I hope this letter finds you and your families well.  By now, I’m sure everyone is preparing for another successful construction season.  As we head into another Spring and the start of our “busy” season, I can’t help but think that we don’t really have a “slow” season anymore.  I believe every season is busy now as our industry continues to grow and prosper.  It seems that we are just returning to work from the Christmas and New Year holidays when we start attending industry meetings to train us, discuss how to better market our treatments, and prepare ourselves for the next “busy” season.

In January, we had a very successful Slurry Systems Workshop in Las Vegas thanks to committee chair Jimmy Kendrick, the many hard-working participants on the Slurry Systems Workshop Committee, the ISSA Leadership Development Team, a generous group of industry sponsors, and of course, Ali Mostardo, Rick Church, and their awesome team at CM Services!  This meeting continues to be one of the best training opportunities available in any industry.  This year there were over 440 registered attendees, with a large percentage of those being first timers.  The collaboration and dedication displayed by you, our membership, should be an inspiration to all.  It is that dedication that continues to fuel our growth and progress.

Just a few weeks ago, in February, we had another successful Annual Meeting in Florida with our PPRA partners at AEMA and ARRA.  ISSA Awards were presented in several categories: 

The 2024 ISSA Presidents Awards for Excellence, now being presented in 2 categories for large and small projects, were presented to VSS International, Inc. and Vestal Asphalt.

The 2024 ISSA Excellence in Pavement Preservation Award was presented to the Ada County Highway District.

The 2024 ISSA International Award for Excellence was presented to C.I. Manufacturas y Procesos Industriales Limitada (MPI). 

The 2024 ISSA Agency Pavement Preservation & Sustainability Program Award was presented to the City of Elk Grove, California.

The 2024 Phil Tarsovich Lifetime Leadership Award was presented to Bob Jerman.

Congratulations to all these award winners! Award winning projects like these along with your dedication and commitment to our pavement preservation disciplines continue to feed growth in our industry and show others that pavement preservation is the right path to success.

I would like to extend special thanks to Bob Jerman, recipient of the 2024 Phil Tarsovich Lifetime Leadership Award.  Bob has served as the ISSA Technical Director for 16+ years.  If you have a chance to read Bob’s recent article in Surfacing Today, you will see he mentions a “passion” for the industry. Bob is one of the best examples of that “passion” that I have ever seen.  Bob has been an inspiration to our industry both as a pavement preservation professional and as a person.  I can think of no one more deserving of this award!  Bob, thanks for all you have done and all you continue to do!  I will be sad to see you retire from your position as Technical Director, but I will always appreciate and admire you for the example you set for us all!

Our 2024 ISSA Board of Directors was announced with 1 member retiring and 1 new member joining the board. 

Our new 2024 Board of Directors is as follows:

President – Brad Pearce                                                                 Director – Jimmy Kendrick

Vice President – Jeff Roberts                                                       Director – Dave Kiser

Secretary – Chris Oakes                                                                 Director – Fabio Mendez

Treasurer – Justin Guiles                                                               Director – Rolando Perez

Immediate Past President – Dave Welborn                                 Director – Stan Williams

Director – Tim Harrawood                                                             Director – Matt May

As Chuck Ingram retires from the ISSA Board of Directors, I would like to thank Chuck for his many years of hard work and dedication to both the ISSA Board of Directors and our industry in general.  Chuck has worked hard and served with distinction on the ISSA Board of Directors, on many committees, and in many roles throughout the industry. 

Dave Welborn will assume the role of immediate Past President and continue to “stir the pot” and keep us all on track and on time through this years’ coming board meetings.  Thanks to Dave for his dedicated leadership throughout the past year.  These gentlemen and all our past presidents have been an inspiration I hope I can live up to in my role as president for 2024. 

Welcome to our newest board member, Matt May with Slurry Pavers, Inc.  Matt has served on several committees in the last few years and has a lot of marketing experience in addition to his time and experience in the pavement preservation industry.  He will bring a wealth of knowledge to our group in the coming years.  He is already “making his mark” and I appreciate his willingness to speak out and share his experience with us in our board and committee meetings.

To all the returning board members, THANK YOU for your continuing support for the industry and your willingness to put in the extra time and effort required to serve on the board.  The money your companies spend and the hard work and time you put in to help direct the association and further the industry is a credit to you and our membership.

Here are a few highlights of what is to come in 2024 and beyond:

We are continuing efforts to develop Product Category Rules (PCR’s), Life Cycle Assessments (LCA’s), and an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) tool for our treatments to meet the coming demands of the future and highlight the sustainability benefits of our treatments.  The potential expense for developing these is high, but ISSA, AEMA, and ARRA, with the help of CM Services, have applied jointly for a grant that could help fund a lot of these efforts for several years to come.  We hope to hear more about the grant and what it can do for us later in the Summer and Fall of 2024.

Technical bulletin updates and reviews are continuing, so we can make sure that the technical information we publish is consistent with current practices.  New technical bulletins are being developed and reviewed.  New test procedures such as full gradation WTAT’s are being explored.  Our recommended guidelines are being reviewed and updated.

The ISSA Design and Inspection Manual, thanks to a lot of hard work by Justin Guiles and Ali Mostardo, has been converted to a web based mobile application that is searchable and more easily accessible to field personnel and members throughout the industry via their smartphones, tablets, and laptop computers.  The Mobile App is currently being tested by some field workers. Look out for announcements coming soon from ISSA with more information. Access will be available to all ISSA members by logging in with the same information you currently use to log into the ISSA website, www.slurry.org.  If you need help setting up access for additional people within your organization, please contact Ali and she can help guide you through the process.  I highly recommend everyone take advantage of this tool and get it into the hands of your field personnel and inspection teams as soon as it becomes available.           

I would encourage everyone to get involved in any way possible with ISSA’s efforts and committees.  Your involvement is what keeps the association moving forward and provides direction for the future of our industry.  The Leadership Development Team is a good place to get plugged into what is happening and where help is needed and believe me, we need it everywhere! Please reach out to any of our board or committee members and see where you can help and how you can get involved.  Any willing volunteers will be welcomed with open arms and very much appreciated.

This summer, the board will participate in another strategic planning session to review and determine ISSA’s mission, goals, and direction for the coming years.  I would invite all members to share your opinions on what is happening and what new initiatives are needed with the current Board of Directors members, so we can better represent you in our plans for the future.  The best way to get the most value out of your ISSA membership is to be more active and engaged!  I think everyone who has served on the board and participated in ISSA activities throughout the years will agree that the return on your membership investment is multiplied by your increased participation and involvement.

In closing, I would like to thank everyone for the opportunity to serve you as our association president for 2024.  Our membership is one of the finest groups of industry professionals and partners in the world.  I have not seen any other industry where a group of competitors are more willing and dedicated to working together and helping each other improve for the betterment of the industry as a whole.

I hope you all have a safe and successful start to your 2024 season, and I look forward to meeting and working with all of you in the coming year!!!

Brad Pearce
ISSA President

One of the greatest highlights at all Annual Meetings is the opportunity to see so many of the great trailblazers, leaders, and pioneers of our Association and our industry.  It has indeed been my honor to get to know so many of them, to work with them, but even more importantly to call them “friends”.  Those relationships go far beyond any business, Associational, or industry relationships that I’ll ever have with them.  That is why it was so humbling for me to receive the “Phil Tarsovich Lifetime Leadership Award”.

Unlike previous Awards/Recognition Breakfasts, with one exception, there were no award recipient acceptance comments.  As such, I ask you to bear that in mind and allow me to make a few comments here about that great honor. 

