Awards
2022 Connecticut Society of Civil Engineers (CSCE) Achievement in Civil Engineering (ACE) Award
Project Name:
700-Ton Marine Travelift Infrastructure
Bridgeport, CT
The Connecticut Society of Civil Engineers (CSCE) presented RACE with the 2022 Achievement in Civil Engineering (ACE) Award – Coastal Structural Engineering.
The award recognizes RACE’s work on the 700-Ton Marine Travelift Infrastructure in service at Bridgeport Boatworks at Steelpointe Harbor in Bridgeport, CT. The 700-ton lift enables hauling some of the largest vessels in New England, including barges, ferry boats, tugboats, and mega-yachts. This brings significant maritime and job opportunities to Connecticut.
Rail piers were designed for vertical capacity and for potential 100-year storm wave and current forces. The piers’ structural design required deep foundations consisting of spliced piles extending approximately 130’ into the ground. To minimize the impacts from corrosion due to the salt water environment, RACE utilized an epoxy coating on the steel piles as well as increased the steel thickness of the piles. The concrete rails were reinforced with galvanized steel. RACE worked closely with the contractor Blakeslee Arpaia Chapman during construction and load testing.
2020 Connecticut Society of Civil Engineers (CSCE)
Achievement in Civil Engineering (ACE) Award
Project Name:
South Benson Marina Dredging & Jennings Beach Nourishment
Fairfield, CT
The Connecticut Society of Civil Engineers honored RACE with the 2020 Achievement in Civil Engineering (ACE) Award for the South Benson Marina Dredging & Beach Nourishment Project in Fairfield, CT. The award, in the <$5 million construction value category, honors the design and construction achievements of Connecticut civil engineers.
The award comes following the more than 27,000 cubic yards of sand that was hydraulically pumped onto Jennings Beach as part of a maintenance dredging project for the adjacent South Benson Marina.
RACE managed, from permitting through construction, the South Benson Marina and entrance channel dredging process and the beneficial reuse of 27,000 cubic yards of dredged material to restore and nourish the adjacent Jennings Beach. Reusing the dredged material saved the community money, environmental habitats, air pollution, recreational space and coastal erosion.
2020 American Shore and Beach Preservation Association (ASBPA) Vision for Our Coasts: Best Restored Beaches for 2020
Project Name:
South Benson Marina Dredging & Jennings Beach Nourishment
Fairfield, CT
The American Shore and Beach Preservation Association (ASBPA) announced South Benson Marina/Jennings Beach a winner of the America’s 2020 Best Restored Beaches Award. The national award highlights the crucial role that beach restoration projects play to local recreation, economies, ecosystems and shoreline protection.
RACE managed, from permitting through construction, the South Benson Marina and entrance channel dredging process and the beneficial reuse of 27,000 cubic yards of dredged material to restore and nourish the adjacent Jennings Beach. Reusing the dredged material saved the community money, environmental habitats, air pollution, recreational space and coastal erosion.
An independent panel of coastal managers and scientists selected the winners based on the project's economic and ecological benefits, the challenges overcome, and the short- and long-term success of the project.
2019 American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC)
Connecticut Engineering Excellence Award
Project Name:
Fort Nathan Hale Pier
New Haven, CT
Hale Pier was closed to the public after Superstorm Sandy destroyed it in 2012. The Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection deemed the structure a hazard and funding was secured to restore it. The City of New Haven contracted RACE to design a new, storm resilient fishing pier accessible to all visitors.
RACE’s coastal engineers performed specialized wave and wind modeling to determine site specific parameters of the 100-year storm, and in turn, developed hydrodynamic load conditions on the pier’s structural elements. In addition to designing the pier for sustainability and storm resilience, RACE designed the pier with social responsibility in mind. The Hale Pier had been a City landmark and neighborhood treasure for decades.
