GPTQ Preconstruction Design Awards

This award recognizes innovation and emphasizes new design solutions to engineering problems including the use of new products/technologies with broad prospects for future applications.

Criteria for judging:

• Innovative Approach to Design and Problem Solving Methodology
• Quality
• Customer satisfaction
• Cost effectiveness and Sustainability
• Constructability and Minimized Impacts on Surrounding Environment

This award recognizes the importance of providing transit, pedestrians, bicyclists and other forms of mobility for people and freight. Nominations should be made for designs that provide for maximum efficiency, enhanced linkage, and flexible multi¬use of transportation systems.  Transportation system projects are not just limited to a roadway project.  This category can be a range of projects from Aviation, Railway, Port, and any other transportation system an owner feels is deserving of being nominated for award.

Criteria for judging:

• Security and Safety
• Design Features
• Innovation in Use/Reuse of Materials or Methods
• Connectivity/Integration with Other Modes
• Aesthetics
• Maintainability and Durability

Recognizes the value of protecting natural, socioeconomic and cultrual resources as elements of Georgia's quality of life. Should demonstrate solutions to transportation needs that embrace these concerns. Nominations should be made for constructed project components. Landscaping, archeological remediation, natural habitat restoration and general enhancement designs are examples for consideration under this category.

Criteria for judging:

• New Application of Existing Techniques/Originality/Innovation
• Value to Advancing the Georgia Quality Initiative
• Unique Approach to Social/Environmental Considerations
• Complexity
• Meeting and Exceeding Owners/Clients Needs

This award recognizes the important role the planning process plays in determining the best overall solution. Nomination should be made for processes which not only achieved meaningful public involvement via innovative techniques, but which developed context sensitive transportation solutions.

Criteria for judging:

• Successfully Encouraged Public Participation
• Facilitated Cooperative Input from Reviewing Agencies
• Evidenced Coordinated Planning with Local Interests
• Developed Solutions to Avoid and Minimize Impacts

This award recognizes structures that economically meet the requirements of the site, are aesthetically pleasing and are appropriate for the surrounding environment. Consideration is also given to structures that present innovative and economic solutions to unique design challenges specific to the site or structure. The constructability of the solution is an important consideration for award.

Criteria for judging:

• Economic/Innovative Approach to Design and Construction Challenges
• Constructability
• Innovative Use of Methods or Materials
• Environment/Aesthetics

This award recognizes projects that improve existing roads and intersections to enhance operations and safety for the motoring public and/or pedestrians.

Criteria for judging:

• Successfully Reduced Crashes and Improved Safety
• TSMO (Transportation Systems Management & Operations) strategies focusing on operational improvements to improve mobility, reliability, and accessibility
• Utilized Cost-Effective Techniques
• Effectively maintained Traffic and Local Access During Construction
• Developed Solutions to Avoid and Minimize Impacts, including successful coordination with stakeholders

This award recognizes large projects (greater than or equal to $35 Million in estimated construction costs) that include a combination of roadway and structural work which handles large volumes of traffic. Projects in this category can include urban and rural areas of the state.

Criteria for judging:

• Complexity

• Social/Economic Considerations
• Safety
• Aesthetics and Sustainable Features
• Meeting and/or Exceeding Owner’s/Client’s Needs
• Use of Practical or Performance Based Design Practices

This award recognizes smaller projects (less than $35 Million in estimated construction costs) along their routes and/or played a major role in assisting local communities in achieving their economic development objectives. Projects in this category can include urban and rural areas of the state.

Criteria for judging:

• Complexity
• Social/Economic Considerations
• Safety
• Aesthetics and Sustainable Features
• Evidenced Coordinated Planning with local interests
• Meeting and/or Exceeding Owner’s/Client’s Needs

This award recognizes the important contributions of the design-build process to improve cost-effectiveness, to shorten the design construction time frame, and to improve innovation of design during construction.  The nomination should be the post let design team.

Criteria for judging:

• Successfully Reduce Cost of Design and Construction
• Successfully Reduce the Time for Design and Construction
• Innovative Use of Design with Construction
• Significant Reduction in Negative Impacts on the Public During Construction

This award recognizes projects with significant achievements in ROW Phase with a successful in all phases like Pre-acquisition, acquisition and Certification of a project.  Projects in this category may include expedited or challenging schedule requirements, dynamic or complex corridors with frequently changing properties and land use, and high relocation projects.  Multiple service classes will be considered in judging the overall award including Appraisal, Appraisal Review, Negotiation, General Office Administrative Review, Consultant Management, Relocation Assistance, Condemnation, Property Management, and Plan Review. 

Criteria for judging:

• Right of Way Certification
• Expedited Right of Way Acquisition or Pre-Acquisition Phase
• Complex Transportation Corridors
• Demonstrated Innovative Solutions to Acquisition or Pre-Acquisition Phase