The Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) and the Associated General Contractors (AGC) jointly hosted the Idaho Superpave Forum in Boise on November 30, 2006. As ITD continues the transition from the Hveem mix design method to the Superpave system, the forum offered a unique opportunity for the entire industry to spend a day discussing how to improve the quality of HMA construction in the state. The meeting was facilitated by Tim Murphy, President of Murphy Pavement Technology and a consultant to ITD in developing its Superpave specification. Murphy led a large group discussion and facilitated breakout sessions for owners, managers, engineers and technicians.
The forum was well attended, with approximately 100 attendees from ITD headquarters, its six highway regions, Federal Highways Administration, major HMA paving contractors, and materials testing laboratories. Asphalt Institute Field Engineer John Duval attended the forum and served as a spokesman for the Technicians breakout group. Feedback from many participants indicated that the forum was very successful with hopes high for improved quality of HMA in future ITD projects.