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2016 Excellence in Structural Engineering Awards

New Buildings Under $5 Million

Outstanding Project Award

University of Georgia Structural Engineering Testing Hub Laboratory
Uzun+Case
 
The University of Georgia’s Civil Engineering STRuctural ENGineering Testing Hub (STRENGTH) is a new 7200 square foot structural testing laboratory equipped to do full scale load testing. STRENGTH, includes a 1500 SF strongfloor, a 1300 SF strong-wall and two 15-ton bridge cranes. With a construction budget of only $1,000,000, the testing Lab, which is housed in a pre-engineered building, also includes a concrete mixing room, an equipment calibration room, a pump room and faculty and student offices.






New Buildings $5 MILLION - $25 million


Outstanding Project Award




Georgia Power Environmental Testing Laboratory


Uzun+Case



The project is a 60,000 square feet of total renovation and expansion to the Georgia Power Environmental Lab. The lab itself is used as a testing facility for energy research for Georgia Power and supports Georgia Power plants throughout the southeast. The new high-tech testing laboratory includes some repurposed “low-tech” elements, specifically tall round wooden columns which had previously served as power line support poles for Georgia Power. The company’s creative solutions for complex connection requirements ultimately ensured these columns worked safely and cohesively with the surrounding steel structure to bring the architect’s environmentally friendly vision to life.




Merit Award




Saint Michael the Archangel Catholic Church


Palmer Engineering Company






New Buildings $25 MILLION - $75 Million


Outstanding Project Award




National College Football Hall of Fame


Sykes Consulting



Atlanta, Georgia is the new home for the National College Football Hall of Fame. Previously located in South Bend, Indiana, the venue moved south, to the heart of College Football in August of 2014. This new multi-faceted facility celebrates college football through a number of exhibits and interactive activities. The building architecture grabs your attention from the exterior and ushers you down the main entry tunnel into a dynamic 94,000 SF building with exposed structure, intended to create a “raw” feel that provides the visitors with a better “Game Day” experience.




Merit Award




Porsche Cars North American Headquarters


KSi/Structural Engineers






New Buildings Over $75 Million


Outstanding Project Award




Reinsurance Group of America's Global Headquarters


Uzun+Case



The new $150 million, state-of-the-art Reinsurance Group of America’s (RGA) Global Headquarters in St. Louis, Missouri is designed for expansion and smooth workforce transition. The headquarters accommodates the growth of RGA by adding 405,000 square foot of office and amenity space, serving up to 1,250 employees. The complex also includes 580,000 square feet of parking.


The headquarters’ two-story limestone clad base connects two five-story office towers above that extend out more than 40 feet from the base as the international company’s global arms. Two levels of parking are concealed behind the bluff-like structure. Through the office towers’ unique fritted glass curtain wall system and the amenity level’s locally sourced stone facade the architecture reflects both the global brand of RGA and the local roots of its people. The facility was designed to achieve LEED Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.


Merit Award




Charlotte VA Health Care Center


Walter P Moore


















FORENSIC/RENOVATION/RETROFIT/REHABILITATION STRUCTURES


Outstanding Project Award




Ennis Hall Renovation & Seismic Upgrade


Palmer Engineering Company





Ennis Hall was a dormitory built in 1917. The project consisted of renovating the neglected dormitory into a building dedicated to the arts department. Converting the building required repair of failing elements, lateral load resisting system upgrades to meet current code that involved steel plate shear walls and helical piles. New holes were cut in floors and walls for the installation of central heat and air conditioning. Special shoring was designed to hold up floors and walls so that new steel columns and beams could be installed to open up the floor for studio space. 




