5FRAMEWORK 0 2017 Engineering Excellence Awards Issue
Here’s to Another Fifty Years of Engineering Excellence The entire world around us has been changed by innovative engineering professionals. James A Michener said, “Scientists dream of doing great things. Engineers do them.” Engineers are the life-blood of any society. From smart buildings and the golden gate bridge to space travel and fast cars, or even the latest tablets, engineers have shaped the way our world works. Innovation is at the heart of what every great engineer does, so finding the balance between solving problems that need to be fixed, and being creative in order to do so is an important part of any engineer’s life. Finding creative solutions to real problems is what engineers do.
Kandiyohi County - Landfill Leachate Treatment Plant Clark Engineering 2016 Grand Conceptor Award Winner
The ACEC/MN Engineering Excellence Awards (EEA) program provides a rare opportunity to acknowledge the many creative projects that member firms and engineers have worked on throughout the past five decades. This awards program recognizes the efforts of our members and their clients for their foresight and dedication.
“Scientists dream of doing great things. Engineers do them.”
Over the past 50 years, nearly 1,000 projects have been entered into the competition. These projects have ranged from the highly visible (Mall of America, Twins Stadium) to those that the public rarely even sees (wastewater treatment systems, soil stabilizations, environmental cleanups), yet have a dramatic effect on our lives. Every one of these projects--no matter how visible-makes our lives better in some way. Grand Award Winners
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Honor Award Winners
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Award Judges
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Scholarship Supporters
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Scholarship Recipients
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Sponsors & Contributors
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The EEA program has evolved over the years, but its underpinnings have remained the same from the beginning. Projects are solicited by the organization from engineering firms; clients must sign off on the entry to be accepted; a panel of judges made up of representatives of client groups judges the entries; and a banquet is held to honor firms and clients for their achievements. The top award winners on the state level (Grand Awards) are eligible to move on to the ACEC National
H e r e ’ s t o A n o t h e r F i f t y Ye a r s . . . . . . . . . . . o f E n g i n e e r i n g E x c e l l e n c e ( c o n t ) . Engineering Excellence Awards Competition, where they compete with projects entered from other states around the country. A few things have been added over the years including a “People’s Choice Award,” where attendees at the banquet are given the opportunity to select their favorite project, and just a couple of years ago, a “Grand Conceptor” award, similar to the one given out at our national conference, is honored as the highest scoring project by our judges. 1969 Engineering Excellence Awards Nicollet Mall Michaud Cooley Erickson
Now let’s take a look back at some of these awardwinning projects and the firms that submitted them.
1991 Engineering Excellence Awards Target Center Braun Intertec Corporation
1993 Engineering Excellence Awards Mall of America Various Firms
1972 Engineering Excellence Awards Lowry Hill Tunnel Edwards and Kelcey
1977 Engineering Excellence Awards Hennepin County Medical Center BKBM
2009 Engineering Excellence Awards I-35W Reconstruction Various Firms
2006 Engineering Excellence Awards Rochester Art Center HGA
1982 Engineering Excellence Awards Minnesota Correctional Facility-Oak Park Heights Kirkham Michael
1987 Engineering Excellence Awards St. Paul Winter Carnival Palace Ellerbe
2012 Engineering Excellence Awards District Solar Energy System TKDA
2015 Engineering Excellence Awards Northrop Auditorium Renovation Meyer Borgman Johnson
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Barr Engineering Co.
Congratulations 2017 Grand Award Winners Alliant Engineering, Inc. I-35E MnPASS Design-Build
Minneapolis, MN
Short Elliott Hendrickson Inc. I-35W and Highway 96 Interchange Ramsey County, Minnesota
American Engineering Testing, Inc. U.S. Bank Stadium Barr Engineering Co. West River Parkway High-Profile Landslide Repair Dunham Associates, Inc. OATI Microgrid Technology Center
In June 2014, a record storm caused 10,000 square feet of the Mississippi River bluff to fail, burying West River Parkway and exposing hospital infrastructure. The Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board hired Barr to monitor slope and infrastructure stability and then design and observe construction of repairs. Work was complicated by the extremely steep slope, limited access, seepage, weak soils, and stability concerns. Barr integrated soil nails and five retaining walls to design a unified stabilization system and used lowvibration installation techniques to avoid causing additional slides. Completed under budget, the project helped ensure public safety without interrupting hospital operations. The parkway reopened for commuters and cyclists on September 1, just in time for the Twin Cities Marathon.
SRF Consulting Group, Inc. Old Cedar Avenue Bridge Rehabilitation Stanley Consultants, Inc. Lake Delhi Dam Stantec The Central Park Fountain and Ice Skating Loop
HGA Architects and Engineers Ordway Center Concert Hall Expansion HNTB Corporation The Historic Franklin Avenue Bridge Rehabilitation
WSB & Associates, Inc. Elm Creek Dam
Dunham Associates, Inc.