Let me begin by saying “Thank You!” to the ISSA Board of Directors and to Slurry Pavers, Inc. (Carter Dabney, Chuck Ingram, and Paul Tarsovich) for this award.  To be honored with an award named after Phil, in memory of the contributions that he made to ISSA and our industry, is quite humbling. 

It certainly has been my privilege to serve the Board, the membership, and our industry for the last 16+ years.  I say that because while the position of Technical Director with ISSA may have had my name attached to for all these years, it truly is a “team position” that requires the commitment, support, and leadership of many, many committee chairs, members, and subject matter experts throughout our membership and industry.

I have been blessed beyond anything I’ll ever deserve with this wonderful opportunity to serve others globally through this Association and this industry.  To be truly successful, you must have a passion for this industry and the people involved in it.  That word, “passion”, is one that I rarely used before beginning to work in this industry.  I was encouraged to hear it used several times in Florida last week.  At first, I thought it was a strange word to associate with what we do but, as time went on, it became evident that all the successful “veterans” of our industry are passionate about what they do and about the people in our Association, their companies, and our industry.

My passion for the industry and all the people involved in it have made it easy to get out of bed throughout my entire career.  Hopefully, that passion has carried over into a desire to continually review/revise ISSA’s technical documents such that we will always provide world class best practice leadership in the pavement preservation space that we occupy.

In closing, be reminded that…….

“Every day is a gift, never take a single one for granted!”

Thank You!

Bob Jerman
ISSA Technical Director

The good news is that all illnesses from these types of conditions are preventable.  The bad news is that the latest report that I was able to access from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) indicates that thousands of heat-related illnesses and multiple fatalities are still occurring in the paving industry annually.  The majority of fatalities occur with new employees and/or when workers are in the first several days in hot environments and their bodies haven’t yet built a tolerance to the heat.  In doing my background search for this article, I found a tremendous amount of information on this subject on the internet, as well as practical application knowledge from a veteran pavement preservation contractor.  While it’s important for you to do your own research and implement proper safe practices to protect yourself and your employees, I can point out a few highlights to help you initiate that culture on your team.

Most of us are familiar with the terms heat exhaustion, heat cramps, and heat stroke.  While all are to be taken seriously and can lead to dangerous consequences if not addressed, heat stroke is an immediate medical emergency.  It is important that you have someone on each crew properly trained to recognize the symptoms of heat-related illnesses and have a plan to respond accordingly when necessary. 

There a quite a few options to help in the prevention of heat-related illnesses.   While this “list” is not all inclusive, please consider implementing a majority of them to keep your most valuable resources safe.

First, hydration is critical, keep everyone supplied with water and electrolytes (Gatorade, electrolyte sleeves, hydration magnifiers, etc); frequent opportunities for breaks/rest periods (in the shade, in air conditioned vehicles at the signs of any heat-related illness, umbrellas mounted on the machine when safe to do so); supply the crew with “cooling gear/apparel” (cooling caps, cooling towels, wrist wraps, they even have cooling vests now, wide brimmed hats); and paving schedule changes (when possible, pave at night and/or early in the day). 

It's important for those in leadership positions with your field personnel to meet with them weekly to remind them of the need to utilize these safe practices to avoid heat-related illnesses.  Then, following up in the field, remind your crew leaders to remain vigilant in observing each crew member’s physical condition throughout the day.  Hopefully, when each team member also makes every effort to implement all aspects of your summer safety program, everyone will remain healthy and project work will move forward as planned.  

"Every day is a gift!  Never take a single one for granted!"

Sincerely,

Bob Jerman

ISSA Technical Director

I’d like to focus a few minutes of your time and attention on the “ISSA Forum Calls” that we initiated in 2022.  For those of you that may not be aware of these calls, let me give you a little bit of background on them.  In our ongoing search for ways to engage with participants across the pavement preservation industry about ISSA’s core technologies and to familiarize call attendees with “all things ISSA”, we decided to hold these one-hour calls every 3-4 months throughout the year.  Our goals were simple:  1) to open the calls up to anyone that wanted to attend, 2) to respect everyone’s time by limiting the calls to one hour, 3) to have the content of each call primarily driven by the attendees and their questions/ideas/suggestions, 4) to highlight the many opportunities available within our Association, and 5) to encourage participation in ISSA.

As far as any “rules” for these calls:   1) “In accordance with guidance from ISSA’s legal counsel, all calls are subject to to the ISSA Antitrust Guidelines, the federal antitrust laws and all applicable state antitrust laws.  As moderator of the call, I will stop any conversations which appear to even slightly raise an antitrust issue.”, 2) it is understood that all attendees are respectful of each other’s views, and 3) that there are no “commercials” for any specific products.

Our most recent call was held on Tuesday, April 18^th.   The call included a great question from an attendee about how to address challenges with pavement markings and a follow up discussion by subject matter experts on how to address those challenges.   Additionally, there were updates from Justin Guiles on the mobile accessible website for which he’s leading  development for our ISSA Design and Inspection Manual, a discussion on the value of virtual presentations for the ISSA Workshop, an update from Todd Shields on the upcoming National Pavement Preservation Conference in Indianapolis, Indiana in September, updates from Chuck Ingram on our Web-based Training efforts, and a brief discussion by Dr. Andrew Braham regarding the successful rollout of the ISSA college curriculum on pavement preservation across the country.

While we have had good attendance on the calls thus far, the ongoing challenge with these calls is “attendee participation”.  My primary goal when these calls were initiated in 2022 was to attract new involvement from individuals across our industry that might not otherwise be participating in industry events.  On our last call, it was suggested that we “encourage” attendees by having them submit questions to be discussed/answered during the call. With that suggestion in mind, we may send out a notice one week before the next call and ask participants to submit questions, if only to see what kind of response we get to drive conversation during the call.  One other question that arose during the call concerned the notification list for the call.  We need to confirm that the distribution list is reaching the widest possible audience.  If you were not aware of these calls, or do not receive a notification/invitation when these calls are held, please reach out to me at bobjerman54@gmail.com, Ali Mostardo at alim@cmservices.com, or Tessa Poffenberger at tessap@cmservices.com and ask to be added to the distribution list for the ISSA Forum Calls.  We look forward to your active participation on these calls and throughout our industry.

"Every day is a gift!  Never take a single one for granted!"

Sincerely,
Bob Jerman
ISSA Technical Director

Following the success of the 2023 Slurry Systems Workshop in January comes opportunities for those to participate in the Virtual Slurry Systems Workshop. Included in the Virtual Workshop are virtual “Office Hours” for attendees to participate in a question and answer session.  These are designed as follow up sessions for you to get clarification on anything that was presented by engaging subject matter experts during live video conference calls.  There will be one on Micro Surfacing and Slurry Seal today from 3-4 pm (EST), one on Chip Seal and Fog Seal on Tuesday, February 21^st from 11am-12pm (EST), and one on Crack Fill Treatments on February 23^rd from 3-4pm (EST).  The Virtual Workshop is available thru Friday, February 24, 2023. If you are interested in registering, please contact Tessa Poffenberger with ISSA at tessap@cmservices.com.

Continuing to expound on the information from the presentation at the technical session at the Workshop, changes to our technical documents can be initiated in a variety of ways.  One such way is through the suggestion of a committee member.  Recently, while preparing a presentation, a committee member noted that we had not included a section on how to construct Test Strips in our ISSA Design and Inspection Manual for Slurry Surfacing Systems.  After reaching out to the team that put together the latest version of the “Manual”, we recalled discussing test strips at length but realized that we had omitted that section when revising the Manual.  In recent weeks, we met and completed a new section on “Test Strips”.   The new section includes ISSA’s position on Test Strips, Steps in the Evaluation of the Test Strip, and Test Strip Acceptance, as well as a couple of new Inspector’s Notes on test strips.  As soon as the newly updated Manual is available for you to download, we’ll send out a notification.

