2007 Eminent Conceptor | 2007 Honor | 2007 Special Achievment | 2007 Merit

SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS are given for those projects worthy of special recognition of the engineer and the owner/client for achieving engineering excellence. This year twelve Special Achievement Awards were given in four categories:

STRUCTURAL SYSTEMS

When the Forest Preserve District of Kane County planned a trail bridge to span Big Rock Creek, one of the healthiest streams in northeastern Illinois, the primary goal was to protect this precious natural resource. The engineering team was challenged to implement a bridge design that would not disturb the creek or the adjacent wetlands at any time during the construction process.

Robert H. Anderson & Associates accepted the challenge and partnered with a specialty bridge manufacturer to design a cable-stayed bridge that spans 220 feet over the creek and wetlands. Innovative bridge construction methods protected these sensitive areas during construction.

The completed project fulfills the District's mission of protecting and preserving our natural resources for the education, recreation, and pleasure of all its citizens. The engineering team surpassed the District's expectations by using novel construction techniques to safeguard the environment, coupled with construction materials that will last a lifetime.

The pedestrian bridge at 47th Street connects the existing bicycle paths along either side of northbound Lake Shore Drive. The bridge's elegant form and new landscaped trails enhances the overall aesthetics of the area. As part of historic Burnham Park, the bridge improves accessibility to the lakefront for all bicyclists and other recreational users.

The arch-shaped truss, which spans 150 feet over three lanes of traffic, combines the modern, slender look of the steel pipe members with a traditional structural form. The bridge's visual transparency allows clear views of the City's skyline while serving as a gateway to downtown for northbound drivers on Lake Shore Drive. The new bridge replaces a 65-year-old structure and provides users with a safe crossing that meets current ADA standards. It was designed to allow for the extensive use of off-site pre-fabrication. The pre-fabrication, as well as night time erection minimized traffic interruption during construction.

The Station Street Bridge, constructed in 1924, spans the Kankakee River and connects the east and west sides of the City of Kankakee. It is 379' long and has five concrete, open spandrel arch spans. It was originally designed to carry 1920s-era vehicles and a street car track operated by the Kankakee Electric Railway Company. This historically significant structure is on Illinois Historic Bridge List and is eligible for the National Register of Historic Places.

The bridge deck and spandrel columns were replaced in 1978, but the arches received little attention. An additional twenty years of exposure severely deteriorated the arches. Conventional concrete repairs were made and then the arches were wrapped with a fiber reinforced polymer composite. This innovative repair method maintains the structural integrity of the arches by confining the concrete, providing protection from the weather and preventing spalling. This repair method also preserves the bridge's historical appearance.

The Main Street Bridge is a key element of vehicular and pedestrian mobility and circulation in the downtown area of Naperville. After showing significant signs of deterioration, the City of Naperville in conjunction with the Illinois Department of Transportation contracted the engineering consulting firm, Earth Tech, Inc., to provide the preliminary and final design, and construction engineering for the removal of the historic three span T-beam structure and construction of a two-span, cast-in-place post-tensioned concrete slab structure over the West Branch of the DuPage River. The Main Street Bridge is being reconstructed as a gateway to the downtown area with architectural enhancements that include pedestrian overlooks at the center pier and abutments, brick pavers, stone columns with "acorn" lights and planters, benches, entry columns, bridge facade lighting, and use of decorative concrete form liners for the substructure and sides of the superstructure.

In 2003 the trustees of Deaconess Health System in Evansville, Ind., decided to build 500,000-square-foot Deaconess Gateway Hospital in the rapidly growing nearby community of Newburgh. The project included a new main hospital, heart hospital, MOB and a two-story atrium to connect the structures. They also wanted a new energy center to support existing, new and future campus development.

With 116 total beds, Gateway offers medical/surgical services, physical medicine, adult and pediatric intensive care units, and lab/ diagnostic services. Amenities include all private patient rooms, computer-friendly visiting areas and a pediatric "Playville." An innovative 3-D structural design technique helped the engineers provide the mill order for steel even before final design was completed. Just 180 miles from the New Madrid Fault Line, the hospital needed structural enhancements to protect it from potential earthquakes. The fast-track, $86-million project took 2.5 years, from planning to the opening in January 2006.

The roof of the Kane County Judicial Center, constructed in 1993, consisted of lead coated copper panels which contaminated the retention pond adjacent to the building. Earth Tech provided project management for the removal of the roof panels and remediation of the pond with minimal intrusion to day-to-day judicial center operations while protecting the health of the workers and visitors in the building. This work coincided with development of the site for a future jail to be built within the footprint of the existing pond. The retention pond and adjacent wetlands are key drainage structures for approximately 500 acres of land and redevelopment of the area required keeping a net balance of water storage capacity.

