News Ticker Summary |
Dr. Linda Pierce, P.E, a Senior Engineer at APTech, received a Best Paper award at the 8th International Conference on Managing Pavement Assets (ICMPA). While over 100 papers were presented at the conference in Santiago, Chile, only 5 were awarded the distinction of Best Paper. Dr. Pierce served as lead author for the paper, with Katie Zimmerman, P.E. (APTech) and Nastaran Saadatmand (FHWA) serving as co-authors. The paper, Use of Pavement Management Data for Calibration of the Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide, was written under the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Project DTFH61-07-R-00143, a research study implemented to help state highway agencies calibrate the MEPDG models using existing pavement management system data. The resulting two-volume report developed a framework for utilizing the pavement management system data. Dr. Pierce's paper can be viewed here. For more information on the ICMPA 2011 conference, please visit: http://www.icmpa2011.cl/.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has released a revised version of Advisory Circular 150/5335-5B, Standardized Method of Reporting Airport Pavement Strength – PCN. With this revised Advisory Circular, the FAA continues its move toward reporting pavement classification numbers (PCNs) for pavement load capacities on Form 5010-1 (data element 39) and away from specifying allowable loads by gear type (data element 38). The PCN reporting requirements outlined in this Advisory Circular become effective in 3 years (August 2014) for all primary airports with air carrier aircraft and in 5 years (August 2016) for non-primary airports with air carrier aircraft. Use of the reporting methods in the Advisory Circular is mandatory for all projects using Federal grant monies and Passenger Facility Charges.
APTech has the experience to assist airports with the development of PCNs and compliance with these revised requirements. APTech specializes in pavement engineering and has developed PCNs for airports across the United States and around the globe, from large-hub commercial airports to general aviation airports. APTech works closely with the agency to understand their needs and to both develop PCNs and interpret what the results mean in terms of a pavement's capacity and ability to handle current and anticipated aircraft. In many cases, APTech has been able to provide assurance to airport agencies that bigger or heavier aircraft can safely use the airport without causing pavement damage, allowing the agency to significantly boost their revenue stream. In cases where pavements are found to be structurally deficient, APTech can provide strengthening/rehabilitation options to address the situation.
Don't wait until the deadline to start developing your PCNs. Contact Monty Wade at 217-398-3977 or mwade@appliedpavement.com to discuss how we can help you meet these new reporting requirements.
While APTech attends many conferences throughout the year, the 8th International Conference on Managing Pavement Assets (ICMPA), on November 15-19, presents a unique opportunity to meet with leading experts around the world to discuss the evolving topic of managing pavement assets. This year, APTech President Katie Zimmerman, P.E. and Senior Engineer Linda Pierce, P.E., will be attending the conference and presenting two papers each. One of Ms. Pierce's papers has already been given the distiction as one of the conference's best papers. In addition, a poster from Vice President Maggie Covalt, P.E. will be showcased during the case study poster session. Ms. Zimmerman, who serves on the International Steering Committee for the conference, will also be speaking at the closing session.
The conference, hosted by Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile and Transportation Research Board in Santiago, Chile, will focus on recent technical knowledge in managing pavement assets. Researchers, academics, and professionals from public and private organizations will be in attendance to share their experiences related to managing pavement assets. This year’s conference, entitled “Fulfilling the Social, Economic and Environmental Responsibilities for Sustainable, Well Managed, Better Roads,” will include presentations, lectures, discussion panels, tutorials, and workshops regarding sustainable design, construction, and operation of pavement assets. Approximately eighty technical papers will be presented, and more than twenty case study posters will be exhibited. For more information, please visit the ICMPA 2011 conference website: http://www.icmpa2011.cl/.
