New York City’s Moynihan Train Hall conversion (pictured above) snagged the American Council of Engineering Companies’ prize for most outstanding engineering effort of the year. The $1.6 billion transit hub was selected out of 195 entries from around the world to win the Grand Conceptor Award on May 24, according to an ACEC press release shared with Construction Dive. 

Severud Associates of New York City engineered Moynihan Train Hall, and a joint venture composed of Related Cos., Vornado Realty Trust and Skanska USA built the megaproject. It expands the 255,000-square-foot Penn Station across Eighth Avenue, and features a towering arched skylight roof “creatively supported by original but previously hidden giant 150-foot-long steel trusses,” according to the release. 

The project also entailed new station entrances, an expanded West End Concourse and the intermodal Midblock Hall. It’s part of Amtrak’s $24 billion Gateway Program, a rail-related capital initiative to expand capacity along the Northeast Corridor. 

“Sometimes, it is unnecessary to tear it all down to create something new,” ACEC President and CEO Linda Bauer Darr said in the release. “The Moynihan Train Hall project by Severud Associates breathed new life into a piece of New York City’s rich architectural history and designed a new gateway into the city that will awe and inspire well into the future.”

Another 15 entrants also won Engineering Excellence Awards. Here's more about five of the winning projects:

The Pavilion at Penn Medicine
Philadelphia
By HDR on behalf of PennFIRST

This $1.5 billion hospital project on the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania campus opened ahead of schedule in April 2020 after the governor accelerated construction in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. The 17-story, 1.5-million-square-foot hospital tower adds 500 beds. The building team included Balfour Beatty, BR+A, Foster+Partners, HDR, LF Driscoll and others.

Hernando de Soto Bridge emergency repairs
Memphis, Tennessee
Engineering by Michael Baker International

In May 2021, inspectors discovered a crack in one the 48-year-old span’s steel support beams. The bridge connects Arkansas to Tennessee, and both state DOTs worked together to fix the damage by the end of the summer.

Sofi Stadium
Inglewood, California
Engineering by Walter P Moore

The Los Angeles Rams and the Los Angeles Chargers share the $5.5 billion Sofi Stadium, the most expensive stadium ever built. The Turner and AECOM Hunt joint venture completed the project in September 2020.

Rainier Square
Seattle
Engineering by Magnusson Klemencic

The 850-foot tower features numerous building innovations, including 3D-printed components and steel-plate composite-core technology that was being used in the defense and nuclear industries. The engineers converted this tech into the SpeedCore system for high-rise construction.

Little Island at Hudson River Park
New York City
Engineering by Arup

Construction manager Hunter Roberts Construction Group and marine contractor Weeks Marine built the unique 2.4 acre public park and performance venue on pilings above the Hudson River, giving it a floating island vibe. The $260 million project opened in May 2021. 

The rest of the EEA winners are:

Rodney Cook Sr. Park at Vine City in Atlanta, Georgia
Engineering by Freese and Nichols, and HDR

Rockefeller Refuge Gulf Shoreline Restoration Project in Grand Chenier, Louisiana
by HDR

Lick Run Valley Conveyance System and Greenway in Cincinnati, Ohio
Engineering by Strand Associates

Middle Harbor in Long Beach, California
Engineering by Moffat & Nichol

Mid-Coast Trolley Extension Project in San Diego, California
Engineering by WSP USA

International Gateway Bridge in Orange County, California
Engineering by WSP USA

Northgate Link Extension in Seattle, Washington
Engineering by McMillen Jacobs Associates

Mason Mega Rail Project in Garden City, Georgia
Engineering by Moffatt and Nichol

Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, Washington
Engineering by Haley & Aldrich

Pettit Creek Lake Weir in Blaine County, Idaho
Engineering by HDR