ASPHALTopics | Fall 2015 | VOL 28 | NO 3

FALL 2015 | VOL28 | NO3 

Asphalt Innovation | 10 

Celebrating 100 years 

HMA in Louisiana | 16 

Performance specifications 

VTAE demystified | 20

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: 407 West resurfacing, AECON. 

Photo courtesy of Donn Bernal. 

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 

Celebrating 100 years 

of asphalt innovation | 10 

Pushing for performance pays off 

in Louisiana | 16 

Taking the myth and mystery out of VTAE | 20 

All in the family: 

multi-generational businesses | 28 

Unsung Heroes | 32 

Meet Vince Aurilio... again | 34 

Technically Speaking | 36 

Environmental Essentials | 39 

Industry News | 40 

The Last Word | 42 

FALL 2015 3

PRESIDENTIAL 

POINTS 

by Steve Smith 

President, OHMPA 

Continual improvement matters too! 

As we roll into the fall once again, it’s hard to believe how 

quickly time flies. This year has been full of challenges 

for OHMPA, and I can tell you that we are tackling each 

and every one head on. From the challenges faced by 

the Quality of Asphalt Pavement Task Force and our 

other committees, to our own internal challenges here 

at OHMPA, we are now moving forward as efficiently 

and effectively as we can with the guiding principle of 

continual improvement. 

Over the recent past, it became necessary to make a 

change to our Executive Director’s position and I am 

very pleased to have Vince Aurilio re-join OHMPA as our 

new Executive Director after a lengthy “sabbatical”. Vince 

brings with him a wealth of experience in our industry 

coupled with strong credentials and an extensive resume. 

I truly look forward to working closely with Vince to move 

this association forward in the right direction. Vince is 

a valuable addition and has hit the ground running 

thanks to his wealth of experience in our industry. 

All our volunteers on our committees need to be 

commended for the tireless and sometimes unrewarding 

work that they do. Our committees are part of the 

backbone of this association and without the good 

work they do, continual improvement and the quest 

for excellence in asphalt pavements would not be 

achievable. Many thanks to all those involved, and 

I know our new Executive Director, Vince Aurilio, 

will be a valuable asset to all those committees. 

I wanted to take a few moments to outline the progress 

of one of our most challenging initiatives this year, and 

that is the formation of and the work that the Quality of 

Asphalt Pavement Task Force is doing. In my last column 

in the summer issue of Asphaltopics, I talked at length 

about the specific details of work that the committee 

had done so far, this being identifying and outlining 

the three major issues we believe can contribute to the 

premature cracking of asphalt pavements. The work on 

these issues is far from complete, and we are pleased to 

have very recently expanded our Task Force to include 

five municipal members with the gracious assistance from 

the Ontario Good Roads Association, and most likely one 

member from the Ministry of Transportation. We are very 

enthusiastic to have these additions to the Task Force. 

Now we can get down into the details of the problems 

municipalities and MTO are experiencing and develop 

practical and realistic solutions together, arm in arm, for 

the betterment of asphalt pavements and all stakeholders 

of our industry. We have a lot of work left to do and 

believe me, we are on it! 

As in any business and in daily life, there are always bumps 

along the way. It is no secret we have experienced some 

of those bumps this year at OHMPA and we have learned 

from them. We have reloaded and are going in the right 

direction, tackling any and all issues head on. We are 

poised to become stronger, more efficient and more 

effective every day. I am inspired about the direction 

of this association and look forward to continuing on 

with the good work that we do. Subsequent to the 

theme of my last column, not only does quality matter, 

but continual improvement does too! 

Steve Smith is the president of OHMPA for 2015 and Vice- 

President, Paving and Construction, for the Miller Group. 


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LETTERS 

FROM THE ED 

by Vince Aurilio 

Executive Director, OHMPA 

Back in black 

There’s an old and sometimes over used cliché that may 

be appropriate in my first Executive Director’s column: 

“You can’t know where you are going until you know 

where you have been.” As I reflect over the last number 

of years away from OHMPA and my earlier tenure with 

OHMPA as the technical director, some things have 

certainly changed. One thing that’s obvious is that 

we’re all a little older and hopefully wiser. 

However, from my perspective one belief remains 

the same – that our industry’s commitment to quality 

materials, production and the placement of hot mix 

asphalt must be resolute. In the 1999 summer issue 

of Asphaltopics I was asked: “What do you see as 

the key technical issue today?” I answered: 

“The construction of durable, long lasting hot mix 

asphalt pavements and that means, for the industry, 

continuous improvement in every facet of design, 

production and construction.” 

Over the last few years there has been a spotlight 

on the premature cracking of asphalt pavements. 

Questions are being asked by the owners and the 

OHMPA members alike as to why some of the 

pavements are failing in this manner, and rightly 

so. It appears that some have already made up 

their minds as to a single cause of the cracking. I think 

we have to keep an open mind and take a closer look 

at why we are having these problems. The cracking may 

be attributable to more than one “mechanism”. Making 

drastic specification changes can sometimes lead to 

unintended consequences, and in my opinion we all 

have to be careful with making changes without fully 

understanding why we are making them. 

Under the direction of Steve Smith and the current 

board, OHMPA has embarked on a drive to sort out 

these quality issues and tackle them head-on. The 

Quality of Asphalt Task Force is taking a comprehensive 

approach to understanding the nature of premature 

cracking and is working with the owners to resolve this 

matter. The work that’s being done will allow us (all 

the stakeholders) an opportunity to make meaningful 

changes to specifications to ensure we build quality 

asphalt pavements. 

At this time, I’d like to say that it’s an honour for 

me to return to OHMPA. I’m back baby! On a more 

serious note, I’m sincerely looking forward to whatever 

challenges this new role brings and to working with 

everyone in the asphalt road-building community. 


30 Years

MARCOM 

MATTERS 

by Abigail Wright Pereira 

Marketing and Communications Director, OHMPA 

A change would do you good… 

Heading into the office one crisp September morning, 

with the morning condensation still clinging to my 

windshield, the song “A Change Would Do You Good” 

by Sheryl Crow came on the radio. Throughout the day 

the song ran on a loop in my head. On the drive home it 

dawned on me that this song is apropos for the season, 

for me as I return from maternity leave, and for OHMPA 

as we embark on an exciting year with new leadership. 

A lot of great work has been accomplished in the 

past year thanks in part to the efforts of my colleague 

Donovan Woods, who covered for me during my leave. 

New features are being added to OHMPA’s website 

including webinar videos that showcase highlights of 

events and presentations. Additionally, a careers page 

has been developed for construction and technology 

students to post their resumes for member companies 

to view. Adding new features such as these to OHMPA’s 

website have consistently increased viewership of 

www.ohmpa.org. From 2013 to 2014, OHMPA’s website 

viewership went up by nearly 5,000 page views (the 

number of pages looked at), from 76,442 to 81,310 

pages views. That is a step in the right direction. 

for 2016, we want to continue in the right direction 

and find out from our members what changes they 

would like to see that would bring them more value 

and better engage them with the association. Therefore, 

a member survey will be coming soon and we need to 

hear from you. 

We hope that five minutes spent on completing the 

survey will result in better events, educational resources, 

marketing, communications and overall value for your 

membership. Of course we want to give you a little extra 

incentive for your time, and so survey participants will 

be entered into a draw. One lucky winner will receive 

a $100 Shell gas card and free registration to the 2016 

Fall Asphalt Seminar. 

To reiterate Steve Smith in his Presidential Points column, 

continual improvement matters not only for pavements 

but also for the association. So help us on the path of 

continual improvement and when you receive the survey 

this fall, please let us know what changes “would do 

you good”. 

Back in 2013, a comprehensive membership survey 

was completed to serve as a benchmark for OHMPA 

membership, events, and educational, marketing and 

communications initiatives. As we begin planning 


Since the introduction of asphalt 

paving to Toronto streets in the 

late nineteenth century, the asphalt 

industry has experienced exponential 

growth and continues to be crucial 

in shaping the social and cultural 

fabric of the province, as well as 

its economic prosperity. Several 

advances in the last century have 

led to significant milestones that are 

worthy of celebration, including new 

technologies, better specifications, 

innovations that promote environmental 

sustainability and best 

practices for improved efficiency. 

proven material that is versatile, cost-effective, 

safe and long-lasting, asphalt pavements make 

up 95 per cent of Ontario’s roads. Ongoing 

research will foster the development of new 

leading edge materials, equipment and 

processes – innovations that will further enhance the 

quality of Ontario’s roadways and improve driver 

mobility for generations to come. 