Ms. Ginger McGovern, P.E. joined APTech in October 2011 after 27 years with the Oklahoma Department of Transportation (DOT). Immediately prior to her retirement, Ms. McGovern served as the Planning and Research Division Engineer, where she was responsible for a 60‐person division with functions including research, traffic data analyses, pavement management, needs studies, GIS development, road inventory systems, mapping, traffic counts, weigh‐in‐motion, skid studies, MPO coordination, and long range planning. She started her career as a draftsperson in the Bridge division, and after becoming an engineer, worked as an inspector and later in the Research and Design divisions at the Oklahoma DOT. At APTech, she will be contributing to projects that both relate to her technical interests and allow her to utilize her DOT background. While with Oklahoma DOT, she served on the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Standing Committee on Planning, AASHTO Research Advisory Committee Region VI, as state representative for the Transportation Research Board, and as a designee to the Oklahoma Transportation Center's Executive Board. Ms. McGovern possesses a broad knowledge of state‐of‐the-art pavement and asset management principles and practices. Throughout her career, Ms. McGovern has contributed to national transportation literature and conferences, served on two National Cooperative Highway Research Project panels, and state research committees.
The National Highway Institute (NHI) awarded Steve Seeds, P.E., a Program Director for APTech, the Instructor of Excellence Award for 2010. The award, which is given to only fifteen instructors annually, was based on his consistently high evaluation scores in the classroom, demonstrated commitment to the adult learning philosophy, and for maintaining the highest standard of quality for transportation training. Mr. Seeds' instructional experience covers a wide range of topics, and he currently manages several of APTech's NHI classes, including the following: Hot-Mix Asphalt (HMA) Construction, HMA Production Facilities, Asphalt Pavement Recycling Technologies, HMA Pavement Evaluation and Rehabilitation, and Pavement Preservation: Design and Construction of Quality Preventive Maintenance Treatments.
Genevieve Long, P.E., a pavement engineer at APTech, was awarded the ASCE Central Illinois Section Young Engineer Award at the 87th Annual ASCE Central Illinois Meeting & Banquet. The annual award is based on excellent performance that has demonstrated leadership potential in civil engineering, evidence of high character and professional integrity, civic and humanitarian activities (community service), and contributions to ASCE. Ms. Long was honored for her contributions on several different levels, including her work with ASCE, Engineers Without Borders, outreach to other engineers, and the extent of her technical work at APTech.
At the 2011 NASAO Conference, the Arizona Department of Transportation (DOT) airport pavement management system (APMS) was awarded the Most Innovative State Program. The APMS, which APTech implemented in 2000 and updated in 2003, 2006, and 2010, merited award based on its innovativeness, value for the investment, ease of use and implementation, quality of service to aviation community public, and filling an unmet need for the aviation community. The APMS provides Arizona DOT with a tool to proactively manage the pavement infrastructure at fifty three Arizona airports and includes an interactive data exchange application (IDEA) to facilitate the availability of information. To view the program, please visit: http://mpd.azdot.gov/MPD/Airport_Development/APTech_DAP/index.html. To view Arizona DOT's article on the award, please visit: http://www.azdot.gov/CCPartnerships/News/NRel3069.asp.
Applied Pavement Technology, Inc. (APTech) is spreading their roots south with a new office in Austin, Texas. This strategic expansion fortifies APTech's current locations (Urbana, Illinois; Plainfield, Illinois; and Reno, Nevada), allowing APTech to better serve clients throughout the country. To spearhead this new endeavor, Mr. Mark Gardner, P.E. has joined APTech and will manage the Austin office. A long-standing resident of Texas, Mr. Gardner brings to APTech a wealth of pavement engineering experience, including roadway projects with a focus on collection of performance data (deflection, distress, and profile), surface characteristics, hot-mix asphalt (HMA) materials, HMA design and construction, forensic engineering, and pavement management. "Mark brings almost three decades of engineering experience and an unbridled enthusiasm to this job," APTech Vice President David Peshkin, P.E. said. "He has worked throughout the west and southwest—on projects of local, national, and international significance—and we expect that he will help us to strengthen relationships with new and old clients alike. With Mark joining APTech, we are especially pleased to be able to expand our presence in Texas and throughout his region."
