the milling operation,the joints on either side of the road-way were vertical. After the placementand compaction of the mixture, thejoints seemed to be tight.

❏ Some of the polymer-modifiedmixture was picked up with the rubber-tire roller, but it was not considereda significant problem since this wasnot a surface mixture.

ConclusionsBased on conversations with thecontractor and my observation onJune 23, 1998, the paving projectwent well. It appears that the bondcreated by the heating of millings issatisfactory and this approach resultsin a cleaner operation with a reductionin the length of the paving train.

—Allen CooleyNCAT

PROJECT REPORTfiled by an NCAT observer

(This report has been edited to fit the assigned space)

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NEWSHOT-MIX


Heatec offers two new product bulletins onshipping containers and heating-coil modulesTwo new pieces of product literature are now available free of chargefrom Heatec. Shipping Containers (Product Sheet 7-98-034) describesthe specialized containers built by Heatec that are used in the HMAindustry for shipping bulk liquids—primarily liquid AC being shippedaboard ocean-going vessels. This piece of literature contains a chartwith key specifications. Heating-Coil Modules for Liquid Storage Tanks(Product Sheet 7-98-033) discusses in some detail the benefits of theheating-coil modules built by Heatec for installation in tanks and otherstorage compartments. For your free copies, call the toll-free num-ber—800-235-5200—and ask for Sharlene Burney. ▼▲▼

Kolberg-Pioneer introduces a new cone crusher designed to meet the new SHRP requirementsThe Yankton, South Dakota-based Kolberg-Pioneer recently introducedits new line of Pioneer PH Series cone crushers. They are available infour different model sizes: PH44, PH52, PH57, and PH68. Any of thesizes can be ordered in either a standard- or a fine-crushing configu-ration. According to a company spokesman, the new PH Series conecrushers are designed to consistently keep material well within thenew 3:1 SHRP requirements while minimizing fines production. Thefeatures offered by Pioneer cone crushers include dual cam and leveraction, true hydraulic relief system, and a patented rotary seal ring.For more information, contact Ken Scheid at 800-542-9311. ▼▲▼

PTI’s new office and manufacturing facilityprovides the space to meet its fast-paced growthPavement Technology, Inc. (PTI) recently moved into its brand-newheadquarters building near Atlanta, Georgia. The 11,000-sq. ft. buildingincludes a large manufacturing area, a fully equipped materials-testinglaboratory, and new offices for administrative, engineering, and salespersonnel. There is also a state-of-the-art training facility for the com-pany’s Superpave training programs (see story on Page 36). The newstreet address: 11157 City Pond Road, Covington, GA 30014. Thenew mailing address: P. O. Box 1184, Covington, GA 30015. The tele-phone numbers remain unchanged. ▼▲▼

NEWSHOT-MIX


Telsmith announces theappointment of a newregional sales managerTelsmith recently made a keyadjustment to its national salesforce by announcing the followingappointment of a seasoned veter-an sales executive to the positionof regional sales manager:

Terry O’Neillhas been madethe company’snew regionalsales managerfor the PacificNorthwest, aterritory thatincludes both

Oregon and Washington. O’Neilladds that geographical area to theWest Coast territory (California andHawaii) he has been covering forthe past several years since joiningTelsmith. O’Neill is a seasoned vet-eran of the aggregate and miningindustries, with more than 20 years’experience in job-site applicationsand equipment sales. ▼▲▼

Astec hosts visitingtransportation groupfrom Liaoning, ChinaA group of Chinese transportationprofessionals recently visited Astecto exchange information on highwaybuilding and paving techniques. Theone-day visit was part of an on-goingprogram, the China/U.S. ProfessionalExchange Program (CUPEP), that issponsored by Georgia Tech Univer-sity as a way to build greater mutualunderstanding. One of CUPEP’sgoals is to further communicationand mutual economic relationships.Astec has hosted many of theCUPEP-sponsored study groups fortheir one-day exchanges. ▼▲▼

Telsmith serves as host for dealers, customersat the Latin America “Technica” SeminarThe first week in August, Telsmith hosted a technical seminar for itsdealers and customers from the Latin America region. The 30 peoplewho attended this seminar were eager to learn more about Telsmithand the company’s screening and crushing equipment. They attendedclasses in the training room, took tours of the Telsmith facilities, andspent time on the shop floor asking technical questions. Each of theseminar sessions were translated into Spanish for the visitors by RigoEstrada, Telsmith’s Latin America regional sales manager, and RaulBasurto, a Telsmith dealer in Mexico. ▼▲▼

