AsphaltProfessional

JOURNAL OF THE INSTITUTE OF ASPHALT TECHNOLOGY

No 71 FEBRUARY 2017

Investing in the Asphalt Industry

Pioneering the Use of Pin-less Technology
Hot-on-Hot Paving Trial
Low Temperature Asphalts
Investment in Supply Chain Security and Skills
East Midlands Airport Case Study
Plus all your regular features

www.instituteofasphalt.org
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 No 71 FEBRUARY 2017

Contents
4 PRESIDENTS VIEW
AsphaltProfessional

5 INSTITUTE UPDATE Thats all folks!
Or not Further to our adverts for a new Editor, we held interviews with some
6 EVENTS talented peeps. Each interview was so different they knocked our original
preconceptions on the head and offered an alternative solution. We have decided,
with Councils approval, on a way forward that will enable me to remain as your
8 INSTITUTE NEWS
Managing Editor, and also for the journal to be improved over the course of time,
Branch Reports
with further talented peer scrutiny for our technical papers. More on that below.
16 EVENT REPORT For now, I welcome you to the first issue of 2017 which has a forward looking
Seeing is Believing
theme of Investment in Asphalt.
18 TOTAL
This issue is jam-packed full of positivity. It provides a report from every one of our
Investing in the Future of Asphalt
branches, an encouraging look at what our members have been up to. A report from
20 TRIPOD Seeing is Believing touches on apprenticeships and the future government targets
Collaboration Brings Increased Efficiencies
a longer report was given in December Highways Magazine. Total focusses on their
21 CAMBRIDGESHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL strategy for investment into supply chain security and industry skills; Cambridgeshire
Opting for Lower Temperature Asphalt County Council and Tripod (FTG) report on the future of low temperature asphalts;
23 SHELL Aggregate Industries talk about the use of pin-less technology and the UKs first Hot-
Investing for the Future on-Hot in-line paving trial; while Colas provide an insight into works at East Midlands
26 COLAS Airport using BBA as an alternative to Marshall Asphalt. And to top it all off, you get
East Midlands Airport Runway Resurfacing something to colour in and de-stress yourself at the end marvellous!

30 AGGREGATE INDUSTRIES And now to the future.I would like to welcome Hemming Group to the fold. They
Pioneering the Use of Pin-less Technology offer the IAT their extensive experience of publications and knowledge of the industry
33 AGGREGATE INDUSTRIES to allow us to up our game and offer our members something extra, while continuing
Hot-on-Hot Paving Trial to provide the educational and informative content that we pride ourselves on. Lots
of exciting things are to come in the future but for now, nothing will change you
34 PRESS RELEASE
Asphalt Advantages campaign celebrates still have and will continue to be presented with, the opportunity to contribute and
2nd anniversary shape the content of your journal.

35 TECHNICALLY SPEAKING Our next Asphalt Professional issue in April 2017 will be focussing on
Failures and Solutions
36 ASPHALT EXCHANGE Copy date is 10th March 2017
If youve got anything to say about asphalt failures and solutions, let us know what have you
38 ASPHALT PEOPLE seen out there that has a simple solution? Is there anything innovative you have come across
Chris Rowan that can help to mitigate failure or to fix something that has gone wrong?

39 ASPHALT AMUSEMENT In keeping with our positive theme, this years conference will be in Ireland,
celebrating Geraldines two years as President and looking at driving forward and
Front Cover: keeping pace with change in the asphalt industry. Further details can be found on
Colas uses BBA for East
Midlands Airport Runway
page 15 hope to see you there. Happy Reading!
Resurfacing Pippa Birch Editor

2017 Institute of Asphalt Technology

No material in this issue may be reproduced in any form
except by permission in writing from the Institute Secretary.
Please contact us if you would like to contribute your
Contributors express their personal and professional thoughts, images, reports, technical papers or have
opinions in this publication and their views are not
necessarily those of the Institute of Asphalt Technology. a product you would like to advertise email address,
Designed by Sharon Levett sharonlevett@hotmail.co.uk as always, is publications@instituteofasphalt.org

www.instituteofasphalt.org

The Institute of Asphalt Technology
PO BOX 15690 Bathgate EH48 9BT
tel 01506 238 397
email info@instituteofasphalt.org
website www.instituteofasphalt.org
ISSN 1479-6341
President Geraldine Walsh, FIAT AsPro Proofing Team
Vice President Alan Ferguson, FIAT Alex Smith
Editor Pippa Birch, MIAT Cliff Nicholls, FIAT
Business & Development Manager Russell Hunter
Hon Treasurer Ray Wood, MIAT AsPro Administration Assistant
Secretary Michael Atkinson, FIAT Vanessa Hunter
PRESIDENTS VIEW
Presidents View
Geraldine Walsh FIAT
President IAT
HAPPY NEW YEAR to one and all.
2016 is over and we look forward to another
year. A new year is always a great time for
enthusiasm and optimism. Enthusiasm for
starting new projects or completing those
we are involved in with a new sense of
drive and optimism. Enthusiasm, I believe,
comes from the fact that for most of us we
have had a chance to give ourselves a rest
over the Christmas period in both body and
mind. We all need a break to try and find
that elusive work-life balance. We all work
harder now than ever, technology is never
far away and hence we are always switched
on! Christmas is the one time that I find
I can actually take a real break because the
work and business emails stop and hence
I stop. It is wonderful to have time for
oneself and family.
The theme of this edition of Asphalt
Professional is investment. Physical
investment in our land and air infrastructure
networks is obviously critical to sustaining
and indeed growing businesses and
developing world economies. However,
investment in ourselves both personally
and professionally is incredibly important
for our well-being.
4 Asphalt Professional February 2017 www.instituteofasphalt.org
In 2016, I lost a friend and work colleague
very tragically and in moments such as
those we realize that it is so important
to take time out. The question we need
to ask ourselves is:
Am I living to work or working to live?
In a recent report published by Morgan
McKinley, its author Dr Krishan Ramyead
states that while a workforce is only as good
as its people, it is actually the wellness of
the people that count. He ascribes three
main attributes to that wellness:
n How much and how well we sleep
n How we move
n How we eat
In the article, he cited research into a
High School in Illinois which was under-
performing in the national tests for science
and maths. One year later, the school was
one of the top performing schools for its
maths and science results. What change had
they made? Every student had to rigorously
exercise each day. Food for thought!
So now that we are at the start of the year
we need to get up, get active and get moving!
On a professional level we probably all
take the opportunities that we have for
education for granted. I attended a charity
ball back in November called Because I
am a girl. The ball itself was a fundraiser
for a charity organisation that supports the
rights and protection of women and girls
in under developed countries. I was there
on a personal level and it was an enjoyable
night. The chair person of the charity made
a formidable speech in illustrating the
point that, while we take health, happiness
and education as rights in the West, these
three core fundamentals are perceived as
privileges in many underdeveloped countries.
We should never take them for granted.
And that is why we need to invest in our
professional capacities. We have the right
to education so we need to ensure that we
maximise that right. The IAT can, of course,
help by providing technical events and
workshops at branch levels.
In November I attended the Northern Ireland
branch training day which was extremely
successful with attendees from both the
private and public sector. Feedback on the
day was very positive and it was great to
see such engagement and professional
investment from Transport Northern Ireland
who sent 25 of their employees. It is very
encouraging to see organizations investing
in their workforce and facilitating their
employees to continue their professional
development. The provision of education
is our core competency within the Institute
and it is therefore important that we
continue to provide opportunities for our
members and non-members alike to invest
in their own education and professional
development.
While the IAT has a comprehensive
programme directed at training and
education, we always welcome comments
and suggestions from you so that we can
provide the best possible service in this area.
At the recent
CIHT luncheon,
we were
entertained by
the writer and
broadcaster
Gyles Brandreth.
He applauded the industry and all its players.
Through the provision of services and works
on the road, rail and air networks, the
practitioners in our Industry are fundamental
in facilitating daily life. Let us not forget
that and let us renew that personal and
professional investment in 2017.
Happy New Year to everyone.

Institute Update February 2017
Renewals
I am pleased to report that renewals as I
type are highest since my records began.
Thank you to everyone who renewed so
promptly to achieve this. For those of you
yet to renew, the aim is for it to take no
longer than a few minutes if you renew
online. If you need any assistance with the
process, you are welcome to contact me
and I will be happy to help.
New Website launching soon
Following on from my comments in the last
Asphalt Professional, we are soon to launch
our new website. We have spent the past
month testing, tweaking and getting Council
approval before going live. We are looking
forward to launch in the next few weeks.
It will see all our existing online features
together on the same platform. Event
registration, CPD recording, updating your
details, etc., will all be integrated much
better within the new site, rather than the
current set up where each of them are
seperate.
The events section will be improved, with
branches able to provide a wider variety
of details about forthcoming events. It will
also be much easier for presentations to be
uploaded to the site following events for
members to access, so in theory they should
be available within 24 hours of attending
technical evenings provided we have
permission to share them with members.
www.instituteofasphalt.org Asphalt Professional February 2017
INSTITUTE UPDATE
University of Derby Unit Rewrites
Thank you to everyone who offered
assistance with the rewriting of our course
material. We will be in touch soon with the
list of units which require update to see
if these match your areas of expertise. If
anyone else is interested in helping out,
we would be delighted to hear from you.
Feedback from IAT Pen, Pencil & Badge
Gift Set
As a thank you to members for their support
we sent a gift set to all before Christmas.
We hoped you would like it, and the Russell Hunter
feedback suggests it was a success. A lot of Business and Development Manager
work from Pippa Birch and Ray Wood behind
the scenes made this happen. A sample of
the comments we received are shown here:
Can you please pass on my thanks to our Received the beautiful gift with gratitude.
IAT President, Geraldine Walsh, for the I am really happy and proud to receive
Christmas gift that arrived this morning? a gift from the IAT president. Devassy
Also belated thanks for the 2016 Yearbook Panjikaran
with some great photographs which bring
Many thanks and please pass on my thanks
back memories as I started with the Limmer
to the President, previous 2 or 3 presidents,
& Trinidad Co.Ltd. in 1965 Orry Mitchell
Treasurers and Council for drawing the IAT
Thank you very much for the pen & pencil back from the brink and getting it into a
gift set. Lovely idea Anthony Harker healthier financial situation. Thanks also for
the totally unexpected pen set and lapel
Just a short note to thank you and the
badge, first class. Jeff Farrington
IAT Council for the pen and pencil set that
arrived whist I was away in Dubai enjoying Many thanks for your good wishes and The
some winter sunshine. I can promise you it Pen and Pencil Set. I am now retired but it
will be well used. I like all the modernisation is great see how The Institute has evolved.
of the publications and the website, Over 50 years, I have been a member for
particularly the new logo, the old one the last 42 years and hope the Institute
was looking a bit dated. Dave Whiteoak will continue to flourish in the next 50.
Please pass my best wishes to all at head
office but especially to Bill Nickson and
Ken Riley. Kenneth Powell
Please note: Your log
in details will change
to a password of your
own choosing. When
you first log in on the Please contact me with any
new site you will be Institute-related query.
invited to provide a
My contact details:
new password which
will be used from then russell.hunter@instituteofasphalt.org
on to access all IAT 01506 238 397
online content.
5
EVENTS

Events www.instituteofasphalt.org/events
NATIONAL EVENTS
Thursday 15 June 2017 IAT ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2017
Driving Forward Keeping Pace with Change in the Asphalt Industry
The Johnstown Estate Hotel & Spa, Enfield, Co. Meath, Ireland

