Asphalt Review - Volume 30 Number 2 - Australian Asphalt ...

AsphaltReview 

Volume 30 Number 1 June/July 2011 

From the AAPA Chairman 22 

From the AAPA CEO 24 

Queensland road network – improving 

resilience to natural disasters 27 

Sustainability as a factor in future 

road pavement tenders 30 

Long term full depth asphalt pavement performance 

in Australia – Part 2 32 

AAPA establishes carbon price working group 37 

Have your skills formally recognised 40 

AAPA releases a new Bitumen Burns Card 41

ASPHALT REVIEW 

Chairman’s Report 

Sergio Cinerari, 

Chairman, AAPA 

The middle of the financial year is always 

a busy time, with some contract work 

needed to be completed and planning for 

the next year. This year there is also a need 

to plan to meet the demands from the 

Queensland floods. But we should do more 

than just plan for one or two years; instead 

we should be planning for the long term of 

our industry. 

Roads are the backbones of our 

communities. They link production and 

supply of goods, agriculture and markets, 

mines and ports. Over Australia’s history, 

roads have been the most important 

infrastructure that has enabled Australia to 

grow and they will continue to be needed 

to maintain our economy and wellbeing. 

Our responsibility as an industry 

is therefore to maintain high quality 

and affordable roads, and to do that, 

we must also ensure that our industry 

remains sustainable. 

When planning for the future we must 

look to the long term. With this in mind, 

AAPA encourages governments to provide 

details of long term roads infrastructure 

programs. With a four or five year plan, 

industry can better manage its resources 

to meet the ongoing requirements in 

materials, equipment and importantly, 

trained workers. 

As we look to the future we must also 

ensure our industry operates effectively 

and in the most environmentally 

sustainable way. Some governments 

already include non-price attributes in 

contracts and with initiatives such as 

the VicRoads’ INVEST 5 star project 

rating scheme (described in this edition 

of Asphalt Review) performance and 

environmental outcomes are likely to 

become more important. This in itself 

is a reason to ensure that our activities 

are as sustainable as possible. However, 

as a key industry in Australia, we also 

have a community responsibility to apply 

sustainable practices. 

It is therefore a credit to our industry that 

we have embraced the warm mix asphalt 

technology and I congratulate the New 

South Wales RTA for its new specifications 

that allow the use of warm mix. Other 

governments are also supporting this 

technology with its many benefits, including 

lower greenhouse emissions. 

Our industry is also strongly embracing 

the use of recycled asphalt pavements 

(RAP). Bitumen, sprayed seals and asphalt 

are already very low sources of greenhouse 

gas emissions. However, these materials 

are also fully recyclable and this reduces 

the overall greenhouse emissions even 

further. It also reduces the demand on new 

raw material such as aggregates. A sealed 

road is therefore a long linear quarry able 

to provide materials for current and 

future generations. 

The current AAPA project investigating 

perpetual pavements is another example 

of the industry working to identify even 

more sustainable pavements. These will 

last indefinitely with just the top wearing 

course being replaced every 15 to 20 years 

and that removed material being reused in 

another pavement. 

Despite the obvious sustainable nature 

of bituminous pavements, we must ensure 

that decision makers in government and 

the community at large are aware of the 

low impacts. For example; even though 

bitumen is a hydrocarbon, it is not 

combusted and the government’s proposed 

carbon price does not inadvertently apply 

to bitumen. 

So as we plan for the next year and 

beyond, we should all remember that our 

industry should be planning not just for 

one or two years, but instead, should be 

looking to the long term of our 

key industry. 

Before finishing my note I must inform 

AAPA members of two changes to the 

AAPA Board. Firstly Mark Barraclough 

has resigned from Fulton Hogan and from 

the Board. Mark was only on the Board 

for a short period but I and other Board 

members valued his contribution. On 

behalf of all Board members and AAPA 

I wish him well in whatever career he 

decides to pursue in future. Mark is to be 

replaced by Duncan Fraser on the Board 

and I look forward to working with him. 

Kevin McCullough has resigned 

from Boral Asphalt to work for another 

Queensland-based pavement company. 

Kevin was Vice-Chairman and also only 

served on the Board for a few meetings. 

However, like Mark, his contribution was 

greatly valued. A replacement for Kevin has 

not yet been made. 

Whilst talking about people, I 

should welcome two new key staff 

members to AAPA. They are Jim Beesley 

and Rick Hattam. Jim has commenced 

as the first AAPA Regional Executive 

in Western Australia and Rick as the 

Regional Executive in Victoria. Both men 

have many years of experience in our 

industry and will help us to plan for and 

achieve a long lasting and sustainable 

pavement industry. 

22 ROADS JUNE/JULY 2011

Avoiding 

is easy with


CEO’S REPORT 

John Lambert, 

CEO, AAPA 

A few weeks ago, I was discussing the 

impacts of the high rainfall in areas such 

as Victoria. We all recognise the massive 

damage due to the Queensland floods, 

but in many other parts of eastern 

Australia, there has also been rainfall 

significantly above the last decade’s 

average. Those of us who have worked in 

our industry for many years can remember 

times of high rainfall, but for those who 

have only worked for a decade or less, 

there are many new challenges to address. 

With a focus on meeting contract 

deadlines or completing work earlier to 

achieve a bonus combined with unusually 

wet conditions, there is a potential risk to 

pavement life. It is therefore important 

that the skills and experience held by many 

in our industry are passed on to those with 

less experience. 

AAPA has provided practical training 

courses for many years using experienced 

trainers such as Walter Holtrop. One of 

AAPA’s key functions over the next year 

will be to continue developing our existing 

training courses and, where appropriate, 

develop new courses. These will ensure the 

training reflects the needs of our industry. 

One such course being developed will 

provide better knowledge of unbound 

granular pavements. Our major flexible 

pavements conference in September 

and regular breakfast meetings also 

provide valuable information on a wide 

range of current and emerging issues 

and technologies. 

However, a key to AAPA’s contribution 

to our industry has been through its State 

Branches and its Regional Executives. 

Each jurisdiction, other than the Northern 

Territory and the ACT, has a Branch 

chaired by one of its major producer 

members. And in the Northern Territory, 

a joint industry/government working group 

has been established. Also, three States – 

Qld, NSW and Victoria – have a full-time 

AAPA Regional Executive. 

Regional Executives support the 

activities of each Branch as well as 

helping to identify and lead key projects. 

Importantly, they provide the links between 

industry and government members, 

particularly in technical areas, but also in 

areas such as health and safety. Together, 

the Regional Executives also provide a 

national resource to support our industry. 

Regional Executives comprise people 

with many years of direct and relevant 

experience. In Queensland and NSW, 

the Regional Executives are Rob Vos and 

Dougall Broadfoot respectively and I am 

pleased to announce that Rick Hattam 

has been appointed as the new Regional 

Executive for Victoria. 

Rick has taken the position left by 

Cassandra Simpson who had the position 

on a 12 month secondment from VicRoads. 

Cassandra has returned to VicRoads and 

I express my great thanks to Cassandra and 

VicRoads for a fantastic 12 month period. 

Rick, like Cassandra, has had many years 

in our industry having previously worked 

for VicRoads and its predecessor, 

the Country Roads Board (CRB). He has 

also worked on pavements in Scotland 

and Fiji. Prior to joining AAPA, Rick 

was the Works Manager in the Golden 

Plains Council and brings not only state 

road authority experience, but also local 

government experience. On behalf of all 

of AAPA I welcome Rick. 

Recognising the important role that the 

Regional Executive plays in our industry, 

and recognising the emerging challenges 

and opportunities in Western Australia, 

the Board determined to appoint an 

executive for that State. 

As a result, Jim Beesley has been 

appointed as the first AAPA Regional 

Executive in WA. Like Rick, Jim has many 

years working in our industry, but in Jim’s 

case, he has worked for several of the key 

producers in Western Australia, 

most recently with Downer EDI Works. 

He brings not only a detailed knowledge 

of the industry, but also knows most of 

the key players in the WA sector. 

One of the reasons for appointing an 

Executive in WA was the recognition 

that there are some differences between 

pavements in Western Australia and those 

in the eastern states. On a recent tour of 

some road projects it was clear that the 

predominant sub-base is sand, a different 

sub-base to most pavements in the eastern 

states. Western Australia also has huge 

distances to travel and massive mining 

infrastructure. Jim will help to address 

these differences but also, through links 

with the other Regional Executives, be able 

to share information nationally. 

For example: experience in outback 

Queensland will be able to be more 

effectively shared with Western Australia 

and vica-versa. On behalf of all of AAPA I 

welcome Jim. 

With a full complement of staff AAPA is 

able to provide maximum support for our 

industry. This includes working with the 

Federal Government to ensure that future 

carbon pricing does not unfairly impact 

on our industry. We are also continuing 

to promote sustainable practices such as 

warm mix asphalt and increased use of 

recycled asphalt. 

An example of the work of the Regional 

Executives is that at a recent AAPA 

Vicroads/industry meeting it was agreed 

to work together to prepare new draft 

specification to allow warm mix. 

This is to be done so it is ready to be 

adopted, provided the assumed positive 

outcomes from the AAPA/Austroads Warm 

Mix Validation Project are achieved. 

In Queensland, Rob Vos has supported 

industry and government colleagues in that 

state to respond effectively to the floods 

(refer to the article on the Queensland 

Floods in this edition of Asphalt Review). 

