WORK EXPERIENCE

Brian has thirty years of structural engineering experience  designing bridges, retaining walls, foundations, and buildings.  He started his career in the Bridge Office of the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad designing bridges to safely carry the company’s freight and commuter trains.  After six years with C&NW, he spent nineteen years with a consulting engineering firm in Rock Island, designing highway bridges, building foundations, retaining walls, storage and process tanks, and small buildings.  He now serves as the Office Manager for the Sterling Office of Willett, Hofmann & Associates, Inc.

 

RECENT PROJECTS

 

STRUCTURAL

 

Illinois Department of Transportation

Avenue G Bridge over Rock River

Brian was the project manager and lead structural engineer for the complete replacement of the existing concrete deck on two structures (606’ and 304’ back-to-back abutments) over the Rock River in Sterling.  The existing riveted plate girders were retained and strengthened by the addition of shear stud connectors.  The concrete substructure was retained and repaired by the use of epoxy crack sealing and removal and replacement of delaminated concrete.  Traffic was maintained through the use of stage construction.

$2,300,000

 

Illinois Department of Transportation

Veteran’s Parkway over Sugar Creek

As lead structural engineer, Brian designed a three span (49’, 77’ 49’) precast,  prestressed concrete I-beam (42” deep) bridge over Sugar Creek in Bloomington.  The new six lane structure replaces a single span, four lane bridge.  Traffic was maintained by use of three stages of construction.  The reinforced concrete piers are supported by steel H-piles, while the abutments are supported by metal shell piles.

$1,800,000

 

City of Moline, Arsenal Bridge Ramps

Brian was the project manager and lead structural engineer for the design of two new ramps (west and east) of the Arsenal Bridge, which carries traffic from Moline to Arsenal Island.  Each ramp consists of multiple steel beam spans on concrete piers and abutments, along with approximately 300’ of retained embankment.  The retained embankment consists of granular fill and reinforced earth walls.

$3,000,000

 

RAILROAD PROJECTS

 

Brian has done the design, analysis, and rating of existing and proposed bridge and building structures for a Class I railway operating in nine Midwest and Western states.  He has reviewed consultant prepared plans and specifications for new structures carrying trains over roadways and streams.  He also has experience in steel and precast concrete superstructures; timber, concrete, and steel substructures; steel and precast concrete piling for deep foundations; retaining walls, and buildings.  Brian worked four years in the Structures Department, headquartered in Chicago, and two years in the field as both an Assistant Bridge and Building Supervisor and a Bridge and Building Supervisor.

 

Bridge No. 209 (Norway, Iowa)

As project manager, Brian was responsible for the replacement of a two-span, open deck, double track, plate girder bridge with a three-span, steel beam ballasted deck bridge, supported by concrete pier and abutment caps on prestressed concrete piles.  The structure is located in central Iowa, Just west of Cedar Rapids.  Piers and abutments were constructed under traffic, with minimal disruption to train operations.  Replacement of the existing thru-plate girder superstructure with the proposed steel beam and concrete deck superstructure was completed over the course of two days.