MORE DETAILS ON PAGE 15

BRANCH TRAINING DAYS

Wednesday 1 March 2017 Irish Branch

2 Day Road Engineers Training Course
Various. Castlebar Training Centre, Castlebar

BRANCH TECHNICAL AND SOCIAL EVENTS

Tuesday 14 February 2017 Scottish Branch

AGM followed by
HD 25/16 - Foundations
Professor Ian Walsh. The Westerwood Hotel, 1 St Andrews Drive, Cumbernauld

Wednesday 15 February 2017 East Midlands Branch

What Can Smartphones Tell Us About Pavement Condition?
Dr Tony Parry. Forest Hill Golf Club, Markfield Ln, Botcheston

Friday 10 March 2017 Scottish Branch

36th Annual Dinner
Westerwood Hotel, Cumbernauld

Tuesday 21 March 2017 Scottish Branch

Joint Meeting with The Institution of Civil Engineers
Falling Weight Deflectometer - Demystified
Stuart Guthrie. University Of Dundee, Dalhousie Building, Room LT1, Hunter Street/Old Hawkhill, Dundee

Friday 24 March 2017 North East & Cumbria Branch

Night at Monte Carlo
Ramside Hall Hotel, Durham, County Durham

Saturday 1 April 2017 East/West Midlands Branch

East/West Midlands Branch First Annual Dinner Dance
The Belfry Hotel, Lichfield Road, Sutton Coldfield

6 Asphalt Professional February 2017 www.instituteofasphalt.org

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www.instituteofasphalt.org Asphalt Professional November 2016 7
INSTITUTE NEWS
On Wednesday 30th November, Dr Ignacio
Artamendi, Research Manager at Aggregate
Industries provided over sixty people with
an evening seminar titled A new look at the
UK flexible pavement design method. He
started by providing a brief introduction to
current UK pavement design and explained
the basis for the failure criteria and
empirical approach employed by designers
today. Current UK analytical design method
is based on foundation surface stiffness
classes and relies on a single flexural
criterion for the asphalt pavement layers.
This criterion, however, does not consider
the fatigue properties of mixtures currently
used in the UK. The design method also
assumes a design traffic speed of 50 km/h.
Ignacio noted that although the versatile
approach was introduced by TRL report 615
in 2004, forming the basis for HD26/06
there has been very little development
in this area since then.
The objectives of the research that
Ignacio presented were twofold. Firstly,
to investigate the effect of traffic speed
and pavement thickness on the UK flexible
pavement design method and, secondly, to
incorporate laboratory fatigue performance
of asphalt mixtures in the pavement design
method. As we do know, the response
of a pavement under traffic loading is
affected by both traffic speed and asphalt
layer thickness. Traffic speed and asphalt
layer thickness determine the duration and
frequency of the applied load which in turn
affects asphalt stiffness. Various approaches
exist around the world to determine the
design stiffness at different loading and
8 Asphalt Professional February 2017 www.instituteofasphalt.org
East Midlands Branch Report
Report by Helen Bailey
A new look at the UK flexible pavement design method
Abstract: The current UK analytical pavement design method is based on foundation
surface stiffness classes and relies on a single flexural criterion for the asphalt pavement
layers. This criterion, however, does not consider the fatigue properties of mixtures
currently used in the UK. The method also assumes a design traffic speed of 50 km/h.
In this presentation, the effect of traffic speed and pavement thickness on pavement
design were discussed. Furthermore, fatigue performance of mixtures currently used
in the UK are evaluated and incorporated into the design calculations.
temperature conditions, Ignacio highlighted in order to determine an equivalent loading
those used in France, Australia and the USA. frequency. The four point bending stiffness
test was then used to determine stiffness of
In order to fully investigate these differences,
the mixtures at the equivalent frequencies.
Ignacio provided insight into four mixtures he
Thus, it was possible to link traffic speed
assessed to better understand the influence
and asphalt thickness to design stiffness.
of traffic speed and asphalt fatigue on
flexible pavement design. Mixtures included
Current UK analytical
an AC 20 using a 40/60 pen binder and
three AC 14 with the following binders: design method is based on
10/20 pen, pmb 1 (light modification) and foundation surface stiffness
pmb 2 (heavy modification). Whilst various classes and relies on a single
methods of testing are available within the
European standards, four-point bending test
flexural criterion for the
was used to determine the stiffness and asphalt pavement layers
fatigue properties of the selected mixtures.
To complete the work and draw some
Stiffness was determined at different
conclusions, Ignacio explained how, by
frequencies and temperatures. It was shown
taking a typical pavement model and using
that the stiffness of the mixtures increased
multi-layer linear elastic analysis, the design
when the frequency of loading increased.
life (N) can be determined for various traffic
Ignacio stated that this is a very important
speeds and pavement thicknesses. Ignacio
property of visco elastic materials such as
noted that, as traffic speed reduced, design
asphalt. Fatigue data also showed better
life reduced. The stiffer mixture with the
fatigue properties of the mixtures with pmb.
10/20 pen binder did however provide
Results from the laboratory accelerated the longest life at all traffic speeds.
pavement test (APT) facilities in Germany
Mixture laboratory fatigue performance
were used to review eight sections of
was also incorporated on to the design
pavement with varying construction. All
life (N) calculations. The analysis showed
sections analysed were instrumented to
that that by including this parameter the
measure the tensile strains at the bottom
material ranking dramatically changed
of the asphalt pavement layers. The effect
with the heavily modified pmb providing
of thickness was recorded and, as expected,
longest design life at all traffic speeds. The
higher strain was recorded in thinner asphalt
conclusion being that a combination of
pavement construction. Also, the effect of
high stiffness and good fatigue properties
traffic speed was seen as a decrease in the
resulted in longer pavement lives.
tensile strain at the underside of the asphalt
layer when the traffic speed increased. A Ignacio concluded by indicating that the
sinusoidal load signal was fitted to the load current UK pavement design method
pulse measured on the instrumented section HD26/06 does not address some of the
 INSTITUTE NEWS

challenges of todays roads which includes

congestion and low traffic speed, new
materials like WMA with different design
stiffness to those of standard materials
and advances in binder technology and the
effect of polymers on the fatigue properties
of the mixtures. Ignacio also indicated that,
although the current flexible pavement
design method has worked relatively well
for thick asphalt pavements (SRN), it has
not work that well for thin local roads.

Tradition is the preservation of the flame, not adoration of the ashes

Making History
IAT East-West Midlands Branch First Annual Dinner Dance
THE BELFRY HOTEL SATURDAY 1ST APRIL 2017

Gustav Mahler used music in such a radically different way than his predecessors he has often been cited in
relation to traditions. Probably quite appropriate as for the first time in their history the IAT East and West
Midlands Branches are joining forces in a major social event.

We are delighted to announce that the first ever joint Annual Dinner Dance will take place on Saturday 1st April
2017 at The Belfry Hotel and Resort, Sutton Coldfield, commencing at 7.00pm for 7.30pm. Members, colleagues,
clients and friends are all invited, and we would be delighted if you are able to join us.

In celebration of the IATs 50th Anniversary, no expense has been spared. This year arrive early, settle in and
experience the world-class luxury of the award-winning Belfry Hotel & Resort. Surrounded by over 500 acres of
countryside, The Belfry introduces luxurious guest bedrooms, a choice of restaurants and bars, a luxury Spa and
Health Club and, of course, amazing golf. Access to the Leisure Club and Pool is available to residents and we are
also pleased to be able to offer a 10% discount on the Spa and Golf Course.

Be sure to be ready early to mingle with friends and colleagues before dining in the Warwick Suite where a three
course dinner awaits along with live music to take you through until Sunday.

We are offering a choice of menu; the room will be made of round tables seating twelve although bookings
can be taken for parties of any size. The cost will be 75 per head, payable on or before Friday 3rd March 2017.
For further details please contact John Halfpenny at john.halfpenny1@gmail.com

www.instituteofasphalt.org Asphalt Professional February 2017 9

INSTITUTE NEWS

North East & Cumbria Branch Report

Report by Roger Rivers
Site Visit: Nissan Car Plant, Sunderland 3rd November 2016
Two groups of around a dozen of us enjoyed a fascinating guided tour of the flagship
Nissan car plant at Sunderland. It is a number crunchers dream of a place two complete
cars are produced at the works every minute, that is one per minute per production line
and all made to order!

Flat sheets of steel go into the press
machines where chassis and body panels
are stamped out then make their way to
dozens of robotic welding machines situated
along the production lines joining them until
very soon a car shape begins to appear.
The car bodies do a detour from the
production area to the paint shop where
they are given several layers of treatment
before the final paint colour. Surprisingly
they are nearly all ordered either black or
white?
The Qashqai and Leaf are produced on the
same production line at the same time???
Bits of cars moving round overhead and
under the floor arriving timely at the right
place to be added on to the right vehicle,
the reasoning here is that it takes rather
longer to build the Leaf so two Qashqai are
assembled on the line then one Leaf. It is
non-stop. Doors disappear from the shells
to be fitted with window gear etc then
magically arrive back further down the
line meeting up with the shell they were
originally matched with. Engine arrives
two vertical bolts - two horizontal bolts and
fitted in seconds.
An apprentice was being trained to fit
wheels as the cars slowly moved past him
obviously very challenging for a novice but
the bloke training him took it all in his stride
and made it look effortless as his charge
fumbled away. but they all ended up
with 4 wheels on anyway!
Not a job you would like to do all day long
that has been taken care of. Everyone
on the production line is trained to do 3
disciplines and on each 8 hour shift does
three jobs. Prevents repetitive strain injury
and makes covering temporary shortfalls in
staff much easier, oh, and the supervisors
have to get down and do the work if there
is an acute shortage of staff for any reason,
everyone focused.
The huge building is packed with part built
cars heading for completion at the end of
the line.
Just enough fuel is put in to do the basic
testing and drive to despatch. Everything
checked like a lightening MOT then to cap
it all, after the amazing technology and
co-ordination of the production lines, a
couple of fitters check round the doors for
alignment and where necessary give the
door catches a gentle tap to line them up
just right with a hammer!!
Brilliant site visit, highly recommended.

Technical Evening:
Tuesday 29th November 2016
Recycled plastic in Asphalt
Our Cumbria event for 2016 was a technical
talk and year end buffet at the George
Hotel, Penrith.
Toby McCartney of locally based company
MACREBUR Ltd shared details of their
exciting new product. The inspiration for
their development came from Toby visiting
India.
There, Pickers sort through mountains
of waste to eke out a living collecting
plastic for recycling and creating artistic
novelties. What is left is sometimes crudely
melted and used to fill in potholes. Along
with colleagues, and now fellow directors,
Nick Burnett and Gordon Reid, he saw an
opportunity to reduce waste and improve
road materials at the same time.
They were awarded 1st in their category The mix is up to 60% stiffer than
with their initial business concept in the conventional asphalt.
Virgin Voom 2016 enterprise competition.
The product lends itself to being introduced
www.vmbvoom.com/pitches/innovative-
into mixes using standard existing plant; it
plastic-roads
has an almost indefinite shelf life so waste
Since then with the promise of commerce
of the product itself is negligible.
the team has been further enhanced by
Polly Hughes joining the board to take care After trials on private drives, initial projects
of finance. in Cumbria where the plastic modified
asphalt has been laid are the Exelby truck
Working with local authorities they have
stop/Golden fleece service area A6/M6
identified a huge supply of scrap plastics
junction at Carlisle and parts of the new
that are suitable, and by reprocessing the
airport runway at Carlisle airport. The first
waste in a quality controlled manner they
use on a public road was on the junction
produce an extrusion which is pelletized
of the A6 between Penrith and Carlisle
and very easy to handle.
near Calthwaite
Guided by asphalt consultant Charles Ford
Summing up, the product can claim reduced
of QTIX Ltd, they are now producing a blend
carbon emissions; reduced costs, reduced
of asphalt with up to 7% of their recycled
landfill and deals with a waste problem
plastic product added.
that to date has not been fully addressed.
Early lab tests provided by CELTEST Ltd are
very promising.