Historically, the creation of roads in Upper Canada 

was important to early settlers, but received little 

attention by government who injected time and 

money in the development of waterways, and then 

railways, as transportation systems that would best 

serve the fur and timber markets. In his book, Keep 

Ontario Moving: The History of Roads and Road Building 

in Ontario, Robert Bradford details the ingenuity and trial 

and error efforts of early settlers to cut a swath through 

Ontario’s wilderness. Motley crews of settlers, convicts 

and sometimes military personnel patched together roads 

to support local traffic. However, with no government 

bodies to take responsibility for the construction and 

maintenance of roadways, the routes often fell to ruin, 

or were impassable certain times of the year. ››

of asphalt 

innovation 

by Lisa Fattori 

Warm mix asphalt, Highway 60, 

Algonquin Park. (Fowler Construction) 


Paving before self-propelled pavers were invented. 

Road building as a sporadic necessity gave way to the 

purposeful development of a strategic inland network 

of transportation routes, connecting communities and 

fostering the continued growth of trade and commerce. 

The advent of the automobile pushed road construction 

to the forefront of priorities and, by the end of the 

Second World War, federal governments in both 

Canada and the U.S. were calling for a road system 

that would connect people from sea to sea. The 1950s 

saw the development of the Trans-Canada Highway and 

the interstate highway construction program in the U.S., 

which required the construction of new road segments 

and the paving of existing roadways. Today, twinning 

programs are upgrading the Trans-Canada Highway 

into a highway with two lanes in each direction, similar 

to the U.S. interstate system. 

“In 1950, Eisenhower was a big proponent of the 

interstate system, and travel and commerce became 

huge beneficiaries of that program,” says Dennis Hunt, 

Senior Vice President of Florida-based Gencor Industries 

Inc. “Pre-World War Two, there was no way you could 

start a vehicle on the eastern seaboard and drive it 

to the west coast. Even as recently as a few years ago, 

in Labrador, the road from Goose Bay to Wabush (the 

connection to Baie-Comeau and the St. Lawrence River) 

was a gravel road. As commerce grows, you need a 

better infrastructure for moving goods and growing 

the economy. Improving roads and connections is an 

ongoing process.” 

While ancient civilizations recognized the benefits of 

asphalt as a building material, its use in road paving 

didn’t take hold until the dismal failures of other road 

surfaces spurred advances in pavement designs. 

Water to bind surface sand of macadam pavements 

could not hold up to the dust and muddy ruts caused 

by the proliferation of automobiles, which led to 

experimentation with the first bitumen materials. 

Road oils and tars were the precursors to hot mix 

asphalt (HMA), pavements that incorporated asphalt 

derived from crude oil. By 1900, 12 per cent of 

Toronto’s streets were paved with asphalt. Noiseless, 

clean, durable and aesthetically pleasing, asphalt 

12 OHMPA | ASPHALTOPICS

“One of the fastest ways to stimulate 

the economy in a downturn is to 

build roads.” –Dennis Hunt 

Kings Highway 8 in Dundas, Ontario, 1964. (ORBA) 

pavements signified a modern and progressive approach 

to designing city streets and was embraced by urban 

planners across Canada and the U.S. 

The introduction of the Superpave Performance 

Graded (PG) system in 1993 improved asphalt concrete 

specifications, asphalt mixture design and analysis, and 

asphalt pavement performance prediction. “The Marshall 

Mix Design method didn’t take into account the different 

characteristics of bitumen from Alberta, Saskatchewan 

and California,” Hunt says. “With Superpave, it didn’t 

matter where the asphalt came from; the binder 

characteristics were the same. The 

characteristics of aggregates were 

also considered in the mix design. 

The Superpave program proved that 

pavements are highly engineered 

systems that are tailored to perform 

well under specific conditions.” 

Checking the grade the old fashioned way (above). GPS 

technology revolutionized road grading operations – here 

receivers are mounted on a John Deere 872 grader. (ORBA) 

In conjunction with more 

sophisticated design mixes, 

innovative processes have furthered 

the industry’s goal of achieving 

cost-effective, high performing 

pavements. Warm mix asphalt 

(WMA) pavements reduce energy 

consumption by an average of 

10 per cent; they extend the paving 

season in northern climates and 

WMA provides a longer window 

for compacting pavements. The 

modernization and automation 

of equipment have also made a 

tremendous impact on efficiency, ›› 


1950s Dufferin 

Construction 

asphalt plant. 

Modern counterflow asphalt plant owned 

by Mill-Am in Windsor, Ontario. 

enabling paving companies to achieve tighter 

specifications in shorter deadlines. 3D GPS capabilities 

remove human error and deliver greater precision and 

accuracy. With the absence of stringlines, productivity 

increases by as much as 50 per cent, because workers 

and machines don’t have to manoeuvre around the 

stringline. 

Long before environmental sustainability became the 

lexicon of the industrialized world, the asphalt industry 

was incorporating green practices that continue to have 

a significant impact in reducing the carbon footprint of 

road construction and maintenance work. One of the 

industry’s biggest success stories is the recycling of 

Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement (RAP). Used in pavements 

since the 1970s, by 1986, 45 per cent of MTO’s annual 

placement of hot mix contained RAP. In North America, 

four out of every five tonnes of asphalt pavement that 

is removed in rehabilitation projects is reused. In 2010, 

2.3 million tonnes of RAP was used in Ontario, which 

saved the emission of 200,000 tonnes of CO 2 

. 

“One of the biggest technological breakthroughs for the 

industry has been the use of recycled materials,” Hunt says. 

“Asphalt is 100 per cent recyclable, making the asphalt 

industry the truest green industry that there is. By using 

RAP, we are not depleting the supply of limited resources – 

virgin asphalt cement and aggregates. With RAP readily 

available right at the source, you also don’t have the fuel 

consumption of trucking in aggregates from further away. 

By recycling materials, there is less of a carbon footprint 

and better stewardship of our environment.” 

As a non-toxic material, asphalt is used to line drinking 

water reservoirs, municipal waterpipes, fish ponds and 

landfills. Another environmental benefit is the speed of 

construction, with asphalt pavements requiring little curing 

time. When rehabilitation projects are performed at night 

and on weekends, motorists are saved the inconvenience 

of traffic disruptions, and the environment is saved from 

CO 2 

emissions from idling cars. The growing preference 

by transportation agencies to opt for perpetual pavements 

is also the greener choice. These long-lasting, fifty year 

pavements require only surface maintenance, which saves 

on the expense and use of road building materials to 

construct a brand new road every 15 to 20 years. 

“Transportation agencies used to focus on how quickly 

and cheaply they could construct a road, but now the 

emphasis is on lowering maintenance costs,” Hunt says. 

“We’re seeing perpetual pavements in the ring roads 

around Edmonton, Calgary and now Regina. These are 

P3 jobs, with the contractors responsible for maintenance 

for the first 20 to 30 years.” 


“Asphalt is 100 per cent recyclable, making 

the asphalt industry the truest green 

industry that there is.” –Dennis Hunt 

construction months from March to October. Integral to 

the economic prosperity of the province and the social well 

being of its citizens, the asphalt industry will continue to grow, 

creating more jobs, linking new communities and moving the 

goods and services of businesses for a more competitive and 

successful Ontario. 

“Tens of thousands are employed in the asphalt industry, 

which has a tremendous effect on the economy,” Hunt says. 

“One of the fastest ways to stimulate the economy in a 

downturn is to build roads, and Canada did an excellent job 

adopting that strategy in 2009. Public works projects equal 

jobs, and road construction is a key part of the equation.” 

Lisa Fattori is a freelance writer, specializing 

in the construction industry. 

With the current emphasis on 

high-density intensification in 

urban centres and the push for 

“active transportation” walking 

and biking pathways, there are 

new applications for asphalt 

pavements. Just as asphalt changed 

the landscape at the turn of the 

nineteenth century, pavements are 

the preferred choice for new urban 

environments that feature central 

gathering places and parklands with 

recreational trails. Rural municipalities 

are also incorporating designated 

bike lanes within their roadways 

rehabilitation projects in response 

to the increased interest in cycling. 

