2017 ACEC/MA Engineering Excellence Awards
Congratulations to the Winning Projects!
#2017EEA
#EngineeringGoFigure
BOSTON, Mass. – March 15, 2017– The American Council of Engineering Companies of Massachusetts (ACEC/MA) announced the recipients of the 2017 Engineering Excellence Awards along with several other awards at the ACEC/MA Engineering Excellence and Awards Gala. Emcees Commissioner Carol Gladstone [Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance (DCAMM)] and Commissioner Leo Roy [Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR)] presented the awards on Wednesday, March 15, 2017 in a ceremony at the Royal Sonesta in Cambridge, MA.
The Route 79/I-195 Interchange Improvements and Repairs and Painting of the Braga Bridge in Fall River, Massachusetts, designed by VHB, received the 2017 ACEC/MA Grand Conceptor award at the ACEC/MA Engineering Excellence and Awards Gala on March 15. VHB provided lead design services for the $200M design-build reconstruction of the Route 79/I-195 Interchange in Fall River, MA. This project included removal of 11 structurally deficient bridges and reconfiguration of the interchange into a substantially at-grade system, including 8 new bridges, miles of roadway, and major traffic system and utility upgrades. The new interchange improved safety and mobility for local and regional roadway users, and supports City goals of improving connectivity and driving development along the waterfront. This MassDOT megaproject reached full beneficial use in July of 2016, more than two months ahead of schedule and within allotted budget.
ACEC/MA recognized 35 engineering projects and presented several individual awards.
View/Purchase Photos From The 2017 ACEC/MA Engineering Excellence and Awards Gala
Celebrating the ACEC/MA 2017 Grand Conceptor Award: Route 79/I-195 Interchange Improvements and Repairs and Painting of the Braga Bridge
Back row, from left (7 total in row): David Vivilecchia (ACEC/MA Past-President, VHB); Ed Whatley (VHB); Josh Trearchis (VHB); Brent Richard (VHB); Pete Sorensen (VHB); Pat Tracy-Callahan (VHB); Howard Goldberg (Barletta Heavy Division)
Front row, from left (8 total in row): Stefanie Beaver (VHB); Susan Kremer (VHB); Gerald Bernard (MassDOT); Amy Getchell (MassDOT); Tom Jackmin (VHB); Jonathan Lee (VHB); Susan Lee (VHB); Kelsey Munns (VHB)
(Photo Credit: Frank Monkewicz Photography)
Here are the 2017 Award Winners:
VHB provided lead design services for the $200M design-build reconstruction of the Route 79/I-195 Interchange in Fall River, MA. This project included removal of 11 structurally deficient bridges and reconfiguration of the interchange into a substantially at-grade system, including 8 new bridges, miles of roadway, and major traffic system and utility upgrades. The new interchange improved safety and mobility for local and regional roadway users, and supports City goals of improving connectivity and driving development along the waterfront. This MassDOT megaproject reached full beneficial use in July of 2016, more than two months ahead of schedule and within allotted budget.
The New NY Bridge (Tappan Zee Bridge Replacement) is a $3.98B Design-Build project that consists of the design and construction of two new 3-mile long multiple span structures that carry I-87/287 across the Hudson River. The foundation design developed by the project team resulted in significant construction cost savings, and was a key factor in the award of the project. The design team worked closely with the contractor to limit the number of piles, and maximize the span between piers. The end result was higher capacity piles and about 400 fewer than other proposers.
Massport is implementing strategies to become more resilient to flooding, building on previous climate assessments and planning. Through the Coastal Flood Resiliency Project, Kleinfelder helped Massport design and implement physical floodproofing systems and flood operations plans to help protect critical infrastructure at Logan Airport and Maritime facilities. Kleinfelder designed portable flood barrier systems, permanent flood doors, backflow preventers, and emergency electrical systems for Massport’s 10 most vulnerable critical assets. In addition, Kleinfelder and Massport developed Coastal Flood Operations Plans that scale to over 90 actions, across 50 sites, starting 72 hours in advance of flooding, and carrying through early recovery.
Completed in December 2015, the new $140 million Biosolids Dryer Facility serving the Detroit, Michigan metropolitan area is the largest of its kind in North America. Liquid wastewater sludge is thermally dried into a pelletized biosolids product, which is distributed to regional farms as a renewable substitute for chemical fertilizer or as an alternative fuel with characteristics similar to coal. The entire project, from concept to start-up, was completed in just 30 months. The facility, constructed on a former industrial site, has greatly improved neighborhood aesthetics and benefitted the local economy with the creation of jobs during construction and operations.
