` News & Events | WDP & Associates

5 Aug WDP Sponsors Upcoming Prince William County Schools SPARK "Tee Off for Education Golf Classic" EventEvent

WDP will be joining in on another year of fun (as golfers and as a hole sponsor) for the Prince William County Schools SPARK - "Tee-off For Education Golf Classic" event, held at Old Hickory Golf Club in Woodbridge, VA, on August 5th, 2022.  The proceeds for this event fund the “Innovative Grants” Program, which allows schools and departments to implement programs that would not be possible otherwise. For additional information on the event or to register your team, go to SPARK - Tee Off for Education Golf Classic.
 

SPARK is the operating name of the Prince William County Public Schools Education Foundation, a non-profit organization.  Their mission is to engage community and business partners to fund and promote initiatives and new opportunities that enhance educational excellence.

Congratulations, Abby Cowser!News

WDP is pleased to announce that Abby Cowser, Staff Engineer in the Manassas Special Consulting Division, has passed the Virginia PE exam.

Congratulations, Abby!

The Masonry Society Elevates Andy Dalrymple to FellowNews

The Masonry Society (TMS) has named WDP Principal and co-founder, Gerald "Andy" Dalrymple, as a TMS Fellow Member.  Andy has been an active member of TMS for over 30 years and has served as a peer reviewer and technical committee volunteer at several North American Masonry Conferences. In addition, Andy was involved with TMS 402/602 Committee, participating as an active member since 1989 and taking on the task as Main Committee Secretary for 15 years.  To read more on Andy's achievements click here.

TMS will formally recognize Andy, as well as four fellow TMS members, at their Annual Meeting and awards banquet in Denver, Colorado, on October 13, 2022. 

Andy, your family at WDP congratulates you for all your hard work and dedication to the industry.  Enjoy your new designation as Fellow of The Masonry Society (FTMS)!

WDP Takes Home Win at 2022 SEA-MW Awards Exhibition!News

Congratulations to WDP Engineers, BJ Lee, Ph.D., P.E., S.E.; Akshay Beniwal, P.E.; Andy Dalrymple, P.E.; and John Grill, P.E., who won the "Outstanding Award in Structural Renovation under $25M" from the Structural Engineers Association of Metropolitan Washington (SEA-MW) for their work on One Tribe Place, Post-Tensioned Concrete Slab Repair at The College of William & Mary.  For more information on the project: The College of William & Mary - One Tribe Place.

J. Michael Grayson, Ph.D., P.E., joins WDP's Manassas Office as Senior EngineerNews

WDP is excited to have Michael join us! Please welcome him to the WDP Team!

Michael specializes in forensic structural engineering and is a credentialed Building Safety Assessment Program (SAP) evaluator. He has extensive experience in the design and construction of light-framed residential and commercial construction, and he has performed extensive research in structural building envelope performance related to wind hazards. He has been published in highly regarded books, engineering journals, and conference proceedings, and previously won the 2013 American Association of Wind Engineering Best Journal Paper for his work in mitigating damage to building envelopes due to wind-borne debris impacts.

“Working with WDP & Associates provides me with an avenue to utilize my unique background and experience to develop solutions to challenging problems that make an immediate impact on the built environment. The opportunity to see how design decisions influence the built environment in real-world applications is very satisfying for me, especially given my research background in the structural and building performance aspects of community resilience.”

REGISTRATIONS - Professional Engineer - Virginia and South Carolina

AWARDS - 2013 American Association for Wind Engineering (AAWE) Best Journal Paper Awards

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS - American Association for Wind Engineering (AAWE)

 

WDP Attends GeoVirginia 2022 ConferenceNews

WDP's Associate Principal and Testing & Inspections Division Manager,  Rob Niber, P.E., attended the GeoVirginia 2022 conference April 10 through 13 in Smithfield, Virginia. It was an awesome gathering of geo-professionals including geotechnical engineers, geologists, and geotechnical specialty contractors and vendors enjoying 2 days of lectures, good food, networking and comradery. Rob was named in the last lecture presentation regarding reducing uncertainty in geotechnical design that used the WMATA White Flint Station parking garage project as a case study.  Rob worked on this project with Roger Failmezger (In-Situ Soil Testing) who assisted WDP by performing dilatometer soundings that saved WDP’s client over $500,000 by eliminating deep foundations for a shallow foundation system. GeoVirginia will meet again in Smithfield, VA in the Fall of 2023.

