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Who we are

Who we are

OAPC is recognized as the authoritative voice of the asphalt producing industry in Ontario. We produce news and events surrounding the use of asphalt in the road construction industry.

What we do

What we do

We strongly advocate for the use of asphalt paving as we believe it has clear benefits as it is, economical, sustainable, and ensures an enjoyable road experience for consumers. 

Education
OAPC provides instruction courses at several conferences surrounding the topic of working with asphalt in the road construction industry. OAPC also offers technology transfer workshops, webinars and lunch and learns to members and industry stakeholders.
Partnership & Collaboration
OAPC works together as a council of ORBA to advocate for the use of asphalt on roads. OAPC is active in joint initiatives in R&D with municipal and provincial road owners and other industry associations to foster innovation and share best practices.
Research & Development
OAPC has invested in various R&D projects to aid in the advancement of the asphalt industry. These investments went to R&D for, funding for the centre for pavement & transportation technology, and the University of Waterloo CPATT Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement study to name a few.

Our Objectives

Our Objectives

  • Promote plant mix asphalt pavements in Ontario. 
  • Promote health and safety best practices and educate members on health and safety regulations for all aspects of plant mix asphalt production and laydown. 
  • Promote environmental responsibility and educate our members on environmental regulations. 
  • Promote standards of quality in all aspects of plant mix asphalt production and plant mix asphalt pavement design and construction. 
  • Promote the highest standards of business practice amongst members.
  •  Liaise with governments, technical specifiers, related associations and other customers on matters directly affecting the industry. 
  • Educate and assist members on matters involving the production, laydown and testing of plant mix asphalt products. 
  • Provide support for the research and development of plant mix asphalt and asphalt pavements.

 

Why Pave With Asphalt?

Public Safety

One hundred percent of Ontario experiences inclement weather.  This fact makes skid resistance on roads paramount to public safety. High quality aggregate in surface course mixes for highway applications play a vital role in making hot mix asphalt the best choice when considering the importance of tire grip in relation to road safety. New porous asphalt mixes disperse surface water, which reduce blinding spray and help to decrease the risk of aquaplaning. Additionally, the contrast in colour between asphalt pavement and road line markings provides drivers with better road visibility in any weather condition, day or night.

Asphalt is a smooth operator 

Smooth, flexible pavements constructed from hot mix asphalt stand up to the punishment of heavy trucks and other vehicles, significantly reducing the initial and total costs over the entire life cycle of a road. At the same time, the smoothness of asphalt pavements reduces wear and tear on all vehicles, saving on maintenance costs.Smoothness has an impact on fuel economy. In 2007, Applied Research Associates reviewed a database from Ontario's Ministry of Transportation containing over 35 years' worth of biannual pavement condition surveys. Their report found that asphalt payments are much smoother initially and remain smoother over their lifetime when compared to concrete pavements. According to the US Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), "Roughness as measured by [International Roughness Index] IRI generally has the greatest effect on fuel economy for typical ranges of IRI on U.S. highway networks." 1  Tests from the FHWA's WesTrack, located on the grounds of the Nevada Automotive Test Center (NATC), some 60 km southeast of Reno, measured the relationship between smooth pavements and improved fuel economy. In the WesTrack tests, smoother pavements lead to lower fuel consumption by 4.5 percent. 2  Asphalt pavements start out smooth and stay smooth over the long haul. 

Asphalt is 100% Recyclable

Asphalt is North America’s most recycled material, more than aluminum, paper or plastic. Four out of every five tonnes of asphalt pavement removed for widening and resurfacing projects are reused. Reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) greatly reduces the amount of virgin asphalt cement needed to construct new roadways.  Asphalt is easily recyclable because little additional energy is required to recapture the raw materials.  When we pave with asphalt, we put aggregate and asphalt cement resources in “the bank” to be used by future generations.

Asphalt Can Take Heavy Traffic Loads

Asphalt pavement designs are tied directly to anticipated traffic volume and vehicle weight.  Altogether, Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA) pavements can handle the toughest traffic. Additionally, HMA pavements require only periodic surface restoration, providing a smooth, durable pavement for decades. Maintenance is quick, cost-effective and less disruptive than with Portland Cement Concrete (PCC) pavements.

