The American Concrete Pavement Association (ACPA) is pleased to name the recipients of its distinguished service and recognition awards. The awards program was established in 1968, when the first honoree was James W. Johnson, Iowa Highway Commission Testing Lab, for the invention of the slip form paver.
Harold J. Halm Presidential Award
The Harold J. Halm Presidential Award was presented to Suneel N. Vanikar, P.E., Pavement Design and Analysis Team Leader, Office of Asset Management, Pavement, and Construction, with the Federal Highway Administration in Washington, D.C.
The award recognizes Vanikar’s exemplary leadership in pursuit of concrete pavement technology implementation and for stewarding a valued history and partnership between the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the American Concrete Pavement Association.
Vanikar has almost 35 years of service with the FHWA, during which time he has earned a well-deserved reputation for his expertise in concrete pavements, materials, construction and testing. He holds Masters Degree in Civil Engineering from the Colorado State University. He also is the author of numerous papers on concrete pavement technology and a frequent speaker at national and international meetings and conferences. He is a Life Member of the American Society of Civil Engineers; a Fellow of the American Concrete Institute, and a past-recipient of ACPA's "Government Employee of the Year Award" (1992).
Named in honor of the first executive director (now chief executive) of the American Concrete Pavement Association, the Harold J. Halm Awarded has been awarded selectively since 1994. It is presented to an individual or organization for distinguished achievement and is awarded to candidates selected by the President and CEO of the Association.
Marlin J. Knutson Award for Technical Achievement
The Marlin J. Knutson Award for Technical Achievement, was presented to The Minnesota Dept of Transportation (MnRoad) in recognition of the agency’s Cold Weather Road Research Facility, in Maplewood, Minn.
The award cites the facility’s well-deserved reputation for being a place where both agency and industry ideas are put to the test. This award was presented as a tribute to the agency’s commitment to learning and putting ideas into practice.
The Marlin J. Knutson Award for Technical Achievement is presented to an individual or group who has made significant contributions to advance the development and implementation of technical innovations and best practices in the design and construction of concrete pavements.
This award is named in honor of the second chief executive of the American Concrete Pavement Association. Marlin J. Knutson served in that role from 1988 to 1998, and during his tenure, was a staunch advocate for technical service and technology transfer. The Knutson Award for Technical Achievement has been awarded annually since 1998.
Outstanding Pavement Promotion Award
This special award was presented to Kevin McMullen, P.E., President of the Wisconsin Concrete Pavement Association (WCPA) in recognition of his professional approach, leadership, and unwavering efforts in developing and maintaining one of the strongest and most consistent concrete pavement programs of any state in the United States.
McMullen has been with the WCPA since January 1996 (and since July 1998, has served as the association’s President). Previously, he served as with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation as a project design and construction engineer, then as Pavement Engineering Supervisor.
McMullen’s philosophy that promotion is most successful when working on policies and processes has proven successful and resilient. In addition to his promotional work, McMullen also created and continues to serve on the WCPA/Wisconsin DOT Concrete Pavement Technical Committee.
In addition to his duties as WCPA President, McMullen is well-regarded among peers and colleagues in the industry. He has the distinction of being the only person to have served twice as Chairman of the ACPA Chapter/State Committee (2010 and 2002). McMullen has provided a wealth of support, advice and counsel to his colleagues and has also spoken on a range of technical topics at both national events as well as other training and tech transfer events throughout the country. McMullen holds a civil engineering degree from the University of Wisconsin-Platteville.
The ACPA Outstanding Pavement Promotion Award has been awarded selectively since 1998. It is presented to an individual or group who has made significant contributions through promotion efforts or programs to advance the awareness, specification and/or placement of concrete pavements. The recipient must be an employee of an ACPA member-company, ACPA national staff or staff of a local chapter/state association affiliated with ACPA.
Lifetime Pavement Recognition Award
ACPA’s Lifetime Pavement Recognition Award was presented to The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission in recognition of the Pennsylvania Turnpike, “America’s First Super Highway,” and its standing as the first limited access, high-speed facility in the United States. The award also recognizes the legacy of this unrivaled facility, which is that it served as the blueprint for the U.S. Interstate Highway System.
The Pennsylvania Turnpike officially entered service October 1, 1940, exhibiting new concepts of superhighway design and demonstrating that revenue bonds could finance toll roads, according to the agency’s website.
Awarded annually since 1994, this award is presented to the agency owner of an in-service concrete pavement that has demonstrated exceptional performance and service to its local community, state, and users. This recognition rotates annually between public market segments: highway, street and airport. The 2011 award was presented for a municipal facility.
Sustainable Practices Recognition Award
ACPA awarded its Sustainable Practices Recognition Award to the Illinois Tollway has been selected as recipient of ACPA’s 2013 Sustainable Practices Recognition Award.
This award recognizes the Tollway’s goal to use everything within the exiting right-of-way as raw materials for base and pavement construction/reconstruction, as well as to include fractionated recycled asphalt pavement and two-lift construction to further your sustainability goals. It also recognizes the commitments made by the Tollway engineering and management staff to take what they have learned through an investment in research, and apply it in practice working with their local construction industry partners. The Tollway’s recycling program represents the most ambitious concrete pavement sustainability effort underway by any U.S. agency.
The ACPA’s Sustainable Practices Recognition Award is a national award presented to an organization or team (owner and contractor) that demonstrates leadership by implementing sustainable design and construction practices that consider societal, environmental and economic factors.
Begun in 2010, the ACPA Sustainable Practices Recognition Award is presented to an organization or team (owner and contractor) that demonstrates leadership by implementing sustainable design and construction practices that consider societal, environmental, and economic factors.
