© 1999-2021 American Council of Engineering Companies of
Oklahoma. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Engineering
Excellence Awards
2017
Tetra Tech Honored as
Engineering Excellence
Award "Grand Conceptor"
For Chickasaw Nation
"Inkana" Bridge
Chickasaw gathered their possessions, crossed the
Mississippi River, and began their march on the Trail
of Tears. More than 500 Chickasaw died on the trail
before settling around the Arbuckle Mountains near
Sulphur, Oklahoma. Today, much of this area is
known as the Chickasaw National Recreation Area
and is overseen by the National Park Service.
Sulphur is historically known for its ‘healing’ springs
visited by people from across the country. In 1906,
the area become one of seven National Parks in the
U.S.
In 2010, the Chickasaw Nation opened their Cultural
Center to preserve their heritage and educate the
Chickasaw people and the public about their
persevering history. It became apparent that a vital
link was needed between the Cultural Center and
the National Park, so in 2016, a suspension bridge
was constructed across Rock Creek for pedestrians
to access both the National Park and the new
Cultural Center.
To the minimize impact to the park, waterfalls, and
Chickasaw grounds, a suspension bridge was
determined to be an ideal solution.
The 195-foot, single-span suspension bridge
incorporates several unique and innovative features.
The towers were set on the outer banks of Rock
Creek to minimize tree removal and to not disturb
the waterfalls. A very open and slender Vierendeel
truss design constructed of structural steel tube,
with the tube ribs supporting the precast concrete
deck panels was used so as not to distract from the
area’s natural beauty.
Other special features include the ornamental
handrails and the rock pattern on the towers that
required a special concrete form liner.
The Southeast Indian spiral design and the National
Park arrowhead symbol that are cast in the bridge
tower cross beam represents the close relationship
and cooperation between the Chickasaw Nation and
the National Park Service.
The Chickasaw Nation named the new suspension
bridge “Inkana”, which means friendship in the
Chickasaw language.
HONOR AWARDS
Garver - I-244 Multimodal
Bridges of the Arkansas River
The I-244 Arkansas River crossing sits at the
confluence of several important bridges, including
the I-244 highway bridges; the Burlington Northern
Santa Fe rail bridge; and the historic, abandoned
Route 66 Bridge. The crossing is one of only four
Arkansas River crossings in Tulsa County and serves
approximately 80,000 vehicles per day, providing a
vital role in Tulsa’s and Oklahoma’s transportation
mobility and economy.
The bridges that were replaced in the project had
reached the end of their service life and were
classified as structurally deficient. The condition of
the bridges was poor and required the Oklahoma
Department of Transportation to spend
approximately $1.1 million dollars annually in
maintenance costs and lane closures to perform the
repairs.
During the project development process, it was
recognized that the I-244 crossing is the ideal place
to provide multimodal capabilities. By combining
and condensing numerous multimodal facilities into
a single structure, the Oklahoma Department of
Transportation put forth a highly innovative design
solution to a complicated transportation problem.
To provide a multimodal facility carrying highway,
rail, and pedestrians over the Arkansas River, several
design challenges had to be overcome. These
challenges included designing around the multiple
geometric constraints and providing rail capabilities
at existing ground level with unknown ultimate
configuration. In addition, the highway bridge had to
be at an elevated level compatible with the existing
interchange of the Inner Dispersal Loop, all while
providing hydraulic adequacy, constructability, and
maintaining existing traffic on this vital route.
The 3,300-foot long multimodal westbound bridge
carries four lanes of highway traffic on the upper
level. On the lower level, the bridge is designed to
carry one High Speed Rail (HSR) line, one Commuter
Light Rail Transit (LRT) line, and pedestrian traffic.
The 3,000-foot long eastbound bridge carries four
lanes of highway traffic on the upper level and
includes a pedestrian bridge on the lower level, with
an overlook area to view the historic Cyrus Avery
Bridge. Both bridges incorporate aesthetics to
commemorate Tulsa’s heritage with Route 66.
This is the first multimodal bridge in Oklahoma with
two levels, and one of a few nationwide. The project
required the innovative application of new design
techniques and the project required a partnership
between the Oklahoma Department of
Transportation and stakeholders to solve the
problem of how to replace these bridges.
The completed I-244 bridges improve Tulsa’s
transportation infrastructure, encourages economic
growth, provides multimodal rail and pedestrian
accommodations capabilities, and improves safety in
the corridor.