Merit Award




Helix-on-Main


Walter P Moore






















new bridge and transportation structures


Outstanding Project Award




Broad Avenue Veterans Memorial Bridge over the Flint River


Heath & Lineback Engineers



The Broad Avenue Veterans Memorial Bridge over the Flint River in Albany, Georgia is a 172’-320’-180’-112’ continuous concrete box girder and is Georgia’s longest concrete span (excluding the two cable stay structures). It was built using post-tensioned cast-in-place segmental construction erected in balanced cantilever. This is a first use of this type of construction in the state. The overall form and aesthetics yield a fitting replacement for the previous historic arch bridge and provide a memorial to the area’s veterans. The long spans and construction method minimized impacts to the river, adjacent parks, endangered mussels, adjacent historic structures, and archaeological resources






Other STRUCTURES


Outstanding Project Award




Stealth


Uzun+Case





Stealth is a contemporary urban sculpture. The piece is a monolithic cast-in-place reinforced concrete form standing 33 feet tall and weighing 65,000 lbs. The complexity and scale of the structure necessitated the use of innovative engineering and construction practices, including the following: Implementation of a complex finite element analysis, creation of a unique concrete mixture, computer controlled formwork fabrication, and specialized rebar bending techniques.




Merit Award




Hennessy Jaguar Land Rover-Canopy


Palmer Engineering Company














Individual Achievement Award




John Hutton, PE, SE


Uzun+Case


The 2016 Individual Achievement Award is presented to John T. Hutton, PE, SE for his significant contributions to our profession over the course of his career. John was raised in Richmond, Kentucky. He attended Duke University where he received his BSE in Civil Engineering, BSE in Mechanical Engineering and Material Science and also met his future wife. After graduation, he and Laura moved to Atlanta, Georgia where he wisely chose to pursue structural over mechanical engineering. He began his career in Atlanta at Lockwood Greene, moved on to John Portman and Associates and now is a Principal at Uzun+Case. He is currently licensed as an SE in six states and as a PE in five additional states.


John is involved in many organizations including being a past president of SEAOG. He serves on various committees including but not limited to the National Council of Structural Engineers Association General Provisions and Wind Code Advisory Committees, Steel Deck Institute Standards Canvas Committee and is the chairman of the Georgia Special Inspections Guidelines Committee for SEAOG/ACEC. He regularly presents for architects and engineers on topics such as Georgia and North Carolina special inspections requirements, design provisions for disaster resilient construction and storm shelters during tornados and hurricanes and ASCE 7-10 wind load provisions for components and cladding design. In the past 35 plus years John’s portfolio has grown to include many significant, innovative and award winning projects such as The Coca-Cola Concentrate Plate in Ballina, Ireland, Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Field Facility in Ogden, Utah and the International Waterfront Centre in Port of Span, Trinidad. His local projects include Lucent Technologies in Norcross, GA, Georgia Tech Hinman Building Rehabilitation in Atlanta, GA and work on Mt. Arabia, Chamblee, Mays, Maynard Jackson and Drew High schools in Atlanta, GA.


John is the proud father of two grown sons, Joseph and Sean. In his free time he enjoys being biking, camping, snorkeling, being a clergy spouse and happily assembling and repairing IKEA bookshelves for his wife Laura.
















eSe Awards Jury


The selection of award recipients is made by a distinguished Awards Jury, consisting of leaders in the design, construction and academic communities in Georgia. 


            

               




Mi Geum Chorzepa, Ph.D., PE, LEED AP




Dr. Mi Chorzepa received MS/PhD degrees from Washington University in St. Louis and is currently an assistant professor of Civil Engineering at the University of Georgia. Before joining the university, she worked as a senior engineer with Chicago Bridge & Iron’s core Analysis Group, performing blast, fire, and seismic analysis of LNG plants. Dr. Chorzepa also worked for Sargent and Lundy, LLC, collaborating with Toshiba engineers, and designed nuclear power plants and other safety-related structures. Before engaging in nuclear safety related structures, she worked with Walter P. Moore’s structural design/diagnostics team. Also, she has experience in performing a progressive collapse analysis of federal buildings for GSA working with ABS consulting’s ‘Extreme Loads’ division. She is a LEED AP and licensed professional engineer by practice. Since coming to the University of Georgia in 2012, she has made contributions in the establishment of a multi-million dollar structural engineering lab for Civil Engineering instructions and research. 