As one of the province’s most prized 

assets, Ontario’s highway system is 

continuously undergoing expansion 

and upgrades to meet the travel and 

commercial needs of Ontarians. The 

asphalt industry contributes to the 

province’s $37 billion construction 

industry, employing approximately 

30,000 workers during peak 

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West Bank Road, Louisiana. 

®2015 iStockphoto 


Twenty years ago Louisiana had an issue with their 

pavements. Complicated environmental conditions, 

problems with stripping and rutting, and depletion 

of aggregate in their state had created a perfect storm. 

If they couldn’t solve their performance issues there was 

word they might have to switch to that other stuff. So 

they embarked on a journey to bring in new technology 

and adopt new specifications for asphalt pavements. 

by lara henry 

In the mid 90s and before Superpave, 

Louisiana moved to polymer modified 

asphalts. They found that polymer 

modified asphalt offered higher 

resistance to fatigue cracking, rutting 

and thermally induced cracking; less 

sensitivity to moisture damage; and 

reduced age hardening. They tested 

for the properties of the asphalt 

cement to make sure it was modified, 

and tested mixes to make sure they 

showed an increased performance 

in the lab. And they also adopted a 

material transfer vehicle to improve 

smoothness and reduce segregation. 

Results were positive and the roads 

performed well. 

Chris Abadie, Materials Engineer 

Administrator of the Louisiana 

Department of Transportation, 

explains the thinking behind 

adopting these performance 

specifications: “There are a number 

of factors we believe to be critical 

in how agencies should approach 

performance specifications. Firstly, 

we need to examine how best to predict 

performance with lab tests – in other 

words, how to design for performance. 

“Secondly, we need to look at what 

materials and construction practices 

will ensure higher reliability in 

delivering good performance. We 

know when we set lab performancebased 

specifications, that these specs 

may exclude some materials that may 

indeed work or be ‘good enough’ by 

national standards. So which category 

of lab performance should we choose? 

This answer involves engineering 

judgment based on knowledge of 

materials and pavement structure, 

with a side check of availability and 

affordability. An agency should have 

confidence to choose that higher level 

of lab performance when it brings 

higher reliability of good performance 

on the road. 

“Thirdly, we should always monitor the 

actual performance of our highways to 

make sure we are achieving our goals 

of safe, longer lasting pavements.” 

The development of specifications 

didn’t stop. In 2010, Louisiana started 

looking at the multiple stress creep 

recovery (MSCR) test. They found it 

to be a better test to look at rutting 

performance of their mixes and started 

to add MSCR to their specifications. 

The Percent Recovery portion of the 

MSCR test also allows them to measure 

alternative polymers that meet their 

requirements. Based on their trials 

with the specification, Louisiana has 

dropped the force ductility ratio and 

force ductility tests (plus tests) and has 

fully implemented MSCR with Percent 

Recovery as the measure for proper 

modification of asphalt cement. ›› 


200 

180 

160 

140 

120 

100 

80 

60 

40 

20 

0 

0 5 10 15 20 25 

Age 

Since 1995, Louisiana has been monitoring the performance history of 

pavements using their pavement management system measures for rating 

the performance of pavement. In a comparison of roads in 2013 with those 

in 2003 using IRI (international roughness index) and rut measurement on 

the state highway system, there is less rutting and smoother roads thanks 

to these changes in the specifications (above). Fatigue cracking between 

2003 and 2013 is a slightly different trend; however, the early trend on new 

pavement projects is that fatigue cracking has decreased (below). 

Another innovation was the introduction of a new mix – open graded 

friction course (OGFC). OGFC improved safety because of reduced splash 

and glare in a high rainfall environment. This improved safety is born out 

ALGCRK (sq9/mi) 

Avg IRI (in/mi) 

Avg Rut (in) 

0.45 

0.4 

0.35 

0.3 

0.25 

0.2 

0.15 

0.1 

0.05 

18 OHMPA | ASPHALTOPICS 

IRI – now vs 10 yrs ago 

State HS IRI 

0 

0 5 10 15 20 25 

Age 

35000 

30000 

25000 

20000 

15000 

10000 

5000 

rut – now vs 10 yrs ago 

State HS Rut 

2013 ASP 

2003 ASP 

Linear (2013 ASP) 


0 

0 5 10 15 20 25 

Age 

2013 ASP 

2003 ASP 



Fatigue Cracking – now vs 10 yrs ago 

State HS fa;gue crack 

2013 ASP 

2003 ASP 



by a drastic reduction in wet weather 

crashes; for example, I-20 District 5 from 

Britton Road to Vancil Road (right). They 

also looked into rubberized overlay for 

both composite and asphalt sections 

with good success at reducing rutting 

and cracking and thus improving ride. 

How do you get to better performance 

from what you used to do before? 

Specify new tests that are technically 

supportable and practical and then 

make sure that everyone performs them 

the same way. Although a laboratory 

test does nothing to actually improve 

the road itself, it provides an indicator 

from which to measure consistency, 

and a measure which brings the agency 

confidence that the product meets the 

intended design. 

To specify and monitor performance, 

Louisiana has adopted a number of 

performance tests as part of the mix 

design procedure. One of the tests is 

the loaded wheel test (Hamburg) used 

to measure resistance to rutting and 

moisture sensitivity. 

Another key test is the SCB (semi-circular 

bend) test which measures resistance to 

crack propagation and looks at fracture 

resistance with three different notch 

depths. The data indicate that resistance 

to cracking gets better as more polymer 

is added to mix. To get a mix with low 

rutting and high crack resistance, you 

need a polymer modified asphalt. 

Another key to getting better 

performance is the adoption of 

a lab accreditation program for 

both contractor and agency labs 

to ensure that everyone gets similar 

and repeatable testing results. 

The state of Louisiana and its 

contractors have partnered over the 

last 20 years to improve pavement 

performance by implementing 

scientifically validated and technically 

feasible testing and specifications. 

This partnership has resulted in saving 

construction time, improving pavement 

quality, saving money, improving the 

environment and saving lives. And it’s 

not over.

5 yr Safety Record for OGFC:I – 

(Dist 05: Britton Road to Vancil R 

5 year Safety Record for OGFC 

Wet Weather Crashes 

30 

25 

26 

Conventional 

Number of Crashes 

20 

15 

10 

5 

>80% Reduction >70% Reduction 

8 

4 

OGFC 

0 

3 yr avg Before 3yr Avg after 5 Year After 

Concludes Abadie: “Louisiana continues on this journey 

of continuous improvement. By keeping our elastomeric 

binder (76-22m with plus spec of 67C RTFO MSCR) and 

increasing the VMA to national standards, as well as 

adding testing of our lab mixtures, we are increasing the 

durability and lab performance of our mixes. We hope to 

achieve a surface life of our asphalt pavements of 20 years 

(Louisiana presently uses 15 years) for our full rehabilitation 

design life of interstates asphalt surfaces. We also 

have to continue to improve fatigue performance 

of our overlays, so today in addition to all of the 

above, the focus is tack coat.” 

Lara Henry is a communication specialist 

and the editor of Asphaltopics. 

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Taking the 

myth and 

mystery 

out of 

Vacuum Tower 

Asphalt 

Extenders 


Vacuum Tower Asphalt Extenders (VTAE), one of several 

products manufactured by used engine oil re-refineries, have 

been used for over 30 years as an effective additive to change the 

viscosity of asphalt so that it meets required specifications. 

Formerly known as Re-refined Engine Oil Bottoms (REOB) and Waste Engine Oil Residue (WEOR), VTAE has 

been coined as the industry standard as a name that better describes the multi-stage distillation process 

that returns used motor oil to base oils, with VTAE as a co-product of the refining process. Stripped of any 

water, antifreeze and fuels, VTAE is essentially the material that doesn’t boil in the refining process and 

drops to the bottom of the Vacuum Tower. Non-toxic, consistent, and compatible with most asphalts, VTAE 

is a proven binder additive that offers a great deal of flexibility in designing high performing pavements. 

Misinformation, confusion and debate surrounding VTAE is a recent occurrence, and is a controversy that threatens 

the ongoing use of the product in some jurisdictions. “For almost 30 years, asphalt blenders have been using VTAE 

to give asphalt a specified viscosity,” says Al Palmer, Technical Director, Re-fined Specialty Products, Safety-Kleen. 

