Viaduct over River Almonte in Garrovillas de Alconétar, Cáceres, Extremadura, Spain, awarded highest honor
FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich. — The American Concrete Institute (ACI) announced the winners of the 2018 Excellence in Concrete Construction Awards, who were honored during the Institute’s Concrete Convention & Exposition, October 15, 2018, in Las Vegas, NV, USA.
The highest honor was presented to Viaduct over River Almonte in Garrovillas de Alconétar, Cáceres, Extremadura, Spain. This award is given annually to one project that demonstrates excellence in concrete innovation and technology and stands out above all other entries.
Viaduct over River Almonte – Garrovillas de Alconétar, Cáceres, Extremadura, Spain. Owner: Adif Alta Velocidad; Architectural and Engineering Firm: ARENAS & ASOCIADOS – IDOM; General and Concrete Contractor: FCC CONSTRUCCIÓN – CONDURIL; and Concrete Supplier: CG Hormigones. Credit: American Concrete Institute
A new high-speed rail line is under construction between Madrid and the Extremadura, a western Spanish region bordering Portugal. The line will cross over the River Almonte on a 996 m (3270 ft) long viaduct—a concrete arch bridge with a main span of 384 m (1260 ft). Designed to carry 350 km/h (218 mph) rail traffic, the viaduct had to meet rigorous dynamic, serviceability, and safety criteria; and it required complex, staged calculations based on nonlinear material and nonlinear geometry behaviors. Nevertheless, it is aerodynamic and slender, largely due to key design features, including a four-legged arch configuration; 80 MPa (11,603 psi) high-performance concrete; an efficient erection method, with temporary towers and stays; and an innovative monitoring system.
Viaduct over River Almonte – Garrovillas de Alconétar, Cáceres, Extremadura, Spain. Credit: American Concrete Institute
The viaduct’s 384 m (1260 ft) main span makes it the largest railway bridge in Spain and the world’s largest concrete arch bridge for high-speed rail service. Its design combines structural efficiency, out-of-plane stability, improved response against cross wind effects, and aesthetics. The design is also environmentally friendly, as the bridge comprises durable materials, has been designed for expedient maintenance, and will include a bespoke barrier that will force birds to soar upward and above the overhead mast line. The bridge arch comprises high-performance, self-consolidating concrete. The complex erection procedure required the development of singular construction devices. The bridge was constructed using a ground-breaking instrumentation and monitoring system that provides information regarding the behavior of the structure during construction and service.
The ACI Excellence in Concrete Construction Awards were created to honor the visions of the most creative projects in the concrete industry, while providing a platform to recognize concrete innovation, technology, and excellence across the globe. To be eligible for participation in the Excellence Awards, projects needed to be winners at a local ACI Chapter level and submitted by that Chapter or chosen by one of ACI’s International Partners.
An independent panel of esteemed industry professionals judged projects and selected winners based on architectural and engineering merit, creativity, innovative construction techniques or solutions, innovative use of materials, ingenuity, sustainability, resilience, and functionality.
Additional winning projects were selected from among several possible categories, and included:
Decorative Concrete
1st Place: Roofing of the Montpellier-South of France TGV Station in Montpellier, Herault, France.
Roofing of the Montpellier-South of France TGV Station – Montpellier, Herault, France. Owner: SNCF Réseau; Architectural Firm: Marc Mimram Architecture et Inégnierie; Engineering Firm: Lamoureux & Ricciotti Ingénierie; General Contractor: Fondeville; Concrete Contractor: Méditerranée Préfabrication; and Concrete Supplier: LafargeHolcim. Credit: American Concrete Institute
2nd Place: Water Garden in Santa Monica, California, USA.
The Water Garden – Santa Monica, California, United States. Owner: Water Garden Realty Holding LLC & Water Garden Company L.L.C.; Architectural Firm: HLW International; Engineering Firm: AMA Consulting Engineers; General Contractor: Morley Builders; Concrete Contractor: Shaw & Sons; and Concrete Supplier: Catalina Pacific Concrete. Credit: American Concrete Institute
High-Rise Buildings
1st Place: Reston Station OB1 Tower in Reston, Virginia, USA.
Reston Station OB1 Tower – Reston, Virginia, United States. Owner: Constock Partners; Architectural Firm: JAHN; Engineering Firm: Thornton-Tomasetti; General Contractor: Davis Construction; Concrete Contractor: Miller & Long; and Concrete Supplier: Vulcan Materials. Credit: American Concrete Institute
2nd Place: Nexus Shopping and Business in Setor Marista, Goiânia, Brazil.