The newest entry in the chain-trencher market is the rule-breaking Trencor 665HD MaverickThe first production units of the new Trencor 665HD Maverick chaintrencher shipped in late September—and they are already setting newstandards for trenchers of this size: one of them had cut more than 3miles (4.8 k) of trench in a single day. The new trencher is availablewith chain widths of up to 24 in. (0.6 m) and trenches can be as deepas 6 ft. (1.8 m). The unit was designed for contractors, utility companies,and municipalities that need a trencher with the power and torque thatwas previously only available in much larger trenchers. For moreinformation, call Brant Robertson at Trencor: 800-527-6020. ▼▲▼

Kolberg-Pioneer offers new product literaturefor cone crushers and aggregate washingIn the last issue of Hot-Mix Magazine, we featured free Kolberg-Pioneerbrochures for Kolberg portable screen plants and Pioneer jaw crushers.In this issue, we are pleased to call your attention to two new four-colorproduct brochures that have recently been produced by the company:one for Pioneer cone crushers (above, left) and one for Kolbergaggregate washing and classifying equipment (above, right). To get afree copy of a Kolberg brochure, contact Al Egge, who is the productmanager for Kolberg. For a free Pioneer brochure, contact Ken Scheid,who is the product manager for Pioneer. The toll-free number for bothproduct managers at Kolberg-Pioneer is 800-542-9311. ▼▲▼

Terry O’Neill

NEWSHOT-MIX


The National Asphalt PavementAssociation (NAPA) would like toremind you that the associationhas a growing library of technicalpublications and videos that can beordered by anyone in the industry,members and non-members alike.Here are three NAPA publicationsthat have recently been released:Quality Control for Hot Mix AsphaltOperations (Quality ImprovementSeries 97); Uses of Waste AsphaltShingles in HMA (Special Report179); and Field Management of Hot

Mix Asphalt (Information Series124). A NAPA spokesman alsopointed out that there is a recent68-page catalog that lists all avail-able NAPA publications and videos.To order any of these NAPA publi-cations—or to get more informa-tion about the 1998 Publicationsand Video Catalog—call NAPAdirect at 888-468-6499. You canalso reach NAPA by using their faxnumber: 301-731-4621. Or you canvisit their web site at the followingaddress: www.hotmix.org. ▼▲▼

The Construction IndustryManufacturers Associa-tion (CIMA) has electedE. Gail Mize, executivevice president of AstecIndustries, Inc. to theassociation’s board ofdirectors. According to aCIMA spokesman, Mizewill serve as the director of theinternational trade group for con-struction machinery manufactur-ers and services providers. He willassist in setting CIMA’s operatingpolicies and guidelines on behalfof its member companies in areasthat include international market-ing, equipment statistics, govern-ment legislation and regulations,education and training, safety, andtechnical services. Astec has beena member company of CIMAsince 1978, and Mize has servedas chairman of CIMA’s Bituminousand Aggregate Equipment Bureau

(BAEB). He has alsoserved on the NationalAsphalt Pavement Asso-ciation (NAPA) Environ-mental Committee, andas liaison chairman cov-ering NAPA and BAEBcooperative activities. Hecurrently participates in

the BAEB Bureau of CIMA, as wellas other CIMA functions, includingthe Technical Board, the Service-Training Management Council, theMarketing Communications Coun-cil, and the Conexpo-Con/Agg ‘99Exhibit Rules/Space Committee.Mize was one of the founders ofAstec in 1972. His responsibilitieswith the company include salesand marketing. Mize majored inengineering and physics at theUniversity of Tennessee. He holds15 U.S. and foreign patents cov-ering heat-transfer and mechani-cal developments. ▼▲▼

Production Engineered Products (PEP), a Telsmith company, recentlyintroduced its portable Fold ‘n Go plant, the very latest in single-unitscalping, screening, and stockpiling. This fully mobile unit requiresonly 15 minutes for set-up when it reaches the job site. There are twoswing-out side-discharge conveyors and one fold-out rear-dischargeconveyor. The PEP Fold ‘n Go plant is capable of production rates ofup to 500 tph (455 metric tons per hour). For more information, callTim Gonigam at PEP: 800-545-2125. ▼▲▼

Gail Mize, Astec’s executive vice president,chosen by CIMA to serve on its board of directors

Portable scalping, screening, and stockpilinghas become quicker with the PEP Fold ‘n Go plant

Here are more technical publications that areavailable to NAPA members and non-members

Heatec’s “slide-rule”asphalt heating guideis yours for the asking:In an age of electronic computers,you sometimes wonder if it isn’tpossible to make a useful tool thatdoesn’t require a thick operator’smanual. Try this: Heatec’s asphaltheating guide is a slide-rule-type

calculator that lets you determinethe approximate operating cost—and therefore, the efficiency—ofheaters used in HMA plants. Andit’s free. Just call Sharlene Burneyat Heatec: 800-235-5200. ▼▲▼

Have you seen the newTelsmith magazine?Telsmith recently started publish-ing a magazine called Gyrationsthat contains detailed informationabout Telsmith’s crushing andprocessing equipment, as well asactual customer case histories. Ifyou would like to receive a freesubscription to Gyrations, justcall the editor, Andrea Gump, at800-765-6601. ▼▲▼

Gail Mize

Folded...and ready for the road!

