The Florida Institute of Consulting Engineers (FICE)’s Engineering Excellence Awards (EEA) named the UM Innovation Bridge its Small Project of 2018. The award is recognizing the team led by Antonio Nanni, professor and chair of the Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering. They contributed to the design of the first concrete bridge on the University of Miami campus entirely reinforced with composite materials instead of steel.
The bridge, which is on the Coral Gables campus, is 70 feet long and connects the campus to the athletic fields. The project provides quantifiable proof of concept of the use of fiber-reinforced polymers (FRP) in such structures. The University began construction of the bridge in November 2015; it was completed in May 2016.
The bridge is both an innovative application of an existing technology and a project of future value to the engineering profession. In fact, the team is already involved in a new project to rebuild the Halls River Bridge in Homosassa Springs, Florida (north of Tampa) using FRPs. To read more about the Innovation Bridge and the Halls River Bridge Restoration, please click here.
FICE’s Engineering Excellence Awards (EEA) recognize firms in Florida for their original or innovative applications to complex projects and studies. This year, 10 grand and six honor awards will be presented at the 102nd Annual Conference FICE Banquet held on Aug. 3, 2018, at the JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort. The Grand Conceptor award winner also will be chosen as the overall best engineering project from the state of Florida and will be announced during the banquet.
The judges rated projects and studies on the basis of uniqueness and innovative applications; future value to the engineering profession; perception by the public; social, economic and sustainable design considerations; complexity; and successful fulfillment of client/owners’ needs, including schedule and budget.