OATI Microgrid Technology Center
Alliant Engineering, Inc.
Bloomington, MN
I-35E MnPASS Design-Build St. Paul, MN
The $98 million design-build project reconstructed and widened 3.3 miles of threelane divided highway. It included adding northbound and southbound managed lanes, the full reconstruction of one interchange, and the modification of portions of four other interchanges. The project also included the replacement of nine bridges, wetland mitigation, retaining walls, noise walls and the installation of tolling infrastructure to facilitate the future MnPASS Express Lanes. Ames Construction was the lead contractor, and Alliant was responsible for all design elements on the project. The Ames/Alliant Team’s schedule limited traffic impacts to a 120 day window during each construction season, which was an average 48 days/season better than the competitors’ proposed schedules. Traffic impacts to the five urban arterials crossing I-35E were also substantially reduced through innovative techniques.
The Open Access Technology International (OATI) South Campus is a new 5-story office building with a 500 kW data center. The facility is an advanced micro-grid with a cogeneration system that provides a completely off-grid solution while delivering high efficiency and mission critical reliability needed for a data center. The micro-grid design includes natural gas microturbines, a diesel generator, solar panels, rooftop wind turbines and an energy storage system. Waste heat is captured for use in driving an absorption chiller to cool the data center and in a heat recovery system to heat the office building.
HGA Architects and Engineers
American Engineering Testing, Inc.
Ordway Center Concert Hall Expansion
U.S. Bank Stadium
St. Paul, MN
Minneapolis, MN
The U.S. Bank Stadium project exemplifies a collaborative effort from a strong, experienced technical team including American Engineering Testing’s (AET) geotechnical and environmental disciplines working closely with Mortenson, the newly formed Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority (MSFA), and the design team. AET’s geotechnical engineers analyzed and provided buttress foundation recommendations to support extremely large thrust loads from the single roof truss system and self-retained backfill systems to reduce lateral loads on costly deep retaining walls. AET’s environmental services kept the earthwork on track; increasing the beneficial reuse of available soil and minimizing landfill disposal. Construction of U.S. Bank Stadium was completed ahead of schedule and will have lasting benefits for the stakeholders, the engineering profession, and community as a whole. 4
The Ordway Center for the Performing Arts located in Saint Paul, Minnesota replaced an underutilized 300 seat theater with an acoustically superior 1,100 seat Concert Hall. Fitting the larger Concert Hall into the foot print of the small theater mandated creative solutions. Innovative design features include bent post-tensioned transfer beams, curved folded-plate seating slabs, cantilevered tapered slab balconies without backspans, and an extension of the Ordway’s signature, two-story cantilevered lobby. Embracing sustainable design principles the building incorporates portions of the original theater and a blue roof designed to reduce storm water infrastructure demands during extreme rainfall events. Inventive sequencing including building a portion of the new structure inside the original theater prior to demolition allowed the Ordway Center to remain operational through construction. 5
Grand Award Winners
Grand Award Winners
West River Parkway High-Profile Landslide Repair
HNTB Corporation
Stanley Consultants, Inc.
The Historic Franklin Avenue Bridge Rehabilitation
Lake Delhi Dam
Minneapolis, MN
Lake Delhi, IA
When Lake Delhi Dam failed in 2010 the small Iowa community was devastated to lose the region’s major source of recreation and income. They rallied to rebuild, privately raising $1.7 million and taxing themselves for a $6 million restoration bond. The six years between the failure and completion of the new dam included four years of inspection, permitting, funding, public awareness, legislation and design. To meet modern criteria a labyrinth spillway replaced the failed earthen dam. The unique shape triples its capacity to pass water compared to a conventional spillway. Essentially unknown in the Midwest, the $13 million dam is the first of its kind in Iowa. The dam was recently put to the test by the lake’s fifth largest recorded flood. It performed flawlessly.
Short Elliott Hendrickson Inc.
Stantec
I-35W and Highway 96 Interchange - Ramsey County, Minnesota
The Central Park Fountain and Ice Skating Loop
Arden Hills and New Brighton, MN
Maple Grove, MN
Economic redevelopment of a 430-acre inactive army ammunition site was a significant driver in advancing reconstruction of the I-35W at Highway 96 interchange in Ramsey County. In collaboration with multiple project partners, and under an extremely aggressive schedule, the County led efforts to evaluate multiple interchange designs that would accommodate a variety of additional users including local and regional travelers, commuters, bicyclists and pedestrians. An innovative diverging diamond interchange (DDI) configuration was selected as the preferred alternative from an operations, safety and mobility perspective. Multiple challenges were overcome throughout design and construction including public acceptance, ADA accommodations and regional trail connections, zero right-of-way acquisition and the need to maintain full access along Highway 96 during construction. Significant agency coordination, public outreach and creative construction staging were critical factors in the success of the project.
