Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc.

Last updated
Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc.
Type Architects, Engineers, Materials Science
Founded1956
Founder Jack R. Janney
Headquarters
Northbrook, Illinois
,
United States
Number of locations
600 employees in 20 locations throughout the United States
Area served
United States and various international locations
Key people
William J. Nugent, president and senior principal; Gary J. Klein, executive vice president and senior principal
Website www.wje.com

Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc. (WJE) is an American corporation of architects, engineers, and materials scientists specializing in the investigation, analysis, testing, and design of repairs for historic and contemporary buildings and structures. Founded in 1956, WJE is headquartered in Northbrook, Illinois, and has over 600 professionals in twenty offices across the United States. WJE personnel are specialized in architectural, structural, and civil engineering; materials conservation, chemistry and petrography, and testing and instrumentation. [1]

Contents

History

1956–1970: Beginning Years

Jack R. Janney originally established WJE in 1956 as Janney and Associates. Earlier that year, President Dwight D. Eisenhower enacted the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956, authorizing the construction of over 40,000 miles of roads for the interstate highway system. Working for the Portland Cement Association (PCA), Janney was recognized for his knowledge of prestressed concrete by the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority and was offered a consulting position for a new construction project utilizing full scale load testing. During this time, Janney established his own firm with fellow engineer and neighbor Jack Wiss. In 1957, the company became Wiss and Janney Associates. In 1961, former PCA colleague Dick Elstner joined the company and it was renamed Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc. [2]

Shortly thereafter, the United States National Academy of Sciences retained WJE to conduct full-scale load tests at the site of the 1964 New York World's Fair. [3]

WJE Projects throughout the 1950s and 1960s

Soldier Field is home to the NFL's Chicago Bears. WJE has performed long-term routine condition assessment services every year at the stadium since 1970. Soldier Field Chicago aerial view.jpg
Soldier Field is home to the NFL's Chicago Bears. WJE has performed long-term routine condition assessment services every year at the stadium since 1970.

WJE Projects throughout the 1980s

1991-2000

WJE participated in the reconstruction of the ill-fated TWA Flight 800, which exploded shortly after take off on July 17, 1996. [6] The reconstructed aircraft segment was featured in many television news broadcasts and publications. Additionally, over a period of twelve years, WJE led a multidisciplinary team that assisted the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., with assessing and addressing issues of deterioration and obsolescence. [7]

Reconstruction of TWA 800 wreckage at the Naval Weapons Industrial Reserve Plant. TWA800reconstruction.jpg
Reconstruction of TWA 800 wreckage at the Naval Weapons Industrial Reserve Plant.

WJE Projects throughout the 1990s

Alcatraz03182006.jpg
Alcatraz cellhouse had suffered severe deterioration. The National Park Service sought WJE's assistance in 1999 to evaluate the cellhouse and develop structural stabilization and seismic upgrade designs. [12]

2000-Present

WJE continued to undertake many new assignments, including the investigation of Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial, [13] restoration services at the New York Public Library, [14] plaza investigation and repair services for the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum, [15] facade restoration of the American Museum of Natural History, [16] comprehensive planning studies for Aloha Stadium, and a condition assessment and materials evaluation following the I-580 connector collapse at the MacArthur Maze.

In August 2006, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts retained WJE to undertake a comprehensive safety audit of the Central Artery/Tunnel project, also known as the "Big Dig". [17] WJE engineers, architects, and materials scientists completed the stem-to-stern safety audit in ninety days.

In August 2007, the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) retained WJE to conduct an investigation following the collapse of the I-35W Bridge to determine the cause of the collapse. [18] WJE was responsible for planning and overseeing the removal and dismantlement of all structural components so the NTSB and other investigators could examine and record conditions at the site. [19]

In August 2011, the National Park Service retained WJE to assess earthquake damage to the Washington Monument following the August 24 earthquake. In September, members of WJE's Difficult Access Team rappelled from the Monument's exterior over the course of several days to visually inspect for damage.

Hurricane Sandy, which hit in October 2012, was a deadly and destructive storm that impacted twenty-four states with particularly severe damage in New Jersey and New York. WJE responded to hundreds of calls from clients seeking assistance for hurricane-related assessment and investigative services.

The Leo Frigo Memorial Bridge, crossing the Fox River in Green Bay, Wisconsin, was temporarily closed when a 400-foot stretch of deck sagged due to significant and sudden settlement of a pier. Shortly after the event in 2013, WJE was retained to investigate the failure and to design a temporary stabilization structure.

Over the past two decades, National Park Service personnel noticed discoloration and streaking at the stainless steel exterior of the iconic Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri. During several phases from 2005 to 2015, WJE investigated and documented the history and conditions of the Gateway Arch. As part of a phased corrosion study to determine the source of distress, a team of WJE staff utilized industrial rope access techniques to access surfaces of the structure not seen up close since the 630-foot monument was completed in 1965.

WJE Projects 2000–Present

Following the 2007 deadly collapse of the I-35W Bridge in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) retained WJE to lead their investigation into the cause of the collapse. 35wBridgecollapse.gif
Following the 2007 deadly collapse of the I-35W Bridge in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) retained WJE to lead their investigation into the cause of the collapse.

Firm and Project Awards

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References

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