Unfolded...and ready to work!

NEWSHOT-MIX


dislikes, problems, and the safetyconcerns of their paving crews.Draheim will assist in training bytaking Roadtec’s Paving Profes-sionals Workshop on the road. Hewill also work closely with NAPA,CIMA, and state organizations.Draheim was previously regional

sales manager for Roadtec’s Cen-tral States territory.

Bill Bezjian takes over Draheim’sformer sales territory: Wyoming,Colorado, Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa,and Missouri. Bezjian has morethan 30 years of experience insales and service in the heavy-equipment industry. Until recent-ly, he was responsible for theNorthwest territory for Roadtec.

Roadtec announcesseveral key changesto its marketing staffBecause of increased sales volumeand substantial nationwide marketgrowth for Roadtec over the pastyear, the sales department atRoadtec hasundergone somemajor reorganiza-tion, with impor-tant adjustmentsbeing made tothe company’smarketing staffon both the nati-ional and theregional levels. Here is a quickoverview of some of the changesthat have been made in the pastfew months:

Richard Draheim will fill the newposition of marketing manager atRoadtec. He will be responsible forstatistical analysis and the studyof long-term trends. Draheim plansto spend much of his time with con-tractors, discussing their likes,

Bob Weimer has been appointedto Roadtec’s Southwest territorythat consists of California, Nevada,Utah, Arizona, and Hawaii. Weimerhas 25 years of experience in theheavy-equipment industry.Don Lamb is Roadtec’s new SouthAtlantic regional sales manager.

He will be responsible for activityin Eastern Tennessee, North Car-olina, and South Carolina. Lambwas formerly the parts and trafficmanager for Roadtec.Ben Brint will move into the Mid-Atlantic territory after formerlyserving the South Atlantic states.Brint will be responsible for salesand promotional activity in Virginia,Maryland, West Virginia, andDelaware. ▼▲▼

This newsletter writtenfor those who handleperformance testingPTI is publishing a newslettercalled The Tracker expressly tohelp the exchange of informationconcerning performance testing,primarily that which is centeredaround the Asphalt PavementAnalyzer. For a free subscription,simply call Kim Glanton Lynn atPTI: 770-388-0909. ▼▲▼

PTI training programwill certify techniciansfor Superpave designsPTI recently announced that thecompany will conduct periodiceducational programs that willhelp train and certify techniciansfor HMA producers. PTI plans tooffer two levels of training. First,there is the New-TechnicianWorkshop for individuals who havenever worked in an asphalt labbefore. This five-day programstarts with the absolute basics ofgradation, aggregate testing, andmix design—and quickly bringsthe trainee up to speed. Second,there is the Advanced-TechnicianWorkshop that will train and thencertify technicians to performSuperpave mix designs. This five-day workshop includes calculations,volumetrics, plant control, and anin-depth look at mix design. Formore information about PTI’s newtraining program, just call WadeCollins at 770-388-0909. ▼▲▼

Richard Draheim Bill Bezjian Bob Weimer Don Lamb Ben Brint

Sampling valve makes it easier to comply withstate DOT requirements for liquid-AC monitoringMany state DOTs now require closer monitoring of asphalt cements,especially when they include polymers. Producers, therefore, are beingasked for more frequent samples—and that has led Heatec to stressthe importance of having a special sampling valve installed on newstorage tanks and retrofitted on older tanks. The valves were designedspecifically for sampling and offer important advantages over othervalves, including the elimination of certain hazards and difficulties. Forinformation, call Sharlene Burney at Heatec: 800-235-5200. ▼▲▼

Astec’s new hydraulicself-erect feature makesportable set-up easierThe Astec Turbo Six Pack portableplant has hydraulic systems forself-erecting the plant, therebymaking set-up much easier. In theabove photo, the baghouse stackis being raised into position. Youneed no cranes to install any partof the plant because the self-erectfeature applies to every major plantcomponent, from cold-feeds toincline conveyor. ▼▲▼

