I Invented the Worlds First 3D Asphalt Paving Machine! It will build a Better Road - Faster, Cheaper and Cleaner! AMA!

Do you worry about your invention getting into the wrong hands? What if ISIS obtains one?

Great Question! I do have the U.S. and International patents for my 3D Asphalt Paving. This should protect me against the honest players. As for ISIS, I will have to rely on the fact that the technology utilized in this approach (Lidar, proprietary algorithms, and manufacturing techniques) will not be easily accessible to ISIS in Syria and Iraq.

You selling this to Michigan? 'cause you need to.

Would love to sell these all around the world including Michigan! Did you know that deficient roads cost Detroit drivers $1600 a year in additional maintenance and operation costs? That's crazy! TRIP Report on Costs to Michigan Drivers Their answer is to throw more money at the symptoms instead of addressing the root causes of poor roads. It's a never ending cycle that the road construction industry propagates by resisting technology such as I am proposing. Good for the Road Construction Industry, bad for the rest of us!

You do realize that, generally, they mill the road flat prior to paving it right? so, dips, bumps, potholes and ruts are not even a factor when paving a road. No ones going to haul an asphalt machine out to fill potholes, or do pitch and patch work. Unless someone is paving directly on top of old asphalt without doing any prep work, i don't see the benefit here. but please, enlighten me.

Agreed. The wearing course is to be milled so that the base course can be exposed again (supposedly falter by design).

I guess the only point is to avoid milling, but then the new wearing course is going to wear and... We're supposed to lay asphalt over it again ? How many layers until you have to mill the whole sandwich again ?

We will still have to mill in order to maintain curb-height as well as to remove areas that contain potholes, ruts and top-down cracks. But there will be many areas that we won't have to mill the entire road. Trenching out only the potholes, ruts and cracks and then in a single pass provide a 3D shaped asphalt layer that will compensate for the trenched out areas and at the same time provide a thin overlay of asphalt to the rest of the road addressing surface variations as needed. This new layer of asphalt will be delivered to maximize compaction which will extend the life of the road and prevent us from having to return in the near future to repair it.

That milling takes time, money, and resources. This machine would be able to pave over a road with minimal milling, reducing the time and cost of a road rehabilitation project by half.

Yes, you are correct! And although I don't have concrete figures to back it up it is easy to see when I drive down the road that the potholes, ruts and cracked areas don't populate the entire road surface. But current 2D asphalt paving machines can't handle the task if you just mill portions of it. So they continue to mill it all down, haul the material away, remix it, haul it back to repave the original surface. It is an exercise in logistics that benefits the Road Construction Industry but certainly not the tax payers or all of us as we get stuck in road construction related traffic congestion.

You are correct that the current method is to mill down the entire road surface flat. This does remove the dips, bumps, potholes and ruts and provides a flat surface for current 2D asphalt paving machines. However, this method re-processes 100% of the road surface to address a smaller percentage of problem areas. There is nothing structurally wrong with the mass majority of all asphalt that is milled for this purpose other than to provide a flat surface for current 2D asphalt paving machines to be effective. In the U.S. alone over 90 Million Tons of asphalt are re-processed in this manner every year! The industry touts this as a recycling effort but it is anything BUT a green process. NAPA Recycling of Asphalt It is a slow process that adds to the cost of the project, results in the release of greenhouse gases as well as unhealthy levels of respirable crystalline silica and causes more and longer lane closures. These lane closures are a burden to our already over-crowded roads and highways and cause added delays to the public and private sectors costing them productivity as well as wasted gas and more greenhouse gas emissions as we all sit idle in road construction related traffic congestion.

You mention the speed factor... As a Civil Engineer myself, time is always a big concern. Using current conventional methods, it is quite a tedious process. Can you give us an idea of how much quicker this method (for say a re-pave job) is compared to our current paving methods?

The reductions in time with this method will come in 2 different forms. The first is current asphalt paving machines are required to perform multiple passes when delivering thicker lifts of asphalt. This is by design in order to limit the bridging of asphalt material during compaction. By utilizing a 3D shaped asphalt layer that is designed to eliminate bridging of material we can reduce the number of passes needed to complete a jog.

Secondly, as current 2D asphalt paving machines have no ability to adjust for surface variations the current process is to mill down the entire road flat so 2D asphalt paving machines with their flat screeds can be effective. With a 3D approach to delivering asphalt we can take a holistic approach to asphalt rehabilitation and mill down only where needed to trench out potholes, ruts or areas with top-down cracks and then deliver a shaped asphalt layer that will fill in the trenched out areas and at the same time deliver a thin-overlay shaped to address any surrounding surface variations. Both of these situations will speed up the construction project and allow for less and shorter duration of lane closures. This will reduce the cost of the project, reduce construction related traffic congestion (saving the public time and money), and reduce the emission of greenhouse gases. Building a Better Road - Faster, Cheaper and Cleaner!

