Top Structural Steel Professionals Earn Distinguished Achievement Awards

CHICAGO, IL (March 17, 2014) – Eric S. Kline, PCS, Charles W. Roeder, P.E., Raymond H.R. Tide, D.Sc., Christopher Higgins, Ph.D., P.E., John Moebes, James M. Ricles, Ph.D., P.E., Michael Culmo, P.E., William Wood, Dr. Eng., and Terry M. Zwick are receiving distinguished achievement awards from the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) for their exceptional contributions to the advancement of the structural steel design and construction industry. These deserving individuals are honored for making a difference in the fabricated structural steel industry’s success and will be recognized on March 26 at the 2014 NASCC: The Steel Conference at the Metro Toronto Convention Center in Toronto.

AISC’s Lifetime Achievement Award gives special recognition to individuals who have provided outstanding service over a sustained period of years to AISC and the structural steel design/construction/academic community. This year’s award recipients are:

• Eric S. Kline, PCS, executive vice president at KTA-Tator, for his contributions to advancing the state of coatings technology for the structural steel industry. Kline is well-regarded as one of the leading experts on coatings and was involved in the development and implementation of the original paint endorsement for the AISC Certification Program. He has worked on coating issues for the National Steel Bridge Alliance (NSBA), helped complete AISC’s edge grinding study and continues to work with the AASHTO/NSBA Steel Bridge Collaboration.

• Charles W. Roeder, P.E., professor at the University of Washington. He has dedicated the majority of his university career to the structural steel industry through his research, teaching and service to AISC. He has been at the forefront of developing engineering design and analysis methods for numerous structural steel systems for both buildings and bridges, and has established an international reputation as an outstanding researcher and lecturer in structural steel design. His contributions to seismic engineering of structural steel systems, including moment resistant frames, concentrically and eccentrically braced frames and older steel structures, have changed structural design practice. Roeder has also been dedicated to professional service throughout his career. He is a member of AISC Committee 358, a corresponding member of AISC Task Committee, TC-9, a past member and chair of the TRB Committee on Steel Bridges, and has generously provided technical and practical advice to AISC for many years. He was also the 2011 recipient of AISC’s prestigious T.R. Higgins Lectureship Award for his paper on Gusset Plate Connections for Seismic Design.

• Raymond H.R. Tide, D.Sc., principal at Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates. He has been a long-time contributor to AISC, first as an employee in the regional engineering staff, and since has been an influential and dedicated volunteer on several AISC committees. His contributions are broad-based in wind and seismic design, construction, bolting, welding and materials. He began his volunteer involvement when he was chief engineer for a steel fabrication company and then later as a consulting engineer. He has helped craft provisions for AISC Specifications published since the early 1980s and often took responsibility for developing refinements and simplifications. He also chaired task committees responsible for bolts and connections and made major contributions to the support of AISC technical activities when he served as Chairman of the Research Council on Structural Connections, an independent organization that provides the basis AISC uses for bolted design and construction. As RCSC Chairman, he strengthened the Bolt Council and fostered a more effective collaboration between RCSC and AISC to the benefit of both organizations.

AISC’s Special Achievement Award recognizes individuals who have demonstrated notable achievements in structural steel design, construction, research or education. It honors those who have made a positive and substantial impact on the structural steel design and construction industry. This year’s award recipients are:

• Christopher Higgins, Ph.D., P.E., professor at Oregon State University, for his work on developing software imaging tools for use in the inspection of steel bridge gusset plates.

• John Moebes, director of construction at Crate and Barrel, for his successful and rational use of technology in integrated project delivery methods to consistently reduce cost, accelerate schedules and enable the desired architectural scheme for steel construction in Crate & Barrel stores.

• James M. Ricles, Ph.D., P.E., Bruce G. Johnston professor of structural engineering at Lehigh University, for his work related to designing steel structures for earthquake loading, including moment resisting connections and self-centering frames.

• Michael Culmo, P.E., vice president of structures and transportation at CME Associates, Inc., for his championing of accelerated bridge construction in steel in many U.S. states.

• William Wood, Dr. Eng., professor at Portland State University, for his work on narrow gap electro-slag welding and for providing technical support for the AWS D1.5 provisions on this subject.

• Terry M. Zwick, vice president/general manager at Atlas Iron Works, for his outstanding work in advancing the success of NASCC: The Steel Conference. As chair of the technical planning committee, he helped maintain the conference as the pre-eminent event for those involved in the design and construction of steel buildings and bridges while also substantially improving the quality of sessions aimed at the fabrication community.

The American Institute of Steel Construction, headquartered in Chicago, is a not-for-profit technical institute and trade association established in 1921 to serve the structural steel design community and construction industry. AISC’s mission is to make structural steel the material of choice by being the leader in structural steel-related technical and market-building activities, including: specification and code development, research, education, technical assistance, quality certification, standardization, and market development. AISC has a long tradition of service to the steel construction industry of providing timely and reliable information.