Skip to main content

NAPA award for airport paving excellence

NAPA gave its 2019 award for airport paving excellence to Preferred Materials, part of the CRH Group.
By MJ Woof February 20, 2020 Read time: 2 mins
Jacksonville’s Herlong Recreational Airport (HEG) now features a high quality runway and taxiways - image © Courtesy NAPA/Preferred Materials Inc, A CRH Co

The National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA) recently gave its prestigious 2019 Ray Brown Airport Pavement Award to Preferred Materials, part of the CRH Group, of Jacksonville, Florida. The firm was winner for excellence in construction of an asphalt pavement for its work at Jacksonville’s Herlong Recreational Airport (HEG). The company was recognised at a ceremony during the association’s 65th Annual Meeting.

“The asphalt pavement industry is committed to building high-quality projects that deliver superior performance to the travelling public. All contractors’ projects earning a Quality in Construction award are measured against best practices designed to live up to that commitment,” said 2019 NAPA chairman John Harper. “Earning the Ray Brown Award demonstrates that Preferred Materials has met or exceeded these rigorous standards.”

Preferred Materials won the award for the rehabilitation of Herlong Recreational Airport’s Runway 11/29 and Taxiways C and D. The existing lime rock pavement at the airport was milled and added to make a new lime rock base, which was then paved with two lifts of FAA P-401 asphalt mixture. Full-depth asphalt pavement and lime rock removal was performed at the end of Runway 11/29 and then built up with soil, seed and sod. The job was completed in 90 days.

The award is named after Ray Brown, the Director of the National Center for Asphalt Technology from 1991-2007. Under Ray’s guidance and tenure, the centre became renowned for its asphalt pavement research. The award is presented to the highest scoring Quality in Construction — Airport Pavement project.

Related Content

  • Concrete surface for runway paving job
    January 18, 2016
    The Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Broward County, Florida, was suffering departure delays on every single flight. The existing 9R-27L runway was too short at 1615m in length, affecting capacity at the airport. To deal with the issue, the Broward County Board of County Commissioners created a plan to extend the southern runway to 2438m to accommodate larger commercial aircraft. The project was not simple however and could not be achieved by tearing out the existing runway and buil
  • Muscat Airport contract for Cooper
    February 9, 2012
    A huge project in Oman will see a proposed new terminal at Muscat International Airport, which has been budgeted at US$1.17 billion, completed by 2014. It will have the capacity to handle 12 million passengers annually, and further expansions planned by The Ministry of Transport and Communication in three subsequent phases will ultimately boost the airport’s capacity to 48 million passengers annually by 2050.
  • Bitumen trade bodies lead the carbon charge
    October 18, 2024
    On either side of the Atlantic, bitumen, asphalt and paving trade bodies are pushing their members to cut more carbon associated with their paving activities. Kristina Smith reports.
  • Finalists announced for bauma Innovation Award 2019
    February 14, 2019
    The competition is a joint project led by the German Engineering Federation, the Main Association of the German Construction Industry, the Central Association of the German Construction Industry, the German Association of Building Materials - Rock and Earth and bauma. More information about the awards can be found at by clicking here. https://www.baumainnovationspreis.de/en/