Awards and honours at the Asphalt Recycling and Reclaiming Association Annual Meeting
During the 43rd Annual Meeting of the Asphalt Recycling & Reclaiming Association (ARRA) held in Cancun, Mexico awarded and honoured the leading lights in the asphalt recycling and reclaiming industry.
Incorporated in September 1976, the Asphalt Recycling & Reclaiming Association’s primary function has been to promote the recycling of existing roadway materials through various construction methodologies, to preserve limited natural resources and reduce costs. This ongoing effort continues through education, strategic alliances and partnering at both the industry and agency level.
The ARRA is a founding member of the Pavement Preservation & Recycling Alliance along with the Asphalt Emulsion Manufacturers Association and the International Slurry Surfacing Association. PPRA is a partnership of leading industry associations (AEMA, ARRA, ISSA) to advance sustainable, eco efficient, and innovative pavement applications.
ARRA Richard E. Lowell President’s Award
The ARRA honoured former President John Rathbun for his lengthy and extensive service to ARRA and the recycling and reclaiming industry by naming him as the recipient of the 2019 Richard E. Lowell President’s Award.
Each year, the Richard E. Lowell President’s Award is presented to an individual who has, through long term involvement, worked to advance the goals of the Asphalt Recycling & Reclaiming Association and to promote the growth and technological advances of the industry. With his long involvement in ARRA, serving in almost every position available including a term as president, and currently serving as ARRA’s Government Relations Committee Chair, and his long tenure in the industry, ARRA President Darren Coughlin noted that Rathbun is an obvious choice for this award.
During the Recognition Dinner, former ARRA Presidents Patrick Faster, Gallagher Asphalt Corporation, and Mike Polak, Recon Construction Services Inc., spoke to Rathbun’s unwavering service to the association and the industry.
Rathbun is the Vice President, Sales, at Cutler Repaving, where he has been employed since 1977. He holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Kansas.
ARRA and Roads & Bridges Magazine 2019 Recycling Award Winners
Three awardees were named as ARRA / Roads & Bridges Recycling Awards winners this year, and two honourees were present to be recognized during this year’s Annual Meeting.
The 2019 ARRA / Roads & Bridges Honourees were:
Full-Depth Reclamation
- PROJECT: Indiana DOT R-39636-A, S.R. 101, Allen County, Ind.
- LENGTH: 9 miles
- COST: $6,004,000
- %RAP USED: 70%
- DESIGNER: USI Consultants Inc.
- OWNER: Indiana DOT
- CONTRACTORS: Brooks Construction, Specialties Co., Asphalt Materials Inc.
Cold In-Place Recycling
- PROJECT: U.S. 191 Indian Canyon, Duchesne County, Utah
- LENGTH: 12.7 canter line miles
- COST: $4,118,830
- %RAP USED: 100%
- DESIGNER: Dave Gill, Utah DOT, Region 3
- OWNER: Utah DOT
- CONTRACTORS: Burdick Materials, a Staker Parson Co., and Coughlin Co.
Cold In-Place Recycling
- PROJECT: Rosehill Road Recycling & Improvement Project, Jackson County, Mich.
- LENGTH: 1.05 miles
- COST: $386,000
- %RAP USED: 100%
- COST SAVINGS: $196,000
- DESIGNER: Jackson County DOT
- OWNER: Jackson County COT
- CONTRACTOR: Michigan Paving & Materials Co.
Read the full articles on the Roads & Bridges website.
ARRA 2019 Special Recognition Award Winners
The ARRA congratulated four individuals as recipients of 2019 ARRA Special Recognition Awards.
Each year, via the ARRA Special Recognition Awards, ARRA recognizes public officials and consulting engineers who have made outstanding contributions to the asphalt recycling and reclaiming industry. Nominations are submitted by ARRA members and the ARRA technical committees review all nominations and select the award winners.
