Association News

Update on FAA Reauthorization

Friday, 19 February 2016 15:18

Following the recent House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee approval of a six-year, $69 billion Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reauthorization bill, the following information captures highlights of the legislation.

Of particular interest to the construction industry is the Airport Improvement Program (AIP) within the bill. AIP provides grants to local owners for the development of public-use airports, including the construction and rehabilitation of runways, taxiways, etc. AIP funds can be used on most airfield capital improvements or repairs.

ACPA, working with PCA and NAPA, continues to advocate for the authorization of $4 million in annual funding for pavement research ($2 million for concrete and $2 million for asphalt). The concrete and asphalt industries received funding for airport pavement research for the first time in 2000 when ACPA led an initiative to secure funding in the Wendell H. Ford Aviation Investment and Reform Act for the 21st Century.

The Senate is awaiting House action before it will consider of FAA reauthorization. However, members have already expressed their concern over one of the most controversial aspects of the legislation, the removal of the operation and management of US air traffic control from the legislation. If this and other details are not worked out before the current authorization expires on March 31, an extension will be likely.

ACPA Participates in Maryland Quality Initiative Event

Friday, 19 February 2016 14:28

MDQI-logo16 ACPA Executive Vice President Leif Wathne, P.E., along with Bob Long, Executive Director, ACPA, Mid-Atlantic Chapter, participated in the 23rd annual Maryland Quality Initiative Conference in Baltimore.

Wathne presented on “New Technology in Concrete Pavements,” which was well received, and definitively piqued some interest.

“The main emphasis of the presentation was to point out the opportunities for Maryland State Highway Administration (MD SHA) in further enhancing stewardship of their precious highway construction dollars,” Wathne said, adding, “MD SHA and the taxpayers both benefit from the presence of two healthy paving industries competing vigorously for the agency’s highway investments. Spirited competition between industries not only lowers prices to the agency but it also spurs innovation and enhances quality!”

The two-day conference included more than two dozen concurrent sessions covering technical and personal/professional development topics.

Event to Commemorate First Concrete Pavement

Friday, 19 February 2016 10:22

ACPA and IGGA are among several groups working to coordinate a 125th anniversary celebration of the first concrete pavement in the United States. The event will be held in Bellefontaine, Ohio, on Monday, April 25. The event will be held the day prior to the Spring meetings of the TTCC/National Concrete Consortium, which are scheduled for April 26-28, Columbus, Ohio.

A view of Court Street, Bellefontaine, Ohio. (Credit: Credit: Ohio Chapter-ACPA, 2006.)

In 1891, the first concrete pavement, an 8-ft -wide section was placed on Main Street in front of the Logan County Courthouse. A segment placed in 1893 on Court Street remains in service today.

About the Celebration
A tentative program follows:

Part 1 – Long-Life Concrete Pavements
– An historical perspective and best practices (Location: Hyatt Regency-Columbus Hotel), 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.
– Invited presentations on historical highlights of concrete pavement technology developments in the United States and Canada.
– Best practices for design and construction of long-life concrete pavements
Part 2 – Site Visit (Beginning at 3:00 p.m.)
– Overview of the Bellefontaine project (following end of Part 1)
– Depart hotel at 3:45 pm for one hour drive to Bellefontaine
– Site visit – project and town (5:00 to 6:00 pm)
– Depart Bellefontaine at 6:00 pm.

Attendance is free of charge. Additional details are still being worked out, and the tentative program above is subject to change.

Interested parties may contact Shiraz Tayabji, ARA, stayabji@gmail.com, for registration.

Task Force Seeks to Preserve Concrete Pavement Artifacts
In related news, a task force on preservation of artifacts from historic concrete pavements is being formed. The task force is planning five major activities:

Develop a Definition and Scope of Historically Significant Concrete Pavements
Develop a Database of Existing Historical Concrete Pavements
Identification of Permanent Repository for Information and Physical Artifacts
Collection of Historical Artifacts
Develop-Web-based Display Tools:

For additional information, please contact Kurt Smith, APTech, ksmith@appliedpavement.com; Larry Scofield, IGGA, lscofield@pavement.com; or Shiraz Tayabji, ARA, stayabji@gmail.com.

WCPA Hosts ‘Picture Perfect’ Workshop

Wednesday, 17 February 2016 17:23

By all counts, the Wisconsin Concrete Pavement Association’s (WCPA’s) Annual Workshop last week was a great success. Some 310 registrants participated in the three-day event, held Feb. 10 through 12.

The event began with the WCPA membership meeting, social hour, and member dinner. “This allowed members to spend some time to talk outside of project pressures,” said WCPA President Kevin McMullen, P.E.

(L-R) Wisconsin DOT Secretary Mark Gottlieb, Director of Bureau of Technical Services Steven Krebs; Chief Engineer Joseph Olson; ACPA President/CEO Jerry Voigt.

ACPA President/CEO Jerry Voigt, P.E. and Executive Vice President Leif Wathne, P.E., participated in both the membership meeting and workshop. Voigt presented a look at 20 years of industry innovation since ACPA authored the visioning document “Creating a New Generation of Pavements.” Wathne presented a primer on proper Life Cycle Cost Analysis.

One of the highlights of the event was ACPA’s presentation of the Harold J. Halm Presidential Award to Wisconsin DOT officials. The award was a framed painting of a concrete roadway leading to the Capitol building in Madison, Wis. ACPA recognized Wisconsin’s long-standing pavement type selection policies that recognize the impact that healthy industry competition has on creating high-quality pavements at a lower overall cost to the public.

In presenting the award, Voigt said “The painting is a fitting scene with a concrete street leading to the capitol building in Madison. It is a reminder of who the local industry and DOT serve… the public of the state of Wisconsin.”

“I appreciate Secretary Mark Gottlieb presenting on the State/WisDOT budget and construction program,” McMullen said, adding, “The presentation was complemented nicely by Wisconsin Director of the Bureau of Technical Services Steve Krebs, P.E., presenting the Department’s technical priorities for concrete paving.”

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* For more information about the Harold J. Halm award presentation, check out the ACPA press release, as well as related stories in the AASHTO Journal and Milwaukee’s WDJT (Channel 58) website.

Early Registration Ends Soon for ISCP Conference

Friday, 12 February 2016 17:05

11th-ISCP Conference ACPA is reminding members and affiliates to register now for the 11th International Conference on Concrete Pavements (ICCP). Early registration ends on March 31, 2016.

The traces its roots to the international concrete pavement conferences begun in 1977 by Purdue University. Now organized by the International Society for Concrete Pavements, the focus of the 11th conference will be to present information on new technologies related to the design, construction, and rehabilitation of various types of concrete pavements.

The conference will be held August 28th through September 1st in San Antonio. The theme of this conference is, “Concrete Pavements: Thinking Bigger, Thinking Better.”

Click here for general information about the conference. Click here for registration information, including rates and registration links. Finally, ISCP members are reminded to log into the ISCP website first to receive the $150 discount on individual registration.