Short Span Steel Bridges 
David Stoddard Named Recipient of Wilson Memorial Award
The Steel Bridge Task Force, which is comprised of the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI), National Steel Bridge Alliance (NSBA) and American Association of State and Highway Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Steel and Metals Technical Committee, has named David Stoddard, senior steel applications engineer of SSAB Americas, as the recipient of the 2024 Alexander D. Wilson Memorial Award.
The annual award recognizes individuals who have made significant industry contributions to advance steel as the material of choice for steel bridge supply, production, design, fabrication or construction.
It was instituted in 2022 to honor Alexander D. Wilson, a major contributor to the research and development of new technologies for the bridge industry, who served as chairman of the Steel Bridge Task Force for more than two decades.
Pictured are members of the Steel Bridge Task Force Oversight Council (left to right): Brian Hanks (North Carolina DOT), Ronnie Medlock (High Steel Structures), David Stoddard (SSAB), Mike Grubb (Grubb & Associates), Dan Snyder (AISI). Photo by AISI.
Stoddard Celebrated for Advancing Steel in Bridge Construction
The award was presented to David Stoddard at a Steel Bridge Task Force meeting on September 25, 2024 in Charlotte, NC.
Dan Snyder, vice president of construction at AISI, presented the award, which reads: “In recognition of his exceptional leadership and contributions to elevating steel as the material of choice for bridges, including his dedicated service as chairman of the Short Span Steel Bridge Alliance, advancing press-brake-formed steel tub girders, implementing innovative and sustainable materials, and supporting steel bridge research by providing test specimens and metallurgical updates.”
“Under David’s leadership as chairman of the Short Span Steel Bridge Alliance for nearly a decade, we’ve witnessed remarkable advancements in steel bridge technology, including the increased adoption of press-brake-formed steel tub girders, which has made steel an even more competitive option for bridge applications,” said Snyder. “David’s expertise and dedication have had a lasting impact on the steel bridge industry making him a highly deserving recipient of this award.”
Since 2016, David Stoddard has served as the Chair for the Short Span Steel Bridge Alliance.
Championing Steel Innovation and Industry Collaboration for Over 37 Years
David Stoddard has spent over 37 years in the steel industry, with the last 14 at SSAB Americas, a leading North American steel plate producer, where he is employed as a senior steel applications engineer at SSAB’s Muscatine, Iowa plate mill.
His responsibilities include collaborating with customers in the development and utilization of steel plate products for the bridge, shipbuilding, offshore structure, pressure vessel and energy storage industries.
David is an active participant in multiple industry associations including the NSBA Technical and Executive Committees, several AASHTO/NSBA Collaboration Task Groups, the AISI’s Bridge Task Force and Short Span Steel Bridge Alliance (of which he has been the Chairman since 2016), the National Association of County Engineers, the ABS Materials and Welding Committee and the API Offshore Structures Materials Resource Group. David holds a Bachelor and Master of metallurgical engineering degrees from Michigan Technological University.
In 2021, David Stoddard received the AISI Market Development Industry Leadership Award.
About Alex Wilson
As chair of the Steel Bridge Task Force, Alexander (Alex) D. Wilson presided over a group representing the top steel bridge design experts in the United States. As manager of customer technical services for ArcelorMittal USA, he developed and tested new technologies for the bridge industry, including weathering and High-Performance Steels, both of which provide cost-effective and durable alternatives to competing materials and are widely used in bridge construction today. Looking to the next generation of talent, he oversaw the establishment of AISI’s Robert J. Dexter Memorial Award Lecture.
The Alexander D. Wilson Memorial Award was instituted in 2022. The first award was presented to metallurgical consultant Dean C. Krouse.
As chairman of the Steel Bridge Task Force, Alex Wilson presided over a group representing the top steel bridge design experts in the United States.
About the Bridge Task Force
The Steel Bridge Task Force was formed more than 40 years ago to coordinate research that establishes safe, cost-effective steel bridges and to implement these developments into steel specifications, specifically the AASHTO design codes.
Its members include the American Iron and Steel Institute, National Steel Bridge Alliance, AASHTO Steel and Metals Technical Committee, steel producers, steel organizations, steel bridge fabricators, bridge owners, university faculty, consultants and representatives from the Federal Highway Administration.
AISI serves as the voice of the American steel industry in the public policy arena and advances the case for steel in the marketplace as the preferred material of choice. AISI’s membership is comprised of integrated and electric arc furnace (EAF) steelmakers reflecting the production of both carbon and stainless steels which are critical to the everyday lives of all Americans — including national security, roads and bridges, the electrical grid, clean energy technologies and the automotive market.
For more news about steel and its applications, view AISI’s websites at www.steel.org and www.buildusingsteel.org. Follow AISI on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter (@AISISteel) or Instagram.
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