“The material is primarily just another hydrocarbon molecule, so blenders never thought anything of it. When agencies 

learned that it was being used in their mixes, they became confused about what VTAE actually is. The names REOB 

and Waste Engine Oil Residue carry negative connotations and an image of a truck parking over an asphalt tank and 

draining motor oil into the mix. Now that we’ve established the name Vacuum Tower Asphalt Extender, it should help 

to dispel some of the myths about VTAE, what it is, how it’s made and how it should be used.” 

Safety-Kleen’s East Chicago, Indiana re-refinery is the largest in North America. Together 

their three re-refineries process more than 220 million gallons of used oil each year.

Better education and awareness 

about VTAE, including the re-refining 

process, should help quell any 

suggestions that the material is a 

waste product or inferior to a virgin 

asphalt extender. On a practical level, 

used engine oil is never added to 

asphalt in hot mix operations, as it 

contains fuel, which is combustible, 

and other light oils that would cause 

asphalt plant emissions issues. 

Economically, there is no business 

case for selling used motor oil to 

asphalt blenders when companies 

earn a much higher price selling the 

feedstock that they don’t re-refine 

to the industrial fuel oil market. 

VTAE also poses no health and safety 

risks, just as a mechanic performing 

an oil change is in no danger after 

coming into contact with used motor 

oil. Once distilled, the resulting 

VTAE is equally benign, with studies 

confirming that there are no cancercausing 

materials in VTAE and that 

asphalt binders with the extender 

do not pose any environmental or 

health risks. 

Re-refineries operate similarly to 

crude oil refineries, distilling incoming 

material at different boiling points 

to produce a range of products 

with different viscosities. Crude 

oil refineries are in the business of 

producing fuels, lubricating oils and 

asphalt, while re-refineries produce 

base oils which will go on to make 

new lubricant oils, and heavy vacuum 

gas oils (HVGO), which include VTAEs. 

Highly regulated and conforming 

to strict protocols as mandated by 

the EPA, used oil collection involves 

testing material for contaminants such 

as PCBs and chlorine. The recovered 

oil is tested again when it enters the 

refineries and is stored in guard tanks. 

Used motor oil is tested in relatively 

small volumes. As used oil comes 

into the refinery it is temporarily 

stored in a “guard tank” system 

where it is tested for undesirable 

contaminants. When the test results 

show that the oil is acceptable 

for refinery use, it is transferred 

to a single large tank where it 

is blended for a homogeneous 

refinery feedstock. Stripped of water 

and fuels, the material ultimately 

undergoes vacuum distillation, which 

provides a low pressure environment 

for a lower boiling point. This is 

important to retain the integrity of the 

hydrocarbon molecules, which would 

otherwise break down and crack if the 

AN AECON COMPANY 

temperature is too high. Lighter and 

heavier oils are separated and VTAE 

is the thick viscous material remaining 

at the bottom of the vacuum tower. 

“We typically distill three different 

grades of Group II+ base oil, from 

light to heavy, with the base oils 

going to make new lubricant oils 

and the Heavy Vacuum Gas Oils 

(HVGO), or VTAEs, going to the ›› 

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“The V-Pack stack temperature control system is 

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Dr. J. Don Brock 

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The VTAE Process 

asphalt industry,” Palmer says. 

“Crude refiners don’t always 

produce soft asphalts which 

are needed in cold climates 

or when using high levels of 

recycled materials, so VTAE 

and other cutters need to 

be added to produce the 

specific grade. VTAE is not 

a waste product; we produce 

it purposefully to meet the 

needs of asphalt blenders.” 

Crude oil refineries will put 

HVGO and other distilled 

materials back into the asphalt 

so that it cuts the original 

asphalt to a particular grade. 

The process uses materials 

that have already been refined 

out of the crude and adds 

another step to the refining 

process, which makes the 

asphalt more costly. By 

contrast, asphalt blended with 

VTAE can be more economical 

than conventionally produced 

binders. The recycling of used motor oil has enormous 

environmental benefits as well, which according to NORA 

(National Oil Recyclers Association) amounts to over a billion 

gallons of collected used motor oil in the U.S. every year. 

50 

stability machines. 

Call, write, fax or email your testing equipment requirements. 

We can calibrate and repair everything we sell! 

“VTAE is typically indexed to the price of asphalt, so as the 

price of asphalt rises and falls so does the price of VTAE,” 

Palmer says. “One of the complaints of transportation 

agencies is that they are not seeing any savings by using 

VTAE, but asphalt producers are indeed passing on those 

savings by virtue of the fact that they are operating in 

a low bid environment. There is also the perception that 

inexpensive materials are implicitly inferior, and that they 

will increase the maintenance costs of a pavement. But there 

is always a possibility that there is a better product available, 

which also happens to be less expensive.” 

The confusion surrounding VTAE can also be attributed 

to non-standard testing, with some studies concluding 

that premature cracking in pavements is the direct result 

of using binders that contain 15 to 30 per cent of VTAE, 

which is well beyond the recommendation of using less 

than 10 per cent. The presence of certain dissolved metals 

in a binder, including zinc (from chemical additive packages 

added to the original oil), is an indication that VTAE is most 

likely present. However, it is difficult to measure how much 

of the dissolved metal content is coming from VTAE alone. 

Elevated levels of metals do not necessarily indicate that 


a pavement contains a higher percentage of VTAE, and 

poor performance can be the result of many other factors. 

“For years, asphalt plants have used recycled motor oil, 

or RFO, for their burners,” Palmer says. “Studies have shown 

that the dissolved metals in the burner fuel are captured 

in the HMA plant baghouse and then returned to the mix, 

as opposed to being evacuated in the plant’s air emissions 

system. When those pavements are recycled as RAP, these 

metals start to accumulate, particularly if the plant again 

uses recycled oil as its burner fuel. There are trace metals 

“VTAE is not a waste product; 

we produce it purposefully 

to meet the needs of asphalt 

blenders.”–Al Palmer 

in other materials, including RAP, aggregates and virgin 

asphalt which also end up in the mix. Thus, it can be seen 

that determining the VTAE content of a new binder from 

binder that is extracted from a pavement core is difficult 

based on a metals analysis alone.” 

When used properly and in an appropriate amount, 

VTAE reduces viscosity and improves the cold temperature 

properties of binders. The extender helps to reduce the 

cracking potential of pavement and improves resistance to 

aging. Engineered softer binders are necessary for HMA 

mixes that contain RAP and RAS and, as the use of these 

recycled materials increases, so too will be the need to 

design softer base asphalt. 

“We recommend that binders contain from two to 

eight per cent VTAE, depending on the properties of 

the base asphalt,” Palmer says. “Once you get past ten 

per cent of VTAE, then the quality of your base asphalt 

may be questionable, unless it is being used in conjunction 

with RAP or RAS. The asphalt portion that comes out of 

shingles, for example, is very hard. You would have to add 

more VTAE to compensate for the stiff recycled asphalt. 

In this case, the concentration of VTAE in the virgin asphalt 

may need to be greater so that the overall blend of asphalt 

in the mix meets specifications. Research indicates that 

if you blend 90 per cent or more of reasonably graded 

asphalt and 10 per cent or less VTAE, there should not be 

enough VTAE to affect the blend and make it susceptible 

to stresses. Again, this is dependent on the properties 

of the base asphalt used. As with any asphalt blend, it 

is important to do the necessary lab work to determine 

if performance characteristics of the mix are acceptable.” ›› 


agazine 

Safety-Kleen’s large fleet of company-owned tankers, rail cars and 

barges provide used oil pickup as well as new product delivery. 

.25” (1/3rd An approved Page Ad) specification related to the use and dosage industry standard for quality. With the approval process 

of VTAE will assist asphalt blenders with quality control taking approximately 18 months, a final draft is expected 

Horizontal 

parameters and create an industry standard for designing to be released in early 2017. 

d : 17th pavements Feb, 2014 that contain VTAE in binders. In June 2015, 

NORA submitted recommended specifications for VTAE ASTM approved specifications will be influential in 

used in asphalt paving and asphalt roofing materials to the instilling confidence in the continued use of VTAE. In 2014, 

American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM). NORA several state Departments of Transportation (DOT) in 

invited both public and private sectors to 7.5" provide x 3.25” input (1/3rd New Page_Ad) England issued a ban of VTAE. A high profile study 

on the proposed VTAE specifications, which represent the commissioned by the Massachusetts DOT is addressing 

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questions about the effect of binders 

modified with VTAE on performance. 

