Officials from Asia,
Europe in AZ A-R tours

Since the patents expired on Asphalt-Rubber blending and manufacturing technology in 1992, many agencies throughout the world have become interested in using the durable material.
Many visitors come to Arizona, the home of A-R, for first hand looks at the material, its application, and long- term performance.

Former RPA president Jeff Smith, Modified Asphalt Technologies, center, hosted two officials from Switzerland on a visit to a blending plant and hot mix paving application by Meadow Valley Contractors near Cherry, Arizona. Heinz Aeschlimann, left, is president of Aeschlimann Construction Co. On the right is Dieter Baer, Swiss Federal Office of Road Construction.

Guy Glenn, PolyTek Southwest, describes how steel is removed from scrap tires to Dr. Chang-Lin-Pan, Taiwan Construction Research Institute, and Dr. Chiu, Chung Hau University, right. They also visited an FNF Construction blending and paving project in Phoenix.

Project reviews in three states

Arizona

As part of the identified goals of the Asphalt-Rubber team, a task force of RPA and Arizona DOT, A-R test sections and projects throughout the state are being reviewed. Gene Morris, P.E., retired ADOT research director, will study the performance of more than 25 projects with assistance from Doug Carlson, RPA government relations director.
Many of the projects have been in service for at least a decade. The report will be available in the fall.

Texas

RPA has contracted with Maghsoud Tahmoressi, president of PaveTex, Inc. and a former bituminous engineer of TxDOT, to conduct an evaluation of the long-term performance of A-R projects in the state. He will review 20 projects, half of which are A-R chip seals, in accordance with the Long Term Pavement Performance Guidelines (LTPP). The report will be available this fall.

California

Caltrans, working with the Rubber Pavements Team and the California Integrated Waste Management Board, has conducted a statewide survey of 113 A-R projects with the most recent specifications. Its final report is currently being prepared for publication.

California seminar set

The Northern California Rubberized Asphalt Concrete Technology Center (NCRACTC) has contracted with RPA for a seminar in Oakland on October 18.

The program is designed to provide city and county engineers and recycling personnel with an understanding of the non proprietary process of using crumb rubber from scrap tires in asphalt paving materials.

Speakers representing industry agencies, and academia will present sessions on Asphalt-Rubber research and product development, project selection, applications specifications, mix designs, construction practices, and actual California experiences.

The seminar is open to all interested parties. Refreshments, lunch, and seminar materials will be provided free of charge to all California government representatives. All other participants will be charged a nominal fee to cover costs.

Attendance will be limited. Registration forms can be obtained from the RPA Internet site at Events Registration or by contacting Michelle Maney, RPA meeting planner, at 480-517-9944 or michellem@rubberpavements.org. Due to overwhelming demand there will be a Second Workshop scheduled.

The NCRACTC is funded through the California Integrated Waste Managernent Board which has taken an aggressive stance in market development for recycled scrap tires in the state.