So most potholes are caused by them just paving over depressions? Don't they prepare (flatten) the road surface to make it all even first? Good luck with your project, I think we would all like to see longer lasting roads and less paving projects.

Well, it's not the only cause of potholes, but it is a major contributor! You are correct, the current method is to mill down the surface flat so current 2D asphalt paving machines can be effective. However, this greatly contributes to the time and cost it takes to rehabilitate a road and causes more and longer duration of lane closures (which costs us all time and money and contributes to the release of greenhouse gases as we sit idle in road construction traffic). Thank you for the encouraging words! I have actually been working on this project for over 15 years and to a great degree the Road Construction Industry has resisted embracing this technology because they are happy with the status quo. Good for them, as they need to keep coming back to repair the roads, bad for everyone else who has to pay with their tax dollars and wasted time and gas as we sit idle in road construction related traffic congestion.

Can I invest/ buy stock?

Thanks for the inquiry! As this is still in the research phase we are not at the point where we are selling stock. However, we will be running a Crowd Funding campaign at the start of October to pay for some key research to be performed at the U.C. Davis Pavement Research Center. A first cut of the video is available on my website and you can sign up for our newsletter to receive updates and further exciting news! Advanced Paving Technologies

Hi, and thanks for doing this AMA.

The machine sounds incredible and seems a really cost effective method of fixing up roads.

However, if the root cause of a road is say, subsidence due to failures in the compaction of the sub-grade and sub-base, or due to failures in proper selection of the materials for either of those, would this provide only a sticking plaster rather than a long term solution?

Additionally, if the tarmac choice for the wearing course of the original surface was chosen to be porous (to reduce run-off for example) would laying a fresh surface on top rather than milling the original surface off contribute to freeze-thaw issues between the surfaces at a later date and simply pass issues on to the new upper surface?

Thank you for your comment and I respect your experience and insight to road rehabilitation and I really appreciate your encouraging words. My apologies for taking so long to respond but it's just me trying to answer all these questions.

You are correct, this doesn't provide the direct ability to address poor sub-grade issues but it does provide the ability to trench out those areas and then properly overlay the trenched areas and surrounding road to provide a seamless layer of asphalt. My 3D Asphalt Paving Machine can work with all mixes of pourous asphalt to address the needs you mention. More information on how my paving machine works and the benefits below...

My 3D Asphalt Paving Machine is designed to speed up the process of road rehabilitation by minimizing the need to mill the entire road surface flat to accommodate the inefficiencies of current 2D asphalt paving machines. Their flat screeds with only a single linear delivery surface provide adjustment of material to address even minor surface variation. With this 3D method to delivering asphalt we can take a minimalistic approach to asphalt rehabilitation. Milling down only where needed to address sliding or maintain curb height or trench out the potholes, ruts or areas with top-down cracks. This will be followed with a shaped asphalt layer that will fill in the trenched out areas and at the same time deliver a thin-overlay to the rest of the road, that is shaped to address any surface variations as needed. Initial compaction occurs immediately after the shaping mechanism by means of an angle vibratory plate that will compress the high spots down into the depressions. Then a typical heavy roller attains final compaction but with adequate material pre-positioned it will be able to attain a higher and more uniform level of compaction. Multiple passes will of course be needed to address situation where different types of asphalt are required but in many situation the subsurface is adequate to support a thin overlay as mentioned above. However, multiple passes can be eliminated for higher lifts as this approach designs the asphalt layer to maximize compaction and eliminate bridging of material by the heavy roller. By eliminating multiple lifts we can also eliminate the bonding issues that occur between layers of new asphalt material with differing temperatures. Bonding issues between the old and new layers can be addressed by scoring the surface and cleaning away the debris and dust. Even though this adds to the process it doesn't cause anywhere near the footprint that milling the entire surface, hauling away the material, remixing it and hauling it back to repave the original surface represents. This process may be called recycling the material but it is not a green process. Once we attain the capability to accurately shape and deliver asphalt the possibilities are endless. We will be able to correct road drainage and camber issues as well maximize joint and edge densities. By minimizing the milling process we will speed up the construction project and allow for less and shorter duration of lane closures. This will reduce the cost of the project, reduce construction related traffic congestion (saving the public time and money), and reduce the emission of greenhouse gases. My 3D Asphalt Paving Machine may not address all situations and problems that exist out in the roads but it will put more control into the hands of road engineers such as yourself. Wouldn't it be nice for you to be able to trench out any section needed, replace sewer pipes or other subgrade work without having to worry about how it will affect the final surface and without requiring the entire surface to be milled down? If I have failed to answer all your questions please let me know and I will continue in my efforts. I am working with Dr. John Harvey the Director of the U.C. Davis Pavement Research Center and have endorsements from other experts in this field of technology. You can see these letters of support as well as a professional feasibility study on my website that also includes a brief video where you can see Dr. Harveys statements concerning this technology. Advanced Paving Technologies

How will your system incorporate job stability?

