The National Asphalt Pavement Association recently announced the recipients of its 2024 Operational Excellence Awards at its annual meeting, bestowing top honors to 15 contractors.
The top NAPA award for excellence in construction of an asphalt pavement, the Sheldon G. Hayes Award, went to Lindy Paving from New Galilee, Pennsylvania, which also won the award in 2005, 2008, 2009, 2018 and 2020.
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, District 1, was also named as a recipient of the award for its work with Lindy Paving on SR 90 Section A30 in Erie County.
To nab the Sheldon G. Hayes Award, contractors must complete a project using more than 50,000 tons of asphalt pavement mixture that wins a Quality in Construction Award, which is determined by independent pavement engineers based on how well met specifications are met and achieved density. Top projects are then rated for smoothness one year after construction and visually inspected by an independent consultant.
The three finalists for the Sheldon G. Hayes Award, which is named after a NAPA founder, included:
- APAC-Kansas Inc., Shears Div., a CRH Co., of Hutchinson and the Kansas Department of Transportation for their work on US 400 in Greenwood County.
- Northeast Asphalt Inc., a Walbec Group Co., of Greenville, Wisconsin, and the Wisconsin Department of Transportation for their work on State Highway 60 in Dodge County.
- Pike Industries Inc., a CRH Co., of Belmont, New Hampshire, and the Vermont Agency of Transportation for their work on SR 9 in Windham County, Vermont.
2024 Lemon Awards
Another round of awards given out at the annual meeting were the 2024 Larry H. Lemon Awards for excellence in construction of an asphalt pavement using less than 50,000 tons of asphalt. Ten Lemon Awards, named after longtime NAPA Awards Committee member Larry H. Lemon, were presented for projects that submitted for a QIC award in the general paving category.
The year’s winners are:
- Delta Companies Inc., a Colas Co., of Cape Girardeau, Missouri, for Route UU in Mississippi County.
- Earle Asphalt Company, of Wall Township, New Jersey, for two separate projects: Sycamore Avenue (County Route 13A) in Shrewsbury and County Road 537 (Monmouth Road) in Millstone.
- E & B Paving, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, for SR 327 in Dekalb County and SR 4 in Steuben County.
- Gerken Paving, Inc., of Napoleon, Ohio, for M-34 and Industrial Highway in Lenawee County, Michigan.
- Northeast Asphalt Inc., a Walbec Group Co., of Greenville, Wisconsin, for STH 73 between Columbus and Princeton.
- Shelly & Sands Inc., of Zanesville, Ohio, for two separate projects: SR 46 and SR 5, both in Trumbull County.
- Summers-Taylor Inc., of Johnson City, Tennessee, for SR91 in Carter County and SR93 in Sullivan and Washington counties.
- Volunteer Paving LLC, of Franklin, Tennessee, for Route 6 (Franklin Pike) in Davidson County.
2024 Operational Excellence Awards
Another four companies won Operational Excellence Awards, which honors contractors in different categories covering the environment, community involvement and safety innovation.
2024 Environmental Leadership Award winner:
- Tilcon Connecticut Inc., a CRH Co., of New Britain, Connecticut, for the New Branford Drum Plant.
2024 Community Involvement Award winners:
- Callanan Industries Inc., a CRH Co., of Albany, New York, for the Callanan Cares program.
- Lehman-Roberts Co./Memphis Stone & Gravel Co., of Memphis, Tennessee, for its Community Engagement program.
- O&G Industries Inc., of Torrington, Connecticut, for its Centennial Charitable Giving program.
2024 Safety Innovation Award winner:
- N.B. West Contracting Co., of Pacific, Missouri, for its protective guards for paver operators.
2024 Ray Brown Airport Asphalt Pavement Award
S.T. Wooten Corporation of Wilson, North Carolina, took home the 2024 Ray Brown Airport Asphalt Pavement Award for work on the Michael J. Smith Field in Beaufort.
Two techniques used on the project in particular stood out and showed notable attention to detail. In the first technique, S.T. Wooten employees used a propane-powered infrared heating system to maintain joint temperatures at 250 degrees Fahrenheit while evenly heating pavement up to 18 inches wide and 3 inches deep.
Another technique used a specialized wedge-shaped joint compaction device on a paver screed to create pre-compacted, tapered edges for better durability and bonding between courses.