Also at the Workshop technical session, updates/presentations were given by the Full Gradation WTAT study group (a working group under the direction of the Micro/Slurry Committee), the Chip Seal Committee, and the Crack Treatment Committee.  While the first speaks for itself, the latter two are both working diligently on revisions to their A165 and A175 Guidelines respectively, with goals to completely rework them in 2023.  Feedback from many of you regarding our “ISSA Forum” calls last year has encouraged us to continue them this year.  Hopefully, with the news spreading about these calls, even more of you will participate. 

With nearly three decades in this industry, I can say that I have never been more encouraged about the level of cooperation that we are currently experiencing across the many organizations, associations, and agencies that participate and partner with each other to make up the pavement preservation industry.  The addition of four new ISSA Board members later in the month, the marked increase in agency (Federal, State, and Local) membership and participation in ISSA, along with our ever-expanding leadership development group are just three indications that 2023 is going to be a great year.  Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us with any of your ideas, or questions.

"Every day is a gift!  Never take a single one for granted!"

Sincerely,

Bob Jerman

ISSA Technical Director

The International Slurry Surfacing Association (ISSA) held its annual Slurry Systems Workshop, January 20-23, 2020 in Las Vegas, Nevada. More than 460 contractors, suppliers, and government agencies from 41 states and seven countries came to this premier training event.

Program Chair, Chuck Ingram, Slurry Pavers, Inc., and co-chairs, Stephanie Stewart, Nouryon, and Jason Lampley, Intermountain Slurry Seal, focused on bringing diverse presentations and live demonstrations to the forefront of the Workshop. Presentations included an ISSA award winning project, Roadresrouce.org review, jobsite safety, using Rap in slurry surfacing applications and a presentation on Kentucky’s pavement preservation program. Attendees also heard updates from the Federal Highway Administration, National Center of Asphalt Technology, and the National Center of Pavement Preservation. A live demonstration gave attendees a look into pavement preservation treatments.

Attendees had the opportunity to choose up to two Breakout Sessions to attend which included Micro Surfacing and Slurry Seal, Chip Seal, Crack Fill, Inspection, Technical, or the Advanced Track which was new this year. The Advanced Track was designed for returning attendees and those who were looking for more in-depth presentations. In addition, attendees could attend up to two Group Sessions that included Slurry & Micro Calibration and Record Keeping, Distributor & Chip Spreader Operations & Calibrations, Slurry & Micro Mix Design and Troubleshooting, and Mix Tables. If attendees chose to attend the Mix Tables, they rotated to five different stations covering slurry seal, micro surfacing, laboratory equipment, chip seal, and crack sealants.

New this year, was the ‘Getting Dirty Day’ which was held on Monday, January 20^th. This session was open to the first 25 attendees who registered. Attendees had the chance to participate in actual calibration, paver and spreader box set-up, handwork and application techniques, and troubleshooting in the field. They also ended the session by learning proper clean up and storage of the equipment.

A special ‘Thank You’ to all the sponsors for their contributions and continuous support of the Slurry Systems Workshop. Sponsors included: McAsphalt Industries Limited, Slurry Pavers, Inc., Southwest Slurry Seal, Ergon Asphalt & Emulsions, Inc., Bergkamp Inc, Ingevity, ViaSun Corporation, Talis Construction, American Pavement Preservation, Crafco Inc., E.B. Etnyre & Co., Tymco, VSS Macropaver, Forta Corporation, Geneva Rock Products, GreensBroom, Intermountain Slurry Seal, Maxweel Products, Inc., Nouryon, Paragon Technical Services, Rayner Equipment Systems, Arkema Road Science, Semair, Ultrapave Corporation, Vance Brothers Inc., Western Emulsions, BASF Corporation, and Bearcat Manufacturing.

Mark your calendars for the 2021 Slurry Systems Workshop which will be held in Las Vegas, January 18-21.

From what began in 1983 as an Operator’s School with 17 attendees, last year attracted over 480 preservation professionals from 40 states and 8 different countries. They gathered to take advantage of great instruction from some of the best in the business at what has evolved into the premier training opportunity in our industry. When attendees at various meetings are asked what challenges they face when looking for solutions to issues with faulted pavements invariably the response is the need for more training. This opportunity could well be the “One Stop Workshop” that offers many of those solutions.

ISSA represents 4 key disciplines in the Pavement Preservation Toolbox:

• Slurry Seal
• Micro Surfacing
• Chip Seals
• Crack Treatments

All of these treatments will be covered in detail in separate breakout sessions that discuss the best practices of each from site selection, proper selection of materials and equipment, placement of the material, troubleshooting and project closeout. The breakouts are based on Web Based Training Modules developed by ISSA and sponsored by FHWA.

In addition to the training covering these 4 core disciplines the attendees will have the opportunity to take part in many other sessions in a very flexible program developed to allow the group to sign up for topics of particular interest. Other highlights of the Workshop:

• Breakout covering Inspection of all ISSA disciplines
• Doing what we do safely
• Troubleshooting slurry/micro mix designs
• Interactive mix tables for the disciplines
• Equipment set-up and proper calibration
• Breakout covering technical aspects of our treatments (micro surfacing and chip seal design methods, proper use of polymers, new developments, etc.)
• Equipment Showcase all week, live demonstrations Wednesday afternoon
• Chip Spreader & Distributor Calibration and Operation
• Vendors (Equipment Manufacturers, Material Suppliers as well as Contractors) to display services and innovations
• Updates from agencies (FHWA, NCAT, NCPP)
• Optional exams for slurry/micro/chip seal administered by ISSA
• Networking opportunities all week

The Slurry Systems Workshop Committee is constantly challenged to build a program that is fresh and current with Industry trends, while continuing to offer critical core training on all of our disciplines because we have consistently been drawing nearly 60% first time attendees!  We continue to listen to the valuable feedback every year and adapt the agenda to reflect those suggestions.  Some new twists this year include:

• On Monday (ahead of the Tuesday start of the Workshop) a true hands on “Day in the Life” session.  Attendees to this session will have the opportunity to take part in actual calibration, paver and spreader box set-up, handwork and application techniques and troubleshooting in the field. End of the day clean up and storage of equipment will be done as well.  Come get ready to get dirty and get some tips from some of the best! There is an extra fee for this session and the group will be limited to the first 25 sign-ups.

• Intro to the RoadResource.org website.  This is an awesome interactive tool that can, among other things, help determine which treatment option is best for particular distresses in pavements.  There will also be a kiosk in the exhibit area manned by folks trained on the content of the site and will offer attendees the opportunity to get familiar with this valuable resource.

• Hands on opportunity at the Micro Surfacing mix table to see the effects of improper proportioning of materials

• Advanced Track Breakout that will run concurrently with the Best Practices Breakouts and will cover some topics “on the next level”.  This session is mainly geared to those who have had the experience of attending our main Best Practices sessions in the past, but certainly open to all. Topics will include, among others, Complete Project Management, Effect of Pavement Temps on Curing of Micro, Inspection from an agency perspective and a panel of contractors discussing challenges in their regions.

At the conclusion of the Workshop, The National Center for Pavement Preservation will again offer the AASHTO TSP2 Certification Exams for Slurry Seal and Micro Surfacing, Chip Seals and Crack Treatments. There are exams offered for both contractor and agency reps. There is a separate fee for this exam and registration information is available through both ISSA and NCPP.

