Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc. (WJE) is an American corporation of

architects An architect is a person who plans, designs, and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...

engineers Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who invent, design, build, maintain and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials. They aim to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while consider ...

, 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 Northbrook is a suburb of Chicago, located at the northern edge of Cook County, Illinois, United States, on the border of Lake County, Illinois, Lake County. It is part of a collection of upscale residential communities north of Chicago and belon ...

, and has ove
600 professionals
i
twenty offices
across the United States. WJE personnel are specialized in architectural, structural, and civil engineering; materials conservation,

chemistry Chemistry is the scientific study of the properties and behavior of matter. It is a physical science within the natural sciences that studies the chemical elements that make up matter and chemical compound, compounds made of atoms, molecules a ...

and

petrography Petrography is a branch of petrology that focuses on detailed descriptions of rocks. Someone who studies petrography is called a petrographer. The mineral content and the textural relationships within the rock are described in detail. The clas ...

, and testing and instrumentation.

History

20th century

Jack R. Janney originally established WJE in 1956 as Janney and Associates. Earlier that year, President

Dwight D. Eisenhower Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (born David Dwight Eisenhower; October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was the 34th president of the United States, serving from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, he was Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionar ...

enacted the

Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956 The Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956, also known as the National Interstate and Defense Highways Act, was enacted on June 29, 1956, when President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the bill into law. With an original authorization of $25 billion (eq ...

, 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 The Illinois State Toll Highway Authority (ISTHA) is an administrative agency of the U.S. state of Illinois charged with building, operating, and maintaining toll roads in the state. The roads, as well as the authority itself, are sometimes refer ...

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. Shortly thereafter, the

United States National Academy of Sciences The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) is a United States nonprofit, non-governmental organization. NAS is part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, along with the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) and the Nati ...

retained WJE to conduct full-scale load tests at the site of the

1964 New York World's Fair The 1964 New York World's Fair (also known as the 1964–1965 New York World's Fair) was an world's fair, international exposition at Flushing Meadows–Corona Park in Queens, New York City, United States. The fair included exhibitions, activ ...

. * 1964 –

–

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

– full-scale load testing * 1970 – Present –

Soldier Field Soldier Field is a multi-purpose stadium on the Near South Side, Chicago, Near South Side of Chicago, Illinois, United States. Opened in 1924 and reconstructed in 2003, the stadium has served as the home of the Chicago Bears from the National ...

–

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

– long-term condition assessment and rehabilitation services

WJE Projects throughout the 1980s

* 1981 – Kansas City Hyatt collapse –

Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City, Missouri, abbreviated KC or KCMO, is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri by List of cities in Missouri, population and area. The city lies within Jackson County, Missouri, Jackson, Clay County, Missouri, Clay, and Pl ...

* 1985–Present – Baha'i Temple, ornamental concrete investigation and repair * 1988 –

Aon Center (Chicago) The Aon Center (200 East Randolph Street (Chicago), Randolph Street, formerly Amoco Building) is a modern supertall skyscraper located in the Northeast corner of the Chicago Loop, Chicago, Illinois, United States, designed by architect firms E ...

– investigation of marble panels and recladding WJE participated in the reconstruction of the ill-fated TWA Flight 800, which exploded shortly after take off on July 17, 1996. 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 The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, commonly known as the Kennedy Center, is the national cultural center of the United States, located on the eastern bank of the Potomac River in Washington, D.C. Opened on September 8, ...

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

, with assessing and addressing issues of deterioration and obsolescence.

WJE projects

* 1991-2005 –

–

– investigation and preservation, and rehabilitation design * 1996 – TWA Flight 800 –

Long Island, New York Long Island is a densely populated continental island in southeastern New York (state), New York state, extending into the Atlantic Ocean. It constitutes a significant share of the New York metropolitan area in both population and land are ...

