Come to see us!
From Columbia, travel west on I-26, exit Piney Grove Road to the right, take another right on to Fernandina (the frontage) Road and proceed to the Westpark office park. Turn left at the second Westpark entrance and find us on the left at number 168 Laurelhurst. To view a Mapquest map of our new location, click here. To view our own map of our new location, click here (appears in new window).

MUSC UPS System Replacement
GWA was the Electrical Engineer of Record for the Uninterruptible Power System (UPS) Replacement project at the Medical University of South Carolina. MUSC depends on a data center for educational, business, research and real-time clinical operations. The data center is served by an UPS facility which ensures that power is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Because of the nature of the computer equipment housed in the center, even a power interruption of a few seconds is unacceptable. Because of the critical nature of the power supply, a new UPS system had to be designed, constructed and installed before the obsolete system could be dismantled and removed. GWA’s design included phasing the work so that no services were interrupted at any time.

Consultants to GWA on the project were Josie S. Abrams, Architect; Collins Consultants, Structural Engineers; and MECA, Mechanical Engineers.

Project Spotlight:
Gaston Professional Office Building

The project consisted of physicians' offices, clinical spaces and an outpatient surgery suite.

Lexington Medical Center 2

GWA is pleased to have been the Electrical Engineer of Record for the new Lexington Medical Park 2 which has achieved a LEED Silver rating.

Located on the campus of Lexington Medical Center, the facility consists of a 175,466 square foot, five-story building and an attached parking garage which can accommodate 811 cars.

Lexington Medical Park 2 is the first medical building in South Carolina to achieve a LEED certification. At the time of certification the project was only one of thirty-two LEED certified healthcare facilities in the United States.

Did you know?
Did you know? GWA won a 2009 Engineering Excellence Award for the Uninterruptible Power System Replacement project at the Medical University of South Carolina. GWA also won the Small Firm Award, which is awarded to a firm of less than 30 which also wins an Excellence Award. The awards program is conducted by the American Council of Engineering Companies-South Carolina.

Did you know? Brent Sites won the Open 3rd Division Points Championship for the 2008 Season of the Lexington Gymkhana Club in barrel racing and horse speed events, competing against over 50 other riders.

Did you know? Drucilla Brookshire, Vice President for Administration, recently earned certification as a Design Firm Administrator. This certification is awarded by the Society of Design Administrators, an affiliate of the American Institute of Architects.

Did you know? Tripp Player and Dan Reese recently completed continuing education courses in Nashville, TN to maintain their BICSI certifications as Registered Communications Distribution Designers.

Did you know? GWA won a 2007 Engineering Excellence Award for the Substation Replacement project at the Medical University of South Carolina. The project was then entered in the national awards program as one of the six best projects in South Carolina. The awards program is conducted by the American Council of Engineering Companies-South Carolina.

Did you know? GWA recently received an Award of Excellence from the Associated Buildings and Contractors, Inc., Keystone Chapter for the Lancaster General Physicians’ Surgery Center in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The project was awarded in 2008 under the category of institutional projects in the $10-$25 million dollar range.

Did you know? GWA recently attended the winter conference of the Southeastern Regional Association of Physical Plant Administrators (SRAPPA). Tripp Player and Guy White represented the firm.

Did you know? GWA provides engineering studies in the areas of power quality analysis, energy efficiency evaluation, arc flash assessment, short circuit protection, time-current coordination, harmonics analysis, power factor correction, load flow, EPAct 2005 deduction assistance and cost studies.

Esoterica
Electric motors driven by variable speed drives (VFD's) are sometimes known to exhibit premature bearing failure. Pulse-width-modulated VFD's employing insulated-gate bipolar transistors operating at high switching frequencies can induce shaft voltages which in turn can produce electrical discharge machining and circulating currents, causing damage to bearings and bearing races. The damage is seen as eroding of races and pitting of bearings. Circulating currents can also be induced within shafts, tachometers, attached equipment and motor bases. Solutions include using conductive grease, insulating the bearings, adding common-mode grounding and building motors with Faraday shields.

GWA Inc.
is an electrical engineering firm offering a diversity of services, including consulting, forensic engineering, studies and reports, design and construction administration.

GWA/EE specializes in medium voltage power distribution, electrical systems for buildings, engineering for power quality and reliability, electrical systems for civil works, electrical systems for healthcare and lighting for architecture, sports, roadways, parking lots, etc.

GWA/EE places a high value on integrity in both internal and external relationships. We strive to maintain high ethical and technical standards within our organization and in our dealings with clients.