This promises to be a great training opportunity for all ISSA members as well as non-member contractors, suppliers, engineers, consultants and government agency personnel looking to learn more about pavement preservation.

So, save January 20-24, 2020 on your calendars and find registration information on the ISSA Slurry Systems Workshop at www.slurry.org.  We look forward to welcoming all of you as we dust off the winter and prepare for our paving seasons with more knowledge and confidence than before!

Beginning with the Midwestern Pavement Preservation Partnership (MPPP) held earlier this week, the International Slurry Surfacing Association (ISSA) will be conducting mini regional workshops on ISSA treatments at each of the four AASHTO/TSP2-sponsored Pavement Preservation Partnership Annual Meetings. 

According to ISSA Vice President Larry Tomkins, Ergon Asphalt & Emulsions, Inc.:

“These additional trainings are part of our strategic plan to reach more agency people. … Each workshop will be 4 hours long and will be interactive in nature.  We are looking to provide the same training we present out at the larger Slurry Systems Workshop every January.  We realized that many agencies cannot make it out to Nevada or can only send 1 or 2 people to the workshop.  These new regional workshops allow us to reach more people within each DOT in that region and also some local agencies that we would not normally reach.”

The MPPP workshop, conducted on September 25 in Springfield, IL, focused on Chip Seal.  Over the course of the 4-hour workshop, approximately 20 participants were provided an overview of the Chip Seal process, learning the different types of chip seals (single, double, and triple) and the benefits provided by a chip seal.  Presenters Tomkins and W. Pierre Peltier, Strawser Construction, Inc. also shared detailed information on the best practices in Chip Seal, including site selection, materials selection and testing, system design, pavement preservation preparation, equipment best practices, and quality assurance and control.

The audience, consisting primarily of agency personnel, included participants from the Illinois, Missouri, Indiana, Iowa, North Dakota, Minnesota, and South Dakota departments of transportations, as well as the Saskatchewan Ministry of Highways & Infrastructure, Manitoba Infrastructure, the cities of Springfield, Bloomington, and Sullivan, IL, and representatives from industry including Tri-State Asphalt, LLC, Asphalt Materials, Inc., and Bacon Farmer Workman Engineering & Testing Inc.

ISSA will next present a workshop on Crack Seal at the Rocky Mountain West Pavement Preservation Partnership Annual Meeting in Park City, Utah on October 28-30.  Future ISSA workshops will be held at the 2020 Northeast and 2020 Southeastern Pavement Preservation Partnership Annual Meetings.

Benefits of becoming a ISSA Government member include:

• Access to treatment-specific technical publications, guidelines, webinars and presentations
• Discounted registration fees for the annual Slurry Systems Workshop, the industry’s preeminent hands-on training event
• Periodic e-mail updates on pavement preservation industry news and trends including the latest from RoadResource.org
• Networking opportunities with other agencies, as well as contractors, suppliers and consultants interested in and committed to pavement preservation

Current ISSA members are encouraged to help spread the word about this new policy of free governmental memberships so that more and more agencies can join our association and work together for more pavement preservation and better roads. Have an interested agency?  Provide them this link to join online: https://www.slurry.org/page/joinissa.

Last year, the ISSA Board approved a review of the ISSA brand with the goal of ensuring that it accurately reflected the groups attributes and benefits, as well as demonstrated the unique qualities and future direction of the association.  The Board approved the engagement of Vario Consulting, who had already completed some branding research in conjunction with the rebranding of the Pavement Preservation & Recycling Alliance (PPRA).

Utilizing the results of membership surveys from this 2017 branding project, personal interviews with a number of members, as well as discussions with the Board, Vario identified some key association values:

• Quality: Demanding the best work; producing the best industry resources
• Reliability: Work you can count on, association and members you can trust
• Betterment: Elevation work standards, learning through collaboration with industry and agencies, improving the industry, and always looking forward

Using this information, and identifying the fundamental features, advantages, and benefits of the association, Vario developed an ISSA ‘brand house’ which outlined the association’s overall commitment to members and key audiences as well as highlighted how that commitment is delivered upon. 

The research revealed that members value both the legacy and expertise of our members and volunteers, as well as the efforts to innovate and stay ahead of the curve with technical expertise and development. ISSA’s personality was therefore described as one which honors the past, looks toward the future, and improves relentlessly.

From these concepts, a new association tagline was developed: Innovation through Preservation. The tagline embodies the idea of creating a future built upon the successes of the past. 

This tagline also draws from the pillars of the brand house, which both describe the associations roles – doers, leaders & providers, and collaborators – as well as how we deliver on them – literally paving the way, setting and upholding standards, and working with and for the industry at large. 

Along with the tagline, a new logo has been developed.  The logo is comprised of a new logotype – the heavy, solid nature of the font demonstrating strength and solidity, embodying the ISSA legacy.  While the new logo symbol exhibits innovation and forward progress as a stylized representation of road rising to the future.

The associations letterhead, e-newsletter and email templates, and websites will all be updated over the next few weeks to include this new logo and more accurately reflect the attributes described in the brand house.  Vario notes that this logo/tagline combination “will take ISSA into a strong, confident, modern, and growing future.”  In addition, this logo will fit well into the grouping with sister organizations AEMA and ARRA, representative of the collaboration between the three associations comprising PPRA.

 From time to time, the ISSA Board of Directors confers Honorary Membership upon individuals or firms. One new ISSA member, Don Kaiden, was recognized as an Honorary Member at this year's Annual Convention. 

Don Kaiden, formerly with Ballou Construction, was recognized for his long-time service to the association, including as ISSA President in 2007, and to the pavement preservation industry.  Kaiden was noted as having stepped in to help ISSA at a time of financial crisis by keeping a watchful eye on spending and communicating openly with the Board about better controlling the finances.

Kaiden was nominated for this honor by ISSA Past President W. Pierre Peltier, Strawser Construction Inc./Terry Asphalt Materials Inc.

The 2019 Slurry Systems Workshop, January 18-21, 2019, had a record-breaking 480 registered attendees. Held annually in Las Vegas, Nevada, more than 290 ISSA Members, 110 government agency representatives and educational attendees, and 78 non-members all came together for three full days of spring training. Attendees came from eight countries (Canada, China, Columbia, Dominican Republic, France, New Zealand, Spain and the United States) and from 40 states.

Under the leadership of Program Chair Chuck Ingram, Slurry Pavers, Inc., and Co-Chair Stephanie Stewart, Nouryon, the 2019 Slurry Systems Workshop brought both presentations and hands-on learning for all attendees. Presentations included proper site selection, overview of pavement preservation treatments, safety excellence, update from the Federal Highway Administration, MnRoad/NCAT phase 1 findings, real life effects of pavement preservation, and an Iowa DOT study on pavement preservation research. Attendees also experienced a live demonstration showcasing pavement preservation treatments. 

During the Workshop, attendees could attend up to two different breakout sessions which included Micro Surfacing & Slurry Seal, Chip Seal & Fog Seal, Crack Seals, Technical, Inspection, and What’s New With ISSA. Attendees also had the option to attend sessions that included slurry and micro calibration and record keeping, distributor and chip spreader operation, and calibration, slurry and micro materials and mix design, and lastly, mix tables where attendees rotated to visit 5 different stations. At the conclusion on the Workshop, ISSA offered two knowledge-based exams to gauge what attendees learned while at the Workshop. The National Center for Pavement Preservation again offered the AASHTO-TSP2 test following the Workshop this year.

