150 North Riverside Project Wins 2019 Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievement Award

Reston, Va. — The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) awarded its Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievement (OCEA) Award to the 150 North Riverside Project, a 747-foot, LEED Gold Certified, 54-story building on the Chicago Riverwalk. The award was presented at the Outstanding Projects and Leaders (OPAL) awards gala at the Renaissance Arlington Capital View Hotel in Arlington, Va.

150 North Riverside was built along Chicago’s famed Riverwalk on a two-acre lot which had been vacant for 100 years. This sliver of land presented numerous challenges including that it was wedged between the Chicago River’s south branch to the east, seven active Amtrak lines to the west, street viaducts to the north and south and a 30-foot setback at the river. In addition to the small space, the proximity to the river and maintaining Amtrak operation during and after construction also made building this project difficult.

Riverside Investment & Development (RID) and the Engineer of Record — Magnusson Klemencic Associates — overcame these challenges by incorporating innovations and engineering firsts, including developing a razor-thin, concrete, core structural system that is three times skinnier than the average office building, resists all wind loads and carries the weight of the building. RID also added 12 water-filled tanks to the top of the structure to minimize wind sway and serve as water for the building’s fire sprinkler system. RID was able to work around the small construction site by utilizing a 2 million-pound Manitowoc 888 Ringer crane on a floating barge platform.

“150 North Riverside turned a small, unused block of land on the riverbank into a remarkable feat of engineering,” said Robin A. Kemper, P.E., LEED AP, F.SEI, F. ASCE., President, American Society of Civil Engineers. “Magnusson Klemencic Associates incorporated technical innovations to overcome site restrictions and restraints, resulting in an addition to the Chicago skyline that will be admired by tourists and locals for generations to come.”

Established in 1960, the OCEA Award recognizes projects from around the world that contribute to the well-being of people and communities, demonstrate resourcefulness in planning and design and use innovative materials and techniques.

Past OCEA winners include:

• New Orleans Inner Harbor Navigation Canal Surge Barrier, New Orleans, Louisiana
• Alvarado Water Treatment Plant Ozone Upgrade and Expansion Project, San Diego, California
• Sutong Bridge, Nantong City, Jiangsu Province, China
• Woodrow Wilson Bridge outside Washington, D.C.