Klingner & Associates, P.C. will receive a Merit Award at ACEC-IL’s 2021 Engineering Excellence Awards for the Ottawa Township High School (OTHS) Floodwall and Levee Modifications in Ottawa, IL.
OTHS sits at the confluence of the Illinois and Fox Rivers. The existing levee system was discovered to be 1.5′ shorter than the 100-year flood profile after the 2008 flood. Klingner’s water resources experts worked with OTHS to restore the system’s FEMA accreditation by designing a vertical extension of the existing floodwall, a new floodwall to the north of the school, and a drainage capture system. Utilizing an innovative combination of sheet pile and sheet pile clad with stamped concrete afforded the school significant cost savings and blended the structure into the nearby Ottawa East Side Historic District without damaging its historic character.
The new flood protection system requires no additional equipment or personnel, eliminating the need for costly sandbagging efforts and constant monitoring. Major flooding tested the system in May 2020. This floodfighting effort cost OTHS only $4,932.55 – a savings of over $20,000 as compared to their last major flood in April 2013.
The ACEC-IL Engineering Excellence Awards honored a total of 41 projects state-wide. Projects were considered in 12 categories covering a wide range of consulting services for Honor, Special Achievement, and Merit Awards. The award will be virtually presented at the 2021 Engineering Excellence Awards Gala on April 8.