On the Road

[caption id="attachment_5033" align="alignright" width="525"] Example of pavement with excessive tack tracking.[/caption] Tack tracking (also known as adhesive removal) can and will reduce the life of asphalt pavement by 70%. At Blacklidge, we are working to educate our customers and agencies…

Lee County, Va., had a low-traffic dirt/gravel road that needed paving. The challenge: Make it happen with currently owned equipment and less than 500 tons of recycled asphalt pavement (RAP). Blacklidge was up to the challenge with our product ReCharge™,…

Let’s take a different view of the environmental impact of asphalt pavements and how to improve them. When discussing how to make asphalt pavements more environmentally friendly, we often think about how we can add more recycled material to asphalt…

UltraTack® successfully outperforms other emulsion bond coats at a lesser rate in the spray paver, maintaining its title as best tack coat in the world. Great news for our asphalt paving customers! Blacklidge recently conducted a demonstration project for the…

When I look back on 2021, I think of it as a great transition period for Blacklidge. I also see it as a new beginning or the beginning of a new era, not only for the company, but for business…

When you've been in the tack business for as long as we have, you learn a few TACKtics. But, of course, no one has been in the trackless tack business for as long as Blacklidge, the Original Trackless Tack Coat…

Two years ago, we were honored to play a part in paving the driveway of the most famous house in our nation. The contractor chose Blacklidge because they knew we would get the job done professionally, quickly and they trusted…

My family has been in the road construction business for generations, so for me, providing the best performing asphalt products is deeply personal. More than 15 years ago, Blacklidge was inspired to create The Original Trackless Tack® — at a…

An exciting transformation is underway here at Blacklidge. We are updating our facilities to better reflect our values with the Blacklidge Advancement Center (BAC) and Blacklidge Innovation Center (BIC). Formerly known as BETA (Blacklidge Emulsions Technical Advancement) Lab, the newly…

Every day, about eight people in the United States are killed in crashes that involve a distracted driver according to the CDC. Three years ago, that statistic became my reality when a distracted driver took my son’s life. Since then,…

"It's about to rain." It’s a phrase that every road builder dreads. Weather conditions, along with traffic and other elements, acutely affect the ability to prepare a base for asphalt pavement. One way to “weather the storm” is to apply…

This International Women’s Day 2021, we celebrate the many incredible women who have made our world a better place, especially those serving the asphalt industry. In 1911, more than one million women and men in Austria, Denmark, Germany, and Switzerland…

It may come as a surprise to you, but asphalt is actually the world’s most recycled material. In 2019 alone, more than 50 million tons of recycled asphalt pavement (RAP) was reportedly stockpiled across the country1. With this abundance, it’s…

Throughout my life, I’ve been inspired personally, professionally and spiritually by people of all races and backgrounds. This month presents a very special opportunity to highlight some of these influential people, honor Black history and reflect on our responsibility as…

When you think about innovation, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? Here at Blacklidge, innovation means more than the latest technology or product. Innovation is woven into everything we do — from logistics and accounting to customer service…

Paul Johnson brings over 20 years of logistics and customer service experience to his role as the Vice President of Business Services. Since age 18, he has overseen the movement of big equipment and liquid petroleum products. One highlight was…

When COVID-19 hit, we had a choice. We could either let the pandemic define us or rise above it and propel our company to a new level. So, we decided to grow, change and become better, leaning into our new…

At Blacklidge, we not only take pride in the high-performing asphalt products we manufacture but also the impact we make through our guiding principles of integrity, diligence, empowerment, excellence and perseverance. Despite the challenges we faced last year, I’m in…

Following the general election, the American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) compiled a report that shows resounding support for infrastructure projects in more than a dozen states. According to the report the approved measures “will support $12.7 billion in…

In my last article, I spoke in depth about the importance of interlayer bonding, why it is often overlooked and the factors that impact tack coat application. Now, I will recap why poor tack coat habits are so hard to…

Hurricane Sally may impact our Gulfport MS facility early this week. We will continue to provide the exceptional quality and service you have grown to expect from Blacklidge. We have contingencies in place to continue to service our clients. Thanks…

Asphalt concrete (AC) pavements are complex structures. They are layered and held together with tack coat (in between layers) and prime coat (at the base). These coats are essentially the “glue” that holds the pavement together. But, if the glue…

I recently joined Blacklidge as Vice President of Operations and learned quickly that in order to lead an operations team effectively, especially in the middle of a worldwide pandemic, safety must absolutely be first and foremost. Unprecedented challenges have and…