During his previous employment, Mr. Gardner served as Engineering Manager for Research and Design and as a Senior Project Manager for a variety of research and consulting projects. His international work includes coordinating various project operations in the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Australia. In a unique long-term contract with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Mr. Gardner served as the Project Manager for the Long Term Pavement Performance (LTPP) program for the Southern Region of the U.S. for 15 years. Mr. Gardner has actively participated in many traffic data collection and management activities, leading to his appointment as Chair of Transportation Research Board (TRB) Committee ABJ35, Highway Traffic Monitoring, and eventually to an appointment as an Emeritus Member of that same committee. He is now also a Co-Chair of the TRB Subcommittee on Weigh In Motion Data Collection, developing research needs initiatives and synthesis studies on this subject.
Mr. Tim Aschenbrener, P.E. joins APTech as a Senior Engineer with more than 22 years of experience with the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT). At APTech he will contribute to research, training, and forensic engineering projects related to pavement design, construction, and rehabilitation, with an emphasis on bituminous materials.
Most recently, he served CDOT as State Design and Construction Engineer, and previously as the State Materials Engineer. In these positions, he built his expertise in pavement management, pavement evaluation and rehabilitation, forensic investigation of pavements, and materials.
Mr. Aschenbrener has served on the AASHTO Subcommittee on Construction and AASHTO Subcommittee on Design. Previously, he chaired the AASHTO Subcommittee on Materials, Technical Section 5c on Quality. He is a member of the FHWA’s Construction Management Expert Task Group, is an active member of the Transportation Research Board (TRB), and serves on the TRB Committee AFK10 – General Asphalt Issues. In addition to his current position as chair of National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) 10-83, Alternative Quality Systems for Application in Highway Construction, Mr. Aschenbrener has served as chair for many NCHRP research panels, including NCHRP 20-7(198), Independent Assurance, NCHRP 20-7(164), Acceptance Sampling Plans, NCHRP 9-34, Improved Moisture Conditioning, and NCHRP 9-13, Moisture Sensitivity Tests.
Eleven Applied Pavement Technology engineers attended, spoke, and presented at the 90th annual Transportation Research Board (TRB) meeting in Washington, D.C. on January 23-27. Firm employees who attended included Principals Kathryn A. Zimmerman and David Peshkin; Program Directors Kurt Smith and Tom Van Dam; Senior Engineers Linda Pierce, Kelly Smith, and Roger Larson; and Engineering Associates Prashant Ram, Monika Fisher, Carrie Truschke, and Mat Brynick. The annual TRB conference provides an opportunity for more than 10,000 transportation officials from around the world met to discuss the latest developments in the transportation industry including cutting-edge research in pavement engineering. At this year's conference, Applied Pavement Technology engineers made the presentations summarized in the table below.
| Event/Session Title | Presenter/Authors | Presentation Title |
|---|---|---|
| Durable Materials for Concrete Sustainability (Workshop) | Tom Van Dam, Ph.D., P.E. | "Longevity Is Important for Sustainability" |
| Value of Pavement Preservation | Kelly Smith; David Peshkin, P.E. | "Pavement Preservation on High Traffic Volume Roadways" |
| Recent Innovations in Concrete: Materials, Construction, Testing, Performance, and Durability | Kurt Smith, P.E.; Tom Van Dam, Ph.D., P.E. | "Minimizing Deleterious Effects of Deicers on Portland Cement Concrete" |
| Using Pavement Evaluation to Support Pavement Management Functions | Tom Van Dam, Ph.D., P.E.; David Peshkin, P.E.; Francis Nelson, P.E.; Kurt Smith, P.E. | "Development of Material-Related Distress Rating System for Concrete Airfield Pavements" |
| Bridge Evaluation and Maintenance Topics | Carrie Truschke, E.I.T.; Tom Van Dam, Ph.D., P.E.; David Peshkin, P.E. |
"Investigation of Portland Cement Concrete Exposed to Automated Deicing Solution Applications on Colorado's Bridge Decks" |
| Crack-Sealing Automation and Materials and Durability of Joints Cut | Tom Van Dam, Ph.D., P.E.; Kurt Smith, P.E. | "Evaluation of Long-Term Durability of Joints Cut Using Early Entry Saws on Rigid Pavements" |
| Pavement Management Systems: Great Ideas for Present and Future Generations | Katie Zimmerman, P.E.; Linda Pierce, Ph.D., P.E. | "Development of a Pavement Management Roadmap" |
| Environmental Sustainability Rating Systems | Tom Van Dam, Ph.D., P.E. | "Approach to Environmental Life-Cycle Assessment for Pavements: Development and Current Applications" |
| Ten-Year Roadmap for Pavement Management | Linda Pierce, Ph.D., P.E. | "Developing the Roadmap: A Collaborative Process" |
Katie Zimmerman, P.E., president of Applied Pavement Technology, recently presented at the three-day Roads & Bridges Live 2010 event. Her presentation, "Preserving What You’ve Built Through Pavement Management," discussed pavement management basics, treatment timing and selection, and other pavement management topics. The slide presentation can be downloaded from the Roads & Bridges Live host, Scranton Gillette:Preserving What You’ve Built Through Pavement Management (.pdf, 6MB).
