On June 13, 2022, Yellowstone National Park faced a devastating 500-year flood, receiving 7.5-9.5 inches of rain and snowmelt in just 24 hours. The flood severely damaged sections of the Northeast Entrance Road, prompting immediate safety measures, including evacuating all visitors and performing initial damage assessments.

Within 36 hours, the park restored power and diverted damaged wastewater systems. The south loop reopened just nine days after the disaster, while additional road sections and backcountry trails resumed operations throughout the summer.

In response to the flood, a $21 million project started on July 5 involved significant upgrades, including widening the road, installing guardrails and culverts, and building stabilizing walls.

Improvements also began on Old Gardiner Road, the park’s original entrance, which dates back to 1879.

The successful collaboration between the National Park Service, the Federal Highway Administration, and countless area asphalt paving contractors enabled the road to open for public travel on October 15, 2022. Efforts to finalize additional road sections in the park continued into spring 2023.

Learn more about the recovery effort HERE.

The current Ohio Statehouse took 22 years to complete, using more than 55,000 tons of locally quarried stone. Between laying its cornerstone in 1839 and finishing construction in 1861, Ohio endured two decades of political infighting, financial crises, and deadly epidemics. However, that period also ushered in many industrial and engineering advancements.

In 1838, the Ohio General Assembly authorized a new Statehouse, the fourth in its history. The building, located near the intersection of Broad and High Streets in Columbus, features Ohio-sourced limestone.

The foundation’s 15-foot-thick walls are rough-cut limestone faced with brick. Much of the foundation’s limestone came from the former Sullivant’s Limestone quarry outside Columbus. The State of Ohio purchased the 50-acre quarry in 1845, and it became known as the State Quarry. The so-called Columbus Limestone dates back to the Devonian Period. Though now dormant, many important Columbus-area structures feature the quarry’s limestone.

The extensive Capitol construction project required enough Columbus Limestone to fill thousands of railcars and honored the original building commission’s decision to use long-lasting, locally derived building stone. The skills of countless stonemasons and prison laborers produced a uniquely grand building that showcases Ohio’s geological history.

To learn more about the history of Ohio’s Capitol buildings, click here.

Reference

Wolfe, M.E., 2011, Building Stones of the Ohio Capitols: Columbus, Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Geological Survey Educational Leaflet 19.

The Ohio Aggregates & Industrial Minerals Association (OAIMA) is the trade association representing the state’s mining operations for commodities such as sand, gravel, crushed stone, limestone, cement, and recycled concrete. Aggregates and industrial minerals are critical to our everyday lives, with the average Ohioan using approximately 11 tons (or 22,000 pounds) of Ohio-mined materials yearly.

“Ohio’s economic success is the envy of many states across the nation, and that progress is an exciting time for Ohio’s aggregate producers, who are helping literally build the future Ohio,” says OAIMA executive director Pat Jacomet.

With that in mind, the Ohio General Assembly has designated July 14-20 as Ohio Aggregates and Industrial Minerals Awareness Week. The goal is to foster a greater understanding of the essential roles that aggregates and industrial minerals play in the construction and transportation sectors.

The week also highlights the industry’s invaluable contributions to job creation, responsible resource management, and environmental sustainability.

“It’s easy to take for granted the remarkable good fortune we enjoy in Ohio,” says the OAIMA’s Jacomet, “with abundant mineral deposits that are critical to our daily lives and our future prosperity.”

As a major producer of aggregate materials, The Gerken Companies has been active in OAIMA since its inception. Joe Knepley, Vice President of Gerken Materials Aggregate Division, is on the organization’s current executive board, and other Gerken representatives serve on its various committees.

To learn more about OAIMA, visit oaima.org.

It may be one of the country’s most prolonged and fiercest rivalries, pitting citizens from bordering states against each other. Often, with little more than bragging rights at stake, the competition intensifies historic grudge-holding, originating from a 19th-century land conflict known as the War of Toledo. Two hardy opponents battle for dominance and geographic pride.

Some might think this is about choosing teams in the annual Ohio State-Michigan college football matchup known as “The Game,” but this dispute is much more significant. Indeed, it’s about which of the two states has better roads.

Concrete vs. Asphalt

Aarne Frobom, a senior policy analyst with the Michigan Department of Transportation, was asked about the perceived dissimilarities by Detroit’s WXYZ 7 Action News in 2022.