Infrastructure Engineers -
Post Earthquake Bridge
Inspection Guidelines
Recent studies and data collected by the United
States Geological Survey (USGS) and Oklahoma
Geological Survey (OGS) show that Oklahoma has
seen a tremendous increase in the frequency of
earthquakes since 2009.
From 1978 through 2008, only ̴ 50 magnitude 3.0
and greater earthquakes were recorded. From 2009
through 2013, 270 magnitude 3.0 and greater
earthquakes were recorded, including three
magnitude 4.0 to 4.8 earthquakes, and a magnitude
5.6. From 2014 through 2016, there were 2,111
magnitude 3.0 and greater earthquakes recorded,
including 45 magnitude 4.0 to 4.8 earthquakes, and
the largest earthquake in Oklahoma’s history – a
magnitude 5.8 earthquake that occurred in Pawnee,
OK on September 3, 2016.
When the earthquake activity began to increase,
ODOT had to determine when and how to inspect
their bridges after an earthquake. Their initial
response was to inspect after every earthquake with
a magnitude greater than 3.0. However, as time
went on, they found this to be overly conservative.
On January 23, 2015, ODOT changed the protocol to
dictate that bridges must be inspected within a 5-
mile radius (measured from the epicenter) for
earthquakes with magnitudes from 4.0 to 4.9, within
a 25-mile radius for earthquakes with magnitudes
from 5.0 to 5.5, and within a 50-mile radius for
earthquakes with magnitudes greater than 5.5. If
damage was found within those radii, then the
inspection radius was expanded by 5 miles. During
2015, 30 earthquakes triggered inspections under
this protocol, yet no significant earthquake-related
bridge damage was found. ODOT maintenance
personnel were getting fatigued by the excessive
number of inspections.
In 2015, ODOT hired a team of consultants led by
Infrastructure Engineers, Inc., in partnership with
The University of Oklahoma and Kleinfelder, to
revise their post-earthquake bridge inspection
protocol and develop a formal response plan. This
project consisted of two phases: Phase I established
an interim post-earthquake bridge inspection
protocol that provides guidance for responding to
seismic events; developed a field inspection manual
detailing the procedures for field inspection of
bridges by ODOT personnel and/or qualified bridge
inspectors and/or first responders such as fire or
public safety personnel in the aftermath of an
earthquake; developed a first draft of the
earthquake response plan; and developed materials
and training for Level 1 and Level 2 inspections.
Phase II established a comprehensive post-
earthquake bridge inspection protocol; developed
the ShakeCast computer program that prioritizes
bridges for inspection after a seismic event through
interface with the USGS database; finalized the
earthquake response plan; and developed
management level training on the response plan.
Mead & Hunt - USACE Broken
Bow Dam Diversion Tunnell
The United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE)
Broken Bow Dam Diversion Tunnel Investigation
required non-destructive testing and a high level of
hazard analysis and safety. The consultant team
successfully completed the investigation by using
advanced technologies and working closely with the
USACE Tulsa District. Mead & Hunt and our teaming
partners completed the investigation on the
originally scheduled date, overcoming record
amounts of rainfall.
USACE Tulsa District wanted to confirm the safety
and stability of the dam’s diversion tunnel to ensure
that operations could continue effectively without
risk to staff or downstream life and property. Several
challenges made for an interesting and complex
project from the start. The upstream half of the
tunnel is always flooded, and it was imperative that
testing did not damage the project. The weather also
had a say in the matter, which forced the team to be
clever about coordination and adapt the approach
to meet what turned into a challenging schedule.
In response to concerns regarding safety of the
diversion tunnel and the low level outlet facility
(LLOF) at the Broken Bow Hydroelectric Dam, Mead
& Hunt and our teaming partners approached the
investigation using only non-destructive testing to
provide estimates of the critical geologic parameters
and tunnel performance.
Hibbard Inshore’s underwater remotely operated
vehicle (ROV) with synchronized video and sonar
provided our team and the Tulsa District with the
first look at the flooded portion of the 170-foot-deep
diversion tunnel and the upstream gate structure
since its original construction in 1973. The
underwater inspection informed our structural and
mechanical investigation, while sparing the effort,
time and expense of dewatering the tunnel. Using
historic records, photogrammetry and outcrop
mapping, our geological sub-consultant, Terracon,
provided an estimation of the rock mass rating
(RMR) and rock quality designation (RQD) without
drilling. This estimation, in turn, informed our
structural evaluation.
