Baltimore, M.D.-based Skanska-Fay JV Wins Top AGC Innovation Award For Breakthrough Gantry Crane System

Atlanta, GA-based Holder-Moody-Bryson-Sovereign, JV and West Palm Beach, Fla.-based Hedrick Brothers Construction Also Win Association's Second and Third Place Awards for Best Innovative Projects of 2025

Baltimore, M.D.-based Skanska-Jay Joint Venture was awarded for developing a first-of-its-kind gantry crane system mounted on a flatbed railcar, engineered to navigate tight tunnel curves while transporting and precisely placing heavy precast slabs. As a result, Skanska-Jay Joint Venture was named the grand prize winner of the AGC Innovation Awards, sponsored by Autodesk. In addition, Atlanta, GA-based Holder-Moody-Bryson-Sovereign, JV and West Palm Beach, Fla.-based Hedrick Brothers Construction won second- and third-place awards.

"We want to help innovators take great ideas and turn them into industry-wide solutions," said Rick Andritsch, the association's national president and partner and vice president of business development of VJS Construction Services in Pewaukee, Wisconsin. "If we want to move the industry forward, we need to encourage broader adoption of proven innovations-something these awards are designed to do."

A joint venture between Skanska and Fay, S&B USA Construction (Fay) was recognized for its innovative approach on CSX's more than $450 million Howard Street Tunnel Project, where the team developed a first-of-its-kind gantry crane system mounted on a flatbed railcar to overcome tight space constraints inside the historic tunnel. Through multiple design iterations, the team engineered a double-beam system capable of navigating horizontal curves while carrying and precisely placing 20,000-pound precast concrete invert slabs, enabling continuous, around-the-clock installation. This custom solution allowed crews to efficiently install nearly 1,190 segments while preserving the integrity of the 1895 structure and ultimately delivering the project more than two years ahead of schedule.

The Holder-Moody-Bryson-Sovereign, JV team was recognized for its innovative approach to the Concourse D Widening at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, where it developed a hybrid construction strategy combining modular assembly, robotic demolition, and traditional methods to keep the airport fully operational. By fabricating sections off site and installing them overnight, then building over the active concourse, the team minimized gate closures and disruption, setting a new standard for delivering complex projects in live aviation environments.

The Hedrick Brothers Construction team was recognized for its innovative Reef Arches system, a modular shoreline protection solution that combines engineering strength with environmental restoration. Designed to dissipate wave energy while promoting marine habitat growth and stabilizing sediment, the low-carbon concrete system offers a scalable, cost-effective alternative to traditional hard-armoring methods. This forward-thinking approach helps improve coastal resilience while restoring natural ecosystems.

Andritsch noted that the association created the AGC Innovation Awards, sponsored by Autodesk, to inspire members of the construction industry to craft innovative solutions to pressing industry challenges. He added that the Innovation Award showcases innovative leaders within the construction industry to provide solutions to construction challenges we face.

Click here if you would like to learn more about the Innovation Awards.