The AAPA National Technology 

Committee, supported by the Regional 

Executives, is also working with members 

and the governments of Australia through 

Austroads to ensure that technical 

standards are appropriate and are 

applied equitably. 

With four Regional Executives AAPA 

promises to deliver an invaluable service to 

its members next year and beyond, and I 

look forward to working with them for the 

betterment of our industry. 

One of the activities of AAPA is to 

provide current and accurate technical 



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CEO’s Report continued... 

information. As a result, AAPA has recently 

released a guide to the safe handling of 

bitumen hoses. 

Bitumen at elevated temperatures can 

cause major burns if not handled correctly 

and in this edition of Asphalt Review there 

is information on the appropriate response 

to a burn. However, the aim of our industry 

is that there are never any bitumen burns. 

Recognising that new bitumen hoses and 

couplings are now available, AAPA has 

reviewed and updated its Guide 7, 

Safe Use of Bitumen Transfer Hoses. 

The new guide was prepared with the 

assistance of bitumen hose manufacturers 

and representatives of major AAPA 

members through the Bituminous 

Surfacing Research Reference Group 

(BSRRG) and the AAPA National 

Technology Committee. The new guide 

provides recommendations for the 

information of all employees, supervisors 

and managers who are involved in bitumen 

transfers. The guide is available for free 

download from the AAPA website. 

Safety is always of paramount 

importance to everyone in our industry. It 

is also important that the general public 

is aware of the need to ensure safety, 

particularly around roadside worksites. 

In Australia we thankfully have few 

incidents, and even fewer deaths, but 

any incident and certainly deaths, are 

unacceptable. Did you know that in 2009, 

667 US workers and motorists were killed 

in highway work zones and more than 

40,000 were injured 

To help reduce the number of injuries 

and deaths, the US commenced a 

National Work Zone Awareness Week 

in 1999. This program is part of the US 

Department of Transport, Federal Highway 

Administration Work Zone Mobility and 

Safety Program and to remind drivers how 

important it is to keep highway workers, 

themselves and passengers safe. 

The program has significantly helped 

to reduce the number of deaths and serious 

injuries in the US, but from the figures 

above, there is still a long way to go. 

With our significantly smaller population 

and strong focus on safety around 

worksites, the number of deaths and 

injuries is tiny in comparison. 

However, even one death is one too 

many and AAPA’s industry and state road 

authority members constantly focus 

on making work zones even safer; for 

example, by always considering better 

ways to separate traffic from workers, 

such as through road closures. 

For information about the US 

Department of Transport Work Zone 

Mobility and Safety Program and the 2011 

Work Zone Awareness Week refer to 

www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/wz 

7949278AA 



Queensland road network 

– improving resilience to 

natural disasters 

The cyclones and floods in Queensland, 

shocking as they were, have provided 

the roads industry with unprecedented 

challenges and opportunities. 

Damage has occurred across the whole 

state and, for the roads, 85% has been in 

pavement damage. Fast flowing waters 

have washed away granular material 

and thin road surfaces while the flooded 

pavements have weakened and deformed. 

Road users quickly became aware of 

the inconveniences of limited or no 

access but the economic consequences of 

damaged and impassable roads has the 

long term impact. 

At the AAPA Queensland Branch 

communications forum in April 2011 

Shane Doran (1) of Queensland Transport 

and Main Roads Department detailed 

how the reconstruction would take place 

and the department would mobilise 

the resources. 

Extent of damage 

By Robert Vos 

AAPA Queensland Executive 

Queensland Transport Network reconstruction damage by region 

during natural disasters in 2010 and 2011 (1) 

Cecil Plains East showing example of pavement 

damage (1) (photo courtesy of Queensland Transport 

and Main Road) 

News reports have clearly presented the 

extent and magnitude of the natural 

disasters that have hit Queensland in 2010 

and 2011. Cyclones Olga, Neville, Ului 

and Paul in the first quarter of 2010 were 

followed by flooding in South West and 

South East Queensland in the 3rd quarter. 

From January to March 2011 tropical 

cyclones Tasha, Anthony and Yasi added 

to the monsoonal flooding which impacted 

most of the state. 

Over 9,000km of the Queensland road 

network was damaged by the weather 

events, 29 % of the state’s rail network was 

impacted and 89 bridges and culverts were 

damaged. Significant pavement damage 

has occurred, in addition to landslips on 

slopes and damage to culverts and bridges. 

Of the transport network, Queensland’s 

road infrastructure bore a major portion 

of the damage from these natural events 

leaving the state little choice but to look 

to the National Disaster Relief & Recovery 

Arrangements for assistance. This 

assistance provides a 75% contribution 

from the Commonwealth Government for 

reconstruction of damaged infrastructure 

within 24 months. 

By mid May 2011 the estimate of the 

repair bill for the Queensland Transport 

Network was $4.36 billion. With the 

short time frame to undertake the 

reconstruction, this will put pressure on 

all parts on the road construction and 

maintenance industry to deliver. The 

disruption of the broad road and rail 

network was a reminder to all of the 

important part the transport network 

plays in providing the necessities of life; 

food and medical care, but importantly 

too in this resource rich state, the need 

to maintain a constant stream of exports 

which underpin the Queensland GDP. 

Delivering the program 

Under the title “Transport Network 

Reconstruction Program (TNRP)” (1) , 

the Department of Transport and Main 

Roads has embarked on a well structured 



Governance and delivery hierarchy (1) 

delivery framework where the overall 

coordination and funding is through a 

Statewide Program Office with 12 Regional 

Program Offices established to design, 

specify, clear approval, tender and deliver 

the program. At state and regional level, 

use is being made of departmental and 

professional consulting staff to facilitate 

and speedup the delivery. Governance, 

accountability and transparency are being 

maintained in the process, which includes 

the Federal Inspectorate to oversee the 

interests of the federal funders. 

The magnitude of the required repairs 

can be difficult to grasp, historical funding 

for road repairs has been in the order 

of $20 million to $50 billion. Unless an 

extended reconstruction timeframe is 

approved, the peak annual expenditure 

could be as much as 100 times more. 

The overarching delivery philosophies 

include reconstruction delivery by the 

regions supported by local prequalified 

contracting capability and use of major 

contractors to supplement local industry. 

It was anticipated that 65% of the works 

would be handled by private contractors 

and 35% by local government and RoadTek 

– the construction arm of the Department. 

By the end of May 2011 the first tranche of 

projects were underway. 

Program objectives 

and risks 

The stated objectives and strategic risks 

of the Queensland Transport Network 

Reconstruction Program are included 

in the table reflecting the importance of 

resilience, value for money and the risks 

pertinent to a significant growth 

in demand. 

Objectives 

• Coordination across lines of 

reconstruction 

• Resilience of network 

• Immunity enhancement opportunities 

• Value for money 

• Timely completion 

• Communication and engagement 

• Transition back to normal business 

Strategic risks 

• Cost escalation - materials and labour 

• Decreased availability – plant and 

material 

• Market unable to meet demand 

• Attracting and retaining contractor 

involvement 

• Market overheating 

• Competing demand for resources 

(mining) 

• Lack of coordination in delivery 

• Continued wet weather 

The expected increases in demand over 

the three years for products affecting 

AAPA members include bitumen +200 

000 tonnes, granular +10 500 000 tonnes, 

asphalt 500 000 tonnes and more than 

70 stabilisers for foam and cement 

improvement of damaged granular bases. 

From a materials view point, current 

supply capacity was considered adequate 

or flexible enough to meet those demands 

but some forward purchases of granular 

material and advanced four month 

warning for binder supply would be 

beneficial. Smoothing of the demand and 

a proper pipeline of all the infrastructure 

projects was considered to be essential. 

The most likely bottleneck would be in 

general haulage of all materials to remote 

and dispersed sites and the demand for 

skills arising from the program and the 

mining developments. 

The Queensland surfacing industry 

reviewed its capabilities, and when 

considering the significant expansion in 

the demand for stabilised bases and spare 

capacity in the hot-mix manufacturing and 

paving sector, suggested the use of bitumen 

treated bases should be included in the 

reconstruction program. By including 

the spare resources in the hotmix sector 

the strategic risks would be reduced and 

expand the options for delivery. 

Bitumen treated bases (BTB) 

When considering the objectives of 

network resilience, immunity enhancement 

and timely completion bitumen treated 

bases (BTB) well and truly ticked the 

boxes. BTB is well suited to remote and 

rural works as it is based on available 

granular “run-of-crusher” material, using 

large aggregate basecourse quality material 

and relatively low bitumen contents. 

Bitumen treated base concepts are not 

new and were the basis of many thick 

pavements in the past. Run of crusher 

material as opposed to the separation of 

discrete fractions of aggregates for later 

recombination into hotmix asphalt is a 

common way of making asphalt in the 

USA and is a standard product in many 

other countries. 

Queensland Main Roads 

Ten years ago, BTB was used by Boral 

asphalt in the Enhanced Road Condition 

Project (ERCP) project at Nanango in 

Queensland where it was described as 

an economical, relatively dense graded 

asphalt mix which: (2) 

• Uses an economical quarry run material 

or available quarry fractions; 

• Uses crushed aggregate with good shape 

and a large maximum size; 

• Avoids the use of rounded sands – 

crushed fines are preferred, although the 

use of a small percentage of natural sand 

has been found to improve workability. 

