March/April 2012 Transportation Builder magazine

Mar.-Apr. 2012 TransportationBuilder 1

builder®ANNUAL SAFETY SOURCE

March-April 2012

Work Zone Safety Clearinghouse

15th Anniversary!

Mar.-Apr. 20122 TransportationBuilder

No other company is as dedicated as 3M to improving traffi c safety and mobility. Whether it’s high-performance refl ective sheeting for signs or vehicles, tape or liquid-based pavement markings, or roadway maintenance services, 3M helps you improve roadway visibility, reduce long-term costs and conform to the most stringent government standards in the world.

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3M is a trademark of 3M.© 2012, 3M. All rights reserved.

The Safety

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MAR. APR.2012

ON THE COVER

FEATURES COLUMNS

Protecting Our Own

American Road Builders in China Part Two of Three

The National Work Zone Safety Information Clearinghouse: 15 Years Successfully Serving the Industry

Safety Leaders and ARTBA’s Safety Professionals

The San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge Project: Another Perspective

President’s Desk

From the Chairman

Safety Products

Q&A with North American Director of the International Make Roads Safe Campaign

Products of the Month

When it Comes to Environmental Regulations, ARTBA’s Got Your Back!

AEM Corner

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VOL. 24, NO. 2

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contentsThe official publication of the American Road & Transportation Builders Association

www.transportationbuilder.org

No other company is as dedicated as 3M to improving traffi c safety and mobility. Whether it’s high-performance refl ective sheeting for signs or vehicles, tape or liquid-based pavement markings, or roadway maintenance services, 3M helps you improve roadway visibility, reduce long-term costs and conform to the most stringent government standards in the world.

For more information on 3M Roadway Safety Solutions, visit 3M.com/tss, or call 1-800-553-1380.

3M is a trademark of 3M.© 2012, 3M. All rights reserved.

The Safety

for 70 YearsInnovation Leader

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20 10

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Executive Committee Chairman: Paul YarossiHNTB Holdings, Ltd., New York, N.Y. Senior Vice Chairman: Steve WrightWright Brothers Construction, Charleston, Tenn. First Vice Chairman: Doug BlackOldcastle Materials, Atlanta, Ga. Northeastern Region Vice Chairman: Nick IvanoffAmmann & Whitney, New York, N.Y. Southern Region Vice Chairman: Tom ElmoreEutaw Construction Company, Aberdeen, Miss. Central Region Vice Chairman: Kathi HolstRoadSafe Traffic Systems, Romeoville, Ill. Western Region Vice Chairman: Jim AndogaAustin Bridge & Road, Austin, Texas Vice Chairman At-Large: Ward NyeMartin Marietta Materials, Raleigh, N.C. Vice Chairman At-Large: Bob LuffyGrandview Consultants LLC, Pittsburgh, Pa. Vice Chairman At-Large: David S. ZachryZachry Construction Corporation, San Antonio, Texas Vice Chairman At-Large: John Houle3M Traffic Safety Systems Division, St. Paul, Minn. Vice Chairman At-Large: Bob CloseParsons Brinckerhoff, Orange County, Calif. Vice Chairman At-Large: John KulkaHRI, Inc., State College, Pa. Treasurer: Tom HillSummit Materials, LLC, Washington, D.C.

Secretary & President/CEO: T. Peter RuaneARTBA, Washington, D.C. ARTBA-TDF Board of Trustees Chairman: Leo VecellioJr., Vecellio Group, West Palm Beach, Fla.

Young Executive Leadership Council Chairman: Chris Fronheiser, AECOM, Baltimore, Md.

Contractors: Jeff NelsonDavid Nelson Construction Company, Palm Harbor, Fla.

Contractors First Vice President: Bob AlgerThe Lane Construction Corporation, Cheshire, Conn.

Planning and Design Division: Larry PetersonKleinfelder, Kuna, Idaho

Traffic Safety Industry: Taylor Bowlden3M’s Traffic Safety Systems Division, Washington, D.C. Materials & Services: Steve McGoughHCSS, Sugar Land, Texas

Transportation Officials: Tim ZahrnSangamon County Engineer, Sangamon, Ill.

Manufacturers Representative: Ron DeFeoTerex Corporation, Westport, Conn.

Research and Education: Deborah UnderwoodNorth Carolina A &T University Transportation Institute, Greensboro, N.C.

Public-Private Partnerships: Patrick RhodeCintra U.S., Austin, Texas

Council of State Executives Chairman: Marc HerbstLong Island Contractors’ Association, Hauppauge, N.Y. Immediate Past ARTBA Chairman: Bill CoxCorman Construction, Annapolis Junction, Md.

Past Chairmen’s Council Representative: Jim MadaraGannett Fleming, Allentown, Pa.

StaffPUBLISHERT. Peter [email protected]

DEPUTY PUBLISHER Matt [email protected]

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Beth [email protected]

PUBLICATIONS EDITOR & GRAPHIC DESIGNERJenny [email protected]

CONTRIBUTING WRITERSDan McNichol Author: “The Roads That Built America”

Jeffrey Sterner President of High Steel Structures, Inc.

Bradley SantARTBA senior vice president, safety & education

Dr. Gerald Ullman Texas Transportation Institute, senior research engineer

Nick Goldstein ARTBA vice president of environmental & regulatory affairs

Transportation Builder® (TB) is the official publication of the American Road & Transportation Builders Association, a federation whose primary goal is to aggressively grow and protect transportation infrastructure investment to meet the public and business demand for safe and efficient travel. In support of this mission, ARTBA also provides programs and services designed to give its members a global competitive edge. As the only national publication specifically geared toward transportation development professionals, TB represents the primary source of business, legislative and regulatory news critical to the success and future of the transportation construction industry.

Transportation Builder® (ISSN 1043-4054) is published bi-monthly by the American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA). Postmaster: Send change of address to Transportation Builder®, c/o ARTBA, The ARTBA Building, 1219 28th Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20007. Telephone: 202-289-4434, Fax: 202-289-4435, Internet: www.artba.org; E-mail: [email protected]. Periodicals postage paid at Washington, D.C., and additional mailing offices. Subscriptions are $120/year for ARTBA members, which is included in the dues; $105/year for non-members; and $200/year non-U.S. mailing addresses. Copyright ©2012 ARTBA. All rights reserved. Material may not be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher. Reg. U.S. Patent & Trademark Office.

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This four-hour training program is now available from ARTBA with support from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

The program is FREE to all participants. A course accreditation card will be provided by ARTBA.

For information on attending or hosting this valuable course, contact Omar Lopez at 202.289.4434 or [email protected].

Introducing

Avoiding Runovers and BackoversA comprehensive training program designed to keep roadway construction workers from being struck by construction trucks and equipment.

This issue is focused on roadway work zone safety, from Chairman Yarossi’s column highlighting ARTBA’s leadership over many years, to the main feature “Protecting Our Own,” written by the association’s top safety expert, Brad Sant.

We also provide you with information about the availability of a variety of video and training products, from instruction on proper flagging techniques, to what to look for when purchasing personal protective equipment, and how to avoid “runovers and backovers.” These materials can be incredibly valuable tools for your firm’s safety managers and workers.

Looking at safety on a more global scale, page 32 contains a question and answer session with Dr. Bella Dinh-Zarr, road safety director of the FIA Foundation, which in partnership with the United Nations and World Health Organization, has launched the “Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020.” The campaign aims to reduce fatalities and save millions of lives across the globe by the end of the decade.

On page 14, we have the second of a three-part series, “American Road Builders China.” Dan McNichol, author of “The Roads That Built America,” visited China and looks at the work that Caterpillar and Fluor are doing in the “Middle Kingdom.”

Finally, don’t miss the information on the Federal Issues Program and TCC Washington Fly-In scheduled for May 29-31. With the surface transportation bill still pending in the House, this is an excellent opportunity to come to Washington and keep pressure on members of Congress until they get the job done. Check out the full schedule of events on page 19.

As always, please feel free to send your comments or suggestions for upcoming issues to 202.289.4434 or [email protected].



from the chairman

A Long History of Safety Innovation

Innovation, defined by the Merriam- Webster dictionary as “the introduc-

tion of something new,” is not really a new concept for ARTBA—your national association. Since the beginning, we’ve been innovating continually, including in the safety arena. ARTBA members and staff have implemented novel programs aimed at making transportation projects safer and more productive.

