GRAEF and TDW Services, Inc., of Chicago, IL has earned an Honor Award for exemplary engineering achievement in the American Council of Engineering Companies’ (ACEC) 50th annual Engineering Excellence Awards (EEA) for the 90-Inch Water Main Hot Tap & Line Plug in Des Plaines, IL.
A colossal 90-inch water transmission main was completely relocated to accommodate the rebuilding of the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway, while incredibly maintaining water service to 500,000 residents. The project team designed, tested, and constructed a unique thrust restraining system to absorb the massive forces generated by the risky hot tap procedure—where two pipes are connected without emptying pipe contents. The system safely absorbed the high pressure force when water was diverted into the bypass section. It allowed a critical water supply to be preserved, the construction schedule to be reduced by a year, and renovation of the Tollway to proceed.
The American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) is the business association of America’s engineering industry, representing more than 5,000 independent engineering firms and more than 500,000 professionals throughout the United States engaged in the development of America’s transportation, water and energy infrastructure, along with environmental, industrial and other public and private facilities. Founded in 1909 and headquartered in Washington, D.C., ACEC is a national federation of 51 state and regional organizations.
Tags: 2017 ACEC Engineering Excellence Awards, ACEC, American Council of Engineering Companies, Des Plaines, Engineering, Engineering Excellence, Engineers, IL, Illinois
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