2023 Richard S. Fountain Award recipient announced

Published On: March 17, 2023

The Steel Bridge Task Force – which consists of the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI), the National Steel Bridge Alliance (NSBA), and the American Association of State and Highway Transportation Officials (AASHTO) T-14 Technical Committee for Structural Steel Design – recently awarded Heather Gilmer, a senior engineer at Pennoni, the 2023 Richard S. Fountain Award. Established in 2001 in honor of the founder of the Steel Bridge Task Force, the Richard S. Fountain Award recognizes leadership in steel bridge research and outstanding efforts to advance AASHTO specifications.

From left to right: Brian Hanks, North Carolina Department of Transportation and chair of AASHTO T-14; Ronnie Medlock, High Steel Structures; Heather Gilmer; and Dave Stoddard, SSAB Americas. Photo courtesy of AISI.

Gilmer, who joined Pennoni in 2022, has more than 20 years of experience in steel fabrication quality management and extensive involvement in the development of national codes and specifications. She is a member of numerous industry technical committees, among them the Steel Bridge Task Force; ASTM Committee A01 on Steel, Stainless Steel and Related Alloys; the Transportation Research Board’s Committee AKC70 on Fabrication and Inspection of Metal Structures; the American Welding Society Committee D1 on Structural Welding; the American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way Association Committee 15 on Steel Structures; and the AASHTO/NSBA Steel Bridge Collaboration.

“We congratulate Heather on this award, which recognizes her significant contributions to innumerable AASHTO guides, standards, specifications and ballots that have substantially advanced steel bridges as solutions to restoring our nation’s infrastructure,” said Robert Wills, vice president of construction for AISI, in a statement.

Among her many accomplishments, Gilmer is the primary author and/or significant contributor to several key steel bridge publications, including two AASHTO publications: “S2.1: Steel Bridge Fabrication Guide Specification” and “G2.2: Guidelines for Resolution of Steel Bridge Fabrication Errors.” Information courtesy of AASHTO.