VAA & Superior Paving Team-Up: Provide Pavement Design & Construct Learn and Lunch

When established in 1952, one of the purposes of Virginia Asphalt Association was education. Since then, VAA has provided numerous educational services. These services extend to members, member clients and the general public. Recently VAA Executive Vice President Trenton Clark and Superior Paving Executive Vice President David Helmick provided a "Learn and Lunch" for Langan Engineering and Environmental Services in Arlington. Why a "Learn and Lunch" and not "Lunch and Learn"? Simple, the seminar came before the lunch.

 

In April, Langan reached out to VAA for information on pavement design, asphalt materials selection and constructability considerations. Working with Langan engineers, VAA developed an agenda to meet their needs. Over 90 minutes, Clark and Helmick made presentations and answered questions. Clark covered the basics of pavement design and the tools available for the consulting industry. He reviewed PaveXpress (based on the 1993 AASHTO Pavement Design Guide), as well as the VAA website and the VDOT Secondary and Sub-Division Pavement Design Guide. Additionally, he covered the primary asphalt materials used in Virginia and the related specifications.

 

Helmick then covered the areas designers should consider when laying out roads and parking lots. Using sample site drawings provided by Langan, he pointed out areas of constructability concerns such as the use of spill curb and gutter sections, cross slope for drainage, locating drainage structures and manholes, and minimum thicknesses for materials. 

 

Whether a "Lunch and Learn," or a "Learn and Lunch," the goal is simple – provide information that makes everyone better. To learn more about these services, contact the VAA Office at 804-288-3169.