Located on the National Mall, the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC), a Smithsonian Institution museum, houses nearly 37,000 historical artifacts, documents and photos that trace African-American history through slavery, reconstruction, the civil rights era and into the 21st Century. The 425,000 square foot, $500 million museum is a cultural and architectural landmark. The NMAAHC represents best practice in sustainable building design, and has been designed to achieve LEED [Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design] Gold certification from the USGBC.
The aging and severely deteriorated historic Mitchell River wooden drawbridge was replaced with a safer, innovative and context sensitive bridge that combines the aesthetics of wood with more durable and long-lasting key concrete and steel components. Designed in compliance with multiple Federal and state regulations, design standards, historic requirements and local input, the essence of the old bridge was skillfully captured in the new wooden drawbridge which maintains the signature look and characteristics that are important to the Town of Chatham. It was enthusiastically received by the community and is enjoyed by motorists, boaters, pedestrians, bicyclists and fishermen alike.
Residents and visitors of New Bedford, Massachusetts received something they haven’t had in over 50 years; nearly unlimited access to the waterfront. Thanks to the 10-foot wide, 1.5-mile-long elevated walkway atop the City’s Hurricane Protection Barrier, folks can walk, jog, or roll along this pathway; enjoying the spectacular view. This two-phased access improvement project is equipped with railings on each side, bollard-style light fixtures, and access ramps which meet the requirements of the Architectural Barriers Act. These features allow for a safe environment for pedestrians of all abilities and for workers who provide continual maintenance to the hurricane barrier.
The Muddy Creek Restoration Bridge Project is an ecological restoration and bridge project advanced by the Towns of Chatham and Harwich, with support from the Massachusetts Division of Ecological Restoration (MassDER), Cape Cod Conservation District, NOAA and the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program. Two concrete culverts were replaced by a simple span integral abutment bridge which carries Route 28 over Muddy Creek on the Harwich-Chatham Town line in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. The goal of the Project is to restore natural tidal flow between Muddy Creek and Pleasant Bay while restoring degraded wetlands.
After seven years of contentious debate on Town Meeting Floor, in 2014 the Town of Eastham residents voted to move forward with a $130 Million town-wide water system. The project is the single largest and most ambitious water infrastructure program ever undertaken on Cape Cod. Led by Environmental Partners Group’s innovative and fast-paced design and construction management program, the project is ahead of schedule and under budget, resulting in public water available to customers in only 30 months. This system protects public health town-wide, provides sustainable water resources management, and assures the continued vitality of this historic and beautiful community
The Gay Head Lighthouse on Martha’s Vineyard stood on the edge of eroding bluffs less than 50 feet from its demise. With the surrounding community rallying together to raise $3.4 million through fundraising and charity events, an engineering team was assembled to move the lighthouse to safety. While working feverishly against time and an impending hurricane season, they discovered endangered plant life, historical artifacts, and the geology of the bluff. This project shows the dedication of not only the community, but also the engineering team who applied innovative methods to save this historical structure.
The new $21M Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife Field Headquarters overlooks a 1,000-acre wildlife management area. The 45,000-square foot building was the first state-owned zero net energy office building in the Commonwealth and it received the highest LEED rating, Platinum.The project’s sustainable design features include optimum orientation to minimize heating and cooling energy use, use of natural light, geothermal system for radiant heating and cooling, rooftop solar panels, mechanically assisted natural ventilation, heat recovery, extensive onsite stormwater management, sustainable site plan with native species. This state-of-the-art facility serves as a public destination, promoting conservation education and teaching sustainability.
Designed by Eero Saarinen and dedicated in 1955, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) chapel and Kresge Auditorium are iconic mid-century modernist buildings. To preserve their Saarinen design while addressing sixty years of weathering and deterioration, MIT renovated both structures. Repairs to the chapel, a nondenominational space for worship and gathering, included mechanical upgrades, masonry repairs, curtain wall refurbishment, roof replacement, moat replacement, skylight refurbishment, and fall protection. The Kresge Auditorium, a venue for events, classes, and performances, received mechanical upgrades, concrete and steel repairs, partial replacement of copper roofing, and curtain wall rehabilitation including glazing upgrade.
