The National Asphalt Paving Association (NAPA) has announced the winners of its 2001 Quality in Construction Award for excellence in construction of an asphalt pavement. The presentations were made at a special ceremony at the association’s 47th annual convention in San Francisco, CA.
The Quality in Construction Awards recognize Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA) pavements of excellence.
“NAPA selects the award recipients using a known set of standards that have been shown to give good results,” commented R. Wayne Evans, chairman of the NAPA board of directors. “This award demonstrates the high quality of work that the HMA industry is achieving.”
Details on some of the winners and their projects follow.
Arkansas
McGeorge Contracting Co. Inc. of Pine Bluff, and the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department
• Widening and upgrade of 2.7 miles of U.S. Highway 65 in Faulkner County, with 1.8 miles of the road built on a new location to remove a hazardous curve.
The contractor did an outstanding job of coordinating subcontractors.
The company received the maximum incentive payment for its work on the roadway.
Colorado
Elam Construction Inc. of Grand Junction
• Overlay of Maroon Creek Road in Pitkin County.
Since the road is the only one leading to the Maroon Bells, a major tourist attraction near Aspen, it was essential to complete the project as quickly as possible.
The company started work on the project just four days after it was awarded, and, despite unexpected additional work, managed to complete the paving in time for the park opening.
The entire project was completed one week ahead of schedule.
• Reconstruction of Road 25 from Highway I-70B to Patterson Road.
The three-lane road included bicycle lanes, curb, gutters, and sidewalk.
The company also installed storm drain improvements including pipe and manholes.
Most work was done at night, and access to adjacent businesses was maintained at all times.
The result of Elam Construction’s work was a smooth, attractive HMA pavement.
Schmidt Construction of Colorado Springs
• Resurfacing of a section of U. S. Highway 24 from Manitou Springs to Woodland Park. Schmidt Construction Co. used a windrow elevator to improve smoothness.
Paving for the job was complicated by vertical rock walls adjacent to the paving lanes, by tight turns with steep super-elevations, and by short sight distances for traffic.
The company also had to remove and replace 35,000 feet of guardrail. Despite the difficulties, the company produced an attractive and high-performance asphalt roadway.
Idaho
Central Paving Co. Inc. of Boise
• Rehabilitation of runway 10L/28R at the boise air Terminal.
Using multiple lifts of asphalt, the company converted a traverse slope runway to a crowned runway, phasing construction to allow cross-field air traffic to continue to use the active runways.
Grading crews also reshaped and excavated the infields around the runway.
Central Paving Co. Inc. completed the project in one fall season, earning the maximum bonus for the asphalt mix.
Louisiana
D & J Construction Co. Inc. of West Monroe
• Milling and overlay of Interstate 49 between Louisiana Route 10 and Route 106.
Working multiple shifts, weekends, and holidays, the contractor met an aggressive construction schedule while maintaining a high-quality operation.
This Superpave project was the first Interstate project where all of the asphalt plant lots met all of Louisiana’s strict plant and roadway requirements for 100-percent pay.
Gilchrist Construction Co. of Alexandria
• Overlay of almost 7 miles of U.S. 90 (Evangeline Thruway).
The company used a Stone Matrix Asphalt (SMA) mix over the existing concrete roadway, meeting VMA (voids in mineral aggregate) requirements without fiber or filler.
Working multiple shifts, weekends, and holidays, the company completed the high-profile project on a fast track.
Montana
JTL Group Inc.-Billings of Billings
• Improvements made to the runway at Laurel Airport.
In just 20 calendar days the company removed the existing runway surface, covered the area with topsoil, and constructed a new 5,250-foot-long runway.
Preplanning, attention to quality, and quality assurance in asphalt plant production allowed JTL Group Inc. to produce a high-quality surface for the runway and to earn 100 percent smoothness pay for its work on the project.
New Mexico
J. R. Hale Contracting Co. Inc. of Albuquerque, and the New Mexico State Highway and Transportation Department
• Milling, overlay and reconstruction of a 13-kilometer section of Interstate 40.
The Superpave/Open Graded Friction Course (OGFC) project included several innovative construction methods.