Andy Dalrymple Honored for Service by TMSNews

Patrick Dillon, Andy Dalrymple, and Tim Apisa at TMS Spring Meeting in Dallas, TX

Andy Dalrymple, P.E., was honored by The Masonry Society (TMS) at the 2022 Spring Meetings in Dallas, Texas, for his 14 years of service as Secretary of the TMS 402/602 Committee (formerly the Masonry Standards Joint Committee responsible for the Building Code Requirements and Specifications for Masonry Structures).   Also in attendance at the TMS Spring Meetings were other WDP senior staff members that are similarly involved in supporting TMS: Patrick Dillon, Ph.D., P.E. – Secretary of the TMS 402/602 Seismic & Limit Design Subcommittee; Tim Apisa, LEED AP – Secretary of the Construction Practices Committee; and John M. Civitillo, P.E., CPHC®, LEED AP BD+C – Chair of the Building Performance Committee.  

Congratulations, Andy. WDP is proud of the support and leadership you have provided TMS over the past 34 years and the example you have set for WDP staff.
 

Rhett Whitlock Receives Award of Appreciation from ASTM InternationalNews

A BIG CONGRATULATIONS to WDP President, Rhett Whitlock, Ph.D., P.E., who received an ASTM Award of Appreciation in recognition of his 20+ years of service for his contributions to the development of standards for Committee C11 on Gypsum and Related Building Materials and Systems.

 

 

Employee Promotions!!News

Please join us in congratulating Trevor and Akshay on their well-deserved promotions. We look forward to their future success with WDP!

Trevor Weilbach, PE, of the Manassas Special Consulting Division has been promoted to Senior Engineer I.   Trevor joined the firm initially in June of 2014 as an intern in the Blacksburg office and then came to work full time in May of 2015 after completing his Master’s Degree in Civil Engineering at Virginia Tech.  Trevor was instrumental in developing Inova as a client the past few years and was recently awarded 2nd place within the "Reports Category" in the 2022 IIBEC Document Competition for his submission of "Inova Loudoun Hospital - Low Slope Roof and Facade Evaluation." He has also stepped up to fill the need in regard to roofing related services (litigation, design and evaluation) and has been recently involved with the Templin Hall Roof Collapse and subsequent rebuild as well as the Hastings Hall Roof Replacement project for the Virginia Community College System.  He has also been involved in building envelope commissioning projects, such as the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease Vaccine Research Center Laboratory Expansion at the NIH and the Virginia Tech Innovation Campus in Alexandria, VA.  In addition, Trevor has started working on smaller litigation projects as the designated expert. 

 

Akshay Beniwal, PE, of the Manassas Special Consulting Division has been promoted to Project Engineer I.   Akshay joined the firm in February 2019 and has most recently been an integral part of the structural assessment and analysis of the concrete slabs for the International Monetary Fund HQ2 in Washington, DC.  He has also been involved with the façade survey for the Old Dominion & Monroe Halls at William & Mary; the surveys and analyses for Quantico Middle/High School; the US Capitol utility tunnel assessments and repair projects; and the concrete deck structural investigation for the Corcoran School of the Arts and Design.  

Haymarket's New Hilton Garden InnNews

Haymarket’s new Hilton Garden Inn had its Grand Opening on Friday, March 18th.

WDP completed the Subsurface Investigation in the Fall of 2019 and in December 2021 started the 3rd Party Construction / Special Inspections & Materials Testing for the 79,500+ SF, 120-room hotel. The hotel is also home to both the Red House Tavern and Crossroads Café and is conveniently located 5 minutes from I-66 and just 35 minutes from Dulles International Airport.

Thanks to Robert Niber who served as Project Manager / Special Inspections Engineer of Record (SIER), as well as our Testing and Inspection's field and laboratory staff - Adam Garrity, Ed Brilhart, Kiet Do, and Phil Deoudes, for a terrific job on what will be a great addition to the Town of Haymarket!

