Like a new pair of jeans
“I really enjoyed ripping my new jeans in the buffet parking lot because everyone laughed, I couldn’t wear them again AND I had the opportunity to drive back to the store and exchange them for another pair,” said no one ever.
Similarly, Asphalt Institute (AI) would be shocked to find an instance of a state executive being thrilled over a failing binder test result after the purchase had been made. Besides, a newly paved road is a lot more difficult to return. Disputes, in general, are a part of life but most of us agree that participating in fewer of them is just a good idea. The state Quality Assurance (QA) lab WANTS their data to agree with the supplier's Quality Control (QC) lab as often as possible.
Most of us know that, unless you pay for a ripped or worn spot (I personally never understood that one), our new jeans should be, well, new looking and last a while. We don’t have the time to put those Levis through the rigorous testing that Inspector 5 hopefully did. If we did, would our version of test method L-501, ‘Determining the Tensile Strength of Denim After Buffet While Reaching Down to Pick Up Car Keys in Buffet Parking Lot’ be identical to the inspector's test?
I apologize if I go on with this point but hang in there with me. Is it fair to Inspector 5 if you start the test wearing jeans that are two sizes too small before enjoying the buffet? We need to start with an even playing field, don’t we? We have to have the same expectations.
As consumers we just hope that we purchase quality and, if not, we hope that the return policy covers us. A state agency is also a consumer, but the stakes are too high to sit back and hope for the best. That’s why there are detailed QC plans in place meant to protect both the user and the producer. Included in all of those plans are requirements that acceptance testing be conducted by qualified personnel. The National Quality Initiative of 1992 defines qualified as certified.
Many of you reading this newsletter have been certified in the NBTC or NETTCP programs. In fact, as of this date, in the NBTC program alone there are over 250 technicians that have demonstrated their proficiency in M-320 testing. That is excellent news!
We have heard over and over again that confidence in binder test data has increased since the certification was expanded nationally. But, of the number of certified technicians, only 19 percent represent state agency or ‘users’ while the remainder represent industry or ‘producers.’
The NETTCP was established as an agreement between users and producers that requires acceptance testing be conducted by certified technicians. As a result, in that program there is more balance between agency and industry certified technicians.
On a national level, there is still some catch-up work to do with the North East. Some states require certification for both parties and some states (eight, in fact) have no representation in national PG binder certification at all. The only way to better reconcile promise and expectation is to increase the number of certified technicians. Without certificates stating that both parties are playing by the same rule book, it is unclear how many trips back to the store may have been prevented.
- Mike Beavin
TECH TIP
A safer way to heat DSR trimming tools
As a binder technician, working in a lab environment can be fairly dangerous if you don’t pay close attention to what you are doing. Safety standards and procedures have come a long way over the years, but even when following protocol, it is simply the nature of our business to be in potentially harmful situations.
If you’ve worked in a binder lab for more than a week, then you know that the most likely way to get yourself hurt is from a burn. Whether it’s working with binders at very high temperatures, transferring things from ovens, or working with fire, let’s just say it gets hot! So what are some things we can do to prevent burns? Obviously wearing all required Personal Protective Equipment would be the first preventative measure. But how else can we limit our at-risk behavior in a binder lab setting?
For some of us, there are certain situations when the use of open flames is unavoidable. Running manual flash points for example require it. When you get busy and light a Bunsen burner to heat a tool for trimming, it can be easy to forget that the flame is still going, and this can be dangerous. For more simple procedures such as heating tools for DSR trimming, our friends down at PRI Asphalt Technologies employ a safer approach by using a little device called
BactiZapper.
Although it is typically used by doctors to sterilize instruments in a hospital setting, the BactiZapper is perfect for heating your DSR trimming tool quickly, and without the use of gas and fire. And even though I didn’t go to medical school, I can pretend to be a doctor in my white lab coat, sterilizing my scalpel, preparing for surgery on a DSR. Hey, I can dream right?
You can find a few different prices online, but the
BactiZapper generally goes for about $300 USD. The Asphalt Institute has been using one for about a year now and highly recommends it. Not only for its efficiency in the lab, but for safety reasons as well. Until next time, don’t get burned!
- Madison Pohl, Asphalt Institute Asphalt Materials Technician
