ACPA Names Recipients of Annual “Excellence in Concrete Pavements” Awards

Rosemont, Ill. (December 15, 2014 ) – The American Concrete Pavement Association (ACPA) has

named recipients of its 25th Annual “Excellence in Concrete Pavements” awards, which recognize

quality concrete pavements constructed in the United States and Canada.

The awards program encourages high-quality workmanship in concrete pavement projects, and serves

as way to share information about challenging and highly successful projects.

Judges representing various stakeholder groups throughout the transportation-construction

community evaluate projects. The program recognizes contractors, engineers, and project owners

who completed outstanding projects. The program requires projects to be completed in the calendar

year prior to judging (2013). The recipients of the 2014 ACAPA Excellence Awards are:

Reliever & General Aviation Airports

Silver Award RecipientProject: Newton City/County Airport Runway 17-35 Reconstruction

Newton, KansasContractor: Pavers, Inc.Owner: City of Newton, KansasEngineer: HNTB Corporation

The World War II-era pavement on Runway 17-35 at the Newton City-County Airport in Newton, Kans.,

was experiencing numerous pavement distresses, including, swells, block cracking, and joint reflection

cracking.

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Engineers recommended a full depth reconstruction of the runway to address these existing pavement

deficiencies. During the design process, engineers ran a life cycle cost analysis on concrete and asphalt

pavement alternatives. The result of the life cycle cost analysis showed the estimated cost of each

alternative was relatively close, so the airport sponsor decided to bid both alternatives and let

competitive bids determine which alternate would be chosen. It was apparent the concrete was the

more economical pavement section, as no bids were received for the asphalt alternate.

A three-phase approach was used to construct the runway. This involved dividing the 7,000 ft runway

into three sections, allowing the runway to be open at a reduced length during two of the three

construction phases.

The project called for 80 contract calendar days for the north and south thirds of the runway, while the

center portion was expedited to 65 days to mitigate impacts to the airport’s tenants and transient air

traffic. Construction was completed five calendar days ahead of schedule and $72,000 under budget.

Gold Award RecipientProject: Reconstruction of Gwinner Municipal Airport/Roger Melroe Field

Gwinner, N.D.Contractor: Northern Improvement CompanyOwner: Gwinner Municipal Airport Authority, Gwinner, N.D.Engineer: Interstate Engineering, Inc.

Gwinner Municipal Airport is one of North Dakota’s largest general aviation airports. Before the

reconstruction, the runway and apron asphalt pavement were in poor condition; the lights were old;

the north runway end had approach surface penetrations; and only one fuel type was offered for sale

to the public aviators.

The complete reconstruction of Gwinner Municipal Airport/Roger Melroe Field with concrete involved

a 75 ft wide x 5000 ft long runway, taxiway, and two aprons. The project, which involved a

public/private partnership (including federal, state, and local funds), consisted of 6 in. of concrete

pavement supported with 8 in. of aggregate subbase. New runway edge lighting, storm sewer,

underdrains, edge-drains, and navigational aids also were installed .

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The runway was shifted approximately 220 feet to the southeast to eliminate the glideslope surface

penetrations. With local aggregate shortages engineers designed the pavement using existing asphalt

pavement blended with virgin aggregate for use as the subbase material. Alternate bids using a life

cycle cost factor was used in order to increase competition, and a life cycle cost factor of 15% was

allowed for the concrete pavement option.

 

Commercial & Military AirportsSilver Award RecipientProject: Terminal Apron Expansion at Charleston International Airport

Charleston, S.C.Contractor: McCarthy Improvement CompanyOwner: Charleston County Aviation AuthorityEngineer: ADC Engineering, Inc.

In late October of 2012, the Charleston Aviation Authority presented McCarthy Improvement

Company a notice to proceed on a $15.5 million terminal apron expansion project for the Charleston

International Airport.

The challenge to this project was to construct 60,000 SY of concrete pavement after completing

150,000 CY of earthwork, all without affecting the daily operations of the airport. Precise

management, coordination, scheduling, and production of the project were crucial.

Other circumstances also added to the project complexity. For example, at the time the project began,

the Boeing Company was in the test flight phase of its new 767 Dreamliner. They were under critical

deadlines to complete the test flights for this new state-of-the-art aircraft, and in turn, to deliver the

aircraft to customers around the world. The Boeing Company was using taxiway “Charlie” to bring

materials to their assembly plant day and night.

