ASPHALTopics | Spring 2014 | VOL 27 | NO 1

SPRING 2014 | VOL27 | NO1 

Paving Indy | 12 

A winning formula 

MTO Spending 

Outlook | 21 

Opportunities and challenges 

Potholes | 31 

Fact and fiction 

awards 2013

The official publication of the 

Ontario Hot Mix Producers Association, 

Asphaltopics 

is published three times a year. 

Ontario Hot Mix Producers Association 

365 Brunel Rd., Unit 4, Mississauga, ON, L4Z 1Z5 

Tel: 905.507.3707 | Fax: 905.507.3709 

Email: info@ohmpa.org | Website: www.ohmpa.org 

Publications Mail Agreement #40011181 

Advertising Sales 

Representative 

Editor 

Design & 

Editorial Layout 

Cover photo: IMS Photo by John Cote 

Patricia Abbas 

416.438.7609 

pabbas8@gmail.com 

Lara Henry 

416.638.8294 

larahenry@sympatico.ca 

pdplante.com inc. 

info@pdplante.com 

table of contents 

Presidential Points | 05 

Letters from the ED | 07 

Marcom Matters | 09 

Meet incoming OHMPA president 

Bentley Ehgoetz | 10 

New Indy road course a winning formula | 12 

Awards recognize 

outstanding achievement | 16 

MTO spending outlook brings 

opportunities and challenges | 21 

Warm mix comes of age | 26 

Potholes – fact and fiction | 31 

Quality control measures 

optimize RAP use in HMA | 32 

Environmental Essentials | 38 

Industry News | 40 

The Last Word | 42 

SPRING 2014 3

30 Years

PRESIDENTIAL 

POINTS 

by Colin Burpee 

President, OHMPA 

Out with the old – 

in with the new 

According to the timeworn cliché, every dog has its day. 

As I stare down the rapidly approaching end of my tenure 

as the 35th president of the Ontario Hot Mix Producers 

Association, I can say that I’ve certainly had mine. And 

what a day it’s been! 

To say the past year has been a whirlwind would be a bit 

of an understatement. There’s been a lot of activity here 

at OHMPA over the last 12 months. Now as I reach the 

end of my presidential road, I can’t tell you how very 

proud I feel to have been part of such a professional 

and highly regarded organization during such a milestone 

point in its storied history. 

For 40 years, OHMPA has worked tirelessly as the voice 

of authority on behalf of the asphalt producing industry 

in Ontario. We’ve certainly come a long way since 

our humble roots in 1974 when a group of passionate 

industry leaders got together at an airport hotel to lay the 

organizational foundations of OHMPA. I doubt any of the 

men in the room that day could imagine that four decades 

later, their efforts would lead to an association with over 

120 members, five staff members and annual events that 

consistently attract hundreds and hundreds of people. 

I understand that our association has realized its success 

as a direct result of the valiant efforts of all those who 

came before me: the men in the room on that historic 

day in 1974, the 34 presidents who have previously sat 

in this position and, of course, the countless volunteers 

who selflessly gave their time and attention to OHMPA’s 

many committees and boards over the years. I also know 

that success will continue under the careful watch of 

those yet to come. 

Speaking of which, it’s a great honour and pleasure to hand 

the reins of our association over to the guy standing behind 

me in line — Bentley Ehgoetz of Lavis Construction. You’ll 

find a more fitting introduction to him on page 10 of this 

issue. Those already familiar with Bentley will know he’s a 

stand-up guy with a tremendous passion for our industry. 

Those who haven’t had the good fortune to meet him 

should make an effort to do so at an event this year. 

A freshly minted president isn’t the only new thing you’ll 

find around OHMPA these days. As I said, it’s been a busy 

year and there have been a lot of things unveiled lately. 

For starters, you might have noticed the new design of 

the magazine you’re now holding in your hands. A redesign 

of our association publication has been long overdue and 

the capable OHMPA staff somehow made it happen over 

the last couple of months. I think you’ll agree we’ve made 

a significant improvement to Asphaltopics that has upped 

the game on our stakeholder communications. 

Also new is our recently re-launched website 

(www.ohmpa.org) which has been designed with 

modern mobile technology in mind. If you haven’t 

checked it out yet, be sure to do so. There are a lot of 

new features including a digital library of Asphaltopics, 

volunteer spotlights and up-to-date industry news. 

Another canine cliché says you can’t teach an old dog 

new tricks. I feel good stepping down and giving 

someone else an opportunity to learn those tricks. 

This old dog is done! 

Colin Burpee is the president of OHMPA for 2013 and 

General Manager, Construction of Aecon Construction 

and Materials Ltd. 


WE KNOW THE ROAD. 

WE’VE BEEN ON IT FOR 100 YEARS. 

At Aecon, our road to success has been a century long. We know about seamless 

road and bridge construction, the importance of exceptional raw materials and 

proven performance value of “just the right” asphalt hot mix. 

Superhighways and super structures require superior expertise.

LETTERS 

FROM THE ED 

by Doug Duke 

Executive Director, OHMPA 

Let’s get this party started! 

Welcome to the new look Asphaltopics! 

As part of the celebration of OHMPA’s 40th anniversary, 

we wanted to give our publication a fresh new look. 

To be frank, we’re considering it a work in progress and 

we’re going to continue to refine the design through 

the remainder of the year. However, I’m sure you’ll 

agree we’ve done a lot of things well out of the gate 

starting on the cover with a bold new masthead. 

We methodically chose a font with an 

appearance and feel more appropriate 

for our industry. Like asphalt, it’s strong, 

it’s black and it will do the job for many 

years to come. I assure you, the life-cycle 

cost analysis on it would be excellent! 

Turning to the internal contents of the 

magazine, we’ve chosen a pleasant editorial 

copy font that’s easy on the eyes and makes 

reading a breeze. Meanwhile, headlines are crisp 

and clean and overall, everything has been tidied up 

and compartmentalized in a way that will make more 

and more sense with each issue we publish. 

It’s been a tremendous team effort to bolster Asphaltopics 

and we truly hope you like what you’re seeing. Ours is an 

association magazine to be very proud of and our only 

goal is to make it better. On that note, we’re open to any 

feedback and new ideas and we welcome you to get 

in touch if you have any comments or concerns at all. 

We’re here to listen. 

In the summer 2013 issue, I not-so-subtly hinted we would 

be stepping things up this year in recognition of 40 years 

of OHMPA. The re-branded magazine you now hold in 

your hands is only a small piece of that effort. Our events 

this year will also be upgraded starting immediately with 

our AGM and Conference taking place at the Trillium 

Westin at Blue Mountain in lovely Collingwood. 

Watch for a more diverse and interesting line-up 

of speakers, a unique video series honouring 

OHMPA’s ‘founding fathers’ and a few 

other surprises sure to make the event a 

memorable experience. Further down the 

road, we’ve got a few new tricks up our 

sleeves for our Spring Operations Seminar 

taking place on April 16th and our Road Tour 

which is kicking off this year on April 24th in 

the City of Guelph and will also visit Kingston 

and Sudbury before returning to the GTA. 

The anniversary celebrations will continue later this year 

as we take our always popular summer golf tournament 

to a scenic 36-hole Club Link facility in August. We’ll cap 

the year off in true style with our Fall Asphalt Seminar 

down in Niagara Falls. 

Be sure to keep your eyes open for all the details as they 

become available. OHMPA’s 40th anniversary celebration 

is just beginning and you’re not going to want to miss 

a thing! 


8 OHMPA | ASPHALTOPICS

MARCOM 

MATTERS 

by Abigail Wright Pereira 

Marketing and Communications Director, OHMPA 

www.OHMPA.org – 2.0 * 

In 1998, OHMPA made its debut on the World Wide Web. 

Back then, businesses were just entering the “wild west” 

of the internet and making their presence known with 

a website that was sometimes little more than a landing 

page with general information. I guess you could say 

that those initial websites were barely at the 1.0 stage. 

Back then, people still relied on the Yellow Pages to get 

business information, and having a business cell phone 

meant that you were pretty high up on the corporate 

ladder. We’ve come a long way since then. 

www.ohmpa.org, there is no mistaking that we represent 

excellence in asphalt paving, offer top-notch technical 

and educational services and materials, and are heavily 

involved in promoting the best of the best through our 

awards program. 