The 2019 Slurry Systems Workshop could not have happened without the generous sponsorship of numerous member companies. Thank you to all the sponsors including: Intermountain Slurry Seal, Inc., Slurry Pavers, Inc., Ergon Asphalt & Emulsions, Inc., Pavement Coatings Co., Bergkamp Inc., Ingevity, ViaSun, E.D Etnyre, Crafco Inc, Tymco, American Pavement Preservation, Western Emulsions, Forta Corporation, Geneva Rock, GreensBroom, Maxwell Products, Nouyron, Rayner Equipment Systems, Road Science, Division of ArrMaz, Secmair-Breining, ULTRAPAVE Corp., and VSS Macropaver.

 The 2018 Pavement Preservation Program for the Rankin County, MS, Road Department was honored as this year's recipient of the ISSA Excellence in Pavement Preservation Award.

Established in 2015 and first awarded in 2016, the ISSA Award for Excellence in Pavement Preservation was established to recognize and honor public officials, engineering firms or agencies that have made outstanding contributions to the Pavement Preservation industry.  

The award is presented to an Owner/Agency or Engineering firm that has been a champion in the promotion, use and success of pavement preservation applications represented by ISSA (slurry surfacing, micro surfacing, chip seal, cape seal and crack treatment).  

Rankin County Road Department, within just a two-year period, went from using hot mix and some chip seal to using almost every tool in the pavement preservation toolbox, greatly enhancing their ability to keep their good roads good.  They have also served a resource to other Mississippi counties, enabling even more roads to be properly maintained. 

In 2018, they treated 100 miles including 55 miles of stand-alone chip seal, 31 miles of stand-alone micro surfacing, 6 miles of cape seal combining rejuvenating scrub seal and micro surfacing, 6 miles of cape seal combining chip seal and micro surfacing, and 2 miles of cape seal combining rejuvenating scrub seal and highly modified micro surfacing.

This year’s award-winning project was a double winner at the 2019 Annual Meeting, also receiving the 2019 AEMA Past Presidents' Award for Emulsion Excellence.

2018 has been a productive year for our association.  Your Board of Directors and committee members have spent countless volunteer hours continuing the important work of this association.  I am grateful to all for your hard work. I also appreciate the guidance of Kristi Olson and her CM Services Team.

Membership remains strong with a slight growth in contractor and supplier memberships.  One of our 2018 goals was to increase the number of government members. Government membership in ISSA is now FREE and we hope this will bring many more of our user agencies to the table. We value their insight and hope that many will become active in our association.

Increased service to our international members has also been a focus.  We were proud to sponsor the ISSA China Slurry Systems Workshop that was held in Xi’an in October.  Several members attended this successful event and we look forward to greater membership from the Chinese contracting community.  We are also hosting the first ever Latin American Pavement Preservation Workshop which will be held in Cancun, Mexico on Friday, February 22, 2019 at the end of our PPRA Annual Meeting.  We look forward to seeing our Latin American membership and user agencies at this event.

RoadResource.org is live and the three associations came together to produce an excellent educational project that will serve our membership and customers for years to come.  Look for an announcement of Super-User Training sessions that will be held early in 2019.  Our plan is that these Super-Users will give presentations on RoadResource.org and be a training resource for user agencies and association members.

Planning for the 2019 Slurry Systems Workshop is complete, and registrations are pouring in.  Chuck and his team have put together another effective and entertaining training opportunity.  I encourage all association members to support the Workshop with their sponsorship and attendance.

The Board is not resting on these accomplishments and is working hard to complete additional projects from our Strategic Plan.  We look forward to sharing those accomplishments with you in Cancun.

I wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! See you in Vegas.

Rex W. Eberly

Every year in mid-February the baseball world begins to buzz as their favorite teams return to work after a long off season to begin their quest for a World Series title. A full 3 weeks before pitchers and catchers report, true fans of Pavement Preservation will gather in Las Vegas to roll up their sleeves and take part in their own “Spring Training” at the International Slurry Surfacing Association’s (ISSA) 36th annual Slurry Systems Workshop.

From what began in 1983 as an Operator’s School with 17 attendees, last year attracted over 425 preservation professionals from 45 states and 9 different countries. They gathered to take advantage of some great instruction from some of the best in the business at what has evolved into the premier training opportunity in our industry.

ISSA represents 4 key disciplines in the Pavement Preservation Toolbox:
•Slurry Seal
•Micro Surfacing
•Chip Seals
•Crack Treatments

All of these treatments will be covered in detail in separate breakout sessions that will cover in detail the best practices of each from site selection, proper selection of materials and equipment, placement of the material, troubleshooting and project closeout. The breakouts are based on Web Based Training Modules developed by ISSA and sponsored by FHWA.

In addition to the training covering these 4 core disciplines the attendees will have the opportunity take part in many other sessions in a very flexible program developed to allow the group to sign up for topics of particular interest. Other highlights of the Workshop:

•Breakout covering Inspection of all ISSA disciplines
•Doing what we do safely
•Troubleshooting slurry/micro mix designs
•Interactive mix tables for the disciplines
•Equipment set-up and proper calibration
•Breakout covering technical aspects of our treatments (lab research,new developments, etc.)
•Equipment Showcase all week, live demonstrations Wed. afternoon
•Job stories from contractors as well as agencies
•Vendors (equipment, materials, contractors) to discuss services andinnovations
•Updates from agencies (FHWA, NCAT, NCPP)
•Optional "Knowledge Check" exams for slurry/micro/chip seal
•Networking opportunities all week
…and much more…including a session answering “What Does ISSA Do forYou?” Last year 65% of the group were first time attendees. Many were non- members or prospective ones. Some exciting things are happening in the Association and we want to share them.

At the conclusion of the Workshop, The National Center for Pavement Preservation will again offer the AASHTO TSP2 Certification Exams for Slurry Seal and Micro Surfacing, Chip Seals and Crack Treatments. There are exams offered for both contractor and agency reps. There is a separate fee for this exam and a link to registration information is on the Slurry Systems Workshop website.

This promises to be a great training opportunity for all ISSA members as well as non-member contractors, suppliers, engineers, consultants and government agency personnel looking to learn more about pavement preservation.

And, please take advantage of Early Bird Registration fees that offer $100 off of all Registration Categories (Member, Government Agency and Non-Member) until October 31. As an extra incentive for ISSA Members only, you will save $50 on each registration in your organization when signing up 3 or more attendees at the same time.  A special code will be provided when registration opens.

It's a long off-season, so let's plan to get back in the swing of things at the ISSA Slurry Systems Workshop January 21 - 24, 2019!

Hope to see you all there!

In a culmination of more than two years of effort by AEMA, ARRA, and ISSA leaders and members, with guidance and development by Vario Consulting and the assistance of CM Services, the RoadResource.org website went live on July 16.

The site features powerful decision-making and comparison tools, never-before seen in the industry and founded on significant research, including input from industry leaders, interviews and beta-testing with agency users, a North American cost survey, and in-depth technical review.

Most of our readers will already be familiar from previous articles of the background and path followed to develop this site, but we’d like to highlight some of the features, functionality, and content of this fantastic new tool.

Treatment Information

One of the key areas of the website, the Treatment Toolbox includes powerful educational tools and information, available at the push of a button, whether at the job site, at their desks, or in meetings with decision-makers.

When we began the research project, one inquiry resurfaced among nearly all agency interviews, “I just want to know which treatments to use on my roads,” said one research participant. “If I could hop in the car with an expert and drive the roads in my network, I would have all the answers I need.”

