ASCE has honored Erol Tutumluer, Ph.D., M.ASCE, with the 2024 Francis C. Turner Award for successfully applying geotechnical engineering and geomechanics principles to develop sustainable transportation infrastructure systems with emphases on advanced materials characterization, smart sensing, and modeling of pavement and railroad track geomaterials and geosynthetics.
Tutumluer's research has substantially enhanced our understanding of stress sensitivity's impact on the behavior of unbound layers, pivotal in the efficient and cost-effective design of pavement systems and railroad tracks, with his groundbreaking UIFastCell device. He has been at the forefront of developing sustainable pavements by using recycled aggregates and their by-products through innovative methods and inventions. His contributions include material models, innovative laboratory tests, and full-scale testing of diverse pavement sections. His development of machine vision tools for assessing ballast field conditions represents a monumental advancement, allowing engineers to evaluate conditions and take proactive measures before degradation occurs.
In the area of ballasted railroad tracks, Tutumluer's geotechnical laboratory testing capabilities have been instrumental in studying the characteristics of ballast samples under variable conditions. His research has illuminated ballast breakdown mechanisms and their effects on layers, particularly in the context of heavy haul freight transportation. His contributions extend to developing construction specifications based on sustainability, including innovative uses of recycled materials and quarry byproducts.
Tutumluer has been a lead investigator on over 120 research projects worth more than $20 million, has been cited over 10,400 times, and has authored numerous practice-ready publications for industry papers. He is the founding editor-in-chief of the journal Transportation Geotechnics and has held key positions within ASCE, TRB, the International Geosynthetics Society, AREMA, etc. He is chair of the G-I Pavements Committee, ISSMGE Technical Committee on Transportation Geotechnics. Additionally, he has mentored 70-plus graduate students.
The lectureship was established by the Transportation and Development Institute (formerly the Highway and Urban Transportation Divisions) of the Society by the solicitation of gifts from the many friends and admirers of Francis C. Turner, Hon.M.ASCE, former chief engineer of the Bureau of Public Roads, and retired Federal Highway Administrator.
