Awards

Kenneth A. Stonex Award

The Kenneth A. Stonex Roadside Safety Award was established in 1991 to recognize lifetime contributions to roadside safety.  It was originally sponsored by General Motors and was named for Ken Stonex, a GM employee who was a pioneer for roadside safety long before the seriousness of ran-off-road crashes was recognized by most transportation agencies.  GM ended its support for this award several years ago and AKD20 has been able to continue to present the award annually to a deserving individual because of the support and sponsorship of several companies who have been very active in our committee’s activities. The Committee would like to recognize these companies and thank them for their support of this prestigious award:

Energy Absorption Systems, Inc.

Gregory Highway

Hill & Smith, Inc. 

Lindsay/Barrier Systems, Inc.

Transpo Industries

VALTIR, LLC

Past Recipients of Kenneth A. Stonex Award:

       2025      Jan Wenäll (Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute – VTI) 

       2024      Mark Ayton (Safe Roads R&D, Inc.)

       2023      Roger P. Bligh (Texas Transportation Institute)

       2022      Hampton Clay Gabler III (Virginia Tech)

       2021      Dick Albin (Federal Highway Administration)

       2020      Dr. Ronald Faller (Midwest Roadside Safety Facility)

       2019      Dr. Raphael Grzebieta (UNSW - Sydney, Australia)

       2018      Frank  Julian (Federal Highway Administration)

       2017      Nick Artimovich (Federal Highway Administration)

       2016      Karl Urlberger (SPS – Schutzplanken GmbH, Germany)

       2015      Mike Dreznes (International Road Federation)

       2014      Jim Bryden (New York State DOT, retired / Highway Safety Consultant)

       2013      Dr. Rod Troutbeck (Troutbeck & Associates)

       2012      Dr. Malcolm Ray (Roadsafe LLC)  &

                       Dr. Richard G McGinnis (Bucknell University) 

       2011       Dr. Dean L. Sicking (Midwest Roadside Safety Facility)

       2010      Owen Denman (Barrier Systems)

       2009     Thomas Turbell (Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute – VTI)

       2008      Richard Powers (Federal Highway Administration)

       2007      Dr. Jack Carney (University of Missouri – Rolla)

       2006      Arthur Dinitz (Transpo Industries)

       2005      Malcolm MacDonald (Transport Research Laboratory)

       2004      King K. Mak (Texas Transportation Institute)

       2003      Dr. C. Eugene Buth (Texas Transportation Institute)

       2002      James H. Hatton (Federal Highway Administration)

       2001       Roger L. Stoughton (Caltrans)

       2000      William C. Burnett (NYSDOT)

       1999      Dr. Vittorio Giavotto (Politecnico di Milano)

       1998      John C. Fitch (Lime Rock, Connecticut)

       1997      Jarvis D. Michie (San Antonio, Texas)

       1996      Flory J. “Tam” Tamanini (Federal Highway Administration)

       1995      Maurice E. Bronstad (Southwest Research Institute)

       1994      Dr. Hayes E. Ross, Jr. (Texas Transportation Institute)

       1993      Dr. Teddy J. Hirsch (Texas Transportation Institute)

       1992      Malcolm Graham (NYSDOT)

                       Posthumous awards to: 

                       Eric F. Nordlin (Caltrans) &

                       Dr. Edward R. Post (University of Nebraska)       

       1991       John L. Beaton (Caltrans)

K. B. Woods Award

The K. B. Woods Award was established by the Executive Committee in 1971 and may be given annually for the outstanding paper published in the field of design and construction of transportation facilities. It honors the 19th chairman of the Highway Research Board, who was professor emeritus of engineering in the Schools of Engineering at Purdue University and active in the affairs of the Board throughout his career. The names of the award recipients and the titles of their papers follow

The following papers, which were generated by AKD20, have received this award.     

