ACEC-IL is a not-for-profit statewide association comprised of 210 independent engineering and land surveying firms engaged in the private practice of civil, electrical, geotechncial, mechanical and structural engineering, and other disciplines, including architecture, science and surveying. ACEC-IL is affiliated with the American Council of Engineering Companies, a national organization with member organizations in every state and over 5,500 member engineering firms.

ACEC-IL member firms together employ more than 10,700 Illinois citizens, including engineers, technicians and support personnel. Illinois consulting engineering firms annually participate in over $5.6 billion of public works and private industry construction projects.

ACEC-IL is the only statewide association dedicated solely to the interests of consulting engineering firms. As such, ACEC-IL promotes its business and professional concerns to national, state and local officials and other professions and associations through its Business, Government and Public Affairs programs. Volunteer members serve on over 30 committees, interacting with public clients and other associations, influencing federal and state legislation, networking with peers, attending management and technical education seminars and promoting public awareness.

THE ROLE OF CONSULTING ENGINEERS: Turning Ideas into Reality

Consulting engineers, licensed in the State of Illinois, practice their profession according to the bylaws of ACEC-IL, the American Council of Engineering Companies and the norms of ethical conduct. Their primary concern in the practice of their profession is the health and safety of the public they serve.

Consulting engineers solve design and technical problems. A combination of education, experience, technical expertise and creativity enables them to generate several possible solutions and to select the most functional and cost-effective alternative.

Consulting engineers serve clients from preliminary survey and analysis, through design and construction management in:

• The commercial sector -- hospital facilities, office buildings, hotels, apartments, retail outlets;
• The public sector -- water supply/resource management, wastewater treatment facilities, transportation, public buildings, schools;
• The industrial sector -- plants, pollution control, energy management, cogeneration projects.

HOW CONSULTING ENGINEERS CONTRIBUTE TO ILLINOIS DEVELOPMENT

Consulting engineers are involved in virtually every construction and renovation project in the state -- from building a new state facility to renovating an historic village town hall. They design energy-saving heating, ventilating and electrical systems for new hospitals and work with state and local departments of public works and transportation to improve the infrastructure of our cities and towns. Illinois consulting engineers design refineries, utilities and factories that maximize energy efficiency and minimize pollution.

The creativity and ingenuity of Illinois consulting engineers have been tested by the design demands of public and private sector projects throughout the state. To cite just a few examples:

• TARP (better known as Deep Tunnel) -- the largest urban pollution and flood control project in the world;
• The expansion of O'Hare Airport, including the construction of new terminals and service roads; and the extension of the CTA line to O'Hare and Midway Airports;
• The realignment of Chicago's Lake Shore Drive with the creation of urban green space, the design of the unique cable stayed Clark Bridge in Alton, and construction of new roads and bridges throughout the state;
• The reclamation of abandoned mined land for recreational use, and the design and construction of wastewater treatment plants and clean-up of hazardous waste sites.

HISTORY OF THE COUNCIL

The Council originated in 1921 with the formation of the Chicago Association of Consulting Engineers. In 1956, the Illinois Association of Consulting Engineers was formed. In 1964, CACE and IACE merged as the Consulting Engineers Association of Illinois. In 1967, the name of the organization was changed to the Consulting Engineers Council of Illinois (CECI). In 2004, the name was changed to the American Council of Engineering Companies of Illinois (ACEC-IL), aligning the Council with the National Organization and its Member Organizations.

For additional information contact Executive Director David Kennedy at:
Phone: 217/529-7430; Fax: 217/529-2742; E-mail: acec-il@acec-il.org