Florida has hundreds of thousands of miles of roads. Today, many of its rural roads remain unpaved. According to the 2018 Florida Department of Transportation’s City and County Mileage Report, there are roughly 18,000 miles of unpaved roads in the…

JFK, as he likes to be called, is Blacklidge’s new Chief Operating Officer. In this role at Blacklidge, JFK will lead overall operations of the company including the current nine operating facilities and planned expansion. He is responsible for spearheading innovation…

Blacklidge is excited to launch three new webinars as part of our On The Road webinar series, focused on RAP and the industry’s response to creating additional value through the use of this essential recycled material. Tanya Nash, P.E., Pavement…

Since our founding in 1990, Blacklidge has made a conscious and consistent effort to maintain the highest level of integrity in all that we do and to develop the best asphalt products on the market. To this day, we continue…

Last year, we were honored to play a part in paving the driveway of the most famous house in our nation. Blacklidge was chosen by the contractor to get the job done professionally, quickly and securely. They trusted us to…

When the COVID-19 crisis affected the country, those of us in the road construction industry were deemed essential early on. Food, medicine and much more needed to keep flowing and our nation’s infrastructure is critical or essential for that to…

We had the opportunity to speak with Mark Musselman, who just recently became President of the Asphalt Contractors Association of Florida. He shared a bit about his background, how the asphalt industry in Florida is responding to COVID-19 and insight…

Tyler is our new Sales Manager, servicing our customers in the Midwest. While he’s currently working from home in Ohio, he’s excited to hit the road and meet people face-to-face. He reflects on his experience at Blacklidge so far. How…

Since joining Blacklidge last year, I’ve received a crash course on the asphalt industry and have a newfound appreciation for the work we do every day. The current pandemic shows us how essential infrastructure is for our society. Roads must…

The repercussions of COVID-19 have caused a shock to our economy. Businesses continue to be impacted due to the uncertainty of the spread of the pandemic; however, the road construction industry remains largely unaffected. Deemed an ‘essential businesses’, paving contractors…

Blacklidge recently lost one of its founding members and leaders, my brother, Ronnie Blacklidge, Jr. The outpouring of love shown to our family and to Blacklidge after his passing has helped us through our grief immeasurably and we are forever…

Before a national emergency was declared as a result of COVID-19, we attended CONEXPO-CON/AGG in Las Vegas — the largest construction trade show in North America. The event didn’t skip a beat, exhibiting more than 2 million square feet of…

Tara Beauchamp is a Project Manager at Anderson Columbia, and a valued Blacklidge customer. We spoke to her about her family ties to the asphalt industry, her take on workforce development and what we can do to attract more women…

Dear valued Blacklidge Customer, Consistent with our corporate values, our priority is the safety and health of our employees, customers and communities. Therefore, we are closely monitoring the situation with the COVID-19 outbreak and will respond appropriately to ensure continued…

"Young engineers and scientists are not only smart and highly trained to solve problems of all types, they are also highly adaptive and hungry to put those skills to work. Young professionals possess unique skills and are being trained with…

Handling hot asphalt is inherently dangerous. A small spill could result in a major injury for workers. Since there is no such thing as a minor accident when it comes to asphalt, even just one incident is one too many.…

"Young engineers and scientists are not only smart and highly trained to solve problems of all types, they are highly adaptive and hungry to put those skills to work. Young professionals possess unique skills and are being trained with cutting-edge…

The Associate Member Council (AMC) of the National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA) recently elected our President & CEO, Doug Fergusson, to serve as Secretary of the AMC. The AMC supports the interests of NAPA’s Associate Members—including paving contractors, equipment producers…

My family has been in the road construction business for generations so, to me, providing the best performing asphalt products is deeply personal. While I’m extremely proud of all of our products, UltraTack® holds a special place in my heart…

In my last blog post, I introduced the concept of true rejuvenators (i.e. regenerators) compared to another category of products that are inaccurately referred to as rejuvenators. This time, I’ll explore this concept in greater detail, take a deeper dive…

The holidays are a sacred time for celebration and reflection. At Blacklidge, we have so many blessings to reflect on. This year was full of honors, innovations and joy. It has made me more excited than ever about the work…

For the asphalt industry, the New Year will signal a long, hard look into the role RAP and RAS will play for various state agencies. For the first time in almost two decades, the future of reclaimed asphalt use is…