– reassembled recovered pieces of the plane to permit unobstructed viewing of the aircraft to assist in the diagnosis of the cause of the crash * 1998 – Cape Hatteras Lighthouse – Buxton, North Carolina – preservation and instrumentation for relocation * 1998–Present –

Wacker Drive Wacker Drive is a major multilevel street in Chicago, Illinois, running along the south side of the main branch and the east side of the south branch of the Chicago River in the Loop.Hayner, Don and Tom McNamee, ''Streetwise Chicago'', "Wacke ...

–

Chicago, Illinois Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

– structural and durability studies for reconstruction * 1999 –

Alcatraz Alcatraz Island () is a small island about 1.25 miles offshore from San Francisco in San Francisco Bay, California, near the Golden Gate Strait. The island was developed in the mid-19th century with facilities for a lighthouse, a military fo ...

Cellhouse –

San Francisco, California San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...

– stabilization and seismic upgrade

2000-Present

WJE continued to undertake many new assignments, including the investigation of Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial, restoration services at the

New York Public Library The New York Public Library (NYPL) is a public library system in New York City. With nearly 53 million items and 92 locations, the New York Public Library is the second-largest public library in the United States behind the Library of Congress a ...

, plaza investigation and repair services for the

Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum The Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum, also known as the LBJ Presidential Library, is the presidential library and museum of Lyndon Baines Johnson, the 36th president of the United States (1963–1969). It is located on the grounds of ...

, facade restoration of the

American Museum of Natural History The American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) is a natural history museum on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City. Located in Theodore Roosevelt Park, across the street from Central Park, the museum complex comprises 21 interconn ...

, 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 Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...

retained WJE to undertake a comprehensive safety audit of the Central Artery/Tunnel project, also known as the "

Big Dig The Big Dig was a megaproject in Boston that rerouted the then elevated Central Artery of Interstate 93 that cut across Boston into the O'Neill Tunnel and built the Ted Williams Tunnel to extend Massachusetts Turnpike, Interstate 90 to Logan I ...

". WJE engineers, architects, and materials scientists completed the stem-to-stern safety audit in ninety days. In August 2007, the

Minnesota Department of Transportation The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT, ) oversees Transportation in Minnesota, transportation by all modes including land, water, air, rail, walking and bicycling in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The Cabinet (government), cabinet-lev ...

(MnDOT) retained WJE to conduct an investigation following the collapse of the I-35W Bridge to determine the cause of the collapse. WJE was responsible for planning and overseeing the removal and dismantlement of all structural components so the

NTSB The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is an independent U.S. government investigative agency responsible for civil transportation accident investigation. In this role, the NTSB investigates and reports on aviation accidents and inc ...

and other investigators could examine and record conditions at the site. In August 2011, the

National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) is an List of federal agencies in the United States, agency of the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government, within the US Department of the Interior. The service manages all List ...

retained WJE to assess earthquake damage to the

Washington Monument The Washington Monument is an obelisk on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., built to commemorate George Washington, a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father of the United States, victorious commander-in-chief of the Continen ...

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 Hurricane Sandy (unofficially referred to as Superstorm Sandy) was an extremely large and devastating tropical cyclone which ravaged the Caribbean and the coastal Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States in late ...

, 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,

personnel noticed discoloration and streaking at the stainless steel exterior of the iconic

Gateway Arch The Gateway Arch is a monument in St. Louis, Missouri, United States. Clad in stainless steel and built in the form of a weighted catenary Catenary arch, arch, it is the world's tallest arch and List of tallest buildings in Missouri, Missouri's ...

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

* 2001 – Poplar Street Complex – East St. Louis, Illinois – Seismic and Redundancy Retrofit Project * 2005 –

Hurricane Katrina Hurricane Katrina was a powerful, devastating and historic tropical cyclone that caused 1,392 fatalities and damages estimated at $125 billion in late August 2005, particularly in the city of New Orleans and its surrounding area. ...

–

New Orleans, Louisiana New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...

