Toronto’s Lester B. Pearson International Airport (YYZ) Chooses StellarFlex FR®

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Toronto’s Lester B. Pearson International Airport (YYZ) is Canada’s biggest airport. In 2019, over 50,000,000 passengers on over 470,000 flights – over 1,200 flights a day! — took off from its tarmac, which takes a beating from not only heavy track but brutally cold winds off nearby Lake Ontario. In other words, an ideal environment for using StellarFlex FR®.


After three years of discussion with the Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA), on October 13, 2020, Toronto-based McAsphalt Industries supplied 50 metric tons (55.14 US tons) to Fermar Paving Ltd. for a test strip of StellarFlex FR® on Taxiway B of the Pearson Airport.

Although not visibly different from other binders that the paving crew had worked with, workers agreed that the mat texture and appearance were found to be richer than compared with PG 70-28 mixes which were used previously. No bleeding or flushing was observed as the mixture cooled and “the test strip was concluded satisfactory by the GTAA representative,” McAsphalt Industries writes in a memo.

The following day, trucks brought in 450 additional metric tons (496.04 US tons) of P404 mix, produced by Toronto-based Fermar Paving Ltd., who produced the previous day’s trial mix. Four pavers laid down the remaining length of Taxiway B. Compaction was achieved with no issues as the density ranged from 97-99% of the maximum theoretical density despite cold temperatures.

We look forward to seeing the long-term results of the StellarFlex FR® mix as winter comes to an end and air traffic returns to pre-pandemic levels. Contact us to find out if this product is right for your next project.

Project Spotlight: Lynchburg Regional Airport (LYH) Uses StellarFlex FR® for Apron Rehabilitation

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Associated Asphalt’s premier airport asphalt binder, StellarFlex FR® led the way in last year’s efforts to ensure the Lynchburg airport’s viability and apron safety for decades to come.

The runways of Lynchburg, Virginia’s Preston Glenn Airfield (LYH) are quieter than the high-traffic tarmacs of Boston’s Logan International and New York City’s LaGuardia, but local airport leaders knew they needed the same high-quality pavement used by these airports to ensure continued flight safety. The regional airport serves the area with twelve inbound and outbound commercial flights through American Airlines in addition to private aviation, taking over 68,000 passengers to AA’s primary hub in Charlotte, North Carolina. Its two runways, 7,100 feet and 3,386 feet in length, see over 85,000 aircraft operations per year and tons of jet fuel and avgas.

In February 2020, the city of Lynchburg advertised a rehabilitation project as conceived by Delta Airport Consultants using the latest in airfield bituminous technology, P404 Fuel Resistant Asphalt. W-L Construction & Paving won the bid and contracted with Boxley Materials of Lynchburg to produce the 1,600 tons of hot mix needed to completely resurface the airport’s apron. Associated Asphalt worked closely with Boxley Materials to provide 125 tons of StellarFlex FR (fuel-resistant)® binding material, which meets the FAA asphalt binder specification for P404.

After paving a successful test strip of the composite on October 3rd, W-L Construction & Paving commenced full production on October 5th, with Lynchburg Regional Airport becoming the proud owner of an international airport-grade tarmac that will save thousands of dollars as the years go on.

Associated Asphalt’s StellarFlex FR® is a resilient, yet flexible binding agent that mixing facilities can add to their hot mixes without any additional equipment, making on-site or local processing a cost-effective alternative to surfaces that require special facilities. Its convenience doesn’t come at the cost of durability; during development, it undergoes simulated conditions far more severe than average use. These include elastic recovery and separation stress tests as well as a 24-hour Marshall specimen immersion in jet fuel. After a full day of immersion, StellarFlex FR® lost a mere 1% of its weight, while a sample of regular regulation asphalt dissolved away 10% of its weight in a similar solution!

Are you looking to ensure your airport’s tarmac longevity and integrity for years to come? Grab our brochure on how StellarFlex FR is the industry’s leading for airports and contact us to get a project started today!