McCarthy was using taxiway “Charlie” as a haul road to place pavement directly adjacent to the

taxiway in Phase 2 of the project, and did so without affecting Boeing’s ongoing operations. Within 30

minutes’ notice of a Boeing flight arriving or departing, McCarthy had to clean all debris and clear all

materials, equipment, and personnel from within 120 ft of the taxiway.

McCarthy worked 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, for 150 days to complete three of the five phases for

the project. The project was completed on schedule, all without a single recordable safety incident,

and with only minimal impact to airport operations.

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Gold Award RecipientProject: P454 Beaufort U.S. Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Hangar Apron Addition

Beaufort, S.C.Contractor: McCarthy Improvement CompanyOwner: Naval Facilities Engineering Command - U.S. Navy (Southeast)Engineer: URS Group, Inc.

In June of 2010, McCarthy Improvement Company was solicited to perform the concrete paving work

involved with the P454 Hangar Apron Addition at Beaufort Marine Corps Air Station in Beaufort, S.C.

On the surface, the project appeared to be a straightforward aircraft apron project, but it turned out to

be considerably more complex.

The concrete paving portion of the project was scheduled to start in the spring 2013, and was the

contractor was given a four month schedule for completion. What appeared to be a simple job quickly

turned into a challenging project when the owner issued a stop work order on the project for redesign

of underground utilities within the concrete apron footprint.

After three months the design was complete and the amount of additional work was staggering.

However, to ensure that funding was still available to bring the F35B Joint Strike Fighter Mission to

Beaufort, the concrete apron paving had to be complete by the end of 2013; otherwise it could be up

to four years before funding would be available again. The entire work plan had to be redone.

McCarthy pooled its resources, along with those of its subcontractors and material suppliers to

formulate a schedule to work two shifts on the project, and as a result, completed the job on schedule.

Concrete Pavement Restoration (CPR) - AirportGold Award RecipientProject: 2013 Annual Airfield Pavement Rehabilitation

Denver, Colo.Contractor: Interstate Highway Construction, Inc.Owner/Engineer: City and County of Denver - Department of Aviation

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This concrete pavement restoration (CPR) project at Denver International Airport involved more than

14,000 SY of selective airfield concrete pavement removal and replacement on several aprons,

taxiways, and aircraft gate areas at one of the country’s busiest airports.

These annual airfield pavement rehabilitation projects are aimed at extending the service life of the

apron and taxiway areas, while maximizing the life of the overall pavement at a much lower cost than

full apron or taxiway removal and replacement.

In addition to the concrete replacement, the project required demolition and installation of airfield

lighting; selective spall and joint sealant repair; asphalt removal and replacement; and aggregate base

embankment construction.

Because of the close proximity to active aircraft traffic, a high degree of planning and communication

was required. The project was designed in 11 specified-duration phases that combined into 6 separate

milestones, all with associated liquidated damages for late completion.

The critical path was driven by six phases along taxiway A-A, scheduled to be constructed sequentially

with no overlap. The phases on taxiway A-A were reconfigured to shortening the impact to the airport

and the overall construction schedule. The duration of work on the taxiway was cut from the original

112 to 59 calendar days, but the scope increased by 30%. Even so, the project was completed 25 days

ahead of the contract duration.

Concrete Pavement Restoration (CPR) - RoadwayGold Award RecipientProject: F-I15-8(385)140, I-15; SR-30 to Idaho State Line

Box Elder County, UtahContractor: Multiple Concrete Enterprises, Inc.Owner/Engineer: Utah Department of Transportation - Region 1

This project was the largest dowel bar retrofit (DBR) project to be advertised and completed in the

United States for 2013.

It was also the largest ever for the State of Utah. Utah uses an A plus B bidding concept, which not only

requires a contractor to be the low bidder on contract items, but to also design a project schedule

that results in the shortest amount of construction time.

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The Utah DOT’s time allowance on this project was 180 calendar days. Multiple Concrete Enterprises’

aggressive completion time bid was 118 calendar days, but they actually completed the project seven

days early.