During the 2010 statewide airport pavement management update for the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT), Applied Pavement Technology developed an online pavement management program for use by ADOT and 53 statewide airports. ADOT hosts the interactive data access program, which is a powerful planning tool for all pavement management decision makers statewide. Applied Pavement Technology designed ADOT's data access program to meet the agency's specific needs by combining the use of maps, photographs, and hypertext links to allow viewers to quickly review pavement conditions, statistical data, and analysis results.
Applied Pavement Technology pioneered interactive pavement management data access programs on CDs over a decade ago, and has now improved the technology by implementing web-based access for several statewide aviation clients, including Arizona, Pennsylvania, and Colorado. To see anonther example of this type of project go to the Pennsylvania Statewide Pavement Management Program. For more information, please contact mcovalt/Maggie Covalt.
For the third consecutive year, the Federal Highway Administration and National Highway Institute (NHI) recognized Applied Pavement Technology with the Team Administrative Award. The criteria for the most recent award, the 2009 NHI Team Administrative Award, included "consistent excellence in training administration and instructor competence in the delivery of vital training to the transportation workforce." This repeated recognition demonstrates the team's sustained commitment to excellence.
Kathryn Zimmerman, President and Principal of Applied Pavement Technology, received additional individual recognition in this award for her "focused efforts to provide quality instruction and stress the value of 'learner-oriented' principles in the classroom.".
On February 11, Kathryn Zimmerman, president of Applied Pavement Technology, received the 2010 Distinguished Alumnus/Alumna Award from the University of Illinois Civil and Environmental Engineering Alumni Association. The award recognizes professional accomplishments or unique contributions to society by alumni of the department.
Zimmerman was nominated for her “outstanding leadership in, as well as contributions to, pavement research, design, construction and management technology; and for extensive service and dedication to engineering education, particularly the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Illinois.”
Some of the required attributes for distinguished alumni include the following:
More information about Zimmerman’s nomination is available at the University of Illinois Civil Engineering Department website.
Applied Pavement Technology is celebrating our fifteenth anniversary! Our steady growth from one employee in 1995 to thirty-five employees in 2010 reflects the success of a firm that committed from the opening of our doors to providing excellent service and sound technical expertise. With the help of our dedicated and widely recognized staff, Applied Pavement Technology has achieved many awards and milestones during our first fifteen years. Here are a few highlights as of March 2010:
Applied Pavement Technology’s expertise spans all aspects of airport and roadway pavement engineering, including the following technical areas: pavement management, pavement evaluation, pavement design and rehabilitation recommendations, forensic studies, life cycle cost analysis, applied research, and technology transfer. The firm’s consistent growth has also allowed us to expand into other business areas during the past few years, such as performing pavement engineering services for homeowner’s associations , providing legal expert testimony in our field, and promoting sustainable pavement design.