Project Spotlight: Unique Funding Program Supports Repaving with FlexGard® in York County

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In October of 2020, Associated Asphalt partnered with Blythe Construction and York County, South Carolina to repave 1.5 miles of roadway on Penshurst Road in Rock Hill. Associated Asphalt’s Greensboro Terminal provided 121 tons of FlexGard® binder for the overlay to boost pavement life and cracking resistance.

The Cost-Savings Advantage of FlexGard®

The original scope for the Penshurst Road project required a cement-modified recycled base at a uniform depth of 10 inches, followed by a 2-inch layer of SCDOT hot mix surface type. Sr. Technical Services & Marketing Manager, Robbie Robinson, was in charge of inspecting the site to provide recommendations.

Upon further evaluation, Robinson recommended the use of FlexGard® in lieu of the original scope, which included a full-depth reclamation. There were very few areas that showed base failure, despite the severe end-of-life characteristics of severe alligator cracking. This recommendation resulted in a revised scope of work that would include a 1.75-inch overlay of FlexGard®, reducing the cost of the project by $26,000. The unique thinning of asphalt in certain areas of the roadway led the team to agree upon a slightly thicker overlay rather than a traditional thin overlay.

The FlexGard® System features a slightly gap-graded mix gradation combined with a polymer-modified asphalt designed for thin, high-performance overlays.

The FlexGard® mix also incorporates a StellarFlex® polymer modified asphalt. Selected according to roadway conditions and demands, StellarFlex® binder further boosts pavement life and cracking resistance. FlexGard® has a relatively high binder content that allows for easier field compaction and lower air voids in the finished layer.

FlexGard® includes a complete set of specifications that local owner agencies can use to advertise and administer the contract. The FlexGard® mixture must meet a maximum rutting depth and a minimum number of cycles to failure on the Texas Overlay Tester (a cracking test procedure).

About Pennies for Progress

Funding for infrastructure updates has always been a hot topic for government entities, industrial organizations, and the transportation industry. There are many challenges when it comes to managing budgets that can support these high investment projects.

York County, SC has taken a unique approach to provide citizens with a safer and more efficient roadway system. Pennies for Progress is the name of the York County Capital Projects Sales and Use Tax Programs. As the principal source of road improvement funding, York County voters have the opportunity to vote on what projects will be chosen for improvement. It is the first of its kind in South Carolina.

Become a Partner

Are you looking for cost-savings opportunities for your next repaving project? Associated Asphalt experts are available to inspect your roadways and make custom recommendations for your project.

Contact us to learn more.

Project Spotlight: Repaving Carolina Motorsports Park

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2020 has brought new challenges to everyone, but some businesses like Carolina Motorsports Park have been able to maintain steady progress. The Cummings family took over operations of Carolina Motorsports Park in Kershaw, SC in late 2019 under a lease. By mid-June 2020, they became full owners of the property and have been “pedal to the metal” on updating the property ever since!

We spoke with Michael Cummings Jr., who wears many hats at the park, about the history of the park, his family’s involvement in its revitalization, and the major track resurfacing project Associated Asphalt was chosen to supply the asphalt binder during July of 2020.

History of Carolina Motorsports Park

Carolina Motorsports Park originated in 1999, created by a group of enthusiasts and racers who wanted a place to practice. The park was built on an old airport called “Kershaw Airport” and hosted a variety of events, including NASCAR test runs, in its prime. In 2016, the park was put up for sale. While the park remained open during the transfer of ownership, some of the tracks and facilities were not maintained as they should be.

The current owner, Michael Cummings Sr., has a long history in the racing and motorsports industry, previously as a racer, and now on the business administration side. Cummings runs a financial consulting firm, Motorsports Capital, LLC. When he found out Carolina Motorsports Park was for sale, he tried to help the park by finding a purchaser. Finally, he decided it was time to invest in the property himself.