Pre-construction training conducted by the Utah Chapter ACPA and subsequent round table

discussions were implemented for all personnel involved it the project to provide a clear vision of the

road ahead. Because of the restriction of reducing the 65 mph speed limit through the work zones,

Multiple Concrete Enterprises was faced with additional safety issues while working continuous shifts

to meet the limited calendar day schedule.

The panel replacements exceeded the plan quantity by 165%. The smoothness specification for

grinding was a 5 in. mile, and Multiple Concrete Enterprises achieved an average 1.3 in. mile. As a

result of the team effort, this project not only will increase the longevity and function of the retrofit as

well as provide a superior ride for motorist.

Industrial PavingSilver Award RecipientProject: Cimarron Turnpike

Noble/Payne Counties, Okla.Contractor: Duit Construction Co., Inc.Owner: Oklahoma Turnpike AuthorityEngineer: Triad Design Group

Crossover head-on accidents are one of the most horrific accident types on America's highways. Back

in the early 1960's when the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority built many miles of turnpike system, the

design used a 15-foot-wide median with a dirt hump in the middle. This hump was approximately 2 ft

tall and was shaped as a rounded mound. Unfortunately, this design can become a launching ramp for

vehicles traveling at 75 miles per hour.

A concrete barrier wall that could prevent these accidents was cost prohibitive, but with the advent of

today's cable barrier design, the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority decided to reduce the risk of crossover

accidents by removing the existing dirt hump, filling the median with concrete pavement, and installing

a 4-cable cable barrier system.

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To install the barrier Duit Construction Co. pre-drilled all of the post holes before the concrete paving;

located the holes during the paving operation; and installed the cable posts in the plastic concrete

from the back of the slipform paver.

The first day's run yielded only a 300 ft x 15 ft paving day, but after refining the process and with

practice, the contractor was able to improve the process, and in a single day actually exceed 4,000

feet!. This innovative process saved the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority an estimate $3 million dollars.

Gold Award RecipientProject: 3rd Infantry Division (3ID) Tank Trail & Tactical Equipment Maintenance

Facility, Ft. Benning, Ga.Contractor: McCarthy Improvement Company Owner/Engineer: (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers) Savannah Corps of EngineersThe Ft. Benning Tank Trail and Tactical Equipment Maintenance Facility project required a great deal of

coordination. McCarthy Improvement Company had to coordinate efforts with the owner, general

contractor, and more than 20 different subcontractors and military base personnel. They had to

schedule work around military equipment movements and numerous ongoing training operations

during construction.

The three primary missions on this project were to open all areas as soon as possible; to minimize

construction impact on the base’s operations; and to complete the project on or before deadline.

The project schedule was tight and included important key dates for opening and closing different

areas of the base. The initial start date was delayed one week due to heavy deployment of military

equipment. The paving was being performed in the middle of the Brigade Training Facility and had to

be scheduled with the officer in command of the Brigade to avoid disrupting the training maneuvers.

The schedule of this work was limited to just a few days and had to be completed in phases to allow

soldiers of the Brigade access to the facility. The new concrete tank trail was the main entrance for all

of the other subcontractors and military workers who needed access to the maintenance facility. This

area was paved in two days, and within a week, was open to traffic. The tank trail was paved in10

paving days, and the hardstand was completed in 24 paving days. 

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Overlays (Highways)Silver Award RecipientProject: Overlay of Okarche Bypass

Kingfisher County, Okla.Contractor Duit Construction Co., Inc.Owner: Oklahoma Department of TransportationEngineers: Tetra Tech, Inc. and Russell Engineering, Inc.

Driving through the countryside of Kingfisher County in Oklahoma, the view of scenic farmland and

fields was often interrupted by potholes, ruts, and cracks that were part of the rough, old asphalt

roadway.

Thanks to the concrete overlay placed on the Okarche Bypass, these problems are a thing of the past.

Prior to paving, the drainage boxes were extended and shoulders were widened in preparation for the

new 24 ft. wide concrete pavement.

Alternate routes during construction were provided to the traveling public in Kingfisher County,

allowing the Okarche Bypass to be closed during construction. This allowed paving to be conducted on

the roadway in one 24 ft-wide pass.

The result was a smooth, 4-mile long roadway that was constructed efficiently in only three months.

The project had to be built in variable sections, because of the local farmers and traffic.

Duit Construction only closed sections of the road during the paving operations to avoid disruptions to

homeowners and others in the area.

