Parsons honored for structural engineering excellence

Pasadena, Calif. — Parsons was honored by the National Council of Structural Engineers Associations (NCSEA) with the 2016 Excellence in Structural Engineering Award – Outstanding Project in the new bridges or transportation structure category. Recognizing the corporation’s work on the Hastings Bridge, this award honors the best examples of structural ingenuity throughout the world. Projects are judged on innovative design, engineering achievement, and creativity.

“It is gratifying to be recognized by the NCSEA for the innovation we bring to our customers,” said Michael Johnson, Parsons Group President. “The Hastings Bridge is a prime example of our steadfast commitment to sustainability and leading-edge engineering and design.”

Parsons was the lead designer in the Hastings Bridge design-build joint venture and also provided engineering management and bridge erection engineering services.

The new Hastings Bridge in the scenic recreation area of Hastings, Minn., is a 1,938-foot-long, freestanding tied-arch bridge. It carries Trunk Highway 61 over the Mississippi River and is the longest freestanding arch bridge in North America. With a 100-year service life, the bridge features a steel box arch rib with a post-tensioned concrete tie girder and a network hanger system, plus a load-path-redundant steel-grid floor system to meet rigorous redundancy requirements. Representing one of the heaviest bridge moves in the United States, the 3,300-ton, 545-foot-long main span was erected on land, transferred onto barges using self-propelled modular transporters, guided downriver by tugboats, slid into position using a hydraulic skid system, and lifted 55 feet into place with strand jacks.

Parsons’ work on the Hastings Bridge has been recognized with numerous awards, including:

• 2016 Prize Bridge Award in the major span category – National Steel Bridge Alliance
• 2014 Midwest Best Project of the Year award in the highways/bridges category – Engineering News-Record
• 2015 Best Accelerated Bridge Construction (ABC) award in the self-propelled modular transporter category – Accelerated Bridge Construction
• 2014 Favorite/Most Innovative Structure Award – The Illinois Chapter of the Structural Engineers Association
• Engineering Excellence Honor Award – American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) Illinois
• Engineering Excellence Honor Award – ACEC national