Reston, VA
Scope/Solutions
In the 1920s and 30s, Steve Bechtel’s family used a railcar as their home while on location at remote job sites. The railcar was called WaaTeeKaa, a name fashioned by Steve’s mother and wife of Bechtel’s founder from the way their three sons pronounced their names as toddlers. While the original railcar no longer exists, Bechtel obtained a similar Pullman coach in 1988 and created a WaaTeeKaa replica to serve as a company museum outside its San Francisco headquarters. With Bechtel now headquartered in Reston, Virginia, the company is undertaking a project to update WaaTeeKaa and relocate it to Virginia to coincide with its 125th anniversary. Working with A2 Design, SGH is providing structural and building enclosure services for the project.
SGH evaluated the railcar’s enclosure, performed air leakage testing, and recommended improvements, including some related to proposed mechanical conditioning to better protect the exhibits. Highlights of our enclosure design for the railcar and platform include:
SGH also investigated the railcar’s structure and its performance. We evaluated its ability to withstand applicable loads, performed a safety assessment and suspension testing for the two antique trucks, and designed strengthening and new elements associated with converting the railcar to a permanent museum. Highlights of our structural design include:
Project Summary
