NCAT Offering New Course Focusing on WMA, RAP and RAS
Interest in using warm-mix asphalt (WMA), reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) and reclaimed asphalt shingles (RAS) has increased in recent years due to rising construction costs and efforts toward sustainability within the asphalt pavement industry. With this interest, however, comes the need for training on best practices for designing asphalt paving mixtures that include WMA, RAP and/or RAS.
NCAT began offering a new training course in January 2012 to address this need. Advanced Mix Design: WMA, RAP and RAS is a three-day course that provides information on testing, performance and cost for each of these processes. Three courses have been held so far, with a total of 38 participants, and one more course is scheduled April 17-19.
“The course is needed at NCAT because these are three new areas (WMA, high RAP and RAS) that have created a lot of excitement in the industry, and we are seeing a rapid increase in their use,” says Ray Brown, director emeritus of NCAT, who helped create the course.
He also said it’s important that the industry learns from those involved in previous and existing projects with WMA, RAP and RAS “so that we can minimize any mistakes and ensure better performance on future projects.”
The course includes lectures, laboratory demonstrations, hands-on training, and an optional tour of high RAP and WMA sections at the NCAT Pavement Test Track. The lectures focus on topics such as sources of RAP and RAS, mix design procedures, overview of WMA technologies, guidance for field quality control/quality assurance, observed performance of high RAP/RAS and WMA mixes and proposed guide specifications.
In the laboratory, students have the opportunity to handle various WMA technologies, observe performance test equipment operation, and observe mix design and materials testing.
Attendees at the first three courses from state highway agencies have indicated that it is valuable to hear what neighboring states are doing in the three areas.
“There is not a lot of experience with mix design and production of RAS and, hence, attendees feel like the discussion about production procedures and observed problem areas have been very helpful,” he says.
Material producers, contractors, consultants and highway agency personnel may be interested in this NCAT course. For more information, visit http://www.ncat.us/education/training/advanced-mix.html or call Don Watson at 334.844.7306.