With the old, rough roadway problem solved, the only problem the county has had since this

pavement has been placed is that it is so smooth, the County now has to patrol the road to slow traffic

down.

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Gold Award RecipientProject: US-75 Concrete Resurfacing

(Project Numbers 75-7 KA 0747-01 & 75-66 KA 0748-01)Brown and Nemaha Counties near Sabetha, Kansas

Contractor: Koss Construction CompanyOwner/Engineer: Kansas Department of Transportation

The overlay of Highway 75 in Brown and Nemaha Counties near Sabetha, Kansas was a challenging

project. It required a major commitment from Koss Construction Company, their subcontractors, and

the owner—Kansas Department of Transportation. The task given to the Koss team was to mill and

overlay pavement under two separate contracts which totaled over 5½ miles of mainline pavement.

The combined projects included seven intersections, seven driveways, and two turn lanes. These jobs

totaled nearly 145,000 squared yards of concrete paving and nearly 100,000 square yards of milling.

Overcoming, the weather conditions were a challenge because the highway was not allowed to be

shut down to one lane if was raining or if snow was accumulating. As the milling began, problems with

the milled surface started to arise. With heavy traffic, and the abundance of inclement weather, the

milled surface started to break apart. So the decision was made to mill another 4 inches, pulverize the

remaining 7” of asphalt, mix it with cement, and use it as a base. Once the operation began, traffic was

shut down to one lane. Koss provided a 24 hour flagging system using solar powered lights and a pilot

truck to escort the public through the job seven days a week. Twelve feet of mainline pavement and

the 10’ shoulder were paved with one pass and the project was successfully complete in spite of all the

challenges.

Overlays (Streets & Roads)Silver Award RecipientProject: Cass County Road 275 West Concrete Overlay

Cass County, Ind.Contractor: E&B Paving, Inc.Owner: Cass County, Ind.Engineer: CHA Consulting, Inc.

Built in the early 1960’s, this 1 mile stretch of old concrete roadway carries 1,100 vehicles per day with an estimated 60% truck traffic. With the pending opening of the Hoosier Heartland Highway, county officials determined it was time to improve Cass County Road 275 West with an unbonded concrete overlay.

Bids were very competitive, with less than $300 separating the first and second bid on this $721,000 project.

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After handling temporary access, drainage structure install, pavement cleaning and joint repair, placement of the 1 in. asphalt separation layer, and subbase preparation for six full-depth transition sections, E&B Paving, Inc. placed the 9.5 in. full-depth and 6.5 in. overlay sections at 24 ft wide.

Although conventional dowels were placed in the full-depth sections, plate dowels were used in the 6.5 in. overlays. Overall this project included 10,270 SY of 6.5 in. overlay, 3,619 SY of full-depth 9.5 in. pavement, and 1,192 SY of 9.5 in. approaches, all placed in seven total paving days. Gold Award RecipientProject: Carroll Street Concrete Overlay Project

Macomb, Ill.Contractor: Laverdiere ConstructionOwner: City of Macomb, Ill.Engineer: Maurer-Stutz, Inc.

This highly traveled one-way street is a common route to schools, stores, and restaurants in Macomb, Ill. The existing street was constructed as a circular crown brick pavement with stone curbs and several asphalt pavement overlays. To minimize costs and maximize sustainability, a bonded 4 in. concrete overlay was selected instead of removal and replacement of the existing pavement.

The existing stone curbs were removed and replaced with new curb and gutter and improved drainage structures. The existing asphalt surface was milled to adjust the profile and fix existing cross slopes where possible. The 4 in. concrete overlay included structural-fibers and a 4-ft square saw cut pattern.

Along with the new pavement, a majority of the sidewalks were replaced with 5-ft. wide sidewalks and ADA compliant ramps at all intersections.

Municipal Streets & Roads <30,000 SYSilver Award RecipientProject: North Salt Lake Center Street Reconstruction

North Salt Lake, UtahContractor: Acme ConstructionOwner/Engineer: City of North Salt Lake

Center Street carries traffic through the center of North Salt Lake City, including destinations such as City Hall and the main city park.

As part of a long term, master-planned reconstruction of the city center, North Salt Lake decided to replace Center Street as a concrete road. Early in the design process, the city established its criteria for a cost-efficient, aesthetically pleasing, and durable pavement.