10 Asphalt Professional February 2017 www.instituteofasphalt.org

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INSTITUTE NEWS

Irish Branch Report

Report by Corin Bridson

The Irish Branch had a quiet end to 2016 because, unfortunately, the planned speaker
at the last technical event of the year was unable to make it due to an issue with trains
and airports. However, it is hoped that this talk will be rescheduled for early in 2017.

The branch committee has continued to
meet and is continuing to plan technical
events and provide training with a full
2017 schedule soon to be announced.
The materials and standards sub-committee
have continued in their engagement with
IAPA and Tii regarding the new Specification
for Road Works Series 900. This process
continues to be an important link between
industry and specifiers which provides
a better understanding on both sides in
regards to difficulties found during the
implementation of the new specification.
The Training sub-committee have arranged
two sittings of the two Day Engineers
Training Course. The courses are due to take
place in Dublin in January and Castlebar in
March, details can be found on the Irish
Branch Website.
Planning for the 2017 conference is going
well: an exciting line up of speakers is
currently being assembled and further
updates and information will be made
available over the coming months.
For all updates and information please
keep an eye on the Irish Branch website at;
www.instituteofasphalt.org/branch/index.
php?branch=7

Northern Ireland Branch Report

Report by Kevin Michie

The Northern Ireland Branch organised and held a very successful training day on
30th November 2016 at the Beechlawn House Hotel in Dunmurry which was entitled
Planning, constructing and maintaining asphalt surfaces.

The training day was held in conjunction
with our colleagues from the Irish Branch
and was aimed at individuals who have
had limited asphalt specific training or
experience, the programme covered
aggregates and asphalt production, design
& testing of mixes, paving, surveying
and standards. The Northern Ireland
Branchs own Dr David Woodward gave
a presentation on the use of 3D imagery
in assessing road surface textures. Our
Branch was delighted to have the current
IAT President, Geraldine Walsh, as our
guest for the training day. Geraldine
closed out the training day by outlining
the benefits of IAT membership and she
encouraged the delegates, many of whom
were beginning a career in the asphalt
industry, to not be afraid to ask questions
to their more experienced colleagues. The
training day was well attended by delegates
from TransportNI, local contractors and
consultants.
In 2017 the Branch has scheduled the
following technical events:
n 16 January 2017 Stephen Child,
Sustainable & Efficient Maintenance
(Joint event with the CIHT).
n 9 February 2017 Cathal Faughey,
Use of Mastic Asphalt Reinstatement
Products.
n 30 March 2017 Use of Drones
(Joint event with the Irish Branch).

12 Asphalt Professional February 2017 www.instituteofasphalt.org

 INSTITUTE NEWS

Pennines Branch Report

Report by Ian Lancaster
It is all change at the Pennines Branch as we look forward to an exciting programme
of events for 2017. After a very successful five-year period as chairman, Ian Lancaster
(Nynas Bitumen) has now stepped down from his post and handed over to Rick Ashton
(Total Bitumen). The committee expressed their sincere thanks to Ian for all of his hard
work in turning round the fortunes of the branch and were particularly proud his work in
delivering an excellent National Conference in 2015.

Rick will be assisted by Tina McHugh
(Carillion) who returns to the committee
as Vice-Chair following her return from the
white side. The committee wish Rick & Tina
every success for the future, which we are
sure will be an exciting one.
Steve Armstrong (Nynas Bitumen) has also
stepped down from the committee after
over 10 years unstinting service and will be
replaced by Phil Eadon (ASI). Also joining
the committee is Rebecca Haigh (Total
Bitumen). Again, we are very thankful to
Phil & Rebecca for joining the committee.
Tony Sewell (PTS) Treasurer
We aim to hold a full programme of
events (technical and social) in 2017,
including some East of the Pennines
which is a long-overdue event. Please
check the IAT website & twitter feed
for details of upcoming events.
Pennines Branch Officers:
Rick Ashton (Total Bitumen) Chair
Tina McHugh (Carillion) Vice-Chair
Vacant Secretary
Committee Members:
Ian Lancaster (Nynas Bitumen)
David Knott (Aggregate Industries)
Rebecca Haigh (Total Bitumen)
Adam Dean (Tarmac)
Phil Eadon (ASI)

Scottish Branch Report

Report by Craig McQueen
The Scottish Branch Technical Papers season kicked off with the first meeting of the
season on 4th October with a presentation from Donald Burton of Highways England. This
was followed by three further meetings attracting an average attendance of 36 members
and guests, one of which was our annual November joint event with the Institute of
Quarrying at Stirling on the use of recycled aggregates and SMR in road reinstatements.

As I write we look forward to our next
meeting in January followed by our AGM in
February. During this season we have seen
the resignation of one committee member
reducing our active committee total to 13
in number so if you would like to join a
successful team and fancy participating in
running the Scottish Branch please come
forward on or before the AGM on the
14th February at the Westerwood Hotel,
Cumbernauld.
Our ever popular Annual Dinner will be
held on Friday 10th March featuring two
after dinner speakers. Please contact Angus
Bowman if you would like to attend or take
a table.
The finale of the season before the
summer recess will be a joint meeting
with the ICE Dundee Branch at Dundee
University with presentations on falling
weight deflectometers and their practical
applications.
As always we will be delighted to see you
at any of our events, please feel free to
book and come along.

www.instituteofasphalt.org Asphalt Professional Februray 2017 13

INSTITUTE NEWS
The ever-popular event held at the Bristol
Hotel along the Harbourside followed a
similar format to our 2015 Dinner and Dance
with 272 guests dressed to impress enjoying
the evenings activities. These included
Blackjack and Roulette and our band the
Blue Meanies who returned to the event
which they have played at for a number of
years as well as a photo booth to capture
the spirit of the evening.
Our Chairman Mr John Booths guests
included Mr Stephen Child, Member of
Senate and 2003-2005 Past President of
the Institute and his wife Esther as well as
Mr John Bradshaw-Bullock and his wife Lin
who thoroughly enjoyed the evening. The
Bristol Hotel provided their established high
level of service with excellent food enjoyed
by all and a well-stocked bar for our thirsty
Blackjack players!
The Western Branch would like to thank and
acknowledge the following companies who
very generously donated raffle prizes for
our event:
n Aggregate Industries Contracting
n Pipster Solutions
n Eurovia
n John Wainwright & Co
n The Bristol Hotel
n Tripod Crest
n MJ Church
n Tarmac Wales
n Aggregate Industries
n JET Plant
n Tarmac South West Contracting
14 Asphalt Professional February 2017 www.instituteofasphalt.org
Western Branch Report
Report by Keith Goodwin
Western Branch 35th Annual Dinner and Dance
As well as being the year of the 50th anniversary of the formation
of the IAT, 2016 also marked a significant milestone for the
Western Branch with our 35th Annual Dinner and Dance taking
place on the exact date of our first ever event which was held
on 19th November 1982 at the Ladbrook Beaufort Hotel in Bath.
We would particularly like to thank Eurovia presented John and his wife with a hamper
and Tarmac South West Contracting who both at the Dinner Dance.
generously donated several raffle prizes each
The success of the event is also as a result
as well as ESG who kindly sponsored the
of the huge input of our Treasurer Mrs
drinks for the Chairmans Table.
Liz Halliwell who managed all bookings,
Our traditional pound note draw was held payments and many other aspects of
using our special branch pound notes which co-ordinating the event having also been
identified our Chairman as Chief Cashier with involved for many years. Our Chairman
each note purchased for 1 and a 250 top would also like to express his thanks to the
prize up for grabs and a total prize fund of other committee members who contributed
750. The generosity of all guests allowed to the success of our 2016 event both up
us to make a 250 donation to Children in to and including on the night with a special
Need while retaining a small amount which thanks to Mr Brian Mills and Mr Malcolm
is used to contribute towards the cost of Simms for all their help on the night.
providing our Technical evenings during We look forward to our 2017 event!
the year.
The Western Branch Dinner
and Dance has been organised
by Mr John Bradshaw-Bullock
for no less than 18 years
(including while in Office as
President of the Institute!)
The Western Branch Dinner and Dance
has been organised by Mr John Bradshaw-
Bullock for no less than 18 years (including
while in Office as President of the Institute!)
and this year he decided to semi-retire
from the role but provided me with all of
the support, guidance and experience he
gained to organise the established event
in 2016. In his usual self-deprecating way
John would not acknowledge his huge
role in the sustained success of the event
over the years and as a small token of the
Committees appreciation, the Chairman
 INSTITUTE NEWS

South East Branch Report

Report by Zito Fonseca

The Branch met once more last year in September for a presentation by Herbert Micallef
of Transport for London on Customers at the Heart of Pavement Maintenance and the
branch committee has met twice since our last report in July. In early December we held
our annual social event, our quiz-night.

Herberts presentation was held at a new As is so often the case, Herberts

venue for us, The Counting House PH in
Cornhill, City of London. Although it was a
smart venue and the buffet of good quality,
it proved to be a trifle cramped but this was
mainly due to the attendance being one of
our larger ones, principally because Herbert
is so popular as a speaker. Essentially his
presentation was about his customers, i.e.
all of the various users of our capitals roads,
and what they are looking for from him. He
pointed out that TfL is as much of a supplier
as the various companies represented in the
audience and that we, as an industry, should
perhaps try to remember that our real
customer is, in fact, the British road user.
presentation was extremely thought-
provoking and generated a lot of debate.
Our quiz night was, once again, generously
sponsored by Nynas and was clearly a
star attraction with 8 teams entering.
As usual, it was a rather boisterous but
good natured affair won by a team from
Asphalt Reinforcement Services. Opposite
is a photograph of the winners after the Winning Quiz Team
presentation of the numerous prizes
donated by Nynas.
2017. If anyone has any ideas as to subject
The branch committee is due to meet again matter for this years Technical Evenings
on the 6th February to discuss among other please make contact with a member of the
issues the programme of branch events for committee (see the website for details.)