• Has an aggregate grading with a smooth 

curve to ensure mechanical interlock; 

• Has a relatively low binder content – 



after considering fatigue life; 

• Uses production and laying procedures 

which limit segregation; 

• Recognises the importance of good field 

compaction 

Queensland Mackay 

Regional Council 

Other members of AAPA in Queensland 

have used BTB’s on projects mostly in 

municipal areas. A recent example of 

this was reported (3) by Mackay Regional 

Council on numerous BTB projects 

subjected to heavy vehicle loading 

and based on Queensland Main Roads 

Specifications MRS11.05 unbound type 2 

base material with C320 bitumen contents 

of 3.5 to 4.0%. 

Details of six projects undertaken by 

Fulton Hogan ranging from 150 to 350mm 

thickness of BTB and 50mm asphalt 

wearing course were evaluated and results 

presented. 

Benefits listed included immediate 

opening to traffic, which has very high 

value in a municipal environment, cost 

effective against traditional pavements 

with reduced maintenance costs. 

Future considerations included 

increased use of RAP and possibility of 

Warm Mix technologies. 

Prospect Highway full depth asphalt – rapid full 

depth construction on weak subgrade (4) 

New South Wales 

Blacktown 

Reporting on full depth asphalt 

pavements (4) that have performed like 

“perpetual pavements” over the last 25 

to 30 years, some of bases laid in the 

early 1970s were 40mm sized run-ofcrusher 

material. Where sub-grades were 

weak, the asphalt was grader spread and 

compacted to provide a strong platform 

for subsequent layers. The resilience 

and durability of this thick asphalt 

was assessed against traffic loading, 

maintenance costs and traffic loading 

and these heavy duty pavements. Their 

whole-of-life cost comparison to alternate 

pavement types showed they were the 

preferred option; also they could be 

constructed much more rapidly and at 

a lower cost due to lower haulage costs 

and disposal costs of excavate material. 

AAPA technical 

committees take action 

At the March 2011 meeting of the 

National Technical Committee, it was 

agreed that the AAPA suite of guides would 

be updated to include recommendations 

on the use and specification for Bitumen 

Treated Bases. 

Acknowledging the potential in 

Queensland, that state’s Technical 

Committee was tasked to develop a 

project level specification to help establish 

or confirm the necessary performance 

requirements of the mix and attempt to 

have that trialled during the reconstruction 

projects in the state. 

A small working group representing all 

the asphalt producers was established with 

the Queensland Transport and Main Roads 

(TMR) specifications used as the basis for 

the project specification. A contract was 

called incorporating BTB on the Warrego 

Highway east of Roma which provided 

an opportunity to engage with TMR 

technical and field staff in reviewing the 

AAPA Queensland developed specification. 

A combined BTB steering committee has 

been established which incorporates AAPA 

members & TMR staff, and it continues 

to develop the specification with feedback 

obtained from the project. 

The Warrego Highway project envisages 

the use of BTB as an overlay on the 

existing sealed surface with shoulders 

widened and strengthened with BTB. An 

Traffic backs as flooding cuts the Warrego Highway 

at Gorrie Creek near Toowoomba- January 2011 

(Courier Mail photo by Glenn Hampson) 

estimated 200 000 tonnes of BTB will be 

used on the project. 

Bitumen Treated Base 

– improved resilience 

to natural disasters 

The Queensland floods have identified 

the need to maintain mobility and quickly 

restore damaged road pavements. With 

frequent flooding and long inundation, 

many of the thinly surfaced conventional 

granular pavements are easily scoured 

away or left in a weakened state for an 

extended period after the water recedes. 

Bound granular pavements improve on 

the resilience of the granular base: foam 

stabilised granular materials helps. But, 

fully bound bitumen bases, making use of 

regionally available granular basecourse 

standard crushed rock, provides 

significantly improved resilience to water 

damage and can be reopened to traffic 

much earlier. Importantly, with the rush to 

complete the reconstruction, BTB can be 

built extremely quickly with much reduced 

traffic accommodation and provide an 

easier construction program. 

With care in the handling of the raw 

materials, BTB can be a high volume 

product for use in areas that have 

traditionally not had access to fully 

bitumen bound bases due to limitations in 

crushing capabilities. 

References 

1. Presentation to the April 2011 AAPA 

Queensland Communications Forum, “The 

Challenges of Reconstructing Queensland’s 

Transport Network” by Shane Doran, 

Queensland Transport & Main Roads 

Department. 

2. “Bitumen Treated Base (BTB) Principles and 

Practices” Boral Asphalt TR15, 1999 by Ken 

Wonson, Boral Asphalt. 

3. “Is Bitumen Treated Base a viable option 

in pavement construction” presentation to 5th 

Australian Road Engineering & Maintenance 

Conference 2010 by Bill Moffat, Mackay 

Regional Council. 

4. “A road pavement for very rapid construction 

– 25 to 35 years of success”, presentation at 

AAPA NSW feedback to Local Government, 

May 2011 by Paul Ritchie, Ritchie Civil 

Engineering Pty Ltd. 



Sustainability as a 

factor in future road 

pavement tenders 

Sustainability is a word that has different 

meanings to different people. For example; 

to many business people sustainability 

means continued profitability for their 

company. For a marathon runner, it 

means being able to keep running at peak 

performance for the whole race. To others 

in our community, sustainability means 

environmental sustainability. That is 

maintaining the biodiversity of our plants 

and animals, the health of our waterways 

and air quality, and preserving resources 

and opportunities for future generations. 

In many ways these are all one and 

the same.We can’t sustain our businesses 

and opportunities for future generations 

without maintaining our environment. 

We can’t maintain our environment and 

health without sustainable business and 

our economy. 

As most environmental, social and 

sustainability aspects are not currently 

“priced”, many business decisions are 

made by principally considering only 

the economic cost. For example; road 

construction tenders are primarily based 

on the tender price. That is, lowest price 

usually wins. 

Issues such as past road performance 

and the need to have qualified operational 

staff are becoming more prevalent in some 

tenders and companies generally do take 

action to reduce environmental impacts 

as much as possible. However; there is 

usually no direct price benefit from taking 

additional steps to improve sustainability, 

although in some situations sustainable 

practices can reduce final cost. In future 

this may change particularly in the area 

of environmental sustainability, as some 

government agencies are considering 

including non-price sustainability factors 

in tender evaluations. 

One such agency is VicRoads. In its 

Sustainability and Climate Change 

Strategy 2010-2015 a key objective is to 

improve sustainability in road construction 

and maintenance. This is to be achieved 

by increasing the use of recycled materials 

and importantly by increasing the use 

of contract incentives to encourage 

project sustainability. 

As a step towards increasing the 

use of contact incentives VicRoads 

released INVEST (Integrated VicRoads 

Environmental Sustainability Tool) in May 

this year. This is a 5-star sustainable rating 

tool that will enable VicRoads to assess 

and compare the sustainable aspects of 

project design and performance. 

VicRoads Sustainability initiative: 

a star rating tool for roads 

At this stage, no financial value has 

been assigned to the rating tool, but it is 

possible that this could follow once the 

tool has been trialled. The tool, combined 

with the Carbon calculator currently being 

finalised by VicRoads, is likely to become a 

significant component in evaluating future 

tenders offered in Victoria. The following 

information on INVEST was provided 

by Dr Helen Murphy VicRoads Director 

Environmental Sustainability. 

VicRoads has recently released its sustainability 

rating tool for road construction projects, 

named INVEST (Integrated VicRoads 

Environmental Sustainability Tool). 

At the launch at Melbourne Zoo attended by 

over 100 contractors and consultants, Gary Liddle, 

Chief Executive of VicRoads, noted that INVEST 

demonstrated the organisation’s commitment to 

sustainability and supported the key directions of 

the Sustainability and Climate Change Strategy. 

The aims of INVEST are to: 

• encourage the investigation and 

implementation of innovative ideas 

which will contribute to improving 

sustainability in road projects; 

• recognise outstanding sustainability practices; 

• increase awareness of sustainable practices in road projects; 

• establish benchmarks for sustainability and encourage continual improvement. 

Similar to other rating tools, INVEST is a certification program that 

distinguishes road construction projects based on the extent to which 

they incorporate sustainable choices. An international review panel 

will be engaged to oversee the implementation of the program. 

The sustainability rating is for VicRoads projects only and it will be utilised 

to establish benchmarks for future projects. The scope of the tool is currently 

limited to large construction projects and as with most sustainability tools, 

the maximum benefit will be obtained if it is used early on in the project. 

According to Dr Helen Murphy, Director, Environmental Sustainability, 

“the long term goal for INVEST is to raise the sustainability 

benchmarks across road construction projects and enable non-price 

attributes to be assessed as part of tender evaluation processes”. 

“It is envisaged that INVEST will be an evolving tool with changes reflecting 

industry standards, community expectations and new and emerging technologies”. 

For further information contact: Dr Helen Murphy, Director 

Environmental Sustainability (helen.murphy@roads.vic.gov.au) 

30 ROADS JUNE/JULY 2011


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LONG TERM FULL DEPTH ASPHALT 

PAVEMENT PERFORMANCE IN 

AUSTRALIA – Part 2 

By Ian Rickards and Peter Armstrong, Australian Asphalt Pavement Association, Australia. 

In the February-March edition of Asphalt 

Review, we published the first half of this 

paper which was presented at the 2010 

ARRB Conference. 

That instalment described the Long 

Term Pavement Performance studies and 

research programs conducted by AAPA 

in Australia since the middle 1980s, the 

findings of research work undertaken in 

Europe, and in particular at TRL, and 

commentary on a summary of findings on 

LTPP in Australia. 

