Engineers Ireland is calling on the Irish public to vote online for what they consider to be the Engineering Project of the Year before the deadline at midnight, on Thursday, November 5.

The competition, part of the sixth Engineers Ireland Excellence Awards which take place next week in association with ESB, features projects from across the country that embody the best in engineering creativity while also making significant contributions to local communities and the national economy.

This year the shortlist includes six engineering projects spanning the country including the restoration of an iconic cathedral in Longford, the redevelopment of a water treatment plant in Cork, the design and construction of multi-city public bike sharing schemes in Galway, Limerick, Cork, the design, build and delivery of a world class food technology facility and a high-spec technology manufacturing facility along with a complex process transfer system, both in Kildare.
“The standard and variety of the entries for Engineering Project of the Year have been extremely impressive, with the number of submissions from all across Ireland the highest to date, which is great to see. The shortlisted projects are a testament to the reputation and talent of engineers who are making a valuable impression on society.

“I encourage the public to review and vote for the project they think deserves recognition and has most benefited Irish society over the last 12 months, by visiting our website, EngineersIreland.ie/Awards <http://www.engineersireland.ie/awards/excellence-awards/engineering-project-of-the-year.aspx> ,” Caroline Spillane, Engineers Ireland Director General said.

The full shortlist for the Engineers Ireland Engineering Project of the Year 2015 includes:

·      Clonakilty Wastewater Treatment Plant <http://www.engineersireland.ie/Awards/Excellence-Awards/Engineering-Project-of-the-Year/clonakilty-wastewater-treatment-plant.aspx> (WWTP) – Cork County Council
Clonakilty WWTP project is shortlisted for its success in upgrading an outdated WWTP suitable for a population of only 5,333 to one which enables residential and industrial growth for a capacity of 20,500 people all the while maintaining operation during construction. Cork County Council is also the first in Ireland and the UK to adopt the new and innovative water treatment technology called “Nereda”.

·      Intel Ireland’s 14 nanometre project at its Fab24 facility in Leixlip <http://www.engineersireland.ie/Awards/Excellence-Awards/Engineering-Project-of-the-Year/intel-ireland-14-nanometre-project.aspx> – Intel Ireland
Intel Ireland’s 14 nanometre project at its Fab24 facility in Leixlip is shortlisted for its success in the design and construction of a sophisticated facility and process transfer by a world class engineering team to enable the manufacture Intel’s most advanced 14 nanometre semiconductor process.

·      Kerry Global Technology and Innovation Centre <http://www.engineersireland.ie/Awards/Excellence-Awards/Engineering-Project-of-the-Year/kerry-global-technology-and-innovation-centre.aspx> – ARUP
ARUP is shortlisted for the delivery of full engineering services including the design and delivery of the state of the art, flagship global technology and customer innovation facility for the European headquarters for Kerry Group’s Global Technology and Innovation Centre in Kildare. Over four storeys, it comprises of 25000m2 of research and development laboratories, production facilities and accommodation.

·      Regional Public Bike Scheme <http://www.engineersireland.ie/Awards/Excellence-Awards/Engineering-Project-of-the-Year/regional-public-bike-share-scheme.aspx> – ARUP
ARUP is shortlisted for the delivery of the Coca-Cola Zero Bike Share Scheme at more than 70 sites simultaneously in three different cities, Galway, Limerick and Cork. Between the three cities there are 740 bikes at 73 docking stations available offering benefits including reduced traffic congestion, reduced pollution, improved the health benefits, and increased accessibility in and around the cities.

·      Restoration of St Mel’s Cathedral, Longford (Electrical, Mechanical Engineering) <http://www.engineersireland.ie/Awards/Excellence-Awards/Engineering-Project-of-the-Year/restoration-st-mels-cathedral-elec-mech.aspx> – ARUP
ARUP was heavily involved in the restoration of St Mel’s Cathedral, which was engulfed in flames on Christmas morning 2009, by recreating optimal conditions for the atmosphere of worship. The internal restoration objectives including aesthetics, acoustics, energy efficiency, comfort, maintainability, flexibility, health, safety and future proofing were achieved without compromise in other areas.

·      Restoration of St Mel’s Cathedral <http://www.engineersireland.ie/Awards/Excellence-Awards/Engineering-Project-of-the-Year/restoration-st-mels-cathedral-longford-structural.aspx> (Structural) – PUNCH Consulting Engineers
The fire which broke out in the sacristy of St Mel’s Cathedral destroyed the interior and roof of the cathedral. PUNCH took on the challenging structural task of replacing 28 ornate blue limestone columns, moving three tonne stone drums, without the use of an overhead crane, and replacing the timber roof all while retaining the integrity of the arch structure overhead in time for Mass to be celebrated on Christmas Day 2014, the five year commemoration of the fire.

The winner of the Engineering Project of the Year award will be announced on November 6 at the Engineers Ireland Excellence Awards ceremony in the InterContinental Hotel in Dublin.  Other award categories to feature on the night include ‘Chartered Engineer of the Year Award’, ‘Geoscience Ireland Award’, ‘Tech Innovation Award’, ‘Local Authority Engineering Initiative Award’, ‘Protecting the Built Environment Conservation Award’, ‘CPD Employer of the Year Award’, ‘Engineering Education Award’ and ‘Best Presentation Award’.

For further details on the Awards, log onto http://www.engineersireland.ie/awards/excellence-awards.aspx