ASCE Announces Outstanding Projects, Leaders Award Winners

Thu February 03, 2022 - National Edition
ASCE

The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) announced its 2022 recipients of the society's Outstanding Projects and Leaders (OPAL) awards, which recognize lifetime achievement in each of five categories: construction, design, education, government, and management.

These individuals have furthered the civil engineering profession and improved local communities by contributing to thriving local economies and superb educational influence.

The society also announced 11 recipients of its 2022 Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievement (OCEA) Award nominations, which recognize exemplary civil engineering projects throughout the country. The award honors projects which exemplify state-of-the-art engineering skill and provide considerable contributions to local and regional communities, in addition to advancements of the civil engineering profession.

A winner and two runners-up will be chosen during the OPAL Gala, which is scheduled for Oct. 25, 2022, in Anaheim, Calif. OPAL Award winners also will be recognized at the gala.

"The public may think of roads, bridges and water pipelines when they think of civil engineering, but this field is really about people," said Dennis Truax, 2022 president, ASCE.

"These exemplary projects are made for the good of people, by brilliant, driven people who never stop searching for better solutions to society's challenges. This year's OPAL recipients, through their dedication and ingenuity, serve as an inspiration to the next generation of engineers, and this year's OCEA nominees represent what can be accomplished when a superb group of people comes together in pursuit of excellence. Congratulations to all for receiving these honors."

The 2022 OPAL leadership award recipients are as follows:

Construction – Susan Hou is the regional project manager of the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC), overseeing dozens of projects within the Water Enterprise Capital Improvement Program (WECIP) and the Water System Improvement Program (WSIP), the largest water infrastructure program ever undertaken by San Francisco. Hou launched the Risk Management Program for the WSIP in 2009 and served as the project manager for the $800 million Calaveras Dam Replacement Project since 2013, the largest project in the WSIP. She has more than 23 years of experience in the civil and environmental engineering field, serving in both the private and public sectors.
Design – Raymond Daddazio has made significant contributions to the structural engineering profession, most notably in the use of applied mechanics and advanced analysis to improve structural design and performance. Over a career that has spanned four decades, he has held various leadership roles, including that of president of Thornton Tomasetti, and president and CEO of Weidlinger Associates, which merged with Thornton Tomasetti in 2015. He also served as director of Weidlinger's Applied Science division, where he was responsible for all R&D initiatives and led advanced analysis of blast effects on structures, including bridges, tunnels and terminals belonging to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and the New York State's Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Daddazio's work has impacted critical areas of shock and vibration, low frequency structural acoustics, extreme loadings on structures and software development. In his current position, he supports the development of services for Thornton Tomasetti's clients in the federal market sector and as well as TTWiiN, the firm's R&D incubator and technology accelerator efforts.
Education – Gholamreza Mesri is the Ralph B. Peck Professor of Civil Engineering at the University of Illinois, where he teaches advanced undergraduate and graduate courses in geotechnical engineering. Mesri has taught at the University of Illinois for more than 50 years. He is regarded as a leading international expert on the behavior of soft clays and has written more than 150 papers published in leading geotechnical engineering journals and in published conference proceedings. He also has received many awards for his research, including the Norman Medal twice, the Thomas A. Middlebrooks Award, and the Karl Terzaghi Award from ASCE. He also is the co-author with Karl Terzaghi and Ralph B. Peck of the 3rd Edition of Soil Mechanics in Engineering Practice.
Government – Lloyd C. Caldwell Jr. served his career with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) in leadership positions including national director of Military Programs for HQ USACE, director of Programs for the North Atlantic Division and the Gulf Region Division, deputy district engineer for the Europe District, and chief of Construction Division for the Baltimore District. Caldwell was instrumental in advancing professional practice within the USACE through adoption of Partnering Principles in construction, implementing new project delivery strategies and interagency partnerships, advancing sustainability practices including public-private partnerships in energy, developing engineer leaders and executing complex projects.
Management – Paul F. Boulos has a career spanning 30 years in engineering management. His career has focused on providing leadership in urban infrastructure sustainability and resiliency, engineering design, management consulting, and technology development related to delivering clean water to communities across the globe. In 1996, Boulos founded Innovyze, which led to significant innovations in wet infrastructure engineering. Under his leadership, Innovyze enjoyed 20 consecutive years of double-digit growth. In 2018, Boulos founded Digital Water Works, investing in the next generation of digital twin innovation software for optimizing the resiliency and sustainability of the world's water infrastructure. Boulos also served as president and executive director of MWH Global, one of the world's leading environmental engineering and construction firms. The company has long been considered one of the world's top three experts on power, water and wastewater issues.