We look forward to continued work with our satisfied, repeat clients in the future and to building relationships with new clients for whom we can provide services. Watch our site during the next few months for our fifteen year promotions and giveaways!
For more information about Applied Pavement Technology, please contact marketing@appliedpavement.com.
Several Applied Pavement Technology Principals, Program Directors, and Senior Engineers attended, spoke, and presented at the 89th annual Transportation Research Board meeting in Washington, D.C. on January 10-14, 2010 at the following events:
| Engineer | Title | Conference Session Title |
|---|---|---|
| Katie Zimmerman, P.E. | President | Geographic Information Systems for Asset Management |
| Linda Pierce, Ph.D., P.E. | Senior Engineer | Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide (MEPDG) Implementation Practices |
| Linda Pierce, Ph.D., P.E. | Senior Engineer | Concrete Rehabilitation Solutions |
| Thomas Van Dam, Ph.D., P.E. | Program Director | Emerging Technologies Related to Concrete |
| Katie Zimmerman, P.E. | President | Transportation Asset Management Committee |
Kathryn Zimmerman, President and Principal of Applied Pavement Technology, was recently interviewed for the Editor’s letter of CE News. She was asked to discuss her article published in the Industry Trends section of the CE News sister publication, Rebuilding America’s Infrastructure: Engineering for Bridges and Roads. Zimmerman's article in the November 2009 issue, “Transportation asset management: Investing wisely in transportation infrastructure enhancements,” defines and explains the importance of asset management, including providing tips and best practices on implementation. As an expert in transportation asset management, Zimmerman frequently gives advice to transportation agencies on implementing or improving their asset management programs to better utilize agency funding.
For the second consecutive year, the National Highway Institute (NHI) awarded Applied Pavement Technology with the annual Team Administrative Award for exemplary service, consistent excellence in training administration, and instructor competence. This year, principals David Peshkin and Kathryn A. Zimmerman were recognized specifically for their contribution as instructors for the two FWHA courses Practices for Enhanced Maintenance Management Systems (FHWA-NHI-131107) and Principles of Writing Highway Construction Specifications (FHWA-NHI-134001A).
In July, Applied Pavement Technology welcomed Kelly Smith, Senior Engineer, as our newest team member. With more than 20 years in the transportation engineering profession, he brings extensive knowledge of pavement engineering and research.
Smith’s areas of expertise include pavement performance evaluation, pavement design, pavement maintenance and rehabilitation, pavement surface characteristics (friction, smoothness, texture, and noise), and construction policy evaluation, which involves pavement type selection, life-cycle cost analysis, materials and construction specifications, and pavement testing. He is highly experienced in highway construction and maintenance quality assurance systems.
Smith has managed or taken a lead role on over thirty highway and airfield pavement projects and has worked on numerous pavement research and engineering projects for federal, State, and local government agencies, as well as private industry. Additionally, he has authored or co-authored more than fifty-five technical reports, manuals, and papers, and has presented at various transportation conferences and workshops.
Jim Sorenson worked in the FHWA’s Office of Asset Management where he was Senior Construction and Preservation Engineer. For more than 30 years Jim played a key role in so many aspects of the pavement field, including construction, quality, training, maintenance, preservation, and preventive maintenance. No matter what office Jim worked out of, no matter what his title was, he found a way to make a difference throughout his career. Jim helped individuals, he helped organizations, and he helped industries, and he did this across the United States and around the world. Jim was selfless and he was tireless, as evidenced by his around-the-clock calls and e-mails.
On June 27, 2009 Jim passed away, just shy of his 60th birthday. His loss is felt by many, including his daughters and grandchildren, his extended family, and his many friends and colleagues. At APTech we mourn the loss of a man we considered a good friend and a colleague. There are few if any in our profession who have as positive an impact as Jim, and we will miss him. An online memorial to Jim can be found at http://james-sorenson.memory-of.com.