Fast forward 16 years. From the first brainstorming 

session with staff and Marketing Committee Chairs 

Mike McLean and Donn Bernal, to the moment our web 

design company, Biz-zone, flipped the switch and we 

went live January 1, the website was about one year 

in the making. Just like the crafting of fine wine, 

good things come to those who wait. 

The new website was created on a responsive design 

platform, meaning that visitors to the site can easily view 

content regardless of the device they are using, whether 

it is a smart phone or notepad. We now have direct links 

to OHMPA’s social media channels, a newsfeed, and an 

ability to directly share pages via e-mail or social media. 

Additionally, the digital version of Asphaltopics is now 

easily accessible and prominently featured. This new 

platform will enable our website to easily keep up with 

the times as technology changes. 

Most important, the new website is the new face of 

OHMPA. As we boost our marketing and advocacy 

efforts, we want people to come to our website and easily 

understand who we are and what we do. When you visit 

*Web 2.0 — A second generation in the development of the World Wide Web, conceived 

as a combination of concepts, trends and technologies that focus on user collaboration, 

sharing of user generated content and social networking. 

This initial launch is just the beginning. There will be 

several new features to look forward to in the coming 

year. By the end of 2014, the website will feature an 

Association and Industry history page, which will include 

a gallery of photos, some dating back to the 1920s! We 

are also planning to launch a dynamic, animated Story 

of Asphalt page, sure to capture audiences in all sectors. 

Lastly, to bolster our efforts to bring young talent into 

the industry, we will have a new page which will allow 

members to view resumes of students interested in 

beginning their careers in the asphalt industry. 

2014 started off on a high note with this website and 

there’s a lot more to look forward to. Stay tuned and 

feel free to reach out to me, abbi@ohmpa.org, with 

any questions or comments about the website. 


Meet incoming 

OHMPA president 

Bentley Ehgoetz 

by Abigail Wright Pereira 

A current OHMPA board member with almost 30 years experience 

in the construction industry, Bentley is well positioned to lead the 

organization as it prepares to celebrate its 40th anniversary. 

We sat down with Bentley to talk about his background in the industry, 

his involvement with OHMPA, and his priorities for the year. 

Q: HOW DID YOU GET STARTED IN 

THE CONSTRUCTION BUSINESS? 

A: As a kid growing up in Perth County I was involved 

with my father’s construction business, Anson Ehgoetz 

Excavating Limited, which mainly dealt in aggregates 

and dragline operations. I was driving a dump truck 

at age 16 even before I had my car license. The 

construction business was in my blood and close 

to my heart. 

Q: GIVEN YOUR FAMILY’S BUSINESS, DID YOU GO 

STRAIGHT INTO CONSTRUCTION AFTER COLLEGE? 

A: Yes. After graduating from Fanshawe College in 1986 

with a degree in Civil Engineering Technology, I was 

hired as a construction foreman with the County 

of Perth, replacing a gentleman who retired after 

50 years. I had some big shoes to fill. 

Q: WHILE WORKING FOR THE COUNTY OF PERTH, 

HOW DID YOU GET INVOLVED WITH ASPHALT? 

A: The county was heavily involved in constructing and 

rebuilding its roads using its own people; however, 

the paving was contracted out. At the time, the county 

didn’t do much testing, but with the help of a former 

MTO employee and from neighbouring Huron County, 

I set up Perth County’s first asphalt testing lab. Over 

the next few years I took numerous MTO and 

John Emery courses on hot mix asphalt and road 

reconstruction. In 1993, I was awarded the Scott McKay 

Memorial Award presented by MTO and the 

Municipal Engineers Association, and in 1996 the 

County Engineer retired and I was promoted to 

Director of Public Works. 

Q: WHEN AND HOW DID YOU MAKE THE SWITCH 

FROM WORKING FOR THE COUNTY TO BEING 

THE DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS FOR LAVIS? 

A: I was talking with Gord Lavis one day about one 

of his employees who was moving on. He asked 

if I was interested in the position. Lavis was heavily 

involved with hot mix and cold-in-place recycling, 

which had always interested me. After thinking 

about it, I called up Gord and told him I was interested. 

I could tell that he was wondering if I knew what it 

took to be in the construction business after being 

a bureaucrat for 23 years. I assured him that growing 

up in the business I knew what it took. I went in the 

next day to sign the paper work. I’ve been with Lavis 

Contracting Co. Limited ever since January 2009. 

Q: WHEN DID YOU FIRST GET INVOLVED 

WITH OHMPA? 

A: In 2009, OHMPA was looking for a board member 

to represent a family-owned business and Gord put 

my name forward. I had gone to several seminars 


and golf tournaments in the past, but 

other than that I knew nothing about 

OHMPA. I joined the OHMPA board 

just one month after starting with Lavis 

and I felt I was in way over my head— 

it was a big learning curve. Gord had 

been been president of OHMPA in 1996 

and knew how the experience of being 

a part of OHMPA was invaluable. It was 

the best thing he ever did to move my 

career forward. The members were welcoming 

and were willing to help bring me up to speed. I still 

remember to this day, during my first year at OHMPA, 

Joe Bunting of Miller Paving coming up to me and 

saying, “Here’s my number. Don’t be afraid to call with 

any questions or issues anytime you may need help.” 

Q: SINCE JOINING OHMPA IN 2009, IN YOUR 

OPINION, WHAT HAVE BEEN OHMPA’S MOST 

SIGNIFICANT ACHIEVEMENTS? 

A: OHMPA strengthened its relationship with the Ontario 

Good Roads Association and its municipal members. 

This is really important to our members as the 

municipalities represent a large portion of the work. 

Bentley Ehgoetz 

Director of Operations, Lavis Contracting Co. Ltd. 

Director since: 2009 

Committee(s): OHMPA Executive Committee 

OHMPA/OGRA Municipal Liaison 

Committee 

OHMPA has also begun to promote the industry. Since 

hiring staff to help us in this endeavour, we have been 

more proactive instead of reactive in promoting the 

asphalt industry. 

Q: WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR GOALS 

FOR YOUR YEAR AS PRESIDENT? 

A: It will be important to follow through on priorities 

identified in our strategic plan which include 

governance and advocacy. More important, however, 

will be to continue to build relationships with MTO 

and municipalities and provide our members the 

education they need to continue on producing 

a superior product. 


New Indy road course 

a winning formula 

by Lisa Fattori 

IMS photo(s) by Chris Owens. 

Racing enthusiasts can look forward to a newly 

paved and modified road course at the world 

famous Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) this 

season. The upgraded 2.439 mile infield circuit will host 

the inaugural IndyCar Indianapolis Grand Prix May 8th 

to 10th, as well as MotoGP’s Red Bull Indianapolis GP in 

August. The improvements not only ensure the safety of 

the course, they make the race more thrilling for drivers and 

spectators alike. 

“The original course was constructed in 1999, and some 

severe cracking had taken place,” says Kevin Forbes, 

IMS Director of Engineering. “Unlike highways that have 

a constant kneading action, raceways don’t have the 

steady traffic and will crack as a result. The geometry 

of the course also needed to be changed. Some of the 

corners were changed to make the race more competitive 

for drivers and therefore more entertaining for spectators.” 

Construction of the road course began in September 2013 

and was completed in just two months. The scope of work 

included milling the existing pavement, with the removal 

of five inches of asphalt, and the installation of five inches 

of new pavement. Corners one and two of the road course 

were completely changed to offer a slight elevation of 

approximately three feet. The corners were excavated 

down 14 inches and received a seven inch base of crushed 

stone, followed by seven inches of new asphalt. The 

sections were then married to the existing portions 

of the road course that remained in place. 

“At first we were going to remove the pavement all at 

once, but the base would be damaged from trucks and 

machinery,” Forbes says. “Instead, we re-paved the course 

in sections, leaving just enough asphalt to work from.” 

The elevation changes make for a more varied course and, 

although three feet may not seem significant, the change 

will enhance competition. “The speedway was built on 

Indiana farmland, which is completely flat,” Forbes says. 

“The interior road course is already surrounded by a lot 

of infrastructure, so it is difficult to find opportunities 

where we can create a hump or hill. Three feet is pretty 

significant and will make the road course more interesting 

and fun for race car drivers.” 

Turn 12 of the road course intersects with the warm-up 

area of the oval track, which is also the fourth turn of the 

MotoGP circuit. To make the geometry of the road course 

even more interesting, it is designed to accommodate 

IndyCar Series races moving in a clockwise direction, 

as well as MotoGP races that run counter clockwise. 