When Typhoon Haiyan struck the Philippines in November 2013, the MCC-funded Secondary National Roads Development Project (SNDRP) was already in various stages of construction. Tetra Tech’s local engineers’ expertise and knowledge of climate proofing techniques helped safeguard the integrity of the road and surrounding area, as well as the livelihood of those living in the Samar and Eastern provinces. Through Tetra Tech’s climate proofing initiatives here and overseas, we continue to identify and mitigate risks and ensure they are greatly reduced to acceptable levels by implementing long-lasting and environmentally sound, economically viable and socially acceptable changes.
Weston & Sampson had the unique opportunity to implement a comprehensive remediation to safely relocate and cap 30,000 CY of asbestos fill from the banks of the Charles River and associated wetlands followed by restoration of ten acres of natural habitat to create the Charles River Gateway Park. The culmination of collaboration among stakeholders, this is the largest floodplain restoration along the Charles and the first-in-the-state DEP-permitted project for on-site relocation of a large volume of asbestos-containing fill. Restored to natural conditions, Charles River Gateway provides recreation amenities with breathtaking views of the river.
The Marblehead Pipeline crosses under Salem Harbor and is the sole sewer connection between the Town of Marblehead and the South Essex Sewerage District treatment facility in Salem. After discovering and repairing a leak in the line, the District selected WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff to assess the condition of the pipeline, evaluate repair or replacement alternatives, and provide design and construction services. The entire 6,000-foot twin pipeline was found to be corroded beyond repair. New pipelines designed by WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff were successfully commissioned in August 2015.
The Benchmark at Woburn project represents how creative site civil design contributes to the future landscapes of our communities. The project was designed to assimilate an 87-unit assisted living and memory care facility into a residential area. The team resolved significant permitting, stormwater, traffic and environmental challenges by utilizing innovative applications of common construction materials, new techniques in adaptive traffic control and terraced landscape walls to minimize disturbance into riverfront area. The new residence blends seamlessly within the neighborhood it occupies and fulfills the goal of the neighbors, and the Client.
Brightview Canton is a 160-unit community for seniors that resides on a former sand and gravel pit. The project required a thoughtful approach to engineering and a forward thinking development team to turn a mostly barren and impervious site into an environmentally responsible and modern development. Innovative solutions to complex obstacles included Bioretention swales around the entire developed area to capture, treat and recharge stormwater runoff and planting low-nutrient, grassland in order to provide habitat.
The Point is a 500,000 square foot mixed-use development located on 90 acres adjacent to Route 495 in Littleton, MA. The project features a “stacked” retail concept allowing the development to sit seamlessly within the hill and natural grades that surround it. Using urban design principals, the design features a mix of amenities that draw consumers to places to connect and socialize. Despite its great size, the Point showcases the ability of a large scale development to occur adjacent to priority environmental resource areas without risk of degradation.
Long before the term Complete Streets came into vogue, the Town of Belmont and BSC Group were putting it into practice for the planning and design of the Trapelo Road corridor, a 2.5-mile urban arterial spanning Belmont from its borders with Cambridge and Waltham. Incorporating bicycle lanes, pedestrian accessibility, and traffic calming measures, the $17.1 million roadway reconstruction project was one of the first designed in conformance with the MassDOT Highway Design Guidebook. Distinguishing project features include coordination with the MBTA trackless trolley, incorporation of 350 street trees, and interconnection of 13 signalized intersections.
CHA Consulting, Inc. developed a transmission-level substation at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst in only 18 months. The campus's system was connected to a nearby transmission system to improve service and alleviate strain on the local utility. The $30 million initiative installed a new substation with two independent power distribution centers and extended transmission lines to serve it. The project was made as invisible as possible by siting the substation in a remote corner of campus and performing the cut-over during off-hours. Technically and economically disconnecting the campus has enhanced reliability, strengthened resiliency, and unburdened the local distribution system.
City Point Partners and its Team— Epstein Joslin Architects, Green International Affiliates, Inc., and Dewberry—were engaged by the Massachusetts Gaming Commission to review the applications for a gaming license for three resort casinos and one slot parlor. The Team analyzed the responses provided by the applicants under the sections Building and Site Design and Mitigation, and advised the individual Commissioner responsible for each section. The team’s advice assisted the Commissioners with forming a recommendation to the full Commission. Thus, the team enabled the Commission to have a clear understanding of the proposals as they progressed towards awarding the licenses.