Here are just some of the association’s major accomplishments:

1979: “Traffic Safety Industry Division” is established. It helped revolutionize the construction industry by providing a “home” and “collective voice” for an entire group of industry leaders focused exclusively on developing products to make America’s transportation systems safer.

1985: America’s first “National Con-ference on Work Zone Safety” is held. ARTBA, in partnership with the Fed-eral Highway Administration, brought together national leaders to tackle unique safety and health challenges faced in roadway construction. This groundbreak-ing event began a series of national—and international—conferences that continue to this day.

1998: National Work Zone Safety Infor-mation Clearinghouse is launched. ART-BA and its operating partner, the Texas Transportation Institute, were leaders in harnessing the power of the Internet to provide a centralized information source on “all things” safety and make it available “24/7.” The facility (www.workzone-safety.org) is now the world’s largest online safety resource; handling more than 200,000 requests annually.

2002: National Safety Council & ARTBA form strategic alliance to create an OSHA 10-Hour course that is focused on the transportation construction industry. In an era when generic OSHA 10-Hour classes are offered to all audiences, ARTBA recognized the need for custom-ized training to meet the unique needs of industry workers.

2003-Present: ARTBA leads formation of partnerships with government, other trade associations and organized labor to create comprehensive safety training pro-grams and alliances that propel the trans-portation construction sector into the vanguard of industries working to protect the welfare of its members. These efforts

Paul Yarossi, President, HNTB Holdings Ltd. HNTB Corporation

have resulted in the only OSHA Alliance that includes government, labor and the private sector, as well as the renowned “Roadway Safety+” suite of instructional materials.

2012: This September 18-20, we unveil our latest innovation, which utilizes cutting-edge digital technologies to give you a virtual experience unlike anything the industry has seen before. It’s “Best Practices in Work Zone Safety” at the Local Transportation Asset Management Virtual Conference & Innovation Show-case,” or LōTrans™

ARTBA fully understands the budget-ary challenges facing local transporta-tion officials and industry professionals in traveling to meetings. No registration fees, and no need to make hotel reserva-tions or purchase plane tickets because you will be able to attend this conference from your office desktop or your laptop. We’ll have some of the industry’s leading experts delivering presentations on all of the latest road construction safety issues. Check out www.lotransvirtualcon-ference.org to register or to learn more about exhibiting opportunities.

I am proud to lead an association that places so much emphasis on the safety and health of its employees while con-tinuously working to unlock the power of innovation to help accomplish this mission. The pages of this “Transportation Builder” are primarily focused on safety. As you read, you will see what ARTBA and its members are doing to reduce hazards on our projects for workers, mo-torists, pedestrians and anyone else who happens to find us laboring alongside the roadway. Safe reading!


A Unique Workshop for Transportation Design & Construction Professionals

July 25-27Lansdowne Resort & Conference CenterLeesburg, Va.

Danny Forster,Host of “Build It

Bigger,” Discovery Channel

Ted Zoli, HNTB

Vice President

Victor Mendez, Federal Highway

Administrator

Ross Smith, Microsoft

Director of Test

James Pinkerton, Fox News Channel

John Hillman, HC Bridge Company

President & CEO

Register : www.transovation.org

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president’s desk

It’s been more than 925 days since SAFETEA-LU, the nation’s most re-

cent surface transportation law, expired. We are now in the midst of the ninth short-term extension of the federal high-way and transit programs. We’ve made some progress recently, especially in the U.S. Senate, but much more work – particularly in the U.S. House of Repre-sentatives – remains. Meanwhile, many of you in the transportation construction industry are coming into your busiest season.

So does anyone feel like talking to their members of Congress?

Well, with the years-long reauthoriza-tion process continuing, and immediate business operational issues demand-ing your attention, you may diagnose yourself as suffering from “reauthoriza-tion fatigue.” Common symptoms are

congestion caused by listening to endless congressional political rhetoric, head-aches from hitting your head in frus-tration as most of our elected officials ignore this important issue, runny eyes from reading pessimistic on-line com-mentary from so-called “experts,” and an overwhelming desire to withdraw from grassroots political activities.

But while some in Congress are mak-ing you reach for the aspirin, now is not the time to give up! We can get a good reauthorization bill, but only with your continued help.

As ARTBA has reported many times, partisanship on Capitol Hill is at an all-time high, meaning Congress has had difficulty accomplishing even the simplest legislative tasks. Historically, measures like the annual federal spending bills and federal aviation authorization have attracted bipartisan support. In recent years, however, we’ve seen the federal government on the verge of shutting down several times, while the aviation bill went through 23 extensions over more than four years before Congress reauthorized it.

In mid-March, we achieved a major victory in the Senate with an overwhelm-ing bipartisan vote (74-22) on a two-year surface transportation reauthorization bill. Since then, ARTBA and its coali-tion partners have pressed to extend this momentum to the House. This has not been a simple task, as that chamber is not inclined toward bipartisan coopera-tion these days. Some House members don’t see the need for a federal surface transportation program and are inclined to “extend” the programs into oblivion,

regardless of the massive layoffs and busi-ness closures that would result. Others still don’t fully understand the impor-tance of transportation investment and can’t comprehend the $260 billion price tag on the House’s proposed five-year bill, even though it is dramatically less than what the federal government and many other private sector groups say we should be investing in our basic transpor-tation systems.

The latest extension gives Congress until June 30 to settle on a final bill. Nothing will happen until the House passes their own version, which they can then take to a conference committee with the Senate where representatives of both chambers can hammer out a final prod-uct.

We try not to add to your “fatigue,” but this is another one of those times when you can make the difference! With so many obstacles to the legislative pro-cess these days, we’ll fall to the back of the line – and into more extensions – if House leaders think the pressure is off.

So please call and visit with your House members as soon as you can. Use the ARTBA Action Hotline at 1-888-448-2782 to track them down. Also, plan to be in the Nation’s Capital for the ARTBA Federal Issues Program and Transporta-tion Construction Coalition (TCC) Fly-in on May 29-31, where our focal point will be getting the House to act if they haven’t done so already.

The game is far from over, but we have come a long way so far in 2012. This is no time for fatigue or surrender. Help ARTBA keep the pressure on Congress to get the reauthorization bill our industry and the nation need!

T. Peter Ruane,President & CEOARTBA

“Reauthorization Fatigue” Is NOT An Option!


president’s desk

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by Jeffrey Sterner

The San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge ProjectAnother Perspective

Editor’s Note: Dan McNichol’s article, “Rebuilding the Bay’s Famed Crossing,” which appeared in the November/December 2011 issue, generated a lot of discussion and debate. Jeff Sterner, chair of the National Steel Bridge Alliance Executive Council and president of High Steel Structures, Inc., asked for the opportunity to present another perspective on the topic.


by Jeffrey Sterner

The San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge ProjectAnother Perspective

W hile many media accounts of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge paint a rosy picture of a successful project,

these accounts are unfortunately very misleading and too conveniently omit crucial facts that pres-ent a far different image. The reality is the bridge is at least 29 months behind schedule and $5 billion over budget. And to add insult to injury, what could have been an American success story has evolved into a transfer of money and jobs to China.

The fiasco began nearly a decade ago when Caltrans insisted on a design that differed significantly from most of the major steel bridges in the U.S. While this labor intensive design would have been difficult to build in any existing facility, the U.S. bridge industry is incredibly flexible, and a coalition of domestic fabricators quickly announced their intent to build a state-of-the-art facility to accommodate Caltrans’ desired design.

Unfortunately, Caltrans seized on this issue and claimed domestic fabrication capacity was insuf-ficient to build the Bay Bridge. As a result, they turned to a Chinese firm—despite the fact the Chinese firm also needed to first build a new facility before they could fabricate the bridge. As a result, thousands of American jobs were unnecessarily shipped overseas—jobs that were directly paid for with American tax dollars.

“When you have a project of that size here in California, it has a multiplier effect,” explained California Assemblyman Luis Alejo (D-28th District). “It gives thousands of families those jobs, and then those paychecks and their subsequent spending ends up going back into our economy. And so now all that money has disappeared from California.”