Led by a UMass Dartmouth professor, 

Dr. Walaa Mogawer, the two-phase 

study is examining the minimum and 

maximum VTAE dosage required to 

reach the target performance grade, 

and the effect of the maximum 

dosage on the performance of a 

typical New England asphalt mix 

after short and long-term aging. The 

study will also determine if the same 

VTAE doses can be used, given that 

the material comes from different 

sources, and will rate how VTAE 

compares with other modifiers that 

are added to asphalt to meet the low 

temperature grades of New England. 

VTAE reduces viscosity and improves 

the cold temperature properties of binders. 

The extender helps to reduce the cracking 

potential of pavement and improves 

resistance to aging. 

At the University of Waterloo, a 

similar New England type study is 

in the early stages of development. 

Under the direction of Civil and 

Environmental Engineering professor, 

Dr. Susan Tighe, the future study will 

include binder and mix testing, with 

and without RAP, in examining the 

performance of asphalt containing 

VTAE. 

“The New England study team is 

expected to have an interim report 

presented at the New England 

Asphalt User/Producer Group 

(NEAUPG) meeting in November, 

and we’re determining the funding 

mechanism for the study plan for the 

University of Waterloo study,” Palmer 

says. “Once complete, the hope is 

that favourable results will prompt 

the New England DOTs to allow the 

use of VTAE. Provincial and state 

agencies have the authority to use or 

not use a particular material, which 

in turn affects whether cities and 

counties will use VTAE. 

“Upper level agencies will have to 

be convinced through science and 

studies that show good performance 

in local testing. Researchers need 

to find the right material combinations 

and VTAE producers have to support 

this research to help build confidence 

among transportation agencies.” 


All in the family: 

multi-generational businesses compete 

and thrive amidst growing consolidation 


As in other industries, asphalt 

companies are not immune to the 

advances of multi-nationals interested 

in expanding operations through the 

acquisition of successful businesses. 

Multi-generational, family-run companies, 

however, may offer a particular 

level of experience, expertise and 

efficiency that is difficult to replicate 

in a larger organization. 

While consolidation provides some 

retiring contractors with a financially 

rewarding exit strategy after years of 

hard work, others are choosing to pass 

the reins on to the next generation to 

carry on the tradition and reputation 

of the family business and to grow the 

company to new heights of success. 

Ontario’s asphalt industry has 

numerous examples of companies 

with humble beginnings: single 

proprietorships that grew and 

expanded, moving from earth 

work and small paving jobs to 

winter maintenance work and 

multi-million dollar MTO highway 

projects; operations that started 

with a second-hand truck and grew 

to include a fleet of pavers and 

heavy equipment; or companies that 

became more self-sufficient through 

the acquisition of gravel pits, quarries 

and asphalt plants. Organic growth 

that was strategic and sustainable 

provided a solid foundation, giving 

operators the capital and confidence 

to go after new opportunities. 

28 OHMPA | ASPHALTOPICS 

Dominic, Cosimo and Maria Crupi 

Dominic Crupi, co-founder with Maria 

Crupi of Crupi Group (inset), breaks a 

bottle of champagne at the opening 

of the asphalt plant in 1971. 

Crupi resurfacing a 

residential street, Whitby. 

Established in 1951, Toronto-based 

Crupi Group is a third-generation 

company founded by Dominic Crupi 

which offers paving and road 

construction services through 

D. Crupi & Sons Ltd., as well as 

Halton Crushed Stone and Lee Sand 

& Gravel. Today the company is led by 

Crupi Group president Cosimo Crupi, 

and vice-president Dominic Crupi – 

the senior Dominic Crupi’s son and 

grandson. With a 300 employee 

workforce, three strategically located 

asphalt plants, and aggregate pits 

and quarries east and west 

of Toronto, the company 

has several competitive 

advantages, including the 

ability to offer quick service 

to GTA clients. 

“There are several benefits to 

customers when they are dealing 

with a family-operated company,” 

says Cosimo Crupi. “When you own 

a company, you stand behind your 

product and work; you’ve got a tradition 

and reputation that you’re trying to 

uphold much more vigorously than 

if you were running a public company. 

Customers recognize this commitment 

and pride of work. They also know that 

they have access to the authority of a 

company with a simple phone call. We 

can respond much more quickly. Multinationals 

can’t offer this same level of 

service. They are great on huge jobs, 

but aren’t going to go after anything 

under $5 million, which is good for us 

and other smaller companies.”

Outside influences, including access to new markets, gave 

burgeoning companies in the 1950s and 1960s lucrative contracts 

and plenty of work. The Ontario government’s municipal grants 

under the Development Roads program in the 1960s helped to 

subsidize projects during the golden age of road construction in 

the province. Smaller contracting companies got a further boost 

with the privatization of winter road maintenance in Ontario in 

1996. By 2000, there were 700 Managed Outsourcing and Area 

Maintenance contracts awarded to 130 contractors, with the 

duration of the contracts running from three to five years. 

Outsourcing programs, both in Ontario and other provinces, 

have given next generation companies the opportunity to transfer 

their skills and expertise to other jurisdictions. “When Alberta 

privatized road maintenance, the province came to Ontario 

looking for contractors to bid on maintenance work,” says Steve 

Cruickshank, CEO of Kingston-based Cruickshank Group, and 

son of company founder, Les Cruickshank. “We went out to take 

a look and saw all of the construction activity that was going on. 

We purchased a business that provides equipment rentals to oil 

companies. We also construct ice roads, provide pipeline clearing 

and grubbing services, and provide the oil industry with onsite 

emergency medical services.” 

Growth through diversification has also been the strategy 

of Bruno’s Contracting in Thunder Bay. Established in 1970, 

this two generation road and highway construction company 

expanded its operations to include aggregate and asphalt 

production, heavy equipment rentals, commercial and residential 

land development, and leasing and property management for 

commercial, office and retail space. Bruno’s Contracting also 

developed Whitewater Golf Club, an international level golf 

facility that hosted the PGA Canada Tour in 2014 and 2015, and 

will again in 2016. The company is also involved in the operation 

and management of a vineyard and winery in South America, 

which is a global producer with the capacity to produce up 

to one million bottles of wine each year. 

“In the mid-1980s, we made a conscious decision 

to diversify into gravel operations, equipment rentals, 

industrial supplies, real estate holdings and land development,” 

says Silvio Di Gregorio, Secretary Treasurer of Bruno’s 

Contracting and brother of company founder and president 

Bruno Di Gregorio. “In road construction, we used to operate 

across a very large territory, but don’t any more. From 

the Manitoba border to Wawa and up to Timmins, it’s a 

1,000 kilometre stretch and, in the north, there are a lot of ›› 

Cruickshank’s Les Cruickshank, company founder, 

and Steve Cruickhank, CEO. 

Crack repair on Cruickshank’s 2014 Paver of the Year 

project on the Napanee stretch of Hwy 401. 


This Bruno’s Contracting project involves the reconstruction 

and expansion of Golf Links Road/Junot Avenue, Thunder Bay. 

Bruno’s Contracting is currently working on Hwy 11/17 from 

First Street Easterly to 1.7 km east of Highway 11 Junction 

including the Nipigon River Bridge. 

remote locations that you have to manage. No hydro, 

no cell phone service. And it’s risky, too. If a production 

specification is off due to faulty 

equipment, it can cost you $300,000 

to $400,000 per day. Before, we used 

to do three or four highway contracts 

a year. Now we do one or two, closer 

to home.” 

Although diversification and the 

accumulation of assets have helped 

smaller operations remain competitive, modern road 

construction offers new challenges to next generation 

companies. Tighter specifications, new regulations, 

and compliance issues have necessitated a higher level 

of expertise to navigate ever-changing policy so that 

companies can keep abreast of government mandates 

and recommendations. 

“You can spend a half a million very easily trying to get 

a quarry license, and most environmental studies have 

up-front costs,” says Les Cruikshank. “Any time there is 

a problem with a mix, there is a new compliance that you 

have to meet. It makes for a very complex environment, 

and larger companies have the resources to deal with 

these issues much more easily.” 