These included quality control/quality assurance specifications that improved the HMA material quality; smoothness specifications that improved the ride of the new roadway; and a method of traffic control that improved safety and reduced pavement distress on the existing milled surface.
James Hamilton Construction Co. of Silver City, and the New Mexico State Highway and Transportation Department
• Milling and overlay of a 14-mile section of Interstate 10 in Luna and Dona Ana counties.
Working under a tight schedule because of the oncoming cold weather, the contractor produced a large quantity of HMA while maintaining a quality mix.
The teamwork of the contractor and the highway department achieved smooth joints and a smooth-riding surface.
The contractor earned a bonus for mix quality and for smoothness.
K. Barnett and Sons Inc. of Clovis, and the New Mexico State Highway and Transportation Department
• Milling and overlay of Interstate 25 in Dona Ana County.
Despite limited staff and changes in project management, the contractor and the highway department worked together to maintain mix consistency, assure smooth construction joints, and provide a smooth riding surface.
The contractor earned a bonus for the quality of the roadway.
Twin Mountain Construction II Co. of Albuquerque
• Widening, realignment, and resurfacing of almost 19 miles of U.S. 56 east of Junction.
The company worked together with the New Mexico State Highway and Transportation Department to complete the project within a very tight time schedule and with an emphasis on cost management.
Using several innovative construction techniques, Twin Mountain Construction II Co. produced an extremely smooth roadway that benefits the traveling public.
W.W. Construction Inc. of Albuquerque, and the New Mexico State Highway and Transportation Department
• Rehabilitation of 204 lane miles of Interstate 40.
The contractor and the highway department used partnering to resolve the challenges of a tight schedule, diverse locations, and limited equipment.
The HMA construction finished in 119 days, minimizing delays to the traveling public and earning the contractor several incentive payments.
Western Mobile of Albuquerque, a division of Lafarge Inc., and the New Mexico State Highway and Transportation Department
• Milling, overlay and reconstruction of almost 15 kilometers of Interstate 40.
The project used quality control/quality acceptance specifications for the Superpave and Open Graded Friction Course (OGFC) asphalt mixes.
Traffic was controlled through the use of a six-mile, one-lane work zone to reduce pavement distress on the milled surface.
Smoothness specifications helped improve the ride quality with the contractor earning a bonus for the road’s smoothness.
Oklahoma
Haskell Lemon Construction Co. of Oklahoma City
• Construction of the new outer loop around the Oklahoma City metropolitan area, including 1 mile of four-lane divided highway and one mile of five-lane curb and gutter highway.
The company used a Superpave Hot Mix Asphalt with polymer-modified binders in the top two layers; paving was done with automated pavers and material transfer vehicles.
The project, completed ahead of schedule and under budget, earned the company a major bonus for smoothness.
• Removal of a portion of old U.S. Route 66 and the construction of a modem, four-lane HMA superhighway.
Haskell Lemon and the Oklahoma Department of Transportation partnered to improve the roadway design, saving over $57,000 on the project.
An on-site quality control lab helped ensure all of the HMA met the high-quality specifications.
The company used an automated asphalt paver, laser stringlines, and a material transfer vehicle in the paving process.
The roadway’s exceptional smoothness earned the company a bonus.
• Construction of the new Norman Spur of the H. E. Bailey Turnpike.
The $8-million project was built in just 187 days.
The company used an on-site asphalt plant and quality control lab to ensure a high-quality HMA product, laying the asphalt with an automated paver to assure a smooth final finish.
Haskell Lemon earned a bonus for this roadway, which was completed ahead of schedule.
Utah
Meadow Valley Contractors Inc. of Spanish Fork, and the Utah Department of Transportation
• Reconstruction of U.S. 6 southeast of Spanish Fork.
The project required reconstruction of approximately 6 miles of four-lane highway in 109 days or less; work was finished eight days early.
Meadow Valley Contractors kept work going six days a week, using three crews and a rolling 40-hour work week.
The contractor and the state highway department used a partnering approach to help ensure the project’s success.
For more information, call 888/468-6499 or visit www.hotmix.org.
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