According to Tom Hickman, vice president of sales & marketing at Oregon Ironworks, Inc., the bridge would have required more than four million man-hours. “This is a very significant number considering its impact on the West Coast economy.” In Califor-nia, for example, unemployment currently exceeds 11 percent. Just as significantly, California essentially


paid to have a production facility built in China rather than the U.S.—a facility that will now vigorously compete with domes-tic companies on future projects.

Despite claims to the contrary by Caltrans and their contrac-tor, the fact is the domestic bridge industry has ample capacity to fabricate America’s signature bridges. Across the country, there are countless examples of what American fabricators have done—and still do. Recent projects such as the new Wood-row Wilson Bridge in Washington D.C., the Ravenal Bridge in Charleston, South Carolina, and a new Mississippi River cross-ing in Louisiana are true success stories from domestic fabrica-tors and their American workers. Building and bridge projects exceeding 40,000 tons of structural steel are not as unique as Bay Bridge proponents would like you to believe. And they are

certainly not beyond the capacity of domestic fabricators.

While staffing at steel fabrication plants may rise and fall with the demand for structural steel, the capacity of the plants re-main. This is just as true in the U.S. as it is in China, where they needed to build a new plant and hire thousands of new workers to complete the new Bay Bridge. When the project was sent to China, it meant training and jobs for foreign shop workers, su-pervisors, and welders. Jobs that were paid for with tax dollars and jobs that should have stayed in America.

Of course, capacity was only one piece of the puzzle. Misleading media accounts reported the Chinese bid would save $400 million and two years—a patently false claim that unfortunately is still being reported. In retrospect, it’s obvious

The Ravenel Bridge in Charleston —one of the longest cable-stayed bridges in North America—opened in July 2005, a year ahead of schedule, saving the South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) an estimated $150 million. Photo credit: David Sailors, photographer.


that while the U.S. fabricators put together realis-tic estimates, the Chinese bid was just pie-in-the-sky wishful thinking. California’s own Toll Bridge Program Oversight Committee recently released its 2011 “Fourth Quarter” Report on Project Progress and Financial Update. The report states Caltrans has approved $293 million in changes (a 17 percent increase from the original $1.7 billion budget) for the steel portion of the project. And, the Oversight Committee reports, completion has been delayed 29 months (from March 2012 to August 2014).

When evaluating proposals, Caltrans also declined to consider secondary benefits from using an Ameri-can team. Using a U.S.-based fabrication team would have resulted in jobs for around 1,000 Americans. Instead, Caltrans sent more than 200 engineers, inspectors, and other consultants to China to train their workers and ensure the quality of their work.

Topping off the problems is the way in which the project managed to circumvent the intent of the “Buy America Act.” This federal rule is designed to ensure that taxpayer supported projects help the American economy. But on this project, the bridge authority carefully segmented the job to “segregate” the feder-ally funded portion and allow the fabrication of the bridge to go overseas.

Despite media claims to the contrary, including Dan McNichol’s article in the November/December 2011 issue of “Transportation Builder,” this project was not a success for American taxpayers. It’s far over budget, way behind schedule, and has resulted in the transfer of jobs from America to China.

Jeffrey Sterner is a member of the American Institute of Steel Construction Board of Directors, chair of the National Steel Bridge Alliance Executive Committee, member of the ARTBA Board of Directors, and president of High Steel Structures Inc.

Thirty-four million pounds of structure move to clear a ship through the eight-leaf bascule arrangement on the Woodrow Wilson Memorial Bridge over the Potomac River outside Washington, D.C. Photo credit: Courtesy of Potomac Crossing Consultants.

The new Mississippi River crossing in St. Louis currently under construction with a main span using more than 10,000 tons of steel. Photo credit: Courtesy of MoDOT/IDOT.


by Dan McNichol

Part two of three

more total superhighway miles if non-Interstate routes are included in the total). The Chinese copied the U.S. Interstate System’s model in many ways: plans of connecting major population centers, design specifications, and signage. One major difference: the expressways are toll roads (over 75 percent) that are run by public-private-partnerships.

China still has a long way to go. America’s infrastructure, despite its deteriorating state, forms the most impressive supply chain in the world: an unmatched total road net, more vast heavy rail network, and the largest airline industry.

“America is blessed. It has two oceans, vast agricultural lands, an abundance of natural resources and a small population,” explained transportation professor and Harvard Fulbright schol-ar Shengchuan Zhao. The good professor went on to enumerate China’s infrastructure challenges: one ocean, little arable land, an ever-escalating mountainous region in its western frontier, and a population four times the size. Harder numbers stress the separation between the two nations. The World Bank puts U.S. Gross National Income (GNI) at $47,390. China’s GNI is $4,270. But, back to CAT in China.

China is CAT’s largest excavator market in the world and we are selling more wheel loaders in China than the rest of the world together right now,” explains Michael Young,

director of Caterpillar Strategic Investments for Asia, who hosted me for a lunch at CAT’s Asian headquarters in Beijing, China. Wall Street uses CAT as a leading indicator of the U.S. market’s health. I’m using CAT to gage the chinese market.

As “Transportation Builder’s” correspondent in China, I’m visiting with an impressive representation of the American road building community doing business here in the Middle King-dom. China’s infrastructure story is unmatched in world history. Never before has so much been built in so little time. “Thirty-five-years ago China looked like North Korea does today,” explains Lucia Lian, a Shanghai born attorney for Honeywell. “China’s investment in infrastructure, especially our highway system, has lifted half-a-billion people above the poverty line.”

The roadway statistics alone are staggering. China has built the largest single expressway system that now surpasses the U.S. Interstate System. Called the National Trunk Highway System (NTHS), its total length is currently 53,000 miles (the U.S. has

“


CAT is a highly respected brand in China, as it is around the world. But, how is this good for Americans? Does CAT’s success here help working Americans back home? I put this to Michael Young as I dug deeper into my mashed potatoes, a simple delicacy in the land of strange foods.

“There are a couple of ways. First, a lot of CAT’s products are made in America and then shipped to China. We send limited machines from China to America. In total, we export more machines from America to China,” Young says. “If you look at the paving machines—you look at the bulldozers—most of those are made in America.” Same with CAT’s 797F, its gargan-tuan dump trucks. “Look at our mining trucks. We sell 1,200 of them worldwide each year. Economically, at this scale, they must be made at one plant—that plant happens to be in Deca-tur, Illinois.” Some of those 1,200 mining trucks land in China.Others are sent to Australia, Mongolia and Brazil where they are deployed in the hauling of raw materials that eventually end up en route to China.

The second way the American economy gains from a healthy CAT in China: hydraulics, engines and undercarriages. “You ask what’s good for America? Anyone can put an excavator together. But the hydraulics, the undercarriage, the engines: even the Chinese companies are importing them from us,” explains Young. “I don’t want to overstate it, but a lot of the

hydraulics we ship to China come from our huge facility in Juliet, just outside of Chicago. And, 50 percent of our R&D work is done back in the U.S.”

The opposite is true for machines purchased by the Chinese for use in high-volume here in China. “CAT needs to produce a lot of its product in what we call the Triosphere, where it is consumed. That’s true here in Asia, Europe and back in North America. You can’t be shipping tens-of-thousands of machines from the U.S. to Asia—it just doesn’t work—the shipping alone makes it cost prohibitive.”

“What’s interesting when you’re on the other side of the fence, like we are here, you see how much of the business foreign firms are getting in China. There are a ton of construction projects. Do they favor local suppliers? Well, yes, but, if you look closely at rail projects, road projects—we’re getting a surprising amount of the business.”

CAT committed to investing in China as early as the 1980s. As a result, the Chinese market has become available to them. Because CAT has earned the Chinese’s trust, it has been rewarded with favor. Rewards in China, if they are to be gotten, come after trust is established—usually paid in the form of a deposit upfront.

OPPOSITE PAGE: Yellow iron, blue skies, green philosophy: CAT’s headquarters for Asia Pacific is housed in this LEED certified building in Beijing. Recycled building materials are found in the building’s struc-ture, lighting, flooring,—even in its office furniture, making CAT part of China’s aggressive effort to be the world’s most sustainable culture.