“When people complain about rough or noisy roads or pothole roads, what they are reacting to in some cases is the difference between concrete roads and asphalt roads,” Frobom told WXYZ Traffic Anchor Ali Hoxie. He said drivers tend to find concrete roads noisier than those paved with asphalt.

Frobom says Michigan used concrete when building freeways in the 1950s to avoid rutting caused by heavy truck traffic. Ruts can retain rainwater and turn icy in freezing temperatures. 

Conversely, the Federal Highway Administration reports that nearly 97 percent of Ohio paved roads have asphalt surfaces.

Are noise levels and ride smoothness enough to determine which state has the better roads? Probably not. Fortunately, there is a more scientific approach.

National Rankings

The Reason Foundation, a public policy research organization, publishes an Annual Highway Report rating US state highway systems. Using a cost versus quality method, Reason compares relative performance nationwide. Higher-rated states have above-average road conditions with relatively low per-mile costs.

In 2023, Reason ranked Ohio’s highway system 17th in the nation in cost-effectiveness and condition. Michigan, on the other hand, ranked 27th. 

“To improve in the rankings, Michigan needs to improve its pavement quality and reduce its percentage of structurally deficient bridges,” says Baruch Feigenbaum, a senior managing director at Reason and the report’s lead author. “Michigan’s spending is lower than average, but its pavement and bridge quality is far below average.”

While Ohio tops Michigan and other nearby states, Indiana and Pennsylvania, in overall highway performance, there is room for improvement.

“Ohio’s administrative costs and urban arterial pavement condition are the state’s biggest weaknesses,” says Feigenbaum. “Ohio needs to reduce its administrative disbursements or have those costs translate into better system performance.”

A Tough Comparison

If conditions and costs can’t convince you which state has better roads, consider this. According to the Reason report, Ohio drivers spend 22.6 hours annually stuck in peak-hour traffic congestion, compared to 24.3 hours for Michigan commuters.

Ron Brenke, executive director of the American Society of Civil Engineers, told WXYZ 7 Action News that comparing the two states is complicated.

“Sure, you can compare them, but they are really two very different animals,” said Brenke. “The network that Ohio has is a lot larger than Michigan. They have more lane miles of road.” 

Brenke says Michigan has underfunded its roads for years compared to Ohio. “I think the biggest difference between Ohio and Michigan is they have funded their roads a lot better over the past 20 years,” he says.

Fortifying Brenke’s point, Virginia’s highway system ranks first in Reason Foundation’s 2023 Annual Highway Report while ranking first in capital spending per mile.

The Michigan-Ohio State college football rivalry has endured for more than 100 years. And as both states like to say, there’s always next year. 

When it comes to road surfacing, highway engineers overwhelmingly recommend paving with asphalt. Indeed, 94 percent of US roads contain asphalt surfaces. The advantages of asphalt include its unique engineering properties and cost-effectiveness.

But, the most significant benefit might be asphalt’s contribution to sustainability. According to the National Asphalt Pavement Association, asphalt is America’s most recycled material.

Reclaiming Asphalt Aggregates

Road resurfacing and reconstruction involve removing existing asphalt pavements, yielding materials containing asphalt and aggregates. Reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) comprises high-quality aggregates that—when properly crushed and filtered—can be reused in new asphalt mixtures.

Asphalt extraction entails milling or full-depth removal. Milling machines can remove up to two inches of the pavement surface in a single pass. Full-depth removal involves breaking up the pavement using bulldozers or pneumatic breakers.

Reclaimed material gets loaded into trucks and hauled to a central processing plant, where it is crushed and screened. Some reclaimed asphalt pavements are processed on the job site using hot and cold in-place recycling processes.

Asphalt mixtures containing reclaimed asphalt pavement have been around for decades. In laboratory research and field evaluations, recycled asphalt mixtures containing high levels of RAP show structural performance equal to and often better than conventional mixes. Furthermore, many studies have found that using higher percentages of RAP does not increase mixture variability.

Recycling By The Numbers

Asphalt plants commonly use recycled materials in mixtures instead of other aggregates or binders. Average RAP content can exceed 21 percent of asphalt mix by weight.

The industry’s recent focus on sustainable practices has significantly reduced emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG). In 2019, expanding the use of RAP helped reduce GHG emissions by 2.9 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e), comparable to annual emissions from more than 600,000 passenger vehicles.

