At a ceremony during its 2023 annual meeting on Feb. 8, the National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA) recognized 2022 award winners and honorees who advance the asphalt pavement industry.
Sheldon G. Hayes Award
The Sheldon G. Hayes Award for excellence in construction of an asphalt pavement, bestowed annually since 1971, recognizes the country's highest quality highway pavements.
Kiewit Infrastructure South Co. and the Texas Department of Transportation Amarillo District were named the winner of the 2022 Sheldon G. Hayes Award for their work on U.S. 287 in Armstrong County, Texas.
Finalists for the award were:
- Allan Myers VA Inc. and the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel District for work on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tunnel in Cape Charles, Va.
- Delta Asphalt of Arkansas Inc. and the Arkansas Department of Transportation for work on I-55 in Mississippi County, Ark.
- Preferred Materials Inc., A CRH Company, and the Florida Department of Transportation for SR 93A (I-75) in Tampa, Fla.
All highway pavement projects using more than 50,000 tons of asphalt may apply for the Sheldon G. Hayes Award. The winner and finalists are determined through a two-year evaluation process.
Initially, the project must win a Quality in Construction (QIC) Award, which is determined by numerical scores given by independent pavement engineers based on how well the contractor met specifications and achieved density on the finished pavement. All pavements that meet a specified benchmark earn the QIC Award.
The year after a project wins a QIC Award, it is eligible for consideration for the Sheldon G. Hayes Award. The top-ranked projects from each year are tested for smoothness, then visually inspected by an independent pavement consultant with many years of experience in the industry. In the 2022 cycle, the evaluator praised all the candidates for their high-quality construction practices, which resulted in smooth, safe, and durable pavements.
At NAPA's 68th Annual Meeting in Miami Beach, Fla., the winner and finalists were recognized for their achievements.
"The asphalt pavement industry is committed to building quality pavements that deliver high performance and drivability to the public," said James A. Mitchell, 2022 NAPA chairman of the board.
The award is named for Sheldon G. Hayes, a founder of NAPA and the association's first chairman. Hayes spent his entire career striving for better construction techniques and improvements in the quality of asphalt pavements.
Ray Brown Asphalt Pavement Award
S.T. Wooten Corp. of Wilson, N.C., was named the winner of the 2022 Ray Brown Asphalt Pavement Award for excellence in construction of an asphalt pavement.
"The asphalt pavement industry is committed to building high-quality projects that deliver superior performance to the traveling public. All contractors' projects earning a Quality in Construction award are measured against best practices designed to live up to that commitment," said Mitchell. "Earning the Ray Brown Asphalt Pavement Award demonstrates that S.T. Wooten Corp. has met or exceeded these rigorous standards."
S.T. Wooten Corp. won the award for the MCAS Cherry Point Airfield repair project in Havelock, N.C. The company paved two runways at Cherry Point with an asphalt paver with a vibratory screed. A portable asphalt plant was erected on site to facilitate efficient hauling of the mix to the paver and to improve mix temperature retention.
Wooten saw-cut the cold longitudinal joints to vertical and applied tack before placing the adjacent lane. A material transfer vehicle ensured a smooth pavement was placed without mix or temperature segregation. S.T. Wooten used non-tracking tack during paving to avoid causing foreign object debris damage to the aircraft using adjacent runways and taxiways. This type of tack also prevents the pickup of mix or aggregate by paving equipment.
The award is named in honor of Ray Brown, retired Director (1991-2007) of the National Center for Asphalt Technology (NCAT) at Auburn University. Under Brown's guidance, NCAT became renowned for its asphalt pavement research. The award is presented to the highest scoring Quality in Construction — Airport Pavement project.
Larry H. Lemon Quality in Construction Award
The Larry H. Lemon Quality in Construction Award recognizes the 10 highest-scoring projects submitted for a Quality in Construction Award in the General Paving (less than 50,000 tons) category.
"The asphalt pavement industry is committed to building high-quality projects that deliver superior performance to the traveling public. All contractors' projects earning a Quality in Construction award are measured against best practices designed to live up to that commitment," said Mitchell.
The 2022 winners and their projects, arranged alphabetically, are:
- APAC-Kansas Inc., A CRH Company, of Hutchinson, Kan., for KS 23 in Gove County, Kan.
- Gerken Paving Inc. of Napoleon, Ohio, for MI 50 in Adrian, Mich.
- Granite Construction Inc. of Santa Clara, Calif., for Hwy. 20 in Willits, Calif.
- Payne & Dolan Inc., a Walbec Group Co., of Gladstone, Mich., for MI 48 in Chippewa County, Mich.
- Preferred Materials Inc., A CRH Company, of Tampa, Fla., for SR 693 in Pinellas County, Fla.
- Rogers Group Inc. of Huntsville, Ala., for SR 2 in Limestone County, Ala.
- Shelly & Sands Inc. of Zanesville, Ohio, for SR 5 in Trumbull County, Ohio; for SR 7 in Washington County, Ohio; for SR 147 in Noble County; and for SR 258 in Newcomerstown, Ohio
Projects submitted for a Quality in Construction (QIC) Award are evaluated by an independent pavement engineer who assigns each project a numerical score based on how well the contractor met specifications and achieved density on the finished pavement. All pavements that meet a specified benchmark earn the QIC Award. The Larry H. Lemon Award honors the 10 highest-scoring projects, as determined in the review.
The award is named after Larry Lemon of Haskell Lemon Construction in Oklahoma City. Lemon served on the NAPA Awards Committee for 18 years, before serving as NAPA's Chairman of the Board of Directors in 2010 prior to his retirement. Lemon was instrumental in the creation of the rating system for the QIC Awards, which require qualitative analysis using data and test results to determine the winners.
