Hot job summer: The asphalt pavement process

 

By Tim Potter, 
District Five Public Affairs Manager 

Imagine this: You’re under a blinding sun along U.S. 50 near the town of Walton, and the combined heat and humidity makes it feel like around 106 degrees. It’s suffocatingly hot, the kind of conditions that trigger a heat advisory.

Not just that: You’re laying down asphalt cooking at around 250 degrees when you first apply it. The stiff south wind feels like more of a blast furnace than a cooling breeze. You’ve worked through lunch because overlaying a side road at a highway is one of those jobs where it’s not real practical to take a normal 30-minute break. The equipment has been strategically positioned, and the different tasks involved must click right along. The asphalt -- and the process for applying, shaping and finishing it -- is demanding, unforgiving.

That is what it was like for a combined team of crew members – from the Newton Subarea, District Special Crew and El Dorado Area and El Dorado Subarea -- the afternoon of July 28. If you had to visit one of the hottest KDOT jobs on an extra sweltering day, this was it. They had been overlaying side roads for almost two weeks.

Sweat beads covered the reddened face of Bobby Jones that afternoon as he matter-of-factly explained the work being done and the reality of enduring merciless weather.

“The hotter it is, the nicer it lays,” Jones said of the asphalt. “You have to work it while the asphalt’s hot.” The Newton Subarea Supervisor watched a massive roller compact the new surface. Even though they had paving machines, some of the finishing and clean-up tasks must be done by hand, by bending over a shovel and pushing and lifting.

Through it all, “You have to drink lots of fluids; otherwise, you’ll be laid out on top of the asphalt,” Jones said. “If you don’t keep hydrating, this heat will take it right out of you in a heartbeat.”

Everyone had a different role in the overlay job, and part of it was paying attention to their co-workers – operators making sure they didn’t drive over someone, everyone staying aware of the semis barreling past only feet away, everyone making sure that the next person wasn’t overcome by the heat.

“This is a team effort,” Jones said. “We all have to watch out for each other.”

Did you ever wonder? How do KDOT crews stay cool?

On June 15, workers from Wellington and Hutchinson crews repaired a spot on U.S. 81 between South Haven and Caldwell. The job included a milling and overlay

For days in advance, the National Weather Service sent alerts warning people to prepare for a dangerous combination of heat and humidity on Thursday, June 10. And, of course, there have been and will be other days like that during the rest of the summer.So on a dangerously hot day, how do KDOT employees who have to work in the elements deal with the heat hazards? A common theme was - prevention is crucial. Here is what they shared about coping with the heat and humidity on June 10: 

Dennis Senters, Beloit Subarea Supervisor, District Two: “I made sure they (his crew) had their water with them” – meaning extra water. “You could tell it was the first big heat of the year,” Senters said. “And it was hard on ‘em. When they came in, their tongues were hanging out. I tell them: When you need a break, you take a break.” He also reminds his crew that some people can endure heat better than others, and not to assume that because you feel OK, your co-worker does as well. “We got a great crew in Beloit. We keep a close eye on each other.” 

Daryl Dougherty, Engineering Technician, Phillipsburg Construction Office, District Three: His June 10 work schedule centered around inspecting a grading project north of Osborne on U.S. 24/281. Even with a breeze, at 2:24 p.m. the temperature where he was working was 94 degrees. But the “real feel,” factoring in the humidity, was 103 degrees, Dougherty noted. He had been in the heat for about six hours at that point, but he was making sure he stayed hydrated. “Every time I go back to the pickup, I make sure I drink a glass of water.”

Burke Koehn, Scott City Subarea Supervisor, District Six: Koehn tried to steer his crew to jobs where they could avoid the heat and sun that day. He noted that his area of southwestern Kansas had been unusually humid after weeks of regular rainfall. “The humidity is definitely something that makes it harder to cope with,” Koehn said.

Mike Lorett, Facilities Specialist, part of the District Five HVAC crew: “My biggest trick is a spray bottle of water.” He works outside in sweltering conditions so others can stay cool inside. So he sprays his face, head and neck -- sometimes every five minutes. “I spray my beard, and I call that my portable air-conditioning,” he said, laughing. “I’ve got a big ol’ hat, big ol’ brim on it. I don’t care what I look like -- I keep cool. You got to keep cool, and you got to keep hydrated.”

Dan Acridge, Wichita Area Crew Supervisor: Because of the extreme heat on June 10, Acridge had his crew finish painting stop bars by 2 p.m. “That’s enough -- they’ve been out in the heat all day,” he said. While they worked, he had them take breaks in an air-conditioned truck. “It was really humid this morning, and the humidity burned off a little.” Working directly over pavement intensifies the heat, Acridge noted. “Then, of course, we’re always working in teams so we can keep an eye on each other.”

Remember to slow down and pay attention in work zones and help our crews get their work done so they can make it home to their families.