Concrete pavement was selected as the best option to meet these criteria and the long term needs of the city.

The city worked closely with the Utah Chapter-ACPA throughout the design and construction process.

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Recommendations and short term value engineering suggestions provided by the chapter greatly contributed to the success of the project.

Because of the exceptional construction quality achieved by Acme Construction, this road will serve the people of North Salt Lake for decades to come. Gold Award RecipientProject: 79th Street Reconstruction Design-Build Project (Between Pflumm and

Lackman) Lenexa, KansasContractor: Emery Sapp & Sons, Inc.Owner: City of Lenexa, KansasEngineer: GBA

This project involved 1 mile of a busy stretch of 79th Street that connects Lackman Road and Pflumm Road in Lenexa, Kans.

Although the city originally planned for an asphalt pavement on the section, the Emery Sapp & Sons and GBA design-build team submitted an Alternative Technical Concept for concrete pavement that was accepted, translating to savings for taxpayers.

An elementary school, a church, an array of soccer and baseball fields, and the city’s Public Works Operations Complex that supplies fuel to all city vehicles were along this critical section of 79th Street. To further complicate matters, several significant infrastructure projects were taking place in the area, including two within the pavement limits, and the City’s noise ordinance prevented night pours.

Also, the project was further challenged because of inclement weather. The project received the notice to proceed in late March. Design began immediately, but because of adverse winterweather (snow, ice, and cold temperatures), the project construction start date had to be pushed to late April.

Variable width paving and LED lighting are among the many recent innovations incorporated in the project.

Municipal Streets & Intersections (>30,000 SY)Silver Award RecipientProject: Rt. 169 HWY & 108th Street

Clay County, Mo.Contractor: Ideker, Inc. Owner: Clay County, Mo.Engineer: Burns & McDonnell

This project involved one of two at-grade intersections with temporary traffic signals still remaining on the federal/state freeway system in Missouri. The new free-flow interchange included roundabouts at the ramp terminals and at a new intersection.

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Ideker moved over 300,000 CY of soil and completed more than 44,000 SY of concrete pavement, including three concrete roundabouts along with over 20,500 lineal ft of concrete curb— all in less than 8 months.

The timely and efficient completion of this interchange opens up over 1,000 acres of residential, commercial, industrial, and office development which, over the next 20 years, is projected to return in excess of $1.2B of public revenue.

The used of concrete pavement provides Kansas City and the Missouri DOT with reduced future maintenance costs, further extending their limited budgets.

Gold Award RecipientProject: STH 96 / Main Street

Village of Little Chute, Wis.Contractor: Vinton Construction CompanyOwner: Village of Little Chute, Wis.Engineer: Mead & Hunt, Inc. and McMahon Group

Main Street is an east/west urban arterial carrying over 7,800 vehicles per day—including 500 trucks per day—through a residential and commercial area.

The existing roadway was a concrete pavement constructed in 1957, a 56-year old pavement that had never been resurfaced. Reconstruction of this corridor required an extraordinary level of planning to minimize the impacts to the 29 businesses, 110 residents, 12 intersections, and 139 driveways within the project limits.

The major items of work on the project consisted of removing 30,840 SY of concrete pavement, which was crushed on-site and recycled into the new base. It also involved 45,129 CY of excavation; 19,587 tons of base aggregate; and 38,031 SY of 8-in. doweled concrete pavement.

Every aspect of the project from conception to completion was carefully thought out, well executed, and a huge success.

Urban Arterials & CollectorsGold Award RecipientProject: Flintlock Road Overpass of I-35

Liberty, Mo.Contractor: Ideker Inc.Owner: Missouri Department of Transportation Engineer: HNTB Corporation

To help address the area’s growing transportation needs, the cities of Liberty and Kansas City, Mo.,

along with the Missouri DOT, The Liberty School District, and the City of Pleasant Valley, contracted

with Ideker, Inc., to construct an extension of Flintrock Rd. over Interstate-35, providing a much-

needed additional crossing of the Interstate in the area.

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Despite falling behind schedule early in the project due to an unusually wet sprint, Ideker was able to

make up the time with an aggressive paving schedule and the use of stringless paving technology,

which was used for both trimming and paving operations.

