Cape Town - A Fin24 user laments the state of his hometown ofVereeniging that, with three rivers running through it, could have easily be a major tourist attraction.

Vereeniging is part of Gautengs Emfuleni Local Municipality in the Vaal Triangle. It was in the news recently, after it was reported that the municipal manager earns R200000 a year more than President Jacob Zuma, according to City Press.

Sam Shabalala (52) pockets R2.8m each year, making him South Africas most well-paid municipal manager. The municipality, which includes Vereeniging and Vanderbijlpark, services 722000 residents and has a budget of R3.9bn.

Fin24 user Greer da Cruz writes:

It really pains me to write this letter, because believe it or not, I actually love my town, Vereeniging in the Vaal area. I was born and bred here. But today I look around and think 'hellhole' because there is no other word to describe it.

SEE GALLERY: Vereeniging, a place of dirt and litter

We, in the Vaal area are fortunate to have not one, but three rivers running through our town and suburbs. Anywhere else in the world that would be a major tourist attraction - but in Vereeniging it is a filthy, dirty area of ill repute.

It's true, some people try to enjoy Vosloo Park in the summer months, especially the fisherman. They sit amongst the litter and broken bottles trying to enjoy some of the peace and tranquility it is supposed to convey. Cars roam all over what's left of the grass and the children have to play in the dirt. This used to be a park. A park where people could braai. You could not drive all over the place, you had to park and walk. Children could play on the swings and slides and one could walk dogs. How have we allowed our standards to drop so low that this shoddy excuse for a lifestyle has become acceptable?

Three Rivers in Vereeniging shown below:

In Vanderbijlpark, there are public parks, in Meyerton there are public parks, and in Johannnesburg you have Zoo Lake, the Botanical Gardens and the Zoo, to name a few places where one can sit and enjoy a picnic on the weekend.

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Fin24.com | From zero maintenance to total destruction

The NBA's all-time scoring mark is well within his grasp.

LeBron Jamesturns 30 years old today. Every birthdayis a time for reflection, but when the digit in the ten's place changes, it's more significant.

James has accomplished quite a bit in his 11-plus seasons in the NBA: five trips to The Finals, two championships, three Olympic medals, four MVP awards, two Finals MVP awards and 37 triple-doubles.

His 23,901 career points are more than any other player in NBA history has scored by the age of 30. It's enough to alreadyput him among the top 25 scorers of all time.

Some notes on the list above ...

Moses Malone (18,479) and Julius Erving (18,374) would rank eighth and ninth if we counted their points scored in the ABA.

IfKevin Durantreturns from his current injury in the next couple of weeks and stays relatively healthy through the next 3 seasons, he could rank second on the list (at somewhere between 22,500 and 23,000 points) when he turns 30 in September of 2018.

Only14 of the league's 59 MVP awardshave been won by players who had already reached their 30th birthday.Steve Nash(who turned 31 during the 2004-05 season and 32 in '05-06) is the only 30-plus guy to win the award in the last 15 years.

Of the 64 times a player has scored at least 60 points in a game (like James did this past March), only five have come after that player's 30th birthday. Only twice in the last 45 years (since the days of Wilt Chamberlain) has a 30-plus player scored 60-plus: 30-year-old Tom Chambers in 1990 and 30-year-oldKobe Bryantin 2009.

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James hits 30 with the potential for much more

An asphalt shingle is a type of wall or roof shingle. They are one of the most widely used roofing covers in North America because they have a relatively inexpensive up-front cost and are fairly simple to install.

Asphalt shingles are an American invention first used in 1901, in general use in parts of America by 1911 and by 1939 11 million squares of shingles were being produced.[1] The forerunner of these shingles was first developed in 1893 and called asphalt prepared roofing which was similar to asphalt roll roofing without the surface granules.[2] In 1897 slate granules were added to the surface to make the material more durable. Types of granules tested have included mica, oyster shells, slate, dolomite, fly-ash, silica and clay. In 1901 this material was first cut into strips for use as one-tab and multi-tab shingles.