Charles G. Hull, AIA




Chuck Hull is a principal of Smallwood, Reynolds, Stewart, Stewart & Associates Architects. He joined the firm in 1980 while studying for his Masters Degree in Architecture from Georgia Tech, and has been a principal since 1995. Chuck’s primary career focus has been in design, and he has originated or led the design effort for a number of well known projects around the Southeast, including the Hearst Tower, the Ritz-Carlton, and the Charlotte Ballet in Charlotte, NC; The Peachtree, the Georgia Baptist Convention Headquarters, and Resurgens Plaza in the metro Atlanta area, and resort hotels in Jamaica, Orlando, and Savannah. In 1991, Chuck founded Smallwood, Reynolds, Stewart, Stewart & Associates Pte. Ltd. in Singapore. During his time heading up the Singapore office the firm designed projects in Singapore, Indonesia, India, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Myanmar. Chuck’s most interesting project to date has been the Signature Tower Jakarta, a 639-meter tall, 111-story mixeduse tower in Jakarta, Indonesia, which encompasses a six-level shopping mall, 73 office floors, a 5-star convention hotel, a two-level observation deck, and another 50-story office/hotel tower. The project is currently under construction.


               

            

            
            

               




Steve (Arafat) Imam, PE


Steve Imam is the Civil/Structural Engineering Supervisor for the Southern Company Generation engineering office in Atlanta. Steve holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Alabama, Class of 1980, and a Master’s of Science, Structural Engineering from Vanderbilt University, Class of 1984. Prior to joining the Southern Company, Steve was a Senior Associate with Heery International, Inc. where he spent 18 years. He is an experienced civil/structural engineer with over 34 years of experience and strong knowledge of structural analysis and design for a variety of building types, ranging from power generation plants, commercial buildings, sports stadia, educational institutions, and health care, correctional, and industrial facilities. He is a Registered Professional Engineer in several states, including the State of Georgia. He is a member of AISC and Chi Epsilon.





Meg Pirkle, PE


Meg Pirkle is the Chief Engineer of the Georgia Department of Transportation. Meg has been with the Georgia Department of Transportation for over 25 years and served in numerous areas, including: Planning, Scheduling, Preconstruction, Administration, Assistant to the Chief Engineer, Stimulus Program Manager, and most recently as Director of Operations. In her current role as Chief Engineer, she oversees statewide Engineering, Construction, Operations and Maintenance, Program Delivery and Intermodal Programs. Meg is a registered Professional Engineer. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from Vanderbilt University and a Master’s degree in Civil Engineering from Georgia Tech. 





Housh Rahimzadeh, PE


Housh received a B.S.C.E. and M.S.C.E in structural engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology. He is a member of ASCE and ACI organizations. He began his structural engineering career in 1964 and was employed by John Portman & Associates, an international architectural/engineering firm, for 37 years. His design concentration was primarily on high-rise and super high-rise hotels, residential, office buildings, and mixed-use projects domestically and internationally. Some of his achievement included Atlanta Peachtree center, Detorit Renaissance Center, San Francisco Embarcadero Center, Shanghai Center, Shanghai Tomorrow Square, Beijing Yin Tie Center, 151 Seoul Songdo Tower, and Singapore Marina Square. Housh developed a hybrid steel-concrete composite framing sustem capitalizing on maximum use of concrete for compression and steel for tension, leading him to founding DIVERSAKORE, LLC, a structural engineering company using the composite framing system. He currently serves as Executive Vice President and performs prelim 




               

            

            




2016 ESE Awards Committee


    

  • Lauren McCormick, Chair
    • 

  • Judson Green
    • 

  • Maysa Nassereddin
    • 

  • Tony Patruta
    • 

  • Adrian Persaud
    •