Engineering Excellence Awards Preliminary Entry

Studies, Research, and Consulting Engineering Services

Work that produces knowledge rather than construction documents, including feasibility studies, basic research, new products and materials, software and computer technology, value engineering, risk and economic analysis, expert testimony, technical papers, security plans, water conservation programs, and public outreach. This category is for a contribution of analysis rather than design.

American Engineering Testing entered its framework for accepting new materials in concrete pavement specifications here. The project earned a 2026 Grand Award in Minnesota and National Recognition.

Building and Technology Systems

The systems that make a building work, including mechanical, electrical, and plumbing design, communications and acoustics, software systems, secure facilities for military, research, or correctional use, energy and sustainability work, new and retrofit efficiency, carbon neutrality, and certification standards such as LEED.

LHB's Metro Transit North Loop Garage, a 2024 Grand Award winner, is this kind of project. It is a 500,000 square foot facility with passive solar facade, geothermal piles, and rainwater harvesting.

Structural Systems

Structures and what holds them up. Bridges, buildings, tunnels, foundations, towers, stadiums, and seismic design.

Braun Intertec’s Dakota-Federal well pad stabilization; American Engineering Testing’s Minnesota Zoo Treetop Trail; AECOM’s Smith Avenue High Bridge redecking in Saint Paul; Michael Baker’s Winona Bridge rehabilitation; HGA’s Trailhead Building at Wirth Parkway in Minneapolis; Ulteig entered a substation foundation replacement using helical piles at Waterville.

Surveying and Mapping Technology

Survey and geospatial work, including geometrics, ALTA, land title and rights surveys, control and GPS and monitoring and construction surveying, survey mapping, photogrammetry, and GIS or LIS systems.

Environmental

Cleaning up, containing, or restoring of hazardous and solid waste, remediation and reclamation, air quality, noise, recycling, waste pond management, mitigation, and carbon sequestration and trading.

Barr Engineering's Redhead Mountain Bike Park won a 2024 Grand Award for turning 1,225 acres of inactive iron mine into a trail network that drew 50,000 visitors.

Waste and Storm Water

Water that has already been used or must be managed on its way off a site, including wastewater collection, treatment, and disposal, residuals management and reuse, graywater systems, combined sewer overflows, mine tailings, agricultural systems, stormwater management, and erosion control.

Bolton & Menk entered the Penn American Stormwater Storage project in Bloomington in this category.

Water Resources

Water as a supply and as a force, including hydraulics and hydrology, surface and groundwater supply development, treatment, transmission and distribution and storage, watershed management, flood risk management, climate adaptation, coastal and ecosystem restoration, locks and dams and control structures, and irrigation.

Three of 2026’s Grand Awards came from this category, and all earned National Recognition: the Wrangell Water Treatment Plant by Stanley Consultants and DOWL, the Whiskey Creek Enhancement Project by Houston Engineering, and the Martin County Ditch No. 28 Nutrient Treatment Train by ISG.

Transportation

Moving people and goods, like highways, rail, airports, marine and ports, public transit, and intermodal facilities.

Five projects entered in this category earned Grand Awards in 2026, and all five earned National Recognition: Twin Ports Interchange final design by SEH with Parsons and Barr, the METRO B Line arterial bus rapid transit by Kimley-Horn, Highway 10 Ramsey Gateway and CSAH 70 Gull River Crossing by Bolton & Menk, and TKDA’s Runway 12L-30R reconstruction.

Special Projects

The category for work that does not sit neatly elsewhere. Safety and security, corrosion and cathodic protection, program and construction management, land development, trenchless technology and directional boring, recreational facilities, and subsurface engineering.

Barr Engineering and Kimley-Horn’s sustainable stacked infrastructure at Highland Bridge earned a Grand Award, the People’s Choice Award, and a national Honor Award, one of only sixteen nationwide.

Small Projects

Defined by budget rather than discipline. Total project construction budget of $5 million or less, in any field. A project at or under $5 million may be entered in whatever category fits it best. Category J exists so that a small project is not measured against a $150 million one.

Kimley-Horn entered the Centennial Lakes Pedestrian Bridge Replacement in Edina here rather than in Structural Systems, where it would have been read against bridges many times its size.

Energy

Generating, moving, and storing power, and using less of it through transmission and distribution, power generation, renewables, cogeneration, energy storage, demand side management, and energy reduction programs.

Industrial and Manufacturing Processes and Facilities

Plants and heavy process work, including petrochemical, biotech, manufacturing, heavy industry, industrial waste, materials handling, and mining, metallurgy, and mineralogy.