In March, ECO-SPAN® designers, producers and sales professionals from around the country met in Orlando in conjunction with the annual National Precast Concrete Association (NPCA) and American Concrete Pipe Association (ACPA) Precast Show. Our agenda included a review of last year’s successes and discussion of opportunities for improvement in 2015.
NPCA awards innovative projects with the annual Creative Use of Precast (CUP) awards. This year, Sherman Dixie took first place in the CUP underground category for an ECO-SPAN® Variable-Radius Arch structure built at their Louisville facility. The 46′ span x 12′ rise arch installed by Flynn Brothers and Judy Construction for the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet carries around 20′ of earth fill and Preston Highway over Brooks Run, a small stream just south of Louisville. The project used a special shape designed specifically to meet the strict hydraulic requirements and significant loading demands.
PRETEK Group also presented our first annual awards for the largest ECO-SPAN® project, most single-plant production, and project of the year (as voted by attendees). Sherman Dixie won the largest project award for the Preston Highway project mentioned above. Lindsay Precast’s Canal Fulton, Ohio plant took the other two awards for most single-plant production and project of the year for the INDOT SR 445 over CR 150 overpass.
The meeting was a great opportunity to learn from each other and catch up with fellow precast concrete arch professionals.