GRI and KPFF Share Engineering Excellence Grand Award

The American Council of Engineering Companies’ (ACEC) Engineering Excellence Awards is an annual design competition that recognizes engineering achievements that demonstrate the highest degree of merit and ingenuity. Recognition is given at three levels: Honor Award, Grand Award, and Project of the Year.

In January 2014, ACEC-Oregon recognized GRI and KPFF Consulting Engineerswith a 2014 Grand Award for Engineering Excellence in the Transportation – Marine/Ports category for the Port of Newport International Terminal project.  KPFF and GRI provided engineering services for the new 400-ft-long cargo dock, 410-ft-long fishing dock, and 124- by 80-ft Roll On-Roll Off dock.

The Port’s original terminal was built on two scuttled WWII concrete hull liberty ships, the Pasley and the Hennebique.  After decades of use, the facility deteriorated to an unusable cargo dock founded on the Pasley, which was moving toward the bay due to tidal influences; a damaged timber dock; an office and decaying warehouse founded on the Hennebique; and an elevated concrete dock supported by corrosion-damaged steel piles.

GRI has been involved with this project since 2000, when we first investigated subsurface conditions at the site and installed and monitored instrumentation to identify the conditions causing movement of the Pasley and assist in evaluating alternatives for remediation.  During later investigation and design stages of the project, GRI worked closely with the owner, design team, and CM/GC contractor to select the design and construction alternative that best met the challenging geotechnical, structural, environmental, and financial constraints of the project.  The project was successfully completed in November 2013.

We are honored to have won this award, and enjoyed being part of an amazing design and construction team.