Salem, Mass – Bioengineering Group was recently chosen by the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) as a winner of their 2012 Honor Award in the Water Resources Category for its work on the New Orleans West Closure Complex Pump Station. Serving to close off the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway and prevent floodwaters from entering the Harvey and Algiers Canals along the west Bank of the Mississippi River, it is the largest pump station of its type in the world, and a critical element in the federally mandated hurricane risk reduction system for New Orleans. Designed to protect against Category 5 hurricanes and prevent storm surges and heavy rains from flooding the protected area, it was executed swiftly using Early Contractor Involvement. The team provided design and program management for major project components, including flood walls, levees, navigation gates, and the giant $350 million pump station itself. ACEC’s annual Engineering Excellence Awards (EEA) pays tribute to exemplary achievements
from throughout the world.
Bioengineering Group was also recognized by the American Academy of Environmental Engineers (AAEE), winning an Honor Award in Design for the same project. AAEE states, “The Excellence in Environmental Engineering Competition criteria define what it takes to be the best in environmental engineering practice: a holistic environmental perspective, innovation, proven performance and customer satisfaction, and contribution to an improved quality of life and economic efficiency. They address the
broad range of modern challenges inherent in providing life-nurturing services for humans and protection
of the environment. Their innovations and performance illustrate the essential role of environmental
engineers in providing a healthy planet. These award winners testify to the genius of humankind and best
exemplify the Excellence in Environmental Engineering.”
The systems approach to engineering all the components of the West Closure Complex, combined with the Early Contractor Involvement (ECI) approach to accelerate and integrate design and construction contributed to the outstanding results of the project. The risk based method of identifying, modeling, and shaping solutions for various combinations of flood impacts from storm surge and rainfall events allows for future planning to operate or modify the infrastructure to respond to emergent demands triggered by changing climate. Like many other elements within the Greater New Orleans post-Katrina infrastructure program, the project is not only massive; it embodies first-of-a-kind execution strategies carried out under extreme public scrutiny.
“Working with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and others, we were able to complete the project quickly, helping to promote acceptance and success with Alternative Project Delivery methods such as ECI. Our team used a newly adopted risk-based approach to best address climate change, reflecting a new generation of standards and procedures for the industry,” said Wendi Goldsmith, CEO of Bioengineering Group. “We already observe that the work done in New Orleans is viewed as a global example of infrastructure suited for adaptation and resiliency in the face of change and uncertainty about sea level and storm intensity. We are proud of our contributions here, and eager to share our skills elsewhere.”