Operational Excellence Awards
"NAPA members strive for excellence beyond constructing high-quality asphalt pavements. Two categories of our Operational Excellence Awards — Environmental Leadership and Community Involvement — recognize a company's commitment to operations that make them good contractors, good industry ambassadors and good neighbors," said Mitchell.
The 2022 Environmental Leadership Award winner is Gallagher Asphalt Corp. of Thornton, Ill., for its Thornton Plant Energy Efficiency Initiatives.
The 2022 Community Involvement Award winners are Callanan Industries Inc., A CRH Company, of Albany, N.Y., for its Callanan Cares program; and Lehman-Roberts/Memphis Stone & Gravel of Memphis, Tenn., for its Community Engagement program.
The Operational Excellence Awards honor leaders in the asphalt pavement industry for excellence in community outreach (Community Involvement Award) and exemplary environmental and social stewardship (Environmental Leadership Award).
These annual awards are a counterpart to NAPA's Quality in Construction Awards, which recognize high-quality asphalt paving jobs demonstrating industry best practices and standards.
The NAPA Awards Program recognizes and encourages continuous improvement in all aspects of paving and asphalt operations.
Exceptional Volunteer Award
Ron Sines is the recipient of the inaugural Exceptional Volunteer Award for significant contributions and superior leadership toward the growth, development and advancement of the asphalt pavement industry.
Sines, vice president of Asphalt Performance at CRH Americas Materials, became active in NAPA committees in 2007 as a member of the Asphalt Paving Environmental Committee, which partnered with industry, labor, and agencies to ensure the safety of asphalt paving workers through research and navigated the industry through the International Agency for Research on Cancer process.
Simultaneously, Sines chaired the Committee for Asphalt Research & Technology and served on the Engineering Advisory Council. He also was instrumental in assuring that NAPA's Diamond and Awards programs recognized sustainable practices and projects. In 2015, Sines was the inaugural chairman of the Sustainability Committee, which he led through 2020.
Joining the board of directors in 2017, Sines provided leadership to the National Center for Asphalt Technology (NCAT) as its chairman of the board, leading NCAT through a strategic planning process and the establishment of the Consortium for Asphalt Pavement Research and Implementation (CAPRI).
CAPRI brings together highway construction and maintenance stakeholders to improve asphalt pavement cost-effectiveness, sustainability and safety using member organization contributions and the Transportation Pooled Fund Program.
Also during this time, Sines was a member of the Product Category Rule committee as NAPA launched the Product Category Rule for Asphalt Mixtures and Emerald Eco-Label.
Sines is commonly a part of industry education efforts such as NAPA's webinar program, the World of Asphalt, ConExpo-Con/AGG, and Paving for Performance, providing best practice education related to plant operations. In 2021, Sines answered the call to help build the industry's net zero emission strategy, The Road Forward, as Chair of NAPA's Climate Stewardship Task Force. The Road Forward is an integral part of the asphalt industry's plan to remain competitive while becoming better stewards of the planet, profits and people.
"His leadership and deep knowledge of and passion for sustainability and the asphalt industry are remarkable. He is respected for his engineering prowess, his passion for practical and implementable solutions, and his years of service," NAPA said.
The Asphalt Pavement Hall of Fame Committee recommended to NAPA's board of directors the establishment of the Exceptional Volunteer Award, with Sines as the inaugural winner. The board and committee concurred that his career contributions in the sustainability area make him worthy of admiration, appreciation and gratitude.
Associate Member Commendation
Jeffrey Richmond Sr. was posthumously recognized for his significant and lasting contributions in the asphalt pavement industry through his participation as an associate member.
The Associate Member Council honored Richmond for his leadership in the asphalt pavement industry and the National Asphalt Pavement Association. His son, Michael, accepted the commendation of behalf of the Richmond family.
During his career, Richmond worked at Barber Greene, Cedarapids and Roadtec (now Astec). He was an influential industry member, continuously pushing for advancement. His career spanned roles from sales representative to president.
As a growth-minded leader, Richmond was renowned for his ability to grow brands, mentor staff and ensure pathways for future leaders. In addition to his work within the business community, he was likewise focused on lending his knowledge and expertise to the asphalt pavement industry.
In 1999, Richmond joined NAPA's Associate Member Council, becoming its chair in 2021 and serving on the NAPA board of directors that year.
He also served on the NAPA Research and Education Foundation's Smithsonian Committee (2001-2004), securing a place where the history of asphalt is honored in the "America on the Move" exhibit in the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C. The exhibit helps to educate Americans on the role of asphalt pavements in the country's growth and progress.
Richmond served on the inaugural World of Asphalt Management Committee (2003), bringing to fruition one of the nation's fastest-growing tradeshows, which brings industry product and service providers together with contractors to explore new products, receive asphalt-specific education and build the roadways of tomorrow.
Concurrently, he served on the Silica/Milling Machine Partnership until 2014. The partnership between NAPA, the International Union of Operating Engineers, the Laborers' International Union of North America, Association of Equipment Manufacturers, and National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health was a first-of-its-kind, industry-agency-labor union group that worked to determine the best way to limit the exposure of road milling machine operators to silica dust.
Due to the decade of work by this partnership, the use of OSHA-approved engineering control technologies ensures compliance with the rule for roadway milling activities.
The Associate Member Council Commendation Committee recommended Richmond for this honor, which recognizes those Associate members who faithfully serve and contribute to the success of the Association.
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