This former gravel mine in Maple Grove represented a unique opportunity to develop a destination community park. When it was time to design and build Central Park, Stantec served as the ice and aquatics consultant, designing two key recreational features – the ice skating loop and the aquatic fountain. Our team provided engineering services for the skating loop, the refrigeration plant, and the containment curbs and railings. Stantec also designed the aquatic fountain, piping, and equipment room. The 810-foot-long meandering ice skating loop, which accommodates up to 525 skaters, is the first of its kind in Minnesota and provides year round recreation. The 2,100-square-foot interactive fountain uses 67 multi-colored, LED lighted ground spray jets and unlimited programming capabilities to provide an impressive light and water show.
WSB & Associates, Inc.
SRF Consulting Group, Inc.
Elm Creek Dam
Old Cedar Avenue Bridge Rehabilitation
Champlin, MN
Bloomington, MN
Built in 1920, the Old Cedar Truss Bridge is a historic five-span, 865-foot-long, steel truss bridge crossing over Long Meadow Lake in Bloomington, Minnesota. Originally constructed as a vehicular bridge, it was converted to a bicycle/pedestrian facility in 1993, but closed in 2002 due to significant deterioration. The project goals included restoring pedestrian/bicycle connectivity to the regional trail system, meeting the Secretary of Interior’s standards for rehabilitation, and meeting structural loading and safety standards while minimizing future maintenance costs. To meet these goals and address challenges with access through the National Wildlife Refuge, SRF worked closely with stakeholders throughout design and construction. The rehabilitation work included steel truss repairs, substructure repair and reconstruction, deck and railing replacement, and repainting. Rehabilitation was complete September 2016. 6
The Elm Creek Dam is a historical structure located in the City of Champlin that was originally built in 1880 and reconstructed in 1936. This dam was in need of replacement because the structure itself was deteriorating and the dam had inadequate capacity to accommodate the necessary flows to prevent upstream flooding. The engineering challenge related to this project resulted from competing goals of historic preservation, upstream flood prevention, and addressing the varied interests of the regulatory agencies. The innovative engineering approach led by WSB resulted in a dam that achieved the goals of the regulatory agencies, improved flood protection and the ecology in the area, enhanced motorist and pedestrian safety, and created a community amenity.
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Grand Award Winners
Grand Award Winners
The historic Franklin Avenue Bridge, built in 1923 and first rehabilitated in 1970, is a 1050-foot-long, five span, open-spandrel, concrete deck arch structure crossing the Mississippi River in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Advanced degradation warranted extensive concrete repair and full deck and spandrel cap beam replacement. The project applied Accelerated Bridge Construction techniques including Prefabricated Bridge Elements and Systems consisting of 43 precast spandrel cap beams, 350 deck panels, and 163 ornamental rail panels to replace the bridge deck and spandrel cap beams under full closure between May 8, 2016, and September 1, 2016. Deck panels were connected with Ultra High Performance Concrete and overlaid with Premixed Polymer Concrete wearing course. These innovative techniques extended the life of the bridge and limited closure to just 116 days.
Alliant Engineering, Inc.
Congratulations 2017 Honor Award Winners Alliant Engineering, Inc. Bloomington Local Road Wayfinding
HDR MnDOT Strategic Communications for Statewide Plan
American Engineering Testing, Inc. & Anderson Companies Hamline Station Apartments
Houston Engineering, Inc. Grand Marais Creek Channel Restoration
Bolton & Menk, Inc. Belle Plaine Overpass
Kadrmas Lee & Jackson, Inc. & Continental Mapping Consultants, Inc. MnDOT I-35W Mobile LiDAR Survey Mapping
Bolton & Menk, Inc. Sleepy Eye Lake Trail Project Phase 2
Honor Award Winners
Bolton & Menk, Inc. Trunk Highway 61/Main Street Reconstruction Bolton & Menk, Inc. Waconia Fountain Park Storm Water Management Improvements Bolton & Menk, Inc. Water Treatment Backwash Reclamation Project Braun Intertec Corporation Trunk Highway 53 Temporary Rock Causeway CDM Smith Esko Pump Station Reconstruction Clark Engineering Biogas Leeuwarden Clark Engineering Seward Montessori School Clark Engineering Southwest High School
Bloomington, MN
Bloomington identified the need for an intelligent wayfinding system to manage traffic in its growing South Loop District. The Local Road Wayfinding project installed dynamic message signs and cameras on City streets. The complex design included a significant stakeholder coordination process and integration of the design with two related wayfinding systems. Alliant provided the City with professional services for design and construction. The project provides real-time benefits by efficiently directing visitors to available parking and away from congested roadways. The system reduces fuel consumption and improves air quality by reducing the need for vehicles to circulate for available parking. The system was completed in October 2015, and provides the City with a tool to assist visitors to their destinations while balancing traffic on area roadways.