The 100 square feet shared space is an engineering feat, 

successfully accommodating four paths that cross in the 

same location. All pathways have different geometry, both 

horizontal and vertical, with certain banking required for 

each. The design had 900 data points and demanded 

unconventional paving practices to get the desired finish. 

“Screed operators tend to think just of drainage, but 

this section required the screed to go in four different ›› 


ONTARIO’S JAMES HINCHCLIFFE SET 

TO RACE ON NEW INDY ROAD COURSE 

INDY TRACK 

FAST FACTS 

· In 1909, the original oval track was paved 

using 3.2 million ten-pound bricks and 

mortar over a two-inch layer of sand. 

The track was nicknamed “The Brickyard” 

and, today, three feet of the original bricks 

remain at the start/finish line. 

· The Indy road course is the only track in 

North America that offers both clockwise 

and counter-clockwise options in racing. 

Clockwise races have five left turns and 

nine right turns. 

· The total paving area of the Indy road 

course is 16.2 acres, which is equivalent 

to nearly 16 football fields. The repaving 

project required 20,000 tons of asphalt. 

Oakville native, James Hinchcliffe, will be 

driving for the Andretti Autosport team in 

the IndyCar Indianapolis Grand Prix in May. 

The three-time winner for the 2013 IndyCar 

Series racing season got the racing bug 

when he was just nine years old, spending 

his weekends go-karting at Goodwood 

Kartways, just north of Toronto. At 17, he 

made the transition from karting to race car 

driving when he was selected to compete 

in the North American Formula BMW 

scholarship program in Spain—an important 

stepping stone that won him recognition 

and new opportunities. 

As racing’s rising star, Hinchcliffe is a fan favourite who signed on with IndyCar 

almost three years ago. “In 2011, I got the opportunity to make my IndyCar 

debut after many years of trying to get there,” Hinchcliffe says. “Then, in 2012, 

I started in the front row for the Indy 500. These were real career highlights.” 

In 2012, Hinchcliffe replaced Andretti team member, Danica Patrick, driving 

the brilliant green GoDaddy car. The car was renumbered #27, which is 

the same number that was used by Canadian drivers Gilles Villeneuve and 

Jacques Villeneuve. For the 2014 season, United Fiber & Data has replaced 

GoDaddy as Hinchcliffe’s sponsor and fans can look forward to another 

exciting racing season with Hinchcliffe sporting the blue and white colours 

of the high-tech company. 

While Hinchcliffe has driven both the oval and the road course at the 

Indianapolis Motor Speedway, he looks forward to trying out the new road 

course in the upcoming Grand Prix. “The oval is challenging, but a road 

course brings its own set of challenges,” he says. “When you have different 

corners and brake zones, it really makes the driver think and makes us 

work harder. The new changes to the road course will make the race more 

interesting. As drivers, we don’t want a lead-follow race, and neither do 

the fans.” 


Russell Redi-Mix Concrete, 

Manitoba and Saskatchewan 


CONTINUED FROM PAGE 12 

directions,” Forbes says. “You would think the 

area would be all bumpy, but it isn’t. No matter 

how you turn, and in what direction, the road 

course is smooth.” 

The hot mix asphalt (HMA) used for the new course 

offers both flexibility and durability, for pavement 

that isn’t too soft in summer or too brittle in winter. 

A reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) content mix 

was used in the base and intermediate layers of the 

new sections, and in the underlying course of the 

rehabilitated area. A pure virgin mix was installed 

for the top layer of the entire road course due to 

the extremely high friction requirements. 

The surface layer includes steel slag 

and slag sand, which is an excellent 

aggregate because it doesn’t absorb 

the asphalt. “We’ve used steel slag and 

slag sand before; it’s what we placed on 

the oval in 2004,” Forbes says. “It’s been 

ten years and we still don’t have a single 

crack in that surface.” 

Speed is an important factor in 

determining the ideal profile of a 

race course surface. With highways, 

designers and operators look at the 

ridability of the surface. A race car, 

however, can travel 275 feet each 

second, making it much more sensitive 

to any variations in the pavement. 

For this reason, tolerance standards 

are very strict, and any areas that need 

extra grinding require a finer diamond 

head for a much smoother finish. 

“When cars are travelling at 187 mph, 

speed becomes a consideration,” Forbes 

says. “If something goes wrong, it may 

not be fatal, but it could be a seasonending 

or career-ending accident. It’s 

all about the smoothness of the track. 

If riders or drivers lose confidence, they 

may think that there are other issues with 

the pavement and they’ll slow down. 

If the surface is rough enough, drivers 

could lose control, but it also affects their 

confidence and the quality of race that 

they give to spectators.” 

Lisa Fattori is a freelance writer, 

specializing in the construction industry. 

QUALITY CONTROL INSPECTION AND TESTING 

AGGREGATE SELECTION AND EVALUATION 

ASPHALTIC CONCRETE MIX DESIGN 

PAVEMENT DESIGN ENGINEERING 

GEOTECHNICAL SERVICES 

GEOENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES 

19 Churchill Drive 

Barrie, Ontario L4N 8Z5 

(705) 734-3900 

Branch Offices 

45 Burford Road 

Hamilton, Ontario L8E 3C6 

(905) 561-2231 

16 Franklin Street South 

Kitchener, Ontario N2C 1R4 

(519) 893-7500 


y Steve Pecar 

Trillium Awards 

While other industries are just beginning to introduce 

eco certifications and gold standards, the hot mix 

asphalt industry has been ahead of the curve, already 

meeting the strictest of guidelines. When a plant earns 

a Trillium Award they are recognized as being the best 

of the best. 

Since 2002, 55 plants have earned the Trillium Award 

and 35 have been recertified. Trillium Award status 

is granted for a three year period at which time the 

plant must apply again for recertification. 

The nine 

Trillium Award 

winning plants 

are: 

Every applicant for the award must comply with 

over 100 specific standards and supply supporting 

documentation that includes photographs and a short 

video. The applicants then go through a rigorous 

assessment process in seven categories: 

· Appearance 

· Operations 

· Environmental 

· Safety 

· Permitting and Compliance 

· Community Relations 

· Industry Participation 


Accepting the Trillium Award on behalf of their 

companies are (from left to right): Jon Stadig, 

Glenn Ferguson, Justin Baxter, Ben Dopson, 

Amma Wakefield, Murray Ritchie, Karlo Jorgensen, 

Jeremy Dunn, George Brown, Glenn Martin. 

AECON CONSTRUCTION 

& MATERIALS LTD. 

Brampton Asphalt Plant 

Orangeville Asphalt Plant 

Goderich Asphalt Plant 

G. TACKABERRY & SONS 

CONSTRUCTION CO. LTD. 

Tackaberry Asphalt Plant 

MILLER GROUP 

Lavis Contracting Co. Limited – 

Holmesville Plant 

Mill-Am Asphalt Plant 

The Murray Group – Murphy Plant 

The Murray Group – 

Bowman Pit, Elora Plant 

Smith Construction – 

Turcotte Pit Asphalt Plant 

Ben Dopson, Propertry/Environmental Coordinator 

for Tackaberry, says the Trillium Award means a lot 

to his company and indicates hard work is paying 

off. “G. Tackaberry & Sons Construction Co. Ltd. is 

honoured to have been awarded with OHMPA’s 2013 

Trillium Award,” says Dopson in an official statement. 

“The implementation of the latest industry technology 

at Tackaberry’s new Gencor batch plant has improved 

efficiency and aided in maintaining a strong relationship 

with the local community.” 

Speaking of behalf of the Miller Group, Vice President 

Ryan Essex says the Trillium Award sets a high standard 

for the industry and is something his group is proud to 

receive. “It’s a goal to reach the Trillium status. We see 

it as the premier level you can reach because it is voted 

upon by your industry peers,” says Essex. “In our group, 

each of our managers strives to hit that status. The fact 

that we have a number of them is important to the 

company.” 

Essex adds that the recertifications are just as important 

because it shows continued good work. Miller received 

four Recertification Trillium Awards effective through 

to 2016. They are: 

· Miller Group: E.C. King — Sydenham Plant 

· Miller Group — New Liskeard Asphalt Plant 

· Miller Group — Port Colborne Asphalt Plant 

· Miller Group — Whitby Asphalt Plant 

Steve Pecar is a Mississauga-based writer, 

editor and designer. 