Nexus Shopping and Business – Setor Marista, Goiânia, Brazil. Owner: Consciente JFG Incorporações e Participações Ltda; Engineering Firm and General Contractor: Consciente Construtora e Incorporadora Ltda; Concrete Contractor: Votorantim Cimentos S/A; and Concrete Supplier: Realmix Concreto Ltda. Credit: American Concrete Institute
Infrastructure
1st Place: Viaduct over River Almonte in Garrovillas de Alconétar, Cáceres, Extremadura, Spain.
2nd Place: Viroflay Underground Train Station – in Meudon, Hauts-de-Seine, France.
Viroflay Underground Train Station – Meudon, Hauts-de-Seine, France. Owner: Public Transportation for Paris Area; Architectural Firm: Atelier SCHALL; Engineering Firm: EGIS Group Branch Railway; General and Concrete Contractor: Eiffage Travaux Publics & Soletanche Bachy; and Concrete Supplier: CEMEX. Credit: American Concrete Institute
Low-Rise Buildings
1st Place: University of Iowa Visual Arts Building, in Iowa City, Iowa, USA.
Iowa Visual Arts Building – Iowa City, Iowa, United States. Owner: University of Iowa; Architectural Firm: Steven Holl Associates – Design Architect/BNIM – Construction Architect; Engineering Firm: Structural Engineering Associates, Inc.; General Contractor: Miron Construction Co., Inc.; Concrete Contractor: Ceco Concrete Construction – Flat Slab Shoring/Miron Construction – Vertical; and Concrete Supplier: Croell Redi-Mix, Inc. Credit: American Concrete Institute
2nd Place: Design & Build of South Marina Yacht Club at Lusail (BP15) in Doha, Qatar.
Design & Build of South Marina Yacht Club at Lusail (BP15) – Doha, Qatar. Owner: Qatari Diar, Lusail Real Estate; Architectural Firm: Chapman Taylor Espain; Engineering Firm: MZ & Partners (Civil & MEP) & Octatube (Steel Structure); General Contractor: JV of Ceinsa & Al Jaber Trading & Contracting; and Concrete Contractor: Al Wataniya. Credit: American Concrete Institute
Mid-Rise Buildings
1st Place: 1200 Intrepid Avenue in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
1200 Intrepid Avenue – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. The 1200 Intrepid project is a USGBC LEED Gold certified four-story mid-rise building boasting 94,000 ft2 (8700 m2) of high-end office space. Owner: Liberty Property Trust and the Philadelphia Development Corporation; Architectural Firm: BIG – Bjarke Ingels Group; Engineering Firm: Environetics; General Contractor: Turner Construction Company; and Concrete Contractor and Supplier: High Concrete Group LLC. Credit: American Concrete Institute
2nd Place: Royal Alberta Museum in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
Royal Alberta Museum – Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Owner, Architectural Firm, and Engineering Firm: DIALOG; General Contractor: Ledcor Design Build (Alberta) Inc.; Concrete Contractor: Pagnotta Industries Inc.; and Concrete Supplier: Lafarge Canada Inc. Credit: American Concrete Institute
Repair & Restoration
1st Place: Provo City Center Temple in Provo, Utah, USA.
Provo City Center Temple – Provo, Utah, United States. Owner: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; Architectural Firm: FFKR Architects; Engineering Firm: Reaveley Engineers; General and Concrete Contractor: Jacobsen Construction Company, Inc.; and Concrete Supplier: Jack B. Parson Companies. Credit: American Concrete Institute
2nd Place: Ford Theaters Off-Season Improvements Phase 2 & 3 in Hollywood, California, USA.
Ford Theaters Off-Season Improvements Phase 2 & 3 – Hollywood, California, United States. Owner: The Ford Theatres Foundation; Architectural Firm: Levin & Associates; Engineering Firm: Structural Focus; General and Concrete Contractor: Charles Pankow Builders, Ltd.; and Concrete Supplier: Cemex. Credit: American Concrete Institute
The winning project details can be found at ACIExcellence.org. Entries for the 2019 Excellence in Concrete Construction Awards are being accepted now through April 2, 2019.
Visit ACIExcellence.org for more information.
