In this week's episode of Pave It Black, Richard and Brett delve into the topic of electric vehicles (EVs) and how they affect the asphalt pavement industry. With more EVs on the road, new technologies are emerging to support these vehicles. To shed light on these developments, Reed Ryan from the Asphalt Pavement Alliance and Amir Golalipour from the Federal Highway Administration were invited to discuss inductive charging and its implications for the asphalt pavement industry. Tune in to learn what inductive charging is, which organizations are making progress in this area, and how this techn ..read more

For this episode of Pave It Black, Richard and Brett discuss the topic of standards and their role in the asphalt pavement industry. With the help of Oak Metcalf from the Montana Department of Transportation and Kelly Cook from the Edward Levy Company, we learn how industry and agencies work on specifications to ensure that our products help build the best highway systems and roads. Deep dive into the world of AASHTO and ASTM, learn how you can get involved, and why it’s important to be involved in this process ..read more

In the latest episode of Pave It Black, Richard and Brett catch up with NAPA's Government Affairs Team to get an update on their recent advocacy activities and upcoming plans. Nile Elam, the Vice President of Government Affairs, joins the conversation to discuss NAPA's advocacy goals, his World of Asphalt PPP session, and the upcoming efforts planned for Distracted Driving Month. Listen find out how you can participate in the upcoming advocacy events, including the TCC Fly-In on May 14-15 and the Hill Days on September 25-26 ..read more

In this episode of Pave It Black, Richard and Brett explore the use of low carbon construction materials in the asphalt pavement industry. To guide our conversation, we spoke with Walter Tersch from the General Services Administration, as well as Scott Legg and Fred Marvel from Brannan Companies. Gain insight into the specific requirements the GSA asks of businesses, including the importance of providing Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) for asphalt products. To learn more about how the GSA interacts with the asphalt pavement industry, attend their upcoming Virtual Inflation Reduction ..read more

In the latest episode of Pave It Black, Richard and Brett delve into the ENERGY STAR program and its potential benefits for companies in the asphalt pavement industry. To steer the conversation, they speak with Danny Macri of the Environmental Protection Agency's ENERGY STAR program, Bill Jerald, Chief Energy Engineer at CalPortland, and Matt Hinck, their Vice President of Government Affairs. Tune in to learn how ENERGY STAR can help companies achieve their sustainability goals, support program partners, and encourage employees to adopt energy-efficient practices ..read more

In this episode of Pave It Black, we discuss how Balanced Mix Design (BMD) is implemented at an industry and agency level. To understand both perspectives, Richard and Brett talk to Derek Nener-Plante of the Federal Highway Administration’s Resource Center, and Steve Jackson of N.B. West Contracting. Listen to learn more about the agency and industry collaboration, how challenges are overcome, and NAPA’s role in supporting BMD implementation ..read more

In the Season Seven premiere episode of Pave It Black, Richard Willis and Brett Williams return with a live recording at NAPA's 2024 Annual Meeting from Orlando, Florida. Learn how the podcast got off the ground, revisit previous seasons, and hear about some of Richard and Brett's favorite moments. For Pave It Black's Seventh Season, Conversations from the Capital, Richard and Brett will facilitate conversations between industry leaders and federal partners. Tune in every Tuesday to learn about industry developments, agency updates, and much more ..read more

For the season 6 finale, we dig into how the Women of Asphalt organization continues to help bring awareness about the opportunities that abound in the asphalt industry. In this episode of Pave It Black, Richard and Brett talk with Sheila Barkevich, President of Women of Asphalt and Northeast Division Performance Manager at CRH Americas Materials about how she became involved with the Women of Asphalt and the numerous efforts that the organization is undertaking at both the national level and with their local branches. Tune in to learn more about Women of Asphalt and visit https://www.womenofa ..read more

Proving out technologies and innovations in asphalt mixtures and pavements can be difficult when industry already expects our pavements to perform 20 years or more into the future. In this episode of Pave It Black, Richard and Brett talk with Randy West, Director of the National Center for Asphalt Technology at Auburn University about the research conducted at the test track and how that enables the asphalt industry and agencies to quickly evaluate new products as well as find answers to challenges faced by pavement owners. Tune in to learn about the many ways that asphalt research is making a ..read more

Brett and Richard talk with Andy Decraene of AJAX Paving of Florida about resilience. When Hurricane Ian hit Florida in 2022, AJAX was called on to rebuild the Sanibel Causeway within weeks after the disaster. Richard and Brett explore what resilience is with Andy and learn that it goes far beyond just infrastructure and begins with building resilient companies who take care of their people ..read more