ESWP: Society Information: Annual Awards

ESWP Awards

The Awards Committee of the Engineers' Society of Western PA is pleased to announce their Annual Awards of Distinction.

Colonel Michael P. Crall of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has been chosen as the 2009 ESWP Engineer of the Year. Colonel Crall has been the District Engineer for the Pittsburgh Section since July 2007.  Colonel Crall graduated from Norwich University in 1985 with a B.S. in Civil Engineering. A paratrooper by training, Col. Crall served in various command and staff assignments in Iraq and Afghanistan. Since arriving in Pittsburgh, Col. Crall rose to the challenge of understanding our civil works mission of emergency management with the flash flooding in Millvale. Since that time Col. Crall has been instrumental in establishing the critical role the USACE plays in the daily lives of Western Pennsylvanians by working with the local government, engineering community and citizenry.  He has made it a goal to engage local, state and federal agencies along with elected officials, technical and profressional organizations and industry to share resources and coordinate actions to strengthen our national security, energize our economy and enhance our environment. Crall has been highly successful in bringing numerous young engineers to the Pittsburgh District to share their engineering knowledge and ingenuity needed to keep a vital part of our nation’s infrastructure reliable while building for the future

For the Project of the Year, the Awards Committee has chosen two unique projects as award winners for 2009.

In the Transportation Category, PennDOT's "Parkway Missing Ramps Over SR 79, Section A23" was chosen. The project consisted of the construction of two direct connection ramps at the existing interchange of Interstate 79 and State Route 22/30, providing a direct link between the Interstate and Pittsburgh International Airport. The project eliminated the need for daily commuters to use the overcrowded and increasingly congested State Route 60, which for the past 36 years, had served as the main corridor for more than 13,000 vehicles per day. With an average of 100,000 vehicles passing through the project area each day, this was a high-profile, high-visibility project. It included challenging structural designs, complex geometry and roadway designs, and the reconstruction and widening of a major limited-access highway.  The project was further complicated by the requirement to maintain four lanes of traffic in Interstate 79 and State Route 22/30. This complex project was accomplished through the cooperative efforts of PennDOT District 11-0; the Contractor, Balfour Beatty Infrastructure, Inc.; the Construction Inspection firm, M.A. Beech Corporation; and the design team led by Michael Baker Jr., Inc.

In the Commercial Category, UPMC's Children's Hospital was chosen. Children's Hospital has transformed pediatric healthcare in the region with the construction of a new medical campus located in Lawrenceville. The new facility design incorporates family centered healthcare with technological sophistication and environmental sustainability. The unique design was based upon input from physicians, nurses and families—to ensure it meets the unique requirements of health care providers and the patients they serve. There were multitudes of unique problems to solve. With the new campus, the goal was to create a new iconography: to create a building tailored to Pittsburgh and Western PA, a place that acknowledged the strong emotional connections that exists for patients, family and staff to the city.

As the neighborhood surrounding the Children’s Hospital facility is populated by residents in turn of the century row houses, the architect created a building vernacular that complimented the existing historic architecture. The nearly 1.5 million square feet of new space was broken into a series of building components scaled to the size of the row houses. Local materials, such as brick, stone and copper were predominantly used. The result is a campus that is decidedly modern and child-friendly, yet visually bridges the gap between the old neighborhood and the new institution.  The Hospital and Research Building have been submitted for USGBC LEED® certification, with the Research Building achieving a Silver Credential.

The Awards were presented at ESWP's 126th Annual Engineering Awards Banquet, February 17 at Heinz Field. A recap can be found here.

2010 William Metcalf Award Recipient

Congratulations to Dr. William L. "Red" Whittaker, Fredkin Research Professor of Robotics, Director of the Field Robotics Center at The Robotics Institute at Carnegie Mellon University, as the 2010 William Metcalf Award Winner

Origin of the Metcalf Award

The Board of Direction of the Society at a meeting held on October 31, 1962 formally approved the following resolution concerning the William Metcalf Award.

It is proposed that the Engineers' Society of Western Pennsylvania make an annual award to a very outstanding engineer who is a resident of the United States and whose field of engineering accomplishment relates to those fields normally asssociated with Western Pennsylvania, such as steel, aluminum, power, coal, electrial equipment, chemical, glass, construction, etc.

