February 12, 2003—The engineering response to the deadly attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, and to the Oklahoma City bridge collapse which killed 14 motorists, are among finalists in the American Council of Engineering Companies’ (ACEC) annual award competition for the best in engineering achievement.
Twenty-four national award winners for engineering excellence involving such categories as structural systems, transportation, environmental systems, and building/technology, will be announced during the upcoming 37th annual ACEC Engineering Excellence Awards Dinner, known industry-wide as the “Academy Awards” of engineering, to be held March 18th in Washington, DC.
Among the 2003 ACEC national award finalists are:
- Ground Zero—At the site of the World Trade Center where nearly 2,800 people were killed, the Thornton-Tomasetti Group, Inc., of New York, NY, managed all structural and engineering operations association with the entire WTC cleanup effort. The firm coordinated and directed hundreds of engineers in the around-the-clock mission to remove 1.6 million tons of debris from the site, erect cranes and other heavy construction equipment, and inspect more than 400 nearby buildings in Lower Manhattan for further structural damage as a result of the massive towers’ collapse. The recovery program was completed four months ahead of schedule and $1 billion under original cost estimates.
- The Pentagon—At the site of the Pentagon where 184 people were killed, KCE Structural Engineers, of Washington, DC, led a team of design consultants to quickly stabilize, analyze, repair, and reconstruct the portions of the Pentagon damaged by the impact of the hijacked airliner. The project team’s first effort was to design 403,000 square feet of a new replacement structure, plus an additional 750,000 square feet of building and tenant work restoration in areas that suffered collateral damage during the attack. The project team’s engineering firms, construction companies, and more than 4,200 on-site workers progressed non-stop through the September 11, 2002, Building Re- Dedication and Worker Appreciation Ceremonies. The project was completed two years ahead of the government’s “fast-track” schedule and for approximately half of the original budget.
- Interstate 40 Bridge Collapse—On the morning of May 26, 2002, a 200- ton river barge struck a pier and collapsed a 500-foot section of the Interstate 40 bridge over the Arkansas River in Oklahoma City. The tragedy killed 14 motorists, weakened the structural integrity of the remaining structure, and paralyzed one of the nation’s primary cross- country highways. The team of Cobb Engineering, Poe & Associates, White Engineering of Oklahoma City, worked non-stop coordinating the entire project from demolition, design, bidding, construction, and other tasks, and ultimately completed the project in a record-setting 65 days.
- World Trade Center Aftermath—At the site of the World Trade Center, Greenhorne & O’Mara of Greenbelt, MD, led a 25-member study team to develop an understanding of how each building responded, evaluated the building construction, design, and fire protection practices of collapsed or seriously damaged buildings in the area, and pinpointed additional analysis to be performed. The findings and recommendations presented now allow architects and engineers to design and construct buildings that can better survive a major calamity, or at least enable occupants to escape safely.
To receive electronic photos of the projects, or for further information about the March 18th ACEC Engineering Excellence Award Dinner, contact Alan D. Crockett at 202/682-4301.