The Muddy River Flood Damage Reduction and Environmental Restoration Project is a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) project. Successful completion of the project required the Contractor, Charter Environmental, Inc. to develop a construction-phase temporary water control plan. GZA assisted Charter in developing an innovative approach to passing the flows in the river while at the same time working to construct improvements within the river channel. The plan used both pumping and open channels created by temporary steel sheet pile cofferdams to both protect work areas and maintain the ability to pass flood flows downstream.
Opened in 1898 and unchanged since 1963, Government Center Station’s latest renovation eases travel for people in wheelchairs and require other mobility devices, and ensures ADA compliance. Prior to renovation, access to the station was only by a single set of stairs. Other upgrades include lighting, safety and security throughout the station. Full-station closure was a new concept for rehabilitations, allowing contractor’s to work unimpaired. The closure sped up the project by three years and saved $35 million. Completed early and under budget, other stations can use this as an example of how full closure can help the construction process.
HNTB partnered with the MBTA to combine a design-to-budget approach with innovative financing and scheduling for the Fitchburg Commuter Rail Improvement Program – one of the first commuter rail projects funded under FTA Small Starts. The 50-mile Fitchburg Line, previously the least reliable corridor in the MBTA system, today experiences 95% on-time-performance. Benefits include two new accessible stations, significantly greater train frequency, increased maximum speed to 79MPH, and a new modern signal system. This was accomplished through unique contract packaging and construction staging to minimize outages and disruption along an active mixed use commuter/freight rail corridor.
The Route 2/Route 2A Crosby’s Corner intersection has become one of the busiest and most dangerous intersections in the state. This project provided safety improvements at Crosby's Corner. This was accomplished by constructing local service roads which run parallel to Route 2, a new roadway with a 135-foot single span bridge bypass the intersection at Crosby’s Corner. The benefits of the project include the ability to safely and efficiently accommodate traffic and to provide safe access to the residences and businesses located along the project corridor and preserving the eco system in the area.
Michael Baker International provided architecture, engineering, and construction engineering and inspection for a new passenger rail platform in Holyoke, Massachusetts. The project involved place-making urban design strategies, innovative lighting design solutions, carefully planned accessibility features, and fast-track construction techniques, engaging a diverse team to accomplish a shared vision for a modern passenger rail facility. On August 27, 2015, Amtrak’s Vermonter train stopped and opened its doors at the new station, marking the first passenger train to stop in Holyoke since 1966. Michael Baker is proud to have been part of this historic moment for the City of Holyoke.
As the nation’s tunnels age, a thorough assessment of each tunnel’s condition is critical to avoid a decline in service and maintain a safe and functional highway system. FHWA-NHI Course 130110, “Tunnel Safety Inspection,” provides the required training for inspectors. The course’s computer-based, three-dimensional, virtual reality tunnel inspection application provides hands-on experience with the tools and techniques that are used in tunnel inspection. The Michael Baker team applied innovative instructional system design principles to develop this highly interactive five-day course, which covers the entire breadth of knowledge necessary to perform a successful tunnel inspection.
Teamed with Wilson Architects, Pare Corporation was responsible for design and construction-phase services related to site/civil, traffic, and environmental permitting for UMass Boston’s new $130 million, 190,000-SF University Hall. The new academic building includes nearly 2000 student seats, 500-seat auditorium, 150-seat recital hall, black-box theater, special studios and labs for the Art and Chemistry Departments, café, student lounges, and faculty offices. The complex project grew more complicated when the site was moved during schematic design, requiring extraordinary coordination with other campus design teams and innovative design and phasing to maintain use of the adjacent Campus Center and below-building parking garage.
The Beach Road over Lagoon Pond Project involved replacement of the bascule bridge carrying Beach Road over Lagoon Pond between Oak Bluffs and Tisbury, Mass. In addition to providing a new crossing for roadway traffic, project concerns were safety issues for mariners related to restricted sight lines in the channel, and reduction of the number of bridge openings during the summer season. Parsons’ solution was to provide a slightly higher profile, with the bascule leaf shifted 50 feet to the west. The bascule included an innovative rotating trunnion girder allowing a greater angle of opening and simplified installation.
