DALLAS — Sika Sarnafil recognized 15 roofing contractors for excellence in roof installations on the eve of the 2020 International Roofing Expo.

Commercial roofing contractors from around the country were honored as projects of the year for 2019 in four categories: low slope; steep slope; sustainability and waterproofing. The competition highlights both quality workmanship and noteworthy features in design, system application and roof installation. More than 40 projects were nominated, and the top three winners in each category were honored during a special ceremony at the Miller Lite Club inside AT&T Stadium, the home of the Dallas Cowboys and one of Sika Sarnafil’s signature roofing projects.

“We like to single these out, but it’s not just about these signature projects,” said William Bellico, Sika’s director of marketing. “It’s also about the relationships with contractors, and we look forward to seeing what you’re working on next.”

Among this year’s honorees was CFE Inc., headquartered in Elmira, N.Y., which received first place in the waterproofing category for the University of Virginia Hospital expansion project. The installation, performed by crews from CFE's division based in Apex., N.C., covered 450,000 square feet of new space, and 95,000 square feet of renovated roof over nine separate levels, including a helipad for emergency patient care.

The project took two years to complete and was worthy of some recognition for its mix of complexity, sustainability as a vegetative roof, and how CFE crews were able to work without disruption to the hospital.

“We had multiple crews working through tough conditions on a very, very complicated job. There were a lot of pieces to the puzzle,” said Bob Pringle, CFE’s vice president.

Keeping building occupants dry and critical infrastructure safe was also a challenge for crews with Salt Lake City-based Utah Tile and Roofing, Inc. at the Pepper River Data Processing Center. The project earned first place in the low slope and reroofing category. The 250,000 square-foot building already had two layers — an original gravel surfaced built-up roof, and mechanically fastened cover boards that were part of later TPO and EPDM installations. Company officials had to use a hybrid roofing assembly throughout the installation due to Utah’s tricky weather and shorter winter work days, said Project Manager J.C. Hill.

“We had to get creative and come up with a system for the tenant that would keep the building dry and all that data processing equipment working during a tight window,” Hill said.

Other first place winners included F.D. Thomas Inc. for San Francisco’s Chase Center, a new 18,000-seat arena that’s home to the NBA’s Golden State Warriors, for the low slope category; and Coatings Application & Waterproofing Co., in the steep slope category for the new 26-story Ritz Carlton in Miami. See more about each individual award-winning project in the March issue of RC.