2012    Minimum Rail Height and Design Impact Load For Longitudinal Barriers that Meet

              Test Level 4 of Manual For Assessing Safety Hardware

              Nauman M. Sheikh, Roger P. Bligh, and John M. Holt

2006    Low-Deflection Portable Concrete Barrier

               Roger P. Bligh, Nauman M. Sheikh, Dean C. Alberson, and Akram Abu-Odeh

2005    Guardrail-to-Concrete-Bridge-Rail Transition for Low-Speed Roadways

              Roger P. Bligh

1998    Development of a 100-km/h  Reusable High-Molecular Weight/

              High Density Polyethylene Truck-Mounted Attenuator

              John F. Carney Iii, Subhasish Chatterjee, and Richard B. Albin

1992    Development of a Low-Profile Portable Concrete Barrier

              Todd R. Guidry and W. Lynn Beason

Best Practice Ready Paper Award

The TRB Design and Construction Group presents an award for the Best Practice Ready Paper. This award is given each year to an outstanding published paper that is judged to have the best potential for immediate implementation in the design and construction of transportation facilities.  The following papers, which were generated by AKD20, have received this award.

2013    MASH TL-2 Guardrail-to-Bridge Rail Transition Compatible with 31-inch Guardrail

             Roger Bligh, Dusty Arrington, and Rory Meza

2011     Development of a Low-Cost, Energy Absorbing, Bridge Rail

              Jeffery C. Thiele, Dean L. Sicking, Ronald K. Faller, Karla A. Lechtenberg, Robert Bielenberg, John D. Reid, Scott K. Rosenbaugh

2010    Application of a Pre-Cast Concrete Barrier Adjacent to a Steep Roadside Slope

              Nauman Sheikh, Roger Bligh, Richard Albin, and Dave Olson

Best Paper Award

AKD20 presents an award for the paper judged to be the best from the papers submitted for review by the committee each year.  The following papers have received this award.

2021   Development, Crash Testing, and Evaluation of Steel Post, Trailing-End, Guardrail Anchorage System

             Mojdeh Asadollahi Pajouh, Karla Lechtenberg, Ron Faller, and Tewodros Yosef (MwRSF)

2020   Development of a Test Level 4, Side-Mounted, Steel-Tube Bridge Rail

             Jennifer Rasmussen, Scott Rosenbaugh, Ronald Faller, Bob Bielenberg, Joshua Steelman (MwRSF), Oscar Pena (Stanley Consultants), Pascual Mauricio (HDR)

2019   Development of a 34-Inch Tall Thrie Beam Guardrail Transition to Accommodate Future Roadway Overlays

            Scott Rosenbaugh, Ronald Faller, Jennifer Schmidt, and Bob Bielenberg

2018   Development of a Standardized Buttress for Approach Guardrail Transitions

             Scott Rosenbaugh, Jennifer Schmidt, and Ronald Faller

2017   Standard Midwest Guardrail System Placed at 1V:2H Slope Break Point or with Omitted Post 

             Lechtenberg, K.A., Bielenberg, R.W., Rosenbaugh, S.K., Faller, R.K., and Reid, J.D.

             Initial Developments Supporting a Roadside Tree Removal Marketing Campaign

             Stolle, C.S., Faller, R.K., Lechtenberg, K.A., and Yim, T. (IRSC Paper)

             A Synthesis of MASH-Tested, 31-In. Tall, Non-Proprietary, W-Beam Guardrail System 

             Rosenbaugh, S.K., Faller, R.K., Bielenberg, R.W. (IRSC paper)

            Development of a MASH TL-2 Crashworthy Pedestrian Railing System

             Faller, R.K., Lechtenberg, K.A. Schmidt, J.D., Guajardo, A., Bielenberg, R.W., Reid, J.D., and Emerson E.  (IRSC Paper)

2016   MASH TL-4 Design and Evaluation of a Restorable Energy-Absorbing Concrete Barrier 

             Jennifer Schmidt, Robert Bielenberg, John Reid, Scott Rosenbaugh, Ronald Faller, and Tyler L. Schmidt

2015   Using Risk Analysis to Minimize Adverse Consequences in Nonstandard Designs

            Malcolm Howard Ray, Christine Carrigan

2014   Safety Investigation and Guidance for Retrofitting Existing Approach Guardrail Transition 

            Jennifer D. Schmidt, Eric R. Jowza, Ronald K. Faller, Scott K. Rosenbaugh, John D.