AWARDS 

From left to right: John Blake (Immediate ORBA Past President), 

Tom O’Callaghan (Fowler), Deputy Minister of Transportation Carol Layton, 

Gilles Truchon (Fowler), Tim Fawcett (Fowler), John McBride (Fowler). 

Colin Burpee (left) and Lyle Moran 

Paver of the Year Award 

The Ontario Road Builders Association (ORBA) 

recently announced the Paver of the Year Award 

which is presented annually by the Ontario Ministry 

of Transportation. The award recognizes excellence 

in hot mix paving on a project completed in the 

award year. Projects are judged on criteria such 

as smoothness, night paving, competition, 

workmanship and mix quality, among others. 

For 2013, the honour goes to Fowler Construction 

Company Ltd. for its project on Highway 60 in 

Algonquin Park. Other finalists in this category were 

Aecon Materials, Miller Group, and Pioneer Construction. 

Tim Fawcett, Divisional Manager of Fowler Construction, 

reacted with great pride upon hearing the news which 

he had received just a short time before speaking to 

Asphaltopics. “This is great; we were really pleased 

to hear this,” Fowler said. “Highway 60 was a great 

project for us and a lot of people deserve the credit 

for a job that was well done.” 

Dr. Norman McLeod Award 

For 2013, OHMPA presented the Dr. Norman McLeod 

Award for Innovation in Road Building. The purpose 

of this award is to celebrate and recognize the pursuit 

of innovation in the hot mix asphalt industry. 

The winner of the award, Lyle Moran, Asphalt Team Leader 

for Imperial Oil Sarnia Research Centre, was honoured for 

his more than three decades of dedication to the industry 

which, through his commitment to the science of asphalt 

research, led to industry breakthroughs as recognized 

by 12 patents. Recently retired, Moran spent most of his 

career in asphalt research and development and technical 

marketing services. 

It’s an understatement to say that asphalt has played 

a significant part of Moran’s life and he has grown to 

appreciate so many aspects of it. “The beauty of asphalt 

research is that you are involved with the whole gamut, 

from the crude coming out of the ground, to the customer 

in the field,” he recently commented. “So we are studying 

both product and process development.” 

Moran’s impact on the asphalt industry in North America 

has been significant and will be long lasting. 


RECOGNIZE OUTSTANDING 

ACHIEVEMENT 

Mark Cosby (left) and Colin Burpee Colin Burpee with Dr. Susan Tighe Colin Burpee with Sandy Brown (right) 

Bleeds Black Award 

The year 2013 marked the inaugural presentation 

of OHMPA’s Bleeds Black Award. Recipients are 

those individuals chosen for their commitment 

and passion to the continual improvement of 

asphalt, one that makes it the pavement 

of choice in Ontario. 

The name of the award stems from a comment 

made by Tim Fawcett of Fowler Construction 

Company Ltd. who once said that a colleague’s 

passion and commitment to asphalt is so great 

that when cut, he “bleeds black.” 

There were three inaugural recipients of this award: 

· MARK COSBY, Foreman, Vineland Asphalt 

Plant, Walker Aggregates 

· Dr. SUSAN TIGHE, Professor and Canada 

Research Chair, Norman W. McLeod Professor 

in Sustainable Pavement Engineering, 

Director of CPATT, University of Waterloo 

· SANDY BROWN, Technical Director, OHMPA, 

and Canadian Regional Engineer for the 

Asphalt Institute. 

Mark Cosby has been working in the asphalt pavement 

industry for more than 25 years. His vast experience and 

knowledge of asphalt make him an extraordinary operating 

foreman. He is continually looking for improvements in asphalt 

production to make the process more efficient, environmentally 

friendly, and cost effective, all while maintaining high quality. 

Cosby has also shown a great talent for training new employees 

and his expertise is being passed along to those whose talents 

he has greatly helped to foster. 

Dr. Susan Tighe says she was thoroughly shocked when her 

name was called during the award presentations. “It caught 

me off guard, but I am very honoured,” says Dr. Tighe. She 

says she enjoys interacting with those in the industry and takes 

great pride knowing that many of her students have gone on 

to be leaders in the industry. Dr. Tighe says she tries to mentor 

students and attract good people to the field. She believes 

this is necessary as the industry needs to recruit qualified 

people into the industry, ones who can follow in the 

footsteps of current leaders. 

Sandy Brown, too, was also caught off guard by the honour, 

but appreciates the recognition. “This is the type of industry 

where you learn a lot and I like to learn,” Brown says. “It’s very 

nice to get an award for doing something that you love and 

be honoured by those people who you really respect.” 


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MTO spending outlook brings 

opportunities and challenges 


Canada’s aging infrastructure has prompted the need 

for more effort on bridge rehabilitation and replacement 

right across the country. In Ontario, the Ministry of 

Transportation (MTO) has been in dialogue with industry 

stakeholders to prepare contractors for the upcoming 

opportunities and challenges that will present themselves 

in road construction in the next five years. A shifting 

dynamic within road construction will require ingenuity, 

diversification and new partnerships, particularly among 

paving companies whose core business has been in the 

construction and rehabilitation of provincial highways. 

An MTO presentation at the Ontario Road Builders 

Association (ORBA) Convention in February, 2014, 

provided a budget update and outlined the geographic 

distribution of projects and tender profiles for 2013/14. 

The current construction budget is down slightly to 

$2.2 billion, from $2.4 billion the year before, with 

31 per cent of the budget slated for the central region. 

Minor highway projects awarded have dropped from 

315 valued at $138 million in 2012/13 to 253 in 2013/14, 

at a value of $98 million. 

In 2014, MTO has planned for 82 bridge rehabilitation 

projects, with a forecasted 142 projects for 2015. In 

subsequent years, to 2018, anticipated bridge rehabilitation 

projects fluctuate from 115 to 125 per year. These figures 

do not represent bridges that are included in pavement 

rehabilitation projects or expansion projects. Nor do they 

include structural culverts greater than three metres. 

While there is clearly a greater emphasis on bridge work 

in coming years, increases in this sector don’t necessarily 

mean significant decreases in the amount of paving work 

that will be available. “Over the last several years, we’ve 

seen an upward trend in spending,” says Shael Gwartz, 

Director, Investment Strategies Branch, MTO. “The 

increase in the rehabilitation of bridges began about four 

years ago, but we’re going to see a significant increase 

in the next five years. This work will not be at the expense 

of paving projects. I don’t foresee a significant change 

in pavement work in the future, based on what the 

budget is today.” 

Alterations to tender packages and the combination 

of bridge and road projects may skew project profiles, 

making it difficult to categorize contracts and make 

comparisons between paving jobs and bridgework. 

“Last year, we put out 300 to 400 contracts, but I don’t 

know, off hand, how much of that is just for paving,” 

Gwartz says. “We have a mixture of the two. The contracts 

we plan on tendering today may change due to many 

factors, and then the upcoming budget can always 

change our plan. It’s a bit of a moving target.” 

Pairing road paving jobs with bridgework means that local 

traffic is disturbed only once, and combination projects 

are more efficient in delivering shorter construction times 

and pooled resources. Road construction, however, has 

historically been divided into specialized groups that 

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Even if bridge paving jobs are sub-contracted out 

to road paving companies, the projects are relatively 

small, requiring less than 1,000 tonnes of paving, compared 

to between 15,000 and 30,000 tonnes of paving for 

the average road job. The higher cost of new bridge 

construction and rehabilitation compared to roadwork 

also has paving contractors concerned that the current 

level of investment in road infrastructure can’t be 

maintained. Greater competition for fewer jobs could 

drive down prices, which would reduce the profitability 

of awarded contracts. 

“Contractors don’t scale up and down at the flip of a 

switch,” says Regan Cox, President of Cox Construction 

Limited in Guelph. “We invested to make sure that there 

was capacity and some of us have 50 per cent or more 

of our work going exclusively to the ministry. We’re 

cognizant of the fact that a lot of our bridges are reaching 

their 50- and 60-year life spans, but we also have more 

registered cars in the province than 50 years ago. Also, 

this winter is wreaking havoc on our roads, but our current 

funding isn’t going to be able to keep up the asset.” 