Kimley-Horn The A Line Bus Rapid Transit MSA Professionals Services, Inc. Duluth’s Grand Finale: Lift Station #8 Short Elliott Hendrickson Inc. Southwest Reconnection Project - Carver County, Minnesota
American Engineering Testing, Inc. & Anderson Companies Hamline Station Apartments
Short Elliott Hendrickson Inc. Spring Lake Park Reserve
Hamline Station is a great example of people, passion and partnerships coming together to address significant community and economic issues. Project for Pride in Living (PPL) promoted economic development, sustainability, and community livability by remediating environmental contamination on this long-blighted property and created large-scale affordable housing along the Green Line Light Rail Corridor in the Midway neighborhood of St. Paul, Minnesota.
Short Elliott Hendrickson Inc. Uptown 2nd Street SW Reconstruction Stantec Minnesota State Veterans Cemetery – Preston
St. Paul, MN
Hamline Station was designed to provide affordable housing options, minimize emissions, increase energy and water efficiency, and promote public transportation.
TKDA Nokomis-Minnesota River Regional Trail Wenck The Cottageville Park Project WSB & Associates, Inc. St. Anthony Regional Stormwater Treatment and Research System
Over the course of the project, over 14,000 tons of contaminated soils were encountered and dealt with. PPL collaborated closely with Anderson Companies and American Engineering Testing to ensure the project achieved its budget, schedule, and sustainability goals.
Bolton & Menk, Inc.
Belle Plaine Overpass
Belle Plaine, MN
Belle Plaine is a rapidly expanding city split by a major highway, and was in need of safe connectivity to accommodate its growing population. Safety concerns had led to the closing of six crossing points, leaving one interchange as the only route for local residents to cross the highway. An additional full interchange, estimated to cost over $12 million, was fiscally impractical. Bolton & Menk, Inc. worked collaboratively with multiple government entities to put together a plan that allowed the City of Belle Plaine to build a “right-sized” and locally funded overpass for the cost of $5 million. The community has quickly adapted to the new, convenient traffic pattern, and the City is experiencing new economic development as a result of the improved accessibility. 8
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Honor Award Winners
Bolton & Menk, Inc. Trunk Highway 25 Downtown Corridor Improvements
Bloomington Local Road Wayfinding
Bolton & Menk, Inc.
Bolton & Menk, Inc.
Sleepy Eye Lake Trail Project Phase 2
Waconia Fountain Park Stormwater Management Improvements
Sleepy Eye, MN
Waconia, MN
The City of Sleepy Eye and Bolton & Menk worked to complete the final 1,800-foot stretch of a three-mile trail loop around Sleepy Eye Lake and provide a safe alternative to the TH 4 shoulder for pedestrian and bicycle traffic.
The project required filling one acre of the lake. Extensive coordination with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, DNR, and the Local Government Unit was key. The project met the City’s many goals and is now a vibrant lake trail for outdoor enthusiasts to enjoy.
Bolton & Menk, Inc. presented a number of options for flood mitigation and improved storm water management, including sump manholes with baffles, pond outlet control structure, bioretention areas, tree grates, iron enhanced sand filter, and permeable pavement. The City elected to implement all of the recommendations simultaneously. Through creative value engineering, the flooding problem was solved and a blighted, contaminated pond site in the heart of Waconia was transformed into an attractive community gathering place.
Bolton & Menk, Inc.
Bolton & Menk, Inc.
Trunk Highway 25 Downtown Corridor Improvements Buffalo, MN
Water Treatment Backwash Reclamation Project
The City of Buffalo and Bolton & Menk collaborated to create better, safer access to a more vibrant, pedestrian-friendly downtown through the Trunk Highway 25 Downtown Corridor Improvement project. Trunk Highway 25 carries over 13,000 vehicles per day, was plagued with many crashes, and underserved pedestrians. Bolton & Menk addressed issues through a complete reconstruction. Key elements included a roundabout, narrower traffic lanes to accommodate a continuous two-way left turn lane, and two traffic signals. Utility design took into account historic buildings, access to businesses, and utilities moved from under the roadway.
Settlers Parkway, a new roadway and roundabout on the south side, connects Trunk Highways 25 and 55, providing critical connection between the regional roadways from the south, reducing congestion on Trunk Highway 25 through downtown.
Mankato, MN
The City of Mankato and Bolton & Menk, Inc. identified a significant source of water that could be reclaimed for drinking water. The backwashing process required to keep ultrafilter membranes clean at their major water plant was producing 450,000 gallons per day that could be returned to the drinking water supply. Additionally, this relatively clean water discharged to the sanitary sewer added unnecessary flow at the wastewater facility. A solution was engineered that converted backwash holding tanks to reclaim tanks, avoiding the need to discharge to the sanitary sewer. The amount of water saved is equivalent to the daily use of 5,000 people. The cost and sustainability benefits of this project are more than enough to justify and offset the $1 million cost.
