ISSA 2017 Award Winners

Each year, the ISSA President’s Award is presented to recognize those contracting achievements that best exemplify the highest quality of workmanship and materials, and conformance to best practices as defined by the International Slurry Surfacing Association. Submissions are judged based on customer satisfaction, innovation and complexity, appearance, and safety. 

In 2017, the ISSA President’s Award was awarded to Downer EDI Works Pty Ltd for the Microsurfacing VicRoads Statewide Contract project.

VicRoads manages the arterial road network in Victoria, Australia, and its use as an integral part of the overall transportation system.  This project, completed by Downer EDI Works, involved work across three separate VicRoads regions, including 43 separate sites, with coordination of individual region priorities and requirements.  The primary work was to supply and lay microsurfacing (Type III, 7mm aggregate), with the objective of improving of both pavement ride and shape.

The complexity of the VicRoads project included the delivery of microsurfacing over geographically isolated locations, involving long haulage distance, lack of suitable stockpile locations, and supplying of potable water given the remote locations.  Three separate microsurfacing designs were used for the project.  The work included culturally and environmentally sensitive areas, due to works around major tourist attractions, and delivery around peak tourist seasons.

Downer implemented several Zero Harm initiatives for project safety including an interactive system to discuss daily risks and hazards with thcrew, training in a Red Zone initiative to incude a 10 meter exclusion zone around the mobile plant, and implementation of a near miss reporting system.

The project exemplied the criteria of the ISSA President’s Award, showcasing high quality results achieved using microsurfacing to extend and improve the characteristics of their network asset.  The contract was delivered on time, within budget, and without any safety or environmental impacts.

The ISSA Excellence in Pavement Preservation is presented annually to an Owner/Agency or Engineering Firm responsible for specifying and managing a pavement preservations program utilizing the applications represented by ISSA (slurry surfacing, micro surfacing, chip sealing, cape sealing, crack treating, and other asphalt emulsion-based surface treatments).

The Town of Fairfield, CT, received the award this year in the North America category for performing as a model agency champion for pavement preservation.   

The Town of Fairfield manages a 288 centerline mile network (275 miles of roads, plus the equivalent of 13 miles in parking lots). Their cost-effective pavement management program has a proven multi-year track record of success. The Town of Fairfield implemented 11 different pavement management treatments during the 2016 construction season, will 87% of the nearly 62 miles improved utilizing preservation treatments higher up the curve than traditional mill-and-fill.

Sealcoating, Inc., in nominating the Town of Fairfield, noted that they were fearless innovators, astute asset managers, regional leaders, outstanding communicators, and fully committed to pavement preservation.

Under the leadership of Scott Bartlett, Superintendent of Public Works Operations, Fairfield has consistently been a leader in seaking new pavement preservation treatment.  In the last four years, they have utilized two different crack sealants, and multiple variations of chip seals, micro surfacing, and cape seals.  When approached by Sealcoating, Inc., Bartlett volunteered to host a field trial to evaluate the long-term durability of different micro surfacing mixes with various performance additives.

Additionally, Bartlett periodically reviews the Equivalent Annual Costs of all the treatments in his program, and has shown that keeping good roads in good condition with proactive pavement preservation provides the best value for taxpayers. 

With the continual work to improve an already robust pavement preservation program, Sealcoating, Inc. noted, “We firmly believe Fairfield, CT has become a model agency for pavement preservation.”

From time to time, the ISSA Board of Directors confers Honorary Membership upon individuals or firms for their service to the association or to the industry. 

During the 2017 Annual meeting, ISSA President Rusty Price recognized three individuals as new ISSA Honorary Members.  Honored were Roger Cahoon, 1994 ISSA President, W. Roy Allan, 1990 ISSA President, and his wife Gay Allan, a longtime ISSA participant and historian.