WDP's Sharif Qandour - Volunteer Work with Engineers for International Development (EfID)News

Staff Engineer, Sharif Qandour, joined Engineers for International Development (EfID) while in his sophomore year at George Masonry University.  The organization provides opportunities for students to participate in community-driven development programs worldwide through the design and implementation of sustainable engineering projects, such as water distribution and sanitation systems among others.   While Sharif was a member, he worked on and even designed and built a few bridges around Virginia.  One such project was a bridge design and replacement located on the Shawl Gap Trail near Elizabeth Furnace Recreation Area in Shenandoah County, Virginia, which is part of the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests. 

As Lead Design, Sharif and the rest of the EfID team took the lead on planning and designing the bridge, with assistance from the Forest Service engineering staff and the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club (PATC). The project began during Sharif's Junior year in 2018-2019 at George Mason and continued throughout his senior year in 2019-2020, but just before demolition and construction, the project was abruptly halted due to COVID 19. Finally, last summer, in July 2021, Sharif and the rest of the EfID team were finally allowed to proceed with the replacement plans and start construction of the bridge. 

Sharif said, "I wanted to be involved in the final phase of the project and see it through to the end. We had some trouble carrying some of the massive 800+ lb stringers ¾ mile up a narrow trail but managed to do so safely and with a few different carrying methods." 

As you can see, they did an outstanding job providing this park with a much-needed, newly designed and solidly constructed bridge. We thank Sharif for sharing this great project that was delivered through Engineers for International Development!

Ben Townsend Presenting for the Georgia Chapter of the International Institute of Building Enclosure Consultants (IIBEC)News

This Spring, Ben Townsend, P.E., of WDP's New York office, will be presenting for a technical education program as an industry expert in Building Envelope Commissioning (BECx) to the Georgia Chapter of IIBEC. As part of the IIBEC best practices development, the presentation will cover the following learning objectives:

  • Provide a preview of the main points of IIBEC’s upcoming building enclosure commissioning provider (BECxP) training course.
  • Provide knowledge of how BECx can improve the outcome of a project and benefit all parties involved, including the owner, architect, and contractor.
  • Provide practical information helpful to a BECxP, such as distinctions between common BECx processes and standards, applications of mockup panels, common field testing procedures, and legal considerations.
  • Understand common deviations from the typical BECx process and how to keep on track to produce a successful project.

 

WDP Engineers Presenting at Two-Part Symposia in April and JuneEvent

WDP staff members will be presenting technical papers at the Second Symposium on Building Science and the Physics of Building Enclosure Performance. The event will be sponsored by ASTM Committees E06 on Performance of Buildings, D08 on Roofing and Waterproofing, and C16 on Thermal Insulation.  Both Symposia will be held at the Hyatt Regency in Seattle with Part 1 taking place on April 24th and Part 2 taking place on June 12th. 

Presentations by our WDP Engineers will be on the following topics:

Part 1 - April 24, 2022

  • 8:30 AM  - Calibrated Energy Modeling Importance - A Sensitivity Analysis of Building Enclosure Performance Factors, John Civitillo (with co-author Victoria Civitillo)
  • 9:00 AM - Coordination of ASTM Standards for Thermal Insulation Materials Installed in Exterior Cavity Wall Applications, Jodi Knorowski and Andrew Wagner

Part 2 - June 12, 2022

  • 9:30 AM - Evaluation of Existing Steep Sloped Roof Assemblies for Changes to Thermal, Moisture, and Ventilation Performance:  A New Joint E06/D08 Standard in Action, Carly Wagner

Please click on the following link for more information: Second Symposium on Building Science and the Physics of Building Enclosure Performance.

Kate Franczek Participated in Autonomous Robot Research at Virginia TechNews

Kate Franczek, Staff Engineer in the Blacksburg office, participated in ongoing research with Spot, an autonomous robot dog, at Virginia Tech. The goal of the six month study was to assess how autonomous robots, like Spot, can be used for construction progress monitoring. The ongoing experimental research explored whether construction progress monitoring can be improved by leveraging autonomous robotic technology to lead systematic collection of data in construction environments. Researchers then observed a portion of Kate's daily site visit, and then used Spot to perform the same inspection tasks. For their recent initial findings, click here.

The experiment was performed at the construction site for the new Data & Decision Sciences building at Virginia Tech.

To read more of the article, click here.