The former Paxton Manufactured Gas Plant was an active Nicor Gas Reporting Center. Huff & Huff, Inc. on behalf of Nicor Gas was challenged to remediate this site and build a facility consistent with Nicor's philosophy of providing sustainability and partnering with the community.

Coal tar extended beneath the original building, which was demolished and rebuilt during the course of the project. Building activities were relocated during remediation and construction. Temporary soil vapor extraction and groundwater treatment systems were set-up to reduce the benzene levels prior to excavation and treat any water encountered within the excavation, respectively. Subsequently, 20,100 tons of coal tar impacted soil was removed.

Groundbreaking for the new building was held in October 2005 and construction was completed in eleven months, with many "green" features incorporated into the design. The entire remediation project was delivered on time and $491,030 below the approved budget.

The City of Chicago retained Bowman, Barrett & Associates to assess the condition of a portion of the Skyway known as the 106^th Street Viaduct and prepare plans for its repair and reconstruction. BB&A determined that replacing the elevated structure with PCC pavement and embankment supported by mechanically stabilized earth retaining walls would be the most cost-effective approach to the rehabilitation. The new design made access to the viaduct simpler and safer by relocating the eastbound exit ramp and constructing a tunnel below the Skyway to allow westbound ramp access from Indianapolis Boulevard. Reconstruction of Indianapolis Boulevard—including lighting, traffic signals, and landscaping—was also included in the project, as well as an extension of the Burnham Greenway bicycle path. To minimize disruptions to traffic and thus minimize adverse impacts on toll revenues, construction was completed in stages, allowing for three lanes of traffic at all times.

Wabash Railroad built a local passenger line in 1880 that stretched from Chicago to Decatur. Norfolk Southern Railroad operated this historic line until Metra began leasing and running the trains in 1993, along what is now known as the Southwest Service route.

Southwest Service is one of 12 lines that comprise Metra's rail system, serving the booming corridor that lies 11 miles on either side of Norfolk Southern's track between Chicago's southwest side and Orland Park. It also encompasses Chicago's vital hub of commerce and employment -- the Central Business District.

Seeking to significantly enhance travel options for Chicagoland commuters, Metra completed a five-year, $198 million upgrade to its Southwest Service line. This massive project extended 12 miles of rail service from Orland Park to Manhattan and increased daily trains from 16 to 30. Metra hired CTE as the design engineers to implement Phase II of this substantial expansion project.

Located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the new General Mitchell International Airport Rail Passenger Station is one of only four Amtrak stations located next to an airport. A high-profile project, the rail station introduces an additional station between Milwaukee and Chicago and increases public accessibility to an alternate mode of transportation for local and regional travel, encouraging commuters to use economical and time-saving rail transit versus driving. As prime consultant, Parsons Brinckerhoff (PB) provided planning, environmental, preliminary and final design engineering to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT). The project features a 1,600-square-foot station, 400 foot-long platform, parking lot, and storm water detention facilities located in the southeast portion of the airport, along existing Canadian Pacific Railway lines. Delivered on an ambitious, fast-track design and construction schedule, the new Rail Passenger Station opened to the public in January 2005.

The Archer Avenue and Ashland Avenue Intersection project involved the removal of the existing Archer viaduct over Ashland, rehabilitation of the Archer Avenue Bridge over the South Fork of the South Branch of the Chicago River, reconstruction of Archer, resurfacing of Ashland, and reconstruction and extension of Robinson Street to the I-55 frontage road system. The deteriorated Archer viaduct spanned Ashland from Paulina Street to the South Fork of the South Branch of the Chicago River. The existing Archer/Ashland intersection included the two-lane, two-way Archer overpass of Ashland with a system of frontage roads to access Ashland and the nearby 31st Street /I- 55 frontage road.

TranSystems designed a new signalized at-grade intersection at Archer and Ashland to replace the grade-separated intersection and addressed traffic flow and safety in the area. Robinson Street was improved and is now utilized to bypass traffic away from the high-volume Archer/Ashland intersection.

Wight & Company initiated the work by developing a master plan for the University of Illinois at Chicago's South Campus Expansion covering approximately 27 blocks south of the University. This master plan provided a framework for developing the engineering design for public improvements to rejuvenate this dense urban area by meshing the reconstruction of nine city streets, six public parks, and aesthetic streetscape elements into residential and commercial areas which meet the needs and goals of this community on a daily basis. The Wight construction observation team monitored the street and alley work, utility improvements, public/private pedestrian corridors, emergency access facilities, and ornamental-street lighting that compliment this urban renewal project. Continuous coordination with all the stakeholders, including the City of Chicago, provided a smooth transition from planning to design to construction to public utilization. The whole perception of the campus has changed from "commuter school" to "cool urban university".