All shingles were organic at first with the base material, called felt, being primarily cotton rag until the 1920's when cotton rag became more expensive and alternative materials were used. Other organic materials used as the felt included wool, jute or manila, and wood pulp.[3] In 1926 the Asphalt Shingle and Research Institute with the National Bureau of Standards tested twenty two types of experimental felts and found no significant differences in performance. In the 1950's self sealing and manually applied adhesives began to be used to help prevent wind damage to shingle roofs. The design standard was for the self sealing strips of adhesive to be fully adhered after sixteen hours at 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Also in the 1950's testing on the use of 3/4 inch staples rather than roofing nails was carried out showing they could perform as well as nails but with six staples compared with four nails.[1] In 1960 fiberglass mat bases were introduced with limited success, the lighter more flexible shingles proved to be more susceptible to wind damage particularly at freezing temperatures. Also in the 1960's research into hail damage which was found to occur when hail reach a size larger than 1.5 inches.

Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers Association (ARMA) formed the High Wind Task Force in 1990 to continue research to improve shingle wind resistance.[4]

Two types of base materials are used to make asphalt shingles: A formerly-living organic base and fiberglass base. Both types are made in a similar manner with asphalt or modified-asphalt applied to one or both sides of the asphalt-saturated base, covered with slate, schist, quartz, vitrified brick, stone,[3] or ceramic granules and the back side treated with sand, talc or mica to prevent the shingles from sticking to each other before use. The top surface granules block ultra-violet light which causes the shingles to deteriorate, provides some physical protection of the asphalt and gives the shingles their color. Some shingles have copper or other materials added to the surface to help prevent algae growth.[5] Self-sealing strips are standard on shingles to help prevent the shingles from being blown off by high winds. This material is typically limestone or fly-ash-modified resins, or polymer-modified bitumen. American Society of Civil Engineers ASTM D7158 is the standard most United States residential building codes use as their wind resistance standard for most discontinuous, steep-slope roof coverings (including asphalt shingles) with the following class ratings: Class D Passed at basic wind speeds up to and including 90mph; Class G Passed at basic wind speeds up to and including 120mph; and Class H Passed at basic wind speeds up to and including 150mph. An additive known as styrene-butadiene-styrene (SBS), sometimes called modified or rubberized asphalt, is sometimes added to the asphalt mixture to make shingles more resistant to thermal cracking, as well as more resistant to damage from hail impacts. Some manufacturers use a fabric backing known as a "scrim" on the back side of shingles to make them more impact resistant. Most insurance companies offer discounts to homeowners for using Class 4 impact rated shingles.

Organic shingles are made with a base mat of formerly living (organic) materials such as paper (waste paper), cellulose, wood fiber, or other materials saturated with asphalt to make it waterproof, then a top coating of adhesive asphalt is applied and ceramic granules are then embedded. Organic shingles contain around 40% more asphalt per square (100 sq ft.) than fiberglass shingles. The paper-based nature of "organic" shingles leaves them more prone to fire damage, and their highest FM rating for fire is class "B". Organic shingles are less brittle than fiberglass shingles in cold weather.

The older organic (wood and paper pulp product) versions were very durable and hard to tear, an important property when considering wind uplift of shingles in heavy storms. Also, some organic shingles produced before the early 1980s may contain asbestos.

Fiberglass shingles have a base layer of glass fiber reinforcing mat. The mat is made from wet, random-laid fiberglass bonded with urea-formaldehyde resin. The mat is then coated with asphalt which contains mineral fillers and makes the fiberglass shingle waterproof. Fiberglass shingles typically obtain a class "A" fire rating as the fiberglass mat resists fire better than organic/paper mats. Fiberglass reinforcement was devised as the replacement for asbestos paper reinforcement of roofing shingles and typically ranges from 1.8 to 2.3 pounds/square foot.

