DETROIT — The American Center for Mobility (ACM), a new connected and automated test facility in southeast Michigan, was honored by the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) with the 2019 Engineering Eminent Conceptor Award.
WSP USA, a leading engineering and professional services consultancy, was selected by ACM as the lead technology consultant for phase one of the site development. This included a systems engineering process to determine the requirements for the testing facility, including connected vehicle infrastructure, traditional intelligent transportation systems technologies, data collection, monitoring and test simulation needs associated with the site.
In addition, the following firms contributed in the concept development, design construction and environmental compliance of this next generation connected and automated test facility: Mannik and Smith Group, site concept development, design and construction support; NTH Consultants, Ltd., environmental compliance support; and HNTB Michigan Inc., construction engineering services, design support.
ACM is a not-for-profit testing, education, and product development facility for future mobility, designed to enable safe validation and self-certification of connected and automated vehicle technology.
“The center is uniquely positioned to accommodate the broad needs of industry and government with its capabilities to test vehicles, roads, infrastructure and communication systems, while providing room to grow and adapt as technology dictates,” said Scott Shogan, Detroit area manager for WSP.
“Through the quality contributions of WSP and the other firms involved in the project, ACM was successful in establishing a unique purpose-built CAV test facility to enable the development of technologies that will revolutionize the transportation industry,” added Mark Chaput, vice president of facility operations and construction at the American Center for Mobility. “This site, with its 85-year history of heavy industrial use and heritage of innovation, posed a myriad of unique engineering challenges that the team tackled head on with dedication, applying creative and innovative solutions and demonstrating a commitment to meeting owner expectations and requirements.”
The ACM sits on more than 335 acres adjacent to Willow Run Airport in Ypsilanti, Michigan, where B-24 bombers were manufactured during World War II in a factory built by Henry Ford. Opened in December 2017, ACM is a national-scale advanced automotive testing and product development center that can accommodate the broad needs of industry and government, test various weather conditions, and provide room to grow and adapt as technology dictates. The testing, education and product development center will be a place where precautionary testing is done before vehicles are deployed on the road, and a proving ground for collaborative safety technology demonstrations. The ACM is also intended to serve as a convening center to accelerate the development of voluntary standards.
“Our team was further engaged to conduct the detailed design of the technology systems for the site, a role which continues today as the site expands in subsequent phases,” Shogan said. “This included close coordination with regulatory authorities, including the Federal Aviation Administration and the Federal Communications Commission on the complex licensing issues associated with radio infrastructure. Our firm continues to support the construction and communications design for new elements of the test site as they come on-line.”
About WSP USA
WSP USA is the U.S. operating company of WSP, one of the world's leading engineering and professional services firms. Dedicated to serving local communities, we are engineers, planners, technical experts, strategic advisors and construction management professionals. WSP USA designs lasting solutions in the buildings, transportation, energy, water and environment markets. With more than 9,500 employees in 150 offices across the U.S., we partner with our clients to help communities prosper. wsp.com