While tracking reclaimed asphalt pavement data needs more consistency, estimates show that the United States produces nearly 41 million metric tons of RAP annually. And the amount of recycled asphalt mixture in new pavements reached 95 percent in 2021.

A completely recyclable product, RAP can be reused repeatedly, lessening the demand for virgin materials. More than 94 percent of RAP goes into new asphalt mixtures. Nationally, RAP makes up an average rate of 21 percent of new asphalt mixtures.

Using RAP saves $3.3 billion annually, making paving with asphalt economically as well as environmentally sustainable.

At Gerken, removed asphalt millings are recycled and used as a base material for future projects. We recycle most grindings as part of our hot mix asphalt production process. The end products consist of reclaimed asphalt aggregates, crushed and recycled concrete aggregates, and crushed limestone aggregates, all used for asphalt paving, granular fill, and road base material. In 2022, The Gerken Companies used more than 300,000 tons of reclaimed asphalt pavement.

Gerken attended the Ohio Operating Engineers Apprenticeship and Training “SheDig” event held in Cygnet, Ohio, on September 13 and 14.

The SheDig initiative allows young women to experience a day in the life of an Operating Engineer. Participants enjoyed opportunities to run several pieces of equipment, meet apprenticeship instructors, and discuss possible career paths with Ohio Operating Engineers Local 18 members. The program is ideal for high school juniors, seniors, and any women interested in a construction career.

You can learn more about SheDig events at shedigohio.com, and about other Ohio Operating Engineers Apprenticeship and Training opportunities at local18training.com.

Gas Tax: How it Works

Here’s a basic breakdown of how a gas tax works. The more you use a vehicle to travel the roads, the more gas or diesel you need to buy. The US Federal government and individual states place taxes on said fuel, and you are inherently paying more tax by buying more gas. This tax money then compensates for your increased road usage proportionality. “As a driver, you’re supposed to directly benefit from the gas taxes you pay. Federal gas tax revenue is pumped into a Highway Trust Fund. The HTF funds federal and state infrastructure projects for roads, bridges, and public transportation systems. State gas taxes go into state-managed funds, and each state decides how to use them.”¹

As you can see, taxes placed on gas contribute towards the maintenance and improvement of roads that support the vehicles purchasing the fuel in the first place. In short, a gas tax acts as a cycle: the more you drive—the more you pay to support infrastructure. Seems pretty fair, right? This compensation structure also accounts for heavier vehicles and machinery, whose wear and tear on the roadways is incrementally more than a typical passenger vehicle (vehicles like larger semis use more fuel per mile). Altogether, it’s easy to see how fuel tax is a simple yet effective solution for funding the development of our roads, or at least it used to be.

History and Adoption of EVs

Though the rise in popularity and adoption of EVs (electric vehicles) have seen serious momentum gains in the past decade, the battery-powered car was born over 100 years ago. “Here in the US, the first successful electric car made its debut around 1890 thanks to William Morrison, a chemist who lived in Des Moines, Iowa. His six-passenger vehicle capable of a top speed of 14 miles per hour was little more than an electrified wagon, but it helped spark interest in electric vehicles.”²

Today, many factors continue to push the advancement in efficiency and practicality of modern vehicles. The progression of technology and engineering is naturally a driving factor that seems symbiotic with the proliferation of electric cars. One of the most significant technological advancements that have been the backbone of EV market growth has been leaps in battery tech. “With the trend of lithium-ion battery cathodes being improved continuously, these lower-cost batteries could make electric vehicles less expensive than gas-powered vehicles within the next decade. Battery prices alone have decreased 80% since 2010 with hopes of dropping another 45% by 2021 end.”³

With the practicality of production and lower cost of EVs, we’ve seen a significant push in the past two years for many major car manufacturers to add a repertoire of electric vehicles to their lineups. With this wider availability and increased competition among manufacturers, the price of EVs will only continue to drop. Speaking of cost efficiency, have you ever considered comparing how much it costs to fill up your car versus charging a compatible EV? The average cost to fully charge an EV is about $7.20. It’s not hard to see the math when you stack this against the average gas fill-up of a passenger vehicle which is $40. In defense of gas, though, charge time is one of the biggest drawbacks of electric vehicles, and some maintain that this is still a valid justification for the higher gas price—for now.