While the pre-qualification of select bidders gives smaller 

companies the opportunity to win contracts based on 

performance rather than lowest bid, the process is timeconsuming 

with ample paperwork involved, which again, 

taxes the in-house resources of smaller operations. “A lot 

of municipalities are catching on and following the practice 

of using pre-qualified contractors,” says Kevin Martin, 

Estimator and Project Manager for Etobicoke-based 

Fermar Paving Ltd., and grandson of company founder, 

Armien Martin. “Performance rating gives municipalities 

the ability to separate performers and non-performers, 

so that they can deal with companies who are capable 


The smaller family-run 

business can switch gears 

quickly and capitalize on 

new opportunities. 

of doing the work. With pre-qualification, though, you 

have to prove yourself on paper, providing references and 

showing that you can be on schedule and 

meet safety standards. It lengthens the time 

of the tendering process; to pre-qualify, you 

are essentially preparing two tenders.” 

Inherent in family-run asphalt companies is 

the high value that is placed on employees 

and an appreciation for their contributions 

to the overall success of organizations. 

They become a corporate family and include third and 

fourth generation workers, who continue the tradition of 

providing a strong work ethic and invaluable knowledge 

and expertise. Employee retention is high, which saves on 

the training of new workers, and organizations gain a critical 

mass of expertise through employees’ combined years 

of experience. 

“When employee retention is high, you have a much more 

stable work place,” says Dominic Crupi. “In the current 

climate of competition for workers, we try to engage our 

employees and keep them excited about their work. We 

have regular gatherings which provide the opportunity 

for everyone to socialize outside of work. There is a lot of 

opportunity out there, so you have to keep your talented 

and valuable workers happy.” 

Keeping employees happy includes having a steady 

flow of jobs in the pipeline to ensure that the work is 

there. “By diversifying in all of our other organizations, we 

can provide a longer working season for our employees,” 

says Silvio Di Gregorio. “When it’s slow in one area, we 

can move our workers to other jobs. Our employees are 

our greatest asset so we have to take care of them. This 

way, we can maintain and attract a better workforce.” 

Since 2011, Cruickshank has been a winner of Canada’s 

Best Managed Companies program, which is a testament 

to Cruickshank’s commitment to its workforce of 500

In August, 2014, Fermar Paving celebrated its 

50th anniversary. L to R: Steve Clay, Scott Taylor, 

Kyle Martin, Ashton Martin, Malcolm Martin, 

Ken Watt, Colin Martin, Kevin Martin. 

people. Innovative initiatives include a Workers’ Input 

Network (WIN), which encourages feedback from 

employees, as well as a company newsletter that has 

been publishing for 25 years. Now retired, Les Cruickshank 

still offers guidance and advice, and hosts the company’s 

RoadKill Cafés, a travelling barbeque event that treats 

workers at various sites to a steak lunch throughout the 

year. Introduced in 2004, the RoadKill Café has provided 

meals for 8,000 employees, with lunches served up at 

10 different sites so far this year. 

Engaging employees also helps to narrow the generation 

gap and provide a smooth transition when family members 

rise through the ranks of an organization and leadership 

is passed on from one generation to the next. “At 16, 

we start working for the company at 

the bottom – at the end of a rake – 

so you earn respect from your fellow 

employees,” says Dante Di Gregorio, 

Project Manager and Estimator at 

Bruno’s Contracting and son of Silvio 

Di Gregorio. “You only move onto 

the next level when you are capable. 

When I’ve worked with senior staff, 

I’ve always learned a lot from them, 

and they are open to new ideas 

as well.” 

is fiercely loyal, proficient and willing to go the extra mile 

to ensure the success of a project. Such a positive work 

environment is not only beneficial on a personal level, it 

promotes greater efficiency and competitiveness for an 

improved bottom line. 

“Well run businesses have planned succession at most 

levels of the business, including owner level, regardless 

of the consolidation noise going on in the background,” 

says Kevin Martin. “How do smaller companies compete? 

You have to try to stay entrepreneurial in nature and be 

nimble. Differentiate yourself in the market. Take all of the 

benefits that come with being a small family business and 

capitalize on that as much as you can.” 

While larger companies have the 

flexibility and resources to dispatch 

employees to work sites over a wide 

geographic area, the smaller familyrun 

business has the agility to respond 

more quickly to clients’ concerns and 

to switch gears and capitalize on new 

opportunities. A corporate culture 

that is born out of history, familiarity 

and trust extends to a workforce that 


UNSUNG HEROES 

Getting the job done 

is key 

to Crowley’s success 

by Steve Pecar 

Our industry is full of people who work 

tirelessly behind the scenes to make sure 

the job not only gets done, but gets done 

right. We can probably all name a few of 

these diligent workers, but one name in 

particular gets mentioned when the 

subject come up. Scott Crowley. 

As lab manager at AME-Materials Engineering, 

Crowley has been doing all the little things – that 

amount to big things – for almost 20 years, and while 

he may be classified as an unsung hero, you don’t have 

to look far to find those who will sing his praises. 

Tom Dziedziejko, Directory of Quality, Infrastructure, 

for AECON, says Crowley is the guy people turn to when 

help is needed. “He is always there, for everyone,” says 

Dziedziejko. “Internal clients, external clients, it doesn’t 

matter. When people in this industry need help they turn 

to Scott and he always answers the call.” 

Dziedziejko points out that Crowley’s experience has 

grown from the way he has worked his way up through the 

industry. He has done it all. “He’s completely comfortable 

in so many situations because he has the experience,” 

says Dziedziejko. “His knowledge is spectacular, plus 

he cares about people. A lot of times you will find him 

out on sites on the weekend just because somebody 

needed help and he knows how to solve the problem.” 

While Crowley admits that it can be difficult talking about 

your own accomplishments, he appreciates the respect 

he has earned in the industry. He says it hasn’t always 

come easily; that long hours and hard work have gotten 

him to this point. It has paid off. 

A graduate of Newfoundland’s Cabot College program 

for civil engineering technology, Crowley says his early 

years were spent out in the trenches with the paving crews 

and crushing operations, learning how it all fit together. 

“That on-the-job experience led me to where I am now,” 

Crowley points out. 

And where he is now is doing just about everything his role 

requires. Crowley oversees all of the asphalt mix designs 

for AECON’s Brampton plant and AECON’s mobile plants 

along with mix designs as needed to support AECON’s 

Ottawa hot mix production operations. He also makes sure 

there are no production or placement issues. 

“I guess I have the reputation for getting things done, but 

we have a large team here and it really is a group effort,” 

he continues. “I can be a stickler at times. I have to make 

sure everything is done right because results need to be 

precise, but I think that is what people appreciate.” 

Another colleague from AECON, John MacKay, says 

Crowley has become somewhat of an institution in the 

industry because of his professionalism and commitment 

to quality. “He’s the guy people turn to, especially if they 

are in trouble and need help,” says MacKay. “He probably 

does more mix designs than anyone in the province. He is 

the problem solver.” 

MacKay says if working around the clock is what is 

needed to get the job done, then Scott Crowley will be 

doing just that. “Nobody does it better,” MacKay says. 

“It’s the truth.” 

Steve Pecar is a Mississauga-based writer, editor and designer. 


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Meet Vince 

by Abigail Wright Pereira 

Vince at the Grand Old Opry 

in Nashville with his daughter 

Amanda in the spring 2015. 

EDUCATION 

University of Toronto B.A.Sc. 

(Civil Engineering) 1982 

EXPERIENCE 

1982-84 Chih S Huang and 

Associates, Geotechnical 

Engineer 

1985-88 Peto McCallum, 

Project Engineer 

1990-94 MTO, Senior Bituminous 

Engineer 

1994-95 JEGEL, Senior Pavement 

and Materials Engineer 

1995-97 Advanced Asphalt 

Technologies, Director 

of Technical Services 

1997-99 Golder Associates, 

Senior Materials Engineer 

1999-2005 OHMPA/Asphalt Institute, 

Technical Director 

2005-08 Bitumar Inc., Ontario 

Asphalt Sales Manager 

2008-15 DBA Engineering Ltd., 

Manager of Pavement 

Engineering Services 

2015 - OHMPA, Executive Director 

PERSONAL 

Married with four children aged 18-25 

Over a decade and a half has passed since the first 

“Meet Vince Aurlio” article graced the inside pages of 

Asphaltopics. It was the summer of 1999 when Vince came to 

OHMPA as its first technical director. That summer the Toronto 

Blue Jays were hot, finishing third in the American League East Division, 

and the hot button issue of the hot mix asphalt industry as cited by Vince 

was building quality pavements that last. Fast forward 16 years, the 

Blue Jays are even hotter, and according to Vince the challenges 

facing the industry remain the same. 