LEFT: “It comes down to the ‘80/20 rule’ here in China,” says CAT’s Michael Young.In his nearly decade-long run in China he concludes, “If you think about doing busi-ness here everyday, about 80 percent of it is the same. Managers look for opportuni-ties, develop staff, recruit the same. The other 20 percent that differs is about the people, customs, language, and culture.”


“If CAT didn’t sell excavators in China, that are made here in China, we wouldn’t sell anything else.” Young’s point: if CAT did not have an investment here, in the form of factories that employed Chinese workers or have joint ventures with Chinese firms, CAT wouldn’t be allowed to do business in the Middle Kingdom.

Regardless of CAT’s position of strength in China, there’s no resting for this “big cat.” In the 1980’s, CAT “transferred” technology to eight companies—eight is a most lucky number here in China. This did not lead to any joint ventures. The real-ity: CAT provided the technology free of charge to the eight companies designated by the Chinese government during China’s period of first “opening up.” CAT did this to assist with China’s huge infrastructure needs and to build its reputation with the Chinese.

Amongst the Chinese this is called quan-xi, a mutual commitment made by two: people, companies, governments to help one another. Quan-xi is an unwritten understanding that there will be a sharing of resources, contacts, and successes. “As I travel around China talking to many industry executives, CAT is still looked at by many of them as the ‘model of the Chinese construction equipment industry,’ a lot of which is due to our early actions in the market place,” says Young.

“Ten years ago, there were only a few international heavy equipment manufacturers operating in China: CAT, Terex, Deer, Hitachi, Komatsu, Liebherr and maybe a couple others,” reflects Young. “Now, there are nearly 40 heavy equipment manufacturing firms in China—at least thirty of them are Chinese. But the market is big. This year CAT will sell 180,000 excavators, 180,000 wheel-loaders in China. CAT’s operations in India will sell only 30,000 excavators and 40,000 backhoes. Strange as it is: the Chinese like to use wheel loaders, Indians prefer backhoe loaders. Why? “That’s just what they grew up with,” explains Young.

CAT has the same distribution model in China as it does in every other part of the world. “Here in China, we have a dealer for each province. There’s a separate contract for each province in China just like we have individual arrangements for our independent dealers in Illinois, Missouri, California and the rest of the 50 states.”

CAT has big plans. Doug Oberhelman, Young’s boss and CAT’s CEO, is making some large capacity bets in China to capture

more of the domestic market, and this means more jobs at CAT in both China and the U.S.A.

Young was kind. He called a driver and sent me off in his notably American ride: a Buick. Taking the new high-speed-train between Beijing and Shanghai, I arrived at Fluor’s headquarters in record time. The trip used to be an overnight ordeal. Today, it’s a 4 hour and 55 minute cruise in comfort. The only reason the trip is not shorter? China decided to slow its high-speed trains down to save on wear and tear on the tracks and trains. Amtrak officials dream of such concerns.

Fluor’s Operations “Our chairman at the time had grown up on Hai Nan Island here in China,” explains Tony Kretzschamer, head of Fluor’s Multi-Project Opera-tions in Shanghai, as he traced the root of Flour’s successful entry into the world’s most dynamic marketplace. “He finished high school there. His parents were missionaries in China. He had always had a place for China in his heart. As soon as the country opened up, he wanted to be one of the first to help develop it.”

Honored in 1978 with early entry into China as a heavy construction firm uniquely qualifies Fluor today. To date, the construction giant has completed 180 projects, including nine mega projects in over half of China’s 30 some provinces. Recently here in China, Fluor has gone from about 300 to 900 employees. Having the strongest credentials in the Central Nation has been key to their success. Fluor’s the only foreign firm with the coveted Class 1 Construc-tion License, which it received from the Ministry of Construc-tion in 2006. The license number: OO1.

ABOVE: “$200 million dollars is cut-off between large and smaller projects,” explains Tony Kretzschamer, head of Fluor’s Multi-Project Operations in China. “More and more Chinese clients are coming to Fluor asking us to help them internationalize their standards.” Fluor has nearly 42,000 people around the world—900 of them in China.


“We were the first multinational to get a construction license. This means we can do construction on any size project in China. We have our Class 1 Construction and Class A design institute certificates.” In 2008, Fluor entered the Chinese design market. “We’re actually very Chinese in terms of the offering we provide. A company has to be licensed to be able to chop a design [chops are stamps pressed into ink to mark a name/insignia]. It’s like in the U.S., you need an official engineer who stamps things. And, the company has to be licensed to stamp it. Here it’s the same thing. The government licenses a chop,” Kretzschamer explains. Most of Fluor’s work is done in project management of construction projects.

Fluor’s permitted to build a factory for Caterpillar, a bridge, or a nuclear power plant for the government. Most of their clients are international firms. “As multi national companies come to China they need a partner they can trust—they can work with. Someone how knows how to work here in China. There’s a long and strict permitting process here in China, so you need someone to help you navigate the permitting to be able to get the project’s approved and running,” Kretzschamer says. Half of Fluor’s work in China is around energy plants, and about one quarter around infrastructure.

“The Bay Bridge back in the states was an example of a very unique design that was done in the U.S. to earthquake codes. And, they were able to fabricate the steel here to very high standards—incredible quality. The fabricator didn’t quite understand what Caltrans wanted. They were asking ‘what does this mean? What do they want?’ Our job was to help them understand what’s required and watch the quality that came out to make sure it was to specification.”

“We have two types of projects. A Western type project and a local project—a Chinese type project.” More and more Chinese clients are coming to Fluor asking them to help them internationalize their standards,” he notes. This helps Chinese firms venturing into the global market qualify for international bank funding. Really, they’re able to trade on the good name of Fluor’s good reputation as investors see Fluor as positive force in any partnership or joint venture—especially when it comes to saving lives.

“People talk about safe work in China—that it’s very difficult to do. We’ve actually found it’s not. We’re one of the safest con-tractors in the world.” Companies constructing in China, both foreign and domestic, seek to partner with Fluor because of its

strong safety records.

“We have these folks here, who are the redshirts,” says Kretzschamer as he points to a photo. “They’re our safety supervisors on site. Now, in the U.S. you need to get one of these guys for every 100 to 150 workers. In China, we put one of these guys for every 30 workers. Three clips of a workers badge by a redshirt for unsafe work practices (not wearing a hard-hat, goggles...) and that worker is dismissed. If workers are found to be walking heights untied, they’re dismissed instantly.”

Kretzschamer continues, “It’s very competitive. Our competi-tors are getting their licenses and offering a cheaper solution. It’s not easy winning work here and doing work here.” And, China’s no longer the low cost alternative. “China’s becoming more expensive—it isn’t cheap anymore. The middle class is growing and they want their luxuries and the prices are going up. Shanghai’s very expensive.”

“China’s well developed on the coast. Moving inland is the next step. The government’s dictating that. It’s centrally driven—looking at bringing equanimity to various economic zones. They want to give fair employment to everyone.”

Engineering Firm Builds Chinese Roots Parsons Brinckerhoff (PB), is a firm I know well. I was under their employ while an official on the Big Dig project in Boston. They too were one of the first to break into the China market when it reopened.

Back in the U.S., at one of the nation’s oldest libraries—the Boston Athenaeum, I checked-out “An American Engineer in China,” a book about William Barclay Parsons’ journey though China in 1895. The book details the 36 year-old’s surveying of 1,000 miles of track for one of China’s first major rail lines. Published in 1900, I was struck by young Parsons’ foresight—his last words in the book, “We of today are concerned not so much with what China will eventually do with progress, as with what we ourselves can and should do with it now.”

More on PB in part three.

Dan McNichol is the author of “The Roads That Built America:” [email protected]



SCHEDULEWhen it comes to federal regulation...

For more information on ARTBA’s legal advocacy program, visit www.artba.org.

You can take that to...the U.S. Supreme Court!

ARTBA’s got your back!

That’s ARTBA’s 2012 record in the U.S. Supreme Court and federal district court challenging regulatory overreaching by federal agencies on wetlands issues that could impact transportation construction.

