O.H. Ammann Research Fellowship

Information about the O.H. Ammann Research Fellowship

The O. H. Ammann Research Fellowship in Structural Engineering, which is bestowed annually to a member for the purpose of encouraging the creation of new knowledge in the field of structural design and construction. The O. H. Ammann Fellowship was endowed in 1963 by O. H. Ammann, Hon.M.ASCE, and was increased in 1985 by Klary V. Ammann (widow of O. H. Ammann).

All 2011 O.H. Ammann applications are due on November 1, 2010.

Click here for the updated 2011 Application Form

Announcement of the 2010 O.H. Ammann Research Fellowship Award

The SEI Technical Activities Division Executive Committee awarded the 2010 O.H. Ammann Research Fellowship in Structural Engineering to Mr. Fernando Moreu, a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, pursing a degree in Structural Engineering. The fellowship, which the TAD Executive Committee bestows annually for the purpose of encouraging the creation of new knowledge in the field of structural design and construction, was awarded for his research entitled "Use of Wireless Sensors for Railroad Bridge Replacement Prioritization." The overall objective of Moreu ’s research is to develop a pilot measurement method to place accelerometers and record accelerations in railroad bridges, and to use these readings to quantify structural robustness of railroad bridge elements. The findings of this study will be used to implement a methodology for component (or even whole bridge) replacement prioritization. Mr. Moreu’s full report will be posted when it becomes available.

Fernando Moreu obtained his Bachelors Degree in Civil Engineering at the University of Granada (Spain) in 1999. Mr. Moreu then moved to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he researched nonlinear performance of reinforced concrete buildings under seismic excitations. In 2000 he started working for ESCA Consultants, Inc. as a design engineer. Since then, Mr. Moreu has participated in the design, analysis, development, planning, construction, retrofitting, replacement and inspection of diverse structural systems. These systems include –but are not limited to- highway and railroad bridges, university laboratories, diverse industry buildings, cooling towers, and special foundations. Mr. Moreu has participated in the design and replacement of more than 30 railroad bridges in 7 states. In 2005, he finished a Masters of Science in structural engineering at the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department at the University of Illinois, while working for ESCA as a full time structural engineer. In 2007, Mr. Moreu then started his PhD in structural engineering at the University of Illinois, working with Profs James LaFave and Christopher Barkan. Mr. Moreu’s research is focused on the structural health monitoring of railroad bridges using wireless sensors, having monitored three railroad bridges with accelerometers between 2005 and 2010. In 2009, Mr. Moreu received the Max Zar Scholarship from the Structural Engineering Foundation and the NSF Fellowship for Asian Pacific Summer School (APSS) in Smart Structures Technologies. In May 2010 he was selected the 2009 Young Engineer Finalist in Spain, his native country. Mr. Moreu has additionally been awarded with the Talentia Fellowship by the Junta de Andalucia, also in Spain. Mr. Moreu has presented his research to both professional and academic audiences in the US, Canada, Japan, China, Singapore, France, Italy and Spain. Finally, Fernando Moreu is the US representative for the Spanish Association of Civil Engineers.

Congratulations to Mr. Moreu for his hard work and dedication which earned him this fellowship award.

Past Winners of the O.H. Ammann Research Fellowship Award:

2002    Beth Brueggen  
2003    Beth Brueggen  
2004    Kerri Anne Taeko Tokoro
2005    Dragana Jankovic  
2006    Dragana Jankovic
2007    Kapil Khandelwal
2009    Taraka Ravi Shankar Mullapudi
2010    Fernando Moreu