For over thirty years Vince has been a tremendous supporter of and 

contributor to the road building community. I sat down with Vince to 

talk about what he is looking forward to as he takes to the helm of the 

association as Executive Director and to also tell a bit about himself. 

What influenced you as a young person to become 

interested in engineering? 

A: Starting at the age of 10, I would spend summers back 

in my parents’ home town of Vitulazio, Italy, which is about 

35 kilometers north of Naples. In between summer school 

math and Italian classes, I worked on my uncle’s farm picking grapes to produce 

the family wine for the year and threading tobacco leaves for air-curing. Just 

behind the town there were several small hills that were being mined for 

limestone; at five o’clock each day the alarms would sound to signal the start 

of blasting operations. Watching the operations at the quarry piqued my 

interest in learning about geology and how things work. Additionally, I think 

a combination of having a diverse education, learning a good work ethic at 

an early age, and just enjoying taking things apart and putting them back 

together again set me on the course to study geotechnical engineering. 

Q: As you started your career, what led you to the asphalt industry? 

A: Early in my career I was a project engineer with Peto McCallum (PML). At first 

they wanted me to work on concrete projects, but to me concrete was not as 

exciting as hot mix asphalt. There were not a lot of applications when it came to 

building roads, and working with asphalt provided me with more opportunities. 

Early on I had the opportunity to work on some prominent asphalt jobs where 

I did forensics. I was fortunate to work with several good people, including 

Phillip Sun (PML) from whom I learned a great deal about engineering 

materials and properly building a road from the ground up. After that I was 

hooked and continued to focus my career on improving asphalt pavements. 

Q: Prior to becoming OHMPA’s first Technical Director in 1999, when 

did you first become involved with OHMPA? 

A: I first became involved with OHMPA in 1997 when I came back from 

working in the U.S. to work for Golder Associates. Teri McKibbon (1998 

OHMPA President) invited me to speak about Superpave and Performance 

Grade Asphalt Cement (PGAC) implementation at the Fall Asphalt Seminar.

Aurilio... again 

Shortly afterward I joined the Technical Committee and the 

PGAC Implementation Committee and the rest is history. 

Q: What is one of your top priorities as you step into 

the position as OHMPA’s Executive Director? 

A: I am very excited to have this opportunity and am 

honoured to be in this position. Having been involved in 

many facets of OHMPA throughout the years, I have a solid 

background of the workings of the association. One of my 

main priorities is to build and maintain a strong relationship 

and partnership based on trust, communication and mutual 

respect with municipal and provincial owner agencies. 

I plan to lead by example to foster a solid foundation to 

work co-operatively with our stakeholders moving forward. 

Q: Over your 30 year career in the asphalt industry, 

what do you see as OHMPA’s most significant 

contributions? 

A: OHMPA has been dedicated to advancing and making 

technologies work for the continuous improvement of 

asphalt pavements. OHMPA does not back down from 

innovation. The implementation of End Result Specifications 

(ERS), incorporation of Reclaimed Asphalt 

Pavement (RAP), using material transfer vehicles, and 

implementation of Superpave and Stone Mastic Asphalt 

(SMA) are all incredible advancements in asphalt paving 

that OHMPA helped bring to fruition in Ontario. 

Q: Back in the 1999 summer edition of Asphaltopics you 

mentioned that you play the guitar and had a stint as 

a professional musician before family life took over. 

Can you elaborate and tell us more about the band? 

A: Well, I still pick up the guitar now and then and have 

a collection of about 15 guitars. As for the band, all I am 

going to say is that we were an early 1980s wedding band. 

That’s all. 

Q: Also back in 1999 you said that one of your hobbies 

included playing golf badly. Has your game improved 

since then? 

A: Let’s not talk about golf. 

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TECHNICALLY 

SPEAKING 

by Sandy Brown 

OHMPA Technical Director 

Mixing and compaction temperatures 

Mixing and compaction temperatures are an important 

technical element of hot mix asphalt mix design and 

paving that is typically misunderstood by agencies 

and contractors alike. Asphalt cement is a material that 

changes in viscosity as it is heated so the mixing and 

compaction temperatures used in the lab is important. 

Why? Because we want two labs to be able to get the 

same volumetric properties of the mix. 

This difference in temperature is more important for 

Marshall mixes. A change of 3°C will produce a change 

of one percent in the air voids primarily because the 

Marshall procedure uses impact for compaction. The 

problem is not so serious for Superpave mixes due to the 

gyratory compaction method. A change of about 5°C is 

required for the same one per cent change in air voids. 

Now a bit of history. In the early 60s, the Asphalt Institute 

proposed the equiviscous method for determining the 

appropriate mixing and compaction temperatures. The 

idea was that with a soft asphalt cement like a PG 58-28 

or a harder asphalt with the same useful temperature 

index (UTI) like a PG 70-16 and the same aggregate blend, 

you should get the same asphalt cement content with the 

mix design but the mixing and compaction temperatures 

would be higher for the PG 70-16. The key is that the 

film thickness for both mixes is the same and thus the 

durability. Just to clarify, the UTI is just the range of 

temperature over which you are testing the material 

(from +58°C down to -28°C or 86°C). 

This all made sense for unmodified asphalt cements. 

However, with the implementation of Superpave binder 

specification in the mid-90s, agencies started to request 

asphalt cement with a higher UTI to cover a wider range of 

operating temperatures at a specific location. In addition, 

to combat rutting under heavier traffic at the high end of 

the environmental temperature range, grade bumping was 

introduced. The concept was that by specifying a testing 

temperature higher than the environment temperature, 

the stiffness at the cooler environmental temperature 

would be higher and hence the mix would be more 

resistant to rutting. Worked great, except that asphalt 

cement derived from crude oil rarely has a UTI over 86°C. 

To put it simply, if you specify a PGAC 64-28 (UTI of 92°C), 

you can’t achieve that with a directly from a refinery. 

Experimentation began with modification methodologies 

including polymers and, in particular, elastomers. With 

the increase in the use of polymers to modify the asphalt 

cement, an issue in testing procedures was introduced. 

The testing to derive the equiviscous temperature 

involved procedures that were mostly low shear 

procedures such as kinematic viscosity and later 

rotational viscosity. As polymer load increased, the 

previously used procedures started to give higher and 

higher mixing and compaction temperatures. In some 

cases, the mixing temperatures could exceed the safe 

operating limit of 177°C recommended by the Asphalt 

Institute and the National Asphalt Pavement Association 

(NAPA). The issue is not only related to safety (flash point) 


and the environment (emissions), 

but also related to the increased 

degradation of both the asphalt 

cement and the polymer at high 

temperatures. 

Comparing Steady Shear Flow (SSF) to 

Rotational Viscosity (RV) mixing and compaction 

temperatures for a PG 64-34 (SBS-modified) asphalt cement 

This problem was recognised as 

early as 2003 when the National 

Cooperative Research Program 

(NCHRP) in the U.S. started NCHRP 

Project 9-39 to determine the 

10 

appropriate procedure for mixing 

and compaction temperatures 

for polymer modified asphalt 

cement (PMA). The issue is that 

1 

the polymers in PMA exhibit a shear 

thinning behaviour during mixing 

Compac/on Range 

that is not duplicated in the more 

simplistic rotational viscosity testing 

which is carried out in a low shear 

environment. The results of the 

NCHRP project were released in 

0.1 

Mixing Range 

2010 in NCHRP Report 648 Mixing 

64 76 82 94 

and Compaction Temperatures of 

fowler_construction.pdf 1 2/19/15 10:20 AM 

Asphalt Binders in Hot-Mix Asphalt. ›› 

Temperature, C 

Viscosity, Pa -‐ s 

500 

100 

SSF 

RV 

52 58 70 88 100 120 135 

150 165 180 200 

C 

M 

Y 

CM 

MY 

CY 

CMY 

K 


The results of the testing showed that the mixing and 

compaction temperature is significantly lower using either 

of the two recommended testing procedure – sometimes 

by as much as 15°C for heavily modified asphalt cement 

(refer to figure right). 

Why is this significant? When we raise the temperature in 

the lab, the volumetric properties of the mix are changed. 

Because the mix is easier to compact, it is likely that the 

asphalt cement content will be lower at four per cent air 

void content required for Superpave mix design. The 

difference will be even greater with Marshall mix design. 