This instalment begins with the authors’ 

discussion of the implications from 

LTPP observations. It goes on to give us 

their recommendations and conclusions 

towards reaping the benefits for Australian 

road users of the collective global studies, 

to yield continuous improvement and 

savings in the delivery of long life full 

depth asphalt (perpetual) pavements. 

An abstract of the full paper is 

included to put the second part of the 

paper into perspective. 

Abstract 

The Australian Asphalt Pavement 

Association, working with its members, has 

previously conducted extensive Long Term 

Pavement Performance (LTPP) studies of 

asphalt and composite pavements. 

The studies were designed to assist the 

validation and calibration of laboratory 

performance related tests, to enhance 

Full Depth Asphalt (FDA) pavement 

thickness design reliability, and to check 

the achievement of perpetual pavement 

conditions. 

All the LTPP sites were found to be in 

good to excellent condition after varying 

service to 40 years. The enormity of the 

work required for successful LTPP studies 

and a critical shortage of resources is a 

key finding. Considerable overseas LTPP 

efforts and research into the endurance 

limit of asphalt materials underpinning the 

Perpetual Pavement concept is Discussed. 

It is the author’s view that we must 

actively participate in and contribute to the 

overseas research effort if we are to realise 

the benefits in a reasonable timeframe. 

Implications from 

LTPP observational 

The implications from the Australian 

LTPP findings are treated separately in the 

following sections firstly, as they relate to 

current FDA Perpetual Pavement design 

practice, and secondly as they relate to the 

AAPA research program. 

Ehanced FDA perpetual 

pavement design & 

construction — AAPA 

committed research 

It is now accepted that the FDA Perpetual 

Pavement is a legitimate technology, 

founded upo n the endurance limit 

principle, a basic engineering property that 

applies to numerous load bearing materials 

e.g. concrete and steel. The endurance 

limit (sometimes referred to as the fatigue 

limit) is the stress or strain level below 

which fatigue failure will not occur. 

This concept has been routinely 

applied in concrete pavement thickness 

design where it was assumed that life 

of the material is infinite if the ratio of 

applied stress and stress at failure is less 

than about 50%. In concrete pavement 

thickness design practice it meant that the 

majority (lighter end) of the traffic loading 

spectrum, theoretically, did not contribute 

to damage. In practice however the failure 

of concrete pavements is generally found 

to initiate at joints and non-load associated 

cracks where the entire traffic spectrum 

contribute to the progression of damage. 

The fundamental difference with a 

properly constructed FDA 

Perpetual Pavement is that there are 

no joints to degrade and the inherent 

flexibility and ability to dissipate strain 

substantial limits environmental cracking 

(noting that Australia additionally has 

a benign environment relative to the 

extremes, particularly cold, found in 

overseas structures). 

In the FDA Perpetual Pavement 

context various limiting strain values 

have been suggested for asphalt e.g. 70 

me (microstrain) to as high as 125 me in 

China (Yang et al 2005). Literature records 

this tentative value derived from the 

observations laboratory fatigue testing of 

asphalt since the 1970’s. 

The concept is illustrated in Figure 

2 where it is suggested that at strain 

levels below 70 me in the laboratory 

virtually infinite repetitions of strain 

fail to inflict damage i.e. there is no 

significant reduction in the stiffness of 

fatigue beam with loading cycles. In 

application it has been postulated that 

the FDA Perpetual Pavement condition is 

achieved if in the FDA thickness design 

process the combined strength of the 

asphalt and foundation materials (a 

function of modulus and thickness) results 

in a maximum tensile strain of 70 me at 

standard design conditions. 

Asphalt endurance 

limit concept Strain 

repetitions, strain 

magnitude (microstrain) 

Substantial research is current in the US 

and Europe to test the endurance limit 

concept and has resulted in significant 

refinements. The US work on the 

endurance limit at the NCAT full scale test 



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Figure 2: Illustration of 

the laboratory endurance 

limit for asphalt materials 

facility is detailed in NCAT Report 

09-08, and supporting research in 

NCHRPReport 646. 

NCAT have undertaken detailed 

evaluation of their test track pavements in 

which the spectrum of traffic loading and 

asphalt strain gauge measurements has 

been monitored. 

Figure 3 is a plot of the cumulative 

distribution of asphalt tensile strain at 

the bottom of the nominated test sections, 

and compares it with the observed 

crack development. 

It is observed on the NCAT test sections 

that the distribution of strain tends to have 

two distinct forms, and that the sections 

that exhibit cracking suffer significantly 

higher strain levels over a greater 

percentage of the distribution. 

It is also observed that while test sections 

N1 and N2 exhibit top-down cracking the 

strain levels remain low relative to the 

other cracked section, suggesting the topdown 

cracking does not imply a significant 

reduction in structural capacity. 

Based on these data NCAT suggest 

the cumulative strain distribution is a 

more appropriate FDA Perpetual Design 

parameter. In application the designer 

would adopt an upper limiting design 

number e.g. based on their observations 

TRL data suggests 80 MSA on the premise 

that if the pavement is able to carry 

this traffic it has attained Perpetual 

Pavement status. 

The traffic and pavement temperature 

distribution is then determined and the 

strains calculated over the range of modulus 

relevant to the temperature profile and 

checked against the cumulative distribution 

profile in the following Figure 4. 

The following conclusions were drawn 

from the NCAT research: 

• Fatigue cracked sections had wider 

strain profiles when compared to 

the strain distributions of 

uncracked sections. 

• Higher magnitude strains govern fatigue 

cracking since many of the cracked and 

uncracked strain profiles were similar in 

the lower percentiles. 

Assuming similar traffic and fatigue 

characteristics, the preceding field-based 

strain profile should withstand fatigue 

cracking. Implementation of these findings 

beyond the scope of the Test Track requires 

further validation. 

The NCHRP Report 646 “Validating 

the Fatigue Endurance Limit for Hot Mix 

Asphalt” states “The objectives of this 

research were to (1) test the hypothesis 

that there is an endurance limit in the 

fatigue behavior of HMA mixtures, (2) 

measure the value of the endurance 

limit for a representative range of 

HMA mixtures, and (3) recommend a 

procedure to incorporate the effects of 

the endurance limit into mechanistic 

pavement design methods” The report 

provides methods to evaluate the 

endurance limit using laboratory 

beam fatigue and uniaxial tension 

testing using the AMPT. But clearly 

the application of the endurance limit 

is a work in progress as illustrated by 

the following. Recommendations from 

this study address the following five 

areas: (1) investigation of the endurance 

limit as a mixture property, (2) additional 

research and development to further 

the development of the uniaxial 

tension test (AMPT), (3) field testing to 

investigate cracking observed in thicker 

LTPP sections that appear to refute 

the existence of the endurance limit, (4) 

incorporation of the endurance limit 

into pavement design, and (5) cataloging 

endurance limit values. 

It is evident that the US researchers in 

particular have made significant advance 

in FDA Perpetual Pavement design, 

but that despite their considerable 

resources much is to be done. Relative 

to the Australian context it is the authors’ 

view that the task simply to integrate the 

findings of the overseas developments 

will stretch our resources. We believe the 

solution is to initiate radical measures to 

increase our research resource base. 

The following initiatives by AAPA will 

assist on the local scene but it is the 

authors’ belief that Australia should seek 

active involvement and participation in 

studies such as those in place in the US 

and Europe. 



100% 

90% 

80% 

Figure 3: Cumulative 

distribution of asphalt 

strain and cracking on 

2006 trial sections 

(NCAT report 09-08, 

figure 5.11) 

Percentile 

70% 

60% 

50% 

40% 

30% 

20% 

10% 

N1 (Top-down) 

N2 (Top-down) 

N3 (No crackng) 

N4 (No cracking) 

N8 (Cracked) 

N9 (No cracking) 

N10 (Cracked) 

S11 (Cracked) 

0% 

0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400 

Microstrain 

Figure 5.11. Cumulative Distribution of Strains for 2006 Structural Sections (29) 

Alliance with US LTPP researchers 

The Australian asphalt industry has maintained close relations 

with its US counterparts through the National Asphalt Pavement 

Association (NAPA) and their colleagues at NCAT. The NCAT has 

made substantial contributions to research to advance asphalt 

technology and practice. 

They are a free and generous source of scientific literature 

through their web site. 

Negotiations are underway to establish a formal alliance 

between AAPA and NCAT that will provide the framework under 

which Australian researchers will work with NCAT in the conduct 

of testing, data gathering and analysis. 

Interim recommendations - FDA mix 

design and construction methods 

After many decades of experience in the forensic analysis of 

flexible pavement failures the authors have concluded that 

the cause of premature flexible pavement failure is never as a 

consequence of a fundamental flaw in the asphalt pavement 

design process. When premature failure occurs in asphalt 

pavements it has been found, without exception, that any or all 

of the following factors are to blame; the wrong materials were 

supplied; the construction detailing was in error; construction 

quality was lacking; or, very rarely, traffic load conditions were 

substantially underestimated. The paper concludes by providing 

practical direction on fundamental construction issues to be 

employed in order to achieve perpetual asphalt pavements. In 

preparing for the design and construction of an asphalt pavement 

the designer, specifier and contractor, is urged to consult AS 2150 

– 2005; Hot mix asphalt - A guide to good practice. This document 

provides comprehensive and practical guidance. In addition the 

following bullet points provide suggestions which have derived 

from recent Australian experience on major projects. Some of 

the guidelines may not be relevant for smaller scale projects but 

may serve as pointers for discussion with the contractor. It is our 

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100% 

90% 

80% 

Figure 4: Example of 

cumulative distribution 

of asphalt strain with 

confidence bands 

(NCAT report 09-08, 

Figure 5.13) 

Percentile 

70% 

60% 

50% 

40% 

30% 

20% 

10% 

0% 

Average 

+15 

-15 

N3 

N4 

0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 

Microstrain 

Figure 5.13. Average Strain Distribution with Confidence Bands (29) 

experience that a successful outcome is 

generally assured if the asphalt contractor 

works in a partnering arrangement where 

his advice and experience is recognised. 

