ASPHALTopics | Summer 2014 | VOL 27 | NO3

26 OHMPA | ASPHALTOPICS
HMA plant from the 1970s (Gencor)
Milling machine from the 1970s
getting the desired specified results,” he says. Loughnan
says rubber rollers can now be equipped with propane
heaters on the tires to lessen pickup on cooler days.
Other key advancements for paving, according to
Loughnan, include the hydraulically extendable screeds
that were introduced in the 1970s to replace the old bolt-on
extensions to the paver screed. This allowed for paving up
to 24-feet in width and minimized the handwork required
on variable width lanes and tapers.
According to Doug Woods from Cope Construction and
Contracting Inc., it’s the little things have led to innovation
on the job. He says when he first started in the industry,
diesel oil was used to coat the truck boxes and help the
hot mix to slide out.
“The old trucks weren’t made to specifically deal with the
asphalt industry,” he says. “They had old steel boxes that
were banged up with a lot of dents. To keep their truck
boxes clean, the drivers had to climb into the truck box
and brush on diesel fuel with the misconstrued concept
that more would be better. Often there would be puddles
of diesel fuel on the floor of the truck.
In retrospect, he says, it was a bad process as the diesel
oil would get mixed in with the hot mix asphalt and that
would have affected the final product. “We didn’t have
much choice back then though,” he continues. “If we
didn’t use it there would be too much asphalt left stuck
in the box.”
Woods says the introduction of asphalt-friendly sprays,
and trucks designed for the material, make that task
easier, more efficient, and better for the pavement. As
for advancements in paving, Woods believes the electronic
controls on the equipment have been the biggest leaps
in technology.
“The controls on spreaders have improved the industry,”
Woods says. “In the past, workers used to have to match
curves visually. Now you can set the controls to manage
the curves and the slopes. It’s all done automatically.”
However, he adds, the changes have been more of a fine
tuning instead of a complete overhaul. “If a company is
forced to use a backup, they can still turn to equipment
that is 15 to 20 years old,” he says. “It still works the same.
Not too many industries outside of asphalt can do that.”
Down the road, Woods predicts an age of even more
precision for paving equipment, one where GPS devices
and other technology will be relied upon rather than the
skill of the crew. “It’s exciting, but kind of sad at the same
time,” Woods says. “At one time, a company was known
for its good operators, screed men and rakers. It was the
calibre of the crew that made you proud of the industry.”
Still, he knows competitive demands will push paving
technology further and he is excited at the prospect
of what the future has in store for the industry.
Steve Pecar is a Mississauga-based writer,
editor and designer.