Award Winning Projects

We are honored to have received awards for a number of our endeavors, but our most important reward is the satisfaction of our customers on each and every project.

Environmental Baseline Survey,
Newport, NY (for U.S. Air Force Rome Labs)
2004 American Consulting Engineers Council Gold Award Winner - Environmental Category

The United States Air Force selected Lu Engineers to complete an Environmental Baseline Survey (EBS) to identify existing environmental conditions at an operational radar test site as part of the Air Force’s ongoing environmental compliance efforts.  In partnership with the Air Force, Lu Engineers worked to streamline the EBS process to maximize the utilization of available funding and minimize the project duration and interference with base operations. Under traditional cleanup approaches, review of work plans can require years. To avoid this, the project team developed an integrated decision-making approach under which field data was reviewed as it was collected. This dynamic approach not only eliminated delays, but also accelerated the field work schedules, saving thousands in costs.

This streamlined EBS process is best illustrated on our work at Building 1605, an active office and laboratory surrounded by residential properties using private water wells. Elevated levels of soil and groundwater contaminants and the presence of active and abandoned septic leach beds in this area represented an environmental concern due to potential vapor and groundwater migration.

A unique nested piezometer design was developed to provide both subsurface monitoring and extraction/infiltration. Piezometers were designed for determining groundwater quality, soil vapor, and pressure levels using an unusually small screened interval that also allowed targeting of discrete zones in the subsurface for vacuum extraction. 

The time period from initial remedial design to total cleanup of the site was only five months, ahead of schedule and in far contrast to the multi-year duration of an ordinary in-situ remediation. The accelerated EBS process and innovative application of the multiphase extraction technology represent a savings to the taxpayer potentially in the millions. This expedited approach to the EBS was applied to various other contaminated portions of the NRF site, which have now been brought into full environmental compliance. The property currently requires no further corrective action in accordance with Air Force requirements, fully meeting the goals of the owner and exceeding scheduling expectations.

Regional Traffic Operations Center,
Greater Rochester International Airport

Lu Engineers won four awards for this project. 

The first two were for "Project of the Year", awarded by the American Public Works Association (AWPA) in the "Projects greater than $10 million" category. Lu Engineers won at both the regional and the state level for New York State. This award honored our role as the Prime Engineering Design Firm where we provided overall Project Team Management for this large and complex project.  Construction management was challenging for this project because there were seven governmental agencies as customers and ultimate inhabitants of the facility.  No less than fourteen architectural, engineering and construction firms contributing to the final outcome, which was highly successful. Total project cost was $10,800,000. Tributes to our project leadership were that the project was completed within the allocated funds and construction changes amounted to less than five percent of the bid cost.

The third award won for this project was the "Gold Award for Environmental Excellence", presented by the New York Association of Consulting Engineers (NYACE). The RTOC site previously contained an asphalt plant, a metal finishing facility, an automobile transmission maintenance facility and an above-ground fuel storage depot. Lu Engineers provided all environmental services for the project and the initial site investigation concluded that a Phase II environmental assessment was required. After completing the environmental assessment phase, Lu Engineers coordinated site remediation activities that included an electronic magnetic survey to determine the location of buried features; soil-vapor surveys; NYSDEC coordination; and site remediation planning and monitoring.

A fourth award was from the American Institute of Architects (AIA Rochester Chapter) 2003 Design for Excellence. Our architect on this project, SWBR Architects, received the New Construction Certificate of Merit for the project.

Retention Pond Design & Wetland Replacement
Brighton-Henrietta Townline Road Reconstruction
Monroe County, New York

In 2001, on the basis of this project completed the year before, Lu Engineers was awarded Honorable Mention for the "Environmental Excellence Award" from the Federal Highway Administration of the United States Department of Transportation. The Environmental Excellence Awards from the Federal Highway Administration are given to honor partners, projects, and processes that excel in meeting growing transportation demands while protecting and enhancing the natural and human environment.

Northwest Quadrant Pump Stations Improvements
 Pure Waters District, Monroe County, New York

Lu Engineers was awarded the "Gold Award for Engineering Excellence" in the "Water and Wastewater" category for this project. The awarding body was the the New York Association of Consulting Engineers (NYACE).

An innovative aspect of this project was the way we dealt with the maintenance of  continuous operation of the pump stations while replacing the worn and undersized pumps. The need for continuous operation was compounded by the need to replace the existing welded steel discharge headers located in the wet wells at Flynn Road and Island Cottage because of corrosion problems.

Flight Departure Bridge at the
Greater Buffalo International Airport Terminal
Buffalo, New York

Lu Engineers received two awards on this high-profile project.

The first of these was the "1997 Bridge Award", awarded by the Western New York Chapter of the Association for Bridge Construction and Design. An innovative aspect of this 500 foot long structure is that it "floats" on sliding seismic isolation bearings designed specifically for this project by Lu Engineers.

The other award for this project was the "1998 Honor Award for Engineering Excellence" which was presented by the Consulting Engineers Council of New York. 

South Chili Water Improvement Benefit Area No. 1
Town of Chili, New York

Lu Engineers received the " Project of the Year" award in the $2-10 Million Environmental Division from the American Public Works Association, New York Chapter.

The key to receiving the Project of the Year Award was that this large project was constructed on time, within budget and with a minimum of problems. Regulatory agencies and major utility companies were made part of the design and review process from the project inception.