IAT ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2017

DRIVING FORWARD
Keeping Pace with Change in the Asphalt Industry
14-15 June 2017
The Johnstown Estate Hotel & Spa
Enfield, Co Meath, Ireland

Enquiries and Bookings

Deirdre Flinn: dflinn@iat-irl.ie

Russell Hunter: russell.hunter@instituteofasphalt.org
For Trade Stands - Tom Walsh: tom.walsh@rms.ie

Full details and online booking to follow at www.iatconference.co.uk

EVENT REPORT - SEEING IS BELIEVING
Bringing the industry to life
Europes only event for indoor showcasing
of highway products as well as outdoor
demonstrations in all lighting conditions
took place last month. Highways Magazine
editor Alec Peachey provides IAT members
with some of the highlights
There is an old adage that you cannot beat
the weather. Visitors to this years Highways
SIB (Seeing is Believing) event experienced
a mixture of conditions. Ultimately, though,
these are the variants that highway
professionals across the UK experience on
a daily basis. It is also the beauty of an
event such as SIB which allows companies
the opportunity to showcase their products
in real working environments.
Held in November 2016 at Bruntingthorpe
Proving Ground in Leicestershire, a record
number of visitors were invited to put on
their boots, high-vis jackets and experience
day, dusk and night-time conditions.
One of the key changes to this years event
was the introduction of a two-way street
with companies invited to display their
products in clearly defined zones that were
the most relevant to participating exhibitors.
The introduction of designated drop-off
points and a new SIB app ensured that
visitors were encouraged to take a closer
16 Asphalt Professional February 2017 www.instituteofasphalt.org
look at the products and services on display.
The zones were: Maintenance matters;
Smart technology & signage solutions;
Making our mark; Lighting the way;
and Safety in action.
Conference programme
This year the event took its Inside-out
philosophy even further with the creation
of an integrated conference featuring
workshops and roundtable discussions,
alongside the industry-leading exhibition
and outdoor zones. In this way, many of the
techniques and skills that attendees were
able to learn about and discuss inside were
then later put into practice outside in the
zones.
The former Transport Minister, Dr Stephen
Ladyman, opened the event by praising the
industry for its thought and skill in keeping
traffic on the roads moving. In a wide-
ranging address, Ladyman who held the
portfolio from 2005 to 2007 discussed the
importance of transport to government, but
explained that the industry must understand
it will never be something that influences
how the vast majority of the population vote.
The future of the Highways Maintenance
Efficiency Programme (HMEP) was outlined
by programme manager Haydn Davies.
Davies confirmed that from next year the
programme will be sector-led and that the
Department for Transport (DfT) will continue
to play a patronage role. The programme
will be taken forward by four sector delivery
partners, under the guidance of an advisory
group that will still include DfT.
A variety of other presentations took
place at this years event including
debates around the resilience of the local
road network, road worker safety and
technology.
Road worker safety showcase
Visitors took part in an interactive
experience of various new products
designed to ensure operatives and
engineers keeping the road network
maintained are kept safe themselves.
As part of Highways SIBs Road Worker
Safety Showcase, visitors were able to
witness systems and products that would
increase the safety of road workers.
As an apt finish to the Road Worker Safety
Showcase, visitors were treated to an
insightful Road Worker Speed Awareness
experience highlighting the vulnerability
of road workers and the need to drive at
mandatory speed limits through roadworks.

Primary event partner
As the shows primary event partner,
Highways Englands main focus was on
how they are transforming the strategic
road network through improving the
environment; free-flowing roads; a safe
and accessible network; and supporting
economic growth.
Highways England chief executive Jim Mr
OSullivan said: This is a hugely important
event for Highways England, bringing
together all these different companies with
all their different skills. And showing the
knowledge they have and the products they
produce with the rest of the industry. Its
a massively important thing for us to do.
I think its important that engineers in their
day to day working who dont get a chance
to see these products, get the chance to see
them here.
The range of products that are here today
is amazing. For our people to see them and
understand them and use them will make
a contribution to our safety performance.
Apprenticeship/skills zone
With an ambitious Government target of
attracting 30,000 apprentices into road
and rail by 2020, this years event saw
the introduction of an Apprenticeship/
skills zone. More than 100 civil engineering
students from Liverpool John Moores
University and Wolverhampton University
attended the event with the zone formed of
the Institute of Highway Engineers (IHE) and
the Chartered Institution of Highways and
Transportation (CIHT).
In his keynote, Highways Englands Jim
OSullivan, noted: This is a marvellous
opportunity for apprentices and graduates
to see the breadth of our industry. Actually,
once you get into roads its hugely exciting.
www.instituteofasphalt.org Asphalt Professional February 2017
EVENT REPORT - SEEING IS BELIEVING
Richard Hayes, chief executive of the IHE,
said: A number of students have come by
and weve been able to share with the CIHT
what Id describe as the student database.
The range of technology and high-tech stuff
is what interests the younger generation. If
you show people digging the roads, theyre
not going to come and theyll be turned
off. When they realise how much technical
ability there is in the industry they might
be more attracted to it. Weve got to sell
ourselves carefully.
David Mead, education and training
manager for the CIHT, said: Highways
and transportation is a modern sector and
theres a lot of opportunities. It is about
making people realise that its not just about
hard hats and the high-vis jackets.
I think the industry is doing a good job,
but its about reinforcing that message to
the right audience. You have to think about
where young people get their messages
from.
I think the diversity and inclusion work that
were doing is also making the industry sit
up and think that were not just looking for
young people.
Mead said events such as Highways SIB give
the CIHT an opportunity to meet people face
The point weve been trying to get across to
to face.
visiting students is that theres an awful lot of
He added: What were keen to impress on support and goodwill in the industry. People
people is that there are different routes and in the sector do want to support young
opportunities, whether its through further people. Theyve been there themselves
education, apprenticeships, etc. and they want to try and help them.
17
TOTAL INVESTMENT
Investing in the Future of Asphalt
Supply Chain Security
Skills
Health & Safety
Investment in
Supply Chain
Security
Ensuring that businesses have access to
the energy supplies and products they
need to power their operations is at the
heart of what Total does each and every
day. To do that effectively requires an
understanding of what customers will
need in the future the reason why, in the
UK, Total has invested in a new bitumen
import terminal on the river Thames.
A long term commitment by the UK
government to improve the condition of the
strategic roads network was an investment
that was welcome but one that required
additional support in the infrastructure
of the supply chain. Totals bitumen was
traditionally sourced from facilities in the
north of the country from Preston or Lindsey
Oil Refinery near Hull. With the increase
in bitumen demand these had reached a
ceiling in terms of supply. There was no
option but to invest and expand production.
Total recognised that to satisfy the demand
for bitumen we needed to make it more
easily available in the south east of England.
Nearly half of the demand for the bitumen
used in road building in the UK currently
exists in the south-east.
Total partnered with Navigator Terminals,
a specialist in the handling and storage of
liquid chemicals, gasses and oil products.
Within their existing terminal on the river
Thames near the Dartford crossing there was
scope for a new facility capable of managing
100,000 tonnes of imports annually. The
18 Asphalt Professional February 2017 www.instituteofasphalt.org
Asset Management
Lower working temperatures
Energy solutions
terminal opened in mid-2016, strengthening
the supply chain ensuring government
targets for construction can be achieved.
With a 15-year operating contract, the
southern terminal creates a win-win
situation. It puts bitumen close to where
customers need it. For them, that means
better economic sense, improved security
of supply and increased delivery capacity.
Bitumen is sourced from Totals other
European refineries. That ensures quality
of supply as well as access to specialty
products. For Total, establishing the southern
terminal means greater flexibility. It creates
the capacity to supply existing customers,
along with the opportunity to build
partnerships with a growing range of new
businesses. Besides greater accessibility,
the terminal is bringing other benefits.
Close to the motorway network, shorter and
fewer delivery journeys are contributing to
lower emissions and better environmental
performance.
In Preston, continued multiple million pound
investments continue year-on-year for the
enhanced production of specialist bitumen
products. Total are continually improving and
investing in the production facilities here for
the manufacture of Stryelf PMB, Emulsis
surface treatment emulsions, ECO2 pre
blended warm mix asphalt binder, industrial
bitumen and surface micro treatments. The
facility is a one stop shop for all specialist
bitumen. The plant is also rail-fed from
Lindsey Refinery offering logistical efficiencies
and environmental benefits over road
transportation of the raw product.
Investment in Skills
Total Bitumen operate their
UK Technical Centre from
this location which itself
has been the subject of
major investment over recent years, now
containing state of the art test equipment
only previously accessible outside of the UK.
Investment in production and delivery is
essential for the security of the supply chain;
however, without the correct skills in place
within the sector for the delivery of the
required outcomes infrastructure alone will
not deliver a return on this investment.
For this reason Total and the prestigious
French engineering school Ecole des Ponts
worked together with the online training
platform Coursera to offer to a broad-based
audience the possibility of acquiring a basic
understanding of the scientific, technical and
economic fundamentals of bitumen and its
applications. The title of this first Massive
Open Online Course (MOOC) on bitumen is:
Mastering bitumen for better roads and
innovative applications.
This is the result of over eight months of
both financial, intellectual investment and
collaboration between Total Bitumen and
the Ecole des Ponts Paris Tech Frances
oldest engineering school and the
online training specialist Coursera. The
MOOC will give a broad-based audience
the possibility of acquiring and mastering
essential knowledge about bitumen vital to
addressing knowledge gaps that currently
exist within the community.
 TOTAL INVESTMENT

Investment in production
and delivery is essential for
the security of the supply
chain; however, without the
correct skills in place within
the sector for the delivery
of the required outcomes,
infrastructure alone will
not deliver a return on this
investment

Creation of a community
The site also gives learners
The course covers the entire bitumen chain from crude oil to its final applications in access to general and thematic
road construction and industry. It deals with all questions concerning this construction forums, where they can exchange
material, from its production, its composition and its chemico-physical properties right up with the pedagogical teams and other
to its applications, its behavior in asphalt road surfaces and its recycling. It also provides participants and thus build a truly
details about standards and the market as well as R&D perspectives for new, innovative international bitumen community
applications for optimized performance, cost-effectiveness and environmental compatibility. that includes researchers, teachers,
technicians, students and users.
During four weeks, leading experts in bitumen will bring you their knowledge and
experience to build a strong understanding of todays realities and new perspectives on With its interactive use
of digital tools, the MOOC
the future of bitumen, explains Jean-Franois Cort, General Secretary of the World Road
positions itself from the outset
Association (PIARC), who teaches at the Ecole des Ponts, in his online presentation of the
as the new reference for the transfer of
MOOC.
knowledge and the sharing of experience
The course consists of a series of videos with an approximate total length of four hours and in the field of bitumen and bituminous
a half, presented by international experts and organized in four chapters designed to be products.
assimilated in as many weeks.
n Enrollment, taking the course and
It is a MOOC on demand, points out Laurent Docet from Ponts Formation Conseil, participation in the forums are free
supervisor of the project. The learners are completely free to work at the rhythm that suits of charge.
them best. The MOOC is delivered in English.
n The course is online
as of April 4, 2016.
Rick Ashton MIAT, MCIHT, MIQ
Richard.ashton@total.co.uk
Rick is Chair of the IAT Pennines Branch
REGISTER HERE
www.coursera.org/learn/
mastering-bitumen

www.instituteofasphalt.org Asphalt Professional February 2017 19

CASE STUDY
Collaboration Brings Increased Efficiencies
Cathal OBoyle
Director
F & T Goodwin Limited, part of the Tripod
Crest Group, is an established asphalt
surfacing contractor in the residential
development market across the East
Midlands and East Anglia.
Traditionally its business has used
traditional recipe-mix asphalt products
for the construction of estate spine roads
and associated Section 38 and 278 works
to connect into the local road network.
In September 2016, F & T Goodwins
(FTG) Director Cathal OBoyle approached
Aggregate Industries, one of FTGs key
asphalt supply chain partners, to explore
the range of proprietary surfacing products
available for its typical type of works.
A joint technical workshop was arranged
between FTG and Aggregate Industries
asphalt technical team based in the
Midlands region; from which a number
of value-adding pavement materials were
identified as potential suitors for the type of
bituminous surfacing works FTG undertake.
Around the time of the workshop being
held, FTG were in the process arranging
its next visit to William Davis Homes
20 Asphalt Professional February 2017 www.instituteofasphalt.org
Heathe Meadow development in Rothley,
Leicestershire, where they are working on
behalf of P. Hughes Construction Limited to
construct the bituminous layers across the
roads and footpaths.
The next section of surfacing works for
the development included the Section 38
resurfacing and pavement tie-works on
the detrunked A6 road; all to be completed
under the same road closure. During the
planning workshop between P Hughes
Construction and FTG, Cathal OBoyle
drew insight from the recent workshop to
consider how the pavement solution for this
project could be sustainable whilst ensuring
the quickest, safest methods of working.
This led to the selection of Aggregate
Industries Lower Temperature Asphalt
product range for the road-base and binder
course elements of the scheme. The benefit
of using Lower Temperature Asphalt (LTA)
for this scheme; beyond sustainability
(through reduced energy consumption to
heat the material) was the efficient cooling
characteristics which meant FTG were able
to re-construct the 300mm deep pavement
within the same dayshift working window.
In all, 400t of LTA was laid for this scheme
comprising 200mm road-base and 60mm
binder course. The LTA was supplied from
AIs Bardon Hill Standard Haven asphalt
plant. The surface-course layer was
conventional hot-rolled asphalt in line with
the Leicestershire County Council highways
specification.
Through Aggregate Industries promotion
of its sustainability technology in the
manufacturing of materials, FTG have
been able to increase the sustainability
credentials for the new housing
infrastructure being built in Leicestershire;
whilst occupying the roadspace for the
minimum duration.
Cathal OBoyle commented We are
highly pleased with the service Aggregate
Industries has provided in both sharing
knowledge about their innovative range
of asphalt materials; but also in responding
quickly to develop the supply solution to suit
the programme and pre-planned roadspace
booking.
 CASE STUDY