Remember why the equiviscous concept was introduced – 

for any particular aggregate blend, the air void and asphalt 

cement content should be the same regardless of the 

asphalt cement chosen. This does not seem to be the 

case anymore. Many of our premium mixes using more 

highly modified asphalt cement appear to have much lower 

asphalt cement contents than the same mix made with 

a PG 58-28 which is not modified. It’s time for a change. 

Up to this point, I have been talking about laboratory 

mixing and compaction temperatures. Remember, we 

need the temp-vis chart so that two labs get the same 

volumetric results. But how does this apply to plant mix 

production and field placement? In August 2011, the 

Asphalt Institute’s Technical Advisory Committee issued 

a guidance document titled Determination of Laboratory 

Mixing and Compaction Temperatures for Hot-Mix 

Asphalt. Here is a quote from that document: 

PROJECT MIXING AND COMPACTION 

TEMPERATURES 

The Asphalt Institute reminds the reader 

that laboratory mixing and compaction 

temperatures are intended for determining 

design volumetric properties of the 

asphalt mixture and are not intended to 

represent actual mixing and compaction 

temperatures at the project level. In a 

hot mix asphalt (HMA) facility, the mixing 

temperature can best be defined as the 

temperature at which the aggregate can 

be sufficiently and uniformly coated. As 

with the lab temperatures, the mixing 

temperature should not exceed 177°C 

(350°F). The compaction temperature for 

HMA is usually in the range of 135-155°C 

(275-310°F) and is based solely on the 

ability of the compaction equipment 

available for the project to achieve 

adequate in-place density. 

It is hoped that the move to a different methodology 

for measuring the temperature and viscosity will not only 

go back to the original intent of the making the asphalt 

cement content independent of the asphalt cement 

modification, but also make the laboratory mixing and 

compaction temperature similar to those used in the 

HMA production process. 

The Ontario asphalt binder suppliers have chosen to study 

this issue this winter by evaluating the Steady Shear Flow 

procedure performed in the Dynamic Shear Rheometer 

(DSR) against the standard rotational viscosity procedure. 

Samples will be collected and evaluated and hopefully 

suppliers will agree on a procedure to be used in the 

2016 paving season. This will likely also include some 

mix testing of typical Ontario mixes. Stay tuned – this 

should be interesting. 


ENVIRONMENTAL 

ESSENTIALS 

by Christina Wright 

Higher fees coming to HWIN: 

A good time to review your hazardous waste 

The Hazardous Waste Information Network (HWIN) 

website is where generators, carriers and receivers of 

subject waste (as defined under Regulation 347 of the 

Environmental Protection Act) are required to register 

their subject waste activities with the Ontario Ministry 

of the Environment and Climate Change (MOECC). 

Examples of subject waste from an asphalt plant may 

include: chemicals from labs, wet scrubber sludge, used 

oil from maintenance activities, spilled asphalt cement, 

or contaminated soil. All facilities that generate subject 

waste must identify their appropriate waste codes and 

register these waste codes on their HWIN account. 

Annually this “generator registration” must be 

reviewed and renewed by February 15. 

The MOECC is proposing increases in the HWIN waste 

tonnage fee from the current $10/tonne to $20/tonne 

starting in 2016 and $30/tonne starting in 2017. This is 

a significant cost increase if your facility generates a lot 

of subject waste. The manifest fee of $5/manifest and 

the annual registration fee of $50 will remain the same. 

How can you reduce your waste costs? 

Confirm you are using the appropriate waste 

characterization codes. The more hazardous the 

waste characterization code, the higher the waste 

disposal costs. If you are relying solely on your waste 

carrier to determine your waste characterization codes, 

consider getting a second opinion. Further, if you or your 

waste carrier are relying on old waste characterization 

testing data (e.g. a leachate toxic test), consider getting 

new test data. Don’t over characterize your waste! 

Don’t mix your wastes together or with other materials. 

Not only does this increase the total waste tonnage 

requiring disposal, but the mixed waste may now 

have a more hazardous waste characterization code. 

Remember, intentional waste mixing at your site (such 

as “diluting” your waste) is considered waste processing 

by the MOECC – this activity is permissible, but it 

requires a specific waste ECA permit. 

For more information on HWIN visit the HWIN 

homepage at https://www.hwin.ca/hwin/index.jsp 

Christina Wright is Environmental Compliance Specialist at 

BCX Environmental Consulting, a Canadian environmental 

engineering company specializing in providing expert 

environmental consulting services. 


ANNUAL MEMBERS’ 

GOLF TOURNAMENT 

OHMPA’s Annual Members’ Golf Tournament went off 

without a hitch on Thursday, August 27. The rain held 

off and we got a full 18 holes in – including a stop at the 

ice cream truck. Thanks to all our golfers for a solid day 

on the links. 

First Place Team, North Course: 

Jay Harding, Brian Keveryga, Randy Murphy 

and Angelo Masciotra 

Longest Drive, North Course: 

Laverne Miller, Bitumar 

First Place Team, South Course: 

Marcello Lirusso, Andrew Simmonds, Brian Lawson, 

Jordan Markoff 


COOLING ASPHALT BURNS DVD 

NOW AVAILABLE 

This award-winning, safety training video demonstrates 

scenarios in asphalt refineries, terminals and laboratories 

where liquid asphalt burns can take place. The film illustrates 

how important it is for workers to quickly place affected areas 

under water. Interviews with actual burn victims and EMT 

professionals round out this informative video. 

The DVD is available from the Asphalt Institute website. 

save the 

date! 

JOIN US FOR 

OHMPA’s 

PRESIDENT’s 

DINNER AND 

42 nd AGM 

MARCH 30 AND 31 

OHMPA 

SPRING 

OPERATIONS 

2016 

APRIL 20 

ROLLING OUT WHAT’S NEW 

March 22-24 · Nashville, TN, USA 

Get ready for the Road Tour 

MAY 3 

LONDON 

MAY 5 

GTA 

MAY 10 

OTTAWA 

MAY 12 

SUDBURY 


THE LAST WORD 

by Carlo Fallavollita 

The art and skill of paving 

I have been very fortunate in my 50-plus year career in 

the asphalt paving industry to watch the growth of the 

Greater Toronto Area. I can actually say that I have had a 

part in building the roads that have made Toronto a world 

class city today. From being involved in the construction 

of Highway 401, 400, 427 and the Gardiner Expressway to 

the numerous subdivisions that dot the GTA, I am proud 

to have been part of the progress that has brought the 

population to over three million people and has made 

the GTA the place to live. 

I remember the days when aggregate was still delivered 

by rail to our plants in the GTA and how 1,000 tonnes of 

asphalt production and paving was a great day. Gone are 

those days as plants evolved to be larger and there was a 

shift to drum mix and continuous mix plants. These plants 

now run at 360 tonnes per hour and if you don’t produce 

at least 3,000 tonnes at the plant, it’s not a good day. 

However, I believe that as we have moved to higher productions 

and efficiencies, we have given up certain skill 

sets. One skill set I see that has changed over the years is 

the deterioration of workmanship. There just isn’t enough 

time put into it because we are under such pressure to get 

to that daily production goal so we can move to the next 

job tomorrow. 

Yes, the technologies have become better and we have 

made paving easier, but that human touch is still needed. 

We cannot simply rely on the equipment and technologies 

to do that job. We have to continue to watch the mix as 

it moves under the screed, and look behind us at the mat 

after the initial screed and roller compactions. We have to 

know the difference between a great mat and a poor mat. 

We need to know the difference between a smooth and 

consistent mat and a rough or segregated mat. These are 

the characteristics that the asphalt needs to be a quality 

asphalt pavement. 

Take it from me – if we spend the extra time to prepare 

the job and equipment, everything will follow a lot more 

smoothly and there will be fewer problems, if any, to deal 

with after the fact. 

Lastly, as a veteran of this industry, I believe we also have 

to take the time to pass on our knowledge to those new to 

paving. Otherwise this “art” will be lost and there will be 

a 100 per cent reliance on the equipment to do the job. 

My career has given me a family, a home, and a lifetime of 

experiences that I will never forget. So I don’t hold back 

and I take every opportunity to pass on my knowledge 

to the next generation. I owe this to the industry because 

of what it has done for me. And I continue to do this job 

after all these years because of the continued camaraderie 

I have with the people I associate with both within and 

outside of the company I work for. I love all the people 

I work with more than anything else. 

Carlo Fallavollita is General Superintendent 

at Coco Paving Inc. 


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ASPHALTopics | Fall 2015 | VOL 28 | NO 3

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