The octagonal gathering area at the southern end of the pier is unlike any other pier in Connecticut. This unique feature presented design and construction challenges, but was embraced by the Design Team, City of New Haven and environmental regulators as a means to allow greater access to the deeper water for fishing, more ADA-accessible guardrail locations, and a space for public programming such as environmental education classes as well as general enjoyment of New Haven Harbor and Long Island Sound.
2017 American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC)
50th Anniversary Engineering Excellence Awards
National Recognition Award
Connecticut Engineering Excellence Award
Project Name:
Steelpointe Harbor Waterfront Improvement Project
Bridgeport Harbor, Bridgeport, CT
This 1,500 foot long bulkhead project was designed to follow the curvature of the new development at Steelpointe in addition to reviving waterfront access in the Bridgeport community. RACE, along with partner GeoDesign, was honored by ACEC with the National Recognition Awardand the ACEC Connecticut Chapter Engineering Excellence Award for their innovative design.
The project will help convert the 52-acre vacant peninsula, long-inaccessible and underutilized waterfront, into a new 2.8 million sq. ft. urban mixed-use development which will bring jobs, housing, office space, lodging, and entertainment to the waterfront area.
2017 New York City Hall 34th Annual Design Awards
Special Recognition Award
Project Name:
Tottenville, Shoreline Protection
Staten Island, New York
The Tottenville Shoreline Protection project in Staten Island, NY received a Special Recognition Award from New York Mayor, Bill de Blasio, as part of the New York City’s Design Commission’s 34th Annual program. The design of the project is a multi-tier strategy for coastal and social resilience including risk reduction through raising the shoreline and ecological enrichment through green infrastructure.
RACE, as a sub-consultant to Stantec, provided coastal engineering analysis, preliminary level design and cost estimates for dune and revetment protection for the 7,600 linear foot Tottenville section of the southern shoreline of Staten Island, NY. RACE determined beach response to waves for the storms of interest and prepared design of a hybrid sand dune system with rock core, “eco-revetment” and earthen berm protection structures.
2015 Connecticut Society of Civil Engineers (CSCE)
8th Annual Achievement in Civil Engineering (ACE) Awards
Structural ACE Award of Merit
Project Name:
Water Transportation Infrastructure Project, Pleasure Beach Park
Bridgeport Harbor, Bridgeport, CT
The restoration project of the 750’ long historic pier damaged by Hurricane Irene and Super Storm Sandy at Pleasure Beach Island in Bridgeport Harbor, was recognized with an Achievement in Civil Engineering Award (ACE) by CSCE. RACE led the engineering effort to bring the island back to life after being closed for nearly 20 years after a fire destroyed the swing span bridge rendering the island inaccessible. RACE earned the Structural ACE Award of Merit for redesigning the celebrated pier and adding a water-taxi launch and wave attenuator to regain public access and enjoyment.
The project was administered by the Connecticut State Department of Transportation and the City of Bridgeport, Engineering Department.
RACE resident engineers oversaw the construction. After many attempts at redevelopment of the island by the city and numerous developers, the island was at last reopened to the public on June 28, 2014 and welcomed over 25,000 visitors in its first season.
2014 Connecticut Society of Civil Engineers (CSCE)
7th Annual Achievement in Civil Engineering (ACE) Awards
Sustainability ACE Award
Construction Award of Merit
Project Name:
Island Beach Rehabilitation Project
Greenwich Harbor, Greenwich, CT
As a first-time entrant in 2014, RACE was presented with two Achievement in Civil Engineering (ACE) awards by CSCE: the Sustainability ACE Award and the Construction Award of Merit for the successful rehabilitation of Little Captain Island, commonly known as Island Beach. The island park is located nearly 2 miles off Greenwich Harbor and its infrastructure was devastated on October 30, 2012 by Super Storm Sandy.
The storm’s impact caused seawalls to topple, the concrete pier to buckle, and snapped and shredded the timber pier, while the beaches were severely eroded. To maximize the use of resources, RACE reused, re-purposed and reclaimed project materials such as concrete from the damaged pier structure and completed the project in time for the summer season, just 6 months after Sandy.
