National Pavement Expo West 2006
10 paving sessions featured
Now in its sixth year serving the western U.S. paving and pavement maintenance market, National Pavement Expo (NPE) West will offer 18 new sessions among its 29-session conference program, Nov. 30-Dec. 2 in Las Vegas. NPE West, the regional sister show to National Pavement Expo, also hosts a 20,000-square-foot exhibit floor featuring equipment, materials, tools and services for contractors engaged in paving, pavement repair, sealcoating, striping and sweeping.
Among the 18 new topics to be presented at NPE West are 10 paving-related sessions, including four new topics. The four new sessions all are offered on the first day of NPE West. The new sessions include:
Pavement Design for Contractors, presented by Alan Curtis, Chec Consultants, focuses on the principles of pavement design with an eye toward helping contractors improve their success rate and job quality on paving and repair jobs. Information covered includes basic design from the subgrade up, pavement thickness and compaction.
Improve Overlays & Patching with Synthetic Fabrics, presented by John Miner and Fred Chuck, Mirafi Construction Products, covers in detail this increasing important element of new construction and overlays. Contractors will learn how to match different fabrics to the application, how to compare use of membranes, mats and grids. The session will also cover use of fabrics for full-depth patching and removal and replacement procedures.
Cracksealing, Pothole Repair and Patching "Best Practices" brings the Asphalt Institute (AI) to NPE West for the first time as AI's Bob Humer outlines the state-of-the-industry efforts on how best to prevent water from working into the pavement structure and subgrade.
Get the Most out of Infrared Repair, by Bryan Burke, Keizer-Morris, will take a "how-to" approach to this increasingly common pavement repair technology. The session will touch on infrared repair basics, will outline the costs that affect profitability of infrared repair work, offer bidding tips, and Burke will work through several examples of how to bid and perform various types of work.
For descriptions of other paving-related seminars, visit www.nationalpavementexpo.com.
Roadtec Creates Alliance with
Terry Equipment
Customers will enjoy same "factory direct" pricing
Roadtec Inc. announces that Terry Equipment, with branches in Fontana and Sacramento, CA, has been appointed its parts and service agent for all of California and Northern Nevada. Terry Equipment will maintain an extensive inventory of genuine Roadtec repair parts, as well as a complete inventory of Roadtec A/S wear parts for competitive pavers.
Roadtec customers will see no price changes when purchasing parts from Terry Equipment and will continue to enjoy the same "factory direct" pricing on all parts purchased through Terry Equipment.
In addition, Terry Equipment will have Roadtec-trained service people on the ground that can be dispatched by Roadtec service on short notice. California- and Northern Nevada-based customers can continue to contact Roadtec parts and service at the factory direct number of (800) 272-7100 but will have the added convenience of being able to contact Terry Equipment direct and pick up parts at their locations.
AGC Applauds Senate
Construction pension plans boosted by vote
The Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) has praised the U.S. Senate for voting to reform pension laws, a move that will strengthen and preserve multi-employer pension plans for the future and help ensure the retirement security of unionized construction workers. The Pension Protection Act of 2006 (H.R. 4), passed by the U.S. House on July 29, increases the maximum deductibility limit and allows the plans' fiscal health to move forward.
"In the construction arena, workers follow the job, and these plans provide the proverbial third leg of the retirement stool for people who would otherwise be left with only Social Security and savings," says AGC CEO Stephen E. Sandherr. "This is an important addition to retirement security for unionized labor in our industry."
The construction industry funds more than 40 percent of multi-employer plans nationwide, providing portability for workers as they move to different jobsites and new employers. With the current maximum deducibility limit at 100 percent, it's impossible to create sufficient savings to protect plans in the event of a downturn in the market. This legislation increases the deductibility limit to 140 percent of current liability, allowing plans to save more for future retirees and avoid future funding shortfalls.
AGC supports provisions in the bill that demand that plans improve their funded status in order to ensure that they are always fully funded. For plans whose funded percentage is less than 80 percent, trustees will now be required to put together a schedule to improve their plan over a 10-year period, as well as notify plan participants. These two new requirements will ensure plan solvency by guaranteeing that all stakeholders are involved in decisions impacting the solvency of their plans.
Finally, and most critically, the pension bill includes the authority for critical-status plans to protect normal retirement benefits by collecting extra contributions from employers on an emergency basis and, if necessary, modifying ancillary, non-core benefits for certain participants.
Appointments
BOMAG Americas names John Hood to sales manager for paving and milling products.
Cygnus Business Media, publishers of Asphalt Contractor, appoints Sam Simon associate editor of ForConstructionPros.com.