It is proposed that this award be named the William Metcalf Award in honor of a great engineer and the first President of our Society.

A Stainless Steel plaque, approximately 12 X 14 inches, bearing a likeness of the head of William Metcalf will be properly engraved and presented to the recipient at the Annual Banquet of the Society.

A committee, consisting of seven members of the Society, is to be appointed by the President and to include the President, Chairman of the Entertainment Committee, and five members who are ranking engineering executives of major Pittsburgh industrial engineering enterprises, at least five of whom shall be or have been members of the Board of Direction. The purpose of this committee shall be to select the candidate for the Award each year.

William Metcalf Biography

William Metcalf was born in Pittsburgh on September 3, 1838. Both his father, Orlando Metcalf, and his mother, whose maiden name was Constance D. Fries, were descendants of the very early settlers of this country.

After graduating from Pittsburgh public schools and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York (1858), he returned to Pittsburgh to become an engineer and draftsman at the Fort Pitt Foundry. In one year he became the general superintendent and held this position throughout the Civil War, although he was not yet thirty. It was his guiding genius which made the Fort Pitt Foundry one of the great manufacturing centers for heavy guns and projectiles for the armies of the North in the Civil War. Fort Pitt Foundry was one of the leading makers of armor plate and heavy ordnance for the Union. It was armor plate from this Foundry which was used on the ironclad steamers built at Philadelphia. The Foundry furnished the government with 1,193 cannon, 15 percent of the total supplied during the war. In 1868, Mr. Metcalf went into the steel business, in which he continued for many years, not giving up active management until about 1895.

Manufacture of crucible steel was largely pioneered in the United States by William Metcalf. He was one of the organizers of the Crescent Steel Company in 1889, specializing in fine crucible steels, and developing many of the processes for improvement.

William Metcalf was one of the leading practical experts in the field of mechanical and heat treatment of steel during the period prior to 1900. He was author of numerous scientific papers and leader in engineering circles. His book, "Steel, A Manual for Steel Users," published in 1896 awas widely used.

In addition to being the first President of the Engineers' Society of Western Pennsylvania, Mr. Metcalf was President of the Duquesne Club (1881-2), President of the American Institute of Mining Engineers, President of the Homeopathic Hospital of Pittsburgh, and member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, Ameican Society of Mechanical Engineers, British Institute of Civil Engineers and the Episcopal Church. William Metcalf passed away in 1909 at the age of 71.

PAST AWARD WINNERS

Past William Metcalf Award Recipients

Past ESWP Engineer of the Year Awards Recipients

• 1999 Werner C. Loehlein, P.E.
• 2000 Anthony M. DiGioia III, M.D.
• 2001 Andrew L. Beamon, P.E.
• 2002 Thomas E. Kennedy
• 2003 John E. Coyne, P.E.
• 2004 Fred Reginella, P.E.
• 2005 Eric J. Beckman, Ph.D.
• 2006 Charles M. Russell, Jr., P.E.
• 2007 G. John Kurgan, P.E.
• 2008 Lawrence J. Lennon, P.E., D.WRE
• 2009 Colonel Michael P. Crall

