The American Concrete Paving Association presents awards for excellence – Mike Woof writes
A series of awards have been made by the American Concrete Paving Association (ACPA), recognising major contributions to the sector. Advances in technology as well as business developments have been identified by the ACPA for the benefits they have brought to the sector. The ACPA awards programme has some history and was established in 1968, with the first person to receive an honour being James W Johnson of the Iowa Highway Commission Testing Lab, for the invention of the slip form paver.
One of the most notable of the most recent series of ACPA presentations has been made to Gary Godbersen,
Gerald Voigt, president and CEO of the ACPA commented, “This award recognises individuals and organisations for unparalleled commitment, dedication, participation, and leadership in the concrete pavement community.
“Your selection as the recipient for 2015 recognises your long-time support for the American Concrete Pavement Association, dating back 30 years. It also pays tribute to your vision and innovation in concrete paving equipment that has triggered advancement in all areas of slipform pavement construction and the equipment to support our industry.”
The ACPA presented the Harold J Halm Presidential Award to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation for its long-standing life cycle cost and pavement type selection policies. These policies recognise the importance of using higher quality pavements to deliver a lower overall cost to the public. “Good pavements are built by good contractors and the Wisconsin DOT’s steady hand is a result of its focus on maintaining an excellent core of contractors with highly skilled crews,” said Voigt. “For more than 50 years Wisconsin DOT has proactively managed pavement network using a variety of solutions involving both concrete and asphalt pavement. The policies have resulted in some of the highest quality pavements and one of the most well-maintained pavement networks in the United States,” Voigt said. He also said the state’s pavement cost are among the lowest unit costs in the country. Voigt attributed this to the DOT’s management policy and philosophy that looks beyond the expedient choices and toward the prudent ones. The Harold J Halm Presidential Award is named in honour of the first president of ACPA, who served from 1964 until his death in 1985.
The ACPA presented the 2015 Marlin J Knutson Award for Technical Achievement to Julie Vandenbossche, PhD, PE, University of Pittsburgh, for over 25 years of accomplishments in concrete pavement research, particularly her work on the design of concrete overlays on asphalt pavements. The Marlin J Knutson Award for Technical Achievement is presented to those who advance the development and implementation of technical innovations and best practices in the design and construction of concrete pavements. This award is named after the second chief executive of the ACPA, Marlin J Knutson.
The Outstanding Pavement Promotion Award was presented to Larry Engbrecht, South Dakota Chapter – ACPA, for his professional approach and straightforward nature as executive director of the South Dakota Chapter-ACPA. His approach has helped build an environment in which the South Dakota DOT partners with industry to optimum solutions using concrete pavements. This has led to a stable market for concrete paving and the introduction of concrete overlays as a tool in the DOT’s toolbox.
The Lifetime Pavement Recognition Award was presented to Westminster Avenue between 1300 East & 1400 East, Salt Lake City, Utah. Westminster Avenue was among the first concrete streets ever built by the city, having been constructed in 1916. “The cost of construction was US$5,894.74, which if divided evenly over its 99-year life means that it only cost the city $59.54/year plus any minimal maintenance costs expended over its lifetime,” said Voigt. The original construction was a trapezoidal design of between 127-178mm of concrete pavement (177mm at the crown and 127mm at the outside edges). Voigt added that although the city has no documented record of maintenance on the street, there have been only isolated repairs and a few full depth slab replacements during its lifetime.
The Sustainable Practices Recognition Award was presented jointly to the Utah DOT Region 2; Geneva Rock Products and Holcim (US) for their work on the Interstate-80 reconstruction project from Silver Creek Junction to Wanship, Utah. This award recognises the leadership of these companies/organizations and the individuals involved in the project, specifically in the area of pavement sustainability. This project is believed to be the first ever partial depth reclamation of only 102mm of existing asphalt with cement, as well as the first large scale paving project using Envirocore cement. The combined efforts have resulted in the attainment of societal, environmental, and economic factors. This project has made the Utah DOT and others in the concrete pavement industry more aware of what can be done in applying sustainable practices without impacting cost, schedule, or road users.
