WRK has vast experience with structural engineering of buildings and structures for public sector clients. Our clients included federal, state, and local government entities as well as port authorities, municipalities and library districts. WRK’s portfolio includes numerous new building designs, evaluations of existing structures, seismic rehabilitation projects and building renovation. Working as the prime design consultant or as a subconsultant to architects or other design professionals, WRK offers comprehensive structural engineering services for total project delivery from design concepts through detailed design and construction administration.
Metropolitan Wastewater Management Commission Administration and Operations Building
Springfield, Oregon
Provided structural engineering services for the complete remodel and addition to an existing Administration and Operations building on the MWMC campus. Work included a seismic evaluation of the existing building and seismic strengthening to Risk Category III. A new lobby and meeting room will be constructed as additions to the building. The building additions will be a single-story structure constructed with structural steel framing with metal stud exterior walls. The new lobby will feature a sawtooth roof, which will create a high-volume inner space with plenty of natural lighting.
Metropolitan Wastewater Management Commission New Laboratory Building
Springfield, Oregon
Provided structural engineering services for this new 8,000 sq. ft. laboratory building. The building will contain water quality testing laboratory space along with support offices and administration functions. The building will be a single-story structure constructed with structural steel framing and metal stud exterior walls that features a sawtooth roof, which will create a high-volume inner space with plenty of natural lighting. The roof system consists of open-web steel roof joist and structural steel beams/girders.
Metropolitan Wastewater Management Commission Maintenance Building
Springfield, Oregon
Provided structural engineering services for a partial demo/remodel and addition to an existing maintenance building on the MWMC campus. Work included a seismic evaluation of the existing building and seismic strengthening to Risk Category III. The new building will include locker rooms, a lunch room, a conference room, laundry, storage, and a library. The building will feature a sawtooth roof, which will create a high-volume inner space with plenty of natural lighting. Skylights will also be added to maximize natural light in the facility
Vancouver City Hall*
Vancouver, Washington
Provided Performance-Based Design (PBD) services for a five-story, 160,000 sq. ft., Class A office building. The building was design as landmark structure in downtown Vancouver with a 100-year building design lifetime (vs. 50-year life for Code building). The owner desired the building to be fully-functional following a major seismic event to ensure operations would continue without disruption. As a result, PBD was used to implement buckling-resistance braced frames for the structural system and provide near continuous operational performance following a seismic event. Project construction cost was $30M; however, the use of PBD reduced construction cost by approximately $200,000.
City of Oregon City, Ermatinger House Renovation
Oregon City, Oregon
This project included a structural evaluation and rehabilitation of an existing historic wood-framed building. The Ermatinger House is a two-story wood-framed structure approximately 2,200 sq. ft. Working closely with a historic preservation architect, WRK provided structural engineering services for the rehabilitation of this historic landmark located at 6th and John Adams in Oregon City. Built in 1847 by Francis Ermatinger, this house is the third oldest wood-framed structure in Oregon City and the oldest existing house in Clackamas County. The rehabilitation work included a new poured-in-place basement, new roof framing to encapsulate an protect the original, historic roofing panels, strengthening existing floor beams, strengthening existing floor joists, and strengthening shear walls, and new exterior covered porches
McNary Regional Maintenance Headquarters Campus
Umatilla, Oregon
Project include a new 10,000 sq. ft. Maintenance Shop and Vehicle Storage building in addition to a new 8,000 sq. ft. office building. Structural materials include concrete masonry unit bearing walls along with heavy timber and long span open web roof joist. The single story office building included large clear-story window to maximize natural daylight penetration into the work spaces. Project achieved LEED Silver certification.
Potrero Substation Transmission Facility
San Francisco, California
Provided structural design for this new 16,000 sq. ft. transmission bus building at the Potrero substation in San Francisco, California. The building programming includes a cable basement, 230kV Gas-Insulated Switchgear (GIS) room, 115kV Gas-Insulated Switchgear (GIS) room, relay rooms, 5 ton crane, and battery room. The building structure consists of structural steel framing with 34 ft. tall pre-cast concrete walls, concrete floor, and concrete roof. The foundation consisted of a reinforced concrete mat slab on direct displacement columns used for soil stabilization. The equipment manufacturer specification required extremely tight levelness and flatness requirements for the concrete floor system.
Oak Harbor Water Treatment Plant Administration Building
Oak Harbor, Washington
Provided structural engineering design for this new two-story 17,000 sq. ft. building that contains administration, maintenance, laboratory and community outreach spaces. The building will serve to connect the community to the water treatment facility and house all non-process functions of the plant. The structural system includes the use of pre-cast concrete panels for both roof and wall framing. The structural materials were selected to provide a rugged, durable building system and maximize speed of construction.
Lake Oswego Water Treatment Plant Administration/Operations Building
West Linn, Oregon
Provided structural engineering design services for the new two-story 7,200 sq. ft. Administration/Operations Building. The building includes the plant operations control room, offices, laboratories, storage and receiving spaces. Designed as a Category III facility, the building will be constructed with reinforced concrete bearing and shear walls along with structural steel framing at the upper floor and roof level. With nearly 30 feet of liquefiable soil beneath the building site, drilled concrete piles and grade beams are used to support the building superstructure. The project also includes connector bridges to adjacent water treatment process structures.
Lebanon Water Treatment Plant Process/ Administration Building
Lebanon, Oregon
The Lebanon WTP project includes a new water treatment plant (WTP) process and administration building. The building consists of a new 17,200 sq. ft. above-grade structure housing raw and potable water pumps, pipe gallery, membrane filters, chemical storage, chemical feed systems, and administration offices. The building is a single-story structure constructed of concrete masonry unit (CMU) walls. The roof system includes long span steel trusses and metal roof decking while the lateral-force-resisting system consists of concrete and CMU shear walls based on the Oregon Structural Specialty Code.
"It is good to have a resource with experience to help establish a proper and accurate analysis of the equipment so as to limit cost by getting the design right the first time… WRK is not simply asking us what we want them to do, but they are trying to understand what we want to do, and then use their experience to determine the best way to get there."
Wesley Wills, Southern States LLC.
"The benefit of working with WRK is that they are creative. I work with many engineers that are very conservative–they prefer to stick to standard details. WRK brings innovative solutions and enjoys the challenge of using new technologies that might be less costly and easier to construct. Brian was trained to be innovative, and his firm operates the same way."
Jeff McGraw, MWA Architects
"What separates WRK from other firms is a working, hands-on, experience based knowledge. They’re not just theory based. Everyone, including construction crews, is impressed with WRK’s response time. When we had a question or minor changes, they responded within hours. My experience with WRK has been nothing but good."
Casey Scoggins, Tennessee Valley Authority
"I trust WRK. It isn’t about being the biggest firm, it is about getting the work done correctly."
Matt Weisensee, PacifiCorp
"WRK consistently provides creative solutions for highly sensitive projects. Approaching each project as if it is unique is highly valuable."
Casey Wyckoff, LSW Architects
"The WRK team is easy to work with, knowledgeable, and they have the credentials. They are approachable, they listen, respond and do what they can to meet our needs without argument. Over many years their work has been consistent, always learning and adapting."
Leon Kempner, Bonneville Power Administration
"I value WRK’s nuts-and-bolts approach with their ability to communicate in the field and provide constructable solutions. Historic projects can be convoluted, which can cause structural engineers to jump through hoops. This can be difficult for many engineers, but not WRK. They are great at considering and explaining all of the options with the understanding that structural isn’t driving the design."
Eric Philps, SERA Architects