Braun Intertec Corporation
Bolton & Menk, Inc.
Trunk Highway 53 Temporary Rock Causeway
Trunk Highway 61 / Main Street Reconstruction Red Wing, MN
pond water As a Lake
The City of Red Wing, Bolton & Menk, and MnDOT worked together to accomplish a successful street reconstruction project through the heart of Red Wing. Trunk Highway 61/Main Street provides crucial access to the community’s residential, commercial, and regional destinations; serving vehicles, trucks, bikes, and pedestrians. MnDOT was planning a pavement preservation project. Bolton & Menk was hired for funding assistance to achieve the City’s goals for a complete reconstruction. The team worked to understand the City’s needs and desires, then developed reconstruction concepts that achieved those goals. Elements were added to enhance competitiveness and benefits provided by the project, including utility replacement, roadway corridor reconstruction, enhanced multimodal travel, and streetscaping elements. The project received the largest amount of CIMS funding available throughout the state. 10
Virginia, MN
During construction of Trunk Highway 53, Braun Intertec designed a temporary causeway to provide a stable platform for pier construction and steel erection. The design varied up to 110’ in depth, with 5’ exposed above the water line and also addressed many complexities, such as varied surface loading of construction equipment and shoring towers, as well as strength changes resulting from rock at lower elevations crushing from the weight of the rock above. Since the construction was performed by push and plunge methods, the slope angles of the rock below the water surface were surveyed using sonar to determine where re-design would be required. The top of the platform used geogrid to increase bearing pressures and provide a stable working surface, allowing construction to begin.
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Honor Award Winners
Honor Award Winners
An innovative plan was implemented using a ring and grid system, allowing for easy maintenance and grass regrowth while withholding the weight of snow plows for snow removal. The ecofriendly design reduces the amount of road salt into the lake.
Waconia’s Fountain Park featured an aging storm water susceptible to flooding and not designed to provide adequate quality treatment for the 60-acre urban watershed it drains. result, excess pollutant loading was being discharged into Waconia, a popular and valuable community asset.
CDM Smith
Clark Engineering
Esko Pump Station Reconstruction
Southwest High School
Thompson Township, MN
Minneapolis, MN
For over 40 years, the Western Lake Superior Sanitary District’s Esko Pump Station conveyed sewage from Thomson Township to the WLSSD interceptor system. By 2014, the facility reached its design life. WLSSD retained CDM Smith from 2014 through 2016 to design a new pump station and provide engineering services during construction. Key design features include: • Designing a facility with a 1.75 mgd firm capacity • Addressing a wide daily diurnal flow through pump selection • Constructing a bifurcated wet well to isolate pumps for in-situ service • Protecting adjacent properties by constructing 10,000 gallons of storage • Constructing a new electrical building and backup power system
The solution comprised three main elements: adding a third story to an existing structure; renovating existing classrooms; and adding a two-story space that houses a dramatic entry, new media center, and new cafeteria. Clark Engineering’s structural engineering services allowed for the third story on a building that was not designed for it, including extending stair towers and reviewing the existing structure for increased wind loads. The finished project provides an enhanced learning environment for students of today and anticipates changing student needs for the future.
• Designing the site to minimize above-grade infrastructure and optimize maintainability
Clark Engineering
HDR
Biogas Leeuwarden
MnDOT Strategic Communications for Statewide Plan
Leeuwarden, the Netherlands
Minneapolis, MN
The Dairy Campus of Wageningen University is the world’s topranked agricultural research university. Its waste-to-energy plant converted manure into biogas using traditional anaerobic digesters. The traditional system failed to yield adequate biogas and became obsolete. Clark Engineering and Evergreen Energy developed a new patented bio-catalytic conversion system and patent-pending waste-to-energy conversion technology to retrofit the plant. These new technologies produce at least 50% more useable biogas than any other technologies in the world. This digester of the future allows high-efficiency conversion of organics into clean energy. The plant produces 60% more biogas at lower cost compared to the original system. It produces electricity for 1,700 residences and heats 700 more. In five hours, it generates enough energy for an entire household for one year.
The Minnesota Department of Transportation selected HDR to develop a communications and outreach program for the update of two statewide plans. These plans set the transportation policy direction for the state of Minnesota and direct billions of dollars of investment in the state highway system. The HDR team developed a multi-faceted outreach strategy leveraging online and in-person activities, with live polling at stakeholder forums, roving iPad surveys at events, targeted social media advertising campaigns and a custom interactive ADA-compliant web site. The team coordinated logistics for 100 events in eight months, resulting in more than 12,450 comments received prior to writing the plans. Further strategy and adjustments along the way resulted in attaining audience engagement that was proportional to the state’s demographics.
