Project selection, design and construction

By Danny Gierhart, P.E.

Thin lift asphalt overlays come in different types and can meet many different user needs. They can be very useful in correcting surface deficiencies. They can restore skid resistance to a pavement whose surface has begun to polish. They can be effective in sealing the existing pavement from external moisture. They also tend to have a tighter finish due to the smaller aggregate particles, resulting in a more aesthetically pleasing appearance. They can be successfully used on various types of roadways, from low-volume city streets to high-volume interstates. (more…)

By Lana Johnson

Harold “Chip” Ray is the 2018 Asphalt Institute (AI) Chair. He is also the President of Western States Asphalt, LLC, an Asphalt Materials, Incorporated company, based in Spokane, Washington. (Shown with his wife, Beth.)

What are the biggest industry changes you have seen during your asphalt career?

With over 33 years in the industry, there have been numerous changes.  From the introduction of polymers into asphalt binders and emulsions to specialty asphalt mixes like SMAs, there have been numerous advances to improve the asphalt industry’s overall performance.  However, the FHWA’s Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP) which developed and implemented the SUPERPAVE asphalt mix design procedures using the newly created Performance Graded (PG) binder specifications was a monumental undertaking and deliverable changing our industry for the better over the last two decades.

(more…)