Committee Corner, August 2024

Cold Recycling (CR) Committee

The CR committee continues to participate in ARRA’s sustainability efforts to report project data, contribute time to planning the upcoming Pavement Recycling Summit, and support the marketing committee as they make progress for ARRA’s visibility in the industry. While building roads this construction season, the committee is also continuing its work in auditing our respective CIR and CCPR content on the RoadResource.org website. Thus far, this process has been collaborative, serves the diverse ARRA members, and is developing valuable updates to our online resource.

Cold Planing Committee

The committee met in July to continue work on three projects.

1. State Milling Specifications – we are aggregating basic milling specifications for each state to construct a database of milling specifications for members.  The database should be substantially complete by the this Fall.  Currently, the project is about 50% complete.
2. Update of RR.org technical section.  The committee is reviewing the cold planing technical section on roadresource.org.  These updates are near completion and will be submitted in the next few weeks.
3. 3D Milling one-pager.  We are preparing a document to outline when / when not to use 3D milling technologies.  This project is nearing completion and is being reviewed by the committee.

All of these projects should be fully completed by the Pavement Recycling Summit the fall.

FDR/ Soil Stabilization Committee

FDR Committee held a virtual meeting on August 6, 2024.  The following items were discussed and continue to be worked on:

• FAA P-207 is being reviewed and comments collected for presentation to the FAA. Bruce Wehr is leading this review.
• FRD section of RoadResource.org is currently being worked on. A little over 50% of the section has been reviewed. Mimi Lee and Andy Clayton are currently leading this task.
• The Base Stabilization section of RoadResource.org is now under review. Stan Bland and Andy Johnson are currently working on this task.
• The Soil Stabilization and Soil Modification section of RoadResource.org is now under review. Phil Belcastro and Stan Bland are currently working on this task.
• Gave an update on deadlines for Awards submissions and asked committee members for submissions.
• Asked for equipment photos, both new and historic.
• FDR Brochure has had a few minor edits. The last ones are being worked on for the publisher. Once these last changes are accepted, the brochure will be ready for download.
• There was a discussion on:
  • FHWA Sponsored Webinar topics – several ideas were discussed.
  • Future Speakers and topics for ARRA – several ideas were discussed.

Marketing Committee

Executive Summary –

The Marketing Committee continues to work on the development and implementation of strategies to grow the use of ARRA solutions.  This effort has been largely being focused in the following areas:

1. “Why ARRA”
2. Market Outreach
3. Website content review and enhancement RoadResource.org and ARRA.org
4. Washington, DC Sustainability

Summary –

Why ARRA

• Committee members created a short PowerPoint to challenge engineers to re-think historical road maintenance (remove and replace). The message is do more miles with an equivalent budget. The presentation highlights the efficiency and sustainability of the ARRA solutions. I have used this PPT on a limited basis and received good feedback with the broad overview concepts. Morgan Barnes, who is with CM Services and has a marketing degree, is reviewing the PPT for improvement ideas. Our goal is to have this PPT available on ARRA.org for member use.
• In keeping with the Why ARRA Technology theme, the Marketing Committee is meeting with videography companies to potentially develop a short video for ARRA technologies that briefly shows ARRA solutions and then drills down into the benefits of these solutions. More information coming soon!

Market Outreach

ARRA identified NACE (National Association of County Engineers) as a national organization that ARRA should be actively engaging to grow our business opportunities. 

• ARRA has a “corporate” membership. We are actively seeking presentation topics to promote ARRA solutions. These topics must be technical in nature so that the engineers can receive professional development hours (PDH).The deadline to submit to NACE is August 30^th.

• We need volunteers for ARRA’s booth. NACE is on April 14-17, 2025 in Schaumburg, IL (greater Chicago area).Contact John Morgan or Bruce Ware if interested.

Website Review

• ARRA core committees continue to review RR.org for accuracy and technical improvement opportunity which will be an improved product for our customers. The Marketing Committee will review the totality of the site from a marking lens after the other committees have completed their review.
• The Marketing Committee and the ARRA Board recognizes that arra.org needs an overhaul. The committee is currently looking at different solutions and providers to accomplish this in the near future.

Washington, DC Sustainability

John Morgan, Scott Metcalf, and FP2, along with FP2’s lobbyist, have been able to engage the Recycling Caucus twice now about ARRA solutions.  The caucus is charged with finding and developing ways to be more sustainable.  We’re hopeful that the benefits we’ve shared with them along with some general video will entice their interest more and allow us to have a face-to-face meeting.

HIR Committee

The Committee is continuing to work through creating a universal power point to represent all disciplines of Hot in Place Recycling. It is a challenging task because of the multiple variations within the processes.

The Committee is staying focused and committed to the sustainability narrative. As a team we are all trying to report the required information in the same format and in with a more aggressive time frame.

The effort to have more engineering firm involvement is ongoing and a priority to our committee. Additionally, we all have approached County and State officials to join ARRA for all disciplines of HIR. We all continue to promote ARRA at all shows we attend.

At the mid-year conference, we will be also discussing the possibility of a joint effort on creating an automated video to use during presentations at events that help promote ARRA and the Hot in Place Recycling process.

All members have voiced concerns/ the desire to see more representation of Hot in Place Recycling through PPRA post on LinkedIn and other social media opportunities.