NEWSHOT-MIX


Astec International isnow open for businessin Southeast AsiaThe individualwho will headup the market-ing activities ofAstec Interna-tional in South-east Asia hasmoved into thecompany’s newoffices in Singa-pore. David Parker is director ofoperations for Astec Internationalon the Indian subcontinent and inthe group of countries that makeup the Association of SoutheastAsian Nations (ASEAN). Accord-ing to Parker, his first priority isgetting the Astec name in front ofevery roadbuilder in the twelve-country territory. “I have alreadycontacted literally hundreds of theroadbuilders in this area,” saidParker. “They are excited by theidea of having access to Astectechnology. We will begin organiz-ing technical seminars in the very

Kolberg-Pioneer namesnew territory managersin Southeast, SouthwestKolberg-Pioneer has named RayJordan of Pooler, Georgia as itsterritory manager for the SoutheastRegion, including Alabama, Florida,Georgia, Mississippi, North Caroli-

na, South Carolina, Tennessee, andPuerto Rico. It has also named TonyCaldwell of Gilbert, Arizona as ter-ritory manager for its SouthwestRegion, including California, Nevada,Arizona, Southeastern Idaho, NewMexico, and Utah. Both men havemore than 25 years of experiencein the aggregate industry. ▼▲▼

A glossary of termsfor the HMA industryThe language keeps changing—andit helps to have a glossary so youuse the right terms in your bidding.To learn more about this handyreference booklet, see the storyon Page 15 of this issue. ▼▲▼

Brief clippings from the Hot-Mix News Wire:❏ Astec has delivered its first Turbo 300 to Canada—A convoy oftractor-trailer trucks pulled out of the Astec yard in Chattanoogaseveral months ago, transporting the components of the first Canada-bound portable Astec Turbo 300 hot-mix plant on their long journeyto the purchaser in Wawa, Ontario on the northeastern shore of LakeSuperior. The efficient and highly portable new Turbo 300’s DoubleBarrel drum-mixer can produce 300 tons (270 metric tons) per hourwith a drum that has a drying area a full 35 ft. (10.6 m) long. ▼▲▼

❏ Astec Industries plans to acquire JCI—Astec Industries recentlyentered into a letter of intent to acquire all of the assets of JohnsonCrushers International, Inc. (JCI). The Eugene, Oregon-based companydesigns, manufactures and markets aggregate-processing equipment,including portable and stationary screening and crushing plants.According to the letter of intent, the transaction is scheduled to closein the fourth quarter of 1998. Don Brock, chairman and CEO of AstecIndustries, said that he expected this acquisition to boost earnings in1999. “We are convinced that the addition of JCI to our aggregate-processing equipment group will enhance that part of our business,”Brock said. “JCI’s product lines are well-accepted and are particularlystrong in the West and Northwest parts of the U.S.” ▼▲▼

❏ “Construction Zone: Thanks For Your Patience”—If you’ve triedwithout luck to reach Astec at its web site, our apologies. Astec is inthe process of rebuilding the site to make it bigger, better, and morecomprehensive—with links to each of the Astec family of companies.The web site should be active around the first of the year. And thenew home-page address will be www.astecindustries.com. ▼▲▼

David Parker

Ray Jordan Tony Caldwell

Trencor prepares to ship the world’s largesttrenching machines to job site in the Middle EastTrencor will soon be putting the finishing touches on two giant pieces ofequipment that have been billed as “...the largest trenching machines inthe world.” The two Trencor 1860HD chain trenchers are being built for aSouth American firm that will put them to work on a pipeline in the Mid-dle East. The trenchers are equipped with booms that permit cuts up to80 in. (2 m) wide and as deep as 11 ft. (3.4 m). Each of these machinesweighs about 185 tons (168 metric tons). To put these huge units intoperspective, imagine a machine that can dig a perfectly smooth trench thatis wide enough so you can drive a pickup truck through it—even whenthe truck is equipped with cargo mirrors. ▼▲▼

near future in an effort to help getthat technology to them.” Parkersaid he will focus contacting road-builders throughout the area toacquaint them with the advancedproducts that are available from theAstec family of companies. “Astecmanagement firmly believes thatthe current monetary crises in thearea has not wiped out all oppor-tunity there,” Parker said. “Theconstruction spending for somecountries has remained relativelyunaffected, while others will berecovering soon.” ▼▲▼

Asphalt Instituteoffers revised manualon HMA pavementsThe Asphalt Institute has revisedits manual, Construction of HotMix Asphalt Pavements and is nowmaking it available to those in theHMA industry. For information or toorder a copy, contact the AsphaltInstitute at 606-288-4960—or youcan place your order by visitingtheir web site: asphaltinstitute.org.Just ask them for publicationnumber MS-22. ▼▲▼

charles county asphalt is opening up - mixequipmentmag.com · (113,500-liter) vertical liquid-ac...

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