O’Hare’s Runway 10R-28L Wins Engineering Award!

This past Friday, October 30th, we received some really wonderful news from the Illinois Chapter of the American Council of Engineering Companies that the Epstein-led design of O'Hare International Airports Runway 10R-28L has been awarded a 2016 Engineering Excellence Honor Award.

The ACEC-ILs Engineering Excellence Awards Competition recognizes projects of engineering achievement by Illinois consulting engineering firms. Entries are judged on the basis of engineering excellence, the degree to which the clients needs are met, and the benefits to the public welfare and private practice of engineering. Honor Awards are given for those projects which are recognized for exceptional engineering that meet the needs of the client and benefit the public welfare.

In addition, by winning an Honor Award, we are eligible to receive the ACEC-ILs grand prize The Eminent Conceptor Award (ECA), which 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 ECA will be announced at the ACEC-ILs Award Ceremony held at the Marriot Hotel in Normal, Illinois on February 11, 2016. Epstein has won the ECA three times before; in 2013 for the LEED-NC Platinum Testa Produce Headquarters and Distribution Center located within Chicagos old Union Stockyards; in 2008, for the LEED-NC West Expansion to Chicagos McCormick Place Convention Center; and in 1989 for United Airlines Terminal 1 Complex at OHare International.

For those of you not familiar with the particulars of Runway 10R-28L its a 7,500 foot long, 150 foot wide, CAT II/III all-weather runway. The multi-firm engineering team that Epstein managed and providing co-lead engineering services for, along our friends at the Michael Baker Corporation, was responsible for the design of 10R-28Ls earthwork, grading, pavements, geometrics, NAVAIDS, drainage, storm water conveyance, erosion and sedimentation control, utilities, lighting, signing, and pavement marking. Runway 10R-28L is OHares third new east-west parallel runway and the second that was designed by an Epstein-led engineering team. Nearly seven years ago, Runway 9L-27R, Epstein co-engineered, again with Baker, opened.

Congratulations go out for a job very well done to our engineering team which was led by Epsteins director of engineering, Thomas E. Smiles, PE and Al Pomerance, Epsteins former director of aviation. In addition to Tom & Al, Epsteins team also included Victor Iniguez, Don Reilly, Pradip Desai, Alena Piburn, Dave Hilty, Tom Pociask, Jay Masi, Greg Osborne, Pete Dombrowski, Theresa Pelletier, and Nicole Firnbach.