ARTBA’s aggressive legal advocacy program is one of the most tangible benefits of your membership. And it’s not just dealing with regulations. Since 1993, ARTBA’s involvement in federal courts has allowed nearly $50 billion in approved—yet challenged—transportation projects to move forward. Whether it’s fighting regulatory overreaching, or defending the transportation design and construction market, ARTBA’s got your back. You have other work to do.

THREE WINS.NO LOSSES.

http://www.artba.org


Platinum• AECOM• Association of Equipment Manufacturers• Caterpillar Inc.• Parsons Brinckerhoff

Gold• Skanska USA Civil, Inc.• Volvo Construction Equipment• HNTB

Silver• Corman Construction, Inc.• Granite Construction Company• Heritage Construction & Materials• National Work Zone Information Clearinghouse

Bronze• American Bridge Company• Ammann & Whitney• Associated Pennsylvania Constructors• Lanford Brothers Co., Inc.• Michael Baker, Jr., Inc.• Trinity Highway Products• Wright Brothers Construction Co., Inc.• Zachry Construction Corporation

WEDNESDAY MAY 307:00 – 9:30 a.m. Contractors Division

7:30 – 9:30 a.m. Planning & Design Division

8:00 – 9:30 a.m. • Transportation Safety Advisory Council

• Young Executive Development Program

9:30 – 9:45 a.m. Networking Break

9:45 – 11:00 a.m. General Sessions

• Legislative and Regulatory Update

• Transportation Construction Market Report

11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. ARTBA Board of Directors Meeting

1:00 – 2:30 p.m. Transportation Development Foundation Awards Lunch

ARTBA Federal Issues Program & TCC Washington Fly-In ScheduleMarriot Metro CenterSCHEDULE

TUESDAY MAY 29 Sponsors*12:00 – 1:30 p.m. • Materials & Services Division

• Transportation Officials Division

• Council of University Transportation Centers Meeting

12:00 – 3:00 p.m. • Contract Administration Committee Meeting with Federal Highway Administration

1:30 – 3:00 p.m. • Environmental Committee Meeting with Federal Officials

• Joint Ports and Waterways Council & ITS Meeting

• Bridge Policy and Promotion Council

• Research & Education Division

• Public Private Partnerships Division

• Nominating Committee

3:00 – 5:00 p.m. • Executive Committee

• Young Executive Development Program Welcome Briefing

5:00 – 6:30 p.m. • Council of State Executives

• Young Executive Development Program & Young

Executive Leadership Council

• Women Leaders Transportation Design and Construction Council

6:00 – 9:00 p.m. Dinner on your own

TCC WEDNESDAY, MAY 302:30 – 5:30 p.m. TCC Legislative Session

6:00 – 7:30 p.m. Capitol Hill Reception: B-338 Rayburn House Office Building

THURSDAY, MAY 317:00 – 8:00 a.m. TCC Breakfast

8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Meetings with members of Congress (Off-site)

Contact Ed Tarrant to become a sponsor: 202.289.4434 or [email protected]

HotelMake your room reservations directly with the Marriott Metro Center by calling 1.877.212.5752.

*Current as of April 11.



Protecting Our Own


On average, more than one roadway construction worker is killed each week in a runover accident while on the job. Every day, more workers are injured by the same hazard. Most of us in the transportation construction industry assume the biggest threat to being struck by a vehicle comes

from motorists who speed through the work zones, cross into the work space, and strike our fellow employees. Most of us are wrong. Workers are more likely to be struck by construction equipment—especially dump trucks—than by passing motorists.

Partnership Between Feds & Private Sector For more than a decade, researchers with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) have studied worker runovers in work zones in an attempt to figure out how we might better prevent deaths and injuries. These researchers collected data, made thousands of observations, recommended changes about how we do work, and tested the validity of those recommendations. Armed with over a decade of information, NIOSH contracted with ARTBA to take all that research and turn it into a training program.

In February 2012, ARTBA launched the training program and made it available to the transportation construction industry free-of-charge. Costs associated with presenting the training program are covered by a “Hardwood Grant” obtained by the ARTBA Foundation from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). After classes in New Jersey and North Carolina, the new program has received a lot of praise. At the conclusion of the course in New Jersey, an industry veteran said, “I have never seen a program like this one. I have sat through many safety training classes, but this one contains ideas for protecting workers in a way I have not seen before.” After the class in North Carolina, a senior state DOT official stated, “This program is excellent. How can I schedule a class for the DOT staff in my state?”

Free Training Now Available The new safety training program is titled, “Preventing Runovers and Backovers: Internal Traffic Control in Roadway Work Zones.” The four-hour course includes step-by-step instructions on preventing worker “struck-by” incidents through creation of “Internal Traffic Control Plans” (ITCPs). According to Dave Fosbroke, the lead NIOSH researcher on this topic, “Internal Traffic Control is really a simple concept. It comes

Protecting Our Ownby Bradley Sant

Route 202 Project, Landover, Md.


down to creating zones to separate workers on foot from construction trucks and vehicles. Workers are instructed where trucks and equipment are going to operate and informed to keep away from those areas unless authorized. Likewise, ITCPs show drivers and operators where workers on foot are performing tasks and warn them to stay away from those areas if possible, and to look for workers if they approach those zones. In areas where workers on foot and drivers/operators perform tasks together, safe backing procedures, spotters and other controls are used to ensure safe operations.”

While the concept is straight forward, there are a number of key principles that must be understood at all levels of project management. These include:

• Understanding that all trucks and equipment have unique blind spots that prevent the driver from seeing workers and other obstacles through their windows and mirrors. Drivers must know what is located in those blind spots by walking around their vehicle before moving it, by using cameras, radar or other technology to see into the blind spots, or using a designated spotter;

• Recognition that work zone access and egress areas are some of the most hazardous areas of the work zone. Trucks and other vehicles are forced to slow down quickly when leaving traffic lanes to enter the work area, or need to rapidly gain speed to merge with motorists.

Drivers will be focused on traffic and ground conditions and may not see workers on foot in these areas;

• Appreciation that site conditions might “entice” workers to enter dangerous areas. For example, when organizing the work space, consideration should be given to where employee vehicles are to be parked, where portable la-trines are stationed, and where water coolers are placed. Without forethought, the location of these stations could require workers to cross open traffic lanes or routes used by trucks and other equipment, luring them into unsafe areas; and

• Assigning responsibility and accountability to site managers, subcontractors, operators, workers and others to ensure the ITCP is current, communicated to all affected parties, and strictly followed on the jobsite.

These are just a few of the important concepts addressed in the “Preventing Runovers and Backovers” training course. The program is presented in seven modules with interactive exercises, fact sheets, posters, and ideas for conducting training and giving demonstrations to workers on the construction site.

Through selecting relevant modules, the “Preventing Run-overs and Backovers” program can be customized for various audiences, including site workers, safety professionals and company safety officers, senior project managers, site

Outer Beltway Project, Granite Construction, Salt Lake City, Utah.


superintendents and lead persons. In addition, the training is important for roadway owners (DOT personnel) including engineers, inspectors and construction managers.

Those involved in roadway construction are likely familiar with temporary traffic control plans (TTCPs) which describe how a specific work zone is to be set up to ensure the safety of the motoring public. Construction workers, equipment and vehicles within the work space, however, are not addressed in the TTCP. The ITCP is a process that project managers and others who have production responsibility for roadway construction projects can use to coordinate and control the flow of construction vehicles, equipment, and workers operating in close proximity within the work space to ensure the safety of workers.

Federal Regulations ITCPs align smoothly with regulations issued by both OSHA and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) requiring development and execution of safety programs for construction workers. For example, FHWA’s Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) states in Section 6B.01–Funda-mental Principles of Temporary Traffic Control: “Road user and worker safety and accessibility in TTC zones should be an integral and high-priority element of every project from plan-ning through design and construction.” While the use of ITCPs would be considered and industry “best practice,” such plans are

not yet required by state or federal regulations.

Likewise, OSHA does not have a stand alone “backing” standard for work zones, but enforces such safety requirements through general work place safety rules. Nevertheless, on March 28, 2012, OSHA issued a “Request for Information” (RFI) that seeks comments on how to prevent injuries and deaths from vehicles and mobile equipment backing into workers. OSHA will use the comments to learn more about how workers get killed and injured, and for possible regulatory action.