PPRA leadership has adapted a suggestive learning tool to answer this question. “What treatment is best for my road” uses two methods to explore possible treatment solutions for a given road. The application takes into account pavement criteria, including primary distress, road type, and surface type. Users can also scroll through a gallery of curated photos to see example roads with various levels and types of distress. For each possible solution, users are directed to learn more about the given approach using one of the most robust sections of the website, the Treatment Resource Center.

One of the most robust and useful sections of the site, the Treatment Resource Center (TRC) contains a menu of 23 tabs for each of the 18 treatments on RoadResource.org. The menu will serve as a go-to resource for users in the field. It incorporates information ranging from benefits, photos, success stories, research summaries, savings and general attributes, to specialized technical questions, sample specs, and trouble-shooting recommendations.

In key places throughout each treatment menu, industry experts have added “Rules of Thumb” which serve as best practices to encourage and improve the use and success of each treatment.

Network Optimization

A primary goal of this site is to remedy the ongoing problem of stop-gap solutions and reactive pavement management. PPRA aims to replace old approaches by educating users around the importance of smart network management. In demonstrating comprehensive, long-lasting and cost-effective solutions, the website gives users the skills to provide the best overall network condition possible for the limited budgets available.

“Above all, we recommend agencies use a pavement management system (PMS),” said Dan Patenaude, whose insight informed much of the network section. “For agencies that don’t yet have a PMS, we can fill in a few gaps and help get them going on the right track.”

The Network Optimization section aims to teach some basic network-level concepts and formulas, and demonstrate applications in user-friendly calculators to show users the effect of optimized management strategies on their own networks.

Network Calculators

The Network Calculators are designed to teach agencies foundational concepts and alternative methods to approach treatment plans.

Each calculator works with a piece of the “network puzzle.” The Life Cycle Cost Calculator first teaches users that, when properly maintained, an asphalt road will last more than 40 years at a fraction of the cost of a conventional mill & fill approach. Association members can use this tool to educate customers and contacts around the importance of a regular maintenance plan.

To encourage customers to move away from the conventional, the Equivalent Annualized Cost calculator compares treatments using “apples to apples” figures by evaluating the unit cost per year of life extension--this comparison shows that you may not be getting the value you expect from traditional asphalt approached.

Further along the line of “good, better, best” network management concepts, the Remaining Service Life Calculator demonstrates the value in managing an entire network as a whole. It is built on the concept that your network is either losing life or gaining life every year. By using more progressive treatment plans, agencies can inject more life into a network in a given year--for the same expense.

And finally, bringing in “real-world” considerations, Cost-Benefit Value (CBV) allows users to evaluate projects in reference to one another. With limited budgets, the CBV formula helps road managers prioritize which projects will give the “biggest bang for the buck,” taking into account factors such as average annual daily traffic, project cost, and total budget. Association members might use this tool to demonstrate the importance of addressing a particular project on a high-traffic road, over a simpler fix to a low-traffic road.

With the extensive information and tools included, this site provides a comprehensive resource for agencies and a powerful tool for PPRA member organizations to use to assist in educating and communicating with agencies and owners.

AEMA, ARRA, and ISSA members should be on the lookout next week for an email providing additional information on how to best use and promote this fantastic new resource. In the meantime, visit and explore RoadResource.org.

This month, more than 350 attendees gathered at two Pavement Preservation Partnership Annual Meetings in the Northeast (NEPPP), Groton, CT, May 8-10, and Southeast (SEPPP), Biloxi, MS, May 14-16. 

Both meetings featured presentations on ISSA disciplines and successes, with speakers from ISSA member companies presenting on ISSA award-winning pavement preservation programs, and providing education on micro surfacing, scrub, and fog seals.

NEPPP Annual Meeting Features Agency Pavement Preservation Success Story

The 129 individuals gathered for the NEPPP Annual Meeting reflected a good mix of government and industry attendees, with nearly a third representing state or county agencies including representatives from nine states: Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Vermont.

Scott Bartlett, recipient of the 2017 ISSA Excellence in Pavement Preservation Award, and Dan Patenaude, representing ISSA member company Sealcoating Inc., presented at the NEPPP Annual Meeting on their award-winning pavement preservation program in Fairfield, Connecticut.

With a population of just over 60,000, including many who commute daily to New York City, Fairfield owns and maintains a 288-centerline mile municipal roadway network.  Of the 62 miles of road work completed in 2016, 54 miles were done utilizing ISSA treatments including crack seal, chip seal, micro surfacing, and cape seal.

Bartlett shared the importance of his communications strategy in gaining program buy-in from numerous boards, committees, staff, residents and other community stakeholders. He further explained how he used the Network Life Extension concept (described in the FHWA publication A Quick Check of Your Highway Network Health, available at https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/pavement/preservation/if07006.pdf) to calculate that this 2016 work program injected 319 mile-years of new service life into the Fairfield road network which loses 288 mile-years of service life annually, thereby yielding a net gain of 31 mile-years. 

Bartlett explained how his pavement preservation program has grown and matured over the last 10 or 12 years, and how much he has enjoyed sharing his pavement management experiences with many agencies throughout the northeast, as well as across the country. He closed his comments by stating, “Micro surfacing saved my town’s road network”.

Of the 227 attendees at the SEPPP Annual Meeting, more than half represented state or county agencies, with attendees from 14 states including Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia. 

The first day featured an Executive Round Table with chief engineers from several state transportation departments including James Williams, Mississippi; Paul Degges, Tennessee; Paul Looney, Kentucky; and George Conner, Alabama.  These leaders in each of their respective DOTs spoke on the introduction of pavement preservation into state network management systems, highlighting the need to start at the top and create a culture that promotes preservation.

Several ISSA members provided key presentations during the meeting.  Larry Tomkins, Ergon Asphalts & Emulsions, Inc. presented on “Best Practices of Scrub Seals and Fog Seals” on the opening day of the meeting, highlighting three reasons why you would want to use the treatment and then the top three best practices for materials, equipment and construction for each treatment. 

Tomkins noted that scrub seals are best utilized as a mass crack sealer, to provide a new riding surface, and/or to see as a crack relief layer or interlayer. He explained that fog seals are best used to prevent raveling, seal the road or prevent further oxidation, and/or to provide a safety enhancement for striping.

Tim Harrawood, Vance Brothers, provided an overview of micro surfacing, sharing numerous pavement preservation success stories with the audience.  He also provided a preview of Wednesday’s field demonstrations during which Vance Brothers performed the micro surfacing layer on top of a scrub seal to demonstrate a cape seal.  ISSA member Crafco, Inc. also provided a demonstration of mastic and crack sealing techniques.

Harrawood noted that attitudes toward ISSA treatments have been improving and this year the participants at the SEPPP Annual Meeting were very positive toward treatments such as micro surfacing.

Following the close of the SEPPP meeting, approximately 30 agencies then met for an EDC4-How Peer Exchange meeting. Tomkins and Harrawood were two of the five presenters at this meeting. Tomkins provided a detailed look at the best practices or “how” to build a good scrub seal project.  He talked about proper site selection, materials, equipment, application/construction, and troubleshooting. Harrawood once again shared information on micro surfacing.

The remaining two regional partnership meetings are scheduled to take place later this fall with the Rocky Mountain West Pavement Preservation Partnership meeting scheduled for September 11-13, 2018, in Portland, OR, and the Midwest Pavement Preservation Partnership Annual Meeting scheduled November 6-8, 2018, in Madison, WI.

by Bob Jerman, ISSA Technical Director

“What’s Happening?”

