Asphalt Pavement Magazine - May/June 2013 - (Page 20)

l Specia : n Sectio NAPA s Award Sheldon G. Hayes Award Building the Country’s Best: The Sheldon G. Hayes Award Edging out stiff competition, The Shelly Co. and Ohio Department of Transportation win the asphalt pavement industry’s highest honor. By Mary Lou Jay C hallenging conditions often bring out the best in asphalt companies. Take the three contenders for the 2012 Sheldon G. Hayes Award: Cool autumn nights, shifting schedules, different mix designs, and a timetable that required 16-hour days for months on end. Despite these challenges the 2012 winner — The Shelly Co., Southern Division, an Oldcastle Materials Co., of Thornville, Ohio — and finalists Norris Asphalt Paving Co. of Ottumwa, Iowa; and Knife River Asphalt Corp. – Idaho Division of Boise, Idaho, all persevered to produce world-class pavements. “All three of the projects were excellent,” said Gene Skok, the independent highway engineer who performs on-site inspections for the Sheldon G. Hayes Award, examining each pavement for the quality of its workmanship. Before being considered for the Sheldon G. Hayes Award, all three projects passed a rigorous screening. The two-year qualification process for the award begins when the contractor and road owner, usually the state department of transportation, submit the project, which must be a highway project using more than 50,000 tons of asphalt, for a Quality in Construction (QIC) Award. Pavement engineers at the National Center for Asphalt Technology (NCAT) in Auburn, Ala., examine test results submitted for each project and assign a numerical score based on how well the contractor met specifications and achieved density on the finished pavement. All the pavements that meet a benchmark figure receive a QIC Award. 20 • View past issues online at www.naylornetwork.com/nap-nxt The year after a project wins a QIC Award, it may be considered for the Sheldon G. Hayes Award. The top-ranked projects from the previous year are tested for smoothness, and then visually inspected by an independent pavement engineer with many years of experience in the industry. Skok said that the outstanding quality of this year’s contenders made 2012 one of the toughest years yet for making his recommendation for the Sheldon G. Hayes winner. “The pavements were all very well built, with very few discernible cracks in any of them. It was obvious that the mixes were well designed and very consistent as they went through the construction,” Skok said. The project had stood up well to two years of heavy traffic. Winner: The Shelly Co., Southern Division, an Oldcastle Materials Co. Ohio Department of Transportation I-70, Licking, Fairfield, and Franklin Counties, Ohio Cool Nights, Warm Mix, Top Results The award-winning project was for the mill and overlay of 11.18 miles of I-70, beginning in Licking County near the SR 158 exit and ending just past the SR 256 exit in Franklin County in central Ohio. The pavement on this four-lane interstate through central Ohio was cracked and deteriorating when the job began. The Shelly Co. worked at night on the project because of the heavy traffic on the route; this segment of I-70 has http://www.naylornetwork.com/nap-nxt

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Asphalt Pavement Magazine - May/June 2013

Chairman’s Commentary
Industry News
Meet the Chairman
Vancouver Adds Wax From Recycled Plastics to Warm Mix
Building the Country’s Best
Smooth Landings at Austin Executive Airport
2012 Quality in Construction Awards
Industry Events
Index of Advertisers/Advertisers.com

Asphalt Pavement Magazine - May/June 2013