Rock Island District Structural Engineer Eric Johnson Earns National Honor
Eric Johnson of the Rock Island Engineer District has been named the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Structural Engineer of the Year. The honor, which was announced by Corps Headquarters June 30, was presented to Johnson August 5 during a virtual award ceremony conducted by Maj. Gen. Diana Holland, Mississippi Valley Division commanding general.
The USACE Engineering and Construction Community of Practice Award for Structural Engineering is awarded annually to a Corps employee to recognize contributions of excellence in the field of structural engineering and recognize the nominee’s contributions to his or her profession and community. Johnson received the award for his work coordinating, supporting and leading multiple teams, both nationally and internationally, in the areas of lock miter gate design and composite hydraulic structures.
According to Brant Jones, chief of the Structural Engineering Section for the Rock Island District, Johnson is one of the foremost experts in miter gates, both within the Corps and across the world, and has been directly responsible for the design of more than 30 gates on the Upper Mississippi River, Hudson River and Lake Washington Ship Canal.
“Eric’s expertise extends beyond USACE, as he is a key member in global collaboration efforts with the World Association for Waterborne Transport Infrastructure,” Jones said. “His efforts were vital in completing a multinational guide to state-of-the-art design practices for miter gates.”
Roger Perk, chief of the Engineering and Construction Division for the Rock Island District, added, “Eric is a dedicated professional who continues to advance the state of the practice in navigation structural design. His work and leadership have been crucial in the advancement of hydraulic structures within the region, across the country and worldwide.”
Johnson is a licensed professional engineer and has successfully obtained licensure as a structural engineer, a license few in the profession hold. Additionally, Johnson is a regional technical specialist in the Mississippi Valley Division. He has been with the Corps of Engineers since 2002 and is a member of numerous groups focused on engineering, including the American Society of Civil Engineers, the Structural Engineering Institute and the Quad City Engineering and Science Council, where he has volunteered for the group’s Battle of the Bridges STEM event for the past 13 years.
