Registration for 53 conference sessions and five convention hotels is now open for National Pavement Expo, Jan. 28-31 at the new Music City Center in downtown Nashville, TN.
The 2015 conference program offers 11 three-hour workshops and 42 90-minute seminars over four days. Conference manager Allan Heydorn says 37 of the 53 sessions are new (including four new paving sessions) and there will be 25 new presenters.
In addition to a dozen paving-focused sessions, NPE will host two 90-minute Asphalt Institute-sponsored sessions presented by Wayne Jones, Senior Regional Engineer.
- Materials Selection: Quality + Efficiency = More Profitability will focus on HMA material-related issues.
- Pavement Evaluation and Repair: Quality + Efficiency = More Profitability, will offer practical “troubleshooting” guidelines for pavement evaluation and repair – including examples of what causes pavements to fall apart and “best practices” for repairing an asphalt pavement.
The 12 paving-related sessions are:
- Warm Mix Asphalt and Its Impact on Your Paving Operation, James Curtis, Chec Management Systems with Don Rooney, Pioneer Paving & Grading. A session that covers this material and how to put it down. An engineering perspective first followed by an on-the-job perspective from a contractor who uses WMA in the field.
- Troubleshooting HMA Joint Construction, John S. Ball, Top Quality Paving. Emphasis will be on proper construction techniques of butt and tapered transverse joints and standard and wedge longitudinal joints. Plus practical tips on joint construction hand work.
- Effective Compaction of Hot Mix Asphalt, Jim Scherocman, P.E., Consulting Engineer. A 90-minute session designed to help paving crews understand the basic elements of compaction, the use of various types of rollers and rolling patterns. Effective compaction of both stiff and tender hot mix asphalt mixtures will be covered.
- Identifying, Preventing, and Solving Mat Problems, Jim Scherocman, P.E., Consulting Engineer. This session will help paving contractors identify potential problems in the asphalt mat including how to differentiate among four primary problem areas – mix properties, site-related conditions, equipment-related problems, and long-term durability issues.
- How to Place, Compact & Troubleshoot Thin Asphalt Overlays, James Curtis, Chec Management Systems. A session to introduce contractor to the different types of thin overlays, the appropriate uses for each type, and some of the challenges paving contractors face as they install this new approach to pavement preservation.
- Applying “Best Practices” to Your Paving Operation, John Ball, Top Quality Paving. A 3-hour “best practices” program for paving contractors, their crews, and newcomers to the paving business, which will take contractors step-by-step through the paving operation.
- “Best Practices” of Residential and Commercial Paving, Byron Blair, Brian Hall and Jim Harkins, VT LeeBoy. A 90-minute session that will cover proper residential and commercial paving practices, jobsite safety and efficiency.
- Improving Your Infrared Pavement Repair Operation, Tom Eosso, Eosso Brothers Paving. Video will be used to introduce the infrared process, including a step-by-step explanation of a basic infrared repair and “work through” examples of the unusual variety of jobs that can be completed successfully using infrared technology.
- Understanding Pavement Defects & Repair Options, James Curtis, Chec Management Systems. A 3-hour workshop combines the principles of pavement design with a solutions-oriented approach to pavement defects.
- Parking Lot Cracksealing: How You Can Improve Your Operation, Todd Bruening, Parking Lot Maintenance LLC. This 90-minute session covers the technical side of how cracks area prepared and sealed – including “best practices” and tools and equipment that can make your field work more efficient and effective.
- Essentials of Parking Lot & Driveway Paving, John Ball, Top Quality Paving. Because paving parking lots and residential driveways requires a unique approach and skill set, this “how to” session will help you perform both types of paving better and more profitably.
- How to Execute Parking Lot Sealcoating & Paving Jobs Profitably, Janice Potter, The Paving Lady. A 90-minute session devoted half to parking lot paving and half to parking lot sealcoating.
Other new presenters and topics include:
- Jeff Korhan, Built-In Social, presents a 3-hour workshop, “Relationship Selling in the Trust Economy” and two 90-minute sessions, “How to Leverage the Power of Mobile Technologies and Cloud Computing” and “Google+ is ‘Content Marketing’ on Fire!”
- Dave Crenshaw, Conquer Small Business Chaos, presenting 3-hour workshop “The Focused Business: How Entrepreneurs Can Triumph over Chaos!”
- In “How to Manage Your Company’s Growth: Cautionary Tales from the Front,” Vinny Engongoro, Roccie’s Asphalt Paving; Nick Howell, T & N Asphalt Services; and Michael Nawa, Custom Maintenance Services will share their growing pains, discussing the growth they pursued, the problems and potential damage they faced, and the solutions they eventually came up with.
- Gary Goldman, Curb Appeal Consulting, presenting 3-hour workshop “How to Run a High-profit Pavement Maintenance Company: Strategies, Practices & Systems” as well as 90-minute session “How to Deliver the ‘Intangibles’ of the Sales Process.”
- Jim Bebo, Asphalt Contractors Inc., teaming with Jeff Stokes of Next Level Contractor System to present the 90-minute session “How to Build a Successful Referral System.”
For details including complete descriptions or to register for the conference and hotels, visit www.nationalpavementexpo.com.