DFW Airport's upgraded central utilities plant is cited in the national engineering competition.

DFW Airport Cited in ACEC Awards

Carter & Burgess Inc., of Ft. Worth is a finalist in the American Council of Engineering Companies' 40th annual Engineering Excellence Awards competition for designing upgrades to the central utilities plant serving Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport.

DFW's existing utility plant required major revitalization due to the equipment's age and condition, new state air-quality regulations and the deregulation of electric utilities. Improvements were also essential to support the airport's long-term growth plans.

Carter & Burgess addressed the key issues of emissions reduction, expansion capacity, deregulation planning, tenant cost reductions and plant flexibility. The upgraded facility includes a new chilled-water system, chilled- water thermal-energy storage, clean-burning boilers, centralized pre-conditioned air system and state-of-the-art control system.

The project is among 163 engineering achievements that are being recognized by ACEC as preeminent engineering accomplishments for 2006. Judging for the awards took place in February. Criteria include originality; technical, social and economic value; complexity and success in meeting goals.

The top efforts, including the Grand Conceptor Award for the best overall engineering achievement, will be announced at the Engineering Excellence Awards Gala on May 2 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Wash., D.C.

Texas CEC Excellence Awards

The Texas Council of Engineering Companies recently announced the 2006 Engineering Excellence Awards, honoring outstanding achievements in the engineering community.

A panel of judges from around the state selected 11 Gold Medal and 11 Silver Medal winning projects from a broad field based on uniqueness, originality, technical value to the engineering profession, complexity and how successfully the project met the needs of the client. The following are the 2006 EEA Gold Medal and Silver Medal winners by category:

Studies, Research and Consulting Engineering Services Gold Medal: Jacobs for the Comprehensive Transportation Plan for the Central Business District; client: North Texas Council of Governments; also, Silver Medal: Halff Associates Inc. for the Halff HEC Training Program 2005; client: Halff Associates Inc.

Building / Technology Systems Gold Medal: Carter & Burgess Inc. for the Central Utilities Plant Upgrade; client: DFW International Airport

Structural Systems Gold Medal: Walter P. Moore Inc. for the International Arrivals Building - Bush Intercontinental Airport; client: city of Houston Department of Aviation; also, Gold Medal - Small Firm: Ingenium Inc. for the Cira Centre; client: Bower Lewis Thrower Architects; also, Silver Medal: Jaster-Quintanilla Dallas LLP for the Cathedral Santaurio de Guadalupe; client: Roman Catholic Diocese of Dallas; also, Silver Medal: Fugro Consultants LP and Jaster-Quintanilla & Associates for the Avery Building at TSU Round Rock Higher Education Center; client: Texas State University; also, Silver Medal - Small Firm: Edis Oliver & Associates for the Reroofing & Mechanical Retrofit Texas Army National Guard Armory; client: Adjutant General's Department of Texas

Surveying and Mapping Gold Medal: Surveying & Mapping Inc. for the Complete Surveying Toolkit, Loop 1604 / US 281; client: TxDOT

Environmental Gold Medal: URS Corp. for the Seaholm Power Plant Remediation; client: Austin Energy; also, Silver Medal: Shiner Moseley & Associates Inc. for the Delehide Cove Wetlands Restoration & Protection; client: Texas Parks & Wildlife; also, Silver Medal: Halff Associates Inc. for the DFW International Airport Terminal D Apron Improvements; client: DFW International Airport

Water and Wastewater Gold Medal: Brown and Caldwell for the Drought Relief With Wellhead Reverse Osmosis Lower Valley Wells Desalination; client: El Paso Water Utilities - Public Service Board; also, Silver Medal: Kellogg Brown & Root for the Richland-Chambers High-Capacity Pump Station; client: Tarrant Regional Water District

Water Resources Gold Medal: Brown & Gay Engineers Inc. for the Savannah Stormwater Relocation Facility; client: Friendswood Development Co.; also, Gold Medal - Small Firm: Ford Engineering Inc. for the West Dietz Creek Channelization; client: city of Schertz; also, Silver Medal: Turner Collie & Braden Inc. for the Lakeside Lake Pump Station; client: LCRA

Transportation Gold Medal: HNTB for the US 75 / IH 635 "High Five" Interchange Reconstruction; client: TxDOT; also, Silver Medal: Carter & Burgess Inc. for the President George Bush Turnpike, Segment IV: The Super Connector; client: North Texas Turnpike Authority; also, Silver Medal: Lockwood, Andrews & Newnam Inc. for the Elevating the JFK Causeway Project; client: TxDOT

Special Projects Gold Medal: Carter & Burgess Inc. for the Hal C. Weaver Plant Upgrades; client: University of Texas at Austin; also, Silver Medal: Pape-Dawson Engineers for The Shops at La Cantera; client: General Growth Properties / The Rouse Co.