Explanation of Choices
1877 Water Works - The water works has been restored recently to its 1877 configuration. In its day, it was an engineering model for a modern water system. The Engineers' Club along with Drexel university recently cooperated to restore the Graff memorial, a memorial to the engineer behind the system.
1901 City Hall - City Hall is tallest masonry structure that was ever built. It is a national historic landmark. It was substantially complete by 1901. The city celebrated its completion by having a fireworks display at the top of of City Hall to bring in the new year (1901).
1926 - The Delaware River Bridge (later named the Benjamin Franklin Bridge) was opened in 1926. When it was completed it was the longest suspension bridge in the world. The President of the United States Calvin Coolidge attended its opening.
1932 - PSFS Building is a city landmark. It was one of the first buildings to have a modern air conditioning system. It is on the National Historic registrar.
1946 - The ENIAC was completed in 1946 and was the world's first digital electronic computer. It started the computer age that we know today.
1982 SLEP - In the 1980s through the mid 1990s the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard was the site for the Service Life Extension Program for aircraft carriers. Each carrier was a Billion dollar plus project. While that may sound like a large sum, a new carrier at that time would cost about 8 billion dollars.
2007 - Comcast tower- This building will be over 900 feet tall and have a significant impact on the city's skyline. But if you look closely at the picture on the graphic you will see that you are in about the same position on the west bank of the Schuylkill river that you started at 130 years ago. What a difference a 130 years make.
2008 Outstanding Engineering Achievement Award
Do you have an Outstanding Project?
The Outstanding Engineering Achievement Award program recognizes projects regardless of engineering discipline. Winners will be featured in the Philadelphia Business Journal and during Engineer's Week activities. In 1982 the aircraft carrier program (SLEP) was the winner. But you do not have to have a billion dollar project to win. In 1984 a small engineering firm with less than 6 people won with presentation of the lighting of the Benjamin Franklin Bridge. The group devised a new method based on sound engineering methods and experimentation for lighting a suspension bridge. Its not the size but rather the quality of the engineering project that is important.
Think about entering the 2008 competition. Contact The Engineers' Club for Details.
Return to the Engineers' Club Home Page www.engrclub.org .