The province’s investment in municipal transit 

developments, coupled with awarding contracts 

to off-shore companies, further dilutes the funding 

available for shave and pave type projects. The City of 

Ottawa’s light rail transit (LRT) system, Waterloo Region’s 

rapid transit project and the extension of the TTC subway 

line to York University and Vaughan have all received 

funding, and the Metrolinx initiative, including The Big 

Move project, continues to be a priority for the province. 

LRT expansions, however, require the expertise of bridge 

builders, which may create a shortfall in the workforce 

needed for bridge rehabilitation projects. 

“Approximately $500 million of the MTO’s budget this 

year went to Alternative Financing and Procurement 

(AFP) projects, and eventually those payments can 

eat into the whole infrastructure budget,” says Geoff 

Wilkinson, Executive Director at ORBA. “We have a lot 

of LRT projects planned and on the go, which is also a 

consideration, because it puts a strain on the capacity 

of bridge construction companies when coupled with 

this increase demand for bridge rehabilitation. MTO 

is aware of this capacity issue and, hopefully, will take 

this into account in designing their plans.” 

The MTO has tried to shift tendering to the fall and 

winter so that contractors can spread out their work 

over the construction season, and not have to scramble 

to complete projects in the fall. While the year’s early 

tenders, from January to March, are on par with last 

year’s figures, this spring’s provincial budget will help 

contractors plan for the rest of 2014 and beyond. 

Partnerships between paving and bridge contractors, 

the diversification of core business, and the dissemination 

of larger projects into collaborations among smaller 

contractors, will help paving operators to weather 

a manageable level of budget constraint in the next 

few years. 

“MTO’s capital budget has grown from $750 million 

to $2.2 billion in 10 years, which is unheard of in other 

jurisdictions south of the border,” Gwartz says. “We’ve 

been able to convey to the province of Ontario the 

importance of our bridges and roads to the economy 

and we’re striving to reach our performance targets 

by tendering all types of projects.” 


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Warm mix 

comes of age 

by Steve Pecar 

The success of a 56,000 tonne 

warm mix project in Algonquin 

Park could be the turning point 

in ushering in the technology 

on a broader basis throughout 

Ontario. 

The project, a 24-km stretch along Highway 60, was 

completed in the fall of 2013 and has already earned 

Fowler Construction accolades throughout the paving 

world. However, it is the scope of the project, one of the 

largest by warm mix asphalt (WMA) standards in Ontario, 

which has industry observers taking notice. With a project 

of this size producing solid results, all stakeholders are 

looking at the prospect of increased use of warm mix 

on future road paving sites. 

Tim Fawcett, Divisional Manager of Fowler Construction 

Company Ltd., believes the use of WMA has progressed 

to the point where all levels of governments should be 

pleased and that the next steps to broader use can be 

taken. He points out that when the Ontario Ministry of 

Transportation (MTO) first started calling for warm mix 

jobs, they were just small test sections, no larger than 

3,000 tonnes. “They wanted to see proof that it worked, 

what the fuel savings and environmental impact were, 

and all for good reason,” he says. 

Now, with the projects getting larger and with answers 

to many of these questions, Fawcett says it shows WMA 

works. The MTO has taken out some former requirements 

and recognizes it as a proven technology that is used 

throughout the world. “It’s been acknowledged that 

we can produce these new technologies and do so 

successfully,” Fawcett says. “We know that we can 

produce at the top of our game and give the MTO 

what they are looking for with no issues.” 

Getting the MTO’s blessing on WMA is important 

say many from within the industry. While lower tier 

jurisdictions set their own mandates and have their 

own jobs to contract out, most look to Queen’s Park 

for its expertise and direction. Seyed Tabib, Senior 


Tabib says that after several years of building up the 

trials, the side-by-side comparison of warm to hot mix 

has been very good, if not better, in some areas, which 

is pushing its growth. Tabib adds that since WMA projects 

commenced in 2008, about 500,000 tonnes have been 

used on provincial highways. However, for 2014 alone, 

almost that entire amount — 400,000 tonnes — has 

been proposed for projects. 

Bituminous Engineer, Bituminous Section, MTO, says 

warm mix is a good initiative that is proving to be a winwin 

scenario for both the province and asphalt cement 

industry. “It saves fuel, produces lower emissions, and 

provides a safer work environment,” says Tabib, adding 

that public perception of construction sites is changing. 

Tabib also points out that 2014 is likely the last year 

the MTO will mandate warm mix on selected contracts. 

The province changed their specification in 2012 to allow 

contractors to use warm mix technology on any hot mix 

project. “MTO specification is permissive,” he says. 

“If the contractors want to use 100 per cent warm 

mix, it is allowed.” 

Virgil Gazzolla of Gazzolla Paving Ltd. believes the 

time is now for WMA and agrees that the testing and 

monitoring periods have shown that it is a technology ›› 

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that is continually proven successful. 

“Why wait?” asks Gazzolla. “It works. 

It’s safe. It’s a better technology. We 

should be moving ahead with this.” 

Mike McLean of McAsphalt Industries 

Limited believes the Highway 60 

project is a good indicator of things 

to come and points to awards won by 

Fowler Construction for the paving 

job. McLean says warm mix is a 

process revolutionizing the paving 

business. He is quick to point out, 

though, that hot mix is still very much 

in the picture and that both processes 

should continue to thrive. 

McLean says the hurdle that has to 

be jumped for warm mix is the cost. 

He says the higher costs involved can 

make it prohibitive for some firms and 

if they are allowed to choose, they 

may go with the less expensive hot 

mix methods. McLean adds that the 

industry has been working with both 

local and provincial governments to 

put warm mix in their specifications to 

level the playing field. Lanark County, 

for instance, has made a commitment 

to warm mix even though it may have 

to leave room for the higher price 

from contractors to do so. “But they 

are happy with the results they are 

getting and are willing to pay a little 

more,” says McLean. ›› 

There are various technologies that are used in producing 

WMA and the process is ever-evolving. As such, the techniques 

used on projects throughout Ontario can vary on a company-bycompany 

and even a job-by-job basis based on needs and the 

technology the contractor is familiar with or has chosen to use. 

That being said, there are four general technologies used in warm 

mix today and several components of each additive: 

1. Organic additives – Sasobit, SonneWarmix, Asphaltan-B, 

and Licomont BS-100. 

2. Chemical additives – Evotherm, Resiset WMX, Cecabase RT 

3. Water-bearing additives – Aspha-min, Advera WMA 

4. Water-based processes – Double Barrel Green (Astec), 

Green Machine (Gencor), LEA (McConnaughay), WAM Foam 

For their large project on Highway 60 in Algonquin Park last year, 

Fowler Construction used PG 58-34 asphalt cement with Evotherm 3G 

warm mix additive, and an anti-stripping additive. There was also 15 

per cent reclaimed asphalt pavement used in the mix. 

Tim Fawcett of Fowler Construction believes the technology used was 

made to order for such a large project and the positive results can be seen 

in the finished work. “Everyone involved was satisfied,” he says. “The crew 

found it very easy to work with — there were no problems whatsoever.” 

Fawcett says he was pleased with the compaction results and that it 

worked well in colder weather, specifically during October temperatures. 

There were no complaints of fumes or odours. Further, he says, the warm 

mix held up to transportation necessities with loads travelling 53 km from 

the Huntsville asphalt plant to Algonquin. 

With 13 million tonnes of asphalt used across Ontario for all purposes last 

year, Sandy Brown, Technical Director of the Ontario Hot Mix Producers 

Association, says there is plenty of room to increase warm mix use. Brown 

says WMA benefits can be measured. Better workability and compaction, 

late season paving ability, reduced fuel usage, reduced plant emissions, 

the reduction of green house gases, increased use of reclaimed asphalt 

pavement and improved conditions for workers are all benefits to WMA use. 



With the price of the additives and the possibility of plant 

retrofits to accommodate the warm mix process, MTO 

admits there are higher costs involved with WMA, but for 

now will let contractors decide the extent of its use unless 

otherwise specified. Ultimately, the key for MTO is to 

ensure the best practices are in place to make sure roads 

are safe, environmentally friendly, soundly constructed, 

long lasting, and created without major disruptions to 

drivers — all at a price beneficial to taxpayers. 

“We have to look after everyone’s best interest,” says 

Pamela Marks, Head, Bituminous Section, MTO. Marks 

says the Ministry has to weigh all of the factors in 

determining the future of warm mix. And while positive 

results have been reported in all sectors, MTO is not 

going to force the use of the technology. 