The 2022 OCEA nominees are as follows:

Able Pump Station (Dallas, Texas) – The new Able Pump Station is America's largest concrete volute pump replacing a 50-year-old, undersized complex that protected Dallas from the Trinity River. The station lowers Dallas' flood elevation by 6.5 ft., providing 100-year flood protection for 4 sq. mi. of the city. The new pump station removes 128 acres from flood plain, protects $13.7 billion in residential and business interests, allows riverfront revitalization, and was completed on budget.
Canarsie Tunnel Rehabilitation & L Line Core Capacity Improvements (New York, N.Y.) – The Canarsie Tunnel Rehabilitation Project is an integrated resiliency, capacity and accessibility project which was completed under budget and ahead of schedule without a full train line shutdown. The multi-year project was needed to rehabilitate the damages caused to the L-Line of the New York City Subway after Superstorm Sandy in October of 2012 while concurrently improving the tunnel resiliency against future flood events and increasing capacity and reliability.
Citizens Reservoir (Fishers, Ind.) – The Citizens Reservoir is the newest addition to Citizen's surface water supplies in central Indiana and increases raw water storage capacity by three billion gallons via the re-purposing of a decommissioned rock quarry. The addition of Citizens Reservoir enhances the community's drought preparedness by allowing use of the stored raw water under abnormally dry conditions.
I-15; Lehi Main to SR92, Technology Corridor (Lehi, Utah) – The I-15 Technology Corridor was the last section of I-15 to be rebuilt between Bangerter Highway and Spanish Fork, Utah. Due to rapid growth, the Utah Department of Transportation widened this segment of I-15 and redesigned key interchanges to relieve traffic congestion impacting drivers and surrounding communities. The project includes two interchange redesigns, 15 bridge replacements, two new bridges, and bike and pedestrian trails – all within 4.4 mi. of interstate widened to six lanes in each direction. The project was completed in October 2020 at $415 million, $35 million under budget.
Keauhou Beach Hotel and Site Demolition (Kahalu's North Kona, Hawaii) – The demolition of the Keauhou Beach Hotel, a 7-story, 309-room structure built in and over tide pools and on a parcel with 15 significant historic properties, required an Environmental Assessment, archaeological data recovery and preservation plans with a burial site component, wetland determinations, unique topographic surveys and detailed construction documents, water quality testing and endangered species monitoring. Notable features include the use of a high-reach excavator for landslide demolition and remote-controlled demolition robots for overwater work, protection of the basement walls during demolition to preserve the existing shoreline and flood zone boundaries, and an extensive recycle and reuse program which resulted in diverting more than 90 percent of all construction material generated from the work away from the county landfill.
Moynihan Train Hall (New York, N.Y.) – The upgrade and redesign of Moynihan Train Hall reinvigorates America's busiest transit hub and dramatically expands the existing Penn Station rail complex's concourse space. A transformation of the 108-year-old James A. Farley Post Office into a major expansion of Penn Station's transit hub includes a complete restoration of the building's stone façade, terra-cotta cornices and many other original details. The new design also incorporates new security features and improved air handling and sanitation systems.
NE Spring Boulevard, Zones 1 and 2 (Bellevue, Wash.) – A new five-lane arterial, constructed over five years, the boulevard serves as a gateway into an area of the city that is transforming from light industry to a mixed-use neighborhood. The roadway includes five new intersections, two bridges, a multipurpose pathway, cycle tracks and bioretention stormwater retention. The multipurpose boulevard incorporates plans for light rail.
One Vanderbilt Avenue (New York, N.Y.) – At 93 stories and 1,401 ft., the new tallest office building in midtown Manhattan is built around a structural steel frame and high-strength concrete shear wall core supporting 1.7 million sq. ft. of office, retail and amenity space. The building includes a transit hall, subway entrances and connectors. Advanced sustainability components including a revitalized cogeneration plant and massive rainwater system result in significant water and energy reductions.
Pure Water Monterey Groundwater Replenishment Project (Marina, Calif.) – Northern California's first indirect potable reuse project treats a number of wastewater sources to replenish a groundwater basin and help fight the region's drought. The purification process includes ozone, microfiltration, reverse osmosis, and UV-advanced oxidation. The project also utilizes a renewable energy source to provide the power to the advanced treatment facility.
Rainier Square Redevelopment (Seattle, Wash.) – The 58-story high-rise, Seattle's second tallest, is the world's first to be constructed using the innovative SpeedCore structural system. The process allowed construction to occur 43 percent faster than conventional methods and shaved 10 months off the projected 32-month schedule.
West Riverside Energy Center (Beloit, Wis.) – The natural gas-fired power plant for Alliant Energy provides 730 MW of power, integrates with a solar facility, and emits significantly less pollutants than traditional coal-fired plants. The site includes 67 acres of restored natural habitat and new trails, while the site's "Energy Lab" provides interactive public education.

These 11 projects will be recognized at the Outstanding Projects And Leaders (OPAL) Gala on Oct. 25, 2022, in Anaheim, Calif. ASCE will announce two runners-up and one winner at the end of the evening.

For more information on ASCE's OPAL and OCEA honors, visit www.asce.org/opal-awards/ and www.asce.org/oceakit/