Clark Engineering
Houston Engineering, Inc.
Seward Montessori School
Grand Marais Creek Channel Restoration
Minneapolis, MN
East Grand Forks, MN
Originally constructed in the 1960s, Seward Montessori’s student population far exceeded the intended capacity; crowded conditions adversely affected learning. The challenge was to expand to meet the needs of today’s students within a constrained site in a densely developed Minneapolis neighborhood. The solution comprised three main elements: adding a third story to an existing structure; renovating existing classrooms; and adding a two-story space that houses a dramatic entry, new media center, and new cafeteria. Clark Engineering’s structural engineering services allowed for the third story on a building that was not designed for it, including extending stair towers and reviewing the existing structure for increased wind loads. The finished project provides an enhanced learning environment for students of today and anticipates changing student needs for the future. 12
The Grand Marais Creek Restoration project addressed a challenge that began around the same time as the first world war. A cutoff ditch had been constructed that led to significant problems along Grand Marais. By restoring the natural six-mile outlet, the Red Lake Watershed District and its partners restored aquatic habitat, wetlands, and native prairie; reduced the average annual 700-ton sediment loading that the cutoff ditch deposited into the Red River; provided drainage for agricultural land; and constructed unique structures over the channel out of repurposed railroad cars. All this was accomplished by coordinating with private landowners; local government unites; and local, state, and federal entities.
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Honor Award Winners
Honor Award Winners
• Facilitating flexible operation by providing station pump-around capabilities
Originally constructed in the 1960s, Seward Montessori’s student population far exceeded the intended capacity; crowded conditions adversely affected learning. The challenge was to expand to meet the needs of today’s students within a constrained site in a densely developed Minneapolis neighborhood.
Kadrmas Lee & Jackson, Inc. & Continental Mapping Consultants, Inc.
Short Elliott Hendrickson Inc.
MnDOT I-35W Mobile LiDAR Survey Mapping
Southwest Reconnection Project - Carver County, Minnesota
Minneapolis, MN
Chanhassen and Shakopee, MN
Conventional survey work on this section of I-35W would be unsafe and cause traffic delays for many of the 111,000 vehicles that use the road daily. The ground survey work was completed during nighttime hours to avoid traffic problems. The project was completed on time, near budget and most importantly, safely.
The fundamental goal of the project was to resolve costly seasonal road and river crossing closures of the Highway 101 Minnesota River Bridge that connects Carver County to Scott County through a lower cost, high benefit improvement. Minimizing traffic conflicts and improving operations along Highway 61 was also important for vehicles and non-motorized users alike. The solution involved constructing a new, 4,200 ft. long bridge across the floodplain to raise the roadway out of the 100-year flood elevation, and reconstructing the Highway 101 and Highway 61 “Y” intersection as a roundabout in place of three signalized intersections. One of the primary challenges involved maintaining traffic throughout construction with limited river crossing options. Other complexities included incorporating a multiuse trail connecting to regional trails, deep muck excavation, and a unique archeological discovery.
Short Elliott Hendrickson Inc.
Kimley-Horn
Spring Lake Park Reserve
The A Line Bus Rapid Transit
Dakota County, MN
St. Paul, MN
The A Line, the first of 11 arterial BRT corridors, is setting the precedent for planned BRT investments in the Twin Cities with standards that can be efficiently replicated along future corridors. Arterial BRT provides light rail system features that fit into a small, bus-based package including enhanced platforms, off-board fare collection, transit signal priority at key intersections, and curb extensions that allow buses to stop in travel lanes while providing more space for patrons. The A Line opened in June 2016 with 20 stations along a 10-mile corridor, providing connections to the METRO Green and Blue LRT lines and seeing a 30% increase in corridor ridership. Riders are enjoying the speed, consistent level of service, and the enhanced station amenities along the corridor.
SEH partnered with Dakota County on this trail project that was part of ongoing efforts to plan for and implement the Mississippi River Trail through Minnesota. This 4.3-mile, $10 million project included a 1,000 ft. long cliff-cut, extensive grading, complex geotechnical design work, two long bridges and substantial landscape amenities. Additional features included four scenic overlooks, ecological restoration, interpretive signage and a multi-use trailhead. This project was successful because the team was able to solve technical challenges while also addressing natural resource concerns and meeting all federal, state and local requirements through a study area characterized by extensive woodlands, deep ravines, and limestone cliffs overlooking the Mississippi River. This trail segment provides one of the most unique and scenic recreational trail experiences in Minnesota.
MSA Professionals Services, Inc.
Short Elliott Hendrickson Inc.