Recently, Genevieve Long, P.E., became Applied Pavement Technology’s second engineer to earn the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Professional Accreditation certification. Long, a Pavement Engineer with the firm, successfully demonstrated her knowledge and understanding of the LEED rating system and green building practices and principles to obtain her certification. In Long’s six years with Applied Pavement Technology, she has implemented recycling programs and encouraged more sustainable engineering practices to promote the health and longevity of the environment.
David Peshkin, P.E., Principal and Vice President of Applied Pavement Technology, was recently interviewed by Andrea Brennan for an article in the April/May 2009 issue of the State Aviation Journal. The article titled, “Doing Good Work and Having Fun! Goal of Illinois Consulting Firm,” discusses the history and the future of the company. The article can be found in PDF format on pages 11 and 12 in the April/May 2009 issue of the State Aviation Journal.
On February 25, 2009, WGN Chicago interviewed David Peshkin, P.E., a principal at Applied Pavement Technology, during a leading story about the problem of potholes in the city. Peshkin answered questions about the cost versus the benefit of patching pavement near the end of its lifecycle. He also suggested to drivers, "If you're on a badly potholed road and there's standing water, you don't know how deep you're gonna go. I'd say take it easy, go carefully, or you'll be buried up to your axles in asphalt." The story was later rebroadcast on a Champaign-Urbana television station. View the video clip at wgntv.com.
Applied Pavement Technology was recently awarded the Michigan DOT Bureau of Aeronautics and Freight Services Consultant of the Year award. The award recognized excellent service in the aviation industry of Michigan based on the performance of airfield pavement evaluations and the development of cost-effective airport pavement management programs. Kyle Potvin, P.E., accepted the award on behalf of Applied Pavement Technology at a ceremony on February 5, 2009.
Applied Pavement Technology recently achieved an engineering milestone; our airport pavement engineers have performed the implementation or update of a MicroPAVER pavement management system for more than 300 million square feet of Department of Defense pavement at sixteen Air Force Bases (AFB) and two Air Force Stations!
David Peshkin, P.E., a principal at Applied Pavement Technology, Inc. (APTech), was awarded the annual Board of Governors Chair Award on November 11 at the 2008 Airport Consultant Council (ACC) Convention. According to the ACC, “The Board of Governors Chair Award is presented annually to ACC members who have, in the opinion of the Board of Governors Chair, shown exceptional commitments to the ACC and have been of particular assistance during the Board Chair's tenure.”
The presenter noted Mr. Peshkin’s longtime contributions to the ACC, including being a “champion of and an instructor for 8 ACC Institute course offerings and [being] one of the keys to the success of the ACC Institute.”
Peshkin was lauded for accomplishing the ACC’s “goal of fostering a cooperative, educational and professional environment,” as well as generously committing his time and effort to broaden the knowledge of the consultant community.
Peshkin is a member of the ACC Board of Governors, has served as Chair or Vice Chair for 3 ACC committees, and is the current chair of the ACC Institute Committee.
Ms. Linda Pierce, P.E. joins us as a Senior Engineer with over 20 years of experience with the Washington State Department of Transportation. Her specialized skills include pavement management, pavement design, pavement rehabilitation, pavement construction, pavement type selections and life-cycle cost analysis. Her Ph.D. will be completed in December 2008.
Linda was the Vice Chair of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Joint Technical Committee on Pavements and the Chair of the DARWin Task Force. She has served and continues to serve as a Panel Member on numerous National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) studies and is a member of the Transportation Research Board (TRB) Committees on Pavement Management, Rigid Pavement Design, and Pavement Rehabilitation.
Applied Pavement Technology’s vice president and principal, David Peshkin, P.E., was featured in the February 11, 2008 issue of Michigan Contractor & Builder for his presentation at the 2008 Michigan Seminar on Maintenance of Asphalt Pavements. Peshkin was heavily quoted in the article because of his explanation of maintaining asphalt pavements with limited funding.
The National Highway Institute (NHI) awarded Applied Pavement Technology with the 2007 Team Administrative Award for exemplary service, consistent excellence in training administration, and instructor competence.