• Minimise layer interfaces by increasing 

layer thickness - increase layer thickness 

to 4 to 7 times Nominal Maximum 

Aggregate Size (NMAS) for lower layers 

(allowed under AS 2150). 

• Review mix design (fine side of AS 2150 

envelope suggested based on the authors 

research) and layer thickness to reduce 

permeability in asphalt base and 

binder courses 

• Maximum AC20 mix suggested – benefit 

of higher stiffness in large stone mixes 

potentially offset by permeability; 

tendency to segregation 

• Bitumen fog coat (emulsion with 

residual bitumen about 0.15l/m2 

recommended on asphalt base layers 

if exposure to rainfall likely 

• Heavy SAMI seals not necessary under 

OGAC; 7mm seal adequate 

• Consider permeability of substrate and 

shoulders; avoid localised water ingress 

and damming. 

• Asphalt cannot be laid with vertical 

unsupported edges – specify a 1:1 batter. 

• FDA generally requires a granular 

subbase (150mm CBR ≥ 20) with 

penetration prime to ensure bonding 

and assist with paving. 

• Cement modification (1½% cement 

maximum) of granular subbase if 

required to provide bearing capacity for 

construction equipment 

• Bitumen or emulsion stabilised 

aggregate subbase can be incorporated 

in structure 

• Interface of FDA and substrate must 

be bonded to comply with design 

assumptions – a prime or primer seal 

is considered vital 

• Lime stabilisation of clay subgrade 

materials can assist construction 

• Establish trial sections for major 

project and new mixes. Establish 

a database of mix designs for 

future reference. 

• Asphalt mixes in thin surface 

applications breathe – the same mix may 

hold water and strip in thick structures 

• Implement a QA system relevant to 

consistent high volume production on 

major projects i.e. typical testing and 

sampling regimes are excessive and 

should be reduced when the process is 

seen to be under control 

• Ensure design assumptions 

are achieved in the constructed 

pavement – this requires preagreed 

and costed testing protocols 

(understand the inherent variability 

and relevance of performance 

indicators such as modulus). 

Summary and conclusions 

The Australian LTPP study of 34 test 

sites where asphalt provided significant 

structural contribution revealed that all 

the pavements, some to 40 years, are in 

good to excellent condition, functionally 

and structurally. 

Reference is made to significant 

overseas research based on LTPP and 

extensive full scale field trials, into the 

asphalt endurance limit. This fundamental 

engineering property is considered to 

be the basis of the perpetual pavement 

concept. Accordingly the authors now 

accept the validity of the FDA Perpetual 

Pavement concept and believe it offers 

the community significant economic and 

performance benefit. 

Certainly much more LTPP and 

laboratory based materials research 

is warranted. New asphalt material 

characterisation tests and equipment have 

been implemented that provide better 

replication of field conditions that will 

assist the determination of more relevant 

performance measures e.g. the dynamic 

modulus of asphalt across the temperature 

and load spectrum. The asphalt industry 

through AAPA has initiated local and 

overseas alliances to increase the resources 

applied to the enhancement 

of the FDA Perpetual Pavement 

design reliability. 



References 

AustRoads Pavement Design Guide (2004) 

AP-G 17/04 Pavement Design – A Guide to the 

Structural Design of Road Pavements. 

BS 598, Part 104. (1989) Methods of 

Test for the Determination of Density and 

Compaction. 

24th ARRB Conference – Building on 50 years of 

road and transport research, Melbourne, Australia 

2010 © ARRB Group Ltd and Authors 2010 16 

Butcher M & van Loon H (2003) A review of the 

determination of asphalt modulus for pavement 

design. Proc. 12th AAPA International Flexible 

Pavements Conference, Melbourne. 

Foley G (2008) Heavy Duty Asphalt Pavement 

Performance – Update Study. Australian Asphalt 

Pavement Association. 

AAPA responds 

to proposed 

carbon price 

Marchionna, A., Fornaci, M.G. and Malgarini, 

M. (1987). Evaluation of flexible pavements and 

overlay design based on FWD tests. 6th Int. Conf. 

Structural Design of Flexible Pavements 

NCAT Report 09-08; Phase III NCAT Test Track 

Findings (2008) 

NCHRP Report 465; Simple Performance Test for 

Superpave Mix Design (2002) 

NCHRP Report 646; Validating the Fatigue 

Endurance Limit for Hot Mix Asphalt (2010) 

Nunn M (1997) Long-Life Flexible Roads 

Proc 8th International Conference on Asphalt 

Pavements, Seattle. 

Parry A, Phillips S, Potter J, and Nunn M (1997) 

UK Design of Flexible Composite Pavements. 

Proc 8th International Conference on Asphalt 

Pavements, Seattle. 

Porter, K.F. and Armstrong, P.J. (1980). An 

Inspection Manual for the Pilot Inspection 

Procedure Design for the ARRB Road Condition 

Rating System. ARRB Internal Report, AIR 262-6. 

Rickards I J (2009) The Application of Laboratory 

Derived Performance Measures at Project Level. 

Proc 13th International Asphalt Pavement Conf, 

Gold Coast. 

Sharp K G & Tepper S B (2001) A Pilot Study of 

the Performance of Heavy Duty Asphalt Pavements 

in Service. ARRB Transport Research Contract 

Report RC90140-1. 

Theyse H L (1996) Overview of the South African 

Mechanistic Pavement Design Method Annual 

meeting of the US Transportation Research Board, 

Washington DC. 

Werner H (1995) Development of the Volume of 

Heavy Traffic with Time and its Effect on Behaviour 

in Use. Report of LTPP studies by the Bundesanstalt 

für Straßenwesen (BASt) presented at TRL 

workshop. 

Yang, Y. et al (2005) Perpetual Pavement Design 

in China. Proc International Conference on 

Perpetual Pavements, Ohio Research Institute for 

Transportation and the Environment. 

Youdale G P (2004); Heavy Duty Asphalt 

Pavement Performance Study – Stage 2 Data 

Analysis. Australian Asphalt Pavement Association. 

The Federal Government is working with 

independent and Greens MPs to establish 

a carbon price as the forerunner to 

introducing an emissions trading scheme. 

It is therefore essential that the 

bituminous surfacing industry maintains 

a close watch on progress to establishing 

the carbon price to ensure it does not 

unfairly impact on our industry. AAPA has 

established a working group to monitor 

and assess the proposed price. This group 

has also commented on the impact of the 

National Greenhouse Energy Reporting 

(NGER) legislation. 

One of the most important reasons for 

doing this is to ensure the government 

is aware that although bitumen is a 

hydrocarbon, it is not combusted and 

does not produce any greenhouse gas 

emissions. In fact, as those in our industry 

know, bitumen used in pavements is 100% 

recyclable and can be used back into 

pavements over and over again. Bitumen 

remains an ongoing resource for current 

and future generations. It is therefore 

critical that any carbon price does not 

inadvertently apply to the hydrocarbons 

in bitumen. 

Bituminous paving is already a very low 

source of greenhouse gas compared to 

other pavement types. For example; there 

is very little greenhouse gas associated 

with the manufacture of bitumen 

compared to other paving materials. 

Maintaining the wearing course of a 

bituminous surface can also be done 

with little energy compared to replacing 

the whole pavement as may be 

required with other pavement surfaces. 

Resurfacing can also be done quickly, 

causing minimal congestion and 

diversions, reducing greenhouse gas from 

vehicles. And with the growth in the use 

of warm mix asphalt and other energy 

saving practices adopted by industry, 

emissions will be further reduced. 

It is important that any carbon price 

that may impact on road surfacing include 

those emissions associated with the 

manufacture of the base materials used 

in paving as well as those associated with 

production, transport, placement and 

compaction of road surfaces. 

As most people in our community are 

aware, the government is proposing to 

introduce a carbon price legislation in the 

next few months. The Government sought 

comment on carbon pricing to assist in the 

development of the legislation. As a result, 

AAPA prepared a response. 

A full copy of that submission is 

provided. AAPA will, however, continue to 

monitor progress on this matter to ensure 

that should a carbon price be introduced it 

will be applied fairly and equitably to the 




Submission Letter: 

13 May 2011 

Dear Sir/Madam 

Re: Comments on the proposed Carbon Price Mechanism 

The Australian Asphalt Pavement Association (AAPA) represents 

all major industries and State Government Authorities associated 

with the bituminous surfacing industry. This industry is a multibillion 

dollar industry responsible for the surfacing of the vast 

majority of sealed roads across Australia. Its members include all 

major bitumen suppliers, asphalt and sprayed sealing companies 

(industry and government), state government road authorities and 

equipment suppliers. 

AAPA presents the following comments relating to bitumen and 

pavement surfacing on behalf of its members. However, it should 

be noted that many members are involved in a range of industries 

beyond bitumen and pavement surfacing and may submit 

individual comments. It should also be noted that these comments 

have been prepared quickly given the short period given for 

comments. Further interaction may be necessary as information 

on the proposed carbon price regulations becomes available. 