For those of you old enough to remember, “What’s Happening!”, it was a TV sitcom in the late 1970’s here in the states. That’s not what I’m here to discuss. However, based on multiple conversations with our members, as well as industry partners, it is an important question that requires a response and is the subject matter for this article.  

While I’m going to share that answer, you should all know that Kristi and Ali at ISSA headquarters are continually updating the information on the website. You can always contact them, me, or any ISSA Board member for updates (see the ISSA website for contact information). For specific, technically-based questions, you can place an inquiry to the Technical Response committee by submitting the form available on the ISSA website and we’ll do our best to respond to you in a timely manner.

2017-2020 ISSA Strategic Plan

We’ve all heard it said that “If you’d don’t know where you’re going, you’ll probably end up somewhere else!”  At the ISSA Board of Director’s (BOD) Meeting in June, we developed the initial draft of a Strategic Plan for the next three-plus years. We revisited, reviewed, and fine-tuned it at our BOD meeting in November.  

Have you reviewed the Strategic Plan? As an ISSA member, it’s your plan. If you haven’t done so, please click here to review it. We want you to understand the plan and provide the BOD with feedback on Association strategy. You should know the future path of your Association and get excited about it. Once again, it’s your plan!

There are many noteworthy goals defined in the plan, all of which you can benefit. Remember, these goals stretch through 2020. Significant progress has already been achieved on many of them.

Progress on Key Initiatives

The visual examples below provide a snapshot of just three areas of focus:

1)      The ISSA Value Proposition - done! It articulates the value of your membership in ISSA and gives you a tool to show others that value.

2)      The redesign of the ISSA website - done! Not only is it more user-friendly but your team at ISSA headquarters is extremely responsive in making revisions in a timely fashion, when notified and necessary.

3)      The new Polymer-Modified Slurry Seal Guideline - coming very soon. A quick preview of coming attractions!

Expectations

As you read through the Strategic Plan, you’ll find over 20 goals with significant potential for both immediate and long term positive impact on your business. These are exciting times for our Association members. One of the most highly anticipated initiatives in our history is the launch of the Pavement Preservation and Recycling Alliance (PPRA) website. To say that it’s a “website” seems totally inadequate. It’s so much more than that!  It’s an interactive tool that our industry has needed for a very long time. When fully functional, our expectation is that it will transform the way agencies and industry partners select and optimize the products available for their pavement preservation programs. To quote the website…

Resources provided by PPRA help agencies to:

·         Empower long-term planning

·         Remove subjectivity in treatment determinations

·         Connect funding to network condition

·         Facilitate forecasting

·         Demonstrate network-level progress

And that’s only the tip of the iceberg. This goal is about to be realized, thanks to a collaborative effort with our Association partners at the Asphalt Emulsion Manufacturers Association, the Asphalt Recycling & Reclaiming Association, and our good friends at Vario Consulting. 

Other technical initiatives gaining momentum include major revisions to the ISSA Inspector’s Manual (Goal: August 2018), ISSA Technical Bulletin revisions (Goal: September 2018), and Micro Surfacing Guideline revisions (Goal: Q1 2019).

Substantial progress has been many on many of the goals in the Strategic Plan. There are many more exciting opportunities to advance the remaining goals ahead of us. We look forward to the journey.  

As illustrated in many of the findings shared at the 2018 NCAT Test Track Conference, March 27-29, 2018, in Auburn, AL, results of these research experiments are helping to grow both acceptance and usage pavement preservation and recycling.  In addition to sharing valuable performance findings, the 2018 conference enabled the more than 200 attendees representing contractors, owners, agencies including 17 state DOTs, and international researchers to come together for valuable knowledge exchange, actual observation of condition and performance, and discussion.

As founding members and continuing supporters of FP², the Asphalt Emulsion Manufacturers Association, the Asphalt Recycling & Reclaiming Association, and the International Slurry Surfacing Association, actively participate in enabling the valuable research taking place at the National Center for Asphalt Technology and the Minnesota Department of Transportation’s MnROAD test track facilities. 

Through FP²’s direct financial sponsorship of the Pavement Preservation Group (PG) Study at NCAT, and now also at MnROAD, members are reaping the benefits gained as quantitative research results validate that effectiveness of pavement preservation treatments. As reported elsewhere in PPRA Connections, findings regarding the effectiveness of CCPR in creating perpetual type pavements has led to growing use and implementation, as evidenced by the VDOT I-64 project.

Pavement preservation experiments are slated for continued measurement and research as NCAT enters its seventh testing cycle and MnROAD continues its Phase III research. The next phase of PG study research at both NCAT and MnROAD will focus on the continuation of performance monitoring of all the test sections.  Cracking, rutting, roughness, texture, friction and other characteristics such as moisture intrusion into the base and the effects of the treatments on the pavement base.  Performance in these areas will be measured under a pooled fund study managed by MnROAD.

In addition, in its seventh testing cycle beginning in 2018, research at NCAT will include continued CCPR testing sponsored by VDOT on sections N4 and S12, a new section by AEMA member Cargill on a high RAP rejuvenator, as well as continuation of the cracking group experiment, new test sections on balanced mix design, rejuvenators, reflection cracking mitigation treatments, and more. 

While the value of research is substantial, active participation in the conference and interaction with all industry participants provides the additional opportunity to further the discussion regarding pavement preservation and recycling.

Assistant research professor Adriana Vargas provides NCAT Test Track Conference attendees information on preservations studies.

NCAT Assistant Research Professor Adriana Vargas first provided attendees an overview of the PG Study, which was initiated at NCAT during the fifth testing cycle in 2012 to quantify the life extending and condition improving benefits of the treatments in the study. 

During the summer and fall of that year, treatments were placed on Lee Road 159, a local low volume road with a high concentration of truck traffic dead ending into a rock quarry and asphalt plant which both agreed to provide load data to NCAT.   Twenty-five 100-foot sections were installed, including two control sections, one demonstration section, and 22 sections with individual or combination treatments. All emulsified asphalt based treatments were installed by ISSA member contractor Vance Brothers, Inc with the exception of the Fibermat sections which were installed by ISSA member Colas, Inc. In the spring of 2014, additional preservation treatments were placed on the NCAT test track.  Funding for the study was provided by Alabama, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Tennessee Departments of Transportation, as well as by FP² via Auburn University and the Lee County Commission.

The PG Study was extended into the sixth cycle and in the summer of 2015 treatment sections were placed on Alabama’s US 280 (high volume traffic). Following a decision to partner with NCAT, MnROAD placed pavement preservation treatments on its US 169 and CSAH-8 test sites. With these installations, studies can cover both low and high volume roadways in both Alabama’s hot, wet, no freeze environment and Minnesota’s cold, wet, freeze environment as the chart below describes.

Following the first cycle of testing, the goal of the PG study was further defined as developing independent life-extending benefit curves for a range of pavement preservation treatments under varying traffic levels and climates.

Surface treatments evaluated include crack sealing, fog seal, chip seal, scrub seal, micro surfacing and a variety of combination treatments. In addition, sections of Cold In-Place Recycling and Cold Central Plant Recycling with 1” overlay as well as a variety of segments with a thin overlay were included.

Vargas then spoke on performance measurements to date in the NCAT PG Study, describing that after consideration, it was determined that MAP-21 criteria, including cracking, rutting, and roughness (IRI) provided a good overall measure of performance.  When reviewing performance on the low-volume roadway (Lee Road 159), Vargas noted that cracking seems to be the most influential, while rutting appeared to be good to fair in all sections, but all measurements exceed the  guidelines established by FHWA thus far.

