Basic Roofing Technician Training

The Asphalt Institute Laboratory developed a new course for the asphalt industry “Basic Roofing Technician Training“.

The Asphalt Institute Foundation Established

The Asphalt Institute Foundation, a 501(c)3 non-profit public foundation was established with the mission to conduct strategic research and educational activities that are designed to advance and improve the liquid asphalt industry.

Bitumen Monograph Review

Bitumen Monograph review takes place at IARC headquarters in Lyon, France.

Monograph 103

The International Agency for Research on Cancer in Lyon, France announced that monograph 103, scheduled for October of 2011, would focus on a review of the carcinogenicity potential of bitumen and bitumen fume.

AI Launches the EPIC Program

AI Launches EPIC (Experiential Participatory Image-Driven Connective), a program designed to foster future leaders within AI and develop Institute member for further industry leadership.

Magazine Anniversary

The Asphalt magazine turns 60 Years old.

HSE Initiative

A major initiative of the Health Safety and Environment Committee produced a Safe Handling of Hot Asphalt training package.

National Asphalt Training Center

The Asphalt Institute launches the National Asphalt Training Center (NATC). The NATC was funded by the FHWA and functioned as the primary facility for training agency and industry personnel in Superpave technology.

Lexington, Kentucky

The Asphalt Institute moved to it’s new Executive Offices and Research Center in Lexington, KY.

Search for New Headquarters Begins

An active search is underway for the future AI headquarters. The Asphalt Institute Board of Directors receive presentations by University representatives from the University of Kentucky, University of Texas-Austin, Purdue University, Texas A&M and the University of Maryland Baltimore County.

Gerald S. Triplett

Gerald S. Triplett, former Southeastern Regional Managing Engineer with the Asphalt Institute, is appointed Institute President.

The beginning of a series of Regional Technology Transfer Conferences

A series of regional technology transfer conferences dealing with compaction and various uses of asphalt were held – sponsored by the Federal Highway Administration, The National Asphalt Pavement Association, the American Public Works Association and the Asphalt Institute.

Clean Air Act Passed

After the Clean Air Act was passed, the Asphalt Institute along with the Federal Highway Administration and the Asphalt Emulsion Manufacturers Association developed the Basic Asphalt Emulsion Manual and a series of regional workshops designed to train state and county road personnel in the proper use of asphalt emulsions.

Comprehensive Recycling Manual

The institute’s Pacific Coast division developed a comprehensive recycling manual and the field engineers began to promote recycling.

Viscosity Grading System

The Asphalt Institute develops the viscosity grading system that changed the specification system from traditional penetration grading to one based on a more fundamental property – viscosity. Leading this change were V.P. Puzinauskas, principal research and chemical engineer for the institute and Luke Corbett of Exxon Corporation’s research division.

Full-Depth Paving

Field engineers from the Asphalt Institute are supporting the full-depth method of paving.

Highway Act of 1956

With the Highway Act of 1956 that launched the Interstate System, the Asphalt Institute worked diligently to promote the use of asphalt over concrete. The national advertising campaign portraying the advantages of asphalt pavement were placed in publications including Engineering News Record, The Saturday Evening Post, Life, Good Housekeeping and The Wall Street Journal to educate the American public.

Asphalt in Hydraulics

The first western conference on Asphalt in Hydraulics was held in Salt Lake City, sponsored by the University of Utah, the Asphalt Institute and the Utah Water Users Association. This helped open the market for other uses including parking lots, recreational facilities, test tracks and speedways.

Jess E. Buchanan

Asphalt Quarterly

The first issue of Asphalt Quarterly magazine is published.

Construction of Maine’s First Turnpike

Consulting engineers for the first-ever turnpike turned to the Asphalt Institute and E.M. Howard, District Engineer in Boston, to garner the expertise on materials and sound engineering practices to construct the turnpike in Maine completely with asphalt.

New Divisions Formed

The Asphalt Institute Board of Directors consolidated the field engineers and districts under five divisions – the Atlantic and Gulf Coast states; the Ohio Valley; the Great Lakes and Midwest; the Southwest; and the Pacific Coast, Alaska and Hawaii.

New President Named

With Asphalt Institute membership consisting of 22 producers, Herbert Spencer, Standard Oil Company of New Jersey, was named President of the Institute. Membership rose 56 percent and several district offices were opened. He served in this role to 1947.

Washington National Airport

Through W.R. Macatee’s promotional efforts, the Washington National Airport was newly constructed with one million square yards of asphalt.

Stabilization Projects Begin

The Corps of Engineers asked the Asphalt Institute to develop an asphalt mix with local sand and filler to stabilize large voids in the Galveston, Texas jetty and make it permeable. This process resulted in numerous stabilization projects with asphalt including a sea wall in Holland.

Pacific Coast Companies Join the Institute

At the Board of Directors meeting, J.E. Pennybacker announced that five Pacific Coast companies had joined the institute, which called for a new Pacific Coast office to open in San Francisco in early 1932.

State Engineer Open Forum

The Asphalt Institute provided an open forum where state highway engineers could discuss techniques and find information about the proper uses of asphalt. Between 1930 and 1937, the institute published 155 booklets and pamphlets on asphalt.

A New Partnership is Formed

The Asphalt Association partnered with the American Farm Bureau Federation and contributed $100,000 for a campaign to inform the American people about benefits of upgrading the nation’s secondary road system. Thousands of miles of secondary all-weather roads were constructed through this partnership.

The first Asphalt Handbook

Wallace Craig, an Asphalt Association District Engineer in the Chicago office, prepared a handbook for his personal use on the proper use of asphalt which later was used as a model for the first Asphalt Handbook.

Many important industry groups were formed during this time due to the expansive need for road improvements including:

• the Highway Research Board
• the American Road and Transportation Builders Association
• the American Association of State Highway Officials

New Executives and Office

• J.R. Draney was elected President of the Asphalt Association
• W.W. McFarland was elected Vice President of the Asphalt Association
• Office space was secured at 14 Maiden Lane in NYC
• J.E. Pennybacker accepted the position of Secretary and managing director until 1941
• Prevost Hubbard was named Chief Chemical Engineer from 1919 to 1947