Derailment Rehabilitation Project Wins Award of Excellence

ESWP AwardPittsburgh, PA—The Engineers’ Society of Western Pennsylvania (ESWP) presented GAI Consultants, Inc. (GAI) with a 2019 Award of Excellence in the Emergency Rehabilitation category for the Station Square Norfolk Southern Derailment project, located in Allegheny County, PA.

Highlights/Key Facts

About the Award

  • The award was presented to GAI on February 6, 2020, at the ESWP Annual Engineering Awards Banquet at the Westin Convention Center Hotel in Pittsburgh.
  • The Annual ESWP Awards program highlights the important contributions engineering and education make to society and encourages those in the field to excel at their work.
  • GAI’s Michael Beresford, PE, Senior Engineering Manager, and Sam Spear, PE, Senior Engineering Manager, accepted the award on behalf of the project team.

About the Project

  • In 2018, a Norfolk Southern freight train traveling through the South Side of Pittsburgh derailed and several cars and cargo containers struck the Port Authority of Allegheny County’s commuter light rail (LRT) tracks near busy Station Square.
  • GAI surveyed the site along with Port Authority personnel and delivered the requested design repair within days of the damage assessment.
  • GAI provided ongoing consultations to the Port Authority throughout the repair including on-site repair guidance, repair product and procedure reviews, and testing requirements for the work performed.
  • All repairs were complete and full service was restored to the Station Square LRT station less than 3 weeks after the derailment.

“GAI is honored to accept this Award of Excellence from the Engineers’ Society of Western Pennsylvania for the Station Square NS Derailment project. Effective collaboration with the Port Authority and the exceptional efforts of the entire project team allowed us to quickly deliver the needed repairs and minimize impacts to the public. It was truly a TEAM effort.”

Michael Beresford, PE, Senior Engineering Manager, GAI Consultants

Media Contact

Brittney LeTourneau
PR & Social Media Manager, Communications
321.319.3035

Leah Tuscan
Assistant Vice President, Communications
321.319.3025

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