“We are allowing it to be a tool in a contractor’s tool box, 

something they can use to help them in their process,” 

says Marks, adding that the technology is evolving and 

MTO has to look at all aspects that may benefit the 

infrastructure of the province. 

OHMPA’s 

40 th Anniversary 

Annual General Meeting 

Westin Trillium House 

Blue Mountain, Collingwood 

March 26 th 

Reception, President’s Dinner and Auction 

for Asphalt Research & Advocacy 

March 27 th – AGM 

To download the registration brochure for full details, 

go to OHMPA’s website www.ohmpa.org 


TECHNICALLY 

SPEAKING 

by Sandy Brown 

OHMPA Technical Director 

Potholes – fact and fiction 

Thanks to the polar vortex, pothole season arrived a little 

early this year. As a result, this winter there has been a lot 

of talk in the media about potholes and whether there 

could be a cure for what ails the roadways. 

The reality is that there is no panacea for potholes. 

Potholes typically occur five to seven years after the 

road is paved and are the result of water that gets into 

the pavement. When the ground freezes, so does the water, 

causing expansion. Repeated freezing and thawing of the 

water in the pavement structure weakens the surfacing to 

the point where the weight of passing vehicles begins 

to break up the pavement matrix and a pothole is born. 

The key to pothole prevention is to build a durable 

road with good drainage, adequate pavement thickness, 

and tight longitudinal joints. You also need to properly 

maintain the road by sealing the cracks and the longitudinal 

joints. If water doesn’t get to the pavement in the 

first place, the pothole problem is resolved. 

There has also been a lot of talk about the quality of the 

asphalt cement in Ontario with references in the media to 

“garbage asphalt”. Nothing could be further from the truth. 

All asphalt cement used by Ontario municipalities meets 

OPSS.MUNI 1101 specifications and this specification is 

under constant development. MTO and industry formed 

a Binder Task Group in 2006 to look at improving the 

performance of asphalt cement used in Ontario. Initially 

the group looked at low temperature performance, but 

the scope has broadened to include other aspects. 

The municipal specification is revised regularly and the 

latest revision, issued in November of 2013, is based on 

work by the Task Group. The specification incorporates 

two new test procedures. The first limits the use of 

polyphosphoric acid (PPA) and the second limits the use 

Re-refined Heavy Vacuum Distillate Oil (RHVDO) residue. 

However, there is no municipal specification in Ontario 

for the use of polymers, and in particular elastomeric 

polymers, in asphalt cement. Polymer modification 

was introduced in North America in the 1970s, but it 

wasn’t until we started to specify asphalt cement using 

Superpave Performance Grading (PGAC) in the late 

1990s that polymer use became more prevalent. PGAC 

grading requires the asphalt cement to perform over 

a wider range of temperature reflecting different traffic 

and environmental conditions. 

There is no “new asphalt” as has been referenced in the 

media. Higher performance asphalt cements have been 

available in Ontario for municipal use since the adoption 

of the Superpave specification, but they are seldom asked 

for because there is an increase in cost. These materials 

are available and specified in OPSS.MUNI 1101 under 

what is called grade bumping. While typically only used 

on higher traffic roads, products such as PGAC 70-28 have 

been available for over 10 years and can be specified on 

any project. 

The MTO and Industry Binder Task Group have been 

studying new test procedures for asphalt cement for the 

last seven years. Two different test procedures have been 

reviewed: The Double Edge Notched Tension (DENT) 

test (using equipment originally introduced in 1910), and 

a newer procedure developed in the United States called ›› 

CONTINUES ON PAGE 36 


Crushing and fractionation of a bulk excavation RAP pile 

Quality control measures 

optimize RAP use in HMA 


Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement (RAP) is a proven high 

quality product, yet many municipalities are still not 

allowing its use in the construction and rehabilitation 

of roads within their jurisdictions. 

While paving contractors are responsible for ensuring 

quality control in the management of RAP stockpiles, 

as well as the mix design of hot mix asphalt (HMA) with 

RAP, the onus of quality assurance rests with the owner 

of a project. Some municipalities that don’t have a quality 

assurance program in place or who don’t want to incur 

the cost of testing are rejecting RAP altogether. Others 

still see RAP as a recycled material that is inherently 

inferior. Increased awareness about the benefits of RAP 

and a higher level of confidence about its performance 

is needed to dispel biases and convince all municipalities 

to accept RAP in their pavements. 

“Ontario Provincial Standards (OPS) have the same 

technical requirements for provincial and municipal 

roads,” says Stephen Senior, Head, Soils and Aggregates 

Section, Materials Engineering and Research Office at the 

Ministry of Transportation (MTO). “The big difference is 

in administration. MTO performs tests to ensure quality 

assurance, but municipalities may not have the resources to 

test. They have to rely on the quality control of contractors.” 

RAP has been used in pavements since the 1970s, and 

by 1986, 45 per cent of MTO’s annual placement of hot 

mix contained RAP. In 2009, the Ministry updated its OPS 

recycling policy to allow up to 20 per cent RAP in surface 

course mixes and 40 per cent RAP in binder course 

mixes, up from 15 per cent and 30 per cent respectively. 

Recycled aggregates from the RAP have been previously 

tested and evaluated, and are considered to be high value 

materials ideal for provincial roads and King’s highways. 

Aggregates to be used for high performance surface 

layers, where there is a high friction demand, must 

come from designated sources. “We’d like to see these 

aggregates milled from the surface course going back 

into the new surface,” Senior says. “These aggregates 


Four RAP bins 

In many cases, 

RAP is much more 

consistent than virgin 

aggregates coming 

from quarries. 

are coming from quarries in eastern and northern Ontario and have very good 

resistance to polishing. The 400 series highways have premium pavements with 

higher value aggregates that have excellent frictional properties. That makes 

them ideal for highways with heavy traffic and higher speeds.” 

Hot mix plants that accept RAP into their yards follow strict quality control 

practices to ensure that RAP supplies are free from contaminants. Operators 

know where the milled asphalt is coming from, be it a parking lot, municipal 

road or series 400 highway. Any questionable material is placed in a 

separate pile. At Capital Paving, for example, samples are taken daily during 

RAP production and are tested for asphalt cement content and aggregate 

gradation. RAP materials are fractionated or separated into dedicated piles of 

course and fine material. Fractionation further enhances the consistency of RAP. 

“I’ve been involved in processing RAP for 20 years and it’s always been very 

consistent,” says Mark Latyn, Quality Control Manager for Capital Paving Inc. 

“We take samples every day and test the grade of the material. Fractionating 

the RAP helps to minimize the segregation that often occurs in variable sized 

aggregate stockpiles.” ›› 


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Processed and fractionated RAP stockpiles 

RAP supplies remain in the region where reclaimed asphalt is milled, which 

furthers the predictability about the characteristics of the stockpile. “Because 

RAP comes from within a limited geographic area, we see the same materials 

from year to year,” says Fernando Magisano, Vice President of Technical 

Services for K.J. Beamish Construction Co. Ltd. “For four years running, we 

studied our stockpiles in Holt (York Region), Midland, Barrie and Orillia and 

found that the average grading was very consistent. In many cases, it’s much 

more consistent than virgin aggregates coming from quarries.” 

More sustainable road construction using RAP has enormous environmental 

benefits: it saves on dwindling aggregate supplies; recycles non-renewable 

petrochemical resources; diverts reclaimed asphalt from landfills; and 

contributes to provincial and municipal recycling initiatives. While many 

municipalities are accepting RAP in binder courses, some are still stipulating 

the use of all virgin material in surface layers. Usage varies from jurisdiction 

to jurisdiction, with some not allowing 

the use of any RAP in the surface or 

the binder. While the pending Bill 56, 

the Aggregate Recycling Promotion 

Act, would help make the usage of 

RAP more mainstream, municipalities 

need more information and assurances 

about RAP to make better informed 

decisions. 

“When it comes to using RAP, there 

is an inherent conservatism by some 

municipalities, but people need to 

be open-minded about looking at 

it,” says Dr. Susan Tighe, Director 

of Centre for Pavement and Transportation 

Technology at the University 

of Waterloo. “If you follow the specs 

and do the testing, then you end up 

with a very high quality mix. Most 

companies are using RAP; it provides 

cost savings and is much better for 

the environment.” 



the Percent Recovery portion of the Multiple Stress Creep 

Recovery (MSCR) procedure (using equipment introduced 

in the early 1990s). Based on research carried out both 

here in Ontario and in the United States, the newer 

MSCR Percent Recovery test is a much more reliable 

and accurate testing procedure. 

