LANSING, MI — The American Council of Engineering Companies of Michigan (ACEC/Michigan) recently honored firms for engineering and surveying excellence during the association’s annual Engineering and Surveying Excellence Awards Gala. Design professionals and guests gathered at Elevate at One Campus Martius in Detroit to recognize Michigan engineering and surveying projects from the past year, as well as engineering professionals who have significantly contributed to the profession. The ACEC/Michigan Awards Program recognizes outstanding efforts of professional design firms to solve clients’ needs through exceptional projects and offers the opportunity to showcase the year’s best engineering and surveying achievements to an audience of peers, clients, and decision-makers at all levels.

“Congratulations to all of the firms that shared their projects this year," said Ronald Brenke, PE, ACEC/Michigan Executive Director. "The infrastructure improvements that have been engineered by ACEC firms improve the daily lives of those who live and visit Michigan. Every year we see new innovations in design that showcase the talent and expertise in our industry."

This year, the Engineering Eminent Conceptor Award went to Tetra Tech (Brighton) and HDR (Ann Arbor) for the Second Avenue Network Tied Arch Bridge in Detroit for the Michigan Department of Transportation. The Second Avenue Bridge is one of America’s most unique bridges. The skewed layout and unbraced arch ribs are a “first” in the U.S., and innovative accelerated bridge construction processes dramatically reduced I-94 traffic impacts. The network tied arch design and self-propelled modular transporter construction process are first-time uses in Michigan.

This year’s Surveying Eminent Conceptor Award went to Fishbeck (Grand Rapids) for the M-46 Drainage Structure Condition Assessment for the Michigan Department of Transportation. Fishbeck’s survey team created an innovative solution to document 775 drainage structure condition assessments by using a 360-degree camera to capture the structure rim and interior of each. The data was then organized and cataloged in a GIS viewer for ease of use and future reference.

Six firms were honored with an Engineering Honorable Conceptor Award for their work on the following:

• AECOM Great Lakes, Inc. (Grand Rapids) - I-75 Modernization Project (Segment 3) for the Michigan Department of Transportation
• Fishbeck (Grand Rapids) - LMFP Pretreatment System Improvements for the City of Grand Rapids
• OHM Advisors (Livonia) - Avon Road at Dequindre Road Roundabout & Bridge for the Road Commission for Oakland County
• Prein&Newhof (Grand Rapids) - West Boardman Lake Loop Trail for the City of Traverse City
• Spicer Group, Inc. (Saginaw) - Bauer Drain Relocation Project for Patrick E. Lindemann, Ingham County Drain Commissioner
• Williams & Works (Grand Rapids) - Cutler Road Over the Looking Glass River for the Ionia County Road Department

Engineering Merit Awards were presented to:

• Bergmann (Lansing) - I-94 Modernization, Jackson County, for the Michigan Department of Transportation
• C2AE (Grand Rapids) - US-2 Infrastructure Improvements for the City of Bessemer
• DLZ Michigan, Inc. (Lansing) - I-275 Reconstruction and Rehabilitation for the Michigan Department of Transportation
• Nowak & Fraus Engineers (Pontiac) - Walker Michigan Yard for the Kent County Road Commission
• Nowak & Fraus Engineers (Pontiac) - South Old Woodward Avenue Reconstruction (Phase 3) for the City of Birmingham
• NTH Consultants, Ltd. (Northville) - Transformative Urban Industrial Site Renewal for GFL Environmental, Inc. - USA
• Prein&Newhof (Grand Rapids) - Downtown Infrastructure Improvements for the Village of Vicksburg
• Tetra Tech (Brighton) - M-38 Accelerated Timber Repairs/Strengthening for the Michigan Department of Transportation
• Wade Trim (Taylor) - I-275 Metro Trail Scoping/Asset Management for the Michigan Department of Transportation
• WSP Michigan, Inc. (Lansing) - Modernize 75 Project for the Michigan Department of Transportation

This year’s ACEC/Michigan Vernon B. Spalding Leadership Award was presented to Michael Cooper, PE, LEED AP, MBA, FACEC of Harley Ellis Devereaux to honor his leadership roles in ACEC and several community organizations. The ACEC/Michigan Felix A. Anderson Image Award was presented to Sean J. Kelley, PE, MBA of The Mannik & Smith Group, Inc. for his actions and contributions to enhance the image of the profession.

The Eminent and Honorable Conceptor award winners are eligible to compete at the National ACEC engineering competition in Washington, D.C.