Cambridgeshire opts for

lower temperature asphalt
Specification of low temperature asphalt for refurbishing roads is likely to become the default position
of Cambridgeshire County Council, following successful trials earlier this year.

Cost savings come into the equation, of course, when deciding whether to use low temperature asphalt (LTA),
as do longer service life expectancy, a quick turn round of work and less disruption to motorists. Then there
are the well charted environmental benefits which include less energy use, fewer emissions and safer working.
Richard Lumley
Head of Highways, What is there not to like about LTAs, you might ask? Nothing confirms Cambridgeshire County Councils Head
Cambridgeshire of Highways Richard Lumley. Having gauged the benefits of LTA for himself after trials in his county, Lumley
County Council has become much less likely to specify hot mixtures without good reason to.

It now seems to me that lower
temperature mixes can be a viable and
beneficial alternative to hot mix in most
circumstances he says. There were
no negative signs he adds, referring to
the trials of LTA which were carried out
by Cambridge CC in partnership with its
highway term maintenance contractor
Skanska and asphalt supplier Aggregate
Industries.
I dont see why hot materials need to be
specified other than in extreme conditions. I
can see LTAs becoming the default choice of
Cambridgeshire when we specify asphalt for
road maintenance in the county.
LTAs have been around in Britain for a
considerable time but their uptake has
been slow despite good environmental
credentials higher cost in comparison to
hot mix has tended in the past to outweigh
the green benefit, in particular of reduced
carbon impact. But lately, as alluded to
at the top of this article, there has been
a growing appreciation of the extended
service life and concomitant whole life
cost savings of LTAs plus a range of distinct
practical benefits.
It is now clear that some LTAs, mixed and
placed at temperatures perhaps 30C to
40C less than hot mix, can be laid rapidly,
compacted well and trafficked much more
quickly than hot mixtures. This reduces the
cost of traffic management, for instance,
and also disruption to the travelling public.
Road closure is minimised and diversions
often avoided. Then there is the reduced
oxidative hardening and bitumen ageing
that is a characteristic of LTAs: there is an
expectancy of longer pavement life when
an LTA is used. The savings can add up for a
county council under pressure to cut costs.
Anything which saves us money
has to be a good thing and this,
combined with less disruption
when the asphalt is being put
was achieved after every tranche of work.
down plus the fact that, when
it is down, it is down for a good
period of time, makes LTA
attractive to us
The benefits are not to be sniffed at Richard
Lumley says. It was the potential savings
that concentrated my mind on doing things
differently. We have to look at ways to cut
costs here and have the support of Council
Members to explore new products and ways
of working. Hence the trials of LTA.
The trials that involved Aggregate Industries
took place last spring (March 2016) along
Highfields Road in Caldecote, a village 10km
west of Cambridge. Running through an
urban area, the single carriageway road has
numerous side roads and mini roundabouts
and the work had to be done under off peak
daytime lane closures although access had
to be provided at all times for live traffic. The
laying of surfacing, 50mm thick following
the planing out of a similar depth of existing
material, took place over five days. Daily
productivity was affected by the laying
logistics, not the material Lumley says.
He confirms that the material produced
by Aggregate Industries the companys
Superflex surface course which uses a
purpose produced Nytherm binder from
Nynas went down well with good
workability even at lower production
and delivery temperatures. The running
surface is excellent, the more so when you
consider the very fast road opening that
Inspections of the LTA at Highfields Road
are currently limited to visual inspection
employing video surveying techniques
although Lumley states that further
investigation will take place if any visually
identified issues emerge. So far there have
been no issues, he says. The trials were
based around the LTA version of the widely
used HAPAS for surface course materials so
we dont expect to experience any material
design related failure, particularly based
on the testing that was carried out during
construction.
Keeping a watch on performance will be the
pavement forum held by Cambridgeshire
County Council on a regular basis. The
forum includes colleagues from Lumleys
department, Skanska, Atkins (which
supplied specialist material and pavement
design support to the trials) and supply
chain representatives. The forum is
intended generally to improve the processes
we use, to look at materials development
and so on.

www.instituteofasphalt.org Asphalt Professional February 2017 21

CASE STUDY
LTA being laid with little evidence of fumes
Richard Lumley declares himself well
satisfied with the Aggregate Industry trials.
Im impressed by the contractors lower
temperature material. Anything which
saves us money has to be a good thing and
this, combined with less disruption when
the asphalt is being put down plus the fact
that, when it is down, it is down for a good
period of time, makes LTA attractive to us.
Its more and more likely well be specifying
the material in the future. As I said, it could
well become the new default material
specified for highway maintenance.
22 Asphalt Professional February 2017 www.instituteofasphalt.org
Cambridgeshire County Councils
Highfields Road, Caldecote trial of low
temperature asphalt (LTA) took place
in the spring of 2016 during wet and
windy weather. The mixture trialled
was Aggregate Industries proprietary
asphalt surfacing Superflex, produced
at the companys Peterborough asphalt
plant at between 30C and 40C below
normal mixing temperature. Some 1100t
on Superflex was laid 50mm thick, over
five days.
The extended time period was because
we had restricted access and had to
keep open to traffic, says AIs National
Technical Manager (Aggregates/
Asphalt) Philip Sabin. The bitty nature
of the project clearly demonstrated the
advantage of lower temperature material
in enabling fast road opening.
AIs Superflex contained a specially
selected version of Nynas Nytherm PMB
binder, a warm mix polymer modified
bitumen. Nynas UK Technical Support
Manager Dennis Day emphasises the
point that the companys Nytherm range
offers clients other performance benefits
Highfields Road before resurfacing
in addition to reduction in energy use.
He says: The use of warm mix polymer
modified bitumens such as Nytherm
PMB is on the increase as it allows
early opening to traffic and completion
of contracts, clearly demonstrated
by Aggregate Industries project in
Cambridgeshire.
Prior to the Highfields Road trial, AI
invited members of both Cambridgeshire
CC and Peterborough City Council, plus
representatives of term maintenance
contractor Skanska, to workshop
discussions about Superflex, specifically
on the technology, handling and
performance expectations of the
material. This was to address any
possible issues of concern about
using LTA. In the event nobody was
disappointed in the trial results,
Philip Sabin says.
Sabin concludes by saying that Superflex
is not HAPAS approved. It is a long
established proprietary asphalt surface
course product with over 20 years of
successful behind it, he says.

Shells innovative bitumen and asphalt
solutions are helping to create future-
ready urban road networks around the
world to meet the needs of today and
tomorrow.
The next thirty or so years will see a
significant transformation in the way we
live. Whereas almost 75% of the worlds
population lived in rural locations in 1950,
approximately 75% will live in cities 100
years on . The global population will have
grown by another two billion, from todays
7 billion to 9 billion. We will be building the
equivalent of a new city of over 1.4 million
people every week, with the greatest
growth in urban population set to be in
China, India, the USA and Nigeria. And there
will be triple the number of vehicles on
roads.
Roads have long been regarded as a
barometer of a country or communitys
prosperity. The World Bank stated to say
that it was better for it to invest a dollar
in roads, than a dollar in irrigation. If you
connect two villages, they begin to trade.
That creates wealth, and that wealth is
www.instituteofasphalt.org Asphalt Professional February 2017
Investing for the future
used to purchase goods. Then you create
the next village road and trade link.
Of course, the same is true in developed
economies. Roads create markets and
literally drive the connectivity between
communities; they are the lifeblood of
society. The economic and social costs
of managing and developing the road
network are enormous. Take the European
network. It consists of 5.5 million kilometres
and it would cost over 8,000 billion to
reconstruct. As a result, safeguarding and
futureproofing our road networks is an
urgent imperative. This is especially true
today in cities and major conurbations,
where roads have to be safer, more durable
and laid under much more challenging
conditions than ever before. Thats due to
a variety of factors: increased urbanisation,
the impact of climate on pavements, greater
volume of traffic and heavier loads on the
roads.
The role of bitumen
Bitumen is a vital ingredient in road
construction and maintenance. Of the
total global bitumen market, 70% goes
CASE STUDY
into roads; the rest is used in other vital
transport and building infrastructure.
Currently, world bitumen demand is
between 95 million to 110 million tonnes.
The market is growing, reflecting increased
road development in India, China and SE
Asia, as well as continued road maintenance
programmes in developed markets,
including the UK and Europe. By 2020, we
expect global volumes to rise to around
130 million tonnes.
In view of such developments, it is essential
that bitumen adapts to changing needs.
As the worlds largest bitumen marketing
business with over 1,600 customers across
28 countries and a heritage of almost
100 years, its a challenge that is at the
forefront of Shells thinking. From the
companys global R&D centre in Bangalore,
scientists working at a molecular level
to make bitumen have the properties
that are required for roads, runways and
infrastructure.
Some of these product innovations are
already on-stream, such as Shell Bitumen
23
CASE STUDY