Duluth’s Grand Finale: Lift Station #8
Uptown 2nd Street SW Reconstruction
Duluth, MN
Rochester, MN
City of Duluth officials knew that reconstruction of Lift Station #8 on the existing site bordering Lake Superior would be a major challenge. The facility, considered the “Grand Finale” of all city lift stations, is located on Duluth’s popular Park Point, a tourist destination. The Point’s single access is across the iconic, 180-foot-tall Lift Bridge located on an active shipping canal. The lift station pumps all wastewater from the Point in a force main overtop the bridge. Project challenges included extremely high heads for a wastewater station, limited property and space in an urban setting and constant flow of wastewater to the station. MSA Professional Services kept the facility operational during construction. It now provides increased system reliability and safety for city staff.
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This urban arterial roadway moves a significant amount of traffic from west Rochester into downtown and is home to a mix of uses. Working closely with the Uptown Business Association, SEH was hired to develop a street design for 2nd Street SW that promotes walkability as well as sets the stage for a future urban shopping district. Conceptual planning and design focused on creating a more pedestrian friendly, aesthetically pleasing corridor and to provide a complete and green street. The project includes several low impact development stormwater practices including rain gardens, a large bioswale median, porous pavers, structural soils and native landscaping. Water-themed public art was also a component of the design, acting as a gateway into the new Cascade Lake Recreation Area. 15
Honor Award Winners
Honor Award Winners
Minnesota Department of Transportation required a high accuracy DTM and clearance data for a congested five mile stretch of I-35W located in Minneapolis. KLJ and Continental Mapping utilized a mobile LiDAR scanner/GPS system to accurately map the roadway surface, on and off ramps and bridge clearances. KLJ set 226 ground control targets via conventional survey methods to register and validate the mobile LiDAR that was collected by Continental Mapping.
Stantec
WSB & Associates, Inc.
Minnesota State Veterans Cemetery
St. Anthony Regional Stormwater Treatment and Research System
Preston, MN
St. Anthony Village, MN
We are forever indebted to the veterans who served our country. Stantec developed the master plan for the Minnesota State Veterans Cemetery - Preston that outlines nine phases of development, each to occur approximately every 10 years.
Phase 1 is complete and includes nearly 4,000 interment sites and support facilities. When fully developed, the site will provide 38,000 resting places. The cemetery honors our veterans and provides a tranquil place to remember loved ones.
TKDA
Nokomis-Minnesota River Regional Trail Bloomington, Richfield and Minneapolis, MN
TKDA provided Three Rivers Park District with engineering services for a multiuse, off-road 5-mile-long trail that connects Minneapolis with Bloomington and Richfield. The trail improved safety and accessibility for pedestrians and cyclists in areas that rely heavily on non-motorized transportation. The federally-funded trail includes a new pedestrian bridge over I-494 and the rehabilitation of the Bloomington Avenue Bridge over Crosstown TH62. Streets were realigned to accommodate the trail, reducing impacts on businesses and saving mature boulevard trees. Extensive coordination was required with multiple local, regional, and state agencies. TKDA’s thoughtful and innovative design saved time, money, and resources. The project was completed on time and under budget, allowing unused funds to be dedicated to completing a missing link in the trail.
Wenck
The Cottageville Park Project Hopkins, MN
The Cottageville Park project is one example of how local government collaboration can meet mutual goals, resulting in overlapping benefits to water quality and the broader community. Minnehaha Creek Watershed District, in partnership with the City of Hopkins, purchased approximately 4 acres of high density residential and commercial land on Minnehaha Creek to daylight the once hidden and marginalized Minnehaha Creek, provide regional stormwater management, and expansion of the City’s Cottageville Park. The project creates a 20,000 ft3 underground iron-enhanced sand filtration system which maximizes green space. The project provides new riparian access and integrates community park amenities such as a community garden, green space and trails with the riparian system for public recreation and education. 16
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Honor Award Winners
Honor Award Winners
Visitors enter the cemetery through ornamental gates, passing an iron fence and stone piers. Our designers implemented site roads and utilities, as well as irrigation and landscaping consistent with energy and water conservation and environmental preservation. A memorial walkway and flag/assembly area is prominent during formal events and gatherings, especially on Memorial Day.
The St. Anthony Stormwater Treatment and Research System project was developed through a collaborative effort involving the Cities of St. Anthony Village and Minneapolis as well as Hennepin County and the Mississippi Watershed Management Organization. The project was initiated to improve the quality of stormwater runoff from approximately 600 acres of fully-developed urban land. The complex and innovative design includes two confined treatment chambers. The primary treatment chamber includes an aluminum swirl chamber and flow controls. The secondary treatment chamber allows for the testing of emerging technologies in order to determine their effectiveness. One project goal was to inform and educate the public regarding stormwater best management practices. This was accomplished through website posts (including an educational video), press releases, and an onsite construction camera.