Technology-driven advancements in efficiency and industry-led gains in availability aren’t the only reasons for the rise in electric vehicles. Did you know that almost a third of the CO2 emissions from manufactured sources in the US are from cars? That constitutes our country’s most significant source of artificial greenhouse gas emissions. Suppose you compare this on a global scale, however. In that case, reports show that the production of electricity and heat through burning coal, natural gas, and oil accounts for the largest global source of CO2 emissions at 25 percent. There are entirely different arguments stating that humanity’s impact on the Earth’s climate is minute at best (hard to believe). “In fact, carbon dioxide, which is blamed for climate warming, has only a volume share of 0.04 percent in the atmosphere. And of this 0.04 percent CO2, 95 percent come from natural sources, such as volcanoes or decomposition processes in nature. The human CO2 content in the air is thus only 0.0016 percent.”⁴

Whichever position you choose to support regarding manufactured climate change (there are strong arguments that support both sides), the fact remains that concerns for the current state of our climate have undoubtedly driven the adoption of EVs. Many experts are concerned that the human race is approaching a climate tipping point of no return, and the switch to primarily electric vehicles could be a contributing solution.

In fact, one study estimates that “by 2050, the electricity sector could reduce annual greenhouse gas emissions by 1700 million metric tons relative to 2015 levels, a 77% reduction. (by our current trajectory rate of consumers switching to EVs).”⁵

Regardless of the actual impact of widespread EV vs. fuel-burning vehicle replacements over time, it’s easy to see that these combined factors paint a picture of the eventual extinction of gas vehicles altogether.

What Does it Mean for Our Roads?

No matter how many arguments support or refute the conversion to EVs, this conversion is happening all the same. One research center states, “The latest global passenger (EV) car forecast sees 15% market share in 2025, and 23% in 2030.”⁶

With this seemingly inevitable shift, it’s essential to look at how we will continue to support the upkeep and expansion of our highway systems.
It’s only natural that as people move towards using electric vehicles and more efficient automobiles, the need for gas will continue to decrease. As the population rises, however, the need for highway maintenance will only persist if not increase. Because of this growing gap between lack of funding and the need for repairs, new policies for supplementing resources for construction must be implemented. There are a few simple concepts that, in theory, would ensure that each person continues to contribute to the maintenance and upkeep of our roadways proportionately to the amount they use them. One of the most basic yet effective propositions to solve this funding issue would be to track miles driven. This plan is fundamentally simpler than even the gas tax, as it directly relates to a vehicle’s road usage. One article suggests that could be done by capturing three particular points of data: fuel miles driven, electrical miles driven, and weight of the vehicle. The separation in tracking gas versus electric miles driven is only due to their separate impacts on the environment, not the overall wear on our highway systems. “A road usage charge policy including these two criteria will fairly assess fees based on which citizens are using the roads the most, and reward those citizens who are also providing clean air benefits by driving PEVs.”⁷

Heavier vehicles also have more of an impact on road conditions over time when compared to typical passenger vehicles. Driving an average size sedan 100 mi on the road compared to driving an 18-wheel semi carrying cargo 100 miles is a tremendous difference. The 18-wheeler will undoubtedly burden our roadways more because of its added weight and the 14 extra wheels. Though this system would take a great effort to integrate, it could be the most accurate and fair way to spread out the cost of road construction.

Close analytical tracking of road usage is excellent, but this concept could take time to see the light of day. An alternative option to raising funds for road construction would be implementing a higher registration fee for those with electric vehicles. Though this may seem unfair on the surface, this increased registration fee could offset the loss in gas tax revenue. Because the initial purchase price of an electric vehicle is typically higher than its gas-guzzling counterparts, it’s only natural that the amount of sales tax paid is also higher. The fact remains that electric cars don’t use any gas whatsoever. That creates a deficit between funds earned from taxes for road construction. “An EV that costs $35,000 before rebates would pay about $93 less per year in gas taxes than a comparable conventional sedan, but $101 more in average annual excise tax over the vehicle’s lifetime – as well as $908 more in sales tax. If the EV is priced over $60,000, then the EV pays far more in sales tax and excise tax.”⁸

So if the excise tax on EVs is already proportionately higher than what people pay in the gas tax, the problem is solved, right? Not quite. Proper allocation of gained funds is another critical component in ensuring US citizens see their tax dollars put to good use. In short, it’s important to put an appropriate portion of sales and excise tax towards infrastructure and road construction.

