S-300 / Experience
Selected Bridge and Structural Engineering Experience
Polaris brings senior-level experience across highway, rail, transit, airport, and facility projects. The examples below distinguish assignments performed by Polaris from representative experience Peng Chen, P.E. gained while working for other organizations before founding the firm.
Attribution Note
Representative principal experience includes work performed by Peng Chen, P.E. while employed by other organizations. Project and agency names are provided solely to describe his role and technical experience; they do not imply that the work was contracted directly to Polaris or that any owner, agency, or prior employer endorses Polaris.
S-301 / Polaris Assignments
Polaris Assignments
Commercial Facility Structural Investigation
Washington, D.C. Region
- Role
- Prime structural engineering consultant
- Scope
- Existing-condition investigation of a multi-story commercial facility, structural assessment, documentation of observed conditions, and repair recommendations.
- Value
- A clear engineering basis for owner decision-making and follow-on repair planning.
Rooftop Equipment Support and Building Modification
Structural Design
- Role
- Structural design consultant
- Scope
- Evaluation of existing roof framing, design of supplemental steel framing and supports, coordination with equipment loads and existing building constraints, and permit-ready documentation.
- Value
- A practical framing solution coordinated with the existing structure and installation needs.
Facility Distress Investigation and Repair Recommendations
Maryland
- Role
- Investigation and engineering-report consultant
- Scope
- Site observation, review of drainage and subsurface distress indicators, evaluation of likely contributing conditions, and development of repair and further-investigation recommendations.
- Value
- A prioritized path from immediate risk management to permanent repair.
S-302 / Principal Experience
Representative Experience of Peng Chen, P.E. Before Forming Polaris
Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel Expansion
Virginia
- Program
- Major I-64 bridge-tunnel design-build expansion in Hampton Roads.
- Role
- Bridge and structural design leadership/support for trestle and related corridor structures.
- Expertise
- Superstructure and substructure design, design coordination, staged delivery, multidisciplinary interfaces, and construction-focused problem solving.
East Side Access / Grand Central Madison
New York City
- Program
- New LIRR terminal infrastructure in deep caverns beneath Midtown Manhattan.
- Role
- Lead structural engineer for a major design submission for a three-level station within an approximately 1,200-foot underground cavern.
- Expertise
- Complex underground structures, structural analysis and design development, multidisciplinary coordination, and delivery within a major transit program.
VDOT Bridge Replacement and Rehabilitation Programs
Virginia
- Projects
- Route 189: 798-foot, seven-span prestressed concrete girder bridge; Route 671: 315-foot, three-span prestressed concrete girder bridge; Route 641: 235-foot, two-span steel plate girder bridge; and Route 620 box-culvert replacement.
- Role
- Structural design and QA/QC leadership, including load rating, shop drawing review, and construction support.
- Expertise
- Prestressed concrete and steel plate girder systems, replacement design, rehabilitation, load rating, plan review, and construction-phase engineering.
Gowanus Expressway Rehabilitation
Brooklyn, New York
- Program
- Rehabilitation of an approximately 12-mile steel viaduct comprising hundreds of spans under live traffic.
- Role
- Bridge rehabilitation engineer responsible for approximately ten red-flag emergency repair designs, existing-member load rating, repair details, and constructability analysis.
- Expertise
- Emergency steel repair, rapid structural evaluation, load-path assessment, live-traffic constraints, and constructible rehabilitation details.
ODOT and Railroad Bridge Design
Ohio
- Projects
- Seymour Avenue over I-75: 240-foot continuous steel plate girder bridge; I-75 Main Line: 130-foot skewed steel plate girder bridge; I-75 Ramp M: 340-foot curved continuous steel girder bridge; and a two-span CSX deck-plate-girder railroad bridge.
- Role
- Superstructure, abutment, pier, foundation, retaining-wall, load-rating, temporary shoring, and temporary jumper-span design.
- Expertise
- Curved and skewed steel-girder analysis, DESCUS modeling, staged construction, MSE and soldier-pile walls, caisson and pile foundations, and railroad temporary works.
NJDOT Bridge and Culvert Projects
New Jersey
- Projects
- Washington Avenue Bridge replacement; Riverdale Road Bridge deck rehabilitation; Canal Street twin-cell culvert; and reconstruction of eight drainage structures on County Routes 527/528.
- Role
- Inspection, preliminary engineering, prestressed-concrete design, load rating, phased construction planning, culvert and retaining-wall design, and construction-plan development.
- Expertise
- Voided-slab bridges, deck replacement, precast culverts, hydraulic coordination, traffic staging, environmental documentation, and site grading.
Bridge Inspection and Load-Rating Programs
Virginia
- Scope
- NBIS inspection leadership and report QA/QC for approximately 120 bridges and culverts in Suffolk, Virginia, plus nine bridges and one culvert on the Dominion Boulevard Improvements program.
- Role
- Field-team supervision, condition assessment, deficiency documentation, inspection-report QA/QC, and engineering support for steel, prestressed-concrete, timber, movable-bridge, and culvert structures.
- Expertise
- NBIS procedures, LRFR/LFD/LRFD, AASHTOWare BrR, AASHTO MBE, posting evaluation, owner-specific documentation, and repair prioritization.
Port Authority Airport and Facility Inspections
New York and New Jersey
- Facilities
- Structural inspection experience at JFK, Newark Liberty, and LaGuardia airports.
- Role
- Inspection team leadership for terminal, parking, hangar, tower, and related facility structures.
- Expertise
- Condition assessment, field documentation, structural evaluation, reporting, and repair prioritization for active public facilities.