These tests help to determine if elastomeric polymers 

have been used in the formulation of modified asphalt 

cement. Both tests are being evaluated on 33 contracts 

in an industry/MTO partnership, testing asphalt cement 

 

 

 

 

 

√ Bulk Lubricant Dispensing 

√ Fluid Inventory Control & Management 

√ Workbench Tanks 

√ Oil & Grease Pumps 

√ Control Valves & Dispensing Meters 

√ Hose Reels 

grades ranging from PGAC 52-40 to PGAC 70-34 

all across Ontario. These test sections are full MTO 

reconstruction projects, not just trials. The field work 

for these projects started in 2010. Now that some of 

the contracts are three years old, field inspection of 

pavements will be starting. The objective is to look at 

the performance over seven to eight years of the initial 

pavement life. The monitoring of all the trial sections 

will be completed in about five years. 

While field performance hasn’t been evaluated yet, 

there have been some interesting 

conclusions from the laboratory 

testing carried out to date. The 

conclusion seems to be that it 

doesn’t matter which of the additional 

procedures (MSCR or DENT) you 

specify for acceptance — when you 

ask for one value, you also get the 

other. Given that finding, in 2012 MTO 

adopted a new specification that 

includes the MCSR Percent Recovery 

for all their projects. 

In the meantime, if municipalities 

wish to modify their specifications, 

any asphalt cement supplier in Ontario 

can and will supply material to local 

contractors that meets MTO’s Percent 

Recovery criteria under MSCR for 

modified grades (any grades other 

than PG 58-28 or PG 52-34 which 

are considered unmodified grades 

for lower service pavements). It may 

cost a bit more and the performance 

advantage hasn’t been fully 

determined yet, but the industry is 

ready and has been supplying material 

meeting that specification for three 

or four years. 

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Finally, one modifier that may be 

used in some grades of asphalt 

cement is derived from recycled 

and re-refined engine oil. Known as 

Re-refined Heavy Vacuum Distillate 

Oil residue (RHVDO), this product 

comes from a refinery where engine 

oil for your car is recycled. This not 

the sludge collected from the local 

garage, but rather a processed 

material that meets engineering 

and environmental guidelines. 

Using recycled and refined engine 

oil residue is a sound environmental 

practice instead of burning or 


landfilling the material. The controlled use of RHVDO 

residue in asphalt cement not only improves the low 

temperature properties according to papers presented 

at the Canadian Technical Asphalt Association (CTAA) in 

the last two years, it also fits with MTO’s initiatives to have 

the greenest roads in North America. This material is not 

added indiscriminately as has been suggested. The use 

of this material is controlled by the test procedures 

adopted in the recent revision of OPSS.MUNI 1101. 

Industry and MTO both agree that there is a continual 

need for better performing roads and for improved tests 

to evaluate asphalt cement. That is what OHMPA and 

the industry are striving for by partnering with MTO and 

conducting trials. However, the asphalt cement plays 

a very small part in the development of potholes which 

seems to be the biggest cause for concern whenever 

we have one of these harsh winters. 

Book 

7 

Ontario 

Traffic 

Manual 

January 2014 

Temporary Conditions 

MTO releases 

updated Book 7 

The Ministry of Transportation 

(MTO) has released the final version 

of the newly updated Ontario 

Traffic Manual Book 7 – Temporary 

Conditions for 2014. 

The new Book 7 was posted on 

MTO’s website at the end of 

January. Print copies will be 

available starting April 1st. 

Along with the release, MTO made 

available a Summary of Changes 

document to conduct a gap 

analysis between the old and 

new versions of Book 7. 

Sections 5 and 6 of the manual 

contain MTO specifications for 

devices and procedures which 

are contractually mandatory 

on MTO highways. 

For further details, please 

contact Nadia Todorova at ORBA 

(nadia@orba.org) or 

(905) 507-1107 ext. 225. 

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ensure cost-effective strategies for all your 

infrastructure expansion and maintenance 

needs. Whether the job calls for new 

construction, rehabilitation or pavement 

preservation, our proven expertise and focus 

on green energy technologies are here to 

support your success. 

AME…AS INNOVATIVE AS THE ROAD IS LONG. 

CALEDON 

905 840 5914 

ame@amecorp.ca 

OTTAWA 

613 726 3039 

ame.ottawa@amecorp.com 


ENVIRONMENTAL 

ESSENTIALS 

by Corey Kinart 

Ministry releases new 

noise guildeline NPC-300 

On October 21, 2013, the Ontario Ministry of the 

Environment (MOE) released its new noise criteria 

guideline, Publication NPC-300, “Environmental Noise 

Guideline – Stationary and Transportation Noise 

Sources – Approval and Planning.” The creation 

of NPC-300 was motivated by the need to eliminate 

or reduce conflicts between the now superseded 

guidelines NPC-205, NPC-232, LU-131 and “Noise 

Assessment Criteria in Land Use Planning: 

Requirements, Procedures and Implementation.” 

NPC-205 and NPC-232 contained the noise criteria 

that the MOE used when assessing noise from stationary 

sources such as industries and commercial establishments 

in the context of granting Environmental Compliance 

Approvals. NPC-300 effectively harmonizes the four 

superseded guidelines, and has been issued for the 

dual purpose of Environmental Approval of stationary 

sources by the MOE and land use approvals by municipal 

authorities. For the most part, the changes introduced 

by the promulgation of NPC-300 are not a significant 

departure from the previous guidelines and in several 

aspects are less stringent than before. The changes 

of most relevance to hot mix asphalt producers are 

outlined below. 

Evening limit in Class 1 areas 

In general, NPC-300 has resolved the conflicts in sound 

level limits among the various superseded guidelines 

by relaxing the more stringent limit in cases where the 

previous limits were at odds. One of the most blatant 

discrepancies was that the exclusion limit during evening 

hours (19:00 to 23:00) for sound from stationary sources 

in a Class 1 (Urban) Environment was stipulated as 47 dBA 

in NPC-205, but 50 dBA in LU-131. NPC-300 has adopted 

the less stringent limit of 50 dBA for stationary sources 

in a Class 1 Environment during evening hours. 

Need to consider vacant lands 

One important change which may make the assessment 

of stationary sources more stringent is the need to 

consider hypothetical, potential points of reception on 

vacant lands that might permit sound-sensitive land uses 

in future. In the past, the MOE had required that Acoustic 

Assessments consider hypothetical points of reception 

only on undeveloped residentially zoned lands. 

NPC-300 explicitly requires that Acoustic Assessments 

consider potential points of reception on vacant lands 

with any zoning designation that allows a sound sensitive 

use. This could include institutional zones which could 

conceivably host schools, hospitals or places of worship, 

agricultural zones which often allow one dwelling per 

parcel, commercial zones which typically allow daycare 

facilities, and open space which often allow camping 

facilities. 

This change means that there are likely to be hypothetical 

points of reception closer to many stationary sources 

than the existing bona-fide points of reception which 


will now need to be considered in 

future Acoustic Assessments, and may 

result in non-compliance with NPC-300. 

Places of worship 

Places of worship located on commercially 

or industrially zoned lands are 

no longer considered sound-sensitive 

points of reception in NPC-300, which 

represents a relaxation compared to 

the old guidelines. 

Inclusion of rail traffic in determining 

background sound 

In certain circumstances, NPC-300 

allows sound from rail traffic to be 

included, in a limited manner, in the 

quantification of background sound, 

for the purposes of establishing the 

applicable sound level limits for 

stationary sources. This has the 

potential to relax the limits in some 

cases relative to the old guidelines, 

although there are special conditions 

restricting the cases in which the rail 

noise can be included. 

Exclusion of dwellings within the 

property of a stationary source 

The definition of noise sensitive land 

use in NPC-300 includes a provision 

stating “a land use that would normally 

be considered noise sensitive, such as 

a dwelling, but is located within the 

property boundaries of the stationary 

source is not considered a noise 

sensitive land use.” This applies to 

instances where a home, such as a 

caretaker’s or employee’s residence, 

is owned by an industry and located 

on the site of that industry. This 

provision does not preclude the need 

for self-impact assessment for onsite 

receptors at facilities such as schools 

and hospitals. 