Conclusion

The transition to eclectic vehicles seems to gain momentum each day. In light of this, it is vital to support and adopt new ways to fund the maintenance and construction of the roads we all drive on. After all, what is an advanced new mode of transportation without the infrastructure to support it?

The Importance of Flaggers

A flagger is a crucial position in road construction that manages and directs traffic flow at each end of a particular work zone. Flaggers coordinate with paving crews, truck drivers, and oncoming traffic simultaneously. Because they control traffic, flaggers often find themselves in the middle of a roadway. That means that a flagger is typically the one who experiences the worst of driver impatience and recklessness. It’s a fact that the crew members designated for safety and traffic coordination experience the most danger in a work zone. We proudly celebrate two upcoming safety weeks to help make roadways and construction zones safer for all workers.

Safety Weeks

National Work Zone Awareness Week and Construction Safety Week are back-to-back safety-conscious weeks geared towards spotlighting the broad topic of safety in the workplace. National Work Zone Awareness Week is explicitly geared towards highway work zones and keeping the workers who develop these projects safe. It’s focused on bringing awareness to the general public about the dangers of speeding and distracted driving, especially in road work zones. Construction safety week is focused more on general construction safety and covers a wide array of topics.

National Work Zone Awareness Week

“National Work Zone Awareness Week (NWZAW) is an annual spring campaign held at the start of construction season that encourages safe driving through highway work zones. The key message is for drivers to use extra caution in work zones.”¹

Each year, National Work Zone Awareness Week holds a theme, such as “Drive Safe. Work Safe. Save Lives.” The end part of the theme is always the goal of safety, and it is indeed a team effort. It’s primarily on the everyday commuter to take the time to slow down, be patient, and maintain focus when traveling through a work zone.

It can be frustrating when you are on your way to work, and traffic impedance due to road work slows you down. It is crucial to realize that this work is essential because, without maintained roads, we wouldn’t be able to get there in the first place. We also need to recognize that the people putting their lives at risk working on these roadways have families to get home to, just like we do. A big part of national work zone awareness week is “go orange day.” That encourages roadway safety professionals nationwide to wear orange to support work zone safety. If you or your organization would like to participate, please wear orange, take a picture, and post on social media with hashtags #NWZAW and #Orange4Safety.

“The event has become a staple of NWZAW and is a time for individuals and organizations across the country to express their support for work zone safety by wearing orange. In an effort to stop work zone crashes, this nationwide effort was first introduced by the FHWA as a new component of NWZAW in 2016.”²

National work zone awareness week will always be a staple for the Gerken Companies to celebrate. For more information, visit nwzaw.org.

Construction Safety Week

Construction safety week honors all things safety in the construction world and focuses on the concept that safety is much more than PPE and following proper procedures. “We will strengthen our industry’s safety culture and performance by sharing best practices, tools, and resources. We are focused on the impact our safe choices have on our team members, their families, and the communities in which we live and work. We are united in our commitment to continuously improve our safety culture and send each employee home safe every day.”³

Being physically and mentally present on the job site are two overlooked and unseen factors that arguably can contribute more towards safety than having the proper equipment. “We must prioritize both physical and psychological safety, and how together, they play an important role in our relationships with our team members and with our ability to bring our safest, most productive, best selves to work every day.”⁴

For more information, visit constructionsafetyweek.com.

Safety Conscious: A Message to the Public

In honor of these two safety-conscious weeks, we have interviewed several people on our safety and flagging staff. Our goal with these interviews was to gain some critical perspective from these employees who experience these dangers firsthand and relay their voices to the general public to bring awareness and consideration to their daily hazards. These workers are fulfilling essential jobs, and it’s up to us, as the general public, to be considerate and patient when passing through their respective work zones. You can watch these interviews here.

Though these two safety events occur over two consecutive weeks, the goal is to change the mindset of people who use the roadway—indefinitely. It shouldn’t take somebody getting injured in an accident or worse to leave a lasting impression in the minds of people who use our roads daily. Putting yourself in someone else’s shoes isn’t always easy. If we can take a moment to realize that these workers doing an incredibly essential job have families they’re trying to get home to every night, maybe we can be more patient.