In addition to the use of stringless technology, this 20,000 SY paving project incorporated several other

innovative technologies, including the use of a ternary concrete mixture and maturity testing for early

opening to traffic. This was also one of the first quality management projects let by the Missouri DOT.

In the end, the contractor was able to deliver a quality concrete pavement project, relieving

congestion and enhancing safety, all ahead of schedule.

County RoadsSilver Award RecipientProject: SH-19 & Latta Road, The Chickasaw Nation

Ada, Okla.Contractor: TTK Construction Co., Inc.Owner: The Chickasaw NationEngineer: ATKINS

The Latta Road Project consisted of adding dedicated turn lanes in all directions of the intersection of a

major artery entering the City of Ada, the headquarters location for the Chickasaw Nation.

The project was a cooperative effort between thee Oklahoma Department of Transportation, ATKINS

Engineering, the City of Ada, and the Chickasaw Nation.

The project involved the removal of 17,000 SY of concrete pavement and 5,000 SY of asphalt

pavement, then replacing the old pavement with 30,000 SY of 8 in. cement-stabilized subgrade, and

26,000 SY of 9.5 in. thick, dowel-jointed concrete pavement.

Rather than placing temporary detours with asphalt, TTK Construction elected to construct the detours

with concrete, allowing the detours to be left in place as concrete shoulders after the project was

completed.

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All the work was completed accident-free, under budget, and ahead of schedule, earning the

contractor a $140,000 early-completion bonus. This project is not only a great example of a team

effort, it is also an excellent example of the contractor and agency cooperating to build an outstanding

project that will be sustainable for many years to come.

Gold Award RecipientProject: Woodbury County- D-51 Port Neal

Woodbury County, IowaContractor: Cedar Valley Corp., LLCOwner/Engineer: Woodbury County

This project called for the removal of a 4.2-mile stretch of existing 6-in. concrete pavement built in

1961, and replacing it with a new section of variable-depth concrete pavement.

Two items that make this project stand out above others are the outstanding quality of the finished

project and the exceptional job Cedar Valley Corp., LLC did in maintaining access to local property

owners and businesses.

Cedar Valley Corp. achieved an average smoothness of 0.58 in. per mile, using a 2/10 in. blanking

band, despite significant challenges associated with narrow shoulder that did not allow construction

access, as well as a bridge that was to narrow to allow the paving train to pass.

Aggressive public engagement techniques were used to explain the construction process and discuss

access issues. In addition, maturity testing was used to enable earlier opening to traffic. In the end,

Cedar Valley Corp. earned the maximum 3 percent thickness bonus and 92.44 of the smoothness

bonus, all with minimal disruption to the local property owners and businesses.

State RoadsSilver Award RecipientProject: K-18 Reconstruction/Expansion

Projects No. 18-81 KA 0410-04/05Riley County, Kansas

Contractor: Koss Construction CompanyOwner/Engineer: Kansas Department of Transportation

This project, along a 5.5 mile strength of heavily-traveled, four lane highway in to the City of

Manhattan, Kans., included three major interchanges, two large roundabouts, seven bridges, eight

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retaining walls, numerous drainage improvements, the relocation of two frontage road and the

reconstruction of two frontage roads, and the reconstruction of three city streets. It also included over

400,000 SY of concrete pavement in varying depths of 4 in. of granular base.

The project was phased to allow the numerous businesses adjacent to the project ot stay open and to

keep the heavy flow of traffic between Manhattan and Fort Riley moving. By working with the Kansas

Department of Transportation to change the project sequence, side roads and frontage roads were

paved under an accelerated schedule in order to minimize the impact on local businesses.

A total of 1.2 million CY OF earth was moved to realign this major highway. Despite the project

complexity, multiple phases and thee more than 50 traffic switches required, Koss Construction was

able to achieve 50% of the total available incentive, with over 85% of sections qualifying for

smoothness incentives.

Gold Award RecipientProject: Highway 63

Black Hawk County, IowaContractor: Cedar Valley Corp., LLCOwner/Engineer: Iowa Department of Transportation

This project included 5.5 miles of highway from U.S. 20 South through the town of Hudson, Iowa. The

project included complex staging at five separate calendar-day completion sites. The existing

pavement, consisting of a 6.5 in. asphalt overlay over 10 in. of concrete pavement, was recycled and

used as base material under the new pavement.

