Two major sustainability goals involving asphalt converged last week.

Caltrans, the nation's most prominent user of rubberized asphalt pavements, has released new guidance that permits contractors to incorporate 10% Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement (RAP) in existing and future rubber pavement projects.

The official "Construction Policy Directive," CPD 26-2, dated Feb. 20 and posted last week, can be accessed on the Caltrans website along with supporting documentation HERE. It is signed by acting Construction Chief Jeremy Peterson-Self, who gained prominence during his tenure at the Caltrans Materials Engineering & Testing Services branch.

The guidance permits contractors to use up to 10% RAP in Rubberized Hot Mix Asphalt-Gap Graded (RHMA-G) mixes. For existing projects, contractors will be allowed to submit a no-cost change order (Non-Standard Special Provision, or NSSP) requesting to use the new mix. This provision applies to ongoing projects where the total RHMA-G is less than 10,000 tons. The mixes will need to go through the Job Mix Formula (JMF) approval process. Also, the Caltrans Job Mix Formula Prequalification Program (JMF-PP) may assist in verifying the JMFs of RHMA-G mixes with 10% RAP before the award of construction contracts. Projects are now being advertised in regional districts with this contract language. For more information on the Caltrans JMF-PP program, click HERE.

The change culminates years of work by the joint Caltrans-industry Pavement & Materials Partnering Committee (PMPC) to evaluate the performance of RHMA-G mixes with RAP content. Utilizing more RAP in pavement mixes is a long-term sustainability goal for both Caltrans and industry, informed by research at the University of California Pavement Research Center (UCPRC).

"This is a good step toward increasing the use of RAP in all asphalt mixes," said CalAPA Technical Director Brandon Milar, P.E., a member of the PMPC, in a note forwarding the new Caltrans guidance to CalAPA members. Milar is a member of the PMPC's oversight board. "The group is now working on evaluating additional projects from across the state to remove the project tonnage limitation and then work on increasing the allowable percentage. Many thanks to your industry colleagues in the PMPC who have spent countless hours working on this effort."

Progress on incorporating more RAP into asphalt mixes has been frustratingly slow at times. The controversy made the 2017 cover of "California Asphalt," the official association magazine of CalAPA, which carried the provocative title, "Who Killed High RAP?" That issue can be viewed on-line HERE.

The decision to move forward with allowing 10% RAP in RHMA-G mixes was supported by research conducted by the UCPRC for Caltrans and CalRecycle, the state agency tasked with helping divert waste materials from landfills. The use of rubber from reclaimed tires has been a major success story for CalRecycle, which manages a grant program to incentivize local agencies to use more RHMA in pavement projects. Information on the CalRecycle Rubberized Pavement Grant Program can be found HERE. A 10-minute CalRecycle instructional video on the topic is HERE.

Asphalt is the world's most recycled product, and reusing old asphalt into new roads has been the centerpiece of the asphalt industry's sustainability push for many years. Incorporating rubber from discarded tires into asphalt mixes is also a prominent sustainability initiative in California, although it has been slow to catch on in most other states. The Caltrans CPD issued last week drops squarely in the middle of those two initiatives.

The CPD builds upon PMPC deliberations and evaluation of several pilot projects built to test the performance of incorporating RAP in RHMA-G mixes. Unlike conventional Hot Mix Asphalt, which is very forgiving, RHMA can present challenges for the unaware. CalAPA has put on numerous educational events over the years to disseminate the latest knowledge and best-practices in the rubber space. A previous California Asphalt magazine report on one such educational effort that took place in 2023 is HERE (beginning on Page 28).

The UCPRC issued two important technical publications that provided additional momentum to support the RHMA-G-RAP change:

• UCPRC Technical Memorandum: Use of Recycled Asphalt Pavement in Rubberized Hot Mix Asphalt—Gap-Graded 2024. That report can be viewed HERE.

• UCPRC Research Report: Preliminary Investigation into the Use of Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement in Gap-Graded Asphalt Rubber Mixes, and Use of Reclaimed Asphalt Rubber Pavement in Conventional Asphalt Concrete Mixes 2016. That report can be viewed HERE.

CalAPA is pleased to welcome Coral Richardson, a UC Davis graduate student, as the association's newest summer intern.

Richardson is a current graduate student in the Political Science Department at U.C. Davis. Her background largely lies in the intersection of policy and the environment ranging from the international to local level. She will be working with the CalAPA Environmental Committee as well as the CalAPA Legislative Committee, gaining real-world experience with legislators, regulators, and assisting with various research and advocacy activities for the association. She will also assist with various activities related to CalAPA's workforce-centric charity, the California Asphalt Research & Education (CARE) Foundation. More information about the CARE Foundation can be found HERE.

