Engineering firm recognized for project

KS Associates Inc., an engineering and surveying firm, has received the Outstanding Small Project Award in the 2024 American Council of Engineering Companies Ohio Engineering Excellence Awards Competition, according to a news release.

The program spotlights engineering projects that demonstrate a high degree of uniqueness, ingenuity and value, the release said.

KS Associates has offices at 260 Burns Road, Suite 100 in Elyria and at 600 Superior Ave. East, Suite 1300 in Cleveland.

KS’s project, “Ohio Nature-Based Shoreline Certification Program and Installation at Old Woman Creek” was recognized for its innovation, complexity and value to the region and engineering community, according to the release.

The Outstanding Small Project Award is given to one project entering the competition with a construction budget of less than $2.5 million, the release said.

KS was under contract with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Office of Coastal Management to develop a comprehensive training program — the first of its kind in Ohio — that certifies practitioners in the design and construction of living shorelines, according to the release.

Unlike hard structures, such as stone revetments and concrete seawalls, nature-based shorelines provide opportunities to restore natural structure and function to Lake Erie’s coastal areas, the release said.

KS coastal engineers developed the program, which included an installation of a living shoreline at the Old Woman Creek State Nature Preserve in Huron, and a 46page “Ohio Nature-Based Shoreline Certification” manual complete with design examples, guidelines and specifications for designing and constructing a living shoreline, according to the release.

Lessons learned from this first training program are being adopted and applied to projects along the shores of Lake Erie, the Great Lakes and beyond, the release said.

The second program is underway, and will include the installation of a living shoreline in May 2024, this time for Cleveland Metroparks at Wendy Park.

SUBMITTED KS Associates Inc. team is Kathleen Bast, marketing director, left; Mark Cencer, director of Coastal Engineering Services; Lynn Miggins, president; and Mark Yeager, director of Surveying Services.