Fresh, which removes smell from bitumen
rather than simply masking it. Others in
development now will take a decade or
more to come to the market. For example,
Shell is exploring synthetic bitumen
emulsions that reduce nitrous oxides in
the air by converting them into harmless
nitrates that wash away from the road
surface. The company has started to
explore the technical feasibility of changing
the visual appearance of road pavement
surfaces, to facilitate ambient lighting, alert
traffic to changes of road driving condition
or even danger. And it is partnering with
suppliers of phosphorescent products and
several universities to investigate the
feasibility of scaling up phosphorescent
asphalt mixtures.
Additionally, Shell is also working with
Pavegen, a technology company that has
developed paving slabs to convert energy
from peoples footsteps into electrical
power. It is also possible that it could be
used to generate electricity to feed the grid.
Sustainable development
Shell has long made sustainable road
construction a priority, recognising that
as a society we must recycle more and
conserve resources. Today approximately
85% of road construction activity is focussed
upon repair and maintenance. As a result,
there is an increasing demand to used
reclaimed aggregate products (RAP) in
road construction.
and high-quality layers. Shell Bitumens
new Compact product range, scheduled
for rollout in 2017, is designed to improve
pavement resilience. Compaction of asphalt
is an important factor contributing to the
durability of the finished surface, thereby
helping to reduce premature cracking,
fretting and pavement deterioration. The
Compact range has also been designed
to be used with recycled materials.
Surety of supply
While Shell Bitumen is planning and
investing for the future, the company
is ensuring that it is meeting the needs
of customers today. The company has
underlined its commitment to meeting
supply by locating bitumen production in
nine of the groups 42 world-wide refineries.
The ambition is for these to be a million
tonnes plus per refinery. The locations are
strategically aligned to meet customer
demand, with facilities in Singapore, South
Africa, the USA, Argentina and in Europe.
Indeed, Shell has established a robust
bitumen supply chain in Europe, anchored
by Shells two main refineries in the
region: Rheinland in Germany and Pernis
in the Netherlands. The latter is the largest
integrated refinery complex in Europe
and occupies a strategic location in the
Rotterdam industrial region. Shell Bitumen
continues to invest and increase its bitumen
supply capabilities in the European market,
especially in the Rotterdam area. Based on
these production points, Shell Bitumen has
set up logistics to move bitumen down the
Rhine, to get out to Rotterdam, and then to
ship anywhere. Shell Bitumen is also well
catered for in the UK by a dedicated Bitumen
refinery, the Eastham Refinery - a 50% joint
venture of Shell UK Oil Product Ltd.
Shell Bitumens approach not only provides
environmental stewardship helping to
reduce its impact on the environment, to
operate safely, and to share the benefits
with communities of developing energy
resources but also leadership in meeting
supply and technical innovation. In the
words of Professor John Read, General
Manager Technology for Shell Bitumen,
who is leading a team of over 100 technical
specialists in the delivery of new bitumen
products:
Ultimately, Shell Bitumen
is inspired to think about
what roads can do beyond
carrying people and
goods from A to B. Thats
demonstrated in the 49
active patent series that
we hold that are linked to
bitumen and asphalt, and
in our drive to challenge
norms.

Although RAP makes huge sense from a

sustainability perspective in addressing
concerns such as resource use and energy
efficiency, concerns exist about its quality
and consistency in comparison to virgin
asphalt. To that end, Shell Bitumen
has focused a considerable part of its
R&D on understanding and developing
solutions for RAP to deliver compact and
durable solutions. Shell Cariphalte RC is
an innovative, cost-effective solution that
helps conserve natural resources and
reduce total asset cost. It is a cost-effective
polymer modified bitumen designed for
high performance road applications in
combination with RAP in base, upper

24 Asphalt Professional February 2017 www.instituteofasphalt.org

 CASE STUDY

EVERY ROAD
HAS A STORY
We know roads. We understand the challenges they face
and how to solve them. When you work with us, you dont just
get great solutions, you get partnership. With Shell Bitumen,
you get a partner thats with you all the way from the
beginning to the end of your project.

For more information:

Tel: +44 370 201 7777
Email: Shell-Bitumen@shell.com
Web: www.shell.com/bitumen

Shell Bitumen

www.instituteofasphalt.org Asphalt Professional February 2017 21

CASE STUDY
Paving the Way Colas uses BBA for
East Midlands Airport Runway Resurfacing
In 2016, Colas was appointed by Main
Contractor Galliford Try as specialist
surfacing contractor as part of a project
to recondition the 2.9km 09-27 runway
at East Midlands Airport, operated by
the Manchester Airport Group (MAG).
The surfacing works were undertaken by
Colas during day and night shifts across
five consecutive weekend closures of
the runway. The project marked the
first time that a UK commercial airport
had implemented full shutdowns across
multiple weekends to allow large
volumes of surfacing to be carried out.
Colas removed the existing asphalt
pavement and resurfaced the runway and
taxiway tie-ins with a new high-quality
AC 14 ungrooved Bton Bitumineux pour
chausses Aronautiques (BBA) surface
course and a BBA binder course.
Colas introduced BBA to the UK market
in 2005 during a runway extension and
resurfacing project at Sumburgh Airport,
Scotland. Although the use of BBA has long
been commonplace in mainland Europe,
26 Asphalt Professional February 2017 www.instituteofasphalt.org
it was not until Colas identified the benefits
of using asphalt designed to meet BBA
specifications that UK airports began to see
it as a viable alternative to Marshall Asphalt.
The use of BBA for airfield
pavement construction
and rehabilitation projects
provides...benefits over
traditional asphalt materials
Provision for its manufacture has recently
been detailed in the British Standards
Institutions newly revised document PD
6691:2015 which gives guidance on the use
of bituminous mixtures. BBA is also now
included in BS 594987 which covers the
transporting and laying of asphalt. Industry
experts supporting the development of the
revised British standards believe that this
latest step, coupled with the successes at
East Midlands Airport, will open the door
to the wider specification of BBA in the
airport sector, and may open up potential
use in other applications too.
The use of BBA for airfield pavement
construction and rehabilitation projects
provides the following benefits over
traditional asphalt materials:
n The coarse surface texture and high
friction characteristics of BBA negate
the need for grooving, saving time
and allowing aircraft to traffic the BBA
as soon as it has been compacted and
cooled.
n The material is able to demonstrate the
required surface friction characteristics,
reduced deformation and fatigue and
offer a longer lifespan than alternative
materials.
n BBA can be laid as binder course due
to its high wet friction properties. This
allows aircraft to land on BBA binder
course and use it as a temporary
operating surface during runway
rehabilitation/maintenance works.

n BBA can be laid at thicknesses 15%
less than Marshall Asphalt, therefore
less aggregate is required which
promotes sustainability.
n Laying on-site and has shown to
produce comparable pavement strength
and durability at a reduced layer
thickness when used in combination
with stiff asphalt base.
n Time and cost savings can be realised
through the use of BBA as it is easier
to mix and can be manufactured at far
greater output rates than traditional
Marshall Asphalt. Higher outputs also
reduce the number of joints which in
turn lowers whole-life costs.
n Ungrooved BBA negates the risk of
premature groove closures sometimes
associated with Marshall Asphalt,
minimising maintenance requirements.
The material has previously been specified
on a series of airfield runways using the
former French materials specification at
Sumburgh in the Shetland Islands and
Tiree in the Hebrides. Further applications
followed at Jersey, the Isle of Man and
Southend. Manchester Airport specified
its use without grooving during the
rehabilitation of Runway 1, and more
www.instituteofasphalt.org Asphalt Professional February 2017
recently, BBA has been used in the
extension and strengthening works at
Birmingham Airport. The East Midlands
Airport project marked the ninth airport at
which Colas has successfully utilised asphalt
designed to BBA specifications in the UK.
A stringent material testing
regime was implemented
during the design and
construction periods to
guarantee compliance with
the design specification
Colas was selected for Early Contractor
Involvement (ECI) more than three years
prior to the commencement of the East
Midlands Airport project to support MAG
in developing an optimum solution for the
works. Colas then worked with Galliford
Try and their designer, AECOM, as part
of an integrated team and provided
comprehensive BBA mix designs to meet
the requirements of the specification.
Colas specialist knowledge and experience
of creating BBA designs were fundamental
to the success of the project. The BBA
mix was developed by Colas project
management team and UK based Technical
CASE STUDY
Department in conjunction with material
specialists and technicians from Colas state
of the art research facility, the Campus for
Science and Techniques (CST) located in
Paris.
The extensive and detailed design process
ensured that the BBA mix met the clients
requirements. Colas liaised with its supply
chain partners to procure the most suitable
materials for the new runway surface.
A stringent material testing regime
was implemented during the design
and construction periods to guarantee
compliance with the design specification.
Prior to commencing surfacing operations
on the runway at East Midlands Airport,
Colas conducted laying trials on an airport
access road to make certain that the AC 14
ungrooved BBA material would meet the
requirements of the project and achieve
the specification.
Colas began the delivery of the surfacing
element of the East Midlands Airport project
on 5th November 2016. Within each 48
hour weekend possession, Colas had a
planned 30 hour programme, with a six
hour contingency window, to implement
the surfacing works. Colas began at 20:00
each Saturday, and operations were split
into three consecutive shifts (two night
27
CASE STUDY
shifts and one day shift) during which Colas
teams planed off the existing Marshall
Asphalt runway surface course over a width
of 44.2m before laying a new BBA surface.
In addition, material in the central 22m
keel section of the runway was replaced
to a depth of 165mm. The runway works
involved the use of six paving machines,
with five laying in echelon formation to
ensure no cold joints were created in the
surface. Colas also laid new BBA surface
and regulating courses on both runway
shoulders and taxiway tie-ins.
The project marked the first
time three mobile asphalt
plants had been used on a
UK airport project to produce
such high quantities of
surfacing materials Colas
manufactured 13,000 tonnes
on-site in a single weekend
28 Asphalt Professional February 2017 www.instituteofasphalt.org
Upon project completion, Colas had laid Early life friction requirements were
approximately 50,000 tonnes of asphalt exceeded, and Colas was able to minimise
material. To produce the tonnages required transverse joints and eliminate longitudinal
for each possession, Colas procured and joints during the main resurfacing works.
established on-site three state of the
The success of the East Midlands Airport
art mobile asphalt plants which were in
runway resurfacing project once again
operation simultaneously and provided a
demonstrated Colas unique experience
continuous supply of BBA. These included:
and ability to lay asphalt designed to BBA
Beninghoven MBA 3000, Intrame M280
specifications. Peter Bamfield, Colas Aviation
and Ermont TS21, producing a minimum
Director, said After manufacturing and
total of 600t/h. At certain points within the
installing BBA asphalts in the UK airport
programme, these levels were exceeded,
sectors for over 12 years, Colas has further
reaching more than 800t/h.
consolidated its advantage in this area. It
Colas completed the prestigious project is important to note that BBA is about a
ahead of schedule, within just five standard, not a product, and its Colas strict
weekends. The project marked the first time adherence to the standards and lessons
three mobile asphalt plants had been used
learned by our French colleagues over 20
on a UK airport project to produce such high years that have made this a success.
quantities of surfacing materials Colas
manufactured 13,000 tonnes on-site in
a single weekend. The new BBA surface
performed to a high standard, and the client
was particularly pleased with the quality of
the works and the uniform finish provided.
 CASE STUDY

How do we produce high-performance

bitumen? We add knowledge to the mix.

How do you become an expert? You focus on one thing only. For almost
ninety years, Nynas focus on bitumen has enabled us to continuously develop
high-performance products for a wide range of challenging applications.
Thats why we are the partner of choice when our customers need long-term
solutions. Lets talk. nynas.com

www.instituteofasphalt.org Asphalt Professional February 2017 25

CASE STUDY

Pioneering the use of Pin-less Technology

The A1 Leeming to Barton improvement
project is an excellent example of
collaborative working producing
innovation through early contractor
involvement and setting the standards
for future works in safety and technology
cumulating in success.
In September 2014, both the Carillion
Morgan Sindall Joint Venture (CMSJV) and
Aggregate Industries entered into the UKs
largest surfacing collaborative contract to
construct over 21.5 km of motorway along
with 19 km of Local Access Road for non-
motorway users . The CMSJV had, earlier that
year, commenced work on a 380 million
upgrade of the A1 between Leeming Bar
and Barton for Highways England.
Driven by a fundamental desire to speed
up road paving production whilst providing
a safe project and a leading ride quality for
the end user, Aggregate Industries accepted
the challenge of the CMSJV Project Director,
and the laying of sub-base by TPS\GPS
setting out is also becoming usual, but on
Leeming to Barton, every single operation
on the project is achieved without the use
of any setting out pins. This has resulted in a
high quality, more accurate finished product,
greatly reduced risk of service strikes and
a reduction in engineering resources.
On Leeming to Barton,
every single operation
on the project is achieved
without the use of any The project undertook a review of the
setting out pins commercial systems available and once
the preferred supplier had been chosen,
To achieve this milestone, the project had the survey team worked closely with the
to stretch the boundaries of current machine technology provided to tailor the system
guidance technology and apply the principle to suit the project requirements.
to the road asphalt pavers.
Similarly, Aggregate Industries sourced
The proposal brought together a number of and provided a fleet of modern and
technologies to deliver the pavement and sophisticated pavers capable of maximising

David Lowery, to deliver the whole scheme provide information for input into BIM the benefits gained by the use of machine

using modern technology. and future maintenance models. guidance.