Terracon used Schmidt Hammer and Windsor Probe
concrete compressive tests and ground penetrating
radar (GPR) to survey the downstream tunnel. This
provided a very good analysis of the downstream
concrete liner and its connection to the surrounding
rock. By building finite element models of the
upstream tunnel, gate structure and downstream
tunnel, we were able to evaluate the performance of
critical LLOF components against a range of
conditions to include section loss and differing
reservoir and ground water levels
Because we used non-destructive testing, we only
had estimates of the critical geologic parameters
and tunnel performance. However, these estimates
will still allow the District to proceed to a semi
quantitative risk-assessment of Broken Bow Dam to
be performed at a later date. Our extensive analysis
will also allow the District to refine the estimates
with only a few geological borings. This investigation
will inform and justify future options that could
include plugging the tunnel or constructing and
installing a new bulkhead.
Burns & McDonnell -
Stillwater Energy Center
The Challenge was to develop a flexible power
source that would supplement renewable sources
and create greater transmission grid stability.
During the 1950s, the Boomer Lake Station, a city-
owned, 27-megawatt natural gas-fired steam turbine
plant, generated most of the electricity needed by
the community of Stillwater, Oklahoma. When
demand exceeded the power station’s capacity,
Boomer Lake Station was upgraded and converted
to a peaking plant. By 2012, as the plant neared the
end of its useful life, Stillwater Electric Utility (SEU) —
the state’s largest municipal generator and
transmission utility — faced a major decision:
whether to rebuild Boomer Lake Station, construct a
new, modern power plant or exit the power
generation business altogether.
The Solution: design and construction of the
Stillwater Energy Center, a new 56-MW reciprocating
engine plant that provides a low-cost supplemental
source of power generation.
As the Utility began to weigh its options, it realized
there were other factors to consider. If it ceased
power generation, for example, the company would
become dependent on other energy sources and
lose control of its energy assets, increasing its
exposure to fluctuations in power pricing — an
outcome owners preferred to avoid. Rebuilding
Boomer Lake also posed challenges. Like other
electric power producers, the utility was under
pressure to rebalance its energy generation portfolio
by adding more renewable sources to the mix.
Additional wind and solar energy, however, would
make the transmission system less stable —
especially if these renewable sources were paired
with a traditional plant like Boomer Lake Station,
whose boilers were designed to run constantly at
full output, and could not easily adjust to changes in
the load.
Instead, SEU sought a new solution that could be
brought online quickly, produce power efficiently
and would be flexible enough to counterbalance
fluctuating renewables. It found the answer in
reciprocating internal combustion engines. These
efficient engines can be brought online and to full
load in less than 10 minutes, enabling them to
respond quickly to energy fluctuations.
SEU retained Burns & McDonnell in 2014 to design a
56-MW power plant that used natural gas-fired
reciprocating engine technology — the first of its
kind in the Midwest. The power generation building
at the new Stillwater Energy Center houses three
Finnish-made 18-MW Wärtsilä engines. The project
also includes an operations and administration
complex and a new electrical transmission and
distribution substation. The $70 million energy
center is designed to “chase the wind” by ramping
up or down in response to energy market
fluctuations of Oklahoma’s Southwest Power Pool
(SPP) Integrated Marketplace (IM). Today, it produces
approximately double the energy created by
Boomer Lake Station [at a significantly lower cost].
Designed for future expansion, the new Stillwater
Energy Center is more than an economically sound
source of energy for Stillwater’s current power
needs. It also positions Stillwater to capitalize on
future energy markets and helps support low-cost
power to all public power customers in Oklahoma.
FINALIST AWARDS
MacArthur Associated
Consultants - I-35 over
Washita River Bridges
The Oklahoma Department of Transportation
(ODOT) selected MacArthur Associated Consultants,
LLC (MAC) for the design of two structurally deficient
bridges on I-35 over the Washita River. MAC
provided bridge design, roadway design, and traffic
control services. Lemke Land Surveying provided
survey services and Terracon Consultants, Inc.
provided geotechnical engineering. Manhattan Road
and Bridge, the general contractor, received the
Deck Smoothness Award incentive from ODOT.
The existing bridges were built in 1969 and
approximately 724-feet-long carrying a two-lane
section of highway at a total width of 38-feet of clear
roadway. According to the bridge inspection
reports, the existing bridges were hydraulically and
structurally deficient.
The new bridges are approximately 760-feet-long
carrying a two-lane section of highway at a total
width of 40-feet of clear roadway.
Both bridges, northbound and southbound,
included the replacement of existing two (4-90-foot)
continuous plate girder span bridges with multi-
span bridges comprised of six 100-foot-long type IV
PC Beams and one 200-foot-long plate girders at the
middle spans.
ODOT and MAC were successful in replacing two
bridges over one of the largest river crossing
between Oklahoma City and Dallas, Texas.
