Growing up on a farm in the Shenandoah Valley, I was blessed with the beauty of the area. I learned the value of a hard day’s and, sometimes, night’s work. During the day, work normally meant making hay in the summer, feeding hay in the winter, and working cattle any time during the year. At night, work meant something was wrong and could not wait until daylight. Whether during the day or at night, the work of a farmer was always dangerous. Too often, a year would not pass without learning about someone being injured or killed in a farming accident.
For the asphalt and highway construction industry, accidents resulting in injuries and deaths are all too common, as well. Some accidents are preventable, but many are not the fault of the worker. In 2017, numerous accidents occurred in Virginia’s mobile and permanent work zones. Based on VDOT statistics presented on their website, almost 2,670 accidents took place in work zones. Of those accidents, 1,329 people were injured, and 12 people were killed. While the numbers for 2018 have not been finalized, the work zone was still a dangerous place for the traveling public and construction workers. A major factor contributing to a large number of accidents was distracted driving. While seemingly easy to correct, distracted driving accidents occur every day.
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New Binder & Emulsion Hauler Member
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New Pavement Marking Member
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NAPA needs your help in gathering data for the 2018 construction season survey on the use of recycled materials and warm-mix asphalt. Visit https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2018_RMWMA_Survey to provide information about the use of recycled materials and WMA at your plants in Virginia. NAPA would like to have as many responses as possible by April 1 with participation from all 50 states and the U.S. territories. It is recommended that respondents download a printed version of the survey to ensure that all relevant data is on hand before beginning the process. Information provided is kept fully confidential and only reported at the state level if more than three producers in the state participate. If you have any questions, please contact Brett Williams at bwilliams@asphaltpavement.org, NAPA’s Director of Engineering & Technical Support.
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 Close to 500 participants attended the 2018 Virginia Asphalt Conference and Expo held December 5-6 in Richmond, VA. Thanks to the hard work and great pictures of Brittany Claud Photography the event has been recorded for posterity. Visit the VAA Flicker page to see if you were "caught on film!"
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Don’t forget to check the VECAT Alerts page on VAA’s webpage to get up-to-date information on class schedules, availability, inclement weather updates, and any other pertinent program information.
*2019 VECAT Classes Have Started!*
VECAT MCS Certification classes have started! If you are interested in getting certified or re-certified for Field I and II, Plant I and II, Slurry Surfacing, Surface Treatment or Mix Design, please go to the VECAT page on the VAA website for class information and schedules, registration information and other FAQ’s. Several classes have already filled for the 2019 year, so don’t wait to sign up! Don’t want to sit in a classroom to complete these courses? All classes (except Mix Design) are available online, or your employer can register to conduct an offsite training session where classes can be completed from the comfort of your office. Contact us with any questions you have, and we look forward to seeing everyone in class!
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With the new year upon us and 2019 MCS Certification classes underway, the VECAT staff has already moved on to several new initiatives planned for 2019 and beyond. Although most of these projects are in their infancy, we wanted to give you a quick peek at what is to come.
**Cold Recycling Classes Added to VDOT’s MCS Certification Program**
Starting in 2020, Cold Asphalt Recycling - Field, Cold Asphalt Recycling – Plant, and Full Depth Reclamation (FDR) classes will be offered through VECAT and will therefore be eligible for MCS Certification. Classes are being developed this winter and pilot classes for each are expected to be offered in late fall 2019. Watch the VECAT online homepage as well as this newsletter for additional information to come on these new classes.
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At the December meeting of the Statewide Asphalt Co-Op, VDOT Construction Division announced the development of a special provision allowing the use of electronic ticketing. This special provision will be available in early 2019 for use by contractors and districts. While it will not be available when the maintenance paving schedules are advertised and awarded, contractors will be able to request a no-cost work order change to start using the provision. VAA member Chemung Contracting Corporation has led the effort to introduce E-Ticketing through pilot projects in the Culpeper and Staunton Districts. E-Ticketing is one of several efforts underway to streamline processes, reduce paper waste, and store information in digital formats.
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 VDOT has chosen James Parsons as the next Bristol District Construction Engineer. James has more than 33 years of experience as a Professional Engineer that includes a strong background with FHWA, Contract Administration and AASHTO. James joined VDOT as an Assistant Resident Engineer in the Wytheville Residency and during his years with VDOT has held many positions such as Assistant Resident Engineer and Resident Engineer in the Jonesville Residency, Area Construction Engineer and Acting District Construction Engineer.
Join VAA in congratulating James on his new role.
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Over the past five years, VDOT and the industry have been researching and exploring the expanded use of cold recycled mixes in new construction and reconstruction projects. Currently, VDOT’s I-64 Segment 2 and 3 projects have large percentages of recycled materials – full-depth reclamation (FDR) and cold central plant recycling (CCPR). Several years ago, VDOT added FDR and CCPR to the Materials Division Manual of Instructions Section 600. This addition allowed the use of cold recycled materials on interstate and primary route projects. Now, the Secondary and Sub-Division Pavement Design Guide has been updated to include FDR and CCPR. The changes will open up the use of cold recycled mixes on VDOT projects as well as projects to be accepted into the VDOT secondary road system. The revised manual can be found here.
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REGISTRATION OPEN
March 5, 2019 - Fredericksburg | Fredericksburg Expo Center
March 13, 2019 - Roanoke | Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center
March 19, 2019 - Richmond | The Westin Richmond
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 MARK YOUR CALENDARApril 24-26, 2019
MGM National Harbor
Oxon Hill, MD
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 MARK YOUR CALENDARJune 18-19, 2019
GCC Daniel Technology Center
Culpeper, VA
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DIAMOND
Allan Myers
American Paving Fabrics
Asphalt Emulsion Industries
Associated Asphalt
Bitumar USA
Boxley
Branscome, Inc.
Carter Machinery Company
Chemung Contracting Corp.
Colony Construction, Inc.
James River Equipment
Kickin Asphalt Paving & Sealing
Lee Hy Paving Corp.
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National Asphalt Mfg. Co.
S. L. Williamson Co., Inc.
Slurry Pavers
Superior Paving Corp.
W-L Construction & Paving, Inc.
PLATINUM
Astec, Inc.
B & S Contracting, Inc.
Blacklidge Emulsions, Inc.
Curtis Contracting
F. O. Day
Virginia Paving Company
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