Honoring an American NATM pioneer 27 May 2015

Prakash Donde, PE, is honored with the 2015 Leader of Industry Award at the 54th Annual American Concrete Institute (ACI).

Prakash Donde accepts Leader of Industry Award

The organization’s annual awards ceremony – held as part of the President’s Ball celebrations in New York City on May 15 – recognizes and celebrates the accomplishments of those who have made significant contributions and advancements to the engineering industry. A total of twelve recipients were presented with their awards by the CIB Officers and Board of Directors.

Prakash has worked for Jenny Engineering Corporation – a COWI company – since 1980, and is currently a Principal there. He has more than 40 years of experience in civil, geotechnical, and structural engineering and is considered to be one of America’s leading experts in the design and construction of tunnels and underground structures for water resources, storm and sanitary facilities, flood control, highways, railroads and transit systems. As a registered professional engineer in ten US States and in Singapore, Prakash has served as Project Manager, Principal-in-Charge, and Tunnel Specialist on a long list of major award-winning projects. He has also written numerous publications on tunnel engineering and the New Austrian Tunneling Method (NATM), which he has been active in introducing to the US industry.

Prakash's experience extends across North America and Asia, but one of his most notable accomplishments took place as Project Manager for the design effort on the Washington Metro Tunnel Section E-5 Fort Totten Station and Tunnels, the first soft ground NATM transit station and tunnels constructed in the US. As a result of innovative design techniques, an early completion date, and substantial cost savings, the project received the 1992 ACEC Award for Engineering Excellence.

“I can't think of a more deserving recipient of the ACI-CIB Leader of Industry Award,” said Scott Roux, President & Managing Director of JEC. “Prakash has led the charge in bringing NATM techniques to the US, and has worked on some of the most complex and important tunnel projects locally and internationally. It has truly been an honor to be able to work alongside this knowledgeable and driven engineer.”