Triad Design Group - I-40 &
Radio Road Interchange
Recent energy industrial development east of El
Reno has resulted in an increase of heavy
equipment and delivery vehicles. Better access to
these growing industrial areas was desperately
needed. The Oklahoma Department of
Transportation (ODOT) with support from local
entities of the City of El Reno, Canadian County, and
energy businesses, partnered in order to provide the
much needed access improvements with a new
interchange on I-40 at Radio Road. The new
interchange was necessary in order to provide
improved access to El Reno, as well as facilities such
as Canadian Valley Technology Center, the OKC West
Livestock Market, Chesapeake Energy, and
numerous other businesses located along Radio
Road and SH-66.
Several alternatives were considered during the
preliminary design phase including variations of
folded diamond and diamond interchanges in order
to replace the existing grade separated Radio Road
overpass. Every attempt was made to minimize the
footprint while providing a safe, economical, and
effective facility for the traveling public. Upon
completion of the design report, a diamond
interchange was selected which would minimize
impacts to area wetlands and streams. The project
included several RCB structures to convey an
existing stream through the project. In addition,
Triad’s team needed to work closely with ODOT
Environmental Division, U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers (USACE), and the Oklahoma Department
of Environmental Quality (ODEQ) in order to reduce
impacts to wetland, stream, and open water areas
which were present within the project footprint.
Located two miles east of El Reno and eleven miles
west of Yukon, the construction of the new
interchange has already begun to add to the
booming economic and population growth of
Canadian County. The interchange and connecting
improvements to Radio Road have ensured that the
increase in overall traffic volumes especially the
increase in large trucks and oil field equipment, have
not adversely impacted traffic operations and safety
along SH-66, Jenson Road, as well as the other
interchanges of the area.
Olsson Associates -
Oklahoma City Zoo Parking
Lot Improvements
Olsson Associates provided the preliminary
engineering, design, construction documents, and
construction administration services for the
Oklahoma City Zoo Parking Lot Improvements
Project. The $5 million project was constructed in a
very short time frame beginning in late October
2016. Construction activities were scheduled during
the winter months of 2016 and the spring of 2017 to
take advantage of lower attendance rates and fewer
parking needs. The design was sequenced to allow
for partial use of the parking area throughout
construction. Provisions were made to
accommodate pedestrian traffic through the work
areas. The majority of the project was completed in
June 2017 in time for summer crowds.
The project scope included the reconfiguration of
existing parking lot aisles, the addition of a right-in
and right-out entry/exit along Remington Place, the
widening of Remington Place to accommodate an
eastbound right turn lane, the relocation of bus
passenger drop-offs and pick-ups from the front to
the west zoo entrance, a secondary entrance
pavilion, pedestrian facility improvements at the
main parking lot and overflow parking lot at
Remington Park, lighting, and landscape
improvements.
This project improved vehicular, bus, and pedestrian
traffic in the main parking lot; pedestrian traffic from
overflow parking at Remington Park; and aesthetics
and landscaping throughout the project area. These
improvements provide a safer, more efficient, and
more inviting experience for guests as they enter the
zoo.
CEC Corporation - KFOR-TV
Tribune Media
In 1949, WKY-TV, which is now known as KFOR-TV,
was the first television station to sign on the air in
Oklahoma. Shortly after coming on air, they moved
into their existing facility. Over the years, there have
been many additions and remodels to the existing
building, along with changes in technology that
pushed the old building to its limit. KFOR-TV and
their sister station KAUT-TV (both owned by Tribune
Media) were in need of a new facility that was
modern, flexible, and able to withstand the
Oklahoma weather.
The new building was sited to be on the same
property on which the existing facility is located. This
allowed for many existing utilities and satellite
network connections to be utilized from the existing
building. It also created site congestion and phasing
problems. The existing building was required to be
in full operation until the new building was finished.
Once construction reached substantial completion,
the TV stations simultaneously, and nearly
instantaneously, switched to broadcasting from the
new studios.
In order to serve central and western Oklahoma, the
building was designed to resist winds associated
with an EF3 tornado. This allows the news teams to
focus on the needs of the general public while
knowing they would be safe in the facility. An
exterior precast concrete covered parking area was
also included in the project to allow the news teams
to protect their property while they are doing their
jobs. CEC provided the Structural Engineering and
Civil Engineering consulting services for the project.
Team members included; REES Architects, Alvine
Engineering serving as the MEP Consultant, and
Howard-Fairbairn Site Design, Inc. serving as the
landscape architect.