The first recipient recognized was Brian Diefenderfer, Associate Principal Research Scientist with the Virginia Transportation Research Council, the winner of this year’s Charles R. Valentine Award for Excellence in Cold Recycling. He has led the efforts for Virginia’s I-81 In-Place Recycling Project, which incorporated cold planing, cold recycling, both in-place and cold central plant, and full-depth reclamation. He was instrumental in VDOT’s construction of three test sections at the NCAT test track which incorporated both CCPR and FDR. He has also participated in revising the use guidelines for cold recycled materials in VDOT’s Materials Division Manual of Instructors for Pavement Design. Brian will be presented with his plaque in June at the Virginia Pavement Research & Innovation Symposium.
The 2019 Award for Excellence in Soil Stabilization went to Tom Soucy, Deputy County Engineer for the Cass County, ND, Highway Department. Soucy partnered with Jonathan Pease, ARRA Vice President, in the presentation of the ARRA regional seminars in North Dakota. Soucy has helped advance the use of soil stabilization both in his county and throughout the midwest. Since 2012, Cass County, North Dakota, has completed more than 1.4 million square yards of soil stabilization, with more than half a million square yards in 2017 alone. Over the year, Cass County has continued to improve its soil stabilization specification and partner with our industry to provide a more consistent, higher-performing stabilized layer. In 2016, Cass County hosted one of two regional ARRA In-Place Recycling & Reclaiming Seminars, leading to the development of several in-place recycling projects in North Dakota, South Dakota, and Minnesota. In 2017, Soucy also presented on soil stabilization at another regional seminar in Dickinson, North Dakota.
Next, ARRA recognized Duane Alverson, County Engineer, Lake County Highway Department, as the recipient of the 2019 ARRA Award for Excellence in Full-Depth Reclamation. After attending an LTAP conference and seeing a presentation on full-depth reclamation, Alverson was motivated to try adding emulsified asphalt for their next FDR project. The Clay Street project stretches 3.2 miles and reclaims more than 45,000 square yards of existing asphalt and aggregate base. Implementing FDR with asphalt emulsion is estimated to cost the same as their previous technique of crushing, shaping, and overlaying but will not require them to raise the elevation of their existing road.
The final special recognition award went to Jim Rollins, Director of the Department of Public Works in the town of Winchester, Connecticut, as the winner of the 2019 Award for Excellence in Hot In-Place Recycling. Rollins took a common sense and aggressive approach to learning about hot in-place recycling and other ARRA recycling methods, visiting many job sites across Connecticut and speaking to engineers and other public works officials to see what methods would work best in his town. In July of 2018, Rollins partnered with Garrity Asphalt Reclaiming to start a 68,000 square yard hot in-place recycling project for the town of Winchester, Connecticut. In addition, he covered the HIR with Chip Seal to further recognize the benefits of pavement preservation products. He spoke to other towns and municipalities and continues to promote all disciplines of recycling through the state.
ARRA 2019-2020 Board of Directors
The ARRA elected its officers and Board of Directors for the 2019-2020 term.
Eric Baker, Roadtec Inc., was elected as President of ARRA. Baker is Vice President of Sales & Marketing for Roadtec. Stepping into the role of Vice President is Jonathan Pease, President of Rock-Solid Stabilization & Reclamation, and Kimbel Stokes, General Manager for The Miller Group, Inc., will serve as Secretary/Treasurer. Rounding out the officers, Darren Coughlin, Coughlin Company, will serve as Past President.
Elected for the 2019-2020 term, ARRA directors include Mike Marshall, Wirtgen America; David Peterson, Caterpillar Paving Products, Inc.; Jason Wielinski, Heritage Research Laboratories/Asphalt Materials, Inc.; Ron Wilson, Dustrol, Inc.; and new directors Trevor Moore, Miller Paving Limited; and Bryan Ray, Allstates Pavement. Steve Cross, PE, Oklahoma State University, will continue as ARRA’s technical director. Ryan Essex, Miller Paving Limited, moved off the Board as he completed his term as Past President.