Fiberglass shingles are slowly replacing organic felt shingles and by 1982 the production of fiberglass shingles overtook organic shingles. Widespread hurricane damage in Florida during the 1990's prompted the industry to adhere to a 1700-gram tear value on finished asphalt shingles[citation needed].

Per 2003 International Building Code Sections 1507.2.1 and 1507.2.2, asphalt shingles shall only be used on roof slopes of two units vertical in 12 units horizontal (17% slope) or greater. Asphalt shingles shall be fastened to solidly sheathed decks.

Read more:
Asphalt shingle - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

UPMs proprietary cold asphalt additives and stringent quality control procedures ensure that you get a pavement repair solution that outlasts the surrounding pavement over 90% of the time. We guarantee it.

Pothole Material Calculator

While some cold mix asphalt suppliers have falsely referred to their products as being comparable to UPM, none have been able to match the success of UPM high-performance cold patch for pothole and asphalt patching. Request a free sample of UPM Cold Mix Asphalt Repair today.

Proper repairs start with a properly cleaned base. Use the STIFFWITCH road broom to prep your pavement before applying UPM

UPM Cold Mix Asphalt Repair Material has been used to permanently repair more potholes than any cold asphalt mix or cold patch in the pavement repair industry.

Our laboratory has tested and refined UPMs Cold Mix Asphalt Repair to the point that it has become the worldwide standard in pavement repair.

Visit our project gallery, and see UPM cold patch in action as crews repair some of Americas toughest potholes.

If youve had to repair the same roads and potholes over and over, you know how frustrating and expensive asphalt patching can be. Since over 90% of all potholes patched with UPM Cold Mix Asphalt Repair never need patched again, excess money is not poured into the same potholes repeatedly.

Many asphalt patching materials weaken in challenging weather conditions. Our customers love the fact that UPMs cold patch is easy to apply year-round, and stays in the pothole permanently.

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Cold Mix Asphalt, Cold Patch, Cold Asphalt

Current Projects and Activities TechBrief: The Use of Recycled Tire Rubber to Modify Asphalt Binder and Mixtures, FHWA-HIF-14-015 2014 Asphalt Material Characterization for AASHTOWare Pavement ME Design Using an Asphalt Mixture Performance Tester (AMPT), FHWA-HIF-13-060 2013 TechBrief: Asphalt Mixture Performance Tester (AMPT), FHWA-HIF-13-005 2013 Construction Quality Assurance for Design-Build Highway Projects, FHWA-HRT-12-039 2012 TechBrief: An Alternative Asphalt Binder, Sulfur-Extended Asphalt (SEA), FHWA-HIF-12-037 2012 The Use and Performance of Asphalt Binder Modified with Polyphosphoric Acid (PPA), FHWA-HIF-12-030 2012 Techbrief: Independent Assurance Program, FHWA-HIF-12-001 2012 The Multiple Stress Creep Recovery (MSCR) Procedure, FHWA-HIF-11-038 2011 A Review of Aggregate and Asphalt Mixture Specific Gravity Measurements and Their Impacts on Asphalt Mix Design Properties and Mix Acceptance, FHWA-HIF-11-033 2011 Superpave Gyratory Compactors, FHWA-HIF-11-032 2011 Superpave Mix Design and Gyratory Compaction Levels, FHWA-HIF-11-031 2011 TechBrief: Intelligent Compaction for Asphalt Materials, 2010 TechBrief: Phosphoric Acid as an Asphalt Modifier Guidelines for Use: Acid Type, FHWA-HRT-08-061 2008 TechBrief: Comparison of Rehabilitation Strategies for AC Pavements, FHWA-RD-00-166 2000 TechBrief: Performance Trends of Rehabilitation AC Pavements, FHWA-RD-00-165 2000 TechBrief: Roughness Trends of Flexible Pavements, FHWA-RD-98-132 1998 TechBrief: Improved Guidance for Users of the 1993 AASHTO Flexible Pavement Design Procedures, FHWA-RD-97-091 1997

View all Asphalt Publications

Our staff works with Expert Task Groups (the ETGs)-which include representatives of the States, industry, and universities-to discuss ongoing national asphalt projects that are funded directly by the FHWA or through the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP).