Upgrading of the A1 to motorway standard The Trimble Paver control System, receiver mast and tilt sensor
and working within the motorway
boundaries whilst maintaining existing
traffic flows through the site results in an
extremely congested working area and a
dangerous environment for the workforce.

Add to this the fact that the A1 route has

been a main thoroughfare since Roman
times, so numerous unchartered services
are present beneath the surface, and it is
clear to see why the project was reluctant
to adopt traditional setting out techniques
for the road pavement and associated
works. These would normally involve many
engineering hours driving over 25,000 plus
long steel and timber pins into the ground.

The CMSJV A1 project team at Leeming to

Barton believe they are one of the first
projects in the country to adopt pin-less
technology across the board. The use of GRP
pins in-lieu of steel is becoming common

30 Asphalt Professional February 2017 www.instituteofasphalt.org


This is the first time guidance systems have
been applied to all layers in the pavement
construction on a project of this magnitude.
The direct transfer of the design model into
the guidance system preserves the integrity
of the design throughout the pavement
construction process. Setting-out errors are
eliminated and greatly reduced reliance
on manual guidance removes human error
from the paving process.
All involved agreed that state-of-the-art
machine control and engineering technology
would be employed removing the traditional
pin and string line for setting out and level
control.
Aggregate Industries had a well-established
paving control system (PCS) fitted to its
plant and, through working collaboratively
with CMSJV, identified unique opportunities
to extend the use of this technology to set
out and control all the cementitious and
bituminous pavement layers. Overall this
would involve 20 kilometres of dual four-
lane main-line carriageway along with
10 kilometres of local access road, four
roundabouts, a grade separated junction
and many minor local roads.
Fundamentally, this pin-less dimension
control allows data to be programmed into
the system to calculate the different surface
tolerance and levels of material required
www.instituteofasphalt.org Asphalt Professional February 2017
(+/- 6mm). By carrying out this process
electronically it also removes the need
to a lengthy manual checking process.
As the PCS eliminates steel pins, it is also
a safer way of working. The danger of
employees falling against the pins, the
real hazard of striking underground cables
and general manual handling issues are all
removed whilst accuracy has been proven
to improve.
The direct transfer of the
design model into the
guidance system preserves
the integrity of the design
throughout the pavement
construction process
Slopes and gradients were measured and
controlled at greatly improved increments,
which allowed smoother transitions,
improving the surface tolerance, line and
levels. This enhanced the overall finish,
providing the user with a smoother ride.
As with all new processes, there are always
things to learn from the initial experience.
Pre-planning and double referencing of
survey reference points are an absolute
necessity. This ensures that any machine set
up (+/- 3mm) is accounted for and that the
possible 3mm variations do not compound
CASE STUDY
to bring specification requirements into
question; particularly the thickness of
surface course and that of the total
pavement. Consideration of future weather,
particularly fog, also has to be thought
about and managed. Pre-levelling and
additional stations that reduced receiver/
transmitter distance all added to the paving
solution, ensuring accuracy irrespective
of weather conditions at the time of
placement.
In terms of laying dual carriageway widths
in one pass, as much of the contract is
online, space and working widths are
restricted. However Aggregate Industries
was ever mindful of the Highways
England pavement efficiency steering
group and its best practice guidelines. For
example, pavement installation and joint
reduction is a key issue. Consequently,
collaborative planning toward combined
technology and machinery drove forward
an overall capability. As a result, much
of the southbound southern section was
placed using ABG Titan heavy duty pavers,
eliminating many kilometres of joint whilst
still achieving a superb machine controlled
road surface for the motorist. Aggregate
Industries is officially the only contractor
in the UK to be able to offer the innovative
Titan ABG heavy duty paver which is the
only equipment of its kind in Europe capable
of laying asphalt and hydraulically bound
mixtures up to 13m wide and 300mm
think in a single layer.
31
CASE STUDY

The collaboration between the principle contractor and Aggregate Industries promoted
the intensive use of technology and the drive of all involved to make this innovation a
success ultimately resulted in the A1L2B Project Team attending the prestigious British
Construction Industry 2016 Awards where they won the highly respected Application
of Technology Award.

Cement Bound Granular Material being laid on

the A1L2B

Both motorway and local access road blending

In addition, having placed more than 500,000 tonnes of pavement, accident free and with
with North Yorkshire country side
a right first time record in excess of 99.8 %, Project Director, Dave Lowery, was delighted
to present Aggregate Industries with the A1L2B Delivering Excellence with Pride Award.

Maintaining the beauty of the local North

Yorkshire countryside

15% of the A1L2B Base and Binder used site

won recycled asphalt

Cementitious plant situated next to the project reducing the carbon footprint No pins or string lines on new construction

32 Asphalt Professional February 2017 www.instituteofasphalt.org


Aggregate Industries, 2 in 1 pavement
trial on M6: Hot-on-Hot paving
As part of the Area 13 Framework contract;
Aggregate Industries, Highways England,
and Kier have worked in collaboration to
undertaken the UKs first Hot-on-Hot in
line paving trial. The trial was undertaken
on the M6 Junction 36-35 S/B C/W at
Burton to Cinderbarrow on the 27th and
28th July 2016.
Hot-on-Hot is a new concept in the UK but
is widely used in Germany on most major
roads. The principals behind the operation
are to lay two asphalt layers at the same
time, Binder Course and Surface Course,
forming a fully homogenous layer.
The Binder Course layer is compacted
with a high compaction screed giving
full compaction throughout the layer.
www.instituteofasphalt.org Asphalt Professional February 2017
CASE STUDY
The Surface Course material is laid directly
behind using a transfer vehicle to feed
the material into the paver, this is then On this particular site, the original
compacted as normal using standard specification was for 60mm of Binder Course
equipment. Utilising the material transfer and 40mm of Surface Course, by using the
vehicle allows for continuous paving of Hot-on-Hot system the material thicknesses
the Surface Course layer resulting in an where changed to 70mm of Binder Course
outstanding ride profile. and 30mm of Surface Course.
The benefits of carrying out works in this For further information about Aggregate
fashion is that the layers form a fully Industries, visit www.aggregate.com
bonded pavement creating a single layer and www.lafargeholcim.com
out of two different products. This not
only gives a fully water tight interface,
eliminating any possible bonding failures,
but shows a cost saving due to a reduction
in the more expensive surface course
material and bond coat applied.
33
PRESS RELEASE
Asphalt Advantages campaign
celebrates 2nd anniversary
Brussels, 14 November 2016 - Have
you considered the advantages of asphalt?
The Asphalt Advantages online campaign,
launched in October 2014 by Eurobitume
and the European Asphalt Pavement
Association (EAPA), celebrates its second
anniversary by encouraging advocates
to engage.
After reaching stakeholders in over 125
countries and communicating reasons why
asphalt is the material of first choice for
road maintenance, Asphalt Advantages is
now encouraging supporters to embrace an
online tool kit and how-to video to create
their own sub-campaigns.
The www.asphaltadvantages.com
website has continuously grown and is now
widely recognised as a valuable source of
credible information for a wide range of
stakeholders, raising the awareness of the
many benefits that asphalt offers for road
maintenance and construction. For ease of
use, the information is organised under four
main themes: Sustainability, Comfort, Safety
and Economics.
Earlier this year, the website was extended
to offer the choice of four languages
For more information:
Website: www.asphaltadvantages.com/toolkit/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/AsphaltAdvantages
Twitter: twitter.com/asphalteu
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/asphalt-advantages
34 Asphalt Professional February 2017 www.instituteofasphalt.org
- English, French, German, and Turkish -
which is helping to expand the scope of
the campaign by reaching new target
audiences and in local markets.
We are exceptionally proud of the
success that our campaign has had so far,
commented EAPA Director Carsten Karcher.
The goal of the website has been to
promote the benefits and value of asphalt
pavement to those who use, design and
maintain roads. The campaign has already
experienced the expected exponential
growth and we are planning for future
expansion.
Additionally, a new educational video is
now available on asphaltadvantages.com
Entitled, Become an Asphalt Advantages
Advocate, this how-to video offers step-
by-step advice to encourage asphalt
industry stakeholders to get involved and
support the campaign by promoting asphalt
benefits, stimulate discussions and sharing
information.
The new video is aimed at encouraging
even more asphalt stakeholders to join the
campaign and become an active advocate
for Asphalt Advantages. If we can mobilise
new advocates with the tools available
in the online toolkit, then the important
key messages about the benefits of
asphalt can be shared to a wider audience.
Advocates will have access to a wealth of
valuable information supporting general,
technical, health, safety and environmental
advantages, added Siobhan McKelvey,
President of Eurobitume.
About Eurobitume
www.eurobitume.eu
Established in 1969, Eurobitume (the
European Association of Bitumen Producers)
is the unique voice of the bitumen industry
in Europe, promoting the efficient, effective
and safe use of refined bitumen in road,
industrial and building applications.
Eurobitume provides a forum to share and
develop technical and scientific information,
with a view to continually enhancing the
industrys health and safety standards, as
well as its technical progress. The association
aims to provide clarity on technical issues
relating to the European bitumen industry.
Eurobitume operates four expert committees
- Health, Safety and the Environment
(HSE); Technical; Public Relations and
Communications (PRC) and Membership
each of which has intensive work
programmes to provide guidance and
support for members and their customers.
These committees research the scientific
and technical issues relating to the handling,
application and long-term use of bitumen;
produce relevant data for regulators;
and provide expert advice and practical
guidelines to inform best practice throughout
the European bitumen industry.
About EAPA www.eapa.org
The purpose of the European Asphalt
Pavement Association (EAPA) is to be the
trusted voice of the European asphalt paving
industry. With 35 Members and Associated
Members, EAPA already represents the
majority of the asphalt pavement industry
and engages in asphalt road construction
and maintenance in the whole of Europe.
EAPA and its mission is to remain the
acknowledged contact point for its members,
other industry organisations, and of course
the European Institutions. Being based
in Brussels at the heart of the European
Union, EAPA already represents its members
successfully at the European level.

