The National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA) kicked off the celebration of its 50th year with its 50th Annual Convention on the Big Island of Hawaii this month. The festivities will continue all year. One of the highlights will be a special Mid-year Meeting in Washington, D.C., July 18-20, which will include a gala reception at the Smithsonian Institution.
Back in 1955, when the association was founded, the interstates had not yet been built, although the legislation was being debated in Congress. Hot-mix asphalt (HMA) producers felt the need for a national organization to represent their interests.
Since that time, NAPA has grown into a dynamic organization. Among its accomplishments is the establishment of the National Center for Asphalt Technology, the world’s leading asphalt research center. Its educational foundation also administers a scholarship program which benefited more than 1,000 students since 1994.
NAPA has published a 48-page history of the association. It not only chronicles the 50 years of NAPA but also offers insights into political and cultural events that have shaped the asphalt industry during this period. It can be ordered through the NAPA website at www.hotmix.org or the toll-free order line at 888/468-6499.
NAPA introduces virtual lab
NAPA announces the introduction of the Virtual Superpave Laboratory (VSL), a computer-based learning tool for training students, engineers and technicians in the laboratory procedures and data analysis of HMA testing.
This CD-based interactive learning tool incorporates digital video and audio, animations and still photos in addition to text. Hyperlinks within the text can quickly connect the user to related sections within the VSL or related information on the Internet.
The VSL is designed to supplement, rather than replace, hands-on training. It may be used to familiarize students and other personnel with laboratory procedures before going into the actual lab. That familiarity can greatly increase the understanding of testing procedures, reduce time lost to misunderstanding and mistakes and increase the participant’s confidence. It also can offer low-cost learning option to students and personnel who do not have ready access to a Superpave laboratory.
Roads & Bridges partners with NAPA
NAPA’s 32-year-old Ecological Award will receive wider recognition this year as Roads & Bridges magazine sponsors the recognition to bring more attention to the environmentally friendly nature of HMA operations. The magazine will showcase the winners and promote the award in upcoming issues. The magazine also will donate a $1,000 scholarship to the National Asphalt Pavement Association Research and Education Foundation.
NAPA created its Ecological Award to show how companies can be good neighbors in a community and be good stewards of the plant’s natural surroundings. In order to win the award, the operator must take great care to protect and preserve the environment. From creating ponds to landscaping the plant property and keeping the facility clean and beautiful, HMA plant owners go to great lengths to keep the promise of the Ecological Award.
APA launches quiet pavement website
The Asphalt Pavement Alliance (APA) has launched a new website at www.quietpavement.com designed to deliver comprehensive and accurate information about pavement noise in an engaging, even entertaining manner. Visitors to the site will learn how pavement noise can be controlled through use of quiet pavement technology.
The site offers many interactive features which not only explain but also illustrate how sound is measured. It also has a brief history of pavement noise, a learning center with several studies of pavement noise and links to relevant sites. A video showing how pavement surfaces can affect noise also is included.
“Sound Town USA” on www.quietpavement.com is an online game that allows the site visitor to measure the sound level inside a house. The player can build a road, change its surface from asphalt to concrete and back again, put up noise barriers, plant trees and bushes, and build houses, then measure the effect of each change on the noise level.
The APA is a coalition of the NAPA, the Asphalt Institute and the State Asphalt Pavement Associations.
