Young Engineer • Charles Britzius • Lifetime • Capstone Design • Future City
Lifetime Achievement Award
The Minnesota Geotechnical Society is accepting nominations for the Lifetime Achievement Award. This award is presented to recognize individual contributions made to the Minnesota geotechnical profession and community. The award is open to engineers, geologists, contractors, and technicians who meet the following requirements:
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Current or former member of the Minnesota Geotechnical Society
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At least 30 years of professional experience, including at least 10 years in Minnesota
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Has made significant contributions to the local geotechnical profession
The winner will be asked to make a presentation at a Spring MGS meeting. The theme of the presentation could be a historical perspective, or could discuss a particularly interesting project that they had been associated with.
Past Recipients
1999 – G. Rudy Ford, CPG
Rudy Ford, recently
retired, has had a long and distinguished career as a geologist with the
Minnesota Department of Transportation (Mn/DOT). He has made significant
contributions to the geotechnical profession in Minnesota through his work
in engineering geology and geosynthetics.
Rudy Ford pioneered Mn/DOT's use of
geosynthetics. Logical and appropriate applications, and material quality
controls were developed by Rudy for use throughout Mn/DOT. The successful
use of geosynthetics by Mn/DOT spurred use of these materials in private
practice throughout Minnesota. The application of new materials as
construction alternatives and to solve problems often requires a dedicated,
forward thinking person, such as Rudy with geosynthetics in Minnesota, to
champion and bring into standard practice. The efforts of Rudy Ford (a.k.a.
Mr. Geosynthetics in Mn/DOT) has resulted in more economical, and often
safer, earthen structures throughout Minnesota.
Some of the comments submitted by his peers during his nomination for this
award:
"Being just a few steps from Rudy's old office it was amazing to see the parade of Engineers, Managers and Technicians making their way to Rudy's desk for advice - often waiting in line for a turn. His telephone was the same way. Ringing all day long with inspectors, contractors, professional contacts and peddlers. Never once did I hear him say "not another question/interruption." In spite of settling construction problems and disputes, recommending payment deducts on failing material and being involved in way too many projects he was liked and respected by all for his technical ability, down-to-earth reasoning, fairness, honesty and respect for his fellow employees. Somehow, with all the research and training, he still got specifications and technical memorandums done."
"I have yet to see the person who could keep up with Rudy on a field walk (and I mean right up to the day he retired). Many have tried, all have failed. It was funny to see even the young student workers walking along side Rudy on a field trip...step, step, hop, step, step, skip, step, step, jump, step, step, run."
Since his retirement he has been active in the Habitat for Humanity program.
1998 – Dr. Donald Yardley, P.E., A.I.P.G.
Professor
Donald Yardley has had a distinguished career devoted to geotechnical
engineering in academia and private practice in the Twin Cities. He was
committed to applying sound geotechnical engineering principles to the solution
of problems in the mining and construction industries.
The geotechnical industry requires trained and registered professional
engineers in order to flourish. Recognizing this need,
Dr. Yardley worked to transform the geological engineering degree
program at the University of Minnesota from mining geology to geotechnical
engineering. It was during this transformation that soil mechanics courses were
first required. From then until his retirement in 1990,
Dr. Yardley taught geological engineering principles to about 1000
students.
Dr. Yardley was part of the core group of faculty
that built a world-renowned rock mechanics program at the University of
Minnesota. While Dr. Charles Fairhurst was the central figure in this program,
rock mechanics students learned the practical applications of their craft as
practiced by Dr. Yardley in surface mining, underground mining and tunneling.
He also served as a friend and mentor to the students, by accompanying student
groups on field trips and being available to lend aid if a student was in
trouble.
Dr. Yardley was director of the Iron Ore Estimate
Division for five years in the 1950's. This critical Division confirmed the
mineral reserves estimates prepared by State mining companies, which were the
basis for property tax assessments. For many years, he also prepared the
Professional Engineer examinations used for geological engineering registration
in Minnesota.
Dr. Yardley was an active consultant to the mining
and construction industries throughout his career. Noteworthy contributions
include: slope stability determinations for taconite mining, development of
underground mining plans for taconite mining, blast vibration control through
seismic monitoring, and implementing the use of grout barriers to control
longitudinal water flow in Twin Cities deep storm tunnels.
Finally, Dr. Yardley was a tireless promoter of
underground space development in the Twin Cities area. He conceived of numerous
underground space uses, and assigned undergraduate and graduate students to
study these uses. The goal was to educate the students in practical engineering
design and analysis, while also showcasing the benefits of underground space.
His promotion ultimately led to funding, design and construction of the award
winning Civil Engineering Building on the University of Minnesota campus.
Dr. Yardley's work also paved the way for the
second major underground space project in the Twin Cities, the Minnesota
Library Access Center, currently under construction on the West Bank Campus of
the University of Minnesota. This project will provide two 600-ft long caverns
for on-campus storage of library and archival materials.
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