The AOM projects, according to the judges, were closely linked to the overall category winners, and rated high in such efforts as teamwork and project management, safety, innovation, contribution to the community or industry, overcoming unique or difficult challenges, construction quality and craftsmanship, and function and aesthetic quality of the design.

The AOM projects ranged from a buoyant gravity sewer in Lake Oswego, Ore., and a research center/sustainability base in Mountain View, Calif., to a elephant exhibit at the Los Angles Zoo and racking solar system in La Mesa, Calif.

So, take a look at the Award of Merit projects to the left, and we hope you will echo the judges’ “well done” admirations.