Resurfacing the Track

In late 2018, the Cummings family began planning out what updates they would make to the park and started discussions with racetrack consulting engineers, Advanced Materials Services LLC from Auburn, AL, to engineer a major resurfacing project for the park’s 2.27 mile-long track. This would be the first time the track has been repaved in its entirety.

Fast forward to 2020, Associated Asphalt was called upon by Lynches River Contracting to provide 294 tons of a specially formulated asphalt binder for the top layer of asphalt.

This specially formulated asphalt binder had to meet the softening point criteria, as set forth by the consulting engineer, thus increasing the durability of the new asphalt layer. The project took place over the first few weeks of July and the track celebrated a grand re-opening and ribbon cutting on August 14.

“Everyone was extremely professional,” says Michael Cummings, Jr. “A few of our peers even came to visit during the project and were extremely impressed by the level of detail and engineering involved in the project.”

Watch the project in action on the Carolina Motorsports Facebook Page.

What’s Around the Next Turn?

Since taking ownership of the park, Carolina Motorsports Park has hosted a variety of events on their three tracks: the 2.27 mile road course, a 0.7 mile gocart track, and a 200 foot skid pad. Upon re-opening the road course, they’ve only received praise from the drivers enjoying the freshly paved track.

“We had three groups of motorcyclists on the track just a few weeks after re-opening. They’re always the hardest to please when it comes to having a smooth track and we didn’t get a single complaint,” says Cummings Jr.

Carolina Motorsports Park plans to continue to make improvements to the facilities to provide the best high-speed experience possible to all patrons. They feel confident knowing that their investment in a resurfaced track will pay dividends for years to come. Check out their calendar of events to watch the track in action or take a drive yourself! You may get lucky and catch Jeff Gordon on one of his visits to the track.

Become a Partner

Associated Asphalt can provide a wide variety of standard and specialty asphalt products to fit a variety of paving specifications. To learn more about how our network of terminals can support your next project, contact us today.

Project Spotlight: Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel

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Photo Credit: Allan Myers

In April of 1964, the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel (CBBT) officially opened to traffic after a 42-month project fondly referred to as “when men split the sea“. For more than 50 years, the CBBT has captured worldwide attention as an award-winning modern engineering marvel, crossing over and under the open waters of the Chesapeake Bay. With over 130 million commercial and passenger vehicles having crossed the Bridge-Tunnel, the incredible structure had seen it’s fair share of wear and tear. 

Milling and Repaving Project

In July 2019, Allan Myers was awarded a milling and repaving project and partnered with Associated Asphalt to supply a highly modified asphalt. The project would require the milling and replacement of asphalt to level the surface from the south toll plaza and the north toll plaza in both northbound and southbound lanes. 

For this particular project, we supplied 2,100 liquid tons of Highly Modified Asphalt, PG 76E-28. StellarFlex® HiMA is formulated to provide extreme resistance to permanent deformation, fatigue cracking, and thermal cracking, which prove to be common threats to asphalt durability. 

Paving began in September 2019, paused from November 2019 – February 2020, and is expected to be completed in June 2020.

As a company based in Virginia, it was an honor to have the opportunity to supply asphalt to restrengthen and revitalize such an internationally recognized structure. We look forward to watching the rest of the Parallel Thimble Shoals Tunnel Project come to completion.

About StellarFlex® HiMA

Formulated to provide extreme resistance to permanent deformation, fatigue cracking, and thermal cracking, StellarFlex® HiMA is a very highly Styrene-Butadiene-Styrene (SBS) polymer-modified asphalt. Featuring three times the polymer typically found in standard polymer-modified asphalts, StellarFlex® HiMA is an ideal asphalt binder for bridge deck paving applications, or to limit cracking over concrete pavements.

Contact us to see if StellarFlex® is the right product for your project.

Project Spotlight: LaBelle Municipal Airport Uses StellarFlex FR® For Apron Rehab Project

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LaBelle Municipal Airport is a public-use airport located in the city of LaBelle in Hendry County, Florida. Here, the Hendry county government sells avgas and jet fuel, aviation charts, and other supplies. On site, there is a lighted runway, hangar space, aircraft tie-down space for transient and local aircrafts, and a fueling facility.

