AISI Steel Bridge Task Force Names Dean Krouse as Richard S. Fountain Award Winner

Dean Krouse (center) accepts the Richard S. Fountain Award with Ed Wasserman (left) and Alex Wilson.

AISI's Steel Bridge Task Force and the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Technical Committee for Structural Steel Design have named Dean C. Krouse as winner of the 2006 Richard S. Fountain Award. The award was presented by Alex Wilson, manager of Customer Technical Services for Mittal Steel USA and chairman of AISI's Steel Bridge Task Force; and by Ed Wasserman, director of Structures for the Tennessee Department of Transportation and chairman of the AASHTO-T14 Committee.

The Richard S. Fountain Award is presented annually to a member of the AISI Steel Bridge Task Force and AASHTO Technical Committee for Structural Design to recognize leadership in steel bridge research and outstanding efforts to advance AASHTO specifications through the Steel Bridge Task Force. Krouse was recognized for his: "contributions to the steel bridge industry by guiding and maintaining the ASTM & AASHTO steel material specifications, including the introduction of HPS (high-performance steel) grades; involvement from the beginning in the development of the HPS steels; and extensive metallurgical support for both plates and shapes used in bridge construction." Richard S. Fountain is the founder of the Steel Bridge Task Force.

Krouse is an independent consulting metallurgical engineer. He retired from Bethlehem Steel Corporation in 1999 after 35 years of service. Since his retirement, Krouse has contributed his expertise on a number of projects, most notably with regard to structural shape products. His endeavors include metallurgical consulting, litigation, and technical committee participation in the steel-producing and construction industries.

Krouse is a member of several AISI committees, including the Technical Committee on Plates and Shapes, the Steel Bridge Task Force, and the High-Performance Steel Steering Group and Steel Advisory Group. He is on several American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) and American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM) technical committees.

Past recipients of the Richard S. Fountain Award include:

• Dennis R. Mertz, Associate Professor, University of Delaware (2005)
• Camille Rubeiz, former Director of Transportation and Infrastructure at AISI (2003)
• Professor Karl Frank, University of Texas at Austin (2002), and
• Mike Grubb, BSDI Ltd (2001).