Special Thanks to our Awards Competition Judges
The American Council of Engineering Companies of Minnesota conducts an annual scholarship competition. After reviewing the scholarship materials and interviewing finalists, the committee awarded ten scholarships totaling $24,000. Congratulations to the following recipients:
Mr. Chris Ayika, PE, PMP Senior Project Manager Xcel Energy Mr. Michael Barnes, PE Division Director, Operations Minnesota Department of Transportation
Noah Germolus
University of Minnesota Twin Cities Environmental Engineering
Mr. Mike Comstock Sales/Marketing Engineer Mulcahy Company Mr. Jupe Hale Assistant City Engineer City of Maple Grove
Ms. Bridget Rief Director of Airport Development Metropolitan Airports Commission
Mr. Adrian T. Hanson, PhD., PE, BCEE Environmental Professor University of Minnesota Duluth
Mr. David Sahli, PE Municipal Wastewater, Engineer Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
Ms. Rene Heflin Engineering Services Manager Metropolitan Council
Mr. Kendall Griffith AGC Past Chair Mortenson Construction
Ms. Michelle Mongeon Allen, AIA LEED AP AIA Past President JLG Architects
Mr. James Wilde, PhD, PE Director, Center for Transportation Research Minnesota State University, Mankato
Matt Kluthe
University of Minnesota Twin Cities Civil Engineering
Ashley Murr
University of Minnesota Duluth Civil Engineering
Mr. Nick Peterson Design Division Manager Hennepin County
Much Appreciation to our Scholarship Supporters Century
Contributor
Differt Consulting
HNTB Corporation
Gale-Tec Engineering, Inc.
LHB
M-P Consultants
Michaud Cooley Erickson
TKDA
SRF Consulting Group, Inc.
Walker Engineering, Inc.
Walker Parking Consultants/Engineers, Inc.
Wentz Associates
WSB & Associates, Inc.
Patron
Don Stormoe Scholarship
BKBM Engineers
American Engineering Testing, Inc.
Tyler Pogreba
St. Cloud State University Land Surveying & Mapping
Isabelle Race
Minnesota State University, Mankato Civil Engineering
Austin Rieder
Minnesota State University, Mankato Civil Engineering
Earl Oxley Scholarship
Rena Weis
University of Minnesota Twin Cities Environmental Engineering
Bob Rosene Scholarship
Matthew McDermott
University of Minnesota Duluth Civil Engineering
Don Stormoe Scholarship
Tessa Nordman
University of Minnesota Twin Cities Civil Engineering
Alliant Engineering, Inc. Scholarship
Henry Croll
University of Minnesota Twin Cities Civil Engineering
Bolton & Menk, Inc. CNA Consulting Engineers Emanuelson Podas, Inc. Isthmus Engineering, Inc.
Endowment Fund Partner HIWAY Federal Credit Union
Endowment Fund Partner
Larson Engineering of Minnesota Northern Technologies, LLC 18
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Scholarship Golf Tournament Title Sponsor
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Special Thanks and Appreciation
Congratulations to these Outstanding Students
www.acecmn.org
American Council of Engineering Companies of Minnesota 10201 Wayzata Blvd., #240 Minnetonka, MN 55305 www.acecmn.org /
[email protected]
We Couldn’t Have Done It Without These Wonderful Sponsors & Contributors 50 th Anniversary Sponsors Alliant Engineering, Inc. American Engineering Testing, Inc. Bolton & Menk, Inc. Braun Intertec Corporation Kimley-Horn Stantec TKDA WSB & Associates, Inc. Elite Sponsors Barr Engineering Co. Boulay, CPAs & Advisors Chartwell Financial Solutions HDR Heley, Duncan & Melander Hiway Federal Credit Union HR Green Meagher & Geer, PLLP
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Elite Sponsors (cont.) Meyer Borgman Johnson Short Elliott Hendrickson Inc. SRF Consulting Group, Inc. The Coleman Law Firm, LLC Platinum Sponsors ACEC Life/Health Trust Insurance Brown and Caldwell Clark Engineering DeWitt Mackall Crounse & Moore S.C. H. Robert Anderson & Associates, Inc. Kubes Law Office, PLLC Michaud Cooley Erickson Stanley Consultants Gold Sponsors Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Cobb, Strecker, Dunphy & Zimmerman, Inc.
Gold Sponsors (cont.) Concrete Paving Association Dennis J. Linder & Associates LHB Marriott Minneapolis Northwest Marriott Minneapolis West Minnesota Asphalt Pavement Association Minnesota Builders Exchange MSA Professional Services, Inc. Oak Marsh Golf Club TSP Ulteig Event Sponsors ARC Document Solutions, Signage Finance & Commerce, Media The First Impression Group, Printing Northern Technologies, LLC, Design
Honoring our past, celebrating our present, and inspiring our future. Here's to another 50 years of engineering excellence!