In 2019, the County saw a need for the rehabilitation of the fueling apron and contracted Preferred Materials, Inc. for the job. Because of our strong relationship with AECOM and StellarFlex FR , Associated Asphalt was contracted as the supplier.  For this project, we provided StellarFlex FR for a 2-inch thick surface layer of P-404.

The project was completed in March of 2019. Later that year, LaBelle Municipal Airport also celebrated the opening of a new terminal featuring a pilot’s lounge and a restaurant. Associated Asphalt was proud to be part of the continue improvement of this small community airport.

Learn more about how StellarFlex FR is the leading solution for airports and contact us to get a project started today!

Project Highlight: Laying StellarFlex FR® at Hollywood-Burbank Airport

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Due to its resistance to permanent deformation, fuel damage, fatigue cracking, and thermal cracking, FAA P-404 fuel resistant asphalt provides a unique and innovative solution for airports throughout the United States. When the Hollywood-Burbank Airport in Los Angeles, California needed to rehabilitate their ramps, the consulting engineer selected P-601 (now P-404) with Associated Asphalt’s StellarFlex FR® .

Project Background

The $5 million ramp rehabilitation project took place from September 2018 to March 2019 and was led by general contractor Sully-Miller Contracting Co. We partnered with HollyFrontier Asphalt Co., an asphalt supply company based out of Glendale, AZ., to provide this performance binder and mix for the project.

The Challenge

The Hollywood-Burbank Airport rehabilitation project was the first of its kind on the West Coast. Because of the unique environmental factors of California’s climate and cooler air during the winter months, mix design and production specifications had to be adjusted accordingly. We assisted Holly Frontier with research and data to optimize the fuel-resistant asphalt formulation, ensuring that the final product would pass the FAA 24-hour fuel resistance immersion test and other key laboratory tests. We also worked closely with Sully-Miller on proper handling and application of the asphalt binder.

The Results

Once the appropriate specs and application processes were laid out, the Sully-Miller crew worked quickly to lay a 1-inch thick P-404 overlay. By the end of the project, 4,400 tons of the binder was applied with significant cost savings for the project overall. The airport looks forward to the high performance and extended lifecycle of the newly paved ramps.

Project Highlight: Applying StellarFlex FR® to St. Augustine Horse Paths

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If you’ve ever paid a visit to the historic St. Augustine, FL, it’s likely you’ve seen one of their famous horse-drawn carriage tours pass by. These rides allow visitors and residents to take in the stunning historic architecture and culture of the city from the comfort of an open air carriage. Riders rely on a smooth path to make the experience relaxing and enjoyable. Earlier this year, Associated Asphalt teamed up with Duval Asphalt and Asphalt Testing Solutions & Engineering to assure a smooth ride for passengers by repairing the deteriorated horse paths and providing protection from future rutting.

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St. Augustine Project Background

In 2015, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) funded a maintenance project on State Route 5A to reduce rutting and smooth out the path where the horses and carriages had caused the most deterioration. Following the lead of Central Park’s application of a fuel-resistant binder for their own horse-drawn carriage paths, FDOT awarded Jacksonville’s Duval Asphalt the maintenance project to mill 1.5 inches of friction course and lay the new fuel-resistant mix.

In 2019, after proof that the fuel-resistant mix would hold up against the wear and tear of constant horse-drawn carriage traffic, a full reconstruction was ordered. Once again, the project was awarded to Duval Asphalt. Asphalt Testing Solutions & Engineering (ATS) was brought in to oversee quality control of the product mixing and placement.

