MWH, a provider of wastewater, energy, natural resource, program management, consulting and construction services, received the top honor in the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) at Illinois' 36th annual engineering excellence awards competition.
Forty-eight Illinois firms were recognized for excellence in engineering before an audience of over 470 engineers, clients and government officials at an awards luncheon held at The Drake Hotel in Chicago. The competition recognizes outstanding projects designed by private practice engineering firms who conduct business in Illinois.
The highest award, the Eminent Conceptor, was presented to MWH for its contribution to the design of the Montgomery Point Lock and Dam project located in Arkansas and owned by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' (USACE) Little Rock District. The Eminent Conceptor Award recognizes an engineering achievement that demonstrates a high degree of merit and ingenuity, contributes to the advancement of the private practice of engineering and enhances the economic and social welfare of the general public. The Eminent Conceptor Award was chosen from 11 engineering firms who received honor awards.
"MWH introduced many innovations in the design of several critical features of the project, including the cofferdam, overflow spillway and hinged crest gates," said Chander Sehgal, vice president and project manager for MWH. "Working in close collaboration with the USACE, these innovations and many others helped to significantly improve navigation from the Mississippi River to the main stem of the Arkansas River."
The Montgomery Point Lock and Dam Project is designed to improve navigation conditions in the White River Entrance Channel, located in Arkansas, while incorporating environmental features for protecting aquatic resources and reducing dredging activities. This channel constitutes the first segment (10 miles) of the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System.
Judges for the 2007 Engineering Excellence Awards Competition were: Dr. Robert H. Dodds, Jr., Head, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Illinois; Jan Grimes, Executive Director, Capital Development Board; Gary Loss, Deputy for Programs and Project Management, USACE Rock Island; Milt Sees, Director of Highways, Illinois Department of Transportation; Marvin Traylor, Director of Engineering and Research, Illinois Asphalt Pavement Association; Amy Walkenbach, Manager, Nonpoint Source Unit, Bureau of Water, IEPA; John Yonan, Deputy Commissioner, Division of Engineering, Chicago Department of Transportation.
Source: MWH
