WASHINGTON – D&B Engineers and Architects, DPC, of Woodbury, N.Y., has earned a National Recognition Award for exemplary engineering achievement. They will be recognized at the American Council of Engineering Companies’ (ACEC) 58th annual Engineering Excellence Awards (EEA) for the Ocean Beach, N.Y., Flood Mitigation & Resiliency Project.
The popular Fire Island summer vacation community was experiencing severe flooding and groundwater infiltration of both the existing sanitary and stormwater collection systems. D&B’s design included replacement and expansion of the stormwater collection system, partial replacement of the sanitary collection system, new stormwater treatment units, elevation of the main downtown roadway and construction of a below-grade stormwater pump station to reduce downtown flooding conditions.
Logistical issues included having to transport all construction equipment and materials to the island via ferry or barge, and a large influx of summer tourism that required all work to be performed during the nine-month off-season. Additionally, the pump station required substantial support of excavation efforts to account for poor soil conditions and excavation depths up to 30 feet deep. Despite these logistical and scheduling challenges, construction was completed on time and on budget in July 2024, bringing a multitude of environmental, economic and quality of life impacts to the community.
The project is eligible for additional honors as part of 194 entries this year representing engineering excellence from throughout the nation and the world. Judging for the awards program took place in February and was conducted by a national 32-member panel of built environment leaders, along with experts from government, the media and academia. Award criteria focused on uniqueness, technical innovation, social and economic value and generating excitement for the engineering profession.
Recognition of all award winners—including 16 Honor Awards, eight Grand Awards and the prestigious “Grand Conceptor Award” for the year’s most outstanding overall engineering achievement—will take place at the EEA Gala, to be held at the Grand Hyatt, Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, May 20, 2025.
