2011 Grand Conceptor Award Winner: Hoover Dam Bypass

The Hoover Dam Bypass has received the American Council of Engineering Companies’ (ACEC) 2011 Grand Conceptor Award — the prestigious industry honor signifying the year’s top engineering triumph. The project was chosen best among 161 engineering achievements from throughout the world entered in this year’s ACEC Engineering Excellence Awards (EEA) competition.

Judging was conducted by a nationwide panel of more than 30 engineers, architects, government leaders and members from the media and academia. Projects were judged on uniqueness and originality, technical, social and economic value, complexity and success meeting project goals. Designed by HDR, T.Y. Lin International and Jacobs Engineering, the Hoover Dam Bypass eliminates severe traffic congestion while enhancing security at the Dam.

Soaring nearly 900 ft above the Colorado River, the Hoover Dam Bypass features a 1,900-ft-long arched concrete bridge — the highest and largest of its type in the Western Hemisphere, and the world’s tallest pre-cast concrete columns. A triumph more than 40 years in the making, the bypass eliminates wearisome traffic congestion along the dam’s hairpin turns, while increasing security for the Dam — a vital Southwest source of power and water.

The project team utilized groundbreaking design to overcome challenges of high winds, extremely rugged terrain and severe heat to complete the project, which includes which includes 4.3-miles of new highway and seven additional bridges. Two 2,500-ft-long cableways connected to 330-ft-high towers on each side of the Black Canyon transported crews and 50 tons of equipment and materials into place during bridge construction.

Because of triple digit temperatures, concrete was poured from midair at night and cooled with liquid nitrogen-filled tubes. The concrete arch — built in two segments that began 1,060-ft apart on each side of the canyon — was closed just three-eighths inch off perfect. The Hoover Dam Bypass compliments the historic Hoover Dam with its own majestic presence, while effectively bridging engineering’s greatness of the past with today’s brilliance.

2012 Call for Entries
ACEC’s 2012 Call for Entries brochure will be available in mid-June. The brochure will be mailed along with the July/August issue of the Engineering Inc. magazine. All submissions must be entered through your respective State Member Organization. For state deadlines and entry requirements, please contact your nearest State Member Organization. Click here for Member Organization contact information. If you have questions or need more information, contact Daisy Nappier at dnappier@acec.org or at 202-3347-7474.