Today is Veterans Day. A day when we celebrate and honor America’s veterans for their patriotism, love of country and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of…

Sara Haro was a contestant on the Netflix original series Hyperdrive (now streaming), where drivers have to dominate extreme obstacle courses with intimidating names like the Leveler and Monster. When she’s not putting pedal to the metal on the race…

Tanya Nash, P.E. is a Pavement Materials Engineer at Asphalt Testing Solutions & Engineering — a valued Blacklidge customer — who was recently featured in Asphalt Pavement magazine. Read on to learn more about her work and her thoughts on…

At Blacklidge, we are always striving for excellence in all of our work. Excellence doesn't come easily, but our challenges seem insignificant compared to the challenge that President John F. Kennedy placed in front of NASA and the American people,…

Recently, I was honored to represent Blacklidge and speak to a knowledgeable group of industry attendees at the Virginia Pavement Research & Innovation Symposium in Culpepper, VA.  The presentation highlighted the fact that the average quality and expected lifespan of…

This week we recognized North American Occupational Safety and Health Week—a topic that is close to my heart because there are so many potentially hazardous scenarios in the asphalt industry. At Blacklidge, we always put the safety of our team…

It’s National Work Zone Awareness Week, and this year’s theme is “Drive Like You Work Here.” As a civil engineer, I’ve spent most of my professional life around construction, roadwork and other infrastructure projects. My life revolves around building safer,…

This year’s World of Asphalt was a great success! We attended in support of Women of Asphalt, which organized several events during the conference. If you weren’t able to join us last week, here’s a recap of what you missed: …

Obsessed with engines and anything mechanical since birth, Sara Haro is the latest in her family to be bitten by the driving bug. Based with the Blacklidge team in Tampa, Sara loves nothing more than the sound of a revving…

Looking Back Last March, Blacklidge was honored to sponsor Women of Asphalt at the 2018 World of Asphalt Show and Conference in Houston. We helped launch Women of Asphalt with networking opportunities, fostering online conversations and a photo booth at…

As we settle back into work mode after the holiday season, we’re motivated by a sense of urgency that the new year brings. Ideas that were put on the backburner are now suddenly hot and ready to be put into…

As Blacklidge’s new Product Management Director, I have the privilege of bringing innovative asphalt products to market. While I champion all asphalt innovations, I am particularly excited about the emergence of recycled asphalt products, such as Blacklidge’s ReGen®. However, there…

Recently, I had the opportunity to speak with Evan Duffy, Communications Director of the American Heart Association’s Mississippi and Alabama Gulf Coast Region. We discussed the importance of promoting a healthy lifestyle for our employees and the upcoming Gulf Coast…

Our employees have spoken! On June 28, 2018, Blacklidge was honored with 2018’s Best Places to Work in Mississippi award in the medium-sized companies category. Sponsored in part by the Mississippi Business Journal, winners are determined through an objective, third-party…

In my previous post, we explored how Japan is utilizing a high percentage of RAP resulting in high quality asphalt pavements with optimized life-cycle cost, in stark contrast to the US. The Solution is Obvious Notice that none of these…

In part 1 of this series, I underscored flaws in the way that our industry considers RAP. Flawed ideas have translated to decades of flawed specifications, flawed practices, and flawed roadways. Examples from the US to Taiwan were used to…

Imagine your funeral. What would your loved ones say? How would they remember you? While analyzing your own life after death may seem morbid, it’s actually quite the opposite. Thinking about how you want to be remembered now can help…

I’ve said it before. To me, the perfect road is one that is designed with binder that is resistant to the elements of aging. However, current industry standards do not require binder performance to last past the two-year mark. This…

As our Women in Asphalt Series comes to an end, I would like to thank all of the amazing women who’ve been a part of this series–you all are an inspiration. Also, I’d like to congratulate the Women of Asphaltt…

Recently, I had the privilege of judging the Mississippi Regional Science and Engineering Fair. While there, I had the opportunity to meet 10-year-old Gianna Morales, a fifth grader at Bayou View Elementary in Gulfport, MS. She is an honor student…

I’ve spent my entire life in the asphalt industry. While most kids discussed football at the dinner table, my family talked about the next innovation in asphalt and the latest business challenges in road construction. Today, at my dinner table…

Just last week we were in Houston, Texas at the World of Asphalt/AGG1 for the inaugural Women of Asphalt Council launch. To say it was a success is an understatement. At 3pm on Tuesday, March 6th, the Women of Asphalt…