Take Advantage of Free Training Now Currently, ARTBA’s “Preventing Runovers and Backovers” course is available by request in English. A Spanish edition of the program is under development and expected to be available to the industry in early May. Because the course is funded in cooperation with OSHA, free classes are only available until mid-September 2012.

For more information, or to schedule a class, please contact ARTBA’s Sepi Fazeli ([email protected]) or Omar Lopez ([email protected]) or call 202-289-4434.

I-495 Hot Lane Project, Lane Construction, Burke, Va.

Bradley Sant is ARTBA senior vice president, safety & education, and managing director, traffic safety industry division: [email protected]



Avoiding Runovers and Backovers

Reduced Price: $150 (ARTBA Members)

Once a week, a roadway construction worker is killed in a “struck-by” incident; hundreds more are injured every year. Based on years of research, ARTBA produced a safety training product aimed at helping managers, opera-tors and workers avoid struck-

by fatalities and injuries. This program provides “common sense” tips and information about safe work procedures to reduce and eliminate the hazards which lead to death and injury for roadway construction workers.

safety products

ARTBA Safety Training Videos Offer Customized Solutions for Transportation Construction Professionals

by Bradley Sant

New: Flagging Fundamentals: 6 Steps to Safety

Price: $150 (ARTBA Members)

Released in winter 2012, this interactive “Flagging Fundamentals” DVD pro-vides the latest information to revitalize flagging training programs with information from the most recent fed-eral and industry standards. By focusing on six steps to

safe flagging operations, it is an excellent learning tool to refresh flaggers who may need to sharpen their skills and remember the basics of flagging operations. It is available on DVD or in a downloadable format. The program also in-cludes assessment questions so instructors can ascertain the knowledge gained by their trainees. The fundamental steps include:

• Master the correct signaling procedures.

• Know what to wear.

• Learn why traffic signs and control devices are important to your safety.

• Understand how to protect yourself from traffic.

• Acquire “best practice” flagging skills to ensure compliance with the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices.

• Become a better and more commanding flagger.

Are you looking for a fresh approach to safety training? Are you tired of “generic” materials that don’t match the work you do?

The “ARTBA Store,” www.artbastore.com, has solutions developed specifically for transportation construction professionals. Available in Spanish and English on the same DVD, ARTBA’s safety experts have developed three video products:

Playing it Safe with PPE

Reduced Price: $150 (ARTBA Members)

This video on Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) contains two segments. The first helps company manag-ers understand what to look for when purchasing PPE, and provides tips on motivating workers to wear it. The sec-ond—and most valuable—is

a “must-see” for your company’s employees. It compares scenes from sporting events to roadway construction work, educating workers about the importance of properly wearing their PPE—even if they don’t see the hazards around them.

ARTBA Spring Safety SpecialThese three videos are available for purchase

individually, or as a three-pack. If you purchase all three, we’ll take $100 off the $450 price.

Order online at www.artbastore.com or by contacting ARTBA Sales Manager Peter Embrey:

202.289.4434 or [email protected].

http://www.artbastore.com



http://www.workzonesafety.org


Frederick “Bud” Wright chair, ARTBA Transportation Safety Advisory Council

Transportation Policy Consultant, Barrier Systems

SAFETYLEADERS

“Safety at Granite Construction is all about our people. We do our best to take care of them as though they are family, because they are a part of the Granite family. Our involvement with the ARTBA safety committee is a part of

getting our workers home safe every day. We especially like and use the Roadway Safety+ program. It’s a valuable tool in our safety tool box.”

“Toward Zero Deaths” (TZD) is now the mantra of many in the highway safety community and the vision statement of numerous state transportation departments. This new approach to highway safety emphasizes design,

construction, and maintenance of a highway system that will be “forgiving” of driver errors (e.g., rumble strips to alert drivers when their cars are leaving the lane, advance warning signs to slow down traffic approaching a dangerous curve, etc.), even as we continue the education and enforcement campaigns aimed at improving driver behavior. ARTBA was one of the early adopters of this new safety philosophy, and through its expanding implemen-tation in states across the country, our industry is contributing significantly to the marked reduction in serious injuries and deaths on the nation’s roadways in recent years. It’s an effective, new way of doing business, and we can be proud to be a part of it.”

“With increased investment in safety infrastructure over the past few years, we’ve made great progress in saving lives on America’s highways. But there’s much more that can be accomplished, and it’s our industry’s duty to continue

to take every possible action to drive down the Nation’s highway death and injury toll.”

Bob Johnson chair, ARTBA Safety and Insurance Committee

Director of Safety, Granite Construction Incorporated

Taylor Bowlden president, ARTBA Traffic Safety Industry Division

Manager, 3M Federal Government Affairs

ARTBA’s safety leaders—including professionals from member firms along with the association’s full-time staff—have a depth of expertise that is unmatched in the transportation construction industry. Below are quotes from ARTBA safety leaders, along with bio sketches of ARTBA’s top safety personnel.


SAFETYLEADERS ARTBA’S SAFETYPROFESSIONALS

Bradley M. Sant: Senior vice president, safety and education; executive director for safety–ARTBA Transportation Development Foundation. Mr. Sant has nearly 25 years experience in managing high-level safety and health programs and adult training programs, including senior safety positions with the Building and Construction Trades Department, AFL-CIO, the National Resource Center for OSHA Training, the International Association of Fire Fighters, the American Road and Transportation Builders Association, and the Safety Equipment Institute. He has a B.A. degree from Utah State University with a double major in political science and Spanish. He earned a J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center. He is an accredited OSHA instructor and for-mer director of an OSHA outreach training center. He has been appointed to serve on a number of industry and government committees to provide guidance for safety standards, regulations, and industry best practices.

Robinson Vasquez: safety training and business development specialist. Reared in a construction family, Robinson has been involved in the industry for most of his life. He learned first-hand how a construction incident can impact an entire family, as his father, a welder, suffered a career-changing accident when Robinson was young. Robinson worked as an attorney, specializing in construction law, international business, and labor relations in his native Peru. He graduated cum laude from the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru where he earned his law degree. After working in several legal positions, he moved to the United States to continue graduate studies, earning a Master’s in comparative law from Brigham Young University in 2008, and an M.B.A. from the University of Utah in 2011. He is committed to serving the Latin American community and has volunteered time through teaching entrepreneurship to members of the Hispanic community.

Omar Lopez: safety and Spanish training specialist. Mr. Lopez has been a leader in Spanish language translation and interpretation for nearly 10 years. For the past five, he has been engaged in safety and health training, with a special focus on Hispanic and disadvantaged workers. He has managed Spanish/Safety training programs for the Department of Trans-portation for the District of Columbia. He attended law school in his native Ecuador and is working towards a degree in business management. He is a certified translator through the D.C. Multicultural Community Service and has an ESL certificate through Northern Virginia Community College. He is also an accredited instructor for OSHA 10- and 30-Hour programs, Flagging, CPR, First Aid and others.

&


http://www.lotransvirtualconference.org


T he year 2012 marks the 15th anniversary of the contract signing that created the National Work Zone Safety Information Clearinghouse. Owned and

operated by the ARTBA Transportation Development Foundation (ARTBA-TDF), many of its functions are maintained through contract with the Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) and supported financially by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA).

Since 1998, the Clearinghouse has provided assistance to more than 1.2 million users from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and 30 countries around the world. Originally conceived primarily as a repository of knowledge of all facets of work zone safety for access by both private-sector and public-sector practitioners, it has grown and evolved significantly over the years, and is a valuable information tool for a wide range of people, including the general public. Through it all, the goal has remained the same: to be the pre-imminent resource of roadway work zone safety information nationally, and even worldwide.