– Damage Inspection * 2006–2007 – Big Dig (Boston, Massachusetts) – Stem-to-Stern Safety Audit * 2007 –

–

Austin, Texas Austin ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Texas. It is the county seat and most populous city of Travis County, Texas, Travis County, with portions extending into Hays County, Texas, Hays and W ...

– Plaza Investigation and Repair Services * 2007 – Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial –

Put-in-Bay, Ohio Put-in-Bay is a Resort town, resort village located on South Bass Island in Put-in-Bay Township, Ohio, Put-in-Bay Township, Ottawa County, Ohio, United States, west of Cleveland and east of Toledo, Ohio, Toledo. The population was 154 at the ...

– Investigation and Repair of Monument * 2007 – I-35W Bridge –

Minneapolis, Minnesota Minneapolis is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 429,954 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the state's List of cities in Minnesota, most populous city. Locat ...

– Collapse Investigation * 2007 –

Illinois State Capitol The Illinois State Capitol, located in Springfield, Illinois, houses the legislative and executive branches of the government of the U.S. state of Illinois. Becoming the seat of the legislature in 1876, the current building is the sixth to serve ...

–

Springfield, Illinois Springfield is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Illinois. Its population was 114,394 at the 2020 United States census, which makes it the state's List of cities in Illinois, seventh-most populous cit ...

– House Chamber, Art Glass laylight Reconstruction * 2007 – Blackstone Hotel –

– Exterior Facade Investigation * 2007 – Aloha Stadium –

Honolulu, Hawaii Honolulu ( ; ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, located in the Pacific Ocean. It is the county seat of the Consolidated city-county, consolidated City and County of Honol ...

– Structural Certification * 2007 – MacArthur Maze -

Bay Area The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a region of California surrounding and including San Francisco Bay, and anchored by the cities of Oakland, San Francisco, and San Jose. The Association of Bay Area Governments ...

, California – Condition Assessment and Materials Evaluation * 2011 –

– Condition Assessment and Repair Recommendation Due to Earthquake * 2012 –

– New Jersey and New York – Investigation of Storm Damage Claims * 2013 – Leo Frigo Memorial Bridge –

Green Bay, Wisconsin Green Bay is a city in Brown County, Wisconsin, United States, and its county seat. It is located at the head of Green Bay (Lake Michigan), Green Bay (known locally as "the bay of Green Bay"), a sub-basin of Lake Michigan at the mouth of the F ...

– Failure Investigation and Temporary Stabilization Design * 2015 –

–

St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an Independent city (United States), independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Miss ...

– Corrosion Investigation and Historic Structure Report

Firm and Project Awards

Cellhouse –

– California Preservation Foundation: Design Award in the Craftsmanship category, 2005; International Concrete Repair Institute: Award of Excellence in the Repair of Historic Structures category, 2005 * Blackstone Hotel –

– Chicago Landmark Award for Preservation Excellence from the Commission of Chicago Landmarks, 2008; Excellence in Masonry (gold award) from the Illinois Indiana Masonry Council, 2008; Design Award (silver medal) from the Association of Licensed Architects, 2008; Project of the Year from Midwest Construction, 2008 *

Eldridge Street Synagogue The Eldridge Street Synagogue is an Orthodox Jewish synagogue at 12–16 Eldridge Street in the Chinatown and Lower East Side neighborhoods of Manhattan in New York City. Built in 1887 for Congregation Kahal Adath Jeshurun, the synagogue ...

–

New York, New York New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on New York Harbor, one of the world's largest natural harb ...

– The

New York Landmarks Conservancy The New York Landmarks Conservancy is a non-profit organization "dedicated to preserving, revitalizing, and reusing" historic structures in New York (state), New York state. It provides technical and financial skills to owners of historic propert ...

: Lucy G. Moses Preservation Award, 2008 * Hyatt Regency Hotel –

Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...

– International Concrete Repair Institute (ICRI): Outstanding Project of the Year: Award of Excellence in the High-Rise category, 2006 *

–

– Executive Director's Award for Pride in Partnership; Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Preservation Award, 2007 *

Metropolitan Museum of Art The Metropolitan Museum of Art, colloquially referred to as the Met, is an Encyclopedic museum, encyclopedic art museum in New York City. By floor area, it is the List of largest museums, third-largest museum in the world and the List of larg ...