The Moody Pedestrian Bridge is a one of a kind Inverted Fink Truss 300 foot long bridge at the University of Texas in Austin, TX. The bridge connects two buildings as part of the Moody College of Communication. The bridge is characterized by a series of slender steel towers that vary in height and scale creating an elegant statement along one of the major avenues surrounding the campus. This type of bridge is the first of its kind in the United States, and the only one worldwide with a single support tower as the main loading member.
With a thunderous “boom” in March 2015, the first three deck spans of the Long Island Bridge were cut loose and dropped into Boston Harbor. The sound emanated from one of 370 explosives that were used to demolish the 3,450-foot structure after it was declared a public safety hazard in October 2014. The application had never been attempted over Massachusetts waters but was successful due to the collaborative efforts of the City of Boston, STV, TRC, the Walsh Group, and several other subconsultants and subcontractors who contributed to the five-month,$26.2 million project.
The DCR LED Replacement Project was designed and managed by STV on behalf of the Department of Conservation and Recreation. It was funded under a $3.3 million grant administered by the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center and completed within 120 days with the help of thorough designs and logistical planning. The project accomplished the replacement of nearly 2,000 inefficient metal-halide, high-pressure sodium and mercury vapor lights with cleaner, brighter LED lights with WiFi enabled monitoring that will not only produce immediate financial rewards, but also help the Commonwealth meet its long-term energy and climate plan goals.
TranSystems designed replacement of the bridge carrying Revere Beach Parkway over MBTA. Severe deterioration resulted in a three-ton load limit and the bridge was closed to trucks. TranSystems proposed superstructure replacement with substructure rehabilitation. The new bridge eliminated load restrictions, increased vertical clearance, and relocated utilities from the sidewalk to under the bridge. The new pony truss superstructure visually complements the nature of the historic district. To limit traffic impacts design incorporated accelerated construction techniques using precast/preassembled substructure elements. As a result, each barrel closure was limited to nine days. Intersections were reconstructed to add accessible pedestrian signals and paths.
In a $1.8M public-private partnership, DCR and the Lawrence and Lillian Solomon Foundation worked together to convert Greenough Boulevard, from a dangerous scenario to an appealing, safer greenway. The Solomon Foundation engaged VHB to provide planning, engineering, environmental permitting, and construction phase services. Working to maintain acceptable stormwater drainage for the roadway and new path, VHB collaborated with the City of Cambridge and the Watertown Conservation Commissions to identify an appropriate open mitigation system. VHB successfully implemented a road diet—reducing pavement from four lanes to two lanes—and designed a 10-foot shared-use path, creating a more inviting multimodal experience.
When water quality began declining in a stream in Willard’s Woods, a conservation area in Lexington, MA, instead of replacing the drainage culvert the stream was being discharged into, the town restored the stream to its natural state. Woodard & Curran daylighted the stream using natural channel and bioengineering design principles to improve stream quality, address deteriorated infrastructure, improve public safety, and protect wildlife habitat. By allowing the stream to function in its ecosystem naturally, this project provides an effective, ecologically responsible solution in this important recreational space and functions as a key piece of the town’s drainage improvement plan.
The Moody Pedestrian Bridge is a one of a kind Inverted Fink Truss 300 foot long bridge at the University of Texas in Austin, TX. The bridge connects two buildings as part of the Moody College of Communication. The bridge is characterized by a series of slender steel towers that vary in height and scale creating an elegant statement along one of the major avenues surrounding the campus. This type of bridge is the first of its kind in the United States, and the only one worldwide with a single support tower as the main loading member.
“These winning projects exemplify ingenuity and professionalism and represent the breadth of engineering’s contribution to our everyday lives,” said ACEC/MA President Mark Bartlett, PE. “They are outstanding examples of how engineers connect communities, provide safe and reliable water and energy, and make our buildings safe and efficient. The professional engineers and their colleagues at our member firms are dedicated to working on quality infrastructure, which wouldn’t otherwise exist. These outstanding projects are but a few examples of the quality work designed by Massachusetts engineering firms.”
In addition to the project awards, ACEC/MA also presented these awards on March 15:
About ACEC/MA
The American Council of Engineering Companies of Massachusetts (ACEC/MA) is the business association of the Massachusetts engineering industry, representing over 120 independent engineering, land surveying, architecture/engineering and other design and consulting firms engaged in the development of buildings, transportation, environmental, industrial, and other infrastructure. Founded in 1960 and headquartered in Boston, MA, ACEC/MA is a member organization of the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) based in Washington, DC. ACEC is a national federation of 51 state and regional organizations.
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