Los Vaqueros Reservoir Expansion city in national engineering competition

WASHINGTON, D.C. – URS Corporation of Oakland, Calif., has earned a National Recognition Award for exemplary engineering achievement in the American Council of Engineering Companies’ (ACEC) 47th annual Engineering Excellence Awards for the Los Vaqueros Reservoir Expansion Project in Brentwood, Calif.

Because the original reservoir could not be expanded in its existing configuration, URS developed an innovative strategy to raise the dam height by 34 feet. This cost-saving approach increased the reservoir’s storage capacity by 60 percent, to 160,000 acre-feet. The design can also accommodate a further expansion of 65,000 acre-feet as demand increases.

Although the discovery of a geologic defect in the existing dam’s right abutment required fast, creative redesign work, the project was completed on time and nearly $2 million under budget.

URS is a leading provider of engineering, construction, and technical services for public- and private-sector clients around the world.

All 146 National Recognition Award winners will be honored as preeminent 2013 engineering achievements at the black-tie Engineering Excellence Awards Gala – known as the “Academy Awards of the engineering industry” – to be held Tuesday, April 23, 2013 at The Grand Hyatt Hotel in Washington, D.C. Each award winner is also eligible for one of EEA’s top 24 awards – 16 Honor Awards, 8 Grand Awards and the prestigious “Grand Conceptor Award” for the year’s most outstanding overall engineering achievement.

Judging for the top awards took place in February, conducted by a nationwide panel of more than 30 engineers, architects, government representatives, media members, and academics. Awards criteria included uniqueness and originality, technical innovation, social and economic value, complexity, and success in enhancing the practice of engineering. All top award winners will be announced shortly before the Gala, except the Grand Conceptor Award winner – which is chosen from the eight Grand Award winners and only revealed the night of the Gala.