Q&A
Impact of warm mix additives on DOT's paving season
0:40:01
ยท
116 sec
First Deputy Commissioner Forgione explains the use of warm mix additives and their impact on DOT's paving season. She clarifies that while the additives allow for better quality work in colder temperatures, they do not extend the overall paving season.
- DOT's paving season remains fixed from March through December
- Warm mix additives allow for better quality work at the beginning and end of the season
- The fixed season allows for vehicle maintenance and other winter activities like pothole repair
Selvena Brooks-Powers
0:40:01
Thank you.
0:40:06
And what is the net effect of DOT's use of warm mix, and how long does it extend DOT's repaving season?
0:40:15
And how many more roads has it repaved due to the use of warm mix?
Margaret Forgione
0:40:20
Okay.
0:40:20
Our paving season is of a set time period.
0:40:23
It's March through December.
0:40:25
That's because for many, many years, for decades, we've designed a program that does not pave in the coldest months, and so we do have part of our workforce is seasonal.
0:40:36
So we have seasonal assistant city highway repairers that we lay off in March, and we rehire I'm sorry, in December, and we rehire them in March.
0:40:46
And that kind of works well because then what we do with the rest of our workforce is all winter long we do pothole repair, we do other work, like we try to catch up on speed humps, and work like that with the rest of our workforce.
0:40:58
The other thing, having a seasonality to our our operation, is a benefit in that we can do, work on the vehicles over the winter.
0:41:07
The vehicles get a beating.
0:41:10
We have milling machines with, like, lots of teeth.
0:41:12
We have our paving machines that are constantly in use day and night throughout the year.
0:41:17
So having a downtime in the winter allows us literally we take apart those machines, we thoroughly clean them, and we put them back together, and we get them in good shape for the season.
0:41:26
So the additive that you mentioned allows us to do work at the beginning of the season or maybe at the end of the season when it's cold, and to keep paving so that the material stays pliable enough to put down, but we don't extend the season because of it right now.
Selvena Brooks-Powers
0:41:44
But how long does it extend, DOT's repaving season?
0:41:49
Or it doesn't It doesn't.
0:41:50
At all?
0:41:50
So it does not
Margaret Forgione
0:41:51
It doesn't but but it allows us to do a better product in the colder parts of the season where we're already working.