ACEC NY Engineering Excellence Awards fete outstanding work

At the American Council of Engineering Companies of New York's (ACEC New York) 45th annual Engineering Excellence Awards gala at the Waldorf=Astoria on March 24, twenty-five New York State consulting engineering firms received ACEC New York's Diamond Award for their work on 26 outstanding projects throughout the world. The judging was based on complexity, future value to the engineering profession, original or innovative application of new or existing technologies, and meeting or exceeding client needs. The Empire Award - given to the highest rated project in New York State based on contributions to the economic health of an area, sustainability, innovation and creativity - went to WSP Cantor Seinuk for its structural systems design work on the World Trade Center Memorial and Museum. The Memorial Park is supported by the steel framing of the roof of the subterranean memorial structure, which descends below plaza level. Features include the fountain pools that occupy the footprint of the Twin Towers, and waterfalls that flow through the ceiling to the museum below. Among the project's challenges were: resisting earth and hydrostatic pressures from up to 70 ft. of pre-9/11 excavations and the need to support the existing slurry wall. Now designated a federal landmark, the 60-ft. high original slurry wall held back the waters of the Hudson River on September 11. WSP Cantor Seinuk is an international structural engineering firm based in New York. NYSDOT presented with Award of Merit To recognize the New York State Department of Transportation's (NYSDOT) rapid response to the damage caused by Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee this past year, and its quick repair of infrastructure essential to transportation services, the Department received the Council's Award of Merit. A $5,000 scholarship in the name of NYSDOT was given to Benjamin Conable, a distinguished third-year CUNY engineering student who has excelled in both academics and student leadership. Michael Leydecker, chairman of ACEC New York, said, "ACEC New York's annual Engineering Excellence Awards gala is a vehicle for honoring outstanding projects and the firms these engineers represent. From working on new transportation systems to rebuilding our infrastructure to creating environmentally sustainable buildings, New York's creative and technically skilled consulting engineers continue to design extraordinary projects that improve the quality of life for millions of people around the globe."