–

– The New York Landmarks Conservancy: Lucy G. Moses Preservation Award, 2005 *

State Bar of California The State Bar of California is an administrative division of the Supreme Court of California which licenses attorneys and regulates the practice of law in California. It is responsible for managing the admission of lawyers to the practice of law ...

Building –

–

Structural Engineers Association of Northern California The Structural Engineers Association of Northern California (SEAONC) is a structural engineering association established in 1930. Its headquarters are in San Francisco, California. Initially a club for structural engineers to exchange technical info ...

(SEAONC) Award of Excellence in the Retrofit/Alteration Category, 2007; Innovative Design in Engineering and Architecture with Structural Steel (IDEAS²) Awards: Presidential Award of Excellence in Structural Engineering, 2008 *Harden Wind Engine – Structural Engineers Association of Northern California (SEAONC) Award of Merit in the Historic Preservation Category, 2007 *

–

– Preservation League of New York State: Excellence in Historic Preservation Award, 2010 * Baha'i House of Worship –

Wilmette, Illinois Wilmette is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. Bordering Lake Michigan, Kenilworth, Winnetka, Skokie, Northfield, Glenview, and Evanston, Illinois, it is located north of Chicago's downtown district. Wilmette had a populatio ...

– The International Concrete Repair Institute: Award of Merit, 2010, 2011 *

–

– The New York Landmarks Conservancy: Lucy G. Moses Preservation Award, 2011 *Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa –

Asheville, North Carolina Asheville ( ) is a city in Buncombe County, North Carolina, United States. Located at the confluence of the French Broad River, French Broad and Swannanoa River, Swannanoa rivers, it is the county seat of Buncombe County. It is the most populou ...

– Historic Hotels of America: Best 2010 Preservation Success Story, 2010 *Sather Gate at the University of California, Berkeley –

Berkeley, California Berkeley ( ) is a city on the eastern shore of San Francisco Bay in northern Alameda County, California, United States. It is named after the 18th-century Anglo-Irish bishop and philosopher George Berkeley. It borders the cities of Oakland, Cali ...

– California Preservation Foundation: Design Award, 2010 *Savery Hall – University of Washington –

Seattle, Washington Seattle ( ) is the List of municipalities in Washington, most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the List of Unit ...

– MCAA: Tribute to Exemplary Achievements in Masonry Award, 2011 * Holy Name Cathedral –

– SEAOI: Award of Excellence, 2011 * Sherith Israel –

– California Preservation Foundation: Preservation Design Award, 2011 *

, Stephen A. Schwartzman Building –

–

American Institute of Architects The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is a professional organization for architects in the United States. It is headquartered in Washington, D.C. AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach progr ...

(AIA): AIA Institute Honor Award for Architecture, 2013 *

Eisenhower Executive Office Building The Eisenhower Executive Office Building (EEOB), formerly known as the Old Executive Office Building (OEOB), and originally known as the State, War, and Navy Building (SWAN Building), is a Federal government of the United States, United States ...

–

General Services Administration The General Services Administration (GSA) is an Independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the United States government established in 1949 to help manage and support the basic functioning of federal agencies. G ...

: Design Award, 2014 * National September 11 Memorial and Museum –

–

(AIA): Honor Award (Interior Architecture), 2015; '' Building Design+Construction'' Building Team Award (Gold), 2015 *American Architectural Foundation: Oculus Award for Leadership in Design and Cultural Heritage, 2015 * Mount Moriah Cemetery Gatehouse – Philadelphia – Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia Preservation Achievement Grand Jury Award, 2018

References

External links

Official web site
{{Authority control Architecture firms based in Illinois American companies established in 1956 Engineering consulting firms of the United States Companies based in Northbrook, Illinois Consulting firms established in 1956