Testing and Instrumentation | Services

Services

Testing and Instrumentation

Ask the structure.

Jack Janney
Founder

Bridge Engineering

Earthquake Engineering

Facade Assessment

Failure and Disaster Response

Historic Preservation

Litigation Consulting

Materials Evaluation and Research

Peer Review and Commissioning

Repair and Rehabilitation

Roofing and Waterproofing

Structural Evaluation

Testing and Instrumentation

When clients need to know what exactly is happening, WJE can test and measure it. Before constructing Illinois’ first toll road, the Illinois Tollway Authority hired Jack Janney to test the strength and effectiveness of prestressed concrete girders—a new product that would revolutionize bridge construction. WJE has continued the philosophy that often the best way to understand the problem is to test the structure itself. Even with the advent of finite element analysis, testing is often preferred when trying to understand why something occurred.

WJE has instrumented and tested hundreds of structures—in the laboratory and the field—with strain gages, displacement meters, accelerometers, environmental monitors, and other sensors. We have also pioneered the usage of nondestructive testing methods—such as impact-echo, infrared, ground-penetrating radar, half-cell, and magnetic particle testing—in civil, structural, and architectural investigations. We have also developed, installed, and maintained large continuous monitoring systems in dozens of structures.

WJE’s laboratories are capable of full-scale specimen testing using our 6,000 square-foot strong floor able to handle loads up to 500,000-pounds along with high-speed dynamic testing. The firm tests a wide-range of construction materials and structure types and also conducts product tests for companies requiring a certified laboratory.

Our monitoring capabilities include wireless networks, interactive web and video feeds, database archival systems, and automated alarm systems. These techniques and tools allow us to help clients better evaluate structural behavior and measure performance of repairs and retrofits.

Nondestructive evaluation

Long-term structural health monitoring

Water penetration testing

Strain and fracture monitoring

Load testing

Vibration and noise monitoring

Blast monitoring

Constructability testing

Frequency and modal identification