SEA-MW Gives Gary Strand Outstanding Achievement Award, Honors SGH Project Bechtel WaaTeeKaa Railcar Exhibit

The Structural Engineers Association of Metropolitan Washington (SEA-MW) honored Simpson Gumpertz & Heger (SGH) team members and projects as part of its Excellence in Structural Engineering Awards Gala in Washington, DC. Principal Gary Strand received the Outstanding Achievement Award, one of the organization’s highest honors. The Bechtel WaaTeeKaa Railcar Exhibit project received a Merit Award in the Specialized (non-building) Structure category.

Outstanding Achievement Award: Gary Strand

The organization honored Gary with the Outstanding Achievement Award, which recognizes SEA-MW members who have positively influenced the structural engineering profession, the local community, and the world.

“I am honored to be recognized by SEA-MW for my forty-three-year career in the DMV (District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia) and to join the list of local structural engineering titans,” said Gary. “I look forward to continuing my efforts to develop creative solutions alongside my professional colleagues and multiple community organizations.”

Gary’s project successes and mentorship continue to inspire the current generation of structural engineers.

SEA-MW recognized Gary Strand for his more than forty years in the structural engineering profession. Throughout his career, Gary has led structural design teams from concept through construction, bringing a keen focus on economy, constructability, and coordination across disciplines. His expertise spans design, consulting, investigation, and project management, always prioritizing solutions that integrate the needs of all trades—not just structural engineering. He is a long-standing SEA-MW member and advocate, and has previously served as the organization’s chairperson and a member of its board of directors.

SGH Senior Project Manager and former SEA-MW Chairperson Michael Zajac lead the nomination effort and presented Gary with the award. During his presentation, he noted that “Gary’s project successes and mentorship continue to inspire the current generation of structural engineers.”

Merit Award: Bechtel WaaTeeKaa Railcar Exhibit

SEA-MW recognized SGH for its role as structural engineer of record on the Bechtel WaaTeeKaa Railcar Exhibit in Reston, VA. SGH provided structural engineering and building enclosure services for the museum, which features a replica of the railcar Steve Bechtel and his family used to travel to remote job sites in the 1920s and 30s.

The project included investigating the railcar structure through document review and exploratory openings, and designing the steel canopy, concrete access platform, and structural strengthening for the railcar to act as a museum space. As the building enclosure consultant, we evaluated the railcar’s enclosure, performed air leakage testing, and recommended improvements, including some related to proposed mechanical conditioning to better protect the exhibits.