2013   MASH TL-2 Guardrail-to-Bridge-Rail Transition Compatable with 31-in Guardrail

            Roger Bligh, Dusty Arrington, Rory Meza  

 2012   Development and Implementation of the Simplified MGS Stiffness Transition

             Karla A. Lechtenberg, Mario Mongiardini, Scott K Rosenbaugh, Ronald K. Faller, Robert Bielenberg, 

             Francisco Daniel  Benicio de Albuquerque

 2011   Development of a Low-Cost, Energy Absorbing, Bridge Rail

             Jeffery C. Thiele, Dean L. Sicking, Ronald K. Faller, Karla A. Lechtenberg, Robert Bielenberg, John D. Reid,

             Scott K. Rosenbaugh

2010   Limits of Acceptable Rail and Post Deflection in Crash-Damaged Strong-Post W-Beam Guardrail

             Carolyn E. Hampton, Douglas J. Gabauer, Hampton C. Gabler

2009   Guidelines for Implementation of Cable Median Barrier,

              Dean L. Sicking, Francisco Daniel Benicio de Albuquerque, Karla A. Lechtenberg, Cody S.Stolle

 2008   Midwest Guardrail System Adjacent to a 2:1 Slope

              Karla A. Polivka, Ronald K. Faller, Dean L. Sicking, Robert W. Bielenberg

 2007   Midwest Guardrail System for Long-Span Applications

              Robert W. Bielenberg, Ronald K. Faller, Dean L. Sicking, John Rohde, John D. Reid

 2006   Development of a Low-Deflection Portable Concrete Barrier

              Roger P. Bligh

              Midwest Guardrail System for Long-Span Applications

              Robert W. Bielenberg

 2005   Transition from Guardrail to Concrete Bridge Rail for Low-Speed Roadways

               Roger P. Bligh

2004   Midwest Guardrail System for Standard and Special Applications

              Faller, R.K., Polivka, K.A., Kuipers, B.D., Bielenberg, B.W., Reid, J.D., Rohde, J.R., and Sicking, D.L.

2001   NCHRP Report No. 350 Compliance Testing of a Bullnose Median Barrier System

             Bielenberg, B.W., Reid, J.D., and Faller, R.K.

1993   Performance Level 1 Bridge Railings for Timber Decks

             Faller, R.K., Ritter, M.A., Holloway, J.C., Pfeifer, B.G., and Rosson, B.T.

1992   Construction of the Narrow Connecticut Impact-Attenuation System at Five High-Hazard Locations

            Eric C. Lohrey

AKD20 Volunteer of the Year Award

The AKD20 committee recognizes individuals who go above and beyond to further the work of the committee.  This award was created in 2012.

       2024   Talha Ghuman (Safe Roads R&D, Inc.)

       2023   Fadi Tahan (George Mason University)

       2021   Bob Bielenberg (Midwest Roadside Safety Facility)

       2020   Nauman Sheikh (Texas A&M Transportation Institute)

       2019   Chiara Silvestri Dobrovolny (Texas A&M Transportation Institute)

       2018    John Donahue (Washington State DoT)

       2017   Dhafer Marzougui (George Mason University)

       2016   Ronald Faller (Midwest Roadside Safety Facility)

       2015   Doug Gabauer (Bucknell University)

       2014   Christine Carrigan (RoadSafe LLC) 

       2013   Mike Dreznes (International Road Federation) &

                    Rod Troutbeck (Troutbeck & Associates)