ATLANTA — A Golder Associates construction materials testing services laboratory destroyed by fire in March 2021 has been relocated and set to reopen on Feb. 21, with the assistance of Golder’s parent company, WSP USA, a leading engineering and professional services consultancy.
Following the arson fire, which caused significant damage and shut down the construction materials testing laboratory. The original facility location in Chamblee, northeast of Atlanta, warranted a relocation to a new facility as the best option over reconstruction of the previous site.
Golder, which is now integrated with WSP as one company, partnered with WSP architects prior to the integration to design a laboratory space for the geosynthetic, geotechnical, aggregate and concrete labs to operate safely and efficiently. The new facility, one of six Golder laboratories in the U.S., is located in Norcross, Georgia a few miles to the northeast of the previous site.
“After a challenging year and the stress and strain caused by the fire and the unanticipated planning and relocation of our laboratory – all in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic – it is quite satisfying to finally witness the proverbial phoenix rising from the ashes,” said Henry Mock, Golder laboratory director. “Today we can get back to the work at hand – performing material testing services for the power, transportation, oil and gas, waste, manufacturing, water resources and mining industries.”
The new laboratory offers several new features that were not available in the original facility, including an improved air handling system that will provide necessary fresh air throughout the laboratory. The building also includes an improved and energy-efficient lighting system to support work in the laboratory environment and sound-absorbing rooms to minimize disturbance in other areas of the laboratory to allow the laboratory staff to focus on the testing.
The new facility combines the off-site warehouse location to improve the facility’s efficiency, creating a better flow that allows samples to proceed through the laboratory more effectively and ensuring accurate results.
To improve the employee experience, the facility provides individual lockers to store personal items and personal protective equipment, a break/conference room, more restrooms, and more office space for calculations, quality reviews and to generate reports.
Golder’s laboratory uses American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standards and specialized testing techniques. It is accredited by the American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Geosynthetic Accreditation Institute and approved by the Environmental Protection Institute. The laboratory is also approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to handle foreign soil for laboratory analysis.
The new facility is located at 1555 Oakbrook Drive, Suite 125, Norcross, Georgia 30093.
About WSP USA
WSP USA is the U.S. operating company of WSP, one of the world's leading engineering and professional services firms. Dedicated to serving local communities, we are engineers, planners, technical experts, strategic advisors and construction management professionals. WSP USA designs lasting solutions in the buildings, transportation, energy, water and environment markets. With more than 12,000 employees in 200 offices across the U.S., we partner with our clients to help communities prosper. wsp.com
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