The Early Years When the concept for a Clearinghouse facility was initially conceived in the mid-1990’s, utilization of the Internet and

The National Work Zone Safety Information Clearinghouse:by Gerald Ullman

15 Years Successfully Serving the Industry

From left to right: Morris Oliver (FHWA), Brad Sant (ARTBA), Joe Toole (FHWA), Hong Yu and Dennis Christensen (TTI) accept the IRF Global Road Achievement Award presented to the Clearinghouse in January 2008.

the volume of information on it were still to be tapped; fax machines were heavily used, and cellular telephones—for those that had them—weighed a few pounds and were used primarily for calling and talking to someone. At the same time and more disconcerting for those in the transportation industry, work zone fatalities in the U.S. were rising due to the large influx of highway construction dollars—and thus number of work zones—authorized through the 1991 ISTEA and 1998 TEA-21 infrastructure investment laws.

The Clearinghouse was originally envisioned as a call center with “operators standing by” to help those with work work zone safety questions and information needs. Fortunately, ARTBA and TTI staff correctly anticipated the impending shift in infor-mation technology. With FHWA’s concurrence, they altered course to design a website-based repository of multiple databas-es that could be searched by users without Clearinghouse staff intervention. Databases were developed and made searchable via the Internet on topics such as:

• Contact information of work zone safety “experts” across the U.S.;

• Crash data;

• Work zone-related laws;

http://www.lotransvirtualconference.org


Dr. Gerry Ullman, TTI’s senior research engineer.

• Current research and research results;

• State transportation agency safety practices and procedures;

• Innovative technology and products;

• Training resources and opportunities; and

• Public information outreach campaigns.

Still, many practitioners in those early days, unable to access the Internet, relied on direct communication with Clearinghouse staff via telephone or fax to obtain the desired information. Usage grew quickly as an integrated ARTBA communications and advertising campaign, led by ARTBA’s Lisa McCluskey, was undertaken to make people aware of the existence and usefulness of the Clearinghouse. Several national and international work zone safety and traffic management conferences were held to further awareness and discussion of work zone safety issues and the availability of information to improve safety via the Clearinghouse. A four-color newsletter was published and mailed out widely to industry professionals to highlight key topics and new information that had recently become available.

Feedback from users validated the value and effectiveness of this resource, and the Clearinghouse received multiple awards from both the International Road Federation (IRF) and American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) for the important services being provided.

FHWA intended the Clearinghouse to become self-sufficient for funding after the third year of operation. Therefore, at the conclusion of direct federal support in 2000, ownership of the Clearinghouse was transferred to ARTBA-TDF. Both ARTBA and TTI committed some of their own funds to continue Clearinghouse operations, and several other organizations and associations made contributions.

Meanwhile, an American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) resolution encouraged annual voluntary contributions by the state DOTs. Although the contributions provided critical support for Clearinghouse maintenance, it soon became clear that the pace of techno-logical change occurring during the 2000s would necessitate significant and regular upgrades of the Clearinghouse infrastruc-ture and expansion of its capabilities to take advantage of those changes. Such changes were not going to be possible under the funding model that existed at that time. Congress agreed, and directed FHWA to expand its support of Clearinghouse operations under the 2005 SAFETEA-LU law. After conduct-ing research of Clearinghouse users to better understand their needs, a major website redesign was initiated and a number of

new services were rolled out. The new and interactive website, www.workzonesafety.org, was launched in October 2007.

Today Just as information technology in general has evolved dramatically from the late 1990’s, the Clearinghouse has enhanced its operations and activities to take advantage of that technology. Users still have access to over 14,000 database entries that are periodically verified and updated by Clearinghouse staff, and a number of new features offer even more assistance to those seeking help with a work zone safety-related issue. For example, a Clearinghouse listserve is now operational that allows subscribers the opportunity to interact directly with each other via email, asking questions and offering experiences and opinions on a wide range of work zone safety issues. Over 1,300 users subscribe to and participate on the listserve, and options exist to limit the frequency and amount of information the listserve provides.

The Clearinghouse has also been designated as the repository of materials that have been developed under the FHWA Work Zone Safety Grant Program, which was also initiated under the SAFETEA-LU law. This will ensure that the products will be available to practitioners even after the grantees have completed their efforts. Guidance documents, informational brochures, and training materials are posted and available for download and use at www.workzonesafety.org/fhwa_wz_grant.


Chung Eng, workzone team leader, FHWA, presents a webinar for the Clearinghouse. The Clearinghouse’s mascott, Safety Sam advises motorists on work zone safety.

The Clearinghouse has made further efforts to truly be a worldwide resource to practitioners as well. Under a grant provided by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), the Clearinghouse now posts a number of work zone safety-related documents from the European Union, China, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Argentina, Chile, Spain, Mexico, Peru, Venezuela, Canada, and the Russian Federation. Material is also available in more than a half dozen languages.

In addition to the website enhancements, Clearinghouse staff members have bolstered efforts to package and disseminate in-formation for practitioners, including the increased use of social media. The Clearinghouse has also hosted numerous webinars in recent years on topics such as high-visibility garments, the Roadway Safety+ Training program, accommodating pedestrians in work zones, changes in the 2009 MUTCD, speed management in work zones, and work zone performance measurement. These webinars have attracted thousands of industry professionals, pro-viding further evidence of the reach and value of the facility’s ser-vices. The webinars are recorded and posted on the website for continued access by practitioners. In recent years, focused “Power Workshop” sessions have been held in conjunction with other national conferences. These sessions have also been recorded and are available for viewing from the Clearinghouse website.

The Future The fact that the Clearinghouse is much different and more

effective than the Clearinghouse of 1998 is a reflection of the ARTBA, TTI and FHWA commitment to innovation. The Clearinghouse will continue to evolve and grow as new technologies and other opportunities become available.

Already, plans are underway to incorporate web-based training technology into the Clearinghouse as part of the next round of Work Zone Safety Grant products under development. Tools to help practitioners better sort through and identify the most appropriate safety training and guidance needed for certain work zone types and job duties is also a future objective. Smartphone and smarttablet usage continues to in-crease in the workplace. Applications that can effectively support those technologies to facilitate real-time access to specific information elements that answer a specific question or concern are likely to be developed.

Although the extent and speed at which such changes may occur will rely, in part, on continued financial support for the facility. The Clearinghouse management and staff look forward to ensuring that the next 15 years are as productive and valuable to the industry as the past 15 years have been. To get your fill of the latest safety information, visit: www.workzonesafety.org.

Dr. Gerry Ullman is a senior research engineer at the Texas Transportation

Institute: [email protected]



&Q A

T. Bella Dinh-Zarr, Ph.D., M.P.H.

Interviewed by ARTBA’s Beth McGinn

Dr. Bella Dinh-Zarr, Ph.D, M.P.H., is road safety director of the FIA Foundation, an international philanthropy focused on safe and sustainable transportation that, with the World Health Organiza-tion, launched the “U.N. Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020.” She serves as the North American director of the “Make Roads Safe Campaign” for Global Road Safety, chaired by former U.S. Secretary of Transportation Nor-man Y. Mineta, and is the North Ameri-can Director of U.N. Road Safety Fund which provides donated funds to road safety projects around the world.

Beth McGinn: First, can you tell our readers a little bit about how the World Health Organization (WHO) came to be involved in road safety issues and the impetus for “The Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020?” T.Bella Dinh-Zarr: Road crashes have always been one of the most unrecognized public health threats in the world. Despite killing 1.3 million people a year and seriously injuring 50 million more every year, it took great efforts on the part of associations and advocates to educate governments about this important issue. In 2004, the United Nations (U.N.) General Assembly passed a resolution on “improving global road safety” and invited the WHO to act as coordinator on road safety issues across the United Nations system. The FIA Foundation, through the Make Roads Safe Campaign and with strong partners such as ARTBA in the U.S. and around the world, petitioned the U.N. to make road safety a true international priority. As a result, the U.N. announced the first-ever “Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020,” with 100 countries co-sponsoring. For the first time, road crashes are now recognized as an international threat on the scale of malaria, TB, and AIDS. And in fact, road deaths will surpass even AIDS as a leading cause of death within 20 years, so we must act now to prevent this epidemic on our roads.