Introduction 

The bitumen/road surfacing industry supports the efforts 

of government to reduce impacts on the environment of 

greenhouse gas emissions. It also supports efforts to reduce other 

environmental impacts. The bituminous surfacing industry is 

a low emitter of greenhouse gas compared to other pavement 

surfacing methods. The industry, is also constantly seeking to 

further reduce its environmental footprint. For example two 

current major priority actions are to increase the use of recycled 

asphalt in new pavements and to reduce energy consumption 

through the use of warm mix asphalt. 

Increased use of recycled asphalt is an important means of 

reducing environmental impacts. The key components of a 

bituminous surface, bitumen and aggregates, are completely 

recyclable and can be used over and over again to create future 

new pavements. Industry is working with State Government road 

authorities to increase the use of recycled asphalt in road surfaces 

with the aim of reusing 100% of existing bituminous surfacing. 

This will reduce greenhouse emissions by reducing the need to 

produce new bitumen or extract stone from quarries and will 

eliminate the disposal of those materials to land fill. 

Industry is working with governments to advance the use 

of warm mix asphalt. Warm mix asphalt is made at lower 

temperatures than standard asphalt, requiring lower energy and 

reducing greenhouse gas emissions. 

AAPA also strongly supports increased investment in road 

maintenance to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Well 

maintained asphalt surfaces significantly reduce vehicle 

emissions. For example, studies in the US have shown that if 

roads in that country were better maintained there would be an 

overall fuel consumption saving of 4%, saving millions of tonnes 

of greenhouse gas each year. Better maintained roads in Australia 

would be expected to have similar savings. 

Despite this, the construction of bituminous road surfacing 

does produce some greenhouse gas emissions. If a carbon price 

is to be applied, AAPA strongly supports an approach that treats 

all industry equitably. The carbon price must also impose no 

unnecessary administrative burden on industry or the government 

agencies administering the relevant regulations. 

AAPA offers the following comments for your consideration. 

The carbon price should not apply to materials that produce no 

greenhouse gas Bitumen is a hydrocarbon and can be wrongly 

associated with other hydrocarbons that are combusted. Bitumen 

is not combusted and produces no greenhouse gas. Instead it 

remains as bitumen in perpetuity and can be reclaimed and 

reused in new road surfaces over and over again. Because of this, 

bitumen remains a valuable resource for current and 

future generations. 

Consequently bitumen should not be included in any 

calculation of a carbon price. AAPA therefore supports the 

previous arrangements in the proposed CPRS which excluded 

bitumen from the petroleum fuels provisions. Similarly any 

downstream use of bitumen should not be included. It is 

interesting to note that bitumen and the aggregate in pavements 

is the most recycled material in the US with nearly 100 million 

tonnes of asphalt recycled each year. Much of the material 

reclaimed from roads in Australia is also reused in new roads and 

industry and government are working together to increase that 

quantity. 

Recommendation: That there is no carbon price applicable to 

bitumen as it is not combusted and produces no greenhouse gas 

emissions. 

Relationship between a carbon price and NGER 

reporting requirements 

At present bitumen is a reportable energy source under the 

National Greenhouse Energy Reporting Act (NGER). However, 

NGER also recognises that bitumen is not combusted and 

therefore is assigned a zero value for greenhouse emissions. As 

such if NGER was used to assist in the identification of materials 

that would incur a carbon price or in the calculation of that price, 

care should be taken to ensure that bitumen is excluded. 

Further, should NGER be used as a basis for assisting in the 

identification of high energy users or greenhouse emitters, the 

energy assigned to bitumen should not be taken into account. 

Note, the recent review of NGER by the Department has 

concluded that bitumen used for road surfacing should be 

exempted from the reporting requirements. However, AAPA 

has been advised that this will require an amendment to the 

Regulations and may not be achieved this year. 

Recommendation: That the inclusion of bitumen in NGER is 

not used in determining a carbon price or industries required to 

pay a carbon price. 

Carbon price should be paid at the point of excise or customs 

duty of the greenhouse gas producing fuel, not by users of 

that fuel 

Where a carbon price is to be paid, AAPA recommends that it 

be paid at the point of excise or customs duty of that energy 

source. Greenhouse gas is produced in a number of ways by the 

community, industry, agriculture etc. It follows that the most 



efficient administrative approach to paying a carbon price would 

be to require the producer or provider of that energy or energy 

source to pay the relevant cost. The alternative of requiring 

individuals or organisations that use energy would impose a large 

burden on the many users of energy and the government agencies 

administering the carbon price. It would also cause confusion as 

to who should pay the carbon price when a subcontractor, such 

as a road surfacing company, is working on behalf of a major 

contractor or the government. 

The complexity associated with end users paying the carbon 

price has been demonstrated in the application of the NGER 

Regulations. These have caused significant issues and complexities 

across industries, including in the pavement surfacing industry 

and these are still in the process of being resolved with the 

Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency and civil 

and construction industries. 

The optimal point of carbon liability for the emissions 

embodied in energy sources is with the upstream fuel supplier 

or energy producer, for example at the point of excise or customs 

duty, when fuel leaves a bonded premise such as at the terminal 

gate or power is produced at a power station. Bituminous 

surfacing companies would then pay any costs as an additional 

charge for the energy they use. 

Recommendation: Carbon tax should be paid by the energy 

source supplier or producer. 

Option to transfer liability 

Despite the comments above that the carbon price should be 

paid by the energy producer or supplier, there may be some 

situations when an individual company may wish to pay the 

carbon price itself. This may, for example, occur for large 

companies that have a policy or ability to offer significant carbon 

offsets. In this case, companies should be permitted to approach 

the energy producer or supplier, with the full knowledge of 

the Government, to take on the carbon liability. This is likely 

to be an option that would be considered by some large, multi 

operation companies and should be allowed under the proposed 

carbon price regulations. 

Recommendation: That a mechanism exists for individual 

companies to assume the liability to pay carbon taxes. 

Level playing field – Government and private industries 

The bituminous surfacing industry comprises some national 

companies and a wide range of regional or state based operations. 

Some of the larger single state operations are wholly owned 

government companies. For example one of the largest single 

state surfacing companies is the Brisbane City Council. Other 

major surfacing companies include Sprayline (wholly owned 

by the Victorian Government) and RoadTec (wholly owned by 

the Queensland Government). It is noted that under NGER 

government companies are currently not required to report. 

To ensure a level playing field in the pavement industry it is 

important that the carbon price is passed on to government and 

non-government industries. 

Recommendation: The impact of a carbon price must apply 

equally to government and private industries. 

Level playing field – Whole of Emissions associated with 

Road Construction 

It has been indicated that some materials that are produced 

overseas and in Australia may be exempt from a carbon price 

under EITE arrangements. While there will be many valid reasons 

for doing this it is important that the carbon pricing mechanism 

does not inadvertently impact on the competiveness of products, 

particularly where this may lead to carbon leakage. That is, by 

increasing the use of greenhouse intensive exempted materials. 

Should this occur it would contravene several of the MPCCC’s 

stated principles, including: 

• Competitiveness of Australian industries – by incentivising 

imported alternative products, over locally produced lower 

greenhouse emissions materials. 

• Fairness – by exempting one competitor from a carbon price 

while requiring the other to pay an increased cost. 

• Environmental effectiveness – by exempting a more carbon 

intensive product produced overseas from the carbon price, 

but including a locally produced product. 

• Economic efficiency – by applying carbon price to a material 

incentivises switching to an alternative exempted material. 

• It is vital that the carbon price exemption does not inadvertently 

promote products that may be more greenhouse intensive than 

alternative products. 

Recommendation: That carbon pricing and carbon price 

exemptions do not inadvertently impact on product or market 

competitiveness and do not promote more greenhouse intensive 

materials and activities. 

Conclusion 

The bituminous surfacing industry is a low greenhouse emitter 

which uses products that remain fully recyclable back into road 

surfaces and pavements. Indeed bitumen and aggregates used in 

pavements are able to be used over and over again, remaining a 

resource for current and future generations. 

These facts, and our emphasis on developing even lower 

greenhouse intense practices highlight the importance of 

minimising the impacts of any future carbon price on the 

bituminous surfacing industry, including ensuring that it is 

applied equitably. 

Should any further information be required please contact me 

on 03 9853 3595 or at john.lambert@aapa.asn.au. 

Yours sincerely, 

John Lambert 

Chief Executive Officer 



Have your skills 

formally recognised 

If you are an experienced supervisor 

of asphalt paving and compaction or 

bituminous sprayed treatment work, you 

could gain recognition of your skills with 

the help of AAPA’s Registered Training 

Organisation (RTO). 

Through AAPA RTO’s Recognition of 

Prior Learning (RPL) program you could 

be issued with a nationally recognised 

Statement of Attainment. 

If RPL confirms that you have the 

necessary knowledge and skills, you will 

be awarded either or both of the following 

units of competency: 

• RIICBS401A - Apply the principles for 

the asphalt paving and compaction, 

which covers the supervision of asphalt 

paving and compaction; and 

• RIICBS402A - Apply the principles for 

the application of bituminous sprayed 

treatments, which covers the supervision 

of bituminous sprayed treatments. 

Both of these are elective units from 

the RII09 Resources and Infrastructure 

Industry Training Package, which is a 

set of nationally-endorsed standards, 

qualifications and guidelines used to 

recognise and assess the skills and 

knowledge people need to perform 

effectively in the workplace. 

