Kansas City, Mo. (PRWEB) April 26, 2012
HNTB Corporation has earned national recognition from one of the nation’s top engineering professional associations, the American Council of Engineering Companies.
During the Engineering Excellence Awards Gala April 17, 2012, ACEC announced HNTB had received a Grand Award for its work on the U.S. 82 Greenville Bridge in Greenville, Miss., placing it among the top eight of more than 140 projects honored. It also was recognized with six National Recognition Awards for road, rail, bridge and water service projects across the country.
“Our firm is deeply honored to receive such positive recognition from our peers,” said Ken Graham, CEO of HNTB Infrastructure. “HNTB recognizes the tremendous value infrastructure investment provides to the economic health and well-being of our country, and we have a long-standing commitment to providing projects of the highest caliber.”
Grand Award Winner: U.S. Highway 82 Mississippi River Bridge
HNTB was the primary consultant for the Mississippi Department of Transportation and in charge of preparing construction documents for a new crossing, approximately 3,000 feet downstream from an existing 1940 bridge. This included supplying two 12-foot travel lanes in each direction, two 12-foot exterior emergency lanes and two 8-foot median emergency lanes, increasing the roadway width from 24 feet on the 1940 bridge to 88 feet on the new.
Being more than 60 years old, the old Greenville Bridge was weathered and worn from high volumes of traffic and the powerful Mississippi River. Since 1972, it had sustained more barge collisions than any other bridge on the Mississippi.
The new 2,500-foot, three-span, cable-stayed bridge is the fourth longest span in North America. The $ 285 million structure opened July 17, 2010.
National Recognition Award Winners
Accelerate 465: The Accelerate 465 project corridor in Indianapolis is used by more than 140,000 vehicles per day and serves three major interstates, I-70, I-74 and I-65. HNTB served as the primary design consultant and program manager for the $ 431 million project. HNTB, the Indiana Department of Transportation and Purdue University worked together to install the first use of high-performance concrete on interstate bridges in Indiana and the largest implementation to date.
Michigan State Rail Plan: The Michigan State Rail Plan was prepared to establish a program vision for an integrated freight and passenger rail network. Developed cooperatively by the Michigan Department of Transportation and HNTB, it clearly identifies existing needs and future capital projects for freight, passenger and shared corridor infrastructure improvements. It presents MDOT’s rail investment strategy for improvements over the next 20 years. Consisting of more than 140 projects with a total cost of more than $ 10 billion, the plan seeks to enhance Michigan?s rail service, while maximizing economic growth.
Happy Hollow Park and Zoo Pedestrian Bridge: This $ 50 million project in San Jose, Calif., is the only one of its type in Northern California and an example efficient design and the conservative use of limited resources. A twin network tied arch bridge, each span is 270 feet in length, low maintenance and easy to inspect. HNTB designed the bridge to use standard materials, the minimum number of material sizes and eight-fold symmetry. For the entire bridge, there are only two rolled sections: one for the arch ribs and one for the tie girders and cross bracing. Only one cable size is used for both bridges. Also, unpainted weathering steel eliminated the need for painting and paint maintenance throughout the bridge’s lifetime.
Atlantic Avenue Viaduct Rehabilitation Phase II: The Long Island Rail Road is the oldest and largest commuter railroad in North America. The system?s 1 and 2 tracks are carried by the Atlantic Avenue Viaduct and transport more than 25,000 passengers each week day, making it a critical public transportation link to residents and visitors in the New York metropolitan area. In an effort to restore the deteriorating and fatigued viaduct to a state of good repair and ensure safe and reliable service, the Kiewit/HNTB design-build team developed a plan that providing LIRR with a lower life-cycle cost and shorter construction schedule than other proposals. This approach reduced the projected cost of the project from $ 63.8 million to $ 63.1 million, saving the Rail Road $ 700,000.
