K. Barnett & Sons Inc., Clovis, N.M., has won the 2002 NAPA Sheldon G. Hayes Award for excellence in construction of asphalt pavement.
The Sheldon G. Hayes recipient is determined through a two-year process. Highway pavement projects using more than 50,000 tons of hot-mix asphalt are eligible for consideration. Initially, the must win a Quality in Construction (QIC) Award, which is determined by numerical scores given by pavement engineers at the National Center for Asphalt Technology on the basis of how well the contractor met the specifications and achieved density on the finished pavement. All the pavements that meet a benchmark figure are given the QIC award.
The year after a project wins a QIC Award, it may be considered for the Hayes Award. The top-ranked projects from each year are tested for smoothness, then visually inspected by an independent pavement consultant with years of experience in the industry.
The award-winning project was the rehabilitation of 4.6 miles of I-25 in Dona Ana County. The road had suffered significant rutting and alligator cracking. Project work included cold milling, in-situ cold recycling and overlay. The contractor also handled metal barrier installation, erosion control measures, traffic control and permanent signing.
The close cooperation of the paving contractor and the state highway department helped achieve the project's outstanding results. For the cold milling operations, for example, the partners discussed, evaluated and then agreed to the use of a 40-ft ski to ensure a roadway with a smoother finish. Because of the volume of traffic on the route, the DOT chose a Superpave mix for the road.
"This project is a credit to the contractor and the DOT, but most important it benefits the traveling public," said Tony Clark, district engineer for the New Mexico State Highway and Transportation Department.