How RPL works 

RPL is a process by which your current 

skills, knowledge and experience, regardless 

of how they have been acquired, are 

recognised towards the achievement of 

national units of competency. 

You don’t need to sit an exam or repeat 

learning for skills and knowledge you 

already have. But you do need to provide 

information about your experience, have 

an interview with an AAPA RTO assessor, 

usually at your workplace, and bring along 

to your interview documents to help show 

you are competent. 

RPL eligibility 

To be eligible for RPL you should have: 

• at least two years experience in 

The RPL process 

supervising either asphalt paving and 

compaction or bituminous sprayed 

treatment tasks; 

• the knowledge and skills required to be 

awarded either unit RIICBS401A or unit 

RIICBS402A. 

To check if you have the required 

knowledge and skills go to www.aapa. 

asn.au/training, click on the ‘Recognition 

of Prior Learning’ tab and download and 

complete the ‘Self-evaluation: Supervisory 

Units’ form. 



AAPA releases 

new Bitumen 

Burns Card 

If you have most of the knowledge and 

skills required for either or both of these 

units of competency contact the AAPA 

RTO to request an RPL application form. 

Building on your units 

of competency 

Units of competency can be packaged 

together to form a national qualification. 

Units RIICBS401A and RIICBS402A, 

for example, are both elective units 

in a number of qualifications in the 

RII09 Resources and Infrastructure 

Industry Training Package, including the 

qualification RII40709 Certificate IV in 

Civil Construction Supervision. 

If you are enrolled in a qualification 

or are interested in obtaining a full 

qualification, contact the AAPA RTO. 

We can advise you on how to combine the 

units of competency we offer with units 

from other RTOs to form a 

complete qualification. 

Future RPL units 

We are in the process of extending our 

RPL program to cover other bituminous 

surfacing competencies including those that 

cover: 

• supervising polymer modified binder 

tasks; 

• supervising pavement maintenance; 

• preparing sprayed seal surfacing 

designs; and 

• selecting pavement surfacing. 

Visit www.aapa.asn.au/training 

and click on the ‘Recognition of Prior 

Learning’ tab to check on our progress. 

Further information 

For further information about our RPL 

Program contact: Janine Stewart, AAPA 

RTO Manager; Australian Asphalt Pavement 

Association; Level 2, 5 Wellington Street, 

KEW VIC 3101. Phone: 03 9853 395; 

Email: rto@aapa.asn.au 

Those in our industry know that working 

with bitumen can be dangerous due to 

its high temperatures and latent heat. 

We also know that the health and safety 

practices adopted by AAPA members 

across Australia are designed to protect 

workers from health and safety incidents. 

Zero harm is our goal. 

However, we recognise that we must 

also be prepared in the case of an 

incident, such as a bitumen burn, to 

respond quickly and appropriately. 

Thankfully bitumen burns are rare. But 

this means that most people, including 

hospital casualty staff, have little 

experience with them. AAPA has released 

a new Bitumen Burns Card. Information 

on the card and its format is based on 

the Downer EDI Works burns card and is 

used with their permission. 

The burns card should be carried in 

every vehicle that is associated with hot 

bitumen and asphalt. Some industry and 

government bodies also require that every 

first aid kit has a card. 

The card is double sided and made of 

water resistant paper – one side guides the 

immediate response by work colleagues 

and the other guides medical staff. 

If a burn occurs, the card should be 

read and the first aid actions followed. In 

particular, cold water should be applied 

to the affected area, taking care not to 

attempt to remove any of the bitumen. 

Considerable injury can occur if any 

attempt is made to remove the bitumen. 

An ambulance should be called to 

ensure the injured person is taken to a 

hospital as soon as possible. The card 

must then be attached to the person’s 

clothing and a work colleague must 

accompany the person to hospital to 

ensure that medical staff are made aware 

of the card and read the advice to 

medical practitioners. 

Copies of the card have been sent to all 

members and they can request additional 

cards to place in vehicles and first aid kits. 

VicRoads is one body that has requested 

large numbers and is committed to having 

a card in each first aid kit. The NSW RTA 

has also requested large numbers. 

Vicroads is also working with AAPA to 

develop a small, wallet size card with the 

first aid information. This card is intended 

to be carried by everyone involved in the 


As well as containing the first aid 

information, the wallet size card will refer 

to the larger burns card, advising that the 

full card should be obtained and attached 

to the injured person. This is a great 

initiative of VicRoads and will be made 

available to the whole industry once it has 

been printed. 

For copies of the Burns card, contact Loura 

at AAPA (loura.penna@aapa.asn.au). 



AAPA leads way in IMproving 

industry skills and knowledge 

AAPA continues to offer relevant training courses for all 

people involved in the flexible pavement industry. 

These courses incorporated in the program are relevant to 

asset supervisors and operator crews. They are also relevant 

to engineers, managers and any person associated with the 

placement of flexible pavements. 

Courses such as the Safe Handling of Bitumen courses 

are particularly relevant to new entrants, as well as to 

experienced hands who require refreshers. 

A key feature of AAPA courses is that they are designed and 

delivered by experts in our industry; people with many years 

of experience in asphalt and sprayed seal. They are delivered 

in a range of locations around Australia. 

AAPA also offers the flexibility to provide training to 

organisations in their own premises or at a time and place 

to suit their needs. 

If you wish to inquire about AAPA training or to discuss a 

customised course for your company, please contact AAPA 

(see the details at the bottom of the current course calendar). 

DATE COURSE LOCATION STATE COURSE 

CODE 

July 

5 

6 

7 

7 

12 

14 

21 

26 

August 

2 

5 

D D 

E E 

P M 

E O A 

N N N 

D D 

S 

Selection of Pavement Surfacing 

Pavement Maintenance Practices 

Asphalt Placement & Compaction 

Working Safely With Bitumen 











Sydney 

Sydney 

Sydney 

Perth 

Adelaide 

Melbourne 

Sydney 

Brisbane 

Toowoomba 

Roma 

Emerald 

Rockhampton 

Mackay 

Townsville 

NSW 

NSW 

NSW 

WA 

SA 

VIC 

NSW 

QLD 

QLD 

QLD 

QLD 

QLD 

QLD 

QLD 

TC1134 

TC1135 

TC1136 

TC1137 

TC1138 

TC1139 

TC1140 

TC1142 

TC1143 

AC1143 

9-11 Bituminous Surfacing – Principles and Practice Melbourne VIC TC1144 

16-18 Bituminous Surfacing – Principles and Practice Perth WA TC1145 

23-25 Bituminous Surfacing – Principles and Practice Brisbane QLD TC1146 

30 

Selection of Pavement Surfacing 

Adelaide SA TC1147 

31 

Pavement Maintenance Practices 


September 

1 Asphalt Placement & Compaction 


6-8 Bituminous Surfacing – Principles and Practice Sydney NSW TC1150 

13 Polymer Modified Binders & Bitumen Emulsions Perth WA TC1151 

14 Pavement Maintenance Practices 

Perth WA TC1152 

15 Asphalt Placement & Compaction 

Perth WA TC1153 

25-28 

AAPA’s 14th International 

Flexible Pavements Conference 

Sydney NSW 

Training Courses can generally be fully customised to your requirements 

YOUR TOPICS, YOUR LOCATION and YOUR TIMING! 

Call the AAPA Training Centre for more details. 

Telephone: (03) 9853 5322 | Fax: (03) 9853 5914 | Email: trainingcentre@aapa.asn.au | www.aapa.asn.au 


Crack Sealing 

Line Marking 

Traffic Planning 

Anti-Skid Surfacing 

Repair Products 

NRS Asphalt Cold Mix. Now in buckets. 



Cold mix asphalt the solution for potholes 

Within Australia’s extensive road network, potholes present a 

significant problem to those responsible for maintaining roads. 

Potholes can lead to accidents and cause damage to vehicles. 

If not repaired in a timely manner they lead to further pavement 

damage which can become costly to repair. Potholes also take time 

to repair properly and can cause lengthy disruptions to traffic. 

The preferred material for use in long lasting pothole repair is 

hot mixed asphalt. However; circumstances don’t always allow for 

the use of hot mix asphalt, which isn’t always readily available for 

emergency repairs and can cause delays when used on roads with 

highly congested traffic. 

In these circumstances, the road asset manager might be forced 

to consider using alternative pot hole repair materials such as 

cold mixed asphalt. While conventional cold mix materials offer a 

quick-fix solution, their use is limited by their temporary nature. 

Boral has developed a solution to pothole repair problems 

called PPR. It is a special cold mix asphalt product manufactured 

locally using Macfix technology under license from Macismo 

International from the UK. Macfix cold mix asphalt technology 

has been proven throughout the USA, UK and South Africa. 

PPR can be placed in a pothole under any weather conditions 

– requires minimal preparation and no tack coat; is easy to 

compact; and can be immediately opened to traffic. 

Less equipment and labour is required to undertake the repair 

in comparison with hot mixed asphalt, and unlike conventional 

cold mix asphalt, PPR is not prone to shoving under traffic after 

placement. This reduces the need for recurring visits to repair 

the pothole. 

PPR can be placed under all weather conditions and compacted using 

a vehicle tyre to provide a durable repair. 

PPR has a shelf life which exceeds conventional cold mixes. 

When conducting repairs, any unused material can be stored 

for re-use. The product remains workable when properly stored, 

allowing it to be used for up to two years after the date of 

manufacture. During bulk storage, it forms a hard skin but the 

material becomes workable during handling. The benefit of PPR’s 

storage and reuse potential is the reduction in product wastage. 