Cedar Valley Corp., LLC placed almost 112,000 SY of 7 in., 9 in., and 9.5 in. mainline paving, as well as

28,000 SY of 7 in. shoulder paving. Several value engineering proposals were submitted during the

project, enhancing traffic patterns, and project staging, and reducing the time under detours by almost

a month.

A significant challenge to this project included the wettest spring in 141 years of recorded weather

history in Iowa. To address the significant flooding taking their haul road out of commission, Cedar

Valley Corp. implemented an innovative approach, using their Iowa Special paver, which allowed

trucks to back down the grade.

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Despite challenges, Cedar Valley Corp., LLC earned the maximum thickness and mix bonus, and 71.86%

of the smoothness bonus. In addition, the crew worked 25,488 man hours without a loss-time injury

or vehicular accident.

Roller Compacted Concrete (Industrial)Gold Award RecipientProject: Norfolk Southern Charlotte Regional Intermodal Facility

Charlotte, N.C.Contractor: A.G. Peltz Group, LLCOwner: Norfolk Southern Railway CompanyEngineers: Patrick Engineering and The Milord Company

This project at the Charlotte Regional Intermodal Facility consisted of 26,977 SY of 17 in. roller

compacted concrete (RCC); 20,310 SY OF 10 in. RCC; and 232,352 SY OF 9 in. RCC pavement.

Using their in-house blending programs, A.G. Peltz Group, LLC developed an optimized blend of three

aggregates and 14.5% cement content, achieving compressive strengths exceeding 5,000 psi and 650

psi flexural strengths at 28 days.

The contractor used high density paving machines with paving widths ranging from 18 ft to 29 ft.

Paving machines were fed by natural transfer devices so that a contactless, uninterrupted material

supply could be achieved, with enhanced pavement smoothness and quality.

A.G. Peltz implemented a maximum 15-ft. joint spacing plan to reduce slab lengths and improve load

transfer at the joints, thereby reducing the opportunity for mid-panel cracking.

The Intermodal Facility’s yard is currently operating at near capacity with no significant RCC-related

pavement issues noted to date. The owner also has since specified the use of RCC pavement for

additional container terminals.

Divided Highways (Rural)Silver Award RecipientProject: Interstate-40

Okmulgee/Okfuskee Counties, Okla.Contractor: Duit Construction Co., Inc.Owner/Engineer: Oklahoma Department of Transportation

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This Duit Construction Co., Inc. and TTK Construction Co., Inc. joint venture project involved a full

pavement rehabilitee of a 6.3 mile section of the old four-lane highway. Duit Construction was able to

complete $26 million project ahead of schedule to achieve an early project completion incentive, while

also coming in under budget with no outstanding claims.

To better prepare for unforeseen weather issues, both heaters and chillers were incorporated into

batching during weather-impacted months. The contractors used a portable crusher to crush the

existing concrete in place, and in turn, to use it as aggregate base for the new pavement.

By crushing the concrete in place, no trucking was involved to move the broken concrete. This helped

expedite the project schedule and helped alleviate the truck traffic associated with bringing in

aggregate base from an outside source.

By using phasing to their advantage and eliminating a number of cold joints around on/off ramps, Duit

Construction was able to achieve 78% of the ride incentive.  

Gold Award RecipientProject: I-70 Reconstruction

(Project No. 70-91 K 0718-01Projects)Sherman County, Kans.

Contractor: Koss Construction CompanyOwner: Kansas Department of TransportationEngineer: Burns & McDonnell

The reconstruction of this section of Interstate-70 in Sherman County (near Goodland, Kans.), involved

a 12.5 mile long project totaling 650,300 SY of four-lane concrete pavement, including three

interchanges and rest areas on both westbound and eastbound sides.

The project specifications called for 12 in. of fly-ash treated subgrade, 4 in. of cement-treated base,

and 11.5 inches of concrete pavement. The granular base shoulders were based with recycled

concrete material.

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In spite of 13 superelevations encountered with slopes as high as 8%, and 15 at-grade bridges (which

generated 28 approaches, Koss Construction Co. was able to pave the 24 ft. mainline of 25 total miles

in just 36 days.

Through careful attention to concrete consistency, consolidation, and thickness, Koss Construction

was able to earn almost 50% of the available smoothness bonus, with more than 87% of all sections

tested eligible for incentives.