Richardson holds a Bachelor's degree in Environmental Studies with a concentration in Global Environmental Justice, and a minor in Legal Studies, from U.C. Santa Cruz, and a Masters of Science degree in Environmental Policy from University College Dublin, and a Masters of Science degree in Politics from University College Dublin. She is scheduled to complete a Master's Degree in Political Science from U.C. Davis in June. She will be working out of CalAPA's West Sacramento offices. She can be reached at (916) 791-5044, or via e-mail at: intern@calapa.net .

Services are scheduled for March 7 in Tucson, Ariz., for Richard Dean Koleas, founder, inventor, entrepreneur, and respected leader in the asphalt emulsion industry. Koleas passed away on Feb. 18, 2026, in Laguna Niguel. He was 86.

Koleas was born on May 14, 1939, in Memphis, Tenn., and from a young age made his mark as a driven and innovative spirit. He pursued his education at the University of Arizona, Pima College, and Orange Coast College in Orange County. As a young man, he briefly served in the United States Navy before beginning a lifelong career in the asphalt industry defined by hard work, determination, and vision. He went on to found Western Emulsions Inc. in 1977, building a company and reputation that would leave a lasting mark on the industry. A brief history of the company is HERE.

Koleas was a founding member of the Asphalt Emulsion Manufacturers Association (AEMA), served as president of the organization from 1985-86. He was honored with induction into the AEMA Hall of Fame, recognized by peers for his innovation, leadership, and contributions to the advancement of asphalt emulsion technology. He inspired many within the industry through both his entrepreneurial spirit and his willingness to mentor others.

He was a giving individual whose passion was his work, a pursuit he embraced fully for much of his life. He was preceded in death by his wife, Ramah, and his son, Ronald. After the loss of Ramah, he faced many difficult years marked by personal struggle and reflection. In the final months of his life, he turned more fully toward his faith and found peace as his life's journey drew to a close, inspiring many who stayed connected with him via social media.

His final season was made gentler through the devoted care and companionship of Maya Buckley, whose presence brought comfort, dignity, and kindness.

He is survived by his son, Robert Koleas; who followed him in a leadership position at Western Emulsions, Inc., his grandchildren, Katie Scott, Davis and Joey Allen; his great-grandson, Hudson Scott; and his sister, Demarious Danovi. He was preceded in death by his sister, Sue Fields.

A funeral service will be held at East Lawn Palms Mortuary & Cemetery Chapel, Tucson, Arizona, on March 7, 2026, at 9:30 a.m. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations be made to YWCA Southern Arizona, 525 N Bonita Ave, Tucson, AZ 85745, in honor of Ramah’s lifelong compassion for women and families in need.

Each week we highlight a word, acronym or other term commonly used in the asphalt pavement industry in California.

LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT (LCA): Compilation and evaluation of the inputs, outputs, and potential environmental impacts of a product system throughout its life cycle (ISO 14040)

Each week we highlight a key point or best practice of interest to asphalt paving crews, inspectors and others working in the field. We welcome suggestions. More tips can be found in our "Asphalt Parking Lot Construction Checklist" HERE. Information on the CalAPA "Quality Paving Certificate" program is HERE.

RECORD RETENTION AFTER PROJECT COMPLETION: Take a final photograph or photographs of the site for your records and retain all records from the project including: copies of all truck delivery tickets and record of all the temperature recordings and compaction readings you took during the project.

Each week we highlight a term that is specific to climate-change issues related to the asphalt pavement industry. This feature is intended to raise awareness of the asphalt industry's climate-change initiatives and the specialized terminology that goes with them. More information on "The Road Forward" asphalt industry climate initiative can be found HERE. A recent CalAPA magazine story on the topic is HERE.

PERPETUAL PAVEMENT: Long-lasting structural design and construction of asphalt. Also known

as "long-life asphalt pavement" in California.

Editor's Note: As a convenience to our readers, Asphalt Insider reports the most current Caltrans "Statewide Crude Oil Price Index" posting. The department posts this monthly on its public website HERE. The index is used to calculate payment adjustments for paving asphalt under special provisions section "Payment Adjustments for Price Index Fluctuations" in those projects containing the section. The department posts the index on or about the first business day of the month using the daily Brent crude oil prices from the previous month as reported by Business Insider. Inquiries about the index should be directed to Caltrans at: Oil.Index@dot.ca.gov .

February 2026: $347.6 ($/ton)

(January, 2026: $331.5)

"Some of the greatest things in your life come when you're not chasing them."

– Jason Bateman

We hope you enjoy CalAPA's Asphalt Insider newsletter. We are committed to providing you with the most up-to-date information on technical issues, regulation, news, analysis, people, events and trends in California that is of interest to the asphalt pavement industry and our various agency partners. To subscribe to the newsletter, click HERE. For comments, questions or to suggest a story idea, click HERE. We are committed to promptly notifying our readers of any errors in this publication. Please click on the comment link above to alert the editor of any errors or omissions.

Sincerely,

Russell W. Snyder, CAE

Executive Director

The California Asphalt Pavement Association (CalAPA)®