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Asphalt Pavements - Pavements - FHWA - Home | Federal ...

NIOSH Resources

NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 2005-149 Exposure limits, Respirator Recommendations, First Aid, more... The Pocket Guide is a source of general industrial hygiene information on several hundred chemicals/classes found in the work environment. Key data provided for each chemical/substance includes name (including synonyms/trade names), structure/formula, CAS/RTECS numbers, DOT ID, conversion factors, exposure limits, IDLH, chemical and physical properties, measurement methods, personal protection, respirator recommendations, symptoms, and first aid.

NIOSH Manual of Analytical Methods (NMAM) NMAM is a collection of methods for sampling and analysis of contaminants in workplace air, and in the blood and urine of workers who are occupationally exposed.

International Chemical Safety Cards An ICSC summarizes essential health and safety information on chemicals for their use at the "shop floor" level by workers and employers in factories, agriculture, construction and other work places.

Reducing Roofers' Exposure to Asphalt Fumes DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 2003-107 (September 2003) This guide is for roofers and contractors who work with hot asphalt on roofs. The guide lists steps for reducing exposure to asphalt fumes.

Asphalt Fume Exposures During the Application of Hot Asphalt to Roofs DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 2003-112 (June 2003) This document represents a collaborative effort of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), the National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA), the Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers Association (ARMA), the Asphalt Institute (AI), and the United Union of Roofers, Waterproofers, and Allied Workers (UURWAW) to reduce worker exposures to asphalt fumes during the application of hot asphalt to roofs. The document describes the application of hot asphalt to roofs, identifies steps in the process that may involve worker exposure to asphalt fumes, and identifies current engineering controls and work practices used to reduce exposures.

Asphalt Fume Exposures During the Manufacture of Asphalt Roofing Products DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 2001-127 (August 2001) This document represents the collaborative efforts of industry, labor, and government to protect the health of workers exposed to asphalt fumes during the manufacture of asphalt roofing products. Current engineering controls and work practices are presented for reducing worker exposures to asphalt fumes during the manufacturing process.

Hazard Review: Health Effects of Occupational Exposure to Asphalt DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 2001-110 (December 2000) This document is an evaluation of the health effects and other relevant data that have become available since publication of the 1977 NIOSH document Criteria for a Recommended Standard: Occupational Exposure to Asphalt Fumes. It includes an assessment of chemistry, health, and exposure data from studies in animals and humans exposed to raw asphalt, paving and roofing asphalt-fume condensates, and asphalt-based paints. Most important, the document serves as a basis for identifying future research to reduce occupational exposures to asphalt.

Engineering Control Guidelines for Hot Mix Asphalt Pavers DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 97-105 (January 1997) These guidelines originate from a collaborative effort by industry, government, and labor to develop and implement engineering controls for the asphalt paving industry

NIOSHTIC-2 search results on Asphalt Fumes NIOSHTIC-2 is a searchable bibliographic database of occupational safety and health publications, documents, grant reports, and journal articles supported in whole or in part by NIOSH.

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CDC - Asphalt Fumes - NIOSH Workplace Safety and Health Topics

Driveway Paving Bristol
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Driveway Paving Bristol - Video

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Driveway Paving Company Bristol - Video

J.J. Dibble Driveway Paving
This video is of J.J. Dibble Construction, Inc. paving a driveway in Old Lyme, CT.

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J.J. Dibble Driveway Paving - Video

Bristol Driveway Paving Expert
http://bristolblockdriveways.co.uk/ Call Here 0117 325 0093 Bristol Driveway Paving Expert Tips on how to Choose the Right Driveway Contractors A stunning lo...

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Bristol Driveway Paving Expert - Video