Milwaukee County Grounds Floodwater Management Facility: This project is one of several the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District has undertaken along the Menomonee River in response to a series of floods since the late 1990s that have caused more than $ 200 million in damages to Milwaukee County alone. HNTB Corporation served as the lead consultant on the final design of this $ 67.7 million facility, which reduces the risk of downstream flooding and will allow the reclassification of flood risk to more than 160 downstream structures. In addition to providing flood control, the basins’ landscaped features and recreational facilities offer the community recreational opportunities for walking, biking, scenic overlooks, and to experience nature in a highly urban setting. Construction began in 2006 and was completed in June 2011, five months ahead of schedule and $ 14.7 million under budget.
BNSF Burlington Bridge 204.66: Freight rail traffic in Burlington, Iowa, is moving a lot smoother these days, thanks in part to a new truss lift span bridge crossing the Mississippi River. Designed by HNTB, the bridge meets the critical infrastructure needs of the BNSF by providing a safe, reliable crossing for freight trains and Amtrak passengers traveling across the river, while at the same time providing much needed navigational clearance to marine traffic. The project required innovative design and construction techniques and work ? at times battling ice, snow and extreme temperatures ? in order to overcome numerous challenges, including continuous and frequent flooding that caused the loss of 192 days due to unseasonably high river elevations.
Considered the “Academy Awards” of the infrastructure industry, the national American Council of Engineering Companies’ Engineering Excellence Awards honor consulting engineering firms for projects that demonstrate a high degree of achievement, value and ingenuity. This year?s event was held at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Washington, D.C.
HNTB and its award-winning projects also consistently rank among Engineering News-Record?s best. The firm?s projects have won numerous awards over the years, including the 1990 Grand Conceptor Award for the Dame Point Bridge in Jacksonville, Fla.
About ACEC
The North American Council of Engineering Companies is the business association of America?s engineering industry, representing approximately 5,500 independent engineering companies throughout the United States engaged in the development of America?s transportation, environmental, industrial and other infrastructure. Founded in 1909 and headquartered in Washington, D.C., ACEC is a national federation of 51 state and regional organizations.
About HNTB
HNTB Corporation is an employee-owned infrastructure firm serving public and private owners and contractors. With nearly a century of service, HNTB understands the life cycle of infrastructure and solves clients? most complex technical, financial and operational challenges. Professionals nationwide deliver a full range of infrastructure-related services, including award-winning planning, design, program delivery and construction management. For more information, visit http://www.hntb.com.
Mergers have affected railroads in ways few otherindustries have experienced, and in the last 50 years they have steered the business direction of American railroads. Leaders Count brings readers the dramatic story of how the Aurora Branch Railroad, which spanned from Aurora, Illinois, to Chicago, grew and developed into the modern-day BNSF Railway. The story begins with the many ways railroads shaped and settled the country and tells how the founders’ commitment to their dreams ensured the railroad’s success. The profiles of tenacious leaders like James J. Hill, known as The Empire Builder, and Matthew Rose, current CEO of BNSF, will inspire readers. This is a case history of the business strategies that have taken this company from its humble beginnings to the industry giant that it is today. More than 75 photos from the company’s extensive archives accompany the story of BNSF’s evolution. As one of the largest and most successful of U.S. railroads, BNSF Railway is a vibrant example of today’s freight railroad industry. While the book provides a brief history of railroads in general, including the five principal companies making up the present day BNSF, its focus is on the critical decisions and strategies implemented by its leaders, choices that ensured the railroad’s survival. Leaders Count will be released on the tenth anniversary of the merger that brought together the Burlington Northern and the Santa Fe railroads to create the industry titan that it is today. Author Biography: LAWRENCE H. (LARRY) KAUFMAN has spent more than 35 years promoting, working for, and commenting on U.S. railroads. As a journalist, he was transportation correspondent for Business Week magazine and broke the news of the Penn Central bankruptcy in June 1970. At the Association of American Railroads, he led public affairs when the industry was deregulated. After deregulation, he was vice president for public affairs of the Burlington Northern Railroad. He
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