Technically Speaking
Following on from my article in the last
issue about the lack of a definite link
between PSV and SCRIM (skid resistance),
it follows that aggregate choice for
surfacing, and surface treatments,
poses difficulties for the designer.
Highways England (HE) provide a table
in HD36/06 linking hazard categories and
traffic levels, but the categories are wide
and, for most risk categories, there are 2 or
even 3 choices. At low traffic levels the new
RN39 (from TRL or the RSTA) has subdivided
the 0 to 250 cv/lane/day category which is
helpful for lightly trafficked roads.
Given that we need to preserve the stocks
of higher level PSV aggregate, for occasions
when we need them, how should we
proceed? The HE advice is to use the lowest
PSV within the category, unless there is a
reason, such as a skidding accident history,
to raise the PSV requirement. I use the
words skidding accident history deliberately,
raising the PSV because of accidents caused
by a visibility problem, for example, is
unlikely to solve the problem and is an
incorrect use of high PSV aggregate.
Even with this guidance designers may find
themselves in a dilemma. Most highway
authorities compare skid resistance, as
measured by SCRIM, to an investigatory
level (IL). Investigatory levels can be taken
from HD 28/15, or may be set by the
local highway authority. Using the lowest
recommended PSV from HD36/06 could
result in a SCRIM result falling below IL
prematurely, resulting in extra maintenance,
at a price that would far outweigh the
additional cost that would have been
incurred from using a higher PSV in the
first place.
The obvious counter to this is local
knowledge. From my experience,
aggregates in the PSV range 55 to 65 are
the most likely to behave differently when
exposed to different traffic loadings, some
tend to outperform their PSV, some the
opposite. The public procurement system is
not well suited to selecting aggregates from
www.instituteofasphalt.org Asphalt Professional February 2017
TECHNICALLY SPEAKING
specific sources, because it would be very
anti-competitive, but in most situations
it would only be a case of designating
higher PSV in certain areas of a site,
like an approach to a junction.
I know there is a view that this makes life
more complicated and increases the risk of
using the wrong aggregate in the wrong
place, but if there is a genuine need to
conserve higher PSV aggregates, then we
need to get much better at doing this kind
of thing.
One must also reflect on the significance John Booth
of the PSV test itself, although there is Chair of IAT Technical Committee
work being done on improving the test, Chair of Western Branch
the difference that two laboratories might and calculating a Characteristic SCRIM
get when testing the same sample (i.e. the Coefficient values (CSC), so that some
reproducibility) was 5 points the last time allowance has been made for shorter term
I looked, so the difference between 65 effects on the skid resistance. This is not
and 68 PSV, for instance, is not that great. completely successful and CSC results can
The use of more than one result has more still vary somewhat from year to year.
significance, and HE require three.
None of the above relates to artificial
Surfacing type also has an influence on aggregates like calcined bauxite. This is
actual skidding resistance achieved, and used for high friction surfacing (HFS) and has
smaller nominal sizes also raise the skidding no real substitute in terms of consistency
resistance performance. This effect is not of performance, and performance level in
used in UK guidance at the moment, but terms of skid resistance. Given the cost, it is
this may change. always worth considering whether the use
of HFS is necessary, and it may be possible
There are some that say we make too much
to try a surfacing using natural aggregate, as
of PSV in the UK. On the continent, there is
long as its performance is closely monitored,
generally not the luxury of choice that we
and in the knowledge that HFS may need
have in the UK, in Europe high PSV
~ might
to be applied later. HFS requires a sound
be 54, low 52. This leads to a view that it
substrate and should not be used as an
would be far simpler to specify surfacing
attempt to revitalise a worn-out surface.
in terms of aggregate type, or group. The
The RSTA has a code of practice for HFS.
idea has merit but there would need to be
some means of performance assessment Further information
of aggregate types that was objective, Design Manual for Roads and Bridges
consistent, and better than the current Volume 7
approach. A rather tall order. www.standardsforhighways.co.uk/ha/
standards/dmrb/index.htm
For those wondering why we do not just
Technical Note: Road Condition and
cut to the chase and have a performance
Maintenance Data
requirement for surfacings, the problem is
www.gov.uk/government/uploads/
that all in situ measures of skid resistance
system/uploads/attachment_data/
are subject to unpredictable variation
file/509878/road-conditions-technote.pdf
caused by weather, season and climate.
RSTA publications
SCRIM measurements are standardised by
www.rsta-uk.org/publications/
restricting the tests to summer months,
35
ASPHALT EXCHANGE

Asphalt Exchange
We are always encouraging our readers to write in and challenge anything they read, as Charles has done below
thank you Charles. John Booth has responded opposite:

In response, John Booth writes:

Dear Editor
Some comments on the Technically Speaking
article by John Booth in Asphalt Professional
November 2016:
1. John refers to LR 502 but the correct
reference is LR 504.
2. LR 504 sketches a few graphs of MSSC
against PSV but is very vague on the scatter
Dear Charles
Thanks to Charles for pointing out the mistake in the LR number. Readers
should note that TRL have changed their website and obtaining reports is
more difficult, though still possible. I have found it is better to search for
the report number, e.g. LR504, no space. The LR describes two analysis
stages, the first uses the PSV range Charles mentions, the second, that

of PSVs used and no individual points are I quoted, uses the subset given in Table 3, from 45 up to 75 (75 is now
either plotted or listed. termed 70+). Of course the traffic levels were much lower than now.

3. However, referring to the book Road

Aggregates and Skidding by Roger Hosking John Booth
(1992 TRL) there are more detailed graphs
and in particular figure 30 which plots the
individual points from the LR 504 data.

4. What is most noticeable is that all bar one

of the 30 points plotted have a PSV below
55 with the majority between 31 and 45.

It is very unlikely that any road surfacing now

uses aggregate with a PSV below 55 so it is
unsurprising that the relationship between PSV
and MSSC (or CSC) currently is very different to
what it was in 1972.

I have done a small survey of crash frequency

against CSC in Warwickshire and the correlation
between them is very poor and what
relationship there is in the unexpected direction,
i.e. higher CSC indicates higher crash frequency.
There is much to learn, therefore, even after
more than half a century, with respect to the
effect of PSV and Skidding resistance on crash
frequency.

Charles Catt FIAT

Russell provided some of the lovely comments

received from Members about the anniversary
gift we sent you all. We wanted to print this one
in its entirety as it was so interesting. Thank you
to Alan Constantine for your kind words. Perhaps
a full interview is in order?
(MACEF is the Mastic Asphalt Council and Employers
Federation).

36 Asphalt Professional February 2017 www.instituteofasphalt.org

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www.instituteofasphalt.org Asphalt Professional February 2017 33

ASPHALT PEOPLE
Chris Rowan
Chris Rowan
Born 1960
Education Doncaster Diploma,
NEBOSH Diploma, Various Technology, and look forward to the
City and Guilds, HND Mec
Eng. Post Graduate
Certificate in Higher
Education What does a typical day look like?
Work for University of Derby Busy, busy, busy. I rather think most
Since Sept 2015 peoples perception of being an academic is
Job Title Programme Leader
Asphalt/Senior Lecturer
IAT Role
Member/Education wrong!!!
Committee
What sort of person are you?
I am driven having spent 35 years in
an Industry that has been exceptionally
good to me I can get frustrated very easily,
particularly when things go wrong. I am
very passionate about the old black gold,
what the future has in store for us all, and
where it will all go, I believe in my twilight
years I can have some degree of influence
in better shaping the way we educate our
potential leaders of industry.
38 Asphalt Professional February 2017 www.instituteofasphalt.org
How did you get into the industry?
If Im honest, by mistake. I left school
pretty well educated and every intention
of becoming a fighter pilot with the RAF.
Fortunately for the construction building
materials industry my eye sight let me
down, corrected vision is not accepted
where FP are concerned so I turned my
attentions elsewhere and never looked back.
What do you do now?
After 35 plus years of working in the UK and
abroad, I (my wife) decided it was time to
settle back down in this country and maybe
do something different for a change.
Following a very brief foray into the oil
industry, where I continually felt like a fish
out of water, I (my wife) applied for the roles
advertised for Academics at the University
of Derbys Centre for Mineral Products. At
first the thought of lecturing did not appeal
until, that is, my wife, in a fit of frustration,
said you want to come to one of your own
barbeques and listen to yourself!
Recently I have taken on the Programme
Leaders role for Asphalt and Pavement
challenges of educating all those on
our programmes.
the one of tweed jackets with leather elbow
pads and lots of holidays. Not the case, we
are normally extremely busy throughout
the year with setting assignments, marking
assignments, reviewing material, improving
the learning experience, dealing with
students enquiries, exams and marking,
lecturing and planning for lectures,
maintaining our dual professionalism
along with research when time permits.
What is the best thing about it?
For me it is the thought of influencing the
industry through education and training,
something I feel has been lacking for
some time. I hope that I can now improve
the quality and opportunities for all those
working in the industry to better education.
What is the worst thing about it?
Marking assignments is time consuming,
but to be fair to all our students we have
to be consistent. I also feel strongly that
good quality feedback is essential in giving
students the opportunity to improve.
What have been your
greatest achievements?
(both in and out of the industry)
In the industry, I like to think there are many
(my ex-bosses may disagree). Building a
brand new asphalt and contracting business
from nothing in the State of Qatar is up
there. Two years of hard slog, but one to
be very proud of, particularly reviewing
the business financial reports following
the first year of full operation. Building a
Drummix plant in Nigeria in a very hostile
and harsh Environment, for an 80 kilometer
road construction job through the middle
of the jungle, proved that anything can be
achieved with hard work and persistence.
Out of the industry Completing Stage
13 of the Tour De France in 2003, 247
kilometers over four of the highest peaks
in the Pyrenees Mountains in just over 11
hours, gaining a gold medal in the over
40s class took a fair bit of preparation.
Is there an interesting fact about
you that is not widely known?
On Friday 13th March 2013 I was kidnapped
in Nigeria or I have completed 150 skydives
of which jump No. 13 went alarmingly
Would you recommend your job and
a career in asphalt to anyone else?
Why?
Yes I would, I see it as very rewarding in
terms of passing on my experience and
knowledge of an industry that has been
my life for 35 years.
If you could improve the IAT for
members, what would you do?
Somehow we need to make our members
feel proud of the Institute and all it stands
for. We need to improve our presence in the
Industry and become much more visible to
the outside world.
 ASPHALT AMUSEMENT

Asphalt Amusement
In this busy world we live in, we thought you would like a moment of calm, so grab your pencils/pens/highlighters
and experience some mindful colouring... Tweet your results to @The_IAT using #AsProColouring
# Cut here #

Eurobitume Director General Aim

Xhonneux explained: By establishing
Eurobitume profiles on these popular
social media sites, we have created
additional opportunities for our
stakeholders to find out more about the
latest bitumen industry news, events and
specific product updates on safe handling,
specifications and standards.

These interactive channels provide a

platform for communicating instantly the
most up-to-date possible information
and are also excellent for developing
professional networks and sharing best
practices with other key stakeholders.
Brussels, 8th December 2016 Eurobitume, the voice of the European bitumen I invite everyone who is interested in
industry, has expanded its online presence with the creation of three important bitumen to follow us on our social media
new channels on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. pages and become an active advocate for
the bitumen community!
www.facebook.com/Eurobitume
www.linkedin.com/company/eurobitume
twitter.com/eurobitume

So youve reached the end of this issue of Asphalt Professional. What did you think? Please let us know via email, Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn
we would love to hear from you! publications@instituteofasphalt.org, www.facebook.com/InstituteofAsphalt, @The_IAT or www.linkedin.com
look for The Institute of Asphalt Technology in Groups.

www.instituteofasphalt.org Asphalt Professional February 2017 39

Mastering OBJECTIVES
Provide access to all to the basics and

bitumen
the innovations of bitumen, via a free,
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Share with a broad-based audience
knowledge and know-how that only few
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applications. ON WHICH TOPICS ?

Global perspective of bitumen markets
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More information : http://www.total.com/en/news/get-onboard-mooc-about-bitumen

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