WDP's Kate Franczek Belays Derring Hall at Virginia TechNews

Kate Franczek, Staff Engineer at WDP's Blacksburg, VA office, was featured in Virginia Tech's CEE (Civil & Environmental Engineering) News for her role in WDP's concrete and masonry assessment at Derring Hall.  Kate was part of WDP's rope access team.  

To view the article click here:  Recent VCEMP Graduate Belays Derring Hall | Civil & Environmental Engineering | Virginia Tech (vt.edu)

 

Trevor Weilbach Wins 2nd Place in IIBEC Competition!News

Trevor Weilbach, PE, of our Manassas, VA office, placed 2nd within the "Reports Category" in the 2022 IIBEC (International Institute of Building Enclosure Consultants) Document Competition for his submission of "Inova Loudoun Hospital - Low Slope Roof and Facade Evaluation."   

Winning Entries will be on display at the Trade Show on March 18 and 19 at Rosen Shingle Creek during the 2022 IIBEC International Convention and Trade Show in Orlando, Florida. For more information, click here.

Trevor, on behalf of WDP, we are proud of this accomplishment!  Well done and congratulations!!

WDP is Awarded 2nd Term Contract with ServiceSourceNews

WDP has been awarded our 2nd term contract for providing Structural Inspection services in support of the Washington Headquarters Services at the Mark Center Campus in Alexandria, Virginia. The initial contract is for one year with 4 one-year renewal options. WDP has been providing services to ServiceSource since 2014. Congratulations to John Grill, Andy Dalrymple, and the Marketing Team for a job well done!

Project Update - New Public Safety FacilityNews

Construction of the New Public Safety Facility for the City of Manassas is progressing with concrete pours completed on 4 levels of the Main building.  Concrete for the penthouse level of the main building has been completed as well. Special inspections for masonry, light gage metal framing (LGMF) and structural steel remain on-going. 

Concrete placement has been completed for the parking level and first floor of the Auxiliary Building which is also continuing with steel placement as is the Main Building. An elevated walkway connecting the Auxiliary Building to the Main Building will also be included, but construction will be delayed until site access is no longer needed for heavy equipment traffic.

Thank you to our T&I staff involved in the project:
 
  • Colin Rodman, C.E.T. - Special inspections and testing
  • Jay Hoffman, C.E.T. - Structural steel inspections
  • Rick Hale, AWS, CWI - Structural steel inspections
  • Ed Brilhart, C.E.T. - Field Operations Manager
  • Adam Garrity, C.E.T. - Lab Assistant Manager / laboratory testing
  • Rob Niber, P.E. - Project Manager / Geotechnical Consulting / SIER

Project Update - Hilton Garden InnNews

WDP's engineering technicians, Jay Hoffman and Michael Perlow, are currently providing fireproofing inspections for the Hilton Garden Inn Hotel in Haymarket, Virginia. Once these inspections are completed, special inspections for the hotel will soon come to an end; and WDP will begin monitoring asphalt placement for the parking lot and providing inspections/testing on exterior concrete for sidewalks.

WDP Staff Help Local CommunitiesNews

WDP staff donated just over $1000 this year to purchase toys, clothing, and shoes for kids within the Georgetown South Community for our Holiday Community Service project again this year.  This community is within 3 miles of our Manassas office, has 860 homes and more than 4,000 people, many of whom are children; and they received help requests from 219 families with over 550 kids.  Through successful in-house donations, WDP was able to "adopt" four boys during the holiday season and spread some joy to the less fortunate. With funds left over, we also purchased some items for less fortunate senior citizens in the area and donated over $100 to the Haymarket Food Pantry.  To learn more about the food pantry, donate, or volunteer, check out their website at https://haymarketfoodpantry.org/.  

 

 

 

WDP Awarded Contract with the GSANews

The GSA has selected WDP & Associates to provide roofing, façade, and building envelope engineering and design services throughout the GSA Mid-Atlantic North Service Center area. This area encompasses Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware but also work in the South Service Center area (West Virginia, Virginia, and Maryland). Most of the work will involve occupied buildings, some of which are historically significant.  The scope of engineering and design services will include performing comprehensive studies with an emphasis on moisture intrusion and physical condition assessments, development of design-build RFP packages, design of building envelope and roofing systems, and building envelope and roofing inspection and construction administration services including commissioning.  WDP & Associates is excited to be working with the GSA.