What led you to your current role as National Director of the Asphalt Pavement Association? After I graduated from college with a degree in environmental engineering, I really didn't know what I wanted to do. A friend worked at an…

The World of Asphalt Show and Conference is fastly approaching, and Blacklidge is eager to attend. More than 350 of the industry's leading manufacturers and service providers will come together in Houston, Texas to showcase the latest technologies in asphalt-related…

What led you to your current role as a professor at Texas A&M University? My dad (Dr. Jon Epps) has worked in asphalt materials within academia and the industry. He started his career at Texas A&M, and I always had…

When it comes to the construction and asphalt industry, women are grossly underrepresented. In fact, only about 9% of those employed are women, according to 2015 U.S. Census Bureau data, making it one of the most male-dominated industries in the…

What made you decide to go into the engineering/asphalt industry? When I was younger, I really enjoyed math and science. Right out of high school, I knew that I wanted to do something big and make a difference while enjoying…

Last year, we were granted the opportunity to honor several women in the road construction and asphalt industry for our Women In Asphalt series. The series featured leading figures in the business such as Melinda McGrath, Executive Director for Mississippi…

Welcome back. I hope you enjoyed my previous blog post and learned about the many adverse effects dirty/dusty pavements can have on properly bonding asphalt roads. This time, I want to address eliminating tracking and improving bond strength with premium…

Familiar with slippage failures? Most of you are to some degree, I’m sure. For those of you who are not, here is one of those lovely pieces of pavement: These crescent-shaped patterns of cracks typically occur shortly after paving construction…

Recently, while reading through the July/August 2017 issue of Asphalt Pavement Magazine, I ran across an informative article by Shane Underwood that speaks to the right ingredients for longer lasting roads and the importance of interlayer bonding. On page 17,…

We’re a family-run company whose ‘family’ goes beyond our namesake. I share the Blacklidge name, but I consider everyone who contributes to this company to be part of the Blacklidge family. Our family has been in the road business for…

When you think about recycling, what do you picture? Most people think about items such as a plastic bottle or an aluminum can that looks, feels, and functions like new, with a label saying it’s made with recycled material. Those…

As a civil engineer, I’m passionate about ensuring that asphalt pavements are constructed properly so that roads last longer. Unfortunately, I’ve seen the many ways asphalt pavement bonding with tack coats can go wrong. While we tend to think of…

“The aspect of this job I like the most is that we are really able to affect change.” Melinda McGrath, P.E. Position: Executive Director Employer: Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) Years with MDOT: 27 What made you decide to go…

“Working in this industry leads to a very promising career.” Michelle Dronet Position: QC/QA Administrator—Gulfport, MS Years at Blacklidge: 4 years Describe a typical day at the office(plant). I handle all of the D.O.T. compliance and QC plans for the…

I am one of the few women I’ve seen driving for this industry, but the work is well worth it. Diane Bragg Position: Driver Years at Blacklidge: 3 Describe a typical day. I drive all of Blacklidge’s products to our…

In my experience, women are well respected in this industry, especially those who work hard. Audrey Copeland, Ph.D., P.E. Title: Vice President for Engineering, Research & Technology Employer: National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA) What made you decide to go into the…

Quality drives our business. It’s about what people need—and they need stronger, safer roads. Dominique Kelsie Position: Quality Assurance, Tampa, FL plant Years at Blacklidge: 2 Describe a typical day at the office/plant. My job is to ensure the quality…

My first blog post in the 2016: A Year of Service series talked about how we’ve spent 2016 focused on serving our clients and giving them the best possible experience at every turn. In this post, I am going to…

“Service, in short, is not what you do, but who you are. It is a way of living that you need to bring to everything you do, if you are to bring it to your customer interactions.” – Betsy Sanders,…

Interlayer Bonding — Part III In Parts I and II of this series, I spoke in depth about the importance of interlayer bonding, why it is often overlooked and the factors that impact tack coat application. Now, I will share…

Let’s pretend for a moment that our nation has decided to now focus on maintaining (not improving) our current D-rating for infrastructure. The cost to do so, according to the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), is…

I was born into the road construction industry. My great grandfather supplied road materials for the original construction of Highway 90 Beach Blvd in Mississippi, and my grandfather and father were both in the construction business after that. As a…

When Hopkins Engineering and Quality Inn chose to use GuardTop for seal coating a hotel property in Biloxi, MS, BEI suggested that they use the GuardTop Preferred Applicator Phenix Paving and Grading of Phenix City, AL. All parties elected to…