ASCE has honored Kenneth R. Maser, Ph.D., P.E., M.ASCE, with the 2019 Wilbur S. Smith Award for leadership and instrumental innovation, both domestically and internationally, in developing and providing highway agencies with driving-speed nondestructive methods for subsurface condition evaluation of pavements and bridge decks.
Maser is a distinguished civil engineer who is a nationally and internationally recognized authority in research, development, and deployment of nondestructive evaluation and subsurface condition investigations, particularly in the area of ground penetrating radar (GPR) technology. To manage and process subsurface GPR data collected on hundreds of miles of pavement per day, he has led a continuing effort to implement advances in software for streamlining the data processing. Examples of agencies that have adopted this technology are CalTrans, Texas DOT, Oklahoma DOT, Virginia DOT, and the Idaho Transportation Department.
In addition to pavement applications, Maser has also been a leader in the development and implementation of methods for highway speed evaluation of bridge decks. Through his efforts, highway agencies, with hundreds of candidate structures to consider, have been provided with effective tools for deciding which decks need attention, facilitating scoping of required rehab work and repair/replace decisions.
Maser has authored over 150 publications in his field and has served as an associate editor of ASCE’s Journal of Infrastructure Systems.
The Wilbur S. Smith Award recognizes contributions to the enhancement of the civil engineer’s role in highway engineering.