NCAT Test Track Conference attendees toured the accelerated loading test track, Lee Road 159 and the US-280 study locations.  Here, attendees get a first-hand look at the conditions of the Lee Road 159 pavement preservation test sections.

For both the low-volume and high-volume roadways, when compared with the control sections, all treatments are outperforming control sections. 

Preliminary observations from both low- and high-volume roadways had the following notable, but maybe not surprising, findings:

• Treatment performance is highly dependent on pretreatment condition
• More deterioration at time of treatment leads to a shorter life extension
• Which therefore illustrates that timely intervention with pavement preservation treatments is highly important
• Crack sealing in combination with surface treatments (single layer chip seal and single layer microsurfacing were both tested) provides significant additional benefit
•  More robust treatments (double and triple-layer chip seals, double-layer micro surfacing, thin overlays, cape seals) have shown improved cracking performance
• Cold recycling shows promising results

Vargas noted, however, that continued data collection and analysis is required as some trends are still not clear.  She also noted that these tests only measured performance, while other factors such as cost-effectiveness still need to be considered.

NCAT senior researcher Michael Heitzman explains the friction value evaluation measures used to determine the safety benefits of high friction micro surfacing in cells W7A & W7B in the west curve of the NCAT test track.

Minnesota DOT Research Operations Engineer Jerry Geib also provide an overview of the results to date at the US 169 and CSAH-8 pavement preservation sections.  With only one year of data, IRI is the most significant measurement.  Most treatments are showing initial improvement and continued improved IRI measurements.  As data continues to be gathered, measurement in other performance areas will provide more information on the life extending benefits of these in a colder environment.

The evaluation measures of the treatments placed in the Preservation Group Study will continue so that the true life extending benefits may be measured over time. Once completed, the finding from this study will greatly assist the study sponsors in managing the pavements within the networks.

Brett Gaither of Microsurfacing Contractors, LLC was in attendance to receive this award on behalf of Microsurfacing Contractors, LLC.

At the 2018 AEMA-ARRA-ISSA Annual Meeting in Indian Wells, CA, February 20-23, 2018, the ISSA’s President Award for Excellence was presented to Microsurfacing Contractors, LLC, for their work on IDOT Project No. 149 in Madison County on I-270. This award was established to recognize those contracting achievements that best exemplify the highest quality of workmanship and materials, and conformance to best practices as defined by the International Slurry Surfacing Association. 

Microsurfacing Contractors, LLC, used innovative solutions to meet project challenges including time constraints, shutdown due to a solar eclipse, and delivery of large amounts of aggregate and emulsion.At a cost of $4.8 million, the project scope involved 400,000 SF of micro surfacing with an advance application of tack coat and 200,000 LF of crack seal.

Microsurfacing Contractors was able to shut down an interstate highway that services over 50,000 vehicles per day with a detour plan that was easy to follow, with no major traffic backups or incidents – successful even on a busy weekend with people traveling into town to view the total eclipse.  Originally planned to occur over 5 weekends, they were able to complete the full project over the course of 2 weekends instead, with zero accidents or safety violations.

In a letter following the project, IDOT Region Five Engineer Jeffrey Keim noted, "One other thing that was an interest to the Department was your attention to worker and public safety ... you provided a laborer at each closure throughout the 11.9-mile project.  This was not required by specifications, but it was an excellent idea.  The laborers kept motorists from going around barricades and gave directions to people that could not find their way through the detour routes.  The Department liked this idea so much that we intend to add it to the specifications on similar future projects."

Due to the success of this project, IDOT used this job as a “pilot-project” throughout the State to justify total interstate closures.  IDOT is now adopting Microsurfacing Contractors, LLC innovative ideas into their specifications.

View Award Submission

The 2018 ISSA Award in Pavement Preservation - North America was awarded at the 2018 AEMA-ARRA-ISSA Annual Meeting in Indian Wells, CA, February 20-23, 2018, to ISSA Government Member Jackson County Roads, Oregon. This award is presented to an owner/agency or engineering firm responsible for specifying and managing a pavement preservation program utilizing the applications represented by ISSA.

In 2017, Jackson County Roads opted to slurry seal eight collector sections, 54 residential street sections, and the County EXPO parking lot, encompassing a total of 261,269 square yards, which would typically have been overlaid. Roadway pavement deficiencies included major block and alligator cracking to potholes, requiring patching and crack sealing prior to the application of slurry seal.

This project was the first time Jackson Country Roads had used slurry seal as a preventative maintenance option on its roadways or parking lot. The multiple streets and parking lots were also crack sealed and blade patched prior to application of the slurry seal. ISSA member contractor Blackline, Inc. used a Type II latex modified slurry seal mix design which were based off ASSTM and ISSA Test Procedures and Specifications provided for this project.  Special considerations included safety, traffic control and notifications to residents, schools and business owners.

 Jackson County covers 2,802 square miles and has the sixth largest population of all Oregon counties.  This Jackson County Roads project exemplifies the key components of the beginning of a successful pavement preservation program.

More than 420 attendees reaped the training benefits of another successful Slurry Systems Workshop last week in Las Vegas, Nevada.  With three full days of programming, 263 ISSA members, 77 government agency representatives, and 82 non-members came together for the premiere training in the industry.  Attendees represented nine countries (Australia, Canada, Columbia, Ecuador, France, Mexico, New Zealand, Russia, and the United States) and 45 states.

Gary Houston, VSS Emultech, provides an overview of pavement preservation techniques to attendees.
	Bruce Benedict, Benedict Slurry Seal, demonstrates the features and benefits of laboratory asphalt emulsion test equipment during one of the mix table presentations.

Under the leadership of Workshop Chair Chuck Ingram, Slurry Pavers, Inc., and Co-Chair Stephanie Stewart, AkzoNobel Surface Chemistry LLC, the committee, speakers, and companies involved in the live demonstration delivered an unparalled experience for attendees.  The workshop included presentations on work place and construction safety, overviews of all pavement preservation treatments, updates from the Federal Highway Administration, the MnROAD and NCAT Pavement Preservation Studies, a Latin American perspective on pavement preservation, and multiple success stories from the field. Breakout sessions on slurry and micro surfacing, chip seal and fog seal, crack seal, inspection, technical issues, and new technologies, as well as sessions on calibration and record keeping, materials and mix design, and numerous hand mix tables rounded out the presentations.  The highlight of the workshop was a live demonstration of a number of pavement preservation techniques.  ISSA again offered exams in slurry and micro surfacing and in chip seal to help participants gauge their understanding of what had been presented, and the National Center for Pavement Preservation offered AASHTO-TSP2 certification testing following the workshop.

	Participants view a chip seal demonstration.
Attendees enjoyed a reception and Wacky Bowling competition during the workshop.  Here, the Wacky Bowl champions proudly display their prize.

The workshop was made possible through the generous sponsorship of numerous ISSA member companies.  Companies sponsoring and participating in the live demonstration included Rayner Equipment Systems, Sierra Nevada Construction, Inc., American Pavement Preservation, Crafco Inc., and Western Emulsion.  Workshop sponsors included Slurry Pavers, Inc., Ergon Asphalt & Emulsions, Inc., Viasun Corp., Intermountain Slurry Seal Inc., AkzoNobel Surface Chemistry LLC, Bergkamp Bituminous Solutions, Bergkamp Pavement Preservation Solutions, E.D. Etnyre & Co., FORTA Corporation, GreensBroom, Ingevity, Maxwell Products, Inc., TYMCO, Inc., ULTRAPAVE Corporation, and VSS International, Inc.