MJ Receives Two ACEC Gold Awards for Engineering Excellence

MJ recently received two Gold Award for Engineering Excellence from the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) for Preservation of the Champlain Canal Structures and 3D Laser Scanning of the Belle Chasse Tunnel. MJ received these two prestigious awards at the Engineering Excellence Awards Reception on Saturday, April 7th at the Hilton Midtown in New York City.

Preservation of the Champlain Canal Structures

This historic preservation project focused on reestablishing the 19th century Champlain Canal in order to protect vital water resources: a naturally constructed and important wildlife habitat and a man-made waterway which now provides a glimpse of the community's rich history. The project included structural rehabilitation of a multi-use, stone structure, a unique combination of a culvert and waste water weir that also serves as a bridge maintaining access along the original towpath. The historic structure includes a waste water weir, which is a magnificent example of ingenious 19th century engineering, designed to rely on gravity to channel the excess water from the canal before modern pumps and electricity were available to perform the task. The structure was constructed in 1823 of large blocks of rectangular cut stone stacked so expertly no mortar was required to keep them in place. After nearly 200 years, the culvert was still in relatively good condition. However, a portion of the interior walls had collapsed, allowing water to erode the remaining portion of the structure.

3D Laser Scanning of the Belle Chasse Tunnel

Successfully capturing accurate 3D as-builts of the entire Belle Chasse Tunnel in Louisiana under a tight three-day timeline required state-of-the-art technology, survey expertise and the vision to know it was possible. Laser scanning was used to assist in the structural analysis and environmental remediation of the tunnel which is on a busy artery that serves traffic traveling between downtown New Orleans and the local communities. There has been little reinvestment in the structure, resulting in signs of deterioration. Survey technicians worked quickly to process the data for the development of project basemapping and creation of a 3D model assist in the structural analysis and recommendation of renovation improvements. The team developed multiple, user-friendly deliverables to provide the data needed for the project engineers' structural and environmental analyses. By utilizing 3D laser scanning on the Belle Chasse Tunnel, the team helped to integrate laser scanning into the engineering industry, which offers momentous value to the engineering profession beyond traditional surveying and mapping. Laser scanning opens the door to new capacities and opportunities when upgrading critical infrastructure systems. The benefits of laser scanning are massive and include decreased field collection time, overall cost savings, highly accurate data, rich datasets, adaptable to many project platforms, increased safety for field crews, user-friendly information and creation of a baseline inventory.