Partnering and careful management were essential to the success of this project. All members of the

team rose to the challenged and produced a high quality, smooth pavement that should provide

service for many years to come.

Divided Highways (Urban)Silver Award RecipientProject: Rapid Reconstruction I-70 & I-65 South Split

Indianapolis, Ind.Contractor: Milestone Contractors, L.P.Owner: Indiana Department of Transportation, Greenfield DistrictEngineer: Parsons Corporation

This project involved the reconstruction of a section of the Interstate-65 and Interstate-70 split in

downtown Indianapolis in order to address a low clearance issue with a bridge.

To achieve both the desired clearance and longevity, the Indiana DOT selected 11.5 in. continuously

reinforced concrete. pavement (CRCP) on a 3 in. hot-mix asphalt base over 6 in. of drainable base.

This fast-track project allowed a maximum 80 days to complete the job, with incentives offered for

early completion and penalties for delayed completion.

Milestone’s planning and continuous attention to detail resulted in a very successful, rapid

construction project, including the placement of 2.2 lbs of reinforcing steel ahead of paving in just 11

days. Using stringless paving and real-time smoothness technology, Milestone earned 62% of the

available smoothness incentive on mainline paving, and 24% on remaining pavement areas.

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All of this work was completed in only 44 days, 36 days ahead of the maximum specified schedule,

earning the contractor an additional incentive for their ability to return this critical section of Interstate

highway to the traveling public well ahead of schedule.

Gold Award RecipientProject: Western Wake Freeway - NC 540

Wake County, N.C.Contractor: Archer Western ContractorsOwner: North Carolina Turnpike AuthorityEngineer: Michael Baker

This design-build toll facility, the largest highway construction project in North Carolina history,

stretches more than 13 miles through suburban Raleigh.

The project included 34 bridges, more than 6 million CY of excavation and embankment, 15 box

culverts, and894,000 SY of jointed plain concrete pavement.

The project was constructed by Raleigh-Durham Roadbuilders, a joint-venture between Archer

Western Contractors and Granite Construction Co.

The Western Wake Freeway was a 100% grind project and resulted in exceptional smoothness with

average International Roughness Index readings in the 30’s.

This project also was the first project for the North Carolina DOT to incorporate stringless technology

from excavation through the final paving sections. In addition, a plan was developed to open more

than half of the project a full year earlier than the originally-scheduled final completion date. This

allowed the owner to begin collecting toll revenue much sooner than the financial plan anticipated,

resulting in additional revenue for the project. This also raised the possibility for an early pavoff of the

project bonds.

About the Excellence Awards

This year’s 26 awards represent 13 categories of construction and preservation of concrete pavements

used for highways, roadways, airports, and industrial pavement facilities.

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The ACPA Excellence in Concrete Pavements awards are made possible, in large measure, because of

the generous time commitment of independent judges from across the country. The judges each

spend many hours reviewing executive summaries, project details, photographs, and other details and

aspects of project submittals.

ACPA presents awards in both gold and silver levels. Judging is based on a point system, with

independent judges awarding points for quality construction, addressing unique and unusual

challenges, innovation, traffic management, and other criteria. In the case of ties, award judges

present awards to co-winners.

About the American Concrete Pavement Association

The American Concrete Pavement Association is the national trade association for the concrete

pavement industry. The primary mission of the ACPA is to create and maintain a strong national

presence through dynamic, strategic leadership; effective technical expertise and resources; and

persuasive advocacy on behalf of the concrete pavement industry.

Founded in 1963, the American Concrete Pavement Association is headquartered in Chicago at 9450

West Bryn Mawr Ave., Suite 150, Rosemont, Ill. 60018. Telephone: 847.966.2272. The Association’s

metropolitan Washington, DC-office is located at 3925 Chain Bridge Road, Suite 300, Fairfax, Va.

22030. Phone: 202.638.2272. Visit us on the web at www.acpa.org.

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Editorial Contact & Photos:Photos depicting the recipients of the 25th Annual ACPA “Excellence in Concrete Pavement Awards,” as well as photos depicting award-wining projects, are available from ACPA. For additional information, please contact Bill Davenport, Vice President – Communications, American Concrete Pavement Association. Phone: 847.423.8703. E-mail: bdavenport@acpa.org.

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