Speed of Construction –

Asphalt Crosses the Finish Line First

Paving with asphalt significantly reduces the amount of time spent on road construction projects because it eliminates the need for the long curing period required when paving with PCC pavements.
The cost of keeping motorists stuck in traffic during construction, known in the industry as user delay cost, should be considered in any analysis of life-cycle cost.
When paving with asphalt, rehabilitation work can take place during off-peak hours, nights and weekends, allowing for quick, cost-effective maintenance. Choosing asphalt pavement saves everyone time; less time spent in traffic delays helps to increase overall productivity, which equals dollars saved.  

The Story of Asphalt

600,000,000 B.C.
200,000,000 B.C.
5,000 B.C.
625 BC
1595
Early 1800s
1870
1900
1907
1915
Today

600,000,000 B.C.

The story of asphalt goes far back in time – millions of years back. It started back when Earth’s surface consisted of a primordial soup teeming with microscopic algae and other small organisms. When these small creatures died, they sank to the ocean floor. Over time, these layers of sediment became buried deep below the earth’s crust and the pressure and heat generated from this geological process transformed the material into bitumen, the raw material used to produce asphalt.

200,000,000 B.C.

Fast forward a few million years and this material began to seep up through the ground forming natural deposits of bitumen. Some of the largest deposits remaining today can be found in Alberta, Canada, southern California and Utah in the United States, Israel’s Dead Sea, Venezuela, and Trinidad & Tobago.

5,000 B.C.

Bitumen has been used by humans for millennia. Archaeological discoveries in North America and Europe suggest that ancient man used bitumen to “glue” together tools. Biblical records tell of “tar and pitch” (bitumen) being used by Noah to waterproof the ark.

625 B.C.

Ancient Babylonians began paving the way of the future for millennia to come. The first recorded asphalt road was built in Babylon during the reign of King Nabopolassar. The ancient Greeks used asphalt in various construction applications. The English word asphalt is derived from the Greek "asphaltos," which in Greek means "secure." The ancient Romans were renowned for their public water supply system and incorporated asphalt to seal their baths, reservoirs and aqueducts.

1595

English explorer, Sir Walter Raleigh, discovered a "plain" (or lake) of asphalt on the island of Trinidad, near Venezuela. He used it for re-caulking his ships.

Early 1800s

Scottish civil engineer, Thomas Telford built more than 900 miles of roads in Scotland, perfecting the method of building roads with broken stones. During this time, John Loudon McAdam invented the “macadamisation” process, using tar to bind the stones together, creating a hard and smooth surface. This produced "tarmacadam" pavements or tarmac as we refer to today.

1870

Belgian chemist Edmund J. DeSmedt laid the first true asphalt pavement in the front of the city hall building in Newark, N.J., U.S.A. DeSmedt also paved Washington, D.C.’s Pennsylvania Avenue, using 54,000 square yards of sheet asphalt from Trinidad Lake. The Cummer Company opened the first central hot mix production facilities in the U.S. The first asphalt patent was filed by Nathan B. Abbott of Brooklyn, N.Y. in 1871.

1900

Frederick J. Warren filed a patent for "Bitulithic" pavement, a mixture of bitumen and aggregate ("bitu" from "bitumen" and "lithic" from "lithos," the Greek word for rock). The first modern asphalt facility was built in 1901 by Warren Brothers in East Cambridge, Mass.

1907

Production of refined petroleum asphalt outstripped the use of natural asphalt. As automobiles grew in popularity, the demand for more and better roads led to innovations in both producing and laying asphalt. Steps toward mechanization included drum mixers and portland cement concrete mechanical spreaders for the first machine-laid asphalt.

1915

Canada’s first asphalt paved roads were built in Ottawa, Ontario, and Edmonton, Jasper and Camrose, Alberta.

Today

Throughout the millennia, asphalt has paved the way for better roads and infrastructure for civilizations across the globe. Asphalt’s long record of success makes it the time-tested, wise choice for paving.