BM: What are the key goals for the “Decade of Action” and how will the campaign measure success?BDZ: The goal of the “Decade of Action” is to first stabilize and then reduce the number of deaths on the roads in the next 10 years. Road crash deaths are increasing exponentially due to unsafe roads being built, due to unsafe and rapidly increasing vehicles, and due to lack of knowledge by citi-zens and governments. We have many of the solutions and it is estimated that if we implement just what we already know, we could save five million lives and prevent 50 million serious inju-ries in the next decade. There are five “pillars of action”—safer roads, safer vehicles, safer road users, post-crash care, and management/capacity build-ing. These are the five areas that must be addressed to ensure success over the next 10 years. If every country can stabilize its rapid death toll (or reduce in the case of more developed countries such as the U.S.), the “Decade of Action” will have saved millions of lives. And like AIDS, Malaria, and TB, these efforts take both awareness and resources. That is why our philanthropy, the FIA Foundation, with WHO, has established the Road Safety Fund to direct funds from donors to road safety projects around the world.One hundred percent of donations go to worthy projects since we manage the fund pro bono as part of our contribu-tion to “The Decade.”


BM: One of the “pillars” of your action plan is to improve the planning, design, construction and operation of roadways to ensure safety for all users. Could you give some examples of the type of physical changes that can be made to roadways to improve safety and reduce injuries and fatalities?BDZ: Road infrastructure improve-ments are an essential element of road safety in every country. There are a wide variety—from very simple to very high-tech—physical changes that that can be made to save lives immedi-ately around the world. In many cases, new roads are being built, but they are not being built safely or old roads are being upgraded incorrectly. For exam-ple, traffic calming and speed reduc-ing treatments such as roundabouts, speed humps, and curve treatments can have a great effect on the num-bers of deaths and injuries to drivers, motorcyclists, bicyclists, and pedes-trians. Rumble strips and shoulder sealing can help drivers maintain their path and prevent run-off-the-road and head-on crashes. But there are end-less types of infrastructure improve-ments that can be made depending on the road, so we work closely with the International Road Assessment Program to determine what types of improvements are needed in specific situations.

BM: What other types of roadway design and construction policies can governments adopt to improve safety and reduce injuries and fatalities?

BDZ: Governments can adopt “safety first” policies, especially in road build-ing projects, which will save both lives and money in the end. A bit of invest-ment in safe road building upfront will pay off in the long tun. Currently, it is estimated that three percent of a country’s GDP is needlessly spent on the cost of road traffic deaths and injuries (due to hospitalizations, emergency care, work loss, etc). If each country were to spend just a fraction of this on the prevention of road crashes, such as by building safe roads and passing good policies, governments would save a tremendous amount of money in their budgets and at the same time, prevent a tremen-dous amount of suffering.

BM: What has been the response from the international road building community to this campaign?BDZ: ARTBA has always been a won-derful supporter of the “Make Roads Safe Campaign,” which led to “The Decade of Action.” Now that “The

Decade” has started, we would like to involve more of ARTBA’s members in this effort. We already have had a terrific response from the corporate community and we would welcome more support. In addition to contribu-tions to the Road Safety Fund (www.roadsafetyfund.org), influential companies can make an enormous contribution to “The Decade” effort by encouraging governments and multilateral development banks to focus development projects on safer roads and by educating the public and policymakers about the public health epidemic of road crashes. Together, we can save millions of lives!

A boy watches the road before crossing in South Africa.

Beth McGinn is ARTBA director of public affairs & new media: [email protected].



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“It is further unreasonable to sow a lack of certainty into a system that was expressly intended to provide finality.” The judge then referenced the brief from ARTBA and other stakeholders.

Special thanks are due to all ARTBA members who made finan-cial contributions beyond their dues investment to support these actions!

ARTBA’s aggressive legal advocacy program is one of the most tangible benefits of your membership. And it’s not just dealing with regulations. Since 1993, ARTBA’s involvement in federal courts has allowed nearly $50 billion in approved—yet challenged—transportation projects move forward.

Nick Goldstein is ARTBA vice president of environmental & regulatory affairs: [email protected]

When it Comes to Environmental Regulations,

In PPL Montana v. Montana, the Court also ruled unanimously in ARTBA’s favor and refused to widen the scope of “navigable waters” under the CWA. As with Sackett, ARTBA was also the only transpor-tation construction group involved. For purposes of transportation development, once something is considered “navigable” it is under federal control, and subject to the permitting authority of the EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers (Corps). An expanded definition of “navigability” could have resulted in a scenario where the EPA and Corps would have the option of exerting jurisdiction over roadside ditches, thereby needlessly delaying trans-portation improvements for years.

In Mingo Logan v. EPA, a federal district court judge re-buked the EPA, saying the agency was “illogical” and “impractical,” and overstepped its authority by revok-ing a previously issued wetlands permit from a West Virginia mining operation. ARTBA argued that while EPA’s initial action may involve a single mining operation in West Vir-ginia, it could set a dangerous prec-edent and make it difficult for other industries, including transportation construction, to rely on their own permits. The judge agreed noting,

THREE WINS. NO LOSSES.That’s ARTBA’s 2012 record in the U.S. Supreme Court and federal district court challenging regulatory overreaching by federal agencies on wetlands issues that could impact transportation construction.

Two of the victories before the Supreme Court helped to reign in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) continuing push to expand federal authority under the Clean Water Act (CWA).

In Sackett v. EPA, the Supreme Court unanimously agreed with ARTBA, and suspended the EPA’s seemingly automatic pre-sumption of the need for a wetlands permit on all needed infrastruc-ture and residential improvements. ARTBA, the only transportation construction association involved in the case, urged the Court to cor-rect a fundamental problem with the CWA’s wetlands approval process that forced parties to secure a per-mit in order to determine whether or not the permit was actually re-quired in the first place. The ruling will result in EPA making substantial changes to its permitting process and help interject more certainty for current and future transportation projects.

by Nick Goldstein

ARTBA’s Got Your Back



AEM corner

Safety Is Spoken Here

The Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) and ARTBA share a commitment to safety on the jobsite.

AEM offers a variety safety materials approved by equipment manufacturers for use by equipment operators, maintenance personnel and others on the jobsite.

One example is a series of task training supplements that can be used by contractors and others for their “toolbox talks” at AEM’s site: http://shop.aem.org/c-24-task-training-supplements.aspx.

These toolbox talks downloads focus on particular aspects of safety on a specific piece of equipment and can be used by supervisors with their crew before starting the day’s work, or even during lunch. For example, a toolbox talk covering aerial work platform pre-use inspection would include conversation about checking for missing or damaged safety signs, examining the outriggers, etc.

At www.aem.org, you will find the association’s safety store through which

you may purchase materials online. You will also find:

• A database for industry recognized pictorial representations useful to designers and technical illustrators.

• A directory of safety standards, signs, and symbols; these are voluntary industry safety sign and symbol standards.

• Videos and manuals that promote proper use of equipment, safety conscious attitudes, and the highest professional standards for off-road equipment operators, maintenance personnel and other jobsite workers.

These materials can help operators and others on the jobsite be more productive, minimize downtime from accidents and lessen repair costs due to improper maintenance by presenting safety “do’s and don’ts” in clear language and an easy-to-follow format. These materials are an easy and cost-effective

way to provide training for in-house safety programs.

AEM safety videos are available for cranes, directional drilling tracking equipment, graders, portable air compressors, pumps, roller compactors and skid-steer loaders, plus repair technician safe practices. AEM also produces safety training programs for disc mowers, rotary cutters and rough terrain forklifts.

Also available from AEM are decals, guidelines, standards and related safety/training materials. To purchase AEM safety/training materials, visit the AEM Store at www.safetymaterials.org.

Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) provides trade and business develop-ment services for companies that manufacture equipment, products and services used world-wide in the agricultural, construction, forestry, mining and utility sectors.

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Check out our rates in the 2012 media kit available at www.transportationbuilder.org

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“ARTBA reserves the right, at its discretion and without liability of any nature whatsoever, to reject, cancel or suspend any advertising in whole or in part, in which case any fees paid in advance shall be refunded to the advertiser on a pro-rata basis.”

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CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT

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2012 REGIONAL MEETINGSWESTERN—NOV. 27-28Hyatt at Fisherman’s Wharf • San Francisco, California

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NORTHEASTERN—DEC. 5-6Seaport Hotel • Boston, Massachusetts

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March/April 2012 Transportation Builder magazine

Documents

Transcript of March/April 2012 Transportation Builder magazine