Rebecca Maloney
Americas Press Office ,Boston
Arup has been named Tunnel Design Firm of the Year by the jury of the 2012 NCE International Tunnelling Awards.
The award was announced on 29 November at a Toronto event. Jon Hurt, Arup's tunnel practice leader for the Americas, accepted the trophy on behalf of Arup's global tunnel design team.
Judging criteria included factors such as consistent quality of design, challenges overcome, innovative solutions, and overall growth in business performance.
The program distributed at the event emphasized the importance of Arup’s internal training and research and development to the jury’s decision, saying that “this investment encourages its tunnelling teams to develop new tools and approaches to better serve clients, contribute to industry knowledge, and explore and expand the boundaries of current design.”
The firm’s international success with projects such as the Guangzhou-Shenzen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link, Crossrail, and the Brisbane Airport Link was also a factor.
The awards program was organised by New Civil Engineer, Ground Engineering, the International Tunnelling and Underground Space Association, and the Tunnelling Association of Canada.