I know this is a concern of many that automation and advancements in technology will out folks out of work. However, there are so many pressing needs as far as our infrastructure is concerned that even if this reduces the workforce as far as asphalt paving is concerned the money saved can be re-directed by Federal, State and Local Governments to other pressing needs such as adding lane capacity and repairing the crumbling bridges around the country. Infrastructure Report Card. This doesn't have to be a net job loser but really an enabling technology to streamline one of the most disruptive areas of road construction that will enable jobs to be focused in an intelligent and cost effective manner. Remember, less lane closures will result in an increase in productivity as well as monetary savings to the public and private sectors.

Hi John, thanks for doing this AMA.

As I understand asphalt surfacing and resurfacing, some minimal depth of surface milling is required prior to laying and compacting the asphalt in order to meet curb/drain/sewer/road interface junction heights and to produce a surface that increases mechanical adhesion between the old roadway and the applied asphalt. Additionally, bumps/high spots would tend to be better addressed during this surfacing milling than dips/depressions - with dips/depressions, and the underlying pavement/road bed, the more problematic issue.

Since surface milling is required, a companion technology to a 3D paving machine would be a 3D surface milling machine where, with a single/minimal number of passes, (1) dips/depressions/potholes/cracks are milled deeper that the "good" subpavement, and (2) since many dips/depressions/potholes may be inductive of previous asphalt paving where the compaction density of the previous asphalt layment is too low, regions of low/below-standard subpavement density would be milled to a greater depth. Does a 3D milling machine that has the capability of both real-time subpavement height and low-density (and high density over-compacted bumps/ridges) regions evaluation, and adjustment of milling depth, make sense in order to reduce total surface milling and spot milling times/costs? And if so, are you also working on such a surface milling machine?

Thank you for your comment and I appreciate your experience and insight to road rehabilitation. My apologies for taking so long to respond but it's just me trying to answer all these questions.

Yes, changes to milling machines would be beneficial as currently they are designed to mill down the entire road. A more targeted approach would be beneficial and compliment my 3D Asphalt Paving Machine.

Further information on how my 3D Asphalt Paving Works... Thanks for you interest! My 3D Asphalt Paving Machine is designed to speed up the process of road rehabilitation by minimizing the need to mill the entire road surface flat to accommodate the inefficiencies of current 2D asphalt paving machines. Their flat screeds with only a single linear delivery surface provide adjustment of material to address even minor surface variation. With this 3D method to delivering asphalt we can take a minimalistic approach to asphalt rehabilitation. Milling down only where needed to address sliding or maintain curb height or trench out the potholes, ruts or areas with top-down cracks. This will be followed with a shaped asphalt layer that will fill in the trenched out areas and at the same time deliver a thin-overlay to the rest of the road, that is shaped to address any surface variations as needed. Initial compaction occurs immediately after the shaping mechanism by means of an angle vibratory plate that will compress the high spots down into the depressions. Then a typical heavy roller attains final compaction but with adequate material pre-positioned it will be able to attain a higher and more uniform level of compaction. Multiple passes will of course be needed to address situation where different types of asphalt are required but in many situation the subsurface is adequate to support a thin overlay as mentioned above. However, multiple passes can be eliminated for higher lifts as this approach designs the asphalt layer to maximize compaction and eliminate bridging of material by the heavy roller. By eliminating multiple lifts we can also eliminate the bonding issues that occur between layers of new asphalt material with differing temperatures. Bonding issues between the old and new layers can be addressed by scoring the surface and cleaning away the debris and dust. Even though this adds to the process it doesn't cause anywhere near the footprint that milling the entire surface, hauling away the material, remixing it and hauling it back to repave the original surface represents. This process may be called recycling the material but it is not a green process. Once we attain the capability to accurately shape and deliver asphalt the possibilities are endless. We will be able to correct road drainage and camber issues as well maximize joint and edge densities. By minimizing the milling process we will speed up the construction project and allow for less and shorter duration of lane closures. This will reduce the cost of the project, reduce construction related traffic congestion (saving the public time and money), and reduce the emission of greenhouse gases. My 3D Asphalt Paving Machine may not address all situations and problems that exist out in the roads but it will put more control into the hands of road engineers such as yourself. Wouldn't it be nice for you to be able to trench out any section needed, replace sewer pipes or other subgrade work without having to worry about how it will affect the final surface and without requiring the entire surface to be milled down? If I have failed to answer all your questions please let me know and I will continue in my efforts. I am working with Dr. John Harvey the Director of the U.C. Davis Pavement Research Center and have endorsements from other experts in this field of technology. You can see these letters of support as well as a professional feasibility study on my website that also includes a brief video where you can see Dr. Harveys statements concerning this technology. Advanced Paving Technologies