ACPA Announces 2025 Project Achievement Award
Schultz Creek Drainage Improvements at US Highway 180 CMAR
Irving, TX – June 2025 – The American Concrete Pipe Association (ACPA) is proud to announce the Schultz Creek Drainage Improvements at US Highway 180 as a recipient of the 2025 Project Achievement Award. This vital infrastructure project represents a landmark in flood mitigation and reinforced concrete box culvert (RCB) innovation, protecting the West Flagstaff community from catastrophic post-wildfire flooding.
“This project exemplifies how concrete infrastructure can deliver fast, reliable protection in the face of natural disaster,” said Steve Hawkins, AIA, ACPA President. “We’re proud to recognize a project that not only demonstrated technical excellence, but also prioritized community safety, collaboration, and long-term resilience.”
Following the 2022 Pipeline Fire, the City of Flagstaff faced dangerous runoff that overwhelmed temporary flood barriers. The Schultz Creek Drainage project, led by J. Banicki Construction, Inc., provided an urgently needed solution. With Ardurra as the design partner and Rinker Materials as the precast supplier, the team installed 848 linear feet of 8’ x 5’ precast double-barrel RCBs beneath US-180—Flagstaff’s busiest corridor—using advanced shoring systems that allowed traffic and trail access to remain open throughout.
Working within a constrained 40-foot easement between the historic Grand Canyon Trust and Fire Station 5, Banicki implemented a Slide Rail system and core-drilled soldier pile shoring to protect adjacent structures while enabling precise, efficient excavation. Despite encountering more than a dozen utility conflicts, the team resolved them with zero service interruptions through strategic preconstruction mapping, rerouting, and bypass pumping.
The urgency of completing the culverts before monsoon season drove an aggressive construction schedule, with crews working 12–14 hour shifts, seven days a week. Thanks to these efforts, the new flood control system was in place ahead of peak storms—averting flood damage for Flagstaff residents.
“This project sets a new standard for flood mitigation and urban construction, demonstrating how precast concrete solutions deliver rapid, resilient protection for our local communities," said Adrianna Lash of Rinker Materials.
The purpose of the ACPA’s Project Achievement Award is to recognize agencies which have demonstrated creative and innovative accomplishments through projects that utilize precast concrete pipes or boxes. The goal is to promote public awareness of the activities and contributions of public agencies, the ACPA, and ACPA members.
If you're interested in attending an upcoming event to honor this award-winning project, click here to view the event flyer for more details.
Project Information
Owner: Arizona Department of Transportation
Designer: Ardurra
Contractor: J. Banicki Construction, Inc.
Pipe Producer: Rinker Materials
About the American Concrete Pipe Association
The American Concrete Pipe Association (ACPA) is the spokesperson for the concrete pipe industry in all matters affecting the industry’s welfare. ACPA members contribute to the improvement of our environment by producing quality concrete pipe, engineered to provide a lasting and economical solution to drainage and pollution problems. For more information, visit www.concretepipe.org.