The National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA) has published Porous Asphalt Pavements, the industry’s first technical publication on the subject. The 16-page document includes information on the design and construction of porous pavements, as well as guidance on the hot-mix asphalt mixtures appropriate for such structures. The text is supplemented with photographs and illustrations. Porous asphalt pavements are becoming increasingly popular because they can provide storm water management systems that promote infiltration, improve water quality and eliminate the need for detention basins.
A porous pavement is essentially a detention basin topped with open-graded asphalt; storm water drains through the pavement’s surface into an aggregate reservoir, then infiltrates slowly into the water table. Porous pavements can be helpful in dealing with land-use restrictions relating to impervious surfaces.
With the proper design and installation, porous asphalt pavements can provide cost-effective parking lots, bike paths, roads and other pavements with a life span of 20 years or more.
This technical document is useful for those who are in the business of designing or constructing pavements and for consultants in the fields of pavements, land use and site design.
Porous Asphalt Pavements (order number IS-131) is available from NAPA at $12 per copy. Orders may be placed by calling toll-free 888/468-6499, by e-mail to [email protected], by fax to the Publications Department at 301/731-4621, or via the NAPA home page at www.hotmix.org. NAPA is located at 5100 Forbes Blvd., Lanham, MD 20706-4407.
New safety alliance unites government, industry, unions
A new alliance to reduce injuries and fatalities among highway workers is bringing together government agencies, industry and labor unions. The Roadway Work Zone Safety Alliance will produce tools to help improve worker safety in work zones, which pose unique safety challenges because of the fast-changing work environment, an increasingly Spanish-speaking work force and constantly changing technology.
Partners in the alliance include the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, NAPA, the American Road & Transportation Builders Association, the International Union of Operating Engineers, and the Laborers’ International Union of North America. The signing ceremony was held at OSHA’s headquarters in the Department of Labor building in Washington, D.C.
“This alliance agreement with OSHA and NIOSH is another step forward in our efforts to ensure that the workers who build and maintain our streets and highways return safe and healthy to their families at the end of each workday,” commented Peter Wilson, NAPA’s 2003 chairman.
“This alliance bolsters our efforts to protect the health and safety of workers in roadway work zones,” said OSHA Administrator John Henshaw. “Together, we create the synergy to focus more effectively on work-zone safety and health issues on a national level and develop innovative solutions for reducing injuries and fatalities.”
“We agree with Mr. Henshaw that our efforts should be focused on ‘value-added’ results—value added in terms of safe, healthy, productive employees and, ultimately, value added in terms of the viability and vitality of our ongoing businesses,” Wilson stated. “Today’s agreement represents another step forward in addressing serious concerns about worker safety and health on roadway jobsites.” NAPA and its partners in the Roadway Work Zone Safety Alliance are members of the Asphalt Coalition, which has a nine-year history of working with government, industry, labor and academia as key stakeholders to build a foundation for significant accomplishments in health and safety.
One of the coalition’s first milestones was the successful effort to address paving workers’ exposure to asphalt fumes. This approach led to an ongoing dialogue and joint endeavors to deal with other roadway safety and health concerns.
NAPA is the only association that exclusively represents the interests of the hot-mix asphalt producer/contractor on the national level with Congress, government agencies and other national trade and business organizations.