PPR does not contain solvents or harmful materials and is 

applied at ambient temperature. This makes it safer to handle 

and apply by hand in comparison with hot or cold mix asphalt 

products which must be handled and applied at high temperatures 

or are manufactured using diesel or petroleum solvents. 

PPR can also be used for surfacing utility trenches, repairing 

asphalt car parks, driveways and side walks. For more 

information, visit www.boral.com.au or telephone 1800 555 445. 

Asphalt that plays a role in reducing greenhouse gases 

A price on carbon is regarded as an element of moves to reduce 

greenhouse gas emissions and combat climate change. 

Even though Australia’s contribution to global emissions of 

around 1.5% is relatively small in caparison to other nations, its 

per capita emissions are among the highest in the world, and are 

ranked the highest among OECD countries. 

Australia has committed to reducing emissions to 60% below 

year 2000 levels by 2050, and is focussing on shorter term 

reductions by the year 2020. As part of the effort, Citywide is 

partnering with customers to help reduce C02 emissions and the 

subsequent carbon footprint of some it its key operations. It has 

offered the Australian market environmentally friendly asphalt 

(Greenpave), which achieves a 30% reduction in fume emissions, 

a 30% reduction in greenhouse gases, a 55% reduction in fine dust 

and energy savings of up to 30%. 

Greenpave is manufactured by Citywide at its asphalt plant in 

North Melbourne. Launched in Victoria in 2008, Greenpave has 

undergone extensive trialling to assess its suitability by VicRoads, 

as well as municipalities including the Cities of Melbourne, Yarra, 

Wyndham, Darebin, Hobson’s Bay, Port Phillip and Boroondara. 

The trial period allowed government and the private sector 

the opportunity to test Greenpave under Australian climatic 

conditions. It was concluded that Greenpave was a suitable 

alternative to traditional and non-eco friendly asphalt mixes,| 

and that it be given conditional approval to be used as an 

asphalt alternative. 

Greenpave’s credentials are in its manufacture. Differing from 

traditional hot-mix asphalt processes which use one grade of 

bitumen that is heated to approximately 170°C, Greenpave uses 

two grades of binders, heated to a significantly lower temperature 

of ~110°C. The combined application of the binders results in a 

bitumen with the same performance as the conventional hot mix 

with the added environmental benefits. 

Since Greenpave is manufactured at approximately 60°C less 

than traditional hot mix asphalt, a number of environmental 

benefits are provided to the community: 

• over 30% reduction in fume emissions during production; 

• over 30% reduction in greenhouse gasses; 

• up to 55% reduction in fine dust; 

• energy savings of up to 30%. 

Commencing production of the Greenpave mixture in 2008, 

Citywide has saved a total of 83,884kg of emissions. For further 

information, go to www.citywide.com.au. 


Boral aSPHalT 

Build something great 


Make a long-term mark 

on asphalt repair... 

Boral PPr ® 

cold mix asphalt 

Boral PPR ® 

is a durable cold mix asphalt for 

pothole and patch repairs. Boral PPR ® 

is easy to 

place, has no harmful solvents, has a long shelf 

life and is more cost effective than conventional 

cold mix asphalt products. 

For more information visit 

www.boral.com.au/asphalt/01 

a 

LONG-TERM 

FIX for Asphalt 

BCC 05921_06_11 



New range of compact tandem rollers 

Cc1300 with paver, Dynapac’s new CC1300 articulated tandem asphalt roller is 

capable of following the range of Dynapac pavers. 

Dynapac launched its new range of articulated compact tandem 

rollers at Civenex last May in Sydney. 

The CC1100, CC1200 and CC1300 feature a new water-cooled 

engine. The rollers have an operating weight of 2400kg to 3900kg 

and are available in two configurations throughout the range; 

with dual steel vibratory drums or as a combi version featuring 

one vibratory drum and four rubber tyres. 

Engineered primarily for asphalt compaction on streets and 

pavements in urban areas, the CC1300 is also suitable for 

compacting sub-bases and base courses, and is adequate to follow 

a small paver. 

“Our aim is to offer reliable and modern compact tandem 

rollers and our new models bring more ergonomics, modern 

design and components,” said John Davison, National Sales and 

Marketing Manager – Dynapac. 

The large drum diameter makes them especially effective on 

soft asphalt compounds. In addition, the ratio of drum diameter 

to static linear load considerably reduces the risk of cracks. In the 

combi versions, the rubber tyres are operated in pairs by separate 

drive motors. This reduces the risk of marring newly laid asphalt 

when making sharp turns. 

The high clearance at the drum edge facilitates compaction 

close to high edges and gutters. When equipped with optional 

features, such as a sideways sliding seat and dual driving controls, 

there is a clear view of the edge of the drums. 

The new range is powered by water-cooled Kubota diesel engines 

which have a low noise level; especially important for night work. 

The rollers are equipped with a corrosion-free, impact-resistant 

water tank. Three separate filters alleviate the problem of clogged 

sprinkler nozzles, and the entire sprinkler system can be drained 

easily with a few simple hand operations. 

The new range features a redesigned control. Lower noise and 

vibration levels make operation more convenient. A low centre 

of gravity keeps the machines stable, and sturdy handgrips and 

boarding steps make it safer to get on and off the machine. 

For further information, telephone Atlas Copco Construction 

Equipment Australia on (02) 8805 6311 or email: 

tiffany.alderson@au.atlascopco.com 

National Road Sealing wins distribution deal 

National Road Sealing has been selected by the US-based 

manufacturer, Maxwell Products, as distributor of its Nuvo and 

Elastoflex asphalt crack and concrete joint sealing products in 

Australia and New Zealand. 

National Road Sealing is a pavement maintenance contractor 

with offices in New South Wales and Queensland. 

Crack Sealant plays an important part in prolonging the life 

of traffic infrastructure, as well as the numerous parking lots 

maintained by business and government. Crack sealing is a 

cost-effective way to keep asphalt roadways smooth and safe 

throughout their useful pavement lifetimes. Similarly, sealant 

extends the life of concrete joints by waterproofing, while 

allowing expansion and contraction with weather and the loads 

created by vehicles. 

The most effective sealants are the hot-applied type, which are 

heated to temperatures around 190°C in specialised transportable 

melters at the job site. The high temperatures allow the sealant 

to be liquid and flow easily during application, and to lose its 

“stickiness” to car and truck tires as it cools down. 

The high temperatures also help develop the properties of the 

sealants, which adhere to concrete and asphalt without sticking 

to tires and shoes. 

Sealants are also designed to stretch as pavement contracts and 

to compress when the pavement expands. The product must be 

resilient enough to expel small rocks and objects that might be 

pressed into the sealed crack by passing vehicles. 

Proper application is as important as the quality of the sealant 

and technicians need to be thoroughly trained to handle and care 

for the melters. Skill is also needed to properly identify the best 

treatment for a cracked area and to apply the correct remedy – 

different pavement issues require different approaches. 

For further information, go to www.nationalroadsealing.com 

or telephone 1300 440 730. 



Focus on road asset management practices 

reliable data for roadway infrastructure management applications. 

Road geometry is one of many data sub-sets that can be 

collected using the ARAN technology. Road geometery has long 

been associated with the safety of the road and its direct effect 

on vehicle dynamics. Through measuring curvature, gradient, 

cross-fall and slope, road owners are able to calculate the sections 

of road that need additional safety measures due to visibility or 

traction related issues. 

A range of software solutions, developed by Fugro, allows 

clients to view and interact with their road asset condition 

data. iVision is a web-based application allowing clients to view 

actionable information from anywhere. 

Pavement management and maintenance budgets are limited 

and need to be managed effectively. iVision will complement a 

road infrastructure management program seeking to improve 

pavement longevity and safety, while reducing the amount of 

money it takes to accomplish that goal. 

For more information, call (02) 9674 9488 or visit 

www.fugropms.com.au. 

“Raising the inherent safety and protective quality of road 

networks” has been highlighted as one of the main action points 

of the recently declared United Nations Decade of Action for Road 

Safety Plan 2011 - 2020. 

Governments around the globe are being urged to implement 

measures to reduce the level of road fatalities. Action strategies 

such us community education, road infrastructure improvements, 

vehicle safety research and improvement of post crash care 

facilities, have all been identified as areas for the governments 

to focus on and improve. 

WHEN CAPABILITY COUNTS... 

...COUNT ON FUGRO PMS 

Efficient road condition monitoring and well planned 

maintenance programs have long been a discussion point of 

many road safety debates. 

Fugro PMS has been developing sustainable road asset and 

pavement management practices for over 30 years. 

Planned and programmed road condition inspections – 

conducted using high technology survey gear, such as Fugro’s 

ARAN system – provides an accurate and cost effective 

understanding of the condition of their infrastructure. 

The Fugro ARAN system is a network of tightly integrated 

subsystems that are used to synchronously collect accurate and 

• Flood Damage Assessment, Post Construction Testing 

• Pavement Condition Assessment 

• Airport PCN Assessment 

• Pavement Designs (SAR’s, Remaining Life, Treatment Options) 

• Pavement Deterioration Modelling 

• Structural Surveys (FWD / HWD) 

• Laser Profilometery Surveys 

• Visual Surveys 

• Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) Surveys 

• Geotechnical Investigation 

Fugro PMS Pty Ltd 

Tel: +61 2 9674 9488 

Email: enquiries@fugropms.com.au 

www.fugropms.com.au

Asphalt Review - Volume 30 Number 2 - Australian Asphalt ...

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