Ralph J. Trapani, program engineer on the Mount Sopris Transportation Project with the Colorado Department of Transportation, has been awarded the Distinguished Engineering Alumni Award by the University of Colorado at Boulder.
The award, presented by the College of Engineering and Applied Science at its 34th annual Engineering Alumni Banquet on April 16, recognizes alumni of the college who have distinguished themselves through their outstanding personal qualities, knowledge and significant contributions to their fields.
91制片厂 23,000 students have earned engineering degrees from the college, but few attain this honor. DEAA winners represent less than 1 percent of the total number of graduates.
Trapani, who earned his bachelor's degree in architectural engineering at CU-Boulder in 1974, was recognized in the Government Service category for undertaking one of the world's most intricate engineering challenges -- the construction of I-70 through Glenwood Canyon -- and accomplishing it with worldwide accolades. The project not only preserved the outstanding natural beauty of Glenwood Canyon, but created a highway that excels in safety and efficiency in the narrow, winding and dangerous canyon.
Trapani's determination to seek the best solutions for the project's many challenges led to several technical achievements, including the development of new and effective tools for evaluating and mitigating rock-fall hazard, according to the award selection committee.
Trapani managed the highway's design and construction for the Colorado Department of Highways from 1980 to its completion 12 years later. In 1992, he
founded and served as president of the Colorado Transportation Institute, which developed new designs for mechanically stabilized earth walls and bridge substructures, and completed an important study in alternative materials for roadway deicing.
In 1995, he was hired by CDOT to manage the construction of State Highway 82 through Aspen's Roaring Fork Valley.
A resident of Glenwood Springs, Trapani is a registered professional engineer in the state of Colorado and a member of the American Society of Consulting Engineers, the National Society of Professional Engineers and the Transportation Research Board. He is the author of "Citizens Instigate Innovation" (ASCE, 1995), and he co-chaired the Conference on Construction in Difficult Terrain at Snowmass Village in August 1994.
Five other awards were presented in the categories of Industry and Commerce, Private Practice and Research and Invention at the annual awards banquet. Recipients were nominated by their colleagues and selected for the awards by the Engineering Advisory Council of the College.