Past ESWP Project of the Year Awards Recipients

• 1998 Commercial Project: American Video Glass Co.
  R.T. Patterson Company, Inc.
  P.J. Dick Incorporated
• 1998 Industrial Project: Lake Erie Steel Company
  Kvaerner Constructors, Ltd.
  Kvaerner Engineering & Construction
  Kvaerner Songer, Inc.
• 1999 Commercial Project: St. Francis Hospital
  LDA - L.D. Astorino Companies
• 1999 Industrial Project: Rio Dam Project
  Southern Energy of New York
  Paul C. Rizzo Associates
• 2000 Commercial Project: PNC Firstside Center
  PNC Financial Services Group
  LDA - L.D. Astorino Companies
• 2001 Commercial Project: PNC Park
  Sports & Exhibition Authority of Pittsburgh & Allegheny County
  Pittsburgh Pirates
  HOK Sport
  L.D. Astorino Companies
  Barton Malow/Dick Corporation
• 2001 Transportation Project: West Busway
  Port Authority of Allegheny County
  Michael Baker Jr., Inc.
  Dick Corporation
• 2002 Heavy Construction Project: Braddock Dam
  Owner: US Army Corps of Engineers
  General Contractor: JA Jones/Traylor Bros.
• 2002 Transportation Project: I-70 to PA 51 Project as part of the Mon Fayette Expressway
  Owner: PA Turnpike Commission
  Design Manager: Michael Baker Jr Inc.
  Construction Manager: Trumbull Corporation
• 2002 Environmental Reclamation Project: Summerset at Frick Park Project
  Public/Private Developer: Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh
  Private Developer: Summerset Land Development Associates
  Design Professional: GAI Consultants, Inc.
• 2003 Heavy Construction Project: Saluda Dam Remediation
  Owner: South Carolina Electric & Gas Company
  Engineer: Paul C. Rizzo Associates
  Contractor: Barnard Construction Company
• 2003 Transportation Project: Fort Pitt Bridge and Tunnel Rehabilitation
  Owner: Pennsylvania Department of Transportation
  Lead Engineer: HDR Engineering, Inc.
  Contractor: Trumbull Corporation
• 2003 Commercial Project: David L. Lawrence Convention Center
  Owner: Sports & Exhibition Authority of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County
  Architect: Rafael Vinoly Architects, PC
  Construction Managers: Joint Venture of Turner Construction, P.J. Dick and ATS-CHESTER Engineers, Inc.
• 2004 Commercial Category: UPMC Sports Performance Complex
  Owner: UPMC
  Architect/Engineer: Astorino
  Construction Manager: Mascaro Construction Company, L.P.
• 2004 Industrial Category: Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel Corporation
  Electric Arc Furnace
  Owner: Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel Corporation
  Engineer: R.T. Patterson Company, Inc.
  Construction Manager: Continental Design & Management
• 2004 Transportation Category: Stage II Light Rail Transit System Project
  Owner: Port Authority of Allegheny County
  Engineer/Designers: URS Corporation, CDM, Parsons Corporation
  Construction Managers: Gannett-Fleming, Inc., DMJM+Harris, Inc.
• 2004 Public Works Category: Hurricane Ivan Flood Emergency
  Road Repair Projects
  Owners: Pennsylvania DOT Engineering District 11-0
  Allegheny County Department of Public Works
  Construction Manager: Michael Baker Corporation
• 2005 Transportation Category: Erie Bayfront Connector Highway
  Owner: Pennsylvania Department of Transportation
  Engineer: GAI Consultants
• 2005 Industrial Category: AP1000 Nuclear Reactor
  Owner: Westinghouse Electric Company
• 2006 Commercial Category: BioMedical Science Tower 3 (BST3)
  Owner: University of Pittsburgh
• 2006 Transportation Category: Findlay Connector Highway
  Owner: Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission
• 2007 Commercial Category: Phipps Conservatory Expansion Project - Owner: Phipps Conservatory; Construction Manager: Turner Construction Co.; Project Architect: IKM
• 2007 Industrial Category: "C" Blast Furnace Rebuilding Project - Owner: SeverStal North America; Primary Design Professional: ATSI, Inc.; Construction Manager: Graycor; Other Project Team Members: Paul Wurth, Inc., ATAC Engineering, Inc., Hatch, Amerex, Quattro Associates, Inc., Siemens VAI, The Thomas Group, Total Equipment Company, Woodings Industrial Corporation, SNC-Lavalin America, Inc.
• 2007 Transportation Category: Pyandzh River Bridge Project - Governmental Construction Authority: USACE - Afghanistan Engineer District & TransAtlantic Programs Center; Engineering & Design, On-Site Consulting Agent for USACE: Michael Baker Jr., Inc.
• 2008 I-35W Bridge Replacement Minneapolis, MN - Owner: Minnesota Department of Transportation; Designer: FIGG Bridge Engineers; Contractor: Flatiron-Manson, JV
• 2009 Children’s Hospital - Owner: UPMC; Architect/Engineer: Astorino and the Parkway Missing Ramps Owner: PennDOT; Engineering Consultant: Michael Baker Corporation; Contractor: Balfour Beatty
  
  

Outstanding Engineering Achievement

• 2001 Anthony J. DeArdo, Ph.D. & C. Isaac Garcia, Ph.D.

University of Pittsburgh, George Washington Award

• 2008 Benjamin Gordon
• 2009 Patrick Vescovi

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