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Application of StellarFlex FR®

Historically, StellarFlex FR® is applied to airport landing strips and taxiways to provide fuel resistant protection. Because this paving project would need protection from the asphalt softening effect of horse urine, rather than jet fuel spills, specifications needed to be adjusted. Associated Asphalt worked with ATS to adjust the fuel-resistant mix to perform for FDOT and project specifications under the exposure of the animal waste and pressure of the thin carriage wheels. 350 tons of the fuel-resistant mix was applied to the horse paths. The reconstruction project is expected to last another 15 years before further maintenance is needed. With this new extended lifespan, the large investment in quality paving materials will prove to be the most economic solution in the long run.

Related Reading

Due to the unique nature of the project’s challenges and solutions, the St. Augustine collaboration has been spotlighted in multiple industry publications. To learn more about the project and hear from team members who worked directly on the project, check out these articles by AsphaltPro Magazine and Asphalt Pavement Digital.

Do you have a unique paving challenge? Become an Associated Asphalt Partner to help pave the way to success.

Project Highlight: Laying StellarFlex FR® at Georgetown County Airport

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At Associated Asphalt, we don’t back down from a challenge. What started out as a normal project in May 2018 quickly turned into one with challenging elements that required adapting the product and work schedule. In the end, our customers, Southern Asphalt, and Georgetown County Airport were pleased with the results.

Project Background

The project was bid on May 23, 2018, and was awarded to R.H. Moore, Inc. and the asphalt portion of the project was sub-contracted to Southern Asphalt. Talbert & Bright engineer Al Smith designed the project and selected P-601 with StellarFlex FR® as the final surface layer.

The project involved installation of 7 inches of P-209 crushed aggregate base, 2.5 inches of P-401 with PG 70-22, and 1.5 inches of P-601 with StellarFlex FR®. Approximately 5,000 square yards were to be paved.

The Challenge

Although our portion of the project was originally planned for October, two hurricanes and additional foul weather delayed the project until December. While the high polymer mix can be mixed in cooler weather, it requires a heightened attention to detail.

With project deadlines and the Christmas Holiday season fast approaching, Associated Asphalt was able to deliver StellarFlex FR and meet all the requirements set forth by the FAA for P-601.

“The cold weather presented a challenge as well, but everyone paid attention to details and the mix went down without any issues,” says Robbie Robinson, Sr. Technical Services & Technical Marketing Manager.

The Results

In just a few hours, the final layer of asphalt had been laid and the project was completed just before Christmas. Everyone got to enjoy the holiday and Georgetown County Airport patrons get to enjoy a smooth take off and landing.

Associated Asphalt runways at Georgetown County Airport

Laboratory Performance of Fuel Resistant Hot Mix Asphalt

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While airport taxiways may not experience the same volume of traffic as a highway road, the heavy load of jumbo jets combined with the damaging properties of jet fuel can lead to extensive cracking and rutting – reducing the lifespan of ordinary asphalt significantly. To help airport facilities reduce downtime for runway repairs, a specially mixed Fuel Resistant asphalt binder was developed to allow facilities to produce and lay asphalt quickly; and was designed to withstand the weathering of rigorous daily airport activity.

In 2007, this Fuel Resistant Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA), StellarFlex FR® (formerly CITGOFlex FR), was laboratory tested by the Rutgers Asphalt Pavement Laboratory at the Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation. The study compared the performance of the Port Authority of New York/New Jersey’s FAA #3 surface course HMA with our Fuel Resistant HMA, which had been proposed for airfield applications. Testing included measurement of 3 Repeated Load Permanent Deformation tests, 8 Flexural Beam Fatigue samples, 15 Dynamic Modulus tests, and Permeability in order to assess whether the proposed FR HMA performed as well as the FAA #3 surface course mix under the typical forces of an airport environment while continuing to resist jet fuel damage.

Conclusions drawn from the study showed that the Fuel Resistant mixes performed the best overall in the face of fatigue and deformation. The 50 Blow FR HMA demonstrated the greatest fatigue resistance while the 75 Blow FR HMA had performed best in rut resistance.

To read the full report: Laboratory Performance of Fuel Resistant Hot Mix Asphalt (2)