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

  • PPRA Niagara Falls: getting better value for road maintenance budgets
    August 19, 2015
    Larger road budgets would go a long way towards maintaining in top shape highway infrastructure across the United States and Canada. But even considering what is being spent now, are road owners and highway contractors getting the biggest bang for their buck? That’s what delegates to this year’s Pavement Preservation Recycling Alliance conference in the beautiful Canadian resort city of Niagara Falls will find out from October 13-15. “One of the things that I learned in Paris at the first Pavement Preser
  • IRF honours outstanding road achievements
    March 7, 2012
    The IRF presented 12 Global Road Achievement Awards (GRAA), the 2008 Student Essay Competition winner, and three Lifetime Distinguished Service Awards at its Annual Awards Banquet at The Mayflower Hotel, Washington DC on 12 January.
  • Latest bitumen mixes improve roads, reduce noise
    February 14, 2012
    Special bitumen mixes and machines are capable of improving the service life of roads and reducing noise. Mike Woof and Patrick Smith report. The need to improve traffic flow in an important part of the City of Poznan, Poland, led to the decision to build a new 1.13km long dual carriageway.
  • Iowa expects longer lasting road surface
    June 9, 2015
    In the US state of Iowa, tough paving specifications are resulting in contractors delivering road surfaces that will last longer. The Iowa Department of Transportation (I-DOT) expects to see a highway road surface last 20 years and recently let the contract for a 25.7km road resurfacing project for Highway 92 between Winterset and Greenfield. The 40km link between the two towns sees an average 1,365 cars/day travel on the highway, which was last worked on in 1994 and its surface was due for replacement.