Corey Kinart, P.Eng, is a senior engineer 

at HGC Engineering, a leading Canadian 

acoustical consulting engineering firm. 

He is a member of the OHMPA 

Environment Committee. 

HUTCHESON QUARRY 

 

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*Jim Walton - President and General Manager 

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Doug Whitelaw – Manager, Asphalt Division 

Doug@blackhawkcombustion.com 

www.blackhawkcombustion.com 


INDUSTRY 

NEWS 

OGRA/ROMA TRADESHOW IN TORONTO, FEBRUARY 23 rd TO 26 th 

OHMPA Technical Director Sandy Brown and City of Hamilton Director of Engineering Services and 

Public Works Gary Moore talk asphalt at the OHMPA booth at the ROMA/OGRA combined conference held 

at the Royal York Hotel in downtown Toronto, February 23 rd – 26 th . The OHMPA booth was a popular stop with 

conference delegates — it was located in the main corridor near the coffee station and visitors 

got to try their hand at a hole-in-one on OHMPA’s putting green. 

2013 FALL ASPHALT SEMINAR A SUCCESS 

OHMPA’s Fall Asphalt seminar, held at the Le Jardin Conference Centre 

in Woodbridge on December 11th, brought in a full house with nearly 

500 attendees. Highlights from the seminar included a presentation on 

the most recent RAP and warm mix asphalt studies from Dr. Richard Willis, 

lead researcher at the National Centre for Asphalt Technology at Auburn 

University, as well as Dr. Susan Tighe, Director of the Centre for Pavement 

and Transportation Technology at the University of Waterloo. This year, not 

only were the Trillium Awards presented, but also the Dr. Norman McLeod 

Award for Innovation in Road Building and OHMPA’s inaugural “Bleeds 

Black” award. All seminar presentations are available on OHMPA’s website. 

BARRIE RESIDENT WINS 

#ONGREATROADS CONTEST 

The Ontario Great Roads Contest started last summer as a photo challenge 

open to the public to submit photos of their favourite roads. Celebrating 

Ontario’s roads, the contest brought in over 50 submissions. The lucky 

winner, Gayle Bellemare of Barrie, won an iPad mini. Ms. Bellemare’s 

submission was chosen at random from the dozens of entries that came 

in through OHMPA’s Twitter and Facebook pages. She said that after 

entering the contest, she gained a new appreciation for asphalt roads as 

she took several photos on Highway 11 north to her family’s cottage. 

Stay tuned for more #ONGreatRoads contest opportunities this summer. 

Gayle Bellemar’s winning entry. 


D. CRUPI & SONS HELP KEEP RESIDENTS 

WARM DURING THE DECEMBER ICE STORM 

Treacherous roads, trees snapped like toothpicks and tens of thousands 

left in the dark and cold. This was the scene across much of the GTA and 

Ontario just days before Christmas after the big ice storm. Thanks to 

D. Crupi & Sons delivering their gas-powered generators to Scarborough’s 

Ward 35, four families were able to get the heat back on at home 

temporarily until hydro power was restored. 

Patrick Kesler, Senior Brand Strategist 

for Rizco Design, gives a Social Media 101 

lesson to start off the workshop. 

OHMPA SOCIAL MEDIA WORKSHOP 

GENERATES “FOLLOWERS” 

OHMPA’s Social Media Workshop, held on January 15 th at OSSGA, 

brought in social media experts Patrick Kesler of Rizco Design, 

a marketing firm partnered with the Asphalt Pavement Alliance 

(APA), and Mike Kvach, Executive Director of the APA, to teach 

the fundamentals of marketing your business with social media 

and why it is important to the asphalt industry. Abigail Wright Pereira 

also provided a rundown on “lessons learned” so far with OHMPA’s 

social media campaign and how members can benefit from OHMPA’s 

efforts. Stay tuned for a Social Media Workshop Part II later in the year. 

ASPHALT INSTITUTE RELEASES 

KEEP COOL WALLET CARD 

The Asphalt Institute has released a new Keep Cool wallet card 

which is designed to be carried with you while on a job where liquid 

asphalt is present. Six action items are outlined for on-scene first 

aid for asphalt burns. Further details are given for skin exposure 

and exposure to the eyes. The laminated cards are sturdy and 

measure 2.25” x 3.25”. Contact OHMPA for more information. 

OHMPA’s 

Road Tour 

APRIL 24 th 

GUELPH 

MAY 1 st 

SUDBURY 

APRIL 29 th 

KINGSTON 

MAY 6 th 

TORONTO 

STAY TUNED FOR MORE 

DETAILS TO COME. 


THE LAST WORD 

by Pamela Marks 

When I joined the Ministry of Transportation 30 years 

ago, I never imagined it would lead me into the complex 

world of asphalt, and the rich and diverse relationships 

that I have had the pleasure to make along the way. 

While not a stranger to the asphalt industry when 

I started working in 1997 with the Bituminous Section, 

I was definitely in a listening and learning mode. 

If there’s one thing I’ve learned since then, it’s that the 

world of asphalt is complex and constantly changing. 

I feel extremely fortunate to have had such a unique 

perspective on how our road building and designs have 

improved over the years. I believe that a significant factor 

in this improvement is the collaboration between industry 

and the MTO—continually innovating and implementing 

new standards to maintain excellence while providing 

high quality roads. 

As materials and technologies evolve, so does 

government. MTO strives to have the best people 

providing a safe, reliable and sustainable transportation 

system in Ontario. I could not be happier to see that 

we are to continue to deliver this vision through strong, 

collaborative relationships with our industry partners. 

I have had the pleasure of working with many people 

in the asphalt industry over the years. Attending 

committee meetings and task groups have shown me 

that while we do not always agree to start with, it is vital 

to keep working together as it is our industry and the 

taxpayers of Ontario that have been shown to benefit 

time and time again. I believe MTO and the asphalt 

industry both come out winners at the end of the day. 

I’ve enjoyed attending technical conferences and 

workshops held with the joint contributions of OHMPA, 

ORBA, OGRA and MTO. Ideas are discussed, debates 

arise, and productive conclusions are reached. These 

events have assisted in sharing valuable information 

throughout the industry and have positive impacts 

on the improvement of our industry as a whole. 

I am particularly excited about OHMPA’s upcoming 

Road Tour series and hope to see many of you there. 

I believe that these occasions have and will continue 

to be of great importance in developing a better 

working relationship between industry and the MTO. 

I have no doubt that by working together, we both gain 

a better understanding of the whole picture. Through 

this sometimes painstaking process, the greatest 

achievements are made in moving both our interests 

forward. This will ultimately lead to the development 

of more innovative ideas and uncover new avenues 

of progress for our industry to pursue. 

While we have made great strides in achieving our 

objectives, there will always be new challenges for us 

to work through together. Our industry has shown time 

and time again that we are capable of overcoming these 

issues by working as a collective unit to develop solutions. 

As the old saying goes, two heads are better than one. 

Based on the past, I expect the relationships to become 

stronger as we move forward together. You can rest 

assured that I will continue to listen. I believe that our 

greatest asset is having the opportunity to learn from 

each other. As we tackle old and new challenges, you 

can be assured that while MTO is paying my salary, I am 

acutely aware that we are a team and that if we do not 

work together, neither of us will prosper. 

Pamela Marks is the head of the Bituminous Section 

of the Ministry of Transportation. 


WE’VE 

MOVED! 

Canadian Asphalt Industries Inc. 

871 Equestrian Court, Unit 9 

Oakville, ON L6L 6L7 

Office (905) 465-0400 

Dispatch (877) 315-9811 

Fax (905) 465-0223

GOING 

THE 

EXTRA 

MILE 

From manufacturing to healthcare to education, roads are essential for providing 

access to the goods and services we need to ensure our quality of life. 

That’s why, at McAsphalt, we specialize in providing asphalt products that go 

the extra mile. For more than 40 years, we’ve been the industry’s leading asphalt 

experts. Our customers trust us to be a partner and advisor. To deliver on our 

promises, “on time and on spec.” To engineer innovative asphalt products for 

everyday use and extreme conditions. 

From technical support to training to R&D, we’re committed to delivering the 

asphalt products that keep Canada moving. 

Visit us at mcasphalt.com to find out what we can do for you.

ASPHALTopics | Spring 2014 | VOL 27 | NO 1

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